A happier way to live

 

Today I was thinking about how free I am now.  It doesn't really matter to me anymore if the way I live my life bothers anyone else.  This is a much happier way to live.

I've added more layers of clothing as the day has progressed.  Tonight I will get under the blanket and stay there for more hours than usual.  That is a day in the life of a Floridian with no heater on a cold night that doesn't happen that often.  I love being a Floridian when I realize how grateful I am I don't live in a cold part of the country.  I hate the cold!  So far it has been a pretty decent winter in my area and I can handle a day or two of cold weather, but I don't have to like it.

It has been another couple of days that I've put together many new posts and updated some old ones.  My mind has been freed of those awful thoughts grief brings and I'm enjoying beautiful memories that make me happy.

My new blog posts are listed below.  Hopefully you will enjoy them as I have enjoyed creating them.

Happy new weekend coming up my friends . . . stay warm.

NEW BLOG POSTS

Gina's Italian Kitchen

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bubble Up

Chicken Alfredo ~ lighter version

Coconut Cream Cheese Brownies

Chicken Burrito Skillet

Baked Creamed Corn

Penne Pimento Cheese

Air Fryer Frozen Food Cooking Guides

How To Make the Flakiest Pie Crust

Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

Frittata

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

Orange Pound Cake

Subtropical Gardening

Prayer Plant Care for Beginners

Proven Tips for Feeding Birds with Suet

Birds That Can Benefit Your Yard Or Garden With Their Friendly Visits 

Smart Tips for Buying Garden Seeds

The Best Seed Catalogs to Request in 2026

How To Grow Geraniums From Seed

Simple Ways To Get Rid Of Aphids On Houseplants

Indoor Plants You Can Easily Propagate This Winter (Plus 5 to Skip)

How To Eliminate Flowerbed Weeds With Cardboard

Spider Plant Care

LaBelladiva

Make a DIY Spice Rack with Dollar General

Stressed About Clutter?

What Cleaning Experts Actually Use to Get Their Bathrooms Sparkling Clean

22 Organizing Shortcuts to Declutter in Less Time

Peace Love Happiness

The bridge that carried me over

The anger of grief is gone

Liars and deceivers

 

This seriously is correct for all liars and deceivers in our lives and in particular, politics.  It is almost like a soap opera.  The world has gone crazy.

Beautiful weather in Florida, but will turn colder later in the week.  I'm just hoping the forecast will change.  Hate it!

I'm still busy keeping my mind occupied with updating my blogs and creating new posts.  The listing of new posts follows.

Have a wonderful week and stay warm!!

NEW BLOG POSTS

Subtropical Gardening

Holiday Cactus Growing Guide UPDATED

Top 10 Trailing Houseplants to Grow in Hanging Pots

11 Fascinating Poinsettia Facts You Should Know

How to Grow a Meyer Lemon Tree Indoors or Outside

My thriving garden - back in the day

17 Easy Beautiful Plants That Grow in Water: No Soil, No Mess

Growing Coleus In Containers

How Long Do Seeds Last? Check This Seed Viability Chart

Want to Grow Your Own Vegetables Indoors?

Can You Reuse Potting Soil in Planters?

How Much Light Your Plants Actually Need to Survive

Low-Light Plants to Brighten Up Darker Rooms

Drought Tolerant Aloe Vera Plants Are Easy to Grow

How To Know When To Plant Vegetable & Flower Seeds Indoors!

LaBelladiva

How to Sew a Scrappy Pet Leash

Twice as Nice Zippered Pouch

DIY Bandana Bowl Covers

How to Cut Up Old Jeans for Sewing & Upcycling Projects

Yarn Project Bag 

Gina's Italian Kitchen

BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Chicken and Potato Casserole

Cinnamon Pastry

Chili Cheese Dog Casserole

Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits

Flaky Danish Kringle

Creamy Mississippi Chicken Enchiladas

Our 15 Best Chicken Casserole Recipes of All Time Are the Ultimate Comfort Food

Strawberry Cheesecake Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Cheesy Loaded Grits

Sausage & Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole

Sausage Cheese Puffs

Sausage Breakfast Pastries

Easy 5-Ingredient Taco Seasoning

Grilling/Smoking . . . A Collection of Recipes UPDATED

Chicken Creole

Ham-and-Swiss Quiche Cups

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli

All About The Attitude

 

Florida will be getting a glimpse of winter this week and we will see lows in the 40's for a few days.  I don't like it, but it is better than some of you guys experiencing snow.  The hope is that it will go away since I do not have a heater (and don't want one).  But I do have a lot of heavy clothes that usually works for me unless we get in the 30's.  No worries here for now, it is all about the positive attitude.

My blog focus for the next day or so is all about New Years Eve, food, traditions, etc.  My black eyed peas have already been purchased and I will start the soaking process tomorrow.  Other than that, I think a pork tenderloin sounds good and will last a few days.  No sweets this holiday week since I have blood labs due this coming month and I want the doctor to be happy.

Hoping that everyone is enduring the cold weather and bad storms in the US, not sure about the other parts of the world.  Have a good week!

NEW BLOG POSTS

Subtropical Gardening

How to Propagate Succulents (for More Free Plants!)

Jump-Start Spring by Forcing Bulbs Indoors

The #1 Reason Houseplant Leaves Turn Yellow & The Instant Fix

Fabulous Frugalista

Understanding Food Expiration Date Labels Made Simple

Peace Love Happiness

One day at a time

Gina's Italian Kitchen

Lemon Cake

Buttermilk Biscuit Ham Pot Pie

Collection of Ham Posts from Baking to Leftover Ham Recipes UPDATED

Ham & Egg Pockets

Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Country Potato Pancakes

Skillet Lasagna

Pecan Cobbler

Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf Copycat Recipe

Banana Bread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops

Smothered Pork Chops With Mushrooms

Happy Autumn Update

 

Autumn hit Tampa three days last week.  It was quite a surprise to get down to 38 degrees one night.  I hate the cold and would like to enjoy a mild autumn that brings cooler temps and less humidity.  Not an early winter!

Yes, I know I am spoiled with awesome Tampa weather and some of you guys are dealing with snow already.  Some people like the snow, but I can't relate at all.  I wouldn't know what to do living in a snowy climate.

I've been obsessed with posts to my food blog.  Honestly, I miss cooking and am slowly getting back to preparing meals for one, but it is not fun.  I'm working on it and hope to learn to love it.

My workaholic nature has brought me to being behind the computer way too many hours and loving it again.  I'm grateful I have found something that makes me happy again and I'm like a kid with a new toy.

I'm extremely active on x/Twitter joining others in retweeting each others posts.  If you are interested in joining me and bring more people to your website, blog, online store, events, promotions, etc., go to https://x.com/GinaAlfani and simply retreat one or more of my posts and I will retweet yours.  You will automatically be picked up by other retweeters after I retweet yours.  

New updates to my blogs follow . . .

Yes, I'd like to go back in time.

NEW BLOG POSTS

Gina's Italian Kitchen

Puff Pastry Cream Horns

Drop Dumplings for Soup

Pecan Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust

Ten smart kitchen storage ideas and DIY projects

Hot and Spicy Hush Puppies

Southern Sausage Balls

Sandy's Tasty Pasta Meal

The Ultimate Shrimp and Grits

Red Lobster Crab Alfredo

Chocolate Walnut Strudel

Subtropical Gardening

Late fall is the most important time to mulch your flowerbeds

Grow Ginger As A Houseplant – And Have Fresh Ginger All Year Long

Why is my poinsettia losing leaves?

Overwintering perennials and shrubs in containers

LaBelladiva

Drawstring 8-Pocket Jewelry Pouch

Craft Room Organization

Refashioned Flip Flops

My Florida Paradise

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse

Fabulous Frugalista

Holiday Shopping Mistakes to Avoid This Season

How To Save Money on Black Friday

Peace Love Happiness

Renewed sense of aliveness through gratefulness

Humor and Laughs

New Seatbelt Design

Spring is here!

The arrival of spring has got me all excited about garden projects.  I've written about some of those DIY projects in my gardening blog, Subtropical Gardening.

DIY Hypertufa Plant Containers

DIY Concrete Garden Hands

Awesome Container Gardening Idea


Check out the bird cage that was turned into a plant container from the Empress of Dirt!  Click here to go to an excellent article on other ideas for unusual plantings.

The front fence is in the process of going up and will be embellished with a row of beautiful and colorful bougainvillea.  Finally . . . privacy and no trespassers!


Some other blog posts . . .

Peace, Lovc, Happiness
Dealing with a toxic relationship
Keep Your Goals on Track

Gina's Italian Kitchen
Triple Layered Strawberry Cake



We are celebrating the new season with a Spring Sale at Crows Nest Jewels.  Use coupon code SPRING17 . . .

Political happenings are keeping me glued to cable news! Hopefully the beautiful spring Florida weather will lure me away :)

Hope you are experiencing beautiful spring weather in your part of the world!

Real Hope and Change

We are well into winter and have only had one or two nights of needing the heat on.  It has been like springtime this week!  Gotta love living in Florida . . .

I'm feeling much better since the Presidential Inauguration has passed and President Trump is settling into the White House.  The political campaign and everything that followed exhausted me and gave me a ton of anxiety.  Like I needed more anxiety . . .


My new hobby of making soap has peaked my curiousity to make other beauty items.  My blog LaBelladiva is full of DIY recipes that I would like to try and I have added the following:

DIY Lip Balms

Oatmeal Masks For All Skin Types


How about some new recipes?  I have added the following recipes to my food blog, Gina's Italian Kitchen:

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Rice

Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tots Casserole