I HATE THE SPRING

Ok, don't lynch me for saying it, but I hate the Spring. I know that EVERYONE loves Spring, especially when you live up north and have suffered through a long cold winter, but not me. It may honestly be my least favorite season. Don't get me wrong, I don't like winter, either. Spring, though. really gets my dander up.

There is seriously a Tard, the grumpy cat, for every occasion!

Here are the top 3 reasons I hate this coming season:

1. SPRING FORWARD:

Daylight Savings Time Sucks! Benjamin Franklin was a brilliant man, but if I could go back in time and meet him I would stomp on his gouty foot! I am not a morning person under the best of conditions and when you take an hour away from me, watch out.
In the Fall when we gain an hour I end up being something somewhat resembling a human in the morning for a few days. Then my body adjusts and I am return to my usual Snorebeast McGrouchyPants. You take an hour AWAY in the Spring and I resemble some kind of fire breathing demon from hell for the next few weeks. No one is safe.
Sure, it is still light in the evening. That is nice. Really. BUT now it is dark when my alarm goes off in the morning. Not cool, people.
And as if it isn't bad enough, this year I have learned that my 10 year old takes after me in this way. She might even be SCARIER than me in the mornings now. While my 8 year old has always made a habit of being up before dawn and is still all chipper and adorable in the morning, her sister and I can barely form the grunting noises we use to communicate in the morning. It has been a hell on earth around here for the last week.

2. SPRING CLEANING:

Growing up in Oklahoma I knew of the concept of Spring cleaning. My mother would open up the house and let the fresh air in and do a good cleaning, of course. I never really understood the importance of this concept, though, until I moved to New England. After being shut ins for months on end the house becomes quit a mess. 

For my Southern friends, let me explain. There are no "nice" days in the Winter up here. We can't really get the kids out of the house to play all Winter. Also, for us working moms, we come home after dark all winter. I know some people who will still do all their chores, but for me, cooking dinner and maybe doing a load of laundry is the most you get out of me on a Winter work day. As far as I am concerned darkness = relaxing. 

Since we are shut in anyway we do most of the cleaning on the weekends. Even then, though, I find that in the winter I do just what is needed to get by: laundry, dishes, sinks and toilets, and an occasional vacuum. On top of all this we have tons of rain and snow tracking in mud, sand, salt, and all number of other things into the house that even the most OCD housekeeper has trouble staying on top of. 

There are also all number of boots, coats, scarfs, hats, gloves, snow pant, long underwear, mittens, ear muffs, and dozens of other winter items I never had true need for in my childhood, all cluttering up the front closet/mudroom/entry/floor...whatever you use. When Spring arrives you have decisions to make. Save this years clothes and hope they still fit next year or give them away? Pack away now or wait a few more months JUST IN CASE. (No matter what you decide there is ALWAYS one more cold front or snow storm after you pack it all away in the basement.) 

So here it is Spring. You can through open the windows and get some fresh air. AND slave away for at least 2 full weekends, or more, getting your house livable again. 

3. NATURE HATES ME AND I RETURN THE SENTIMENT:

Man-Size? Do they come in Snorebeast-Size? Sold. 

I am allergic to nature. This is not an exaggeration. When I went in for my allergy skin test (after years of getting 4-5 sinus infections a year and being completely unable to breath every Spring) the arm where where did the pollen test immediate swelled up and began to burn. It felt red hot and man, did my biceps looks good! The nurse kind of panicked and I spent an hour slathered in Cortizone cream with an ice pack on my arm before they let me go home.

I also am allergic to things like dust, dust mites, cats (I have 3), dogs, and AIR. So all year long I take Zyrtec. And then about this time every year that just doesn't do the trick. I have to add a nasal spray and sometimes add a special decongestant. I also use a saline nasal cleansing kit to keep my sinus passages somewhat clear. (This is like a neti pot, but it has a bottle that you can squeeze for more water pressure to get through all the gunk.) And even then I usually have a sore throat for a few months, a clogged head and end up with at least one sinus infection every Spring. 

So, there you go. My life for the next few months will be a little bit miserable. And just when it starts to get fun...the humidity will start. Did I mention that I hate the Summer?

GRAY HAIR AND PIMPLES PART DEUX

Six weeks ago I blogged about how unfair it is to still have acne at my age. I talked a little about this amazing thing called the Oil Cleansing Method. If you are, like me, still trying to cope with oily skin and pimples then the concept of washing with oil sounds very counter-intuitive. I honestly thought it had to be a bunch of crap, but after seeing it pinned over and over on Pinterest I decided it was worth a shot. And guess what......

CHICKEN BUTT!!!

No, sorry, in out house we just can't let a "Guess What?" go by without that answer. Actually... I am totally hooked on oil cleansing now. 

First of all I want to tell you that I researched this method on many sites and I felt the best post on this was on the Crunchy Betty website (linked above). I will do my best to do it justice here but I urge you to take a look at that page as well to get even more information. This is something you ultimately formulate for yourself so the more you know, the better. 

The way I see it there are 2 major problems with all over the counter skin cleansers, even the most expensive. (And you should know I have worked for 3 major skin care companies in the past and know a lot about this.)

1. Skin care costs a fortune. And the worst part is that when things don't work you just buy something else so you end up with half empty bottles of $20 face wash that goes unused. 

2. Most of the ingredients in these are crap. There are fragrance, dyes and preservatives in even the most "all natural" or "organic" skin care lines. And this can cause more damage than we are really aware. 

So, why use oil? It seems logical if you have dry skin, but I don't. I have been extremely oil since my early teens and usually even pass up moisturizer. Well, the thing about oil is that there are so many kinds and they have so many beneficial properties, including helping with acne and controlling excess oil. 

HOW TO DO IT:

It doesn't take much oil to do this. Just take a few drops and coat your skin, even around eyes, thoroughly, but not too heavily. If your mixture is on the thick side it helps to have the face slightly damp already. Take a wash cloth (this is also a great way to add a little exfoliation) and get it wet with water as hot as you can stand. The hotter is the better, but don't burn yourself. Put the hot cloth over your face. I read that 30 seconds to a minute is recommended. I am too impatient for this and found that 15 seconds is enough. Then begin wiping the oil off. 

Do this only at the end of the day to get the dirt and makeup off. In the morning just wash with hot water alone. You will find you have less oil in the morning anyway and you don't want to over dry your skin with too much cleansing. 

Rather than put the cloth over your whole face I do the cheeks and chin, then forehead and eyes, then nose. It works better for me and helps me get all the oil off. When you are removing the oil be sure to get under the  jawline and in the corners of your eyes and bridge of your nose well. At first I thought I had it all off there, but started breaking out in those areas. The eyebrows are an important area to focus on too. 

On days I don't wear makeup or don't even leave the house I will sometimes just use hot water only at night too. Or if I feel a little dirty but not too bad I use witch hazel and then rinse with hot water. 

WHAT OILS TO USE:

The main type of oil you need for this is Castor oil. This is actually a very cleansing oil. In fact, it is so cleansing you MUST add other oils or it can be too DRYING. Castor oil can break down all the dirt, oil and makeup you encounter all day (including mascara) and make it just wipe right off. It is also anti-bacterial. It's actually pretty amazing. 

Next you add the other oils depending on what your personal needs are. Here are some of the oils you can use and their properties:

• Avocado (dry /aging skin)
• Apricot Kernel (dry, aging, and normal skin)
• Coconut Oil (dry/aging skin)
• Grape seed (all skin types, especially oily)
• Jojoba (all skin types, great for acne-prone skin)
• Lavender Oil *(all skin types, especially acne prone/anti-fungal, anti-biotic)
• Olive (all skin types)
• Sunflower Seed (all skin types)
  
• Sweet almond (all skin types, especially oily)
• Tea Tree Oil* (all skin types, especially acne prone/anti-fungal, anti-biotic)
• Vitamin E Oil (dry, aging, and normal skin)
  *read farther down about essential oils

There are a lot of other oils you can use, but they are more rare and/or pricey so you can research more if you want to get into that. Also, be care to buy organic, cold pressed oil. These are the best for your skin and you can depend on getting what you pay for without any additives. 

HOW TO MIX IT UP:

As you decide how to formulate your oil the following rule of thumb helps (but is not a strict rule):

For Oily skin use 2/3 Castor oil for your mix

For Normal skin do about half Castor oil

For Dry skin do about 1/3 Castor oil

You will have to play around with this so make a small batch to begin. 

ESSENTIAL OILS:

Lavender and Tea Tree oils are amazing for your skin, but beware. They are extremely potent and many people are very sensitive to them. I cannot use lavender oil because I am allergic to the plant. It makes my nose run when I use it near my face. Either of these oils can be over drying, as well.  Neither should be used directly on skin and should always be used with a carrier oil. To test them on your skin mix with a little olive oil and dab on to see how you react. Be very careful around the eyes as well. If you use a lot of either oil in your mixture you might want to make a small batch with no essential oils in it for around your eyes. 

I can use tea tree directly on blemishes from time to time because I am not sensitive at all to it. The mixture I am currently using is very strong in tea tree oil and probably too strong for most people.  I can even use it around my eyes, but I do not recommend this. 

When I started this I used the following recipe:

3 parts Castor oil, 1 part jojoba oil, 1 part sweet almond oil, 1 part olive oil, 5 drops tea tree oil

I found that this was not quite cleansing enough. It took the makeup off like you wouldn't believe. Even water proof mascara wiped right off. I felt like I was still too oily, though. 

Four weeks ago I reformulated to this:

6 parts Castor oil, 2 parts jojoba oil, 2 parts sweet almond oil, 1 part olive oil, 25 drops of tea tree oil

This has more Castor oil and less olive oil in the mix. The extra tea tree does a great job on my skin as well. I now have so much less oil. I still get break outs, but I am seeing a huge difference in my skin. This added with a natural mask I am using (another blog post to come) are making my skin much clearer and softer. I also use an a natural acne spot treatment and this Miracle Oil on blemishes.  On the occasion I get a dry spot I will put the Miracle Oil all over my face. It is not too heavy and is truly amazing. It also helps cuts and burns. 

My last post about this (link at the beginning of this entry) showed the state of my skin. I was shocked to review this post today and see the difference. 

Before:

This is my skin today: (The lighting is not great, but you can definitely see an improvement.)

Recipe: Lite and Simple Pasta Salad

This is my go to recipe when I need something fast and easy. It is especially great when you need something for the next day because you can serve it cold. Tastes great warm, too, though.

Ingredients:

Tri color rotini pasta
Slices black olives
Minced garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Black pepper

Options: diced tomato, feta cheese or parmesan cheese OR if  you really want to do an easy meal reaplace the garlic, olive oil and lemon juice with a light Italian dressing

You will notice I did not add amounts to my ingredients. That is because it is all really dependent upon taste and can be adjusted easily to the amount of pasta you need. I usually make a full box of the pasta when I cook this and take leftovers as a lunch to work. The beauty of this is that if you don't have the money for adding the extra ingredients or just can't get to the store, it is just as delicious in it's most simple form.

• Boil the pasta, strain and run under cold water. 
• Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pasta and toss it together. 
• Add lemon juice to taste. Do not add enough to create a liquid pool in the bowl, just enough to cover the pasta. Usually this is about 2 teaspoons. If you do not love lemon taste just add a bit. 
• Add the garlic, also to taste. I add about a tablespoon. If you are a garlic lover, go crazy. 
• Drain the can of olives (I get the already sliced ones in a small can) and add them. 
• Pepper to taste, don't overdo it. 
• Also feel free to add other ingredients if you choose. 
• Toss it all again. If you are using a large Tupperware bowl put the lid on and shake. 

Voila!!! 

WHY I AM MISERABLE AT BEING ORGANIZED AND SUCCESSFUL: A story with CATS

Lucy aka "Boogalu"

In this post I will digress a bit. Last night I had the most ridiculously stupid and hilarious conversation with my boyfriend about our cats. It was totally random. And after this conversation I realized it was more evidence of how completely whacked out my brain is and probably a huge contributor to why my mothering and housekeeping skills are so wanting.

First I should give you some background information. We have 3 cats. And we often have conversations on their behalf. Each has a distinct voice and personality.

First is Lucy. She is nearly 17 years old and has been with me from kittenhood. This cat is getting very cuddly in her old age, but when my kids were little she hated them with a passion. She also never is fond of female cats, but will warm up to male ones, when she feels like it. She is very no nonsense and demanding, but sweet as can be too. She talks very straight forward and sounds a bit, I guess, like a truck stop waitress.

Pixie aka "Zoom Zoom Kitty"

Then we have Pixie. The Man adopted her already full grown so we don't know her exact age. She is probably 13 or 14. Pixie is very tiny and timid. She was declawed before he adopted her and she hates to have her feet touched. She did not know how to be a cat until my cats came around. She sometimes would play with her crinkle ball, but that was about it. She hated my cats at first and still barely tolerates Lucy. But she has found Winkie (the male) to be quite fun and chases him around a lot. And she has started to imitate his cuter behaviors. Mostly she keeps to herself, but if one of the other cats wants food when she is already eating she will give them a good old fashioned smack down. When Pixie talks it is very sweet and quiet, if somewhat indignant at times.

Winkie aka "Captain Fluffytail"

Finally there is Winkie. He is a black and white Maine Coon who is almost 4. I adopted him with his sister Tinkerbell who is not longer with us. I had not planned to adopt more than one kitty, but suddenly there was a fluffy tiny kitty rubbing against my foot. I picked him up and gasped in horror. He was missing an eye and I thought something had just happened. Nope, he was born that way. The one-eyed runt of the litter who started purring like mad the second I picked him up. Oh, you better believe I had to take him too. He is no longer a runt. As he neared 25 pounds we put him on a diet and he is now down to around 20. Still huge, but hopefully more healthy.  We tell people he is so big because he is just so full of love. As I type this he just hopped up on my lap purring. We talk for Winkie the most. In fact even my coworkers are familiar with his "voice" since I use it all the time there too. For some reason he sounds a lot like Patrick from Spongebob. I have no idea why and only recently noticed the similarity. We don't think he is stupid, but to us that is just how we think he talks.

So that brings us to the conversation. We were about to go to bed and The Man starts to laugh. I shouldn't have asked what it was about, but I did. He said, "What if the cats really could talk but actually sound nothing like we think they sound? Like, what if Winkie is actually all sophisticated?"

Well, there you go. Now I can't stop thinking about it myself. We spend the next little bit talking with a bit like Mr. Howe meets Mr. Darcy and cracking ourselves up. Then we move on to Pixie and start talking like some ex-con/gang member. Now we really started laughing. This lasted a half hour. What is wrong with me? This is what I spend my time thinking about? No wonder I am not independently wealthy yet.

Recipe Review: Disney's Epcot Center Whipped Potatoes

I am always looking for new side dishes to try and I usually am not thrilled with the ones I find, but this one is a winner.

First off, I LOVE mashed potatoes AND cream cheese, so what did I have to lose? I did not tell my boyfriend about the cream cheese until after he tasted this. (He hates cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt...the big baby.) He loved them. My oldest daughter, like me, could not get enough. My youngest does not like mashed potatoes. I made her at least try this, though, and although she was not raving about them she did eat all of hers without whining.

I have to say one very important thing: BEWARE!!! These are so good you will want them all the time. Unfortunately, you can see from the recipe that this is full of fat and calories. It is probably best saved for special occasions. I have already made it twice in the last month.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled
1 stick unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 C. warmed milk maximum (1/4 C. milk recommended)
1 T. salt
Black pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender. 
Add all ingredients in large bowl and blend with mixer.

Tips:

• Sit the cream cheese and butter out while you are cooking the potatoes to soften it a little. Then put them in the bowl before adding the potatoes. The heat from the potatoes on top softens it even more. 
• Start with a little milk at a time. I put a little less than 1/4 C. in to start. About half way through mixing I added a little more. This recipe makes very thick and fluffy potatoes. Try not to add too much milk and make them runny. 
• Don't skimp on the salt. I tend to not like salt much, but when I tried this with less salt than recommended it came out a tad sweet because of the amount of dairy in this recipe. 
• If you do not have a standing mixer (like me) pick a bowl that you can easily turn on your counter while you mix. Because this is so thick your hand WILL get tired trying to get it all blended. It is worth sticking it out to get them perfectly creamy, though. 

VALENTINE'S DAY CRAFT: Recycled Heart Crayons

If you haven't yet realized it, I have made a resolution in 2013 to be more domestic. So far that has only consisted of pinning dozens of ideas a day to my Pinterest boards and trying a couple new recipes. Well, today I got busy with a real craft. And it marks the very first time the kids and I made HOME MADE Valentine's for school! (God help us.)

I found some really adorable ideas on Pinterest (of course) and this one really stood out. I have thought about making crayons at home before, but the idea of making them hearts and handing them out really seemed too good to pass up. Plus, I saw a pin where someone attached a tag that said, "Valentine, you color my world"! How adorable is that? The other big plus was that my kids liked the idea. We rarely all agree on something, so that is a biggie. 

SUPPLY LIST:

1. Crayons: if you are doing this just for yourselves then broken pieces around that house are a great idea. We went to the dollar store because we needed A LOT of crayons to make these for a total of 44 kids! (What am I getting myself into?) I found a 12 pack of jumbo fairy crayons for $1 and got 12 packages. 
2. Molds: This can be a variety of things. I read that using a silicone mold is best since you can pop them out better. If you get a silicone or metal mold meant for baking you can do this craft in the oven. I could not find a heart shaped one the right size but I found silicone ice trays that are hearts. They are not oven safe, but I can do this in the microwave. (So, I thought. This is NOT true. See my fail here. I ended up ordering a silicone mold online since the stores were out.)You can also use candy making mold in the microwave. There are nearly unlimited shaped you can find in these. If you are just trying it out for fun at home you can use regular cupcake pans and just fill them about 1/4 of the way. If you are using metal make sure to grease the mold so they come out easier, but be warned, they may be tough to remove.
3. Oven or Microwave.

First things first, you need to take all the paper off of the crayons. I had 2 kids helping and that was a blessing. The other blessing was that since they were cheapo crayons the papers pealed off pretty easily. 

Once we started pealing I realized that I bought A TON of crayons. I tend to underestimate my supply needs and have to run to the store so this time I didn't want that to happen this time. One note about dollar store crayons: they come in strange colors. Most of the shades in these packages were a bit strange, but no way I was buying that much Crayola brand!

This is like a TENTH of what I peeled!!!

Next, if your crayons are still completely whole start breaking them apart. When you think they are broken enough, break them some more. You really need tiny pieces to fit them into the molds. If you are using larger molds then you don't have to break so much. 

(At this point, if you want the crayons to be all one color or shades of the same color, start separating them. I want rainbow crayons so they are all going in the bag together.)

Next I fill up the mold with the crayon bits. They should be full to just a bit overflowing. As the wax melts it will drip down and fill the empty spaces. 

If you have a metal pan put the crayons in the oven on 275 degrees F for 7-10 minutes. If you have plastic or silicone they can go in the microwave for 5-8 minutes. Make sure, either method, the crayons are fully melted before you take them out.

I tried this both ways and discovered that it is actually MUCH better in the oven. When I did this in the microwave the middle ones melted faster and the outer ones stayed mostly unmelted. I ended up having to let them cool, take out the good ones, rearrange the others and do it again. When I did it in the over they were completely and evenly melted in 8 minutes.

*Note, many of them end up looking black or brown or just plain ugly in the try, but then you pop them out they look really pretty. The bottom side turns out much nicer than the side we see when they are still in the mold.*

You can see here that they melted in the microwave very unevenly. Still, they turned out pretty well. 

Let the trays fully cool. At least 10 minutes but up to 30 then pop them out gently. I put them in the fridge to speed this up because I was in a real hurry!!

Aren't they pretty???? I love them!

To finish off the Valentines I bought heart decorated zip lock bags, also at the dollar store. Then I printed out the card to attach:

Valentine,

You COLOR my World!

(I ended up having to this by hand because after printing one of four pages I ran out of ink! Have I mentioned I am really bad at being domestic?)

We put 2 lollipops and a crayon in the bag. I planned to use a hole punch on the bag and note and tied the note on with some red and pink yarn, but well, I suck. 

Then...VOILA!!

FASHION IS HARD WHEN YOU HAVE NO BRAIN

Part of my quest to be better at things is to also be better at looking presentable in public. I think most moms, at least the ones I know, can relate to this. You spend so much time making your kids look nice that you just don't have time for yourself. I mean, I am happy when  don't accidentally find an unplucked chin hair that has been escaping my view for the last few months!

The biggest problem with trying to be presentable, at least for me, is that it starts from the ground up and sometimes even that is hard to get right. This is very well related by a good friend of mine in her most recent post, "This is not my Underwear," on her blog, Mommy Undressed. When I read this post a light bulb went off. Well, first I laughed hysterically. THEN a light bulb went off. I have had similar moments and I feel like sharing.

First off, let me say that I know we have ALL had our moments of socks that don't match, shirt not buttoned right, or hole in the armpit. And you know what? That's ok. I mean, we are raising the leaders of tomorrow. But sometimes we have those moments that surpass these little accidents and sadly I have had more than one.

Here are my top 3 worst foundation (as in the under structure) moments:

1. How many of you have noticed half way through your day, or even at the end, that you wore your underwear inside out all day? I imagine, and hope, that we have all been there. Today most underwear has no tags so it is easy to do. I have done it multiple times. In fact, I did it last week. But, one day, many years ago, I went to the bathroom at work to discover, for the first time, I had done this. The part I am most appalled by is that these were underwear with a tag and that were white on the inside with a print on the outside. Yet, I had no idea as I got dressed that I was putting them on wrong. 
2. While working in the library some years ago I was sitting in the back room having lunch when I glanced down at my cleavage. I do this a lot. I have great cleavage. That day I noticed that I had a cat hair sitting right at the apex of my cleavage. Not a big deal, really. When you own cats you are usually covered in their hair. I reached up to pick it off and gasped. I gasped so loud a coworker turned to see if I was ok. The cat hair was... ATTACHED. It was not a cat hair. I had a chest hair!!! And it had apparently gone unnoticed for some time!!
3. Also while working in the library, I would occasionally try to look somewhat presentable. My kids were 3 and 5 at this time so trying to look nice took a lot of effort. Most of the time I could wear jeans, but if there was a nice meeting or I had plans after work I would a skirt and tights. Most of the time I was very uncomfortable in tights. Even when they are the right size I tend to get some abdominal pain with anything slightly snug around the middle. On this particular day I was very comfortable and feeling pretty good about the obvious fact that I had lost some weight. Then I went to the bathroom and my whole world imploded. I was wearing maternity tights! They were not huge. In fact, they fit incredibly well. I was devastated. But I also have a good laugh every time I think about it. 

So there you go. Those three incidents are only the tip of the iceberg and completely why I have a hard time being fashionable. I can't even find the right tights!

VALENTINE'S DAY CRAFT FAIL

I have been preparing a post about this awesome Valentine's craft  that I am making with the girls. We are making heart shaped rainbow crayons to give out to their friends.

I made a BIG mistake. I bought ice trays because that is all I could find and was hoping that they would hold up in the microwave.

They did not:

The tray melted!!

Yeah, that didn't turn out so well!!

Yummy Beef Tips update

Tonight I tried the beef tip recipe in my crock pot. If you did not see the original recipe post please click HERE.
I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot EXCEPT the broccoli. I didn't want it to be too overcooked. I added a few layers of paper towels under the lid to catch the excess moisture. Then I cooked it on low for 8 hours, adding the broccoli at the 6 hour mark.

A few observations:

• Ten hours would have been better. The meat was not as tender as when I made it in the oven. It was still delicious, though.
• I was home to change the paper towels a few times. There is a LOT of moisture. Make sure to put lots of layers under the lid, especially if you will be out for the day. 
• The broccoli should probably only be in for one hour. It was fine, but a bit overdone for my taste. 
• I used Campbell's cream of mushroom this time instead of the organic brand I used originally and there is a difference. It was still very yummy, but not as irresistible as the first time. 
• This time I served it over egg noodles. It wasn't bad, but I prefer it over rice. It felt like fancy Hamburger Helper over the noodles.

Verdict:

It is still a great meal and a nice option if you want something that can be left cooking for 10 hours, but for the best effect you want to cook it in the oven as originally intended. 

Book Review: The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents

THE SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS FOR PARENTS
by Deepak Chopra

I am one of the few people who has not read Chopra yet. Frankly, having worked in a library I avoided a lot of the "mainstream" self help type books because of the type of people who were usually checking them out. You might know the type: Oprah followers who check out every book she mentions, but rarely show any evidence that these books impacted their lives.





And you know what? Who am I to judge? I never really knew these people. So, I realized that avoiding these books was an injustice to myself as much as it was an injustice to judge these people I do not know.

So, now I am working hard at finding peace and happiness. Part of that is not judging so much. Another part is learning and Chopra seems to be a great place to start.

This book is my first foray into Chopra and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not a long book, and most parents will probably relate when I say that was a blessing. I have no time to read thick volumes on parenting.

The "laws" are simple and relatively easy to follow. He includes things like, Everything is Possible, Go with the Flow, and Enjoy the Journey.  And he also set out easy ways to show these laws to your children each day in a natural way. It is about demonstrating though your own behaviors what is expected rather than a Do as I say, Not as I Do environment, which is so easy to fall into. It will take some practice to implement them into daily life, but they won't take extra time from your day.

My only issue with this book, and it is based on my circumstances rather than the information, is that I share custody of my children with their father. The book is so easy to implement when you do one law per day, but when you don't have your kids every day that complicates things. In addition to that I worry about how to implement these things when they will not be reflected in my girl's other home. As I said, though, that is a personal issue.

I have decide to purchase this book, which is a big deal for me. I try to cut down the clutter and not own books unless I know I will open them up again and again. This is one I will refer to regularly because I feel the message is well worth it. And with some study I am sure I can implement them into our half week with the kids.

Recipe Review: Crock Pot Spicy Chicken Soup

I REALLY love Chicken Tortilla soup. Like, REALLY LOVE it. There is just one problem: Every recipe I have found has green chilies in it. Now, for ME that is not a problem, but for my boyfriend it is a HUGE problem. To put it delicately, he says Chicken Tortilla soup (or anything with green chilies) is a really good "cleansing" meal for him.

So, with all of that in mind, I decided to make up my own recipe that just might, if I am lucky, be close to my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe. And luckily, it was delicious!! It was also very spicy, as in my nose was a bit runny, so adjust your spices accordingly. I already adjusted it to half the Cheyenne pepper that I originally used.

Please note that I do not eat beans. I have a strange aversion to EVERY type of bean so any recipe that would normally have beans is cooked without for me. That mean I do not use them in Chicken Tortilla soup and did not use them in my substitute recipe. If you like beans feel free to experiment with that and leave comments in this post!

When I experiment with recipes I rarely measure so most of my measurements are approximations and can be adjusted to suit your taste.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (I prefer thin cut because it cooks quicker and is easier to shred)
3 carrots or 8 baby carrots, sliced thin
4 large celery stalks, sliced thin
½ large yellow onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 C (approx.) chicken stock
1 C (approx..) water (milk can be substituted if you prefer a creamier soup)
2 T (approx..) chopped garlic
¼  t.* (approx.) Cheyenne pepper (this is enough to give it spice but not heat, add more if you like heat)

Black pepper to taste

• In a 2 Qt. crock pot add chicken (it can be thawed or frozen) and fill with stock until chicken is covered.
• Add tomatoes, vegetables and spices, fill with water until covered.
• If chicken is frozen set on high for 6-8 hours. (It will be cooked in 6 but more tender in 8).
• If thawed set on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4. For best results cook on low heat. If you do not have 6-8 hours you can cook on low for 3 hours then set on high for 1-2 hours.
• When food is finished, use 2 forks to shred the chicken. It should come apart easily.

*I tried ½ t of Cheyenne pepper when I made this and it was pretty spicy, not HOT, but had a kick. 

Recipe Review: Yummy Beef Tips

I hit the jackpot on this one! I have to say that this is THE best recipe I have found online and I will be making this over and over and OVER!!!

My Pinterest "Noms" board is full of recipes I would like to try, but most are a bit more complicated and I have been putting them off. And if you have been reading this blog you know that they don't always turn out so great. (See Crock Pot Lasagna)

This recipe comes from Mommy's Kitchen and she has a lot of what appear to be great recipes. This one seems to be her most popular so I am not overly surprised that it is so delicious. I am a bit surprised that I managed to pull it off so well, however.

First of all, as I have mentioned,  I don't always do things by the book. This was no exception. In fact, I messed up a few things and now I have basically invented an entirely different recipe. I still want to promote the Mommy's Kitchen recipe, because it looks amazing, but I can't personally attest to it since I am so inept that I couldn't even follow the recipe.

• Stew meat (1 lb, but can double that with same ingredients)
• 1 pkg brown gravy mix
• 1 pkg ranch dressing mix
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used an organic soup with low sodium)
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• Broccoli
• Garlic powder and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp each)

• Preheat over to 300 degrees
• Place the meat, broccoli and onion evenly in casserole dish 
• Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper
• Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl then pour on to meat and veggies

Make sure the dish is well sealed. I have a covered casserole dish, but tightly covered with foil is all you need. 

This dish will cook for 3 hours. DO NOT CHECK IT. Just leave it and in 3 hours it is tender and amazingly delicious!!

I had this over white rice, but over egg noodles or mashed potatoes would probably be just as delicious. 

Pretty much the BEST meal ever!

I plan to try this in a crock pot as well. I think on low while I am at work will do fine. And add a few paper towels under the lid to capture the extra moisture. I will let you know in comments when I give this a try. It will be cooked again soon!

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Contrary to the title this is not a political post. I do not plan to use this blog as a political forum. That said, the 2013 Inauguration was yesterday and it is kind of in the news so let's talk about it.

(Plus, I am sick right now and have no energy for a real post today.)

I did not see the Inauguration because I was at work yesterday, so I have been online today, as I sit home sick, looking at all of the news about the big event. I have learned that Michelle's bangs are kind of a big deal. Psshhh... I went with bangs a year ago. I also noticed that the Obama girls went purple at the ceremony. I love that they went with a common color (even Mom had plum leather gloves) but didn't do the exact same shade. And purple, well it just rocks.

So Lovely!!!

And even more adorable....

Sasha captures a pic of Mom and Dad smooching!

The ball was full of stars, but what I found the most fabulous was that Jennifer Hudson sang Obama and Michelle's song, "Let's stay together" for the First couple to dance to. And just in case you never saw this clip, here is something that makes my day every time I hear it:

Skip to 0:17 seconds

Our president has some pretty good pipes!

MOMMY WINS

Sometimes being a parent feels like a losing battle. This is especially true when you have to share custody of your children with someone you do not get along with at all. I know I shouldn't let myself get caught up in the feeling that it is a competition, but at times it really can feel that way.

Today I was cleaning up our dining room table. This is a very difficult job in my home since that is usually the catch all for things we don't have a home for. As I cleaned up I found some old homework from my 5th grader. As I was about to just toss it all in the recycle bin I spotted something that looked interesting. As I unfolded it I found this:

To see this from a child who has always been Daddy's girl and who also has suffered from severe anxiety all of her life is truly like winning some award. 

Mommy wins. That is all. I just win. 

Book Review: A Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was very skeptical about this book. In my house we are HUGE HP fans and I just couldn't wrap my mind around her writing a contemporary adult novel. Still, curiosity got the better of me so when I saw it available at my local library I decided to give it a shot.

First of all, it is NOT a book for kids. In fact, having worked at a YA librarian, tend to think that even older teens and possibly 20-somethings, might not get the full effect of this novel. And anyone under 16, even a mature child, probably shouldn't read this. (I only write this disclaimer because I have heard some parents have let their kids read this one.)

That said, i can tell you that this is a very well written, deep thinking, entertaining, and dare I say profound? book. If you do not already know this Rowling spent many years on the brink of poverty and receiving government help. As a single mother who has also been in this situation I found her observations of life on state assistance and the support or judgments of others. And that is the crux of this book.

It takes place in small town England where a sudden death opens a spot on the local counsel. This normally ho-hum village is suddenly in a bit of a political battle now, with the main issue being whether or not to continue funding some government funded housing that sits on the border of their village and a larger town and also whether they should end a lease on a building that houses a drug rehab facility. These issues end up exposing more than just political views as scandals are unearthed and emotions hit boiling points. Everyone in town, from teenager to retiree, is caught up in the turmoil and discover that their lives are not so simple even in this small village.

Rowling's characters are amazingly fleshed out and she expresses the opinions and views of every person, no matter what their motivation, so authentically. The settling is so well defined that, even as an American, I felt like I was part of the village myself.

It is a long read, so make sure you have the time to devote to it, but this book is worth the time.

View all my reviews

GRAY HAIR AND PIMPLES

I am cursed with the genetic predisposition of going gray early. Now, in only my mid-30s, I am half gray. That's not really all that bad. There IS hair color, of which I use plenty. The gray hair is not my complaint. My complaint is that I have this much gray hair, yet my skin is still oily and very prone to breakouts. Add to that my tendency to scar very easily and that equals terrible skin!

The last time my skin was this bad I was 18 and it was solved with birth control. The scars took longer to solve, but eventually faded. Then I had babies. My skin broke out with both pregnancies, but after the second child I saw a dermatologist who gave me Differin and a prescription zit cream. It worked wonders. I glowed. A few years later the scarring had built up again. My breakouts were not frequent, but hormones did produce one or two each month. This time, however, insurance was an issue so I just took a few Differin samples. They didn't work. I have been devastated. In the year or so that has passed my skin has gotten increasingly worse (likely due to symptoms of early menopause which I inherited from the same ancestor that gave me early gray hair). Right now seeing a dermatologist is a bit frivolous given the type of insurance coverage I have so I have been going it alone.

First off I use Cetaphil cleanser as recommended now by two different dermatologists for ANY skin types. I have changed to mineral makeup. I have given up on over exfoliation, which I was addicted to for many years. When none of this helped I turned to the only place I knew to turn. Pinterest.

A few months ago I came across a pin for this Crunchy Betty blog post. I was intrigued and set about getting on the Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) band wagon. I have been trying to stay away from chemicals and get more natural so this seemed like a great option.

When you read this post you will see that you can formulate the oils many ways. I chose to use 2 ounces castor oil (the most cleansing), 1 ounce jojoba oil (for acne), 1 ounce olive oil (for moisture), 1 ounce sweet almond oil (for my oily skin), and 5 drops of tea tree oil.

At the same time I started using this I also started a dairy-free, sugar-free, grain- free diet for some dietary issues I was having. This was supposed to help my face as well (and even help reduce facial hair!!!).  Within a week I saw a difference. I was sold on OCM. The diet, not so much. I mean, that is HARD. I did actually see a difference in how fast my facial hair was coming back in, though!

In the meantime my diet has turned to crap. The holidays ARE just over. And I have not tried to reformulate my oil. I also have a real problem with following directions, remember? When I get lazy I may realize too late that I didn't get all the oil off. Or maybe I will just resort to my Cetaphil again because it doesn't take as long.

Right now my skin is embarrassing. And that is why I am resolving to start again. I plan to reformulate a little and stay religious to the OCM. Over the next few weeks I will keep to a good routine and will let you know the results.

Wish me luck!!

PINTEREST RECIPE FAIL: CROCK POT LASAGNA

In the last 6 months I have been trying to cook more and more rather than eating out or microwaving my meals. Pinterest has been a very useful tool to this end. I have a few recipes of my own that really enjoy making, but I want to give my family more variety.

Since I work full time and have to drive an extra half hour half of my week to get the kids from daycare, I have found that crock pot meals are my best friend. So when I see a really simple recipe for the crock pot I jump at it.

I really love lasagna and the idea of making it effortlessly in a crock pot seemed too good to be true, and I was right.

Let me qualify this, however, I truly think this fail is my fault and I do not in anyway mean to disparage the original poster of this recipe. I will explain as we go.

The original recipe was pinned from a blog titled Creating through Life and can be found HERE.
It seemed so easy and looked very good.

I wish I had a photo of my finished product, but had not yet realized I would be blogging about it. 

I won't list the directions here since I have the link. What I will tell you are where I made my own adjustments. Remember how I said I rarely follow instructions?

The instructions call for putting your crock pot on low for 4 hours or suggest that if you put it on high while you get ready for your you can then put it on keep warm you can leave it for a full work day. I don't take long to get ready for work and forgot to do this "on high" part. So as I left I wasn't sure what to do. I decided to put it on low and when my boyfriend got home, 7 hours later, I had him put it on warm. I them got home 2 hours later. 

We were having his best friend over for dinner and they were already home when I arrived. We had our lasagna with Caesar salad and some bread. They were very gracious about it, but honestly, it was horrible!!!

The edges were nearly burnt, very crusty. The sauce was completely dried out. And the noodles, this part was the worst, were mushy. I had to throw half of it away. Thank goodness we had a lot of Italian bread. 

So, I ask you to PLEASE, go to the link about and try this recipe. Try is EXACTLY as directed. Then please let me know in comments how it was. I am sure this is a lovely recipe and, as usual, it was my own domestic failings that ruined this one. 

SO WHAT?

By now you may all be wondering...So What??? And I don't blame you. Sometimes I have trouble getting to the point. But here it is in a nutshell: I am horrible at the domestic arts.

And that is where this blog come into play. See, I love to write. I always have. In the past I have have attempted other blogs, but they had no purpose to them and they fizzled. You know what else always fizzles? Any project I ever start. EVER.

And now there is Pinterest. So many good projects, great recipes, organization tips! I am totally addicted. To the pinning part, not the doing part.

Can you see that I have a serious problem here?

That is why I have decided to start this blog. I want to chronicle my current failings and my growth, if any, as I attempt to tackle all of these ideas one pin at a time.

And all of that has me wondering both why I am so bad at these things and also why I so desperately want to be better at them. Thus, I shared with you the talents of the 2 women who shaped me in these areas.

I should point out that I am adopted so everything I do like them is a learned behavior.

My mother has told me pretty much all my life that I am JUST like her mother. I have always loved that and I know in many ways she is right. I am a bit spoiled and was never really forced to cook or clean as a child. There were no chores to do. To this day any cleaning I do is purely out of necessity, not because of some OCD type of drive, or even out of a desire to make a comfortable, presentable home. Most of the cooking I do I also out of pure necessity. However, I do enjoy baking very much. When given the time and space to prepare interesting or fun meals or desserts I truly enjoy it. The prep is a drag and I avoid the clean up at all cost however. I feel like if my Mema was born in my generation she might have been more like me and relied on a lot of prepared meals for her family.

But then there is crafting. I am not really like her in this area. She would always follow all the rules and finish every project. That is not me at all. In this way, I am much more like my mom. She usually finishes projects, but she never follows any rules. She does it as she goes. She may use a pattern for sewing, but usually finds a way to change it up to make it better. I usually start out with instructions but them start improvising as I go. Sometimes I even tackle something without any directions at all. Those times never end up as well as they do when Mom does it, though.

As I mentioned, my Mema was pretty organized. It was mostly due to being brought up in the Depression so she hated to keep old things. It should all be new. My mother, like me, is a collector. We worry that if we get rid of something we may need it. And even worse, we get attached to things. So my piles all over the house, pile of bills, pile of children's school work, pile of folded clean laundry, pile of craft/food/other ideas, those I learned from Mom. I guess in a way it is our own brand of organization. I wish everything had a place, but it just doesn't and no matter what I try I just can't get better at it.

You know what else I get from Mom? The intense love for animals. (See the About Me Section.) At one time we had 8 animals in our house. She is currently a dog groomer with her own business. Mema? She liked animals from a far.

Aside from all this domestic talk I also love, with a passion, reading. I always have. I owe this a little to nature, but also to both of these amazing women. Mom taught me to read by the age of 3. She was not a big reader herself, though she did pick up a book from time to time. She did, however, highly value reading and we spent a lot of time reading together before I was big enough to do it on my own. Mema was a non-stop reader, as was my Grandad. They had their own paperback library in their home and by 8th grade I was borrowing Mema's Danielle Steele books. When I learned to drive I would often stop by the library for her to pick up the latest Steel release. Grandad was more about True Crime and other non-fiction. Today I read nearly anything I can get my hands on. This might be part of why I have never been so good at the housekeeping thing, although audio books have greatly enhanced my laundry folding time. (You can find me on Goodreads.)

So at this point I am even boring myself so I will leave this self realization and study for now. And soon the fun will begin. I hope to entertain you with crafts, tantalize you with cooking, thrill you with book and movie reviews, amuse you with tales of my kids, and even educate you with parenting tips (or fails). So please, stay tuned.