My Sunday 9/30/12

Woke up late but have been busy. I know I normally do weekly cleaning tips but I really felt like baking today. Could be because my dishwasher is finally fixed & we all know how much I hate dished. ;)

I made cherry scones, banana bread, a couple of Banana-Bran Muffins & squash for dinner. I am also making dinners for the week.

When I say squash. I am talking squash fries, squash casserole & baked squash with maple & brown sugar. All from a 2.5 lb squash. I rock. Hehehe. Quarter the squash, cutting the neck off the bottom, then halving it. You end up with 6 pieces. The top two pieces you cut into 2c of cubed pieces. The rest I cut into fries. The bottom 4 pieces bake. 4 meals from one squash.


Banana-Bran Muffins

Servings: 1 dozen muffins
Prep: 30 mins
Total: 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, (2 medium)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/4 cup cocoanut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1c shredded carrot
1c shredded squash
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips, (optional)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, (optional)
1c dried fruit (soaked in almond milk for 10mins) (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in bananas, buttermilk, wheat bran, oil and vanilla. Sir in carrots & squash.
3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, if using. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they'll be quite full). Sprinkle with walnuts, if using.
4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Tips:
Ingredient Notes: You can use buttermilk powder in place of fresh buttermilk. Or make "sour milk": mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
Unprocessed wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel, removed during milling. Also known as miller's bran, it can be found in the baking section. Do not substitute bran cereal in this recipe.
NUTRITION FACTS
Calories 196, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 36 mg, Sodium 182 mg, Carbohydrate 32 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 5 g, Potassium 167 mg. Exchanges: Starch 2,Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

9/28/12

Had a wonderful day shopping with Clay. We went to the meat market called Shimitties then to St. Coop. We found some great deals, but now I am so tired. Just relaxing at home.

Classic Baked Acorn Squash


INGREDIENTS
1 Acorn squash
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
Dash of Salt
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Using a strong chef's knife, and perhaps a rubber mallet to help, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.
3 Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half.
4 Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving. Spoon any buttery sugar sauce that has not already been absorbed by the squash over the exposed areas.
Yield: Serves 2 to 4, depending on how much squash you like to eat.

Thursday 9/27/12

Ya so for the past couple of days I have written paragraphs for my blog. I just turn my apps off on my phone & forgot to post. Sorry!!!

So here's the deal. It's been a busy day. I was suppose to go running with a co work but our lunches were an hour off. So no go. We are going to try again tomorrow. Our lunches are only 15mins off. (Hate having a flouting sch.) tonight I am going home, having dinner with Clay & then clean out my car. Afterward I will bring Hank tithe dog park & run with him for a while. Then home shower & relax for the night. Sounds like a plan to me. :)

Food for thought. (I am going to start posting my daily recipes.) I so need these.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Prep Time: 40 minutes | Bake Time: 17 minutes

For the Cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoons salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

For the Baileys Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.

3. To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

4. To Fill the Cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

5. To Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

6. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.

Monday 9/24/12

Somedays are just that way. I am a firm believer that you should look at what your blessed with not what your not blessed with. I am trying really hard. I have a loving husband, a loving family, a great job. A wonderful dog.
A car that works & I don't have to worry about. Nice close, good food to eat, & nothing but bills to worry about. But there's the ketch. The whole bills thing. Seems like they are coming at us left & right. Every time I think "hey we are going to be alright" another pops up & there goes our savings. It's party my fault for not staying on top of someone about the bills. But at the same time I want to scream at him for betraying my trust in him. I know it won't help, hell it might only make me feel good for that moment. Just pay the bill, that way you won't have to worry about it later. Better yet pay if off early instead of monthly minimums just pay as much as you can. Get it over & done with. This waiting till the day the bill is due never made sense to me.

But as the Dalai says: “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

Time to plan, plot & tighten that belt. No more eating out. No more buying anything except food & gas. Maybe a $3 movie once a month. Maybe. Well I did need to go through the freezer & this will help. Time to review my pageonce app & bring it back up to date. I think it's allowance time for the both of us. $20 a week, not allowed to touch the card other than for gas. If you want to touch the card we both have to agree about the amount of the purchase before the purchase. Not after. Step up the daily deposits into savings & no more pulling from them just to go out to eat. It's going to be hard. It's going to be boring but it need to be done.Time to revaluate the bills we do have & maybe change some of the plans we have. We need to pay down some of these bills before we can expect to travel or move. You need a deposit in order to rent or buy a house. Well as it stands we have neither. So unless we really step it up on savings we will be staying in the same place we are now for another year. So don't want to but what can you do? It's looking like we are going to be stuck there another year. Which is fine with me but not with Clay & Hank. Hank needs a yard to play in & Clay needs his own space. Sigh. Things are really going to have to change before that's going to happen. This is so not going to be a fun talk. Sigh. Time to put on my big girl pants.

Healthy Home Cleaning Habits

Exchange Indoor Air
Many modern homes are so tight there's little new air coming in. Open the windows from time to time or run any installed exhaust fans. In cold weather, the most efficient way to exchange room air is to open the room wide - windows and doors, and let fresh air in quickly for about 5 minutes. The furnishings in the room, and the walls, act as 'heat sinks', and by exchanging air quickly, this heat is retained.

Minimize Dust
Remove clutter which collects dust, such as old newspapers and magazines. Try to initiate a 'no-shoes-indoors' policy. If you're building or remodelling a home, consider a central vacuum system; this eliminates the fine dust which portable vacuum cleaners recirculate.

Use Cellulose Sponges
Most household sponges are made of polyester or plastic which are slow to break down in landfills, and many are treated with triclosan, a chemical that can produce chloroform (a suspected carcinogen) when it interacts with the chlorine found in tap water. Instead try cellulose sponges, available at natural foods stores, which are biodegradable and will soak up spills faster since they're naturally more absorbent.

Keep Bedrooms Clean
Most time at home is spent in the bedrooms. Keep pets out of these rooms, especially if they spend time outdoors.

Use Gentle Cleaning Products
Of the various commercial home cleaning products, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and oven cleaners are the most toxic. Avoid products containing ammonia or chlorine, or petroleum-based chemicals; these contribute to respiratory irritation, headaches and other complaints.

Clean from the Top Down:
When house cleaning, save the floor or carpet for last. Clean window blinds and shelves first and then work downwards. Allow time for the dust to settle before vacuuming.

Fri 9/21/12

My God today flew by. I was so busy doing 40 tickets that I didn't notice half my brakes until the pop-up to remind me popped up. It was a slow relaxing couple seconds between calls kind of day I love those kind of days. I'm no longer in pain for the most part and I get a chiropractor appointment tomorrow life is good. Right now I'm driving home yes I'm using my voice to text app. It makes writing my blog a lot easier. Plus I'm not trying to smash into the car in front of me for being too football links behind the semi instead of one. I can't complain I at least I am doing five over the speed limit sssshhhh don't tell nobody.

Just got off the phone with my mom we're going to have coffee in Moose Lake when I dropped Janine and Mercy off for with her sister Sarah. So looking forward to seeing my Mom & Da. Not looking forward to the long drive but give & take right? :)

I can't believe that there is a frost warning already for Saturday late night till Sunday early morning. It's only September come on people! Sigh I know where to have one of our all-time winners. I can just feel it in my bones that this winners to be better cold and lots and lots of white snow. On the bright side I get my white Christmas I'm looking forward to that. I think it's an injustice in Minnesota we have a brown Christmas just wrong. Great now I have sleighbells ringing in my ears in Christmas carols coming up to too. I love that time year. The bad that I have a great Christmas presents already bought the other ones are making?

I just got a email from work earlier today asking for shift changes, if anybody wants to do a shift change for 3 to 6 months. It would be weekends and overnight I'm not really interested, I have worked too hard for too long to get into this early morning Monday through Friday shift and I really am enjoying it. But then again I feel bad that I'm not taking it and the calls would probably be a lot lighter and I probably could just sit there and watch TV while working. But isn't that the reason why I left my last job? I will is crocheting sweaters well doing for different tickets and taking call. It's not that I didn't love my job it was that I was bored so bored that I was crocheting more than I was actually doing my job. I was still doing more than anybody else, but I was still crocheting more than I was doing tickets. I think I'll stay just right where I am at right at the moment and until I choose to take a different position within the company. So ya, I will be staying right where I am at.

Thur 9/20/12

Well doing a lot better. Not hurting as much as I was. My mood is better too Actually was able to eat today, which was nice. I slept really well last night, surprisingly since Clay spent all night down stairs talking with a really old friend till he helped me out the door for work. Lol! & they were going to get out the door at 9am. I am very tempted to call him & ask him how's that working out for him? (evil grin). I will tell the poor man sleep.

I have a busy weekend. I will be driving the old friend to Moose River, MN which is 3hours away & driving back. Then on Sat our last chyro app. Then somewhere in between I will find time to clean, make dinners for the week & the mythical relax thing people tell me about. I hear it's amazing. Wish me luck.

I feel like I got nothing done this week. Mon came home had dinner with Clay & cleaned a little. Tue I wanted to die so I went home took a shower & slept. Wed I did get some shopping done & that's about it. Tonight I want to wash walls but will see what others have planed. I might be able to... Hhhmmm.

Well dinner with friends & then home to roast a chicken.

Wed 9/19/12

Ya just shoot me. I forgot how much this hurts. I have been told to take vitamin B to drink more water to help. (if I drink more water I'm going to be a fish.) I forgot about the cramps that double you over, the throughing up, the sluggish feeling & the just get it over with feeling. Sigh, I have been told "you think this is bad, wait till you get pregnant & go through labor". Labor only lasts 24-48 hours. This is two weeks of back aches & cramps. I can barely eat & when I do it comes right back up. I have a hand gesture for those who think quick torture is better then slow. You get a baby from your pain. I get a smaller weight & two weeks of pain. I am also very grouchy. If you couldn't tell. I feel like I am snapping at everyone & I am really trying not to. I hate everyone & everything, I want to cry because I feel like everyone hates me. I am trying to stay calm & relaxed but if I through up again (btw people really need to scrub under the lip of the toilet) I just want to go home.

Clay has been great through out all of this. I has been loving & supportive & I feel horrible with the way I have been acting. He knows it's not me & I am trying but the filter is gone for the next week. I feel really bad & I am trying to be better about it & he says I'm not as bad as I think. I am just emotional right now.

It's better then it was last night. I had to run to the bathroom 3 times last night. I finally just went up stairs & slept. I wake up feeling fine, great in fact, then I start moving & it all comes back. I stretch & it's a little better but I feel sick. Then a cramp hits me like a kick. I hit the floor with tears in my eyes. I couldn't do more them breath (& trust me that was difficult as it was) for 7mins. Sigh. It's getting better. I am taking it easy & not moving as much today as I usually do.

Weekly cleaning tips

*All-Purpose Cleaner:
Heres what you will need:
1/2c vinegar
1/4c baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax)
1/2 gl (2 liters) water
Empty spray bottle

Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc.

*Or use a citrus-based. Takes longer to make but smells wonderful. Here’s what you need:

Peels from 3-5 oranges or 6-8 mandarins (I had the kids peel mandarins and told them they could eat whatever they peeled)
A quart of distilled white vinegar
A quart-size mason jar w/lid
Empty spray bottle

Here’s what to do:

Fill the mason jar with the orange peels. Pour in enough vinegar to fill the jar to the top. Put lid on tightly and let sit for 10 days. After 10 days, strain out peels. Pour into an empty spray bottle, and use to clean your counters, bathrooms, floors, or pretty much anything you like!
The cleaner itself still had a vinegar scent to it, but once I sprayed it onto the counter and wiped it with a towel, the smell completely disappeared!

Note: After about a month, I noticed the vinegar smell getting stronger, so you may want to use it up before that time.


*Bathroom mold: Mold in bathroom tile grout is a common problem and can be a health concern. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

*Chopping block cleaner: Rub a slice of lemon across a chopping block to disinfect the surface. For tougher stains, squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe.

*Coffee and tea stains: Stains in cups can be removed by applying vinegar to a sponge and wiping. To clean a teakettle or coffee maker, add 2 cups water and 1/4 cup vinegar; bring to a boil. Let cool, wipe with a clean cloth and rinse thoroughly with water.

*Disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 cups hot water. For stronger cleaning power add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Wipe on with dampened cloth or use non-aerosol spray bottle. (This is not an antibacterial formula. The average kitchen or bathroom does not require antibacterial cleaners.)
To disinfect kitchen sponges, put them in the dishwasher when running a load.

*Drain Cleaner: For light drain cleaning, mix 1/2 cup salt in 4 liters water, heat (but not to a boil) and pour down the drain. For stronger cleaning, pour about 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue.

Caution: only use this method with metal plumbing. Plastic pipes can melt if excess boiling water is used. Also, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener--the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.

*Lime Deposits: You can reduce lime deposits in your teakettle by putting in 1/2 cup (125ml) white vinegar and 2 cups water, and gently boiling for a few minutes. Rinse well with fresh water while kettle is still warm.
To remove lime scale on bathroom fixtures, squeeze lemon juice onto affected areas and let sit for several minutes before wiping clean with a wet cloth.

*😍Marks on walls and painted surfaces: Many ink spots, pencil, crayon or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces using baking soda applied to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse.

💘*Oven Cleaner: Moisten oven surfaces with sponge and water. Use 3/4cup baking soda, 1/4cup salt and 1/4cup water to make a thick paste, and spread throughout oven interior. (avoid bare metal and any openings) Let sit overnight. Remove with spatula and wipe clean. Rub gently with fine steel wool for tough spots.

*Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar, pour into basin and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub with brush and rinse. A mixture of borax (2 parts) and lemon juice (one part) will also work.

*Tub and Tile Cleaner: For simple cleaning, rub in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinse with fresh water. For tougher jobs, wipe surfaces with vinegar first and follow with baking soda as a scouring powder. (Vinegar can break down tile grout, so use sparingly.)

*Window Cleaner: Mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter (qt) warm water. Use crumpled newspaper or cotton cloth to clean. Only use the black and white newspapers, not the colored ones. Don't clean windows if the sun is on them, or if they are warm, or streaks will show on drying. Be sure to follow the recipe, because using too strong a solution of vinegar will etch the glass and eventually cloud it. The All-Purpose Cleaner (above) also works well on windows.

TGIF 9/14/12

Wow! Can this day get any busier? 250in queue & climbing. Ok whom ever tripped over the cable in the network closet needs to fix it right now. Everything is ether slow or not responding. Reboot people! Reboot for goddess sake! It's not going to hurt you. I promise. Yes it take 5-8mins but it fixes everything! Why not? Gggrr!

Other then that my day has been slow... The day has been creeping along. Which for me is not good. The morning usually zips right along for me. It's the afternoons that drag. Sigh. It's going to be a long day.

I keep teasing myself about wanting to quit & get a part time job somewhere close to home so I can spend more time with Clay then I look at all the stuff we have to pay off, want & or need & I violently shake myself of the idea. La sigh. Some day...

I have a busy weekend. Another chyro app. I want to take Hank to the dog park. Finish cleaning the kitchen. My honey's car started shifting hard so we have to find out what's going on there & how much it's going to cost. Sigh. Wish me luck. ;)

9/12/12 weds.

Could not sleep last night, could not get to or stay asleep last night. Woke up to me knee hurting to the point where I am squirming at my desk while I take calls. I had to take a pain med the pain was so bad. I am on my second 32oz water bottle. I am cheating & putting lemon in it, but it still counts. (Pure lemon packets are the best).

I love my sch today first brake: 9am lunch: 11:40pm. Last brake: 1:40pm. I like it. :)

Love the 10mins at the beginning of my shift & at the end. I get to go into admin & close or open my stuff. Or sit here writing my blog. So nice.

Going to go home cook dinner, have no clue what yet, take a shower & sleep. That's the plan but I will probably have to run to the store before I get my sleep. Some days I wish I could sleep till I could sleeps no more & then come into work, but that would not be fair to everyone else. Sigh.

I still have to clean out my fridge. I figure if I do a shelf a day, by the end of the week it will be clean. Lol! I'm really motivated can you tell?

Guess what it's dinner out with my honey. Lol! He forgot to get out the meat I asked him to take out but I got clean couches & carpets so I will live. :D

Tue Sept. 9/11/12

I keep losing my voice. My allergies are still in hyperactive mode but my eye isn't as itchy today. Is it wrong of me to want to tell one of the guys I work with that bathing in that icky smelling stuff is bad for everyone's health? I mean my goddess! When we can smell you half a building away that is way too much.

Trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight. We had meatloaf yesterday (Shimitties yummy). tonight I am thinking pasta with a homemade sauce. But we have green beans that need to be eaten. Sigh. Green bean pasta salad with ... I'll come up with something. ... Maybe.

Well I am getting shampooed carpets when I get home. Such a happy girl. When I get home I am going to move the island & scrub the kitchen floor. Then clean out the fridge. Here's a nontoxic but effective way to clean your tub & floors: Add one teaspoon of liquid soap and several drops of an antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) to one cup of baking soda. Add just enough water to form a paste, and use it with a sponge or brush to scour bathtub surfaces. So guess what I am going to be doing :).

Monday Monday

Woke up with swollen & itchy eyes. Sleepy tired & both my boys laying on me. Lol! Hank had my legs & Clay had my back. We are not talking an arm over me, we are talking literally laying on me. Can we say "squished"?

Work is good. It's busy but really good.

Cleaned all of the upstairs yesterday. Got a new shower current. Now to finish the laundry & to start down stairs. The carpets need shampooing. The kitchen need scrubbing like no one's business. Dusting too. Have to call a great friend & see when she is coming to visit. So much to do. So little time. Sigh. I will over come. I always do.

Called the bank & found out there are unlimited money transfers between checking to savings but only 6 transfers a month from savings to checking. See why I was confuidid? Lol! But this means I can put my savings plan into action. Now to set a reminder to do the transfer. So happy about this.

Guess what I made today :)
Chocolate covered Peanut butter poppers

4 teaspoons peanut butter (I used almond butter).
1 tablespoon softened butter
1/4 cup (slightly heaping) powdered sugar (I add 1teaspoon of coco power with the powder sugar).
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Stir together the peanut butter and butter until they are well combined and smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar. Roll the dough into three balls. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, and coat the peanut butter balls in chocolate. Let the chocolate set and harden a bit (stick them in the fridge if you’re impatient), and enjoy!

Fri!

Today is going by so slowly!!! Come on! Please a little bit faster? Please? Pretty please? I know, I know, I will want it to go slow once I get home but while I'm at work could you pick up the pace please. Lol!

Well I have put my weekly amount into savings. I am making it a point to put at lest $20 + I round up to the next 10 in the account so today I got to put $28.67. Makes saving so much easier. I have been playing around with the idea of transferring anything that's I've the nearest $10 into savings at the end of the day. It would rack it up in a short time but I don't know how many transfers I can do in a month before they start charging me. I should find that out....

Clay is going fishing with his cousin today. I am hopping he will be taking Hank with him so I can have some me time. Which translates to time on the couch couch with my anime & tea. Good times. Good times. I might make dinner, might eat oatmeal, might grab a burger on the way home. Al depends if Hank is there or not. If he is then its veggie burger & the dog park. If not then its straight home & I will find something. ;)

So wish me luck & a great weekend.

What a day

I start out my day just fine, early to work, remember my oat meal, have my coffee all is right in the world. Then the calls come in. I have had two 1hour calls. There goes my call time. Dam it! People reboot before calling! & don't lie about it. Just do it. It fixes a lot of problems.

I should be happy I have a job, I have a well paying job. I have a loving & supportive husband. I have a nice town home. I have a dog that is so sweet & loving. I should feel happy. Most of the time I do. Some times I feel like there is something missing thou. Or my life is not where I want it to be. Its frustrating having to wait for life to ketch up with me. Lol! I know I am suppose to be living in the now & I am really happy with my life, but I want more. I want to have, do & be more. Sometimes I just feel like I am about to burst at the seams just waiting for life to ketch up. I have to wait & I am not good with waiting. I know life is trying to teach me patients. I know at times like this I should be making plans & paths to fulfill those plans, but man oh man! Come on! Lol! Sigh! I will get over it.

I look for my first baby things during lunch. I found two things I want. A baby carrier & a stuffed lamb with a binkie. No I'm not prago, but I am making my list checking it three or four times & making at lest 10 reasons why I want or need the things on that list. Then it has to make it through the honey scrutiny. You think I'm bad. (shiver) ya, well let's just say that I can't shop at some stores because of the stuff he found out.

But it's Thru. Almost the weekend. So it's looking up. We have another chyro app sat, lunch with mom, time together & somewhere in the middle I will get a clean house.

Making my list...

I am making my list & checking it twice. I love this time of year. Trying to sch a work BBQ, a fall cleaning party, & making a want list.

As a recovering shopaholic I love want lists. I might never get them to go down but I can shop without spending money. Plus when I want to buy something I make it a point to go from the want list that's been research & I know that's the lowest price I am going to get for that item. So it kills my shopping craving & I know I getting a great deal. Win, win baby!

The work BBQ is next weekend on Sunday. 24 people. 12 dishes. Trying to get everyone to RSVP. Trying to figure out how to get BBQ to a BBQ that only has a gas small grill. Thinking about buying a cast iron grill to bring & use while camping. (See recovering! I have to come up with 8 more reasons I need it before I can buy it.) I then have to bring plates, silverware & everything else. Fun.

The fall cleaning party should be fun. Invite a bunch of friends, buy pizza & veggies & pick a room. Mine is my kitchen. Then your friends & you pack everything into boxes or move it out of the room & scrub till everything is clean again then put everything back minus they stuff you get rid of. The trick is you have to agree to do the same for other that you have invited. It's great fun & if you have a lot of people it goes fast.

Today is a run day & it's beautiful out. Nice & cool with slight cloud cover. Wish me luck!

First day back after a three day weekend.

Feeling great after. Long sleep. I went to bed yesterday with a really bad headache. I drank much water after my run yesterday I think I was a fish at one point. I was hot, over heated & sweating like crazy. Even Hank was lagging in the run. I made sure he had water but forgot mine in the car. Darn it. Thank god for water fountains. Didn't help on the run but helped afterward. Poor Hank there were only two small yapie dogs there. He hate yappers. Ok maybe gate is too strong of a word. More like he finds them fun to flip & to nose really hard.

I feel really skinny & the morrow for the most part agrees with me. Don't know what my weight is. But I will find out when I get home. Love these days. I'm not pulling at my shirt to try to cover more. I'm not feeling like I'm going to busting out of my pants. My hair looks like a hamlet but you can't win them all. ;)

Time flies

Time flies when you're having fun. Well today I sat on the couch drink coffee in the sunlight and watch the end of the second season of my favorite show. Then I took a relaxing hot Epson salt bath with bubbles for about an hour and a half with the face-mask. I think I took the first layer of my skin off my face ouch!

I get out of the shower and as I'm getting dressed I hear toenails clicking and clacking on the bottom of the tub. There sitting in the tub was Hank. Licking the tub & boofing at me to give him a bath. I don't know whether to be grossed out or just amazed that he keeps begging for a bath. Take what you get I guess.

I finally get him to come lay down on the bed with me and now he's whining at me. I rubbed his belly & you would think for a dog that would be enough. Sigh. I know what he want. I know what I must do. But mmmmoooommm all I want to do is nap & relax all day. I don't want to go to the dog park! (can you hear the feet stomping from there?) Sigh! Being a puppy mom is not easy man. You have sacrifice so much. Like bits of meat off your plate. Or sugar nap peas (btw can't eat them without Hank giving me the starving puppy look.) or going out for long walks in the sun shine where you can get that fresh air thing people keep telling me about. Who needs to run & play & make both of us happy? Lol! Ok, ok, ok! I'll get dressed & we'll go in just a few.

Headphones, water, dog harness & puppy check. Running shoes, cute but cool running close check. Will to lose that weight. Well... Ah, about that. It's waning.

I known I skipped my run day for a dinner date with my honey & I feel bad but not that bad about it. But I also know that tomorrow while I am getting dresses for work, while I am on the third or fourth shirt & pant combo, hating myself for not looking the way I feel I should look & kicking myself for not doing more about it. Some where in there I will look back & ask myself why? Why am I doing this to myself? Why do I keep going through these cycles? I'll lose the weight (not as much as I want but enough to make me happy). Then I go back to gaining the weight. Then hating myself & the whole cycle starts over. Sigh! I eat really healthy food. I eat small meals 6 times a day. I drink a lot, ok maybe not enough, of water. I try to get at lest 8 hours of sleep a night. What am I doing wrong? I try to exercise at lest every other day, I part as far from the door at work as I can. What more can I do?

Well I will get back to you on that one when I figure it out.

I am a firm believer that if it's broken then try to fix it. Nothing gets better unless you change. I know that, I understand that, but sometimes the gumption is very lacking. I have to dig deep & find that happy place where I can move forward instead of this self-hatred I have every time I look in the mirror & don't see what I think should be there. I am getting better. I don't feel sick when looking in the mirror any more. That's a huge step. I know it will get better with work. I know I'm not this ugly tons of fun monster. I know that I am loved & that I love as well. Huge steps forward. Lol! Now if I could get those voices of doubt out of my head I would be so much better. But hey at lest their quieter then they were when I was younger.

Change you are my mistress & I will try to do your bidding. That's all any of us can do.

Cleaning tips 101

Dirty microwave? Fill a microwaveable bowl with 1-2 cups of water and add a dash of vinegar (about a tablespoon or two). Put the bowl in the microwave, shut the door, and turn it on for 5 minutes.

Left close in the washer over night?
2 cups of white vinegar, whites: hot water soak cycle, colors: cold water cycle.

How to Unclog A Drain With Baking Soda and Vinegar. Can't believe it but it really works.
Pour a pot of boiling hot water down your drain.
Dump in about 1/2 c. baking soda. Let that sit for a few minutes.
Then, pour a mixture of 1 c. vinegar and 1. c very hot water down on top of the baking soda.
Cover with a drain plug (to keep the reaction down below the drain surface) if you have one and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Flush one more time with a pot of boiling water.

So easy & people wonder why I buy baking soda in bulk.

How to freshen and clean your garbage disposal:
Start by running hot water through your garbage disposal for a minute.
Pour about 1/4 c. baking soda into the drain.
Flip the garbage disposal on for 2 seconds, just to whirl the baking soda inside, and then leave it alone for 10-15 minutes.
Follow with 1 c. of vinegar. Watch the bubbles erupt out of your drain. (Yay!)
Rinse through one last time with very hot water and run your garbage disposal for 5 seconds.

Stains on my backing sheets? Oh no!
I put about 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small glass bowl and squirt in hydrogen peroxide until it makes a nice paste. Then I rub it on the offending dirt/stain/grease…whatever! I usually just use my fingers…but I also use a small sponge till the stain is all gone.

Stains on my glass backing pans?
Aluminum Foil as Glassware Scrubber
To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad, says Mary Findley, president of the cleaning-products developer Mary Moppins. It's one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out.


Stinky dog + carpets means Baking Soda as Carpet Freshener time.
To absorb stale odors from carpet (and to generally freshen up a room), scatter soda on it, wait a few hours, then vacuum up the powder.


All of the above makes a happy me :)

Quite morning

Trying to decide what to do today. Coffee in hand, sunny day but it's suppose to be really hot. Sigh, cleaning this morning, dog park in the early afternoon, dinner date with my honey, sleep till I can't sleep no more. Happy day!
1. Laundry
2. Scrubbing the kitchen
3. Clean out my car
4. Shampooing my car
Busy morning.