Mom to the Screaming Masses

Mission Monday - shampoos and soaps

I don't know about you, but I spend a ton of money every month on soaps, shampoos, lotions, and other cosmetic stuff.  I have bottles of lotion that I've tried once and never opened again.  I have samples of shampoo and mini bars of soap, trial size dental floss and makeup that I will never use again.

Your Mission for today is two-fold.  First, go through your own stuff and get rid of what you don't like. The jumbo fig and vanilla lotion that you loved in the store but don't reach for after a shower.  The Tom's toothpaste that you bought in an attempt to be more crunchy, and you never use because you can't stand it.  Get rid of whatever isn't your favorite.

Next, collect anything unopened, any trial sizes or samples, and make a bag for the women's homeless shelter.  Make a firm commitment that every time you grocery shop, you will add one bottle of shampoo, one bar of pretty soap, one extra package of feminine supplies, or one body wash.  Drop those off at the shelter or a local food bank.  Help out those who need it. 

An inspirational quote from George Carlin, of all people

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

And, yet again, Grace strikes me

With fond apologies to my lovely friend and woman I most want to be when I grow up, Grace Davis...

Tonight I took a couple of my kids to see the new movie The Ten Commandments.  It was a well done version, although it was rather long.  When we got home, I was tired. But hungry.  I decided to grill some chicken breasts that were marinating.

We've found a marinade that we really enjoy - it's called Tomato Basil Garlic, by McCormick GrillMates.  It's a package, and we add olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with the water.  I buy a package of 10 chicken breasts, mix up two packages, split the marinade between two ziploc bags and let it sit for a day or three, depending upon when I remember that they are sitting in the fridge. Tonight I pulled them out and grilled them.

They were chicken breasts of beauty.  Perfectly finished, my mouth was watering in anticipation.  I stacked the chicken breasts on the plate, grabbed the tongs and the cooking knife, and carefully made my way back through the screen door into the house.  Walking up the steps, I turned the corner a wee bit too fast....

and dumped a chicken breast off the plate and onto the steps.  I tossed up the knife and tongs, juggled the plate, and managed to dump two more.

Peanut butter, anyone?

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New review of an amazing book dealing with parenting a teenager over at Scrutiny By The Masses.  Really, it's a great book and I think all of us could benefit from reading it. 

She had me at Cheese

Over at Belinda's new place, she's posted a recipe for Beer and Cheese bread.  It looked good, but I'm not a huge fan of beer breads, and cheese breads, and so I shelved the recipe for another day.

Mir posted about this bread a few days ago, and since I was off work, I thought it'd be the best day to fit it in.  I grabbed the bread flour, the beer (specially purchased Heineken), the butter, yeast and salt.  I followed the first steps of the recipe, and dumped the dough out on the counter. 

Where I encountered the heaviest, densest, most thick dough I'd ever worked with.  It was awful.  I had serious doubts, but I added a bit more water, manipulated the dough, and tossed it into my dead microwave.

(Microwaves are a great place to let dough rise.  Heat up a large container of water until it boils, push it into the corner, and let the dough rise in the pan, covered with a warm, wet cloth.  It rises faster and higher than on the counter top.)

The dough rose well, I punched it down - certainly the best part of any bread making experience - and formed it into loaves.  Second rising, into the oven, and....

OMG.

It was wonderful.  Seriously, some of the best bread I've ever had. Fluffy, cheesy, and full of flavor.  I can't wait to make a grilled cheese sandwich - low fat cheese, of course - with it. 

Brand specific?

What products are you loyal to?

Lots of things I buy I don't really care what brand they are - deodorant, pasta, spaghetti sauce, dish detergent, shampoo, house paint, cars (I don't care which brand I buy, just that it does what I need it to do), milk, orange juice, you know, the list goes on and on.

But then there are some things that I just can't stand to buy a different brand - Cascade dishwasher detergent, Charmin toilet paper, Del Monte green beans, Hanna Andersson clothes for my kids (ebay rocks for this one), Lands end bookbags and diaper bags - those are just a few of the examples.

What brands are you loyal to?  What products do you feel are worth the extra pennies/dimes/dollars?

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If you are new here, welcome! I've gotten lots of email asking how I lost weight, and if I'd be willing to share my secrets.  I certainly am, but you'll need to read me over at The Elff Diet - my other blog on diet, exercise and healthy living.  Please check me out over there - I'd really like the company!

Also, I have a few new reviews up over at Scrutiny by The Masses - really yummy granola bars, dishwasher soap and MonkeyBar TV.

Some exciting news

Ok, a bit of housekeeping is in order - sweeping out the corners and whatnot.  And then I have a big surprise for all of us!

I do know, now, that Turner's Syndrome is no longer considered fatal.  I was remiss in stating that in my prior posts.  I was stating something that I was told a long time ago.  I should have checked my facts before I relied on my old information. Thank you to the many people who helped me to learn the correct diagnosis.

Second, I keep getting email about "Sensory Integration Dysfunction" is/is not a form of autism.  Yes and no.  I've been told both.  I've read the same information that Rachel posted in the comments below, and had one doctor tell me that it was and one doctor tell me that it wasn't.  The school system evaluator that I took my daughter to said that it was, the OT said that it wasn't.  One doctor who read my daughter's file said she was PDD-NOS, and considered the diagnosis of SID to be on the curve of the spectrum.  Whatever.  I don't particularly know or care if it is an "official" thing.  I do know this - if I tell someone that my child has SID, they look at me blankly and say, "Huh?"  If I say "She has SID, which is a very mild form of something on the autistic spectrum", they nod and say, "Cool.", and no longer look at me as if I have twelve heads and am a horrible parent.  So, take what you will from that paragraph, but I took the info out of my new sidebar.

Speaking of which, I redid it.  I'm not finished, but I really liked the Wanted Poster theme.  LuckyDuck, I'm 99% positive that I know who you are, but email me so's I can send you your gift certificate. I'm thinking about using some parts of some of the others that you all submitted as a rotating theme - you all are awesome!

So, on to the cool stuff, eh?  How about this? 

I'm the featured reader on the back page of the November issue of Real Simple! (Click to enlarge if you want to read all my answers.)  The photographer - amazingly talented Anna Wolf, as seen in American Eagle - came to my house in August, took pictures for two days - more photos below the fold - and I filled out the interview questions.  And I was picked.  How very, very cool!  So, everyone, go out and buy the issue - I'd autograph it if I thought it was worth anything.  But, OMG, do I hate how my hair looked.  I'm uber glad I changed it so completely.

And, do me a favor?  Go here and answer my question.  Or, you know, leave your answer here, if you want.

Mission Monday - the tips you give

So, here we are at Monday again.  This is going to be a great week, I can feel it in my bones.  Last week was, surprisingly enough, a pretty good week - much better than the past, oh, seven or eight.  When you have nowhere to go but up, it's amazing how much a mediocre week can look fantabulous.

Your MIssion for today is sharing.  I know, I know, how grade school, how elementary, how easy, right?  I'm really interested in your best advice.  What do you count as your best stuff, the things that, when you tell others. they applaud you and say, "Wow!  You are so smart!" 

Um, yeah, well, I don't have so many of those.  Lots of my advice is basic - keep a few spare presents on hand for those last minute party invites. Never shop on an empty stomach. Clean off the battery posts in your car with Coke.

Store yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese and sour cream upside down.  They will last much longer. 

I also store the natural peanut butter upside down, which keeps the oil towards the bottom of the jar and it is easier to mix.  Spread the peanut butter on both pieces of bread to keep the jelly from squirting through.

Apply car wax to outdoor plastic toys to help them retain their bright colors. Use a blowdryer to heat your eyelash curler before you curl your lashes.   Spray the inside of a measuring cup with cooking spray - whatever you are measuring will slide right out. 

Keep a bag in your car, maybe under the seat, with some bottled water and snacks and a small book.  You are always prepared, no matter where you are stuck.

So?  Let's hear it!

Help with my site, pretty please?

First of all, thank you so much for your very kind words.  I really do appreciate it.  Whenever I have a problem, you guys are there.  You are all great!  If I could, I'd totally take you all out for coffee.

(Really awkward segue way here....)

So, I'd like to rewrite the little section over there to the right.  ->->->->->-> 

That little "About me", where I list about a million things.  I want to redo it, make it a bit snappier and cleaner, all while infusing my readers with the same information.  Any ideas?  If you rewrite it and I choose it, I'll send you an Amazon gift certificate. 

A trip to the Pediatrician

When I was pregnant with one of my daughters, a growth was discovered on her head, by ultrasound.  I was told that she had the fatal Turner's Syndrome, and then, two weeks later, that she didn't.  Higher level ultrasounds indicated that the growth, located on the left side of her head, behind her ear - could have been many things - brain tissue, spinal fluid, and other things I've since blocked out of my mind. 

It was a long time ago. 

(I'm not using my daughter's name.  Please, if you know my children, do not make this an issue in your relationship with her.  I argued with myself for a long time in deciding whether or not I should post this.  Ultimately, I decided that I needed the input and the consolation that I felt I could get here.  Please, please, do not abuse my trust.  ESPECIALLY the readers who have children at my children's school.)

After she was born, all of the testing indicated that the problem was in the formation of her skull, before the third month of gestation.  The growth plates failed to come together, and scar tissue formed around the opening, sealing it and protecting the brain.

The human body is a remarkable thing.

The growth was 2 cms in size and hasn't changed in all this time.  It hasn't bothered her, and in fact, it completely dropped off the radar.  Until this past week.

And the hits JUST KEEP COMING

It was kind of funny when my washer needed to be repaired, just about 12 months ago.  It was funny because no more than two months earlier, the dryer had fallen ill and needed some work.  Two repairs in two months.

And just about, oh, two months ago, my dishwasher broke. Remember that?  Three appliances in a year.

It was so FUNNY to me when the refrigerator stopped working last month.  A week without a fridge - good times were had by all.  We can all count to four, right?

No, the best thing ever was the fact that I took a nap yesterday.  When I woke up, I smelled smoke.  When I came downstairs, I was greeted with the STUNNINGLY WONDERFUL NEWS that the microwave had caught FIRE.

Tomorrow, I will purchase a new microwave. To hell with using a repair person.