Home Remedy and other stuff

                                 

These are home health remedies that have been emailed to me or that I found on the Internet.  I have not tried them all and do NOT guarantee the effectiveness of them.  If you try one and it works, or if you have one that works for you, please email me.  Thanks.

Wrinkles & Skin Freshener

• Combine 2 Tbls. vodka, 1 Tbls. fennel seeds, and 1 1/2 tsp. honey. Stir well and allow to sit for 3 days. Strain mixture. Use full strength or add 2 Tbls. water to dilute. Use a cotton ball to apply to face as a toner.
• Apply coconut oil on the portions of skin and face where wrinkles set in and gently massage every night at bed time.
• Banana is wonderful as an anti-wrinkle treatment. Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy.  Spread all over face and leave for 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water followed by a dash of cold. Gently pat dry.

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The following is another email message from the Spark People website.  Sometimes their messages just make so much sense.  It's completely logical and what we know we should be doing but sometimes just don't. 

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."  - John Wooden, Hall of Fame college basketball coach

Believing In Yourself

Limitations can either define us or give us a challenge to outwit. When you look at your abilities, do you see boundaries and limits, or do you see possibilities and potential? Obsessing about weaknesses can blind us to the untapped abilities we already have. You have talent. Everyone does. The secret to success is to find that talent, develop it and push it as far as you can. Grandma Moses might have been a lousy bowler, Einstein probably couldn't sing a lick, Michelangelo could've been unable to speak well in public. So what? They knew what they were good at and rode that pony. Your talent might be right in front of you: where do you get the most compliments? What seems to come easily to you? What do people ask your advice for? Live there. Don't let the rest get in the way.

My problem is feeling like I need to be perfect doing everything.  Not because I'll let myself down if I can't do something...but I don't want to feel like I let everyone else down.  As if the whole world is going to come to a screeching halt if I mess up the gravy or the house doesn't look immaculate all the time.  I guess maybe I should sit down and make a list (another one of my anal things...list making) of my abilities or talents and concentrate on those.  Ya know, ride that pony, lol. 

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The baby is doing much better.  She isn't quite over the being whiney, crabby and mean yet...oh, that's normal temperment for her though, lol.  Seriously, she seems to be feeling better.  The temperature seems to stay down most of the time.  She's still congested, well, not so much congested.  Sometimes her lil' nose looks like a leaky faucet.

I am having to trick her with the medicine though.  She threw up once right after taking it and now refuses to take it.  So I pour a wee bit of 7-UP into a cup and then add her dose of medicine.  She'll usually drink most of it that way. 

So she is doing better, Ray is well and I just need to catch up on many hours of sleep that seem to have been lost over the last few days.  During a crises I seem to do real well on very little sleep.  It's afterwards that it all seems to catch up with me, then I can't seem to remember which sock goes on which foot, lol.

Thanks to everyone for your concern, words of advice and well wishes.  God bless ya'll.
Hugs!

9 years

For Ray...

I forgot to put on the graphic that the poem was written by David Foster and Arthur Janov.

We met 9 years ago today.  You've changed my life in so many ways.  There have been hard times and good times, but I wouldn't trade any of them.  The rough days make the good days that much sweeter.  Without the rough spots I wouldn't be able to appreciate the good ones as much and might take them for granted.

I love you more today than I did yesterday and I will love you more tomorrow than I do today.  I appreciate everything you do to take care of Rylie and myself.  I thank you for caring for my children and welcoming them into your life.  I thank the good Lord for bringing the two of us together.  Thank you for loving me. 

I love you baby.

Sick baby update

Well, I tried and tried to get a real person at the doctors office.  I left a few messages and after about 4 hours of my child being miserable I couldn't take it any more.  She just layed her little head on my lap and was unnaturally quiet.  I could feel the heat emanating from her itty bitty body. 

After waiting to hear back from the doctors office, I finally packed the baby up and took her to the hospital.  Amazing how quickly a ride to the hospital in a cold car (the heater doesn't work and I wrapped her in a blanket) can bring a childs temperature down.  She was amazingly healthy appearing the whole time we were at the hospital. 

The ER doc said that she has an upper respiratory viral infection.  Keep up the fever reducer, whether it be Tylenol or Motrin, and something like Dimetap to relieve the congestion.  He said it should ride its course in 7-10 days.  If she isn't better by next week I am to call her doctor...if I can reach him.

So she appeared almost normal at the hospital, but by the time we got home her fever had returned.  She laid down and took a nap while watching the Disney channel.  She woke up crying (pitifully) about an hour ago and holding her tiny little forehead.  I held a wash cloth on her forehead and rocked her until she fell back asleep.  The whole time I was rocking her my heart was just breaking.

She just woke up again...gotta run. 
Take care.
Jill Marie

Laundry tip

                         

A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.

Yellowed / Grayed Whites: Rit, the makers of clothing dye, makes a white-wash that works well for bleachable and non-bleachable clothing that has yellowed or grayed. You can also hang yellowed clothes out to dry in the sun whenever possible to reduce the yellow.

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It's almost 7 am here.  I think I got somewhere around 3 interrupted hours of sleep last night.  Maybe 1 and 1/2 of it was uninterrupted.  It's almost time to go take her temp and give another dose of medicine.  Thanks for the tip about the medicine Tina.  I remember someone telling me that once, but I couldn't remember if I then had to wait 6 hours after the Ibuprofen to give her Tylenol.

Take care ya'll.
Hugs!

Fever

It is a quarter till 4 am.  Rylie threw up last night and began running a slight fever which has slowly climbed all night long.  She is up to 101.5 right now.  She is congested and having trouble sleeping, which in turn means I am not sleeping.

I just gave her another dose of children's Tylenol.  I hope it starts to work so she can get a little relief.  Her whole tiny body is just burning up.  I know that a fever is actually a good sign.  It means her body is working on fighting off an infection.  But that baby is just so miserable and my heart is breaking for her.

She is sleeping in the recliner behind me right now.  I think it is better than the bed because she is kind of propped up and I think its easier for her to breathe that way.  She kept sounding like she was having such a hard time breathing in bed, then it got so quiet I thought she quit breathing.  But then the labored breathing would start again.  Occasionally she'll start to cry or "fight" in her sleep.

She just woke up again.  I changed her diaper.  Soaking wet...a good sign.  I'm trying to keep her well hydrated.  If the Tylenol doesn't start to give her some relief, in the morning I'm going to try switching to Ibuprofen.  If that doesn't do anything and the fever continues to climb I am definitely going to call the doctor.  Not that I trust that quack over at the clinic.  I hate it when medical people talk down to me.  Or put me off because I don't have insurance.

Well, I will see ya'll later.  Good night, sleep tight.

Stuffed pork chops

I thought I had already posted this recipe, but wasn't sure so I checked by doing that search thing at the top of the journal.  It didn't come up with any results, so I am hoping that I didn't already put this one in here.  It's a bit more involved than some of the recipes I post, but it sounds real tasty.  The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

Apple Stuffed Pork Chops
Makes 4 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Grill: 35 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups apple wood chips
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion salt or garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
1/4 pound bulk Italian pork sausage or bulk turkey sausage
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup corn bread stuffing mix
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons apple juice
4 pork loin rib chops, cut 1-1/2 inches thick (about 3 lb. total)
Purchased apple butter
Grilled sliced apples (optional)  
Directions
1. At least 1 hour before cooking, soak wood chips in enough water to cover. Drain.
2. For the rub, stir together the black pepper; onion or garlic salt; cloves; and, if desired, red pepper.
3. For stuffing, in a saucepan cook the sausage, apple, and onion for 5 minutes or until sausage is cooked through. Drain fat. Stir in stuffing mix and parsley; add enough of the apple juice to moisten. Remove from heat; set aside until cool.
4. Trim fat from chops. Cut a pocket in each chop by cutting a slit in the meat and working the knife inside to cut almost to bone, keeping original slit small. Spoon stuffing into pockets. If necessary, secure with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle the rub evenly over both sides of the pork chops; rub into meat.
5. Drain wood chips. Prepare grill for indirect grilling; test for medium heat above the drip pan. Place chops on the lightly oiled grill rack directly over the drip pan.
6. Cover and grill chops for 35 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center reads 165 degree F, turning chops once. Add more wood chips every 15 minutes. Brush with apple butter every few minutes during last half of grilling. If using wooden toothpicks, remove them before serving. Serve with grilled sliced apples, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Test Kitchen Tip: Make a double portion of the stuffing mixture and spoon the extra into an ovenproof baking dish lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Pass hot stuffing with pork chops.

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This should be a very interesting day, to say the least.  I have been complaining about a leak in the kitchen that seems to work its wet and nasty way over to the living room for about...hmmm, 8 months (or more) now.  I was told that it was just because of a tiny little drip around the faucet, apparently something that is completely unfixable.

Then we noticed a "bulge" in the living room floor a few weeks ago.  I was told that he looked under the house and didn't see anything going on.  But on Saturday as I walked down the hallway I stepped onto soaking wet carpet.  Oh freaking joy.  I was told that he would get to it Sunday morning.  Not.  And more and more of the carpet is getting wetter and wetter. 

So me, being simple minded apparently, thought it made sense to turn off the water.  I mean, why have the water continue to leak if you can stop it until it gets fixed.  Apparently I'm just an idiot and being able to take a shower is waaaaay more important than oh, I don't know...protecting the flooring, carpet and maybe the walls (since we don't know where it is leaking).  But apparently this logic > "the fact that it has been going on for how long now, so what is another 24 hours of leaking going to do?"  makes much more sense than my simple mind thinking to turn off the water.

So I am off to see if I can learn anything about plumbing on the internet.  I asked Cathy to come over today and watch Rylie for me.  That way I can get to the bottom of this problem and try to do something to fix it.  I may not be able to, or I may mess it all up, but at least I will have made the effort.  Or I could just join forces and sit in a lazy boy and do nothing while the house falls down around me. 

Hmmm, I do know that I am going to be busy so I'm sure I won't have time to do laundry or fix dinner.  As a matter of fact, with as involved as this project could get...it may be a few day's before I feel like cooking or cleaning.

Have a better week than the one happening here.
Hugs!

PS~Ever see one of those cartoons where the fella has his finger plugging up a hole where a leak is and then the leak keeps moving and popping up all over?  Yeah, picture that and think of me today, that's kind of how I imagine this to go.  LOL

Coffee Cake recipe

This came to me in an email from the Spark People website.  It sounds delicious and something that would be easy to do for a special weekend breakfast.  Or, if you have people coming for any of the upcoming holidays, I think you could make this ahead, put it in the freezer until you need it and then just pop it in the microwave or oven.

Apple Coffee Cake
Serves: 20
Apples and raisins provide sweet moistness, which means less oil in this coffee cake that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

INGREDIENTS
5 cups tart apples, cored, peeled, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg, beaten
2-1/2 cup sifted whole grain flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Lightly oil a 13x9x2-inch pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples with sugar, raisins, and pecans; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes.
4. Stir in oil, vanilla, and egg. Sift together flour, soda, and cinnamon; stir into apple mixture about 1/3 at a time, just enough to moisten dry ingredients.
5. Turn batter into pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake slightly before serving.

NUTRITION INFO (per 3.5" x 2.5" serving)
Calories: 180.7
Fat: 4.6 g
Carbohydrates: 33.6g
Protein: 2.8g

Have a great weekend.
Hugs!

Home remedy

 

                                 

These are home health remedies that have been emailed to me or that I found on the Internet.  I have not tried them all and do NOT guarantee the effectiveness of them.  If you try one and it works, or if you have one that works for you, please email me.  Thanks.

Weak Nails

• To strengthen and shine nails, combine 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. castor oil, and 1 tsp. wheat germ oil and mix thoroughly. Pour into bottle. Shake before using. To use, rub a small amount into your nails. Leave on 3-5 minutes and tissue off. Follow up with more plain castor oil, if desired.

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With Halloween coming up, I decided to post this picture of Christopher and myself.  That was about 10 years ago.  What a cutie he was.  Hard to believe that sweet looking little boy is now a teen terror.  I wonder if I can get him to let me take a picture like that now.  LOL  Probably not.

That was when I lived on Main street in Bowling Green.  I miss living there so much.  I'm sorry but I really, really, REALLY hate living in Toledo.  I miss living in a smaller town with less crime.  I miss living where you know your neighbors and they keep an eye out for you and you do the same for them.  I miss being close to my Mom and friends.  Shhh, don't tell anyone...but I absolutely HATE Toledo!

That's about it for today.  Just have a good one and I'll see ya soon.
Hugs!

Save a horse, ride a cowboy...

Good Lawd!  Sometimes ya see a man that just makes ya wanna do 10 loads of laundry.  (cheap reference to the spin cycle)  LOL.  Everytime I see Keith Anderson that song "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" starts playing in my head.  One horse?!  Heck, I wanna save every single pony in North America!  Yeeeeehaw!  

                             

Good golly!  Could you imagine waking up to that face every day?  Yummy-licious!  Keith, baby, I would go pickin' wild flowers with you any time of the day or night.

Have a good one.
Hugs!

Cleaning tip and positive affirmation

 

                         

A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.

The particular cleaning tip refers to laundry.  I don't know if this one works, it is one that I've seen on the web but have not had the chance to try it out.  If you've ever heard of this, tried it, or perhaps know of another way to get these stains out please leave a comment.  Thanks!

White-Out / Liquid Paper and Permanent Marker Stains: Dab some sunscreen over the stain and rub off with a paper towel. Repeat until stain is gone.

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This is a copy of my horoscope from the Daily OM. 

October 17, 2006
Thinking Ahead
Capricorn Daily Horoscope

The praise others offer you today can make you feel substantial and accomplished. While you may feel the warmth of kind words from your loved ones and peers as intensely as you feel the sun’s rays, your mood of positivity can potentially be shattered by a single critical word. This can be a good day to remind yourself that while you may enjoy the acknowledgment you receive when your efforts have been met with success in your professional and personal lives, such recognition is often short-lived. If you validate yourself and take pride in your endeavors today, you will likely find that you no longer need to rely on others’ respect and esteem because you have gained the ability to appreciate yourself.

Understanding that outside validation is fleeting can help us strive to cultivate lasting self-respect and self-esteem within ourselves. Though the thought of reveling in feelings of pride can be a discomfiting one, it is the acknowledgment we give ourselves that motivates us to always strive to eclipse our past accomplishments and continue growing as individuals. When we take pleasure in the praise we receive from others while also recognizing our achievements for their innate value, we can enjoy the glow of success and remain conscious of the fact that life will nonetheless continue to move forward. Our response to triumph will be to set new goals and begin our pursuit anew. As you allow yourself time to bask in your achievements today, you’ll feel compelled to dream ever grander dreams.

Interesting...something I absolutely need to work on doing.  If I spend a lot of time doing something around the house or a special project, I tend to sit and wait for Ray to comment on it.  If he just say's "yeah" or "that's nice" I feel kind of dejected, like I didn't do a really good job.  Or if he doesn't say anything about it or even say's something like "if you did it like this..." I feel angry.  As if what I did wasn't good enough, even though I may have spent hours working on it. 

Yeah, I definately need to work on being able to live without the praise or atta-girl from other people.  If I work on something and I like it and feel like I really got something good accomplished, then that should be enough.  Right? 

LMAO..."right?"  Nothing like looking for positive affirmation about not looking for outside positive affirmation.  I am such a dork, lol.

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The email I received recently from Spark People had this to say about positive affirmation from others...

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great."
~Mark Twain, writer and satirist

Surrounding Yourself with the Right People

It's easy to recognize a perfect candidate for your support team. Just look for someone who has a way of making everyone else around them better: someone who succeeds by developing other people and letting them in on the fun; someone who is genuinely happy when other people succeed. That's the person you want on your side. The pages of history are heavy with tales of the misguided who were proven wrong while insisting something couldn't be done. Why put up with that? Believe in your goals enough to know that you shouldn't stomach people who don't. It's okay if you're the only one who believes in your dream. But someone who truly believes in YOU should help you believe that if anyone can do it, you can.

So this is what I am taking from the combination of the two articles.  We should all try to surround ourselves with the kind of people that encourage us, rather than those that make us feel bad about ourselves or try to quash our dreams.  But the most important voice that we hear and should really pay attention to is our own.  We need to be our own biggest supporter and cheerleader. 

Oh, goodness sakes...I always sound like a "Sappy Sally" after reading this stuff.  LOL

Have a good one!
Hugs!

Apple Tart

This recipe comes from Kraft.  I wish I had remembered I had this the other day when I decided to try and make an apple tart with the leftover apples I had.  I didn't particularly care for the one I did make, although Ray has been eating it and says he likes it.  The next time I'm gonna try this recipe.

 Free-Form Harvest Apple Tart

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 55 min
Makes: 8 servings, one slice each

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, divided
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Lemon Flavor Gelatin, divided
2 medium Golden Delicious apples (about 1 lb.), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

PLACE flour, butter and half of the cream cheese in food processor; cover. Process, using pulsing action, until mixture is well blended and almost forms a ball. Shape dough into ball; wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place pastry on lightly floured surface; roll out to 14x8-inch rectangle. Place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet; set aside. Mix remaining cream cheese and half of the dry gelatin mix until well blended. Spread onto pastry to within 2 inches of edge.
TOSS apples with the remaining dry gelatin mix, the cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese filling. Fold edge of pastry over apples toward center of tart. (Apples in center of tart will remain exposed.) Sprinkle top with almonds. Bake, in lower third of oven, 35 min. or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool. Store leftover tart in refrigerator.

 

Have a great Monday.
Hugs!

Drive through mastectomies?!

Our health care system and the bureaucracy that runs it sometimes just totally infuriates me.  I wonder...if a man had to have his penis surgically removed...how soon do you think the insurance companies would hustle his butt home.  It really has me wondering. 

Please go to this link>Lifetimetv.com: Breast Cancer Awareness - Petition and sign the petition to allow a woman and her doctor to be the ones to decide whether she should recuperate in the hospital or at home.  Thanks! 

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Just as I was about to call Sam and check to see how Rylie was doing and when she would be coming home, I saw her car pull up.  Apparently the separation anxiety was only on my part.  Rylie did just fine and had a great time.  I'm glad, I want for the two of them to be close and have a good relationship. 

Rylie loves Sammi so much and Sam just adores and loves Rylie to bits.  As Sam was getting ready to leave Rylie ran over to the hallway, threw her arms and legs against both walls and tried to block Sam's exit.  LOL It was too cute.  Then she stood looking out the front window, as Sam drove away, crying and yelling "Hammi!  Hammi!"  Yep, she calls her either Tam or Hammi.  LOL 

Have a good night.  I know I will sleep soundly tonight with my baby girl back in the house.
Hugs!

First night away...

Today my oldest daughter Samantha, 18 (or as Rylie calls her, Tam) called me and offered to watch Rylie for us for the night.  The WHOLE night.  I am ambivalent.  I've never spent more than 2, 3 hours tops, away from my baby.  Okay, maybe 5 hours once in the whole 31 months and 17 days and approx. 21 and half hours since she was born.

I put her in the carseat, kissed her good-bye.  Told her to be good.  Kissed her again.  Told her I loved her.  Kissed her again.  Told her good-bye...again.  Kissed her a few more times and told her I loved her.  Sam laughed at me.  Rylie just waved and said "bye Mom". 

She has only been gone for a mere 10 minutes max and I already miss the little bundle of terror and permanent juice stains.  I'm not exagerating in the least...the tears are just on the brink of flowing.  Am I totally crazy?  I've never been an overprotective mother, and it's not that I don't totally trust Sammi, because I do.  I can't even begin to explain why I am feeling this way.

I mean it was a completely wonderful and thoughtful thing for Sammi to offer to take Rylie and give Ray and I some alone time together.  Am I too close to Ry?  Is it possible to be too close?  Is it because the pregnancy was so difficult and I came so close to losing her so many times?  Or do I just not get out enough?  LOL

I am so afraid that she will get scared or think I just handed her off without a second thought.  What if she wakes up during the night and cries for me and I'm not there?  What if she has a scary dream?  Worse yet...what if she doesn't miss me at all?!  OMG, do you think that is possible?  What an awful thought! 

Okay, well I guess it's okay to turn off the Disney channel now.  I can watch a non-child program if I want to. 
Have a good night, sleep tight. 

Nigh-nigh Ry pie.  I miss you.

Friday the 13th and Appreciation and my life

                   

I just noticed it was Friday the 13th and had to go make a tag, quick like.  LOL

Here is a copy of my horoscope from the Daily OM. 

 October 13, 2006
Inspired By Appreciation
Capricorn Daily Horoscope

You may find yourself basking in the glow of others’ recognition and respect today as people in your home and in your workplace acknowledge the contributions you have made. As you enjoy this newfound respect, realize that the feelings it evokes within you can be a potent source of motivation and confidence. Since you are likely being validated for accomplishments that required you to go above and beyond the call of everyday duty, you may be considering how you can extend your efforts in the future. This can be a positive time to review your long-term goals in order to make certain they represent your true ambitions. The affirmation you enjoy today can inspire you to work harder than ever before in your personal and professional endeavors.

While the bulk of our motivation must come from within ourselves, the recognition we receive when we complete our midterm goals can ensure that our enthusiasm for our dreams never wavers. Knowing that others have found value in our endeavors and admire the work we have done can warm our hearts and help us understand the importance of minor and mundane achievements. The validation we receive bolsters our spirits and grants us a fresh wave of energy that we can draw upon when addressing our next task. In honor there is inspiration that can only be found when we allow ourselves to take pride in the accolades offered to us by loved ones, peers, and colleagues. You’ll draw strength and self-assurance from the appreciation you enjoy today.

I am only too aware of the fact that I seem to "draw strength and self-assurance (confidence) from the slightest bit of appreciation shown to me.  I find that when the things I do are obviously appreciated that I get more accomplished.  In this respect I am like a child...you praise them for their good behaviour and they continue to display that behaviour.  Or is that puppy training?  LOL  I think it works for both.

However, I also realize that when the things I do seem to go unnoticed or taken for granted, then I find myself getting resentful.  Hmm, not sure that resentful is the word I want to use.  However, it's pretty close. 

Its just that I am a stay at home mom and housewife.  So many people seem to think that means that I sit at home all day and do nothing but watch tv and play on the computer.  Yes, the tv is usually on...I enjoy the background noise.  But then I also only have a 2 year old here for company, so for me it's almost like having another adult voice in the house.  I do my stuff here on the computer, but I usually try to get that done early in the morning before the wee one wakes up.  Otherwise I may not get to it.

The rest of my time is pretty much devoted to taking care of and doing for my family.  Generally, I do anywhere from 1-3 loads of laundry a day.  If Rylie is getting wild or having some of her bizarre tantrums or accidents, I could end up doing 5 loads of laundry, lol.  I make dinner almost every night, usually home cooked.  On Fridays we usually order out and call it my night off. 

I clean...usually when I first get up I do a light cleaning.  Then I continue to clean up after Rylie through-out the day and try to get her to help me so she can learn to clean up after herself.  I try to tackle at least one major cleaning job a day.  Whether it is dusting, scrubbing the appliances, getting on my hands and knees and cleaning the tile floors, doing the bathrooms, or whatever.

I try to spend sometime doing things with Rylie.  Playing learning games and whatnot.  Then there are the usual appointments, grocery store trips, and whatnot.  My day is pretty filled.  There are days when my "work" may be done at 5pm and then there are days when I am still going at 9pm. 

I don't know why I feel the need to sit here and explain the boring duties of my life as a housewife.  I guess because it seems as though the word "housewife" has somewhere along the line gotten a negative connotation to it.  Some people get the picture of someone like Peg Bundy, or something similar. 

Me?  I'm not exactly Mrs. Clever or Betty Crocker.  But I guess you could say they are women I would like to be similar too.  Some will say, or at least think, "where in the heck did she come from?!  Doesn't she realize it is 2006 not 1956?"  Yes, I do.  I realize there are lots of choices out there for me.  I have the RIGHT to do whatever I please.  It's just that being at home, taking care of my family, being with my child IS what pleases me.

Oh, don't get me wrong.  There are day's that I would like to be out among other adults having conversations with grown-up words that involve more than one syllable.  Day's where I feel like what I do isn't so important.  I do realize that I'm not setting the world on fire, curing cancer, or making a huge impact on society.  However, I don't need to make a huge impact on society, I just need to be here to make an impact on my child and family. 

If I can make an impact on my children, a positive one.  Then that is my true and best possible contribution to this thing called life.  Wow...I was really rambling there for a minute...not sure where I was going with this and then BAM! there it was.  LMAO, from a silly little horoscope all the way to my contribution to the world.

Well, that was exhausting.  But now I have to go do the dishes and get started on some of the laundry.
Have a good one.
Hugs!

Snow flurries?!

Well, when the snow flurries started today, I got inspired.  It's time to start taking pictures to try to do my own Christmas card this year.  So I washed her face, combed her hair and put her in the dress I bought on sale last year after Christmas.  It's real pretty and was only $6.49.  It's a bit big, but it is way to cute on her.

Here are just a couple of the pictures I got.  I threw some of the more...ahhh, how shoult I put it?  Um, more...uh, well...let's just say you can really see some of her personality in some.  LOL

Have a great night and stay warm. 
Hugs!

Remedies

                                 

These are home health remedies that have been emailed to me or that I found on the Internet.  I have not tried them all and do NOT guarantee the effectiveness of them.  If you try one and it works, or if you have one that works for you, please email me.  Thanks.

Warts

• Try taping a slice of garlic to the wart. Be sure to first protect the surrounding skin with petroleum jelly.

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This was forwarded to me by my mother.  I already knew and used several of these but a few of them are totally new to me and I will be trying them soon.

 

                                                  Helpful Hints

 

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove,

set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust

crispy.  No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel

and it really works.  Mona, Orlando, FL

 

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all

broken up.  Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, and keep mashing

it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture

into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Janet, Killeen, TX

 

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it

with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get

to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount.  You also

eat less sugar/calories  per serving. Kathy, Mesick, MI

 

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated,

place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased

moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Dave, Camden, DE

 

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil.

Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as

you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get

through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet

newspapers. Linda, Monmouth Jct., NJ

 

Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of

glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see! Olive, Santee, CA

 

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes

away. Diane, Moran, SC

 

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your

plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't

hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Kathy, Maumelle, AR

 

Child's Bike Hint
If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture

inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. if the bike is

 stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your

proof who owns the bike. Janet, Carthage, IL

 

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge

add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll

to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in

narrow openings. Donna, Anderson, SC

 

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not

have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that

cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks

and - voila - static is gone. Pam, Maple Rapids, NH

 

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup,

fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry

the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter,

and watch how easily it comes right out. Kim, Goldsboro, NC

 

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it

in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with

the eraser!  Works better than a cloth!  Alicia, Tampa, FL

 

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot

cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth.

It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but

didn't like when you tried it in your hair... Kerry, Canada,

 

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it

1/2" deep with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish

washing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn

to the cup and gone forever! Barbara, Birch Run, MI

 

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants.

They eat it, take it "home, & can't digest it so it

 kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it rains,

but it works & you don't have the worry about pets

or small children being harmed! Teresa, Mitchell, SD

 

Take baby powder to the beach
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag.

When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and

kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a great day!
Hugs! 

                                     

Recipe and cleaning tip

Well, I did try to get on and post my recipe yesterday, but I was having trouble with AOL.  Nothing seemed to want to open up correctly.  So here I am, oh well, better late than never.  Here are a few recipes for chicken.  The first one came from a link Ray's mom sent me for "copycat" recipes, the next one came from the Spark People. 

 Copycat Chili`s Margarita Grilled Chicken
Serves: 4
Ready In: Less than 2 hrs
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Margarita Mix liquid
1/4 cup tequila
1 Tbs Minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Directions:
Pour margarita mix, tequila and garlic over chicken breast and let marinate for 2 hours in refrigerator. When ready to prepare drain and dust with black pepper to taste.
Grilling works best, but you can also use an iron skillet and bring to medium high temperature.
Spray an oil coating into pan and braise chicken breast until done on each side.
Serve chicken breast on top of black beans and serve with your favorite Mexican rice and a generous helping of salsa.

 

Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken
Serves: 4
Rich, flavorful honey mustard chicken with carrots and potatoes.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. potatoes cut into wedges
2 lbs. chicken
6 medium carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 heads garlic
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. In a shallow pan, toss potatoes and carrots with oil, salt and pepper. Peel the garlic heads and remove the cloves, and nestle the garlic amongst the vegetables and scatter the rosemary on top. Arrange the chicken pieces among the vegetables and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

2. Stir together the mustard and honey, and spread over chicken. Stir vegetables, return chicken to pan, place back into the oven and bake 10-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender. Scatter the remaining garlic (or to taste) over the remaining contents of the pan.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 357
Fat: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 39.4 g
Protein: 30.5 g

 

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A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.

Travel Saver: Whenever you travel carry along a stain pretreatment stick. Taking the time to use it on stains before they set ensures that they will wash out when you get home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay this is an email I'm sure most have already received, but I got it in the mail again and thought it would be a good one to share.  You know those nights when you watch the news and just sit there and wonder what is wrong with society today?  What are people not teaching their children that they should have?  I think this email contains a lot of that stuff.  I think that some of these are just really great simple and common sense rules for life.  Things I believe we should all be teaching our kids as some basics of life.  I think these are things that most of us were probably raised to do.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk..

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN.. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

Somehow, the younger ones have turned this list into something like this...

1.  Always expect more

2.  Conversation?!  One half of them don't know what proper grammar is, and the other half don't know how to spell.

3.  Jerry Springer is reality tv.

4.  When you say "I love you" mommy and daddy will give you anything you want.

5.  Just say your sorry, whether you mean it or not, and they'll get over it quicker and give you what you want.

6.  Be dating at least 6 days before having sex.

This could go on and on...but you get the idea.  Somewhere along the way the translation to our kids got all messed up.  Somehow it appears as though so many of them got it twisted from putting others first to always thinking of themselves first. 

Seriously, where did good grammar go?  When did it become cool to talk like ignorant trash?  I've actually heard kids (heck, even grown adults) who know how to speak proper English suddenly start talking like some ignorant 5 year old. 

I know, I know...there is alot more wrong with our society than poor grammar.  I also know good grammar sure wouldn't hurt anything.  It would definately make the drive-thru at McDonalds a little easier.  LOL

Me?  It is still early here, Rylie is still sleeping...shhhhhhhhhh.  I'm going to follow rule number 21.  I don't get to very often, so I think I am going to go and read for a bit. 

Have a great day!
Hugs!

A few pictures of Rylie Jo

Here are a few pictures of our baby, Rylie JoLee.  The first is one that I took of her yestereday as she was standing on top of her daddys belly.  He kept going "oh, umph, oh", and she would just laugh and laugh. 

The others are some that I took today, just about an hour ago.  I had raked the leaves yesterday and still had to finish bagging them today.  Well, daddy thought it would be fun to encourage Ry to go jump in the leaves and start throwing them.  Yeah, at first I groaned a bit because I knew it would mean more work for me.  But she had so much fun, it was worth it.

Doesn't it look like she was just having the most fun ever?  Hey, Grandma Corral and Grandma Blossom...these would be some good pictures to print out.  Well, just in case you want a picture of the most beautiful and hard headed little girl in all of North America.  LOL

Have a great day...and go jump in a pile of leaves!  : D
Hugs,

Home remedy

                             

These are home health remedies that have been emailed to me or that I found on the Internet.  I have not tried them all and do NOT guarantee the effectiveness of them.  If you try one and it works, or if you have one that works for you, please email me.  Thanks.

Vomiting and Nausea

• Sucking a piece of ice controls vomiting.
• Eat 1/2 tsp. ground cumin seeds.
• Cinnamon and sliced ginger work by interrupting nausea signals sent from the stomach to the brain. If you are an herbal tea drinker, simply sprinkle cinnamon on the tea and drink. To make ginger tea, simmer a few slices of ginger in hot tea water.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I am in the process of getting a holiday candy making business up and going with my sister in law.  So if the entries start showling up later, or I don't get them posted as often as I usually do, that is why.  Time seems to be something of a rare commodity around here. 

Luckily this is something I can do at home so I don't have to worry about leaving Rylie with someone else.  Yeah, that is just something I do NOT see happening anytime soon.  I hate to leave her with other people.  I worry about her the whole time she is out of my sight. 

Wish me luck on the business thing.  For now, I think we are going to try to keep it to just a holiday type thing to try to make extra money for the holidays.  I don't want something where I have to work a thousand hours a week, my child is too important to me.  Oh, and the ol' man too, lol.  But if things go well, there are a bunch of different ways we can go with this business.

Take care and see ya later.
Hugs,

Cool!

Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint, also Kool Aid in Dannon plain
yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if
they eat it!

Hmm, how much of a mess do you think a two and half year old could make with dyed yogurt?  LOL  Actually, I already know.  Whenever I give Rylie yogurt as a snack, for some odd reason that I don't understand, she ends up "washing" her hands and HAIR with it.  Honest Abe!  It is too wild.

However, if your child is better behaved than mine (I sometimes think they ALL are) then this would be a neat and safe way to have them sit (I hear that sometimes children actually sit quietly, lol) and work on an art project.

Have a fun day!
Hugs,

Cleaning tip & Rylie's first dentist visit

 

                           

A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful.  As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet.  I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness.  If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.

Spaghetti Stains: Wet the fabric and then sprinkle with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yesterday Rylie had her first dental appointment.  I must admit, I had prepared myself for much more of a fuss.  That's not to say that she just hopped up in the chair and opened her mouth, lol.  She climbed up into the chair with some trepidation, but she did get up there.  However, when the assistant started to make the chair lean back...WHOA NELLY!  You would have thought that an electric shock had gone through Ry, she was ready to get the heck outta Dodge right then. 

I let her know that I was right there by her head and that everything was okay, or as Rylie would say "tay".  Now this was just an "evaluation", where the Doc looks in and kind of gets Rylie used to someone poking around in her mouth.  The doctor said it all looked good that the teeth that were supposed to be in by now, are in.  And sometime in the next 6 months she will start getting...aww, heck what was it?  Her molars maybe?

Anyway, so that went fine.  But then I asked her to take another look at two of the teeth in the front (on either side of the front 2) on the bottom.  To me it appeared as though two of the teeth had a perfect split down the center.  The doctor looked at me and said that this was kind of a rare anomaly.  "Oh yippee", I was thinking.  She said that Rylie has 2 geminated (or twin teeth). 

Even the assistant had never heard of it and wanted to peek in and see what they looked like.  It is when one tooth has another one fused to it.  They may share the same root, or they may each have their own.  I looked it up online and some of the pictures I've seen are pretty weird.  However, Rylie's are like perfect little replica's of each other.  Just like identical twins fused side by side.

I asked what would happen when the permanent teeth started coming in and the doctor said they should be normal.  However, some of the reading I've done online doesn't say the same thing.  Some people report that they had geminated teeth and a permanent tooth never came in to replace it and they were left with a gap.  I hope that doesn't happen.

Oh the articles also said that this seemed to be a genetic thing.  Ray's mom reports no problems with any of the boys teeth.  So that leaves my side, lol.  Mom said that my older brother had 3 sets of teeth.  I think, if I remember this correctly, 2 sets of baby teeth that came in right next to the original.  And then they had to wire the permanent teeth to try to pull them down.  It took a year for those teeth to come in once they had finally erupted.

In the end, we won't know what will happen to Rylie's teeth until they start coming in.  So we'll just wait and see.  In the meantime, she just looks like she has lot's of teeth in that bottom row.  Something that I think she will need to be extra careful about cleaning and making sure that she doesn't get any cavities.

Have a great Tuesday!
Hugs!

Recipe

Good Morning!  Here is a recipe I found at the Pillsbury web site.  Me?  I probably won't fix it...I hate beans, lol.  Although Ray loves this kind of thing, so maybe one night I'll fix it for him and just have a salad.  And then make sure there is a can of air spray next to the bed.  LOL

Grands!® Chuckwagon Bake
Prep Time: 15 min ; Start to Finish: 50 min
Makes: 8 servings  Nutrition Information
It's chow time with a Wild West biscuit-topped casserole.

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 can (28 oz) baked beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 tablespoons cornmeal, if desired

1 .  BROWN beef in 12-inch skillet; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except biscuits and cornmeal. Heat to boiling. Pour into sprayed 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish.
2 .  CUT each biscuit into 4 pieces. Roll in cornmeal. Arrange over beef mixture.
3 .  BAKE at 350°F 30 to 35 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.

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I got this in my email this morning from SparkPeople and like the philosophy and decided to share it with ya'll.

"Suffering is the tuition one pays for a character degree."  ~ Richard M. Rayner, M.D., SparkPeople member

 

What you really learn from hardships

"Perhaps you think this isn't very ‘positive' sounding, but I find it helps people (patients and friends) put hardship, which is inevitable, to good use," says Richard. "People can use their suffering either to gain character or become bitter. The ones who choose bitterness live a long, slow death. The ones who choose character truly live." Richard is right on the money. Happiness and sadness don't happen to us- they come from within. The story of your life will be written with or without your help. The next chapter is happening while you read this. Will you wait to see what it says later, or will you help write it?

 

Too, too often I have found myself falling into the bitter mode.  I know that for a long time (probably from the age of 18-sometime in my 20's) I was in a near constant state of feeling bitter, angry and vengeful.   I like to think that I have moved beyond that, however there are times when I still find myself in that place. 

 

I am thrilled though that it only lasts for a short period of time these days.  I have my moment of anger and then realize that I don't want to give someone that kind of control over my life, or that I don't want to sink to their level.  I would prefer to move beyond that and let someone else simmer in the stink of bitterness and anger. 

 

If I can apologize (whether I was wrong or not, whether it was my fault or not, whether they deserved it or not) and move forward, then that it all to my benefit.  If they choose to accept my apology...fine.  If they choose to ignore it or not accept it...fine...I know that I did what I needed to for MYSELF! 

 

Well, I guess I had a few more thoughts about that particular little article than I thought I did, lol.  If it gets you to thinking and you decide to write about it in your journal, please leave me a link so I can go and read it.  Thanks.

 

Have a great day.
Hugs!