I have a new love.

A surprising new love at that because–until now–I’d never considered myself the type.

Too much work–I’d always believed.  Not enough reward.

But then I read something that changed my mind–changed that “not enough reward” bit.

Turns out, there are benefits.

To what, you ask?  To houseplants.

Who knew?

It’s true though.  Check this out:

• they disperse airborne toxins
• they decrease dust and mold particles
• they increase creativity (which is HUGE considering I’m working on my second novel)
• they boost energy (which is equally HUGE considering I’m the mother of four)
• they reduce stress
• they also have a positive effect on Feng Shui if you buy that sorta thing (which I don’t–for the record)

Those were reason enough for me to invest in my very own house plants this past weekend.  And now that they’ve been placed into a formerly desolate corner of the living room, I’m actually quite fond of them.

Before I purchased them, though, I did scour the internet for recommendations as to which species of plants would go furthest in boosting our air quality.  Here are ten plants you might consider:

1. Janet Craig
2. Sweet Chico
3. Kentia Palm
4. Philodendron
5. Golden Pothos
6. English Ivy
7. Spider Plants
8. Snake Plants
9. Peace Lilly
10. African Violet

I had no idea I was the house plant type.  Turns out I am; I’m on the lookout for more greenery this weekend.

Two thing to remember though: don’t water your house plants with softened water because the salt can mess with sodium levels and cause your greens to die a slow and painful death; and to positively affect the air in an 1800 sq. ft. house you would need 15-20 plants.

For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas, check out Rocks In My Dryer.

Any mother of young children can look at the picture below and immediately identify what will happen when her son or daughter attempts to pour a tablespoon or two of salad dressing.

How do we know what will happen?  We’ve experienced one too many incidents in which half the bottle is inadvertently poured out upon poor, unsuspecting greens.  It’s not pretty.

Which is why I, personally, prefer to buy salad dressings that have tops that look more like this.

Unfortunately, though, the salad dressing manufacturers sort of frown upon consumers opening up their products in the store to check for child-friendly pourability, citing something or other about sanitation.  Hmph.

This little problem resulted in many a wasted salad in my child-heavy household.

Until.

Until my wise {young} grandmother taught me a thing or two about resourcefulness.

You see, what I never realized was that the difference between those two bottles was nothing more than a removable plastic funnel.  Key word: removable.  See for yourself.

Really.  It pops right out.  You just stick a butter knife in the hole and pry it on out.  Easy peasy.  Then you give it a good wash–you know, so that your oil and vinegar dressing doesn’t mix and mingle with the kids’ ranch.  And the next time you come across a funnel-less bottle of dressing?  Voila.  Just pop this one right in.  It’ll fit, even if it’s not the same brand of salad dressing. But don’t take my word for it; check it out for yourself.

Now I always collect the funnel before washing an empty bottle and tossing it into the recycling bin.  I keep many a spare funnels on hand–just in case.

Isn’t my Gram genius?

I think so too.

*Check out more Works For Me Wednesday ideas at That Family.

I discovered a new lunch superstar this week.  Superstar because not only is it a hit with me, but also with all of the kids – and that, let me assure you, is no small feat.

It’s a wrap, which means it’s as easy to throw together as peanut butter and jelly.  And it has hummus, and avocado, and feta–which means it is seriously delicious.

Here’s what you need:
- tortillas (I prefer the whole wheat ones from Trader Joe’s).
- deli turkey
- Feta
- lettuce
- hummus (I prefer the edamame hummus, also from Trader Joe’s).
- avocado

Here’s what you do:
- Warm the tortilla in the microwave for a few seconds so that it won’t split when you wrap it.
- Spread some hummus all over it.
- Layer with turkey, sliced avocado, Feta, and lettuce.
- Roll it up.  Enjoy.
- Come back and leave me a comment telling me how delicious it was.

Have you made your big plans for New Years Eve yet?

We have.

Jeff, Jayce and I have reservations at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  We’ll have an early dinner and then come home so that Jayce can get to bed at a decent hour.  Jeff and I will probably hit the hot tub for a bit before crawling into bed by, eh, 10:30 at the latest.

We know how to live it up, don’t we?

It’s okay; we’re homebodies by nature.  And anything but late night’ers.

The girls won’t be home for New Years Eve this year.  But in years past we’ve done some fun things to ring in the new year.  I thought I’d share a few ideas for those of you who are looking for a festive, family-friendly first night.

1. Midnight Balloon Drop: Times Square has its ball drop, but a balloon drop in your living room is WAY more family friendly.  We did this one year by taping together two oblong plastic tablecloths (readily available in the party supply section of most stores). We also taped curling ribbon along the entire length of one side and left a decent portion of ribbon dangling (to later use as a rip-cord).  We then used packing tape to adhere the tablecloths to the ceiling in our living room.  Once three of the sides had been secured, we filled the “pocket” with colorful balloons (not helium!), confetti, and streamers.  We used a broom handle to push the balloons all the way to the far corners of the “pocket” we’d created.  Once it was stuffed with all the balloons it could hold we taped up the final edge.  At the designated hour (which for us was 9 o’clock – midnight central time), we pulled the cord and shouted our “Happy New Year!” wishes as the balloons rained down from the ceiling.  The kids were thoroughly impressed!

2. Mocktails: Have you ever seen these glowcubes?  They’re fabulous.  And quite festive.  They’re lighted ice cubes that are safe to drop into drinks.  It may be too late to order them online (which is the best way I know of to score great bulk pricing) but in the past I’ve seen them at Z Gallerie and Target (near the party napkins/ paper products).  You could make good use of them in various mocktails that are a-okay for kid consumption.  Check out great recipes here.

3.  Bubble Wrap Stomp: Forget noisemakers.  Forget horns and shakers and all those obnoxious poppers.  All you need to do is head to a shipping supply store and purchase a length (preferably five’ish feet or more) of bubble wrap.  Place it on a hard, flat surface (like a concrete porch, patio or sidewalk) and when midnight rolls around, let the kids stomp away.

4. List of Firsts: Think resolutions with a twist.  Kids aren’t typically prone to making goals of changing habits or behaviors like us old folk, but who says they can’t resolve to do something new this year?  That’s where the idea for a list of first comes in.  Sit down with a pen and paper and think up a few goals for the next 12 months.  Perhaps this will be the year in which you bake cookies for a local fire station.  Or visit an art museum.  Or learn to ski.  The only rule is that everything that makes the list has to be new to you.  Aptly titled a list of firsts, right?

5. First Night Food: A festive menu can make or break any party – this one included.  Why not spend a little extra time whipping up one or two treats that will make their eyes light up?  I’m especially partial to these.  Or this.  And for a breakfast treat while you watch the Rose parade?  These are sure to elicit smiles!

Check out THAT family for more WFMW ideas!

Okay.  I know that I’m running the risk of becoming known as the magazine queen.  But I can’t help it.  When I find fabulous deals I feel inclined to pass them on to my friends.  And I found some serious deals this week. All of the magazines below have instant discounts ranging from $3-$5. Once you add them to your cart on Amazon, each subscription (all 12 months with the exception of Redbook & Marie Claire which are a 2 year subscription) will show up for $5 or less. For real. Talk about great holiday gifts! Act fast though – you never know how long these will last. 

*Oh yeah.  And it is my duty to inform you that should you decide to click on the provided Amazon affiliate links and purchase a subscription, I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase.  You know.  In the interest of full disclosure and all.  Carry on.*

Psst. Have you heard? It’s November.

You know what that means right?  It means that the holiday party invites are going to start rolling in any minute.  And if you’re anything like me, you probably wait until you’re headed out the door to figure out what the heck to bring along for the hostess.  It’s not like you can show up empty-handed after all.

But again, if you’re anything like me, you may find yourself hard-pressed to come up with anything more creative than a bouquet from the wannabee floral department at your go to supermarket.

Have no fear though; I’ve done the creative work for you, and put together a list of ten spruced up holiday hostess gifts that will knock their socks (or stockings as the case may be) off.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Something festive.  Fill a decorative glass jar (or even a canning jar would work) with a homemade nut/berry mix and tie a big, beautiful ribbon around it.  Imagine how pretty it would look.  And the fact that the contents are totally shelve-able means that your host(ess) wouldn’t feel obligated to serve it at the party.

2. Something frivolous.  Head over to Cost Plus (World Market) or Pier 1 and pick up a set or two of cutsie cocktail stirrers.  I’m partial to the peppermint or reindeer ones, but there are plenty of options.  Next stop: the grocery (or liquor) store.  Choose a nice bottle of liquor (Chambord, Godiva, Bailey’s) to present with the stirrers.  Again, a big, beautiful bow would go a long way to add wow factor to a relatively simple gift.

3. Something sinful.  Think chocolate.  This time of year you can easily find decadent goodies on every end-cap of every specialty store.  There are peppermint barks, gourmet marshmallows, truffles, and toffees.  Things that beg to be savored fireside.

4. Something portable.  I like the idea of a nice quality travel mug presented with an assortment of holiday flavored teas.  They have such yummy sounding teas available this time of year (sugarplum dream or gingerbread for instance).  Arrange the mug alongside the teas in a basket with a candy cane and you’ve saved your hostess a trip to Starbucks!

5. Something personalized.  Pick up a pair of plain martini glasses (readily available) and a glass etching kit from your local craft supply store.  Let your creative juices flow.  Etching initials or snowflakes on the glasses would make them instantly unique.  Tie itty bitty ribbons around the stems and present them with some cute cocktail napkins (I LOVE the ones at Z Gallerie!).

6. Something practical.  If the hostess is throwing a big holiday shindig chances are she won’t feel up to making breakfast the following morning.  A dozen fresh bagels (or muffins or croissants) from a local bakery along with flavored cream cheese (or jams) would likely be much appreciated.

7. Something fragrant.  Personally, I’m a sucker for those scented pine cones that start popping up all around town about this time of year.  You can buy a mesh bagful of them at the grocery store (or Michaels or JoAnne) for under five bucks.  You pour those pine cones into a decorative basket and slap a metallic ribbon on them, and battabingbattaboom:  I guarantee you’ve got a great gift.

8.  Something traditional.  And what’s more traditional than wine? But you truly can put a spin on even the most traditional of hostess gifts.  Consider purchasing a wine that is produced in the recipient’s home state.  And present it with a decorative bottle stopper (like this or this).

9. Something homemade.  I’m sort of infamous for my homemade tortilla chips and guacamole.  But salsa is much more give-able than guacamole and lucky for me, my friend Becca passed along a fabulously simple and tasty salsa recipe.  So…if you invite me to a holiday party, you know what you’ll likely be gifted!

10. Something tailored to the occasion.  For a cocktail party, consider bringing along a set of cute appetizer plates and a bottle of flavored organic olive oil.  For a dessert reception, maybe champagne flutes and a box of chocolates.  For a cookie exchange, maybe a set of copper cookie cutters.  You see where I’m going with this right?

So…these are decent ideas right?  And easy enough that you could keep one or two on hand for last minute invites.

What about you?  What’s your best idea for a festive hostess gift idea?

And for other great Works for Me ideas, visit That Family.

Once upon a time there was a mom of four with a gazillion and a half photographs of her beautiful little children.  Long before there were four children and a gazillion photographs this mom took up scrapbooking.  Over the years, she spent lots and lots of money on cardstock.  Fancy patterned paper.  And embellishments.  Over the years, this same mom became bogged down with the duties of rearing those four beautiful little children and her extensive collection of scrapbooking paraphernalia was relegated to a too-high-to-reach shelf in the closet.

The end.

Well, almost.

One day the mom discovered a brilliant (and simple!) way to rescue those gazillion photos from the depths of her digital SLR memory stick.  (Cue singing angels).  And thus, a new scrapbook was born.

I’d like to share that scrapbook with you today.

Isn’t it purty?

When it was naked, it was but a blank book with hard cardboard covers.  I got it at Joanne years ago (remember that stockpile of supplies?), so I don’t know where you might find such a thing nowadays.

I used paint, chipboard letters and fabric scraps to breath life into it.

And then, I filled it with the absolute best (hence the title on the cover of the book) of all the photos we took in 2008.

I used spare embellishments (and extras purchased from the dollar spot at Joanne) to adorn the facing pages.  It was super easy.  And I didn’t stress about each page being perfect, so it turned out informal and fun.  I highly recommend this method for slacker scrapbookers like myself.

Because an end result like this totally works for me.  I bet it’ll work for you too.

*Looks as though this sale has ended.  It was a great deal while it lasted!*

Two years ago my sister-in-law gave me a gift subscription to Real Simple magazine for my birthday.  I liked it so much that she renewed my subscription last year.  After two years of admiration I payed it forward and gave my mom a year-long subscription for her most recent birthday.

But talk about pay it forward.

Cuz’ I’m gonna pass along a really, really great deal.

Psst.  Come closer.

Not that close.  Sheesh.  Whadya do, eat a chili dog for lunch?  Have a breath mint why don’t ya.

Okay.

Much better.

As I was saying.

You should cruise on over to Amazon and pick up your own 12-month subscription.

But instead of paying 24.95 like I did for my Mom’s subscription (hi mom-you’re worth every penny!)…you can score a year’s worth of great articles, great tips, and yummy recipes for $5.

Yep.  Five bucks.

Go.  Quick.

I can’t guarantee this deal will last.

*This is an affiliate link. If you click through this link I will earn a few odd cents off of your purchase. If you’d rather I not earn a few odd cents off of your purchase then don’t purchase through this link.*

I’ve mentioned Jeff’s house specialty a time or two on the ol’ blog.  Each time that I bring up his grilled tequila lime chicken, my inbox floods (well maybe not floods, but you get the idea) with requests for the recipe.  This most recent time I promised a few friends on Facebook that I’d post the recipe.  I just so happen to be  a woman of my word (not counting the hasty bribes offered to my children) so I am posting the recipe.  Not like it’s a family gem or anything.  He pretty much adapted his house margarita concoction to work as a marinade.  That’s right my friends.  It’s like having your margarita and eating it too.  If the name alone didn’t leave your mouth watering, I know you’re thirsty hungry now.

Mark my words: you won’t regret it this one in the morning.

2-3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast.  Or any other meat I suppose.
juice from 4-5 squeezed limes.
1/4 c. Triple Sec
1/2 c. Tequila
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
Kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Mix it all up and drop in the chicken.  Let it all hang out together in the fridge for at least 2 hours (preferably longer though) before you grill and enjoy.  Thoroughly. enjoy.

We use tequila lime chicken for tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, you name it.  We also just eat it plain sometimes too but it adds a delicious twist to any Mexican dish that calls for chicken.

¡Olé!

If you’ve read my 100 Things About Me post you know that I cringe at the sound of the “R” word.  Likewise, I also take offense when I hear jokes being made about the “shortbus” or Special Olympics.  You can imagine, then, how appalled I was to see the President of our country mock Special Olympians on national television.  If you haven’t seen it, it will take but 29 seconds of your day to watch this clip.

If your life has not been touched by a person with developmental delays you may not understand why those of us who have are deeply offended by the callous words of a man with such great influence over so many.  Allow me to explain.

Not too long ago this man would have been crazy to even have dreamed of holding the office he holds now.  There was a time when men and women who share his skin color and have similar heritage were mocked, beaten, and segregated based on their pigmentation alone.

One would think that the struggles and pain of those who share his African American background would have given this man great insight as to the underside of discrimination.  One would assume that knowing what he knows, this man would be especially compassionate.  One would hope beyond hope that this man–especially this man–would be capable of leading honorably and setting a strong example that all Americans could follow.

Unfortunately though, this man has fallen heinously short.

There is nothing funny, cute, or endearing about the mocking of an organization as instrumental as the Special Olympics.  Special Olympians are heroes who’ve faced tremendous struggle and great hardship and have come out stronger for having done so.  People with developmental disabilities should not be used as an easy target for quips.  Especially by the President of our country and especially when a national audience is tuned in.

I can think of a word that conjures up hateful connotations towards a huge population of ethnic people in this country.  It’s a word that you or I would be ashamed to use, ashamed to teach our children, ashamed to have heard in our homes, schools, and churches.  It’s a dirty word, not because of its meaning, but because of its history.  Its a word that has historically been used to inflict pain on an entire population of people.  People who did nothing to deserve the treatment that fell upon them.  People who were persecuted for simply BEING.

It’s a word I wouldn’t dream of using.

I wish that Mr. Obama would pay me the same courtesy when it comes to being sensitive about the struggles my family faces with regard to my daughter’s disability.

Like him–like each and every one of us–she had no say as to the mental, genetic, or physical state she was born into.  But with each label that is slapped on her, with each disparaging comment that is thrown around, she is made to seem less worthy than she really is.

I am saddened and disheartened that the President of our country would stoop so low as to disparage people who have done no wrong.  I am appalled that there has been no public outrage over an incident that so clearly deserves it. I shudder to imagine what would have happened if our previous President had gone on national television and said the same thing.  Can you even imagine the outcry that would have commenced had that happened?

Whether we are talking about people with developmental disabilities or members of any ethnic group, discrimination is a wretched thing and should long ago have been abolished.

There is something each of us can do to institute change.

We can pledge to stop the frivolous use of the “R” word in our homes and in our families.  We can stop using terms like ‘shortbus’ because they garner us an easy laugh.  We can respect the Special Olympics organization as a great resource for children like mine, not an easy target for jokes and mockery.  Together, we can change the way our society reacts to demeaning usage of the “R” word.

YES WE CAN.

And I hope you will.