Embracing Life

One of the prompts today over at Mama Kat's is: Share one of your “did that really just happen to me” life moments. Ahhhh... how to pick just one.  My life is full of those things that you never expect to happen to anyone,  although my sister and I fully know it can happen to me.  Case in point: When I was attending graduate school, I lived at home to save money and commuted to school.  Many times on my way, I'd stop at a particular gas station near my house.  I'd fill up the tank, get a coke, and head to school.   The attendant there was a middle-aged man not from this country. He was nice,  and we would chat about the weather each time I stopped in. That summer however, I began working 3, yes 3 jobs and only had a morning class.  I ended up taking a different route to school, so I was not visiting my buddy at the gas station.  Weeks passed, summer ended, I was back to my old route. I stopped in to fill up the tank and grab a coke.

...when this is what your work bag looks like this! Items include: Eucalyptus tea for my sinus infection Peaceful Parenting book to read at lunch Colin's Spider-man lunch bag because I couldn't find mine Keira's special unicorn that she put in my bag Way at the bottom are my datebook and notebook with the story I'm writing In the comments below,  share the things in your bag that remind you that you are a mom!

Beginning this month, I decided that I would make soup every Sunday for the rest of the winter.  So far it's been a so-so broccoli cheddar soup, a yummy creamy potato soup, and a delicious Italian stew! This past Sunday was the Italian stew, which I thought was great! It makes quite a bit, so there are leftovers for me to take to work, as well as to serve another night for dinner.  Ingredients: 11 ounces Organic Roasted Tomato Bisque 1 can Beef Broth 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning , crushed 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs 3 large carrots , cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups) 2 pounds beef for stew , cut into 1-inch pieces

Today for Organize Me Monday, I'm starting a two-part piece on health.  Next week, I will focus on exercise, but today it's more total body/mental health. Many of these topics come from my somewhat recent interest in Chinese medicine, as well as focusing on a more holistic approach to taking care of myself. For example, winter is the season of stillness.  It's ruled by the water element.  Imagine stepping outside in January after a heavy snowfall.  Listen... what do you hear? If it's early morning, you may not even hear the birds chirping.  Rather, take in that silence. Focus on your footsteps. The crunch of snow underfoot. Take a deep breath, even though the air is so cold it shocks your lungs.  When it's really cold out, your body wants to be warm. So feed it with hot tea, warm soup, and tepid water. I've started that practice of drinking (mostly) warm drinks for the past two months, and it's developed into a nice habit.  No longer do I crave a coke i

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of When the Rogue Returns  from Sabrina Jeffries herself! I couldn't wait to read it.  After reading the first book in The Duke's Men series, What the Duke Desires , I was excited to see that this next book was about Victor Cale. In  When the Rogue Returns , Victor Cale is headed to Scotland to investigate a woman, Sofie Franke.  He has his suspicions that this woman is actually Isabella, his wife who disappeared on him ten years before.  He has spent the last decade searching to bring her to justice after she stole the royal jewels and left him to behind to deal with the authorities.  Isabella Cale, now known as Sofie Franke, has built a new life for herself and her ten-year old daughter after her husband ran off with the royal jewels. Are you intrigued yet? Victor and Isa's first meeting was great! Both blame the other for the missing jewels, and both are greatly suspicious of the other's motives.  Despite their renewed feel

Welcome to week two of Organize Me Monday! This week, I'm focusing on cleaning.... Create a daily, weekly, and monthly list of what needs to be done.  In addition, add yearly things, such as specific things you do every spring, fall, etc.  Clean one room or do one specific daily item every day.  This will save you from spending your entire weekend cleaning. Use a multi-purpose cleaner, one that you can carry from room to room.  I am going to start making my own cleaner - All Purpose Wipes (these wipes work like Lysol wipes, but are homemade and healthier for your home) Buy some cotton fabric or reusable dish cloths Tightly fold or roll your reusable cloths and place in an air-tight container (a clean glass spaghetti jar works well). In a separate container, mix your favorite natural cleaning solution. Try these simple recipes:   1 Cup water, 1 Cup vinegar and 15 drops of Tea Tree Oil or Lemon Oil 2 Cups water, 1 Cup vinegar, ¼ Cup lemon juice a

With the start of a new year, I'm starting a new feature on my blog:   This year, I'm committing to stressing less and running more. There is a lot more that goes into it, I'll blog in more detail at a later date. But today, with this being the first full week of 2014, I want to commit seeing if I can get just a little more organized to help with that "stress less" piece.  Week One: Organize Me With all the things that we do as mothers, our minds are filled to the brim with every little detail.  It's time to work through what is clutter and clear out our minds to make ourselves feel better.  What I already do: Keep a journal.  It doesn't have to be written in every day, but it's a good place to record thoughts, feelings, and general ideas about life.  Those things you don't want to forget.  Or those things that you need to just get out to feel better.  To add to this piece, I also have a separate book where I list (daily... which i