Note to self...

Do not eat two very large bowls of Kashi Go Lean high fiber cereal in one 8 hour period and expect hubby to want to sit beside you on the couch.

Also, do not expect hubby to be as amused as you are with all the 'noises' you are making.

Hubby can be such a baby!


Dan - I love you for putting up with me. Happy Valentine's Day!

Works For Me Wednesday - Heart Shaped Cupcakes

It's Wednesday again so it must be time for Works For Me Wednesday. I thought I would share this neat tip with everyone that I got from a great little cookbook entitled Not Just Beans.

This cookbook is written by Tawra Kellam who publishes a newsletter which you can sign up for on her website at Living on a Dime . Tawra and her mom are chock full of frugal tips and hints for living a frugal lifestyle.

Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, many of you are probably scurrying around trying to get ready for a party at your beloved offspring's school. If you are in charge of bringing the sweets, you may want to try baking heart shaped cupcakes. If you don't have a heart shaped tin and don't want to buy one, you may want to try this little tip:

Place a marble between the muffin tin and the cupcake liner. Fill half full with cake batter and bake as usual and tah-dah...the result will be heart shaped cupcakes! (I was thinking that if you didn't have any marbles laying around then this should work with small stones about the same weight and size as a marble.)

For more hints, tips, tricks and all around good advice, head on over to Don't Try This At Home who is hosting Works For Me Wednesday while Shannon is in Africa blogging about all the needy children in Uganda...go Shannon!

How Not To Lose 12 Pounds in 12 Easy Steps

1. Do not tell the Internet in January that you are trying to lose twelve pounds by May.

2. Do not go on the Atkins diet if you have an aversion to eggs and sausage.

3. Do not go off the Atkins diet after three weeks thinking you can eat like former self and keep off the 4.8 pounds you did manage to lose.

4. Do not make these.

5. Do not feel proud of self for giving away extra pretzels but then keep baggie of toffee chips and chocolate chips in pantry under the guise that you will use them the next time you make pretzels.

6. Do not eat yogurt and fiber cereal for breakfast, an orange and a can of tuna for lunch, and a small serving of pot roast and a small helping of carrots for dinner. (Well, o.k., I guess you can do this step but it will only lead to bad things...)

7. Do not remember baggie of toffee and chocolate in pantry while cleaning up dinner dishes.

8. Do not pour entire baggie of chips into mouth while trying not to let kids and husband see what you are doing because Lord knows, you do not want to share contents of baggie.

9. Do not feel like a bloated cow for eating entire baggie of chips.

10. Do not take a Midol thinking that the bloating they are referring to on the package is the same bloating that is occuring because you just ate a whole baggie of toffee and chocolate. (Note to self - Menstrual bloating and binge bloating are two entirely different things.)

11. Do not run to computer to check the price of Nutri-System.

12. Do not...and this is the most important step of all...tell the Internet in January that you are trying to lose twelve pounds by May.

Guess we can cross Doctor of the list...

The following conversation occurred in the car today:

Sarah: Ouuuuuuch! Owwww! (lots of tears and wailing) I gave myself a paper cut! (more wailing and crying)

There was so much pain from this little paper cut that even a Band-Aid wouldn't stop the tears and the screaming and the crying. I knew it must have really hurt because a Band-Aid will normally stop all tears in my house.

I have often wondered what magic power is contained in those little plastic strips.

Peter: Don't let me look! Don't let me look!

I thought it was interesting they way he phrased this sentence. It almost sounded as if he was commanding himself not to let himself look.

Peter: Don't let me look! I don't want to see blood!

It was at this point that I crossed 'doctor' off the list of potential careers for my son. I'm not panicking though. We still have lots of other high paying professions on that list.

His Daddy and I are just trying to look out for our retirement. We haven't given up on a retirement home on Cape Cod just yet. But Peter and Sarah really need to kick it up a notch in preschool if we are going to make it happen!

I've hit the Mother Lode.

I've mentioned before that I am not a baker but I sure can make a mean chocolate covered pretzel stick.

Today I decided to try something a little different than just your average run of the mill pretzel stick.

I made these beauties from a recipe in Taste of Home Magazine.

They are called Mother Load Pretzels and they sure lived up to their name.

Aren't they gorgeous?

Here's the recipe in case you are interested in trying them out for yourself:

Mother Lode Pretzels

1 package (10 oz.) pretzel rods
1 package (14 oz.) caramels
1 TBS evaporated milk
Bag of minature chocolate chips
Bag of Butterscotch chips
Bag of toffee bits
1/4 c. chopped walnuts, toasted (I omitted these since my son is alergic to nuts.)


With a sharp knife, cut pretzel rods in half; set aside.
Melt caramels and milk in microwave for 3 minutes.
In a shallow bowl combine chips, toffee bits and nuts.
Pour caramel mixture into 2-cup glass measuring cup.
Dip the cut end of each pretzel piece 2/3 of the way into the caramel mixture.
Allow excess caramel to drip off*, then roll pretzel into the chip mixture.
Place on waxed paper until set.
Store in an air tight container.

Next time I make these (and there will definitely be a next time) I think I will make two batches. One batch following the recipe exactly and a second batch using white chocolate chips instead of the butterscotch chips and using Andees Mints bits instead of the toffee bits. My son has also requested that I make them using the minature M&M's. So, I guess I may be making three batches next time!

Enjoy!

*Public Service Announement - Make sure you don't get too much caramel on each pretzel or when it hardens, you won't be able to chew them. Trust me on this one!

Let's hug it out.

Last week as we were leaving Jennifer's house, her son, Colton, climbed into the back of our car to give Peter a hug. My son was already strapped into his car seat so they ended up just kind of putting their heads together and then waving good-bye.


Note to Dan - Honey, do not panic! This does not mean that Peter is gay! It just means that he is too young to know that as a male he is supposed to feel uncomfortable expressing his emotions. There is still plenty of time to teach him that men should only hug if they have just won the World Series.


Yesterday as we were leaving, he came running up to give Peter another hug and once again it was the same strapped in the car, heads together, then wave, kind of hug they shared previously.


As he hopped out of the car, Sarah looked at me and said, "I want Colton to give me a hug too!" Sarah asks for anything her brother gets whether she really wants it or not.


I asked Colton if he would give Sarah a hug too. He came running over to her side of the car and gave her a hug. As Colton was leaving her side of the car, Sarah looked at him with a little twinkle in her eyes. I wanted to tell Colton to run fast and hard but before I could, he turned and came over to me, grabbed me around my legs and gave me a tight squeeze.


Aw, shucks! I love that kid.


Jennifer, you are doing something right, girl! Keep up the good work.

Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.

My mom has told me for many years Beth, if you ever need to put me in a home, just do it! Don't feel bad about it, just do it. I don't ever want to be a burden on you. And don't feel guilty about it.

I have always thought this was a selfless thing for her to say but there was always one caveat with her selfless request. Just make sure you pluck my chin hairs. I don't want to be one of those old ladies with lots of wild chin hairs.

This last request always used to make me chuckle.

Chin hairs? She's nuts!

Several years ago, I discovered what she was talking about. I looked in the mirror and to my horror; I noticed something growing from my chin. It was a tiny hair. I quickly grabbed my tweezers and got rid of it.

There, I thought. It's gone. No one saw it. I don't need to worry about that anymore.

Wrong.

Plucking that one stray chin hair 10 years ago seemed to be the catalyst for all the others that were going to make their march across my chin. What I thought was a one time plucking inconvenience has now become part of my daily grooming ritual.

And is there anything more embarrassing than having your husband walk into the bathroom when you are plucking your chin hairs? Ah, the romance.

Every time I pass a mirror in a sunny room, I cock my head at a certain angle so I can see if there are any wild chin hairs growing.

I am constantly rubbing my chin to see if I can feel any stubble because when you pluck a chin hair, one thing is certain, it will grow back. And never content to grow alone, it always seems to bring a friend to the party.

I have often thought about waxing my chin. I have never had anything waxed before and I'm not even sure if they do chins, but I have seriously thought about it

Now that I am older though, my mother's words are ringing in my ears.

Just make sure you pluck my chin hairs.

I guess that means Sarah is going to be the one responsible for my chin hair maintenance after she puts me in the home.

Perhaps I better think twice before sending her to her room, denying her a new dress or not letting her have a second helping of ice cream. I don't want her to hold these things against me when she is the one wielding the tweezers.

So mothers, be good to your daughters.

Or perhaps, consider electrolysis.

100 Things About Me...Part 4...Praise the Lord It's Over!

I can see the end so let's just do it!

76. I used to love dolphins. Well, I guess I still like them but about 12 years ago, I was fascinated by them. The first gift my husband ever got me was a framed dolphin print. I had always wanted to swim with the dolphins and I finally got the chance on our honeymoon. We went to Cancun and took a daytrip to Xel-ha. This was the most beautiful place I have ever been. I got to get into a lagoon with dolphins while they swam and did tricks around me. I tried to grab on to one of them as it was swimming past so that it could pull me through the lagoon but apparently that wasn't allowed. People started blowing whistles and yelling, "Do not grab the dolphins! Do not grab the dolphins." Whoops!

77. I love cafeteria food. In fact, I blame my freshman 15 on the fact that I had a meal pass that allowed me to eat as much food as I wanted three times a day. I was amazed at the sheer volume of food in that cafeteria. Luckily, I was able to quickly shed the weight when I moved into an apartment and was required to do my own cooking. Perhaps I should try a diet of tuna sandwiches and frozen meals to help me loose my current excess weight? Hmmm...Nah...my husband and kids might object!

78. I like my husband's family. I know so many people that don't get along with their in-laws but I don't have that problem. I consider myself very lucky after some of the things I read on other blogs.

79. We did not have air conditioning when I was growing up. I live in the South and wonder now, how we ever did it. I like it hot but I guess I like it hot with the option to quickly cool down!

80. I am a Google fanatic! I believe that if you have a question, you can find an answer on Google. Wish I owned stock...

81. I had a miscarriage in November of 2006. I was only 9 weeks pregnant but I still think about that little baby almost every day. He's going to be waiting for me when I get to heaven...

82. I have a brown thumb. I have a really hard time getting house plants to grow. For instance, my sister-in-law gave me a wonderful rosemary plant and in less than two months, I have killed it. I keep watering it thinking it will come back to life but right now it looks like Charlie Brown's pathetic Christmas tree. There a little rosemary needles everywhere! Sorry, Cathy!

83. I hate chain letter emails. Please don't ever send me anything that says, "Please forward this to 10 people in the next 10 minutes or your life will be ruined." Can't stand those things! Why do people continue to forward them on?

84. I also hate those WARNING emails. Please do not forward me any emails warning me of a horrible things that are going on in the world without first checking it out on http://www.snopes.com/. 99.9% of the time, Snopes will confirm that it is nothing more than a hoax.

85. I have a huge fear of heights. I first realized this when I was about 8. My parents took us to the Mile High Swinging Bridge. It is 228 foot suspension bridge at Grandfather Mountain. We had to walk up a bunch of steps to get to the bridge and then we walked across the bridge to watch hang gliders glide off the mountain.

The bridge was blowing ever so slightly in the wind. I was scared to death. When we made it to the other side of the bridge I decided that I would just sit on the rocks and watch the hang gliders for the rest of my life. There was no way I was going back across that bridge. My parents finally coaxed me back across and I haven't been the same since.

About 10 years ago, I had a business meeting in Monterrey, California. I flew into San Francisco and spent the weekend sight seeing there. On Sunday, I drove Highway 1 up the Pacific Coast to Monterrey. I hear the scenery is beautiful but I wouldn't know. I was so scared driving along the cliffs that I couldn't even take my eyes of the road. I drove well below the speed limit the entire way. I had traffic backed up and wanted to pull over at one of the scenic overlooks to let everyone pass, butI knew that if I stopped I would be too scared to start again. So I kept going at my snails pace until I finally arrived. It really annoys me that I let my fear of heights get in the way of enjoying such beauty which I may never get the chance to see again.

86. I do not have an iPod. I haven't seen the need for one since I think most people use them when they are working out and since I don't work out...

87. I have never had any broken bones or any surgery...unless you count the two C-sections I had.

88. I attempted breastfeeding with both of my kids and I hated every minute of it. I breastfed Peter for 2 months and cried the entire time. I'm not sure if it was post-partum blues but I know that as soon as I allowed myself to give Peter a bottle I felt so much better. I thought it would be different with Sarah so I tried to breasfeed her but it only lasted for 1 month. I greatly admire women who are able to breastfeed and at times still feel inadequate for not being able to do it longer.


89. My eyes fly open two minutes before my alarm goes off. This happens every single morning.


90. My oldest and dearest friend is Tanya. We met in the 7th grade but our friendship really blossomed in the 10th grade. We were roommates all through college and even after college until she got married. We even both worked at the same company for 10 years until I got laid off. And just like me, she met her husband at this company!


91. It took me five years to graduate college. But in my defense, I did have a part time job for 4 of those 5 years.


92. I worked at a copy/printing shop for 2 years in college. I really knew my way around a high speed copier back then! Then I got a real job at IBM. I thought I was hot stuff because I was making $8.50 an hour...don't laugh! That was 1990 so I think $8.50 an hour was pretty good for back then.


93. I saw Hootie and the Blowfish at a frat party in 1992. (Their album Cracked Rear View didn't come out until 1994.) I remember thinking, these guys are good but I wish they would sing some cover tunes because all they sang were their own songs. I also saw Bare Naked Ladies at a little club in Charlotte about two years before they were famous. I used to be so cutting edge. Now I'm just edgy.


94. I love that when I look out of my front windows I can see horse pasture with three horses and a dilapidated old red barn. And I love that when I look out my back windows I can see the roof of my BFF's house.


95. I love to blog. It makes me happy. I don't scrapbook. I don't exercise. I don't take photographs. I don't paint. I blog. But I don't like to tell people that I have a blog. I feel like a big dork when I talk about blogging in real life, especially if the people I am talking to don't have a blog or don't read blogs.

96. I am Pro-Life and I am against the death penalty.

97. I try to start the day and end the day in prayer. And I pray a lot in between too. I am not a worrier and I don't fret. If I have a problem, I give it to God and let him take care of it.

98. I do not like to play games with my kids. I will read to them, do crafts with them, play with them at the park but I do not like to play board games, play with toys or play with dolls. I hope my children will forgive me when they are older. But don't feel too bad for my kids. I schedule a lot of play dates so they can have fun with their friends and they have learned to play by themselves which I think is a good thing.

99. I have always wanted to go on the Amazing Race with my husband. But I doubt I will ever be brave enough to apply. With my horrible sense of direction, fear of heights, inability to drive a stick shift, noncompetitive nature, irritable bowel and laid back attitude we would never make it past the first leg of the race any way!

100. I think I gave you more than one thing about me in #99 so I think I have finished.

If you read all 100 Things About Me, I commend you! I hope you feel like you know me a little better now and will continue to visit my blog.

I am just glad to be finished!

100 Things About Me...Part 3

Here we go again...25 more things you always wanted to know about me but were afraid to ask...

51. I love Jennifer Aniston. I was heartbroken when Brad Pitt left her for Angelina Jolie but I guess I'm over it now.

52. My favorite day of the week in Thursday. I know this might sound odd but when I was working and Must See TV was all the rage on NBC, I really started looking forward to Thursdays so I could get my Friends and Seinfeld fix. It was at that point that I realized, by looking forward to Thursdays, my weekend started earlier. And if your "weekend" starts on Thursday, you have only a 3 day work week and a 4 day weekend every week! I guess I like to look at the glass half full instead of half empty!

Now that I have a DVR, it doesn't really matter which night any of my favorite shows are on but I still like to think of Thursday as the beginning of my weekend!

53. I have hazel eyes. Growing up I always wished they were green. In high school, I even got green tinted contact lenses. But I always felt like I was misrepresenting myself and they looked fake, so, I came to terms with my brownish greenish eyes and have learned that with the right eye shadow shade, they can look more green than brown.


54. I have no patience and I don't hide my frustration well. My daughter is always asking me "are you happy or mad?" knowing full well that I am upset.


55. I am a homebody. I would prefer to spend the weekend at home with my family than going to birthday parties, cookouts, neighborhood events, etc. Don't get me wrong...I enjoy these things too but only every once in a while...not every weekend! I know this sounds boring but it suits us just fine!


56. My favorite month is September. I was born in September and I got married in September. I love the weather...it starts to cool down and the sky is usually a magnificent shade of blue most days.


57. I love Jersey Mike's subs. My favorite is the vegetarian. There isn't one very close to me now and I miss it. Subway just doesn't cut it if you have ever had Jersey Mike's.


58. While we are on the subject of food...my favorite fast food place is Wendy's. Unfortunately, the kids like McDonald's and Dan likes Chick-Fil-A so we don't ever eat there.


59. I don't like Chick-Fil-A because the chicken sandwiches are too chicken-y and their waffle fries are too potato-y. My family loves to make fun of me when I tell them this. It does sound silly but it's true!


60. I like to keep my house neat. It's not always clean but everything is usually in it's place. I do my house cleaning (and I use that term lightly) on Fridays so that I can enjoy the weekend with a semi-clean house. Although, it usually looks like it needs to be cleaned again by lunchtime on Saturday.

61. One of my pet peeves is toothpaste in the sink. I don't know what it is with my kids, but whenever they finish brushing their teeth, there is toothpaste strung from one end of the bathroom to the other. Drives me crazy!

62. My favorite flower is the tulip. I love white ones, especially. They are so simple and beautiful. I carried a bouquet of red roses when I got married but I love tulips the best. My husband rarely gives me flowers and on the rare occasion that he does, he will bring them home instead of having them delivered.

When I worked, it used to drive me crazy when all the other ladies would trot through the office on Valentine's Day with their gigantic bouquets of flowers and I never got any. He did bring me some tulips home one year but no one got to see them except me. That should be good enough but I wanted to parade my flowers around the office.

63. My husband and I never exchange gifts. For our birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine's Day, we exchange cards but never gifts. I don't mind this at all. It's actually quite nice. There's never any stress associated with the holidays. My only requirement is that the card be a Hallmark card. I'm a snob that way.

64. My favorite time of day is from 6:00am to 7:00am. This is my time. Monday through Friday, I can be found sitting in front of the computer drinking coffee, checking email, reading blogs, writing posts, etc. This is the one hour of the day that is just for me and it absolutely flies by!

65. I have never smoked a cigarette. Not one. Ever. My parents used to smoke when I was little...this was back in the 70's and I think everyone smoked then. I got really worried that smoking was going to kill them. (I was very smart for my age.) My brother and I hid their cigarettes once. They got upset and when they asked why we did that, I responded, "Because your breath smells like a heart attack." They quit shortly after that.

66. I am a goody two shoes.

67. I wasn't part of the popular crowed in high school but I had a lot of friends. I was a nerd, but you know what? I wouldn't change a thing.

68. My hair grows fast. Really fast.

69. I shave my legs every.single.day. I guess it's because my hair grows fast. Really fast. In fact, usually by noon, my legs look and feel like I never even shaved them at all.

70. I have horrible skin. In addition to my wrinkles, I still get acne. This is confirmation that life is, indeed, unfair.

71. My favorite Christmas present by far was the year my parents surprised me with my very own phone line in my bedroom. I was about 11 and was on the phone all the time. My Dad worked from home and needed the phone for his business. This was back before call waiting so the only answer was to get me my very own phone. Lucky me!

72. I have traveled to Mexico, Canada, Penang, Wales and France on business. I would like to be able to travel overseas again but definitely for pleasure and not on business.

73. I was once given a raise at work because I had been given a lot of extra responsibilities. I told my manager that the amount was unacceptable and that I wanted more. Guess what? I got it! Never sell yourself short.

74. I used to have a poster of Shaun Cassidy in my bedroom. I thought he was cute! Da do run run run...Da do run run...

75. I have Multiple Sclerosis. I was diagnosed in 1997 after I had numbness and tingling in my feet that would not go away. An MRI showing lesions on my brain confirmed the diagnosis. After 10 days of massive doses of steroids, the numbness and tingling went away.

I also began taking Avonex which is an intramuscular shot that Dan gave me once a week. I am now taking Betaseron which is a subcutaneous shot I take every other day. It's less painful and I can give it to myself...although my husband is a sweetie and mixes the shot for me.

After 1997, I was symptomless until one month after giving birth to my daughter. I started experiencing horrible burning pains in my upper right arm which eventually moved to my right shoulder. I still have this pain 3 and a half years later, but finally, finally, I think it is under control with the right combination of drugs.

I thank God every day that the only symptoms I have are the burning pain. It could be so much worse. Always look at the glass half full!

This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew I was boring, average and ordinary but I didn't realize exactly how boring, average and ordinary until I started this list. I will keep working and hopefully be back soon with the last 25 very soon!