Liberty Market, Gilbert Arizona

I had a chance to go to lunch at Liberty Market in Gilbert, Arizona last week. This was my first visit to this restaurant but will certainly not be my last. The atmosphere is casual but the food is not. The menu has a lot of items that I look forward to trying on future visits. If you are curious you can find menus here.

 For my first visit I had the Picnic Sandwich and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad. Both were delicious! The people I went to lunch with have eaten at Liberty Market before and already know their favorite dishes. They ordered the Hollywood Cobb Salad and Minestrone Soup. From the looks of the crisp green salad I will definitely be giving salad a try, oh and breakfast and dinner sometime too.

If you want to see the latest from this great eatery you can check out the website for menus and information on weekly specials. These folks are on social media too with mouthwatering posts on Instagram and Twitter.

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Out Back

In our backyard in Arizona we have planted a bush known as Mexican Bird Of Paradise. They are starting to bloom now. Looking out the patio door to see the bright flowers and lacey green leaves makes me smile. I do hope you found something to smile about today too.

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Time Life Book Digest 1990

I finished another book last night. This is another volume of best sellers at the time by Time Life rather than Reader's Digest this time. Loved all these stories and maybe you will too.

• The Longest Tunnel by Alan Burgess- Many of you may know of this story through the movie "the Great Escape" but it is worth checking out this book too. 
• Bitter Sweet by LaVyrle Spencer- A story of parting after high school and coming back together later in life. Of course there is more to it than that but wouldn't want to spoil it for you.
• The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille- A fascinating look into east coast wealth, lawyers and the mafia.
• The Burden of Proof by Scott Turow- Chasing family secrets after the death of his wife in a search to understand drives this great story.

The links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you chose to click and make a purchase I get a few pennies at no cost to you.

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Yellow and White Wool Eater

More yarn out of my stash and made into something useful. This time I have a lot of yellow and white baby yarn. These aren't really colors modern moms like so I decided to use it up. I chose the Wool Eater, also know as Catherine's Wheel stitch pattern. It has made a small lightweight nap blanket to keep on the couch in the living room which is a perfect spot for a quick nap.

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No more shoelaces

I start each morning with walking my 10000 steps as recommended by FitBit. If I miss a day it really feels strange. At my regular pace it takes less than two hours. Since I live in a two story house I am able to get about 10 sets of stairs done at the same time. It may sound strange but I do all this walking in my house. I am currently in Arizona and it is getting warm already. I can pace through the rooms in my house in a temperature controlled place and get it all done in my pajamas.

I do put shoes on rather than doing all this walking barefoot. I have found my feet and legs feel better throughout the day with the support from wearing shoes. And this brings on the reason for today's post. Shoelaces or rather finding a good replacement for them.

Shoelaces can be too tight or too loose. They can come undone and need to be tied again. After walking for awhile if your feet swell shoelaces may need to be adjusted for continued comfort. I found on Amazon the silicon replacements you see here. I got a three pack of white, gray and black. Each color comes with more that most shoes need but would allow for sizing to customize how they fit for you and your shoes. If you do a search for these on Amazon you can find all kinds of package combinations for single pairs to up to six and all kinds of colors if you find my choices boring.

I have used these for the past week in two pairs of my walking shoes and love them. I went from ties to slip ons. The no tie laces hold without being too tight or too loose. If you are a walker of a runner you may want to consider these for yourself.

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Shop News "CozyAtoZ" on Etsy

I spent time this week getting all my finished hot pads listed. BTW, just wondering, do you call them hot pads or potholders? For no apparent reason I use both names with no favoring one name over the other.

These hot pads are real kitchen tools that can last for years. I used a smaller than normal crochet hook so the created fabric would be thick, dense and strong. The final stitching makes these double layered and closes up the potholder and I added a hanging loop for convenience. 

Made from 100% cotton these won't melt like those made with acrylic yarns. Of course they can be burnt if kept to close to flame or electric cook top elements. With the double layer these could also be used as a trivet to protect counters and table tops from hot pots or pans.

Two sizes are in the shop right now. The smaller ones are about 6 inches square and would be great for anyone. If you have larger hands or plan on using them often under larger pots you may find the larger size of 8 x 6 inches to be what you need in your kitchen.

While you would certainly consider using these in your own kitchen like I do, they also make great housewarming or bridal shower gifts or something for your favorite cook.

I love making and using these potholders using a vintage pattern that I have lost somewhere in my piles of patterns. I plan on making more in other colors so it's a good thing I have the instructions memorized.

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Mother's Day Gift

I did it. I headed off the flowers by choosing a gift for myself. No regrets either.

By the way did you have a great Mother's Day? Mine was quiet but good. I heard from my kids on Sunday and talked to my own mother on Saturday.

Now the gift I got myself was something I have been thinking about for awhile. I got some metal mesh bands for my fitbit. I have the Charge 2 version and these work perfectly. I can also tell you after wearing them for a few days that they feel better against my skin that the plastic bands that fitbits come with. The magnet that secures the band is infinitely adjustable and strong enough to not come undone. You can find them in lots of colors and for me I chose silver and champagne gold. The bands came in a box and inside the box each band had a protective plastic sleeve. I am so happy I got these!

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