Time for my Ten

       Time for the Ten Things I've learned this week.

1) No matter how much I yell, jump up and down saying "NO NO NO!" my dog will continue to try and eat bees.

2) I'm a Twit-ter er. I did it. I jumped into the tweety pool.   

3) There are Christmas decorations out at the craft store. I kid you not.  Proof right here...

 We're still in July...right?  Yipes! I learned it's getting earlier and earlier every year until one day, they just won't ever take it down. Christmas is my favorite holiday. But ,come on!! I should stick blow up Santa out in the yard since we're starting the season so early.

4) These are really really good if I don't feel like being the domestic goddess/ Betty Crocker I usually am (eh hem..not) and don't feel like making them. It's Trader Joes Extra Chip chocolate chip cookies.

I ate one or three or half the bowl. Whatever. 

soooo good!

5) Trying to pick out house paint colors with my husband can really bring out the beast in me. Am I really that snarky and impossible to deal with? "No, I do not want my house to look like a flag." "Well, don't paint the door red" he says. I say.."I want a red door." You know I want a red door, I've talked about it for weeks. You don't want a red door, that's it right there. *gasp* You don't like red doors!" *pause* "You don't love me?" Because somehow a red door and his love for me are related. Who. knew.

6) I've been playing around with resin and I think I like it! Not a big learning curve to it and it can make some neato stuff. I'll be posting some of that soon.

7) If you know better, you do better. If you do better you'll be better. 

Or, know butter be butter do butter be butter. 

Say that 5 times real fast! 

8) I need to let go of my son. It's time for him to start being totally responsible and face consequences, but geez! that's hard.  I've been teaching him action- reaction and cause and effect. Those two concepts can change your life if you can get grip on them. Simple stuff but how many people do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result? Albert Einstein's definition of insanity. Learn grasshopper..learn.

9) I love reality shows. Have you seen the new ones out? I've discovered these two and I'm lovin it!

Get out Alive with Bear Grylls

And this one. Seriously, can't stop watching.

Naked and Afraid

I've learned nothing from them but I sure as hell won't be caught naked on some island with a stranger, I won't eat worms and I would not get out alive. So, I guess I learned three things.

Super entertaining! Love Bear!

10) Sometimes, when your with family, you need to eat the cold weenie.

Are you a Good Listener?

Has there ever been a time you were talking with someone and they get this vacant stare and you know they're not listening?  How about speaking with someone and they talk over you or change the subject in the middle of the conversation. Maybe your talking about something that means a lot to you but the person your speaking with doesn't seem to be interested or they have something more important to say.

I can relate to both.
I've been in both of those situations. 

 Since I'm wanting better and more meaningful relationships in my life, one thing I've been thinking about lately is my listening skills. I've always believed I was a good listener but since I've been paying more attention to this skill I've realized...I'm not so good at it.    

Here's a few things I'll be putting into practice so I can become a better listener which will also make better relationships.
1)Stop talking. I need to stop talking. I need to shut the trap and listen. This will be a challenge for me as I always have something to say or to add to the conversation. Always. I think if I take the time to really listen to what's being said instead of  blabbering away, the person I'm in the conversation with will know what they have to say is important, instead of feeling they're competing with what I have to say. I shall bite thy tongue.

2) Just listen for the sake of listening. I want to really listen to what someone has to say instead of trying to add to the conversation. Just 'sit on my hands' so to speak and focus on what's being said. I want the person I'm conversing with to know I care about what they're saying more than what I can add to the conversation.

3) Repeat what I've heard. Say back what I've heard them say. It always feels good to know that you're being heard. I know I feel valued, cared about, significant and just plain worthy. I know sometimes when I don't feel heard, I  feel what I have to say has no value and is worth nothing. I want people to feel what they have to say is of great value and they're of great worth.

How about you? Do you feel you're a good listener? What things do you do in a conversation to make you a good listener?  Do you have areas you need to work on when it comes to listening? What are they? 

Here's to becoming a good listener!

Cheers!

Time for Ten things I've learned this week..

Ten Things I've learned this week....

1) As much as I complain about the heat, well, whine about the heat...I love the sunshine and being warm. I'm seriously considering moving someplace with more sun and heat. Seriously. Well, not really, but a girl can dream. I need to stop whining and just accept it. Embrace this new me! The one that always hated the heat. Yeah...whatever.

2) My learning curve when it comes to blogging is steep. STEEP! I tell ya.

3) I love to read. But, if the book doesn't have a good flow to the sentences, no matter how good it is, I'll drop it like a hot rock. It's too time consuming to keep going back, rereading, trying to figure out what the person is trying to get across. I find it mostly when the character in the book has poor grammar and the book is full of the character's thoughts and interactions. Although, I understand trying to give the character life, it's just too hard to get a flow. Before, I would struggle to finish it. Now? Too many good books out there and I don't feel guilty at all letting one go for the sake of the pleasure to read. This happened this week. Kinda disappointing.

4) This is my new favorite cake. Forever and ever..amen.  Strawberry JELL-O Poke Cake  Made this for the 4th of July and oh. my. word. Pure Pleasure. The whipped topping makes it...oh! and the sprinkles. Love me some sprinkles. Making it again tonight for my son's third Birthday party this week. Hey, he's 13!  Three's a good number.

5) Caffeine withdrawal S.U.C.K.S.  UGH!

6)Telling my son to go read a book, makes him NOT want to go read a book. Don't get it. Summers I loved to read! Maybe someday he will too. Hopefully. If x box falls off the face of the earth.

7) I'm learning to "Eat to live, not live to Eat" this week. It's hard for me because I'm an emotional eater and have dealt with eating disorders since I was around 13. Sometimes I hate food. It's not the food's fault though. Food is not the problem. Food is good! I love to cook and bake! It's not about the food. *sigh* This has always been a private thing that I've struggled with. I hope to be more open about it in the future as I've always believed that some secrets can destroy you. If you shed light on it, it's power is lost. The grip loosens. Someday.

8) Getting to know my camera is actually pretty fun! I still haven't figured out how to take a picture and make the edges blurry. App for that? I don't know, but I'll figure it out. I hope.

9) I got my hair cut short a couple of weeks ago and I LOVE IT! I love short hair and can't understand for the life of me why I try and grow it out. My hubs loves it too!

10) The big thing I'm learning this week is to love myself. Accept myself. Quirks and all.  I'm trying to stop (this is all my own doing) forming to whatever people want me to be so they'll like me. I constantly compromise myself. My son asked me the other day, "Why does your voice change when you talk to people? Your voice gets higher pitched and sweet like." Why DO I do that? It's like I'm trying to hide who I really am.  I'm quirky and odd, horribly insecure and I say really dumb things but I need that to be OK. For me.
I've also learned in loving or just liking myself that it takes more courage to be nice and kind to someone in the midst of hostility and rudeness than to be nasty back. Being nasty is easy. Eye for an eye and all. But, being kind in place of acting rude and hostile takes courage, bravery and forgiveness. That's who I want to be....kind, courageous, brave and forgiving.  So...I'm consciously putting those things out there. At least, I'm trying too. I am human after all and an eyeroll at the moron who drives like a freak, doesn't hurt anyone. I don't think.

Birthday Boy!

My son was 13 yesterday.
How did that happen and where did the time go.
I'm so proud of the young man he is becoming.
And I'm honored to be his Mom.
Love you, my baby.

Yummy Blueberry Breakfast Cake

I love Blueberries. They're so good for you! About 80 calories a cup and virtually no fat. They contain natural polyphenols which are an anti inflammatory and an antioxidant and they're full of vitamin C.  I love blueberries so much, that every time I go to either the grocery store or Costco (always at Costco) if they have a good price, I pick up some. The minute I get home I stick them in the freezer. They freeze wonderfully! 

When it's time to use them I take out what I need, put them in a strainer to rinse in hot water and they're plump and delicious as the day I bought them.

One of my most favorite fruits.

Yesterday, at Costco, while getting my blueberries I ran across a great cook book. I have a system at Costco.  Left side, right side, produce, frozens and.....books. Love looking at the books and

 picked up this book: Cooking Light Way to Bake:The complete Visual Guide to Healthy Baking 

It's a good cookbook so far. I tried one of the recipes this morning but I changed a bunch of things on it and thought I would post my version. I cut out half the butter, used yogurt and added an extra egg. Here ya go..

Yummy Blueberry Breakfast Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup plain yogurt

2 cups blueberries

Tablespoon of  flour

8 by 8 glass or metal pan

Heat your oven to 350 degrees for a metal pan, 325 for glass. Spray your pan with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Rinse and drain your berries.

Using a mixer,  mix together the sugar and butter until well blended. Add your vanilla. Mix in each egg until very well blended. Mix it up good! Then add your yogurt, mix together.

Take your dry ingredients and your cup of milk and mix gradually together with the wet ingredients in the mixer. Try not to over mix but make sure it's blended well.

Put your blueberries in a small bowl and add about a Tablespoon of flour to the blueberries. You want your blueberries lightly covered with flour, so use a little more or less if you have to. This will keep your blueberries from sinking to the bottom.

Pour half the batter into the pan, take half of the blueberries and spread them around then take the rest of the batter and pour that on top. 

Then cover that with the rest of blueberries.

Bake for approximately 45-48 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

It's really really good! Not too sweet and I was able to cut down on some of the fat. The yogurt makes it really moist. I don't feel guilty at all having this for breakfast.

Hope you try it and let me know how it works out! 

Eat your blueberries!!

Happy Independence Day!

I wish everyone in the States a Happy and Safe 4th of July.

How bout some random 4th of July tidbits that you probably never wanted to know but 

seeing how I like to get up all in your face like...here they are.

1) Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted our nations bird to be the Turkey but John Adams and Thomas Jefferson said.."Pft! Wha..what?..We want the Eagle instead." 

Yeah, I don't know if they actually said it that way but in my mind, they were cool

like that.

2) About 150 million hot dogs are eaten on this day.

uhhh. That's a lot. 

3) Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4th 1826.

4) Uncle Sam was a real person.

Seriously? 

5) The 4th of July is the biggest beer selling day. 

Drink up friends!! 

6) 111 million bucks are spent on Popsicle's and charcoal.

(ya know...you could make your own popsicle's and save a ton of cash.)

7) last but not least and since I'll get outa your face

Over 74 Million people will BBQ today.

Enjoy your 4th!! and be mindful of your pets.

Reusable produce bag

It's going to be a scorcher today and for those us not used to these temps...me... I melt. I wanted to get some crafting in since I'll be hanging out inside most of the day.
I had some stash laying around I wanted to use up and really needed some reusable produce sacks.  I really try my best to cut down on my plastic use and reuse and recycle when I can. This bag was easy to make and will suit its purpose.
I cut a 16 1/2" ×13 piece of tulle. The 13" on the fold. I used the tulle that's a bit more stiff with larger holes. Sewed up both sides twice with a smaller stitch so it'll be strong. But first, I sewed up one side then added the binding to the top and tucked the black nylon cord from an old sleeping bag through the binding then sewed up the other side to make a little bag. I now have a produce bag. Not a thing of beauty but will serve it's purpose and super cheap to make. Quick too. I most definitely will be making more of these for myself and family and friends.  Anyone wanting a more detailed tute I will surely write one up. Now...off to the couch with a popsicle and a movie.