Tomorrow

For my birthday, I would like Pinterest to reinstate useful embedding options. As you know, I used to get a lot of my photos from Pinterest and would credit them as much as the original pinner. Now that Pinterest has changed their layout, they've also changed their embedding. It either doesn't work at all or just doesn't work in Blogger. :(

Fix it by tomorrow, Pinterest. 

Schmezolutions

Resolutions, Schmezolutions.

I did really, really well last year. Like, 100% compliance with my 2012 resolution.

I kept up with my 5 miles per week goal and even upped it to 6 and made all of those miles be running miles.

I finished my last 3 miles run in the driving snow, 3 days into the flu, on ice, with a dog pulling me...

Was it worth it? Probably. 'Cause I can get pizza and ice cream sometimes and not get too fat for my work pants. And I sleep better. And I digest things better.

But I wanted a new resolution.

I am going to make an constant effort not to gossip, for sure. I don't want to hurt people with words behind their back. I want to only spread good, edifying news.

But that's not a super satisfying resolution because what am I doing? I need some action items.

Give up alcohol 6 days a week?
Read a book every 2 weeks?
Cut my Facebook usage down to 10 minutes per day?
Journal daily? (not blog, but private journaling... like where I get to say even sicker things than what I write to you all!)
Cut my personal spending in 1/2 and give the extra money to charity?
Pray daily?
Get 40 hours of sleep per week? (which would force me to occasionally nap on weekends to catch up)

Maybe I'll do what a friend of mine did and have a new resolution every month?

What are you doing? Do you believe in resolutions? I'm not feeling driven to one yet, but would welcome suggestions!

Source: southernliving.com via Heather on Pinterest

*Edit* I've got it! My resolution will be to take my fancy camera out on an adventure once a week. So that's 52 adventures that will get me out and about at least once a week. I will take pictures and share them on the blog!

Not a Dinner

**Forgot to add the cartoon

When I first saw this pin on Pinterest I thought "Hmm, maybe this would make a good dip for my housewarming party. I wonder what's in it and what you dip it with?"

Turns out its full of death and you dip into it with your bare, fat-shoveling hands.

No one asked me, but if they did, I would tell you that this is not a dinner:

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 c. shredded cheese
Dorito chips

via. 

Sorry, Two Maids a Milking. I hope you get some pageviews from my hatin'.

Lemme break it down for you:

1 lb. hamburger - fatty meat

1 pkg. taco seasoning - full-o-sodium
8 oz. sour cream - fatty dairy
1 pkg. crescent rolls (8) - these are not a real food (bleached flour, oils, preservatives)
1 can tomato sauce - tomatoes in cans = BPA?
1 can diced tomatoes (optional)
1 c. shredded cheese - wood cheese
Dorito chips - c'mon

All of these ingredients are "sometimes foods". All of these ingredients can be forgiven when put with other healthy foods like:

lettuce

ground lean meat

beans

whole grains

fresh tomatoes

ANYTHING GREEN :)

I know that people are over-sensitive about food these days. We are, as a nation, on both a path to obesity and a path to freaking out about everyone being obese. I know that if you look at any one food closely you can probably conclude that it will kill you - and quickly!

**

Source: nataliedee.com via J on Pinterest

But don't these pins concern you?

When did crescent rolls become the foundation of so many foods? Is it the wonderful marketing of the Pillsbury people?

When did chips become a topping? 

When did cooking for the kids (they "love" this recipe - big surprise!) become catering to them? (I don't have kids, feel free to lay into me on that one.)

What are your "sometimes foods"?

Tipsy Tuesday: Smelling Smells

Title has double meaning, so I probably get double points. High five (clap).

I'm seeing all over Pinterest that there are homemade home fragrances for every taste: sweet, earthy or punchy. Smells can be punchy. Let me show you (clap).

I was thinking it was getting a bit ridiculous with all of the scenty-ness. I mean, does everyone's house smell so bad? Apparently.

Probably because you made your own potato chips per Cup of Jo. I know I did. I know my house smelled like I had beer-battered my cupboards, too.

But before we treat the smelly symptom, why don't we go to the source.

Tip #1: Clean

If your house is smelly, maybe you need to take out the trash. Or clean the garbage disposal. Or snake the drain. 'Tit happens people. Get your hands on that pipe rat and yank.

Tip #2 Disinfect

Sometimes things look clean, but the germs are just sparkling with scrubbed faces. Use some bleach, baking soda or even some herbal oils to disinfect and deodorize.

Which brings me to tip #3.

Take a bath with eucalyptus oil. It's kinda hot 'cause of the bath and kind cool because of the eucalyptus oil and the oil is a disinfectant. It will stink up your whole bathroom in a good way. And you get a bath out of it.

Tip #4

Open the windows. Put on some socks to keep your feet warm in the fall breeze, but get some fresh air in your home.

Tip #5

Anthropologie makes great candles. Bite the bullet and buy a candle before you boil a pot of pine needles dry and have to try and erase the smell of your botched home-scent attempt.

Hot, burned pine needles = scent of dead bodies in the woods.

Source: morganmoore.typepad.com via Elissa on Pinterest

Beverage pairing: A gimlet. Because gin tastes like pine needles to some people. (Picture above is rosemary... I guess you could put that in your gimlet...)

The Secret to Success: More Meaningful Mornings

I just typed a lot about how to have a meaningful morning. Then I erased it. On purpose. I realized that I was wasting your time and mine with the babbling.

So if you want to read about meaningful mornings, go here.

If you want to see something pretty:

Source: Uploaded by user via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: olesiafx.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

These are a few of my favorite things.

You're welcome.