Tell About It Tuesday: Can't Touch This

It's another snow day for us today. This time we have snow + arctic temps and it's been nice to stay cozied up inside with my peeps.

I've been cleaning (a little) and cooking (a little) and doing a lot of meat prep this morning. And that brings me to the last little life-changing "a-ha" discovery I wanted to share. 

Playtex CleanCuisine Disposable gloves.

I love these gloves.  

I hate touching raw meat. Besides the fact that I'm a crazy germophobe freak, I just despise the feel of it, especially chicken. And I never feel like I get it completely washed off of my hands. 

I use these gloves when I cut up raw chicken. And pork. And beef. 

I use them when I put raw bacon strips on the cookie sheet. You do know the easiest/least messy way to cook bacon is in the oven, right? That's a life-changing tip you need to check out as well. 

I use them to mix up/roll meatballs and sausage balls.

And I always remember too late that I should wear them when I cut up jalapenos. For some reason I'm sensitive to the oils in the peppers and end up with burning fingers...or eyes if I accidentally touch them after handling peppers. Oy! That is not a pleasant experience.

Anyway, they're great for all those things and much more. I can usually find coupons in the Sunday paper for these gloves too. Win-win. 

Okay, so Tell About It Tuesday may not be a regular weekly feature around here BUT I have a feeling from time to time I'll find something else life-changing that I'll want to share. So until then...

Tell About It Tuesday: Blowing Hot Air

Brace yourself. This is riveting stuff, folks.

I want to tell you about the discovery I made about my hair dryer.

I'm tough on hair dryers. My hair is very thick and can take a sweet forever to dry. I can't tell you how many hairdryers I've blown through (punny--ha ha!) over the years because I've burned up the motor in them. Four or five years ago, I splurged and bought this one (with a coupon and my Ulta rewards because y'all know I'm cheap, right?)

This hair dryer has been very good to me. Not only has it lasted 4-5x longer than the kind I used to buy, it dries my hair super fast and it leaves it ultra smooth.

But last fall I noticed that it was taking longer for my hair to get dry. And my hair dryer felt super slow and draggy. (Is draggy a word?) I figured it was probably about to die and I should start thinking about a replacement.

At Thanksgiving, my sister let me use her new hairdryer that was similar. Honestly, I was jealous. Pea green with envy. Hers was super fast, super light, and left my hair looking and feeling great. I wasn't happy when I had to leave her house and return to using my slow, draggy one.

Not long after that, I walked in my bathroom and noticed that the end piece on my hair dryer had come off. And then I saw how filthy it was--inside and out. I picked it up and completely washed every single piece. I got that thing cleaner than clean.

And guess what?

It's like I have a brand new hair dryer! I think my sister would be jealous of MINE now. Ha!

I'm sure some of you clean yours regularly. It's probably the same few of you that knew to sear your meat. (Smile). But if you're slow on the uptake like me, try cleaning your filters (like the manual suggests) to preserve the life of your hair dryer and keep it working well!

It really was an "A-ha!" realization for me. I probably could have saved myself a LOT of needless hair dryer purchases over the years if I'd simply taken less than five minutes to do this.

Tell About it Tuesday: Searing

Okay, this might not seem like a life-changing thing to you, but it was to me.

Sear your meat before you put it in the crock-pot or oven. 

Honestly, my mom has suggested I do that for years. I've been married for twenty years and that's probably how long she's been telling me that.

One night during Thanksgiving week, my mom made pot roast for all of us. I've eaten a lot of pot roast in my day but her pot roast was to die for. My sister and I both commented that our roast never tastes that delicious or tender. And of course, my mom said that the secret was to sear the meat.

I came home from Thanksgiving and decided to try it. Twenty years later I decided to listen. No, I'm not the least bit stubborn. Why do you ask?

Guess what? My mom was right! Searing is the key to tender, fall-apart meat.

Perhaps you've known this for awhile but humor me because I'm just now realizing that I can make delicious roast too!

I mentioned yesterday that we had friends over for dinner the other night. I made shredded beef tacos (really easy and really good!) and of course I seared the meat and of course they were delicious and tender.

Here's the nitty gritty:

Pour some oil in a heavy skillet or stock-pot and let it get really hot.

Add your meat.

Let it get nice and brown on every side. I use my tongs to help me hold it at weird angles to get the sides nice and brown too.

Then transfer the meat to your crock-pot or oven to finish cooking.

See how simple that is? It's a tiny bit messy but very worth it!

Confession: I put the ingredients for beef stew in the crock-pot a few minutes ago and I didn't sear the stew meat. Gasp. I didn't sear it mainly because I enjoy irony, but also because it wasn't completely thawed and I was in a hurry. It will still be good, but it would be better if I had seared it first.

Don't be a stubborn, slow learner like I was. SEAR your meat!!!

Thank you, mom!

Tell About It Tuesday: Dry Shampoo

Back before Christmas I wrote a post (in my head) that I titled: Four Things That Will Change Your Life. They changed my life so surely they'll change yours, right?

I decided that claim was a bit dramatic (and the post never moved from my head to my computer) so I moved on. BUT, the truth is that I really have stumbled upon some things that aren't necessarily life-changing but they're too good not to share. So, I'm introducing "Tell About It Tuesday". And I can only guarantee you 3-4 Tuesdays worth of posts. 

Today's topic: Dry Shampoo

I remember a friend mentioning this to me several years ago and while I found the idea intriguing, I couldn't find the product. Last summer, Leslie mentioned dry shampoo in a blog post and reminded me that I wanted to try it! I finally got around to it a mere six months later...

Here is the product that she steered me to buy--Batiste Dry Shampoo

Y'all...this stuff is AMAZING.

I typically wash my hair every day. Not because I want to, but because my scalp is oily. Not only do I wash my hair every day, but I blow dry and straighten it too. You can imagine how dry my ends are in the land of no humidity. I really have tried to go a day between washings because I know it's best for my hair, and I can totally pull it off, but by the end of the second day of unwashed hair, it starts to get gross--oily and *ahem* stinky.

Enter Batiste Dry Shampoo. I spray it on my hair (it turns my hair whitish-gray), wait a few minutes, massage it into my scalp, then brush it completely out. My "shampooed" hair is shiny, smells good, and has amazing body with NO residue from the shampoo. It actually looks better on the days I use the dry stuff than it does on the days I go through my whole wash/dry/straighten routine.

I've been using this stuff for about a month and WOW. It really has changed my life morning routine. Now I live for days that I can get ready in fifteen minutes or less!

Seriously...you MUST try this product!!!

Here's what you need to know.
I found it at Sally Beauty Supply, but I *think* it might also be sold at Ulta. I know it's available at Ulta online but I'm going to see if I can find it at my Ulta store because then I can use one of the endless coupons I get from them! You can also buy it from Amazon.

I like the blush scent the best. The original scent is okay, but it's a little funky. I tried that scent first and was glad I also had the blush scent to try. I haven't tried the tropical.

It retails for about $7.50-$8.00 for a 5.5oz can.
I actually bought two smaller (1.5oz) cans instead because they were on clearance and I wanted to try the smaller size before I was "fully" invested. I'll be buying the big one from now on.

I also picked up a can of this at Walmart last week to compare. It's Salon Grafix Dry Shampoo and it's slightly cheaper (around $5 for a can).  I used it over the weekend and didn't love it. It left my hair feeling slightly sticky and like it had (even) more product in it. I think the Batiste shampoo makes it feel cleaner. I will say that the Salon Grafix shampoo smells really good though. I hate to waste things so I'll finish the can and then buy more Batiste!

So, there you have it! Let me know if you've used dry shampoo and if you have another one that you love! I've heard Bumble and Bumble is good (but pricey) and I've heard the one by Tigi is good too. Tigi's is called Dirty Secret. I love how they name their products. I think I like the price tag on the Batiste dry shampoo best though! Let me know if you try it!!!

My Tuesday Tip

I think whoever came up with the idea for this digital bookmark is brilliant! Have you guys seen these? Sarah used a gift card she got for her birthday to buy one this summer. The bookmark tracks the minutes/hours you spend reading. 

I find it somewhat humorous that my child who never needs any sort of parental prompting to read thought she needed a timer, but she loves knowing exactly how many hours she spends reading each week. Especially since she has to turn in a weekly reading log for her Language Arts/Literature class. One of Sarah's peers asked her last week how she managed to read so much in a week's time. She told him it's because she isn't involved in sports, unless you count Xtreme Reading--that's her sport. I love that girl!

This bookmark also has the option of setting it to count down. Our third grader is required to read 15 minutes each evening. We can set it to count down and beep once her 15 minutes are up!

Sarah bought her bookmark at Borders and I think it was around $10. I think this would make a great gift for school age kiddos

The company that makes the bookmarks also makes a portable digital metronome. Cool! Sarah is taking piano this year so I'm thinking a metronome might be fun to put in her Christmas stocking!

PSA: Grab a pen and WRITE!

A couple of weeks ago, I was cleaning and organizing my kids' closets and came across several books that my dad had given to my children. He loved to give them books and thanks to him we have a wonderful collection of Children's Classics.

I held my breath a little and opened them one by one, hoping to discover a handwritten inscription inside each cover. No such luck. Every single one was blank inside. And I felt completely crushed. 

My dad gifted Will with several books about The Civil War (one of his great passions) and I would so love for Will to know why my dad chose those books for him. Sure, I can explain it to my son (and I plan to go back and write in each book) but it would have meant so much more for Will it it were written in my dad's hand--from my dad's heart.

I regret not asking him on the spot to jot a note and the date inside the cover every time a book was unwrapped! Because life is so short and you never know what tomorrow may hold.

Inscribing books makes them even more special! I'm so thankful that my mom did this for me growing up. Here are a few pics I took of some books that I treasure.

This book (below) was giving to me by some neighbors I had growing up. I still remember them! My girls love The Pooh Party Book and I love it's yellowed and worn pages. 

My long-time friend, Susan, gave me this book for my 9th birthday. I'm 100% sure that if she hadn't inscribed this book I would never have remembered that. This book was one of my childhood favorites. It contains three of Frances Hodgson Burnett's classics: A Little Princess, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and The Secret Garden and I bet I've read each of those stories more than a dozen times! 

The inscription below is from  Dr. Seuss: My Book About Me which I've blogged about here. (This book makes a great birthday gift for young children!

We moved to Colorado in the middle of the school year and Will's first-grade class gave him a copy of Max Lucado's You Are Special as a going away gift. I absolutely LOVE that every child signed this for him. It makes me smile (and sometimes cry) when I pull this book out to read from time to time. What a treasure!!!

Sometimes, there is a block like this on a book that makes it easy to inscribe it. I bought this book, The Pumpkin Patch Parable, while on a trip to Colorado Springs. I think I want to go back and write that I bought this for the kids at the Glen Eyrie bookstore! By the way, The Pumpkin Patch Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs is an awesome book for this time of year.

Did anyone else have this book of nursery rhymes? Looks like I got it when I was one year old. Amazing to think that book is almost as old as I am!

Consider this your Public Service Announcement. WRITE IN YOUR BOOKS! If you give a book as a gift, simply write who it's to, who it's from, the date and maybe the occasion. If it's special to you, write a little note about why and include that as well. If you receive a book that is special but is blank inside, then write your own note inside. I promise you will never regret it! 

My neighbor's mother-in-law takes this idea a step further. Not only does she inscribe books she gives as gifts but sometimes she'll adhere a photo to the inside cover that reminds her of the recipient. For example, if she gives a princess book to her grand-daughter, she might include a note AND a picture of her granddaughter in some fancy, Cinderella dress-up attire. It's just another way to make the gift even more special. Imagine what that little "princess" will be reminded of when she opens that book twenty years from now! 

So...go ahead. Grab your favorite pen and write in a book TODAY! 

Recycled Thanks

I was downloading some pics from my camera last week and noticed a photo I intended to share here on the blog. You know how I'm always talking about Reduce/Reuse/Recycling? Yeah, well I found a way to scratch my consumer itch and recycle the speakers from our old ancient PC.

I'm dying to buy one of these iPod docks, but with upcoming birthdays and camp registration fees and a family that needs clothes and food I can't justify the price tag. I've started a savings fund for one, but until that fund grows a little more, THIS is my iPod dock.

Classy, huh?

I don't even care. I was able to pull the speakers out of the e-waste pile in the basement and put them to good use. Totally works for me! Y'all probably already know all about this little trick. If so, don't tell me. Let me believe that I'm incredibly resourceful. Thanks.

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I also just want to thank you guys for leaving me fun comments all the time. I am a terrible commenter on your blogs and it blows me away that you continue to comment here when I don't always return the love.

So thank you.

My google reader currently shows 457 unread posts. I'm determined to read every single one of them even if it takes me until June. Let's hope not. Because then I'd be reading 4570 posts. Sheesh.

My purse will be heavier now...

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I mentioned that I bought a new game to take with us to the cabin? Well, Scrabble Slam! was a hit with my kids. In fact, the girls and I have played it almost every day this week.

I also found LCR, the other game I was looking for, at a shop in Durango. We like it a lot, but it drags on forEVER so it's a little harder to entice my kids to play. I think the secret is to play with fewer chips!

And because I'm nuts about games, I also picked up the travel version of Farkle last week too. It's way more fun than the online version (scoring is also a bit different) and Sarah is the reigning champ at our house.

What I like about all three of these games is that they're small enough to keep in my purse.

Last night, John called as he was leaving work and asked if we were up for dinner at our favorite mexican restaurant. Well alright, honey, twist my arm. All three games were sitting on my kitchen counter because we've been playing them all week, so on a whim I chunked 'em in my purse as we were leaving. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, I whipped out Scrabble Slam! and we played two quick games.

I love that idea of taking a game to a restaurant. My friend, Chele, does this with her family and is the one who gave me this brilliant idea!  I remember her telling me once that they grab a stack of cards from Apples to Apples to take and play while they're waiting.

My kids had a blast once they got over their initial (pre-teen) embarrasment, and it definitely made the wait time pass more quickly.

I don't know about you, but I look around restaurants sometimes and see couples and families sitting in stoned silence. Or simultaneously texting, surfing the net, or playing games on their phones. I don't want my family to be like that!!! I decided last night that these three games are staying in my purse for times like these. 

This is the next game on my list to buy. I doubt it will fit in my purse though. *wink*

Note: I found Scrabble Slam! at Walmart for $5.24. I bought LCR for $7 at a specialty kids store, but rumor has it that Bed, Bath, & Beyond sells it too. Pocket Farkel was $6 and I bought it at an independent bookstore. For less than $20 (the price of most games) we now have three fun games. I think that's a bargain.

It Wouldn't Be Summer without...

...Chore Charts!

Odd as it may be, my kids actually look forward to their summer chore charts. 

I ease up on them during the school year, but in the summer when they're home all day, their charts give them structure and responsibility. 

Last year, I let them each make their own charts each week, but this morning I decided I was going to make a master chart and later on they can make their own if they choose.

However, I didn't have any index cards, copy paper, or posterboard. Hmmmmm....what to do?

I was sitting at the kitchen table and had an idea.

Using a dry erase marker and ruler, I wrote the chart directly on the fridge--one of the perks of NOT having stainless steel appliances! (Here is a link to an older post I wrote about Refrigerator Art. It's a great idea for younger kids, but make sure to test a small area first, and make doubly sure that you give them a dry-erase marker instead of a permanent one!)

I love how it turned out and I love that it's highly visible!

Each of my three have 4 things they must do each and every day, including weekends.

1. Get dressed (clothes, brush hair, brush teeth)

2. Make their bed

3. Straighten their room

4. Read for one hour--which may seem like a lot, but my kids love to read!

After they complete these tasks, they'll put their initial in the box.

They also have different daily things they're responsible for (and I usually let them have the weekends off):

Feed/water the dog

Help with laundry (take basket downstairs daily and sort)

Empty bathroom/bedroom trash cans

Wipe down bathroom counters/sink

Dust

Windex (except we use vinegar. and it stinks! and they tell me that all. the. time.)

Lunch duty (make lunch for siblings! b/c I hate making lunch)

Dinner duty (helping me set table, cook, clean up)

Sort recycling

Mom's choice! (These aren't written down, but are chores I assign as needed or if they're whining that they're bored. Really? You're bored? Well, I certainly have a thing or two you can do.)

Most of the chores above are rotated from week to week. If Sarah has lunch duty this week, then Will gets it next week. Abbey is still learning how to do some of these things, but she learns fast from watching her siblings.

I've never paid my kids for doing chores. I've always explained to them that we're a family and each person in the family is expected to help out with things around the house.  

But this year, John and I decided to pay them. They're excited about earning money for the first time and I'm hoping this keeps them motivated all summer. They usually make it through June with gusto and start steadily slacking off through July!

The perk is that if they consistently complete their chores each week, they'll get a $20 bonus right before we leave for Durango. Money is a powerful motivator for at least one of my kiddos.

So...we'll see.

I have some questions for you guys.

1. Do your children do chores? Anything not on my list that I might possibly add to their workload, er, I mean chore chart? 

2. Do you pay your children to complete their chores?

Evidently, I'm not unplugged today...

You may remember that I've been trying to unplug on Fridays. 

I slept late this morning (YAY!) and forgot to send the laptop with John as he was leaving, and didn't really think about unplugging until after the fact. I'm being gracious with myself (I'm SO not a legalist) and planning to unplug tomorrow instead. Which is fine because I have loads of stuff to get done tomorrow in anticipation of two birthdays at our house and getting ready to leave next week.

While cleaning up this morning, I stumbled across my scrapbook stuff which has (sadly) been sitting in the hallway since I got home from my retreat last Sunday afternoon. 

I did remember that I promised you some pics of some of my pages.

Here's the deal. I don't like posting pics of other people on my blog without their permission, and SO many of my pages have other people in them (or info that I don't really want shared on the world wide web) so I'm posting pics of a few pages and don't laugh at all the stuff I edited. (please). 

I did almost 30 pages last weekend! I finished up my 2006 family album and started my 2007 one. Almost two years behind but I'm good with that!

A word or two ten about scrapbooking:

I'm NOT a fancy-schmancy scrapper. I adopted this motto as my own about 10 years ago: Done is better than perfect. Done is better than creative.  You will NOT find me spending more than 20 minutes on a page. I'm more interested in the photos and the journaling than I am the layout.

I try to get TONS of pics on my pages. 

I journal a LOT. (Not super evident on these layouts though.)

I hardly ever mat my photos.

I used to be a Creative Memories consultant and I have loads of product that I need to use. I refuse to buy new paper/letter stickers/embellishments until I use at least half of what I have in my stash. (I'm afraid it's gonna take for-freakin'-ever to get to that point).

I love black pages! Especially for snow pics!

I scrap chronologically. I keep a family album for every calendar year. In 2006 I used some calendar paper I got in a kit and documented each month (see above pics). I've done this a time or two before and I really LOVE it. 

Each of my kids has a baby album of their first year. They also each have a preschool album and a school album. The school album is an ongoing project. I like to work on those in the summer, but I'm behind on all of them. Very behind.

Here's my BEST tip for kids' artwork: Take a picture and chunk the Cheerio necklace or the construction paper hat. Keep only THE BEST pieces (5-8 per year) and put a photo cd in their album with the rest of their art on it. Better yet, develop the pics and make a "gallery page". (This page is from Abbey's preschool album!)

I've spent way longer on this post than I intended. Adios amigos!!!