Mrs. Mancove

Homemade Girl Scout Cookies - Gluten-Free!

2011-04-30T18:15:00.001-07:00

WARNING: These pictures may make you drool ;)

I'm gluten-intolerant, so in order to enjoy most desserts I have to break out my various gluten-free flours and make them myself.

I have SO missed Girl Scout cookies since becoming gluten-free 4 years ago. Especially Samoas (which I understand are now called Caramel De-Lites, but they'll always be Samoas to me). So when I ran across THIS blog with a recipe to make them gluten-free, and somewhat easily, I HAD to try it. (You can make these gluten-full, too...just use regular flour.)

What you'll need:
3 cups shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
12 oz dark or semisweet chocolate (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour*
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
up to 2 tbsp milk, as needed
12 oz chewy caramels (I used an 11 oz bag of Kraft caramels)
2 tbsp water

*I keep a brown rice flour mix on hand: 2 cups brown rice flower, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour. You can also use Bob's Red Mill or other brand all-purpose flour mix.

I started out making the topping first.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Spread the coconut evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet
Toast for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until coconut is golden.
Cool on a baking sheet.

While the coconut is cooling, make the dough.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt at a low speed.
Add vanilla extract and mix until the dough comes together. Add milk only if needed so the dough becomes thick, not too sticky.

Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. (I left mine in overnight.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and flatten to about ¼ inch thickness.
Place on foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. (Keep checking on them, mine took about 15 minutes. Betsy says hers took 20-25 minutes.)
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I followed Betsy's recipe and added 1 tablespoon of milk as she suggested. However the dough was a little sticky, as you can see in the picture below. This was even after refrigerating overnight. When I make these again I will try without the milk altogether, and only add a tiny bit if needed. (I'm sure soy or almond milk would also work).

The cookies look like basic sugar cookies when they come out of the oven. Be careful, they're a little brittle.

While the cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, or put in a glass or metal bowl over a pot with an inch of water in it. Make sure you don't get ANY WATER in the chocolate...it will ruin it.

This next step is the hardest and most time-consuming part...

The chocolate is kind of thick, so you can't just simply dip the cookies in. I put the cookie in the chocolate upside-down, then used a rubber spatula to spread a little on the bottom. Next time I make these I might try thinning the chocolate a bit. Place on wax paper to set. Reserve extra chocolate.

Now comes the best part!

Place caramels in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cook on high for 2 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt.
When caramel is melted, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Spread the topping on cooled cookies, using 2-3 tsp per cookie.
Once all of the cookies have caramel topping, drizzle extra chocolate over cookies.
Devour 1 (or 2) and store leftovers in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.

They are scrumptious when kept in the fridge! And if you want to double the recipe, they keep very well in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Christmas Eve eve

2010-12-23T23:24:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with my aunt and her husband on Dec. 23 since they weren't going to be with us on Christmas Eve (when my family celebrates). We played around with our iphone camera a bit, and then I edited this photo in my cool new app (I forget the name at the moment), and I think the outcome is pretty cool.

Mini Cheesecakes with Fresh Fruit Topping

2010-08-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting the yummy treats I made for the Fourth of July. Chris and I went to Mammoth and met his parents and family friends there for the long weekend. We were also celebrating his mom's birthday which was a couple weeks prior. SO...I made gluten-free mini cheesecakes, which were a HUGE hit!

I used a mini cheesecake recipe I found on MarthaStewart.com, and made some revisions to it. First off, I wanted to make them in ramekins; and secondly, I had to make it gluten-free. Instead of a traditional cheesecake crust, I used gluten-free gingersnaps from Trader Joe's. They were PERFECT for the job. Since we were at a high altitude plus using ramekins, I don't remember exactly how long or at what temperature I set it...I just kept my eye on it. Then I just topped them with crushed fresh strawberries (tiny bit of sugar added) and blueberries for a festive look.

See how beautiful they turned out?! I just took this photo on my iphone, but I think they look pretty darn scrumptious! I could have eaten 4 more :)

Wordless Wednesday: Sittin' Pretty

2010-08-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

A Dream Shattered

2010-07-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Someone has finally managed to photograph the pot at the end of the rainbow. Wouldn't you know it!

Teaching my 2-Year-Old Niece How to Stamp

2010-07-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

I posted this on my craft blog first, but thought it was appropriate for this blog as well :)

A couple of weeks ago I visited my family in San Diego. I'm itching to be able to craft with my niece, Madison, but she's still just a little too young. But she always shows an interest in my crafting supplies (in addition to my makeup), so I thought she would have fun learning how to stamp. She loves animals, so I got out the Life's a Jungle stamp set, a few colors of ink, and a plain white sheet of cardstock. I demonstrated for her a couple of times, then she went to town! She totally got the concept of tapping the stamp onto the ink a few times, but then every time she stamped the image onto the paper she did the same thing--tapped it a few times. So she always had at least 3 (usually partial) images on the paper. It was adorable!

She loved picking out the animals from clear sheet of acetate that the stamps come on. Then I'd put the clear stamp on the block, and she'd have at it. Once I cleaned a stamp to use a new one, I let her put it back on the sheet. It was like a puzzle for her...a good learning activity :)

At one point I stamped the lion on her hand. Then she wanted it on her other hand. Then she proceeded to take her sandals off and wanted her feet stamped. I used the fishy from the new Hot Diggity stamp set on her feet.
She is at an age where she loves copying. So she added more stamps to her hands and arms. And instead of stamping her feet, she simply added the acrylic stamps right onto them! She's so funny. This girl was covered in ink and had a giant smile on her face when we were finished. Mom may not have been too happy, but Auntie and Maddie sure had fun!!

CLEANING TIP: Madison leaned into the ink pad a few times and got ink on her cute little shirt. We used a combination of Zout and Shout stain removers, let it soak, then scrubbed w/ a toothbrush and the ink came out of the fabric after it was washed.

Here's a pic later that day of Maddie loving on her baby brother, Connor. She still doesn't quite get the concept of "gentle," so her loving usually gets interrupted quickly by Mommy :)

How to Begin a Gluten-Free Lifestyle and Stay on a Budget

2010-06-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have spoken with many people lately who were either thinking of going gluten free, needed to be gluten free, or have kids who needed to be gluten free. Some have found out they have Celiac Disease, some that their kids have allergies, and others are doing it for health benefits. It has also been suggested that children with autism can benefit from a gluten-free lifestyle.

Whatever your reason for a gluten-free diet may be, I hope I can help shed some light on the subject. I've been gluten free for just over 3 years, so I'm happy to share all this information that's been rolling around in my head for so long. It's definitely a more expensive lifestyle, but it's often healthier than your current way of eating and you can still stay on a budget.

A little info about me first. I am gluten intolerant. There are hundreds of symptoms for gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease and they manifest themselves differently in each person. I got severe migraines several times a week for many, many years and was also always tired. When I was in college I’d take a nap every day when I got home from school…and not just because I was a college student. It was out of the ordinary. Once I saw a nutritionist and cut gluten out of my diet, I not only stopped getting food-related migraines, but I also had more energy and felt better all around.

I remember feeling extremely overwhelmed when I found out I couldn't have gluten. It’s a hard transition, especially since it's not just temporary. It's a whole lifestyle change. I didn’t even know what gluten was and what I could or couldn’t eat at first. But however overwhelmed you may be right now at the beginning stages, I PROMISE it gets easier! It must be especially hard when it's your child who can't have gluten—you just want them to be “normal.” You want them to be able to have a sandwich for lunch at school and a cupcake at a friend's birthday party. I’m here to assure you that your child WILL fit in and be "normal."

If you are not sure what gluten is, the simple explanation is that it’s a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Here’s a general guideline: anything with flour has gluten. Breads, baked goods—anything that is made with traditional all-purpose flour because flour is made from wheat. Of course there are many exceptions to this because gluten is in wheat, barley, and rye, and hidden in things you’d least expect. Like soy sauce—it’s made with wheat. But you can buy Tamari wheat-free soy sauce at any health food store, and even your local grocery store now. You also need to watch out for malt flavoring. Most of the time it’s made from barley. For example, most granola bars and cereals use malt flavoring (but not all). It doesn’t say wheat or barley or rye or gluten, but you just have to know that malt is made from barley. You need to learn how to read labels, and read EVERY label.

On that note, the book Living Gluten-Free for Dummies was a LIFE-saver! The author, Danna Korn, has a son w/ Celiac Disease and she started a Celiac foundation for kids. She's hilarious and makes the transition so much easier. I promise. Buy the book. (I’m not endorsing it, I just know how much it helped me!) She gives a background on gluten and what it does to a body that can't process it, tells you what to look for on labels, shares recipes, and lots more. If you’re on the fence about going gluten free for health reasons you should read it…she covers that topic as well.

Another must-have is a good baking book, because you can’t just go to the bakery and grab some cookies or cupcakes anymore. I recommend Gluten-Free Baking Classics. It has not let me down. It includes cookies, cakes, breads, scones, and everything in between—and everything I've made has been fabulous! The beginning of the book explains alternative gluten-free flours. I won’t go into detail because Annalise explains it so well in the book—but basically you can make an all-purpose gluten-free flour by mixing brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and potato starch along with Xanthan gum (the binder since you don't have gluten). These flours are more expensive than regular flour, but they're becoming readily available at many grocery stores now, as well as health food stores. If you have an oriental market near you, you can often find them pretty inexpensively. And if you want to buy in bulk, Amazon carries them—Bob’s Red Mill is one of the more well-known brands. Arrowhead Mills is another. Rule of thumb for GF baked goods: they go bad faster than "normal" baked goods—homemade or store-bought. Freeze what you can.

If you’d rather not bake from scratch, Betty Crocker has 4 gluten-free mixes now—chocolate cake, yellow cake, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. All are yummy. If you live near a Trader Joe's, they also have a good brownie mix and pancake & waffle mix.

Trader Joe’s is my personal favorite place to do my grocery shopping; they have lots of GF options. If you just go in and ask, their staff is usually very helpful and can point you to a lot of options. Some staples in my house include:

Brown rice pasta—it’s inexpensive (I also like corn or quinoa pasta but TJ's doesn't carry them and they're more expensive—Amazon carries them in bulk though, and now some chain grocery stores have them). Any GF pasta is actually going to be healthier than plain ol' spaghetti—and the whole family will enjoy it.
Onion & chive corn crackers—great with cream cheese, hummus, or plain
Ginger snaps—try as the crust for cheesecake!
Cheese puffs—less fattening that other brands
Corn chips—I like the blue ones, but they’re all good. A general rule of thumb is that corn chips are gluten free, as are corn tortillas.
Gluten-free granola
Black bean and cheese rolled tacos—freezer section. Chicken rolled tacos are also GF, but I like the black bean ones better. (Careful—the beef ones are not GF!)

Some other gluten-free foods worth mentioning:

Target has Odwalla bars in the vitamin/health bar section that are GF. I like the mixed berry. Edited to add: I have not seen these in quite some time.
Most Clif bars are GF and they also make a kid's size. (These “health” bars are on the expensive side though...they're a special treat for me!)
Sometimes Costco has Naked Nuggets. I haven't seen them at my Costco but my sister has gotten them for me. They're chicken nuggets without the breading. Very tasty, and much healthier than McDonald's!
If you have Fresh & Easy by you, they have a lot of gluten-free foods.
I love Glutino crackers—they are similar to Ritz. They're a little pricey but I’ve found cheapest at Fresh & Easy. I’ve found anything from Glutino to be good.
Glutino also makes pretzels, but they're about $7 a bag! When I first found them just a few months ago, however, I didn’t care how much they cost—I was just excited to have them after 3 years!
Udi bread is the best GF sandwich bread I’ve found (I've tried lots). This is what I mean when I say your kids can be “normal.” You can still make them sandwiches for lunch at school and they’ll look just like the other kids. (Just make sure they don’t make any trades!) I get it at Whole Foods.
Rice Chex and Kix cereals are naturally gluten free! I just saw Honey Nut Chex for the first time at Target that is GF also. But not ALL Chex is gluten-free, so be careful! It's labeled clearly on the box. I think I've gotten Captain Crunch and Lucky Charms in the past, also. But check the label—I don't buy them anymore because they contain too much sugar for me. Edited to add: Cinnamon Chex is also gluten free now.
Whole Foods has TONS of options—including ravioli(!), but they're very pricey. When you want to splurge go there.

You'll find that many foods you are already used to are gluten free, such as beans. This is one of my favorite chili recipes. Not all chicken stock is GF, so make sure it’s labeled. Costco carries GF chicken stock in boxes. Many recipes that may not be gluten free can often be adjusted to become gluten free. Here are all my favorite GF recipes that I've posted on my blog. Corn meal is safe and a great way to “bread” things instead of using bread crumbs. You’ll see an example in the popcorn shrimp recipe. You can also make your own bread crumbs by putting pieces of gluten-free bread in a food processor, then freeze or dehydrate the breadcrumbs to store for future use. Trader Joe’s carries a gluten-free bread (a small loaf in pink packaging). It’s good for breadcrumbs, however I don’t like it for sandwiches—it’s too dense. But it does toast well for breakfast.

Lots of restaurants are now recognizing the demand for gluten-free menus. Some that I enjoy are: PF Chang's, Pei Wei and Old Spaghetti Factory (they sub corn pasta). Most Mexican food is safe because they usually use corn. Thai is another good option too—lots of rice noodles. You can buy rice noodles inexpensively at an oriental market and make your own Thai food also. Just be sure that whenever you go out, be sure to mention to the waiter/waitress that you can't have gluten, and he/she should know what it is and can make sure what you are ordering is safe. Better to be safe than sorry!

I still have moments where I just want to be able to get a pizza at a restaurant, but I've just gotten used to not being able to. However, I have found a few restaurants that offer gluten-free pizza. If you are in LA, Pizza Fusion is great. And if you are in San Diego, Borrelli’s is by far the best gluten-free pizza I’ve had. My family lives in San Diego, and whenever I visit I stop in and buy some of their pizza crust if they can spare it (if you do this, I suggest letting them know in advance). I also sometimes make my own pizza dough (this is my favorite recipe). You’ll find that with gluten-free baking, the dough tends to be stickier than normal dough. When making your own pizza, you will probably have to spread the dough onto the baking tray with a spatula. Edited to add: You can often find gluten-free pizza crust at health food stores, including Whole Foods. Check the freezer section. Also, more and more pizza chains are offering GF pizza. In Seattle, where I live, Garlic Jim's and Luciano's recently added it to their menus.

It's always hard to find gluten-free options when traveling—it can take a lot of research ahead of time. But you will get used to it, you just need to know what to look for. I have found several bakeries, restaurants, markets, etc. by Googling "Gluten Free [city]." If you have a smartphone, download the Yelp app. I usually just type in “gluten free” and it will find restaurants nearby that have gluten-free options (if there are any). I can usually find something on any menu that I can eat…it just may not be the first thing I’d choose. Salads are often safe, but you do need to watch out for salad dressing. Flour is often used as a thickening agent, which is why you always need to ask when eating out. You can also get burgers without the buns, but be sure they don't use breadcrumbs as a filler. Also watch out for blue cheese—it contains wheat. (I used to often order blue cheese burgers!) I personally like cooking myself so I always know what I’m eating, plus I enjoy it…but I do like going out to eat if I know what I’m getting is safe.

I hope this information is helpful for you. If you'd like to share your own tips to living a gluten-free lifestyle, please add them in the comments below so we can all benefit.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Welcome to gluten freedom!

Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

2010-06-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

This motivational rap will take less than 2 minutes of your day, and it's totally worth it!

A Tribute to Coach Wooden

2010-06-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.” — John Wooden

This video tribute is from the Pyramid of Success blog. Please also check out an article in the Ventura County Star on John Wooden and the release of his tribute book in July. The Senior Editor mentioned in the article, Steve Lawson, is an awesome guy...he was one of the first people to introduce himself to me when I started working at Gospel Light, and he was a good friend of John Wooden's. What a blessed man to be able to call Wooden "friend"!

You will never be forgotten, Coach. May you rest in peace with the love of your life, Nellie.

San Francisco: Celebration, Graduation & Food Poisoning

2010-05-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

Which part of the title of this post doesn't belong? Yeah, I didn't think so either. Last weekend my husband graduated from grad school...a day I've been looking forward to for 2 years! It was a lot of fun, but it didn't turn out exactly as I had planned...

Chris went to the University of San Francisco at their SoCal campus, but the actual ceremony was in SF so we flew up on Thursday afternoon.

Flashback: 2-1/2 years ago Chris decided to follow his passion and do whatever it takes to make sports his career. He researched a bunch of grad programs and found a few Sport Management ones. Long story short, he ended up at USF, which became an amazing blessing.

One of the blessings of this program has been the friends he's met. This is Gabe. AKA Brown Keanu. Chris has two "best" friends in his class...they used to carpool to class in Orange County when they all lived in San Diego. The 3 of them all call each other Keanu as an inside joke...I don't know the details. But I do know that it's self-explanatory why this is Brown Keanu :)

And this is Brian, AKA Directionally Challenged Keanu. He moved to LA a little before we did, and then started working with Chris at UCLA. He and Chris then carpooled to class, and even after 2 years, Chris still has to tell him how to get to class sometimes. Thus, his nickname.
So, that Thursday night Chris and I went out with a bunch of the guys from his class to CELEBRATE. We went to dinner and a couple bars, and had an AMAZING night!! I was the only girl for most of the night and fit in pretty well. All these sports junkies know how to have fun, and are also gentlemen and truly great guys.

This is Abe, another one of Chris's good friends.
And here's Daniel (with Brian). (You can thank him for a lot of these pictures.) He went to grad school right after finishing his undergrad. Whew...now he can breathe. He's a smart kid, and a great basketball player, too!
Here is more evidence of our super fun night. Chris and Brown Keanu can get a little close to each other sometimes...but I wouldn't let them get too close :)
Me posting pictures of Abe on his Facebook page...
This is Henry, Gabe's friend and roommate (not in their class). He drove up from San Diego.
I'm so glad Daniel had his camera and was good about getting pictures, because I certainly wasn't! (I know, can you believe it...me, the scrapbooker!?) That tends to happen when I have a few drinks. Here are all of us together...so cute.
The next day was the guys' graduation. I was so excited. I even refrained from drinking too much because I wanted to feel good! (Notice I don't even have a drink in any of these pictures.)

I woke up at 5:30am with a slight headache so I drank a bunch of water, took some Advil, and went back to sleep. We slept in until 9:30, when our families arrived at the hotel. I kept feeling worse and worse and thought I may have a slight hangover. I kept drinking water but couldn't keep it down. I couldn't let my family see me like this! Especially Chris's family...they're very conservative.

Well, I didn't get better and I couldn't hide it, so I had to tell them I went out with the boys and was moving a little slow. I pulled myself together, put on the cute new dress and shoes I had bought for the occasion, and we worked ourselves down to the lobby to meet our families. We had a nice reception for the Sport Management program to attend at noon.

As if I didn't feel bad enough, our crazy cab driver was a maniac on the road and made my nausea worse. I had to throw up...but didn't have anything to do it in! I had my purse. My new purse. I held it in my lap and was horrified at the thought of ruining it. Then my mom saw that Chris's robe was still in its packaging. They ripped the plastic off and gave it to me just in the nick of time.

We finally made it to the reception, and I tried to put on a happy face but it didn't work too well. I was embarrassed because at this point I thought it was a hangover...even though I didn't know how. I found a place to sit, and was completely out of it. Luckily Chris's friends had seen me the night before and know that I really am a fun person :) Here's my attempt at a picture with Chris's family. I really tried...
Still thinking I just needed to get hydrated, I kept trying to drink water. Well, this resulted in a few minor embarrassing moments. At one point I started feeling better for a little while, but it didn't last too long. But I did take a few pictures. And my mom took a few as well. Here's the outside of the church where the ceremony was held. Beautiful!
This next one was taken the day before the graduation when it was sunny and no people around.
And the inside was beautiful as well.
My mom caught this picture, just barely!
And me trying hard to get a good shot with Chris. I'm so bummed I don't have any good ones from this special day :( But at least Chris was very understanding and had fun. Even when we did think it was a hangover he said, "It's okay babe, we had lots of fun last night!"
My handsome graduate.
My mom went back to our hotel with me right after the ceremony, while everyone else celebrated :( I was in bed the rest of the night. I reflected on the night before with my mom and we realized I hadn't drank enough to really even be hung over (even taking into consideration that I'm a lightweight), let alone for this long and not even able to drink water! We determined it had to be the stomach flu or food poisoning. Can you believe it...the last time I was in SF I got food poisoning, too!! I guess SF doesn't like me.

I was really sad to have missed the grad night festivities and hanging out with Chris and his friends again, but I am very glad I was able to spend time with family and to have had the awesome night out on Thursday. I'll remember that night as my time spent in San Francisco, and the time I really got to know Chris's friends/classmates as friends of mine as well. Love you guys!

What's next, now that Chris is done with school? I'm glad you asked! He was hired at Fresno State in the Development department of their Athletic department...exactly what he wanted! He began as an intern in Academics and Marketing at USD when he first started grad school. After a year he was hired at UCLA, also in Academics and Marketing, but on a much bigger scale (and at his dream school). And there, after speaking with MANY people, he realized he wanted to get into fundraising, so he applied to many schools and was hired at FSU, which has a growing, well-respected athletic program. It's another internship since it's a new department for him, but hopefully the last. It certainly helps that Fresno's cost of living is much less than that of LA!

Chris's start date at FSU: June 7
Our move date: June 12
I can't wait!

Ashley and Connor

2010-05-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

How cute is this photo?! Look at those big blue eyes! I thought you, my lovely readers, would enjoy a recent photo of Connor, and it just so happens you get a recent one of Ashley, too :)

TRUTHS FOR MATURE HUMANS

2010-04-27T13:56:00.001-07:00

I received this in an email forward. I wish I knew the author so I could give credit, because frankly, they're brilliant. I think I nodded and smiled at just about every one. Enjoy!

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu-Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber and dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

I Admit, I'm Addicted to my iPhone

2010-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

I wrote this piece as an sample of my work for eCopywriters.com. They are an online copywriting service, and given that I have a degree in writing, enjoy writing, and am good at writing, I thought it would be fun to be a copywriter for them. I still plan to submit it once I've perfected it, but I still don't feel I'm at that point yet. So I thought I'd post it for you to read and give me any feedback you might have :)

Writing prompt: A product or service you simply cannot live without.

Calendar. Notes. Calculator. I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill office products; these are iPhone apps. Apps that have played a part in revolutionizing the way I use my phone. I am more organized, more responsible, more productive, and more entertained than life without it.

I used to write my grocery list on a post-it note. I’d keep a running list and stash it in my purse for “safe” keeping. Most of the time it ended up crinkled underneath my wallet by the time I actually needed it. iPhone to the rescue! I now have an app called “notes,” which comes standard. I can keep multiple lists going, and can even email a list (with the touch of the screen) to my husband to see if he has anything to add to it.

I also used to write doctor appointments on post-its. My computer monitor was framed in these brightly colored pieces of paper. I would get so used to seeing them that I wouldn’t even notice them anymore. But wouldn’t you know, the iPhone comes with an easy-to-use calendar, so I no longer forget an appointment. I simply add it to my calendar, set a reminder alarm, and I’m done. Now, there’s nothing wrong with post-its, especially pretty colored ones. I have them all over my desk at work. But they’re not as efficient, and certainly won’t beep at you until you remember to go to your chiropractor appointment.

I no longer fear the put-it-off-another-day type of errands thanks to my multi-tasking abilities. Bring on the DMV and oil change; I can respond to email and stay in-tune with what’s going on in the world through the email and twitter apps, all while sitting in a waiting room. And, of course, I can stay in touch with friends through Facebook and Words with Friends.

Finally, one of the most important reasons why I cannot live without my iPhone is the FM 94/9 app. I recently moved to Los Angeles, and this app allows me to still listen to my favorite radio station in San Diego via my phone, connecting me back home. Sure helps ease the pain of my hour-long commute to work.

I have hardly begun to express how much my iPhone participates in my day-to-day life. To find out for yourself, take a trip to your local Apple store and purchase yours today!

Thankful for the Ordinary

2010-04-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

The pitter patter of rain hitting the roof...
The aroma of food coming from the kitchen...
The sound of my dog howling at sirens as they go by...
My husband breathing (and sometimes snoring) as he sleeps...

I’m thankful for it all.

It is easy to say thank you when things are going your way, or when you receive something unexpectedly great. But we often forget to thank God for the everyday. So many things in our lives go unnoticed, but they’re certainly appreciated.

The rain we’re getting—albeit it’s not a lot—is appreciated, because here in Southern California we’re in a drought. We need to be thankful for every drop of rain we get. But it’s more than that…hearing the rain outside means that I have a home to live in. My home keeps me dry. Even though my apartment is (much) smaller than I’d like, it’s cozy, and it’s home, and it’s perfect for right now.

I love to cook and I love the different smells that fill the house when I make dinner. We are fortunate to have a healthy meal on our plates every night. I appreciate my ability to cook and to be creative and be able to whip something up even when I haven’t gone to the grocery store for a while. God has given me a means to provide for my husband, and someday, my family.

One of my favorite things is when my dog is sleeping in front of the couch and all of a sudden a siren goes by and he howls. It never fails to make me laugh. It reminds me that I have a dog who is like a child to us, depends on us to take him to play and exercise (well, my husband), to feed him, and to give him a loving home. I can’t imagine my life without the energetic bundle of joy that is Oslo!

Sometimes Chris tends to breathe heavy or snore when he sleeps. It usually doesn’t bother me because I can just give him a little tap and he’ll stop. But it reminds me that he is by my side no matter what. I am married to a wonderful man who I love, and who loves me, and who I am so happy to be sharing my life with.

There are so many more things that I could talk about, but most of all I am thankful that God gave me the grace to realize that it's He who has blessed me with these things. Without Him I am nothing.

So praise God for the mundane, the ordinary...along with the extraordinary, because it is the same God and the same grace that provides it all.

Family Portraits

2010-03-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Way back on Thanksgiving my parents had family portraits done by my very talented friend, Lauren. My mom ordered a bunch on CD, so here are a few.

This first one of just the girls cracks me up. Maddie was eating a banana and wanted to show the camera.
This one is classic Chris and Jayma. He's got a funny face and making me laugh. I don't know what's up with my praying mantis arms though.

And here's the whole family. I love how this turned out. Too bad Connor wasn't born yet to be in it!

Mammoth March 12-14

2010-03-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Chris and I went to Mammoth last weekend. I didn't take too many pictures this time because I always take tons and am up to my ears in snow photos! But here are a few to document this trip.

We left LA around 9pm Fri night and got to Mammoth at 1:30am. We were WIPED after a day of work, a funeral, and family dinner on Friday. But this was the only weekend we could get away for a while so we made it happen.

When we arrived it was snowing, and by the time we woke up on Saturday morning there were 11" of new snow on the ground! That means lots of fresh powder on the mountain! It was a little windy, but the skies were clear and beautiful. We headed to Chris's favorite area of the mountain...chair 25. It was a bit crowded because the top of the mountain was closed to blast the new snow to prevent avalanches, but still fun. The snow was so deep that it was hard to turn and made for quite a workout.

On our way down the mountain we stopped for gas. Chris pumped the gas, then all of a sudden realized our tire was COMPLETELY flat. It had happened in a matter of minutes, because we would have noticed if it were this low while driving. Luckily we were already at a gas station w/ a service station. They found TWO nails in the tire, and were able to fix it in a matter of minutes. Whew!
Since it was such a beautiful day, I sat outside on the porch when we got home and ate my lunch. Oslo joined me, and enjoyed playing in the snow that was left from the night before.

Sunday was even better than Saturday because the runs had been groomed. We headed to the other side of the mountain, my favorite, chairs 13 & 14. Bluebird skies, no wind to speak of, warm (in the 40s), not crowded, and the snow carved like butter. My absolute perfect conditions.

It's always sad to say goodbye to Mammoth, especially after such an amazing, beautiful weekend. This shot was taken from the car just after getting on the highway down the hill. There's no place like Mammoth...I love it.

Recent Photos of Madison

2010-03-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any pictures of Maddie lately, so here are some that Ashley has sent me recently.

This first photo was taken a few weeks ago, when I was in San Diego. Here's the backstory: I was hanging out with Melissa before going to my parents' house. Ashley and Justin dropped Maddie off at Mom and Dad's while they went to Costco, and asked my mom if she could give put her down for her nap. My mom gave her a bottle, which she drank, but of course when it was time to go down, she didn't want to because she had just gotten to Gramma's and wanted to play! My mom tried several times, but Maddie just wouldn't sleep. Then Ash and Justin came back, and I came over, and she had even more people to play with. Needless to say, she skipped her nap. When Maddie gets tired, she gets cranky, which finally happened, so Ash and Justin took her home. As soon as she hit the car seat she fell asleep.
These next 2 pictures are ones Ashley texted to me. It makes my day to get pictures messages of Maddie! Keep it up, Ash! And send pics of Connor, too!
Playing in the sprinklers...

This Happens to Me All Too Often

2010-03-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Orphans in Need

2010-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

The video below is absolutely heart-breaking. My friend Amy has been coordinating with an adoption organization called Reece's Rainbow. Amy and her small group of high schoolers choose one child from Reece's Rainbow to raise funds for and pray for. The first child they prayed for, Anna, was adopted! But many of the children with disabilities are not so fortunate. Many of them, if not adopted by a certain age (usually age 4), are sent to a mental institution. This video shows a mental institution in Serbia that is absolutely horrifying. Watch for the grown man sleeping in a crib, and the 21- and 15-year-olds who are the size of a 4-year-old and just skin and bones. Many are tied to their cribs and not let out, and their muscles have atrophied from non-use.

If you feel led to join Amy in praying for her small group's chosen child, visit her blog to read the latest. And if you feel led to donate, she has information on her blog...as of the date of this post the child they are praying for and raising funds for is named Jacob. You can see her post about Jacob here.

Hug 'O Gram

2010-02-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a real commercial. You're welcome for sharing.

Connor Bradley and Ramblings of my AWESOME week in San Diego

2010-02-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited arrival has finally come! My nephew, Connor Bradley Evans was born on Friday, 2-12-10, at 7:50am...right on his due date! What a punctual little guy. Here is a picture of him with my sister, Ashley.
And here's a picture of me with Connor once they got home today. He's such a sweetie, and a great sleeper!!
My niece, Madison, is 19 months old and doesn't quite understand what's going on yet. She thinks he's one of her baby dolls and wants to hold him. She also gently kisses his head. It's pretty darn cute. But I'll tell ya, my sister and Justin have their hands full...Madison is VERY active and is getting to that age when she likes to say "no" to everything.

Last week was such a great week, and it's continuing into this week! In addition to a precious new nephew, I also have a new job! On Wednesday I was driving from my house in LA to my see my family (and was hoping a birth too) in San Diego. On my way down, I got a call from Gospel Light Publications, a company I had applied to work at. (They publish Sunday school curriculum, church resource books, and other Christian books.) Well, they let me know they'd like me to work for them on a temp-to-hire basis to try things out...in a marketing position that is perfect for me!!! I started on Tuesday and so far I LOVE IT! My co-workers are all so welcoming and nice. I am SO ecstatic! When I lived in San Diego I worked for Christian Ed Publishers/Warehouse, and I worked closely with Gospel Light as a Marketing Coordinator, so I already had a relationship with them. They were probably my favorite publisher that we distributed for, so I'm really excited to be working for them now!

Here's a little background info in case you have missed the past 7 months of my life... Chris and I moved to Los Angeles from San Diego in July. He is in grad school for Sport Management and got an internship in UCLA's Athletic Dept (his dream school), so we made the move (although I miss SD immensely). I got a temporary job at Disney for a special project, but that ended Dec. 31, and they're not hiring right now, so I have been part of the 10% of Americans unemployed for the past 6 weeks. Although I am a CTMH Consultant, it is not a full-time job for me, and since I recently moved and do not know many people in LA, it has been hard to get it going again (although I have still been holding CTMH workshops in San Diego and have been keeping my craft blog up-to-date). I had originally applied at Gospel Light back in July when we first moved to LA, but they were reorganizing their Marketing dept and dragged their feet, then I got the job at Disney. Once I contacted Gospel Light again in January, they were fairly quick to act, and didn't even call me in for another interview...they just offered me the temp-to-hire job! Woo hoo!

Ok, another reason I had such a great week is because I have new teeth. I know this sounds really weird, so for those who don't know, here's a little explanation: When I was 7 years old I knocked out the bottom halves of my 2 front teeth. When I was in high school I got porcelain veneers. They lasted for 12 years, and one night in June they just decided to pop off. (Good thing I was sitting at home when it happened...I was mortified even for my husband to see my teeth!!) I went to my dentist first thing the next day and was fitted for new veneers. They do things much differently now than 12 years ago...they're supposed to last 20+ years now! Then I had to go in 2 weeks later to have them put in. BUT the new veneers were not made correctly. They were ok, but not perfect for the huge amount of money they cost! My dentist wasn't very happy with them either. So he wanted to re-do them, but I had just moved to LA and he is in SD. This was a series of 2 more 2-3 hr appointments, so I said I'll do it in a little while, I'm burned out on dentist visits. But then I got a job and didn't want to take any days off to go to San Diego when I was trying to impress them, so I had to wait until now to get my new veneers again. And this time they're PERFECT! :) Phew.

To top off my week, I won $20 from a lotto scratcher. I went to 7-11 with my sister the other day so she could grab something (before having the baby), and she got us each a scratcher just for fun. My little scratcher put an extra $20 in my wallet. Thanks, Ash!

And so far this week is going great, too, because I'm loving my new job! The commute isn't the most fun (1 hr), but it gives me good time to think, and in the morning, wake up. And it's pretty, so it's not too bad.

Well if you've gotten this far, I thank you for reading my ramblings!

BREAKING NEWS

2010-01-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

Nate Kaeding, in a press conference today, expressed his apologies. Apparently, a few years back, as a prank, the team told him the big yellow poles were antennas and had nothing to do with football....so he just aimed for the "big net" every time. "It sounded easy enough..." Kaeding said. "Now that I finally know what the big yellow poles are for...that changes EVERYTHING!!" -Associated Press

I got this from a friend's Facebook status :)

Chargers Clinch Playoff Spot!

2009-12-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

They did it again. The Chargers pulled off another win...and clinched the AFC West! I knew the beginning of the season didn't show their true potential. Nate Kaeding didn't let us down when it came to the final seconds...he kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal and gave the Chargers momentum going into the playoffs. See the article in the SD Union-Tribune.

(Photo from the SD Union-Tribune.)

Madison & Her Shoes

2009-12-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Madison is a girl after her auntie's heart...she has a thing for shoes. Last time I visited my family in San Diego she tried on my shoes. This time, 2 weeks later, she put on her mom's shoes (2 sizes bigger!) and walked all around the house. It was actually quite impressive.

Later in the evening she grabbed two pillows from the couch and put them on the tile to make a bed for herself. Smart girl! I sure do miss seeing her more often.

Fabulous Christmas Scrapbook pages.

2009-12-07T23:32:00.000-08:00

I normally don't post crafty stuff on this blog, but I quite impressed myself with these pages so I needed to double post. (In case you, my few dear readers, are interested, I have a craft-only blog, which I update more frequently.)

As you know from my previous post, I went to Mammoth over Thanksgiving weekend...where I'm most inspired to craft. I made this layout, which I spent way too much time on, but love the outcome. You will find similar layouts on pages 8 and 11 of the Close to my Heart Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I absolutely adore those layouts and have wanted to recreate them ever since I laid eyes on them in August! Each page will hold a 5"x7" picture of mine and my husband's side of our family. (The left side looks like it should hold an 8"x10"...but I don't like putting photos that big in my scrapbook. 8x10's are for framing. So that photo will have a big border.) Click the photos to see them larger.

(don't mind the spoon, it's just holding the pages up!)

Every stamp I used is from the Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set (my favorite!) and the paper is Jingle. To make the ornaments, I used second generation and rock 'n roll stamping techniques. First, I inked up the ornament stamp. Then I stamped it onto scratch paper. Without re-inking, i rolled just the edges of the stamp in the ink again. Then I stamped the image onto my white cardstock, cut it out, and adhered it to the page with 3D glue dots. The Olive cardstock on the left side of the page is random-stamped with the "Deck the Halls" stamp.

To make the crumpled paper, I cut the paper to the size I needed (about 1" x 3"). Then I lightly spritzed it with my stamp spritz cleaner (because it was handy and already in a spritz bottle...but water will do the job). Once it was evenly damp, I crumpled the paper (careful not to go too crazy, the paper will tear). I flattened it out and formed it how I wanted it, then let it dry. It's adhered to the page with glue dots.

The "pine needles" were time consuming, but totally worth it. And actually not very hard. I just cut a bunch of curved strips of Olive Cardstock (cut more than you think you will need). Once they were all cut, I sponged them in Olive ink to get them more depth. I adhered them to the page with a glue pen.

The trees on page 2 are more time-consuming than the pine needles. First I stamped the trees in Olive ink all the way across the strip of white cardstock. Then I second-generation stamped the trees a couple times on a separate piece of white cardstock (stamp first on scratch paper, then on cardstock to give lighter color). I cut out each tree on the extra cardstock and sponged the edges, then used a glue pen to glue them over some of the trees on the white strip. The ornaments are colored with a tulip marker, then used a glue pen to add glitter on top.

This flurry dimensional element makes the whole page come together! I used spray adhesive on the entire snowflake, then sprinkled glitter over it. (Tip: Put your dimensional element on a few sheets of scratch paper, then go outside and spray it. Throw the scratch paper away before glittering or the glitter will stick to it.) I adhered the snowflake with 3D foam so that it is raised above the felt piece it is covering.

The "J" and "Y" are dimensional elements that I covered with paper. Tip: When covering chipboard with paper, file the edges when you're done to give a smooth (and distressed, if you'd like) finish.

San Diego & Mammoth for Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

We spent this Thanksgiving in San Diego at my parents' house. It was great to be able to spend time with the WHOLE family! I miss seeing sweet little Madison as often as I did when we lived in SD :( Every time I see her now she's so much bigger! We also celebrated my birthday since it was the following Monday and everyone was already together. Here's Maddie trying to put my shoes on as I was trying on my new boots. SO freaking cute!

And then trying to walk in them.

She also loved carrying around my new purse, which is almost as big as she is.

And my gift bag.

This girl is going to be quite the girly girl...and will LOVE playing dress-up with Mommy and Auntie's clothes, shoes, and makeup!

Earlier in the day we had my lovely friend and professional photographer, Lauren, take our Lewinger family photos. They turned out just lovely, but I don't have them yet, so you'll just have to wait to see how good we look ;)

On Thanksgiving evening Chris and I headed up to Mammoth. We did NOT enjoy the 6-hour drive now that we're used to the 4.5 hour drive from LA. But it was worth it to be in Mammoth. It's one of my most favorite places and never disappoints!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Malme family on Friday. Mmmm...more mashed potatoes, my favorite! Before dinner we got a pretty good Malme family photo for their Christmas card. (I don't like how I look, and this is after photoshopping my hair, but everyone else looks great.)

It snowed on Friday night all through Saturday, leaving us 14 inches of fresh powder on Sunday. We took Oslo to the meadow...boy does he have fun there!

I took Stephanie's awesome camera with me to get some fun snow shots.

And Steph got some cool pictures that night and in the morning.

Sunday was nothin but bluebird skies. Oslo the Wonder Dog likes to show off.

(Can I just point out how perfect these photos are?! I have tried taking action shots of him time and time again, and they just never turn out great. I'm SO excited about these!)

This next photo was taken on the mountain, across the street from the lift (chair 2). It's so beautiful up there, especially with fresh snow!

And of course, our little family photo had to include our son and be in the snow. (Good thing it snowed or I don't know what we would have done.) Chris was complaining about our photo shoot taking too long...he wanted to be finished after 1 location, but we tried 4, and I still hadn't seen the perfect shot. Our lovely photographer, Stephanie, was so patient with me. Finally, once I said "one more," we got the perfect shot on the last try! (And if you're wondering, yes, I was freezing my butt off without a beenie or jacket. But worth it for the cute hair.)

How do we get Oslo to look at the camera, you ask? Stephanie was holding his tennis ball. Works like a charm every time. (Although he did bolt over to her a couple times to try getting the ball.)

It was great to have lots of family time over the weekend!

Jim Carrey on The Ellen Show

2009-11-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Jim Carrey's entrance is awesome. No one else could pull this off like he did.

He wasn't necessarily promoting his new movie, Disney's A Christmas Carol, but they show a quick promo in the beginning. The movie is pretty awesome. I saw it opening weekend at Disney's El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, and it was nothing less than Disney style. Motion-capture technology made it possible to create this movie as close as possible to the classic Dickens tale. It is still a ghost story (I don't recommend bringing your small children), but it's also comedic. How could it not be with Jim Carrey?!

Toy Story 3 Trailer

2009-10-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

This looks so cute! I laughed out loud when I watched this trailer.

Madison at Bate's Nut Farm

2009-10-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

...Try saying that 3 times fast! :)

Ashley and Justin took Madison to Bate's Nut Farm to pick out a pumpkin and play in the pumpkin patch. From what she explained, Madison had a BLAST! And they got some great pictures to boot! I can't believe how long Maddie's hair is getting.

Glee - Single Ladies

2009-09-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Hilarious!!!

Oregon Sandcastle Competition

2009-09-25T12:45:00.001-07:00

I received a forward with pictures of some amazing sandcastles from a competition on the coast of Oregon. Not that I could ever in a million years conjure up something like this, but if I could, I can't imagine sculpting such a work of art, then just leaving it, knowing it will eventually get destroyed. That's why I scrapbook...my artwork lasts forever :) Here are a couple pictures of my favorite one from the email.

Joey's Story

2009-09-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of my sister's co-workers, Tony, has a 14-year-old son named Joey. After a terrible accident in April 2009, Joey, a surfing champion, was left in a wheelchair and told that he would never walk again. However, with very expensive treatment there is hope that he will walk again. I thought I'd share his inspiring story.

This is re-posted from Joey's mom's online journal:

Use it or lose it

There has been research done and recent books published on brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to "rewire" itself). It seems to me that they are basically saying just this: use it or lose it. The more fascinating thing that is now being looked at is how, once you lose it, you can use it again.

From my understanding, whether it's called plasticity or learned unuse, if you stop using part of your body, it will adapt by redirecting neuropathways/brain signals to somewhere else in your body that you do use. The theory holds true for those that lose an entire sense and can't hear or see; their other senses use those unused reserves in neuropathways to increase the senses that are working. There is a therapy called constraint-induced movement therapy where if one arm is paralyzed and the other is not; the working arm is constrained so that you can't rely on it to compensate for the nonworking arm - you don't allow it to take over the unused pathways that were used at one time to tell the paralyzed arm to work. If there is no attempt to use the paralyzed arm, the brain will tell the body that it is no longer needed, but if your able arm is placed in a sling, and you continually tell the brain to move the paralyzed arm, it begins to fire the pathways necessary to move it.

There have also been unbelievable things done where the brain can actually be tricked into thinking that a paralyzed arm works (using an able arm and mirror). The brain sees, in a mirror, what appears to be the paralyzed arm working, and when it registers that it can work, suddenly the paralyzed arm does work. I've heard this mirror method used when working with phantom pain as well. Dr Joe, Joey's Chiropractic Neurologist, explains some of these things by discussing the inhibitors that the brain naturally sends or does not send to the body based on the brains input from different sources (I may not have interpreted that exactly right-I've given up trying to quote dr joe as the terminology is like a foreign language to me - but I think I'm close).

The brain is pretty incredible and it's encouraging to see more and more interest and information out there on its ability to "rewire itself". It can only be expected that more research on plasticity and the spinal cord will follow.

In the past, physical therapists worked with spinal cord injury (SCI) patients on only those muscles above the level of injury, and pretty much ignored anything that was paralyzed. New therapies (Project Walk among them) concentrate on the areas that are paralyzed and work on the body below the level of injury. It is hard to imagine how you work on a an arm or leg that is paralyzed, but the first thing they do is ask you to try to move. Then they assist the movement while you visualize doing it on your own. This is about making connections, reconnecting, or maybe even redirecting, neuropathways that at one time told the body to move this way.

Another important aspect scientists have found with connecting neuropathways is the importance of reward. When studying plasticity, it was found that major changes in rewiring the brain occur when the body releases endorphines, or other pleasure chemicals in your body, at the same time it is attempting to rewire. Even if there is no result when trying, rewarding the attempt (shaping) will help to build neuropathways. This is like how the body responds to some addictive behaviors. The more the body is rewarded, the stronger the addiction becomes. I think this is also the power of positive thinking, muscle memory, and mind over body; maybe all that stuff will be scientifically supported and explained in the future as brain plasticity.

On Joey's first day at Project Walk they made a video as his starting point in recovery. He was asked to try to move his leg while the trainer moved his leg for him. Joey was encouraged at each attempt and by the end of the first hour, they had to retake the video because he was able to do more than he thought he could, and a lot more than he showed in the first filming. Seeing that he could do more than he thought was another boost of confidence/reward and those initial movements were built upon.

Having an exercise-based therapy like Project Walk also adds the reward of endorphines which are naturally released with exercise and help reward and strengthen the message to the brain that this is what we want the body to do.
While at Project Walk, the trainers use positive reinforcement for effort, and with gradual and repetitive movements, tap into those connections and eventually strengthen muscle.

A very long way to say just this: Use it or lose it.

Recipe Week Day 7: Vanilla-Lime Grilled Pineapple Skewers

2009-09-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is my final post for Recipe Week. I hope you'll try all my recipes...they're my tried-and-true favorites...husband-tested and all :)

Grilled pineapple isn't usually a dessert you think to make. But it sure is yummy! Especially with this brown sugar sauce. This recipe is from Alton Brown on Foodnetwork. (If you haven't watched his show, "Good Eats" on Foodnetwork, you should!)

Ingredients

1 tsp vanilla extract none of that imitation stuff (he calls for 1 vanilla bean, but I don't typically keep those on hand)
8 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1 cup firmly packed
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch kosher salt
1 whole pineapple
8 (12-inch) metal skewers

Directions
Add the vanilla, brown sugar, lime juice, and salt to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk together and bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 2 hours before using. Once cool, place the syrup in a squeeze bottle or other sealable container. Store in the refrigerator. (This will store in the fridge for a very long time...so you can make extra!)

Preheat grill on high.

Peel and remove the core from the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into eighths, lengthwise, and remove any prickly brown eyes.

Thread the pieces of pineapple onto the skewers lengthwise. Coat the skewered pineapple on all sides with the syrup. Grill on all sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side, 12 minutes total, or until the pineapple is tender. Serve with any remaining sauce.

YUM!

Recipe Week Day 6: Spicy Honey-Glazed Chicken Breasts

2009-09-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine.

8 servings prep time: 10 min Cook time: 25 min
(I usually split this recipe in half.)

Ingredients:
1/4 Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 C honey
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp lemon juice
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 4 lbs)
Salt

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tbsp EVOO over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent and beginning to brown (6-8 min). Add the honey, hot pepper sauce, and chili powder and simmer for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and set aside.

2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan to medium-high. Drizzle the remaining 3 tbsp EVOO over the chicken and season with salt. Grill until well marked, about 7 min. Flip and cook until the bottoms are well marked and the chicken is cooked through, another 2 min. Transfer to a plate and brush with the reserved honey glaze. Cover with foil and let rest for 5 min.

Recipe Week Day 5: Popcorn Shrimp with Chili-Lime Dipping Sauce

2009-09-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from Ellie Krieger from Foodnetwork. I love that her recipes are healthy and still packed with flavor. The cornmeal crust gives these shrimp a nice little crunch, plus it's gluten-free. This recipe is a little more involved than my past posts, but it's worth it.

Ingredients

For shrimp:

1/2 C rice flour (or other gluten-free flour)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
3/4 C cornmeal
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb medium rock shrimp (90-100 count), shelled and cleaned (any size shrimp you have will work)
2 tbsp canola oil
Spray cooking oil

For sauce:

1/3 C nonfat Greek yogurt or 1/2 C nonfat plain yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lime juice (about 1/2 a lime)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 lime, zested

(I usually omit the lime zest, and sometimes even omit the yogurt if I don't have it on-hand and just make a mayonnaise-based sauce.)

1. Combine all sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Place flour, chili powder, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a shallow bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate. Place egg whites in another shallow bowl and beat lightly. Place cornmeal, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper in a third bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate.

3. Toss the shrimp, a few at a time, in flour until well coated. Shake off excess flour, then dip in egg whites. Transfer to cornmeal mixture and toss to cover all sides. Reserve coated shrimp on a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper and repeat with remaining shrimp.

4. Preheat broiler. Brush a large cookie sheet with the oil and heat the oiled sheet under broiler for 3 min. Remove from oven and quickly arrange shrimp in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Spray the tops of the shrimp with cooking spray. Place shrimp under broiler and broil until crisp and browned, about 5 min.

5. Serve with dipping sauce.

Serves 8 (12 shrimp each + 1 tbsp sauce)

View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Day 4: Mixed-Up Lasagna
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili

Recipe Week Day 4: Mixed-Up Lasagna

2009-09-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you don't want to bother with fussy meals. I love lasagna, but don't want to deal with the layers. So why not mix it up? The lasagna gets mixed up on your plate anyway...it tastes the same.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com years ago and printed it out, but I can't find it online anymore. It's one of my family's favorites, so it's a good thing I printed it!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced (or I use 1-2 tbsp already-minced garlic)
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
salt and pepper to taste
1-1/2 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
8 oz no boil lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (I use brown rice noodles, which are gluten-free. I have also used regular pasta instead of lasagna noodles. Be sure you don't boil them very long because they'll cook while baking.)
3 C tomato sauce (one 29-oz can)
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add the onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until the onion softens. Add the ground meat, brown and season with salt and pepper.

2. Mix the basil, oregano, noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese into the meat mixture. Pour the mixed up lasagna into a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the noodles have softened and cheese is melted. (I like the top of my casseroles to be browned and crunchy, so I usually leave mine in about 45 min.)

Enjoy!

View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili

Recipe Week Day 3: Spicy Peanut Sauce

2009-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love peanut sauce, and I've tried many different recipes for it. This one has been my favorite time and time again. Plus, it's super easy to make! I usually serve it with chicken skewers or grilled chicken breast as a dipping sauce.

Adapted from Ellie Krieger on Foodnetwork.

Time: about 10 min. Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 C peanut butter (chunky or smooth works)
1/4 C chicken broth (I make sure mine is gluten-free as well)
3 tbsp soy sauce (Tamari wheat-free if you're gluten-free)
1-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1-1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (or 3/4 tbsp ground dried ginger)
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
3-4 tbsp onion, roughly chopped

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Sometimes I freeze in ice cube trays so I have individual portion sizes ready to defrost.

View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili

Recipe Week Day 2: Crockpot BBQ Beef

2009-08-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm going to go ahead and start off my Recipe Week with both of my Crockpot recipes. But who am I kidding....I'm really posting them for my own selfish reasons. I can't find them on Allrecipes.com anymore and I already had a scare that I lost my only copies of my 2 favorite Crockpot recipes! I really only have 2 that I go to on a regular basis. Now I have a record of them online :)

(This fabulous BBQ beef recipe was submitted by Corwynn on Allrecipes.com...love that site! I altered it a bit, though.)

Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 8-10 hrs.

1-1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C red wine vigegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 4-lb boneless chuck roast

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except roast).

2. Place chuck roast in Crockpot and pour ketchup mixture over it. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hrs.

3. Remove chuck roast from Crockpot, shred with a fork, and return to Crockpot. Stir meat to evenly coat with sauce. (The recipe says to continue cooking another hour, but I never do and it is still yummy!)

View Past Recipes:
Day1: Crockpot Turkey Chili
Bonus: Stovetop Turkey Chili

Recipe Week Day 1: Crockpot Turkey Chili

2009-08-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love cooking and trying new recipes, so I decided that this next week is recipe week on my blog. I'm going to post a new recipe each day. Since I'm gluten-intolerant, any of you out there who have the same issue, rest-assured all my recipes are gluten-free!

Since I gave you my recipe for stove top chili in my last post, I decided it's only fair to give you my crockpot chili recipe. It's SO yummy....I've gotten rave reviews! But I have to give credit to LauraKE on Allrecipes.com :)

Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 4 hrs (on high)

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans (10.75 oz) low sodium tomato soup
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash allspice
salt to taste

1. Brown the ground turkey, drain.

2. Spray Crockpot w/ cooking spray and mix in all ingredients.

3. Cover and cook 4 hrs on high or 8 hrs on low.

4. Enjoy!

Serves probably about 4-6. (Hard to tell because my husband eats more than the average Joe!)

Feel free to change up the beans...I use whatever is on-hand. I hope you try it...you won't be let down!

For my stove top chili recipe, click here.

Back in the Swing of Things - Stovetop Chili

2009-08-25T16:35:00.001-07:00

I just created a blog for my sister so that she can post pictures and give updates about Madison and baby #2 once he/she arrives! So I thought I should probably start updating my own blog more often :) I have my craft blog though, which I do update regularly.

I'll start off with a great recipe for chili that I made last night. I have 2 chili recipes...once is for the crock pot and one is for stove top. This is for the stove top:

I adapted this recipe from Sam the Cooking Guy.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey, browned and seasoned with a little kosher salt, garlic powder, and chili powder (or Lawry's season salt)
4 sm cans of beans, your choice (I used white kidney beans and black beans...but I usually change it up depending on what's in the pantry)
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (More or less depending on your preference. I usually use a dash.)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cups chicken stock

In a stock pot, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Toss all ingredients into the pot, let simmer for about half an hour to let all the flavors marry, and enjoy!

Easy peasy! Serves about 4.

I choose to live

2009-08-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."

He continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes', I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'! Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

My Last Day at Work Phone Prank

2009-06-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

My co-worker, and master prankster, Michelle, got her husband involved in this prank. He works in video at Jobbing.com and had his co-worker make the call, and they recorded our whole conversation. Fun times.

Saved by the Bell Reunion?

2009-06-09T16:40:00.001-07:00

Fiesta Island on Memorial Day

2009-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Chris and I took Oslo to Fiesta Island on Memorial Day. It was a beautiful day with dozens of jetskis and boats out in the bay. It made me want to wakeboard again soon!

We don't often let Oslo go in the water because he gets all sandy and dirty and he's not the easiest dog to give a bath. But we let him play in the water on Memorial day. He ran back and forth from the water to the shore for an hour straight. He was SO wiped...but could have kept going all day! That dog loves playing fetch more than any dog I've ever met.

Here are some pictures of our boy having a ball (literally)...

Easter week with the Nelsons

2009-05-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Chris's cousin, Bill, came out to visit from Minnesota (or Minne-so-cold as the Malmes call it) the week before Easter. (I know I'm behind on posting.) He brought his lovely wife, Barb, and two adorable kids, Elise (5-1/2) and Cyrus (4). Elise was the flower girl in our wedding...she had just turned 3 years old...time sure does fly!

Chris and I went on a double date while Great Aunt Jan and Great Uncle David watched the kiddos. We took them to the Fish Market downtown.

The Nelsons left to go back home on Easter Sunday, so we celebrated Easter with them on Saturday. We walked with Oslo and Cassie over to the park near the Malmes' house and took some pictures of the kids (little and big).

Cyrus is concentrating on climbing that chain ladder...

Elise looking pretty...

Oslo and Daddy posing for the camera...

The Want Ads

2009-05-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is my friend's husband's band. They're playing in Canada but looks like it will be a fun time. Wish I could go!

Holly and the Box

2009-05-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

I just love my little Holly baby. She loves crawling into boxes, and she especially loves that this box has paper packaging inside. Isn't she a cutie?!

Watch out for these over-the-counter flea products

2009-05-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Watch this video and watch out for over-the-counter flea products!

My cat was sick last year and I couldn't figure out why he was throwing up every week or two, losing a lot of fur, and getting really skinny. I thought it was an allergic reaction to his food. When I switched his food he slowly got better. But that also coincided w/ the flea season being over and I stopped giving him flea baths. This video shows a shampoo I used on him last year (Biospot) when he had fleas...now I'm convinced it was this flea shampoo that made him sick.

Awesome Dance Moves, Little Guy!

2009-04-08T19:17:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Baby!

2009-03-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my sweet husband, who turns 28 today :) I usually don't give a whole lot of thought to St. Patrick's day because I celebrate my hubby's birthday instead of the holiday. But I am making him a traditional Irish dinner tonight, so I thought I'd look up what St. Patrick's day actually is. This is from Wikipedia:

Saint Patrick's Day (Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17.

The day is the national holiday of Ireland. In Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.

St. Patrick's feast day was placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding in the early part of the 17th century, although the feast day was celebrated in the local Irish church from a much earlier date. St. Patrick's Day is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland. The feast day usually falls during Lent; if it falls on a Friday of Lent (unless it is Good Friday), the obligation to abstain from eating meat can be lifted by the local bishop. The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. St. Patricks Day is very occasionally affected by this requirement. Thus when March 17 falls during Holy Week, as in 1940 when St. Patrick's Day was observed on April 3 in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, having been observed on 15 March.

More than you ever thought you wanted to know about St. Paddy's day!!!

Craziness!

2009-02-23T11:16:00.001-08:00

Why doesn't our administration learn from history?

2009-02-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

The Worst Best Man Ever

2009-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

3 Things

2009-02-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

This post is thanks to Melissa :)

Three Names I go by
1. J
2. Hymes
3. Jaymalew

Three Jobs I have had in my life
1. Flower cleaner
2. Barista
3. Marketing/Customer Service/Web Maintenance/anything that comes up Coordinator

Three Places I have lived
1. Jamul, CA
2. Carlsbad, CA
3. Pt. Loma, CA

Three TV Shows that I watch
1. Lipstick Jungle
2. Man vs. Wild
3. Entourage

Three places I have been
1. Madrid, Spain
2. Colorado, US
3. Caribbean, USVI

Three People who email me regularly
1. Mandy
2. Erika
3. Meli

Three favorite foods
1. asparagus, mashed potatoes & filet minon (from Whiskey Creek in Mammoth)
2. French fries
3. Nut thins with cream cheese

Things I am looking forward to
1. East Coast with my hubby in July
2. My hubby being done w/ school and working full time at a div. 1 university!
3. Finishing the Twilight saga

I bet she'll never miss another flight...

2009-02-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

Love Quotes

2009-02-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not one of those sappy romantics; I don't like cheesy lovey dovey quotes. But in honor of Valentine's Day, here is a compilation of some of my favorite (non-cheesy) love quotes...

"Love is the only thing you get more of by giving it away." -Tom Wilson

"People need loving the most when they deserve it the least." -John Harrigan

"The greatest happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves." -Unknown

"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." -Anonymous

"Love doesn't give a person what they deserve, but what they need." -Unknown

"We find rest in those we love, and we provide a resting place in ourselves for those who love us." -Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Boba is the BEST!

2009-02-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to Boba a couple years ago by my lovely friend Melissa. We went to an asian tea bar in Clairemont and I got a bobalicious tea drink. It was love at first sip. What's there not to love? Tea....Any flavor addition you want....Chewy things in your drink...milk to make a latte if that's your forte....Mmmm. And you drink it all through a big fat straw so you can suck up the tapioca pearls.

Well, lattes and teas are just as expensive at a boba bar as they are at Starbucks, so I started making them myself! I get tapioca pearls at Ranch 99...a whole bag for $1.29! Then I just add them to my hot tea for a nice chewy morning and afternoon snack. I even got fat straws...I think it was like 99 cents for a whole bag of them. I don't add the flavoring, just honey and some almond milk. I'm really just in it for the chewy treats at the bottom. For those of you who have not experienced the world of boba, you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about! Let me enlighten you...

Bubble tea (or boba tea) is a special tea beverage that originated in Asia in the 1980s. It is a mixture of of iced or hot sweetened tea, milk, and a flavoring - often fruits such as mango, traditional flavors like red bean and taro, or others.

The bubbles in the tea are chewy tapioca pearls that sit at the bottom of the cup. You drink the tea through a super fat straw which allows you to suck up the tapioca balls and chew on them as a treat.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say...

Bubble tea, also called "Boba" tea, is a tea beverage containing gelatinous tapioca pearls. It originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, spread to nearby East Asian countries, and migrated to Canada before spreading to Chinatown in New York, then to various spots throughout the West Coast of the United States. The literal translation from Chinese is pearl milk tea (traditional Chinese: 珍珠奶茶; Tongyong Pinyin: jhenjhu nǎichá; Hanyu Pinyin: zhēnzhū nǎichá). The word "bubble" refers to "bubbling", the process by which certain types of bubble tea are made, and not the actual tapioca balls. The balls are often called "pearls." Drinks with large pearls are consumed along with the beverage through wide straws; while drinks with small pearls are consumed through normal straws. Bubble tea is especially popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian regions, and more recently popularized in the United States.

Happy boba drinking!

The Dog Park

2009-02-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

Chris takes Oslo to the dog park every morning. He's such a great daddy! But this weekend Chris was sick, so I took him. I do enjoy going to the dog park every now and then. I enjoy it more on the weekend than during the week...if I go during the week I have to go right when I get home from work because it gets dark so darn early now. I like to enjoy being home for a bit before running off again...so I usually just walk him around our condo complex instead of going to the park.

I digress. Yesterday I stepped in dog poo at the park. I'm usually good at watching out for it, but wouldn't you know, I had it on BOTH of my shoes. I didn't realize it until I got in the car...the small space concentrated the smell. At first I thought it was Oslo, but then realized it was my shoes. WHY is it so hard for people to pick up after their dogs?! Why can't you watch them to see when they DO poo and go pick it up?! I see people's dogs pooping all the time, and their owner is no where to be found...they have no idea their dog is doing its duty. Maybe it's just me (and Chris), but we know when to expect Oslo to do his duty and watch for it. Sometimes he does it 2-3 times (and now I carry three bags with me!) I just don't understand why it's so hard to watch your dog and pick up after it.

/end rant.

That was kinda fun talking about poo for two paragraphs :) Well, I guess the poo talk was really just one paragraph. It was fun nonetheless.

This is Oslo's next trick

2009-01-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

iPhone Calendar

2009-01-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

A calendar feature can be found on most phones nowadays. There are calendars in our email, on our walls, etc. But I never used a calendar to its full potential until I got my iPhone.

Now my days are so organized it's insane. I even had an event in my calendar to call my dentist to make an appt on Monday, and set an alarm to remind me to call (which I did).

I had this capability in my last phone, and I used it occasionally, but it took like 7 steps to even reach the calendar, then inputting anything was so difficult. But the iPhone is SO easy! You push the calendar app on the home screen and your calendar is open. You can view the month, day, or just a list of events. And it couldn't be easier to add/edit anything...you simply press "+" or "edit" and type. As seen in the picture, a dot on a day means you have something going on. You can touch that day and a list of events is shown at the bottom. SO handy!

Now I can tell you what I'm doing every day and don't forget appointments anymore (I used to forget dr. appts if they didn't call to remind me the day before). I even put in tentative plans since it's so easy...and since I'm SO popular I'm sure never to double-book :)

I LOVE my iPhone. Everyone needs one.

One Minute Painting

2009-01-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

Awesome One Minute Painting - Watch more How-to

Asians are awesome!

2009-01-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

Japanese Treadmill Challenge - Watch more Free Videos

The Garden Song

2009-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

Safe Landing

2009-01-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is fascinating. What an amazing job by this pilot!

Oslo catching a snowball, then fetching his real ball

2009-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

Trip to Arizona

2009-01-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

My cousin got married in Seattle this past May. In December her family had a big party at their house in Arizona so that all their friends and family who couldn't make it to Seattle could celebrate with them.

Chris and I went to Arizona Dec. 27-28 and got to see my grandpa for the first time in years. It was the first time Chris had ever met him. And the first time my grandpa got to meet his first great-granddaughter. I won't got into all the details, but once my grandma passed away several years ago, my grandpa hasn't been the same person. There was a lot of tension in the family once he remarried. But recently he's been slowly coming back into our lives. On Dec. 27 we had 4 generations of our family in one place.

Here is a picture of my grandpa, my dad, my sister, and my niece...

Madison loved her great grandpa. And I think Grandpa enjoyed Madison. She would smile at him whenever he'd make silly faces at her, and she kept reaching for him.

It was definitely worth the trip to be able to take this picture and see four generations of our family together (it would have been worth the trip anyway, however). Who knows if this will ever happen again in my lifetime.

Ok, Go - Here It Goes Again

2009-01-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Office: More of Jim's Pranks on Dwight - "The Best of"

2009-01-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Super Mario Reanactment

2009-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Holy cow...this is SO awesome...especially for a Nintendo junkie like myself!

The Office: Jim vs. Dwight

2009-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

My Newest iPhone app: iHeart Radio

2009-01-15T09:14:00.000-08:00

Chris and I are addicted to the Mikey Show on Rock 105.3 in the mornings. We wake up to them, laugh in bed for an hour or so before we get up, listen while we get ready for work, and listen on the way to work. I often find myself sitting in my car in the parking lot to finish listening to a bit before I go into the office. I recently got a shower radio so I could listen in the shower, and Chris got a Walkman so he could listen when he takes Oslo to the dog park. When we drive to Mammoth we download podcasts of past shows to listen to on our long, boring drive. Makes the time go by so much faster! We're ADDICTED!

Well, Chris just found an app for our iPhones called iHeart Radio. It's put out by Clearchannel so you can listen to all of Clearchannel's radio stations on your iPhone. Now if we are driving and go out of range...just listen on our iPhone. Chris doesn't need his Walkman anymore because he can listen on his iPhone. If there's a good bit on when I need to go into the office...just listen on my iPhone. You get the picture. The iPhone apps and features never cease to amaze me.

(For those who are curious about my addiction, The Mikey Show is on 105.3 weekday mornings 6-10...sometimes 10:30...or whenever they feel like finishing. You can also listen live online at www.mikeyshow.com)

Family Guy: Peanut Butter Jelly Time

2009-01-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

iPhone Feature of the Day: NOTES

2009-01-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

I've had my iPhone for about 5 days now, and each day I fall in love with it more and more. As if it's not awesome enough, I keep running across new features and find myself saying "Wow, that's SO cool!" Then I show whoever is around how cool it is and they agree. Then I tell my fellow iPhone junkie, Meli, and she agrees :)

So...I'm starting an "iPhone Feature of the Day" label for my blog!

Today I played with the NOTES app for the first time. I was making a shopping list for Target (very cool in itself...no more post-its shoved in my purse). I was about to call Chris to see if he had anything to add to my list, but then I saw a little envelope button at the bottom of my screen. Being the curious person that I am, I pushed it to see what it did. It pulled up an email with my list already in the body. I simply emailed the list to him...he emailed me back what he needed. Since we both have iPhones, we got the emails instantly.

WAY COOL!

Oldies but goodies

2009-01-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

BLAH

2009-01-13T11:01:00.000-08:00

I'm in a weird place today. No, I have been for the past week. Ever since I came back to work after 1-1/2 weeks off I've been thinking a lot about my life and what I'm doing with it. I love my home life...my husband is amazing, my dog makes me happy, and my crafting hobbies keep my creative juices constantly moving. I have an awesome place to live, a supportive family, a niece who I adore, and the best friends a girl could ask for. But I feel like I'm missing something lately.

Chris is working on his graduate degree and has a pretty good idea of where he's going with his career. And quite frankly, he and I have been discussing what he's doing with his life so much, that I haven't given much thought to mine. (Not that I'm complaining...he comes first in this discussion.) But where am I going...what am I doing? I know I'm capable of so much more than I'm doing right now. Eventually I want to be a stay-at-home mom, but I'm not able to do that yet. I know that I want to do something where I get to use my uber-creative talents. I've been trying to figure out how to make crafting more than just a hobby, but it's a slow process. My job at Christian Ed Publishers has gone downhill with the economy...it's now more stressful, less fulfilling, and sometimes just plain miserable. If it weren't for my co-worker, Erika, I don't think I could have lasted this long! But it's a job in a time that many don't have one.

Which brings me to whatever plateau I'm currently at. A plateau in my professional life. I've been doing a lot of soul-searching but am not quite sure how to decipher what I need to do. I have been putting a lot more effort into my crafting business and my crafting blog (Playing with Paper), so hopefully it will lead somewhere. I have so many ideas to make it even better, but not enough time (with a full-time job) to put those ideas into action. I want to love my job. It's something you spend too many hours of your life doing to not enjoy. I guess I will continue in my search for the next stage of my life...

I'm officially COOL!

2009-01-10T23:34:00.001-08:00

Last night Chris and I became proud new owners of iPhones! We've both been wanting one for a long time, so we both asked for Apple/iPhone gift cards for Christmas. Our family/friends were so good to us! We were able to get 2 of the 16GB iPhones and only had to pay $50 out of pocket. Here's a picture of the used gift cards. Our Genius Apple tech got a kick out of scanning all the cards. He said we hold the record for the most gift cards used. Go us! He's actually the one who staged this picture :)

I was so excited that I couldn't even hold the box forward for the picture. Thanks, Meli, for documenting this important milestone in our lives! I'm glad you don't have to be embarrassed to be my friend anymore! :)

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Chris and I were in Mammoth from Dec. 29 - Jan. 4...a whole week! That's the longest we've been able to stay up there. And I could have stayed so much longer. Oslo has never been more tired in his life. He played his heart out the entire time and at night he was just konked out! It was hilarious...coming from an endless-energy dog (so I thought).

H loves playing with his ball in the snow, but he mostly loves digging. Here is him trying to dig up this tree. He dug about 5 feet...

On Friday it was snowy and fabulous! We went up to the lakes (where we normally hike in the summer). The lake was frozen over and was covered in snow!

Here's our cute little family in the snow. You can't really tell, but it was snowing and Oslo has an ice beard :)

Maddie's First Christmas

2009-01-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, 2008 marks Madison's first Christmas. You'd think we would have been better about taking pictures for this milestone...but we weren't! She missed a nap on Christmas eve and got pretty cranky pretty quick. She loved playing with the tissue paper from the presents.

This is finally the first picture we got of Chris and I both with our darling niece. This was her (and our) favorite present she got...a nipple ball! It was from Daddy.

It's Christmas Time

2008-12-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

Last night I finished my Christmas shopping. While it's a relief that I no longer have to brave the crowds, it does not mean I'm done with Christmas gifts. I'm making a lot of gifts this year, and I'm not yet finished with that part. I began to stress a little last night, especially since I still had a package to mail to Florida, and still had things to make to include in that package. I was tired, and just wanted to go to sleep (it was 7pm).

Then at dinner Chris and I sat at our dining room table (normally we sit in front of the TV), and I prayed a different prayer than we normally do before dinner. I prayed that we would not stress about what we need to do for Christmas. Christmas isn't about the gifts or the baking or any other preparations. It's about our Savior. It's about celebrating his miraculous birth. I prayed that we would not stress over the material things, but rather enjoy this season and remember WHY we are celebrating!

After dinner I somehow got a second wind and was able to finish everything I had to for the package going to Florida! I mailed it off today. I feel so much more at peace about what I need to do in preparation for Christmas. I am planning to have fun with what I still need to make and not stress about it!

I pray that each of you remember the true meaning for this glorious season we're in. Have a very blessed Christmas!

I'm all in

2008-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

The first I'd heard of Twilight was over the summer. Vampires? I don't think so. But then it got more popular and hyped, and some of my friends read it and loved it, so I decided I'd do the same. Not to just follow the crowd, but because if this many people liked a vampire book, there must be something special about it. But I hadn't made it a priority until now.

Now the movie is out, and last week I got tickets to see it on the Imax with some friends. They challenged me (and I've challenged myself) to finish the book before I watch the movie. I found this a very daunting task, seeing as I began the book on Tuesday and I'm not the fastest reader (I like to read every word...and sometimes read them again). I was a little skeptic...it was hyped SO much by everyone that I didn't possibly think it could be as good as they said. But it is. I'm all in, and it is possible that I'll finish it before tonight.

What CAN I eat?!

2008-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

I had an allergy and hormones test done today (among other things). It's part of a whole health and wellness treatment I'm doing in seek of the cause of my migraines. I always wanted to re-affirm my intolerance to gluten, so that it did. Here is a complete list of all food I am allergic to:

vinegar, yeast mix, coffee, wine, albumin (cowsmilk), cheese (except feta/goat), amaranth, gliadin, gluten, oats, rye, spelt, wheat, soy, peanuts, peanut butter, thyme, carrots, celery, potato (white), and tomatoes.

Quite impressive, isn't it? Who knew someone could be allergic to so many things. Actually, they call it a "sensitivity," so I can have these things in moderation, but should just try to stay away from them. I would have thought I'd be depressed after this news. Heck, being allergic to peanut butter alone is almost the end of the world (but I learned of almond butter, and Henry's roasted almond butter is pretty darn good). I think what has kept me in high spirits are a few things...

1. I have already known I'm intolerant to gluten and soy, and have already cut them out of my diet. And I had a hunch about cow's milk, so I don't drink milk (I'm not willing to cut out cheese...I will cut down). So, knowing that I've already cut out one item that is in so many things, I know I have willpower, and I know I can do it.

2. I know it will make me feel better. Before I went off gluten I was getting several migraines a week. Since going off it, I get 1-2 per month. Seeing that improvement gives me hope that I've finally found the rest of the problem. (In addition to the hormone issue I have...more to follow.)

3. Since I am gluten-free, I know that there are ways around your intolerances. For example, I bake with rice flour and tapioca flour instead of wheat flour. I eat nut thins instead of wheat thins. I have quinoa pasta instead of wheat pasta; to name a few.

The other thing I had tested was my hormone levels. This is the main issue I was concerned with, because I already knew my migraines are hormonal. Turns out that several of my hormones are too low. I got a hormone supplement to hopefully correct this issue. Maybe if the hormone issue is fixed, I can still eat things I'm sensitive to and be fine. I'll still be doing plenty of testing on my own, so I'll let ya know!

If I could have gluten...

2008-11-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

I've been gluten-free for a year and a half, and I love it! (For those of you who don't know, gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. So no normal baked goods, bread, or beer for me...don't worry, I have ways around it!)

Even though I've gotten very accustomed to this lifestyle, there are many times I would really love to have a glutenous delight. Many people in my situation may cheat here and there, but I don't. I have definitely learned the art of self-control. It's selfish, really, because I don't want to get a blasted migraine!

But recently I've been thinking...dreaming...of what I would eat if I could have gluten again. Many things that I used to eat are easily replaced with the GF version (although the GF version is often not available if I'm at a restaurant, etc., so it's convenience I miss most), but some are just irreplaceable.

So, here is my top ten list of gluten-filled food I would eat if I could...

10. Sourdough bread
9. Bagels
8. Maple doughnuts
7. Ravioli
6. Triscuits
5. Sundried Tomato & Basil Wheat Thins
4. Real Mexican Flour tortillas
3. CPK Pizza
2. Bronx Pizza
1. Cheez-its!

Disclaimer: I wouldn't eat these junky foods all the time...it would just be nice to be able to have some every once in a while if I wanted.

Last week Erika and I exchanged haikus at work, and here's what I wrote in honor of my beloved #1 missed food:

Yummy orangish square
How I love your cheezy ways
But hate your gluten

Thank you, thank you. I'll be signing autographs next week.

Lipstick Jungle: A Sad Farewell

2008-11-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

In the TV world nowadays, a good show is few and far between. My current shows consist of Entourage, CSI if I'm in the gory mood, sometimes the Office (hasn't been as good lately), Heroes (although I'm still on season 1), Lipstick Jungle, and anything on FoodNetwork. Of all those shows, Entourage and Lipstick Jungle are FAR above the rest. But I just found out that Lipstick Jungle has been canceled. I almost cried. I can't understand why people don't see the brilliance in this show.

The show is based on the book "Sex and the City," and that show did phenomenal. It's a sexy drama about 3 friends instead of 4, and they're a little older, but still the same premise.

Then I thought about it...the show wasn't marketed enough! Every time I mentioned the show to any friends, they may have heard of it, some had "meant" to watch it...if it was marketed enough they would have remembered! It's hard for me to really get hooked on a TV show, but I'm HOOKED on this one, so it's gotta be good. I have good taste, right? So the problem is that it didn't get enough exposure. And now it's been canceled. So it is with a very sad heart that this Lipstick Jungle fan says farewell to Wendy, Nico, Victory, Kirby, Joe, and Shane.

If you liked Sex and the City, go online to www.nbc.com/lipstickjungle and watch Lipstick Jungle from the beginning. You'll see what I'm talking about. I think they'll continue airing the rest of the current season 2 since they've already recorded them all...but I want them to keep making them!

Here's the premise:

Movie exec Wendy (Brooke Shields, "Suddenly Susan") does everything she can to balance career and family. Nico (Kim Raver, "24"), editor-in-chief of a hot fashion magazine, has her eye on becoming CEO. And free-spirited designer Victory (Lindsay Price, "Beverly Hills, 90210") longs to make her dreams come true -- and maybe find "Mr. Right" along the way.

Armed with humor and strength, these three modern New York women support one another through the triumphs and tears that are all part of making it big in the Big Apple. Also starring are Andrew McCarthy ("Joy Luck Club"), David Noroña ("Frasier") Paul Blackthorne ("Big Shots") and Robert Buckley ("Fashion House").

Heroes

2008-11-05T22:45:00.001-08:00

I'm on episode 5 of season one of Heroes (watching on Netflix Watch Instantly). I'm hooked. I'm still not totally sure what's going on yet because I'm not far enough in...but every episode is a cliffhanger so I have to keep watching. At least it's something to pass the time between episodes of Entourage and Lipstick Jungle! Best shows on TV!

Back to tea

2008-11-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've gotta say, I didn't thoroughly enjoy my half-cup of coffee yesterday. Even with the creamer. It made me feel kinda icky...I'm not used to it anymore. I guess the antioxidants in the tea have "cleansed" the yuckiness out of my body! So...I'm back to my mango black tea today and loving it :)

ERIKA

2008-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Erika has a poster of Dwight from "the office" on it. He's holding a piece of paper with his name on it, and each letter of his name is an acronym for something (i.e. "H" = hard worker). She hung it up on the file cabinet by her desk. So one day when Erika left we had some fun. I sent Michelle this picture of Erika (the only one I had that would work) and she turned it into a poster. This is hanging on Erika's file cabinet next to Dwight:

I gave in

2008-11-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'm drinking coffee. I've already gotten a lot of slack for it, so I need to explain myself...

I am now at the point where I can have a cup of coffee every now and then and not fall back into my addiction. (Albeit it was mainly an addiction to the creamer...it was still a need I had every morning.)
My main reason for quitting coffee was that I hated my reliance on it. It used to be that if I missed my cup of coffee one morning...say, on the weekend...I'd get a headache from the lack of caffeine. I hated it that I depended on this substance for functioning during the day. Now I don't rely on it, so it's okay if I have it every once in a while! (My other reason for quitting coffee is because it is a headache trigger and the Lord knows I don't need any more triggers for my blasted headaches!)
I really needed the extra pick-me-up today. For some reason I'm extra tired and have a lot of work to do, so I needed the coffee buzz.
It was only HALF a cup :)
In my earlier post, I said "there's no going back!" This is still true...I will not go back permanently. This is just an every once in a while occurrence.

My half-cup of coffee is good...but not as good as it used to taste to me. (Although my caramel vanilla creamer does make it pretty tasty.) I am over my addiction to coffee, which was my main goal. I still prefer my tea!

Tea Addict

2008-11-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

The last time I drank a cup of coffee was Sept. 6. I've been clean of coffee for almost 2 months! It took a good 3 weeks before I stopped craving coffee (actually, it was the decadent creamer mixed with the coffee flavor that I was after). But now that I've switched to tea, there's no going back!

My desk at work is L-shaped. I have two small top drawers on either end of the L. One is for pens, pencils, white-out and the like, and the other...tea! And I'll admit, I've got candy stashed in there too. But when you open the drawer, you just see a bunch of boxes of tea. I like to have different flavors to choose from, because my tea mood changes from day to day. There's Chai tea, green tea with peach, pomegranate white tea, pomegranate green tea, a mixture of miscellaneous teas I grabbed from home, and my favorite - Trader Joe's peach black tea.

Peach black tea is my everyday choice if I'm not in the mood for the others. It's a little sweet on it's own, but not too sweet. The pomegranate teas are very good - and full of antioxidants - but I can't drink them with my almond milk because they're too acidic. (I drink my tea the British way, with some milk - almond milk, that is. I also add some honey.)

I was a little bummed to miss out on the holiday creamer flavors, but I may have a solution to that. Straight black tea with creamer? I'll let you know how that goes in the next couple weeks :)

My Etsy Shop

2008-11-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I live to craft! Well, as my projects have gotten better and more creative, I've wanted to sell the stuff I make. Some friends told me about Etsy (thanks Jen and Amy), so I finally set up my Etsy shop! (If you haven't heard of etsy, like I hadn't until recently, it's like Ebay but only handmade items.)

You can get to my shop at: www.jaymalew.etsy.com. I don't have a lot listed yet, but I've been working hard! And there's lots more to come! I've got oodles of ideas mulling in my mind...I'm gonna have so much fun with this! So check it out now just to see what I'm talking about...and then check back again and again and buy Christmas presents and stuff :) I can custom make anything, so if you see something you like but want it just a little different...colors or paper or embellishments or occasion...just let me know!

Some political facts to ponder

2008-10-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

John Glenn (DEMOCRAT) said this...

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq.

FDR (DEMOCRAT) led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ... an average of 112,500 per year.

John F. Kennedy (DEMOCRAT) started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.

Johnson (DEMOCRAT) turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost ... an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton (DEMOCRAT) went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

In the years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and, North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. And the Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking.

We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton (DEMOCRAT) to find the Rose law firm billing records.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida !!!

Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize the facts.

Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange is between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum (on the Senate floor - January 26, 2004). Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living.

Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn):

"How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?"

Senator Glenn (D-Ohio): "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank. I ask you to go with me, as I went the other day... to a veteran's hospital and look those men ... with their mangled bodies .. in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job!"

Couldn't have said it better myself

2008-10-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yes on Prop. 8?

2008-10-26T17:57:00.001-07:00

I've gotta be honest...I voted yes on prop. 8, but I really could care less if two gay men are legally married. I want them to be happy and have the same rights as anyone else in love. One of my good friends is gay, and I love him and his boyfriend. They're going to Canada to live and get married...and I'm incredibly happy for them. Shoot, the gay divorce rate is probably much lower than the divorce rate for straight couples!

No, same sex marriage is not my problem. So why did I vote yes on Prop. 8? My problem with the whole proposition is what comes along with legalizing same-sex marriage. Eventually our education system is going to teach children that marriage is not just between a man and a woman. Maybe this isn't required yet...but just wait...it will be if prop 8 doesn't pass. I don't want my children learning one thing from us and another thing in school.

As a Christian, I believe that the gay lifestyle is biblically wrong. Yet, I don't pass judgment on those who are gay, and I don't necessarily have a huge problem with how they want to live their lives. But if same-sex marriage remains legal, pastors and priests and any other religious figure may have a lawsuit on their hands if they refuse to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony. How is this separation of church and state? If the church is forced to perform a ceremony they disagree with, the government is interfering with their beliefs. And if the church still refuses, they may lose their tax-exempt status. This isn't fair! And on top of this, if a pastor decides he wants to preach on how same-sex relationships are biblically wrong, he may be sued for hate speech! It already happened in Canada.

Now, I'm all for equal rights. I do believe there is something different in a gay person that makes him gay instead of straight. I've seen this behavior first-hand and truly believe that the gay lifestyle is for some people. But I also believe in the separation of church and state and want the government to bud out of the church's business. If you are gay and want to marry...go to Canada.

The Almighty Hangover Emergency Cure

2008-10-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've found it! A hangover cure that really works! It's on soyouwanna.com, and the recipe is below. I didn't take the cysteine or B-complex vitamins and it still seemed to work pretty darn well! The smoothie looks like it will be worse than it really is. The v8 gives it a little weird flavor, but hey...it works! And it's not so bad.

1. Take 2 aspirins
2. Take 200mg cysteine (available at specialty food stores)
3. Take 600mg vitamin C
4. Take 1 tablet vitamin B-complex
5. Mix the following ingredients together in a blender:
1 banana
1 small can V-8
6 large strawberries
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup orange juice (I used orange-pineapple-banana juice)
1-2 cups milk (or soy milk), to desired consistency (I left this out)
¼ tsp. salt (I also left this out)
dash of nutmeg

6. Drink it all up.

If necessary, follow up with a dose of Maalox, lots of Gatorade, and bouillon soup for dinner. These ingredients will rehydrate your body, replace essential vitamins and minerals, and help rid your body of some of the toxic byproducts of metabolized alcohol.

Bouncing Girl

2008-10-20T18:25:00.001-07:00

Maddie loves to bounce in her bouncy chair. This is a video my uncle took when he and my aunt were out from AZ this weekend.

2008-10-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

EepyBird's Sticky Note experiment from Eepybird on Vimeo.

FRIENDS

2008-10-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh...I'm so excited! Friends has finally been given the go-ahead for movie production!

The actors were inspired by the recent success of Sex And The City, and have all agreed to do the film.

I've set a new record!

2008-09-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Every week during the college football season we have college game picks at work. There are 20-or-so people in our pool. Well, this week I set a new record! I chose the most number of games WRONG. Thank you Alabama and VA Tech for coming through for me! No thanks to UCLA.

My favorite show...

2008-09-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Three Sheets is a show on MOJO, an HD channel. Zane Lamprey is a comedian who travels around the world to discover and become a part of other countries' drinking customs. He is not afraid of anything and befriends anyone around. It's mostly a show about drinking, but it's also about the people, food, and everyday life of the people in each country. GREAT show! Check it out if you haven't already. (Cox channel 701.)

General preview...

Three Sheets in the Philippines...

Three Sheets in Portugal...

10 things you may not know about me...

2008-09-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

1. I am a member of coffee creamers anonymous. Ok, it's just Billy and me at work who are in it, but I LOVE my coffee creamer. I recently quit drinking coffee and switched to tea, and the hardest part has been that I don't get my yummy coffee creamer anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do when Thanksgiving and Christmas flavors start arriving at the grocery store. I may have a weak moment and go back to coffee. NO!

2. I love my dog. Ok, you're thinking, "duh, I knew that." But I REALLY love my dog. It's probably unhealthy how much I love my dog. Although, I can't help but think that if I love my dog this much, it's only going to be magnified when I have a real baby someday. I can't wait! (Hurry and finish school, Chris!)

3. I am obsessed with Close to my Heart products. I know you know I am addicted to scrapbooking and stamping, but I think this addiction has turned into an obsession. I LOVE this stuff! (See my craft blog at http://jaymamalme.blogspot.com.)

4. I don't like whipped cream unless it's homemade or Starbucks (which is practically homemade). I think Redi-whip and those store-bought whipped creams are disgusting and taste like oily plastic.

5. I make KILLER gluten-free pumpkin muffins. I tried making them last year during Christmas time because it was my first holiday season being gluten-free. I thought they were fabulous, but since I'm used to gluten-free food it could've just been me. Well, I took them to the Malme Christmas eve lunch and they were a hit, so it's not just me :)

6. I know an Olympic gold medalist. My sister's good friend, Lindsay (and a friend of mine too), married Reid Priddy last year. Reid is a professional volleyball player and as soon as they got married they moved to Greece, then Russia, and other places because he played for those countries' volleyball teams. He was in the Olympics in Beijing and the men's volleyball team won GOLD! Ash, Justin, and Maddie had dinner with them last week...

7. I'm a pretty good cook. Ask Chris. He actually told me to write that one :) I LOVE the foodnetwork and watch it pretty much any time I watch TV. I like to try the techniques and recipes I see on the shows and adding my own twist. It's fun to create recipes on the fly.

8. I use a blanket as my pillow. Chris has done this for years, and I always thought he was weird. But I have had a hard time falling asleep and sleeping well lately. I thought I'd try Chris's technique one day because he always falls asleep in 30.2 seconds and sleeps well. So, I folded up my soft cuddly throw blanket and poofed it to form a pillow. I slept SO well! And fell asleep fast. It's not as high as my pillow, which makes it perfect.

9. It takes me at least 45 minutes to get out of bed when I wake up in the morning (and sometimes longer). I set my alarm for 6:30 on workdays in hopes that I'll get up by 7:30. Usually I get out of bed at 7:45. I try to leave the house by 8, but usually it's 8:10 or 15. (I don't get all glam for work so it doesn't take me too long...and I usually shower at night). On weekends when I get to sleep in I still lie in bed for at least 45 min just to wake up...sometimes watch TV or make a phone call...then I get out of bed. It drives Chris nuts...he gets out of bed the second he wakes up (which leaves no cuddle time...I don't like that).

10. I really want an iPhone. I didn't until Thursday when I played with Melissa's. (Thanks a lot Meli!) I thought, "I don't need email and internet on my phone, that's ridiculous. I don't want to be available ALL the time. Plus it's more expensive service." But what can I say, Apple has the smartest people on the planet working for them (the rest of the smartest people on the planet work for Google and Christian Ed) :) haha. Anyway, just by playing with the iPhone I want one now. Really bad. So anyone who wants to buy me one feel free...I'd like the 16gb one please. thank you.

Time for Some Campaigning

2008-09-11T23:19:00.001-07:00