a Sweet Life Saga

Now that the Iron Bowl has officially been laid to rest (as crazy as it sounds, I believe that I am the only person in the country who did NOT watch it -- even though I bleed Crimson), it is time to move on to the sight, sounds, tastes and smells of the winter holidays. One of the most wonderful things about cold weather, besides snow (which we do not get often living here in the deep south) is hot chocolate!  I LOVE hot chocolate.  And recently, I found the bestest (yes it IS a word) and most wonderful recipe for homemade hot chocolate.  It tastes divine and makes you feel so warm and incredible inside you will want to snuggle with perfect strangers!  How's that for some Christmas spirit!!  :-) It is called.....Let It Snow Cocoa in the Homemade Christmas Cookbook from Gooseberry Patch.  Before the cold weather goes away (which will probably be next week, again, given that we live in the south and Spring can spring at any given time of the year), you must...

Well, it is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the season!  Once we get home and unload all the goodies we've acquired during the day, all we want to do is rest and recover....and eat some leftover turkey! According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.  Not getting enough sleep has been linked to health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, negative moods and behavior and decreased productivity. Here are a few tips to help you establish and maintain good sleep habits: Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. (Sounds good in theory but is quite impossible to do, unless you are a robot) Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine, such as soaking in a hot bath or listening to soothing music. (WHO has TIME to soak in a hot bath!!) Keep work materials, computer, and television out of the sleeping environment. (But how do I entertain myself until I fall aslee...

For me....'cause I need it for a Lipstick Legends Santa Baby photo shoot!  :-) I believe the Christmas season has officially kicked in.  I have seen more than my fair share of homes sporting Christmas decorations this week.  And, to be honest, my home is included.  I decorated early to gear up for Christmas portraits!  Below is a sneak peek from a Lipstick Legends Santa Baby shoot! Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree for me, I've been an awful good girl, Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight... I'm just sayin',

Why is it that some of the hardest words for us to say are “thank you”, especially when things aren’t going well in our lives? Why is it we only tell God thank you when all is right in our lives?  It’s easy to tell God thank you when we are sitting on the mountaintop all happy and smiley-faced, but what about when we are in the valley, sad and defeated?  We don’t even think about saying thank you to Him. When our burdens are heavy, we forget about the wonderful blessings He’s given us and are angry about the troubles we face.   All we can see is our present  darkness.  But we should give thanks to God for all of our circumstances, not just the good times.  Even though we can’t see it at the time, there is always  a positive force in our trials — God.   We should make it a habit to say thank you to Him for trying times, as well as good times.  First Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in ALL circumstances, not just the go...

I love this quote, "When God created man to desire companionship, he didn’t take a rib and turn it into a Wi-fi signal." This is from an article I read about our addictions to social networking, specifically, Facebook.  I've attached the link to Social Media Addict seeks Connection, Escape .  Hopefully, it will cause each one of us to take a step back and look at others in a different light and possibly offer them more than a "friend request".  While I don't play Farmville or any of the other games offered on Facebook, I do understand how one can lose track of time while on the internet.  It seems to be the shiny coin we can't seem to pull ourselves away from. The story about the 22 year-old mother who killed her baby over a Farmville game is mortifying and shocking.  But equally disturbing to me was the photo in the article...our household looks just like that sometimes.  Today's quality family time is spent on computers or in front of some gamin...

Yeah, yeah, I know the title is a song by Toby Keith, I think.  I must confess -- I don't listen to alot of country music.  Well, actually, I don't listen to it at all, unless it is Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard.  :-)  But I know most of the performer's names even though I don't know their songs.  However, I digress.  This blog isn't about Toby Keith or his song...it is about becoming a woman of ACTION!  A re you a woman of talk or action?  We all say things we are going to do — pray for someone, take a meal to a friend in need, send a card, make a phone call — and we honestly have good intentions, but most of the time, we never follow through. I recently read a short story about Bob Dahlgren.  Do you recognize the name?  I had never heard of him until I read his story.  He died quite a few years ago at the age of 52.  His death doesn’t affect us in any way, but to James Brady, it was a deep-felt loss.  You ...

W e’ve all heard the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”…..but here are some additional facts about APPLES:   During 7th century BC, they were so rare and valuable couples were required to share one on their wedding night.   They are second only to bananas in popularity. They contain 2.8 grams of fiber. Apples should be eaten unpeeled as most of the nutrients are in the skin. They are easy to digest and help reduce fermentation in the digestive tract. Apples are an excellent way to help reduce blood cholesterol. New Zealand is a large source of apples for the US during the spring. They are a natural breath freshener. There are over 100 types of apples, although we very rarely eat more than 1 or 2 types.  Step out and try a type you’ve never tasted before — they are affordable and will definitely contribute to a healthy living lifestyle! While apples are great tasting and good for you ( by the way, so is chocolate :-) ), we do use the word apple ...

It happens every time...each year when the holiday season rolls around and we don’t have enough money, we resolve that next year, it will be different — we will have enough money saved up to spend for the holidays — it won’t be this way.   But what happens?   Next year comes before we have had a chance to save any money for our holiday spending.   Below are 15   fabulous tips for holiday spending. Budget your holiday spending.   Decide how much you can afford and stay within that budget. Make a list and check it twice.   Come up with a gift idea and spending range for each person you want to buy for.   Make a list and stick to it. Curb your spending.   Opt for   some low-cost, but attractive gifts.   You can still be that fabulous gift-giver without breaking the bank. Be the early bird.   Shop before the official holiday season begins.   This will give you time to comparison shop and reap cool bargains. Don’t be your own Sa...

Hope and change!  Two words that usually bring an ethereal feeling....sort of.  However, for me, hope and change have a totally different meaning...and feeling. For example, I'm currently in the throws of menopause.  I'm hoping that something will soon change and it will not be necessary for me to continue to wear a patch to ward off evil spirits and hot flashes.  In my mind, and body, they are one in the same! I weigh the same now as I did 27 years ago!  "How marvelous", you might say.  Not really...you see, 27 years ago I was 9 months pregnant and giving birth to my first son....I weigh exactly the same now as I did then.  I'm still trying to figure out how that happened.  Thus, I'm hoping for a change in my body weight. Recently, I've been developing mysterious rashes on my face.  I went to see the dermatologist, but she could offer no explanation.  She sent me home with a topical ointment and told me to use "as needed".  A...

Facebook has become a wonderful social networking tool.  One has the opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting and intriguing people....some with the same name.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided to do a search for Benita Roberts to see how many people on Facebook shared my name.  I found several.  Ironically, one Benita Roberts I found was from Birmingham....England.  I thought that was pretty cool since technically, I'm from Birmingham....Alabama.  Even more ironic was that another Benita Roberts and I shared a common friend....who knew!!??!! So, when you get a minute, check on Facebook to see how many other people out there share your name...you might be surprised! I'm just sayin',

Clearly, I am the worst blogger EVER!  It is not that I'm not interested in keeping up my blog.  The problem is that I seem to have difficulty finding the time to write my blog.  For some reason, I have not made it a priority on my "to do" list.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I have plenty to say about everything...some things worth hearing, some not worth hearing.  However, that does not deter me from speaking my mind. :-)  Keeping up with my photography business, maintaining two websites, two teenage boys, running a household, managing finances, preparing dinner menus, cooking said dinners, maintaining the mountain of laundry, reading my daily devotional, spending time in prayer, finding time to get my haircut, reading Atlas Shrugged and continuing to workout is challenging enough.  But now, I feel the strong pull of keeping my blog updated in a more timely manner...at least better than I have in the past. So, for the sake of having something...