tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56752598764416531222024-03-13T11:08:39.174-05:00Poppy JuiceCreative ways to live well and save money during hard times.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-73849295841888399612020-10-29T16:03:00.001-05:002020-10-30T09:07:09.639-05:00Mom Burnout - Is it possible to be a good mother and have a career? <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmx9aNd-B-HP_PyqhI4xN32GPjG0ZKrhL1sGiJKWp4pNi-Ce0ZvQu9ofdm-3k5ZlpITjeKe249POzNPGIJJ3SETPzR77ShtDhOjdYfcTi3yZEPwNrcJgXj67q0ddbkW_NXamZUndtq0Me/s2048/Mom+burnout.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmx9aNd-B-HP_PyqhI4xN32GPjG0ZKrhL1sGiJKWp4pNi-Ce0ZvQu9ofdm-3k5ZlpITjeKe249POzNPGIJJ3SETPzR77ShtDhOjdYfcTi3yZEPwNrcJgXj67q0ddbkW_NXamZUndtq0Me/w400-h266/Mom+burnout.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s 11:09 am on a Tuesday morning. I’m still in my pajamas,
and I’ve went back to bed once already, hoping a catnap will give me a spark of
energy. Anxiety, fear, and confusion have been running through my mind for
weeks. Feelings of incompetence weigh heavy on my heart, and I can honestly say
that <b>I’ve never felt more lost. <o:p></o:p></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I can’t go on like this. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The pressures of running a cleaning business during a
pandemic, overseeing my children’s homeschooling, and trying to keep the
household functioning in a normal manner are making me feel like my head is
going to explode. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>When I’m working, I feel guilty because I’m not at home</b>
to help my youngest kids (10 and 16 years old) with their school. I worry the
teachers think I don’t care about their education. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>When I’m home, I stress about the bills</b> and whether
I’ll have enough money to make ends meet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m never fully present in either situation.<span></span></span></b></p><a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m one of the fortunate ones. <b>I didn’t lose my business
when the first shutdown happened.</b> I know this is something to be thankful
for, but this doesn’t mean my business hasn’t been affected. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Prior to COVID19, I thought nothing of going to work with a
cold or a case of the sniffles. Now, I don’t feel right about cleaning a client’s
home when I’m feeling sick. It would be unethical. I can’t count the number of days
that jobs have cancelled due to illness. <b>My income has been drastically
affected.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">At the beginning of the fall term, I made the decision to
stop working so I could homeschool. It would’ve been a financial strain but
doable with the profit from the commercial side of the business, child support,
and the small amount of income from my book sales. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Shortly after my decision, my ex-husband changed jobs, and
the child support stopped for two months. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>(Thanks, Murphy’s Law…)</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m not about being broke, so I continued to work as much as
possible. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Last week, I got sick. I took off Friday, Monday, and today.
Over the past five days, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’m not sure if my
thought process is messed up from the illness, but the voice in my head is
yelling, “This isn’t working! Figure out something else!!!” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m exhausted and ashamed. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Why ashamed? I feel that I should be smart enough to create
a work-from-home business that allows me to also be a full-time mom. I’ve been
self-employed for years. I’m not scared of a new venture. I <i>should</i> be
able to figure this out. <i>Look at me, “shoulding”
all over myself….</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">If I were in my twenties, I would go back to school. And
that might make sense, because I would have years ahead to earn enough to
justify the outrageous expense of school. At my age, school doesn’t seem
rational.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The added load of college on top of my workload and family
responsibilities would be too much, and <b>I don’t have much left to give. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m terrified that I won’t have the strength to pull myself
out of this hole that I’m digging myself into. I’m scared that I’ll be stuck
scrubbing toilets until I can’t physically do the work any longer. <b>I feel
alone. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s hard for me to decide how much of my angst is a bad
case of the pandemic blues and how much is mid-life crisis….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Whenever I’m faced with a challenge, I do what everyone else
does. I scour the internet for answers. This morning, I Googled “What are moms
worried about in October 2020?”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">A recent article, appropriately titled “Mothers Are the
‘Shock Absorbers’ of Our Society”, in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/parenting/working-moms-job-loss-coronavirus.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TheNew York Times</a> by Jessica Grose examines the increasing struggles mothers
are facing during the pandemic. The article cites a recent publication from <a href="https://nwlc.org/resources/four-times-more-women-than-men-dropped-out-of-the-labor-force-in-september/?campaign_id=118&emc=edit_ptg_20201007&instance_id=22864&nl=nyt-parenting&regi_id=86165348&segment_id=40071&te=1&user_id=059784e44cb7f6b33be42dede0557702" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NationalWomen's Law Center</a>, showing that four times more women than men dropped out
of the labor force in September. Although the author couldn’t be certain, there
is speculation that remote, online homeschooling and limited childcare availability
contributed to these numbers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">And that makes sense. While my children aren’t young enough
to require childcare, <b>they still need cared for.</b> There is also the expectation
that I stay involved in their day-to-day schoolwork. I can’t meet that
expectation if I’m not home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Equally important is the need to make an income. (No
kidding) <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s no wonder that women are dropping out of the workforce
at such a high rate compared to men. <b>Support for working mothers feels
inadequate.</b> For many, the already-taxed resources that were available are tapped
out from an overloaded system. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The added demands placed on women tends to go unnoticed by
the masses. In this age of equality, women still end up with the lion’s share
of the housework, cooking, and childcare – no matter their employment status. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">And what about single mothers? In the United States, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/12/12/u-s-children-more-likely-than-children-in-other-countries-to-live-with-just-one-parent/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">singleparent households count for one in four</a>. Often, single mothers carry an
extra load of responsibility. In the workforce, it’s easy to feel punished
because you have a child. The wage gap between men and women is much smaller
than the wage gap between mothers and others. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Is it possible for any working mother to be both a “good”
employee and a “good” mother?</b> Both roles have a different set of expectations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">This also begs the question of what a “good” mother looks
like. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Motherhood changed. A generation or two ago, it was enough
to be a custodial type mother – to know where your children are and that they
are safe and fed. Now, we are expected to “do” things with them. It’s not
enough to manage your children, you must spend time doing meaningful activities
with them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Motherhood is riddled with guilt from every angle. An article
published in Frontiers in Psychology examines the tug and pull of motherhood in
depth (see <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02113/full" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FeelingPressure to Be a Perfect Mother Relates to Parental Burnout and CareerAmbitions</a>). The term “intensive mothering” is used to describe the “norms that
prescribe mothers to be the main one responsible to take care of the children
and to be fully devoted to this task, putting the children’s needs before her
own”. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Societal expectations heavily influence our beliefs of what a good
mother does.</b> The desire to achieve parental perfection can lead to what is
known as “parental burnout”. This is damaging to the mother and child alike. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Sleep is in short supply. Financial resources are limited. Our
focus on our wellbeing and health is questionable, at best. Leisure and pampering
are pushed aside completely. We are at a breaking point. <b>The current motherhood/workplace
structure isn’t working.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">What is the solution? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">There isn’t an easy answer. We are looking at a complicated
problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>It’s not just a motherhood issue.</b> Men also have rigid
expectations placed on them in the workplace and in society. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Laws are in place to allow both mothers and fathers family
leave time, but a large percentage of that time is used by mothers – which often
makes sense in the family dynamic. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Since the leave is often unpaid, someone needs to bring an
income into the household. In the case of maternity leave, it’s usually a given
that the mother will be the one to stay home with the baby. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Expectations aren’t likely to change for working mothers until
the expectations are also changed for fathers.</b> To see what this might look
like, read about the strides Finland is making to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/04/finland-only-country-world-dad-more-time-kids-moms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">encourage fathers</a> to be equally involved with their children. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">This isn’t about a shift in gender roles in the workplace. It
is a reality that mothers need more time away from a traditional job than women
without children or men. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>We need to reframe the ways an employed parent can meet
demands of the job.</b> This isn’t to say that an employer should carry the burden
of productivity loss. Instead, the employer would do well to offer penalty-free options
in the ways that the employed parent can complete job requirements. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>In addition, we may need to change the way that we view motherhood.</b>
Years ago, motherhood (done well) would be considered a woman’s crowning achievement.
Through the fight for equal rights, motherhood became less of a respected
position. It doesn’t feel adequate to “just” be a mother.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Are we losing sight of the value of motherhood? </b>Isn't motherhood crucial to the continuation of the human race? (That sounds a bit dramatic, I know.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It is possible that the feminist movement overlooked a major component of being female - not the right for reproductive freedom, but the functionality of motherhood in our society. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I wouldn’t say that women’s liberation was a bad thing. But
it has occurred to me that part of the movement was a lie. <b>We can’t have it
all.</b> At least, not all at once.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s extremely difficult to perform two very different, yet
important jobs at the same time. Everything has a cost, and the price many
women are paying is at the expense of their own health.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For some families, taking on the traditional roles of mom as
stay-at-home parent and dad as provider works well. However, many families, including
single parent households, can’t exercise this choice. <b>How can society support
motherhood and the right to achieve success without diminishing the importance
of either role?</b> What expectations must we change? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Let me know in the comments if you’ve struggled with creating a balance between
motherhood and career, I’d love to hear from you. All thoughts are appreciated! </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-13327970289198802572020-10-23T13:55:00.003-05:002020-10-24T15:30:26.117-05:00Can SAM-e Really Help With Depression & Anxiety?<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitStaDUd3Pdex6g5z6yN-hSEtMcsn1oM8SeXlDMUdpT_CY1G60bTGElcUV_kxoAWncVIObTSBulSm8reIukegeU0tNRMzoL-EMeZVHjwaYkidaSZClotTH0YzD2Z0-KaN_Al_AT5xLPmse/s2048/depressed+woman.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1421" data-original-width="2048" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitStaDUd3Pdex6g5z6yN-hSEtMcsn1oM8SeXlDMUdpT_CY1G60bTGElcUV_kxoAWncVIObTSBulSm8reIukegeU0tNRMzoL-EMeZVHjwaYkidaSZClotTH0YzD2Z0-KaN_Al_AT5xLPmse/w400-h278/depressed+woman.png" width="400" /></a></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Are you tired of feeling tired?</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> Do you struggle to
make it through the day? Do you feel like a cloud of overwhelming hopelessness
is hanging over your head? </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>If so, you might be depressed.</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">No doubt, there are <i>plenty</i> of reasons to get the
blues right now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>The world feels shaky and chaotic.</b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Millions of people
have lost jobs due to COVID-19. The way we interact in society has drastically
changed. We have lost simple human connection. <i>(I find myself not making eye
contact with other shoppers in the grocery store because my smile doesn’t show
through my mask.)</i> Civil unrest makes us feel that we are more divided than
ever. Food shortages and an overwhelmed healthcare system add to our anxiety. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Oh, and I forgot to mention the extreme natural disasters
taking place all over the world. <b>The overall theme of 2020 is fear. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Sometimes it just takes a heart-to-heart conversation
with a good friend to feel better.</b> But what if it’s deeper than that?<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For me, <span style="line-height: 107%;">none
of the usual advice helped</span>. When I’m down, I draw inward. Something
about dumping my problems on a friend feels…dirty. I’m the strong one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><i><span>I like to be needed, but I hate feeling needy.</span> </i>(<span>Can I get an amen?)</span></b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I hit my breaking point when I spent an entire Saturday in
my bed. Crying. For what felt like no reason. Naturally, my kids were worried. Ashamed,
I told them I had a migraine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"></span></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFb5wCNJ0mhIKlw4xBF0yU3vFV03i20_mRxbhaseFzrLwuBDY35d_Sq1kNws2MwIbheev7m8xaIXLsgVz65sDU37HiAahAPeWEKOUuI_K9OAcKfgdpErLXRuDYw4j2vVimMcHY-NgnqnS/s2048/depressed+woman+lying+on+floor.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1621" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFb5wCNJ0mhIKlw4xBF0yU3vFV03i20_mRxbhaseFzrLwuBDY35d_Sq1kNws2MwIbheev7m8xaIXLsgVz65sDU37HiAahAPeWEKOUuI_K9OAcKfgdpErLXRuDYw4j2vVimMcHY-NgnqnS/s320/depressed+woman+lying+on+floor.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><i><span>I’d never felt so alone. </span></i></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span>I didn’t want to die, but morbid thoughts of a world without
me in it swarmed around in my head. </span><b><span>I was miserable. </span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">After literally hours of crying, a mountain of tissues, and
a dose of cold medicine to dry my sinuses; I started to search for answers. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I
found an <a href="https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/screenings" target="_blank"><b>online screening tool</b></a> and scored high for depression. I was a little
surprised. I’m more of an anxiety-type girl, and I’d never experienced
depression on that level. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Most of the information online recommended talking to my
doctor, suggested helpful ways (such as exercise and quality sleep) to combat
depression, and discussed the use of prescription antidepressants.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><u>I needed help right then.</u></b> Not in two weeks. The exercise and
sleep recommendations felt like a joke. <i>I could barely get off my bed, so a
walk around the block wasn’t an option.</i> And as far as sleep…well, that would’ve
been lovely (as if I could just make myself sleep). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><i><b>That left antidepressants.</b></i> I understand that prescription
antidepressants have a valuable role in treating mood disorders, and I would
never knock someone for using them. I wasn’t completely closed to the idea, but
<b>I wanted to try a more natural approach.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>One supplement that repeatedly came up in my searches was SAM-e,</span></b><span> or S-adenosyl-L-methionine. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’d noticed SAM-e on the supermarket shelf before –
marketed as a treatment for osteoarthritis. I had no clue that SAM-e could help
with depression. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>According to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-same/art-20364924#:~:text=S%2Dadenosyl%2DL%2Dmethionine,SAMe%20is%20a%20prescription%20drug." target="_blank">MayoClinic</a>, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e) is a compound found naturally in
the body. </b>SAM-e helps produce and regulate hormones and maintain cell
membranes. Blah, blah, blah…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>What does this mean? And more importantly, how could this
help with depression?</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/integrative-mental-health-care/201811/s-adenosyl-methionine-same-depressed-mood" target="_blank">PsychologyToday</a> reports</b> that “In humans, SAM-e is an important methyl donor, an
essential step in the synthesis of several neurotransmitters from amino acids
in the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/diet" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at diet">diet</a>. The antidepressant effects of SAM-e are
probably related to multiple mechanisms of action including increased brain
levels of serotonin, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dopamine" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at dopamine">dopamine</a>, and norepinephrine.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>(Serotonin and dopamine are known as the "happy" hormones. Norepinephrine has a role in providing more energy to the body.) <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">"In addition to the effects of SAM-e on the above
neurotransmitters, it has been proposed that antidepressant effects of SAM-e
are facilitated by anti-inflammatory effects, changes in neuronal
membrane fluidity, increased rate of serotonin turnover, inhibition of
norepinephrine reuptake, and beneficial synergistic effects of SAM-e on
dopamine activity."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><b><u>If that
sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo, don’t worry.</u></b></span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>The important things to know are - </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">1) The human body already makes SAM-e, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">2) SAM-e is important for
multiple functions in your body, and </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">3) A deficiency can occur when your body
doesn’t get enough Folate and/or B-12. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b>Check out this short, information-packed <a href="https://psychopharmacologyinstitute.com/section/s-adenosylmethionine-same-for-depression-what-does-the-evidence-say-2066-4181" target="_blank">video</a>
from Psychopharmacology Institute - </b>Over 50 studies have been done on SAM-e,
and it has been found to be </span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">more effective than a placebo and about equivalent in
efficacy as tricyclic antidepressants</span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><i><span>WOW! That’s big! </span></i></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">As you can probably guess, I bought SAM-e, along with a B
Complex supplement. I started with 200 mg and increased the dosage to 400 mg after
one week. As recommended, I took the supplements in the morning on an empty
stomach. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>Did it work?</span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span>It took about two weeks to notice any real difference. But what
a huge difference it made! I started to feel “normal” again. My brain fog
lifted, and I didn’t feel sad and dull for the first time in months. </span><i><b><span>I was a
believer! </span></b></i><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>SAM-e provided an additional, unexpected benefit</b>…My back
pain drastically improved. I’ve had a dull back pain for so long, that I’d
really gotten used to it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">And wait for it… my knees stopped crackling and
popping whenever I squatted down. Funny how
we adjust to discomfort over time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Fast forward to last month.</b> I attended a funeral in
Cleveland and ran out of my SAMe. When I returned home, I spaced off buying more.
Boy, did I notice! It took about two weeks to feel the full force of life
without SAM-e. The lethargy was back, the back pain returned, and – you guessed
it – my knees were sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Is SAM-e safe?</b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><i><b>Yes – for the most part.</b></i> Those with Bipolar
Disorder should avoid SAM-e supplements because the risk of hypomania exists.
Hypomania has been documented (although rare) in a few patients with Bipolar
Disorder. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>According to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/integrative-mental-health-care/201811/s-adenosyl-methionine-same-depressed-mood" target="_blank">PsychologyToday</a>,</b> although SAMe is well tolerated, transient <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/anxiety" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at anxiety">anxiety</a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/insomnia" target="_blank" title="Psychology Today looks at insomnia">insomnia</a>, gastrointestinal side
effects, dry mouth, and dizziness have been reported. With continued treatment,
most side effects resolve within days or a few weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Although I was prepared to tolerate some minor side effects,
<b>I’m happy to report that I didn’t experience any negative effects! </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>If you think SAM-e could be helpful for you, I recommend doing your own research. </b>It's always good to be informed. And of course, if in doubt, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>There are many brands available on the market. </b>You can purchase SAM-e at your local health food or grocery store. I've found better prices and variety online. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V3M9CYY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00V3M9CYY&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=036dd3b1b6453a0f1547222bf97c8f85" target="_blank"><b>Jarrow Formulas</b></a> (click to view on Amazon) brand is my absolute favorite because it's high quality, gluten-free, and vegetarian/vegan friendly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>A good quality B-Complex is important to help the SAM-e work better</b>, plus B vitamins are crucial for so many other functions in your body. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">My favorite B-Complex is made by <b><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CFD0TC4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00CFD0TC4&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=d4d87349771ed6c520a8b8bcc45bb214" target="_blank">Integrative Therapeutics</a> </b>(click to view on Amazon)<b>. </b>It's a quality product, reasonably priced, and contains folate (not all B-Complex formulations do). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">I want you to know that you're not alone, and you're not a failure. Depression and anxiety happens to most of us at one time or another. More than ever, we are isolated. </span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">It's important that you reach out to someone, even if it's an online support group.</span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">If you've struggled with depression/anxiety, I'm interested to hear what has, or hasn't, worked for you. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: large;">~ I'm wishing all the best for your health and happiness ~</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-84457590181167840082020-09-19T20:23:00.002-05:002020-10-24T15:32:14.694-05:00Easy Homemade Laundry Soap Recipe Tutorial<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY75yvci4kWUVcpFxCk-C47UzwTtEWGxICAvgRcxVIEMjei9UVodmK5j7aRa1KmibCTBOvqagyZZZKK5SQAwtxqPu7elkLugUf6dNFaVG-5LBvaBe81WcsYjpKWz-R5n2ChqYGdk_2uABh/s1329/Homemade+Laundry+Soap.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Homemade Laundry Soap" border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1329" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY75yvci4kWUVcpFxCk-C47UzwTtEWGxICAvgRcxVIEMjei9UVodmK5j7aRa1KmibCTBOvqagyZZZKK5SQAwtxqPu7elkLugUf6dNFaVG-5LBvaBe81WcsYjpKWz-R5n2ChqYGdk_2uABh/w400-h231/Homemade+Laundry+Soap.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">I promised that I would share more money-saving tips to help you get through tight times. Laundry soap can be very expensive! This recipe makes several gallons and costs only pennies per wash and works very well. </span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">My original post can be found </span><a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/01/homemade-laundry-soap-effective-and.html" style="font-family: Philosopher;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">.</span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Because some folks prefer to watch video tutorials, I finally made a video showing how simple making your own laundry soap can be! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="404" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W3JOMMRFfnQ" width="487" youtube-src-id="W3JOMMRFfnQ"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">If you decide to make this easy and effective laundry soap recipe, I'd love to hear your thoughts! If you have your own recipe, please share with us in the comments. Thanks for stopping in!</div></span></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-64318211133608319332020-09-12T06:05:00.013-05:002020-10-24T15:33:46.296-05:00Reducing Household Expenses (Every Penny Counts)<p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzy-1SFTaNh8lFwFVaqab4AqG9x2fEm_3s-XqIYvlPzpbt0FXMagUeK9Wd93z2LsqbEITZp5QdUOTWyy7_wD2ZXz04z9FtBIvea_pW_j-h7e3FrvwlEkWLpKidupHf9Zctji4qhm1sULQ/s2048/Reduce+Expenses.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzy-1SFTaNh8lFwFVaqab4AqG9x2fEm_3s-XqIYvlPzpbt0FXMagUeK9Wd93z2LsqbEITZp5QdUOTWyy7_wD2ZXz04z9FtBIvea_pW_j-h7e3FrvwlEkWLpKidupHf9Zctji4qhm1sULQ/s320/Reduce+Expenses.png" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><span><b>In addition to cutting your food bill, household expenditures are a prime area you can reduce spending.</b></span> I learned many of these cost-cutting hacks from my grandmother, who grew up during the Great Depression.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Laundry -</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Wear your clothes more than once before washing.</b> I remember being mortified when my grandmother told me that she only had three dresses at a time during the depression. One for school, one for play, and one for church. She was tickled when I told her that she must have been stinky. She quickly assured me that only her dress for play got dusty and smelly. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">While I’m not suggesting that you wear dirty clothes or let your children run around looking like street urchins, consider wearing jeans, pajamas, and sweaters more than one time before washing.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"> Having a set of play clothes and school clothes for your children is a great idea. Of course, the ages of your children and their level of activity will determine how often their laundry needs washing. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Use one bath towel a week per person.</b> If you are using the towel to dry your clean body, there is no reason to toss it into the laundry after one use. Hang your towel up to dry, and it should last for days. Not only will you save on laundry detergent, you’ll see a reduction in your water bill.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cut cost on your laundry supplies</b>. Either buy less expensive detergent and softener or cut your usage in half. We often fill the measuring lid to the rim when half the amount would work just as well. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">If you are really in a financial pinch, you can <b>make your own detergent for pennies per wash.</b> This is the <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/01/homemade-laundry-soap-effective-and.html" target="_blank">recipe</a> that I love, but there are multiple variations available on the internet. Instead of fabric softener, use vinegar in the final rinse or make your own dryer balls by crumpling tin foil into golf-ball sized balls. You can reuse them and just two work nicely to cut static cling. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">My grandmother would often <b>use a teaspoon or two of liquid dish soap instead of laundry detergent.</b> It works fairly well and can double as a pretreat for stains.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">If you have the space, either in your yard or basement, <b>string up clothesline to dry your clothes for free.</b> To get rid of the crunchy feeling that line-dried clothes seem to get, toss the clothes into your dryer while they are slightly damp. This will fluff your laundry at a fraction of the cost it takes for a full cycle. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Kitchen –</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Paper towels are a luxury.</b> Have you ever noticed how quickly a roll of paper towels disappear? We always have a clean dish towel hanging above the kitchen sink for hand drying, and yet the entire family will use a wad of paper towels in less than a day, if given the opportunity. While I do still purchase paper towels from time to time, they are the first to be cut from my purchases if money is a little tight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Keep a stack of old cut-up bath towels handy for drying.</b> Worn out sheets and t-shirts can also be cut into hand towel sizes. Stitch around the edges to prevent fraying if you have a sewing machine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and plastic Ziplock bags aren’t a necessity. <b>Get into the habit of using reusable storage containers.</b> If you don’t have a supply of containers, you can save butter tubs, ice cream tubs, etc. to store food. A dinner plate can serve as a lid for a bowl in the refrigerator. With a little ingenuity, you can cut costs and add less trash to the landfill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">My grandmother saved almost everything from used tin foil, plastic bags, and empty food containers. If the item had another use left in it, she’d find it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Save on water and dish soap/detergent by packing up half of your dishes.</b> Do your family members get a new cup out every time they get something to drink? What about bowls, plates and silverware? If each family member has an assigned cup, plate, bowl, and silverware, the pile of dirty dishes will go down drastically. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: philosopher;">One of my childhood friends came from a family of ten.</b><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"> I was amazed how each kid washed their own plate and silverware after dinner. Not only did they NOT have a ridiculous pile of dirty dishes, </span><b style="font-family: philosopher;">each child was responsible for his or her own dinnerware.</b><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"> When one of them helped themselves to a drink during the day, they rinsed their cup and placed it on the counter to be used again and again. It isn’t glamorous to label everything, but it sure feels great to get rid of the problem.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Use less dish soap.</b> As with laundry detergent, the amount of liquid soap we use could be reduced by half. Let stubborn pans soak for a half-hour or so before scrubbing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Knockoffs of the expensive versions</b> often work just as well. While it’s true that some off-brand liquid dish soaps can be less effective than the brand names, I’ve found Walmart and Kroger carry an imitation of Dawn that is fantastic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Run the dishwasher only when it’s full.</b> There’s no sense in wasting electricity and water for a few items. Don’t use the heat-dry option, and you’ll save even more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Save your coffee grounds and vegetable scraps for a compost pile.</b> You’ll be feeding next year’s garden and putting less waste into the garbage bin. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Set your freezer and refrigerator to the recommended temperatures.</b> Keep your freezer as full as possible so it doesn’t have to work as hard. If you are low on frozen foods, fill plastic jugs with water to fill the empty space. The same goes for your refrigerator. And for goodness sake, don’t stand with the door open for any longer than necessary. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Plan your baking wisely.</b> If you are going to bake multiple items, fit as many as possible into the oven at once (assuming the recommended temperature is close). This works well with casseroles, meats, and vegetables. If you are baking cookies or breads, you may need to switch the pans halfway to the opposite rack to avoid overcooking the bottom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Bathroom -</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Instead of pricey body wash, use liquid hand soap.</b> The ingredients are virtually the same, minus the fancy fragrance. I use the Equate brand from Walmart. There are several fragrances to choose from, and the large refill bottles are a fraction of the price per ounce. Just save your old body wash containers and refill them. Your family probably won’t notice the difference. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Transfer your shampoo and conditioner into bottles with a pump type lid.</b> Especially children, and sometimes adults, have a hard time regulating the amount of product. Pour top bottles are a disaster, and squeeze tops aren’t much better.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Refill your foaming hand soap bottles with water and a squirt or two from that large refill bottle of hand soap.</b> Shake well and enjoy the savings. It may take a few attempts to get the right ratio, but you’ll get the hang of it. It doesn’t take much, so err on the side of too little soap.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Buy generic cotton swabs, cotton balls, and tissues</b>. You’re likely going to transfer them to containers or jars, and the brand won’t matter. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Buy generic toothbrushes, dental floss, face wash, toothpaste,</b> and anything else that you can (without sacrificing too much quality). <i>Are you seeing a theme? </i>There are some products that can’t be substituted, but most of what we are paying for in the pricey versions are a brand name and a fragrance.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Experiment with toilet paper brands.</b> Not all toilet paper is created equally. We go through a large amount of toilet paper in our house, and I’ve tried just about every brand there is in an eternal quest for the perfect combination of value and durability. The cheapest brands are too thin, so we go through it faster. I would <b>skip the fragrance</b>, no matter the brand. It’s not vital to the process, and you often pay more for the scent.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ditch the disposable bathroom cups.</b> They’re cute, handy, and kids love ‘em. A small, plastic tumbler will work just as well for tooth brushing and mouthwash.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Take showers instead of baths</b> and limit yourself to 10 minutes or less. I love, LOVE, my hot showers and baths, but during tight times, it’s a luxury that I skip. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><span>Every penny spent or saved adds up.</span> If money is really scarce, you can <b>shower every other day</b>, or skip washing your hair. It’s not good to wash your hair every day, anyway. Sometimes a fast scrub of the body and a rinse of your hair is enough to make you feel clean and refreshed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Unless they’ve played in a mud puddle, my young children shower every other day and wash off at the sink on the alternate days. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hang bath towels to dry and reuse them.</b> Your washing machine will thank you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Cleaning supplies –</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><b>Not only are some cleaning products in short supply right now, they can be very expensive.</b> When you are trimming your costs down to bare minimum, you can get by with a few simple ingredients. Most are commonly found in your pantry.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">•</span><span style="font-family: Philosopher; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><b>Vinegar</b> can be diluted and used in place of glass and surface cleaners. It is gentle, cheap, and plentiful. If the smell bothers you, add a few drops of essential oil. The vinegar smell fades quickly, leaving behind shiny, clean surfaces. <b>An excellent cleanser can be made by soaking orange or lemon peels in vinegar for several weeks.</b> Strain the peels out, add water, and use as you would any other spray cleanser. You can find the recipe <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/03/vinegar-orange-peel-homemade-cleaning.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The fragrance is wonderful, and it’s non-toxic.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Baking soda</b> can be mixed with a little water to a paste-like consistency and used as a scouring powder. It’s gentle and non-toxic. In a pinch, it makes an effective toothpaste.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Hydrogen peroxide</b> is an excellent cleaning product. Use it to get out pet stains, blood, and other biological matter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Inexpensive <b>chlorine bleach</b> can be diluted in a 10:1 ratio and used as a disinfectant. It is also great for getting coffee, wine, and tomato stains off surfaces. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">I hope you've found these tips helpful in your quest to live well for less! <span>Watch for future posts on reducing utility bills, natural remedies, beauty on the cheap, and much more.</span> And, as always, I would love to learn about your methods for saving money!</span></p><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-81605021194863466592020-09-11T05:17:00.005-05:002020-10-24T15:46:58.658-05:0010 Tips For Feeding Your Family On A Shoestring Budget<p><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9nwkrXo7_twV-J5R7BpeAmMMWxE1mTTwbFYYe149E_zC9NQzR4oD-NiHghw9nbDKjnqhwHg-LGECbywfrAWJeJY3ZHqA6FwxxcgdWef8zijj-Qw6z96fIQFWoD1BVso2Cm0SeKE2AkVK/s2048/Feed+Your+Family+on+A+Budget.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1344" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9nwkrXo7_twV-J5R7BpeAmMMWxE1mTTwbFYYe149E_zC9NQzR4oD-NiHghw9nbDKjnqhwHg-LGECbywfrAWJeJY3ZHqA6FwxxcgdWef8zijj-Qw6z96fIQFWoD1BVso2Cm0SeKE2AkVK/s320/Feed+Your+Family+on+A+Budget.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I won’t insult your intelligence by going into great detail about the obvious changes you can make to save money on your food bill each month. Clearly, eating food from restaurants is generally more expensive than cooking your own meals. <span><b>If you’re reading this article, you’re likely on the right path and have already taken basic steps to reduce your food expenditures.</b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>The simple principles that I’m going to share with you have helped me immensely in keeping my family’s food cost low.</b> Do I always follow these guidelines? No. <i><b>There are times when I fail miserably.</b></i> However, when needed, I use these “rules” to get myself back on track.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Plan Menus -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I find that it’s easy to get off track and give into that fast food drive-through whenever I’m pressed for time and exhausted. We’ve all been there, right? Your day was long; the kids are starving; and you feel like your battery is in low power mode. Even worse, the roast that you’d bought last weekend is still in the freezer.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Set yourself up for success by taking a half hour or so each weekend to plan five simple meals for the week.</b> I like to keep a list of easy go-to meals that my family will eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When planning your menus, <b>think about the week ahead and plan accordingly</b>. For example, if you work late on Monday and Wednesday, make those days slow-cooker meals that can be prepared the evening before or morning of. Nothing feels better than coming home to the smell of dinner cooking. The same concept applies if you work from home. Why not get the cooking frenzy out of the way early?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Plan meals that can be used for several days.</b> I’m not talking about leftovers. I’ll address this in another section. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">One of my favorite, “multi-use”, meals is chili. We cook a double batch of chili to be eaten traditionally, with all the fixings. The remaining chili can be refrigerated and served two or three days later as chili-cheese dogs, chili-cheese fries, or smothered over easy burritos.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Some other “multi-use” meal ideas - </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Roast Beef / Beef Stew</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ham and beans/ Bean Burritos</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Baked Chicken/ Chicken Noodle Soup</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Beef Stew/Beef “Pot Pie” (thicken stew with cornstarch and bake with biscuits on top)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spaghetti Sauce and noodles/French Bread Pizza</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">There are a ton of websites that <b>focus on large batch cooking</b>. You can take it one step further and plan meals with similar ingredients. It’s easy to mass produce most of your dinners for one week with a little planning and some freezer space. <b>Not only is it a budget saver, it’s a time saver.</b> Get your family involved in the prep, and you might find a new fun activity for everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Be flexible in your menus.</b> I find that I do much better if I leave myself a little wiggle room for those days that I didn’t have time to throw something in the slow cooker. Try to have at least one or two “back-up” meals that are easy to prepare in a flash. There’s no shame in having breakfast for dinner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shop in Your Pantry First -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Have you ever noticed all the odds and ends accumulated in your refrigerator and pantry? Whether it’s a can of some unusual vegetable that you thought would be fun to try, or a jar of fruit pie filling that you bought on sale last year, chances are good that you have unused food items sitting around. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When menu planning, <b>take a few minutes to sort through your refrigerator and cupboards to see what is left.</b> Plan a vegetable stew with the variety of carrots, celery, and other veggies that didn’t get used up. Throw in that small amount of rice, pearled barley, or pasta. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>You’ll save money and feel good about not letting food go to waste.</b> I usually find that I can concoct at least one or two meals a week by shopping my pantry first.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pick Inexpensive Foods That Are in Season -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s easy to get lost in the excitement of trying new recipes. Unfortunately, a lot of tantalizing dishes call for ingredients that are either hard to find or out of season. Make it a point to know what is readily available in your area.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>By choosing foods that rely heavily on easy-to-find and inexpensive ingredients, you will save. </b>You don’t have to feel deprived so long as you use a light touch on the exotic components.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Buy Generic When Possible -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I know a lot of people are fans of clipping coupons. I always felt it was too time-consuming, and I was tempted to buy brands or items that we didn’t normally use. <b>Buying generic or store brands has tremendously cut costs for my family.</b> I find that the quality is just as good, especially for whole food type items such as vegetables and staples.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I would caution that it still pays to comparison shop as brand-names do periodically offer a lower price than the store brand. Which leads me to my next tip…</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Learn to Compare Prices -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Comparison shopping doesn’t have to be confusing if you know what to look for. Below each item in the grocery store aisle, you can find the tag showing the price per unit. Seems simple enough, right? Well…not always.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">In a perfect world, all similar products would display a uniform price per unit tag. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. A row of green beans can show the price per unit in ounces, pounds, etc. The same applies to almost all other goods. It can be very confusing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>The easiest way for me to compare is to divide the total price by the number of ounces, grams, pounds, or whatever total volume is shown on the product itself.</b> This way you will know the price per unit and be able to compare to a similar product. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I find that bulk items are often not cheaper per unit than the smaller version.</b> In fact, it’s often quite the opposite! I’m guessing that retailers have figured out that consumers assume that bulk equates to more economical.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">If all of this comparison talk is making your head spin, don’t be intimidated. In no way do you need to become militant about it. Just be aware of the differences in pricing, and if you’re unsure, take a few minutes to pull out a calculator to do the math.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Shop the reduced-price bins in your local supermarket.</b> Whenever a product’s “sell by” date is about to expire, most grocery stores will drastically mark down the price. <b>Many foods are perfectly edible well beyond the “sell by” date.</b> I regularly find produce, dairy, meat, baked goods, and cereals at a huge savings by checking these sections first. It pays to be flexible on your menu plan as you can take advantage of great deals in this manner. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Once home, I freeze the items that I won’t be using right away to prolong the freshness.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t Be Afraid to Substitute -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">There may be times that you have a recipe planned, only to discover that you’re missing an ingredient. It’s tempting to run to the store, but you risk the possibility of buying more than you’d planned.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>It pays to be willing to experiment with a substitution. Over time, you’ll get really good at interchanging ingredients.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>First, understand the ingredients function in the recipe.</b> Is it for the purpose of thickening a sauce? Is the item intended to leaven, or help raise, a bread of some type? Or is the ingredient meant to add flavor? All these issues can be resolved with a little research and understanding of basic cooking techniques.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>There are many online resources for substitutions, but here are some of the basics.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Flour used to thicken can be substituted with cornstarch, arrowroot flour, tapioca starch, or potato starch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eggs may be substituted in bread recipes with mashed banana, pureed zucchini, or even applesauce. There are many other substitutions that work. You can find some great ideas on dairy-free recipe sites.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Baking powder (1 tsp) can be substituted with baking soda (1/4 tsp) and vinegar (1/2 tsp).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Root vegetables may be substituted with other root vegetables.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Fats are also interchangeable. Just be sure to understand the smoke point of each type of oil if you are using it to fry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rice can be replaced with other grains, such as barley, quinoa, amaranth, or even pasta. Again, notice the cooking directions and adjust accordingly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Honey, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and corn syrup can all be used interchangeably with some adjustment. It’s easy to find directions online. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spices in similar families replace each other nicely in a pinch. Cinnamon works well in recipes that call for cloves or nutmeg, and vice versa. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ground beef or chicken can be replaced with beans or another form of protein. The price of meat is skyrocketing right now, and beans make a great alternative in casseroles, soups, chilis, and tacos. We transitioned to a mostly plant-based diet several years ago. One of the profound benefits was a reduction in our grocery bill.</span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Recycle/Reincarnate Leftovers -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Leftovers are controversial. Some people are happy to eat the same dish for several days in a row, especially if it’s one that gets better over time. Potato soup, lasagna, and chili are a few of the meals that come to mind.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Other people are repulsed at the thought of eating the same thing twice in week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>No matter your stance on leftover food, there is no denying this is a possible source of food waste.</b> It’s easy to overestimate the amount of food each person will want to eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">You can reduce your food waste with some of the following handy tips.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Freeze individual portions for a “leftover night” later in the month.</b> It’s easy to reheat most dishes in the microwave. A week’s worth of just one leftover serving a day can be more than enough food for a “leftover” night each week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Alternatively, individual servings can be packed in the following week’s lunchboxes. It’s a great way to avoid eating out while at work. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Save uneaten portions of veggies in a freezer bag.</b> After a few weeks, you will have enough to make a tasty vegetable soup or to add to a chicken pot pie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Debone roast chicken and dice the leftover meat to add to soups, salads, and casseroles.</b> You can do the same with roast or any other meat. The amount of meat salvaged by doing this can be impressive!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Get creative in combining leftover soups and stews with additional ingredients.</b> It’s easy to turn a small amount of beef stew into a casserole by adding noodles and cheese. If the stew is too thin for your liking, simply thicken it up with a bit of cornstarch or flour.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Another favorite is to bake the thickened leftover stew with biscuits for an easy pot pie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Make egg omelets for dinner with leftover bits of broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. </b>If you are really feeling fancy, pour the mixture into an unbaked pie shell and you have quiche! Serve with a simple salad, and no one will ever suspect they are eating reincarnated leftovers. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Beans, rice, and meat from a Mexican food night can be recycled into a layered casserole.</b> Alternate tortillas (or tortilla chips) with layers of refried beans, meat, rice, guacamole, cheese, and anything else that looks good. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with salsa and sour cream. Voila! A new family favorite!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">As you can see, recycling leftovers and reducing food waste merely requires a little creativity and care. <b>It can be fun to develop new ways to eat the same old food.</b> I’ll bet some of the best dishes of all time were created in just this way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Learn Basic “From Scratch” Cooking -</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">One of the biggest expenses in our food budget can be convenience foods. I’m sure you can think of a handful that you rely on, even in your home-cooked meals.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>There is no shame in taking shortcuts to save time.</b> I rarely make a cake from scratch, and although I know how to bake bread, my pantry always has store-bought sliced sandwich bread.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">If you find that you rely heavily on convenience mixes, <b>learning these few basics will expand your confidence to create dishes on the fly and save your family some money in the process.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Gravy – </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When you hear the term ‘gravy’ you may think of country style sausage gravy. Or perhaps, a brown, clear gravy comes to mind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Cream gravy is essentially a simple white sauce using equal parts flour and fat (usually butter) and a liquid. The trick to a creamy, smooth gravy is to melt the fat and whisk flour into the fat, stirring until smooth. At this point, you would add your liquid (usually milk), and continue whisking over medium heat until thickened. A good measurement to start with is 5 tablespoons each of butter and flour with one cup of liquid. Slowly add more liquid if you desire a thinner gravy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Cream gravy can be used to bring together noodles, meat, and vegetables in a tasty casserole, as the base for a chicken pot pie, or as a cheesy sauce for any dish (by adding grated cheese), and many other recipes. The uses are only limited by your imagination.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Brown Gravy is made by taking a small amount of meat drippings (or other flavorings, such as soy sauce), an additional amount of liquid – broth, water, or entirely meat drippings – and mixing with a few tablespoons of cornstarch which has been dissolved by mixing into ¼ cup of cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to stir until thickened. Brown gravy is somewhat translucent and often used with roast beef. It is also versatile, and once you have the technique down, you will have fun experimenting. The most important thing to remember when making a cornstarch-based gravy is to dissolve the cornstarch first in cold water. Skipping this step will cause lumpy gravy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Quick breads –</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>My grandmother used to say that bread helps any meal.</b> In my family, yeast bread is an absolute favorite. But I often don’t find time to bake yeast bread.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Two basic quick bread recipes that can be made in pinch are biscuits and quick bread</b> (think banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc.).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Biscuits are simple to make, and there are plenty of recipes online or in cookbooks. Baking powder (a key ingredient) containers often have a basic recipe printed on the label. Biscuit dough can be used to make dumplings by dropping spoonfuls into simmering soups, layered on top of meat, vegetable, and gravy and baked (easy pot pie), or to make tuna pinwheels. For a quick treat, you can poke a hole in each biscuit, fry in a pan of oil, and roll in cinnamon sugar to make homemade doughnuts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">Although banana bread, pumpkin bread, and other sweet quick breads aren’t super-fast to make (baking time is around an hour), they serve as an inexpensive and delicious breakfast treat. With a little adjusting, quick breads can be made savory (think cheesy dill bread). Once you master the basics, you can create endless variations that your family will love.</span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Pie crust – </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">While it takes a little practice and patience to perfect pie crust, once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be surprised how many dishes can be transformed into a delicious pie. Bierocks have been a family tradition for us for generations, but they are time consuming to make. Except for special occasions, I make Bierock pies instead. It’s much faster, and my kids think anything in a pie crust is awesome.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Soup base –</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Leftover vegetables and bones can be simmered in your slow cooker to make a nutritious and mouth-watering broth. Simply strain the solids from the liquid when finished. It’s a great way to use up the odds and ends of meals to create a completely new dish. You won’t feel like you are eating leftovers, and it feels great to know that you’ve reduced food waste.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>As you become more confident in these base recipes/techniques, you will find that saving money doesn’t have to feel like a sacrifice.</b> If you are a beginner cook, use online resources or check out some basic cookbooks from your local library.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Consider bartering and foraging </span><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">–</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Bartering</b> was routinely done less than a hundred years ago. <b>It can be a great way to exchange something that you have excess of in return for something that you need.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Every community is different, so you may have to search for barter companions. I’ve found people willing to barter with me on Craigslist and Facebook. Some communities even have bartering groups.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">We’ve traded homemade bread in exchange for fresh eggs, garden vegetables for milk, and much more. It’s an excellent way to unload what you have too much of.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">One summer, we placed an ad for unused fruit in exchange for homemade jam. The owner, an elderly man, was thrilled that his yard wouldn’t be covered with rotting plums and apples, and he hadn’t eaten homemade jam since his wife’s death.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I would caution you to check out your local ordinances, but bartering is still acceptable in many areas.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Foraging is another way to obtain the food that you need for your family.</b> It’s imperative to learn which plants are edible. You don’t want to mistakenly consume something poisonous just to save a dollar. Also, <b>make sure that you are gathering from areas that haven’t been treated with pesticides or other toxic chemicals.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Some commonly available edible plants in our area are sand plums, mulberries, walnuts, dandelions, morel mushrooms, and watercress.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Lastly, make sure that you have permission from the owner of the land if you are foraging on private property.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Supplement your food supply with gardening –</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Obviously, gardening isn’t an instant way to supplement your food supply. Full blown gardening takes time, physical space, and a bit of knowledge. <b>You can adjust your garden to fit within your abilities and home by using a little creative thinking.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Gardens come in all shapes and sizes. It’s surprising how much food can be grown in a small space. A sunny patio can be a perfect spot for a container garden.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">We currently have tomato plants, zucchini, butternut squash, cucumbers, green beans, and even watermelon (yes, watermelon) growing in our container garden. Many vining plants, such as cucumber, melons, and winter squash, do quite well in containers so long as they have something to climb up.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">We also sectioned off a 6’ x 10’ plot to grow more green beans, loads of swiss chard, carrots, and okra. <b>I save space by planting in grids rather than rows. (</b>Click <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/01/plot-planting.html" target="_blank">here</a> to see more about this technique.) In this manner, the plants are spaced closely together in squares or rectangles, and I’m not wasting valuable soil with walking paths. Because the plants are close together, we get the added benefit of less weeds and better water retention.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">In our front flower bed, we grow basil, thyme, oregano, mint, dill, and swiss chard. The plants are beautiful, smell lovely, and do double duty as decoration. The cost of seed was negligible, but the value added to economical cooking is almost priceless. The last time I purchased fresh basil in the supermarket, I was a little shocked by the price of two or three small cuttings.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">If you don’t have any sunny spots to speak of, or you live in an enclosed apartment building, you can still <b>grow sprouts</b>. Sprouts (mung bean, radish, broccoli, alfalfa – just to name a few) are highly nutritious and can help your family stay healthy during hard times. Sprinkle them on salads, sandwiches, and stir fry or toss them into a smoothie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When buying supplies for your garden, you don’t need to spend a fortune. <b>It’s possible to reduce your seed cost even more by using dried beans from the supermarket to grow green beans.</b> Did you know that Pinto beans, Great Northern, and even Navy beans will produce green beans? (Check out my experience with planting dried beans <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2016/09/yes-you-can-plant-dried-beans-from.html" target="_blank">here</a>) By picking them prior to the maturation of the dried bean pod, you can eat them as you would any other green bean. Great Northern beans have the best taste at the green stage, in my opinion, but if you are desperate for a cheap seed supply, almost any dried bean that you can buy in the supermarket will work, as long as they were allowed to dry naturally and not heat treated. I’ve had wonderful luck doing this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>There are other vegetables that can be grown from produce purchased at the supermarket. </b>Potatoes can be planted from the sections of the peel that hold the emerging roots. You’ve probably had potatoes that began to sprout in your pantry. Instead of throwing them out, try planting them instead.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Long-term, gardening becomes a nearly free source of food if you save some seeds back every season.</b> I usually allow some of the vegetables to completely mature on the vine at the end of every season, then separate the seeds and allow them to air dry for a week or so. Once the seeds have dried, I wrap them in paper towels, newspaper, or coffee filters and secure them in jars or ziplock bags. This works best when using heirloom (not hybrid) plants. Hybrid plants will not reproduce true – meaning the offspring from the seed won’t be like the parent plant. Yes, a tomato seed will produce a tomato plant, not a carrot, but it could be weak or a little wonky.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When possible, <b>grow plants that are nutritionally dense</b>. In hard times, the majority of your diet may be starchy, filler foods. Pasta, rice, potatoes, and flour are all cheap but lacking in certain vital nutrients. Serving dark leafy greens, such as spinach or kale, will help to keep you and your family healthy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Hopefully, some of these tips that I've shared will help you to feed your family well with less money. Let me know which ideas you already use in your home and what you currently do to cut your grocery budget. </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-86044895534780217672020-09-09T13:24:00.002-05:002020-10-24T15:49:33.168-05:00Drastic Changes Coming Our Way - Surviving 2020 and Beyond<p><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlN-XVjg3KeU_CREox-mZGPxvGW8IqxZRJ7xKl4tGZIjSiwMwGXKD-3zEmrOWftlK_mpfray7iBrt10lhiHYp2-iaLPK0tRs8OHFDNGsaHnb7Fp9Vs-FJ9uaN_NjyNlDm2FEfBD3saq-A/s1958/Surviving+2020+and+Beyond.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1958" data-original-width="1468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlN-XVjg3KeU_CREox-mZGPxvGW8IqxZRJ7xKl4tGZIjSiwMwGXKD-3zEmrOWftlK_mpfray7iBrt10lhiHYp2-iaLPK0tRs8OHFDNGsaHnb7Fp9Vs-FJ9uaN_NjyNlDm2FEfBD3saq-A/s320/Surviving+2020+and+Beyond.png" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">This year has been one heck of a ride so far. </span><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Not only have we been
confronted with a global pandemic, strange weather patterns, and political
unrest; our economy is feeling the pain of lost jobs, food shortages, and
general instability.</b></span></div><p></p>
<p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span><b>It’s a time of great upheaval</b></span> - leaving most of us feeling unprepared
for what may come. Many of us have little, if any, money saved. Our modern
lifestyle isn’t conducive to storing food. We make multiple trips to the
grocery store each week or buy take-away meals on the drive home from work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>We have become a throw-away society, accustomed to simply buying new
when something becomes broken or a little worn out.</span></b> Most people lack the
general skills to make small repairs to their home appliances and vehicles.</span></span></p>
<p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">On top of our careless stewardship of our money, <b><span>we are encouraged to
give in to self-gratification</span></b>. Easy payment plans, a constant barrage of advertising
for the next, latest, greatest things, and the ever-present message on social
media to accumulate more has given us a sense of entitlement. <i><span><b>We are told that we
must have the best of the best to be good enough.</b></span></i></span></span></p>
<p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;"><b><span>We’ve become a slave to our things, putting in 60-hour work weeks to
pay for what we are told that we can’t live without.</span></b> Families are disconnected
and marriages suffer.<span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"> To ease the guilt we feel over sacrificing time with our
children and loved ones, we go to extremes to give them more things,
effectively trapping us in a hamster-wheel of never ending spending and working
too much. <span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Faced with the harsh reality of food shortages, job losses, a global healthcare crisis, and civil unrest, <i><b><span>we are living through a figurative super-storm</span>.</b></i> More than ever, we must return to our roots on both a personal level and a global level. </span></p><p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>If you haven't begun, now is the time to prepare for the worst case scenario. </b></span></p><p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">While I've always been fond of storing food, budget hacks, and DIY projects, I'm aware that my efforts need to become more than a hobby. <b><span>I'll be focusing on the areas that I can control - food, household expenses, and energy savings.</span></b> </span></p><p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large; text-indent: 0in;">I would love to hear from other people who are concerned about the direction our world is heading. Let me know about the changes you've made due to the pandemic, financial state, or recent natural disasters. I truly value your knowledge and opinions.</span></p><p class="CSP-ChapterBodyText" style="text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-25242662175354158352020-09-08T12:02:00.001-05:002020-10-24T15:50:37.089-05:00My New Normal - Walking Away From My Business to Home-school<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQnEerCrUFkR-D3bAGvmfbpN0-XU7qdS-jQbZkhWbm2bGLOd-l9BoWjnnt_1reRxVPvLojjsCdn_wjCdLWTcTO8P0GKDYITyhXsibfv28PYaw02avUDusr4o8JS481rd63eMrachRPoq4/s2048/homeschool+image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQnEerCrUFkR-D3bAGvmfbpN0-XU7qdS-jQbZkhWbm2bGLOd-l9BoWjnnt_1reRxVPvLojjsCdn_wjCdLWTcTO8P0GKDYITyhXsibfv28PYaw02avUDusr4o8JS481rd63eMrachRPoq4/s320/homeschool+image.png" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">I’m about to make some big changes in my life. I’m talking about
the kind of changes that make me question my sanity...</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For over six years, I’ve worked very hard building a reputable
cleaning service. The business has been good to me. It has allowed me to comfortably
support my large family, as a single mother, with flexibility and control over
my schedule that I wouldn’t find working for another company. In addition, my
little cleaning business has put me in front of many wonderful people who’ve
enriched my life in ways that I hadn’t imagined. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><i>Which makes what I’m about to do seem all the crazier…</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m going to turn my business over to my young adult children
or mostly walk away from it. The “or” is because they don’t really know if they
want to take it over. Either way, I’m letting it go within a week’s time. And I’m
doing this without a backup plan to replace the income.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><span>Why the urgency, you ask? </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The simple answer is this – my two youngest children (ages
10 and 15) will be attending school remotely from home.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"> The option to enroll
them in on site classes during the COVID-19 pandemic seems wrought with complications.
<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Seven hours of wearing a mask, limited contact with other
students, physical spacing during the bus ride, class, lunch, and recess, and
the constant threat of quarantine at the first sign of symptoms feels detrimental
to learning.</b> I’m guessing that students will be out of class more often than not.
How many times in a school year does a child have a cough, fever, or the
sniffles?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I’m not as afraid of the possibility of contracting COVID-19
as I am the negative effects of learning in this alien and sterile environment.
<b><span>Gone are the days of playing in the sand together or passing notes in the hall.
</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I’ve prayed over this decision for weeks.</b> I’ve cried tears out
of fear of making the wrong decision. I’m fully aware that my finances could
down in a flame of ugly. Neither decision feels completely right. But each
time, the thought of sending the kids to school or leaving them at home during
the day to learn on their own feels worse than letting go of my cleaning
business. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I should clarify. I won’t be completely without an income. I
take a small profit on the commercial side of my cleaning business and a teensy-weensy
amount of earnings coming in from my novels, blog, and YouTube channel. It’s just
enough to cover the bare minimum. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">This is the hard reality for many people right now. Several nearby
school districts aren’t giving parents the choice. It’s remote on-line learning
or nothing at all, creating a hardship for worried parents. <span><b>It’s a terrible position
to be in – to balance the necessity for income and the heart wrenching pull to
be there for our children.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><i><b>The time for using my penny-pinching, time saving, survival
skills is now.</b></i> <span>The world feels upside down and inside out.</span> Food shortages, job scarcity,
and social distancing makes us feel as if we’ve stepped into an apocalyptic movie
plot. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span><b>I’m struggling to find joy, to feel peace.</b></span> I’m frightened by
the upcoming weeks, months, and years - but I’m choosing to listen to the
still, small voice in my head that says, “Keep moving. Remember what you know. Trust
yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span><b>My grandmother grew up during the Great Depression.</b></span> Lately,
she has been on my mind more than usual. I learned things from her that I never
thought I would need. I feel compelled to share her knowledge with those around
me. I don’t have a game plan, but you can expect future posts and videos teaching
my grandmother’s Depression Era tips and tricks. She was an amazing, strong
woman who found joy during the worst of times. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It’s my heart’s desire to connect with other people that are
in similar situations as myself. <span><b>You are not alone. I’m not alone.</b></span> There is
beauty in sharing with, and encouraging, other like-minded folks going through
similar challenges. I pray that we can help each other navigate through this
new, strange world. We can learn from each other and make it through this unmarked
territory. Best wishes for all of you!</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-20979199516079951822018-09-02T15:20:00.001-05:002020-10-24T15:56:59.468-05:00The Reluctant Vegan - Becoming Woke<div class="WordSection1">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn5rMqKTgAMGk00TydOfeTw4t7uxbEc7s8JucN2zfemLxmwto-yiQ10XZaCa-EShsswHD_O0b4fEXvJ_tk_MnuQFgG6Jbkyas-vUxijLYJV7kYZitcsJB3Fh1CEujf68_cvDMi7xdIGHF/s1600/The+Reluctant+Vegan+Thumbnail.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Reluctant Vegan" border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="960" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn5rMqKTgAMGk00TydOfeTw4t7uxbEc7s8JucN2zfemLxmwto-yiQ10XZaCa-EShsswHD_O0b4fEXvJ_tk_MnuQFgG6Jbkyas-vUxijLYJV7kYZitcsJB3Fh1CEujf68_cvDMi7xdIGHF/w400-h272/The+Reluctant+Vegan+Thumbnail.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I miss being naïve. </b>“Ignorance is bliss” goes the saying. I wish I could go back to the days of laying in the sun with baby oil smeared all over my scrawny legs. </span></div><div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="CSP-ChapterBodyText"><span face=""Trebuchet MS", sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">What I wouldn’t give to come home to my dad grilling burgers medium-rare after skating (without a helmet or kneepads) on the broken sidewalks of my little hometown.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>A child of the seventies, I ate cold pepperoni pizza that had sat on the counter overnight.</b> Sugary Kool-Aid flowed like wine, and a healthy breakfast included both toast and sweetened cereal along with hefty servings of orange juice and milk.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I was the girl who loved a bloody steak, the bloodier, the better. My favorite food as a child was fried chicken. Not once did I connect these meats with an actual living, breathing creature.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I hate that I know how the animals we eat for food are really treated.</b> I hate that I know humanely slaughtered animals aren’t treated humanely at all.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif"><b> They don’t exactly step up and volunteer to be killed.</b></span><br />
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">We fool ourselves into thinking the things we do aren’t impacting the planet, our bodies, in a negative way. The information is there. We just choose to turn our heads.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For example, did you know that meat production causes more greenhouse gases than all vehicles combined? And that the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed at a crazy rate of an acre per second, not for the wood, as I believed, but for animal production?</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Can you imagine if an alien race descended upon our planet and began to farm humans for food? Can you picture the agony as our newborn babies are yanked out of our arms and butchered as a delicacy, while we are left behind, caged, for the sole purpose of being milked?</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Think of the packaging – pictures of happy mothers and babies plastered on neatly displayed bottles of human milk. Visualize the photos of peaceful human men on banners hung above plastic wrapped Styrofoam trays of beautifully trimmed human roasts. <b>It’s horrifying, isn’t it?</b></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>What makes us better, different, than other creatures on our planet?</b> Why must we farm on such a large scale, in such a way that prevents us from being in touch with our food sources? What gives us the right to exploit other beings, to cause them pain, all for an easy and inexpensive meal. We’ve been fed lies.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>And I hate that I know this. I hate that I care. Ignorance was easier.</b></span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">More often than not, I find myself at my local health food stores, looking for foods that meet my criteria. Whole, organic, plant-based, locally grown. Foods that haven’t harmed our environment, foods that haven’t been grown on a large enough scale to take away some obscure bird habitat.</span></div>
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<span face="Trebuchet MS, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Yeah, I’m becoming that person, and I’m annoyed as hell at myself.</b> God help me, I might actually stop wearing deodorant and lipstick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page; mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-23813378236994420412018-05-18T12:27:00.001-05:002020-10-24T16:00:06.247-05:00How to Replace the Insulated Panel on Your Garage Door - CHEAP!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTmrf1wHcIDuwlQoJwaBqfKKgsRb7VnA0NOI4b8UTb7jIaM7oboHcE0TcLkfWnkVSIaYNbvgPxm65tifsCaHFlRDEknwUoxGnQhzgKukqo7VBKogjwvFTiBx4HvYU8p0ZXpINCcZ6axCP/s1600/How+to+Replace+Garage+door+thumbnail.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Title Image - Repair your garage panel cheaply." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTmrf1wHcIDuwlQoJwaBqfKKgsRb7VnA0NOI4b8UTb7jIaM7oboHcE0TcLkfWnkVSIaYNbvgPxm65tifsCaHFlRDEknwUoxGnQhzgKukqo7VBKogjwvFTiBx4HvYU8p0ZXpINCcZ6axCP/w640-h360/How+to+Replace+Garage+door+thumbnail.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Our bad doggies chewed the styrofoam insulation panel off our garage door during a rainy spring day. I had hoped to hide it from the man of the house, so <b>I fixed it myself along with the help of my kiddos.</b> It turned out better than I'd expected. I decided to make a video of the process just in case another desperate soul might need some direction. Watch to see how easy it really is to make this small repair.</span></div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/feMq8b7ZHlc" width="560"></iframe>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-89204941657265590232018-03-02T18:06:00.001-06:002020-10-24T16:01:50.357-05:00How to Clean Your House FAST! - Tips and Tricks From a Pro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ5tNAwaXwDn7jlQym3gyoTRIkBfYixGGp3e16kBY0mi3pdxuPStpsS9xF64YuiooHwm_HZ-qN62bqS8Ks3gK2ZGE9mEdg5B0aCourRLz9Jl0WNARHHvNi3ZMQuXpSNPkOhvj0vyvFW0z/s1600/How+to+clean+your+house+fast+thumbnail.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to clean your house fast." border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJ5tNAwaXwDn7jlQym3gyoTRIkBfYixGGp3e16kBY0mi3pdxuPStpsS9xF64YuiooHwm_HZ-qN62bqS8Ks3gK2ZGE9mEdg5B0aCourRLz9Jl0WNARHHvNi3ZMQuXpSNPkOhvj0vyvFW0z/w640-h360/How+to+clean+your+house+fast+thumbnail.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Does cleaning make you want to pull your hair out? Are you overwhelmed by the clutter and dust? Look no further, this little video will give you <b>insider tips for cleaning quickly and effectively</b> (without losing your mind). </span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t7w_DfUSf6I" width="560"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-43833312310910270912018-02-20T12:58:00.002-06:002020-10-24T16:04:16.747-05:00DIY Weatherstripping - Free and Easy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6vfsiHYlyHgmeCS4KBrTLhkCzM21IkHQ24oLjOZ4ZmQvGDA3Z96KOzgqWWSFab-n6DxTVrInGdLcehIGxjPW3Wd3BOH52IqFzl6RjN89xss0ZHkqI0HTywpOGqW1hkGFok4lTHaOMLaI/s1600/DIY+Weatherstripping+thumbnail.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free and Easy DIY Weatherstripping" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6vfsiHYlyHgmeCS4KBrTLhkCzM21IkHQ24oLjOZ4ZmQvGDA3Z96KOzgqWWSFab-n6DxTVrInGdLcehIGxjPW3Wd3BOH52IqFzl6RjN89xss0ZHkqI0HTywpOGqW1hkGFok4lTHaOMLaI/w640-h360/DIY+Weatherstripping+thumbnail.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Is the cold weather making your utility bills skyrocket? Use this quick, free, and EASY trick to seal up the cracks and gaps in your doors and windows!</span></div></span><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;">This money-saving hack only requires trash bags or plastic shopping bags and a flexible straight edge, such as a spatula, or a credit card. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Keep your family warm in a pinch with this super easy tip!</b></div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oSlUwSnXZVU" width="560"></iframe>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-13349035845913269182018-02-19T12:06:00.001-06:002020-10-24T16:05:15.923-05:00My New Intro Video!<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e69Xi4GCTtI" width="560"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-78552301144837852032018-02-13T18:55:00.001-06:002020-10-24T17:42:11.092-05:00My Three-day Fasting Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtkNEseSlOuu-4nAaqSN64JhsaMy5V9RsJFDJzTjipjPgFYkrGVurGWivbIAkwOvlIDd9rCN8BN2NlRcpRCTf2Sk9-yWTre-ACPMcg6B_Pw2bCSgiBCxlonFGLfvVMniRkb8QHXjqWi-X/s1600/water+fast+thumbnail+with+border.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCtkNEseSlOuu-4nAaqSN64JhsaMy5V9RsJFDJzTjipjPgFYkrGVurGWivbIAkwOvlIDd9rCN8BN2NlRcpRCTf2Sk9-yWTre-ACPMcg6B_Pw2bCSgiBCxlonFGLfvVMniRkb8QHXjqWi-X/w400-h225/water+fast+thumbnail+with+border.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Are you considering a prolonged water fast? I recently completed one and created a video journal to document my experience. It wasn't as difficult as I'd imagined it would be, until day three! </span></div></span><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;">There are so many benefits to fasting! Have you fasted? I'd love to hear how it went for you, and whether you continued to utilize fasting. Please feel free to share in the comment section!</div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mkceiUbNqBQ" width="560"></iframe>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-66040571801040035512017-11-26T22:30:00.003-06:002020-10-29T09:05:17.677-05:00How to Make an Easy Quilted Christmas Ornament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyxuupJ2d7-Sg5amRsyOtHqcqZaimll7_x7agkvWTutN8dx2WIy44-9PntP00lyYEo_BsQ6DiAo-YKkplMkSzm38jUnMI4HaXhYg83_viohrsj1VnqNEwouFqJGhQ8pcQZVIskErmEWTe/s1600/general+pictures+068.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyxuupJ2d7-Sg5amRsyOtHqcqZaimll7_x7agkvWTutN8dx2WIy44-9PntP00lyYEo_BsQ6DiAo-YKkplMkSzm38jUnMI4HaXhYg83_viohrsj1VnqNEwouFqJGhQ8pcQZVIskErmEWTe/w301-h400/general+pictures+068.jpg" width="301" /> </a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Making these beautiful quilted Christmas ornaments is easy and fun! Using simple supplies that can be purchased at your local craft store or found around the house, these ornaments are a keepsake that your family will treasure for years to come. Make extra and give them away as gifts! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpaxk6l1YVhujkjRoEv_ghkDr8sX_xQxgtioMvwZ0gVfnz3Gwjtse9olv146wNkWNsDqcVAPtSgyFEE2BhVWjYETvdZPqaT2-pzkMXwp0yl8maJVgo8JlCUsiET_oegfkaHZlAq6YLTEd/s1600/general+pictures+041.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpaxk6l1YVhujkjRoEv_ghkDr8sX_xQxgtioMvwZ0gVfnz3Gwjtse9olv146wNkWNsDqcVAPtSgyFEE2BhVWjYETvdZPqaT2-pzkMXwp0yl8maJVgo8JlCUsiET_oegfkaHZlAq6YLTEd/s1600/general+pictures+041.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">You will need the following supplies -</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001685PEQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001685PEQ&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=JKS6WKWQRTX2CP4T" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Styrofoam Balls</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=poppytipsoamp-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001685PEQ" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />
(we used the 2.5 inch size)</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* Various colors of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0054H2P6G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0054H2P6G&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=RQE4JUKKKFTIIC5E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fabric</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=poppytipsoamp-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0054H2P6G" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />
. You will want at least three contrasting colors.</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IWAH7Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005IWAH7Q&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=RBX3LRC5USGWBOFU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Narrow ribbon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=poppytipsoamp-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B005IWAH7Q" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />
for hanging</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMBACK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000AMBACK&linkCode=as2&tag=poppytipsoamp-20&linkId=D22AYBRKEENS3F2D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quilting pins</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=poppytipsoamp-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000AMBACK" style="border: none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* Scissors</span><br />
<span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">* Butter knife</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE9MYaHy9Z0P4psrMNHeCya4aam4cGZr4TtswMvPO6fNtvogbDObVc-N0wwAHqLsb6LQWwFWQFnVqrMEKBJWX845gmvv5sgRqIzyei6FuMj6hCnkHiPnqngOBUoRG0LkTvQo_k0-aAk_a/s1600/general+pictures+042.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNE9MYaHy9Z0P4psrMNHeCya4aam4cGZr4TtswMvPO6fNtvogbDObVc-N0wwAHqLsb6LQWwFWQFnVqrMEKBJWX845gmvv5sgRqIzyei6FuMj6hCnkHiPnqngOBUoRG0LkTvQo_k0-aAk_a/w400-h301/general+pictures+042.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">1) Cut fabric into squares. The size will depend on the size of the ball. For the 2.5 inch ball, we cut our fabric in approximately 1.5 inch squares. This is not a project that you will need to be accurate on.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqecOPgOuEu-27-LP0I3OIcMPbhb9F6TOAzvYMqR7Ai4PxCN8jv0WDJK4oTP3XI3UAvTLBLU_rBzg9oRHS2LlqgP_6GJAjqrs_2XqqME8D7clU7xixflyJvxOwoFQaySQP0E2KH9arffH/s1600/general+pictures+045.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqecOPgOuEu-27-LP0I3OIcMPbhb9F6TOAzvYMqR7Ai4PxCN8jv0WDJK4oTP3XI3UAvTLBLU_rBzg9oRHS2LlqgP_6GJAjqrs_2XqqME8D7clU7xixflyJvxOwoFQaySQP0E2KH9arffH/w400-h301/general+pictures+045.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">2) Begin poking the fabric into the Styrofoam with your butter knife. You will want to keep the knife perpendicular to the fabric to wedge it in neatly. <br /><br />Also to avoid making big holes into the Styrofoam, follow the line of the fabric closely, only poking in 1/8 inch or so. <br /><br />Too much fabric causes the Styrofoam to not hold the fabric in place. Too little fabric and it will pop back out. Practice a throw-away to get the feel of it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnStrDOmaEKPWlEZQKTZgTeByHL2patrAFU7m8D3LLI1DZAHMtGZt6QLi1R400ipFzuEQRX-9iLg5F8mG0xYe37okd1RjxHT9O9p7jeD8xxTAtRiiV7CYOPWCisFZzbdIql7DzubpyN8i-/s1600/general+pictures+048.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnStrDOmaEKPWlEZQKTZgTeByHL2patrAFU7m8D3LLI1DZAHMtGZt6QLi1R400ipFzuEQRX-9iLg5F8mG0xYe37okd1RjxHT9O9p7jeD8xxTAtRiiV7CYOPWCisFZzbdIql7DzubpyN8i-/w400-h301/general+pictures+048.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">3) Continue pushing the fabric in as neatly as possible.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cgAHf6X0YsQVp67LrHa83m0SP1WxoJ7M-MxU8i3NH274WKtde_-NLf-734vWt4crSzpN3WbHkUqBeR1m_hiX-txqo72Kp33vLRzXeEobh-mV-OtsVbFUKoc74rqAMLilMnN-05_Ri8Y2/s1600/general+pictures+052.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cgAHf6X0YsQVp67LrHa83m0SP1WxoJ7M-MxU8i3NH274WKtde_-NLf-734vWt4crSzpN3WbHkUqBeR1m_hiX-txqo72Kp33vLRzXeEobh-mV-OtsVbFUKoc74rqAMLilMnN-05_Ri8Y2/w400-h301/general+pictures+052.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">4) Add a contrasting color of fabric. Start on the side that meets up with the already applied fabric.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_1-RRag3-xBLMCf4r35C93xCrAAXM_O6qX4MNL5CT5vk6QNWHDG8a29oRBrWpeH1KktMpANOQG2as_pX-QC-vlNATuX-5HwxUVhxY2e_CwzEC6YAjONWN24syWU8TpV3gXKcspeKY_4u/s1600/general+pictures+053.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_1-RRag3-xBLMCf4r35C93xCrAAXM_O6qX4MNL5CT5vk6QNWHDG8a29oRBrWpeH1KktMpANOQG2as_pX-QC-vlNATuX-5HwxUVhxY2e_CwzEC6YAjONWN24syWU8TpV3gXKcspeKY_4u/w400-h301/general+pictures+053.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">5) Don't worry if your pieces don't match perfectly. Just trim the fabric as needed to fit the spaces.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzsxRfZFEqDGpnQpBPZAE0ezqRuTYmqy_vi69M5V7J9P00bB7pDJut8Mi6RaEJrnG-rgYexLazYIxrUzAdkAyBum9JkGYI1RaMFMrpl5CVT4Gt8TuUpDPQej227NJQxAp_LJpQqbjbj1-/s1600/general+pictures+055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzsxRfZFEqDGpnQpBPZAE0ezqRuTYmqy_vi69M5V7J9P00bB7pDJut8Mi6RaEJrnG-rgYexLazYIxrUzAdkAyBum9JkGYI1RaMFMrpl5CVT4Gt8TuUpDPQej227NJQxAp_LJpQqbjbj1-/w400-h301/general+pictures+055.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">6) Continue adding fabric until your ornament is completely covered.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDMqhFW5gDgJb1b1qomgV8ngXWIM4TgWDRlRA98D_mKa_YtAGj9Yd5ZQcI7z8u5Ia7m9NqWxnjev6-GS3Osg7Ucn41soWaK9Cc03NfJIP82peEW6umvVFNgFAmiIMYjyqCk1XO9mkdL-a/s1600/general+pictures+056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDMqhFW5gDgJb1b1qomgV8ngXWIM4TgWDRlRA98D_mKa_YtAGj9Yd5ZQcI7z8u5Ia7m9NqWxnjev6-GS3Osg7Ucn41soWaK9Cc03NfJIP82peEW6umvVFNgFAmiIMYjyqCk1XO9mkdL-a/w400-h301/general+pictures+056.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">7) Wrap two strands of ribbon around the ball and secure with a pin.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintEjbFJLr-gEEjdQmTAwlNVyK0JD-5WY6w0doohGvHW8IBKB-AzrfK3Hf7EsEH-uCeLNDoFCaCwU1tuXU1mRG8WqkDtzAoxXH1O4n1Q0zXHsmiaErrBf_qfk463-gaKGMhPjvDlO5ePyo/s1600/general+pictures+057.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintEjbFJLr-gEEjdQmTAwlNVyK0JD-5WY6w0doohGvHW8IBKB-AzrfK3Hf7EsEH-uCeLNDoFCaCwU1tuXU1mRG8WqkDtzAoxXH1O4n1Q0zXHsmiaErrBf_qfk463-gaKGMhPjvDlO5ePyo/w301-h400/general+pictures+057.jpg" width="301" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">8) Cut a strip of ribbon approximately 9 inches long.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UyKGQU_OyDwttehpBJ_GeX7N_1a57VAD4gIiVMvMo8e8CZxw8TAwKZnEXsDSfAVkxuzzjBnYcE9MhNnaQoU8HGS7Gbb0XjrfNH7g8o_ekuaeDnOJHCveO5MHWyKaRvOlnLomOQbTPkhA/s1600/general+pictures+058.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UyKGQU_OyDwttehpBJ_GeX7N_1a57VAD4gIiVMvMo8e8CZxw8TAwKZnEXsDSfAVkxuzzjBnYcE9MhNnaQoU8HGS7Gbb0XjrfNH7g8o_ekuaeDnOJHCveO5MHWyKaRvOlnLomOQbTPkhA/w400-h301/general+pictures+058.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">9) Fold another piece of ribbon into a bow.</span></td></tr>
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9iXZ6jFSmRgzoR8KuJEACKHncCI-MJN3RrJtzdg1wU_y5BGqMtBMR368WYcZposl1vwOAY4ZdDCmOgVFLz5GoSBnxwGUWwXRJMz4EQQ1GPxlhQJZqH8Pm1GgW4J5hxL4T_K-ESQvu0Qj/s1600/general+pictures+059.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9iXZ6jFSmRgzoR8KuJEACKHncCI-MJN3RrJtzdg1wU_y5BGqMtBMR368WYcZposl1vwOAY4ZdDCmOgVFLz5GoSBnxwGUWwXRJMz4EQQ1GPxlhQJZqH8Pm1GgW4J5hxL4T_K-ESQvu0Qj/w400-h301/general+pictures+059.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">10) Secure bow with a knot to the 9 inch piece of ribbon.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki93xaxB95dWxCBMV0ZZRTix76GVHRdIqU0gaH5gMosBRkzYj_UT5O-a1Hkkj65-Ii1Mjkym03KdDEmImhNsWijojJHAMqiFdkQAaDiTrk_k0D0IlstdQ7GUOyID3trStVAjY-m0v2Zmo/s1600/general+pictures+061.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki93xaxB95dWxCBMV0ZZRTix76GVHRdIqU0gaH5gMosBRkzYj_UT5O-a1Hkkj65-Ii1Mjkym03KdDEmImhNsWijojJHAMqiFdkQAaDiTrk_k0D0IlstdQ7GUOyID3trStVAjY-m0v2Zmo/w400-h301/general+pictures+061.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">11) Push a pin through the center of the bow, securing it to the top of the ornament.</span></td></tr>
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</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh0zutrb1kPV92EH9HAcTMJ6nBeVthxzzRjkTCJ5jOfyoW6TS5atYdbGN6MbWZzS3wfzJcDRVPECpPVoSzw9Y0T6eMJVNC31P-rVSLGoCNGztsp7ADOqhQlJWnXp0NS0QKLGRH9ZEloJF/s1600/general+pictures+062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIh0zutrb1kPV92EH9HAcTMJ6nBeVthxzzRjkTCJ5jOfyoW6TS5atYdbGN6MbWZzS3wfzJcDRVPECpPVoSzw9Y0T6eMJVNC31P-rVSLGoCNGztsp7ADOqhQlJWnXp0NS0QKLGRH9ZEloJF/w301-h400/general+pictures+062.jpg" width="301" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">12) Tie a knot into the top of the 9 inch piece to complete the hanging portion. Hang on your tree and enjoy!</span></td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-7611968576132890972017-05-13T17:56:00.001-05:002020-10-24T17:59:21.175-05:00Garden 2017 - A Better Design<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Last year, our garden was so overgrown that it became impossible to get into it pick the food... This year, I exercised a bit of control and planted my plots a little farther apart. Take a video tour with me to see the new set up!</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-36676122239861275482017-03-01T08:34:00.002-06:002017-03-01T08:36:42.150-06:00Psychological Thriller Giveaway on Goodreads...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pqfsldHcZ5YvyX0Z73Nhy0TqttIfRWJVF7itBuUiRJFfzum5SPBAmQVmEy4DIN7mvU7MbDywc3tu-eHNb2RX-ijogr2hszlh0J-TaIGGlf9iFXFzcpfLeVl2Cqy-9uSfnkDQXg6EUELp/s1600/16357204_1553374171414332_2093478012_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pqfsldHcZ5YvyX0Z73Nhy0TqttIfRWJVF7itBuUiRJFfzum5SPBAmQVmEy4DIN7mvU7MbDywc3tu-eHNb2RX-ijogr2hszlh0J-TaIGGlf9iFXFzcpfLeVl2Cqy-9uSfnkDQXg6EUELp/s320/16357204_1553374171414332_2093478012_o+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've been busy building my author website - <a href="https://www.rashelllashbrook.com/" target="_blank">www.rashelllashbrook.com</a> and neglecting Poppy Juice. <b>My apologies to anyone left still following me.</b> I promise with spring will come posts about the garden and the chickens that we are going to keep in our little urban homestead. <b>Everything has a season,</b> and for this moment, my season consists of learning all about self-publishing and book promotion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wanted to announce the Goodreads giveaway that I'm currently running from March 1st through March 8th. Ten lucky winners will get an autographed, first edition copy of my book, Hidden in the Dark! <b>(Warning - book is full of adult content - NOT for the faint of heart!) </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Are psychological thrillers not your thing? Feel free to share the link with your friends!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273363"><img alt="Hidden in the Dark by Rashell Lashbrook" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487016747l/34273363.jpg" title="Hidden in the Dark by Rashell Lashbrook" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273363">Hidden in the Dark</a>
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16440421.Rashell_Lashbrook" style="text-decoration: none;">Rashell Lashbrook</a>
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<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends March 08, 2017.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/224310" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
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<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/224310">Enter Giveaway</a>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks and Happy reading!!!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-38320022741520649362017-02-16T06:04:00.001-06:002020-10-24T18:06:15.703-05:00Self Publishing - (My Learning Curve Looks More Like a Hairpin)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hp_1LzQKI8LfaZYcpryZhB374262K1k_tUQy2MtG8IpwHNYsT5P84wYl0VkEwzkW2gr8WBtnoRTk4Z8ynTVTYjJH8kV-vBm9cBUVsDDS_U4WEZ5dg3H_TZ-wccPjlSYrIsk5HYKx1E8J/s1600/Hidden+in+the+Dark+blog+post.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hp_1LzQKI8LfaZYcpryZhB374262K1k_tUQy2MtG8IpwHNYsT5P84wYl0VkEwzkW2gr8WBtnoRTk4Z8ynTVTYjJH8kV-vBm9cBUVsDDS_U4WEZ5dg3H_TZ-wccPjlSYrIsk5HYKx1E8J/w400-h300/Hidden+in+the+Dark+blog+post.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The old saying goes something like, "The more I learn, the less I know". </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During my recent journey to publish my novel, this little saying has popped into my mind nearly a thousand times. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As I've taken each step, I've become aware of things that I didn't even contemplate before. (Who knew a query letter was even a thing?) </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>When I began the process of throwing words onto paper and rearranging them repeatedly, I had an ignorantly, blissfully, sweet way of viewing this thing called "getting published".</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I thought it would be as simple as creating a great story, picking an agent (little did I know the approval process would be the other way around), and finding a publisher. <b>Ta-dah! I would be a best selling author! Wasn't I precious? </b></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Fast forward four, or five, years later and my awareness has changed. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Write a great novel- Check. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Pick an agent - Leave blank.</b> This may not happen quickly. I am a researcher. I've done my homework. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>To be completely honest, I haven't even approached one single agent.</b> I think I've nearly talked myself out of it at this stage of the game. The word on the street is that for someone like me (never published, minuscule social media platform) <b>finding a good agent at this point will be as easy as winning the figure skating competition in the Olympics after the winter of rest that I've enjoyed.</b></div>
</span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In an effort to narrow the gap a bit, I have decided to work on the things that I need.</b> First, I need legitimate reviews. Second, my social platform (my fan base) needs some pumping up. And last, but not least, I feel like I stand a much better chance of attracting success with a track record of proven success! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>All these goals pointed me in the direction of the one thing that formerly made me groan.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Self-publishing, at least in my mind, brought about images of poorly produced copies of bad quality books that no one else wanted. <b>The very concept had "rejection" written all over it.</b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Guess what guys? Turns out, self-publishing is the new trend! Self publishing is no longer a shameful thing. In fact, <b>many traditionally published authors are now choosing to self publish for multiple reasons.</b> Some of the logic behind doing so includes things like autonomy, bigger payout (keeping more of the royalties for yourself), more control of the number of books able to be published in a year, and many more. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Like all things DIY, self publishing is incredibly hard work.</b> It's all on the author to make it happen. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Liken it to the difference between having a home built and choosing to act as your own general contractor. When you are acting as your own general contractor (self publisher) you can choose to hire subs (editors, cover designers, etc.) or you can choose to do all the work yourself, but at the end of the project, <b>the buck stops with you.</b> </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Doesn't that sound exciting? It did to me, too! Self publishing meant that I didn't have to wait for permission from someone else to get my book into the hands of readers, that I didn't have to wait to hunt for official reviews, and I could make things happen on my own timeline. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've heard horror stories of authors waiting for years before anyone discovered their work. This could still happen to me. <b>I'm not ruling out the traditional publishing route.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">But in the meantime, I'm going to do everything in my power to make something happen now. Everyday I'm learning, listening to those who have gone before me, and doing. I'm putting one foot in front of the other, in faith that there will be a path before me. <b>If there is no path, then I have faith in my ability to clear one. </b></span></div>
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-49863361364950741302017-02-10T13:25:00.004-06:002020-10-26T09:12:01.520-05:00Ignored Creative Urges Equals Destruction<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy0gpnXuusbmcR2A5GjgU3dQnUe_7QgE1DEGlWVCAviKG1aule5jGg_D7vKblI2ClC0HX_O55o54eG6va7T74QH2U7-rM7qktfYbgJOHCk1gh4mw4suQucIWepKUJa6_Yf636yJGww_6F/s1600/plant+your+dream+so+it+can+grow+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYy0gpnXuusbmcR2A5GjgU3dQnUe_7QgE1DEGlWVCAviKG1aule5jGg_D7vKblI2ClC0HX_O55o54eG6va7T74QH2U7-rM7qktfYbgJOHCk1gh4mw4suQucIWepKUJa6_Yf636yJGww_6F/s320/plant+your+dream+so+it+can+grow+2.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif">First, I should preempt what I'm about to say with this - </span><b>I
believe all human beings are creative creatures, in some form or fashion.</b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> We
tend to think of artists, musicians, writers, and the like when referring to a
"creative soul". The very act of creating something, to bring
something into existence, to cause something as a result of one's actions,
includes a vast number of things that we do in our everyday life. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Artists
don't have the market on creativity.</b><span face="verdana, sans-serif"> An engineer is creative when
designing a structure. An attorney is creative when designing a game plan to
win a case. The urban gardener's creativity flows abundantly when designing a
companion planting plot. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>When you are being creative, you can feel it
in your entire body. It feels like an adventure!</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">In a video, a few days ago, I talked about the soul's need
to dream. Not only do we need to have dreams, we also need to be creative. The
creative soul not allowed to create <b>will become destructive.</b>
We have a vast amount of energy designed just to create. If this energy is
bottled up, or leached away by the demands of life, we become negative and
destructive.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For the kind souls, <i>most of us I'm sure</i>, we
don't want to be destructive to those around us. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>So, where does the
destruction go? It goes to the only place acceptable to us. We direct it
inward.</b> The destruction comes in many forms - drug and alcohol abuse,
eating disorders, anxiety, negative self-image, mean inner-talk (You're not
good enough, you can't get anything right, etc.), and <b>perfectionism -
the killer of dreams.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I'm not implying that creating will cure alcoholism. </b>I'm
aware that there has been more than a bucketful of talented people who still
manage to become and stay self-destructive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">In fact, <b>there are some doozers of
examples of super talented folks who managed to hold onto their destructive,
self and otherwise, nature while creating some brilliant work - just before
their star burned out.</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">These people are the exceptions, the sacrifices to the
world of art. They are not a practical comparison, unless you want to also burn
out in a flame of ugly. I think that these tortured souls have connected their
artistic creativity with their pain, rather, made the pain their muse and
sought to keep it alive at their own expense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">But for the rest of us, creation can be a healing process.
<b>Creation can be that moment that reminds us what it felt like to be a kid,
building a fort in the back yard.</b> Do you remember that feeling? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">No matter how
much your tummy grumbled, no matter how late it was getting, you just wanted to
finish your fort. You had plans for that fort! The only reason that you stopped
working on your fort was because your mom finally made you come inside. For the
rest of the evening, if your fort wasn't completed, all that you could think
about was how you were going to finish building it the next day. That's
the kind of excitement that creating brings to our oppressed, sleepy
hearts! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Who has time to be destructive when they are busy creating?
Find a sense of purpose and you will find a reason to create.</b> If you aren't the
artistic type, don't think for one second that you are not creative. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Take some
time to find what really inspires you, what makes you feel alive. You are a
magnificent creator! Every day, you are creating your life. What will you
choose to create next?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-77473109366506463652017-02-08T19:08:00.001-06:002020-10-26T09:16:49.426-05:00Are You Letting Someone or Something Steal Your Dreams?<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRaShellLashbrook%2Fvideos%2F1927559827479822%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I've had a message heavy on my heart lately and feel compelled to write about it. But time has been in short supply over the past week as I've been busy preparing my book for publishing. I decided to make a short video instead! Do you have a dream thief in your life? How do you deal with the challenges of keeping your goals and dreams alive?</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-62560875602335622802017-01-30T22:01:00.004-06:002020-10-26T09:14:48.352-05:00If I Succeed, Will I Have to Sacrifice My First Born Child?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenKDvL6IVDXet7cJrqoAl5pztqTiUu743g9CiZwB4HzVENrrqiBja-KJRVLatEE-iVOD4m4i6ILUoDK6cJaHY1CxJatSe-SVqR7HGv-rKuqFTfwJElzdUnsnxno19icN8IxyUUUCqc4yG/s1600/Fear-of-success.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenKDvL6IVDXet7cJrqoAl5pztqTiUu743g9CiZwB4HzVENrrqiBja-KJRVLatEE-iVOD4m4i6ILUoDK6cJaHY1CxJatSe-SVqR7HGv-rKuqFTfwJElzdUnsnxno19icN8IxyUUUCqc4yG/s400/Fear-of-success.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Do you have invisibilitis?</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In case you aren't familiar with
the disease, </span><b>it is a debilitating condition that renders the afflicted weakened
and benign, often afraid to shine too brightly or sing too loudly</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">. Just
for the record, I have a slight case of invisibilitis....</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Okay, I might have
made the word up, so don't go pestering Google. You probably won't find
anything. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">The condition flares up, like a bad case of diarrhea,
whenever I threaten to do something truly magnificent. Invisibilitis manifests
itself as the deep, irrational fear that IF I succeed (for example, my novel is
a hit), THEN something equally awful will happen (one of my children will be
picked off by the imaginary vultures in the sky, or I'll get cancer).</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It's the
<b>self-sabotaging voice in my head that tries to discourage me from taking big
(or small) creative risks</b>. It's the same whisper in my head that told me not to
raise my hand in class, for fear of being wrong. It’s the same all-knowing hiss in my ear that
warned me not to try out for the class play, audition for the spot on the dance
team, or strike up conversation with the popular kids in class.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I'm not sure why I've listened to this voice, this illogical
spook that has convinced me to stay small and quiet.</b> I've believed that by
being myself, in my full color and texture, I would draw the attention of all
of the "bad things". That somehow, there are eyes above, just
watching for signs of movement to toy with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The past few days, more fearful thoughts than normal have
been gripping my heart. After a good long stretch of seriously positive vibes
rolling off of me, I was wondering <b>why now? Why the paranoia?</b> <b>Then it hit me
like a freight train! I'm onto something really big!</b> I'm singing louder than I
ever have before!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Not only have I finished the novel that I’ve labored over
for years, I’ve had a great reception from my beta readers AND I’ve finished my
edit. Plus, I am now in the process of building a social media following for my
book! Yeah, baby! I’m building momentum! People actually want to read my little
book, and they are asking to reserve their copy. It’s getting serious! Which
means this might really happen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I might do exactly what I set out to do!</b> Whaaa.....????<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Okay. Now I completely understand the reason for the flare
up. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">The remedy is simple enough. <b>A high dose of positive thoughts (enough to dilute
the fearful, negative ones) is what the mind-doctor orders.</b> I’ll pull out my
Napoleon Hill, Anthony Robbins, and Jack Canfield recordings and flood my mind.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Do you struggle with Invisibilitis or some other
debilitating disease of the mind that holds you back from realizing your
dreams? How do you combat stinking thinking? I’d love to hear about your
experiences and solutions!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-72678727231614403782017-01-27T14:05:00.002-06:002020-10-26T09:19:44.860-05:00How Important is a Social Following For a New Author?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjBskCD-IhR-zHtcBr8m2_-tuEWsxHtSBBZzsU-gP7yU2S96fiy6fhkisYiXqgXsSYQwElMdBlJLJSSc0XykzfK0dhC-riDs5rwTGnc8CzBi4ioRb3fey86Yi01MzHO_Eh2bd52qIUs5o/s1600/book+one+year+ago.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjBskCD-IhR-zHtcBr8m2_-tuEWsxHtSBBZzsU-gP7yU2S96fiy6fhkisYiXqgXsSYQwElMdBlJLJSSc0XykzfK0dhC-riDs5rwTGnc8CzBi4ioRb3fey86Yi01MzHO_Eh2bd52qIUs5o/s320/book+one+year+ago.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">My unfinished manuscript, last year at this<br />time <3</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Do you have a soundtrack in your mind?</b> Some of
you might be scratching your head and wondering what in the heck I'm talking
about. But I suspect most of you know exactly what I mean. For those who don't
- let me explain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">For example, when I'm in the grocery store during rush hour
AND <b>Miss Slow Poke is taking her sweet time</b> in front of the
exact section that I NEED to be in.....the song that plays in my soundtrack is<b> "Move
Bit@# Get Out Da Way" by Ludacris</b>. (Don't judge, I didn't write the
song.) Or, when I'm feeling overwhelmed, "Under Pressure" by
Queen/David Bowie plays in my head. <b>And so, the list goes on.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Today, my soundtrack is on repeat with The Pointer
Sisters' "I'm So Excited!"</b> I don't know if the song has an
exclamation point at the end of it on the album, but in my head, it does! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">This week has been a big week for me. I finally agreed with
myself on a title to my new novel AND yesterday, we (my social media guy and I)
launched my author Facebook fan page. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Since I am not a published
author, I feel like I'm venturing into unknown land with a pocketful of handwritten
maps</b> given to me by a bunch of folks who have been to the destination
taking various routes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">All the advice has been a little overwhelming. And the
big, famous authors, the ones who are there already, haven't exactly left
detailed maps with little provision stations along the way. It's good though.
It's a journey of faith in my writing, belief in myself, and belief in the
consistent hard work required to accomplish any worthwhile goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I've read and listened to a great deal of advice on the
subject of "getting published". One thing that I continue to see is
that the landscape has changed recently in the publishing world. <b>No
longer is it enough to write a great book</b>, find a literary agent and wait
for the agent to find a publisher. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>Social media has changed so many
aspects of our world</b>, and book publishing is not immune to its influence. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Now, <b>a writer must also have a platform.</b> The publisher wants
to know that the author is marketable, that they come with a fan base. I find
it distressing in some ways, but also encouraging. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">On the downside, <b>it is sad to think that a writer of
amazing talent could possibly be passed over</b> just because he or she hasn't taken the time to develop their social media
presence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">However, the positive voice in my head (almost always the
loudmouth in the group) says, "Wonderful! You have the opportunity to
create an edge and to be noticed!" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>If a platform, or a following
on social media can make me more appealing to a potential agent and/or
publisher, then I can have some influence in the likelihood that my novel(s)
will be published!</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I may not be the most brilliant person on the face
of the earth, but <b>I am creative</b> and above all, <b>I am a
very hard worker.</b> I can do this! <b>And that, my friends, is why the
song, "I'm So Excited" is playing in my head on repeat.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-41141917573991820492017-01-25T18:02:00.001-06:002020-10-26T09:21:17.343-05:00What? I'm Supposed to Find Fans for a Book That's Not Published Yet?<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nemGHn1RuYo" width="560"></iframe>
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<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">While I'm so excited to be done with the first phase of my book, the realization hit me today that I've got a long road ahead of me in the process of finding a publisher! My vlog from today.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-55685443243734576962017-01-24T12:41:00.003-06:002020-10-26T09:25:33.986-05:00Am I a DIY Fraud?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuJx9wP7ncdBKeIEBzbWJ3CyD2w41g_rPxXMnGjZsVpZN5oS-b-P7rvtjZ4ZTFCU7pXw7QCfVsb6DC3cpxhsUT6s_frUOblIub4hohxaAyo9YDYRipX2YbrZQDaYyII3alH7PJo5BvqUk/s1600/Life+is+about+creating+you.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDuJx9wP7ncdBKeIEBzbWJ3CyD2w41g_rPxXMnGjZsVpZN5oS-b-P7rvtjZ4ZTFCU7pXw7QCfVsb6DC3cpxhsUT6s_frUOblIub4hohxaAyo9YDYRipX2YbrZQDaYyII3alH7PJo5BvqUk/s320/Life+is+about+creating+you.png" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Photo credit to Caylie Harris -<br />Taken of me at my favorite<br />thinking spot - next to my<br />writing desk</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Because my novel is in a holding pattern, and I have a little down time, I was looking over the history of my little blog. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Wow! I was all over the place!</b> It's interesting to look through the posts and remember my excitement to share an idea or "how-to". And frankly, <b>I'm a little intimidated by my former self!</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Former Me" made her own <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/01/homemade-laundry-soap-effective-and.html" target="_blank">laundry detergent</a>, <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/02/truly-amazing-homemade-dishwasher.html" target="_blank">dishwasher detergent</a>, <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/03/easy-homemade-egg-noodles.html" target="_blank">egg noodles</a>, <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/02/sourdough-bread.html" target="_blank">sour dough bread</a>, <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2012/03/vinegar-orange-peel-homemade-cleaning.html" target="_blank">non-toxic cleaning solution</a> and she grew huge gardens!</div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">Fast forward to present day - <b>I still grow a garden</b>, but I'm completely hooked on Finish brand dishwasher detergent, we almost never eat bread, my pasta maker hasn't been out of the cabinet in over a year, and <b>Mr. Clean Gain Scent is my spirit animal. I should be ashamed.</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I've realized that I'm a conqueror.</b> For me, the challenge of learning a skill is more exciting than continuing to practice the skill. I love to know HOW to do things, love to know HOW things work. But to continue to do those things day in and day out? Hmmm....not so much.</div>
</span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I fantasize about being completely self-sufficient.</b> I'd like to think the skills and knowledge that I'm collecting would sustain me during hard times. Certainly, during really tight financial times, I've been thankful that I know how to make homemade bread, egg noodles, and cleaning products. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>However, in the red-blooded world of ingenuity and sustainability, I'm a bit of a poser.</b> I have complete admiration for people like <a href="http://www.offgridevolution.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Starry Hilder,</a> a YouTuber who actually lives off the grid. They are really doing it - living the life of independence from the system, just like modern day pioneers. The Starry Hilders of this world are the folks I go to first when I need survival information. The knowledge offered by their ilk makes my do-it-yourself post on <a href="https://www.poppyjuicelivingwellforless.com/2013/05/how-to-really-get-rid-of-acne-scars.html" target="_blank">getting rid of acne scars</a> seem kind of...lame?</div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">Perhaps I'll always be a dabbler. Maybe my purpose in life isn't so much to master any one thing, rather to learn a little about many things. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>My tendency to be fascinated with many different things </b></span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><b>fills my head with annoying, random facts.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">It's also the quality that </span><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">spurs my love of creating and writing. I'm beginning to accept that <b>I'm not exactly the person that I'd hoped to be</b>. As I'm pushing away my self-imposed expectations (which I'm failing to meet anyway), I'm finding that more room exists for the authentic me to shine. <b>I'm learning to forgive myself for changing my mind, for changing my goals</b>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif">And most of all, I'm learning to ignore the judgmental voice of that over-achieving former "me". </span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">What ideals do you hold about yourself that might not be fitting for the "you" of today? Have you reached a point in your journey in which you realized that the former "you" no longer reflected your true self? If so, how did you say goodbye to your old goals, dreams and images that you held for yourself?</div>
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-17071970756749443372017-01-23T12:15:00.002-06:002020-10-26T09:31:17.097-05:00Why is it so Hard to Name this Baby? (Finding a Title for My Novel)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbjLnQV-s6W8J-HXCgWVR6sGQhxpcSXnYoIfV-iG0D6PxVeW8PFcBa-aDk3vuoo3HZflPbGSaR8MXyAoBmZ9bNo6eWjvkSsnaK5vx9fYVClQZMQBprUmq44UGGXNmQTgAq2ICd88xLTVo/s1600/computer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbjLnQV-s6W8J-HXCgWVR6sGQhxpcSXnYoIfV-iG0D6PxVeW8PFcBa-aDk3vuoo3HZflPbGSaR8MXyAoBmZ9bNo6eWjvkSsnaK5vx9fYVClQZMQBprUmq44UGGXNmQTgAq2ICd88xLTVo/s320/computer.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">No, <b>I'm not pregnant</b>, at least not with a human child. </div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher;">Naming my children was so much easier than naming my novel. It's sporting a temporary title for now, of course. But no one, and I mean no one, in my group of beta readers got the title. I purposely picked beta readers MUCH smarter than me. Soooo.... that means </span><b style="font-family: Philosopher;">I need a new title!</b></span></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;">Turns out, naming a novel is much more difficult than naming a baby. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>First of all, you shouldn't name your novel the same name as anyone else's novel.</b> There isn't any honor in naming your book after another famous work. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Secondly, the title should actually be connected to your story in some way.</b> No matter how much I like the sound of "Genny Carter's Underwear Drawer", it won't work because it has nothing to do with my story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thirdly,</b> while the title shouldn't give away the plot line,<b> it should result in an "Ah ha" moment for the reader</b> after they have finished the story.</div></span>
</span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My temporary title is "Genny Carter, The Getaway Driver". </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I thought this was quite brilliant, as my story is about a woman who is a victim of domestic violence and how she becomes an accomplice, in a sense, to her husband's abuse of their children. The story then goes on to examine the lives of the grown children and the dire consequences the abuse has for the entire family (including the abuser). </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">While the mother doesn't actively abuse the children, she enables him. Hence the name, "The Getaway Driver". Get it? Getaway driver, just like a bank robber has a getaway driver. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Unfortunately, the meaning was lost.</b> Some of my readers hoped that the mom was going to get her children away from the abuse (as we would all expect a mother to do). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Now, I'm back to the drawing board, so to speak. My rewrite is completed, and I just need to slap a great name on this baby- hopefully a name that results in an "Ah ha" moment for the reader! </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">If you have any suggestions, please feel free to share! I'll be very happy to give credit to the brilliant person that helps to name my novel. I'm dangerously close to giving it a name that sounds like a self-help book! </span></div>
</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://www.hypersmash.com/hostgator/" id="zL741">Hostgator Promos</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675259876441653122.post-90326658933975931092017-01-14T14:48:00.004-06:002020-10-26T09:39:56.714-05:00My Off the Grid Fantasy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Dx6se__HcIhLusdezHCgwlmP9bjqeTtKyeXcZ2mBaN7izhYyoIdGZGHoouCoh0ovhvGqTg1jacaJ0REYKkeer-u1JKrgK0RXxhZwUtk4Fa24KxDIzsA7QRQmFDe30K74D0TsJWPKmFz/s1600/Off+the+Grid+Fantasy.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh4Dx6se__HcIhLusdezHCgwlmP9bjqeTtKyeXcZ2mBaN7izhYyoIdGZGHoouCoh0ovhvGqTg1jacaJ0REYKkeer-u1JKrgK0RXxhZwUtk4Fa24KxDIzsA7QRQmFDe30K74D0TsJWPKmFz/s320/Off+the+Grid+Fantasy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The forecast is calling for a severe ice storm over the next twenty-four hours, <b>as in the kind of ice storm that snaps power lines and makes travel impossible.</b> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On my Facebook feed, my friends' responses range from "Oh no! Praying it passes us!" to "Yeah! Bring out the chain saw and the rock salt!" </div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Once the news of the impending storm hit, I started getting an excited, tingling feeling.</b> Mr. Man-of-the-House is right there with me! The threat of a storm brings out the very best in him. We spent yesterday making soups (in case we lose power), bringing enough firewood into the house and garage to get us through until spring, and stocking up on kerosene and candles. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh, and just in case we do lose power, we did all the laundry. Going without electricity for days would mean no washer and dryer.</div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;">As all forecasts invariably do, the prediction of when and how much ice we will be getting began to change. <b>As the projected amounts of ice dropped from an inch to a half an inch, my heart began to sink a little. </b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yes, I know, that's still a lot of ice. Yes, I know that great amounts of property damage can ensue from an ice storm. I understand that there are people who will have to get out on the bad roads and risk their lives to go to jobs that they cannot miss. <b>I'm ashamed to admit that I'm still praying for a big ice storm. </b></div>
</span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
</span><h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Why do I want a disaster to happen? </span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I don't want anyone to suffer. I really just want some downtime.<b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>I want something that forces me and my family to disconnect from the 24/7 society we live in</b>, a society where we are expected to accomplish, achieve, and be available at all times. Our minds are cluttered with social media, on-line gaming, and multiple forms of instant entertainment. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">While I love technology, the easy accessibility creates an overwhelming amount of choices and mental chaos. <b>I want something that forces us to reconnect with ourselves. </b></span></div>
<div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I have a fantasy of living off the grid. Could I really do it? Perhaps. But my writing career leans on the functions of technology and on the connections made through social media. My "day job" requires that I live near people, and that I'm accessible through social media. All in all, the benefits of our electronic society far outweigh the negatives.</div></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>An ice storm, especially one that causes loss of power, would be a temporary "off-the-grid" experience.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I imagine that if power loss were to last for more than a day, it would cause us the re-examine the way we utilize our resources. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><b>We would also view our time very differently.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">When I was a child, my family didn't have a television. My parents thought it was junk and unnecessary. For entertainment, we read books, created art, and played games (not the electronic kind). <b>I'd love to say that I'm giving my children the same experience in their childhood, but I'd be lying.</b> All too often, I cave to begging for "one more YouTube video" or "one more game". </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">Why do I need an ice storm to take a break?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">I should be asking myself why I need an ice storm to take a break from everything. Shouldn't I be able to assert myself? To just say "no" to the demands, texts, and expectations? The truth is that I feel guilty if I'm not achieving something. <b>I feel lazy if I'm not working or creating.</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">It's easy for me to tell a friend to take a break. <b>I have a much harder time giving myself permission to rest.</b> I'm afraid that an opportunity might pass me by, or that I will let someone down. I could blame the pressure on our society. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">There is certainly a culture of expectation. In reality, the pressure is totally on me. <b>I feel the need to be busy, to stay cluttered and chaotic.</b> I guess in some way, it makes me feel validated. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;">Dig out the board games</span></h3>
<div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: x-large;">No matter what the weather does, we have a fridge full of meals, oil lamps and candles in every room, and a fire in both fireplaces. There is no place that we have to be this weekend. The kids played a rousing game of Fallout Monopoly last night, and even though they finished with an argument, at least they spent time together doing something real. </span></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7UMrzNzli1o9x94w5VpsGgYHS4b3-vVsTnDdnPmKuKmnD8v-7Jz4AIy-VGO-SLWYr0BJlwAOTR_x2Bf-g_zr6KAQG-LCsPCUUH-J-iGG_f1wIPfEHV3QeMwIJcJZ2CdNBkGqgG-UtkSZ/s1600/DSCN1140.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7UMrzNzli1o9x94w5VpsGgYHS4b3-vVsTnDdnPmKuKmnD8v-7Jz4AIy-VGO-SLWYr0BJlwAOTR_x2Bf-g_zr6KAQG-LCsPCUUH-J-iGG_f1wIPfEHV3QeMwIJcJZ2CdNBkGqgG-UtkSZ/s320/DSCN1140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">My six-year-old created structures with her wooden blocks for several hours this morning. I'm appreciating that we have a small amount of downtime, even if we still have lights, heat, and dry roads.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuLsxCzCNSohmHtBV1FdVvmKecYpDvc3sKRneZlcK1VbivXD4XXVG-uTOiUG5UCiU-9DO0pvDEO612_uUsV1WcjlhZLcVYu9u6emcfc6L-gEA9ywc60_wNO_egqGb3X14dT2IHsi3MySc/s1600/DSCN1153.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuLsxCzCNSohmHtBV1FdVvmKecYpDvc3sKRneZlcK1VbivXD4XXVG-uTOiUG5UCiU-9DO0pvDEO612_uUsV1WcjlhZLcVYu9u6emcfc6L-gEA9ywc60_wNO_egqGb3X14dT2IHsi3MySc/s320/DSCN1153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Philosopher; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>I'm reminded that I am the gatekeeper of my life, and that I might not get the go-ahead from an external source to take a rest.</b> It's up to me to take what I need to be a balanced individual. </div></span></span></div>
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