(house)Work Wednesday: Oh that whole resolution thing...

So in an effort to get back on track with my (house)Work Wednesday Resolution I made the following three dinners in the past week or so.

• Chicken Wings (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)
• Parmesan Stuffed Chicken with Melted Strawberries (courtesy of BHG.com)
• Garlic Cheddar Chicken (courtesy of Allrecipes.com)*

* This is the one Y.M. liked the best.

What did I learn in my cooking adventures?

• "Louisiana hot sauce" DOES NOT equal "regular hot sauce" (aka Texas Pete.) If you are going to use Louisiana sauce, then you should water it down OR just don't use as much.
• Flour thickens up sauces if they don't stay on wings (courtesy of my Y.M.)
• You should really buy the regular chicken breast instead of the thinly cut...but if you buy the thinly cut by accident, you can always just fold the chicken in half; then it's just folded, instead of "stuffed." :-)

Money Monday: "On Your Side"

Jumped the gun a bit BUT...

We had some amazing news at work today.

McKinney is "on your side."

and the Press Release

YAY!!!!

Selfish Sunday: "Gentlemen Start Your Engines..."

This weekend I'm slated to do A LOT of work. And normally I would not let anything distract me from doing that work, because I believe in doing what I promised others I will do.

However, when free tickets for the NASCAR race in Richmond became available yesterday morning, I decided that some self gratification was in order. Though I did work in the car...and all of today (Sunday)...I still think it was completely worth it spend my Saturday crossing something off my bucket list since the PERFECT situation arouse.

What was the perfect situation?

Y.M. ended up with an invite to join Neb at the race (since Lisa couldn't come because she was busy with this awesome event) at around 10am; they decided to head up together around noon, leaving me with the stepdog. As they were packing up to go, Mrs. R-D called to brag about how she, her hubby, and his coworkers had gotten free tickets to the race and knew her NASCAR fan friends would be jealous...only to find out that they were on their way there too. So they decided to meet up at the tailgate and then continued packing. Then Mrs. R-D discovered that her group had one extra ticket and asked me to go (HELL YEAH!!!.) One phone call to my mommy to make sure she could watch the stepdog, beer run, and shower later, the three of us are on the way to Richmond for my first NASCAR race. And I didn't have to do anything but sit in the car and not get lost once we got the race. :-) And the whole trip cost me less than $30.

See? Perfection.

Perhaps it was someone from above letting me know that I need to take some me time, especially when I've had a week like this past one...and I really appreciate it.

Teach It Tuesday: Toes

Earlier this week I was late to a meeting at work and there weren't enough chairs so I sat on the floor. During the meeting (of course as I was paying attention to everything going on in the meeting) I starting looking around at the only thing I could see: people's feet.

As I looked around I noticed something: Everyone's big toe was shorter than their second toe. And on some people's feet their big toes were really short, like even with their third toe short.

Now on my feet my big toe and second toe are the same size and if anything my big toe is a little bit longer. I know that some people have longer second toes (like my Manfriend) but I didn't realize I was so outnumbered. This got me looking into what the toe length variation means, genetically and otherwise and this is what Google told me:

• If your big toe is longer than you second, your feet are better built for athletics, particularly sprinting.
• Italians (like Y.M.), Greeks and other people from the Mediterranean region tend to have a longer second toe. Same goes for people of Celtic descent.
• Speaking of Italians...Some Italian folklore says that if you have a longer second toe you are a dominant personality and will be the "boss of the family." (Mob or otherwise...)
• A Des Moines University study of children born in the US and UK showed that those who were born with longer second toes made better grades in school and did well in aptitude tests.
• The same study says that people with longer second toes are highly disproportionally represented in death rows and in psychiatric facilities for the criminally insane.
• More than 90% of the adult population have a longer big toe than second toe. (Although apparently they don't work at my job...)
• And even though it is the most common "foot architecture" to have a longer big toe, it (like having white skin) is a recessive trait.

Go ahead. Look at your feet.

I know you want to. :-P

Thoughtful Thursday: Maybe We Should Be More Like Animals...

This week a lot of animal clips have come through my inbox and DVR that reminds me of how people could learn a lot from animals.

Baby and Boxer


Bella and Tara


Christian the Lion


Do differences really matter?

(house)Work Wednesday: Spring is in the Air

Two Sundays ago Lisa, YM, and NEB went to the Southern Ideal Home Show for a very domestic double date. Plus we won free tickets so why not?

Anyway after an afternoon of searching the fairgrounds for the perfect hot tub, closet organization system, and appliances for my future house, we headed to Cameron Bar and Grill for a late lunch. Lisa and I had the Strawberry Salad and it was amazing...

...so amazing that I wanted it again for my late dinner...but I couldn't justify $16 in salads in 5 hours. Sigh. So instead of getting the salad, I headed to Harris Teeter for the weekly produce trip and went to get all my lunch meats and such. As walked through the deli a light bulb went off in my head: MAKE THE SALAD YOURSELF!!!

Now I know most people might have thought of this, but I am not the type to think of restaurant food as something I can DIY-ify but this seemed like a good start.

Here's how it broke down-

• 1/2 pound of fresh Salad Mix: $3


• 1 1lb tub of strawberries on VIC card special: $1.25


• 1 bottle of light raspberry vinagrette dressing: $2.49
  


• A dash of sugar because I don't like the candied pecans in the original salad: $0
  


• Some feta cheese from my fridge: $0

= 3 Strawberry Salads for $6.74 + tax.

And voila!!!

Isn't it pretty?

Teach It Tuesday: My new "favorite" foods

I went to the doctor a couple weeks back and after some blood test was told that I have high cholesterol. I expected it to be a little high from my awesome college eating habits, but didn't expect it to be as high as it was...especially since I'm in my mid 20s.

Luckily because I am in my mid 20s, there's changes I can make now to get it back down where it should be and keep it there without medication or too much worry about long lasting damage. In honor of my cholesterol enlightenment, here are some facts about it that I hope will help you all out.

• Your cholesterol should be under 200mg/DL and your triglyceride level should be under 150 mg/dL.
• One of the main sources of cholesterol in the human diet is animal fats (especially in red meat and eggs.)
• Foods that are high in saturated and/or trans fat are usually also high in cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is required to built and maintain cell membranes but your body creates cholesterol on its own, so you don't have to eat it to get enough of it.
• A person with normal cholesterol levels should limit themselves to 300mg of cholesterol a day to remain healthy. Those who need to lower it (like me) should stick to 200mg or less.
• If you want to lower your cholesterol, foods that are high in soluble fiber will help a lot.

This is the "increase these in your diet list" from my doctor:

• Soy products
• Red wine
• Oatmeal
• Almonds
• Fish
• Garlic

High cholesterol can lead to a higher risk of heart disease because cholesterol will sit on the walls of your arteries like spackle, making it difficult for blood to flow properly. Ewww.

Here's an additional source for more information: American Heart Association

Money Monday: 10 Commandments- Courtesy of MSN Money

I came across this Financial Commandments for Your 20s and I thought of all the people who I know who need to read this article.

Basically:

1. Thou shall plan ahead
2. Thou shall live WITHIN your means
3. Thou shall make saving a habit
4. Thou shall pay off your credit cards
5. Thou shall start investing
6. Thou shall establish credit
7. Thou shall develop a marketable skill
8. Thou shall cut the financial umbilical cord
9. Thou shall marry wisely
10. Thou shall have fun

I think I'm in good shape but it's always nice to have a easy to understand reminder.

Sabbatical Saturday: Day trips can help you make it between vacations

My Yankee Manfriend and I have been trying to get away for a long weekend vacation for awhile and it just isn't working out and isn't going to anytime soon. Finally we (mainly Y.M.) decided that just because we don't have time for a full blown trip doesn't mean we can't get away for the day and enjoy a change of scenery.

So we woke up this morning and headed to the NC Zoo (which we've been trying to do for the last two years...) Most def a needed break from town after the last couple weeks of work and will tide me over until I can get away for a real vacation.



Secondary enlightenment: People watching at the Zoo might be more entertaining than looking at the animals...but that's another post...

Teach It Tuesday: Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds

I have quite a few people in my life that have pet allergies and quite a few that are pet owners, which can cause a clash when trying to have events or company.

E shared a list of Hypoallergenic Dog Breeds with me as we were looking to see if our friends would have a reaction to the newest addition to their family. Here's the abbreviated version (of dogs I've actually heard of):

Bearded Collie
Bolognese
Fox Terrier (Wire)
Greyhound
Goldendoodle
Irish Water Spaniel
Italian Greyhound
Maltese
Poodles
Poodle hybrid
Pomeranian
Schnauzers
Scottish Terrier
Welsh Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier

For a more complete list and the reason each breed is hypoallergenic go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoallergenic_dog_breeds


So will there be a problem? Nope, the little addition is a Pomeranian. :-)

Edit: Too bad Y.M.'s furry child is not on the list...and sheds enough to make a floor length coat every three days. Thank goodness for the Dyson.

house(Work) Wednesday: Medicine Cabinets

Since me and Y.M. have resigned our lease for another year (blah...) I've decided that I need to do a little sprucing up around the townhouse to keep my nesting instinct at bay. (After all, I've moved every July for the last 6 years and now I'm going to miss my yearly redecoration.)

Since saving to pay of student loans is a higher priority than redecorating in the allocation of my finances, I'm always looking for cost effective ways to nest in my rented space.

I saw this on medicine cabinet decoration on Real Simple and I think it would be a cute Saturday afternoon project for the guest bathroom. I think it's too girly for Y.M. (who gets the medicine cabinet to himself in exchange for me getting all the other cabinets in the bathroom) but who knows...he may not even notice it...

Money Monday: Credit Myths in 60 seconds

This came through my RSS from Lifehacker and I thought it was worth passing along.

Money Monday: Career Log

In my RSS feed this week came up a "How To" that I think everyone should do:

How to Keep a Career Log

I have a lot of friends that are in the job market, or are fearfully they soon will be, and are having a hard time with getting their resumes to speak to the people they are hoping will employ them. By keeping a Career Log it's easier to reflect on projects and roles you have experienced that may help you land that next position. :-)

Money Monday: Why do you do what you do?

I am one of those people that is lucky enough to love my job but this post from my sorority sister at Darling Dexter got me thinking because a lot of my friends that are 1-2 years out of college seem to be dealing with this same internal issue.

Just thought I'd pass this along because I think this is a good articulation of a problem a lot of 20 somethings (and beyond) face.

Thoughtful Thursday: Resolutions Revisited

So I thought this Thursday I would look back and see how I was doing on my New Years Resolutions.

1. My Thoughtful Thursday resolution: Do a better job of deciding what I want and making a plan to get there. So far this is going pretty well, I've planned out my 1, 2, and 5 year career plans and discussed them with my boss so we're all on the same page.
2. Fabulous Friday: Resolution #2: Shop more. Check. Spurred by the need to do some shopping for a fabulous weekend in Vegas with my girls, I have increased my spending on clothing and have purchased one item suitable for the 9-5 every two weeks. Additionally, with the help of Lisa's plan to also eat in more during the week (Lisa, her boy N.E.B., my Y.M. and myself were double dating it 2-3 times a week), I've cut my "Restaurant" spending by $50 in both January and February. Yay!!!
3. Sabbatical Saturday: Resolution #3:Vacation more. Already hit Vegas (and was under budget by the way...) with the girls in February and I have a plan to go to Houston and Dallas in June taking care of quarters 1 and 2 of this year.
4. Selfish Sundays: Resolution #4: Take one day a month off to do NOTHING but exactly what I want to do. Sadly this is one that I'm failing on so far. The second half of January and all of February came and went without a day where there wasn't something on the agenda. I guess I'll have to take two days in March...
5. Money Monday: Resolution #5: Track my finances using the Mint.com. CHECK! I love Mint as much as I love Google...and that's saying a lot.
6. Teach It Tuesday: Resolution #6: Take classes. Hmm...I have failed to sign up for any classes so far this year. Need to get on that...
7. (house)Work Wednesday: Resolution #7: Cook more meals at home. In January I cooked my one meal from scratch (Simply Chicken Parm from Allrecipes.com) but in February I didn't cook a single meal and I was supposed to do 2...boo...

So here's where we stand-

• Done (100%)- 4
• Half assed (50%)- 1
• Haven't even started (0%)- 2

My resolution score: 64% completed

How are you doing with your goals?

Money Monday: Haggling...umm...Negotiating

Got this article about haggling prices from Ladies Home Journal (yep...LHJ...I'll admit I get a weekly newsletter from them.)

How to Save Money on Just About Anything

What are things worth haggling for? According to LHJ...

1. Big ticket items
2. Hotel rooms (FACT, saved my crew $300 on a trip to Vegas recently...)
3. Bulk purchases
4. Anything damaged
5. Anything already marked down
6. Healthcare

Selfish Sunday: Rainy Days

Rainy day + stuffy nose day 10 = Changing my agenda for the day from meetings all day to my favorite pajamas + a book + my bed + Advil Cold and Sinus.

Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself. Just sayin'.

Teach It Tuesday: "Did You Know"

I put this as an entry to the McKinney blog (http://www.fivewords.mckinney.com/) but I decided to share it with all of you as well.





My how things have changed...

Fabulous Friday: The new way to shoe shop

I like comparison shopping. I hate walking/driving around to do so. I hate even more when I buy something that is 90% what I want to find something that is PERFECT a week later...usually after the receipt for the first purchase has found it's way to the trash can.

Thanks to the people at Lifehacker I found this site: www.modista.com and it's AMAZING.

1. You can click on a shoe (or purse) that you think is cute.
2. The site shows you the item you selected and then items that are similar to it in shape and/or color.
3. Find something you like better and then click that and the process repeates itself.

And you can look at the prices at of all the items so you can see if there's something very similar for a good chunk of change cheaper. Love it.

(house)Work Wednesday: Cleaning for Guest

No one likes to clean bathrooms. But having 4 people share one bathroom for a week (must get at least two full baths next time around...) means that the bathroom has to be cleaned before our guest arrive.

Here's a quick bathroom cleaning guide from Katie at The Hyper Homemaker.

Bathroom done in under 10 minutes. Love it.