Heathens

My first dog was a pet store rescue. A pure, AKC certified, Jack Russell Terrorist named Georgia. I don’t quite know how the name came to me, but it did. She’s my Miss Georgia, Miss G, and Sister. She’s a diva, alpha Terrorist… just like me. She’s never met a person she didn't like, or a meal she didn't eat. She’ll charm you in a heart beat, loves to swim, and as she’s grown over her last 16 years, become an institution at Casa de Terrell. Kiddos love her, my parents adore her, and my mother calls her Buddha, as she’s a higher being… so much more than a dog.

As she’s gotten older, she’s also gotten several names. Georgia, to Miss G, to peanut, to my little Cheeto, to fatty, to Sister, to my dirty dawg. She loves to roll in mud, dirt, grass, or any fecal pile/slime trail/puke or general nastiness she can find… and of course – her pure pink puppy belly has become riddled with spots (freckles)… which is where the dirty dawg name originated from… Now it is because she’s got stinky old gal breath, a completely brown belly, and in her old crunchy age STILL loves to roll in the nearest nastiness… proud as punch.

At the age of 7, Miss G got a new little brother… we adopted him (another Jack Russell Terrorist) and he, like Archie, had a past that no dog should have. He does not like children, and has the scars to show for it. He came to the house named Turbo from the rescue group – cause the boy can MOVE. When he gets to runnin’, God help ya, cause no one can catch him. He’s part Jack Russell part Gazelle. Well Turbo just didn't fit this timid lil’ man. He came to us at 10 pounds… and skinny, tiny, and quiet. He attached to me instantly, and LOVED to survey the back 40 on top of the dog condo my husband built for the dogs. So we thought… “Scout”… we called him Scout – for about 2 weeks… and he never really responded to it, but we thought he was just getting used to his surroundings.

One day, over beers (as you do) – we were talking about how Scout was doing… and our dear friend Eddie (now departed, God rest his soul… we miss you Eddie!) said “Aw, I wanted to send a name to you when you were thinking about names for Scout… I guess it is too late now.” And we asked what he was going to submit… and that was the moment that greatness happened.

… “McLovin” he said… and Da Hubs and I realized… That.Was.The.Name. So we came home from our evening out – and got out of the car and said “McLoviiiiin” and low and behold if that little booger didn’t jump outta his dog condo, shoot across the back yard, and come sit right next to my husband. Well McLovin he became.

He holds true to his name, that little pervert. He loves “da ladies”… I mean LOOOOOOOOOOVES women. He works em over with his little face and skinny man syndrome, an within 5 minutes of meeting any woman, will be happily perched in her lap, getting lovin’s and (dirty little dawg) have one paw resting protectively on her boob. He’s a smooth little dawg… McLovin through and through… if you've seen Superbad, you can almost envision him saying “Wicka-wicka yeaaaaaaaaahhhh” as he hops in his next victim’s lap.

My little heathens are a handful, smarter-n-shit, and cutter than all get out. I can’t imagine my life without them, and I treasure each moment – as Sister is pushing 17, and McLovin (aka: Bubba Man, my little ballerina dog, and “idiot”) is somewhere between 10-12.

All I can say, is I’m certain I would love to come back in my next life as one of our dogs.... and we should all be so lucky.

It's the Little Things... #100happydays #unbridledrage

It's the Little Things.... #100happydays  #unbridledrage

So my muppets, it has been quite a stint since my last post, and I was reminded yesterday of how much material I have to share. (Thank ya' doll for pointing that out!)

Many of you may not be aware of all that's been going with my career and living situation, what with global warming, children being sold into sexual slavery, and oh... I don't know, your OWN lives to deal with! With that, allow me to elaborate.  I've taken a new position with an amazing Vancouver based company and have relocated part time to Vanny-C (as I lovingly call it).  

Da Hubs still lives and works in Dallas, and I split my time between the two cities when not traveling for work.  It's quite cosmopolitan when I read it described like that.  But the truth is, it's a mess (at the moment)...

As you likely have guessed, I'm a tightly wound, OCD, type A personality. I like things how I like them. Order, structure, organization, and creature comforts are key for my happy existence.  Moving to another country and lifestyle, married, yet with your spouse and household (items and comforts) still staying where "home" is, makes for an interesting life, to say the least.

I meticulously planned, made to do lists, and purchase/"lug it with me in my luggage" lists, and had a calendar of how my semi-transplantation to Vanny-C would work.  It included purchasing a CRAPTON (that's a technical term for a lot) from my formerly favorite retailer, Bed Bath and Beyond.  

So, let me tell you how planning and OCD do not work well when planning doesn't work. I moved into my apartment, with 6 suitcases (brought up over two different scouting trips to Vanny-C) full of the basic gal necessities, and expecting my delivery from BB&B to arrive as I had scheduled.  No furniture (that's coming or being purchased), no food, and no creature comforts.... They're all coming or to be found....

So, thanks to a different shipping timing/experience in Canada, my shippment from BB&B did not arrive and would not arrive for WEEKS... This means, no hangers for my clothes, no iron/ironing board to freshen up said clothes, no coffee maker (OH THE HUMANITY!) to make me human first thing in the morning, no shower curtain/liner for the bathroom, no waste bins, nope, nope, nope.

Now I've got clothes everywhere, I'm cranky like the dickens without my morning coffee, and I've stooped to the all time low of squatting,  crying-game style of hand held showers, smunched in the corner of my bathtub.  "So go buy a shower curtain!" you say.  

NO! 

At this point, it's the principle of the thing.  I ordered them, paid for shipping, therefore they should have arrived.  So, I spend 3 weeks, living like a savage, forcing my poor colleagues to see me with barbaric hair - and a sassy attitude to boot.  To add insult to injury and fuel to my fire, my deliveries were further hampered by my new building's concierge.  The lovely fellow seems to have issue with taking packages - a key part of his daily duty as our building's concierge. 

So after begging, pleading, cajoling, and sweet talking Captain Concierge, he finally agrees to sign and take my packages. I then spend hours on the phone with the shipping company to alert them that the packages should be delivered on the specific date that Captain Concierge agreed to.  

Well, low and behold...only "some" of the packages are delivered on my scheduled date.

Why?  Because apparently, although he could fit all the packages on his truck for an attempted delivery(twice), on the scheduled delivery - "they can't all fit on the truck."  Makes PERFECT sense to me.  So I eagerly take my partially delivered boxes up to the apartment, rip them open, and have my first true moment of #unbridledrage.  

#unbridledrage???  Yes.  #unbridledrage.  In my boxes are:  

• the trash bags for the trash can (which didn't come)
• the shower curtain HOOKS (that hold the shower curtain that didn't get delivered)
• the ironing board (for the iron that didn't come)
• the clothes sorter/hanger (for the boxes of clothes hangers that didn't come)... 
• and no coffee maker.  

Of course.  I have items with no ability to use them as their mates are MIA.  Awesome, more crying game showers coupled with no morning java.

Each day, I experience #unbridledrage as I think about my living conditions. No furniture, a mattress on the floor, and utter chaos and savagery of a living situation.

Now, what I didn't realize was the AMAZING weather we were having here in Vanny-C...  The enjoyable commute on the train and bus each morning as I go to/from work... The joys of learning the transit system, finding fun restaurants and bars to enjoy, and a freshly washed set of sheets on my bed... All these little things were going unnoticed and unappreciated due to my #unbridledrage.

In my #unbridledrage, so many things were irritating to me, including seeing the #100happydays posts on Facebook and not knowing what that mess was all about.  So, I hopped on the Google and read about it. 

I realized you can choose to see the light or the shadow in everything.  Sadly, my crying game showers and lack of coffee, coupled with a seemingly mortal feud with Captain Concierge were massively jading my view of things. 

Yesterday, the remainder of the boxes arrived, and I basked in absolute glee.  Hanging shower curtains, setting up my coffee maker, hanging my clothes, and organizing the apartment.  You would have thought that I had won the lottery.  How can such a little thing make me so #100happydays?  Simple, by being grateful for the little things:  A shower, in a shower with a shower curtain... My coffee maker, beeping to alert me that a brewed pot is awaiting me first thing in the morning...  Neatly organized clothes hanging on my flecked hangers... All little things that have made me so happy.

So my #unbridledrage has helped me to see #100happydays as a possibility, and as a choice.  I choose to live happy, see the good, and be positive.  Of course, having a proper shower and cup of coffee sure doesn't hurt to make things a bit rosier first thing in the morning.

Enjoy your days my muppets, as for all that is bad, there is just as much good.  You can choose to see it or miss out on having a lifetime of #100happydays.  Just don't mess with my shower, just sayin'.

Mmmmmmm Monday

Making Monday Better

We all have Monday's. We all dislike Monday's.  It's the day after the weekend.  We typically ate and drank well all weekend, and now we're "back to normal" and meals are back to being a chore.  So welcome to Mmmmmm  Monday.  Here are 5 recipes for you that you can apply to your Monday meal making repertoire. Enjoy, or at least take the ideas for the next time you're in a meal making slump.  Tasty, tasty!

1. Kitchen Sink Nachos:  I've never met a nacho I didn't like. I've also been in a mood for nachos and didn't think I had the "fixins" to make a proper nacho.  Well, cravings and a brick of cheese are the mother of all invention.  The birth of the Kitchen Sink Nachos....

• Put your chips on a baking sheet - one single layer so each chip gets proper nacho toppings.
• Beans:  I take any can of beans I can find. Black, pinto, black eyed peas, kidney, even chickpeas. Drain em, rinse em, and then sprinkle them right on top of your chips.
• Kitchen Sink:  This is the inventive part.  I grab all my left overs and sprinkle them on top.  Left over veggies, left over meat/chicken/fish/shrimp, even left over pasta or rice... It all goes on top.  Now hear me out... Gulash, probably isn't going to work here... but chopped up left over veggies from dinner, shredded left over chicken breast, sliced steak, shrimp, - right on the money!
• Cheese: Daaahhhhhlings- grab your bricks of cheese, shred those suckers over your nachos - making a nice cheesy covering so that every chip and kitchen sink leftover has a blanket of cheese.  This is the "bringing it all together" part.
• Pop this sucker in the oven till your cheese is melty and the kitchen sink is hot.
• While the nachos are baking, grab whatever fresh veg you have in the fridge and chop em up! Lettuce, kale, arugula, celery, carrots, tomatoes, cole slaw mix, cucumber... Chop em up and have them ready to put on top of your scoop of nachos.  Even season your salad up if you have time.  This adds the fresh crunch to the nachos - and gives ya' a little veg in your life.  It adds dimension without the guilt. Come on my dears, EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
• Salsa, jalapenos, and your accoutrements: If you like salsa, plop it on top of your scoop of nachos, ditto for jalapenos or sour cream.  Whatever you've got in the fridge to add a little kick or spice.  I've also used BBQ sauce when in a pinch - and it was tasty as all get out.  

So my darlings - Kitchen Sink Nachos... Chips, cheese and a little salsa will bring together ANY left overs (within reason!) and suddenly you've cleaned out your fridge, and made a tasty little dish!

2.  His Mistress's Mashed:  This is Giada de Laurentiis' mashed potato recipe.  Da Hubs is gaga for this gal and (honestly) I am to - so she's his mistress (in his mind, of course).  She's cute as a button and cooks to boot.  These mashed potatoes are my go-to for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and whenever you are making anything with a yummy sauce/gravy that just screams for a good mashed.  

Now I won't take credit - here's the recipe direct from the website, but once you've made it once, you can pretty much make it "your own" without a recipe.

Recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/baked-mashed-potatoes-with-parmesan-cheese-and-bread-crumbs-recipe.html

What I will tell you is that this recipe lends itself well to be extra cheesy (I add more cheese than she says to) and if you have a little crisped bacon or pancetta - stir it in and add some to the crust!  Like I said - this has become my own, with each batch coming out tastier than the last and customized to whatever I either had in the fridge or was craving. ENJOY!!!

3. Ragout: No my darlings, not the pasta sauce from a jar (Ragu). A RAGOUT... This is the best thing to go with His Mistress's Mash.  What is a Ragout?  The official definition is a highly seasoned dish of meat cut into small pieces and stewed with vegetables.

So for the mashed, that means creating a delicious saucy goodness. You can even dump it all into a crock pot - let it cook all day and eat it when you get home. Buckle up and here we go:

• Take your meat (italian sausage, turkey sausage, ground beef, sliced meat, really WHATEVER meat you want to make a good sauce out of) and brown that sucker up in a pan with chopped onion and garlic, salt/pepper and whatever herbs and seasons you like.
• If you don't do meat - you can use TVP or I prefer portobello mushrooms.  Meaty and hearty and just damn tasty. Note to my meat eaters: ADD PORTOBELLOS to you ragout too!  Meat and mushrooms are meant to be together!  So saute that sucker up in your pan with olive oil and all the good seasonings you have.
• If you have tomato paste/sauce/even store bought pasta sauce - grab it.  Add a squish of your tomato product to the pan (1/2 the paste can, a cup of sauce - you know, a "squish").  And then pour some quality red wine in the pan and let it all bubble and mix together in the pan.
• You can add sliced veggies (peppers, etc) or whatever other vegs you want to this - but the secret is this makes the best damn sauce to eat with the Mistress's Mash. The tomato and meat accompanies the cheesy potato situation like, well, like the best damn pairing you can find.
• I didn't include a picture as ragouts are sauces that you need to be creative about. Use your pan, start it in your crock pot before you leave, whatever you do - it's yours and it'll be delicious. Don't be scared! If it looks saucy and cooked together - you did it right... now enjoy!

4.  Salad Secrets. We all need to eat our veggies, they're good for ya, help ya poo, and we're just supposed to.  I'm not going to get into the health benefits of vegetables - we all went to school and all had a parent who told us to eat our veg.  Well, here's the thing.  Veg gets boring. Salads get boring. So here's my tips for making a quick, last minute salad and making it not so boring, and honestly - pretty dadgum good! 

Tip:  Prep it once, put all the fixin's in tupperwear containers or zip baggies in the fridge and you've got your salad stuff ready at a drop of a hat.  Below are my salad fixins that I always have on hand and can whip one up whenever I realize we gotta get some greens in there!

• Kale! It ain't just for tree huggers and vegans.  It's a damn good veg.  It's hearty, has great crunch, and they sell it already cut up in the bag at the store if you're too lazy to wash and cut it up yourself.  Grab a bag, have it in your fridge and use it for EVERYTHING!
• I use it in my salads, instead of lettuce (which is such a waste with such little nutrient value)
• I use it on my NACHOS - again, if ya got it, use it
• I put it in my smoothies too - adds nutrients, thickens em up and you can't taste em with all the other fruits and veg you got in there.
• Beans: Open a can of beans, rinse, drain, and you're done.  I love chickpeas. I put a sprinkling of them on all my salads.  Black beans area also a favorite.  Again - whatever ya got, sprinkle em on!
• Raisins or Dried Cranberries: I buy these in bulk and just sprinkle them on my salads whenever I make one - it adds a little sweet.  Good for ya too!
• Nuts: Pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts... even toasted soy nuts.  They're good for you (all that good fat stuff) and add crunch and depth to the salad.  Just like with the raisins, I buy in bulk, have a container handy and sprinkle em on top of my salad.
• FRUIT: Folks, we all have an apple, pear, or some berry in our fridge.  Slice it up and put it on that salad.  It makes such a difference and it is such a simple thing to do!
• VEG: Ok - carrot nubbins, celery chopped, cucumber sliced, bell peppers, snap peas, green beans, cole slaw mix... you name it... Whatever you like or whatever you have - add a little to it.  Crunch is good!
• Cheese: 'Nuff said.  I buy fat free Feta and crumble some on top - but when I don't have Feta - whatever else I do have goes into the salad.  Everyone needs cheese!
• Vinaigrette: Folks, this is where we kill ourselves.  Don't use bottled salad dressing.  Make a quick vinaigrette and use it all week.
• Grab a jar - you'll use it to mix and store your new vinaigrette
• A dollop of dijon mustard (or any mustard you have)
• A generous sprinkle of: Salt, pepper, herbs (italian is fine - but whatever you like)
• then add 1/3 vinegar (balsamic, red wine, apple cider - whatever!) and 2/3 olive oil
• Shake that sucker up and you're done!
• If you like lemon, squeeze a lemon in there too!
• Store it in the fridge and it'll keep for the week. Just take it out and shake the bejesus out of it before you use it!
• Left over rice, pasta, quinoa, or couscous.  If you aren't going low carb and need a little something to stretch your salad, add a scoop of leftover carb to your plate. Why not - it's tasty!

5. Knock off Orange Julius: We all remember the Orange Julius from our youth.  Well - make em at home in no time!

• One banana
• Orange juice
• Ice
• Scoop of Vanilla protien powder
• Put it all in the blender and go!

So my daaahlings, hopefully this takes you from a blah Monday to something a bit more tasty.  Make your salad fixins for the week so you can throw it together in no time... or save the chopped bits to use on top of your Kitchen Sink Nachos... or use in your Ragout when you make your Mistress's Mashed.  I'm just sayin - it's all easy if you have a kick in the creativity section of your fridge.  So here's kickin' so you get to it!

Whaddya Know Wednesday

Well whaddya know???

So here's a few little tidbits that when I learned them I ended up muttering, "Well whaddya know?" and thought you'd enjoy them.

1. Pine cones (can) have MITES!  

After the bachelorette party in Tahoe, my sister-in-law took home a bag of gigantic Tahoe pinecones.  Luckily the TSA agents clued her in that pine cones have mites and that she needs to take precautions before putting the pine cones in her home to avoid a potential infestation.

So I did a little Googleage on the issue and boy were they right!!

From Thrasherpestcontrol.com it turns out you can remove them quite easily simply bake them at 175-200 degrees for a bit and that should do it.

Once you've baked them - your pine cones are safe to keep in the house - you can rest assured you wont have any new bugs making a home in your humble abode.

2.  Charge your phone/iPad/device FAST by turning it into airplane mode. 

Folks, this one is a no brainer but it took me reading it on one of those Facebook posts about tricks for your iPhone before it clicked.  I tested it at home when my phone was down to 20% and turned it on airplane mode, plugged it in and it charged significantly faster.  

So when you're in a pinch and need to charge your device, slide it into airplane mode and charge it.  

You can get significant charging in only 5 minutes - which for those of us who travel or depend on our phones more than we depend on wearing pants in public - this one's a life saver!

3.  Add Chlorophyll to your water.  Or at least lemon!

People, we all need to hydrate.  We should all be drinking at least 8-9 glasses a day.  It's good to help you flush out gunk, can help ya poo, is good for your skin, and if you hit the wine like some (*ahem*) of us do - it's a re-hydration thing.

I started thinking about spas that I'd been to and how REFRESHED I felt after a massage and the fancy green water they gave me.  Turns out Chlorophyll in your water is quite beneficial to you.  Some lab tests suggest chlorophyll could help block some cancer-causing chemicals. But we don't know if it would have any benefit against cancer in people. Some people use chlorophyll supplements for bad breath, constipation, and to speed up healing.  

Bottom line, it helps to purify your body, and adds a little boost to you water when you're trying to counteract all the things that we put in our bodies that we likely shouldn't.


4. Turn your phone into your laptop - using bluetooth keyboards!

This one was a helpful pointer for me considering how many texts, whatsapps and general things we do on our phones while at our desks.  I have a logitech keyboard that's for my iPad, that syncs up via bluetooth. 

When I'm at my desk, I put my phone on a charger, sync it to the keyboard via the bluetooth option on my phone (it will recognize any bluetooth enabled device it can sync to - if they are on and searching for connection) and can simply respond to texts, whatsapp messages, or really anything that requires typing infinitely faster than hunt and pecking with my finger on the keyboard.

Next time you've got a minute, give it a try and set up your own little station (picture here shows someone else's home made ipad station - but proves the point perfectly) and watch how much easier you can multi-task, answer personal emails/texts/etc without interrupting your day and without picking up your phone.  Love this lifehack!

5. Vinegar with the mother. Learn it, love it, live it.

So, I can't take the credit for this one - this came from my mom.  She started talking about Vinegar "with the mother" - and that I needed to start using it. 

BRAGG brand is the easiest found brand and instead of taking credit for it, simply visit their site and see for yourself: 

http://bragg.com/healthinfo/acvdaily.html

I use it in all my cooking, salad dressings, and the vinegar drink with local honey and vinegar - the health benefits are amazing.  

All I can say is read about it, do a little Googleage of your own and try it.  From refreshing your scalp, to helping with your digestion and alkalinity, it has multiple purposes.

If nothing else, it's VERY tasty and a better flavored apple cider vinegar for vinaigrette and marinades and makes an amazing addition to your culinary arsenal.  

You need to get involved people. Seriously.

Alright my daaaahlings, that's the scoop for the day - some humpday "whaddya knows" to digest.

Mwah!!!!

Sunday SMACKdown

We All Make Choices...

So Sunday SMACKdown posts aren't useful nuggets of information that are going to change your life.  Sunday SMACKdown is saved for the moments that I feel I'd like to share some perspective on a happening in my life.  Some will be funny (I hope), others likely an honest question being asked that I'd like your answer on, and some... a rant, soapboxy tirade, and a moment where I just haaaad to say something.

So here's my disclaimer - if you chose not to read my Sunday SMACKdown, you have not offended me.  If you chose to read it - it is not intended to offend you.  But with freedom of speech, and this new fangled internet thingy, everyone's an author, critic, cynic, specialist, genius, idiot, and famous in their own mind.  Take all ego and emotion out of it, read it for what it says, not what you may think I'm cryptically trying to imply.  I'm not that bright and it's just a blog. 

So here we go....

We All Make Choices

As kids, we fought for our favorite ice cream or popsicle flavor.  "I want the red one!" or "I want chocolate!"  We all make choices.  As teenagers, we chose our hairstyles and clothing (many times to the utter disgust or dismay of our parents). "I want a perm!" or "I HAVE to wear this off the shoulder splatter painted XL t-shirt with scrunchy belt."  We all make choices.  In college, we chose our major, defining "who" we wanted to be when we grew up...  And that, is where the choices really start impacting things.

Some chose not to go to college, others chose technical schools, trade schools, became entrepreneurs and started their own business or went into family business, and some took a creative journey through life that no one can really define.  We all make choices...

Now, next on the life decision wheel, when we reach the age of adulthood, is getting married and having babies.  Marriage isn't for everyone, and neither are kids.  I understand that humbly and wholeheartedly.  But, we all make choices.  

• We respect and celebrate someone's choice to marry (Hello! Wedding showers, wedding gifts, wedding celebrations.... There's an entire industry dedicated to it!) 
• We respect someone's choice not to.  
• We respect and celebrate someone's choice to have children (Hello! Baby showers...Baby's first birthday.... and so on and so on....)
• We respect someone's choice not to.

Or do we?  

I am a DINK (Dual Income No Kids) individual.  I am so by choice.  I love children and think they're amazing. I love them enough to know that the kind of person I would have to be to raise a decent little human being who will grow up and be a stand-up citizen of the world, is not who I want to be.  So I made a choice, long before meeting my husband. I respect my choice, as I respect yours. But, here's the rub.  

I work hard. 

     My husband works hard. 

          I'm certain you all work hard.  

               Work IS hard. 

                    Life is hard. 

                         Choices are hard. 

You make your choices, and expect society to respect them.  Short of those illegal, immoral, and downright abhorrent decisions - by and large, we do. I'm sorry, I do not, have not, and will NEVER respect the choice to wear your pants sagging down low and showing off your britches or hiney crack... but as I said, by and large, everything else is generally a respectful understanding.

So then, how is it that I'm writing this post, that will likely be a rant?  You can feel it building can't you?

As a DINK, we somehow become judged as selfish individuals who have free time on our hands.  That seems like an innocuous comment. But allow me to elaborate.  I made a choice to not have children and to work professionally.  Others chose to have children and also work professionally (and some not work at all). I get it, we all need money to survive, so no skin off my back (yet).  

Where the skin starts rubbing off is with the "understandings" in difference of choice.  As a non-child having employee, you will never hear me utter, "I have to leave a bit early today. Sally's school recital/2nd grade graduation/cheer practice/doctor's appointment/etc is this afternoon."   I won't be leaving promptly at 3 to pick up the kids from school or have the statement of "I gotta get home to fix dinner for the kids."  As the minority in the professional workforce, those understandings from the majority don't happen. 

If I pack up to head out early for a hair appointment (my choice) versus a recital (your choice) - eyebrows are raised. "Must be nice." or "Can you believe she's cutting out early for her hair?"  No understanding.

If I scoot out the door at 5 on the dot to get to dinner or happy hour (my choice) versus scoot out at 5 because you have a family (your choice)- snickers and comments about how quickly I ran out the door are mumbled. No understanding.

If I share my experience of a restaurant/bar/club/experience I had over the weekend when asked what I did (my choice) versus your recitation of the score at a T-ball game, schedule of birthday parties or dance/band rehearsals (your choice) - back handed "must be nice to have free time on your hands" jabs or grunts of "you don't know what you're missing not having a family" come slinging. No understanding.

People, we make our choices.  Respect them.  

Your choice to have kiddos, raise them as you see fit (home schooled, public schooled,  private schooled, special art school, day care, nanny, stay at home mom, single mom, single dad, double mom, double dad, divorced split custody, only on the weekends, every other Thursday, Christian, Buddhist, vegan, organic, pre-packaged mac'n'cheese and nuggets... WHATEVER) is your choice and business.

My choice to not have kiddos and work and live my life as I see fit (clean my own house, buy the shoes I like, cook most nights but go out when the mood strikes me, work out, volunteer, sleep in, get up early, slug on the couch, travel the world, read a book, go to a show, talk to a friend, make new friends, try a new spot, or paint my laundry room Tiffany Blue... WHATEVER) is my choice and business.

We once were INK's (Income No Kids) - may have been high school when you had your first job, or as a working professional fresh out of college.  We made money, decisions and lived a life. It was a valuable contribution. It IS a valuable contribution.  Whether DINK or INK... you, and what you do, how you see the world, and how you want to experience it are important and should be respected. Why?  Because it is/was YOUR CHOICE.

The point, you ask, of this blog, is to remind everyone that we make choices and should respect them.  Your choice is yours, and I'm happy for you and respectful of it.  I hope it makes you happy.  I made my choices, and they make me happy.  Whether they'd make you happy, my sweet, is completely and utterly irrelevant.  Ain't your choice.

FAB Fridays

Fab Fridays - The Five Fabulous Things for This Week

Twitter has Follow Friday (#FF or #FollowFriday) where people tweet a list those that they follow as a way to recommend them to others.  Consider the Fab Friday posts on M LifeSMACKS as my take on this - listing 5 things I find fabulous this week.  So let's dive in, in no particular order!

DISCLAIMER:   I am not endorsed by any of these sites/brands, nor do I stand to gain anything from promoting any of the items below.  This is simply my list of 5 things I think are fabulous. But, should you wish to send me money - come on with it!

1.  Overstock.com:  This is my FAVORITE website.  They have everything, from toiletries, to clothes and everything in-between. I'm a member of their "Club O" which is $9.95 a year and you get all these benefits.

I use this site for perfume (cheaper than anywhere else online - and it's TAX FREE AND FREE SHIPPING!), appliances, home furnishings, clothing, you name it.  It is hit or miss, as there are no guarantees that an item will be on the site, but if you have a moment, check it - and check back frequently!  I've even scored a pair of Valentino's for crazy cheap, and earned 5% back!    Overstock is my hack to NEVER pay full price for anything!


2.  Dryer Balls:  I saw these little suckers at the store and thought I'd give them a shot, and they work!  I no longer need to buy fabric softener!  This saves not only money, but eliminates one more chemical from our lives.  They're worth the try, and are a great addition to my laundry.... and a one time purchase that can be used for quite a while!

3.   BuzzFeed.com:  This great site has all the fun lists that people end up posting on Facebook, the quirky quizzes, and interesting stuff.  It's a great site to look through...  I'm not saying, but I'm saying - lots of tidbits I have come from this site.  Check it out.  


4.  Kerastase Hair Products:  Ladies and gentlemen, this is the best stuff on the planet.  Yes, it's expensive.  Yes, you'll freak out when you see the bill.  And yes, the minute you use it, you'll curse me out because you'll never be able to go back to anything else.  Their conditioners are amazing, their Oleo Relax Serum (see below) has transformed my hair.  (Disclaimer: I am not claiming to have fabulous hair, but I am claiming that if I didn't use their products, Lord help and save me, I'd look beyond busted)

5.  Viviscal:  This hair supplement is the only thing I've ever taken that actually works.  This supplement has helped my hair grow ridiculously quickly. Since taking this supplement, my hair grows noticeably faster and as we gals get older, we don't have as much hair as we once did... Especially those of us who may have a little help staying blonde, use curling irons, straighteners, and basically torture our hair into submission.  You can buy it online - just google it and buy it. You'll thank me.  

Alright my darlings... that's all for this Friday.  Hope these five bring you some fabulousness... and feel free to comment with YOUR Fab Five!!!  A gal's got to keep on top of these things!  Mwah!!

Threads Thursday

The stain that started it all...

So as I referenced in my first post, this whole blog thing started with an orange stain on a jacket...  In homage to that moment, this first blog is all about various tricks of the trade I've picked up along the way to take care of your clothes.  RIVETING stuff, I know...  

I never claimed that this would all be earth shaking lifeSMACKS, but I will say, when you're lookin' a'fool because you've got a stain right on the boob of your crisp white shirt, or just blew out a candle and sprayed wax on your favorite party dress (which you may, or may not, have spent a ridiculous amount of money on and convinced yourself you'll wear if for the next 20 years and it'll "pay for itself") then these little hacks may just be your lifeline.  So buckle in buttercup, here we go!

My secret stain weapon?  ICE

Yes, ice.  The orange stain on Sandra's white jacket was all over the back of it, we had no idea what it was, and it was dried and we had no clue how long it had been their either.  For those of you with kiddos, I'm sure you've pulled out an article of clothing and said, "What the HECK is that?"  So in that vein, the next time you have a stain of almost ANY sort, start with ice.

It's a simple process, take a cube and rub it back and forth on the stain. It works 90%+ of the time.  It freezes the stain right off.  No need to add chemicals, that usually makes things worse.  Have patience, but it will work.  Have a blotting paper towel or rag just to try and absorb as you go, but her jacket, after a 5 minute ice rub down was right as rain.

What does ice work on?  Blood (GUARANTEED)... Husband nick his neck shaving and get blood on his collar?  Ice ice baby.  Ketchup or mustard... Glop fall from your fantastic ballpark hotdog?  Ice ice baby.  Wine, coffee, tea, food stains, drink stains?  Ice ice baby!  

It sometimes works on ink (ballpoint not the liquid fancy pens) if you accidentally scribble using an old fashioned pen on your shirt. 

"M, you've CHANGED my life!  But what about wax?" you say?  Well my little muppets, wax is a naughty, naughty wench.  First things first... If you get wax on your clothes, DON'T TOUCH IT.  Let it dry completely.  You'll need to remove your waxed clothing to remove the wax, so if you're in public or can't take it off until later - Don't pick at it.  Seriously, don't.  That just rubs it into the fibers more. So pickers out there, grab a cocktail, and don't futz with it!

When you can take off your article of clothing, lay it on an ironing board with a throw away towel or pile of paper towels UNDERNEATH the stained area (between the back of the stain and your ironing board so that when you melt the wax it doesn't seep through to the board).

Get a bunch of paper towels, already pre-ripped to the size of the stain area (no sense in wasting the whole sheet!), and your iron.  Heat your iron to the appropriate temp for the article of clothing you've got (cotton, linen, silk, you get the drill)... and then place 1-2 blotter paper towels and place your iron on top.

This will MELT THE WAX INTO THE PAPER TOWEL.  The secret is to press and check.  Preeeeeeess and check.  When you see the wax has come onto the paper towel - pitch it and start with a new fresh paper towel... over and over.  It'll melt that wax right into the absorbent paper towel.  Patience, just like with the ice - is key.  Don't rub or move the paper towels around - you want to have the wax absorb into the towels, not get spread further onto your clothes.  

"M, you genius!  What other mind blowing hacks can you share?" you exclaim?  Well here's a few more clothing care hacks, in no particular order but quite helpful, especially when you're on the road or not at home with your arsenal of hacks of your own:

• Covered in lint? No lint roller?  Use UPS, Fedex, or any form of waybill plastic pouch that you stick on a package.  They're basically a hand sized lint glove.  Stick your hand in the opening, rip off the sticker part and pat your clothing to remove the lint.  If you travel, every front desk in every hotel in the world has these!  If you're driving, pull over to one of the stand alone drop off bins for Fedex or UPS and lift up the "supplies" portion - and you'll find a stash of those suckers.  I keep a pile at home and pack them in my suitcase just in case, fold one up and keep it in my purse for on-the-go emergencies.  BOOM!  That was the sound of your linted mind being blown!

• Just unpacked and your clothes are completely wrinkled? This one is a common sense hack we all forget.  Steam those suckers.  Turn on your shower to boiling hot - and if you can, hang the item in the shower (not in the water, just in the shower enclosure) and let the steam do the work.  If you're in a rush, hang it just outside the shower while you're showering, then when done - quickly dry the shower wall/area with a towel (so your clothing doesn't get wet if you hang it against it)- hang your article of clothing, and turn on the shower to finish steaming while you do your hair and makers.  Works like a charm. I steamed a full length Vera Wang dress that looked like it had won first place in the worlds most wrinkled clothing contest.  10 minutes, and she was smooth and flowing... and I didn't raise an iron once.  I hate ironing, and I hate hotel irons even more.  I've actually ruined more clothes than I care to share due to those things either heating too hot (and I scorch my skirt) or use the steam and it poofs some white/grey nastiness onto my clothes and ruins them that way.  Perhaps it's just me, but I loathe ironing.  End. Of. Discussion.

• Can't find your swimsuit bottoms?  (Ahem, Woomera!)  Lost the mate to your ski socks?  This one is an OCD thing of mine.  Everything has a place, a mate, and a system.  And because of my OCD, I organize every drawer... I may have a problem, but that's for a different blog.  So, back to this.  "Tell me M, how do you solve this conundrum?" you cry!  ZIP LOCK BAGGIES.  Each bikini top and bottom in it's own baggie.  Ditto for special (ski, running, etc) socks.  If you're really into it and have the same compulsion I do to ALWAYS match your bra and panties.... pop the mates in a zip lock and put them in the drawer.  You'll find that you never lose mates to anything again, and your drawers become organized "files" of clothing, that you can easily sort through and will never end up with a bikini top in your suitcase without the bottom.  It also makes it really easy when packing as you pull out the bag and have both of whatever you needed... No rifling through luggage, or dumping a drawer out in a panic for the bottoms to your favorite "makes my butt look good" bikini.

Alright my darlings... that's enough greatness for one day.  Stay tuned, tomorrow is Fab Friday's, where I'll share a list of things I just find to be Fab.  You may, or you may not, but at least I'll know that as you're reading you're stain and wrinkle free, and your britches match!  Mwah!!