Ramblings of a busy woman

Rosemary Chicken & Brie En Croute

2011-06-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Cooked this last night, YUMMM! I think I will try puff pastry next time.

Rosemary Chicken and Brie en Croute

~ 1 whole chicken breasts, quartered (or 2 chicken breas halves, cut in half)
~ rosemary, salt and pepper
~ 1 can crescent rolls
~ 2 Tbsp chives
~ 6 oz brie cheese, cubed
~ 1 egg, beaten
~ 1 tsp dried rosemary
~ 2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350F. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper, and brown in hot olive oil.

Seperate dough into 4 rectangles, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Spoon 1/4 of the chives into the center of each rectangle, top with 1/4 of the brie and one peice of the chicken.

Fold the edges of the crescent rectangles over the chicken, making sure the filling is completely covered, seal the overlapping rolls well.

Place seam side down on an ungreased baking pan. Cut a couple of steam vents in the top of each roll. Beat the egg with a Tbsp of water to create an egg wash, brush the outsides with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the rosemary and parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving - serves 4.

Soleil 100 Days

2010-07-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Soleil 100 Days: "There are thousands of fun, sharable prizes in the BIC® Soleil® 100 Days of Sunshine promotion. Join now! www.FeelTheSoleil.com"

Cool contest I found to win free groceries for a year

2010-01-17T20:30:00.001-08:00

Hey, I just entered this contest on Cozi.com to win free groceries for a year. All you have to do is put in your email address.

Even if you don’t enter, please click the link to help me win. (I get an extra entry for telling you.) Thanks!

View >>

Amish Friendship Bread

2009-12-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

In an age of instant gratification, Amish Friendship Bread and the 10 days it takes to ferment before it can be baked seems like a hard thing to wait for. This is a good lesson in patience, especially if you have little ones who love the bread. (Now if we could only find a way to teach the men a bit of patience, too).

No, this is not really a 'healthy' recipe, but it is a wonderful bread to share with friends during the holidays. If you are low on will power like me, bake the bread in 3 smaller disposable bread pans and give a loaf and a bag of starter along with the directions to a couple of friends.

I received my very first Amish Friendship Bread starter a couple of months ago from a neighbor. *Somehow* I lost track of the days, afraid that I had ruined it I threw it out. I don't think any of us had ever tasted the bread before, so we didn't really know what we were missing.

Then, a couple of weeks before Christmas, one of Brianna's violin students' Grandma gave her a loaf of the baked bread. OH MY GOODNESS! I believe it is the best dessert bread I have ever tasted. I sliced a couple of pieces for a friend and I to munch on while we crafted downstairs and came back upstairs to find most of the loaf finished (all while Bri was at work), and then the rest got finished during breakfast, so the pour girl never even got a slice.

So, Bri asked the Grandma if she could have the recipe so I could bake her a new loaf and came home with 2 cups of starter and the recipe. I baked the bread along with my Christmas pies, and have the other cup on the counter re-starting.

Just wanted to share the recipe here for all my friends and family.

TO BAKE AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

ingredients:
Bread: topping:
1 cup starter 1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs 1 tsp cinnamon1 cup oil
½ cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions:
Stir the bread ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick spray, dust with 1 tablespoon each of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over top.

Bake 1 hour @ 325 degrees. Cool until bread loosens from the pan (10 minutes) serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 loaves, about 10 slices each

TO RESTART THE STARTER:
Leave the 1 cup starter on your counter
On days 1-5, mush the bag.
On day 6, add 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk and mush well.
On days 7-9, mush the bag.
On day 10, pour the starter into a NON-metal bowl and add 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup milk. Stir well, place 3 cups of the starter into 1 gallon zip top bags - 1 cup per bag. Give 2 to friends along with these directions and the baking directions, place one on your counter to re-start (or in your freezer for a later date, just allow to come to room temperature and then follow the above directions).
There will be 1 cup remaining in your bowl to bake the bread with.

If you have run out of friends who are willing to take the starter, put the 3 bags in your freezer. You can bring to room temperature and follow the baking directions without going through the re-starting process - just don't forget to re-start the last bag ;)

TO MAKE STARTER:
If you don't have a starter, follow these directions to create one. There are recipes out there that call for yeast, I have not actually made the starter yet but from what I read this is the recipe to use.

DO NOT REFRIGERATE!
DO NOT USE METAL BOWLS OR SPOONS!

They say to use a container that you can cover loosely, like a glass bowl that you can cover with cheesecloth and secure with rubber bands. Your container should be glass, plastic, or glazed ceramic and have more than a 4 cup capacity. I know that starter gets passed to friends in gallon size zipper top bags, but the air flow is supposed to be better for the fermentation process (I am by no means an expert on this, so if you have a way that has worked for you in the past, by all means, stick with that!) Once you have the starter created, just re-starting and you shouldn't have to make it again.

Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup flour, stir well. Add 1 cup milk and combine completely. Cover loosely (with a lid left slightly ajar or secure a paper towel or cheesecloth to the top with rubber bands. Keep at room temperature and stir (with a NON metal spoon) every day for 17 days.

Day 18, do nothing.
Days 19, 20, 21, stir
Day 22 add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk and stir completely
Days 23, 24, 25, 26 stir
Day 27 add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk and stir completely
Separate into 4 starters, give 2 away to friends, use one to restart and the other to bake.

Individual starter (1 cup portions) can be kept in the freezer in gallon zipper top bags until ready to use, then left on the counter until room temperature before starting the 10 day restarting process.

A little note:
Though I'm sure none of you are nearly as forgetful as I am, here is a trick I am trying to keep me from loosing track of the days on the bag of starter I have fermenting on the counter. On the outside of the zip top bag in permanent marker, I wrote 1-10 with the date below each number and circled 6 and 10 to remind me.

One easy way to make the vegetarians AND the carnivores in your house happy

2009-12-07T20:36:00.001-08:00

Or, "A Tale of Two Chilis"

So, my daughter decided to take the healthy road and eat a mainly vegetarian diet. Let me tell you, in our house, that's no easy feat. She started with a fully vegetarian diet over spring break earlier this year (March 2009) and has added some poultry and seafood back in.

When her dad cooks, he doesn't take her into account. She thinks he still believes that she will just give in and eat the steak, and he secretly stands out by the grill plots beef and pork meals just to driver her crazy while he laughs maniacally.

When I cook, I try to cook poultry or seafood. If I am cooking something that has beef or pork in it, I will do a separate thing that she and I can share. This works very well for me right now, I try not to eat B/P more than once a week for health reasons, and my husband doesn't get mad because it's not a separate meal for just one person. Not sure how I will make that work for me after she leaves for college, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Now, to the point of this post, CHILI! Chili is one of our family favorites, but my husband feels like it HAS to have beef inside and a beer to wash it down. All the talking in the world will never convince him that the beans are enough of a protein source, so I've stopped trying. Now I just make one pot for the omnivores (aka, the boys) and one for the flexetarians* (aka, the girls)

I've finally perfected the dual pot chili and thought I would share my recipe with those of you who have a household like mine, or just have friends with different diets and you want something to serve at your next gathering.

A Tale of Two Chili's

ingredients
1 1/4 cup diced bell pepper**
1 1/4 cup diced onion
1 1/4 cup sliced celery***
5 cloves garlic
cumin, cayenne, chili powder
1 pound ground beef
3-15oz cans chili beans****
3-15oz cans kidney beans
2-15oz cans great northern or other white bean

directions
Drizzle a little olive oil in a large sauce pan, heat, and add the diced vegetables, minced garlic, and a good sprinkle each of chili powder, cayenne, and cumin. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.

Into a 4-5 qt slow cooker, pour about 2/3 of the cooked veggies, 5 cans beans (2 pinto, 2 kidney, and one white) and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1 tsp chili powder.

Into a 2-3 qt slow cooker, add the remaining 1/3 veggies and 3 cans beans (1 of each). Stir in 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and 1/2 tsp chili powder. The vegetarian chili is ready to cook, just cover and turn on low for 5-6 hours.

In the saucepan you used for the veggies, crumble the ground beef and season with 1-2 dashes each of you seasonings and brown. Drain and add to the larger slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili accompaniments and enjoy.

(Oh, BTW, if you don't have any omnivores in your household, just skip the meat part and you have the perfect pot, even for a vegan)

** I like to use the mini bell peppers so I can have a mix of colors
*** I've found it easiest to take the whole heart, rinse, spread it out just a bit to cut out the leaves on the inside, and then slice directly from the heart
**** we like the hot chili beans, but if you prefer your chili a bit milder you can use mild chili beans or plain pinto beans. Use whatever kinds of beans you prefer, you will need a total of 8 cans or about 120 oz

*FLEXETARIAN: you like that word? Yeah, me too. I just recently came across it, but it fits me perfectly, because I do still indulge in beef on occasion (and on even rarer occasion, pork), but now I'm more selective when I do and keep it to once a week, and am working on reducing it more until it's all but gone from my diet.

Here's what wikipedia says:
Flexitarianism is a semi-vegetarian diet focusing on vegetarian food with occasional meat consumption. A self-described flexitarian seeks to decrease meat consumption without eliminating it entirely from his or her diet. There are no guidelines for how much or how little meat one must eat before being classified a flexitarian. Flexitarian is distinguished from polpescetarian, i.e., one who eats only chicken and fish, but does so exclusively

39 pounds

2009-10-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

and feeling fabulous ...

I am trying not to buy too many articles of clothing since I'm not planning on being this size for very long. I kept my size 16 jeans from before I had Chris so I'm good on those, but I noticed that a lot of my shirts are just too baggy, making my look bigger than I really am. I think I have a couple of T's that fit properly and a couple of blouses that tie in the back so they look alright. So, I picked up this sweater, a hoody, and a T-shirt at Ross and a cute ruffle front sleeveless blouse and a skirt that will match this sweater perfectly at Target. Oh, and YAY, I won an Aerosmith tank from aeroforceone, can't wait to get that in the mail!!

I have another weigh in next week, I'm hoping to get out of the 200's by then, wish me luck ;)

Birthday pictures, anyone?

2009-08-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this adorable birthday kit from Snowflake Beach Designs, "Another Year Older"

and the layouts I made with the kit

All images are clickable, click the kit to pop over to goDigitalScrapbooking.com and pick it up. While you are there, grab the rest of the 'Build Your Own' Designer Collab Kit. Clicking the layouts will take you to them in my gallery at GDS, stop by and tell me what you think.

How to fix a picky husband (Or, how to stop a sabatour in his tracks)

2009-08-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

This question was posed on a forum that I visit, I thought I would share my answer here just in case it might be helpful to someone else ...

My husband is a picky eater and my meals reflect it. I rarely buy much for fruits and veggies because the only veggie he will eat is broccoli and he's not big on fruit either. It's just the two of us and I always feel like produce will go bad. Plus, when I make supper, I try to cater to his likes (pizza, mac and cheese, stuff like that) and I don't have the will power, funds, or energy to make something healthy for myself. Any suggestions on how to deal with this?

My hubby is picky as well, and now his health is showing it. He has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and his borderline diabetes is no longer borderline.

Here are a couple of tips that I've been using to help us both out that may help you and your hubby.

1) Always make a salad, that way if the dinner isn't as healthy as I would like I can eat a small portion of it and fill up on the salad.

2) though produce going bad is never an issue in my house, frozen is definitely a better choice than none.
Also, when you shop for fresh produce just get one or two apples instead of a whole bag.
A small prepared salad mix instead of the head of lettuce.
A small bag of baby carrots makes munching on them easier than having to peal and cut a regular carrot up first.
Many fruits and veggies can be frozen if you notice that they are beginning to go past their prime. While most need to be blanched first, there are two in particular that require little to no prep in order to freeze.
Bananas can be peeled and cut into marshmallow sized pieces and freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen when you can bag them up. These are great to blend into a smoothie, or pulse in a food processor for several minutes and they turn into a yummy soft serve 'faux ice cream'.
Grapes I just remove from the stem and place in cheap plastic cups in 1-cup portions. These make a perfectly scrumptious snack when you want something sweet and cold - or drop them in your water to keep it cold. which brings me to point #

3) Make sure you are drinking water instead of high calorie sodas and fruit juices - switching will make a HUGE difference. Add sliced fruit (while lemons are the first thing you might think of, you can also add orange or lime wedges, sliced apples or peaches, fresh or frozen berries, etc) or add a single serve packet of crystal light a glass of water.

4) Don't try to force huge changes on your husband or he will rebel, become angry, or try to sabotage your efforts.

5) Try little changes that he probably won't notice.
For instance, try using part lower fat cheese in that mac 'n cheese, or use less cheese, or use lower fat milk, use a whole grain paste (some don't taste that great, try barillo plus, it's whole grain with added fiber and protein and tastes just like regular).
Try making your own pizza using the whole grain, thin crust, prepared crusts. Add less cheese and go lighter on the toppings (opt for canadian bacon instead of pepperoni or fried bacon; opt for leaner ground beef or ground turkey; use more veggies, etc)

6) Start switching out processed grains for more complex carbs, like switching to brown rice, whole grain bread, or that barillo plus pasta I mentioned.

7) Also, try looking up the main dishes he likes and find recipes that are healthier. Then, add some side dishes that are healthier - maybe he will eat them or maybe he wont, but either way you will have something that's healthier to fill up on and won't be eating as much of the 'not as good for you' dish.

And guess what, I've noticed that some changes I've been making for me are starting to rub off on him - he's started adding crystal light to water instead of grabbing a can of soda and I see him adding salad to his dinner plate more and more often. Also, he hasn't said a thing about the zesty italian salad dressing he likes, it's gone from regular to lite and now has officially been at fat free for several months.

HTH

Aerosmith

2009-08-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Aerosmith has cancelled the remainder of their summer tour so that Steven Tyler can fully and properly recouperate from the injuries that he sustained during the August 5, 2009 concert at Sturgis.

Now for the straight scoop. Joe Perry was on a Detroit radio station on August 11 and said that Steve had two breaks in his shoulder blade and stitches stiches to his head, but nothing internal.

Straight from Steves lips,

He says that after a thunderstorm delay, the band was playing one of their best shows ever, when fuses started blowing and they had a complete audio system failure. But Tyler didn't want to stop playing. "I wanted to go out to the crowd to continue the show... so, the Train Kept A- Rollin' and I ran out on the cat walk and grabbed my mic to finish the song. I was doing the Tyler shuffle and then I zigged when I should have zagged... AND I slipped, and as I live on the edge...I fell off the edge!"

He says of his injuries, "I landed upside down, and after twenty stitches on the back of my head, and a broken left shoulder, I just want to say that I'm plain grateful that I didn't break my neck! In truth, after thousands of live shows, falling off the edge four times ain't too bad."

I'm continueing to send prayers and thoughts Steve's way. I feel for those that have tickets to concerts that are being cancelled, and feel very grateful that I finally got to see them in concert after all these years of wishing.

Here's a little layout from the concert using "Rockstar Wedding" by Silly Bean Scraps, clicking the photo will take you to this layout in my goDigitalScrapbooking.com gallery.

~ Thanks to aeroforceone.com for posting a video of the radio interview, Steve's lighthearted account of the incident (exerpt from which is in bold and italics above), and the photos & playlist from the concert which were used for the layout

Oh my ....

2009-08-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Sending well wishes to Steven ...

I'll have a 64 calorie Mojito, please

2009-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

OK, so here's one to hold you over. More recipes to come.

A summertime favorite, the Mojito is a fabulous drink to enjoy with friends on a warm summer evening. The best thing is that even without the one substitution that I make here, it is still a light drink (though, don't assume that a restaurant will make it the 'correct' way, as they often have their own special recipes that may boost the calories way up on this one)

Mojito

1/2 small lime, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves (less or more to taste)
2 packets of Truvia
1 ounce rum
6 ounces club soda

In a collins or other tall glass, drop 3 of the lime wedges, most of the mint and both packets of sweetener. Using the handle of a wooden spoon (or a muddler if you have one), muddle* the ingredients. Fill your glass with ice, add the rum and the club soda, give it a good stir. Garnish with the last wedge of lime, a mint leaf, and a straw.

*muddle means to mash the mint, lime and sugar together until the solids have released their juice/essence, so the lime has released it's juice and the mint oils are also releasing.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 64.2
Total Fat: 0.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 37.6 mg
Total Carbs: 6.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 0.0 g

Guess what, even if you made this with real sugar instead of Truvia, you would only be adding about 30 calories for two teaspoons of sugar.

~OR~ Go even lighter, eliminate the rum and add an extra ounce of club soda. You now have a refreshing 0 calorie drink that is appropriate for the whole family.

64 Calorie Adult drink ...

2009-08-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

I will admit, I think the commercials for that 64 calorie beer are kind of cute. I like the latest where one man orders a 64 calorie MGD and his buddy orders 64 calories of regular beer. The second guy gets his in a pared down beer glass that leaves the perfect resting spot for dude #1 to rest his bottle when his phone rings.

First off, a little disclaimer, I am definately not endorsing drinking and especially not while you are trying to loose weight. However, it is nice to have an option when you are out with the girls/guys. I also beleive that weight loss should not occur through a DIET, but through lifestyle changes that you can stick with after you have achieved your goal. Depriving yourself will only make you feel angry that you are on a diet and eventually you will cheat, probably doing much more damage than the original little treat you avoided in the first place. OK, done with the fine print, here are some tips. I will post some recipes later.

* Substitutions:
Many drink recipes can be lightened up with some easy swaps ...
sugar ......................... Truvia
symple syrup ........... water sweatened with any artificial sweetener
sweet and sour ........ Crystal Light lemonade
cranberry juice ....... Ocean Spray diet cranberry juice
orange juice ............. Crystal Light Sunrise classic orange
grapefruit juice ....... Crystal Light Sunrise ruby red grapefruit

* Additional notes...
~ Choose 'tall' drinks, anything in a taller glass that is one ounce of liquor (80 proof) and the rest filler (provided the filler is easily exchangable for one of my tricks,) will only be approximately 64 calories.
~ This is not applicable for drinks that have cordials (liqueur - any of the sweetened alcohols that are added to some drinks such as triple sec, baileys, creme-de-anything, kahlua, midori, pucker, schnapps, etc.)
~ if you have a favorite recipe that you want to lighten up, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do.

Stay tuned, I will be posting some recipes soon ...

BONUS: Can't wait for my first recipe, here's one that you can order at any restarunt or bar without feeling guilty. Order a Rum and DIET Coke or a Vodka and Club Soda (tonic would add an extra 10 calories if you prefer that) with a twist. Either one will only cost you the 64 calories in an ounce of rum or vodka.

Serenity

2009-07-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Have you seen HollyAnn's fabulous new kit, Serenity? It is filled with soft colors and beautiful elements.

And don't forget to pick up the add on and alpha to go with it - or get the bundle and save 30%

Here are a few things I have made with this beautiful kit

And a custom background for Twitter ...

All images are clickable

Frozen Strawberry Mockaritas

2009-07-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

OK, so I don't usually do this the "mock" way, but now that I'm working on a healthier lifestyle I can really do without the additional calories in the tequila and triple sec, not to mention the adverse effects that alcohol can have on your body - so even if you prefer the real thing, give these a try.

This recipe calls for Truvia - this is the only artificial sweetener that I know of that comes in granular form.
Your ice should be cracked or crushed before blending.

If fresh strawberries are out of season, use frozen. You can also try other fresh or frozen fruit. If you don't have fresh limes, you can use the bottled stuff.

Frozen Strawberry Mockaritas

Ingredients
- 1/4 lime, cut into 2 wedges
- 2 packets of Truvia
- 8 large fresh strawberries, with hull removed
- 1 cup cracked ice
- 1/2 cup Crystal Light lemonade, prepared

Directions
Pour out one of the packets of Truvia onto a saucer.
Take one of the lemon wedges and slide it around the rim of your glass, carefully dip the wet rim into the Truvia on the saucer to coat the rim with the sweetener.
Place the strawberries in a blender, sprinkle with the rest of the Truvia from the saucer plus the second packet. Squeeze the two lime wedges on top, add the ice and lemonade.
Blend on high until the ice and strawberries are all completely blended.
Pour into your prepared glass, garnish with an additional strawberry or lime wedge.Number of

This makes one serving with only 53 calories!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 52.8
Total Fat: 0.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 2.4 mg
Total Carbs: 12.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.8 g
Protein: 1.1 g

3 Easy steps to customizing your blog

2009-07-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

1) - Open the header of your choice in your digital editing software and add your title.
- Add your photo or logo if applicable.
- save your header and background to an image share site that will give you a direct image link, such as photobucket (any site that you can upload and share your images through that will give you a link that looks something like http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m241/yourbucket/image.jpg)

2) HEADER:
- sign in to your blog
{from the dashboard} click 'layout' under the title of the blog you want to add your new blog wear to
{from the blog} click 'customize' in the upper right hand corner click 'page elements'
- click 'edit' On the long rectangle at the top of the layout that has your title in it
- paste the direct link you acquired from your photo sharing site into the 'From the web' slot (you will see your new header apear)
- click 'Instead of title and description'
- click save

3) BACKGROUND:
- click 'pick new template' choose 'minima', which is the first choice in the top left
- click 'Edit HTML' and scroll down until you find the following set of html code:
(they are located in the upper section of the codes, just scroll slowly and you will find them)
body {
background: #ffffff;
margin: 0;

After finding them, change them into these codes:
body {
background:#fff url("direct URL of the image");
background-position: center;
background-attachment: fixed;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
margin: 0;
(“direct URL of the image”) is what you created earlier when you uploaded your image - the http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m241/yourbucket/image.jpg the link DOES need to be in parentheses and quotation marks as above

Resistance Band GIVEAWAY + Top 3 Leg Strengthening excercises

2009-07-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled upon a new giveaway and thought I would share ...

Enter at the parents.com website

Do you have a resistance band? If not, make sure you enter this one, it's as easy as sending an email and they are giving away 100 of them.

I love my band, use it every other day for strength training. The giveaway page talks about using it for your arms, which I occasionally do - but more often I use it for low mount leg exercises.

Try tying one end to something low (I slip the handle onto the bottom of my {heavy} coffee table leg) and the other onto one leg - I go through a series of 3 exercises, 2 sets of 15 reps per leg.

(The following exercises are courtesy of sparkpeople.com)

For video of how to do each exercise, just click the name and it will take you to the SparkPeople demonstration for that one.

1) Low Mount Hip Flexor with Band
Stand with the mount behind you, band attached to right leg, weight on the left leg, knee slightly bent. Place hands on hips or on a chair back or wall for balance if necessary. Flex right foot.

EXHALE: Lift right knee up to at least hip level, keeping knee bent at 90 degrees.

INHALE: Slowly lower to starting position to complete one rep. Finish 12-15 reps

Muscles Worked: Hips, Upper Thigh, Glute

2) Low Mount Abduction with Band
Continuing on the right leg, turn with your left side toward the mount. Shift weight into left foot keeping knee soft and right foot flexed. Allow the resistance to pull your right leg across the center line of your body to start.

EXHALE: Extend your right leg straight out to the right side, leading with your outer thigh towards the ceiling, keeping foot flexed.

INHALE: Slowly lower with control to starting position to complete one rep. Finish 12-15 reps.

Muscles Worked: Outer thigh, Hips, Glutes

3) Low Mount Adduction with Band
Turn around so that your right side is toward the mount. Shift weight into left foot keeping knee soft and left foot flexed. Allow the resistance to pull your right leg out to the left side of your body to start.

EXHALE: Keeping foot flexed, leading with your inner thigh, sweep your right leg across your body towards the left as far as you can. Hold for 1-3 counts.

INHALE: Slowly return to starting position to complete one rep. Finish 12-15 reps.

Muscles Worked: Inner thigh, Quads

Switch the band to your left leg and complete 12-15 reps of each exercise. Complete a second set on each leg.

Modifications:
If any of these is too easy step farther away from the mount; do not let leg rest on ground in between reps; do not hold onto a wall, etc. for balance.

(For added difficulty on the Hip Flexor, you can swing arms forward and back as if running to challenge your balance.)

If any of these are too hard you can move closer to the mount for less tension; rest your foot on the floor between reps; hold on to something (chair back, table, wall) for balance.

Remember: Keep abs tight and upper body stationary. Avoid leaning back or to the sides during the movement. Raise/lower with control-- don't let the band's resistance snap your leg back down to the starting position.

BALANCE TIP!: For help with balance when completing any of these exercises, try holding on to your ears -I know, it sound weird, but I promise, it works!

If you love these exercises and want to see more, click the link below ...

So, leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite exercise is - could be cardio or strength training, with or without a band, yours just may be featured in an upcoming post ;)

Have you failed lately?

2009-06-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Watch this inspirational video and find out what I mean ...

Ramblings of a sidetracked internet browser

2009-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so that's nothing new, but I came across a site for this fabulous group called "Improv Everywhere", they make me smile .....

Ramblings of a sad friend

2009-06-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a few days to write this, maybe a few days for the idea to even sink it. My friend, Helen Ehrenhofer, has decided to put her digital scrapbooking design business on hold for a while. I won't get into the reasons here, but you can read them on the goDigitalScrapbooking.com forum.

There is a bright side, everything in her store is on sale through the end of June, 57% off. Click here to shop in Helen's Store.

Please help to brighten her day just a bit and pick up a kit or two while they are still available.

Ramblings of a scrapbooker

2009-06-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

Like the new look? I created it with Tuscan Days by Helen Ehrenhofer, you can purchase it at goDigitalScrapbooking.com - just click on the Helen blinkie in my sidebar.

Here are a couple of layouts I made using the same kit ....
You can view it bigger and tell me what you think about it by visiting my layout gallery ...

http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=57908&ppuser=1160
http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=57893&ppuser=1160

Ramblings of a wife to a father

2009-06-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

If you have a father or an office guy in your life, you're going to want to enter this one! Check it out at

Life Starring Ellie and Eve

Plus, you can get additional entries at

3 Garnets and 2 Sapphires

Mom Start

and Blessing Abound

Take a moment to enter, you may just win something ;)

Ramblings of a slacker

2009-06-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

So, ya, I've been slacking - no posts in almost a year, anyone want to slap my wrist?

A little catch up - the kids are out of school for the year and officially passed on to the next grade -
Christopher is a second grader
Kaleb is a Sophmore and
Brianna is a Senior

Looks like I need to scout out a new place to take pictures for the kids, we've been to all the great spots we take family and senior portraits for our clients. I try to do a new place every year, and these will be Bri's senior portriats so a little extra special.

I've become a member of Helen Ehrenhofer's creative team, which means I get to create layouts and stuff with her newest kits before they even hit the store (gotta love it!!)

I made a fan blinkie for Helen, you can snag it here, and while your at it, click on it and visit her store

Ramblings of a Game Playing Mom

2008-07-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

I feel so blessed that our adult son and his family like to hang out at our house Sundays after church! We enjoy a big family meal and play games - usually phase10 or monopoly.

Now our daughter is back from Florida but hoping to move there permanently before long, and our son is being transfered by HP to Houston, where our oldest daughter and her 2 children live. I know we have to make the most of the time that we have with them because once they are gone, the chance of getting the whole family together will get even slimmer than it has been with just one living in a different state. Not only that, but our third daughter is going to be Junior this year and isn't even looking at any local colleges. And our second son is starting high school this year. We've got a way to go before we are empty nesters, since our third and youngest son is just starting 1st grade this year - but I am already feeling the saddness of family being too far away to visit regularly.

So, while most are still here, we have to make the most of game night. Oh, and the oldest and her two little (or not so little, anymore) ones are visiting for a week at the end of the month while hubby/daddy is being a camp councelor. I will miss seeing the son-in-law, since we only get to see them once every 2-3 years or longer, but am very excited to visit with the rest of the family.

With summer here, I would love to find games we can enjoy on the deck, especially on evenings that there is a breeze blowing. So, when "An Island Life" blog mentioned this great game that uses magnetic hematite as the playing pieces, Jishaku, I knew I needed to get it. Hope it doesn't take too long to get here ;).

Check out her review of the game on her blog An Island Life and you will have a chance to win one of your own.

Want to know more about the game? Visit the Jishaku site.

Happy playing, whatever you choose to play!!

Ramblings of a Rocker

2008-07-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

I love most kinds of music and will happily go to just about any live concert (though I do draw the line at heavy metal and hard core rap), but I'm definitely a rocker at heart. So when a friend mentioned that Journey was coming to Fiddlers Green in Denver with Heart and Cheap Trick opening - I was SO in!

Just one thing we were curious about, being children on the 80's - with Steve Perry not singing for Journey anymore, who was? Then I saw an interview with Journey on Good Morning America - they said that they were watching videos on youtube of band covering their songs and discovered Arnel Pineda from the Philippines - and when they played clips of him singing, I was completely amazed! All you have to do is close your eyes - he sounds so much like Steve Perry! I bought their latest album "Revelation" - a two disc album with a bonus DVD. Disc one was all new songs (I noticed that more than half the audience just sat down when they played the new songs because they were unfamiliar) and disc 2 was a 'greatest hits' of sorts, but re-recorded with Arnel on vocals. The DVD is a concert, which I still haven't watched.

Anyway, the concert was last Wednesday, the first stop on their American tour. Heart sounds as amazing as they always have. Journey was equally amazing - though it would be good if the lead singer would remember what band he is singing for, LOL! (He stumbled a bit over "Journey") Cheap Trick has only ever had a couple of songs that I liked, but they banged those out as good as ever. I am always amazed at the range of people who attend concerts. I saw children as young as 4 (which, IMHO, is ridiculous - way too young for a concert, I am hesitant to take my 15 year old son and 16 year old daughter to concerts) and rockers in their 60's!

I was hoping this video that someone posted to youtube would work, but I can't get it to embed, so here's the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LICMjJAeFw

Ramblings of a Road Trip Mama

2008-06-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

Our family has always chosen the comfort of road trips over flying for our vacations. When the children were younger, we didn't have to worry about how noisy they were, if they were bugging the other's on the plane, we have the travel trailer so we can rest assured that nobody has left anything gross in the hotel bed, we can stop at multiple places along the trip and really see some of the great nuances of our country. Oh, and our SUV has a dvd player, so the kids can watch movies or plug in the playstation to stay busy while my hubby and I get hours of wonderful conversation time.

This year the gas prices are going to really cause vacation cut backs, not just for us, but for just about everyone. We are excited to see some of the wonderful spots around Colorado that we've missed in our 18 years here, though. And, I'm researching ways to help us save money and gas on our short stateside trips.

I found a link to some gas saving tips (along with some other helpful info and checklists for road trips) from prestone

Click here to view the gas saving tips

An Island Life is hosting a series of summer giveaways, and you can enter to win a road trip prize pack

Click here to read An Island Life and enter the giveaway

Good luck and Happy Road Tripping!

Ramblings of a jewelry making fool!

2008-06-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

So, I started this fabulous new business earlier this year .... Gems to Jewels!! It combines my love of crafting with my love of beautiful jewelry.

I have been making handmade jewelry since 2005, and shortly after starting I had several people ask if I could teach them. Well, I did several little classes for friends and fellow mom's clubbers, but really wanted to turn it into a viable business. I began searching for a good vendor or two where I could get everything that I wanted I began to feel like the industry falls hugely short. I don't want a huge beading store, and it seemed like I would need to purchase large minimum orders from several manufacturers in order to have the variety that I need.

Well, I thought, maybe a direct sales company so I can benefit from their larger purchasing power and advertising. Off on that search I went - I found about 5 companies that offer in-home jewelry making parties/classes/workshops, and contacted each. Within just a few hours Gems to Jewels had called me back (BTW - this was in January and I'm still waiting to hear from all but one of the others)

I did my research on the internet, since the other companies really weren't interested enough in having any more consultants to send information, and found that one of the 5 is really a boutique type business that offers a few of their products in kits that you can put it together yourself. The other 3 are pre-made make 'n take type.

Gems to Jewels really stands out - they offer real gemstones and sterling silver components, all sold by the component. This means that you can attend a workshop and create a meaningful piece or set that reflects your personality using gemstones that are special to you, at a price that suits your budget. You can design and complete or the consultant can finish for you. And in the end, you get a one of a kind piece that is heirloom quality!

Anyway, I obviously chose Gems To Jewels, and am loving it!!

Ramblings of a wife who knows men can be idiots

2008-06-04T07:04:00.001-07:00

Well, It's been an eventful week and a half since my last post. Sunday after my last post the family all headed off to church. We arrived, got Chris off to sunday school and gathered in the espresso cafe to enjoy lattes and donuts. We enjoyed the service and headed back home, with Bri driving and Louis playing the roll of the responsible license holder. We got out of the parking lot and headed home, and Louis started coughing and sneezing. By the time we got home, his eyes were starting to swell. Of course, you know, he is a man, so here's how the conversation went.

Me, "Get back in the car, I have to take you to the ER."
Him, "No, I'll just wash my eyes and wait it out."
Me, "Are you out of your stinkin' mind - get your butt in the car!"

By the time we got to the ER (which, BTW, is in our neighborhood and takes about 2 minutes to get to from our house) his eyes were swollen shut and he was having a hard time breathing. I pulled up to the front door and sent him in while I parked. I run into the building and they already have him in back processing him - there are people in the waiting room bleeding, but for this severe allergic reaction, he came first. At this point he can no longer see, is struggling to breath, and can hardly talk. They shot him up with epinephrine, plus benadryl into an IV they've stuck in his arm, and admitted him to the hospital. When they get him settled in his room he's looking a bit like Mr. Magoo and I tell him how much better he looks (he can now actually open his eyes and see) and he looks in the mirror and finally realizes how serioius this all was - "this is better!?"

Anyway, they release him the next afternoon (Memorial Day monday) after keeping him overnight for observation and give him instructions to follow up with his primary care physician. Friday I'm looking in the calendar while he's off playing golf and don't see that follow up appointment, so I make one for him, and stronglly reprimand him when he gets home.

Oh, and by the way, they don't know what caused the reaction.

The 25th was our granddaughter Laila's 5th birthday, and we had planned a trip to chuck e cheese with her, her 3 year old brother, her 21 month old brother, our son's 4 year old daughter and 18 month old daughter, and our 6 year old Chris. Of course, that was overruled by the trip to the ER, so they all celebrated at home while Louis and I were at the hospital.

What else has kept us busy? Let's see ....
~ our daughter and her 3 kiddo's arrived back from Florida/Texas and have been staying with us
~ school is out so our three minor children are home most of the time
~ I worked for D11 through the school year, so now there are numerous studio and jewelry related tasks that I need to catch up on
~ summer is almost here and there are so many yard/houshold chores that need to be done so that we can enjoy the season

Ramblings of a wife shopping for Father's Day

2008-05-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me (or, rather, your hubby is anything like mine) it's incredibly hard to shop for Father's day (or his birthday, or Christmas). My hubby tends to get the things he needs as he needs them and isn't typically interested in 'fluff' (ie. stuff that he doesn't need). In my search for the perfect gift, I came across Amanda & Kristin's Father's Day Gift Guide ....

check it out!!

Ramblings of a mom who's kids know their parts

2007-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

OK, so my hubby had CNN headline news on this morning and a report they did caught my ears. It appears that the long standing play, "The Vagina Monologues" has changed it's name to the "The HooHaw Monologues". This happened because a woman called and complained after passing a billboard advertising the play with her niece in the car and the little girl asked the woman what a vagina was, so Aunty Dear was embarrassed. She should be, but Mom should be mortified that her daughter would even have to ask.

Now, I've never watched or had the urge to watch the monologues, and I neither defend or oppose the play, I just think that not educating our children is a big problem in our society (but that's a blog for another day)

It didn't say how old the girl was, but it is my opinion that if she is old enough to read, she is old enough to know what a vagina is. I mean, SERIOUSLY, pet names for body parts are not cute or funny and when kids find out the real name it just becomes a problem that they didn't know all along.

I have heard teachers and moms tell stories of when a child finally learns the real name for these body parts and the kid thinks it is the funniest thing ever - causing them to go around spewing the new "bad word" in every imaginable (and, I'm sure, quite embarrassing) situation. And, of course, at school where another 1/2 of their classmates (probably more) are learning the word for the first time.

Had these children's parents (specifically mothers, since we all know how 'involved' most dads are in child rearing, LOL, again, a blog for another day) used those word with their children all along, it would be a non-issue. Words that are a part of a child's vocabulary (excluding curse words) won't get used in the inappropriate ways or places.

From infancy, my children started learning body parts - in the baby bath tub, I would tell them that I was washing their knees or drying their shoulders .

Anyway, what do you think, when is it appropriate to tell your kids that they have a vagina instead of a hoohaw?

Ramblings of an ex? Alaskan

2007-01-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

So my hubby and I moved AWAY from Alaska in September 1990, shortly after our wedding and just before the winter weather set in. While it wasn't the *only* reason we left, we were happy to get away from the cold weather, the snow, the lack of transitional season (ie: spring & autumn.)

We moved to Colorado and were pleasently surprised by the weather here. Our first autumn (yes, a real autumn!!) when I took our then 1st grade daughter (that would be Yennae) trick or treating and the wind breakers I took for us got carried the whole way (this after a childhood (mine) of getting costumes 2 sizes too big so they would fit over snowsuits). Fall got over and winter set in, and the weather was still so mild that most of the time we were just in light jackets or sweaters. I'm not sure if we had any snow that year for Christmas, but it obvioiusly it wasn't a big deal if I can't remember.

The 15 winters between have been equally mild. We typically get a few snowstorms a year and as soon as the front passes the snow starts melting, and within a few days the snow is gone. Once every several years, we may get a blizzard which dumps a bunch of snow on us and after that it can take a couple of weeks for the weather to warm up enough to melt the snow entirely, but not really often enough to complain about.

This year has been a drastic change! The week before Christmas we got a blizzard (this was after an early blizzard less than a week before Halloween), now here it is, 5 weeks later and my kiddo's had a late start yesterday as the roads recovered from the 5th snowstorm in as many weeks. And, the weathermen have predicted another one this weekend.

You might think I said ex? Alaskan because I feel like I'm home lately, and you would be partially correct, but there is another reason. In the past week or so my husband and I have been batting around the idea of going back, and I don't mean just for a visit. Many have heard me say, "Alaska is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Now I am rethinking that philosophy.

Pros
* Alaska is so majestic and beautiful
* it still has so many unspoiled wilderness areas
* there is the permanent fund dividend (an annuity paid to Alaskan residents that varies from $500 to over $1000 per person each year)
* my children have never had the opportunity to live near family like that - I so miss the big family gatherings I grew up with
* summer nights are so fun when the sun only goes down for a few hours (or is that the teenage me talking?)
* it would mean a fresh start
* no sales tax
* Aurora Borialis
* (for my hubby) ice fishing

Cons
* Colorado is majestic and beautiful as well
* our adult children live here in the states and a move to Alaska would mean we couldn't visit them and our grandchildren very often
* The weather here is not usually this bad
* we love to take road trips, which in Alaska would be just within the state
* there are certain people still in Alaska that we intentionally moved away from
* while those late summer nights are fun ...
* they aren't as warm as the ones here
* they get annoying when you can't get enough sleep
* they come with winter nights that are much longer - with the sun rising after you have arrived at work or school and ofter setting before you get back home
* even though there isn't sales tax, the prices are slightly higher there, which kind of counteract each other
* earth quakes
* (for my hubby) shorter golf season

So, it would seem there are more in my cons list, but are the pro's weightier? Who knows? This is just an idea that we are batting around and don't intend to leave here for at least 2 or 3 years. I guess we will continue to discuss this for the next couple year and make a final decision based on how our business is doing by then and what kind of winters we have here between now and then (we will also be watching the weather in Alaska and making our comparison)

Ramblings of a non-"Turista"

2006-12-26T08:17:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to update .....
We did go back, tried to get there toward the end of the movie so we could watch the part we missed without having to watch the entire movie. Well, that *almost* worked, LOL, we missed a few minutes in between the majority of the movie we saw on the "pop bottle bomb" day and the end. Oh well, now I will have to wait for it to be shown on HBO.

Ayway, we had decided that it was senseless to go to he movies for the last 20 minutes of something then leave, so we decided to watch 'Turistas'. I just have to say that I wish I had logged on to Yahoo Movies before I chose that movie. It was definately graphic, but intensely DULL! I swear I felt every minute that I sat in that theatre, LOL. The Yahoo Movies ratings showed it at a C- from both the critics and the general public - I think I would rate it at a D, though.

Ramblings of a bummed out movie go-er and a worrying mom

2006-11-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is not a review and I will not be giving away anything that happened in the movie.

I went to the movies - Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell. I was sitting there enjoying the movie and all was well, until about an hour and 45 minutes into the movie when the theatre lights suddenly came on and a theatre employee runs in and informs us that there has been 'an issue in the theatre' and we should all meet in the lobby.

While we were all crammed into the lobby, I could see fire trucks outside the theatre and then I saw firemen going into a side exit. The managers gave us all rain checks and had us leave. So I headed home and got there just before the news. About half way through the news they started reporting on the breaking news. Turns out someone set off a sort of a bomb in the theatre - something about dry ice in a bottle. No injuries, but there was some damage, and the police don't know who was involved.

So, here I am wondering what happened to Harold Crick. (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T tell me!!!)

Anyway, back to being crammed into the lobby - I noticed some teens in there calling there rides to get home. These kids had t-shirts and no jackets and a cold front had come through earlier in the day so it was pretty cold and starting to snow. Plus, it took me about 2-3 times longer than usual to drive home because the roads were slick. So, I'm sitting there wondering (worrying) about these poor kids - what if there had been imminent danger (a bigger bomb, someone with a gun, a fire) and the evacuation was not to the lobby but directly outside? I got to thinking, what if my daughter had been there alone and had to wait for me to get there to pick her up?

I know that I'm a worrier, it bugs my kids and hubby when I get to thinking about things like this, but I just can't help it.

Well, let me know your thoughts on this .....

Ramblings of a happy helper

2006-11-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

Blog Prompt 11/13: Imagine you save a man's life and later find out he is the richest man in the world. He offers to either buy you a new house and land or fix the house and land you already have any way you want. Describe either your new house and land or what improvements you would make on the land and house you already own.

First of all, I just want to say that if I were to save someone's life or perform any other service for another person, that just knowing I have helped is reward enough.

BUT, since this man is so generous....
Our current house is way too small, we've lived here for 15 years and it's always been too small. We have 3 bedrooms in a split entry home. There are 5 of us, a dog, and a photo studio all sharing the small area. Too small and no property space to expand.

My dream home would have 2 separate entries OR 2 separate buildings - one for our home and one for our business.

The home part would have bedrooms for all 3 kiddo's, a master bedroom that has enough room (right now we barely have enough room to walk at the end and on either side of our bed.)

I'd love a great room that flows into the kitchen - a nice open feel that has plenty of room yet is still cozy. Of course, the basement would be set up to maximize family fun time and keep the teens home more often - a home theatre, plenty of room for the teens and their friends to 'hang', maybe an air hockey or foosball table, and maybe even a bowling lane.

Oh, and a couple of little luxuries for me ... a central vac and a laundry shoot.

There would be a solarium with a pool and hot tub and lots of plants - kind of like my own little tropical island. I would like a big multi-leveled deck with an outdoor kitchen and lots of comfy places to sit and a fire pit for those cooler autumn (or warmer winter) evenings.

Once you step off of the deck, the rest of the back yard would be like an oasis - trails, trees, flowers, benches, a koi pond with a bridge. This space would be a nice place to relax throughout the year, but also a great place to take our customers for some outdoor portraits. Of course, there would also be a playground area (all this dreaming for me, I guess I should include the youngest Colbert, LOL)

The garage would be a 2 car plus an RV slot.

The business part would have a scrapbook store with plenty of wall space to showcase some of the portraits we have taken. Off of the store/gallery area would be several areas:
~ A play area for the customers children - probably a circular area with 1/2 walls to keep the kids coralled but still in view of their parents.
~ a 'latte lounge', with comfy overstuffed chairs - this space would serve as a waiting area for the portrait customers as well as serving beverages for our customers pleasure.
~ a portrait studio - this would be larger than normal with different sets at each corner and along the walls. There would be a door that leads out to the back yard for those outdoor shots.
~ an office area - with private preview viewing areas (maybe 2) that have big screen monitors for viewing proof slide shows and plenty of good lighting; a production area where the printing, sorting and packaging takes place and space for storage (good lighting is also essential in this area; plus private offices for both my husband and myself.
~ A crop room - this has room for at least 10-8 foot tables, with 2 rolling office chairs at each table. Each crop space would have a cup holder hanging from it. At least one full wall would be counter space for tools for the croppers to use (this room is another place that plenty of good lighting will be needed.)
~ It would be great if the register area was back by the crop area, but still in full view of the front door. The side of the register counter that faces the crop area would be lower - regular table level - so I could tend the register and still be involved in the crop. Next to this table level area for me to crop at, there would be a regular height section to do demo's and make 'n takes at. There would also need to be a slotted storage area under the register section of the counter to store customer’s portraits to be picked up. I'm picturing the register area as round. It would probably work well to also have that latte lounge close enough to the register so that whoever was working could easily see the barista area from the register and vice-versa. And, of course, you would need to be able to see the entire store area from the counter so that you could watch for customers who need assistance without hovering over them.

Once again, it is so nice to dream, and until this dream comes to fruition I will have to suffer with my too small house and no room to add my scrapbook store to the business.

Ramblings of a transplanted Coloradan

2006-11-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

Today's blog prompt 11/9: 13 things I like about living where I do

They have these "Native Coloradan" bumper stickers here. I'm not allowed to get one because I wasn't born here, LOL, but they have this great bumper sticker for people like me ...

My top 13 reasons I love living in Colorado ...
13) chilly nights by the fire with a mug of cocoa
12) seasons (I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska - and it always seemed like we had 2 seasons. Just summer and winter, not much transition between the two)
11) Garden of the Gods (see pictures below)

10) Pikes Peak - the inspiration for "America the Beautiful" (see pictures above)
9) The beautifully changing aspen leaves - if you go hiking and just stand still for a moment they not only *look* beautiful, but the sound of them rustling in the breeze is also beautiful
8) It's never too hot
7) It's never bitterly cold
6) camping
5) We had a blizzard (see my blog entry ... Blizzard) on Thursday October 27 and 2 weeks later it was in the mid 70's on Wednesday November 8 and I was wearing flip flops
4) If it's not a blizzard with ton's of snow, it can snow one day and be melted the next day - we've even had days where it's snowed in the morning and been melted by the afternoon of the same day
3) beautifully blue skies in daylight and a blanket of stars at night
2) Colorado sunsets (see the Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak during sunset picture above)
and the number one reason I love Colorado
1) Colorado sunrises
'nuf said!

PS I would have loved to do this completely in pictures without any comments, but it took me 3 hours to find the perfect pictures that I *did* use, and since I have some actual work to get done today I will have to let those I did include suffice.

Ramblings of a Mom

2006-11-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Blog Prompt 11/6: In your area/family, how do children address adults? What manners do you stress in your family and which do you let slide? (This applies to adults, too, not just children).

When I was growing up, it was all "Mr(s). Lastname", and for that time that was the appropriate thing. As I grew up, "Mr/Miss Firstname" started to become popular in my area (I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska) and that is how my younger siblings addressed adults.

As time has gone by, the formality of Mr/Mrs/Miss seems to have gone the way of the stonewashed jeans and shoulder pads we used to wear in the 80's.

My teens address adults, for the most part, by their first names. Although there are some adults who have been introduced and always referred to by "Mr(s). Lastname", so that's how they address those adults.

My preschooler refers to most adults as "Miss/Mr Firstname."

Now, I don't know how other adults feel about this whole thing, but it just makes me feel so old when my kids friends call me "Mrs .Colbert", so I am much happier with "Miss Melanie" from the preschoolers and just plain "Melanie" from the teens.

But, who knows, trends come and go, so we may see the days of minors addressing adults with more respect come back again - I just hope that shoulder pads are gone for good, LOL!

Now, manners,
* One of my biggest pet peeves is children who interrupt adults just to show mom that they can twist their fingers together, or some other nonsense. Now, I know that whatever that child has to say is terribly important to them, but the interruption makes it painfully clear that their parents, like so many other now a days, hasn't bothered to teach their children basic manners. This is one thing that I am trying very hard to make sure my kids wait their turn to speak. They know that if I am on the phone or talking to someone in person (this doesn't necessarily mean just conversations with adults), that anything they have to say can wait (except emergencies of course) Does this mean that they always wait? They are children, so no. The 5 year old is still learning, but the teens do wait *MOST* of the time.
* Bad table manners are right up there with interruptions, I just cringe when I am around someone who eats with their mouth open, slurps, smacks, talks with food in their mouth. But since I still haven't been able to teach my husband the importance of good table manners it is hard to teach the kids. For the most part they are so much better than their dad, so I guess sometimes modeling good behavior in the face of bad does work.
* Saying please, thank you, may I, I'm sorry. Funny thing is, my preschooler has these down (hmmm, was that my influence or Dora the Explorer, LOL), but my teens have been slipping.
* Thank you notes - WOW, when I was a kid they were written the DAY you received a gift. Now I'm lucky if I even get an email or phone call to let me know that the gift arrived in one piece. In one case I had to contact a family member of a couple I had sent a wedding gift to and see if they had even received it. I finally received a note almost a year after the wedding. Worse yet, the busier I get, the more I let this slip myself. My children are supposed to write notes or at least write a personal note in a card from the family, but sometimes those cards don't make it out until a month or so after the gift was received. It didn't occur to me how awful I had gotten at this until my mom called almost a month after my preschoolers recent birthday and asked if we had gotten the card she sent with money in it. She was worried because it was cash and since I was still working on the TY cards I should have called her right away to let her know that the card had arrived. What a bad influence am I?

(*watch out - rambling woman about to get on her soap box*)
I hope that I have taught my children the importance of manners and respect - as I think that one of the biggest problems that our society faces is disrespectful teens and young adults. I have watched two of our children grow up and tried to instill these things in them, but watch as so many other parents don't care enough for their children to make sure they know right from wrong. And now I can only hope that I am being a proper teacher to the three left at home. Anyway, that's enough .... for now!

Ramblings of a Queen

2006-11-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

blog prompt 11/2: What would you do if you were queen for a day?

I would start by getting up early (but not TOO early) so I could fully enjoy my day. After a luxurious bath (rather than the rushed shower I usually get), I would enjoy a scrumptious breakfast (cooked by someone else, of course!) while reading my email (nothing new there, but it would be so much more enjoyable to take my time)

After breakfast, I would head to a spa and enjoy a morning of pampering, knowing that my chores were being taken care of by the 'hired help' (you know, the teens in my house really hate it when I call them that, LOL)

While I enjoyed a light lunch, someone else would be taking care of my preschooler and whatever lunch he wanted for the day. After lunch I would spend the afternoon scrapbooking.

When the older children get home from school, we would all jump in our indoor pool for a swim while someone else prepares dinner. After dinner, we would retire to our 'rec' room and decide as a family whether we want to watch a movie in our home theatre, go bowling on our private alley, or maybe just enjoy each others company over a board game.

Soon, the preschooler would be heading to bed and the teens would be off to do homework in their rooms, at which point my husband and I would have an actual adult only conversation over a bottle of wine.

Wow, it is fun to dream!