Long or short hair?

I decided I really want to let my hair grow out this winter.  Maybe it will help me keep warm with all this freezing weather.  I just got my hair dyed a dark brown and decided to tell my hair dresser I didn't want to get a hair cut this time. How many of our hair stylist cut way to much of our hair.  We will say one inch and when we look on the floor it looks like a mountain of our hair was cut.

I was considering extensions before I decided to let my hair grow.  I know all the movie stars have long extensions they often use in their hair.  I found this website where you can clip in extensions it is by Luxy Hair.  How do you know what extensions will work for who? I also found this website for hair extensions where the hair is made like a halo that you place on top of your head.  This comes in all one piece.  This extensions is different from the clip on extensions that come in several pieces.  All the extensions I did my research on were all made from real human hair.  My friend Monique has the halo type extensions.  Once your receive your hair it has to be cut and colored to match your actual hair color.  My friend said she gave her hair piece to her hair dresser to cut and color for her.

I tried on clip in hair extentions when I was in Vegas. The salesperson made it look so simple and easy to clip in.  I really loved that way it looked.  However, I wasn't sold on the fact that the clip going in and out won't pull out my own hair.  Here is a picture of me with them on:

Here is a picture of my friend Monique with her extensions in:

Below is a video on how the halo extensions work.

Both look great. I think hair extensions are great not only to accomplish the look of having long hair but mostly to make your hair look full.  The clip in extensions I have in my hair were also placed on the top of my head to make my hair look fuller.  There are many women that have thin hair and just want a fuller look not necessarily just long hair. Both types of of extensions can be costly.  I would shop around before deciding on a price.  The extensions I tried on were $400 for a package of like 5 pieces of hair.  Monique's extensions which comes in all one piece was over $600.

Dining out with friends............

Over the weekend James and I made plans with a few friends to get together and go out to eat.    At first we were all undecided on the location of our gathering.  Our first choice was to go to Parx Casino in Philadelphia.  However, the forecast on Sat. called for several inches of snow.  We all decided we would not chance the weather and not take the 45 min. drive to Parx Casino.  James and I have never been to Parx Casino before and were looking forward to seeing the place. I guess we will have to venture out another time. 

We all decided to go to P.F. Chang's Restaurant.  Here is a little back round about P.F. Chang's.

''At P.F. Chang’s you are surrounded by a unique environment combining influences of Chinese and American cultures. A panoramic, hand-painted mural depicting 12th century China, is visible from the main dining room and commands attention as the restaurant’s centerpiece, while several terra-cotta warriors stand guard.
Our majestic 11 ft. tall horses grace the entrance to many of our restaurants. The horse symbolizes the original Forbidden City in China, which was built for China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi.
These elements showcase the cuisine and create a stylish, comfortable, upbeat dining experience for our guests."

P.F. Chang's has great starter dishes.  Me and James shared Crab Wontons, they were delicious.  Here is a description of the Wontons.
 
"Crispy wontons filled with a creamy mixture of crab meat, bell peppers and green onions, served with a spicy plum sauce."

The wontons had a great crunch to them, the filling was excellent, the best part was the spicy plum sauce.  The sauce gave the Wonton that extra little flavor but did not take away from the creamy mixture.   


My friend Louisa and her husband Stan ordered this:


CRISPY GREEN BEANS
Tempura-battered with our signature spicy dipping sauce 

This was also an excellent choice as a starter. Our other friends could not decide on just one starter so they ordered a few great choices for all of us to share.  One choice was:

  SPRING ROLLS
Crispy spring rolls filled with fresh vegetables and served with a sweet & sour dipping sauce.

There were at least 13 different time of starters to choice from.  Each selection was not an overwhelming amount of food.  It was just right to get a little taste of several different starters the restaurant had to offer.

Moving on to the entrees.  Each entree is served with white rice or brown rice.  The table ordered brown rice and we also tried the Fried Rice with chicken.  Both were great choices.

Here is a picture of the Fried Rice:

I picked a sweet & sour chicken, this was really good with some of the brown rice on top.  My friend Monique also picked a chicken dish which I had a taste of.  She choice a Crispy Honey chicken.  Both chicken dishes have great flavor.  If I had to choice which one I liked the best I would go with the sweet & sour chicken.
They also offer a good selection of seafood as an entree.  James went with:

SICHUAN SHRIMP OR SCALLOPS
Prepared in a red chili pepper garlic sauce

James decided on the Scallops.  He really loved the Scallops they were seasoned and cook really well.  I only had a small little taste because red chili pepper has to much of a hot taste for my liking.  For what I tasted and the look of the Scallops this was also a great choice.

P.F. Chang's also offers Vegetarian & Gluten Free  Plates..  Over all there is something for everyone at P.F. Chang's.  If you like sweet or spicy there are many great choices. 
  
In conclusion, did we save room for dessert??? Of course we did.  What would a great meal be without finishing it off with an awesome desert.  Something chocolate for me as always.............Instead of describing the dessert I will just show you a picture and you can decide whether or not you think it was delicious...............

 

  Just a quick thanks to all my friends & family who are supporting my blog daily.  You guys are Awesome!!!!!

Let's go somewhere tropical!!

There is over a foot of snow outside and it's freezing.  I thought today why not think about a great warm tropical place to visit.  I was thinking about the Atlantis

in the Bahamas.  It has been a really long time since I visited theAtlantis

in Bahamas.  The island has been built up so much within the last 10 years. Here are some great pictures I found:

   

Atlantis Hotel is in Paradise Island, and from just these two pictures I would agree it's a paradise island.  Here are just some of the things you can do:

1- Dolphin Cay offers an intimate and one of a kind Atlantis resort experience. Dolphin Cay is an extraordinary environment showcased on 14-acres with almost 7 million gallons of crystal clear seawater. It is one of the largest and most sophisticated marine habitats and animal rescue-rehabilitation facilities unlike anything in the world. It is a place where swimming with dolphins and interacting with sealions has been redefined creating memories of a lifetime for you and your family. Guests of all ages have the opportunity to experience our playful and charismatic dolphins or sea lions in our shallow water interaction programs. For the more adventurous guest, we have created an experience where you not only see, but feel the speed and agility of the ocean’s most remarkable inhabitant’s first-hand in deeper water during the Dolphin Deep Water Swim. You can also join in the ultimate trainer for a day program for an in-depth, up-close and personal experience to get a first hand look at how Atlantis cares for all of the animals including fish, sharks, sea lions and dolphins!


2-

AQUAVENTURE. NON-STOP WATER. NON-STOP FUN.

---

Aquaventure, Atlantis Paradise Island’s water park, is a one-of-a-kind 141-acre waterscape with complimentary admission for over-night guests at Atlantis. This non-stop aquatic thrill ride features over twenty million gallons of water, incredible Atlantean-themed towers, thrilling high-speed water slides, a mile-long river ride with rolling rapids and wave surges, 20 swimming areas, a spectacular kids water-play fort and 11 unique and refreshing swimming pools—connected by a lush, tropical environment that is both immersive and interconnected. For vacationers young and older; the water park offers an extreme level of excitement and delivers an “aqua” adventure unlike any other.


3-

BREATHTAKING COLLECTION OF MARINE EXHIBITS

---

Before getting their first look at Paradise Island, vacationers, may not realize the unique opportunity they’ll have to explore a truly extraordinary collection of marine habitats and aquarium exhibits—lagoons, caves, coral formations and breathtaking underwater ruins designed to showcase exotic marine life ranging from dolphins and sea lions to sharks, rays, barracuda, to piranha, eels and even endangered alligator gar. Atlantis Resort host the largest such exhibit in the Caribbean and one of the largest in the world … encompassing 14 lagoons, eight million gallons of salt water and more than 50,000 aquatic animals representing over 250 marine species.


The Atlantis also has tons of night life entertainment including gambling.  I really think this Island has something to do for the whole family.  The kids would enjoy all the fun slides the hotel has to offer as well as swimming in those awesome looking pools.  Only one thing left to say, when are we going???

Video games and more Video games!!!!

My children were so happy when they got their Ipad Mini's for Christmas.  My twins were especially excited when they added all their Itune cards they got as gifts from their family to their Ipad Mini's.  I know the first game my son Michael bought was The Clash Of Clans.  The download was free, however all the accessories for the game is where he used much of his Itune money.  Here is a little clip of the game:

The first game Amanda was so excited to download was Sims. In this game or world I should say you create your own people & family.  Amanda like to play the Sims Freeplay which apparently is different from the game Sims. Once you create your own family and name your family you interact with each member of your family.  A family pet or pets can also be created and named.  Each family you create because you can create more than one family you can interact with.  The game also lets you create a home for your family.  The game also allows you to create a town and climate where your family will live.  The download is free but in order to create certain life points and other accessories you must purchase this with your Itunes money.  I guess offering these games initially is free and to actually use all the tools and accessories involved is where they get you to spend all your money.  Here is a clip about the game Sims:

Both these games use such detailed graphics, it looks so realistic.......  These games are also so very technical.  I sometimes wonder after watching the kids play these games if they are actually learning anything from them.  I remember when they were little and they watched Sesame Street and were engaged in staring at Elmo if this was good for their development. At least with Sesame Street they were listening to fun songs,sounds of letters,and new letter each day.

Getting back to the game, "Sims", are they learning ANYTHING FROM THIS GAME.  If you think about it.  The children have to create a family.  In order to care for this family they have to have the members of the family have a job to earn points. When you earn points by working and only then can you use these points to build a house.  With earning points only then can you can add children to your family and pets.  Also, the babies that are bought with points in order for these babies to get bigger you have to interact with the babies.  The babies have to be fed, changed and taken care of.  In order for you to move around and up in the game all the members of the family you created have to have a purpose.  The children need to go to school to earn points.  The other family members need to choice jobs/careers in order to earn points. The more points you earn the better your house and accessories within your house get.

In conclusion, I am worried a little bit less today when watching my children on their Ipads.  Today I learned that playing the game Sims is actually teaching my children responsibilities.  Earning a living in order to purchase accessories for the family is completely a realistic game of what life is about.

Move time with the kiddes.........Frozen

A bunch of friends of mine and all our children went to go to see the Disney movie Frozen.

Here is a clip from the movie:

I know the children really enjoyed this movie.  It was like a musical animation feature with lots of twists. Olaf was a live snowman who just wanted to experience a summer.  Being a snowman how could he experience what is was like to live in summer weather.  This snowman was Amanda's favorite character in the movie.  In the end, Olaf wish comes true.  The snow princess Elsa gives him his own personal snow cloud over his head so he won't melt in the summer. Elsa is the Queen of ice and her sister Anna is the princess.  This movie takes you on a really cold adventure through a forest.  All the characters meet up with a snow creature, see picture below:

The snow princess and her sister are being tricked into not loving each other so the evil Hans plots and plans to take over their castle. Lots of twists and excitement throughout the move.  The movie also had lots of other fun characters in the forest.
Great movie for all ages even adults.  I really enjoyed this movie especially all the music. 

Cleaning dark hard wood floors....

My dark hard wood floors look like they need to be dusted just about every other day.  I know most of you that know me would say, that's because I am anal about not seeing any dust in my house.  Well, I do agree with that statement.  Cleaning dark wood or any hard wood floors what products do you use? For dusting I swear by my Swiffer. I use my Swiffer for all my dark hard wood floors as well as my kitchen title floors.  For getting a deeper cleaning I would use the Swiffer Wet Jet. I love that once the pad used is dirty you can simply just replace it and keep cleaning.  If you use a mop, you have to continually rinse the mop out.  The fact that you keep dipping the mop into a bucket of dirty water doesn't seem like an effective way of cleaning any type of floor.  A mop would come in handy if there was a big spill of some sort that needed cleaning.

One of my favorite cleaning tools from Swiffer is the Dusters.  Here is a picture:

This is a great little tool that is so easy to use.  Once the dusting brush getting dirty you can shake the dust out a couple of times at first then replace the whole duster with a new brush.  They sell the refills separately.  However, you can always just but a whole new set each time it comes with at least 2 brushes with it. This dust brush is great for picture frames and for getting in between places.  It is a soft material and won't scratch delicate surfaces such as a television.  

Cleaning is not a fun activity for most of us.  Having great effective products to make the process an easier one really makes a difference. 


Great picture of a daisy.......................:)

What age should a child walk home from school alone?

What age should it be okay for a child to walk home alone?  Is there legally an age a child can walk home from school alone?  I am not sure if there is an actual legal age a child can walk home alone.  Here is what I found from familyeducation.com

How do you know if your child is ready to stay home alone or ride his bike to school? By asking him. Ideally, your child should know the following twelve points before he is ever alone in public. Sit down with your child and talk about each one of the twelve points listed below from Gavin de Becker's book, Protecting the Gift.
The Test of Twelve

1. Does your child know how to honor his feelings? If someone makes him uncomfortable, that's an important signal.
2. Are you as the parent strong enough to hear about any experience your child has had, no matter how unpleasant?
3. Does your child know it's okay to rebuff and defy adults?
4. Does your child know it's okay to be assertive?
5. Does your child know how to ask for assistance or help?
6. Does your child know how to choose who to ask? For example, he should look for a woman to help him.
7. Does your child know how to describe his peril?
8. Does your child know it's okay to strike, even to injure, someone if he believes he is in danger, and that you'll support any action he takes as a result of feeling uncomfortable or afraid?
9. Does your child know it's okay to make noise, to scream, to yell, to run?
10. Does your child know that if someone ever tries to force him to go somewhere, what he screams should include, ''This is not my father''? Onlookers seeing a child scream or even struggle are likely to assume the adult is a parent.
11. Does your child know that if someone says, ''Don't yell,'' the thing to do is yell? The corollary is if someone says, ''Don't tell,'' the thing to do is tell.
12. Does your child know to fully resist ever going anywhere out of public view with someone he doesn't know, and particularly to resist going anywhere with someone who tries to persuade him?

That was a list searched on Goggle.  I am uncertain that there are more awareness and skills a child needs to be able to walk home alone. Here is how I feel about children walking home without a parent or guardian.

1-Does the child know their address if they got lost?

2-Does the child know in what direction they are walking in.

3-How to cross the street by looking both ways.

4-Not to get distracted by talking to friends while crossing the street.

5-Go directly home after school  making no stops at any friends house.

6-Having a cell phone while walking in case of an emergency.

7-Knowing what is actually an emergency.

8-How to avoid contact with a stranger.  

 

In my opinion women can also be a person in question not to trust.  The schools normally teach our children if you get lost to look for a mother who is with her children. A mother with her children is differnent then looking for just a women to help if your child is lost.

In all honestly children walking in groups home from school,having a cell phone for an emergency & also being aware of their surroundings is the best way to approach walking home.

The Wolf of Wall Street.......

James and I decided to go see The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo Dicaprio.  Based on the true life story of Jordan Belfort.  It starts out with a Jordan, the new kid on the block getting swallowed up by Wall street in his first day as a broker on Black Monday.  He then started selling worthless penny stocks with a 50% broker commission to the normal blue collared worker. Jordan had a salesmanship about him that is ruthless.  His company doubled and tripled in size in less then five years. Jordan would have scripts that could turned the shy kid out of college into a ruthless killer on the phone. His life soon turned into day after day drug enduced, sex crazed adventure.  It was not long before the Security Exchange Commission was knocking down his door along with the FBI Federal Crimes division.

All in all it was a good movie, showing the average person a glimpse into the careless, ruthless acts of a Wall Street tycoon. Was the years of lavish luxury worth the 22 months in jail he served?  He is said to owe the federal government over 100 million dollars, but as the saying goes; You can squeeze lemonade out of a lime. So it sounds as if Jordan is still living a good life and drops off money to the federal government when he can.

Just a warning this is a movie not suited for children or in my opinion a young adult like 18.  There are many parts of the film that included nudity and overuse of drugs.  I think younger minds will get the impression this is a great way to live life.  Most of the movie shows parties and happy humerous times.  But it does not reflect on any hardship which I am sure was endured in reality.  Jordan Belfort went through two divorces and lost most of his possessions.

Featuring the new RED Pot......

Here it is the new red pot I was talking about.

It is a 12"non stick pot from the Food Network.  The color is exactly what I was looking for.  I never used or owned a pot from the Food Network before.  I also wanted to purchase a few more smaller size pans but I decided I should test this pot out first.  The 12" pan with the cover was on sale, I was excited to only pay $59.99.  I did go back and forth on whether to still stick with the Calphalon  pots I have used for so many years.  The Calphalon  pan the exact same size was just about double the price.  I was not interested in spending that money now for just one pot.  Also the color of this pot was so appealing to me, I had to buy it.  I was also happy to have James with me to help me make a final decision.  In all honesty, I was really going for the great quality Calphalon pan but after having James do a Goggle research about the Food Network products it turns out they are really great quality pots.

Here is another great picture of the pot.

What will be the first dish cooked in this pan?  I know it's only 8:27 AM and how can I possibly be thinking about cooking dinner already.  If you read my previous blogs you would know that I already have planned out what I will be cooking mostly each day.  However, should I change it up tonight since I want a great dish cooked for the first time with my new pot.  That's just silly.........The featured dish tonight will be Lemon Chicken, side salad & green beans. 

Have a great day, stay warm and safe!!!


Today's daisy:

Don't tell the kids I used old cheese for their Lasagna....

Don't tell the kids I used old cheese to make their Lasagna today. Well technically how old is old when it comes to Polly-O Ricotta Cheese?  The expiration date was yesterday. However, when I opened the lid and smelled the Ricotta Cheese it smelled perfectly fine to me.  So my question is, how many of us really following the expiration dates on the food we use?  If it was let's say chicken would you use chicken one day or two days after the expiration date.  With chicken it can be tricky, if you bought the chicken 2 days before the expiration date and then threw it in the freezer then took it out again to use would that chicken be fine to eat?  I have definitely taken sliced thin chicken cutlets and bought a whole bunch because there was a sale and threw it all in the freezer and have used it again.  It was definitely not bad to eat at all.  However, I do prefer nowadays to get my meat from my local butcher fresh without being frozen.  Is there a difference in the taste and quality of meat that has been frozen.  I would have to say from my own experiences the chicken bought fresh from the butcher has a better taste.  It also has been cut nicer and less fat.

Back to what you would use after the expiration date.  I honestly have to say I am one of those that will say if I have to question if this is still good I would rather THROW IT OUT!!! I know this is totally being wasteful I get it but I don't usually like taking any chances.  How about bread, would you use bread after the expiration date?.  Of course I would for sure if the bread was one day old.  However anything after that one day I start that questioning in my head and OUT it goes..... So back to the question about the Polly-O Ricotta Cheese, this cheese has met the "Michele" guidelines of what is to old to eat and not.  One day older then the expiration date is fine with me.  Isn't cheese suppose to get better with age....Okay I know now that kind of cheese, this cheese I am sure will just get worse and worse. 

Do we all find that we are sometimes very wasteful with food we purchased.  I am trying in this New Year to really go through my entire refrigerator and plan my meals around what I have currently in their.  I tend to sometimes over shop and find some of my food goes bad before I get to use it.  Most of use do not want to stop at a store every few days to pick up items, however if you stop at a grocery store or your local butcher to shop for your foods for the next few days I guarantee you will save money this way.  You won't over buy and waste more food.  You simply get exactly what you plan on cooking for the next three days and have all these items in your refrigerator.  I know most would say, I can't plan that far ahead 3 days ahead is a crazy idea.  But, if you want to now be so wasteful with your food simply planning 3 meals ahead of time is not that unreachable.

Back to my Lasagna, today I am using Barilla for my pasta noodles.  I am also happy to say, I had a box of Lasagna left over from Christmas with several pieces left and will be using that to make just a small tray of Lasagna for the kiddies.  An afternoon snack after school will make them all happy.  I will be happy that I do not waste or throw out "old" cheese and Lasagna noodles.

Mission accomplished!!!

Road Rage.....

When it's 4 degrees out and the roads are full of black slippery ice, wouldn't it be wise to take it slow when driving? Why do so many people have such road rage while driving.  If a person is going "to slow" in front of you why not just wait until you can easily pass the driver.  Most drivers will either beep the horn or drive on your tail until you move over.  Do you not find this to be rude and quite frankly annoying?  In all honesty when a driver does this to me, I either go slower or just completely ignore the person.

Drivers if you are always completely in a hurry why not leave earlier instead of attacking others on the road.  Of course, we all have those days when we get up late, forget to set the alarm or are just having a tough time getting moving.  However, if you are a person who does this each and every day, then maybe a different routine is needed.  Do drivers even see what their faces look like when they are in the mist of road rage.  It's so ugly, mean,disrespectful and quite frankly they look like idiots.

Today with a 2 hour school delay it seems with the more time we have this morning the harder it was for us to get moving.  I had one of those days when we were all rushing.  I even forgot to give the twins their lunch bags this morning.  I am already late for work and that's quite annoying that I now had to worry about driving back from the bus to grab their lunch bags to drive the bags to school.  In all honestly what can I do, that's a part of life and sometimes you will have days like this.  I still even being as late as I am and cold I took my time on the roads on the way to work.  Why did I take my time? Because my life as a driver and a mom is more important then rushing and getting into an accident.  I thought this post was fitting for today because I experienced a man behind me clearly pissed off I was driving off a off ramp at the speed limit.  He proceeded to drive his car way up my bumper and when I looked in the mirror he was shaking his head like he was having seizure or something.  I of course stayed calm.  Getting upset, angry or even trying to communicate with this driver would only put my life in danger.  Quite frankly he was not worth it nor is anyone acting this way.  So there I am my little self driving along to work on this ramp with a manic behind me, and all I did was simply drive as if nobody was behind me smiling all the way.  Of course, once we were off the ramp the manic quickly puts his blinker on and moves over.  I thought to myself, you see that was simple.  You wait and just move over when you can. 

Here is a picture of what the driver looked like behind me on that ramp:

Enjoy your day and stay safe from road rage drivers!  :)

Looking for new cooking pots & pans....

I decided it is time that I invest in some new pots & pans.  I literally think I have the same set for 15 years.  However the set I have is Calphalon and have held up really well.  I did replace or buy maybe a few small pans in the past which were not Calphalon and they seem to have not lasted all that great.

I am really interested in getting a set of red color pans.  I just love the color red and I think it really dresses up the stove top to see pans in this color.  I did purchase recently a red sauce pan from a Martha Stewart collection from Macy's. The pan is a non stick pan and of course I love the red color.  Here is a picture:

I only purchased two small sauce pans, they are so far holding up great.  The picture is kind of small but I think you all get the idea.  Macy's also has a big selection of Calphalon pans but finding a set of red pans I have not seen. I did find a few sets of Calphalon red pans on-line but not in any Macy's store.  So, the big questions here is, do I go with really great quality pans like a brand name Calphalon.  Or, do I go with trying to dress up my pan collection with my favorite color red?  Considering it's the New Year and I am ready to do different and new exciting decorating venture within my house, I am going to go with the red pans from the Martha Stewart collection.  The greatest part is they are not as expensive as the Calphalon pans.  I know the quality of the pans may not be the same but I figured if I get a few good years from the pans then it would be worth the money. 

How about a red tea pot for my stove top?  I don't usually use a tea pot at all, I prefer to just use my Keurig for tea.  However, I found this really cute red tea pot. 

This is also from Macy's from the Martha Stewart collection.  I think for now I will just stick with the red pans and see how I like them for the next several months.  I know I will get plenty of use out of the pans, as far as the tea pot probably not much at all.


The daisy for today is fitting since it's all about red:

Romance.....

Romance, let's talk about romance.  Everyone wants it but not everyone has romance in their life.  I am not an expert on romance but I know that I do enjoy being romanced.  Hopefully my mother is not reading my blog today.  My mother is a little old fashioned and since I am not married anymore the topic of romance she probably doesn't think I should be discussing.  You don't have to be married to have romance and feel good.

Romance in the beginning of a relationship is usually always wonderful.  Keeping the romance alive and exciting is what becomes challenging as we are in relationships for years. How would I describe romance for me.  I want to connect through communication. If we are communicating  we are connecting.  I find romance in the little things.  Of course, what women does not like to have flowers and diamonds but those gestures are not done on a regular basis.  It's the little natural gestures that make for romance.  Simple as, kind words, grabbing your hand when walking, a hug, a smile.  Here is one I know all of you will love, open the car door. It's a simple kind romantic gesture, simply shows that a man knows how to respect and appreciate a women.  I know some women feel they want be be treated like an equal to their partner.  Being equal and having a man romance you is completely different.  If a man suggests he would never open a car door for this reason, I would keep it moving.....just my opinion.   Being a single working mom of 3 you can't get anymore independent self sufficient then that.  However, opening a car door is a romantic gesture I appreciate from my partner.

One more gesture that I appreciate and couples lack is holding hands.  Whether you are out on a date or just sitting and watching TV.  Holding hands is a great romantic simple gesture that most forget is a great way of connecting and feeling connected to your partner.  Our lives get so busy we sometimes forget the simple things in life that make us all feel good.  Keeping romance and having kind gestures when in a long term relationship keeps your partner connected and appreciated.  

That's it for today.  I could get more detailed and elaborate more about romance but I don't want to shock everyone.  Keeping my first post about Romance very light.

Second day of the storm for the New Year!

Now we are in our second day of the storm of 2014.  The snow is slowly being cleared from all the roads and sidewalks.  Although the freezing temperatures have turned most of the roads into a sheet of ice. What are all of you doing on this day?  Have your Holiday decorations been taken down yet.  That's a great to spend a really cold morning, inside taking down holiday decorations.  I am thankful I took all my outside lights and decorations in before the storm.  For those who forgot I don't think you will be seeing those decorations for quite some time.  My inside decorations have been mostly put away, I like to get this done right after the Christmas holiday. Although, I still have my tree up of course all undecorated waiting for a certain "tall" someone in my life to take it down.  Again one of the disadvantages being challenged in height....:)

What is our next plan today now Saturday afternoon?  Well after my blog me and the children will consider seeing a movie later.  I have to honestly say I am not to keen on driving with all the ice on the roads.  But I figure my later this afternoon it will get better.  Let's think about lunch??

Lunch has been already thought out and made.  I was thinking something light, easy to cook and healthy.  Chicken wrap seems like a great lunch for this second day after the storm.  Let's start with what you need:

Whole Wheat Xtreme Wellness Soft Taco Wraps:

A package of Perdue sliced chicken strips or whatever chicken brand you like to use:
Light Balsamic, I like to use this brand below:

 We are also going to use crouton's to add to our wraps, I like Zesty Italian kind below, this really gives the wrap a nice crunch when you bite into it.

I also like to add some shredded lettuce to the chicken wrap for extra flavor.  I cook the chicken on my stove top in the Light Balsamic for about 20 minutes or until chicken is done.  The cooking time for the chicken will depend on the thickness of the chicken.  Once the chicken is cooked, simple add all your other ingredients and fold up the wrap.

Here is a couple of pictures of the finished wrap.  One of my pictures the wrap has a little hole in it, to avoid this be careful when putting all the ingredients in the wrap.  You can also use a toothpick to help keep the wrap closed.

Looks Yummy!!!!

Now that lunch is made maybe I will take a break from cooking dinner tonight and just order a pizza!!


For my next blog I have been asked to why not spice it up a bit.  Hmmmm, that sounds like fun. Hopefully that gets me more readers and keeps my blogs fresh and interesting.

Have a great day:

First snow storm of the New Year!

I know it's been a while since my last blog.  What have I been doing?  I think the holidays have really wiped me out and have not been on track since then.  Right after the Christmas holiday I caught a very bad cold which turned into bronchitis.  I am still not feeling 100% but each day I get just a little better.  I am trying to rest as much as possible.  But with 3 kids, a job, and about a foot of snow outside....resting is not an easy task.

Let's start with the snow, holy snow did it come down.......Do we really expect to ever get as much snow as predicted?  Well this time we got not only what was predicted but the cold and wind with it.  I am thankful that today I do not have to go to work.  I can stay in my warm house and relax.....Of course after I dig my driveway,stairs,car,walkway out of the snow.  There I go with my little shovel into the snow.  James told me make sure I go out through the garage it will be easier to walk.  I listened of course thinking I couldn't make it down the stairs because I literally  can't see the stairs.

How much snow could there be.......there I go one foot in, holy **** the snow is just about over my boots.  I say a few choice words and start to get to work.  I am clearly not happy about trying to make a path way to reach the car.  What should do first?  Okay here is my plan, attack the car first then the stairs.  Car somewhat accomplished I head for the stairs.   Stairs accomplished and I am freezing my *** off at this point ,while I look over at my neighbor who has a snow blower the size of a car heading in my direction.  I stop, look up as he is smiling and waving at me.  I think to myself, of course your smiling and waving your snow blower is blowing snow at a rate of a bulldozer.  It also has this cover in front of it so none of the snow is hitting his face.  Really, my face is just about covered in snow.  As I keep watching my neighbor I realize he is heading really close in my direction, actually at this point he is clearing my walkway.  Well that's a sign of relief for me at least my walkway will be clear.  Then he stops in front of the house and says if you move your car I will do the driveway.  Well let me tell you, I quickly ran in the house grabbed my car keys and starting trying to move my car out of the way.  Of course the snow won and I got stuck.  Thankfully my wonderful neighbor and I start digging the snow away from the wheels so we can get the car out.  Finally, car is moved and the driveway is getting cleared.  I survived the first snow storm of the New Year, but I could use a really really hot tea!!! I think my legs still have a chill in them from being outside.  What are some of the signs hyperthermia can be setting in?  This is what I found:

How Does Cold Exposure Cause Hypothermia?

During exposure to cold temperatures, most heat loss -- up to 90% -- escapes through your skin; the rest, you exhale from your lungs. Heat loss through the skin happens primarily through radiation and speeds up when skin is exposed to wind or moisture. If cold exposure is due to being immersed in cold water, the movement of waves and water can increase heat loss up to 50%. 

The hypothalamus, the brain's temperature-control center, works to raise body temperature by triggering processes that heat and cool the body. During cold temperature exposure, shivering is a protective response to produce heat through muscle activity. In another heat-preserving response -- called vasoconstriction -- blood vessels temporarily narrow. 

Normally, the activity of the heart and liver produce most of your body heat. But as core body temperature cools, these organs produce less heat, in essence causing a protective "shut down" to preserve heat and protect the brain. Low body temperature can slow brain activity, breathing, and heart rate.

Confusion and fatigue can set in, hampering a person's ability to understand what's happening and make intelligent choices to get to safety.

 Picture of the day: