Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Congratulations to....
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Remember...
Monday, February 21, 2011
I'm going to end up on Hoarders....
I won’t go so far as to say the “single life” suits me, but I’m setting in. Although we didn’t appreciate it at the time, LT Fromage and I have done more than our share of the long distance thing, and what we learned then is paying off now.
Know what I’ve been staying busy with? Lots and lots of rats. 30 rats, to be exact.
Yes. 30.
Two of our “boys” developed babies instead of balls. Lesson learned: Use google to sex your own rats, never trust the pet store employees. Ever.
Out of character, it was I who came to terms with the fact that some of our grandbabies may end up snake food (there are only so many people out there looking for pet rats, but no shortage of hungry reptiles). Not to be cold hearted, but everyone has to eat, and frankly, I don’t have enough names for all those kids.
No hate mail, please. You don’t have to worry, no one is going to end up snake food; LT Fromage shut that down faster than I could finish suggesting it. “Try to find them homes,” he said before he left, “but any you can’t, we’re keeping.” Easy for him to say, he’s not the one cleaning cages every 48 hours!
Maybe next month the giveaway prize will be a itty-bitty Fromage… just kidding…. Maybe….
*seriously, if you want one, I’m willing to travel to deliver them. The first 11 will be ready the first week of March and the next 11 about 4 weeks later.
**I already picked up next month’s goodie anyway. Be sure to keep an eye out for it!
***Be sure to enter this month’s giveaway before the 23rd, you can leave your comment here!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Another Giveaway
Ladies, we all know it’s not shopping if you buy 10 items or less, and I found this neato-retro travel mug that says just that!
It’s so cute I thought I just might keep it for myself, but worry not, I’m giving it away!
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite warm drink is!
(I’d fill it with hot “Awake” tea with vanilla creamer… but don’t worry, I won’t.)
You have until February 22nd to enter! I'll announce the winner on the 23rd!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Congrats to....
To everyone else who entered, thanks for playing and we'll be doing this again (with a different prize) next month! In the mean time, check out my etsy.com shop if you can't wait that long to have a special gift with your name on it!
Monday, January 10, 2011
MIA
I know, I know, I’ve been in hiding lately. Last week (while LT Fromage was away at training) I got word (over the phone, with bad reception) that his unit is deploying. In a matter of weeks. To Afghanistan.
Since life is so serene and balanced right now (sarcasm) this was just the news I wanted to hear (or barley hear, due to that bad reception. Still oozing sarcasm, by the way).
So I’ve been pulling myself together, making lists (what do we need to do/buy/change/cancel/add before he leaves?) and buying more rodents (It’s a comfort thing for me I guess… We’re at a whopping total of 13 mice/rats now)
In an attempt to maintain some structure and veer back onto the track of normalcy, I’ll be back to writing up a new blog post weekday mornings. Thanks to everyone who hasn’t stopped following me in my absence; without even knowing you’ve contributed to keeping some regularity in a part of my life.
One more thing, don’t forget to enter to win the latest contest! You only have until midnight to follow my new blog, 365 days in pictures, or link to my blog on yours in order to win the Stick It set!
Comments off on this one. I don’t want pity comments, or worse, no comments!
Do remember to comment on the contest post with your method of entry though, and a winner will be announced tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Another Give Away!
Sheet of magnets includes thoughtful sayings like "Bite Me," "Kiss My Grits" and "Go #@%& Your Self"
Friday, December 10, 2010
Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
(click her comment to visit her blog)
Cranberry, Pistachio, Chocolate Cookies
Yummy to my tummy!
I’m actually not going to share the sugar cookie recipe I used, because it sucked. Use one you know and trust, or, go buy a roll at the grocery store. I promise it will be better than what I ended up with.
Oh so easy from here:
½ cup pistachios
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Bake, and then gobble up with a cold glass of milk!
White Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
Now, you’ll have to bear with me again. I didn’t measure (This is why I cook, not bake)Melt approximately 1 cup of white chocolate in a double boiler (Don’t have one? No biggie. Boil a small amount of water, and set another pot inside. You’re just keeping this treat off of direct heat).Add a few crushed candy canes (I used a mortar and pestle, but a rolling pin and ziplock bag works nicely, too) and a half cup (or so...) of mini marshmallows.
Stir continually until the mix has set enough to scoop with a melon baller, shake some red sprinkles and enjoy!
Using the same theme, you can melt milk chocolate and add any of the following:
-Andes mints, sprinkle on imperials and dried mint as a finishing touch.
-Cinnamon and cyan pepper for a bit of bite!
-Orange extract (find it near the vanilla, and many more flavors are available) and zest fresh orange rind over the tops.
I also tried making eggnog truffles, but the ‘nog made them a little too sticky, more like a taffy. I would suggest skipping the liquid (unless you don't mind the mess!) and simply adding all spice to your white chocolate/marshmallow mix if you care to try them (they were pretty freakin’ dee-lish!)
Thanks to everyone who participated in the very first Lady Fromage give away! I had fun, I hope you did too, and we’ll be sure to do this again soon (And no, I don’t mean that the way a guy does after a mediocre date!)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
TMI?
We’re all friends here, right? I feel like I can share this story with you. As you'll see, I shared much more with many I knew much less.
I get a certain area of my body waxed. I won’t tell you which area I’m talking about, but I’m sure you can use your imagination (I’ll give you a hint – it’s not my under arms).
Before I begin my story you must know that I am a cheapskate. Also, at that time in my life, I was broke, making money saving a must, not a hobby. I found an aesthetician school that would wax off my unwanted hair for, get this, twenty bucks, which was significantly less than the $80 (plus tip) I was paying elsewhere.
Of course I made an appointment right away. Duh. (Who's said that in the last 10 years?)
Normally, this sort of thing takes, oh, twenty or thirty minutes. I allowed an hour, since it would be a supervised student instead of a pro. But a little extra time was no big deal; I was saving $60+!
Boy, were they happy to see me come in the door! As I signed in, this question was proposed:
“We don’t get a lot of people requesting this particular treatment…. Would you mind if we were to let a few students observe?”
My answer should have been H3LL no. But, caught off guard, I sort of, well, said yes! As long as my ______ (fill in the blank) was on display anyway, might as well make it a learning experience!
As it turns out, it’s pretty awkward for your lady bits to be discussed in detail to a room of a dozen students (oops, I gave it away!). Also, the process will take a minimum of two hours, and will hurt worse than a blow torch up your @$$. They weren’t kidding when they told me those students didn’t get much practice down there. I could tell.
Basically, I cried in pain for the longest 120 minutes of my life in front of a dozen barely-out-of-high schoolers who poked, prodded and inspected my nether region. All to save a few bucks.
Lesson learned: Sometimes, it’s worth spending the extra money. In this case, I’m pretty sure they should have paid me. Isn’t that normally how it works when you want to see someone else’s bits and pieces?
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
What's Your Favorite Holiday Tradition?
I’d like to share a little excerpt from The Rebel Housewife Rules (the book that you could win!), something I found especially noteworthy, since this was, as a matter of fact, a discussion (er, argument) that LT Fromage and I had early in our marriage…
The Myth: Combining two separate lives will be a snap
My new husband will be so thoughtful, so in love with me. He
won’t care when I borrow his things, like his razor. I’m always out of blades,
and I love the foaming bubbles his shaving cream makes – oh those gloriously
smooth legs! Sleeping in his dress shirt feels so good; it will keep me close to
him when he’s out of town. Somehow I never have any socks, but not to worry,
I’ll just wear his.
The Reality: His and mine don’t always make ours
After I used his shaving kit, he emerged from the bathroom looking like
a doctor had just removed shrapnel from his face. I felt bad, but I pretended
not to notice.
“Where’s my new dress shirt? I need it for an interview
tomorrow.”
“Ummm…. Is this the one?” I tried to look especially sexy as I pointed
to what I was wearing to bed.
“Vik, come on! I have no socks, no razors, no shaving cream…. I have to
be manly on a fluffy, pink, flowered couch and now I have nothing to wear to
work!”
I still do use LT Fromage’s razor (with permission. He got a new one), but I did stop borrowing his socks.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Lady Fromage Give Away!
The very first Lady Fromage give away!
Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss [Paperback]
Here's what Amazon.com has to say:
“The Rebel Housewife Rules is a whole new set of rules for today’s housewives. The book contains 38 short chapters—four pages each—because that is about all that a mom can read locked in the bathroom with a three-year-old while the dog vomits outside the door.Each chapter:
• Exposes a myth about being a housewife: "Compared to an outside career, taking care of a house and family—and myself—will be a breeze."
• Reveals the reality behind the myth: "My husband comes home to a disheveled wife, a disaster of a house, and laundry all over the stairs."
• Lays down a new rule: "Your day will never go as planned."
• And offers a rule Rx, a prescription for real domestic happiness: "Be proud of your most important accomplishments every day."
Following the often hilarious adventures and advice of Rebel Housewives Sherri Caldwell and Vicki Todd, readers learn to be themselves, get what they want, and love in new and deeper ways. Sherri and Vicki share their hard-won wisdom in this "survivors’ guide" to momhood, housecleaning, budgets, self-care, and love after kids and babies. Bottom line? Happiness is more important than passing the white-glove test.
In The Rebel Housewife Rules, the recently engaged, new brides, or long-married wives find the courage to live by the greatest housewife rule of all: "Live, Love, and Laugh, one day at a time, baby."
A winner will be randomly picked on Friday. Tell your friends, that is, unless you don’t want to lower your odds of winning this great little book!
