Be The Change | Till Then Smile Often

April 7, 2014

Quarantine Zone

I wish I could tell you that I spent my first weekend off in forever by hiking and tip toeing out in nature but that would be oh so wrong. This virus is kicking my butt and not going away. It went from bad to worse. It moved from my throat into my sinuses and my nose won’t stop dripping. Sorry for the visual but welcome to my weekend. I went through a whole box of tissues in 24 hours. So to say my weekend wasn’t exciting is an understatement. I did get a lot of rest and a few other things done though.

Friday: I finished the book The Truth About Alice which was really good. It is the story of what rumors can do to a girls reputation and how she manages to live through it, told from those who helped spread the rumors and the one who helped her find her way. Loved it!

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Saturday: I tried to do some errands around the house but then got sucked into an HBO documentary called One Nation Under Dog – Stories of Fear, Loss and Betrayal. Seriously do not watch it if you don’t have a box of tissues handy! I bawled through the whole thing then realized I had to get ready for my hair appointment in 25 minutes. It pulled me in but was so sad. The first part was a dog bite story, the middle was on mourning the loss of a pet, and the third about shelters and euthanizing. Eye opening and so grateful I volunteered at a no kill shelter. I would have been scarred for life.

I headed out for my haircut and took a before picture of course. I had to wait till I got home since she really rushed the styling so I had to re-do it before I could take the after picture. I thought she would have recommended cutting off more but it was only about an inch. Phew. I am always traumatized when I cut my hair. It is finally getting to the length I want it. Then after a quick grocery trip I crashed on the couch for a nap. Seamus was a little too sassy pants so it wasn’t that restful. Clearly this is not the face of someone wanting to nap.

After I woke up I watched About Time and Dallas Buyers Club before passing out for the night.

Sunday: I cleaned around the house for a bit, I even washed the curtains and windows so I could open them up for some fresh air. I started a new book that I am almost done with and really liking it too. The book How To Fall is about a girl trying to find out what happened to her cousin who mysteriously died when she jumped or was pushed over a cliff a year ago. She looks eerily like her and her spending the summer in the town is bring out all the secrets surrounding her death.

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I also did some recipe testing with an Eggplant Parmesan which came out really well though when I make it again it will have less cheese. Can’t believe I am saying that but it’s true. I also made a garlic bread with smoked Gouda and bacon.

I then took another nap and read my book. Took Seamus for a walk and a little photo shoot for this week’s Picture Practice which had a prompt of animals. You know Seamus was getting the spotlight because a squirrel just wouldn’t cut it. I had a hard time picking a favorite so you get two.

*Aside from resizing I didn’t edit at all.

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and with Kelli from She Crab Soup

April 4, 2014

No plans, no problem

Happy Friday! This has been a rough week, with a virus knocking me down for two days. I am finally starting to be able to swallow food again. I did catch up on a lot of sleep though. This weekend I have NO PLANS!!!! Well I do have a haircut planned for Saturday but other than that nothing, nada, ziltch!! It shall be glorious! You know me though I will most likely try to shove 10 pounds of goodness in a 5 pound sack. Like hiking, reading, running, cleaning and purging, and baking. Oh boy! I will be in my PJ’s a lot too though.

So on to my 5 things this week so we get a little closer to this weekend.

One. Since I missed yesterday’s Random Acts of Kindness for the Be The Change post I am sharing a really cool RAOK that includes cupcakes!! An Auckland cupcake sweets company is giving away cupcakes via social media to help brighten someone’s day. They also place them on parking tickets too to help soften the blow. For the full story click here.

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Two. This week Morgan from Believe in the Sparks is getting a Virtual Mug. She is going to be a Mrs. in just under two weeks!! She loves her Southern roots and doesn’t take herself too seriously. Willing to tell “Bless Her Heart” jokes! 😉

Mrs mug – with red lipstick lips by inspirationzstore

Three. I just got a Vegetarian cookbook, and I am excited to experiment with some of the recipes. I love Chorizo and Bacon but I am getting bored of Chicken so I want to experiment with adding in some Vegetarian meals. Amanda I will be picking your brain. 😉

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Four. Even though this was a really rough week, I always try to find the positive. It has been really hard lately but Seamus helps. His grunting when he wants my food, his jumping in the air trying to “fluff” the blankets always gets me chuckling so it’s no surprise this one gave me a chuckle too.

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Five. I am excited to get my haircut since it has been a REALLY long time. Like I haven’t gotten it cut since August 2013. Yikes. My hair really needs it and I can’t wait. This is my inspiration picture though I really am only cutting like 2 inches off or I might cry.

What are you up to this weekend?

April 1, 2014

Cauliflower Soup

This weekend was a rainy one. From a really heavy downpour from Saturday night into Monday morning, and the perfect way to keep warm was this Cauliflower soup. It has a little bit of kick thanks to the Sriracha but if that is not your style simply half it or omit all together. A 1/4 tsp of chili or taco powder might be a good substitute as well. For the Vegetarians simply omit the bacon. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1 Tsp minced Garlic (2 cloves) ~ 1 yellow onion, diced ~ 2 stalks celery, diced ~ 1/4 cup Almond Flour (all-purpose flour, whole wheat or soy flour) ~ 4 cups chicken broth ~ 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk (or milk) ~ 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower or (head of cauliflower, roughly chopped) ~ 1 bay leaf ~ Salt and pepper to taste ~ 4 slices bacon, diced ~ 1 Tsp Sriracha (Optional) ~ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions: In a stockpot or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium, high heat adding in the onion, celery and garlic until tender.

Approximately 3-4 minutes then add in the flour until slightly browned. Whisk in the chicken broth and Almond milk whisking constantly until slightly thick about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is fork tender approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon in the Sriracha and stir until incorporated.

Heat bacon in a skillet (or you can use the prepackaged microwave bacon to save time) until golden brown and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Crumble and garnish your soup with the bacon and the parsley. Serve.

Adapted from this recipe.

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1 Tsp minced Garlic (2 cloves) ~ 1 yellow onion, diced ~ 2 stalks celery, diced ~ ¼ cup Almond Flour (all-purpose flour, whole wheat or soy flour) ~ 4 cups chicken broth ~ 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk (or milk) ~ 16 oz bag frozen cauliflower or (head of cauliflower, roughly chopped) ~ 1 bay leaf ~ Salt and pepper to taste ~ 4 slices bacon, diced ~ 1 Tsp Sriarchi (Optional) ~ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

In a stockpot or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium, high heat adding in the onion, celery and garlic until tender. Approximately 3-4 minutes then add in the flour until slightly browned. Whisk in the chicken broth and Almond milk whisking constantly until slightly thick about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is fork tender approximately 15-20 minutes or until desired consistensy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon in the Sriracha and stir until incorporated.
Heat bacon in a skillet (or you can use the prepackaged microwave bacon to save time) until golden brown and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove bay leaf before serving. Crumble and garnish your soup with the bacon and the parsley. Serve.

March 31, 2014

Let There Be Cake

Happy Monday! I am really not ready for this week to begin but I am hoping it goes by quickly. I finally have a completely free weekend coming up and aside from a haircut I have no plans. Well I am jumping ahead so why don’t I get to what I did this weekend.

Friday: I spent the night making the birthday cake for the construction themed party. I did a base cake with a layer of Oreos and then baked another cake to use for the “mounds” and topped with Oreo dirt.

Saturday: I had to leave early so I was up at 6am so I could leave by 7 am so I could drop my car off at the shop. It was not good news and it was really expensive. I still have to do one side of my struts but since it was going to be like another $500 I decided to wait since the other side was actually broken and I needed the 3 new tires so I was already well over budget. Seamus likes to lay in my lap on the ride down. I took him to my Dad’s since it was going to be a long day and he gets to play with my Dad’s dog.

I caught a ride with my second Mom and Pop T. their Daughter in Law and her daughter and we had a lot of laughs on the way up. The birthday party was a lot of fun and Lynnie did such an amazing job decorating and even had a wrecking ball in the living room which was a huge hit! The cake was a hit and people told me I needed to open a shop. I ended up getting home at 6pm and since it was raining I was a little tired and may have taken a nap. 😉

Sunday: This was my day of rest and it was fabulous. I finished my book, cleaned around the house, and made some Cauliflower soup. Since it was a rainy day I spent the rest of the day watching movies and the Walking Dead.

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and with Kelli from She Crab Soup

March 28, 2014

Friday of Change

Oh Friday I am in love with you. I am so happy to see this week go and am hopeful that this weekend although still busy will be good. I have some cake to make tonight. I am dropping my car off tomorrow to get worked on, hopefully it is on the lesser side of expensive fixes. Dang potholes. I also have a birthday party for my nephew and where the cake will be delivered. It will be a long day but Sunday I have no plans other than grocery shopping. Woohoo! You know the drill it is Friday so here are my 5 things.

One. A wine bottle to go?! This may be on a whole new level of alcoholism, but no judgement here.

a whole bottle of wine fits into this safe and portable wine carrier.

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Two. It’s virtual mug time. This one goes out to Sharon from The Tiny Heart. She posts outfits that I can afford but also what I would wear. She may be petite but she has a big spirit. She also has two of the cutest pups, so obviously she is awesome.

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Three. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and I loved it. Plenty of suspense and a little romance. Not enough to take away from the story, it just added to it without being overly done. Gotta love a good book and for free no less.

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From Goodreads: To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI, and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.

Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she’s on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She’d prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea’s search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.

FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea’s brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.

Andrea must find a way to do what’s right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down on a deadly plot, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.

Four. Steph and Marla are hosting another Spending Challenge. This one is a little more open but I want to try to be a little strict on myself. The challenge begins on April 1st and ends on April 30th.

My rules: No spending past what I budget for ahead of time. I have 3 birthday that month so gifts will be budgeted. Cancel any extra subscriptions I am not using or don’t use anymore (i.e. magazines, reduce Netflix DVD option, find lower cable and internet option etc). Put at least $200.00 in savings if not more. Stay on budget for all other items.

Five. After my post yesterday I was floored by all the support. Each and every comment helped, so thank you to every one who commented. I tend to get overwhelmed when I have too many things going on for multiple weekends in a row and it is at those times I need to remember to stop and smell the roses. I was surprised with an eCard to Victoria’s secret. Such an amazing gift and so very perfect for my Victoria’s Secret addiction. Thank you Liz for thinking of me and making my day a little brighter. Also a shout out to Lauren for sending me multiple Snapchats that got me giggling. You both helped me get through the day.

What are you up to this weekend?

March 27, 2014

Be Kind To You

I am changing things up a little bit this week because after such a busy weekend and some recent happenings I have just really dropped the ball. I am trying to find the balance again and get ahead so I don’t struggle too much during the week. Don’t worry I have things planned they just take more time than I had this week to complete.

I have been struggling finding the happy lately and feel like I really need to change a few things in my life so this week I am going to try to Be The Change for myself. We sometimes forget to take care of ourselves when we are caring about others and I need to remember that I need some attention sometimes.

So to pamper myself and allow myself a little quiet time to think and regroup I am going to do these few things to get back some balance.

1. Bubble Bath – Nothing better than sitting in a warm bath with a glass of wine and just thinking, and planning.

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2. Hiking – For me being in nature is relaxing and I usually bring headphones but I still zone out and do a lot of thinking when I hike.

3. Wine – A nice glass of wine can be relaxing and get rid of some of the stress. I got a lot of bottles of red wine from my Aunt and Uncle at Thanksgiving that I haven’t touched yet so I just may have to make some more Gluhwein this weekend.

4. Look at Inspirational Quotes – Sometimes it is just the thing to make you smile. So I am going to choose to smile through it till I figure it out.

By the way...I'm wearing the smile you gave me.

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I technically did a Random Act of Kindness since I did send a mug to Kathy at Vodka and Soda. It was more so a “You’re Awesome” gift though. You can read more about it here.

What do you do when you need to think over some hard decisions?

How do you pamper yourself?

Are you considering doing your own Act of Kindness? If not, what is stopping you? Grab a button if you would like to spread the word. The change that we seek in others has to first come from within. This year I hope you decide to Be the Change You Seek.

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An InLinkz Link-up

March 25, 2014

Chicken and Cheese Casserole {Guest Post}

A few weeks ago I had a guest post from one of my best friends Lynnie with the Creamy Chicken Ranch recipe, well her twin Heather was feeling a little left out and she wanted to share a recipe she recently tried with you all. This one was a nice quick meal that is perfect for the busy Moms out there or just those wanting a quick meal to add to your rotation. For the vegetarians out there feel free to omit the chicken. Be sure and show her some love in the comments.

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I found a new website for recipes and meal planning. It is called KitchMe and creating a login was easy. It asked a few simple questions and provided the opportunity for me to filter recipes by a number of diets (low calorie, gluten free, low fat, etc.). It will ask for your location and then list supermarkets and grocery stores near you. After choosing your top three, it links coupons (the site is sponsored by coupons.com) to your recipes and shopping list. When you print out your shopping list, you get the option of printing out the coupons related to items you will need to purchase for the recipes. I also really like the weekly calendar at the top where you can drag recipes to plan out your week.

As a busy Mom, this is super helpful! The site isn’t perfect and seems to need some updating, but so far the glitches haven’t made me lose interest! So, as I chose a low fat filter, I got this chicken and cheese weight watchers recipe. It takes about an hour to prep and cook, but is SUPER easy. As a Mom to a 4 year old who only wants mac and cheese, I’m always looking for ways to add something more to her favorite meal and keep it within my diet plans. I added 2 TBSP of Tastefully Simple’s garlic and pepper shaker as I thought the recipe lacked flavor. I used Kraft fat free shredded cheddar cheese and for the macaroni I used Barilla Veggie Elbows.

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Now, we are getting protein and veggies with our mac and cheese! The elbows are made from carrots and squash so the color was a perfect “cheddar” and my daughter didn’t seem to notice. My only recommendation would be to partially cook the chicken before adding it to the casserole dish. I got nervous when I served as some of the pieces didn’t look done. I returned the casserole to the oven for an additional ten minutes. Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces might have fixed this problem too. Otherwise the dish was yummy and my daughter reports that it is “mmm, good!”

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Veggie macaroni ~ 2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast – cubed ~ 2 cups cream of mushroom soup, undiluted ~ 2 cups skim milk ~ 8 oz fat fat cheddar cheese ~ 2 TBSP of Tastefully Simple’s garlic and pepper shaker (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large casserole, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until combined. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes and serve.

March 24, 2014

Bursting Full of Fun

Friday: I curled up on the couch with a Parrot Bay Strawberry and Sprite and a new book called Backwoods by Jill Sorenson. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be but it was still decent.

Saturday: I got started early doing errands as well as some shopping. Target had daisy dukes for 6 YEAR OLDS!!! What is wrong with them. So I had to head to Kohl’s instead. I also went to the Post Office to mail a package, then hit the back roads to the Nissan dealership. It seems thanks to the potholes in Massachusetts my 3 year old Nissan has issues with my struts. 🙁 So I will have to make some time to have it worked on and my tires replaced too. However while heading to the dealership I went through the more rural parts of my town and saw a farm with the horses out grazing. I really should have been a farm girl.

I headed home after the dealership and read for a little bit, took a nap and then got ready for the Sip Happens wine party with Kate, Jodi, Allena, and Emily. We had a blast and a lot of laughs. We got to try a few new wines that we haven’t tried before that night. It started at 7 pm and we didn’t leave until midnight. Look forward to getting to hang out with them again.

Sunday: Seamus was kind enough {extreme sarcasm in case you missed it} to wake me up at 6:45 so after getting only 5.5 hours of sleep I got up had breakfast, read a little bit then went grocery shopping. I packed my nieces birthday gift and a small Easter basket I made for them. It was a little early but I wasn’t sure if I would see them before Easter.

It was a tea party and the theme was based on the Children’s book Madeline which was where my niece got her name. They also painted pots that they got to plant seeds. I also got roped into taking pictures to which all the parents ran screaming leaving me with like 12 kids. Even Daycare centers have limits to the ratio of kids to adults!!!! Not right.

It was a good day but I was glad to get home around 6pm to finally relax and catch up on my DVR shows. It was a busy weekend but also really productive and fun!

I would have liked to get some time to shoot the lake by my house for the Water Picture challenge but you get a picture of my water jug that I bring to work everyday. This reminds me to get in my gallon of water a day. It may not be pretty but it gets the job done! 😉

How was your weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and with Kelli of She Crab Soup

March 21, 2014

Friday to remember

Can we just all sit back and enjoy for a moment that fact that it is Friday. It’s okay I’ll wait. Done. Okay. This weekend will be a busy one for me but I am still looking forward to it.

One. I am excited to be heading over the apartment of Kate from Another Clean Slate this Saturday for her SIP Happens party. Basically a reason to drink a few different brands of wine picked solely for their labels. The best part is I get to finally meet Kate and also Jodi from Jodi Bean’s Blog.

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Two. It’s virtual mug time!

Jessica from Wifesicated has a full house of animals, and I am not talking about the 3 boys in the house! Girl has 6 dogs, 5 cats, plus a few other animals. She is also starting a 90 Day Bikini Challenge so check her out!

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Danae from Duh Danae looks like a badass but she has a heart of gold. She reconnected with her man after 10 years apart and he put a ring on it and they are now celebrating wedded bliss. She is a connoisseur of Vodka and every month shares a new brand to try out.

double shot of expresso mmhm maybe not - cool coffee mug

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Three. I am reading this book right now and 3/4 of the way through. It is a wild goose chase of who done it, with a love connection thrown in the mix.

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From Goodreads: He took her life, but left her alive.
Three years ago, reporter Kate Johnson was the first victim—and only survivor—of the Broadcast Butcher. Scarred both physically and psychologically by the brutal serial killer, Kate lives life on the run, knowing that one day, he will find her and finish what he started.
In the pursuit of justice, you sometimes have to step outside the law.
Agent Hayden Reed spends his life chasing monsters. The only way to stay sane is to detach, but the second the Broadcast Butcher case crosses his desk, Hayden knows this is the case that might just cost him his soul. To catch this vicious murderer before he strikes again, Hayden must find Kate and earn her trust. For it’s her darkest secrets that hold the key to stopping this madman once and for all . .

Four. The Awesome Note App is really helping me get organized. It costs $3.99 but totally worth it. The one negative to this app is it does not copy to other devices like other apps do. So if you purchase it on your phone you would have to buy a second copy for your iPad etc. What I love about this is you can have multiple folders and lists within those folders. You can easily transfer items from folder to folder. I set it up to manage my daily to-do lists, weekly to-do, and monthly or soon (things I may need to research or save money for before I can do it) then I have my grocery/shopping lists, and goals lists. *Disregard the Goal Folder I updated it before I saved the image.

Five. A little funny to round out the list. Jim Gaffigan explains why Southerners are so slow. Biscuits with Gravy and Chicken & Waffles might be involved.

What do you have planned for this weekend?

March 20, 2014

Help a Pup

You know my love for Seamus if you have been reading for any length of time. When I took him to the vet last month I was petrified something was wrong with him and I was a wreck all week waiting to find out what was wrong. It was just some fatty tumors and he was totally fine. Warner and Ashten of Always Ashten were not as lucky.

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Warner suffers from Protein-Losing Nephropathy, The cause of the disease is unknown & often leads to kidney failure. This fund is to keep Warner happy & comfortable for as long as possible.

For this week’s Random Acts of Kindness I made a donation to the you fund page set up for them by a friend. If you want to help you can donate here. Medical bills for pups can get really expensive and if there is a change to help I think that is always a worthy cause.

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