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January Likes and Dislikes Video

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Jif Peanut Butter Blossoms

One of the cookies that my children request most are the Jif Peanut Butter Blossoms.

We always have Jif Peanut Butter in the house so it is easy to whip up a batch in no time. I love the cookies with the chocolate pieces on top but my daughter prefers them without. When I took Marketing in college I did a blind taste test of peanut butters and Jif won the test. We have been diehard Jif users ever since.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk, I use lactose-free and it works fine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sugar
• 48 foil-wrapped milk chocolate pieces, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to 375°F.

CREAM together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar.

ADD egg, milk and vanilla.

BEAT well.

STIR together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.  

BEAT on low speed until stiff dough forms.

SHAPE into 1-inch balls.

ROLL in sugar.

PLACE 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

TOP each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge.

IF you wish to not add the chocolate press down on the cookie with a fork to spread it out.

REMOVE from cookie sheets to cool.

These goodies do not last long in my house! It is also hard to keep them away from my dog because he also loves his peanut butter!

Note: I am in no way being compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

                                   

Quick Leftover Peppersteak

As a single mom you have to stretch the almighty dollar pretty far. There are usually only two of us in the house so we usually have leftovers in the fridge. You cannot find a roast beef in the store that will only feed two people! I hate to waste the extras by throwing them out so I love to re-use them in new quick meals in no time. My daughter loves it when I whip together this particular quick meal! I hope you enjoy it too!

1 lb. roast beef cut into strips

1 - 1 1/2 cups of leftover beef gravy

1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips, color doesn't matter

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. butter

soy sauce, to taste

microwave instant rice, flavor of your choice

Sauté onions and peppers in melted butter until onions are semi-transparent but still firm.

Add garlic to pan and mix in.

Sauté all vegetables until heated.

Add beef to mixture.

Stir beef mixture to heat.

Add leftover gravy.

Add soy sauce to taste.

Taste mixture to ensure quality. Sorry it's blurry!

Heat entire mixture.

Serve over heated rice. I hope you enjoy this quick meal as much as we do!

August Likes and Dislikes

Mental Health Car Video

August Hot Topic Haul

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August School Shopping Haul Video

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Vlog Welcome Video

Welcome to my new Vlog Welcome Video, I hope you enjoy it and hop over to YouTube to subscribe to my channel to subscribe! This video will give a brief explanation of some of the things I plan on doing in the future! Have a great day! Click HERE to jump over to my YouTube Channel!

Starting A New Vlog! Come Along!

Considering that I rarely have time to sit down and type up blog entries I decided to start a video blog as well as a regular blog. I follow so many vlogs (Grav3yard Girl, LeighAnnSays, AConMann and many more) and some of them are so basic I say to myself when I watch I can do that!! My teenage daughter thinks I am insane but what else is new? She was still willing to be my camera woman for two haul videos (coming soon!) And her boyfriend can't wait to see what I come up with. We will talking about TV, Movies, Music, Food, Beauty, Activities, Family, Mental Health and much more!
So hop on over to my YouTube Channel and subscribe to be regularly notified about my new videos and see where the road takes us. Go here!

Zep Instant Spot Remover Towel Review

I recently signed up with Crowdtap to see if I could score some samples,etc. Crowdtap is a social influence marketing platform that connects marketers with consumers to create quality content, drive social activity and provide real-time insights. The companies that list there are all common companies that I use every day, such as Jif, Playskool, Charmin and Yankee Candle. I filled out numerous surveys and then I was offered an opportunity to review the Zep Instant Spot Remover Towels. I have already used the Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner and love it so I figured why not? 

They sent 8 towels for me to use. I recently found that the center console in my car was quite dirty from elbow use. The car is 8 years old so it has had a a lot of use! Each wipe was individually wrapped in its own easy to open package. The Instant Spot Remover Towels were to remove tough stains such as grease, oil, food, pet stains, tar, blood and  more from carpet and upholstery.

It is for use on: carpet, rugs, upholstery and other colorfast fabrics and textiles. Not for use on: delicate materials such as silk or suede.

The directions say to open the wipe and spread it out directly over the stain. Blot and work towel into spot until the soil transfers into the towel. If the towel becomes saturated with soil, then you need to change the towel to prevent re-spotting the area. So I spread the towel over the entire console (excuse my filthy buckle holders, I told you, old car.) I pressed down on the 


towel completely covering the space but found that did not pick up much off the stain. When I pick up the wipe and scrubbed the stain with it it came right out. So it just needed a little more elbow grease but really not much at all.  The center console looks brand new!! I was so impressed I jumped into the back seat and attacked some stains our huge dog's feet left! Even attacked the back floor! I love these towels! They are so easy to use and work great! I plan on going out to Home Depot and buying more and I highly recommend them! 

Losing Yourself

The recent passing of the comedian Robin Williams caused me to re-evaluate the direction my life was taking. I personally have been living with depression and bipolar disorder for years. There have been ups and downs, but I have tried to keep things under control with my medications. The recent path of my life has been harder than in the past. Personal events have caused me to forge forward on my own, without a partner, raising two teenagers as a single parent. After hearing of Robin’s loss due to suicide, I began to look inward, assessing how I was responding to my own depression. I found that I was withdrawing, not facing my problems, but rather hiding from them. I was only living with the negativity around me and not finding any positivity or joy in the world. That was not the kind of life I wanted to live or the kind of life I wanted to share with my children.

I also realized that at my place of employment I was being discriminated against. Now this was not the usual kind of discrimination, but it was because I would not give the manager the fake adoration that others would give. Now I took that discrimination for a year not wanting to cause any trouble, but after my daughter began a summer student position at my job and began getting the same treatment because she was my daughter I knew things had to stop. I tried to be professional and called the manager aside, questioning the treatment. She called me very hurtful names and told me I barely did my job, among other hurtful things. I decided to take ownership of my rights and filed a complaint with our HR department. The situation was resolved, she apologized and end of story, I was finally allowed to transfer to the office nearest to my home, which I have been trying to do for two years. So because I took control of a negative situation, it turned out to benefit me in the end.

In my day to day life, I try to find someone good in each day. I have started following positive people on Instagram and Pinterest and vowed to post something positive or inspirational every day on my own Instagram to help others struggling out there. My own daughter has been struggling with her own depression and try to help keep her self-worth up and help her find her own solutions. Blogging has been missing from my life and I am going to try and find some more time to put that into my life. It’s an everyday struggle, but it’s a struggle that only a person with depression can make. No one else can do the work for them. They must do the work themselves. 

The Downfall of Addiction

I work as the Office Manager for a General Practitioner. I see patients come and go every day. I have seen addiction grow before my very eyes. We have had patients that have been on prescription pain medications that later turn to hard narcotics like Heroin and Cocaine. I have seen them run off to the rehab for help, only to return again and again in trouble until we discharge them as patients.

But this time it was different.  We have a patient I will call RJ to protect his privacy and my legal backside. He came to us at age 17-18 with a very bad anxiety and attention problem. He was failing in school and life. He was on Ritalin as a child and taken off by his pediatrician when he "aged out" as most do. We treated RJ with a regimin of Xanax and Ritalin.

RJ's life turned around. He could now concentrate in school and continued on to college. He was calm in his life and didn't make irrational decisions anymore. He followed his Xanax regimen faithfully, never abusing his medication. Things were good for years. Years. He had dreams of joining the Air Force and starting a whole new life.

Until now. He recently lost his drivers license and was denied entry into the Air Force (probably due to his poor eyesight.) He spiraled into filling multiple prescriptions for Xanax at multiple pharmacies. Until the pharmacies caught on to what he was doing, and called us. Which ended the prescriptions. And the trust of our Doctor and our staff. We had to discharge him as a patient.

The grief I feel for this young man's future is great. The disappointment as to what he has become is even greater.

But as I see every day, even the strongest person can be weak when it comes to facing adversity and they turn to medication for relief. I myself have used Xanax and I know how easy it would be to start using it regularly to shield myself from the stress. I have done it myself in the past, but I have had to stop myself before it got too far. Because it is a downward slope.

I hope his young man finds the strength again to straighten his life out, because a life of addiction is no life at all.

Things We Are Up To

Einstein's High School Graduation

Getting ready to send my son off to college

Church Carnival

Adopting our new Italian Mastiff puppy, Moose

Moose growing so much in only two months

Lunch with Lil Tink

Six Flags Season Passes!

Our new tenants in the backyard

Lost

Found this on www.Postsecret.com

I didn't acually steal the postcard, but completely understand the feeling behind the post on Postsecret. My creativity is gone. My need to express, even on this blog, is empty.

The bipolar medication has changed my life. I have taken control. I have a great new job. A great new house. Ended a marraige that was not working. Stopped my crazy behavior. Cut off crazy friends. I have been re-introduced to myself.

But...

I can spend months without socializing. Don't need to. I have been celibate for a year since my divorce. Not one date. Not one scrapbook page. Not one homemade birthday card. No more
photo-a-day contests.

Its a choice I make for my children. I spend time with my kids. They don't care if I am not doing any crafts. I am home with them. Which is most important. My sanity is important. Isn't it?

Two Months...

I cannot believe it has been nearly two months since I have posted. We moved into our new house, started settling down and getting into our new life. Since I turned 44 this year I came up with a list of 44 facts about me. 

1 October 29 we were hit by the storm of the century. It should not take a storm of such magnitude to remind us what we are grateful for.
2 I hate hot tea and coffee, but drink Snapple Diet Peach Iced Tea nearly every morning.
3 Whenever I am not watching a particular TV show, I have the Food Network on the TV as background noise. But never make anything I see made.
4 i can never start a TV series in the middle, i always have to go back to the beginning or it will drive me crazy.
5 I watched the new Batman movie and found myself rooting for the bad guy, Bane. Guy got a raw deal.
6 I live 5 minutes from the beach but I have only visited it once in the past eight years. I would much rather get in a pool.
7 I have raised my kids of 13 and 17 to take care of themselves. They won't stay with me forever and have to be prepared, even though I am not emotionally ready for my son to leave for college next fall.
8 I have hundreds of dollars of craft supplies, but I have been unable to create much since starting my bipolar medication.
9 I love the smell of bleach, to the amount that would make most people sick.
10 I am highly allergic to flowers, enough so I can't wear most perfumes or accept a lot of flower bouquets.
11 We always have bite size Snickers in the house. For when our blood sugar is low between meals. At least that's what I tell people...
12 Unless my children are involved I do not watch any sporting events. The just don't interest me. Sorry World Series or Super Bowl, I will be at the snack table.
13 I am most often barefoot in the house. Flip Flops outside if the weather permits. My daughter takes after me in this.
14 I was a wallflower in high school. If I went to my reunion no one would remember me, they would remember my brother.
15 I have an addiction to vampires. It started with Ann Rice and has gone downhill from there. If there is a movie, book or TV show and it involves vampires, I will have to check it out! (My favorites: LeStat, Damon Salvatore & Erik Northman)
16 I would choose visiting an aquarium over a zoo any day. Maybe because they are air conditioned and there is no fear of the sharks escaping, heehee.
17 I love to sing along to music in the car (and anywhere else I can get away with it) much to my children's embarassment!
18 I hate wearing heels, of any kind. Ever.
19 Funny men have always been my weakness. And my downfall.
20 Thunderstorms make me nervous, see #1.
21 I have a phobia of Daddy-Long-Legs spiders. You can't see the bastards until they are right next to you. And that's just too damn close!!!
22 I love playing board and card games, especially with my kids.
23 I am allergic to animals with fur. Makes for no furry pets and one unhappy daughter. Sorry. And yes, even the ones they say are non-allergenic! Hence snakes are our friends.
24 I read very fast. I read Silence of The Lambs in 3 hours.
25 The hardest thing I have ever had to do was say goodbye to my father forever.
26 If i were to redo my college years, I would have chosen a different college and became an interior decorator. My college didn't offer that.
27 When I was little I would catch frogs and put then in my pockets, and my mom would find them later...stiff and dead.
28 I rarely paint my nails, and when I do, I always pick at the color until it comes off later.
29 I have scars covering large portions of my body. I don't cover or hide them. They don't embarass me. They are a part of me and are a great conversation starter.
30 I so need a new prescription for glasses. But it is not in my budget right now, so I use a pair I found in Five Below for $4.
31 I was very shy as a child but now you can't get me to shut up!
32 I cannot watch zombie movies, if a zombie apocalypse really happens I'm screwed.
33 My greatest snack weakness is potato chips and onion dip. If I am feeling guilty I will substitute crisp veggies for the chips.
34 My children are in their teens and I love this age. We have the greatest relationship!
35 I choose to be single right now. After two marraiges, I prefer my own company for a while.
36 You can take the girl out of Jersey, but never take the Jersey out of the girl. And why would you?
37 I do not cry in public. Ever. Doesn't happen.
38 I am a homebody. I love hanging out at home, it's even better when my kids are home.
39 I am carrying some extra pounds due to the medications I am taking. But I have learned to love the body I am in. I am not teaching my daughter bad body values with starvation diets, etc.
40 I have not read the 50 Shades series. But if Ian Somerholder or Alexander Skarsgard is cast in the movie I will have to check it out.
41 I have an extraordinary fear of hand puppets but I love muppets. Don't make me explain the difference.
42 my favorite chain restaurant is Ruby Tuesdays, they have the best salad bar!
43 I love taking photographs and use my iPhone most often. I try to do the #Fatmumslim photo challenge daily.
44 I gave my kids "the Talk" when the were 7, then at 9, 11, etc. with more detail each time. They are going to hear it out in the world, might as well explain the truth and answer any questions. Doing this made my kids comfortable in coming to me with anything. Which is most important.