Products and things I'm loving...

Happy Tuesday!  I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day! 

I have to start by saying that I just love having a place where I can document everything going on in my life.  It's like a little virtual time capsule that I can come back and visit anytime!

So today I want to talk about some products that I am loving!  I want to say that this is not a paid advertisement; these just happen to be some products that I'm currently using and really enjoy!  I would not endorse anything that I don't use or don't stand behind, so check it out!

Tide Pods (Ocean Mist scent)

These little guys are so fabulous!  It's as simple as pulling a pod from the bag, throwing it into the tub of your high efficiency washing machine or traditional washing machine,  toss in your clothes and adjust the washer settings like you normally would and voila!  Your clothes come out smelling absolutely wonderful!  I love that this is so much easier than handling a big box of powder or a tub of liquid, too.  And when you pick up one to put in your washer, be careful!  They are all squishy and cute!  Resist the urge to squeeze!  I bought the ocean mist scent, which is perfect for summer, but there are a couple of other scents you can purchase, too.  Very functional!  In my book this gets a 10!  Way to go Tide!

Donut House Pods for Keurig (chocolate glazed donut)

You all know how much I love my Keurig!  In my opinion it's the best brewing machine!  When I originally bought the machine, it came with sample coffees and Donut House was one of them.  I enjoyed the Donut House regular brew, but the chocolate glazed donut brew that I just tried was awesome!  It tasted just like a chocolate glazed donut!  It was actually more like a chocolate cake donut to me!  Very good!

Simply Cranberry Cocktail

I love the entire Simply line!  First you had Simply orange, lemonade, raspberry lemonade, limeade and now add cranberry to the mix!  I have been adding cranberry to everything.  We've been adding this to tea and soda and sometimes when we are feeling really wild, we drink it by itself!  Another winner!


Lipton Blackberry Pomegranate Tea

This tea is so refreshing!  I enjoy a sweet tea, but I particularly enjoy a fruity sweet tea!  I especially enjoy blackberries and pomegranates!  And down in the South we have to stay hydrated, so this totally hit the spot!  Thank you Lipton!

Baked Penne/Rigatoni Pasta with Mozzarella

This is some of the best comfort food!  I don't eat much pasta, but when I do, this is what I prefer!  So good!  That sounded like a beer ad. 



That's all I have for now!  I hope to have more content in the coming weeks! 



   

Learning

As I have gotten older I have begun to look at life differently.  I have started to see life with new eyes every time I have reached a new level of maturity.  I feel like I have reached a few milestones the past couple of years and wanted to share with you.     

1.  I have a minor health issue and now I want to take the bull by the horns!  In my case, I want to take up hobbies, travel, renovate our house, etc.  This type of behavior is usually either out of fear (maybe as a coping mechanism) or reaching the age where you begin to have no fear.  This sounds more like an oxymoron, but it's true.  I have briefly discussed before that I have ulcerative colitis and so I count my blessings every day because it is not terminal.  But, like any chronic condition that is still in the treatment process, it can be tiring.  I think it is because of this that there are so many things that I want to do while I still can.    

2.  Back to the fear part!  I am learning to become fearless.  I want to take on challenges.  That is why I love being in my mid-30s.  I have already seen so much and been around the block a few times, that I have got a pretty good handle on things as they are thrown my direction.  So when you hear people talk about how their lives get better as they get older...it's so true!

3.  I've learned that the Lord knows me better than I could ever know myself.  Some of you may not know that I lost twins two years ago this past February.  That was a very difficult time for the hubs and I.  We had gone through IVF treatment and lost our miracle babies.  But, I'm so thankful that if we had to go down that road, it happened the way it did.  I absolutely cannot imagine getting further along in my pregnancy and losing my child or losing a baby after it is born.  I look up to my angels today and tell them that they are with the best babysitter there is!  They know that one day I hope to join them, but they also know that I still have work to do here.  They will never be forgotten by us.

4.  I've learned that arrogant people fall hard, but have the biggest comebacks.  Yes, we all fall hard at some point or multiple points in our adult lives, but these people tend to make huge comebacks!

5.  I've learned that no matter what, I must show compassion and less judgement. 

6.  I've learned that I don't like being underestimated, distrusted or doubted and I so must not to do this to others.  

7.  I've learned that the Golden Rule is the rule to live by!  Treat others as you want to be treated. 

8.  I've learned that I love McAlister's Deli sweet tea!  I also like an occasional Arnold Palmer.  The same is not true for the hubs.

9.  I've learned to be strong over the past year for the hubs as he continues his schooling.

10.  I've learned that reading minds is not my forte'.  This is where I use the hubs logic of only go by the information you have and don't try to guess how someone got from Point A to Point B.  It is a waste of precious energy that could be spent doing other things that bring joy.  This was actually a New Year's Resolution for me this year.  I have been working diligently on this. 

11.  I've learned that the hubs is not "mine".  He belongs to the Lord and I have been chosen to take care of him while he is on this Earth.  And so I must treat him accordingly. 

12.  I've learned that positive people appreciate positive reinforcement.

13.  I've learned that boots are the most comfortable shoes ever, with the only exception being flip flops or barefoot.  And if you are like me and have awful feet, you know exactly what I mean.  I even made a trip to Cavender's for the first time a few weeks ago to try on boots.

14.  I've learned that I absolutely love the outdoors!  I have been envisioning the hubs and I buying land in the next few years.

15.  I've learned that summers in Louisiana are hot and muggy...and just around the corner. 

So, what have you learned over the past few years?  I would love to hear about it!

Have a great weekend!


 

                 





              

Radar Blips

Long time no posting!  Sorry!  I will try to post more regularly over the summer!

1.  Hubs is about to be out of school for summer vacation!  Yeah!  For the past 9 months I have handled the household chores myself.  I tried not to ask the hubs to do anything for fear it would interfere with everything he has going on in his schedule.  So that meant I had to suck it up and be the responsible adult that I am and take on some more tasks.  But knowing that this whole situation is temporary made it little easier to handle.

2.  This time next year the hubs will be done with his bachelor's degree and moving on to newer, exciting things such as working on obtaining a P.E. license. 

3.  We just bought a new truck and love it!  Hubs drove a 2005 Ford Escape for 7.5 years (bought in 2004) and was very ready for another car!  We had tossed around the idea of getting an Acura TSX, but needed the functionality of something bigger.  So we scrapped the idea of getting a luxury car and decided to make a more practical decision.  We are now the proud owners of a 2012 Toyota Tacoma!  The truck rides so nicely and is so comfortable.  We have noticed that there is hardly any road noise inside the vehicle, which we love because our previous vehicle was loud inside.  There are many other features about the truck that I love, but my favorite is the XM satellite radio!  I could listen to the 40s station all day long!  I also love the bluetooth functionality as well as being able to answer a phone call from the steering wheel.  It also has a backup camera for reversing, but I haven't come to rely on that, yet.  I probably should, though, because I am having trouble judging the length of the truck.  I would insert a picture of the truck here, but don't have one.  I will post one soon (more than likely most of you have already seen it).     

4.  I still love my 2007 Mazda 3!  It only has 35,000 miles on it and 20,000 of those miles were put on when I was commuting back and forth to Shreveport for work the first year I had it.  So over the past 4 years I have put 15,000 miles on my car.  I thank my lucky stars that I don't have to commute for work and my job is only 2.5 miles away from home.

5.  We will be taking a much-needed vacation soon!  We have a concert in Dallas to attend that I bought tickets for 6 months ago and then we decided to spend some time at Beaver's Bend State Park in Oklahoma.  I cannot wait to go hiking and canoeing!  I love the outdoors so much!  This vacation is perfect for us...a little bit of city with a little bit of country! 

6.  If there is one thing that I have learned over the past year with having a husband who works ridiculous hours, goes to college full-time and spends every other waking moment doing homework, studying for tests/finals and working on projects, is that I am independent.  I couldn't say this a few years ago, but I have learned to find ways to keep myself busy.  And my heart goes out to military wives because not only are their husbands gone for extended periods of time, but their lives are also on the line.  And my hat is off to women that have to run a household on their own with children.  So I count my blessings everyday! 

7.  I'm lovin' American Idol!  I was originally a Holly fan, but it seemed like she was more concerned with the technical aspect of singing versus just getting up on the stage and letting the emotion roll through her.  That's about the time I started liking Skylar.  She showed up week after week and put on a show, in my opinion.  So last week I was so sad to see Skylar leave.  My next favorite is Joshua Ledet and not just because he's from Louisiana.  That boy can sing!  And I hope he wins because of it!

8.  I have been working on recipes, but not as often.  I made a decent strawberry shortcake last week, but the recipe needs to be tweaked a little before I post anything on it.  I have also had a heck of a time trying to find Pinnacle cake Vodka to make these strawberry shortcake martinis that I have been dying to make.  Look for recipes soon!     

9.  I have had a few issues with my health.  I have ulcerative colitis and my immune system is a booger!  I have tried multiple medications and it seems they start to work but then a few weeks later they aren't as effective.  That's my immune system going to work adjusting itself.  I am also in the process of changing specialists because my current specialist doesn't take my insurance anymore.  I hope to have a consultation with the new doctor in the coming weeks.  I know there is no cure for this disease, but if I could get my symptoms under control, I will be doing much better.  I would love to hear from anyone who reads my blog that has ulcerative colitis, Crohn's or ulcerative proctitis.  Have a you gone into remission?  Other than prescribed medication, did you have any natural methods of helping to achieve remission?  Please leave a comment! 

10.  I was watching a comedy (Bob's Burgers) the other night and it was about a food critic named the "Moody Foodie".  I thought that would be a great name for a food blog!  Then the hubs said I didn't need to have a food blog titled that because I am not moody.  That was probably the best compliment he's paid me this year!  It's nice to know when your spouse thinks you are chill.  :-)

Anyways, I hope you all have a great rest of the week and weekend!