Brownie's Five ON Friday!

1. Coconut Oil

I guess it is the new healing water {oil} of 2014. {The melalucha of its day & that is butchered spelling...if you remember 1990-94 then you know melalucha and pyramids}  Tropical countries utilize this oil a whole bunch.  The benefits of it are immense if what we read is true.  It has been linked to lower cholesterol levels, better heart health, great skin and hair, and energy increase.

I'm seriously debating getting some.

Then part of me remembers those lovely classes in college {a lot that began with the prefix NUTR} and it seems like coconut and palm oil were demonic bad for you oils.  Guess things are changing or Dr. Oz is speaking some more gospel...?  Which reminds me....I was watching Dr. Phil {this is a true rarity, I stay away from most Oprah related schemes} and he had a couple on that were psycho.  Long story short, the husband called the cops on the wife every five minutes for harsh things like "throwing stretchy pants" at him and my favorite, "putting her cold feet on him in bed".....Dr. Phil's response?  "What did you want the cops to do?  Put socks on her?"  I realize that may not be funny to read but it was really funny for a sleep deprived woman named Brownie.....

2.  Time Change Ahead

My favorite time is what we're about to get....more daylight!  I do not understand why we keep changing the clocks since we're not very agriculturally based these days.  I think that the time people are getting kick backs from antidepressants because with all the people who have SAD and cannot deal with change well....yeah that's big bucks for constantly changing the damn clock.  I would be a happy camper if we could have longer days than we do November - March.  

One thing I can tell you I do not look forward to is the affect it has on my kids.  The six year old will be tolerable the 18 month old....not so much.  

I was reading about how to better adjust to the time change and one source said to start changing bed times earlier than the time change.  Example:  Move your child's bedtime up ten minutes each day leading to the time change.  I don't know if I should give this a go or just deal with the regular two week adjustment period.  I feel like as parents we get screwed no matter what....and besides one kid doesn't sleep anyway so what is one less hour really gonna do {make mama drive to the liquor store after she publishes this post....that's what!}

From Homes: How to decorate with radiant orchid!

3.  Radiant Orchid

The home decor color of the year {according to Pantone}is Radiant Orchid {lets just call it bright purple}.  This color is gorgeous.  I would love to utilize it as we start doing the fun part of accenting our house inside and out.

4.  March is tomorrow  

I love March.  To me it means:  anniversary {seven years in this thing}, beach {first trip of the year}, spring {need I say more?}.  It is a great month no doubt!

5.  New recipes

So some of you that read my blog on the reg know that I am counting calories.  You can read about how I screwed that earlier by {clicking here}.  Well I'm armed up with some new recipes from an old Hungry Girl recipe book.  I'm trying out a few this weekend and next week and plan to share my results on taste!

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5 Minute Friday: Choose

Time for the 5 Minute Friday Link Up!

The word today is "choose"  5, 4, 3, 2, 1....go!

Choose what a big word that I doubt we give much thought to.  What we choose will determine so much about our day, our life and what legacy we leave.

I choose eggs or cereal?  Minimal choice but affects my morning and when I'm ravenous again!

I choose my profession.  Big choice and with that choice will bring happiness or a feeling of loss.

I choose my family.  It is a choice you know.  Sure, you may have been born into that family against your will but you ultimately will choose if you stay around them or part ways.  You will also choose your mate and how many little ones you'll have if you are given that choice that many aren't.

I choose my beliefs.  That is powerful because I live somewhere that that piece of my life isn't chosen for me.  I live somewhere where I am able to choose such an important factor in own personal world.

Things would be so different if we weren't granted free will.  There would be no choice and there would be no magnificent rainbow of people if we were all robots or Stepford gals.  With that free will comes a hard, hard road though.  Temptation for the bad is always something on the buffet of what we can choose and we have to be very very careful to take a step back and make sure our choices are not ill willed or hurtful.  It is hard to do that and we will all leave a bruise somewhere by so many choices we make.

Choose what is good.  Choose the best option at all times.  Choose with a good head and a strong heart.

And this life will be so much easier.

End.

I could go on and on...what a ramble!

How to screw your calorie counting 101

I just wanted to share with you my epic fail of a day.

As you know I am counting my calories.  I'm working to trim down on the junk and get down a size in honor of the scantily clad season upon us.  {By scantily clad I mean clothes that don't cover the entire body....not Kim Kardashian / Kanye music video scantily clad...}

Yeah that season...exactly.

Not to toot my own horn but lately I have been kicking some calorie ass!

Until one day.

See on this particular one day I was so ravenous {not sure why, it wasn't what you were thinking}.  I was so incredibly hungry that when the hubby said Sonic for lunch my ass was salivating like a rabid barn cat.

Whew at least it isn't Flannery!

We pull into the stall {so fitting for this story...to call it a stall....we order the Brown Bag Lunch special {good deal} and I killed that massive burger and tots so fast people were asking if I was ready to order.  {Thanks but I just ravaged a Sonic nation of food in five seconds flat...}

Pull on up to the trough honey....

Yeah um...I get home and think, "Oh shit Brownie.  That was bad.  That was caloric hell.  You are going to be burned at the dinner stake tonight."

So I slowly plug my meal into My Fitness Pal.

Then I slowly died inside.

The caloric value popped up and for the first time I saw a sad site....a very sad site.  It looked like this:

Brownie only had 26 calories left to use for the day and it was 2:00 PM.

So I did what any good woman of calorie counting would do....I threw on my work out clothes and didn't eat another thing all day.  I drank my water and I remembered that Sonic Stall with great delight.

Because by God I doubt I ever return there.

***But I'll miss the tots***

{The finale of} Thursday Love: Mommyhood

Last week my daughter's kindergarten class held their Valentine's Day celebration.  It was called "Love Day" and the kids were encouraged to bring in a person or item they loved.  My diva chose her brother.

She really does love that stinker.

And he's pretty smitten over her too...

We spent an hour listening to the kids share what they loved.  There was a lot of mention of moms....pets....stuffed animals.  It was very innocent and sweet.

I am so in love with the fact I have a life where I can be apart of these little events in my kids' lives.

Oh Bloody Hell!

If you haven't read my blog I will warn you I cuss and tell it like it is from the eyes of a sugary, delicious, inviting confection of southern awesomeness. I also want to let you know I had no intentions of ever moving back to this place I reside in but apparently fate had other plans for me.  I live here, I pay taxes here, and therefore I have the right to speak my opinion like everyone else.  I generally stay away from matters such as this but it is such a disgrace that I had to finally take a minute to speak up.  As I did last year.  Happy reading.

 

Oh bloody hell.  I hate this county I live in.  It is the dumbest spot on the map {currently}.

I do not invite any human being worth a damn to even pass through this land of stupid.  Seriously, the dark ages reside here.  If you must pee while on I-40 hold it until you get out of these county lines.  I don't want you to be scarred for life by spending more than thirty seconds here.

God knows this place has scarred me and jaded me when it comes to how I see local government officials and various residents' mindsets.

Current issue that will not go away {even though it has a very simple, educated solution for fixing}:

The dumb asses of the county are {still} fighting a new high school.

This little dumping zone has had one high school since the mid fifties.  It sits on the lower end of the county seat.  It is ugly, nasty, and old.  It is your Aunt Gertrude with her warts, smokey breath, over done eye shadow, and died peach hair.  You don't acknowledge her existence much but she makes you laugh when you think of her.  

I attended and graduated that stink shack and it was a trailer park slum back then.  Did someone really expect a fairy godmother to bibbity bobbity boo that bitch?  {Probably so considering the mentality here}....

Ten years ago {give or take a few} a group wanted to build a second high school. That failed.  Talk of fairness and the such. {It was quite a flashback to the 60s and 70s...all the black kids and poor white trash kids will be at one school and what the hell are the racists going to do with the Hispanics now?}....

I'm being serious.  This is the dirty south at its best.

Now they want to build one new and centrally located high school.  Cool, awesome, do it!  All the county's kids deserve a good high school that is up to date, safe, and healthy! 

{Said the educated!}

Common sense is a novel idea.  However, the lack of common sense leads to a hard time doing the right thing.  We have so many here with their heads up their asses who could care less about a school. 

The issue for them is losing $11 a month to taxation.  {Holy crap that will cut into their cigarette money won't it?  Or it will take away from their breakfast at Miller's Diner.  Eeek!}

Damn youngens!  

{These are the same people who shut down their homes at 3:00 PM on Halloween because they don't want people looking for hand outs.}

The real salt of society....{until you read their labels and see that its not real salt but an imposture}!

It is REALLY ridiculousness taken to the highest level.

It is embarassing and disgusting and foolish.

The big picture is this:  

You have two sides battling - The Self Centered vs Future First

The Self Centered:

They are past their prime. They are breaking down.  They are behind the times.  They are afraid of change and do not understand that education is investment. 

The old ones realize in the back of their brains their number will be called soon {impending death} and so they do not give a damn about a kid's education {due to impending death they do not care about what the world is like without them}.  

The young ones {ill educated, narrow vision, probably a dork when they were in high school} are just trying to hold fast to any form of power given to them. Any side who will back them with strength and old money gets their vote.  They have no sense of self and they will drown first by the hands of those "behind" them pushing them down.

Future Forward:

They see that education is an investment.

All kids deserve the best.

They aren't afraid to support the future leaders by giving them a top notch public education today.

Kids cannot vote but we can voice what they need and get it done.

Did you notice how I didn't have to type quite as much for the Future Forward people?  Its because they aren't out to get anyone.  They are out to do what is right.

Peace out people I'm done with this bitch session.

Wow Wednesday: Going to Target

This week held a Target trip for me.

I like Target.

Every Sunday I check out the weekly flyer.  This week they had two things I wanted to purchase.

1.  Some wall art for the livingroom

2.  Leggings and tops for the Diva

Ok, yeah, that is actually 3 things....

Before I go to Target I always hit up the coupon section and Cartwheel app.  Target does good work with their coupons.

Luckily, they had a couple I needed.   I clipped those and we headed out after school.

Target can be a huge let down.

It is like in the summer, back in the day, when you had to use the community pool.  You know, finally mom said you could go and you throw on your swimsuit and grab your water toys and run to the car.  The whole way there the sun is shining and its 150 degrees out.  Then when you get there the sky is grey and it is raining and the temperature is 52.

My experience totally.

The selection of leggings and tops for the Diva were horrible.  Picked through and messy.

The wall art was practically non-existent.  One of the associates said they "really didn't have a lot anyway".  Really?  You put it on sale when you only have three pieces sitting back there and they are dingy?

My poor child was so excited about some new clothes (see pool story above).  She luckily found some things she just adored, because she is six and can do that. We hit up the clearance rack where she found some dance wear at a super great price.  That did help ease the "really didn't have a lot anyway" words of the associate.

We walked around aimlessly for about forty five minutes.  Nothing impressive, nothing grand, just a mess of a store with little in it....except for food.



Why the crap does Target have to pull the Walmart card and be a grocery store too?  Seriously, Target you were supposed to be better than that!

I do realize these are 1st world problems to the hilt.

Weekend Recap: The early spring teaser

To say I had a good weekend may be a bit of an understatement....

Friday led to froyo at Sweet Frogs...mmm sooo good.  Then a trip to Kohls to redeem my Kohl's Cash (so love that stuff, got some great deals at their white sale!)....
Friday night was awesome being that me and the kids just cuddled up and watched Last Man Standing....we all three laughed.  A baby + a live studio audience = crazy laughter.

Saturday was sent from the heavens.

When we got up (hubby had to work) I just knew we could not stay at home.  So we all got dressed and headed to the library and then took a nice stroll all along our tiny downtown area.  It's not a complete spring day without a trip to Sonic to get some tots!  So we just had to do that!

When we got home the tiny man went to nap, the girl wanted to clean bathrooms (she's all into it), and I basked in the sunshine (barefoot, short sleeves) on the new deck and read the March issue of Southern Living.  My life was complete!!!

We spent the afternoon as a family at one of the local larger parks.

I am in love with ducks now and have decided I need one to name Flannery and let swim in a kiddie pool in my back yard.

Sunday was 70 and great!  The diva spent the day with her nana and the rest of us played outside all.day.long!  Cannot complain - especially when there is a picnic on our new deck involved.

So about my weekend....

I'll take another please, sir!

On Last Babies....

Lately I have been seeing a lot of viral blog posts and writings about women talking about their "last baby".

I have yet to feel that last baby bittersweet-ness that those posts are about.  I am relieved to be done with pregnancies.  I am thrilled that I will not be sharing my body with another human being growing inside it.  At the same time praising God that I was able to conceive and carry to term two healthy babies.  It delights me that the days of buying diapers are halfway done.

Don't get me wrong, I love the baby stage.  I love the softness of a newborn and their non dirty diaper or puke smells.  I love how they can sleep in your arms, so tiny and warm.

I do not like erratic sleep patterns, inability to communicate effectively, and random screaming and tearing the house apart.

With every good gift there is a not so great gift and its normally called making messes, throwing fits, and being very tired.

I am super blessed to have both of my babies.

I am super duper blessed to not be depressed over the fact I am done (as far as I am concerned) with the babyhood chapter of my life.

And....I am totally thrilled my little man is 18 months old today.  I love you.

Monday, May I?

May I?

Dude, that's a dude.  I bet his mom gets pissed when people call him a pretty little girl which is exactly what he looks like with that ungodly beautiful hair....God you're funny giving the boys the beautiful hair and eyelashes....real funny.

1.  Get my son a haircut?  Some people like long hair on little boys, I personally do not.  This crap has to go.

Yep this would be a great use for the piece right now...door stop.

2.  Take the Nook to B&N?  My daughter's Nook has not been a good investment.  It always locks up and has to be reset.  I'm taking that piece to the store.  Mine, on the flip side, has been AWESOME.  User issues?  Hahahaha.

Yep that's all.

What's For Dinner {Just Ideas}

I want to grill so badly.

One small glitch....

We don't have a grill!!!!

But if we did....I would so have this rigged up for my husband.

We have a huge @$$ deck and no grill.

I am baffled.

Oh well.

This week was rough on figuring what to eat for dinner.  I asked the six year old daughter and her response was meatball subs and hot dogs (nope).  I asked the hubby and he was about some chowder and roast beef sandwiches.  I asked myself and thought Rice Krispies!

Yeah, I'm in my cereal addiction phase.  It hits me once a year.

So here's what we'll be eating around here this week:

Corn & Crab Chowder

Roast Beef Sandwiches (soooo easy)

Roasted Chicken Thighs & Vegetables

Pineapple Pork Chops & Rice

Our sweet treat:

Brownies (Fitting!)

Five on Friday: 2/21/14

1.  Get a March issue of Redbook!

First just look at Jennifer Nettles.  My gah she's so pretty.  I never saw her as pretty before because Sugarland is not one of my top ten favorites of anything.  However, I do like her new song and her new look is HOT!

Now skip to the back and read Kimberly Williams-Paisley's article about dealing with her mom and her dementia.  Seriously - it is a good read and so heart-wrenching.  I was tearing up reading it.  Anyone dealing with someone with Alz/Dem will totally appreciate this read.

2.  Get your home tan on!

I hear this is prime season for people to go lie in beds of ultra violet light.  Don't do it.  Seriously.  Tanners look so nasty after years of abusing their now leathery, orange skin.  Grab some sunless tanner.  Yes, this is coming from a pasty white chick.  Like so white she glows in the dark white chick.  However, Daily Glow by Jergens is some good stuff.  PLUS it has sunscreen in it!

3.  Download an App!

If you haven't downloaded My Fitness Pal do it now.  Get your calorie count on to maintain or lose weight (just in time for bikini season).  I love this app.  Last year it was perfect for me and this year will be no different.

4.  New lipstick is a must!

I love doing a bold lip with a plain eye.  Brighten it up for spring with a lighter hue than what you've been slapping on those kissers.  I am also totally in love with the chunky pencils of color that are all the rage now.  I really love Roomiest Rose by Clinique!

5.  Drink up!

You know I am a strict vodka girl....until the warmer temps hit and I'm a rum girl.  Well I was in the pharmacy, I mean liquor store, the other evening.  The hubby and I were perusing the aisles for something new.  I'm the liquor drinker in the family (pretty safe to say I do indeed have some Scots-Irish blood in me....something tells me the Caribbean blood just isn't flowing through me....pasty cracker).  Naturally, I stared at my rum friends.  I glanced at my vodka vixens.  Then I saw it.....Hpnotiq

A mixture of French vodka, cognac, and fun.

I poured my first glass and was like - eeek Jolly Rancher anyone?  I hate super sweet drinks.  So I diluted it with two tablespoons of water and it was very delightful amongst me palate!

I'm a fan.

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