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Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Looking Ahead and Starting Now.

There is a question that I always ask my clients in our first meeting, it goes like this; "If we were meeting 3 years from now and you were looking back on this meeting, WHAT is it that has to happen for you to feel successful in where you are at?"

It is a very profound and deeply though provoking question for some and others have immediate, tip-of-the-tongue answers. But everyone has answers. We all want something better for our futures, don't we? Or at least different, or maybe simpler, or are you wanting to spice things up more? Isn't that why New Years Eve resolutions are so popular (or dreaded) for the general population every year? How many of of these "resolutions" quickly turn into mere "intentions" without any real weight or momentum behind them, leaving any real improvement in our lives in the dust? Why, why does this happen?

Hmmmm.... time to think, more tomorrow.... must have chocolate!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

It's been a long time...

I have spent a long time trying to decide whether to close my Blog down or start writing again. The truth is, I fear I have have nothing really profitable to say, is anyone really wanting to read my rantings? But I think I am in need of another project so, the Blog shall live. "La Vida Blog"! Or something like that! I will be doing some more updates to it though because I am not quite happy with the format and platform that it has, it doesn't quite seem to represent me completely. Kinda getting excited!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

And so it begins!

The dawn of a new day, a new school year, and a new schedule. This time of year always fills me with excitement and anticipation for what's ahead. What is ahead? I have no idea but I am looking forward to it for sure. The summer has passed with it's loose schedule and lingering time frames in which to accomplish something, no more sleeping in (well, for the kids! I was always up early to feed the chickens!)

A few projects got done here and there amiss chauffeuring the 'vacationers' around, but nothing substantial on my To-Do List. We did clean out the garage, big kudos to the family! But now..... Ahhhh, I have uninterrupted time. I can hardly contain myself from squealing with delight as I write this (okay, I just squealed, but come on). This is huge in my world! Now, I love my kids and hubby, ALOT, but I am one who needs quiet every now so often and to actually finish things I start, finish as in complete, completely complete. This is something no one in my house understands, they think I'm weird. Okay, so I'm weird, this I can handle.

I relish in the "new calendar". I dream of how pretty and efficient it will be when I have it all filled in with the times of each sports practice, school function, Orthodontist appointment and event to plan. Oh, the glory! Any question that will come up for the next 10 months will most assuredly be answered by "The Calendar". It has that much power, it is the future decider of "yes, you may" or "no, you can't" sharing the weight of parenting, I'm very glad to have the help!

Yes, I love this time of year, when we get to shake things up a bit and change into a new routine to meet the growing demands on our family of 4, now with 2 of them in High School. Although it gets busy and crazy, all life does, I love the whole thing. I love the football games and creating new lunches, I love hearing the school gossip and making sure every one has a water bottle and a pick up time, I even don't mind the school lines, probably because they have wireless... Twitter time! We will see how I adjust to the 6:00 am Cross Country Team time, but I'm sure we will do fine.

The biggest pay off for Back-To-School? The time at home to complete all those wanting projects, Oh yes! How stunning will my Linen Closet be after a few hours focused on nothing but that, and my office will be clutter free and all updated for faster retrieval of whatever I may need (that's going to take a week!), clothes closets?, Food Pantry?.... whose next?  with all the organizing going on in here I am going to need to plan a Garage Sale... yeah, more planning!

So, here I go to start the process of our new adventure for the year starting with our trusty road map, The Calendar. I am looking forward to it!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Local Produce in Season for Arizona Summer

Sponsored Links Earn a College Degree Flexible Online Distance Learning. Wide Range of Degree Programs. Phoenix.edu Organic Produce in AZ Delivered right to your door! 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed www.NaturesGardenDelivered.com Arizona Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables Find Seasonal Produce in Arizona The Arizona growing season goes all year long -- harvesting cool weather crops and citrus through the mild winters. Find more fruits and vegetables with the Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables Guide. Apples, July through September Apricots, May through June Arugula, September through May Asparagus, March and April Basil, August through November Beets, November through May Black-eyed peas, July through September Blackberrries, May and early June Blueberries, June and early July Bok Choy, October through March Broccoli, October through March Broccoli raab, December through March Brussels sprouts, December through March Cabbage, January through April Carrots, October through May Celeriac/celery root, January through April Celery, January through April Chiles, July through September Clementines, December through March Corn, June through October Cucumbers, April through September Dates, October and November Figs, June through October Garlic, February through July Grapefruit, December through March Grapes, July and August Green beans, June through October Green onion/scallions, October through March Greens, December through May Herbs, year-round Key limes, October and November Kohlrabi, December through March Leeks, December through July Lemons, December through April Lettuce, October through May Melons, June through August Nectarines, May through July Okra, July through September Onions, April through July Oranges, December through March Parsnips, December through March Peaches, May through August Pears, mid-August through September Peas, April through June Plums & pluots, June through August Potatoes, April through October Pumpkins, August through November Radishes, October through May Radishes, July through October Rutabagas, December through March Shelling Beans, July through September Spinach, October through May Squash (summer), April through September Squash (winter), August through November Strawberries, February through April [/link url=/od/sweetonions/Sweet_Onions.htm]Sweet Onions[/link, April through June Sweet Peppers, July through October Sweet potatoes, December through March Tangerines, December through March Tomatoes, May through November Turnips, October through March Zucchini, April through September Zucchini Blossoms, March through September - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:E Davenport Dr,Scottsdale,United States

Friday, March 26, 2010

Marraige & Money - Making a Budget


Developing a Budget that is Successful

budgetingIn general there is no way to overcome major financial problems without going to a budget. Even if you do not like the idea of budgeting, a good budget is like a trail boss who knows the entire forest like the back of his hand. Your budget will also prove to be the guide to your future financial success
There are five items I am sure will provide you with a basic skeleton of a working budget for you to flesh out and call your own.
1 - Teamwork - The relationship that you have with your spouse is one of the most important of all human relationships in your life. If you are married, then you need to treat your situation as if you and your spouse are one entity, which means that all of the most important decisions in your life need to be made together. Teamwork, then, is a vitally important part of developing a successful budget for your relationship or your family.
2 - Truth - It is important that you learn and comprehend what your true income actually is. Most people are not really aware of what their true income is. So what is a true income? Your true income is the actual dollar amount that the entire family is bringing in every month. These are the net dollars that remain after taxes and other withholdings have been paid. This is a reliable amount of money, and it is a for-sure amount of income that is not going to be dependent on things like bonuses, overtime or simple wishful thinking. The only way that you are going to have an accurate working budget is to know what your actual spendable dollars are.
3 - Monthly Budget - You need to make sure that you are doing your budget every single month. Prepare your budget brand new with every new month. You do not have to reinvent the wheel every single month because your budget format will already be in place, but you are going to want to prepare a brand new budget every single month because it will force you to rethink and review your spending habits on a regular basis and it will encourage communication within the family.
4 - Commit to Paper - Get your paper down on paper for the best possible results. Everything you do should be put down on paper because this makes it definitive. If your family budget is going to have any kind of an impact at all, then you are going to need to get it down on paper sooner rather than later.
5 - Prioritize - If you want your budget to have the biggest impact on your family, you need to be willing to prepare your budget based on where dollars need to go first and foremost.
Photo Credits: ThrasherDave
Originally posted 2009-10-26 03:28:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Blog Ettiquete

Here is a link to "how not to comment" by Scary Mommy; the BEST!! http://bit.ly/zISsz - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Sitting down to do my meal planning for the next two weeks... always make menu plan and grocery list at the same time! http://goo.gl/olvu - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned. Benjamin Franklin RT @bethflarida - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Fun post. How this organizer can help Sesame Street -- love it @TannaC http://short.to/19b7n - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
How to buy, store, and use spices http://ow.ly/1dgZo - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
When a paper enters ur home-write down important information; dates, time, place in ur planner & if u don't need it again- throw paper away. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, March 01, 2010

Shelley's Chicken Salad

This salad comes from one of my good friends, when I visit her house it is mandatory that she make it for me :)

2 cans or C shredded chicken
2 stalks celery, diced
2 stalks green onions, diced
1/4 C mayonnaise (I use Veginaise)
2 red apples, diced
1 t curry powder
1 t dill
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and cover tightly. Rest in refrigerator 2 hours to blend flavors.
Serve over lettuce leaves, on bread or in celery stalks. Very yummy!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

SOS Organize: Friday Five: Five Best Clean up songs for Kids

SOS Organize: Friday Five: Five Best Clean up songs for Kids

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe - Fudge Recipes

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge Recipe - Fudge Recipes

Thursday, February 25, 2010

3 Meals from 1 Chicken


This week is "Tech-Week" for my sons theater group, which means - no time for cooking each night, I HAVE to plan ahead and be very strategic or be ready to increase expenses and eat out. Since non of us are big fast food fans, I set to planning. I was essentially planning for meals ready to eat fast meals and was not planning on going to the store, so I turned to what was already in my freezer and my pantry and hoped for the best. A beautiful whole chicken was frozen, so I sat it to defrost and wondered..."just how many meals could I make out of this one chicken?" I scoured my home recipe book and found some help and imagination or "divine intervention!" filled in the rest.

I oven roasted my chicken (skin on) with thyme, salt, pepper and white wine. The spice combination was designed to give it flavor but not so much distinct flavor that I couldn't add other flavors to it. After cooling, I picked it apart, every evidence of meat was claimed and portioned. Then one, two, three I cooked three easy meals for my family of 4 that were easy to reheat and portion friendly, needed for the demands of the week!

Meal 1: Chicken & Cheese Burritos Enchilada Style
11/2 C Shredded Chicken
1/2 Onion sautéed              (Tip-cook other half of onion and add to salad below)
2 C Shredded Cheese         (Tip-shred extra cup of cheese for salad below)
2 C Enchilada Sauce - homemade or canned
4 Large Flour Tortillas
Briefly put each tortilla in skillet of warmed sauce to coat. Remove to greased 13X9 pan and fill (I stuffed!!) with chicken, onion, salt & pepper & cheese. Roll into Burrito, seam side down. Continue with remaining 3 tortillas. Add remaining sauce to burritos, topping with cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 375.
Made 4 servings

Meal 2: Chicken & Dumplings
3 C Shredded Chicken
1 10 oz can Cream of Chicken
1 C Chicken Broth
1 C Milk
1/2 t each Thyme and Pepper
1 C Bisquick
1/4 more Pepper
1/3C more Milk
Combine chicken through Pepper in large saucepan over med-high heat. Stir constantly. In bowl stir together Bisquick through milk just until moistened. Drop Bisquick dough by spoonfuls into boiling chicken mixture. Turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, uncovered. Simmer 10 more minutes, covered or longer until dumplings are done.
4 Servings

Meal 3: Mexican Chicken Salad
1 C Shredded Chicken
1/2 Sauteed Onion
1 Can Black Beans
2 Carrots
1 C Shredded Cheese
Optional-1/4 t Cumin
Romaine Lettuce
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Honey & Red Wine Vinegar to taste
Top cut lettuce with carrots, beans, cheese, onions and chicken. Salt & pepper as desired. Mix vinegar, oil & honey for dressing.  Also fabulous with a squeeze of lime, salsa &/or sour cream.
Made 4 servings

Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Grace Violet: How to make a brown sugar scrub - StumbleUpon

Stumbled upon a fabulously easy Sugar Scrub receipe~give it a try. Great gift too!

Encouraging Article on Partial Fasting, just in time for Lent.


Retune The Body With A Partial Fast

A glass of water
iStockPhoto.com
Consuming only water for a 24-hour period — no more than once a week — can suppress insulin secretion and reduce the desire for sugar.
text sizeAAA
November 21, 2007
For thousands of years, beginning with philosophers like Hippocrates, Socrates and Plato, fasting was recommended for health reasons. The Bible writes that Moses and Jesus fasted for 40 days for spiritual renewal.
To understand how the body reacts to a lack of food, you could start by looking at what happens to newborns. Newborns can't sleep through the night because they need to eat every few hours. They don't produce enough glycogen, the body's form of stored sugar, to make energy.
"Glycogen is necessary for thinking; it's necessary for muscle action; it's necessary just for the cells to live in general," says Dr. Naomi Neufeld, an endocrinologist at UCLA.
Neufeld says most adults need about 2,000 calories a day. Those calories make energy, or glycogen. Neufeld says it doesn't hurt — it might even help the body — to fast or stop eating for short periods of time, say 24 hours once a week, as long as you drink water.
"You re-tune the body, suppress insulin secretion, reduce the taste for sugar, so sugar becomes something you're less fond of taking," Neufeld says.
Eventually the body burns up stored sugars, or glycogen, so less insulin is needed to help the body digest food. That gives the pancreas a rest. On juice diets recommended by some spas, you may lose weight, but your digestive system doesn't get that rest.
Mark Mattson, a scientist with the National Institute on Aging, says that when we convert food into energy, our bodies create a lot of byproducts we could do without, including free radicals.
"These free radicals will attack proteins, DNA, the nucleus of cells, the membranes of cells," Mattson says. "They can damage all those different molecules in cells."
And even if you don't fast, Mattson says that simply limiting the calories you consume may be beneficial. He points to studies where rats and mice were fed every other day. Compared with those fed normal daily diets, there was a reduction in disease among the rats that were severely restricted in their food intake. Mattson says those findings hold promise that humans could also benefit from partial fasting.
Mattson thinks partial fasting has numerous benefits, from improving glucose regulation, which can protect against diabetes, to also lowering blood pressure. Some animal studies have also shown that partial fasting has very beneficial effects on the brain, protecting against Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and stroke.
Partial fasting may even extend lifespan because eating less sends a message to the cells of the body that they should conserve and use energy more efficiently.
"When they're exposed to a mild stress, [the body's cells] sort of expect that maybe this is going to happen again," Mattson says. "So maybe next time I may have to go longer without food, so I'd better be able to deal with that when it comes on."
Mattson says that process is similar to the way muscles get built up when they're stressed by exercise. Mattson adds that because complete fasting is difficult to study and there is little actual research comparing people who fast with those who don't, it's not clear whether complete fasting (water only) is also beneficial.
Proponents say small, short-term studies find that complete fasting lowers blood pressure and reduces cancer risk. But Dr. Naomi Neufeld worries that complete fasting could be harmful. After the first few days of liquid only, the body uses up all its stored glucose to make energy. And then it turns to other sources, including fat and muscle.
"The main tissue that's the target in long-term fasting is muscle, because muscle has readily available amino acids which can be converted to glucose right away," Neufeld says. "In that way, your brain is never deprived of needed glucose."
The problem, Neufeld says, is that when muscle breaks down, potentially toxic proteins are released. These proteins are partly composed of nitrogen, and too much nitrogen in the body can be toxic to the kidneys and liver. That's when starvation is officially under way.

Great Coupon and Deal Site

I just stumbled upon this great resource for daily notices of local sale, deals and coupons! Give it a try.

Friday, January 29, 2010

How are we running?


1 Corinthians 9:24 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize.



Inspiring Story of being "Happy First"




918 Moms - Inspiring others with Happy First

by Melanie Henry
Cancer survivor Debbie Vineyard aims to inspire others through her women’s and children’s clothing line, Happy First.
In a minute, Debbie Vineyard’s world changed. As she held her 6-week-old baby and her 3-year-old son scurried about, Vineyard learned she had cancer.

A woman known for calling and e-mailing friends to wish them a “Happy First Day of the Month” or “Happy Monday” would begin chemotherapy the next day, Feb. 1, 1995.

Of cancer, Vineyard simply says, “I got the good one. Isn’t that funny?”

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the survival rate for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer involving the body’s lymph system, is generally 90 percent or higher when the disease is detected during early stages, as it was for Vineyard.

Vineyard knew the odds were on her side, but the unknown haunted her.

“I wasn’t worried about me,” she says. “I was worried about my kids, my husband. I felt like I could beat it from the start. I knew God had a plan for me and I was going to be fine.”

Fifteen years later, Vineyard is cancer-free.

“Everyone has their own story,” she says. “I had to go through cancer to get my story.”

Her story began with a cancer diagnosis, but Vineyard was determined to make her next chapter one of new beginnings. So, Happy First was hatched.

The egg-inspired clothing line offers women’s and children’s apparel with unique messages. Four years ago, the line began with eight products. Today, Happy First offers dozens of products with vendors in 15 states and online at 
www.HappyFirst.com. Best sellers include “Happy Chick” and “Freshly Hatched” organic infant onesies, adult wraps and “Happy Hour” hoodies.

“(It’s) just like you are bursting out of a shell,” Vineyard says. “I like the idea of a fresh start every day.”

Friends say her enthusiasm is addictive. College friend 
Amy Fuller says Vineyard radiates something special.

“I think she’s exploding with the need to explore life and not waste a minute,” she says.
Lori Dale, another longtime friend, admits that she often needs “a dose of Debbie” to brighten her day.

Others appreciate her contributions as well. This year Vineyard has been nominated as the Pi Beta Phi Woman of the Year.

As her company grows, so does Vineyard’s commitment to giving back. In addition to donating a portion of the Happy First proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Vineyard is also an advocate.

She says her clothing line is more than just a shirt or jacket.

“It’s an opportunity to connect and share my story and encourage people to live life to the fullest,” she says. “I tell them to be positive. Many cancers are curable. Watch the blessings that come from the challenge.”

Vineyard says she wants people to embrace the Happy First mentality, which is to simply find your passion and pursue it. Spend a minute with her and you’ll see just how she celebrates life each day.
Melanie Henry co-founded 918moms.com, a community Web site for moms who swap stories, save money and share advice. Learn more at www.918moms.com.



This article originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of TulsaPeople Magazine.

Words You Should Never Say...

This is a great list from Kathy Peel on 25 things we should never say to our kids!

Crunchy Pork Chops

Getting all of my family to agree on a "good" recipe is a challenge, I tend to test out a lot of new things on my family in the spirit of creating something new and finding ways to save money.... sometimes it's a thumbs up and other times I get asked where the Cheerios are!

This recipe was a surprising hit. The pork was juicy on the inside and the coating remained super crunchy. I started out with a basic recipe and of course added and changed, etc., sometimes it takes a few tries to tweak things, but this one seemed to be perfect after the first go around, so I submit it for your dinnertime pleasure :) My apologies, I forgot to snap a picture; unexpectedly, my parents came over for a spur of the moment dinner so they got to share in the yum as well.

1/2 C Bisquick
1/2 C Panko
1/2 C Flax-Seed Meal
1/4 Wheat Flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 boneless, center cut pork chops
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place wire rack on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In shallow dish dish, combine Bisquick, Panko and Flax-Seed Meal. In 2 separate shallow dishes, place flour and eggs. Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge pork in flour; coat in eggs, and dredge in baking mix mixture.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Pure Vanilla Extract

I love real vanilla, in fact in baking my motto is "why use 1 t of Vanilla when I can use 2"! However good Vanilla is very expensive and in my house goes fast, so I found out how to make it myself. Here's the easy recipe.

1 large bottle of Vodka
3-5 real Vanilla beans (I use Organic)

Split vanilla beans down the center to release the vanilla. Add beans to vodka and seal. You will need about 6 weeks time to cure the vanilla into extract, so store in dark dry place during cure time.

After vanilla is done, you can transfer it to a smaller glass bottle if desired. You will notice that most pure vanilla extract is packaged in dark glass bottles, this is to prevent sun/light exposure. I recommend a dark glass bottle if you can find it.

Color and consistency will not be the same as commercial products but the flavor can not be beat.

More Vodka can be added to use same process to create one more batch of extract, adding 1-2 more beans for a fuller flavor.

Beans are approximately $3-5 per bean, here is where the expense lies, but when you compare it to the amount this recipe yields to the cost of retail Vanilla, it wins in the savings department!

What's In Season... eat fresh, save money and support our local growers!