Whine, Whine...

I’m not a fan of snow and the feeling of isolation that comes with it.  It’s totally irrational, too, we only got three inches as you can see from the picture looking out my front door and they scooped us out early this morning, but I just don’t like it!   I was never one of those kids that loved sledding or playing in the snow, I hate the red face and runny nose and windburn that comes with being outside in the cold.  I never had any desire to ski as an adult, either,  I just want to look at it for an hour or so and then for it to disappear.  

Today has been a total wipeout here in Heavensville.  I wasn’t productive, i watched a Netflix Movie, napped, tried not to tear the doors off the fridge, because when boredom strikes, I want to eat, preferably warm oatmeal or chocolate chip cookies, or homemade pizza or lemon pie.  But I didn’t, instead I paced. Poor hubby spent the day in the den, he’s a smart man.  Tomorrow we will start to thaw out, then Friday another blast.  It’s January, I’ve handled winter just fine until this darn snow arrived.

I saw this picture below posted on Facebook today.  Every year this woman posts the same picture and asks the question, “can you imagine being out in the middle of nowhere, alone, snowed in?”   It looks, idyllic, I’ll give it that, and could I do it?  Okay, here’s what it would take for me to enjoy this.

1.  No television, internet or cellphone, only electricity.
2.  A supply of books that are actually page turners, not the silly nonsense I normally read.
3.  Food, wonderful glorious food, with no dietary restrictions, everything homemade, and refrigerated or frozen to just heat and eat.
4.  Snuggly fleecy jammies, and no hot flashes.
5.  A huge fireplace and a supply of apple and cherry wood that smells divine, stacked on the porch to reach out and grab it.
6.  Maggie, always Maggie, she’s my little shadow.  My favorite dog of my lifetime.
7.  Hubby in a cabin across the way, close enough to visit, but I’m supposed to be alone here. 
8.  No music either, just the silence and the crackling fire.
9.  Most important, a four wheel drive vehicle with chains so I could escape!!!!!! 

Cause, get real, I couldn’t handle this for more than 24 hours, I would go stark raving mad!  What a silly idea this is anyway.  Fiddle De Dee, I’m Thinking Spring instead,  it’s only six weeks away!!!!

 

 

Stop Gaping Buttons!!!

There is nothing worse than a gaping blouse.  I’ve struggled with this since I was a teenager and remember Mother sewing snaps between my buttons to stop the gape.  It didn’t work very well, because then there was a small gape between the snaps.

Such is the plight of a busty woman, and the struggle continues.  I’ve tried a lot of quick fixes, including straight pins that always managed to stab me, but you can always tell that you’re trying to remedy the situation, it doesn’t look natural.  But thanks to the Internet, I might just be on to something.

The solution is Hollywood Tape.  Are you familiar with this product, it’s what celebrities use to tape their boobs to their low cut tops so they don’t fall out.

From what I’m reading this stuff works great, it’s double sided, you just cut off a piece, stick it between your shirt placket and buttons, smooth it down and it instantly stops the gape!

Worth a try isn’t it.  You can usually find Hollywood Tape at your local Steinmart in the accessories department.  Or you can order it on Amazon.  It’s worth a try… ~ jan

Ya, here's the click - go for it!  ~ Jan

Trump vs. Cruz

I’ve never been a politiclal animal, and have always loosely followed presidential campaigns, but never in my sixty-six years have I seen anything that even comes close to what’s happening now.  

And so, for the first time in my life, I have to admit, I’m totally engrossed in this election.  Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Donald Trump is the most fascinating, in your face candidate to come along in our lifetime.  He dominates the news day after day after day and goes after those who criticize him with a vengeance that we’ve never seen before.  He’s as rich as Croceous and can’t be bought, but what really fascinates me is his lack of filter.  

I have the most interesting conversations with my friends and family about his ideas and the things he says, and have to admit that sometimes my jaw just drops in disbelief at what comes out of his mouth.  But it’s refreshing to not hear the same old boring “politically correct” rhetoric that the establishment has crammed down our throats for years.  Now that Iowa is upon us, it certainly makes for an interesting, normally boring January.  It’s such a serious issue, we will be picking a person to lead our country.  People had such high hopes when Obama was elected that he would unite our country, instead we’ve seen a presidential train wreck and the worst racial tension that I’ve witnessed since I was a young girl.  And this comes from someone who always considered herself a Democrat.  Now I think both parties are a disgrace and I wish Trump could make America Great Again!  

If he and Hilary both go the distance, it’s going to be one helluva race to the finish folks.  And like the rest of the nation, I will be there, front row and center, watching it all unfold...

My Vitamix a year later...

An update to this pricey piece of equipment that Jan the Gadget Queen just had to have.  Was it just a flash in the pan or does it continue to be the most amazing piece of equipment ever.  Has it lived up to the hype, is the thrill gone???

Well, let me tell you, it’s not a flash in the pan, it is truly amazing and it was worth every single penny.  I use it all the time, not for smoothies, I prefer to eat my food rather than drink it, but I use it for all sorts of things, anything you would use a regular blender for, this one does it with gusto.  But my favorite thing to use it for is soup.  I make soup in it several times a week, and it’s so fast and easy, I precook raw ingredients, and then put all the ingredients in the Vitamix, set it to the soup setting, walk away, and a few minutes later it shuts itself off and I have hot, steaming soup with no effort.  That’s the key, no effort, so I tend to make more soup than I normally would.

Since we eat low carb, I make a lot of soup with vegetables and if I want it a bit chunky, I leave out a portion (I always precook my raw veggies) and pulse them in at the end.  When I first started making soup I had issues with it being foamy, but I quickly learned from the Vitamix Community to just adjust it to setting #1 and run it for a few seconds to finish it off and the foam dissipates.

I got mine at Williams Sonoma, they are less expensive now than they were a year ago, this model is now $599  instead of $750, but when I bought mine I got 20% off, so that helped.  It’s a huge decision buying a Vitamix, there are a lot of models to choose from, but since I only planned on doing this once I got the top of the line with all the presets and I’m glad I did.  It’s such a workhorse, rivaling my beloved Cuisinart DLC7 Food Processor that’s still going strong since 1978, my All-Clad Slow Cooker (a Christmas surprise a few years ago from my son, Ryan, another kindred foodie soul) and my WolfGang Puck Pressure Cooker.  I use all of these appliances multiple times weekly, they are my favorites and all are simply awesome.

I was a young bride when I bought my Cuisinart Food Processor, it was the first expensive piece of kitchen equipment I ever purchased.  It cost $175, that was a lot in 1978, but I obsessed over that food processor, and dear hubby coughed up the money and bought it for me.  I fell in love with it instantly, and still love it to this day.  I woudn’t dream of replacing it with a new model, he’s asked repeatedly if I would like a newer one, but this is the best model Cuisinart ever made and it works great, why would I want to update it?  That’s where my love of cooking and gadgets started, with that food processor and then when Silver Palate Cookbooks came out and Abby Mandel’s Cuisinart Cookbooks, that’s all it took for me to be a die hard foodie.  I’ve been obsessed with cooking and cooking gadgets ever since, and even though my way of cooking has changed dramatically since we no longer eat flour, sugar or processed foods, I still enjoy it tremendously and am always amazed at what I cook that is good for us.

So this morning hubby and I were out running errands, it’s rainy and chilly in Heavensville, perfect soup weather.  I came in the house, grabbed two cans of italian style diced tomatoes from the pantry, a block of cream cheese from the fridge, dumped them in the Vitamix, added a heaping teaspoon of sweet basil leaves, a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of onion powder, and turned it on.  It took me less than sixty seconds to make soup.  Then I made grilled cheese sandwiches (using Netrition Low Carb Bread Company Bread) and I used my friend Nish’s trick, combining slices of both Swiss and American cheese, and by the time the sandwiches had grilled the soup was ready.  See what I mean, so, so easy.  And I had to give credit to my buddy V, who is a tomato soup afficiado, this woman knows her soup.  I sent her home with a quart of my tomato soup this fall, asked her how she liked it, at that time I wasn’t adding the extra basil, onion and garlic powders, and she told me that it would be a solid “10” if I just tweaked it with these ingredients.  So I did, she was right and it’s just  delicious.

If you don’t have a Vitamix, you can presoften your cream cheese in the microwave, and then simmer it with the other ingredients on the stove.  Just be sure and get the cream cheese soft ahead of time so it doesn’t clump.  You can leave it chunky, or blend it with an immersion blender, or put it in your blender to puree - It’s wonderful soup, even if you’re not a tomato soup fan, you may just change your mind.

And that’s my Vitamix Update, actually I’ve had this for a year and a half now and I’m still as excited about it as the day I got it.

Do you think you might want one?  Buy the best, you’re worth it, and it will last forever.  Mine is Candy Apple Red, because I ‘m just that kinda girl :-)

 Here’s the link so you can see it for yourself...

~ Jan ~

Layering Fragrance

Yes, I know we all layer fragrance, but I have a new trick!  We cough up the big bucks for the parfum, then we spend even more for the lotion.  We’re women, we like to smell good, it’s what we do.

So, this holiday season I decided I needed something new, I’m tired of the samo, I was overdue for a change and I didn’t want to break the bank, so I tried on a lot of different scents, trying to find one that I really liked.  I misted myself until I would give myself a killer headache and couldn’t tell the smells apart, then I would give up and try it again another day!

But I tended to respray Jennifer Aniston’s fragrance, it was light, not overpowering, I really liked it.  I was at Kohl’s, I had a 30% off coupon, the price wasn’t hideous, it was $49, and I couldn’t decide if I liked her original fragrance or her newer J by Jennifer.  A nice little twelve year old clerk was helping me, she preferred Michael Kors, which did not smell good on me at all, she was twelve after all, she didn’t have a lot of life experience with perfume.  She was a cutey, but that Michael Kors she gushed about was really bad.  Anyway, she’s telling me that for $38 I could buy a gift set of full size bottles of both of the fragrances by Jennifer Aniston.  It was a deal, $38, instead of $100, minus 30% and I had Kohl’s cash, too.  I looked for the lotion to do the layering thing, but apparently they don’t make the lotion.

So I came home, went online, reviews were good for both scents except for the fact that the smell dissipated quickly, and since there wasn’t a lotion I was starting to rethink my good deal.  Then I stumbled upon a reviewer who said to just buy Vaseline Intensive Care Unscented Body Lotion, smear it on yourself, spray the perfume on top of the lotion and rub it in, and wahlaa, you have scented lotion and instant layering.

So I went further and sure enough, I read over and over again that this was a great trick, so I bought the Intensive Care Unscented Lotion for like $3.99, came home tore into the package, lubed up and put on the perfume.  And guess what, it works, it really works!

So there you go, I’m sharing the good stuff again, you can do this with any fragrance, it’s a really good thing ~ Jan

WAZE Navigation is AWESOME!!!!

I wish I would have thought to share Waze with all of you before your holiday travels.   It’s the best navigation ever,  it not only navigates and shows your route via voice GPS, it also shows how many miles you have to your destination and estimated arrival time.  It also tells you of traffic jams or road construction and automatically reroutes you if there are problems ahead, and it was recently purchased by Google, so you know it’s good.  And of course it’s hands free.

Waze is a community of people who share information.  It will tell you when there is an accident, whether it is minor or major, when a car is parked beside the road, and yes, it informs you that there are police ahead so you can adjust your speed.

You can input your destination, share it with friends and family and they can map you as you travel and see your ETA for your final destination.  You can also message them along the way and It even tells you what speed you’re traveling at.

Below are a couple of videos to get you started.  Download the App from your iPhone or Android device, give yourself a user name I’m CousinMinnie (I was in Nashville when I signed up, I did it on a whim (Minnie Pearl) - jeez, it was a good idea at the time, but you know how impulsive I am.

Just download it and play with it, you’ll figure it out in no time and here are a couple of tutorials to get you started.

Talk about a good thing - this is absolutely fantastic.

Enjoy ~ Jan

 

 

 

Kardashian Hair Brush and Comb

 

First of all, I’’m not a fan of anything Kardashian, and I really don’t like endorsing anything they offer, I just don’t understand the fascination with a family that does absolutely nothing to acquire their wealth.

However, I ordered some pants a couple of weeks ago from Macy’s, and they were on sale, plus another whatever percentage off, they came to like $19 and change and I needed $25 for free ship or shipping was going to be $9.85.

Well that was stupid to just give them that money, so I started looking for what they had that would get me to the free shipping point.  And that’s where the Kardashian’s come in, I was looking at things $15 and under and they had this Kardashian nylon, boar bristle paddle hairbrush for $12.99, it had excellent reviews, so I ordered it.

They also has a Kardashian back comb for $6.99, so I got that too.

Boy,  was I pleasantly surprised when they arrived in the mail!  The brush was really substantial, a nice heavier weight, a good size and the bristles were great! The comb was good, too, not lightweight at all, a double row of teeth, it works really well.  I hate to say it, but I don’t know when I’ve bought nicer products for this inexpensive of a price.

So, even though I still detest anything Kardashian, I highly recommend both of these products if you need stocking stuffers or want a cheap treat for yourself.

They’re both a good thing ~ Jan

Brush Link

Comb Link

A stocking stuffer idea...

 

It’s winter, your skin is dry, and it’s always your back that you can’t reach with lotion.  You know the area, right between your shoulder blades, and of course where you can’t reach is where it itches the most.

I found this nifty lotion applicator on Amazon, and it was $6.01 Prime, shipped to my door.  i ordered it, and it’s wonderful!  You just put lotion on it, slather it on your back and go ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  And yes, I know the tp is in the trash can, it’s where I store my extra rolls :-)

Cleanup is easy, you just give it a quick wash in the sink and hang it to dry.

I just bet some of you either need this or know that somebody that does.  It’s those little things that do it every . single . time . . .

Here’s the link - $6.01 - simply amazing….

Get rid of wrinkles with NO effort!

Okay, you’re getting dressed and your favorite shirt, the one you just have to wear is wrinkled.  If you have a husband like mine, he’s pacing the floor or in the car with the motor running (after 44 years he knows better than to honk :)

You have no time to iron it, and it’s the one thing in your closet that doesn’t make you look like e’l porko the pig, (okay so that’s not politically correct, but that’s the way I roll) but no worries, just throw it in the dryer with a couple of ice cubes and in 5 minutes the heat from the dryer and the melting ice will steam the wrinkles away.  

Just a quick tip that will make you less frazzled.  And it works, it really works.  ~ Jan

A Tiny Favorite Things List

 

The Echo is hands down the most awesome gadget I’ve had in years.  I LOVE Echo, and gushingly  tell everyone how wonderful it is.  It’s not cheap, $179, but so worth it.  It’s out of stock at Amazon until December 15th, so if you’re interested, I would order pronto.  

And my second favorite thing is my Beauty Blender.  Oh, this is the best little sponge ever for applying makeup.  Buy it here at Nordstrom’s and it’s free shipping.

That’s it, two things I’ve told you about before, but both right up there with my favorite things.  

~ Jan

It's almost turkey day!

Wherever you are this Thanksgiving holiday, stay safe, live in the moment, eat well, enjoy the company of family and friends and most of all,  be thankful for all the good things in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving… ~ Jan

Sunbeam Faux Leopard Heating Pad

This thing is just simply amazing.  Trust me, it’s wonderful.  

I was at my friend, Angi’s house and she has one, she draped it over my shoulders and I was hooked.  Oh, how do I explain how great this is.  Well first of all, it’s pretty, it’s doesn’t scream old lady heating pad.  It has 4 heat settings, turns off after 2 hours, you can put it over your shoulders, you can lay it vertically on your back, you can wrap it around your legs, lay it on your lap, need I say more?  Are you sold, too?

It’s so snuggly warm when you’re sitting in a chair watching tv or reading.  It soothes those tense muscles, it’s just the best thing I’ve had in a long time.  The price - $37.95 Amazon Prime and worth every . single . penny !

Christmas is coming, I’m sure somebody you love would enjoy this heating pad.  Give it to your mother, your grandmother, an aunt, a friend,  trust me whoever you give this to will love it!  You can thank me later.

Click here for the link

Angi’s is grey fox, but the only one they’re showing on Amazon is from a third party seller, it’s not Prime and it’s $81.68  No, no, no, that’s too spendy, but I’ll give you the link, surely you can find it cheaper.

Click for the link here

And finally, it’s also available in micro plush brown.  Kinda boring, compared to the others, but hey, whatever floats your boat.  It’s a bit cheaper.

Here’s the link for it

Treat yourself, spend a little of your stashed mad money and go for it.  You won’t be disappointed, pinky swear you won’t.  ~ Jan

Michael Kors Puffer Vest

 

I bought this vest yesterday at TJ Maxx.  I really like it, even though it does make me look like Poppin Fresh.  Just what I need, more bulk!  

Now I’m having issues, it’s that darned cat, Boo-Boo Kitty!  She’s obsessed with it, I’m talking seriously obsessed.  We came home, hubby put it on my bed, still in the sack, and  kitty, who is the nosiest cat I’ve ever had, apparently got in the sack, pulled the vest out and came dragging it by the fur into the living room.  She was making wild big cat jungle noises, apparently thought she had scored a major kill and I was horrified.

I just bought it, I didn’t want her chewing it up.  I took it away from her, put it back in the sack, and hung it on my linen closet door in the bathroom.  Why didn’t I just hang it up, oh who knows why I do the things I do, I have no logical thought process.  Anyway,  I’m sound asleep this morning, and you guessed it, more jungle noises with her lunging at the sack!  I threw a pillow at her and she just gave me the stink eye and kept on lunging.

Am I going to have to keep the darned thing under lock and key?   Return it?  Nah, LC just needs to handle this, it’s his feline after all!

Cats, sheesh!!!

Mio, it's a REALLY good thing...

I’m not a water drinker and I’ve tried everything to make it more palatable.  I’ve added every fruit and veggie I can think of, nothing really helps but I chug it down because my body needs it, not because I enjoy it.

Until now, adding Crystal Lite was my option of choice, and those powdery chemical packets make me cough.  But there is a better way and I’m a little late to the ballgame with this one.  I only discovered Mio because my friend, Trish, brought me some over to try.  

Okay, so this isn’t perfect, because it also has the dreaded chemicals, but let’s face it, what do we actually put in our mouths that’s really pure. Mio has no sugar, no calories, it’s portable, you can carry it in your purse, all you need is a bottle of water and you’re in business.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for my favorite flavor, the Orange Tangerine:

Allergens
None

Ingredients
Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gum Arabic, Sucralose (Sweetener), Contains Less than 2% of Niacinamide, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Natural Flavor, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Yellow 6, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (Preservatives).

And now for the good stuff, the flavors:  There are lots to choose from and you can squirt more than one flavor in your water.  My favorites so far are the Orange Tangerine (tastes just like Tang, remember Tang?) and the Cherry Blackberry.  I’m looking forward to trying the Cranberry Raspberry and the Berry Pomegranate when I go to the store.  I tried the Mango Peach and wasn’t a fan, but the Orchard Apple also sounds good and hubby is a Fruit Punch guy, so that’s on try list, too.

Okay, so if you’ve been under a rock and aren’t familiar with Mio either, it’s at your grocery store, with the drink mixes.  It comes in these little containers, you just flip the lid and squirt it in your water, as much as you want to get the desired flavor.

They have different types, original, energy, fit, the ones I’ve tried are the original.  You can read more about them here

Here’s a flavor list, pick some up the next time you’re at the market and see if you’re a fan as well.  It’s good stuff!

• Orange Tangerine
• Berry Pomegranate
• Fruit Punch
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Lemonade
• Blueberry Lemonade
• Mango Peach
• Sweet Tea
• Cranberry Raspberry
• Cherry Blackberry
• Berry Grape
• Orange Vanilla
• Orchard Apple

Honey Helps You Get A Good Night's Sleep

I was skeptical, but it's now two nights later and both hubby and I have slept really well by eating honey before bedtime.

I read about this on Facebook, and it said to take two tablespoons of raw, unprocessed honey and mix it with a teaspoon of salt and then eat a dab of it before bedtime.

My honey was local, so I’m “assuming” it was unprocessed, but now that I’ve read more about it, unprocessed is always the preferred method, but you can try supermarket honey.  They warn you that supermarket honey is not always 100% honey and it’s been pasteurized, therefore killing off the good stuff.

I don’t know why the salt is necessary, and haven’t been able to find out why I need to add it, so I’m going to try discontinuing that, it doesn’t taste bad with the salt, but I would rather just eat the honey by itself.  From what I’m reading suggestions are to eat between a teaspoon to a tablespoon, so if any of you try this, just play with it and see what works for you. So far so good for both of us, I only woke up once last night, normally I’m awake 5-6 times a night.  Here’s an article that explains how honey effects the liver enabling us to sleep better.

Does this really help us sleep or is it a fluke?  There's a lot of positive information about this online and only time will tell whether we continue to get a good night’s sleep after eating honey at bedtime.  Worst case scenario, we’ve ingested something yummy. :)

It’s worth a try, and worth passing along the information… ~ Jan

The Grands are growing up...

Ben is three now, he loves anything Thomas the Train.  He’s taking Karate lessons, mimics everything his big sister does and is just a bundle of giggles.

 

 

Lexi is eighteen months old, talks non-stop, runs instead of walks, and is a little ray of sunshine.  Lexi is the happiest little girl you will ever see, and like the other two, just adores her Pa-Pa.

 

 

Abby is six now and is our little equestrian.  She’s taken horseback riding lessons for a year and a half, and does a great job controlling her mounts.  She’s a reader, and wants to know everything about all things science oriented.

 

 

All-Clad Dutch Oven at a Great Price!

Sur La Table has this on sale for $79.96, suggested price is $220.

Christmas is coming, this would be great for a foodie gift.  I have several dutch ovens, including a Le Creuset Orange one that Ry gave me, I use it constantly and love it, this would be in my shopping cart, but I just don’t need it.

But maybe some of you do.  Free Shipping with code, too.

Here’s the link, check it out...

So this is the patio...

 I’m running a little late posting patio pictures.  A little late????  This picture of our patio was taken in April.  The plants all grew to jungle height, it was shocking how big they grew, they were gigantic!  LC and John dismantled the gazebo last weekend, and I brought some of them inside, others I gave away, I just couldn’t stand the thought of letting them die.

 

 So now the jungle is in my sunroom.  Will they live through the winter or will they die?  LC does the watering, so they do have a chance, time will tell...

Joanna Gaines is One Special Lady...

Amazon Echo is AMAZING!!!!

 

I’m absolutely ESTATIC about Amazon Echo. It’s so much fun, performs flawlessly, sounds great and it’s easy to use.

Here’s what it looks like up close and personal. 

Amazon Echo came to reside in my sunroom via my youngest son Ryan in a roundabout way.  Ry turned forty in September and I wanted to buy him something special for his milestone birthday.  Being the techkie mom I am, I thought this would be the perfect gift.

I was at a girl's lunch a few weeks ago with V and Patti in New Harmony.  I was talking about Echo and Patti told me her mom had one and loved it.  So we all visited her mother, and what a delightful lady she was, anyway, Patti showed us the basics, and I decided that’s what I would get for Ryan.

Fast forward to his birthday, I was so excited about his present, he unwrapped it and was immediately skeptical, first because his internet connection isn’t the fastest, he lives in the country and doesn’t have a lot of provider options, second, he travels every week and didn’t think he would use it that much and third, he didn’t know how the kids would act with it.  We stayed with the grands while he and Lindsay went to Chicago for his birthday weekend, and the kids, while enthralled with “Alexa” (the voice you use for Echo) were constantly changing the streaming music.  Ben, at three wanted to constantly listen to Thomas the Train, and Abby at almost six was interested in other venues, and they kept interrupting each other and changing Echo to reflect what they wanted to hear.

So, maybe for his family it will work when the kids are older, but right not it doesn’t, so they brought it back to me, and did I send it back to Amazon?  Are you kidding me????  Echo is the best thing sinced sliced bread.  I love it! 

Below is a brief synopsis of how it works, and since Amazon allows third party apps, it will be constantly upgrading.  Here’s how Im using it.

News, all you say is “Alexa, what’s the latest news?”  She then gives you flash briefings from NPR.  You can set alarms and timers, too, she alerts you, just by talking to her.

Echo has access to everything in Wikipedia.  For instance if you want to know about hydrangeas just say “Alexa Wikipedia Hydrangeas” and she gives you a synopsis of the flower.   If Alexa doesn’t give you enough information, you can then refer to your smartphone for a complete rundown of the entire Wikipedia link.

You can listen to the local police/fire scanners if you’re interested in that kind of thing, not my cuppa but it we ever hear sirens, whether it be police or fire, we can find out from Echo what’s going on.  You can access audio books on it and listen to them, it’s amazing what Echo is capable of.

Echo also has Smart Home features, which enables you to control your lights, thermostat, coffee pot, even your electric blanket.  This entails buying WeMo or Hue devices, which I know nothing about, yet…  

It’s super for weather, current and forecasts from local to International and you can use it for to-do lists which sync to your smartphone.  It’s perfect for when you’re out and about and need to pick up items from the grocery or drugstore.  I know, I know, you’re all saying you already make lists on your smartphone, or you just write it down, but here’s what’s really good about Echo. 

The best part of Echo, It’s . hands . free !  You . just . talk . to it !  Period!  You don’t have to find your phone, push a button and type or text, you don’t have to look for a pencil and paper, you don’t have to put anything into your computer, you just say “Alexa, do so and so and she does it.”  Voice recognition is great, too, she understands what I’m saying 99% of the time.

Hubby says I love Alexa because I can boss her around, she doesn’t talk back and she always listens and he’s probably right.   I’ll give him that, but far and away the best part of Echo is music.

There are so many choices, Amazon Prime, Pandora, IHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Audible.  You simply tell her to play a Pandora station for instance and she starts streaming.  I’m a jazz girl, so I say “Alexa play Pandora Smooth Jazz” and she does!  If you need to pause the music, just say “Alexa Pause” and then say “Alexa Play” to have Echo start playing again.  If volume is too soft or too loud, just say “Alexa turn volume up or down” and she does that too.  I also have a remote control to use from other rooms, but she has a 30 ft. range and seven microphones, so she can hear you from another room without the remote if you aren’t too far away.

She plays all the local radio stations through TuneIn, public radio, talk radio, there are countless stations you have access too.  Well, except for Sirius Radio, it doesn’t sync to that yet, but maybe someday.  Holiday’s are coming soon, I bet Amazon sells a ton of these for Christmas.  

Here’s a video, watch it and see if it intrigues you as much as it does me.

 Echo, definitely a good thing… ~ Jan

Ali MacGraw, stunning at 76

 

Isn’t she beautiful?  She embraces her age and it’s wonderful.  Her years show, she’s hasn’t caved to the Hollywood obsession to try and recapture youth, and in the process, just look ridiculous.

At 76 you shouldn’t have taut skin and plump lips.  This is the way 76 is supposed to look.  Hats off to you, beautiful Ali, what an inspiration you are to aging women everywhere...

The Perfect Bathroom...

I really need to stay off Pinterest.  

I love this bathroom, it’s so pretty, a little fussy, but oh so special…  That’s all, just wanted to share in case somebody has the space for a redo and is as enamoured with this tub area as I am...

Peace and Tranquility

This is everything I love in life.  Meandering down a country lane, seeing where it leads to.  Just looking at this picture gives me serenity.

Doesn’t this just flip your skirt?  Sure does mine...

Kim Davis, who do you think you are?

This . woman .  just . makes.  me . see . RED...

For me it has nothing to do with gay rights, it’s about upholding the law!  Why does she think she has the right to refuse to issue marriage licenses?  What makes her so morally superior that she doesn’t have to obey the laws of this country?

She’s absolutely entitled to her beliefs, but when they interfere with performing her job, she should just remove herself from her position.

Since she’s an elected official she can’t be fired, but she can be impeached!  To do so would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, so that’s not plausible, but this is just so wrong on so many levels.  Again, I repeat, who does she think she is to not obey the laws of the land!  Shame on you, lady, you should not be at work today, you should be in jail!

An interesting side note to this is that she, herself, has been married four times.  Yes, four  times. I realize the underlying issue here is not how many times Ms. Davis has been married, or even if she’s married at all. The problem is her apparent decision to pick and choose on what biblical grounds should control who is able to obtain a license authorized by law.

Doesn’t that make her religious conviction wear a little thin?  Just sayin...

Carly Florina's Makeover...

 

This is a different take on last night’s debate.  We all know that Carly Fiorina is an extremely intelligent woman, and now we all know that she has an extremely good beauty team.

Women notice things like this.  Her forehead didn’t move, her skin was freshly polished, her makeup and hair were flawless, and when I Googled her, “surprise” this is the way she used to look.

Quite a difference, isn’t it?   Wonder what a makeover could do for “The Donald?"

Just sayin’...

 

Pioneer Woman's Dishes Now in Walmart Stores

The quality is excellent for the money.  All of her line is so inexpensive, I was really skeptical, but I ordered online as soon as they were available a few weeks ago.  They arrived and I’m really liking everything I got.  I bought Charlie The Ranch Dog Cookie Jars, they’re just darling for under $13, I also bought dishes and flatware.

So yesterday, I was reading Ree’s blog and she said that they were available in Walmart stores, and yesterday was the first day.  Some of the pieces I want aren’t available online, so I called my closest Walmart ASAP to find out if they had them yet.

Okay, you won’t believe this one.  Whoever I talked to in housewares must be living under a rock.  I said to her, “Do you have Pioneer Woman’s Dishes on the shelves yet?”  And do you know what she replied to me.  Are you ready for this???

She said, and I quote.  “I’m sorry, but Pioneer Woman didn’t come to work today.”  HUH, WHAT!!!!!!!!  I asked her if she knew who Pioneer Woman was and she said, “no, but she isn’t here.”   What? What?  She didn’t know who Pioneer Woman was, but she knew that she didn’t come to work yesterday.

Unbelievable, just totally unbelievable!!!!!  That is all.  ~ Jan

Vicks VapoRub for Healthy Nails

Apparently in our old(er) age we now have to worry about our nails curving, too!  Not exactly sure what it is, but it doesn’t sound good, ladies.

Well, crap, there is just nothing good about this aging process.  Mine haven’t started to curve yet, thank goodness, but my friend, Carlene told me about it.  She also talked about extra growth, I don’t know what that is either, but I sure as h*ll don’t want it!  Here’s what she said in her email:

"My manicurist told me to use Vicks Salve around the beds and under my nails to stop the curving and extra growth that sometimes happens...said she learned that in the nursing homes where she does clients nails...worked for me, too." 

So, I guess I’ll be doing a little preventive maintenance and maybe I can stave off the dreaded curve.  I have noticed as I age my nail bed has developed vertical ridges.  I remember Daddy’s nails looking like that, so apparently it’s a genetic trait.

Well, this was just a fun post, wasn’t it.  Especially love the reference to the nursing homes.  *sigh* 

But quick, grab the VapoRub, put it by your bed and massage your hands with it.  Boy Howdy won’t you smell good! 

Seriously, thanks for the tip, Carlene, she also gave me another goodie, I’ll post that later.  ~ Jan

The Best Ideas to Organize Your Life

I struggle with being organized every . single . day.  I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s all in the gene pool.  Either you have the gene, or you don’t, and sadly, I’m lacking it.  I am, however, for the most part a laid back person, and I think that people that are detail driven are much more frantic, at least that’s what I tell myself.  

So, the other day this article from County Living came across my Facebook feed.  I’ve read so many ways to organize my life through the years, but for some reason, this just clicked.

It’s from a professional organizer, and it just makes sense.  I think I’m going to print this out and post it on my bulletin board, the ideas are so simple and so relevant.

The biggie for me, hands down #3, don’t let those clothes touch the floor!  Awesome advice...

So, here’s what organized people do, if any of you struggle with this, you might gain some insight from this as well… ~ Jan

1. They make their beds."Arguably the most important activity of the day, there's really no excusing this one. Bed making promotes productivity throughout the day and will pave the way for an organized lifestyle. Plus, it's a pleasure to get into a made bed at the end of a long day."

2. They write out a to-do list."Take a few minutes in the morning to jot down your goals for the day. Having a concrete list will keep you on track throughout the day and give you a sense of accomplishment when tasks are completed

3. They tend to clothing as soon as they take it off."Hang, launder, or fold every garment and DO NOT let anything hit the floor. Neglected clothing can slowly build up and lead to an overwhelming mound."

4. They wash the dishes."A sink full of dishes will make your entire kitchen feel and look messy. Get in the habit of washing dishes at the end of the day or at least soaking them so you can quickly wash them the next day."

5. They wipe down surfaces."Your kitchen and sink counters inevitably get dirty every day. So take a minute or two to wipe them down before you head to bed."

6. They sort through the mail."Tend to your mailbox daily to avoid a build up of bill payments and to-dos. Immediately toss junk mail into recycling and store the rest in an active inbox so you'll know where to find it."

7. They always put their keys in the same spot."Whether it's a hook by the front door or a catch-all near the entrance, make sure your keys have a clear destination. You don't want to spend time searching for them when it's time to leave."

8. They empty their pockets and bag at the end of the day."Take a couple of minutes to throw away any receipts or trash that you've acquired throughout the day. Place loose change into your wallet or coin jar and make sure any loose papers are filed or thrown away."

9. They plan for tomorrow."Before heading to bed, mentally walk through the next day and do your best to prepare for it. Set aside necessary items and pack up your bag so you can grab it on the fly if need be."

"If you have a day or even a week when things get disorganized, that's okay,"  "Just get back on the bandwagon as soon as you can. Even the smallest habit change (bed making, dish washing, etc.) can help."

Source:  Country Living Magazine

Boo-Boo Kitty

I’m not the cat person in our family, hubby is.  He talked endlessly for years about wanting a cat and we haunted the animal shelters without finding the perfect kitty.  I wanted a female, too many issues with males spraying, and hopefully, a sweet, docile little lap cat.

So we finally gave up the idea of animal shelters and went for a purebred.  We decided on a ragdoll, looked at a few locally, but they didn’t do it for us, and finally traveled to a vineyard about 90 minutes from us and found “the cat,”  a pretty little Ragdoll, a small cat since she had been the runt of the litter, and hubby deemed she was perfect.

We came home, named her Rags, but we just couldn’t leave it at that.  Years ago I had an orange persian named Boo-Boo Kitty, and since we have a history of renaming our animals, Rags was quickly discarded and she became Boo-Boo Kitty.

LC is enchanted with her.  I’m on board, too, but it took awhile with me.  The sweet, docile little lap cat has been more of a little hellion.  She refuses to sit on my lap, she jumps off of furniture and blindsides Maggie, jumping on her back wanting to play.  And even though she is a small cat, she’s still bigger than Maggie, who weighs in at a whopping five pounds.  And Maggie is old(er) now, she’s nine, and she has no interest in playing with a young cat.  But she tolerates her for the most part, and when I hear Maggie bark or squeal, I know it’s time to intervene.

She lays on my computer desk and stares at me when I work, she comes when I call her if she’s in the mood, but mostly she ignores me, and heaven forbid when she escapes to the wild outdoors, she hasn’t got a lick of sense, she heads for the hills.  We had her neutered and declawed right away, so she just can’t go outside, and she is getting better about not running out full speed ahead, but given the opportunity, she’s gone.  She’s something of an airhead, she chases butterflies and blowing leaves, and then poof, she’s gone, off to the horse pasture or the woods with LC following her, stomping his feet and muttering about “that damn cat.”  But the good news is she is a fly catcher.  Since we live in the country we normally have so many flies that manages to get inside in the summer, but kitty stalks them, pounces on them and kills them.  I haven’t had to use the fly swatter at all.

She’s not a scaredy cat, she’s very social, loves it when people visit, sits by them, allows them to pet her and even purrs, something she isn’t fond of doing unless it’s the middle of the night, when she jumps on my head and purrs in my ear.

She just loves little kids, too  She’s so patient with Lexi, she sits besides her, Lexi yells “CAT” “CAT” at her, and she just sits there, and when Lexi pets her that’s fine, too, and when she gets enough she just moves out of reach, she doesn’t run away, she just keeps her distance.

It was so funny to watch her with Abby when she came earlier this month for her annual summer visit.  They bonded immediately, Abby even gave up golf cart rides for the most part to spend all of her time with kitty.  She would pull this orange string through the house, with Boo-Boo on her heels, pouncing on the string at every opportunity.   Eventually Boo-Boo would bring Abby the string in her mouth and give to her to play with her.  Abby had a hard time understanding that kitty wasn’t like a dog, she wouldn’t do what she wanted all the time, so Abby would declare that she needed to be in time-out, and she would put her in the bedroom and shut the door.  Of course, kitty could care less, she would just curl up in Maggie’s bed and go to sleep. 

She abandoned us to be with Abby, sleeping on the foot of Abby’s bed, she was beside her all the time.  Abby, like LC, is enchanted with her, they were so sweet together, kids and animals, there is nothing better.

We definitely have enough animals now, Butterbean, the lop eared bunny still lives in a hutch under the birch tree on the patio, and LC has goldfish, Mac and Cheese in his garage.  And Mags, she isn’t a dog, she’s my fur child, she’s in a whole other category.  She’s taken to sleeping on my lap these days, no doubt because I protect her from the big, bad kitty.

Our animals bring us so much joy, they make us smile with their antics and brighten our lives on a daily basis.  You can tell a lot about a person’s character by the way they interact with animals.  It’s a zoo at our house these days, but it’s never boring.  Now just where is that darned cat, anyway.  Guess I need to check the linen closet, sometimes she jumps in there to nap and I shut the door without realizing it.  She lets us know when she wants out though, and so far it’s been quiet...

Nana Sugar, I just may have a shot at this yet...

The seed was planted for this story many, many years ago when I saw this sweet little role poly white haired grandma wearing a bib apron and selling her jam on QVC.  She said that her nickname was “Nana Sugar,”  all of her grandkids called her that.

Well, I thought that was just the cutest thing I ever heard, I didn’t have grandchildren at the time and when I brought up that idea, my family informed me that there was no way they were going to have kids and let them call me “Nana Sugar,”  they shot down that idea faster than a New York minute.

If you read my blogs back in the day, or if you know me personally, you realize that I went on and on and on about this, I thought I would be the perfect Nana Sugar, but I had to give it up, because the first thing you learn about being a grandparent is that you are no longer in charge.  Parents rule!

And then I became Grammie and it was just the best thing, there is nothing sweeter than hearing those little voices calling my name.

I’ve worked with Lexi so much, trying to get her to say Grammie.  Larry is known to Ben and Abby as P-Pa, and Lexi has called him Pa-Pa for several months now, but she just can’t or won’t say “Grammie” despite my constantly pleading, trying to get her to say it. I’m always saying to her, “Grrrrrr-ammie, Grrrrr-ammie” and she looks at me and just cracks up.  When they were here last weekend it was the samo, samo.  They arrived, walked into the garage, her Daddy was carrying her, and she pointed that little finger right at LC and said “Pa-Pa.”   Then she looked at me and giggled.

Well, this can’t continue, so out of desperation, I said to her, “Nana.”  She immediately parroted back “Nana” and said it over and over the entire weekend.  Well, let me tell you, I also worked on the “Sugar”  part of it.  No luck yet, but I’m hopeful. 

There is no rule that says that one set of grandchildren can’t call you one thing and the other grandchild can’t call you something else.  Nowhere is that written in stone!  And John, now that he lives in Nashville and is married to Deanna, a true Southern woman, has softened to the idea of “Nana Sugar.”  Deanna loves the idea, so I’ve got a shot at it.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if I could pull this off?

Oh, quit rolling your eyes, I know it’s hokey, but I just love it.

Yep, with a little luck I may still be “Nana Sugar” after all!  Hot damn...

The Grands were here...

 

Hubby had the big 7-0 birthday this past weekend and the family was here.  There was also a surprise party, but that story is for another day.

Lexi has gone from being a baby to a toddler at warp speed.  She has changed so much this summer, it’ shocking.  The kids all played together so well, she was such a big girl, right in the middle of everything.  Ben, especially, was good with Lexi.  He was very gentle and patient with her, he’s the sweetest little boy.

I love the picture of Ben and Abby with the iPad, they look so angelic.  Sweet, sweet little souls, my grandchildren.  I truly am blessed!

Little girls love to play office...

 Abby was here last week for her annual summer visit.  We had a wonderful time, almost six year olds are full of joy and their giggle is infectious.  We had lots of activities planned, and while she enjoyed them all, at her age she was content just playing in the house.

We had a rainy week, so we were indoors a lot, and her favorite thing to do by far was playing in my office.  She sent her Daddy emails, which by the way, she pulled up, addressed, and typed by herself.  Grammie is so proud of the things she does, sometimes she just amazes me.  We bought her safety scissors, her idea, since we didn’t have kids scissors to use, and she printed off things that interested her.  She cut them out, glued them together and by the time she went home she had a big envelope, on which she had typed her name and printed in Photoshop Elements using fonts and colors, another first, she had never used a graphics editor before, just stuffed with her papers.

But by far, the thing that intrigued her the most was my stapler.  I have an old retro one, the big one with the round knob on the top.  She must have gone through a whole row of staples.  I showed her how to use it, hovered over her and kept telling her over and over to keep her fingers out of the way, and she had a blast!

I have lots of colored pencils that she enjoyed, she loved my paperweights, too, and my markers, it was a little girl’s delight,  my office.  And now that she’s gone, I look at my things and smile, remembering how much she enjoyed using them.

And the flurry blob behind her, that’s Boo-Boo Kitty, a recent family edition that I need to tell you all about in another post.  Boo-Boo and Abby were the best of friends, wherever Abby was, kitty was.  She was absolutely crazy about Abby.  Is there anything sweeter than children and animals?  Nope, absolutely nothing.

To be repeated, same time, same place, next year, Grammie can’t wait...

Grandkids and Milestones

 

Today was Abby’s first day of school.  She’s thrilled to be going, Ben, not so much.  

Here she is with her teacher.

And, Mr. Ben had a birthday last week complete with a Thomas the Train party.  Little boys and trains, and cars and construction equipment, if it has wheels, he’s playing with it.

Just taking a minute out of a busy week to share a couple of pictures of these sweet little grandkids...

A Daily Dose of Cuteness...

 

I haven’t posted pictures of the grandkids in awhile, but this one of Lexi was too cute to not share.  LC got her the little Barbie Jeep and she’s mastered how to make it go.  She twists that handle and she’s off, with Daddy trailing her as she’s still trying to figure out how to steer it.

She’s such a little cute patootie, rockin’ her Vans in this picture.   She’s in big girl shoes now...

Ethel Mertz's Birthday

Vivian Vance would have been 106 years old today, but to me she’ll always be Ethel, and always be ageless.  I’m such a fan of Lucy and Ethel that I named my computers after them.   I know, crazy, but I love it when Lucy’s name scrolls across one screen saver and Ethel scrolls across the other.  I’ve been meaning to name rename LC’s, as well, Ricky of course :-)  My friend, Marti, also has a birthday today, you’re in good company, Marti!

Vivian Vance’s most famous character Ethel Mertz was a less-than-prosperous landlady of an East 68th Street Manhattan brownstone, owned along with husband Fred Mertz. Fred was played by William Frawley, who was 22 years older. The 2 actors shared great on-screen comedic chemistry, but they really did not get along when not filming & never socialized. Vance complained about his age. Frawley had heard that she stated that he should be playing her father rather than her husband. Apparently Frawley loathed Vance on sight.

Read the rest of the article here...