Tuesday, October 28, 2008

No Treats For Me!

My husband and I are trying to be healthy.  Yes, it's true, we already eat organic everything, almost everything homemade, whole grain, and I exercise 4 days a week.  But we have a huge weakness: TREATS!  My gosh, even now as I typed that, my mouth started watering, like mad.  We LOVE to eat treats.  In fact, we will eat a very light dinner so that we can have more ice cream later.  I'm so not kidding.

So this week, my husband has decided, in a secret pact with himself, to not eat treats.  I know this because each time I ask him if he wants one, I am really telling him in code that I want one but I wont have one unless he has one. He is fully aware of this, because when we don't want treats at the same time, we get so frustrated and guilt one another into having a scoop of ice cream, or four. But he just keeps saying no.  Which means I keep saying no.  

Another something I must bring up is that carbs make me sleepy.  I have no idea why, but I can't eat carbs for breakfast or during the day because about 20 minutes after I am in a coma and I have to inject caffeine into my veins or I will find myself in my bed.  So, I have been eating lots of fruits and proteins.  Now because I claim to be very healthy, and really I am besides the treats, I know that according to avid dieters, proteins are good for you, and carbs are not.  And because my metabolism is crazy fast, then I insist to myself in my head that I need treats to make up for the lack of carbs that are going to my hips.  Besides, doesn't ice cream and chocolate look so much prettier under my jeans than a loaf of bread?  
So I am really trying to only eat treats three times a week.  I already had one, the day that I made the pact, so I only have two more and this week is a big week: Halloween.  So tonight, I asked my husband if he wanted a treat, and because he is in a health conspiracy against my treat longings a great encourager of my goals, he said no.  So, I grabbed a glass of water and pretended that it was no big deal.

But do you know what?  It WAS a big deal!  I want a treat!  I just bought mint hot cocoa from Trader Joes and it's taunting me.  No matter that I am causing the temptation because I did not put it in the cupboard, I placed it right by the hot water boiler.  So I sat there and watched it, and today I thought of smelling it.  No. Can't.  I have decided that Thursday will be the day to break it out.  Why Thursday when Halloween is Friday, you ask?  Well, I babysit on Thursdays and if you frequented their couch, you would call it a treat couch too.  There is just something about how you sink in, and can watch TV without being at the gym, that just SCREAMS treats!  And then, of course, I know I'm at a breaking point, especially after tonight's stunt so I will not be able to have a treat and then not have it again the next day.  Better to get them both out at once.

I feel better now, and I also feel better that today at lunch, I stuffed two JUMBO marshmallows in my mouth while I was waiting for my tea to heat up.  I'm not counting it as a treat though cause they had sand on them from the bonfire.  

Baby Bug



No, no baby for me.  At least not to keep.  I am an avid babysitter because seriously I just can not get enough of those cute little ones.  But I say "Baby Bug" because I am surrounded by them, think about them, and worry about having them all the time.


This weekend I saw two friends that both had twins, and was overwhelmed with how precious those little babies were.  But we all know that it's exhausting, at times frustrating, completely joyful, and everything in between.  But I must say, what I love the most about babies, is how much I love moms.


Go ahead, call me emotional, call me nuts, you can call me any name you want, but I have to confess that when moms get together and they talk and share and be a part of one another's lives I just start crying.  I can't tell you the amount of times that I see mom's out on a walk together, or mom's that I know personally talking and laughing and their kids playing, and it takes every ounce of strength in me to hold in my tears so they do not stamp "CRAZY" on my forehead and never let me babysit again.


But there is something special about women getting together and powering other women.  No, this is not a feminist rant, but instead a tribute.  To all the mom's I know in my life: you are amazing.  Starting with my Mom and followed by the rest...you inspire me.


I had a dream the other night where Cy and I had a child.  We only had one and we were so poor that we had no shoes to wear.  (Real life fear?  Yes.)  Anyway, this child of ours came running out of the other room ( I almost can not believe I am sharing this crazy dream) and ran to me when she saw me.  I seriously loved that girl in my dream so much, and I woke up thinking about how much I loved her and I loved being a mom and that I loved having no shoes.

So of course, you can see the many fallacies in this story, especially that I loved not having shoes.  I have two on my mind right now that I want if I get any extra babysitting jobs.


But also, I woke up thinking how cute this little tike was.  Seriously I was overwhelmed with joy about how cute my kid was.  Sometimes I think we are doomed cause we both have very pronounced features and so for sure the child will have a big forehead, HUGE eyes, a receding hair line, and be really long and lanky.  But this girl, she was ADORABLE.  Funny thing though, she was a carbon copy of me when I was a child.  Oops...guess I am not so mommy-selfless yet after all.

But just so you know, Mom and other moms in my life, I love you, appreciate you, count you as heros, and you make the miracle of being a mom something to pray and hope for.  You are strong, you hold to your convictions, and you have more love than I knew possible.  Thank you.

In this post:  Mom (best friend, and the best mom)  Gail  Mendrop, Lori Lewis, Ali Bray , Kristen Howerton

Monday, October 27, 2008

Mac Tip #3: Hot Corners

This is perhaps one of my favorite features on my Mac.  It's very simple, and once you use it, you will never go back.

"Hot Corners" is a feature that allows you to assign each "corner" or your screen to perform a different function when your mouse pointer goes to that corner.  So for example, you can have the top right corner show all the windows that are open, the top left corner bring up your dashboard and so on.  It's a great shortcut that will save you time, and stay organized.

So let's get started!

1.  First, click on the "System Preferences" icon on your dock.    If you have removed it from your dock, then simply click on your hard drive icon, and it will be in the "Applications" folder.  

2. Next, click on the icon that says "Expose and Spaces".  Make sure, that once this open, you are on the tab that says "Expose"(it will be highlighted blue as shown).  Spaces is another great organizational function we will get to next week.

3. The screen should look something like this:






The four pull down screens  represent the four corners of your desktop.  Each pull down menu has a different option to assign to each corner.    Let me briefly explain each option:

All Windows- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then all the windows that you have open in any application will be shown on your desktop.  This allows you to pick and choose which window you want at the front of your screen simply by clicking on it.

Application Windows- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then all the windows that you have open only in the application which you are working in will show up, allowing you to see what you have open and click on the window that you would like to work on.  For example, if you have six windows open in Safari, and you use this feature you can see what you have open and which one you want to access.

Desktop-  If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then all the windows on the desktop will disperse, allowing you to see a clear view of your desktop.  You can even click on an icon on the desktop and it will bring all the previous windows back to the front of the screen, but the most recently clicked item on top.

Dashboard- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then the dashboard will appear on your screen.  The dashboard icon may or may not still be in your dock, and is a place with little applications such as the weather, white pages,  or stocks.  We will learn about the dashboard function more later.

Spaces- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then the "Spaces" function will begin.  Spaces is a great organizational tool that allows you to essentially have up to 16 different desktops.  It's perfect if you are doing numerous tasks at once.

Start Screen Saver- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then the screen saver will start immediately.  Good way to leave your desk with the screen saver running if you are in the office and do not want anyone to see what you are doing, you know, highly sensitive material.

Disable Screen Saver- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then it will disable the screen saver from starting.  This is a great feature if you are in a meeting or watching a movie but your preferences have your screen saver set to go on after a certain length of time, then this will stop that from happening.

Sleep Display- If this is selected, when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner, then your display, or screen, will go to sleep.  It's a great way to save energy!

Finally, the (-) means that you do not want anything to happen when the mouse is placed in the assigned corner.

Once you get the hang of it, and remember what function you assigned to what corner, you will use them all the time. Remember, to assign a corner, just simply select the desired function in the pull down menu.  It will be effective immediately, no need to click "save" or "apply".


Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

24th Birthday!

I recently turned 24, and I have a few photos to prove it.  My husband took me to dinner at wonderful Maggianos (of which I am still enjoying left-overs), and the next day was a beach bonfire with friends. It's one of the best things about SoCal: bonfire weather all year round.  In fact, we are toying with the idea of hot cocoa and smores on Christmas Eve.





Thank you for all your birthday wishes!!! I LOVE birthdays, and I am so blessed to be so loved.  I've been thinking though, on someone's birthday, shouldn't we thank their mom and dad?

Mom and Dad, thanks!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Tag!

Sweet Kristen tagged me!  I'm so stoked, it's my first one!  I really feel like I am part of the blogging world now.  All I need to do next is some free giveaways...but I dont have anything to give away.  So, here are my random facts:
1.  I have only been married for about 4 and a half months and I am so glad I got married young, because that is more time I get to spend with my husband.  I am so incredibly thankful for him.
2. Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 24.  I have no more sense in my head than I did when I was 23...or 12.
3. I LOVE banana and peanut butter.
4. I always think I am taller than I am.
5. Running is my biggest stress reliever.
6. I LOVE Starbucks Christmas blend.
7. I got new slippers for my birthday and I love them!
Alright, Shey , Kristen , Ethan , MaryBeth , Kali , Brianne , and Melissa , it's your turn!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Halloween Hair Disaster



1. It's not Halloween yet.  I'll get to that.  

2.  If you are reading this and thinking that I am so well put together, so on top of things, so graceful and tidy that I could never have a blog about a disaster, then you obviously do not know me well enough...or spent more than 5 minutes with me.

I am all about "fall colors".  I took a trip to Target last week and have been wearing "Hot For Chocolate", a very stylish nail color on my fingers ever since.

So, I decided today that I need a fall color in my hair.  Yes, it already is a fall color: brown.  But I decided that I needed a different one.  What I wanted and what I pictured was a beautiful array of browns and reds, both lights and darks, falling in perfect formation with my curls, creating a very fall look.  So much so, that if I were in the midst of a beautiful park filled with falling leaves, you may think that it was some sort of photo shoot for great curls. Or perhaps an environmental ad, assuring us that if we took care of the environment, we would become one.

But let's be honest, I'm just not that bold.  Curly hair has a tendency to look dry, and well, I have dry hair so that just makes it all the worse.  So when my hair is light in color, I feel like it looks like a stack of straw, super dry and ready to break.  That being said, I always go dark, but I still envision the light.  Today I left with "Soft Licorice Black" and pictured "Pecan", "Chestnut" "Paint the Town" (all titles of the wonderful fall colors I longed for.)

So my adventure began after dinner tonight, and I went in the bathroom and prepared for a new fall color.  Almost immediately it was disaster.  As I began squirting my head with the bottle, like an older person with no depth perception, I squirted right past my head and on to the wall, and the carpet.  I am sure I mumbled some sort of profanity and quickly wiped the dye off.  Coast clear.

No, not clear; black.  Cause Bonnie?  It's dye.  So it' dyes things. Stains things. Stays there.  I looked back no more than two minutes later and there are blackish purplish streaks running down the wall. Profanity again.  So I hurry up with my hair dye, which of course, is a really good way to make sure that you are getting every strand and that it's evenly colored.

At about that time, I hear Cy turn off the TV and I panicked.  Like a twelve year old who just spilled black emo hair dye on the carpet got caught on the phone late in the night, I just shut the door and locked it.  YES! I am a freak!  ( I am seriously dying [no pun intended] laughing at myself for doing that. What is wrong with me?)  Cy comes over to the bathroom and asks what I am doing in there, and of course I have no explanation so I open the door and show him the wall.  But he does not notice because he is pointing at the Dalmatian spot of emo on the carpet.  That too, does not come up with one little wash cloth swipe.

The work began, and an hour later, we have a wall that barely has streaks, and a patch of carpet that is soaked in Resolve, water, shampoo, vinegar, and hairspray.  (Can you tell I googled how to clean it up?)

In addition, I have black Halloween hair that is not at all like a London afternoon frolicking in the leaves.  Instead, I will fit in great when I go to the Twilight premier (ok not premier, just the regular showing with way too much excitement) next month, and in the mean time, I could sit in a dark room, and between my hair and the my googly eyes, people would genuinely think that I am a ghost.

Soft black licorice?  Try Tar in the Night.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Two Raccoons In One Night

Raccoons frequent our apartment complex a lot.  When it was summer and the sun did not set until 8:00, we would often see a mom raccoon and her four babies scampering across our porch in search of food.  I would scream with delight cause those little raccoons were so cute, and would beg Cy to leave Oreos out for them.  I have no idea why, it's not like Oreos and raccoons are a marketing technique that I have fallen for, I just seem to think those little thieves would get a kick out of that delicious treat.

One night, I left the sliding glass door on our porch opened as I was sitting out there doing some post-run stretches.  I left it open to give Cy some fresh air as he was diligently putting together our dining table.  (Do you see something wrong here?  Cy is doing the work and I am running?  You may think that I just don't want to help or perhaps that I am not skilled enough to do the table, and I get so cranky that Cy lovingly suggests that I go on a run to relieve my stress.  It's the second one.)  I got out of the shower, and I hear Cy clapping and making loud yelling noises.  Turns out, the raccoons were scampering across our porch, saw the door open and began to enter our house!  Cy looked up just as the mom was almost completely inside, followed closely by four little ones, and started to scare them off.  They ran away, cause they are all bark and no bite with those bandit masks on, and I got so sad because in all the confusion of the get away plan, one of the little ones ran into a wooden pole.  Poor guy.  However, I am sure he is fine, they have been back numerous times.

I love to see the raccoons.  They are so exciting and it's like a trip to the zoo but with the best seats in the house...and it's free.

So last night we are walking out of our apartment complex to return a movie when we hear a rustling in the bushes.  As we look over our right shoulders across the small "stream" of sorts, we see a raccoon staring at us!  In my excitement and fear I wanted to take a picture, but the fear won out, so we kept moving.  Shortly there after we arrived at Albertson's.  Still hyped about the raccoons, I was singing along to the 80's music they were playing and was insisting that we look at the hair dye to find ideas for "a good fall color."

Finally, we decided it was time to leave and started to make our way to the exit.  I heard a rustling, and again (like the friend at the "stream") looked over my right shoulder in the middle of the candy isle at Albertsons and saw another raccoon of sorts.  Expect the only thing these two had in common was their theivery.  That's right!  This bandit was placing a bag of Peanut M&Ms in his Jnco jeans.  We made eye contact, and he immediately took them out of his jeans, but kept them in his hands and walked down the isle.  I stared at Cy with wide eyes and explained what I had seen.  We then rounded the corner and there was the human-raccoon!  He saw us, no M&M's in hand, walked back down another isle and emerged with a bottle of Advil.  He then walked straight out of Albertsons.  I was in shock.  Did he steal it?  Maybe he just put the bag down in another isle?  We had no idea what to do.  We left, sort of saddened by this possibility and made our way to our car.

THEN, as we are driving home, we look to our right and there he is, in his truck, eating what seemed to be delicious candy covered chocolate in some sort of yellow bag.  We turned separately before we had time to do anything, and the rest of the ride home was spent in silence as I began to think of calling the police and then being met by him months later after he served his time for the M&Ms, in the middle of Albertsons with fire in his eyes.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Mac Tip #2: Add and Subtract Items from Your Dock

By now you are an ol' pro at changing the size, location and bells of your dock.  Like a color coded closet, or a bookshelf in your home by the Dewey Decimal System, your dock has the capability of satisfying all of your type A, OCD, or just plain organized needs.

Most likely, you have a few icons on your dock that look totally cool and really awesome if you knew how to use them, and you may even know how, which is a bigger plus for you.  If not, then you can always sign up for a One to One appointment at the Apple store, in which you will be taught by an Apple teacher, one on one, once a week for a whole year.

Until then, let's clean up that dock so that you can click and when it pops up, you won't find yourself just staring at the dock.  The dock's purpose is to keep your most used programs in a very accessible way, so if you don't use an icon, let's get rid of it.  Or a program that you use lots, but hate having to open it through the hard drive, then let's put it in the dock so you can point and click.

But how?  Easy! I promise:

To get rid of any icon in your dock:

Simply click on an icon and hold down the mouse (or trackpad) button.
Drag it out of the dock and on to the desktop area.
Let go of your mouse (or trackpad) button and watch it disappear!
This action does not delete the application from your computer, it can always still be found in the Finder and on your Hard Drive.


To add any item to your dock:


Open the finder which is the face button on the left hand side of your dock.
     This is where you will always find any document, application, program etc.  Also, this can not be removed from the dock, so if you keep trying and can't...it's not your fault!
Click on the file that says "applications" and look for the appropriate application that you want to find.
Once you find the application that you want to add to your dock, click on the appropriate icon and hold down the mouse button (or trackpad) and drag it into the dock.  Let go of the mouse and watch it appear!
     You can put any icon anywhere.  So I like to put like icons next to each other.  But you can do what you want, and you don't have to admit that you color code or alphabetize your icons.




A few extra tips:
If you have the Leopard operating system, each time that a program is open, there will be tiny spot light underneath the icon.  The Finder will always have that spotlight, so again, you can stop trying to get rid of it.

Don't know what your icons do?  Just try them out, and have some fun!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Pumpkin Fun!

A wonderful friend from out of town, Shey , visited this weekend for a pre-birthday celebration!  We went to the pumpkin patch at Tanaka Farms in Irvine and had a great time!







"WOW.  Mom's going to pig out tonight!" - a father who is picking vegetables with his wife and son.
Careful lady, you may get really unhealthy habits by eating vegetables.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Peace of Mind

As I babysat a pair of sweet children tonight ages 2 and 5, I was struck with an eye opening difference between the two of us.

When it's time for bed, and I ask, "Are you ready for bed? "  The answer is never "YES! I am WIPED! Today was exhausting." Followed by a getting into bed by themselves with great eagerness.

 When I get there each Thursday night and ask what game they want to play, they never say, "You know what?  I don't really feel like it.  I'm kind of tired. I think I'll skip out on fun and just sort of hit the hay early."

And when I ask them if they are ready for school tomorrow, I don't hear "[sigh]  It's so stressful.  Oh wait, can you turn on the light?  I just remembered 5 more things I need to put on my to-do list."

At the end of the day, we are exhausted and bed does not come quick enough. We are a sleep deprived humanity.  According to the Sleep Foundation ,  67% of American Women say they frequently encounter sleep problems, and 43% say that daytime sleep interferes with their daily routine. But is it sleep that is really stopping me from functioning fully or from staying up just a bit more to have a conversation with my husband?  I mean, if I got that extra hour on top of the 7 that I get, would I be chipper all day, bells on my shoes, fresh picked flowers on my table, and songs of praise on my lips at all times?  No.  I wish. I think that are real problem is that we do not rest daily, in the day and throughout the day.  We go and go and go and we think that our 5, 6, or 7 hour sleep night will make up for it.    Think of this way.  Would you ever expect to let something cook for 8 hours that should only cook for 1?  No way, it would be burned, taste awful, and would loose all of it nutritional value.  Same goes for anything that has a time limit or a shelf life.  It's expiration date is there for a reason, and for a purpose.  Our lives are not forever, and the days do not last all day so that we can pretend that we will never get burned out, always act as sweet as sugar, and continually be at our healthiest best.  We are severely kidding ourselves if we think we do not have a shelf life.

We all want peace.  And we all want a piece of sanity.  So here is a small way to obtain both. Although it's not like sitting on the beach listening to nothing but the waves, nor is like a day trip to the spa, but it's just about as close to serenity as you can get in your own home. Or your car, the office, in traffic.  Yes, it's that good.

Origins Peace of Mind is a light lotion like substance containing natural ingredients such as basil to relieve tension, peppermint to release trauma and tightness, and eucalyptus to help fight fatigue.  Simply squeeze a small amount of this light weight but very powerful lotion on to the tips of your first two fingers.  Rub your finger tips together to make sure that both hands have this delightful escape on them, and get ready to begin a moment of peace, and to gain a piece of mind.

 Simply dab and rub in a circular motion the lotion on your tension areas.  This can be muscles, or for basic stress relief, try right below your ears, and on your temples.  The peppermint will cool your skin and in no time you will be feeling, fresher, invigorated, and like you just might make it the rest of the day.

Best features?  At 3.4 oz, it fits neatly in your purse, car, or in your hand if you are expecting a long line at the DMV, doctor's office, or anywhere else that just drives your crazy.  And, the $19.50 that you will spend on this will seem like nothing in comparison to the benefits your will reap.

Let's all breathe in, and out.  Go on, it's good for you.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Radio Pause Button

When I was little I never understood the concept of the radio.  Like a tape player or the needle on my father's record player, I thought that when the car was turned off, it wold be like pushing a pause button on the radio.  That if I were to get back into the car and turn the radio on, that it would pick up right where it left off.  So if I ever entered the car and it was on a different spot, then my dad or mom or sister must have turned it on and that's what had happened.  I just didn't get that things were moving and operating and existing without me.

That's how I feel today.  So much is going on that it feels overwhelming that I am such a small part of it all.  It was a rough day  in many aspects, and I so wish I could just push the pause button.  If I could have just a few moments to

think.

breathe.

have a good cry.

sit.

be still.

be ok with being still.

A pause button on the chaos of life and the weight of the decisions around me would be greatly appreciated.  But I know that it keeps going and it keeps moving, and things keep getting done and people keeping talking, that life does not come with a pause button.  But I also know that just because it's not given to me, doesn't mean I can't ask for it.  I am comforted in knowing Someone whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.  Thank you Jesus, for in You I will find the pause button.






"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me.  For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

Monday, October 13, 2008

Trash Food


As we leave church on Sundays, we are always starving and in no mood to cook, make, or cut any food and put it together in any form. So, we usually end up laughing at our lack of self control, and getting food at a local place. This Sunday, I opted for a Chicken Waldorf Salad Sandwhich from The Gypsy Den, and my husband was in the mood for "a really messy lunch." "What is that" you may ask? We don't mean messy as in cheetos where the cheddar sticks to your fingers, or perhaps even an ice cream cone on a hot summer day that drips all over your hands and gets all over your mouth no matter what your age. No we mean "messy" as in full of crap that is not good for your heart,  your arteries, or your life expectancy rate: A Double Cheeseburger and large Dr. Pepper from Jack in the Box.

In my husband's defense, we NEVER eat like that, and even I sometimes crave something that I know I will be unclogging for days. So, that is what he got.

As I ate my chicken sandwhich, I watched him eat his fast food and was fascinated by something that we all do, I'm sure without much thought, and put absolutely no reservations with it, because well, we must figure the very fact we are eating it already has put us on a destructive path:

There are usually multiple items of food in somewhat of a paper bag. However, that bag rips so very easily, and deteriorates so quickly as the grease hits it, can we really be sure it's even paper? I would love to give them the benefit of the doubt that's it's made of recycled corn, but come on, they are open 24hrs with all their neon lights. I doubt that "going-green" is on top of their list.

We usually will remove these items one at a time, mostly because we begin to eat the fries before we reach our destination. So when it's time to sit and eat it, the fries are already, or almost, gone. Therefore we have two decisions: we can either pull out the fries and just polish them off, or pull out the burger and save the fries for later. This is so incredibly odd, as some of us will hesitate the latter because we are afraid that they fries will need to be heated up again. This is a sign that we have fallen for the trap in believing that they were fresh in the first place. Never mind that when they enter into our microwave, that is at least the sixth time of being re-heated.

So say we opt for decision number two, and we pull out the burger and then save the fries for later. We then take the crumpled up burger wrapper with a little left over cheese on it, and place it back into the bag with our other food. Yes, we take our trash and put it all over, around, and on top of our french fries. So much so, that sometimes, because we are in deep conversation, we will pull out our fries and find our balled-up pile of trash resting on top, and often wedged between our french fries. We have no problem with this.

If this food were on a plate and someone handed us a note, we would never read it, dip it in some cheese from whatever we were eating, and then ball it up and place it on our other food. It just would not fly. We would be unsanitary, gross, sick, unhealthy. But somehow we do it with trash fast food all the time and have zero issues.

Oh wait, it's because we are fully confident of where the paper came from, who touched it, and where it in the world it's been before. So no big that it gets all over our food. In fact, why don't we dip the fry in some of the left over cheese, and just squeeze the grease out of the recycled corn bag and re-heat it for a delicious, fresh, batch of french fries. It's like we ordered two kinds: the regular and the trash deluxe.

Mac Tip #1: Dock

Alright, here we go, round one.

I think I have perpetual OCD when it comes to my dock. Do I want it real big or real small? On the bottom of my screen or the side of my screen? Do I want every application that I have ever used on there, or just two of my favorites? I do know that I love to have it magnify when I roll my mouse over it.

What the heck am I talking about?

The dock is simply a view of applications in pictures that are easily accessible on your Mac:



When your software is initially installed, it will look pretty generic, will be located at the bottom of your screen and you may have a heart attack if you are OCD and will feel the need to change it immediately. So here is how:

1. On your dock, click the System Preferences icon:


2. You will then be taken to the System Preferences screen. Click the icon that says Dock:



3. Here you can adjust the size of the icons, the magnification, placement on your screen, minimization, animation, and visibility preferences:




If you are new to a Mac, you may be confused as to why you do not get 50 billion pop-up windows asking you to click "Apply". On a Mac, when you click something, it will change automatically. It saves you time and frustration, because as you make a change, you can test it out right away, without having to jump through any hoops. Unless of course, you are hula-hooping out of pure joy that it was so easy. Then, yes, that is from a Mac.



Too many icons on your dock? Too little? Next week, on "i heart my mac Mondays", we will learn how to organize, and add and subtract applications from your dock, as well as another was to access applications easily that you do not want in your dock. Stay tuned.

This was, of course:

Friday, October 10, 2008

When a Christian...


says, "That was a total God thing"

Everyone else hears: "Some things are from God and others aren't. And, oh yeah, we get to say what is and what isn't"

Example: Two friends are sitting in a coffee shop and one girl waves to a gentleman sitting across the way.

(True Story)

Friend 1: Do you know him?
Friend 2: Yeah I do, he is friends with my husband.
Friend 1: He's cute.
Friend 2: He's married. He just got married, and has a baby on the way too! It was really unexpected. In fact, his wife got sick, she was having these migranes and had to go on some medication that interfered with her birth control, and she got pregnant!
Friend 1: Wow. The headaches, that was a total God thing.

Everyone else thinks: What about the baby!? Just the headaches were part of the plan, but the baby was a shocker to Big Guy upstairs?

What we mean is: We really do believe that God is in control. Truly, and completely. But you have to forgive us, we just have an unfortunate list of phrases that makes everyone else think that we are a sorority, making t-shirts for "God Day!" I mean, if we truly believe that He is in control, then what is not "a God thing?"

W.W.M.P.E.?



I am my father's daughter. I mean, I definitely have traces of my mother (our love for books, hatred for random noises, same writing mind...I mean the list goes on), but when looking at my physical, my Dad and I are twins. We have the same speed of light metabolism, smile, body structure, eyes, hair...So when I ponder what I will look like 50 years, I just look at my Dad.

Due to my fast-acting, ever-racing metabolism, plus my un-dying love for running, I must constantly look to my hero: Michael Phelps.

True confession, after watching him swim in the Olympics this year, I got really excited, put on my Target bikini, a pair of speedo goggles, and swam 50 lengths in the pool at our apartment complex. So it was more likely 2 lengths compared to an olympic pool, but you get the drift. I had to stop at every turn and catch my breath, and I can't even begin to imagine what a complete fool I looked like. What kept me going was the announcer's voice in my head, "Can you believe this woman started swimming only four years ago? And in her apartment complex?! Wow. Talk about the American dream. This is IT!" BUT I must say that since that fateful day, I have seen people swimming laps in the pool, too. They must have seen me, and gotten the Michael Phelps bug. I would like to think I started a revolution.

Since then I have dropped swimming. (Can you really drop something that you have never started?) But I still look to M.P. for advice. I am a 23 year old stuck in a 12 year old's body, with a 40 year old's brain. Yes, I am surprised too that I have not had an identity crisis. BUT so that my physical year does not drop below 12, I must ALWAYS ask myself: What Would Michael Phelps Eat?



This of course, comes from the impressive fact that M.P. can eat 12,000 calories a day and can not break 200 lbs, and, of course, the indoctrination of my sunday school fundraisers of the ever so popular, W.W.J.D. bracelets. Maybe my worlds will collide and I will find myself looking to some author who suggests, What Would Jesus Eat? Let's give this man props, he does include red wine, it's good for the heart.

On the Menu:
Oatmeal with blueberries. 100 calories

crap. 11,900 more to go.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

I Put Tea on My Face



My good friends over at Mama Manifesto posted a great post today encouraging us all to really take a look at the products we are using and the content in them. We consume a ridiculous amount of carcinogens and hazardous chemicals each day. Some, we can not control, like the amount of pollution in the air. (Okay, we can do our green part, but on a day to day basis, can we just decide not to breathe? No.) So, if we make changes in our diets and the products we use, we can lower our risks significantly. I know this seems so very green of me, but being faced with the reality after marriage that my life is no longer affecting just me, but a husband, and someday children, then these little steps make the biggest difference.

I know I have ranted and raved about the benefits of tea, but let's me honest, I do it because I love you.

So today, it's not another rant, but a helpful tool to help us all live just a bit healthier.

I can not go one morning without washing my face. In fact, I have yet to do it this morning and I am dying. I just hate the feeling of things on my skin. It grosses me out, and I'll admit I'm borderline OCD when it comes to having a clean face. In fact, I will wash my face mid day if it feels dirty. Our skin is an organ, and just like any healthy organ in our bodies we must treat it as such. You would not give your heart anything but blood, right? Then why give your skin anything but that which is healthy for it? So our question is: do we believe that it matters what we use to wash our faces? If so, what is good for it?

Studies show that up to 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed and ends up in your blood stream. Because our skin is the first defense system that our bodies have, then we better be pretty careful about what we wash it with, what we put on it, and and how we take care of it.

So I have found a facial cleaner that is not only safe for my skin, but, actually helps it as well:

Kiehl's Yerba Mate Facial Line

Kiehl's Yerba Mate is made from the Yerba Mate Tea Leaf from South America. In it's native habitat, Yerba Mate leaf is used for all kinds of healing remedies both outside and inside. In the form of facial cleanser and lotion, it holds the same properties. All three of the Yerba Mate line (cleanser, toner and lotion) contains 15 amino acids, 11 antioxidants and 24 vitamins and minerals! Let's take a trip back to middle school bio class for a minute. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein, so when we put this on our skin we are not only using something safe that can be absorbed, but we are also making our skin much stronger. Antioxidants have powerful detox abilities. Not only does this make for a super clean face, but over time, when complimented by an antioxidant healthy diet as well as healthy cooking, cleaning, and clothing products, will make for a clean blood stream. 24 Vitamins and minerals? Need I say more? In addition, Kiehl's Yerba Mate line contains lemon extract, the fruit with the highest percentage of vitamin C, as well as Kombutchka Tea another tea leaf that is supremely rich in anti-oxidants. The toner is alchohol free, but does not feel like you have done nothing to clean your skin. The lemon extract is also a natural astringent with an antiseptic quality found in the lemon peel, giving you that deep clean feeling without using chemicals. Finally, the Yerba Mate lotion is oil free and the tea extracts help reduce the size of pores.

I know, I sound like I work for Kiehls. The truth is, I used to.

But how easy to clean your skin and, prevent harmful chemicals absorbed into your blood just by washing your face?

Go to Kiehls.com to find a store near you.
Cleanser: $20.50
Toner: $24.50
Lotion: $35.00

Too expensive? Not only are the health benefits worth it, but with Kiehls a little goes a long way. In fact, when used the correct quarter size amount, your products will last you a good 4 months. But because all three of these products are infused with the same ingredients (15 amino acids, 11 antioxidants and 24 vitamins and minerals!!!!) then just buy one, and start putting it in your regime one product at a time.

One cup, or two?



Test your skin care products here: Cosmeticsinfo.org

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

TV Guide

Lately I have been putting in my running milage at the gym. I prefer the outdoors, especially since I live where it's summer all year round, but I have injured my leg recently and indoors is all I do right now.

Sadly, I have been planning when to run based on the TV shows that will be playing during that hour. I literally go on TVguide.com and search throughout the day to find the best shows. I know, it's not the best use of my time, but we currently do not have a TV and I spend my hours and days and weeks and years and life reading books for work, reading books for school, listening to podcasts for work and listening to lectures at school. So there comes a point that this brain of mine just needs a little bit of mind numbing activity.

Yesterday I ran to The King Of Queens. I got lucky too, cause there were two episodes on in a row! That show is one of my favs to just sort of phase out to. That, and Reba.

The day before that I watched Wife Swap.

The goal, is that you find a show that you do not have to stop running to change the channel, so it is CRITICAL that you pick a good one.

Tonight is out. Just too tired. But tomorrow, is another day. I will be running in the morning, before work so here are my options at a roaring 7:00 am:

Sister, Sister (wayyyy too early for twins with parents who are so incredibly annoying)

Planet's Funniest Animals (I can't picture myself cracking up over this)

Babies: Special Delivery (I'm newly married and that will scare me straight to the couch at night)

Parental Control (a trashy MTV show. I'm embarrassed I know what this even is)

Saved by the Bell (for a rookie, this would seem like a good option. WARNING: 80's TV shows do not have good sound quality, so you will end up just blaring those speakers and that can cause ear damage. Not a good idea.)

So it's down to: Good Morning America and the Early Show. I'll have to check who is guest starring. I can't have someone blabbing about something and then want to change the channel. See because the show has to be so, so good that when the commercials come on, you kick that speed and that incline way up just to blow off some adrenaline, then back down to normal pace when the show comes back on.

Interval training. I can't decide if this is pathetic or really inventive. I'm voting the former.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

When It's Ruined


I consider myself to have child-like qualities. I love print socks, capri suns, the Little Mermaid, and I still think that stuffed animals are real. You don't? Just read Corduroy and you will be convinced too.

But, I have to get something off my chest that I am sad about. There are people who have ruined cartoon characters for me. I can't stand it. I do not want to know about any lame producer that thought it would be funny to write nasty words in the middle of Disney movies nor do I want to know what the people who do the voices do in real life. It ruins it!!! And frankly, I feel like I have been traumatized to some degree.

When I was really little, my sister once told me that Goofy was a drunk driver.

First of all, what does that even mean? Goofy is an actual person who drinks alcohol on a regular basis? That if I were a police man in the state of California or Florida I may run into Goofy during a night shift at the local bar?

Or does this mean that the person who is playing Goofy, all dressed up is drunk? Is that why he laughs like such a fool and sort of walks all slumped over? Perhaps it's not that he is so tall and has to lean over to talk with his other friends who are so short, but in fact he is stumbling home from the bar.

I mean this is what goes through my head now when I see that long-eared (what is he, a dog!?!), bucked toothed, overall wearing animal at Disneyland. I am disgusted with his choices. Come on, Goofy, you are supposed to be some sort of role model.

Now we know why they are not serving Margaritas or Cosmopolitans at the Happiest Place on Earth. Someone would be caught drooling for reasons that Walt would not like to admit.

Monday, October 6, 2008

i heart my mac mondays

Alright, the time has come to share that I have fully, officially with no reservations, become a total Mac snob. Fanatic. Lover. Guru. Partially, it's because my husband works for Apple and I have washed so many Apple logos printed on T-shirts, been to the store more times than even the avid Mac user could count, and personally thank Apple for assisting in helping our family eat. But, the other part, is that I own a Mac, and I love it.

The streamline simplicity of my black Mac book shouts sophistication, while the glowing Apple logo on the back of the computer screams creativity. You don't believe me? According to this study, when a group of participants were given subliminal messages in the form of pictures of either an Apple or IBM logo, participants responded more creatively after seeing the Apple logo vs. the IBM logo. If this information is not enough for you to glare at your PC, point your finger, shout, and blame it for all your attempts at failed creativity, then perhaps the next Windows pop-up message will do the trick. Come on, don't hide, we all want to forget those burned cupcakes, the drawings that no one can recognize, the projects that got thrown into the recycle bin on accident, and that dress you really tried to sew (but somehow ended up with only one sleeve)? That is exactly, my friends, why having a Mac comes in handy.

So, from this moment on, Mondays will be dedicated to the celebration of Apple. Mac tips and tricks, application shortcuts, new products, new designs...you name, and I will try to have it. And if you don't have a Mac to join in that celebration, please do not put away those dancing shoes just yet. Tune in, but I will not foot the bill when you break down after a few, harmless Mac Mondays and find yourself charging a different type of apple than granny-smith to your credit card.


feeling creative yet?

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Cycle of Life and Death


My mom, an English major in College, and now a high school librarian, always speaks of the literary device of the cycle of life and death. In a story when one person died, there would inevitably be a birth of a new life. Or, when there was a birth, there would soon be a death. Growing up, I never understood what she was referring to, and this past week, I lived in this tension, in this cycle.

My Grandma, my dad's mom, passed away this week. It was expected, but it still hurts. It's hard because she is my last grandparent. It's hard because she has not been well for awhile, and when she was well, I did not have enough sense to appreciate that time. If only I could have frozen a moment or two when she was laughing when we were little, or she gave me a high five that was so awkward, and I could have taken a snapshot of that moment; but I didn't. And truly, this ink is not a spillage of guilt. I was so young, so naive and there was no way that I could truly appreciate and understand Grandma. Her wisdom. Her generation. The fact that now, in my life, that generation is gone, and the new one is rushing in is something that has, in one week, become a reality. The thought of being only second in line of my family name, instead of being third crosses my mind and I realize that instead of being last, I am now approaching the middle. It's puts a fragile cloud over my parent's life and my friend's parent's life. And mine. I am no longer a grandchild, but just a child, and my other friends, who once made the transition from grandchild to child are now...parents.

Two days after my Grandma passed, after a generation in my life came to an end, a new one began. My dear friends Megan and Randy had their precious twin babies. They are so beautiful and the beginning of this stage of life is something that now being married, I am beginning to grasp a better understanding for. I feel like I am in a race for wisdom, that I am so aware of what I have been missing by only living like I would forever be just a grandchild, and now, as a new awareness of being a child, I have much to learn before I become a parent. And so it's here, in the middle of that tension, of third to second, last to middle, that I find myself.

I am mixed with sorrow grief, joy and happiness and I can not help but begin to think of the generations that have come and those that will come next. We are fragile people. We are made out of dust.

Our history is precious and the patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith declared, as they saw God move "This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Because, we know of where we came from, where we are headed, and who we are living for because of those who paved the way before us. We recognize the movement from generation to generation, yes as a literary device used in our favorite stories, but as an act of love, redemption, and culmination by our God, who knows each generation by name. And so, we too, will declare in the cycles of life and death, that "this is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob", because their lives are a thumbprint on ours.

Friday, October 3, 2008

My Thin, Thin Blood


It's 64 degrees here, and you know what that means?

WINTER!

Coming form the Mile High City where there is snow on the mountains till July and there is snow on your grass till May, I am sad to admit that my Colorado heart has thawed, completely. I moved to Colorado from Arizona, and the entire first year I was there I was frozen. Literally. I remember when it was negative nine outside and I just refused to go out. Nope. Not doing it. But then I turned so hard core. My blood thickened and I went running in the snow. Played games in the snow. Would roll in the snow in my swim suit before entering our hot tub. And now, here I am, in Costa Mesa, CA and I am thinking that this is winter. So here are ten things that I am truly embarrassed of, because they are defining aspects of me that change me from CO to CA:

1. It's 68 and I am wearing Ugg boots.
2. That I even have Ugg boots. In CO, we are bad a's and don't wear boots with fur.
3. I pray for rain on Christmas Day.
4. I drove around this morning with heat on in my car, and was horribly upset I had to walk so far to my apartment door.
5. I often use the word "brrrr" to describe how I am feeling when it gets below 70.
6. Is it a bad sign that I contemplated getting into the hot tub to "warm up"?
7. I wore two layers, both pants and tops this morning.
8. When I wear my puffy ski vest, I know I am putting to shame people who really ski. Cause, well hello. Nothing but sand and freeways here.
9. I have actually considered purchasing a heavy, winter coat from J.Crew.
10. That I would even think that J.Crew could offer a good winter coat. What happened to my knowledge and love for rugged REI?

I mean, need I say more?

Colorado, please cover me with snow and freeze me to the core this Christmas. California has stolen all my blood and made it as thin as the girls who live here.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Got Milk?


Milk was a staple for me growing up. Everyday after school I had a tall glass of cold, whole milk and loved every single gulp. I love chocolate milk, I love to dip cookies in it, make milk shakes, milk baths (well I've never had one, but I think that I would like it), and milk in my coffee. However, what I do not appreciate is everyone who is running around and making me weird and grossed out by milk. You ruining it for me! "Who are these people?" you may ask. PETA for one. Yes, the animal rights group. They recently put out a formal request to Ben and Jerry's asking if they would please stop using cow's milk (to "give the cow a break"), and start using human breast milk.

human.breast.milk.

I really, really wish that I was kidding. In the report, which you can read here, they are quoted saying that "breast is best" and thus, I should really be consuming breast milk mixed with caramel and peanut butter, all frozen to perfection while I'm sitting on my couch watching the rain or getting over a bad day. Please can I do that? I literally am almost throwing up in my mouth. Is anyone else totally grossed out by this? And what does "breast is best" even mean? According to who? I guess this brings me to another misunderstanding I have about life. What is the big deal about boobs?! They are fat that just sits there, and frankly, people act appalled by it anywhere else on the body, so how come two random spots on the middle of someone's chest are so appealing? And, your mom, grandma, and every other girl that you have ever known has them. So, please please tell me what the big deal is. Furthermore, I am pretty sure, that people (majority men) who are going around saying "breast is best", are not thinking that they are consuming it's natural fluids in ice cream. If they even remembered that milk comes out of those, I think they would loose some of the appeal. So PETA maybe this is actually a hidden way to stop people from looking at so much porn, or grabbing people's boobs on the streets. If so, then I understand your true intentions. But, I have see you in action, and the way you yelled at me with signs that had puppies on them in Times Sqaure, makes me worried that you are serious about this statement. I am really hoping that pictures of boobs and cows and any combination of the two do not show up at your next picket line.



The second person who is really destroying my love for milk, is this guy. He insists that soy milk will make a child gay. I can not even begin to comment on this. He says that giving a kid soy milk is the equivalent to taking two birth control pills. I would like to personally thank him for this information. Because now that I know, I will stop taking my birth control pills and I will drink a half cup of soy every morning. But, Sir? Will you foot the bill for the diapers, clothes, food and college of the baby that will be born out of your soy milk birth control method? Just let me know where to send the invoice.