Be The Change | Till Then Smile Often

November 21, 2013

Christmas Just Threw Up On You

Yes, this is only a small part of my Christmas decorating but it does look like Christmas threw up all over my house already and if I am being honest I kinda ~~like~~ love it! It gives me that Fa-la-la do circles in the street, drop dollars in the Salvation Army jar kinda feeling everyday. I can’t wait to get my tree and decorate it. I get a live/real tree so I have to wait a little longer so it doesn’t become a total fire hazard.

This past weekend I decorated my Dining Room table and my coffee table with promises that I would share where I purchased everything in case any DIY-ers want to recreate it. I pulled almost all of the items from different areas of my house but I will try and provide links to all the items I can, some are generic items you can purchase from just about anywhere i.e Target, Walmart, A.C Moore/Michael’s. So here goes.

Dining Table

Red Candles – Target // Lantern – Target // Red berry branches – A.C. Moore // Table Cloth – Target // Snowflakes – Dollar Tree // “Snow” Cluster Stuff Filling – I had this on hand but it is sold at Wal-mart too.

Centerpiece

Bird Topped Dome – Marshalls {Similar}{Similar} // Decorate Filler – Target // Fake Snow Spray – Dollar Tree // Red Ornaments – Dollar Tree

Coffee Table

Reindeer – Target // Pinecones (some I spray painted white) – my neighborhood trees // “Snow” Cluster Stuff Filling – I had this on hand but it is sold at Wal-mart too. // Ornaments – Dollar Tree // Holly Cluster – A.C. Moore // Decorate Filler White Balls – Target // Square Bamboo Tray – Wal-Mart

Hope this helps get you in the spirit and getting your decorations out!!! I have a few more crafts and decorations to share so be on the look out for those posts too!!

November 20, 2013

Spread Christmas Cheer – Write a Soldier

I was going to post my eats from the week, but after commenting over at Amanda’s blog about how she came up with her blog name one thing led to another and we discussed both having written to soldiers overseas and it dawned on me that it would be a great post for Random Wednesday. It is a cause near and dear to my heart as my Dad served in the Vietnam War.

See the story behind my blog name is how I sign the bottom of letters that I write. When writing to soldiers the first message was usually signed Stay Safe, Smile Often which then transitioned to Till Then, Smile Often. I wrote a lot of soldiers overseas and when they wrote back a lot of them commented about that line and how it made them smile on some of the rougher days. It meant so much to me that I could have an impact on someone else and I wanted to bring that same joy to my blog. Or at least I hope I do.

SOURCE

I can’t carry a tune so I choose to write. Writing a letter to a soldier overseas can mean so much to them. Bringing a sense of normalcy to a less than ideal condition can mean the world to them. Just think how excited you get when you find a card or present in the mail?! It brightens a bad day right? Now imagine yourself thousands of miles away from friends and family during the holidays. For me my family is everything to me especially during the holiday. Some soldiers don’t have a lot of family or people who support them. Why not be one of them?

There are so many resources out there to connect you with a soldier in need. Here are a few great organizations:

Soldier’s Angels provided and used by Amanda

Any Soldier – I used this one a lot. Click on “Where to Send” – on the left click through the names to read their personal note request – it will include what would be appreciated to be send and what not to send based on their station and what that have already provided for them. Know you can send as little or as much as you want.

Operation Military Support – Click Request a name. Fill out Name, address and email and they will email you a name and address to send a letter or care package. You can also request e-pals so you can communicate via email.

Military Pen Pals – You have to register to gain access but once you get approved there are different threads for each branch of the military, care packages, even boards by state of the soldier.

Wounded Warrior – Send a thank you card through their Facebook page. This is a one time message to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

This is just a few that I have directly worked with or used and suggested by Amanda. This is not an extensive list by any means and there are a ton of other non-profit organizations that organize letters and care packages to soldiers. If you have had direct experience with a group please feel free to add it to the comments so others can check it out too.

Here are some of the soldiers that sent me some pictures:

I sent them dozens of cookies and brownies

Please if you are going to request a soldier’s contact information make sure you are going to follow through with sending a card or care package. Usually a soldier will be taken off the list once assigned so if you don’t send something after requesting a name and address they will get nothing.

If you get an email address to respond know that they love to talk about ANYTHING, the mundane daily stuff, the big stuff, current movies, anything takes their mind off of being away from home. Know that you can make a difference in a soldier’s life and make their tour a little less difficult and that is an amazing thing!!

(*Note I am using soldier in a loose general term rather than using military person, airman, marine etc so please know this is for all branches of the military)

Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday.

November 19, 2013

Pulled Pork Sweet Potato

Morning, morning!! Do I hate a treat for you! I am back on track eating healthy and finally getting back to working out. I kicked TurboFire 45’s boo-tay last night. With working out you have to fuel your body too. If I have learned anything it is that every person breaks food down differently. Some people consider having 1 cookie a day instead of 2 a diet and will lose weight. Some cut out all the junk food, workout 6 days a week and lose nothing. For me I found what works for me when I was doing triathlons and that is low-carb. I am not saying that it will work for everyone but it works for me. Maybe I am gluten intolerance, I have never been tested but if I eat a lot of carbs I have to take a nap. True story!

So I wouldn’t eat sweet potato everyday but when I have a long workout planned it totally works for refueling. Those who can eat it whenever they want and not gain weight, face plant yourself right into this yummy goodness!

Ingredients:

1-2 lb pork loin (I could only find a 1.5 pound pork loin) ~ 1/4 cup chili powder ~ 2 tablespoons garlic salt ~ 4 to 5 cups cola ~ 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce ~ large sweet potato ~ Sprinkle of Brown Sugar (Optional)

Directions:

Mix together the garlic salt and chili powder. Rub the pork loin with the mixture on all sides.

Pour a little cola in the bottom of the crock pot and add the pork loin. Add enough cola to just cover the pork loin. Cook on low for 8 hours.

After the pork has cooked for about 6-7 hours bake your sweet potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400°. Scrub potatoes under water and wrap in foil. Bake in oven for about 1 hour . Sweet Potatoes are fully cooked when you can gently squeeze them and they feel soft. Remove from oven and set aside. (*NOTE: I ended up putting mine in for another 20 minutes for a total of 80 minutes cooked)

Remove pork from crock pot and discard almost all of the cola mixture…leaving just a tablespoon or two of juice behind to help moisten the pork.

Place the pork back into the crockpot and then use two large forks to shred the meat.

Add BBQ sauce and combine (I went with a full cup of BBQ Sauce but really just add to your taste). Leave slow cooker on low, or warm, until you are ready to serve.

Cut a a slit in the sweet potato, lengthwise. Don’t cut all the way through. Grab the potato from both ends and press together. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on the sweet potato to balance the flavor of the BBQ sauce. Fill each sweet potato with a spoonful or two or three of pulled pork and top with an little extra BBQ Sauce. Serve and savor!

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

November 18, 2013

Weekend Update

Happy Monday! Did you enjoy the weekend? I have to say mine was busy as usual. I tried to play catch up after being out of commission for a few days last week.

Saturday: The morning was full of shopping, from Wally World to Target (I didn’t end up getting the squirrel, but it was so cute) to Lowe’s to A.C. Moore to the Dollar Tree and finally to the grocery store. They have a donation bin for the food pantries in the area so I picked up some corn, green beans, cranberries and stuffing to donate. When I got home I took Seamus for a long walk, then had some lunch. After catching up on some DVR’d shows and my food digested I hit a few workout DVD’s. I started with the Jillian Michael’s Kickbox Fastfix then TurboFire HIIT 15. It felt great to workout after being out of commission. I was a little huffy puffy but I will get my stamina back soon.

I spent the rest of the night watching Christmas movies including my must watch every year, The Family Stone. I think it is so cute because they are a train wreck group of people with is a lot more “real” than most portrayed movie families.

Sunday: Started my morning with a good breakfast, preparing for a long day. Seamus was trying to distract me with naps. What a lazy bones!

One of my finds from the Dollar Tree was that Santa magnet that I put up! I got this shelving from Lowe’s on Saturday so I put it together and then organized all the stuff in my basement.

I would show a before picture but it was really embarrassing since there was a ton of crap piled up everywhere. Basically I couldn’t get to anything so things got tossed in. These are just some of my Halloween and Christmas decorations. I have another shelve directly across from this one and another by the door that holds my tools. You can’t see it either but I have a kayak in there too. It is 11 feet long so it really gets in the way. I don’t have a garage and my attic is useless so this is really the only spot for it. 🙁 I really do hate clutter so this will hopefully really help keep it clean.

After a quick bite to eat I got started on a few DIY projects to get my house “winterized”. First up was my coffee table centerpiece. I got the reindeer from Target, the ornaments from the dollar tree and the tray from Wal-Mart everything else I already had in my house.

Then I worked on my Dining room table. You can see my fall table decorations here. The only thing I purchased was the snowflakes which I got from the dollar tree. I had planned to use them to make ornaments for my tree but I think they work here too.

I will do a post about the details for everything I used and where I got the items from, later this week. I also cleaned my fridge, oven, and microwave. Felt pretty productive so after all the projects were completed I took Seamus for a walk, and watched a few Christmas movies.

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

November 15, 2013

My Five Things

Happy Friday!! I was able to keep some food down so I am at work today! Woohoo!! Hopefully that means I am on the mend. Hoping to spend this weekend recovering and taking it easy. I am exhausted. Being sick really takes a toll. Hope the day goes by quick and everyone has a great weekend. You know the drill by now on Friday I share the five things I am loving this week.

One. It’s about that time to transition my fall tabletop to a more Winter/Holiday decor and this one is just gorgeous.

SOURCE

Two. Hopefully I can start eating solids foods besides saltines and this will be on my list of things to make.

SOURCE

Three. This just made me chuckle and need to post it as a reminder to put out the good in the world.

SOURCE

Four. I bought this lipstick last week and I am loving it. I don’t wear lipstick that often but this is perfect for special occasions. It is Blissfully Berry by Maybelline.

SOURCE

Five. I heard this song on the radio and loved it. It has been on repeat a lot so I figured it was perfect for adding to Whitney’s linkup.

What things are you loving lately?

November 14, 2013

Distract the Sickness

So if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram then you know I have been fighting a stomach bug since Tuesday morning. I haven’t been able to keep much down and ginger ale and saltines were my friends.

I tried going into work on Wednesday but I ended up getting sick twice in the bathroom so I went home early. Enough about that though as I am hopefully on the mend. I am going to share with you some of the things I did to distract myself while home sick.

1. I watched shows on Netflix. I finished Season 3 of the Walking Dead, they don’t have the new season though and I can’t watch the new ones online but I am recording the new ones now but I need to figure out how to watch episode 2-5. Then it was on to Hart of Dixie! Don’t judge I had a lot of time on my hands.

SOURCE

SOURCE

2. For those who like to knit or crochet you may or may not know about Ravelry which is an online database of patterns. You can search and add to your queue, add notes about the yarn you used and anything that would help you in making it again, even upload a pic of the completed project to help you remember it. Well whenever i get the bug to knit something I search it for ideas and I found this cute hat/hood with scarf that I am going to knit up.

Right_side_small2

3. Besides the couch and the bathroom Seamus was my only other thing to look at most of the day so I took a bajillion pictures of him. Besides he totally entertains me with the positions he gets into and where he gets comfortable. He turned himself into a burrito all by himself. He was trying to bury himself under the covers too. Sorry I can’t help it he is just too cute!

4. I check out all my social media including Facebook where I saw this gem!! My wine loving friends will enjoy this one. Forget the Vino2Go cups you have a wine box to go!! They are launching their website on November 15 so get ready to order. Talk about a great Christmas present.

Photo: COMPETITION TIME! To celebrate the launch of our shiny new website on 15th November we are offering 1 lucky lady the chance to WIN a FREE Cosmopolitan DrinksBag! Simply 'like' and 'share for the chance to win! Winner announced next Friday 15th!

SOURCE

Well that is all i have the energy for right now. Time for a nap. I will try to catch up with everyone soon.

November 12, 2013

Bacon Big Mac Cheeseburger Salad

Isn’t that title a mouthful? Well it should be because if was so full of flavor it deserves a hefty name! If you saw my post on Friday you may have noticed this salad that I had pinned and was hoping to try this weekend! Well I tried it on Saturday night, and then on Sunday afternoon, and then Monday for lunch! It was that good!! So I decided to share it so you can all enjoy the amazing-ness of this salad! The dressing along is worthy of pinning.

Ingredients:

Dressing: 2 TBSP mayonnaise ~ 2 TBSP sour cream or yogurt (I used Greek yogurt) ~ 2 TBS ketchup ~ 2 TSP water ~ 1 TSP white vinegar ~ 1 TBSP sweet pickle relish ~ 1 TBSP minced white onion ~ 1 TSP sugar ~ Dash Tabasco sauce, or hot sauce ~ 1 TSP salt

Burger Ingredients: 2 TSP olive oil ~ 1 large sweet onion, chopped ~ 2 cloves garlic, minced ~ 1 pound lean ground beef

Salad: Head of Romaine lettuce ~ 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped ~ 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ~ dill pickle slices (optional- but not really put them on the salad you won’t regret it) ~ Sprinkle of Real Bacon Bits

***********************************************

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, ketchup, water, vinegar, relish, onion, sugar, Tabasco, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside. NOTE: Since I used Greek yogurt it ended up runnier than I wanted so I ended up adding a bit more mayo and a little more ketchup. After tasting I added a bit more hot sauce until it was at the level of spice I wanted. Double, or triple just for having around, because it is that good!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the ground beef and cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally and crumble the meat with your spatula. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds, until fragrant and the meat is fully browned. Remove pan from heat and set aside while you assemble the salad.

Assemble romaine lettuce, tomato, pickles and cheese into a bowl and top with the beef mixture. Serve with 2 TBSP of the dressing and add some Real Bacon bits to the top. Serve and enjoy!

Since it is a salad you won’t feel as blotted like you would from a trip through the drive through, so go made it! That is an order! 😉

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

November 11, 2013

Short and Sweet

There won’t be much to this post because there really wasn’t much to this weekend. I spent the majority of it raking my front lawn then my back yard and watching The Walking Dead. I took one or two naps but really who’s counting?!

Saturday: I headed out early to Old Navy for a new Sweatshirt and then to Lowe’s for some lawn bags. Then a quick grocery trip. Then I spent 2.5 hours raking leaves and bagging everything up. Twelve bags later I took a break. Did some chores around the house in between episodes of the Waking Dead.

A little snuggle session with Seamus // A huge salad for fuel before raking // A good 12 bags from the front yard // Bacon Big Mac Salad – recipe coming soon

Sunday: A little more of the same, raking the back yard, house chores, watching the Walking Dead (I am up to Season 3), and snuggle time with Seamus. He was a cuddly little bugger this weekend. Not that I am complaining. He even took the lead and let me know when it was time for a nap.

I had to do a little meal prep first though.

Then it was a little bit of this…

then a little bit of this…

and this…

How could I resist napping with that little lazy bones.

This post isn’t complete without sharing my complete and absolute appreciation to all the veteran’s who have served and are currently serving in the military. To my Dad especially who is a Vietnam veteran. It is with thanks to them that we have the freedoms that we have today.

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

November 8, 2013

The Sound of Music

Happy Friday! My title has NOTHING to do with this post but seriously I end up singing that song in my head every Friday when coming up with my five favorite things for the week. I want to say I am looking forward to this weekend but it is looking like the majority of it will be spent raking my lawn AGAIN!! It is completely covered in leaves after only a week! 🙁 I guess I don’t really mind though because it is kinda pretty, and it counts as half a workout.

One. Speaking of workouts, I will be at the gym most of the weekend so in case you are looking for me that is where I will be! Catch you on the flipside!

Source

Two. This totally made me think of Kat from Vodka and Soda and Steph from Life According to Steph. Two of my favorite blogs, if you are not reading their blogs already what the @#$%$# are you waiting for!!

Source

Three. This recipe for Cheeseburger Salad with Big Mac dressing for No Sugar No Grain diet looks amazing and I think I will be making it this weekend.

Cheeseburger Salad with Big Mac Dressing--For #NSNG, perhaps use a bit of tomato paste instead of ketchup and omit sugar

Source

Four. Trying out a new pale ale and it was pretty delish!

Source

Five. This is so my dog!! He looks back at his butt all startled that something came out! I totally laughed at this and maybe snort laughed.

Source

Hope you love bugs have a fantabulous weekend! Big hugs!

November 6, 2013

Reasons Why I Suck

Sometimes as bloggers we post only the pretty things, the best pictures (out of 100), and the projects that are a success and none of the failures. I am GUILTY of this too. Sometimes if a pic is just for Instagram I will just take one picture, but if it is for a blog post I can take up to 25-50 shots (all different angles of course, with different props) and then choose the best one. However I am human and my life is far from perfect, I am far from perfect. So here are some reasons why I suck….

1. Right now just about every surface of my house needs to be dusted. October has been hectic and I don’t think I have done it once. Vacuum, sweeping, laundry, moping, wash my sheets done that, but dusting nope. I was sadly reminded of it this morning. I think with the heat kicking in it is a little dustier than normal. It is on my list to do this weekend though. I SUCK! *UPDATE: I dusted every surface of my house this past weekend Woohoo!!**

2. I sometimes choose to spend time alone than to go out. I get overwhelmed when I don’t have time to decompress and to veg out. Between work, Seamus, the gym, and blogging I don’t have time to do so during the week so the weekends are it. Too many events and I shut down. I SUCK!

3. Sometimes I don’t return emails because I don’t know what else to say. Sometimes I think a million things in my head of how to respond and then decide nothing would be best. I SUCK!

4.Sometimes I talk too much about myself and I have to remember to listen more, and talk less. It is usually because I am trying to connect or relate to what someone is saying, but I just need to shut up sometimes. I SUCK!

5. I get really frustrated when I am trying to learn something new. This comes down to my perfectionist Type A personality, but sometimes I need to remember to cut myself some slack! I SUCK!

I am stopping at five things because really that is all my ego can take right now.

P.S. Sorry for the cussing, but stupid, or stink just wouldn’t have the same impact!

And because we all know that every blog post has to have at least one photo or you have failed at life 😉 here is some pics from my last cake decorating class.

The basket weave border technique

Rope border and flowers which I still need to practice

Please tell me I am not alone and that sometimes you suck too!!

Share this:

Share this:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: