Ist Day of School

Today is the first day of school for Kendall.  How did that happen so fast?  How did we go from "schools out" to "Back to school" in the blink of an eye?  This summer has been the fastest summer that I can remember.  My baby girl started middle school today.  

1st day of Middle School



I made plans to go to the beach, as I do every first day of school, after I dropped her off at school.  As I was there I enjoyed about 5 minutes of the peace and quiet.  You know, not having to watch anyone, or entertain anyone, not having to go for walks or hikes, just enjoying the sun and sand and soaking in the rays.  Then it hit me as it does every year when I do this...Kendall is another year older and another year closer to leaving the nest.  I start thinking I wish we had done _______ this summer.  Although there are many things I wish we could've done this summer, I truly enjoyed and savored EVERY minute I had with her this summer.  We didn't watch TV, we didn't really stay in the house (or home for that matter).  She got to go to the beach, go to the lake, take a family vacation, go to the water park, shop, play outside and just hang with her older sisters.  We did our morning Starbucks together and went to lunch many of those days, just talking about anything and everything.  We did just about everything we set out to do way back in May when we talked about things to do this summer.  It truly was one of the best summers we have had.  Her and I hung out.  She got to know me better and I got to know her better.  We talked about EVERYTHING.  School, boys (ugh), friends, things she's nervous about and things she loves.  yesterday as we were driving to our final Starbucks morning, she said "mom, your my best friend, "....My heart could hardly be contained, I thought it was going to bust open from all the love I have for this girl.  It truly was an awesome summer!!

Add Kendall and her sisters at the lake during our family vacation.

Riding jet skis

Being goofy with her Starbucks

Posing on the boat!

Kendall at her birthday party

At one of our lunch dates

Hanging out with friends.

Powerful Green Smoothie

On my quest to stay healthy and make good choices, I have been eating a green smoothie once a day.  Usually for lunch but sometimes in the morning or just for snack.  It is so good.  Don't let the looks of it fool you.  Its packed with vitamins and minerals and a boost of energy if you are dragging.  It is easy to make and the limitations are only as limited as your imagination.  Try all kinds of combinations.

Green Smoothie

• 1 stalk celery
• ½ cored apple cored, cored
• ½ bannana
• 3-4 leafs Kale
• 3-4 leafs Lettuce
• ¼ avacado
• 2-3 tablespoon stevia
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 cup Ice
• 
  

Place all ingredients into Vitamix blender. Blend on High until mixed completely add more or less ice to your liking. Pour into glasses

This works best if you have a Vitamix blender.  If not any Blender will do but it will just be a little chunkier.

New Year Same Old Me

Its a new year.... 2013.  Can't believe how fast time flies.  This year I have decided to make a FEW New Years Resolutions, but nothing drastic.  I don't believe in setting myself up for failure.  So, the few I have made are

1. Keep on the healthy track.  Weed out more non healthy foods and environments in my life to make ME a better person.

2.  Keep on the exercise track I am on and have been on but just pump it up a notch.  I want to do 3 5K runs this year.

and..

3. Pay it Forward.  I really want to do something to help others.  Plus I want to get Kendall involved in helping others to give her a sense of empathy for others and to let her feel how good it is to give.

On my healthy track I have come across a new (well new to me at least) drink. It's called Kombucha.  Its a fermented sweet tea that is supposed to help with detoxing your liver and pumping up your immune system.  We all could use a little more of that this time of year!  Its anti-oxidant rich which we know means giving a boost to our immune systems and our energy levels.  This is not cheap.  I went and bought 2 bottles today for $4.50 each.  But if what I have been reading about it is true then it will be well worth it.

Kombucha over ice.

Kombucha is referred to as an ancient Chinese "Immortal Health Elixir".  That sentence in itself has my curiosity up.  Its Made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (a SCOBY, a.k.a. “mother” because of its ability to reproduce, or “mushroom” because of its appearance), Kombucha didn’t gain prominence in the West until recently.  This is claimed to be an amazing probiotic beverage that promotes improved digestion, prevents cancer, fights candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, and the general health and well-being associated with this. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc.

Next, there’s all the benefits of the glucosamines it contains, such as preventing or treating all forms of arthritis.

All of this sounds amazing.  Now after looking on the Mayo Clinic website, it also reminds us that Kombucha does not have any  scientific results of any of these claims.  But I am convinced that there are many things that don't have the "Scientific Results" but non the less do what they claim to do.  This is a "raw" drink ( what does this mean?) Well, it just means that it is not processed.  It good old fashion raw food.  Warning though:  Since it does have to ferment is may contain a trace amount of alcohol.  

This is the brand I am drinking...for a store near you visit their website here.  

Happy Drinking!!

Why I love Facebook

I love Facebook.  Yes, there are times that I get aggravated about what they are doing or how things are changing but for the most part I find it a great engine to rekindle friendships, keep in touch with family and share things in your life.  I have a high school friend that I have rekindled with on Facebook.  Well rekindled is a bit of an exaggeration.  We were really not that good of friends in high school.  I mean she knew who I was, and we exchanged hellos in the halls and I certainly knew who she was!  Dawn and I were not really friends.  We never hung out and in fact (she doesn't even know this) She was actually one of my "enemies".  You see there was this boy that I really liked and I had asked to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with me and he turned me down.  Why?  Well because he was waiting with hopeful anticipation that Dawn would ask him.  That automatically turned her into the enemy.  She never did ask him, and as far as I know they never went out.  Now fast forward 20 years and add a social network and the spark of a friendship started.  We became friends on Facebook, as most people do when they are requested and you know who they are, but something else started also.  We began emailing back and forth to each other.  Sharing things going on in our lives.  We ere both going through some rough spots in our lives,and had a common denominator of being married to a not so nice person and shared in the struggles divorce brings to our kids.  We email, chat when we are both online and have become rather good friends.  We never saw each other or met for lunches or shopping trips, but none the less, I considered her a close friend.  We lived 2 hours away from each other so seeing each other was difficult but in spite of that our friendship grew.  We both moved on and are now at happy places in our lives.  She has remarried,and invited me to both her bachelorette party and wedding, which we could not go to either since I was out of town, but I thought about her on those special days and wished for her to be happy.  We finally got together a few weeks ago for a cookie exchange I was hosting at my house.  I was so glad she was able to come!  We had just then exchanged phone numbers,to keep in touch a little more and hopefully build on this foundation of friendship we have.  So you see I love Facebook for that reason alone.  it has brought another great woman into my life and has shown me you don't have to see the person in order to have a strong friendship.  I am very thankful for the friendship Dawn and I have and I hope that it continues to grow!

Dawn and I at the Cookie Exchange in November

At our cookie exchange she brought these wonderful "Bun" Candies.  The are absolutely out of this world and she gave me permission to share the recipe, so here it is.

Bun Candy 

One cup of powedered sugar for one oz of cream cheese

add flavoring of choice: maple, vanilla or peppermint

Roll the filling dough into a log and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Slice into disks.

For peppermint patties, dip in semi sweet melted chocolate

For "buns" place small amount of meltede chocolate onto pan, add disk on top and coat top with melted milk chocolate with peanuts. 

Keep refrigerated.  

Spread small amount of chocolate onto wax paper

Slice the cream filling mixture and place a slice on top of the chocolate

Place peanuts on top 

Top with enough Chocolate to cover.  These are so good!

Thanks for the recipe Dawn, and more importantly your friendship!!

Trip full of Memories.

We went to Disney this past weekend.  Well, for 4 days.  It was 4 glorious days that I get to spend with my youngest, Kendall, and its all about her and me.  I love this trip,almost more than any other trip I take all year.  This is an annual trip we have begun taking the past few years while Harry goes down for a trade show Kendall and I head to Disney and do...Absolutely whatever we want! 

All of y time there can be devoted to her and what she wants.  It is an incredible bonding time for us.  WE laugh, giggle, ride rides, shop, eat, and just are mother and daughter, with no one else around.  She holds my hand (willingly), she hugs me in public, we both go and can't wait to get characters autographs and we are just silly without the worry of anyone being around, or for her anyone seeing her act like an 11 year old who still likes her mom.

Its one of those trip where she can be herself and we can be goofy together.

WE both get to be kids again.

I want to remember every part of these times we have to save them in my memories.

This night we ended up getting off and getting right back in line 4 times for Thunder Mountain Railroad!!  She was so excited that we kept on doing it.  Sometimes it's good to stop and let the little things make us happy and just bask in it for a while.  Such a small thing but its all she talks about when she is asked about what she did and how the trip was.  Such a small thing to make her and me so happy!!  Such a great kid

I said No to the "kitchen Sink" sundae.  It was 8 scoops of ice cream and an entire can of whipped cream along with every topping this diner had but I did say yes to the 3 scooper!

I said yes to almost anything she asked for...What a great feeling!

She still likes to hang with mom and I am so happy she does, but I know the day will come and she would rather spend time with her friends than with me.  Thats why this trip is so special to me.

We even talked Harry into dressing like us for a night at Downtown Disney for dinner.  She was thrilled!!

I got to be a kid again for a few days too.  This place brings it out in everyone.

We had a blast!!

Stove Top Potpourri

I love the holidays for so many reasons...one of them is the smell.  You just can't beat the smells of Christmas.  Cookies, breads, cinnamon, spices.  all of them together make great fragrances.  I made this on top my stove today and had it going all day.  The house smelled wonderful!!  It's so easy and you don't have to think about it again.  thats another thing I love about this.

Heres what you'll need:

1 Orange
1 bag fresh cranberries
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup whole cloves.


Slice the orange, peel and all, throw that along with the other ingredients into a big stock pot and add water to about the half way point.  I did add more water late in the day to help keep it going.

It smells like christmas!!  Enjoy!

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