Wedding Day

Wedding Day
Enjoy EVERY moment in your wedding gown. You can't stay in it forever...SO UNFAIR!!!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year Goals Part Deux

ItalicPhoto from Thy Word Forever



I have been planning on making some changes in the upcoming year. Yesterday I gave three of my New Year's focuses, and I went into some detail about my plans to work on goal one which is weight loss. I am kind of taking steps with that one. Every month I will re-evaluate what I am doing so I can see what I need to tweak and what is working.


Today isn't about that though. Today I want to talk about goal number two. I do want to preface this by saying that goal number two is not number two in importance. It is simply a number.


2- God


I have thought and thought about how to put into words what my goal is. With weight loss you don't have to explain much. Someone says they want to lose weight, they don't have to go into too much detail about what that means. Let's face it, you can kind of see that for yourself. With someone's relationship with God it is different. Only we know where we are in our spiritual walk.

So let's see if I can kind of put this out there in a way that makes sense.
I basically want to refocus my energies on God. I want to refocus my relationship with God. It isn't like I do not have an active relationship with God. I pray and communicate with Jesus every day. Praying has never been an issue with me, but I want to go further.

I would love to say that I study my Bible daily, but the fact is that I read it, and sometimes I can read for quite some time, but many times, I just feel drowsy. This is not to say that I haven't read my Bible. I want to delight in His word. I want to be able to really read it and absorb it. I want to see things in a new light. I want to learn to not just read the word of God. I want to learn to study it. I don't want to just take a Bible study class. I want to be able to take out my Bible and go. Does that make sense?

Most of all, I want to use the gifts that God has given me. I also want to find out what those gifts are. My hope and prayer is that this coming year, I develop an even stronger prayer life, learn to really study His word, and get a good wake up call on my place in His kingdom.
My steps so far are the following:

1 - Prayer.

Like I said I pray. I always pray. I have seen God do amazing things in my life and in the lives of others. I know he moves. I just want to really increase my prayer life. To this end I am going to do two things this year. One is to start a prayer journal. Two is I will be reading the book
"The Power of Simple Prayer" How To Talk With God About Everything" by Joyce Meyer. I am not reading this book in order to learn how to pray. I just want to see what I can glean out of the prayer journal and this book. I have no time frame for reading the book. The prayer journal I intend to keep all year and write in each day. The book could take weeks or months to get through.

2 - Study of God's Word.

I figure that the best way to make this work for me is to focus on reading my Bible each day. I also intend to do a devotion a day (I have a wonderful Devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries that I plan to use), and seeing where the devotion leads me in my study of the Bible. I also will be reading
"Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl" by Lisa Terkeurst. This is a book that I do not plan on racing through. I want to get out of it everything that I can.

3 - Finding and developing the talents that God has given me to do His will.

Whether it be through praying for others or washing toilets. I don't care. I just want to know what it is. I cannot explain why I am not exactly sure of that. Let's just say I had kind of a flakey household, and talents were squelched and squelched often. That is fine. I don't need to go back there to get to know what God has planned for me. He'll show me, and I truly believe that by following the path that I am setting ahead, everything will be more apparent.


Well that is pretty much it for today. Lastly I'll just once again share my motivating verse:


Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

See Ya Soon!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Best Laid Plans - New Year Goals

Photobucket



Well yesterday I was going to post about some of my plans for the New Year. I couldn't work on that blog though, because I had an office meeting and that was followed by the celebration of my son's birthday. He turned 16! Oh the agony of it all! I don't begrudge him aging as much as I just hate that someday relatively soon, he will be ready to be a total adult. That kind of hurts. :( I'm not ready for an empty nest.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Changes and the New Year. I am not a resolution kind of gal. I just make new plans and make every attempt to follow them through in order to improve the way I approach life. Sometimes these things go swimmingly and I have a brand new fabulous habit. Other times, I decide that I am just not ready for the change.

There are specific areas in my life that I do want to work on. The other day I kind of touched on a couple. I thought I would get more specific here today. The following are my goals and what I plan on tackling in the year 2011.

1 - Weight
2 - Relationship with God
3 - Finances

I plan on focusing on my steps for each in the next few days. Starting with the first. It seems to me that the best way to achieve my goals is to kind of map them out. This will also be good for accountability as well as a place to whine. ;)

Photobucket

1- Weight management (okay let's face it...WEIGHT LOSS! Are you happy now?)


When thinking about the year 2011 and what I wanted to accomplish I thought and thought about where I want to be. I thought about what needs to be worked on and what needs to change. The first thing I thought of was DIET!!!!!

I am not going to follow a crazy diet. Or at least not yet (no...I kid you, I will not go on a weird diet at all). I kind of get this Richard Simmons voice in my head when I think of diet. He used to say "never say diet!" I may be preaching to a blank stare right now. Richard Simmons hasn't exactly been cutting edge in like 20 years if ever. The dude had a pretty thriving little fitness thing going for a while there. Richard Simmons had a little show which featured very low intensity workouts and I think food prep, and he also had a thing called Deal-A-Meal where I think you got a deck of cards representing food groups. You would deal a card for each one and when you were out of cards, you were done. I think that is how it went. I never watched a whole infomercial to find out. My friend's mom used to work out to his VHS (yes I meant to type VHS) "Sweatin' To The Oldies." Either way, the guy got me to think of diet as a dirty word. He convinced me to focus on things like "lifestyle" change and junk like that.

Mainly I am just thinking of diet as an all the things I will need to do to lose some poundage from eating right to working out. All that fun stuff. And of course, let's not forget the deprivation. Here is a rough sketch of my plan so far.



1 - Exercise

Part of my weight loss journey for the year 2011 will involve getting some exercise in. With the chilly weather upon us, I thought it would be nice to start with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I picked up this little beauty with the Amazon.com credit I earned through searching with Swagbucks. I had also joined Amazon Mom so I got free shipping for it too. By they way...that swagbucks link is a referral (just want to fully disclose there). My plan is to follow the 30 days of possible torture. Who can't do 30 days? After that, I will move on to another exercise routine, but I have not chosen that as of yet. I did want to at least cover how I intended on tackling the first month of 2011.




2- Food & Bev Intake

I am hoping to eat better and drink more water than anything else. As far as food goes, I thought that I would try eating with a small plate for month one. I imagine it sounds kind of silly, but I figure that for a month I would eat my food off of a smaller plate, fill half with my veg and portion my protein and carbs into the other quarters and just see what happens. I will keep a food journal, because I hear that it really helps when it comes to weight loss. It certainly can't hurt. In fact, I might as well keep a journal of my working out too just to keep myself honest. :) Just like I will be changing my workout, I will probably be changing my eating habit, but I do intend to follow one month at a time.

3 - Weigh in/Measure up

I do not want to be a slave to the scale, but I do plan on weighing myself. I figure once a week is the way to go. This way I wont have my day hinging on what I weigh. I have thought of measurements too, but that honestly might drive me nuts. I will keep it in mind. Perhaps I will measure myself in the beginning of the month and at the end of the month. I'll have to give this part some thought. Kind of sounds like a good idea if I don't go crazy measuring every little bit of me. :)

To avoid to much yawn inducing detail, I will be back tomorrow. :)


Photobucket

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Meet Me On Monday -

It is that time again! Meet Me On Monday brought to you by Java at Never Growing Old! I didn't take part last week, but I am soooooo glad to be back today. Here is a little about Meet Me On Monday:
Blogging is a funny thing...we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, "who is this person!?" I know them...but yet I don't know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to "meet" each other!


"Its a great way to to meet new friends and for others to get to know me better....one Monday at a time!!!"....as quoted by the Chacogirl!!

There are five questions for the bloggers to answer. It is a great way to get to know each other. If you haven't joined in before, try it now.


Questions:

1. What are your New Year's Eve plans?
2. How tall are you?
3. What is your favorite pudding flavor?
4. What room of the house do you blog the most in?
5. What is your best physical feature?

My Answers:

1. What are your New Year's Eve plans?

Initially I will be working at an event sponsored by my radio station and a local church. It is an awesome show called Living Illusions with Master Illusionist Kevin Ridgeway and Escape Artist Kristen Johnson. It is a family event that we will be hosting early in the evening so families can do something fun and safe and be home before the late night festivities. Check out Kristen Johnson's escape from the Water Torture Cell in full view.






2. How tall are you?

I am a little bit over 5'2". I don't mind not being tall. I have long legs which apparently fool everyone. People are usually surprised when I tell them my height. Everyone seems to think I am between 5'6" or 5'7". This surprises me as I wear nothing but sneakers or my Birkenstock sandals. None of these give me any height illusion. I did marry up though. My husband is 6'2" and my son is already towering over me at 6'. :)

not tall Pictures, Images and Photos



3. What is your favorite pudding flavor?

I love rice pudding or tapioca. When I was a child I hated tapioca because I thought it was filled with fish eggs. I have no idea why I thought this, but I suspect that my older brother had something to do with it.


Photobucket


4. What room of the house do you blog the most in?

The living room. I occasionally blog in bed, but that is only if my husband is on his computer which is in our bedroom. Sorry...no living room picture to share.


Photobucket


5. What is your best physical feature?

My husband...okay...my cheekbones.


Photobucket

Well off for some fun reading! Hope you have an amazing week!

The Day After Christmas - And a rambling I go

Photobucket


I had to let myself have a few weeks to take care of the business of Christmas and the business of work. Now that it is behind me, I feel like I can better get my mind more gathered. Next thing up of course is the business of the new year. Ahhh yes the new year. What does that mean to you?

I don't know what the new year means to me exactly. I could have been thinking in a new way because I am getting older. I have noticed that time just buzzes on by at light speed lately, and I often feel like I am not going in the direction I should be. Many things have plagued my thoughts. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you need some good ole crying jags in order to get your mind set on some change. This is not to say that my life is miserable. It isn't. I just feel that for maybe too long I have been standing still rather than moving. I also feel that if I am feeling that way then maybe just maybe I am standing still. THAT is inexcusable to me. God has given me many gifts and it is high time I use them. Of course I also have to figure out what they are. Don't laugh. I kind of don't know.

Anyway, this is what brings me to writing today. I have had thoughts and it is time for me to gather them up. There are things that I intend on accomplishing this year, and I am going to hold myself accountable by typing it all here. I could start a new blog for it, but really there is no reason to do that. This is after all my life's blog. When I started it, I was starting a new stage in life that of being a wife. Time to see what else is involved in this new life. :)

Tomorrow I will start posting my count down to the New Year and new lil me. :) Yep...I may be 43, but I can have a new lil me any time I darn well please.

Before I go, I would like to post the verse that has been spurring me on as of late. I found it a while back while reading a fabulous devotion. It has stuck with me, and I would like to share it with you. The devotion was about over thinking things which is one of those things I can be really great at. I worry myself to pieces and to many a sleepless night, and the fact is that I simply do not need to do this. I need to pray about what is getting me and give it God. During the month of December, my mind was full of worry over finances. Not my own finances though that is certainly floating around there, but the finances of the company I work for. I also worry about my position in my company. It is a great place, but sometimes I feel like I am just doing a job and not necessarily working in the gifts God has given me if that makes sense. Anyway, all t his worry was keeping me up at night and making me miserable every morning. Then I read a devotion by Rachel Olsen via my emails from Proverbs 31 ministries. This verse was prominent.


Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

It really was as if God was tapping me on the shoulder and telling me it was all going to be okay. I liked it so much that I immediately typed up the verse and now keep it in my purse. It is really amazing how God's word can apply to your every day life. If you would like to check out that devotion, here is a link to it: Don't Overthink It. Here also is a link to Rachel Olsen's blog in case you want to check it out, and I entirely encourage you to do so.

While typing this the internet went out and so did my train of thought. It flew...BAM...right out the window. Still I want to share one more thing. Yesterday after the presents were unwrapped and the ham was cooking in the oven, I was feeling a little stressed. See, my husband wanted to get me one last gift which was a computer program. This program is something that I have wanted for quite some time, and I was especially excited about this treat. The internet had other things in mind. For some reason everything was going wrong when it came to downloading so I had to just deal. I took a moment to journal. I was reminded that I spent the morning with my family, I spent the morning with presents, and goodies, but I had not spent the morning with Jesus. I realized that I needed to drop it all and pray and spend time with Jesus.

I prayed, read my Bible, and I journaled a note to my Lord. I thanked God for the gift of His son, and I thanked Him for sending His son in a most humble and not for nothing...weak way. I thanked Him for blessing me from birth. Truly I am blessed. I could have been born in a third-world country and live in a shack. It is truly a gift from God that I am so fortunate. It could have been so different. Again I thought about how I want to take a new look on my life and live for God. I want to follow the plan that He has for me. I prayed about that. I prayed that God would open my eyes to the gifts He has given me and asked that He help me on that path. After this, the internet came back on.

After this time with God, I didn't try to download my present. Like I said, the internet did come back on. We didn't mess with it though. We watched the new Veggie Tales movie "It's A Meaningful Life." It was sweet and exactly the kind of entertainment you expect from Bid Idea. It showed even my adult self that God loves me for the person I am and He has a plan for me. A simple story that has been outlining exactly what I have been thinking about perhaps even ruminating about. It also used one of my favorite verses Jeremiah 29:11 which is a verse I have kind of claimed as my own:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

I have a future and a hope. :) God has plans for me. I don't need to know them. I just need to seek Him and basically get out of His way. :)

Lastly (because I have really gone on much too long already), I thought it might be nice to add the song "Meant To Be" by Steven Curtis Chapman which is featured in the new Veggie Tales movie "It's A Meaningful Life." Seriously between my own nostalgia (Veggie Tales was my son's fave when he was little) and the message, I was a teary eyes little so-and-so by the time this song played. Lyrics below if you want to check them out too.






Long Before You Drew Your First Breath
A Dream Was Coming True

God Wanted to Give A Gift To The World
So He Wrapped It Up In You

Every Step That You’ve Taken
Every Move That You Make
Is Part Of His Plan

You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It

You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing

You Are Perfectly, Wonderfully,
Beautifully Meant To Be
You Were Meant To Be

Long Before You Took Your First Fall
You stumbled to the ground
God started telling the story of you to the angles around
Every failure and victory
Everything inbetween
Its all in his hand

You Were Meant To Be Touching
The Lives That You Touch
And Meant To Be Here
Making This World So Much More
Than It Would Be Without You In It

You Were Meant To Be Bringing
The Gifts That You Bring
And Singing The Songs
You’ve Been Given To Sing

Monday, December 13, 2010

Meet me On Monday - 12/13

This weekend has been chock full of visiting with family, eating yummy food, and long-distance driving. It was a win for my husband's team the Pittsburgh Steelers and my team the New England Patriots. And now it is time for one of my FAVORITE blog hops...Meet Me On Monday which is brought to us every Sunday by Java of Never Growing Old.

Here's the skinny on Meet Me On Monday. :)

Blogging is a funny thing...we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, "who is this person!?" I know them...but yet I don't know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to "meet" each other!

Every Sunday I will post five get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!

"Its a great way to to meet new friends and for others to get to know me better....one Monday at a time!!!"....as quoted by the Chacogirl!!



Questions:

1. How do you order your steak?
2. Are you superstitious about anything?
3. Who is your best friend (not including your spouse)?
4. When is the last time your wore a dress (for the guys...a suit)?
5. Do you have any trips scheduled?

My Answers:

1. How do you order your steak?








Well done or medium well. Mainly well done. I don't mind a little juice in my meat, but I do mind pink meat. I only eat meat in the summer though. That is when my fabulous hubby is the grill master. Occasionally I will get a steak at a restaurant in town called Cattlemans. They have AMAZING food and THE best steaks. Sadly, we just can't afford to eat out as much as he liked.

2. Are you superstitious about anything?


Photobucket



Nope. However, I certainly don't run around trying to step on cracks or break mirrors, and I definitely do not say "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary" in front of the bathroom mirror, in the dark, with the doors closed.

3. Who is your best friend (not including your spouse)?



My best friend on earth is Lisa. She lives in Rhode Island. I have other friends, but no one falls into that bestest category. However, you don't have to be my best friend for me to stand by your side and support you. :)

4. When is the last time your wore a dress (for the guys...a suit)?



Photobucket


My job interview. I don't wear many dresses. I guess it is because for so many years I ALWAYS wore dresses. It is also because I am desperately looking to lose some weight (that will be tomorrow's post) and get back into some of my dresses. I wear slacks, jeans, shorts, and sweats.

5. Do you have any trips scheduled?


Photobucket


We just came back from a weekend in Lake Havasu City to see my family. Other than that we are kind of done with the trips for now. Christmas will be just me, my son and my wonderful hubby. We are saving and planning for our second honeymoon, but that is about a year and a half away. Thank God, because it will take time to save up the money we want to save for this getaway.

Well, that is all for today. Nothing terribly witty on my part, but I am still kind of road drunk. :)

Thursday, December 9, 2010

A Tip Here and There

Photobucket



Christmas is just 16 days away! That gives you about 15 shopping or crafting days to go! There are gifts to buy and meals to make. Lots of fun and family time to be enjoyed too. There are also some great opportunities to give. So please look around and see where you might be able to do that as well.

Radio Shine is happy to once again sponsor the Christmas Cradle Project which will benefit local CPCs. We have a list of drop off locations all over Arizona. Please take a moment to take a look at that page and pick out a little something to help these pregnancy centers help these families. They consistently work to help the working poor, and this is a great opportunity to help. Follow the link below which will not only show you the needs but also the drop off locations in the area. If you have a Bible study or group and you would like to get involved, maybe instead of a gift exchange where you might get another coffee mug or candle, you might consider a baby shower and bring those gifts to a local drop off location.

LINK: Christmas Cradle Drop Off Locations

You might also want to consider the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree. All of these fabulous groups are working to make Christmas better for many children. I understand that Toys for Tots is in a toy donation deficit of about 10%.

WEBSITE

With Christmas comes usually a whole new slew of clothes. Now just could be the time to get out the old to make room for the new. I found a great site for you! It is called ThredUP.com. Members at ThredUp exchange gently used clothes online. I have found that exchanges like this work really well with the younger kids clothes. Let's face it, babies and toddlers grow fast and don't usually wreck a lot of their outfits. They usually have well defined baby clothes. ThredUp is a great exchange option. Of course never underestimate the power of setting up an exchange with other mommies in your neighborhood, church or even work.


Anyway, members use Medium Priority Flat Rate boxes which at this time are $10.70. You pay $5 for your box and the shipping fee to get your box. Each member lists the items that are in their box, and some members even have pictures so you know what you are getting.

Of course I totally recommend trying to exchange through your own community first, but this is definitely another great avenue to explore.

LINK: ThredUP

I have been going through tons of my magazines in order to minimize some clutter for my husband's sake (I am SOOOOO bad about clutter). While doing that I found some tips that I was totally jazzed about and just had to share.

With winter's bite really starting to sink in, I recalled the annoyance of a foggy window. Here is a great tip. Fill a spray bottle with three parts water to one part white vinegar. Before locking up your car for the night, spray the windshield with the water/vinegar mix to naturally keep those windows clear. This can be a great savings in two ways. You can save time in not scraping your windows like crazy or you can save energy by not having to run the defrost for a long period of time before you can actually get moving.

Last week I posted some links to some awesome Christmas cookie recipes which are great for cookie exchanges, gifts or just your own celebration. Here are a few more.

Holiday Peppermint Thins These looks absolutely amazing. They have a low prep time and look absolutely delicious.

Windowpane cookies This is a cookie that I have always wanted to make. They absolutely scream Christmas. Apparently if you can make a sugar cookie, you can make windowpanes.

Pecan Tart Cup Cookies I had to look for this recipe. This was a mainstay of all the cookie exchanges I have ever been involved in.


FREEBIES

If winter air is drying you up, you may be in want of a little sample of Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff shampoo. We've tried it, and I can tell you it smells GREAT and leaves your hair nice and soft so it really can work for . Check it out yourself by following the link below. This sample is available while supplies last.

LINK: Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

This is pretty neat. I don't know how long it will last, but check the link to Kroger's special freebie page where you can sign up for a free sample of Frieda Sheer Blond, and Prilosec (if you qualify through their survey. There is also a free subscription for American Baby!

LINK: Kroger Freebie Page

If you are a Sam's Club Member you can sign up for a free sample of Slim-Fast Peanut Butter Crunch Snack bar. You definitely do not have to be on a diet to enjoy these treats!

LINK: Slim-Fast bar

FreeCCM has a free download available of Sara Groves "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear." If you haven't picked them up yet, you can still download songs from Todd Agnew, 33Miles, Skillet, Fee, and The Choir.

LINK: Sara Groves Free CCM

New Release Tuesday has a free download this week "Angels We Have Heard On High" by Seabird, "Adore Him" by Kari Jobe, "The First Noel" by Revive, and "Body Language" by Qheem The Redeemed. Remember you do have to sign up to be a member. Membership is free, and I can attest to not getting any garbage from New Release Tuesday. All I get is great Christian music and news.

LINK: New Release Tuesday

The Parachute Band is offering 9 free songs from three of their CDs "Love Without Measure" which releases in January, "Roadmaps & Revelations," and "Technicolor." Three songs from each CD. All you have to do is go to their Facebook page and sign up.

LINK: The Parachute Band Free Music

iTickets.com has a free download of "Yaweh" from Hillsong Chapel CD of the same title. Again, you do need to be a member.

LINK: iTickets

Hear It First has an awesome 25 Days of Christmas celebration going on with different goodies each day. These are treats you can enjoy any day of the 25 days. Click on the link below to get more details. I think you do need to be a member.

LINK: Hear It First

COUPONS

Cellfire has more coupons up that you can download to your loyalty card. I understand that they do not have Safeway coupons anymore, but you can still get deals downloaded to your Fry's card. Follow the link below.

LINK: Cellfire

Print out some awesome coupons at Coupons.com. There are even loads of great candy coupons which maybe you can use to add to some Christmas stockings.

LINK: Coupons.com

Redplum has some great coupons too. Get them while they last.

LINK: Redplum

Have a great week!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Meet Me On Monday - 12/06

Where has the week gone? Well, technically I guess that the week is just beginning. I guess I really should be wondering where the month is going. I remember how as a child it seemed like Christmas would never get here. Now I feel like telling Christmas to slow down a bit. :) Time for a good break with some Monday hopping. I have been really enjoying Java from Never Growing Old's blog hop Meet Me On Monday, and although I am pretty tired this evening, I just can't pass it up.

Here is a little bit about Meet Me On Monday straight from Java's blog:

Blogging is a funny thing...we tell our most intimate thoughts for all to read and yet most of the time I find myself sitting and wondering, "who is this person!?" I know them...but yet I don't know them! I want to know who the person is behind all those words so I thought of a great way for all of us to "meet" each other!

Every Sunday I will post five get to know you questions that you can copy and paste into your own Monday post and we can all learn a little more about each and every one of us!!

"Its a great way to to meet new friends and for others to get to know me better....one Monday at a time!!!"....as quoted by the Chacogirl!! I will make this SIMPLE and FUN!!!




Questions:

1. What is your favorite kind of cheese?
2. What size is your bed?
3. What is your most overused phrase?
4. Green or purple grapes?
5. Shower, morning or night?
My Answers:

1. What is your favorite kind of cheese?







My favorite kind of cheese depends on what I am eating. If I am just grabbing some cold cheese to nibble on, I prefer Monterey Jack which I discovered was originally made by Mexican Franciscan Friars in Monterey, California. This fascinates me because until now I really had no idea why it was called Monterey Jack but thought "Hey, maybe it was made in Monterey!" This was quite the "Eureka!" moment for me. The Jack part is apparently thanks to David Jack, a business man who apparently mass marketed the cheese. This of course is all according to Wikipedia. Can you imagine if it was called Monterey Dave instead of Monterey Jack? Doesn't Monterey Dave sound more like a street musician? Good thing they went with Jack. By the way I also like Havarti, but telling you this is really more of an afterthought than anything else. :)


2. What size is your bed?





We have a queen sized bed. I am really looking forward to upgrading at some point. I want one of those cool sleigh beds. I would like a dark cherry or mahogany sleigh bed, but first we have to upgrade our home, because our bedroom isn't really suited for a large sleigh bed. Our home is nice though,it is ours, and we can afford it so wait for the upgrade I will. :) Where was I? Oh yes...queen sized bed. That's the answer. It isn't like you asked about the actually headboard and whatnot. :)


3. What is your most overused phrase?






I am not sure. There are some phrases or certain words that I have said more often than I like, but I am certainly not going to write them here. They are a bit insulting, and really I only use them when I am driving or watching someone behave like a total asinine creep. Actually I also use the phrase "I know...right?" There was a time when "That's what she said" was the big phrase at home too.


4. Green or purple grapes?




I am not a grape snob. I like them green, purple, red or black. My main concern is seeds. I HATE seeds.


5. Shower, morning or night?



I shower in the morning. I prefer a shower at night, but if I shower at night I wake up with hair that only looks normal on an anime character (and that is perfectly fine when you are young and was perfectly time when I was in my 20s and 30s, but I am in my 40s now, and the anime look just doesn't translate well on me anymore. Kind of why I do not have pink or purple hair anymore. So in order to look presentable, I shower in the morning.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Some Tips for the Holidays

Photobucket



In the spirit of all things Christmas, I thought it would be nice to again give some link ups to some awesome homemade items you can make for Christmas for decorating, gifting, or enjoying on your own.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

I love Christmas cookie exchanges. I used to work at an orthodontic practice back in Rhode Island, and we used to have an cookie exchange with all the assistants. This was such a great way to kick off the holiday. Here are a couple of recipes for you to try and maybe share with your own exchange or maybe wrap up as gifts for neighbors or coworkers.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I got this recipe from Kellogg's. These are great because they are tasty and a no bake cookie!

Magic Cookie Bars


I get this recipe of the Eagle's Brand Sweetened Condensed milk every year. My son is an absolute nut for these cookies. Our only change is that we do not use margarine, we use real butter and we use chopped pecans. My son hates nuts, but he will polish these cookies off.

Butterball Cookies

These were a cookie staple back East. In fact, I had never even eaten a cookie like this until I lived in Rhode Island, but now I am hooked.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING

According to Good Housekeeping you can save money and maximize your decorating dollars by decorating just at the focal points in your home. These would be the front door, mantel, tree (of course) and dining table.

If you can't afford to pick up a wreath ask the person selling the Christmas trees if you can gather some of the greenery to make a wreath or use in as a centerpiece on your table or on your mantle. Most will be happy to let you take some for free.

Good Housekeeping has some cool wreath pictures that could spark some great ideas. Follow the link below.

LINK: Good Housekeeping Wreaths

How Cast has a really cool CD wreath. I am including a link to their instructional video. It is beyond something I would do, but still pretty cool.

LINK: Howcast.com How to Make a Christmas Wreath out of old CDs

Last week I was all about checking out the Black Friday deals. For the most part, I didn't go crazy, but there were things I wanted at several stores so it meant being up and shopping at midnight. Of course I am not done yet. I will be doing some final shopping online. I have about $130 in Amazon gift credits thanks to searching through Swagbucks, and I signed up for Amazon Mom and have free shipping for one more month. And for those orders that are not related to Amazon, I will take advantage of Free Shipping Day. Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 17, and according to the website freeshippingday.com more than 1,000 participating merchants will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve (YES by Christmas Eve) in the continental United States. Make sure that the store of your choice is listed by hopping over to their website.

LINK: Free Shipping Day

Here is a great website for you to check out today. Today, tomorrow and the next even. Let's face it, it is Christmas season, and we are all doing a lot of shopping. You want to take advantage of all the deals you can find, and What's Cheap Today is going to help you do just that. What's Cheap Today has loads of deals found by members which will lead you to some serious money saving! Follow the link below. You will definitely like what you see.

LINK: What's Cheap Today



FREEBIES

Whiles supplies last, sign up for a free sample of Elizabeth Arden's perfume Pretty. I love trying out new fragrances over the holidays. It gives me a chance to figure out what I want for Christmas!

LINK: Pretty - Elizabeth Arden

Are you a recipe lover? If so you should sign up for this free Karo recipe booklet for cookies and bars.

LINK: Karo Recipe Book

If you are thinking that Thanksgiving and all the upcoming parties before Christmas are going to take their toll in the calorie department, you just might want to sign up for The Atkins Community. Sign up is totally free. With sign up you will get a quick start guide, three Atkins bar and lots more.

LINK: Atkins Community

Take care of the winter dry skin in a pinch with a quick free sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue. Walmart has the link up while supplies last.

LINK: Vaseline Intensive Rescue

This Friday at noon EST you can get a chance at one of 5000 Tide Stain Release Pre-treat sprays via their Facebook page. They will be giving out lots of products over the next several weeks so if you miss out on this one you can try for the next.

LINK: Tide Facebook

Got a dog or a cat? Sign up for a sample of Purina ONE at the Walmart link below. There are three page numbers. Click on number 3.

LINK: Purina ONE



Oh how I love free music! I found several free song downloads you just have to check out from Amazon.com

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Dream Child

Sixpence None The Richer - Silent Night

Veggie Tales -
Candy Cane Blues
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Caroling Medly

FreeCCM of course is one of my favorite go-to spots for free Christian music, and this week they have another awesome song. This week you can download "God With Us" by Todd Agnew, "Joy To The World" by 33Miles, "Best Kept Secret" by Skillet, "Send Me Out" by Fee, and "Between Bare Trees" by The Choir. Follow the link below.

LINK: FreeCCM Christian Music




Okay this next group is not free but a great price for a CD download. How good? How about five dollars good? Right now you can download these CDs at Amazon.com for just $5.00.

Jars of Clay Presents The Shelter


Tenth Avenue North The Light Meets The Dark


Third Day Offerings A Worship Album

Chris Sligh The Anatomy Of Broken

Leeland Sound of Melodies

Michael W Smith Worship Again

Barlow Girl Home For Christmas


Sara Groves O Holy Night


Amy Grant My Best Christmas


Christ Is Come Big Daddy Weave


Build A Bear is a store that I only wish was around when I was a child. As it is, I made my own lamb several years, and she still sits prominently on one of my shelves. If you have a child who would like to build a bear or maybe needs some new outfits for their bear (or other cute little critter) then click on the link below for a printable coupon for $5.00 off a $25 purchase.

LINK: Build A Bear $5.00 Printable



GIVEAWAY


Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop


Okay. Everyone also knows that I love giveaways. One of my favorite review blogs is Simply Stacie and she is hosting a giveaway hop that seriously you need to check out. The giveaway runs from December 1st to December 5th. All the giveaways are gift certificates, gift cards, gift codes for websites or cash. This is so they can all be easily sent and in a timely manner. The entries are designed to be quick so you can enter them quickly. At just a quick glance I saw a $25 Visa gift card, a $20 gift code to Amazon.com, a $100 gift code to CSN stores, and lots more. Give it a shot. :)

LINK: Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Meet Me On Monday - 11/29

It is another fine day to enjoy a little quiz time with the blog hop created by Java of Never Growing Old. In this especially hairy time, this is definitely my time to chill. Come along and join in by clicking on the pic below. :) But hey! Before you do, maybe you can drop a comment by here. :)


Questions:

1. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?
2. Have you decorated for Christmas yet?
3. What is your favorite article of clothing?
4. Do you pay your bills online or write checks the old way?
5. Do you make Christmas cookies?


My Answers:

1. What is your favorite way to eat chicken?



Ahhhh my favorite way to eat chicken. There are so many ways. We eat a lot of chicken. I would say that my favorite way is to make a big green salad, panko bread the chicken, and dip it into a mixture of Frank's hot sauce and a dollup of blue cheese on the side. Sounds so good I am already getting hungry again. Not a good thing at this hour, but I'll go with it.


2. Have you decorated for Christmas yet?



Photobucket

Nope. I barely got myself through Thanksgiving. I will forever admire people who decorate the weekend after their nice Thanksgiving dinner. I don't know how these people have things so together. Myself, I am hoping to get it done next weekend, but don't count on it.


3. What is your favorite article of clothing?

Cats. Pictures, Images and Photos


Last week when I couldn't find a picture that worked for me, I found a picture that made me smile. This is that picture. I actually have a pic of me in my plaid flannel, but it is on my husband's computer, and I am not going to wake him up so I can get it by networking up. Besides if you have seen one plaid shirt, you have basically seen them all. OH GREAT. I just answered the question here. NOT what I meant to do. Pretend I didn't and keep reading.


My favorite article of clothing is a blue plaid flannel shirt I bought at a thrift store when I was in college. I have worn that thing with everything, and amazingly it still is in pretty good shape (there is a little tear on the cuff, that my thumb slips through on occasion but that is it). It is super soft and totally comfy.


4. Do you pay your bills online or write checks the old way?

Photobucket


I write the occasional check. My husband takes care of bill paying online for the most part other than the payment for one car. I know how and what to pay if necessary, but thankfully it is not. I give my husband money and he does the rest.

5. Do you make Christmas cookies?




I love making Christmas cookies, but other than sugar cookies, I don't make them any more. I am a fudge maker during the holidays. When I lived in Rhode Island, I worked for a dental practice and the women in the office would have a cookie exchange. It was THE best!




Sometimes A Forward Is So Good....



I am one of those people who does not pass along a lot of forwards. I get quite a few, and I am more than happy to read them. I will probably not pass most along. This one was one that I couldn't resist though. I couldn't resist because it made me think, and I think in the long run, it will also make me a better person.



TWO WOLVES

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."





I am not a person who walks around enraged, but there are definitely times when I get annoyed and probably feed that rougher side of myself. This little forward is helping me keep things a little more in perspective when I feel like popping off. :)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It is Thursday morning, and I am about to embark on some cooking wizardry! I barely typed that without laughing out loud! The only thing that kept me from cracking up is my hope to not wig out my husband.

Five things I am thankful for (don't expect any mush here I am just thankful):

My amazing husband. He has made my life complete, happy, and fun. He is enough to get me completely but also different enough to make life interesting.

My home. My husband has put a comfortable roof over our head. Not too big and not too small (though a second bathroom would be convenient). We are blessed to have our own space.

My fabulous son, Alexander who does most of his chores without being nagged too much. He also shares my absolute oddball sense of humor and gets and tells jokes that many adults don't even get. He is also not ashamed to say I love you.

My job. I am fortunate to have a job in a time when many people do not. I am also thankful that I work in a pretty fun atmosphere with great people. Actually I am fortunate in that EVERY job I have had has been with some amazing people. :)

My football team is playing today! I get to watch it. My team is the New England Patriots, and when you live in Arizona getting the chance to actually watch your team is definitely hit or miss when they are an East team. :)

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Meet Me on Monday - 11/22

I don't know about you, but the very idea that Thanksgiving is this week is giving me tremors! I have got to get all my ducks in a row so I can get a good dinner on the table on Thursday. On the good side, we are taking it VERY easy and enjoying time just with each other.

Enjoying some Meet Me On Monday time will be a blessing really. A little escape while I get to know more details about my fellow bloggers.

Have you joined along? It really is fun and is organized by dear Java of Never Growing Old.
Are you interested in learning a little bit more about your fellow bloggers? Haven't you wanted to just share some silly little tidbits about yourself? Then come join the fun! You just might find a new best blogging friend!





Questions:

1. How many pillows do you sleep with?
2. Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?
3. Would you rather go to a party or host a party?
4. How many purses (for the guys..wallets) do you own?
5. What is your favorite kind of seafood?


1. How many pillows do you sleep with?




Kind of an odd pillow isn't it? I don't use a pillow like this. But it was just so interesting. Well, that and creepy. But the guy is obviously enjoying a snooze and not being some kind of twisted pervo.

Myself. I use one pillow. It is kind of funny, because I have always liked a bed covered in pillows because it looks so pretty. By the time I am hitting the sheets, I just use one. Just a plain but very soft and puffy pillow which I ball up and kind of hug. I do have two for sleeping, but I use the one to sleep and two if I am reading in bed.

2. Where will you eat on Thanksgiving?



Photobucket

It is all on me. We will be eating at home. It will be just my hubby, son and me. This suits me fine, because in a few weeks, we will be heading to Lake Havasu to celebrate an early Christmas with our family.



3. Would you rather go to a party or host a party?


Photobucket

Hands down I would rather go to a party. I have hosted parties in the past, and I am so jammed up with working and making things nice that I don't get to enjoy it. I would much rather go to a party and relax and have fun although I always help with clean up.


4. How many purses (for the guys..wallets) do you own?

Space Cat One Pictures, Images and Photos


Nine. I don't have anything fancy. I just have purses that will go with what I need them to go with, and one leather one that I can use for every day. Oh, and the picture has nothing to do with anything at all. It just made me laugh. I'm random sometimes.



5. What is your favorite kind of seafood?


Fish Tacos! Pictures, Images and Photos

Whatever I can make fish tacos with. Tilapia, halibut, cod. Seriously whatever. I also like shrimp. The one seafood I don't like is lobster. Lord knows I have tried. I lived in Rhode Island and Maine for a long time and everyone always told me that I would love THEIR lobster. Never worked out. I will eat it, but it isn't a fave or something I pick. It is just something I will eat if it is being served. Does that make sense? Why am I even expounding on this. I already answered the question fairly simply. Must be because it is late, and I get punchy when I am up late. :)

Have a great week! Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

WOW! Sign Up For Its Thoughtful - Share And Get A $25 Amazon Gift Card


If you sign up with Its Thoughtful you can get into their $500 Christmas Gift Contest. Get just 15 friends to sign up with your referral (if you sign up via mine I would appreciate it), and you will win a $25 Amazon gift card! You can have your friends sign up via email, facebook or twitter. Not too shabby!

Follow the LINK:
Its Thoughtful


PS All referrals MUST confirm their email addresses to count. This runs from 11/20/2010 to 12/15/2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

Christmas Is Coming

Christmas is coming and I am having a hard time. I can go shopping any day of the week when it isn't the holiday season, and have a horrible time finding anything that I like. When it is time to Christmas shop for everyone else...BAM everything appeals to me! I'll be like"That is sooo cool! I would love this video game! I must have that book! This sweater looks amazing!" Oh it is soooo very hard. Of course my budget requires that I ignore that inner "Me!!!!Me!!!!" voice and concentrate on GIVING and not receiving.

To combat my "Me Me" I am making my list and checking it twice. I am working with my family on doing a White Elephant Christmas which will definitely be good for my budget. Winning something really awesome would be a real boon too. I have attempted some awesome giveaways, and like so many bloggers and blog readers out there, I am crossing my fingers and believing for something really cool. Here is one of those pretty rockin items that I would like to win. I do want to actually win it for my son though. Today I entered Crissy’s Can’t Wait til Christmas Lenovo Laptop Giveaway and hope to win a $799.00 IdeaPad!

I entered for my husband. He bought me a laptop two years ago, and I just love it. He still messes with his desk top which doesn't stink, but when I saw the features that this Lenovo laptop had, I was pretty thrilled, and it literally screamed my adorable hubby's name. :) Head on over to Dear Crissy for a chance today. :) We can all dream for a bit! :)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Some Thifty Thanksgiving Tips & More

Most people who have been by here a bit know that I post a weekly blog at my radio station in addition to doing a little on-air time talking about freebies, money saving, and whatnot. This is a post from today. Next week I wont be on air as I will be celebrating Thanksgiving! Yay! I cannot wait to eat some turkey and stuffing!

What might look odd to you.

There are some free Thanksgiving Dinners listed here that are in my area in Arizona. Also I mention Goodsearch.com. We have been really blessed by our listeners who have taken the time to use this website to search. We get a penny a search! Pretty awesome! Of course lots of people search with Swagbucks now. I do too (I've earned 30 $5 Amazon gift cards so far and been blessed with some referrals) , but I always do some searching through Goodsearch.com to benefit the station as well. :)

If you have a minute, you might want to check out my station too. You can listen online. :)

Radio Shine


Thanksgiving is right around the corner! And I thought it would be a good idea to go over some nice Thanksgiving tips. First of all, no matter how you slice it and how many people are over for Thanksgiving, there are always leftovers sooooo I thought it might be a good idea to give some ideas on what to do with those leftovers so nothing gets wasted. In fact, even if you are going to someone else's home for Thanksgiving, you should take advantage of the awesome prices for turkey right now and make one of your own at a later date.

After the meal is through get all the meat off of that turkey carcass. You can easily freeze left over turkey by separating it into cup sizes, wrapping it up in foil and then putting it in a freezer bag.
You can put the carcass in the freezer to and work on making a turkey stock the next day.

I have come to completely rely on the stock I have made rather than buying soup broths or stocks. It is really easy to do.
If you have a crock pot, I highly recommend using it, because it couldn't be any simpler. Just put the carcass and some veggies in the crock pot and cover it with water. Cook it on low all day. A crock pot will use less energy than putting it on the stove, and you don't have to watch it at all. After 8 or more hours, strain the fluid out and put in containers to freeze. You can use this stock later as a base for soups, gravy, or for your liquid when doing other crock pot cooking. Seriously since I started doing this, I never buy canned broth any more.

Now when it comes to the left over turkey there are many recipes you can try. My family loves to make turkey sandwiches, but even that can get old. For me a turkey sandwich tastes best the first day.
Here are some recipe links you might like to try.


Turkey and Mashed Potato Croquettes (here is a great way to use some leftover turkey and left over mashed potatoes). This recipe came from About.com from Diana Rattray

Stuffing Frittata (another great recipe which will give you a way to get some use out of that tasty leftover stuffing). I found this recipe at My Last Bite.

After Thanksgiving Turkey Salad recipe
. Why not enjoy something with a little nut and crunch? This recipe really looks tasty, and I picked it up at CDKitchen.

Turkey Tetrazzini II Kind of self explanatory here. Just another way to use up that yummy turkey. This came from All Recipes which has loads of amazing recipes you will want to check out.

Now for those people who may not have someone to share Thanksgiving with or who may not be able to afford the celebration, there are several communities offering a free Thanksgiving meal for their community. Here are some details:

Word of Life Assembly 8th Annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner

Word of Life Assembly of Chino Valley, welcomes the tri-city community to Thanksgiving Dinner on Tuesday, November 23rd from 4-7:30pm. Enjoy smoked rotisserie turkey and ham, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, yams, dressing and dessert. We are honored to bless those in our community who can not provide for themselves. We also will deliver meals in chino Valley and Paulden to the homebound. Come join us for a wonderful time of food,fellowship and fun. Jump castles for the kids! 590 W Road 1 North, Chino Valley, AZ For more information 928-636-4224


Fourth Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner - Mayer, Cordes Lakes and Spring Valley

Tuesday, November 23rd will be our fourth annual Community Thanksgiving dinner for Mayer, Cordes Lakes, and Spring Valley. Don't miss out on a hot meal for the holidays. Because of the generous donations from many, we have been able to feed 100s of people who might not have a hot meal for the holidays. Begins at 5:00 pm at Mayer High School. Call for more information: 928-533-4451

If I find more before Thanksgiving, I will come back and post them.

Church on the Street annual Thanksgiving Feed (November 26)

All are welcome! Come join us in fellowship, food and the love of Christ as we feed Thanksgiving dinner to the public the day after Thanksgiving day (Friday 26th) at 11:00 am at Joe's Place 105 West Carleton St, Prescott.

Those who would like to volunteer please call pastor Wes at 928-771-8428.



FREEBIES


Burt's Bees is giving a free sample of their lotion. Follow the facebook link, take the quiz, and get hooked up with some fabulous Burt's Bees moisturizer.

LINK:
Burt's Bees Moisturizer

Sign up with Beyond Bodi Heat for a free Bodi Heat patch. One per household.


LINK:
Beyond Bodi Heat

While supplies last, Sam's club member can get a free sample of Dove hair care.

LINK:
Dove Sample from Sam's

If you are still on the look out for a calendar, you can get the 2011 Unity Calendar: The Year of Abundant Living.


LINK:
The Year of Abundant Living Calendar

Want a little help with your Thanksgiving cooking? Follow the link below for a free Martha Stewart e-cookbook.


LINK: Martha Stewart Cookbook

Get Sara Groves O Holy Night Tour - The Prison Show album for free straight from her website. Follow the link below.


LINK:
Sara Groves CD O Holy Night

The free download of the week from FreeCCM is Skillet's "Best Kept Secret."


LINK:
FreeCCM

Amazon has a free album download of Veggie Tales "The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree."


LINK:
The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree

Here is another free way to help those who are less fortunate.
Image links to Marine's Toy's For Tot's site

Okay you facebook people! Here is a great opportunity to do some good without spending a dime. Pier One Imports is the official drop off for Toys For Tots, and they are also doing something special. For each new fan they get on facebook, they will donate a $1 to Toys for Tots up to $100,000! I don't know where they stared in the fan zone so even if they are past 100,000 fans, please like them because this is for every NEW fan. This is going on from November 1 to December 1.


And please do not forget to search through Goodsearch.com. This is another painless way to give that I cannot suggest enough. Simply put Radio Shine in the charity sight, click verify, and every search will give a penny to Radio Shine. Those pennies add up, and especially so when you also shop through Goodshop.com. Again, put Radio Shine in the charity box, click verify, and Radio Shine will receive a percentage of that sale at no additional cost to you. It is a completely painless way to bless. Also when you shop through Goodshop.com you also will have a chance to receive special discounts. I do hope you check it out. Follow the link below. Check this out, if just 100 of Radio Shine's listeners did two searches a day through Goodsearch (again putting Radio Shine as the charity), Radio Shine could earn $730! With shopping, it goes up from there!

LINK: Goodsearch

BLACK FRIDAY

The day after Thanksgiving is swiftly approaching. Get some Black Friday sneak peeks by following the links below.

GottaDeal
Bargain Finders
BlackFridayAds
TheBlackFriday
BlackFriday2010 (has a contest too!)