TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 153)

As we gear up for the madness that goes along with the season, it is so easy to get caught up in the rush. I know I get stressed out from time to time and what do you do? Do you go nuts? Do you yell at passing dogs and children? Do you make everyone miserable because your stressed? Well then, knock it off! Take a few minutes to decompress and chill. Put yourself in time out occasionally too.
One of my great loves in this life is music, especially piano music. I never get tired of listening to it and I find that it helps me stay calm too. David Lanz (featured in the video) is a great New Age artist and he weaves melodic notes of tranquility, instantly calms and soothes the frazzled spirit and is by far one of my favorites. When I find myself stressed out by the mere fact that living in this age is hard sometimes, I load his music in my YouTube playlist and chill while I complete my computer work. Instantly life is better and whatever is stressing me out so, doesn't seem to be so bad.
Taking the time to chill and reset occasionally will help you enjoy the "reason for the season" and enjoy what life has to offer or at least it does for me! TiP fOr TuEsDaY and chill out! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 152)

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

Happy Monday to you all! Whether you like it or not I'm back, after a longer-than-necessary hiatis! I'd feel horrible, but according to my news feed I've had 7 visitors in the last 3 days and 3 of those were me. Apparently everyone else was busy too and I'm okay with that! Since I have the luxury of sending all my kids back to school for the day and no one is getting out early and I have no where overly important to go, I get to sit here and type for a couple of hours! Ahh...bliss!;0)
Okay I'll get to the product all ready, since I'm sure this is why you all are here in the first place (yes, all four of you). Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour! I know that anyone who claims themselves G.F. is well versed with the Bob's Red Mill product line. I don't think I've used any of their products that I didn't like, but I love the All-Purpose flour especially! I have substituted this flour in so many things with great results, that I just HAD to share with you! Just look at my recipe side bar and several of the recipes use this stuff, it's great! For Thanksgiving alone I used it to make pie crust (yum!) and my gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin pie turned out great! We used it to whip up a batch of turkey gravy as well, yum yum! My pumpkin bread recipe uses this great flour, as well as, my delicious potato soup! I make home-made pancakes with it and will be making sugar cookies for everyone to decorate soon as well. I've made loaves of bread with it and pizza crust, really the possibilities are endless!
I want to truly thank the good folks at Bob's Red Mill for manufacturing such a great product and I want to especially thank Costco for carrying the large bags of it again! I scored 2 of them yesterday, SHAZAAM!! Holiday baking made gluten-free, yes! ;0)

Thanksgiving Day 2010

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed

when you are discouraged thinking all is lost 

count your many blessings name them one by one

and it will surprise you what the Lord has done..." 

Johnson Oatman Jr.

                                                                       J. Lamb 2010

I don't know about all of you, but I sure am thankful. Not only because of the date on the calender, but in general as well. It's so easy to get caught up in all the things that need to be accomplished, in all the things you can or cannot help, in running as fast as you can in the rat race. I don't know if I'm a little different or what, but if I don't take the time to step back and reflect occasionally on all the good things, I lose sight of what is really important in life. I'm well aware that what's important to people is really a matter of perspective, of where you are in the journey of life. This is what I know is important to me and what I am truly grateful for:

My family.

Full of quirks and idiosyncrasy, but never lacking in the love and support department. I love my Mom and Dad so much, they did the very best job with what they knew and I never felt deprived in anyway and never had to wonder how much they loved me. Thank you! My kids. I don't know what I did to deserve such wonderful, well-behaved, thoughtful kids, but I'm not complaining! Not having them to kiss every night for almost 2 years was the hardest thing I've ever had to endure, I will never not appreciate that they are here everyday, to drive me nuts and to love! I love you guys! My Man. I will not tell you that it has always been easy with us, in fact it's an ongoing process, but I really do love and appreciate everything you do for us and the wonderful job you do in helping raise "our" kids. I love you!

 The Basics.

You never know how important little things like food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in are until you don't have them. I've been very poor in my lifetime, so poor that if not for the help of others we wouldn't have had those basic things. If you have much in your life, then you owe it to yourself to help others that don't have as much as you. It doesn't have to be much, donate used clothing, donate food, donate time to help others less fortunate than you.

My life and freedom.

I have the wonderful opportunity to wake up each and every morning with the simple knowledge that I am alive for another day and I am free to live it how I choose. I am alive to see the beautiful scenery of the world around us, I am free to move about and breathe as I choose. I can write about whatever I want without the fear of being persecuted for my beliefs and I know enough to appreciate that freedom. I love the fact that I am alive to be here and love my loved ones. I am truly grateful.

The great Turkey Day Gluten-Free Menu

No pics for the post today, I really didn't have time to round any up...no matter though! I thought I'd take a few minutes to tell you how to make Thanksgiving yummy and gluten-free and it really isn't that hard! ;0)

Turkey. Actually nothing fancy has to be done with the turkey at all, just avoid using the little seasoning/sauce packet that comes with the bird. Not only is it loaded with preservatives and isn't any good for you, 99% of the time it has a gluten based substance in it as well. Just baste the turkey with a little butter (or soy butter), add some fresh herbs (think rosemary and thyme), we usually add crushed pineapple to the top of ours as well. That's it!;0)

Mashed Potatoes. Believe it or not, I think gluten-free/dairy-free mashed potatoes taste every bit as good or better than the regular kind and these aren't hard at all either. Boil cubed potatoes with two or three cloves of fresh garlic (yes, boil the garlic too) when they are soft enough, drain them, add some soy butter (Earth Balance is really good) and some original flavored soy milk. Just enough to blend them smoothly and not be runny. Add a dash of onion powder and a little dill for flavor and you have some awesome good gf/df mashed potatoes.

Stuffing. Wait a minute, you can even make stuffing gluten-free? All it takes is using a loaf of gluten-free bread (I use tapioca loaf from Ener-G, although I wouldn't recommend making sandwiches with it as it's kind of dry, but perfectly acceptable for stuffing!) and then following your favorite homemade stuffing recipe. I wish I had the exact recipe to share with you, but since I don't actually make the stuffing (that would be my man's job)...you'll just have to trust me on this!;0) It involves eggs, celery, onions, and seasonings and is super yummy!;0)

Pumpkin Pie. I used a recipe that some one sent me last year that was a crustless version of the confection and although it was yummy, it wasn't really "pie" (I added it to the sidebar if you want to try it!). This year I'm going to make the real thing myself and see how it turns out. Crust. Pie crust is made with all purpose flour, salt, shortening, butter, vegetable oil, and milk Replacing the flour with my trusty Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour and using soy butter and soy milk should do the trick. The key with replacements such as these is to watch the consistency of the finished product, just adjust amounts of each as necessary...haha, I'll let you know how it turns out!;0) Filling. I essentially have to do nothing different with the filling, Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (in the can) is already gluten-free (score!) and adding the necessary eggs and evaporated milk is the only trick. Eggs, no problem. Evaporated milk, that's a little trickier. I'll use soy milk, but not as much as the recipe calls for because it will be runnier than necessary anyway. The pie itself will be soft no doubt, but as far as I can tell it should taste perfectly yummy anyhow! ;0)

So if you think that gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner might sound a little "weird", I'll assure you that it really isn't! In fact most of my dinner guests tomorrow will have no idea what's gluten-free and what's not! ;0)

Today I'm thankful to have so many things to be thankful for!

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 149)

I'm truly thankful for the warmth and friendship of others I have the opportunity to enjoy.
 It's just the start of the crazy holiday madness, have you "lost it" already? I mean there just aren't some things that can be helped around the holidays traffic, spending money, obnoxious relatives, consuming far too many calories, whiny kids, lack of sleep...need I go on? Ha! I didn't think so! So what can you do to keep the holiday madness in check? A little organization is key my friends!
1. Create a master list.
Take the time to write out everything you'd like to accomplish for the holidays, the goodies you want to make, the presents you need to buy, supplies you'll need for all of it. Refer back to it often and check things off as you do them, you'll save yourself many a headache in the interim.
2. Budget it out (and stick to it!).
It's so easy to go way overboard in the spending dept. during the holidays and the best way to keep that in check is to plan out how much you want to spend and on what. I try to spend equally on my kids, say $100 a piece and I stick to it because no one wants to hear the kids whining that Susie got more than I did...bleh. Also while you're at it, make sure you are only buying things that the kids will in fact use and enjoy. I suck and my kids get a couple of fun things and a lot of practical things, it just saves me trips to the donation center later.
3. Think simple.
Keep the season simple and teach your kids to focus more on the "reason for the season" other than the gifts they'll receive. Play secret Santa for someone or the "12 days of Christmas" for a less fortunate family. They'll appreciate what they do have and it'll foster a life-long appreciation for service to others. I don't remember all the gifts I got as a child. The best things I remember are the fun times we spent as a family together and serving others.
4. Be realistic.
Everyone wants the holidays to be memorable and if your "to do" list is longer than you have time, then cut out some nonessentials. Recruit your spouse and your kids and have them help with everything including decorating, food prep, and what not. Remember it's far more important to make memories for your family by spending time with them and enjoying the little things.
5. Enjoy yourself too.
I know this last one is really hard as a parent, I'll confess to a few manic episodes during the holiday craziness myself. Take a deep breath, remember that all of this is supposed to be fun, and make sure it is. If you aren't having any fun then stop and try something else, hell, put yourself in time-out if you need to! ;0)

Try to keep all of this in mind as you run like a madwoman through Wal-Mart on Thursday morning because you forgot to buy potatoes...tsk, tsk, should have read my TiP fOr TuEsDaY! ;0)

Shameless plug time!

This is my friend Jamie, she makes great cards and crafts! You should go and check her blog here and enter her giveaway for a 55 dollar CSNstores gift card! You've been told, so hop to it! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 148)

Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa!

I'm thankful for always having enough to eat. Unfortunately, I know what it feels like to go hungry. I also know what it's like to depend on the kindness of others just to have the basics. My family always takes the time to donate to the food bank every year and I encourage anyone who is able to do the same. You'll be helping people right in your community. children, the elderly and maybe even someday someone will be helping you.You just never know...

What's a better treat for those chilly temperatures than hot cocoa? You're right I can't think of one either! So, if you're going to drink hot coca why not drink the best hot cocoa I say! Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa is the best, hands down! They have so many yummy flavors too, think Chocolate Mint Truffle (my personal fave), Dark Chocolate, Candy Cane Cocoa, Cherry Chocolate, Chocolate Cinnamon, Dulce de Leche, Pumpkin Spice....you get the idea! Not only is it really darn good, it's also gluten-free! Rock on!!
Is the nippy weather getting the best of you? If so, cuddle up with a cup of Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa and warm up! tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 146)

Making sense of our past....J.Lamb 2010

Bringing peace for today......J.Lamb 2010

and creating vision for tomorrow......J.Lamb 2010

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

What a thought provoking quote this is and the more I think about it the more I can relate to it. Let me try to break it down into what it means to me personally and she if it does the same for you.  Are you truly grateful for all things in your life? Just a thought...;0)

"Gratitude makes sense of our past..." I'm thankful for ALL events that have occurred in my past, the good and the bad. The good are the things I can reflect and share with my posterity, the laughter, the tradition, the warm fuzzies I felt. The bad are all the things that happened through the fault of no one or of my own making. I can reflect on them now and learn from my mistakes and hopefully emerge stronger and a better person overall.

"(Gratitude) brings peace for today..." In all life's harried moments where we feel overwhelmed and  little bit down, I've found that it always helps to be grateful for what I have today. I'm thankful for my family, I'm thankful a warm/safe roof over head, I'm thankful for food to eat and great friends to share it with, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be alive and the ability to enjoy this beautiful world in which we live.

"and (Gratitude) creates a vision for tomorrow." Being grateful for things we take advantage of like freedom, creates all the opportunities we have to learn, create, live, and grow. I can do anything through hard work and love of my fellow man for that is the freedom I, as an American posses.

*sniffle*

 

 

Here I am sniffling and despite my best efforts I was not able to ward off the cold that has slowly weaved it's way through my household. It started almost 2 weeks ago as my oldest came down with it while we visited my sister. He ran a fever for a day, sniffled for a couple more and got over it. My daughter wasn't so lucky, she started with the sniffles first, she ran a fever and missed a day of school, and has sniffled on and off for the last week or so since. My little one sniffled for a few days didn't run a fever and was through. My man wasn't so lucky, he tried to fight it and thought he was winning until last night, and he has discovered he has bronchitis now. I thought I wasn't going to get it. Yep, I pranced around thinking, "Hey I got it beat!" I mean it's been almost 2 weeks and I have been exposed to the germs continually. You would think I would have caught it BEFORE now, apparently not, poo. I sit here sniffling now and completely void of any ambition to accomplish anything, except maybe a nap. My nose is red and chapped from being blown, my head feels as though I should be releasing a pressure valve.
Yuck, but hey...even though I'm not feeling at my best, I am still grateful for my health. I rarely catch anything and the kids and my man are fairly healthy too. That's it for now for my body is insisting on a nap...;0)

Thanks.

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is just over a week away! I almost fell over when I came to that realization yesterday! That means cooking turkey, making stuffing, hosting guests, cleaning the house, putting up with the kids being out of school for 5 days straight...ugh, it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out! But hey now, let's take a deep breath and remember the reason for the holiday...yes, that would be thanks.

A. Lamb 2010

*The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  ~H.U. Westermayer*

D. Lamb 2010

Now, that's something to think about. No matter your situation in life, no matter the rush you are in, no matter the impossible perfection you are trying to achieve, someone has it worse than you, period. A quick thought to just that and whatever daunting task or situation that lies ahead of me instantly becomes minuscule. I'm going to take everyday up to Thanksgiving to be thankful and share it here with you and I would love to hear what you are thankful for too! 

S. Lamb 2010

 #1 I'm thankful for my kids, I would not be who I am today without them and couldn't imagine my life if they weren't mine. ;0) They all drew turkey pictures for me today and anyone who knows my kids can guess who drew the blown up one....uh, yeah. ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 143)

Enact a reward system.

Chances are as a parent you already use this for your kids, rewarding them for good behavior I mean! Have you ever thought of using it as a motivational tool for yourself? I don't mean stickers on a chore chart, but in getting things or doing activities just for you. Think of it this way, you don't just go out and buy the kids a toy if they didn't do their chores and have been bickering all day, right? I know I sure don't! I make the kids earn them, that way they understand the value of things and I get a cleaner/calmer home in the process. Why not do the same for yourself? I really want to read this book, but I have laundry to fold first...so, fold the laundry and then you can read that book!
This is what I do:
Actually right now I am behind on my laundry, but I have several sewing projects I want to tackle. I won't let myself start sewing until the laundry is caught up on. I get to do the fun stuff but, only after I get the chores done. It works well when you get paid as well. You worked really hard to pay your bills, why not get yourself a small something. I don't mean go out and break the bank or anything, but something small. I love socks and they're inexpensive, or I'll get myself some pretty nail polish or something similar. Just like the kids get a Frosty on Fridays for good behavior, do the same for yourself!;0)
We all know that being a parent is largely thankless job! You clean, you shuttle, you feed, you love and aside from the occasional sticky kiss do you get a reward? Uh, no. No matter though, if you can get through all the stuff you HAVE to do then why don't you reward yourself with something you WANT to do? Exactly! Way to go, Mom you got the laundry done...here is a chance to do something fun! You deserve it! ;0) And that's your TiP fOr  TuEsDay! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 142)

Hello everyone! Yes, it's Monday and tHiS wHaT i LiKe is still a little hairy, ah, but not for long! If you remember last week I mentioned a little wax stripping action in the quest for hair-removal, here's the good stuff- Nad's hair removal wax strips! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy these were to use and the results! No microwaving, no sticky mess, just a quick rub between your palms and they are set! I position them where the offending hair lies, give a quick smoothing down, and a quick pull in the opposite direction of the hair growth. ZIP! Hair's gone! It's significantly less painful then tweezing a million little hairs. Not expensive either, I picked up a box of 24 at Le Target for about $3.50, not bad and effective too!
My apologies for the last 2 products in the tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe segments being a little on the T.M.I. side, but hey, thus is life! So, if life's a little hairy, then give Nad's hair removal wax strips a try! I know I like them! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 141)

J. Lamb 2010

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." ~Unknown
If you happen to follow my F.B. fan page, you'll see that I have recycled this from my quote for the day. It's not that I've run out of inspiration, it's just that this quote is profound and speaks to me deeply. How many of us measure what we've accomplished in the temporal sense, or by the surface only? I have this and that and people can see that I have accomplished this, but these are all surface accomplishments nothing to be said about character or integrity. The great things that make us up as individuals aren't those that can be seen on the surface, they have to be felt only. Things that have changed us for the better and have molded our beings. As a parent , I know that my greatest accomplishment ever would be my children. The fact that they are happy and healthy and well-adjusted speaks volumes of character and strength and integrity or at least that's what I tell myself! Just a thought...;0)

Honor those who serve...

A special post in honor of Veterans Day 2010.
"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"  ~Maya Angelou
When you think of Veterans Day what come to mind? Do you think of battles and wars won and lost, do you think of the sacrifice those soldiers made? Do you think of the loved one's left behind, do you think of loved one's who gave their lives? Do you think of unpopular wars, of men and women who served despite political party lines drawn? Do you think of the veterans forgotten over time? Those who are maybe homeless, infirm, disadvantaged, or lost, do you think about them too? I do. When I think of Veterans Day I think of all these things, I think of my grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and friends who served us all and protected our freedom. I think of the freedom we as Americans enjoy and of those who sacrificed so much for me and mine. I salute you all dear veterans and thank you for you unwavering service in the protection of our freedom. God Bless America.

Find the beauty in everyday

How many of us do this, really look around while we're going about our daily business? Keeping our eyes peeled for the beauty of our realm as we shuttle kids or read a book or go about living our lives. You don't? Well, why? I know that I am guilty of being in a rush to get things done frequently and I don't always have the time to appreciate the simple beauty of just being alive. I took some time today to capture some of the things I see everyday as I go about my life and raise my children, it's amazing how simple things can be beautiful.

The view of the sky and the tree with just the last of it's leaves through my window

The strange fence and brilliant blue and red contrast I drive past daily

My love of books, the words, the pages to leaf through....

The view of Red Mountain I see as I take my kids to school

The texture of my couch, all waffley, squishy, comfortable to sink into

The flowers that are barely hanging on after chilly late Fall temperatures

The trees as they frame Utah Hill in the distance when I drop kids off at school

The lamppost in the park where we watch people and their dogs

These are all things I see in my travels daily and I'm not a fantastic photographer with a great camera either. I just have learned to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me even in monotony. The beauty we live in everyday. ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 138)

 
                                                 The past is behind you for a reason.
This tip for Tuesday post is going along with my quote I shared on my fan page today:

‎"The past is never there when you try to go back. It exists, but only in memory. To pretend otherwise invites a mess." ~ Chris Cobbs

 

I swear that blogger's "improved" publishing tools are going to be the death of me as well, but besides that, I was trying to figure out how old I was when this picture was taken. My guess is about 15. Freckled face, very large eyebrows, giant t-shirt and pre-giant framed glasses I started sporting at 16. I'm sparing myself from the pic of those, not necessarily the rest of you...just a FYI! 

Recently there has been sort of a buzz on Twitter, not that I follow the trends on Twitter (yes, I'm stealing this from the blog of someone else, don't judge me!) this is the reason I know about it! (Ha, and you thought that following 40 blogs was a waste of time!) Anyway, I'm done talking to myself here (don't hold your breath on that!) and I'm getting to the point....finally! The Twitter buzz is letters to your 16 year-old self...you know, giving yourself advice and what not. As I mentioned before, I am unwilling to torture myself with the image of my 16 year-old self but, this does not mean I can't remember that age with vivid detail. I am certainly not without loads of advice I could have used as well...so here goes.

Eyebrows. Yep, girl they make two of them for a reason...perhaps you should take a few minutes to separate them for good...and to think I didn't break them up for good until after high school. Why...why...why?

Glasses. For reasons I cannot explain when I got my braces off the year before, it didn't occur to me that I should not get the most giant pair of frames possible and commit beauty suicide. I mean for Pete's sake, when they suggested a smaller frame size why didn't you say yes? I looked like an owl with those giant frames dwarfing my petite features...

Hair. I chopped it short at 14, and that was pretty cute...ringlets and all. I chopped again at 15 and 16 too. I have it short now as well, but I actually fix it fashionably. That and I wear make-up daily and no longer raid my Dad's clothes for flannels and worn out jeans for cut-offs...tsk, tsk. I looked ridiculous constantly until my senior year!

Date someone else too. I dated the same guy from 16 on and now that we are grown and his wife is fat and hates me and I no longer get to be his friend, I wish I had broadened my horizons. It's a shame. 

Okay, so this whole post is making me very glad that the past is behind me! Of course I will always wish that I had done some things differently, but I really am glad the past is passed. Yes, chopped short hair, giant glasses, giant eyebrows and all!  The past IS behind you for a reason, me at 16 could have stayed there too! Here's your tip for Tuesday!

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 137)

Remington trimmers!

                                       *A quick warning, this segment may get a little hairy! ;0)*
Well, howdy... hows yer Monday treatin' ya? I've been going non-stop for a about 4 days now and I am seriously grateful for the chance to sit a moment and share one of my favorite products with you!
It would be the Remington pen trimmer! I use mine daily for a little deforestation on the facial area. (Say what?!)
              *Serious T.M.I. coming up, feel free to avert your eyes if you are a little squeamish*
Hey, I am convinced that most women have a little too much hair on their faces, but hey this is the modern age and they make stuff for that and it isn't that expensive either! What I love about the pen trimmer is it's easy to use, completely painless, and makes hair go bye-bye in a snap! I was blessed with monstrous eyebrows, genetics...gotta love them! I have spent forever tweazing them into submission and it is a losing battle, if I use my Remington pen trimmer daily (along with a little wax-strip action, that's for next week) though they stay in line! Of course if you are a dude, these handy pen trimmers work great for vanquishing too long nose hair, unruly 'stashes and brows as well!
The link I provided advertises them at 9.99, but I picked up mine for 7.99 at TJ Maxx, SCORE! Oh yeah, and one more thing...these trimmers just use AAA batteries too! CONVENIENT! Try one out today and make that hair just go away! ;0) This is what I like! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 134)

                                                          photo J. Lamb 2010

 "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal" ~Martin Luther King, Jr.


Being at peace isn't easy when being parent, but it is doable. When I think back to growing up and observing my friends' parents, the one's I admired had this concept down. Worrying about what we can't change is counterproductive and in direct contrast to the concept of peace within. Peace runs hand in hand with acceptance as well. Acceptance of ourselves will help bring about peace. Just a thought...;0)

Excuses, excuses...

Fall full moon...

I had a boss once who would tell us when we fed him excuses for screwing up, "Excuses are like butt-holes, everybody has one." Perhaps I could have put up more appropriate imagery to make my point, I'm letting you use use your imagination instead...your welcome.;0) Anyway, to my point------>

I missed my blog post yesterday, I don't know how it happened...well, yeah I really do, but now I need a better excuse than "I forgot"? 

How about...I was in an auto accident, and spent the evening in the hospital in traction and couldn't quite reach my keyboard to apologize in advance...

Nope, not believable.

Perhaps I could guilt everyone into feeling bad for not reading this silly blog anyway, sheesh! Even my sister had been busy this week and hasn't been making her obligatory comments to boost my ego...

Scratch that. Seriously, I'm good at writing irregardless if anyone is actually reading...that wouldn't be viable either.

I've decided that I really am inherently truthful, making up excuses and fibs and half-truths takes more effort than I'm willing to put forth. So here goes...

The truth? I finished up a mountain of laundry that I had been working on since Sunday while I divided my regular computer time between farming, researching a subject, applying for another job, reading about 5 other blogs, and completing a preliminary phone interview with a company I applied too. I then made a batch of gluten-free pancakes (psst...if you haven't tried gluten-free Bisquick, then you're missing out!) and cleaned a disgusting bathroom. I called my sister, tried to think of a good blog-subject, took a shower, fixed a snack for one kid, had a long conversation with a friend, who really needed a listening ear, and picked up two more kids. I then had another conversation with another friend who the first friend needed to talk to, got another kid going on his homework and convinced my daughter to go to Wal-Mart with me. I drove the 20 minutes to Wal-Mart, told my daughter "no" at least 20 times before we even got to the grocery section and finally left over an hour later. On the way home my daughter called their snowbird Grandma who just got back in to  town with no answer as we drove past the restaurant that their car was in front of. We stopped and my daughter ran into the squealing arms of her Grandparents and we stood and talked to them for at least 20 minutes before I convinced them to come over to our house and left to go home, make dinner, and put away groceries. 20 minutes later I arrived home, hauled in all the groceries, and started dinner while putting away groceries. I made sure someone finished their homework and was schooled on Pokemon as their Grandparents arrived. My man and I ate dinner while the kids ran around with Grandma and convinced the kids to eat too, while Grandma sat and talked with them. My son practiced his violin for his Grandparents, they all ate the cookies and candy Grandma brought and my daughter dressed and brushed two dollies' hair from Grandma. I shooed everyone of to the shower and eventually Grandma and Grandpa went home and after getting out school bags and clothes for the morning, we ushered all resident short people to bed. And then.....? Yep, you're right! I forgot! Please forgive me! ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 132)

Don't be a sheep.

Yes, you are reading the pic right. I didn't vote, I don't vote, I am purposely not registered to vote. I said it, I am not ashamed about it either. I am an intelligent person, perhaps that is what makes the whole "voting" process so unappealing. Watching political ads with nothing but made up facts and twisted to fit propaganda, could very well be the main reason I rarely watch TV as well. I can't make myself go out and help elect these sleazy politicians (yes, they are ALL sleazy) that are only interested in having their pockets lined by special interests and have no real intention for the good of the people, only in the narrow-minded interests of he who yells loudest. You have no choice, but to elect the lesser of two evils at any time thank you to the two party system this country embraces.
Don't get me wrong, I am patriotic. I love the fact that I can call myself an American, that I have the freedom to choose to do or not to do as I please without the fear of retribution...for the most part that is. this poor woman was not given a choice as she was attacked while attending a Rand Paul rally, here. Behavior such as this boils my blood, how anyone could be motivated to violence over a party difference is beyond me.
You want to make a difference in the world? Insist upon change in the system entirely or watch as we all go to hell in a hand-basket. You decide, but as for me, I'll not be a sheep. Feel free to comment away if you disagree!

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 131)

As promised I have pics of everyone dressed up for Halloween, alas I am to lazy to post them right here, Never fear my friends I did provide a handy link to where the pics are posted. And you thought I wasn't thinking of you, ha! ;0)

OxiClean!

How is it that I neglected to feature this fabulous product on my tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe segment? I mean what is the world coming too? Never fear, I shall give it the focus this awesome product deserves! SHAZAAM!
You probably would have had to live on Neptune the last decade to not have heard of the fabulous OxiClean "it cleans without the damaging effects of bleach" and it's versatile as well. Not only does it clean out stains and spots and freshens every load of laundry, it does a fabulous job on carpet, pet stains, tile grout and more!
I use a scoop full of OxiClean in every wash load I wash. It catches the dirt I might have missed and keeps my laundry smelling great. I love OxiClean as a presoak and stain lifter as well. At least a couple of nights a week you will find a tub with water and OxiClean soaking someone's uniform shirt they spilled something on during school. It always saves the day! OxiClean you have successfully saved my carpet and rug in front of my couch from a careless drink spiller on several occasions. You do a fabulous job scrubbing grout clean too! OxiClean what can't you do?
It's safe to say that I love you OxiClean! You DO make my life easier daily and this is (definitely) what I like, you should try it out, I'll bet you like it too! ;0)