“The hidden harmony is better than the obvious.”
-Pablo Picasso
An Organized Life Means a More Enjoyable One! Tuesday, Jul 29 2008
Uncategorized 8:44 am
I have started to realize as I’ve gotten older how important it is to be organized– in certain ways!
I’m not saying that I need to always have my desk at work perfectly organized or my car vacuumed, waxed, and polished (everyone knows that I carry enough shoes and clothes around in my trunk to wear for a whole week). I know that all people have different levels of comfort when it comes to how tidy everything around them should be… mine is medium, I think. Some things are a big deal (having dirty plates and cups out in living spaces for long periods of time) and some aren’t a big deal (leaving the house with the bed unmade or having piles of paper on my desk at work). To me, there is a big difference between messy and dirty. Dirty is what really grosses me out.
When I think about having an organized life, I think about knowing what it is that YOU like… and trying your best to live the way that makes you happy. For me, that is keeping track of appointments, being on time, and scheduling time for fun. I always try to make sure that I keep my calendar updated because this area of organization is key for me. My husband and I actually share a Gmail calendar so we are always aware of things that the other one has scheduled. This has worked out great for us!
After all… I don’t have time to make sure everything is perfect all the time. It’s just impossible. I just focus on what will keep me focused and feeling good about my life. It’s a refreshing feeling!
A Quote I Love… Saturday, Jul 26 2008
quotes marriage, partner, quote, two, working together 4:03 am
The biggest mistake people make in relationships is once they put a label on it, they stop working on it.
Marriage means you’re in love, you have to look after your partner and you have to work as one.
The power of two people united is much more powerful than one.
An Apple a Day! Saturday, Jul 26 2008
recipes apple cookies, apples, food, Hartland Orchard, orchard, recipe 2:58 am
I’ve realized that my days just seem better when I eat my favorite foods (unfortunately, this means I go through a lot of chocolate).
Besides my love of sweets, one food I always can go for are apples. I love almost every kind and look forward to buying my weekly bag of apples so I get to eat at least one every day. Lately I’ve been big on “Pink Lady” and “Fuji” apples… but if you put any kind in front of me I’ll be glad to eat it. Eating them is the best part– but picking them is fun too! I am actually already excited to go apple picking later this year at Hartland Orchard (I have been there before and had a really great time).
Anyway, in honor of apples, here is a recipe for a delicious treat I found on a great blog, Daisy Lane Cakes, to make your weekend a little bit tastier:
- WARM APPLE COOKIES!!
Fresh Apple Cookies
cream cheese icing (recipe follows)
2 C. + 3 T. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C. milk
1 egg
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/3 C. brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 medium apples, cored and cut into 1″ pieces, peeled or unpeeled (* I always peel them and cut them first into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 or 5 slices, then maybe 1/2-inch pieces, then run a knife through the pile a few times. Or cut them like you like them. I use Granny Smith apples.)
1 C. chopped nuts (* I use 1/2 C. because I’m not a huge nut fan)
Add all ingredients except apples and nuts and mix well. Add apples and nuts.
Bake on a greased pan for 12 minutes at 350-375 deg. F. (* I baked at about 365 deg. F for closer to 14 minutes. I bake them until they’re just set and they don’t give much when touched gently. I like them soft. If you underbake them, they tend to fall apart.)
Frost with cream cheese icing or icing of your choice.
Cream Cheese Icing
This recipe comes from Kathy F., a talented and giving cake decorator who was nice enough to share her recipe. (Check out her site at Kathy’s Kakes to view her fantastic cakes.) I like it for these cookies because it crusts (dries to the touch) so the cookies can be stacked. This recipe works well for decorated cakes also.
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
16 oz. cream cheese
3 lbs powdered sugar
1 T vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Combine butter, shortening, and cream cheese and mix on low speed until well mixed. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on low speed until well mixed.
Good Friends are for Keeps! Friday, Jul 25 2008
Uncategorized birthday, friends 3:15 am
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY "TOE JAM"!
A big part of enjoying life is surrounding yourself with people that are trustworthy, honest, fun, and wonderful.
Today is my friend Kate’s birthday and I wanted my blog today to be a tribute to her– my dear friend. Kate and I have technically been friends since 4th grade when we met on the bus that took us to and from our wonderful (not really) elementary school, London Towne. We reunited in high school once again and I will never forget how great of a friend Kate has been to me. I hope we look back 40 years from now, still friends, and remember the good times we have had.
Examples include but are not limited to: our trip to Mountain Lake, falling over on the floor by the lockers after remembering the word “Smitty,” being scared of the moon shoes, the United We Stand concert, having you with me as a bridesmaid at my wedding, trips to the VA Beach (haunted house!), eating sandwiches with the crust cut off, the day you got your first car and we went joyriding around town, our breakfast at the diner in Richmond, our craft project on the stools that never got completed, and many many more. I wish we could hang out more (hopefully we will be better about arranging visits this year) Kate, you’re one of the best. You know I love ya!!
Kate and I sitting on her favorite bench on campus at Mary Washington
Kate, “You’re out of this world. Love, Neil Armstrong.”
You Can’t Plan Your Walk Through Life. Tuesday, Jul 22 2008
books chance, life, planning, reason, the drunkards walk 9:41 am
I always think about my life and try to find reasons for some things and explanations for other things. I’ve come to realize that, even though my mom says”everything happens for a reason,” sometimes the reasons are unclear until much later in life.
I am reading a book called The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives and found a really great quote that conveys my point beautifully. “…we all create our own view of the world and then employ it to filter and process our perceptions, extracting meaning from the ocean of data that washes over us in daily life.” I just started reading it and really like it thus far.
From the prologue:
The title, The Drunkard’s Walk comes from a mathematical term describing random motion, such as the paths molecules follow as they fly through space, incessantly bumping, and being bumped by, their sister molecules. That can be a metaphor for our lives, our paths from college to career, from single life to family life, from first hole of golf to eighteenth. The surprise is that the tools used to understand the drunkard’s walk can also be employed to help understand the events of everyday life. The goal of this book is to illustrate the role of chance in the world around us and to show how we may recognize it at work in human affairs. I hope that after this tour of the world of randomness, you, the reader, will begin to see life in a different light, with a deeper understanding of the everyday world.
Who knew that I would end up getting married to a person I knew for years and years but always thought of as a good friend because we had been friends for so long? He always jokes about how he worked so hard to get out of the “friend zone” and I’m glad he did. The truth is, you never know. You can try to map out plans for your life but it will only set you up for disappointment; everything about life can’t be planned. The truth is though, I like it that way. If all of my plans had worked out I would be a completely different person…and I’m proud of the person I have ended up becoming!
Saving Money on Gas. Saturday, Jul 19 2008
financial gas prices, save money, tips, trips, vacation 10:14 am
“Vacation used to be a luxury, however, in today’s world, it has become a necessity.”
I love to drive to new vacation desinations… but I hate to pay for gas 
Actually, I’m not a big fan of paying a lot for something that used to be pretty reasonably priced. Sad, but instead of complaining, I just try to make do and work around the ridiculousness.
While I am a big fan of staying home when I can, I think it’s really important to get out of the house and enjoy vacations whenever possible. Mark and I have been known to go on random vacations to small towns across the country that we’ve never heard of– and I have had some of the best times of my life figuring out where to go and what to see in places like Nashville, Indiana (my favorite small town of all time).
Mark and I on vacation (December, 2006)
I found a blog called Bargainist with a post listing 20 ways to save money on gas. This way you can drive until your heart’s content– but still have a little bit of money in the bank to spend once you get to your destination.
Here they are:
1. Maintain your vehicle. A vehicle that runs smoothly uses less gas than one that is poorly maintained. Regular oil changes, air filter and other recommended maintenance will all help to give you a fuel-efficient vehicle.
2. Keep your tires inflated. Actually, studies have shown that the savings on gas isn’t huge, but it does make a small difference to keep your tires inflated to the recommended pressure. And more importantly, this is also safer and makes your tires last longer.
3. Don’t drive during rush hour. Go to work, and come home from work, either earlier or later if possible, to avoid the rush hour. Getting stuck in a traffic jam, and stop-and-go driving, is one of the worst ways to waste gas.
4. Telecommute. Working from home can save tons in gas, not to mention giving you more time, productivity, and happiness. If you can telecommute even one or two days a week, this can be a substantial savings.
5. Remove weight. Driving with more people, and more stuff in your car, drags the car and requires more fuel. Lighten your load by removing excess cargo.
6. Minimize idling. One of the worst offenders in lowering your gas mileage, idling gets you zero miles per gallon. If you are going to idle for a minute or less, leave your car on, but if it’s going to be much longer than a minute, you should turn off your car.
7. Drive slower. Driving the speed limit is more fuel efficient than speeding.
8. Accelerate and brake easier.Driving too aggressively, especially starting fast and braking fast, is bad for fuel economy. Accelerate gently, and try to minimize use of your brakes, if possible.
9. Use higher gears. Driving fast in low gears is bad for fuel economy as well. Drive in as high a gear as possible, unless you’re down-shifting in order to slow down or control speed.
10. Buy a fuel-efficient car. Actually, this is the most important tip on this list. A heavier car wastes gas. Get a lighter car, especially one with a fuel-efficient engine and design. See the federal government’s article on choosing a more efficient vehicle.
11. Roll up windows on highway. While many people think they’re saving money by turning off the air-conditioner, it actually creates a strong drag if you are driving fast with the windows down, and is worse for your fuel economy. If you are driving slow, around town, turn off the air-conditioner and roll down the windows. Roll them up on the highway.
12. Don’t top off. Topping off while you are filling up your tank is a waste of gas, as any gas that you top off will spill or otherwise be wasted.
13. Park in shade. A hot car evaporates gas. If it’s a hot day, park in the shade, and use your garage.
14. Walk. Driving less is a great way to save gas. If you have to make a trip of only a few blocks, try walking instead. You will burn fat instead of gas.
15. Cycle. Many people live close enough to work that they can commute by bike. It’s not hard, and you get exercise while saving money.
16. Live closer to work. Of course, you probably won’t be able to implement this tip today, but the next time you’re considering where to live, try to find a place close to your workplace, or try to find a job closer to your house. It will save a lot of driving.
17. Group errands. Instead of doing one or two errands a day, try to group them all on one day, and plan an efficient route to cut back on driving.
18. Carpool. It’s not usually hard to find friends, family, or neighbors who live in your area and work near you. Take turns driving each other to save gas for all of you.
19. Use cruise control.This method has actually been proven to save a lot of gas, as it reduces heavy acceleration and heavy use of the brake. A steady driving speed will improve fuel economy.
20. Don’t buy hot gas. Buy gas during the morning or evening hours, when it’s cool, or you will be buying gas at a time when it’s expanded (and thus getting less).
“Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation”
Mmmmmmm…. Easy AND Delicious! Saturday, Jul 19 2008
recipes corn casserole, paula deen, recipe, side dish 8:49 am
Corn Casserole
I could go for some of these right now!
From Paula Deen, “Paula’s Home Cooking,” Food Network
- 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
- 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.
A Quote I Love… Friday, Jul 18 2008
quotes quote, rich, wealth 9:31 am
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
-Proverbs 13:7
Walking everywhere! Friday, Jul 18 2008
Uncategorized 8:27 am
Everyone that knows me well knows that I’m a walking fool.
I love to walk as much as I can… and my husband and I have been known to even walk to Tysons Mall from our house in Arlington (yes, it’s true! It’s about 9 miles). I was happy to see an article on msnbc’s website called “Walk America” that lists out the top walking cities in all 50 states. Arlington, VA did not make the top list, but Alexandria did. I think no matter where you live, you can make your city a walking city. I think that walking is a great way to reflect and think about the recent occurances in your life– which leads to good things. Some people prefer to run, but I’m just not a running person. Whatever works for you and makes you happy!
I order to be completely happy, you’ve got to do what you love.
