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Last year during spring cleaning, I documented the whole process and shared my progress with you. I probably won’t document it this year, but I thought you might like to learn from my mad skillz.
Actually, in all honesty, I’m hoping someone will e-mail me and tell me how to make this whole ordeal easier. :-)
Writer’s block is a bitch. It’s one of the most annoying, maddening, frustrating things.
Ever.
In fact, I just crossed an article off my list. Not because I finished it. I crossed it off because I didn’t want to, couldn’t think of what to say, and just don’t care anymore.
Writer’s block will strike again. And again. But the solution is to just keep going. Here are my top four ways to get rid of it.
Travel. If you can’t travel before this article is due, meditate and relax. Take your mind somewhere else and then revisit your article.
Trust yourself. Don’t sift your ideas out before they hit the paper. Instead, follow your imagination. Let everything flow and edit afterwards.
Don’t be afraid. I am always afraid that my ideas are bad. I second guess myself, saying, “that is a stupid idea.” Who knows, maybe that “stupid idea” could have helped me win a Pulitzer by now. You never know. But even if it is truly a stupid idea (we’ve all had them; I’m not throwing stones here), you can’t hurt anything by putting it on paper.
Set aside an hour, perhaps in the morning with your coffee or at night before bed, to read. Read anything and everything. Reading improves your vocabulary, stimulates your mind, and wards off writer’s block.
If you have leftover aluminum pie pans that are in good shape, you may want to consider using them again before you throw them away. It saves you money that you would spend buying something new, which is enough of a reason for me!
1) If you’re working on a small craft or project, an aluminum pie pan can hold glue, decopage, paint, or glitter. It’s easy to clean up afterwards!
2) You can grow a shallow indoor herb garden in a disposable pie pan. Be sure to transplant them, though, when they get too big!
3) If you want to cozify your kitchen, you can fill an aluminum pie pan with tea lights and miniature candles. It creates a comfortable atmosphere while you make dinner!
4) When you have company over, you can fill the inside of an aluminum pie pan with fruit, florals, and other items as a centerpiece. Since the pie pan itself isn’t very attractive, you should make sure that the pie pan serves as a base to an abundant display that overflows and spills over the top.
5) If you know someone who has been in the hospital recently, had a baby, or lost a loved one, it’s nice to take them a warm meal. If you deliver food in the aluminum pie pan, you don’t have to worry about not getting it back!
6) When working with children, you can use aluminum pie pans to hold beads, marbles, and other items as they work on their projects at the table.
I love upcycling, recycling, repurposing, and refurbishing!
I have a long list of things that need to be repurposed. One of them is an old favorite sweater that will soon be felted and turned into a cozy winter scarf. There are also two large baskets in my basement that will soon be stained and shellacked. There are two pewter herons in my bathroom that “wear” my jewelry when I’m not wearing them. The metal needs to be re-polished so they can be shiny bright. I’ve thought about mosaic tiling an old table, too, but that project might be a little ambitious for my current skill set. Two 1960′s Mary Tyler Moore-esque sofas are also in the basement waiting for new upholstery. I want to upholster them in a slate grey crushed velvet. Tufted, of course.
But we will see when I have time to do all of these projects. I have also completed a few upcycling projects. Remember these lamps? I’m in heaven when I’m working on this type of project. Hopefully there will be many more to come.
So, in the spirit of motivating myself to get these projects done, here are my ten questions to ask when you are considering upcycling an item:
Can it be painted or wood stained? You’d be surprised what a fresh coat of paint can do. If you use paint that is specific to the surface area (metal, plastic, etc.), your item will look brand new again. (If it’s rusty, be sure to rust seal it before you paint it.)
Can it be used for something other than its intended purpose? My pewter herons are originally mantle decorations. However, they are very good at holding my jewelry. My rings slide over their beaks, and my necklaces and bracelets dangle from their feet and wings.
Can it be nailed to the wall? Some objects can be easily turned into coat racks, hooks, mail holders, wine racks, and a ton of other things.
Will it solve a problem? It is worth it if it will remove a pile of mail, keep your scarves organized, or help you match those awful tupperware/gladware lids to containers.
Can it be repaired? Sometimes a good old fashioned fix can make the difference.
Can it become “supplies” for another project? Maybe an old shower curtain can become a paint dropcloth.
Can it become a utility item? Perhaps it has a purpose in the garage.
Can it be re-upholstered? Sometimes that is a lot less expensive than buying a new piece of furniture. It depends on the quality of the frame and the fabric you choose. If you choose fabric that has a definite repeat pattern, you will end up using more fabric than a solid color.
Can someone else benefit from it more than I can? Sometimes you just gotta take it to the Goodwill.
Will it make your life easier, or are these questions giving you a headache? In that case, recycle or donate. Just don’t re-gift.
The dough for these cookies is a very strange, merengue-like texture. But they are so, so, so good.
And so, so, so easy!
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 box Lemon Cake Mix
1 egg
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/3 c. Powdered Sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Beat egg. Mix cool whip, egg, and cake mix until blended. The dough will be strangely thick, stiff, and sticky. Drop by spoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar; roll until coated. Place rounds on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.
If you are environmentally conscious, or if you just like a clean-burning, fragrant candle, then maybe you would like a crackled soy candle!
If we weren’t already crazy enough, Michael and I are embarking on a new journey. We are making and selling candles together! We love working together (after all that’s how we met) and we love the candles, too. Our candle shop is live at Terra Verde Goods.
Soy candles are becoming much more popular than traditional candles. They are fragranced with natural essential oils instead of heavy perfumey chemicals, and the cotton wicks burn bright and clean.
Soy candles are all natural and eco-friendly. This means that there is no petroluem in them like a regular candle, and they don’t release any carbon dioxide into the air. Also, when they spill, it is very easy to clean up after them. The wax doesn’t harden immediately, and you won’t have to chip at it as you would regular wax.
Michael and I came across crackled soy candles by accident. While trying to manage our household bills, we decided to make Christmas presents one year instead of purchase them. We discovered how much nicer our handmade crackled soy candles are than expensive perfume-laden storebought candles.
So we didn’t stop there. We continued to make them, and discovered that there is a demand for high quality candles. It is a fun, marriage building project for the two of us, and we really enjoy building our handcrafted business together.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve emptied moldy leftovers out of my fridge. I should get a green thumb award for what I’ve grown in there.
I can’t tell you because I don’t know. And because it’s embarrassing.
The most recent time, I’d had it with leftovers that we didn’t eat. And when you’re always cooking for two, there are usually leftovers. And I happen to be married to someone who doesn’t like to eat the same thing two dinners in a row. Wasting food is wasting our money as well as the energy and gas that were expended in producing that food.
So I decided to get creative.
The first thing I did was start cooking expandable meals. The first night, we would have garlic roasted chicken. The second night, I would make my famous chicken and rice out of the leftover chicken. That way, we wouldn’t have exactly the same dish two nights in a row, but nothing would go bad.
Here are 9 ways to make new meals out of leftovers.
Meat of some kind – put in a casserole dish with cooked noodles or potatoes, butter, and parmesean cheese. Top with grated cheese. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Ham – Dice cooked ham for use in salads and omelets.
Pork – Slice leftover pork and add to rice dishes or soups. Shred it and make sloppy joes with pulled pork instead of beef.
Meatloaf – Add leftover meatloaf to your spaghetti sauce. Roll it up in tortillas with scrambled eggs for breakfast tacos.
Bacon – Crumble it into your salad. Make a BLT sandwich, or put it in that breakfast taco.
Noodles – Add leftover noodles to chicken or beef broth. Or, toss it with salad dressing and parmesean cheese for a pasta salad.
Potatoes - Make baked potato skins. Extend your meat loaf with grated potatoes. Make potato salad.
The second thing I did was buy huge quantities of freezer bags at Sam’s Club. I made a huge stock pot of killer spaghetti sauce with Italian Sausage a few months back, and I filled a bunch of airtight ziploc bags with ladle-fulls of the sauce (after dishing out what we would eat for dinner that night, of course.) That was six months ago, and we have eaten that spaghetti 3 or 4 times since then. And we still have spaghetti sauce in the freezer! Not only did it prevent me from having to throw the food away, but it also saved me a lot of time in making dinner. Unfortunately, some things don’t freeze well. Noodles and breads don’t thaw out nicely. But there are so many dishes that you can practice this concept on, it’s unreal.
Now you’ll save time making dinner, eliminate the time it takes you to clean out the refrigerator, and never serve the same thing two times in a row. Ta-da!
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
PS- here’s a freebie: you can extend the life of a green leaf salad or fruit salad by squeezing lemon juice over it before you put it in the fridge. Lemon juice helps fruits and vegetables retain their color and shape longer.
I liked the premise: A woman goes abroad to discover herself. As someone who has a long list of places to travel someday, I can relate.
About halfway through the first section, I almost threw the book out. She spends the whole first part of the book whining about her divorce. I didn’t really respect the fact that it was more important to discover herself than it was to honor her marriage commitment. Can’t she do that while married, working on their relationship?
Becoming deeply rooted and grounded might be the one thing that would help her marriage, but that’s just me.
Of course, some husbands really do deserve to be kicked to the curb. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that to some level, and I don’t know the intimate details of her marriage. I can’t really judge. She and her husband had different goals, and to them, separation was better than compromise.
I trudged through the book, hoping it would get better.
And it did. It got better as she explained what she saw in Italy, India, and Indonesia. Elizabeth Gilbert really is a talented writer, and I found her anecdotes to be fun and amusing. The religious aspect of it was interesting to me, also. As a Christian and an “amateur anthropologist” (that’s what I call people who read about a subject but don’t work in the field or have the ph.D.), I am always intrigued by what other cultures think about God and life in general. Her narrative about these cultures intrigued me. I didn’t agree with the second part of the sentiment, “God dwells within you, as you,” but I found it interesting to note that many religions believe that the spirit of God lives inside of you in some way.
So Eat Pray Love began to redeem itself, and I don’t regret reading it. Then the end happened. She began Eat Pray Love in the middle of a crumbling relationship. Then she has this amazing self actualization, self realization, self discovery experience as she travels through the three countries. Then she ends the book in a new relationship. It seems that she went full circle. So has she actually learned anything? Is she doomed to repeat this experience again?
I was skeptical.
Then a friend said, “Oh, you have to read her other book, Committed! It helps you understand that second relationship.” Dang it. Now I have to read the other one? I borrowed a copy from my mom and started in on it soon after. I think I read it in three days. Again, I didn’t agree with everything in the book. But I thought it was about a thousand times better than Eat Pray Love. I loved her running commentary on the way other cultures treat marriage and relationships. This commentary ran in tandem, weaving in and out of her personal story about her relationship and subsequent marriage to Felipe.
Now I was satisfied. She did learn something in those countries and is approaching her new relationship with calmness and confidence. With that said, I would recommend these books if you are interested in that sort of thing.
This was the first thing I learned how to make after I moved out of my parent’s house. It quickly became a staple, and I eat it about once every two weeks. Michael and I have a joke about my chicken and rice. I can make it blindfolded, backwards, and with my hands tied. However, early in our relationship, I decided that chicken and rice was a safe thing to make for our first dinner at my apartment. It was sure to not mess up- not all my cooking attempts were very successful. Long story short, I didn’t give the rice enough time to cook. So it was crunchy and needly in the chicken and sauce. I was mortified; the only explanation that I could give was my nervousness about cooking for someone I was trying to impress! As long as you aren’t cooking for a potential love interest, you can’t go wrong! And if you do, you are in good company!
Ingredients:
4 Boneless skinless chicken breast, thawed
1 c. rice (If you want to avoid my mistake, use minute rice. Works like a charm!)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 can extra mushrooms and mixed vegetables, optional
Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil water in medium sized pan. Add rice. When the rice absorbs the water and can be fluffed with a fork, remove from heat. Stir in cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, and extra mushrooms and vegetables if desired. Spread in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place 4 chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and serve hot.
Variation 1: If you want it to be more like a chicken and rice medley, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and stir into the rice with the cream of mushroom soup. The chicken flavor spreads throughout the entire casserole this way into cheesy, creamy, mushroomy goodness.
Variation 2: You can cook and season the chicken breasts on the stove top with olive oil and italian seasonings prior to baking. This will shorten your cooking time.
Variation 3: If you are a busy lady on-the-go, you can literally dump every ingredient into the crock pot before work. Save out 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to top the individual servings with. Voila! Dinner will be ready when you return home at 5 pm. (Note: use regular, not minute rice, when making this dish in the crock pot.)
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
Active and passive revenue isn’t a complex concept. The long and short of it is, active revenue is when you create 100 products for 100 customers. Passive revenue is when you create one product and sell it 100 times. An example of an active product is original artwork. For every original painting you sell, you have to create one. An example of a passive product is a book. The author writes one book and sells it a million times- they don’t write a million manuscripts. They only write one.
I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful and provoking narrative Meg Mateo Ilasco provides to help you prepare to launch your business. This is the crafting entrepreneur’s bible, and I wouldn’t start any kind of active revenue business without it. If you want to turn your fun into money, this is the book you need to read. Ilasco provides direction on all aspects of your business, including product development, business planning and licensure, sales, marketing, trade shows, and publicity. This book is a fun and easy read, providing direction and a realistic grasp on owning and operating a craft-based business.
Meg Mateo Ilasco provides a very honest and candid approach to craft-based businesses. As with any industry, there are benefits and drawbacks. She provides a real-life approach and helps you, the reader, figure out how to overcome these obstacles and make your craft a viable, smashing success.
Below is a link to Moo, one of my favorite online printers. They have cute mini-business cards and creative ideas for marketing pieces! Of course, they have all the standard stuff, too. Check it out!
I bake and cook a lot. I served this dish at a party once along with some of my little appetizers and hummus and sweet breads. My only regret is that most of it disappeared in 20 seconds. I think I should have made more. I hardly realized what had just happened when it vanished.
Here’s what you’ll need:
15 oz. Chicken Broth
16 oz. Cheese Tortellini
2 t. Chives, minced
Salt
Boil Chicken Broth. If you want to make more than 15 oz., add 2 cups of water for every 15 oz. of broth. Mix in tortellini, chives, and salt. Boil for about 10 minutes or until tortellini is nice and soft. Serve hot with rolls.
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
Now we’re going to look deeper into self awareness, the first step to achieving true emotional intelligence. (The other four, in case you’re wondering, are self control, self motivation, empathy, and social skills. We’ll look into those later.)
Emotional intelligence is about thoroughly knowing and managing yourself. In order for you to be a peacemaker, approach conflict in a smart way, and develop self confidence, you first have to know yourself inside and out.
And that starts with being aware of yourself.
I’m so guilty of thinking, “of course I know myself! DUH!”
But it’s not always the case.
In fact, others probably know us better since we are inherrantly incapable of observing ourselves.
Instances that could make you really sad or angry will exponentially make you more so if you aren’t expecting it to bother you at all.
No matter how emotionally intelligent or self-aware you are, certain things are always going to be difficult for anyone to go through. If your house burns down or someone close to you dies, it’s natural and healthy to feel sad or angry. In getting to know your triggers, I am talking about day to day occurrences: those days when someone makes a smart comment inferring that you need to lose weight, you get passed over at work even though you work really hard, and you find out that you have to spend $2,000 on a car repair.
However, being self aware will help you immensely in the big situations, too.
One of my triggers is if someone says something negatively about me within earshot. If they say it directly to me, the blow is a lot less painful. But if they’re talking ABOUT me to other people in the room or to someone on the phone about all the ways I could improve, I get so mad that I can’t see. That used to happen a lot, but not so much anymore.
(That particular example says a lot about THEIR emotional intelligence, too. Or lack thereof. But your job isn’t to manage them. It’s to manage yourself.)
Get to know your triggers and buttons, and prepare yourself to handle it the next time that conflict arises. We each need to predict what circumstances will “push our buttons” and trigger emotional meltdowns. If you are prepared to deal with it in advance, the situation will end up a whole lot prettier.
In order to increase your own self awareness, ask yourself these questions honestly and candidly. (You can journal them, or just think about it.) You don’t have to share your answers with anyone; this is for your benefit alone!
Some of these questions are really deep, and really can’t be answered in a simple answer. That’s ok. Just ask yourself the questions and allow them to mull over in your mind.
Section 1: Beliefs
1. What do you believe about God?
2. What do you believe about life?
3. What do you believe about authority?
4. What do you believe about home and society?
5. What do you think you should believe about these things? Are your actual beliefs different from what you think you should believe?
Section 2: Values
6. What is the most important thing in the world to you?
7. What do you want more of?
8. What do you want less of?
9. At the end of your life, what do you think you’ll be glad that you did/did not do?
10. What do you need? What makes your life complete or incomplete right now?
11. Whose opinion do you value?
12. What people in your life are the most important?
13. What do you do to unwind or calm down after a stressful situation?
Section 3: Emotional buttons
14. What are you afraid of?
15. What makes you really, really angry?
16. What makes you sad?
17. What makes you happy?
18. What stresses you out?
Section 4: Strengths & Weaknesses
19. What are you good at? What are you not so good at?
20. What learning scenarios do you enjoy? (examples: taking a class, debating an opposite viewpoint, reading, practicing a skill, etc.)
21. What do other people say that you’re good at?
22. Given the opportunity, what skills would you like to develop?
23. What strengths do you wish others had? (your spouse, your co-workers, etc.)
24. What, if anything, do you fail to resist most of the time? (example: alcohol, overeating, etc. Identifying it is a giant step towards fixing the problem.)
25. Make a list of the following things:
-Things you love
-Things that add pressure or stress to your life
-Ways that you can deal with stress
-Ways that you can prepare yourself for the next conflict
I hope this exercise is helpful. Knowing yourself intimately is the first step towards being an emotionally intelligent person.
*Disclaimer: I wrote this article based on my own experiences and research in the area of emotional intelligence. I am not a doctor or a healthcare professional of any kind; DO NOT use this article in place of professional advice.
Get the book: Click Hereto read about the book, “Emotional Intelligence for Dummies.” I highly recommend it as a practical resource!
And the best part is, it’s really easy to make! You can have your kids crack the eggs and help you pour the batter in to the pan. And of course, lick the beaters. You can’t make anything with kids without having them lick the beaters.
The glass measuring cup is from Pampered Chef. It came free with a "qualifying order." I don't even rememeber what I bought that qualified me to receive it, but I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. I heart it!
Ingredients:
16 oz. Cream Cheese
1 c. Sugar
1 t. Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
24 Vanilla Wafers
Fruit topping (pie filling or strawberry jam)
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Place vanilla wafers flat side down in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers, filling each to 1/4″ from top. Bake 20 min. Allow tarts to cool completely. Centers will sink.
Add filling. Chill before serving.
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
During the first week of April, I spring cleaned my house. While I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do in those five days, I still managed to transform my house into a place where you could eat off of almost any surface. (I say almost because I would never recommend eating in certain places. Like the litter box, for example.)
Many of you have e-mailed me asking for my comprehensive checklist of what I did and did not do during my spring cleaning week. This is the list that I originally set out to do; I didn’t actually do all of these things in order. It worked out to pick and choose things in the order that made the most sense at the time.
You asked, so here it is!
If you want to print this out for future reference, please click on the print-friendly button at the bottom of this post.
1) Gather supplies. I used CVS’ sweet coupon deals and got my toilet bowl cleaner and febreeze for free. The rest was procured from Dollar General for less than $3 each.
2) Wash laundry. I wanted to begin with “regular” house chores out of the way. However, I did strip all of the beds and washed all of the foot rugs, linens, tablecloths, and placemats in addition to my normal laundry routine. I was able to work on other things on this list while the laundry was running, so this was an easy task.
3) Sweep Cobwebs from patio ceiling
4) Wash porch swing with wood cleaner and water
5) Clean storm doors with glass cleaner and liquid metal polish
6) Remove all pictures, mirrors, and decorations from the walls. Wipe down with baby wipes and re-hang
7) Freshen mattresses. I sprinkled baking soda on the mattresses and let them sit for several hours before vacuuming them up. When I re-made the beds, I placed dryer sheets between the mattress and mattress cover for added freshness
8) Wash hard decorations in sink. Be careful to only wash things that can handle being submerged in hot water. I have some ceramic, pottery, and glass pieces that were carefully scrubbed with an old tooth brush and detergent in the sink
17) Weed walkways outside and any weeds that may be growing through cracks in the pavement. If you want to, you could seal the pavement at the same time to prevent more weeds from popping up. (I didn’t actually do this part.)
18) Wash patio and driveway with oxi clean and water.
19) Clean out garage!
20) Put items on shelves
21) Sort items to organize on the shelves, give away, sell, and throw away.
22) Clean out cars. Wash dashboards and vacuum out. (I confess that I never got to this step while I was spring cleaning.)
23) Take trash out.
24) Wash stove burners. (If this step seems out of place, it is because it was one thing that was left over from Day 1 that I never got to until the next day.)
25) Vacuum carpets, including under and behind furniture
26) Vacuum upholstery, including underneath the cushions. If necessary, “beat” the pillows and cushions outside. I also put dryer sheets under the couch cushions when I replaced them.
27) Lint roll your lamp shades. It is a lot easier than trying to dust them.
28) Dust books and book shelves. Books can be vacuumed with a vaccuum attachment. Make sure to hold the book shut while doing so.
29) Clean light bulbs with non-flammable cleaner. (Baby wipes or even just a rag with water will work here.)
30) Clean nonwood floors with Spic ‘N Span or other linoleum or tile cleaner.
31) Dust refrigerator coils. I used a lot of baby wipes here and pulled out some crazy big dust bunnies!
32) Defrost freezer and clean out
33) Clean out the refrigerator, throwing out old food and wiping down the surfaces. I removed all of the shelving and bins and washed them in the sink.
34) Clean bathroom, organizing any odds and ends that may be left on the counters. (Toothpaste, makeup, aftershave, and deoderant seems to always sit out in the open. It’s the bane of my existence.)
35) Clean computer and tv screens with a soft, dry cloth that is appropriate for delicate screens.
36) Donate excess items that you gathered from the house and garage while cleaning to charity
37) Clean the inside of your garbage cans. I actually did this on Day #2 because it made more sense to do this while I was emptying the trash. I took the garbage cans outside and filled them up halfway with the hose. I put a strong cleaner in each container and let them sit a while before emptying them out.
I get really frustrated at red splotches, big pores, and those awful “undergrounds.”
Yuck, yuck, and more yuck.
The only two things I’ve found that work for me are 1) a wonderful topical prescription called Duac. Splotches, be gone! 2) Arbonne skin care products. These things are completely natural Swiss formulas that make your skin feel SO GOOD. I even love the anti-aging line, and I’m only 26.
But Google is a wonderful thing, and I’m going to share what I found.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and anything that absorbs into your skin gets absorbed into your blood stream. So any lotions and soaps that you use need to be good for your whole body, not just the smoothness, texture, and moisture level of the skin itself.
Babies have the best skin because they have the most vitamin A, C, and E in their bodies. Eventually we lose that.
Be emotionally intelligent. The less time you spend frowning, the fewer frown lines you will have.
Cleansers are good. I use an all natural facial cleanser in the shower. But bar soap, body gel, and other types of soap are not good for the more delicate skin your face. Only use the more sensitive soaps on your face.
Moisturizers are also good. They help your body restore natural oils on its own.
Water keeps your skin looking healthy and vibrant. Drink at least 40 oz. per day. I just keep refilling my pink water bottle all day. I normally stop when my tummy starts to slosh and/or I run to the bathroom.
Exercise increases your circulation, flushes toxins, and delivers nutrients to your skin. I am really bad at this step. I exercise 3 times a week, but I am not mentally into it. I wish I loved exercising!
Vitamins keep your skin taut and zit-free. Vitamin A, green tea, grains, fish, and nuts will help you get what you need. Lucky for me, I drink lots of green tea and love fish.
Simple is also good. I realized that the more complex my beauty regimen is, the more likely I am to forget about it.
Less is best. Your skin can only absorb so much at one time, so globbing lotion and moisturizers on is a waste. Especially if you buy expensive lotion. And Google tells me that your skin doesn’t like it either.
So, that’s all, folks. I’m toasting my green tea to good skin!
Last weekend, I drove through downtown Dayton. I drive past downtown Dayton every day, but I rarely drive through. Dayton is a small city that gets a bad rap for having “nothing there.”
And small it is.
But it has some amazing gems that are worth traveling for. The Second Street Market. The Victoria Theater. The Schuster Center. The Cannery. There really are some amazing things to do in the city. (And if you’re a history buff or an aviation buff, there is plenty here for you, too.)
One of the gems that I found was this old building. Look at the amazing architecture. I smapped this picture while sitting at a stop light. (Can you see my reflection through my driver’s side window? My bad.)
Although small, you might want to consider visiting someday. And if you live here, stop and look around.
Check out this easy, yummy dinner for busy ladies on the go! Anything in the crock pot equals a win for me.
Ingredients:
8 oz. uncooked Noodles
1/2 c. Butter
1 c. Mushrooms
1/3 c. Flour
2 c. Chicken Broth
1 c. Milk
1/2 t. Pepper
2 c. Chicken, cooked and chopped
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. Sour Cream
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook and drain noodles. In skillet, melt butter. Saute mushrooms. Blend in flour. Gradually add broth, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir until sauce thickens. In 2 qt. casserole dish, combine noodles, chicken, and sauce. Stir. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake 20-25 min.
It’s a great life!
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
I was skeptical of this idea because bread is a 50/50 gamble for me. Sometimes my bread is the lightest, fluffiest, melt-in-your-mouth item ever. I won’t lie.
But when it goes wrong, it goes very, very wrong.
When it goes wrong, I end up with a blackened, charcoal-like brick that was supposed to be bread. So this rosemary-potato idea was a bit lost on me. I was a little afraid of failure. (After all, what the heck is biga?)
Oh my goodness! You have to try this recipe. The way it smells while it is baking is half the benefit. The other half is slathering a warm piece with butter and eating it while the butter melts.
The only word of warning that I will give you is to allow enough time. You shouldn’t try to make this if you need it today. The biga starter alone will take 24 hours, so plan it in advance.
If you want to try this Rosemary-Potato bread like I did, here’s what you will need:
3 c. Unbleached Bread Flour
1 /2 t. Salt
1/4 t. Black Pepper
1 1/4 t. Instant Yeast
1 c. Potato Flakes
1 c. Water
1 T. Olive Oil
2 T. Rosemary, chopped
Additional 3/4 c. Water, room temperature
1 1/2 c. Biga starter
To make the biga bread starter:
3/4 t. Active Dry Yeast
1/2 c. Water, room temperature
3 1/2 c. Unbleached Bread Flour
1 1/4 c. Water, cold
In large stainless steel bowl, gently combine room temperature water and yeast. Do not stir, but let stand for 15 minutes. Yeast should be foamy. Add flour and stir until the mixture is combined. It will be stiff and sticky. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Biga can be stored for a few weeks, and longer in the freezer. Make sure it is room temperature when you use it in a bread recipe.
To make the Rosemary-Potato Bread:
In large mixing bowl, stir flour, salt, black pepper, and yeast. Add room temperature biga, potato flakes, water, olive oil, rosemary, and 3/4 c. water. Stir. (Add more flour if it is too sticky or more water if it is too dry.) Knead dough with the ball of your hand for about 10 minutes. Roll the dough out on a floured surface. Knead again until it makes a ball. Oil the inside of the mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover with a tea towel. Let sit about two hours. Dough should almost double in size. When the allotted time runs out, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Let sit another 1-2 hours. The dough should again double in size.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool before serving.
I love pretty things, but I have the most unusual collection of styles going on. I really love colonial decor, 1940′s decor, old hollywood, and a variety of vintage styles. (Throw a little rustic and a little zen into the mix and I am one confused girl!) Besides that, I am horrible at furniture placement. When I arrange things the way I imagined, it just doesn’t look right.
Domino is one of my favorite decorating resources. It gives me great ideas for integrating my eclectic styles. It also has great ideas for how to arrange the furniture and map out my floor plans. This is totally a must-read! You can check it out here.
“Determine your style” is a great section for me. It helps me pull my eclectic variety together and create one cohesive look out of it. As you can see, I’ve underlined the words that describe my style in the book!
I love the clean look of these pages. My house has way more color on the inside, though.
I’m in love with the chandelier and the glass front on the hutch in this picture. This looks like a very comfortable place to eat dinner, doesn’t it?
Vintage wallpaper pages. Pure bliss.
I’m a big fan of ice blue old hollywood styles, complete with tufted upholstery and a dazzling chandelier. This page pretty much rocks.
This book is a great inspiration, but it also helps you get structured and gain clear direction as to what you are doing with the interior of your home. I totally recommend it!
I am inspired and amazed by the things that people accomplish in their lives. From the creation of a lightbulb to the creation of a business, people have brought themselves up from nothing. Here’s my little tribute to some incredibly exceptional people.
One of the worst pains in the world is an earache. Who knew that your ear could hurt so badly? It’s awful when you have an earache yourself, but it’s almost as bad when you’re watching your husband or child suffer from one.
Here’s some of my favorite home remedies for ear comfort. I love the soothing feel of an ear beginning to feel better as the ache fades away!
Earaches can be caused by infections in the ear, nose, mouth, throat, or sinuses. Generally, the infection in other parts of the head swell up, causing pressure on the inner ear. Often, the earache is accompanied by fever, nausea, or vomiting.
Here are six household ingredients that you can use to cure an earache:
1) Hydrogen peroxide can be applied in small drops to the ear to kill infections.
2) Soak a garlic clove in alcohol. Squeeze the juice out of the garlic clove and put a few drops in the affected ear. The antibiotic properties of the garlic will kill infection, reduce pressure, and relieve pain. The juice of garlic by itself is also effective as a remedy.
3) Soak a cotton ball in warm (not hot) olive oil and place inside ear.
4) Heat up some olive oil until just lukewarm and apply it to the area around the affected ear.
5) Soak a cotton ball in chamomile tea. When it has cooled down, place inside the ear.
6) A drop of warm onion juice will cure gripping ear pain quickly.
I remember when Toy Story 2 came out. I thought that nothing could be better than Toy Story 1. Boy, was I wrong. If Toy Story 1 knocked the ball out of the park, Toy Story 2 took it to infinity and beyond.
(Sorry, bad joke.)
One of the things that stood out to me about Toy Story 2 wasn’t really about Toy Story at all. I used to babysit a little boy who has cerebral palsy. You can tell that he is an extremely bright boy, but his disability prevented him from doing a lot of normal things. He can’t speak to us in words, but he told us loud and clear that he loved Toy Story. I watched it with him quite often- often enough to still have most of the movie memorized.
One of the things I loved about watching him watch Toy Story was that his favorite character was Woody. Every time I would hold up two Toy Story toys and ask him to choose one to play with, he always chose Woody. It didn’t matter what character the other toy was; Woody was his favorite. It was so exciting to see Gabe talk wordlessly.
His mom and dad have faith that there’s a lot going on behind those eyes, and it just keeps getting better.
Toy Story 2 images used courtesy of Disney/Pixar and Mattel.
It is really fun to watch the Wizard of Oz on the big screen. People were lined up around the block with their children, some of whom were wearing witch hats and ruby slippers. The whole theater cheered when Toto escapes from Miss Gulch’s bicycle, and a few people sang along to “We’re off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz”!
Being a classical fiend, an old movie fiend, and an overall dork, I do know a little bit of trivia about the Wizard of Oz. It really was a breakthrough in movie technology at the time, showing off its vibrant technicolor pizzazz.
1) It is a myth that a munchkin hung himself on screen and can be seen in the background. Urban legend.
2) George Cukor was directing Gone with the Wind at the same time Victor Fleming directed The Wizard of Oz. However, George Cukor got fired from the set of Gone with the Wind. Guess who they hired to replace him? Victor Fleming. George Cukor then went to finish The Wizard of Oz. Technically, Fleming and Cukor switched places and each contributed their directing talents to two of the most famous classic movies of all time.
3) Buddy Ebsen was originally supposed to play the Tin Man, but had an allergic reaction to the liquid metallic face paint. He was replaced by Jack Haley.
4) Dorothy Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, grew up reading the book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” She loved the story and was eager to participate in the movie production. However, she was taken aback and insulted when they immediately suggested that she play the witch.
5) In the book, the Emerald City is not really emerald. The characters wear green tinted glasses as part of the Wizard’s “man behind the curtain” facade. However, MGM wanted to show off its new technicolor capabilities, so the Emerald City was actually emerald in the movie. Likewise, the ruby slippers were actually silver. They decided to make them a ruby red color to show off the fact that this was the first full length color movie.
6) The string of “smarts” that the Scarecrow spouts off at the end is actually gibberish. It is supposed to sound intelligent but actually means nothing.
7) Ray Bolger did all of the Scarecrow dances on his own without using a stunt double.
8) The song “Over the Rainbow” won the award for the most popular song in the 20th century.
9) Shirley Temple was originally billed as Dorothy because she was closer to the character’s age. However, Judy Garland’s superior singing voice won despite the fact that she was older than her character.
10) Dorothy Hamilton suffered severe burns while “melting” through a trap door. The “smoke” effects injured her as she was lowered beneath the stage.
11) The entire movie was filmed in a studio, using painted backdrops to create the effects.
12) The “horse of a different color” was actually seven or eight different horses who had been dyed in a mixture of jello powder and water.
The best part about this recipe is that it keeps forever. You can make your own baking mix (read: Bisquick) in just a few minutes, and you can use it as needed for a very long time! The other best thing is that it is a lot cheaper than any store bought mix. I spent $4 on all of the ingredients, and I still have a lot of leftover flour and sugar to use in other things!
If you want to make your own baking mix, here’s what you will need:
10 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container for up to six months.
To make pancakes with this baking mix:
2 c. Baking Mix
1 c. Milk
2 Eggs
1 t. Vanilla
2 T. Lemon Juice
Stir all ingredients together. Pour by large spoon fulls onto hot frying pan. Cook until edges are dry and centers are bubbly; flip and cook until browned.
To make waffles with this baking mix:
2 c. Baking Mix
1 1/2 c. Milk
2 T. Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 t. Vanilla
Stir all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour onto greased waffle iron and close lid. Bake until steam stops or waffle iron indicator engages. Remove waffle.
To make biscuits with this baking mix:
2 1/4 c. Baking Mix
2/3 c. Milk
Preheat oven to 450 F. Stir all ingredients together until it can be rolled into a soft ball. On floured surface, knead and roll out until about 1/2″ thick. Use a round cup or biscuit cutter to divide dough into rounds for baking. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min.
This is my favorite website for advice related to cooking as well as cookware and other kitchen essentials. And recipes galore, too!
Last year during spring cleaning, I documented the whole process and shared my progress with you. I probably won’t document it this year, but I thought you might like to learn from my mad skillz.
