Here I Go Again

I'm happy to say that I'm being featured today over at 

Scattered Seashells!

Head on over to Chantal's blog and check out my post!

While I'm Away. A Workout Playlist

& Now a word from my BFFF.

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Quick intro for those who are asking “Who’s this guy?”: I fall into

the IRL category of Jamie’s friends, knowing her since before the two

of us could drive a car. Then a few years later we were carpool

buddies to school. A few (more) years after that and a piece of a

plastic rose now sits in my car - a token from when I stood as a

“Bridesman” at her wedding.

So while I try to hold back the tears (both to be strong and to not

get made fun of by her) from realizing she is moving to a spot where

she will no longer be a car ride away, I’m here to do my part in

contributing to her guest posts for the week.

When she asked me to be a guest blogger, I asked her what she had in

mind. Taking a cue from my music blog (ahem, Sight of Sound, ahem,

shameless plug), Jamie suggested I write about a playlist that could

be used when going on a run.

I’ve tried to get into running for the better part of a year and the

past few months I’ve been gaining some small victories in the overall

war. I truly believe it’s because of the right music I had going on at

the time. Since all of our music tastes are different, I wanted to

share what I feel are the right ingredients for a good running mix.

The Determination Tracks

I’m one of those people that wish life came with a soundtrack and

running is one of those moments. I know it sounds cheesy, but

somewhere in a playlist you should have songs that set a scene of

determination. These types of songs are usually longer in length and

include a buildup of sorts. Some examples: “Secret Crowds” by Angels

and Airwaves; “The Resistance” by Muse; “Sick Sad Little World” by

Incubus

The Adrenaline Fuel

These are the kinds of songs people think of when they visualize a

running playlist. The ones with the fast and/or hard beat that stands

to pump the blood in your body along with the bass in your ears. This

is where hard rock or hip hop songs usually get the most play, but

what I’ve noticed is that your playlist shouldn’t be filled with these

songs. Instead, spread them out. There have been a couple times when I

start to slow down but “Fuel” by Metallica comes on and it gives me a

surge of energy.

The Singalong Songs

For the most part, running is a solo adventure. Even if you run with a

friend or two, you most likely have headphones in so you’re in your

own little world anyway - why not have some fun? Fill your playlist

with some of your favorite tracks to sing along to (think about which

ones you would totally give a concert performance to while in the

shower). This is why I have no problem putting “Nuthin but a G Thang”

or a No Doubt track on my playlist. It helps occasionally to get lost

in the world of a favorite song and not think too much about how out

of breath you are or how much your legs hurt.

Slow Jams

Much like everyone would assume to fill the playlist with the

adrenaline tracks, people automatically assume not to put on anything

slow but I disagree - it all depends on placement. Depending on how

long you are running, odds are you are going to slow down at some

point and there is no problem matching the music to your mood. But the

two points when slower tracks can come into play are during the

“warmup” and “cool down” periods. Here is when would be best to throw

on some lighter Black Keys or Kings of Leon tracks.

And those are the perfect ingredients to a good running playlist. I

hope if you try them out that the results are tasty.

While I'm Away, Another Recipe ;)

Y'all know I love a good recipe! So here is Mrs. Duh letting us know how to spice it up ;)

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I’m Mrs. Duh from The Misadventures of Mrs. Duh. I’m an Air Force Wife, graduate student, Crossfit newbie, and all-around quirky gal. One thing that I love to do is find delicious, healthy recipes! I’m happy to be guest blogging on This Is Me; Consequently, so I can share one of my favorites!

This is a recipe that was given to me by my mother, who is an avid Crockpot cooker. She is one of the busiest women I know, so the Crockpot always serves her well. It allows you to make delicious meals and not waste too much time in the kitchen. Mango Habanero Pork Chops are no exception! This recipe requires very little hands on preparation and tastes amazing! I know it has “habanero” in the title, but don’t be scared… it’s not too spicy!

Here is the recipe:

Mango Habanero Pork Chops

Ingredients:

-          4 boneless pork chops

-          1 habanero pepper, finely chopped (for less heat, don’t add the seeds)

-          1 small onion, chopped

-          ½ cup ketchup

-          1 Tbsp. brown sugar

-          15 oz. canned mangoes with syrup (I use Sunfresh brand, they are in a glass jar and usually found in the produce section… if you can’t find mangoes, canned peaches work well)

Directions:

1. Place pork chops in slow cooker. Poke a few holes in each with a fork.

2.  Mix all other ingredients in a bowl, coarsely mash the mangoes with a fork (you want big chunks), and pour over pork chops.

3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

4. Shred pork in slow cooker with a fork.

5. Serve over white or brown rice.

6. Enjoy!

Serves 4; Calories - 345; Fat – 13.1g; Carbs – 13.5g; Protein – 40.8g

While I'm Away, DIY Cleaning Pt. 1

A Girl from A Boy, A Girl, and The Marine Corps is here to share some cleaning secrets! I definitely plan on doing these when we move into our new house! 

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DIY Laundry Products:

How one Girl avoided eating Top Ramen to pay off her student loans

When I graduated from school I felt great!  I had graduated top of my class and been honored with an award for the highest GPA and praised in front of everyone at graduation for my hard work.  I was flying high…  until I got my first student loan statement.  I looked at my loan amount, I looked at my monthly payment and thought, “Two years of hard work and I won’t even make enough to cover these??!!!”  So, what’s a girl to do?

I decided there had to be ways to cut my expenses without cutting so much that I had to eat Top Ramen for the next 20 years of my career to survive.   There had to places all over the house and our life that I could cut our expenses without killing our ability to have a life.

First up:  Laundry.

You wouldn’t think it, but I do A LOT of laundry.  I average 5-7 loads a week, and I don’t have kids.  Both the hubs and I have to wear work specific clothes.  I have scrubs, he has a work uniform and don’t get me started on washing is military stuff, which is a whole bag of mess in it’s self.   How can I cut my laundry budget without sacrificing clean clothes?  I make my own laundry soap.  Sounds crazy, I know, but I save a small fortune.

I have sensitive skin and must be cautious about the soaps I use.  We also have an HE washer, so we have to be careful about the soaps we buy.  This leads to a $6 bottle of All brand Free and Clear every month (sometimes more often).  Add in the color safe bleach, since nothing we own can have normal bleach, and dryer sheets and you’re looking at a lot of money. 

Let’s start with my recipe for Laundry Soap:

·         1 Bar Felz-Naptha Bar Soap.  You can use Zotes if you want, but Zotes has optical brighteners which is what makes Cammies fade. You will find that some say you can use Ivory soap, but don’t.  Soap made for skin and soap make for laundry have different fats in them that are specific to what you are cleaning.  Skin soap will not get your laundry as clean.  (I buy my bar soap at Winco for about $1.20, but I know other retailers carry it.  It is a specialty item though and I am unable to get it on base)

·         1-2 cups Washing Soda.  I use Arm and Hammer brand but any brand will do. This can be found in the laundry soap aisle.

·         1-2 cups Borax.  Also found with the laundry soap.

·         ½-1 cup Baking Soda- this is optional.  I like to use it because I think it makes my laundry smell cleaner by getting rid of all of that yucky body odor from our clothes, but you don’t have to use it.

Now that you have the ingredients, the instructions:

·         Grate your bar soap with the smallest grater you can find.  I have a lovely bity one that I bought for like $5 and it makes lovely, fine little flakes.  If you don’t have this, or can’t find it, a Magic Bullet or food processor will work, but I personally feel like it makes the flakes chunkier and thus they don’t dissolve as well when washing.

·         Next, mix the bar soap flakes with the other powder ingredients well.  The powders are very light and will make a mess, so mix gently. 

·         Now put it all in an airtight container.

You can use 1-2 TBS per load depending on size and how soiled the items are and that is it.  I personally have never needed more than 1 ½ TBS even with the hubs filthy cammies.

*The variation in the amounts of powder use is based on personal preference.   I have found that I like the 2 cups with one bar of soap, but some like the 1 cup.  When I used 1 cup of each, ½ cup baking soda and 1 bar of soap, my mixture lasted for nearly 6 months!!!!  And since you do not use all of the Borax, Baking Soda or Washing Soda in each batch, it made my use less cost less than a penny per load.  You can’t beat that.  When I use the larger amounts, I’m at less than a 10^th of a penny per load.   And it takes less than 15 minutes to make, and I still have Borax and Washing Soda left after making two batches.

So with that lovely laundry soap, what did I do about color safe bleach?  Hydrogen Peroxide.  Seriously.

1 cup Hydrogen Peroxide per Gallon of water.   That’s it. 

Now I don’t have a gallon bucket lying around, but I did have an empty bottle of All liquid detergent.  So, I washed the bottle and did my amount based on the fact that the bottle held 1 quart of liquid.  Easy peasy.   And you have choices.  You can do the larger amount and soak your items for 30 minutes prior to washing, or you can do what I do.  Add it straight to my laundry, soaking is great for stuff that needs more attention though.  You will still need to use bleach for things that call for actual bleach, but this works great as a color safe bleach and is safe to use on delicates like bras and wool.  I hear you can even use it on SILK!  But I don’t own anything silk, so I’ve never tried.

What about fabric softener I hear you say.  What do I do there?  Well, you have three amazing options.

1.      Vinegar.  Not kidding.  I don’t know how or why, but you can add vinegar as a fabric softener to your washer just like you would any other liquid softener.  I don’t do this because I like baking soda in my laundry soap and I really don’t need a volcano of suds flowing into my hall.  ;)

2.      Dryer balls.  These are available on base for $2-$3 and places like Fred Meyer or other such retailers for $5 or so bucks.  They last 3-5 years and require no chemicals at all.  I’ve been using them the last 8 years and have only had to replace them once.  You simply put them in your dryer and go.   I never take them out.   They not only cut static and fluff your clothes, but they decrease your drying time as well.  If you have a timed dryer, you can go from a 60 minute cycle to 45-50 minutes depending on what you are drying.  I have a sense dryer and it is done in about 30 minutes.   I think this method best because there is minimal waste, no chemicals and I save money twice- the product and the energy. 

3.      But you really want dryer sheets?  You can live without them?  Well, cut them in half.  You will never notice the difference in softness, but will have to buy them half as often. I’ve done this for years as well.  I have a box of dryer sheets I use for our sheets since the dryer balls aren’t great for that and I literally cannot remember when I bought it because it’s been so long.  And my sheets do not feel any less soft with half a sheet and neither did my regular laundry prior to the dryer balls.  

Keep in mind one things about fabric softener:  Though your clothes smell nice and feel soft, they actually decrease the absorbency of the clothes and towels.

So there you have it.  That’s how I cut a lot of money out of my budget with very little heartache. 

  

A Girl is a 20 something blogger who began blogging in 2008 as a means of coping with a deployment.  She is a Vet Tech by trade and loves her work in Emergency and Critical Care.  She is married to a 10 year veteran of the USMC reserves, whom she meet shortly after he returned from a deployment.  They have been married for four years, have three, very bratty dogs, and are currently trying to muddle through the aftermath of a difficult deployment for both. 

Check out her Frugal Fridays for more tips on DIY ways to save money with very little hassle.

You can view her ramblings at http://aboyagirlandthemarinecorps.blogspot.com/ or via her FB page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Boy-A-Girl-and-the-Marine-Corps/385386894816791

While I'm Away, How Pinteresting!

Sarah from Dandelions and Daffodils is going to share some of her favorite PINS :) That's a girl after my own heart!

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Hello, blogging friends!! It's so nice to be here today! :-)

For weeks I had been hearing people talk about it and I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. All I knew was that it was surely another internet time-consumer and I WASN’T ABOUT TO BE PART OF IT. Between blogs, Facebook, email and various websites I didn’t have time for anything more.

Well. Here I am today, a member of Pinterest Addicts International. 

I love Pinterest. I have pins for baby clothes, pins for holidays, pins for Army life, pins of ideas for our future home, pins with quotes, pins with crafts to make with buttons, pins for children’s birthday parties, pins of cute dresses. When it comes to pin, I have a ’plenty. One of my favorite aspects of Pinterest are all the great craft ideas I’ve seen. I love making crafts and am always looking for new ideas. When I’ve been stuck in a certain area, all I’ve needed to do is look on Pinterest and just like that, ideas galore. Not all my Pinterest creations have come out picture-perfect, but I’ve loved most of them. Today I’d like to show you three that went from Pinterest to life. (Note: in the below collages, the original is on the left and mine is on the right.)

1) Owl stuffed animal

 

Toad's Treasures

I found this adorable owl while looking for an easy sewing project for my sewing class. We handsewed the entire thing and the girls (ages 9) loved seeing the owl "hatch" before our eyes. This is a great project for those just beginning to sew.

2) Flower art

It's Doable: crafts, food and life

This project took two attemps. I gathered tons (and I do mean TONS) of paint chips from Lowes and Home Depot and spent about an hour cutting the shapes. The first time I used tacky glue and it did not work. The wetness of the glue caused the paper to warpe and some pieces even tore. The second time I used a glue gun and it worked so much better. Two big things I did differently than the directions were that I bought a black canvas instead of painting one, and I didn't Modge Podge it when I was done. I love how it came out! 

3) Paula Deen's Zesty Cheese Straws

 

Food Network

I love food, especially food involving cheese so I was excited to make these. As with the previous pin, I tried this twice because it didn't come out right the first time. Both times the batter stuck to the pan and it was impossible for me to make it look like the picture. I was able to peel some off the pan after it was cooked, but not in a way that looked presentable. The taste was pretty good, but overall it was a flop. That being said, I should point out that I made it with rice flour instead of regular flour since I can't eat wheat. I imagine that would make some difference.

What pins have you tried! I'd love to know! You can find me on Pinterest here!

Thanks again to Jamie for letting me visit!! It's been fun! :-)

While I'm Away; A Fave Recipe

Since I'm currently overwhelmed with the moving process, I asked a few lovely ladies to guest post for me. Each day they will be sharing with you something they enjoy! So without further ado [don't miss me too much ;)]

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Hello Awesome Bloggers!! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. I heard Jamie needed some people to do a guest post for she is in the process of moving and we ALL know how difficult that is so I'm so excited she is letting me do a guest post. Without further ado I will tell you a little bit about me.

 My name is Stephanie I'm 24 eeekkkk I feel so old. I am a mother to a Fur baby and my husband at times when he acts up haha only joking. My husband is in the Army and we are stationed here in good ole Colorado my husband and I were both raised in Panama City,FL man do we miss the ocean. But its not to bad here just a little cold during the winter and well ok I can't lie its cold all the time here. When my friends and I get together we try to trade recipes and if any of you like soups when its cold out I PROMISE you will LOVE this soup.(We cook it at least once every two weeks) yeah its that delicious..Its called Chicken Enchilada Soup and you can cook it on top of the stove or in a crock pot my personal opinion is do the CROCK POT I think it turns out better. But to each its own. 

Below I have copied the recipe to share with you all. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE IT. I have also posted a picture of it in the crock pot. 

Thank you Jamie for letting me guest post I hope your move goes smoothly.

You can catch me over at Army Wife On A Mission. 

http://stephaniehartman08.blogspot.com/

Chicken Enchilada Soup

3 cups chicken stock

2 skinless, chicken breast

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

4-6 jalapeno peppers, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 cup tomato paste

8 oz cotija cheese, crumbled

8 oz pepperjack cheese, divided

1 cup cilantro, chopped

Tortilla chips

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add chicken stock and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Simmer about 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the pot. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered until tomatoes have begun to break down. Add black beans, corn, and tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add cotija cheese and half of the pepperjack cheese and stir to melt. Return chicken to soup and cook about 20 more minutes until desired consistency. 

If soup isn't as thick as desired, you can add strips of flour tortillas. They will dissolve into the soup to thicken the broth. Add cilantro, reserving some to top individual bowls if desired. Ladle into serving bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, reserved pepperjack cheese and cilantro if desired.

Love

Stephanie

Craft Fair::Day 3

Hi everyone! I'm Cassie from Southern Domestic Goddess and I recently opened my Etsy shop Navy Baby Designs! I sell custom tutus and appliques and I hope to add more to the shop soon.


My Grand Opening sale is still going on and all of my tutus and tutu costumes are currently priced 10% off! This includes custom orders.

My bestsellers so far are the Ghost Tutu Costume and the Red and Black tutu.



I can make a tutu in any size and any color or color combination that you can think of!


GIVEAWAY: Today I am giving away a $15 gift certificate to my shop! You can use it on one of the items already listed OR message me about creating a custom item just for your little one!


To enter just visit Navy Baby Designs and let me know which item is your favorite!

For an extra entry- "like" Navy Baby Designs on Facebook!

For another extra entry- heart my shop on Etsy (leave your username in the comment).

Craft Fair::Day 2

While I think most of Jamie's readers know me through my blog, some of you newbies probably don't. My name is Sara and I'm awesome. I also share my awesome with the world at my blog- Sara's Organized Chaos but I also make stuff. That's right- you can own a little piece of my awesome! Lucky duck. My Etsy shop is called ScrapinSara's Gifts because I'm scrappy and my name is Sara. So clever I am...

But I got started in scrapbooking about ten years ago and have gradually become addicted to paper and ribbon. I'm not ashamed to say I own paper and ribbon because it's pretty and I have no plans to use it. I have done cards and scrapbooks for friends and family for the last few years for some extra money but started my Etsy shop almost two years ago. I don't have the time or the resources to really promote my shop like some hardcore shops are doing so I am mostly word of mouth. I like making things for people and I put a lot of time into all of my projects.

The big thing with me is that I really believe you need to put some effort into gifts. I really dislike it when people just put something in a gift bag because it feels half assed and where's the fun in that? I support Etsy shops because you know what you are giving someone is handmade, it's going to be unique, and it shows you put some thought into it. But I am also a big mail sender. I'm pretty sure I alone am keeping the post office in my town going. I am sending cards and handwritten notes to friends and family all of the time, with or without reason. I think the coolness of a handwritten note is still there...it's just that people have gotten lazy. But if you have a cool card you are more inclined to use it. Which is why you should BUY MY STUFF. That and you'll be infinitely cooler because you did.

I am available for custom orders of cards, invitations, treat and favor bags/boxes, gifts, customized picture frames, scrapbooks, etc- contact me directly at slinkies_r_us@hotmail.com or through Etsy conversation. Every purchase comes with extra goodies from my own stash AND you have the satisfaction of knowing my kids get to eat another day. :)

Give away:
A set of 6 'Rock Star' cards

Ghost of You

Remember that guest post I was telling you all about?
Well here it is. My bff Matt [better known to you all as Mr.O] is here to share an experience.
Want to see this moment from my point of view? Head on over to A Rush of Blog to the Head.


Without further adieu.....


I rank it up there with those “never forget where you were” moments. It
sits up there with my first kiss, my first road trip, my first break-up.
It was the moment I got the call that forever changed my life.

I was at a job that was taking most of my day and when I get off I
looked at my phone and saw that I had a missed call from my friend
Brandon. I knew this was either going to be good news or bad news. A few
days earlier he had called me asking me if I knew where Shedrick was
because he had sort of left town and not really told anybody where he
was going or what he was doing, except we found out from a roommate of
mine (at the time) that he was on his way up to Auburn, going to be
involved in some stuff he should not have been involved in. Well, a day
or two had went by and nobody had heard from him. My roommate said he
was on the phone with him when he thought he heard some yelling, but he
wasn't sure. But after I called Brandon back, I was sure what this phone
call was about. He told me, as good as a friend could tell another
friend, that Shedrick was dead. I honestly asked him if he was joking as
we were all friends who would carry jokes on, but never this far. He
said “why would I joke about this” and at that moment, I felt like the
world crashed on my chest.

I had pulled into my apartment complex when I got the news. It was the
hardest thing to just walk into my house and sit in my room. Along the
way I had told the roommate that talked to him what ultimately happened.
His response was “damn” and proceeded to sit on his bed to let it sink
in. I went to my room and dealt with the phone. Who do I call? Who is
going to call me? I ended up calling jme and giving her the news, one of
the hardest things I ever had to do. My sister called me and checked up.
I called my girlfriend who answered in a very bubbly voice but it
quickly changed when she heard my own voice on the other end. She asked
if she should come over and I quickly responded yes and she was over at
my house in minutes. One of my greatest memories was her comforting me.
She didn't ask me any questions, didn't offer to get me anything, didn't
tell me it was going to be alright. She just sat there with me. And let
me break down.

I broke down for a number of reasons. Ultimately, it was because I had
just lost a really good friend. The kind of friend that is
irreplaceable. But one reason is because of what he has always
associated himself with. He actually got arrested our senior year for
some sort of possession, and I remember going to his house that day and
we just rode around in my car and he kind of confessed that he was only
doing that stuff to get money. I wanted to help. I tried to help. And
for the longest time I felt my efforts weren't enough. If I could be
completely honest, for the longest time I was mad at him. Mad that he
didn't see the warning signs of what he was doing. But most of all I was
just mad. Mad that he was taken away from me. I was no longer going to
have the friend that would open the door naked just to get a reaction,
or who “caused scenes” at school such as purposely tripping over chairs,
or the friend that stripped down to his boxers and ran in a gas station
car wash.

The last time I saw him was at his funeral. I remember walking into my
high school's gym and upon the slightest sight of seeing him in the
casket, it became way too real and I broke down. Luckily, it was packed
with friends that also knew him well so I didn't feel alone. In a weird
way, I still laughed that day. I had stayed over at his house plenty of
times and had seen him fall asleep and sometimes he looked like he was
smiling as he slept. And I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on
me, but I could swear I saw him smiling as he lied there that day. And
that's how I will always remember him. As the guy that won “class clown”
our senior year, and the guy that always made me laugh.

For a while afterward, he would pop up in my dreams.back, and it felt great. I don't have those dreams anymore, but I still
think about him a lot. He was supposed to make a rap CD and call it “The
Mixtape” and I was supposed to help produce and promote it. My roommate
now is a dj and the other day he had an event where he was spinning for
people at a bar and there were some people rapping over his stuff. All I
could think of how cool it would have been if Shedrick could have been
there, how he probably would have jumped on the stage, took the mic, and
everybody would have had a good time.

On November 17, 2005, I was supposed to go see a free Ludacris concert
on campus. Instead, I got terrible news and proceeded to spend the rest
of the night receiving and making phone calls and texts concerning a
friend we all lost. A friend that I still miss to this day. A friend
that will always be remembered and will never be forgotten.


At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are never coming home
Never coming home
never coming home
Never coming home
And all the things that you never ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever gonna hold me
Never coming home
Never coming home