Best Kitchen Cleaning Tip EVER

I spent much of this past weekend cleaning my kitchen. I know, I am supposed to clean my house little by little every day, but come on; I don't always have time for that. Besides, I like having a lazy dinner and then catching up with the kids and watching our favorite TV shows together during the week. That leaves the weekend for deep house cleaning, and while I was whitening my stove this weekend, I was thankful once again for the best cleaning tip my mother ever gave me.

It was shortly after I got my brand new shiny white oven. Mom was there on Thanksgiving and I was pouting over my white burners no longer being white. Mom asked if I had any SOS pads and suggested I try those. They worked! My burners looked brand new, and NOTHING cuts through grease on counters, floors and tables like those little SOS pads. They even worked pretty well on my shiny sink.

A follow-up tip: if you have a red wine or red juice stain on anything white, try the Magic Eraser. I am not sure what this thing is made of, but we even got out dark blue dye from a friends antique wood table with this little gem.

I get mine from drugstore.com, inc. It is quick, easy, and usually delivered (for free) in a day or two. I save even more money by not going to the drugstore on my corner and filling my cart with things I had no intention of buying.

Finally Friday Fun

Another new feature and theme day: Finally Friday Fun. I am imagining a list of links and fun for Fridays. For now, I am thinking I will theme it each week with topics that I like, and will go from there.

Today as I commuted in to work, I was listening to Afterglow by Sarah McLachlan and thinking of things that make me happy, and I thought of riding my motorcycle. I am hoping that it will warm up just enough here in Chicago today for me to get a few moments in after work on my bike, if not today, then hopefully sometime this weekend. In honor of my happy thoughts this morning, I figured I would list here some fun motorcycle links, especially those dedicated to women bikers.


Illinois Free Rider Course - This is the absolute best thing I ever did by myself or for myself! Do this if you are even thinking about biking just a little bit! It is worth it. My class was over half women.

Women who Ride - A good starter site with tips and information.

Zappos.com - I got my first pair of Harley boots here for a great price, shipping was free and I had the boots the next day. . .Zappos is amazing. Here are the boots I want next (hint, hint).

Harley-Davidson - And of course, this is my next bike, for now anyway (hint, hint). You also have to like the fact that they have an entire section on their site just for women riders.



I am still looking for warm clothing so I can ride a bit longer in the fall and earlier in the spring, so if you have any sites to share please let me know.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Review

I just finished listening to The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Mary Beth Hurt is the Narrator on my version, and I found her voice to be very easy to listen to.

I LOVE listening to good books on the way to and from work. I find that if I am concentrating on a good story, I am happy, the time flies by, AND it keeps Road Rage from sneaking up on me. All around, a win/win situation.

I was very afraid at the beginning of this book that I was going to have to stop listening, what with all of the male dominance being portrayed. I kept listening though and found that as the story progressed, I got into it and realized that like it or not, it has taken us a long time to realize that all people are created equal.

I need to reflect for a couple more days on the theme and the main points of the book, but overall this is an enjoyable book, and does shed light on just how the witch trials may have gone. More importantly, it gives a very clear picture of why we MUST get to know people before we pass our petty judgements on their character. When we reach out to people, meet them where they are, and share ourselves with them we can find deep and lasting happiness.

Cafe Thursday

Until further notice, Thursdays will be the days that I celebrate my inner chef. Now, I am no Julia Childs, Paula Dean or even a Rachel Ray, but I can occasionally put together a decent meal for the family. I have lots of favorite ways to come up with recipes for dinner, and I will share those here as well as some sites and tips.

Today, I would like to put down in writing for some friends and family a recipe that everyone except my husband seems to enjoy. I found this recipe in a Pillsbury circular at the grocery store and modified it a bit.

Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups of cubed chicken
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of chipotle seasoning
1 package of frozen or canned mixed veggies
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 packet of Onion soup mix
Cooking spray
2 pie crusts (Pillsbury is my personal favorite)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat Olive Oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt, pepper and seasoning. Drain veggies (steam frozen veggies under HOT water if using them) and put in a seperate bowl. Add cream of chicken soup, 1/2 can of water, and onion soup mix to veggies. Once chicken is browned, lower heat and add veggie mixture until warmed through.

Lightly coat a pie tin with cooking spray and spread one pie crust. Add meat and veggie mixture. Place second pie crust on top of the mixture and tuck in around the sides. Be sure to add at least a couple of slits to the top of the pie, but decorate as you see fit. I often will add someone's initials or a heart.

Put pie plate on a cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Remove pie from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. . .serve and enjoy!

Happy Hump Day - Shopping Feature

On Wednesday of each week, I am going to post some products that I have discovered or loved, or just want to remember or pass on as hints to those reading my site. So here goes, a Happy Hump Day Shopping List:



1. I have been flying for a couple of months now, and so I do a swish & swipe every morning when I get out of the shower. While I was browsing around drugstore.com, inc. last week I happened upon the Method Glass Cleaner, and I will admit, it was the color that first drew me. I like blue! I then noticed that it was also mint scented and decided to give it a try. Am I ever glad I did. This glass cleaner leaves no streaks, it cleans my counter and potty area also, and the smell is so much nicer than other glass cleaners. It makes me smile every morning.



2. Ok, I'll admit it, I have never paid over $100 for a pair of jeans. I just don't see the point. I am a professional woman, and can realistically only wear jeans two, maybe three days out of the week. I also probably have not purchased jeans in about a year, but have tried a few times. I don't usually like the fit or the look. This weekend a trip to Old Navy changed that. I bought great looking jeans, in a fit that was flattering to me, and was the right length, for $25 dollars! Can you beat that? I was worried before I tried them on that they would be thin or cheap, but the material is nice an thick, and in the surprising cold Chicago weather yesterday, they kept my legs quite cozy. If you haven't tried them, give them a shot. I bought the "flirt" style, but there are two others if you don't like those.




3. Finally, a link to one of my favorite shopping sites. I was looking through my current issue of Lucky Magazine a couple of months ago and happened across an ad for See Jane Work. I will admit that I was intrigued, and did check out their site the next day. As I had been looking for file folders that were attractive for a while, I did purchase some PepperPot File Folders and fell in love. This cool little site is perfect for the professional woman who wants to surround herself with feminine looking office products. I have found few places that carry pink and green polka-dot file folders, but what girl wouldn't like those?

On Happiness

I am currently reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and I am struck by my intense response to it. I find myself very angry with the overbearing men in the book. I find myself once again upset by the forces in my life that have dictated my dull view of Christianity.

So I am questioning how I have portrayed Christianity to my children? Does it seem dull to them? Are they burdened by the rules and regulations? Or have I shown them grace and love and mercy? Have I explained enough that while the Old Testament focused on tasks and laws. . . Jesus showed us that in those tasks we are called to focus on the people and relationships? For when asked the greatest commandment, Jesus reply was:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

Researcher

I was sharing this new blog with my mother this weekend. I wanted her opinion on the blog in general. She is a bit skeptical about the whole blogging thing, but aside from that, her other big concern was my inclusion in one of my reading challenges of a book by author Philip Pullman.

As with Harry Potter, it seems that there is a bit of a religious scuffle surrounding both Philip Pullman and his literature. And, as with Harry Potter, I was completely oblivious to all of the conflict. I have read some of the material from and about Pullman, and he is indeed an athiest.

The question for me is, does an authors religious view matter? My answer to this is no. Reading is a hobby for me. It is something I do in my spare time, and at its best, it helps me find God in new ways. At its worst, it helps me realize more the fall of man. I never approach a book and assume the author knows anything. I never put authors on pedistals or pretend that their opinion of things is correct. I read to be entertained at least, and challenged at best.

I think the basis of my opinion is that I doubt very much that Philip Pullman scares God. And I belive that God is much bigger than Pullman, thus freeing me to read about him, and to read his material and form my own opinion. I don't need to run away and hide from Pullman or his ideas or books. If I am regularly doing what I need to grow and mature, I should be ready to engage this culture and the best it has to throw at me. It is like those silly celebraties that come out and encourage us to vote for one candidate or another. I love to watch some of them on the big screen, but in most cases, they are hardly qualified to give advice, let alone persuade me about a political candidate. Philip Pullman may be a literary giant, but that does not qualify him to be my spiritual mentor or guide.

This freedom extends to my children as well. It is indeed my job to shelter them and guide them to a point, but I also MUST equip them with the tools to read books and engage people and ask tough questions and wrestle with God and their faith. Shutting them in a closet and hiding anything that may disagree with my point of view will teach them nothing, and in no way prepare them for the world they will eventually have to enter.

Student of teen culture

I had an intersting conversation last night with my teenagers about, well, lots of things, but mostly about what scares them about school. My daugter had to watch Bowling for Columbine in her Government class over the past couple of days and this left her feeling worried and needing to talk.

We talked about gun control, an issue I am on the fence about, by the way. However, it seems my daugher thinks guns should be ban. Her strongest reasoning is that it is too easy for kids to get ahold of them now, and being as kids/teens are so unstable anyway, they need to be kept out of their reach at all costs. I guess since she only got one side of the argument in school, I will once again have to at least show her the other half of the argument so she can see both sides. Once again I have to step in and un-teach my daughter some crazy teacher's political agenda. Ah well. . .the price of freedom in America. . .I wouldn't trade it for the world!

As we were discussing this issue of gun control and school shootings, an opportunity for some instruction from my children came. It seems that the two boys from Columbine were what my kids would consider "emos." This term, "emo," was new to me. It turns out that this is a common teenage term for what my son called "emotionally disturbed" kids.

This was further solidified with me today when I stumbled upon a great readers blog and saw this video description of an "emo." Very funny stuff!!

Sleep Specialist: 5 Tips for an Insomniac

My daughter is a worrier. She comes by it naturally, as I worry about everything too. The difference between us? Her worrying keeps her up and mine gives me reprieve at night.

We have recently come up with some things that we do that help her sleep easier, at least a bit.

1. Take a shower. I recommend a bathbomb or some bubbles, a good book for teens, and some soothing tea.

2. Have a quick conversation with Mom. Teenage girls need to have some sense of connectedness with the feminine side. . .so a quick conversation on any topic with any female will probably yield the same result.

3. Read your Bible. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, a quick prayer for wisdom and a even reading just one verse will allow our minds to focus on God rather than us and all our problems.

4. Journal about what you have read. I don't personally think it matters what you write, but just writing something for an overthinker seems to help unconfuse the mind and help one to relax a bit.

5. Pray till you fall asleep. My mom once told me that the Devil would rather not bug you and keep you worrying if all you are gonna do about it is pray. I don't know how theologically correct this is, but it has always worked for me. . .I can always fall asleep praying for or thanking God for all the great people in my life!

The Girly Part

I'll admit it, I like to cuddle up in a warm toasty bath with a cup of tea and a good book and soak for entirely too long. I haven't had too much time lately, but I do think it is important that we girls take some time to do this from time to time.

It is now so much better than before. I grew up with Mr. Bubbles, and while the bubble bath you can get at the drugstore or even the grocery store is ok, I have found heaven on earth.

LUSH products are beyond wonderful!! If you need to get any woman in your life a present, I really recommend you buy her this stuff! And I really recommend that if you are feeling stressed out, or anxious, or just need a break try a bomb. I especially recommend the Sex Bomb (pink and pretty with rose petals).