Love these...

Something you should know - I love {love, love, love} makeup. From the time I got the go ahead from my parents that I could wear it - I was twelve, and told all my friends, so they all bought me some for my birthday. (You know the 50 colors for $2.50 sets. I looked like a clown for months!) Through my teen years when I dug loose change out of the couch cushions to buy the latest issue of Seventeen. Right up to today when my pulse picks up a bit whenever I walk into the makeup section at Target. Love it.


So I am excited about two new (to me) products that I love and can't live without.

This is a face primer. I've been looking for an affordable one for over a year - ever since I read The Five Minute Face by Carmindy. (You know, the makeup artist from What Not To Wear. It's a fun book, and if you love makeup, too, it's worth the read.)

I. Love. It.

It does amazing things for under-eye dark circles, not to mention that when my skin decides to be nice to me, I can use it all by itself without foundation. On the days I can't, it does lovely things to make everything else go on smoother.

The other thing I love isn't really makeup, but it is for your face, so I'm counting it. That's a microdermabraision kit. Microdermabraision is a thirty-something's best friend. There are lots of different kinds. I have this one, and love it, the effect lasts for days. I'm talking baby-butt smooth. Smooooth.

I'd like to think my makeup skills are a little stronger now, but one person's smokey eye is another person's Tammy Fae Baker, so it's all relative.

As a last mention, another book that is fabulous is Kevin Aucoin's Making Faces. What that man could do with a brush was absolute magic.

I feel like I've written "makeup" about 4,000 times in this post. So here's one more - Hooray for Makeup!

Running: The Cure for the Common Cankle

Run Like a Mother: How to Get Moving and Not Lose Your Job, Family, or Sanity by Dimity McDowell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As a beginning runner this book provided fantastic inspiration and advice. I've already gone back and started reading it again to keep me motivated. However, I think anyone with more than a 10K under their belt would find this book charming for the anecdotes, but not necessarily full of information they don't already know. But it's great to know there are women out there who find a way to make running part of their lives, and can show us newbies how to do it, too.

~~~~~~

I've been wanting to read this book since I saw the review in the newspaper, and it was so worth the $10 I spent for it!

I finally feel well enough (after battling some health problems for the last year) to give running (read: walk/jogging) another try. (Yay! Go me!) And it has been awesome! (Apart from the gasping and sweating and soreness.) The best part? I'm finally getting some much-needed definition in my calves. One day soon I will be able to wear my high heels without looking like there are tree stumps shoved into them. Yes, my friends, running is the cure for the common cankle. Even being a competetive swimmer in my youth did nothing for the definition in my calves, but running has in just a couple of weeks. I have high hopes for this new fitness obsession of mine. I will post pictures just as soon as there is something worth seeing - so it may be a while. :)

And two months later, I'm back...Again

I have been M.I.A. the last two months, but I have a good reason... I went back to work! (I guess this means I have to change the tag line of the blog.) Yes, our pocketbook has been a sad victim of the economy, too. It's just really hard to keep a family of five on one income. Those of you who do it I admire you SO much, and am so jealous!

The good news is that I was able to resume my former position at the company I left two years ago, so it was kind of like going home again. And I've enjoyed the new balance this change has forced me to find. While I miss watching the local lifestyle shows in the morning, I like the do it now-ness of my new situation. I've discovered a support system I didn't fully realize I had, and the self-esteem (and paycheck) that comes along with working is great.

I don't know how much time I'll have to blog - not that I did it that frequently before - but I have tons of post ideas, so hopefully, I'll be able to still squeeze in blogging. Thanks for your patience.

Cooking: Melonade

Wow. It is clearly not Tuesday, but it has taken me this long to recover from the events of the weekend. So here is the recipe I promised for Melonade. A cool refreshing summer sipper. I got the recipe off a TV station website over six years ago, and just this past month tried it. It is yummy, but there was no one to attribute credit to, so if this is yours, kudos, and sorry I can't recognize you!

The ingredients: (pretty simple, huh.)

Start with 2 cups of cubed watermelon.

(I just love how the food coordinates with the wall!)

Next add 1 pint (aka 2 cups) strawberries (fresh or frozen).

(Check out the artfully arranged strawberries, just in case you couldn't recognize them in the blender.)

Add 1/3 cup lemon juice.

(and, no, my hand is not as deformed as it looks)

Add 1/2 cup sugar - yep, there goes the illusion of a health drink

(Boy am I glad I got the powdered nacho cheese out from under my nails)

Now blend.

Then add 2 cups of ice cubes. (Can anyone tell me how the heck you are supposed to measure cups of ice cubes when they are so bulky?)

And blend again. (or if your blender is anything like mine - blend and blend and blend - stick in a spoon to unclog the bulky ice - and blend and blend)

Then fill 'er up!

The original recipe says to "garnish with mint leaves, melon, or berries." Whatever.

I say stick a straw in it (even if you have to scrounge the bottom of the drawer and only find the Easter straws) and enjoy!

Now try to get "Margaritaville" out of your head, and if you figure out how to do that, please let me know.

Extended Weekend

I'm taking an extended weekend starting today - tons of stuff going on - but I'll be back Tuesday with an amazing summer drink!

Decorating/Crafting: Decoupage Letters

It was my niece's birthday earlier this month. She turned three and moved into her "big girl bed" complete with new sheets, bedspread, etc. So for her present, I really wanted to do something that would go along with her big girl room, and I've been wanting to decoupage letters for a while now. So she, lucky girl, was my guinea pig.

I got some of the prefab wooden letters at Joann's (On sale! Score!) And I even got the pre-primed ones, and then let my natural laziness roll, and didn't even paint them.

A few foam brushes and some decoupage medium later...

...And I had this.

I traced the letters onto the scrapbook paper, cutting them a little smaller, but it still wasn't quite small enough because the paper stretched when the glue got it wet! Grrr! Next time I will work with tiny pieces of paper, and layer and tear them more like traditional decoupage.

Anyway, when it was all said and done, it turned out pretty cute, and my niece was excited to see her name all spelled out when she opened her present.

Decorating: Making a hideous painting slightly less hideous

OK, maybe the painting isn't that hideous. Or maybe it is. I think my bias stems from the fact that it is painted on velvet. Ew. Shades of Elvis, anyone?

When my mom moved she gave this painting to my daughter, and my daughter loves it. I agreed she could put it in her room if we painted the frame first. I started this little project ages ago (I think I've been stalling hoping she wouldn't actually want it in her room), so I didn't get a good before picture, but this should give you an idea of what it looked like.

This is actually the back of the frame, but if you ignore the seepage from the primer you have the general idea.

Here it is primed.

And here is the finished product. Once I spray painted it (Rustoleum Heirloom White - yeah, baby! LOVE spray paint!!!), AND de-linted it - that's right I never thought I'd have to use a lint roller on a painting - it turned out OK, I guess.

Here's a closer view of the frame detail. Not exactly superior craftsmanship, but whatever.

And here it is in her room. It actually stands out against the wall color better than that, but the lighting in there is really bad.

So there you have it. One frolicking velvet horse and some spray paint makes a daughter happy.

(Another linking party! Thanks TDC!)

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I never would have picked this book for myself, so I am so glad my book club picked it for me! I loved it! Wonderful, charming characters that were revealed so cleverly through the letter format of the book. A sweet love story. Brilliant hommages to books and reading. Interesting and heart-wrenching facts about WWII and the aftermath. This book has it all.

Cleaning: House Numbers

My house numbers have been bugging me for over a year. What I'd really love is a fancy number plaque to give some presence to the house numbers nailed over the garage.
What I've got is this.

Mismatched brass numbers. The fours weathered differently than the three, to the point that from the street they look black, and you can hardly see them. It's ugly AND unsafe.

It's been bugging me for so long, that I totally missed the answer that was right in front of my face!
Hello!
I've had this brass polish for over a year, and just the other morning it finally hit me that I could use it on the house numbers - they're brass! Uh, duh!

I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but after a lot of elbow grease they look much better!

Until the day I can get that fabulous number plaque, I can live with this!

My first linking party! Thanks A Soft Place to Land!

Where has my summer gone?

Oh, I know. It went to:

DD2's Birthday.

The End of School.

A Visit with Thomas.

A stint back at work for the month of June.

Planning and executing a week-long camping trip for 18 darling young ladies from my church. (Exhausting, but totally worth it.)

Swimming.

BBQs.

The Fourth of July, which was lovely. I tried a recipe I've been wanting for a year. (Grilled Pizza from Prudence Pennywise. Delicious doesn't even cover it.) And I found the fireworks setting on my camera. How fun are these sparklers?
And just this last week a trip to the local amusement park.

Whew. Hopefully I'll get back on track this week. I have some mini projects ready to post. See you soon!

Gardening: I do not [heart] birds nests

So when we moved into our house nine years ago there were these two scrubby little (like knee high) shrubs/trees planted across from each other in the middle of our yard.

I hated them. They are the kind of plant that harbors spiders. (Shudder!) I asked and asked The Hubs to remove them. For nine years I have asked.

(Why? Do you ask, did I not saw them down by myself? Because of the spiders, of course!)

This is what they look like now.

(Pay no attention to the unstained fence. It's on the list.)

Anyway, there is this behemoth next to the fence, and this one under my bedroom window. (Note the sunny yellow color of the foliage. They are our dog's favorite "watering" spot.)

(The broken blinds are also on the list.)

So The Hubs finally agreed that yes, these monsters are an eye sore, and he will tear them out this year. [Angels singing] "But Wait!" DD1 cried. "You can't tear them out! There are baby birds in there!"

Say what?

Oh, yes.

Cute fluffy little baby birds (not so fluffy in these pictures, but still) that love to sing the sun up in the morning, and peep their little lungs out for regurgitated worms until dark. Darling, eh? (Not so much when you're trying to sleep.)

Now, I know that birds are all the home decor rage right now, but I think I like the vinyl/resin/wooden ones better. Nests aren't so cute covered in droppings.

Rest well, little birds. Because the minute you fly the coop, your sanctuary is history. Mwah, hah, hah, hah.

Gardening: I want to try this...

I have been wanting to do this for a while, and I have an old Rubbermaid tote... These seemed like the clearest instructions. I will post about how it goes.

How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


Vermiculture, or worm composting, allows you to compost your food waste faster than you ever imagined, while producing the highest quality compost and fertilizing liquid. Best of all, it's self-contained and nearly odorless!

Steps

1. Obtain a worm bin.
   
   • These can be purchased from many online vendors or your local gardening or farm supply store.
     
   • You can build your own. Use rubber storage totes, galvanized tubs, wood, or plastic.
     
     • Material: Rubber is cheap, easy to use and durable. Galvanized tubs are somewhat costly but will last forever. Wood will eventually be eaten, and plastic cracks easily, but either will do in a pinch. Some people prefer wooden compost worm bins because they may breathe better and absorb excess moisture[1], which can be hazardous to the worms. Just don't use chemically-treated wood, which may be dangerous to worms or leach harmful chemicals into your compost. 5-gallon plastic buckets now for sale by most hardware stores can be used - especially if you live in an apartment. Clean the big 5-gallon soap buckets thoroughly and let them sit for a day or so filled with clean water before using as a worm bin.
       
     • Ventilation: Your bin should be well-ventilated, with several 1/8 inch (3mm) holes 4 inches (100mm) from the bottom (otherwise the worms will stay at the bottom of the bin and you may drown your worms). For example, you can build a worm bin out of a large plastic tub with several dozen small holes drilled out on the bottom and sides. Untreated wooden bins are naturally ventilated because of structure of wood.[2]
       
     • Size: The larger you make the container, the more worms it can sustain. Estimate 1 pound (0.45kg) of worms (1,200) for every square foot of surface area. The maximum productive depth for your bin is 24 inches (61cm) deep because composting worms will not go further down than that.
       
     • Cover: The bin should have a cover to prevent light from getting in and to prevent the compost from drying out. Choose or make a lid that can be removed if your compost is too wet. Use a canvas tarp, doubled over and bungee-corded on, or kept in place with wood. Burlap sacks also work well, and can be watered directly.
       
     
     
   • Use 4 old car tires: To make a four-tire wormery, create a base from old bricks or flagstones (must be flat and with as few cracks as possible). Place a layer of heavy newspaper on top of the bricks. Stuff four old tires with newspapers. Pile the tires on top of each other, with the first tire on the Sunday newspaper. Put some scrunched up paper or cardboard in the bottom to soak up any excess liquid. Fill the entire wormery with organic material (semi-composted is best). Add the composting worms (tiger or brandling species are best). Use a piece of board weighed down with bricks as a lid. The lid must be big enough to stop rain getting in. Harvest a tire's worth of fertilizer roughly every 8 weeks (during warm months).
     
   
   
2. Prepare the box for worms. Fill your bin with thin strips of unbleached corrugated cardboard or shredded newspaper, straw, dry grass, or some similar material. This provides a source of fiber to the worms and keeps the bin well-ventilated. Sprinkle a handful of dirt on top, and thoroughly moisten. Allow the water to soak in for at least a day before adding worms. You can also use Canadian peat moss, which is more expensive but yields a loamier vermicompost.
   
3. Get worms. There are several varieties of worms that that are bred and sold commercially for vermicomposting; just digging up earthworms from your backyard is not recommended. The Internet or local gardening club is your best bet for finding a worm vendor near you. The worms most often used, Eisenia foetida (Red Wigglers), are about 4 inches long, mainly red along the body with a yellow tail. Another variety to consider are Eisenia hortensis, known as "European Night crawlers." They do not reproduce quite as fast as the red wigglers, but grow to be larger, eat courser paper and cardboard better, and seem to be heartier. They are also better fishing worms when they do reach full size. However, with any non-native species, it is important not to allow them to reach the wild. Their voracious appetites and reproductive rates (especially among the red wigglers) have been known to upset the delicate balance of the hardwood forests by consuming the leaf litter too quickly. This event leaves too little leaf letter to slowly incubate the hard shelled nuts and leads to excessive erosion as well as negatively affecting the pH of the soil. So, do your best to keep them confined!
   
4. Maintain your bin. Keeping your bin elevated off the ground, using bricks, cinder blocks, or whatever is convenient will help speed composting and keep your worms happy. Worms are capable of escaping almost anything, but if you keep your worms fed and properly damp, they should not try to escape. A light in the same area will ensure your worms stay put. Sprinkle the surface with water every other day. Feed your worms vegetable scraps at least once a week. Feeding lightly and often will produce more worms (which is good when starting a new bin) and large amounts fed less often will fatten your worms (good for fishing). Add more cardboard, shredded newspaper, hay, or other fibrous material once a month, or as needed. Your worms will reduce everything in your bin quickly. You will start with a full bin of compost or paper/cardboard, and soon it will be half full. This is the time to add fibrous material.
   
5. Harvest the compost, using one of the following techniques.
   
   • Put on rubber gloves, and move any large un-composted vegetable matter to one side. Then, with your gloved hands, gently scoop a section of worms and compost mixture onto a brightly lit piece of newspaper or plastic wrap. Scrape off the compost in layers. Wait a while giving the worms time to burrow into the center of the mound. Eventually you will end up with a pile of compost next to a pile of worms. Return the worms to the bin, do whatever you want with the compost, and repeat.
     
   • If you prefer a hands-off technique, simply push the contents of the bin all to one side and add fresh food, water, dirt, and bedding to the empty space. The worms will slowly migrate over on their own. This requires much more patience, of course.
     
   • The last technique is to use a separator.
     
     • Barrel separators are expensive and available on the internet.
       
     • You can also make your own shaker box.
       
     
     
   
   
6. Apply the harvested compost to plants, or use it to make worm castings tea.
   

Tips

• If you have two bins, it can be a bit easier to get at your compost. Fill one bin and start the next. When you want to get at the compost, move the uncomposted matter from bin one to bin two and use all the finished compost. Bin two, the now-active bin, becomes full and then bin one becomes the active bin again.
  
• Egg shells in your bin increase the calcium content of the compost you produce. Worms also seem to like to curl up in them. To be most effective, eggshells must be dried out and finely ground (with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin) before their addition to a bin. Use raw eggshells, not cooked.
  
• You can throw your coffee grounds, unbleached filters, and used teabags (remember to remove the staple!) right in the bin.
  
• The smaller you chop up/crush the food, the faster the worms will eat it. (And the faster your bin will produce compost.) Although some home-scale worm keepers use blenders to puree food scraps, others believe vermiculture should be a low-carbon-footprint endeavor and thus use little or no electricity.
  
• If you would like to collect the water (liquid fertilizer) produced by watering your worms, place a tray under the compost bin. Otherwise, the ground under the bin will become terrifically fertile. An elevated bin (either on bricks, or a bin with built-in legs) sitting in a tray of water will also prevent ants and other unwanted critters from getting into the bin.
  
• Remember that a worm bin is a tiny ecosystem. Don't attempt to remove the other critters living in your worm bin, they are helpers. However, do remove centipedes: Centipedes are carnivores, and eat baby worms and worm eggs.
  
• Shredded paper junk mail, egg cartons, cereal boxes, and pizza boxes all make excellent bedding (avoid glossy paper). Always soak household paper waste bedding for at least 12 hours before adding it to the bin, and thoroughly squeeze out the water first. Don't shred junk mail envelopes unless you remove the plastic windows! Worms won't eat plastic, and picking hundreds of shredded plastic window panes out of otherwise beautiful compost is a vermiculturist's nightmare.
  
• Pre-composted cow manure is a great food for worms. Just be sure to bury it at least 3 inches deep. Rabbit, sheep, and goat droppings do not require pre-composting and their addition makes outstanding vermicompost.
  
• Green food increases nitrogen in your finished compost. Examples are: green grass, beet tops, carrot tops, philodendron leaves, fresh cut clover or alfalfa.
  
• Brown food increases carbon and phosphate in your finished product. Examples are: paper, cardboard, wood chips, leaves, bread. If adding fresh lawn grass, be certain chemicals have not been added to the lawn. Lawn chemicals are deadly to the ecosystem in the bin.
  
• A balanced diet makes for a healthy bin, healthy worms and a great finished product.
  
• Finely ground and moistened grains (flour, oatmeal, etc.) are eaten the fastest, followed by fruits, grass, leaves, cardboard, paperboard (cereal boxes), white paper, cotton products, and magazines (slick paper). Wood takes the longest (up to a year or more).
  
• Calcium carbonate works well to solve most problems. Be sure to use calcium carbonate (e.g., powdered limestone) and not quicklime (calcium oxide).
  

Warnings

• Do not feed your worms meat, dairy products, eggs, or oily foods.
  
• Go easy on the citrus rinds. You can add them, but remember that they're acidic. If possible, a little at a time with plenty of other matter.
  
• Don't allow your bin to dry out. If there are enough holes at the bottom, your worms are not likely to drown, but they will die without water.
  
• Some varieties of worms may be sensitive to the oils or pH of your skin. Internet forum posts by active vermicomposters indicate that handling their worms seems to not yield any negative effects.
  
• Extremes of temperatures are deadly for worms- about 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Don't place a worm bin in direct sunlight or out in the cold. Sustained frosts will kill your worms. If this is an issue in your area, move outdoor bins into a garage or shed during winter. If bringing your worm bin indoors during the winter is not possible add a small heating pad as follows: push the matter away from one side, place the pad up against that side, then backfill onto the pad. Run the wire out to an extension, plug it in and leave the pad set on low - or medium in particularly cold weather. This will prevent freezing in winter.
  
• Don't allow your worm bin to heat up past 90 degrees. You will cook your worms -- something no one should smell.
  
• Large amounts of green feeds (grass, alfalfa, etc.) heat up quickly and should be added lightly.
  
• Fresh (uncomposted) cow manure contains harmful pathogens and should not be used. It will also heat the bin to deadly levels and kill your worms.
  
• Powdered limestone will create carbon dioxide in your bins and suffocate your worms if the bins are not well ventilated. Use sparingly only if absolutely necessary and stir your bin every few days following adding.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Build a Compost Bin
  
• How to Use Your Home Built Tumble Composter to Create Rich Compost
  
• How to Build a Tumbling Composter
  
• How to Find Inexpensive Mulch
  
• How to Look After Houseplants
  
• How to Create Urban Rainforests
  
• How to Make Worm Castings Tea
  

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://vermontworms.com/red-wiggler-compost-worm-bin/


2. ↑ http://woodwormfarms.com/?en_manual,4

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Cooking: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have made PB Chocolate Chip Cookies before, but they seemed pretty lackluster. UNTIL, I found the recipe from this cookbook.
Better Homes and Gardens America's Best-Loved Community Recipes. I have had the book forever, and I don't remember where or when I received it, but I like it. There are a couple of recipes in it that are "keepers", as my mom says. Each recipe in the book has a big picture (so you know what it's supposed to look like) and a couple of step-by-step pictures, too.

The ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine, Softened
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 3/4 Cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

(I used dark brown sugar, and MILK Chocolate Chips, and I like it better. The milk chocolate chips don't over-power the peanut butter like the semi-sweet.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Lightly grease cookie sheet; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, & salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter & peanut butter. Beat on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips. Mix until well blended.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 350* for 9 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cook completely.

Delicious!

Gobble some up before you call your kids, or there won't be any left.

Music: Four Chords

So there is this comedy band called the Axis of Awesome. They discovered that all you need for a hit song is four chords - and proved it with this compilation of 65 hits. Here is a link to an edited version of the song. I didn't want to embed the youtube version with all of the f-bombs intact. It is hilarious, though!

http://www.wimp.com/songchords/

Book Review: Toads and Diamonds

Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Inspired by pre-British India, Heather Tomlinson has created a gorgeous world. I loved the juxtaposition of religious views, and how clearly the lines were drawn between belief systems - vegetarian vs. meat eaters, colorful dress vs. white coats. I loved that she created a step family that actually loves each other and acts like a family. I looked up the step wells that feature so prominently in the book, and they were a treat! I loved the journey each girl went on and what she learned about herself along the way. This book was just an exotic enchanting delight all around!

***

This is my Goodreads review, but there are a few things I wanted to expand on. The premise of the book is that two sisters are each blessed by a goddess when they fetch water at their local well. The first sister, desiring beauty in the world around her, is blessed to have flowers and jewels fall from her lips each time she speaks. Because of this she is separated from her family and taken under the protection of the royal family. The second sister desiring to protect her family, is blessed to have toads and snakes fall from her lips each time she speaks. This doesn't seem like much of a blessing when she is forced to flee from the local Governor who is afraid of snakes and wants to kill her. Later, the country falls to a plague because of the snake shortage caused by the governor, and the sister is able to protect her family after all. The book follows each girl in turn, and has a happy ending, which is essential to me in any book I like.

Only two things occur to me when I think of India - extreme poverty and filth. Unfair? Yes. But that's just where my head goes. I liked this book because it reminded me that India wasn't always (and isn't now) like this. It is full of color and beauty. I looked up the stepwells that the book revolves around, and saw this.

Hello, gorgeous!

This photo courtesy of Kalyana.

Home Improvement: Power Tool

So I bought my first official "power tool" for all of the DIY projects that keep me awake at night - over a week ago. I love love love home improvement/decorating projects, but I have a little phobia of power tools because of a family tradition of losing digits to them. So I hadn't used it yet, until today.

Today I decided to be brave and cut some of the finishing trim for our Pergo that has been languishing for longer than I care to admit. And... you can tell that since I'm typing, all of my fingers are intact. I consider that a major victory. Huzzah! I got the trim cut, my kids were suitably impressed once they noticed it, and I got a great sense of accomplishment for finishing something that has been bugging me for so long. Not to mention facing my irrational (but real) fear that by using any sort of cutting implement, I'd be making myself susceptible to the family curse.

So what was this terrifying machine?

The Harbor Freight/Chicago Electric Multifunction Power Tool and it is awesome! The price was right, and it did a great job. I'd post a picture, but I don't want to "steal bandwidth" like the blogger article I just read talked about.

Also, I was careful to wear safety glasses, gloves, and a mask like the instructions suggested, and felt the better for it. Safety first!

Tired...

Today my son dumped a whole bottle of water on the carpet and played in the puddle while I was on the phone. As soon as that was cleaned up, I found that he had greased my kitchen table with butter. After that, I found the chalk art all over the counter. Once that was cleared, I found him playing with the plunger in the bathroom. Ewww! At this point, I thought I could kill him or we could get out of the house immediately. So we went for a walk and visited my friend. Sanity saved!

Moral of the story: Don't get mad, get out!

Mmmm Chocolate, Part 2

The introduction to fine chocolate class was AMAZING! I learned so much!

The amount of effort that goes into turning a bean into a bar is staggering. It boggles my mind that the process was ever even discovered. Harvesting, Fermenting, Drying, Cleaning, Roasting, Hulling, Grinding, Conching, Tempering. All for a few bites of...well bliss, but it's still a lot of effort.

We talked about bad chocolate, and what makes it bad (ahem, Hershey's!), and then we got to taste. We tasted mediocre chocolate, and then - and THEN we tasted extraordinary and perfect chocolate! Heaven! Did you know that chocolate's melting point just happens to be at body temperature? Try to tell me that wasn't a gift from God.

So after we'd tasted a bunch of really good chocolate, our instructor gave us a bite of typical grocery store chocolate. It was so gross! I wanted to spit it out! All I could taste was coconut oil and chemicals. Bleugh! Luckily we ended the night on a good note, with the #1, #2, & #3 chocolates in the world, made by Amedei and Amano.

Shut. Up.

Amazing doesn't quite describe them. And all that stuff about chocolate releasing feel good chemicals in the brain? 100% true. I felt super happy and mellow when I got home. I think I'll start medicating with fine chocolate. My drug of choice:


This is the best thing I've ever eaten. Amano Guayas. Oh, baby.

Mmmm, Chocolate

I'm taking my first real "foodie" class tonight. Introduction to Fine Chocolate. It is like a wine tasting, but for chocolate, and without the spitting. We'll learn about the different beans and aromatics, etc.

I just re-read the class description, and my heart actually started to pound. I am SO EXCITED!

Proportionate Response

In the (now very OLD) movie The American President, there is some discussion of a "proportionate response" when some terrorists bomb an American embassy overseas.

I am trying to learn the value of a proportionate response when it comes to parenting. I tend to be one of those parents that ground their kids until they're fifty or for the rest of their lives, which doesn't do any good because they know I don't mean it, and I can't enforce it.

So yesterday we were at church, and my daughter was bored (which happens a lot), so she decided to alleviate the boredom by picking on her sister (as usual) and she wouldn't stop (as usual). I gave her three "strikes" and told her that if she got to strike three she would be grounded. She blew through the strikes and I grounded her. At which point she turned her wrath to me.

The good news was she was no longer bugging her sister. The bad news was she was now arguing and fussing at me. As it carried on, I added a day for each time she sassed, argued, hit, or kicked me. (Keep in mind we were at church!) We got up to thirty days.

After we got home, and I cooled off, I started thinking...Is grounding her from TV for a month a proportionate response for being disruptive in church? I decided it was not. So we had a talk and put together some solutions for next week. We figured out a new seating arrangement, put together her quiet bag, and agreed on a more reasonable length of time for her to be grounded.

Considering that most of the time I feel like the villain in a gothic novel when it comes to discipline issues, I'm considering this one a victory.

Neglect & Update

I've neglected this sad little blog for the last six-plus months. Hopefully, no more. Here's a little update regarding some of last year's posts.

The vegetarian diet DID lower my cholesterol! Enough to get me back in the "normal" range - albeit barely. I've stuck with it, and am now approaching the year mark of eating vegetarian, and guess what? I like it.

I stuck with the running, too, and ran a 5K in August. I finished somewhere in the middle of the 700-plus runners, and it was a great experience. I'm planning to do it again when the weather warms up, and hopefully, I'll progress and do a 10K this summer.

We had basically no TV for six months, (those digital boxes are crap) and that was all my husband could stand (One college football season). He subscribed to cable for Christmas. I'm glad, but at the same time, I'm not getting as much done.

I'm still trying to get the hang of being a stay at home mom and all that entails. Something I've learned that has helped: The dishes and a load of laundry and cleaning the bathroom must be done every day. Every. Single. Day. This is probably so basic that it is instinctive for most people, but not me. So I try to remember this and make it happen. It doesn't always, but I think I'm getting better. Baby steps.