Ideas?
It may be unfounded, but my biggest fear is that Sofia will be forgotten.
I can’t bear the thought that in 10 years, she will just be a distant memory.
How can I even begin to have this conversation?
The last few days have been pure family time, and the boys and husband and I have hardly been out of one another’s site. March 24th would have been Sofia’s 10th birthday. It was a tough day, but we managed to make it through by being together… That’s really all we could do.
We have a few things already in the works – prompted and lead by others. There will be a new playground bench dedicated in her name at St Helen this spring. And a walk/run event sometime in the fall.
Our local neighborhood park is being rebuilt, and I have asked that a brick from the old building be inscribed and installed in the new building. She and her brothers spent a lot of happy times there.
We’re also researching starting a non-profit with donations going to a to-be-determined charity or charities. I don’t believe we’ll start something new, because there are so many groups doing great things that need support already.
Any ideas let me know.
Happy 14th Birthday Poem
This one was tough to write because it’s my eldest’s last year in Junior High, so probably the last birthday poem I get to read to his entire class, and because we had a pretty rough summer. I held my composure most of the way through and then lost it a bit at the end. He still appreciated it, I know. Read more…
Daily Show: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sharia?
Click here to view clip –> Daily Show: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sharia?
I really like Jon Stewart, but I’ve had to stop watching simply because he makes so much darn sense and yet the hate keeps flowing.
Well, I turned on the TV the other night, and the channel was on Comedy Central and I happened to catch this clip. Read more…
25 in 2011 – Book 4: Persian Girls: A Memoir
After the beast of Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, my 3rd book in my 25 in 2011 goal was a breeze. And educational on top of it.
Persian Girls: A Memoir is Nahid Rachlin’s touching story of her childhood in Iran at the time of the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini, and Western reforms. It is a fascinating look into a completely foreign world to me, which is why I loved it.
Do you rant online about your boss?
We all rant about our jobs and our bosses and our coworkers. Who doesn’t. It’s how you do it, though, that really matters.
Are you sharing your rants at home with your spouse? Do you talk your friend’s ear off with how miserable you are? Or are you going viral and posting your rants online for everyone in the Internet Universe to browse?
Yeah, it’s that last one that’s a problem… Read more…
Oh my goodness, my third book for my 25 in 2011 goal should be worth at least two books. But, sigh, this time I’ll follow my own rules.
Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest is riveting just like the first two books in his trilogy. And just like the first two books, this one is loaded with more characters than my cable service’s channels. And just like the TV channels, I really only care about a few.
Diet Comparison: Slow Carb, South Beach, Atkins
Check this chart out for the differences and many similarities between the popular carb-focused diets, Slow Carb, South Beach, and Atkins. It willl help you decide which one, if any, is right for you. Read more…
Diet Combining: Slow Carb + South Beach + Atkins?
(Once you’re done here, make sure to check out my Slow Carb, South Beach, and Atkins diet comparison!)
So many diets, so little time. It can really be overwhelming. Read more…
Slow Carb Diet Easy Lunch Recipe – Egg Mash
To stick with a slow-low-no-whatever-you-want-to-call-it carb diet, you must focus on how it is making you feel. And, if you’re like me, it’s going to make you feel lighter and more energized without heavy carbs literally weighing you down.
Oh, and to stick with it, it needs to be easy and lazy-proof. Well, nothing can be completely lazy-proof, but I’m pretty lazy, and if I can do it, you can too.
So – enter this easy, lazy-proof recipe.
Do I dare call it a recipe?
I will, only because the word recipe looks good in the post title, therefore, this is a recipe!
To make this even easier, boil a whole bunch of eggs at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge so you have them handy.
Egg Mash
2 boiled eggs
Dijon Mustard
Diced onion
Bit of salt
Bit of garlic
Mash the eggs (very beta like) in a bowl, add some Dijon and the onions, and season with salt and garlic
Yeah, that’s it. Seriously. It’s yummy.
(In some circles, I think this would be called Deviled Eggs, but whatever, I like my title better.)
Slow Carb Diet Takeout Lunch
It can be a diet challenge to be away from home and hungry. (But then even when I’m home and hungry, I can be in trouble too. Anyway…)
We all know about Subway, but really the only low-carb thing on their menu are the salads, and I can really only have so many salads.
For a nice change, I discovered Jimmy John’s Unwich, a Low Carb Lettuce Wrap, which is any of their regular sandwiches wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.
Genius!
I like the #2 Big John (Roast Beef) and #6 Vegetarian Unwiches, both with lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and dijon mustard.
It is possible to follow the slow carb diet when you venture from your front door! And even better when you have more choices than just salad.
DebtGoal Founder Comment
DebtGoal founder, Scott Crawford, left a comment on my blog post about his company.
Really, how cool is that? What a nice guy.
You can view his lengthy and informative comment by going to the blog post and scrolling down to the end of the page.
In his comment, he provides a DebtGoal fee breakdown of .50 a day for the service, explaining that -
DebtGoal’s focus is “helping people instead of encouraging people in debt to spend more, open new loans, etc.” by not “bombarding them with credit card offers that will just encourage more debt.”
This I get.
With mint.com’s free service, you are given suggestions on “better” credit cards to apply for based on your personal spending.
Mr. Crawford also mentions that DebtGoal is working on adding the ability to make payments through the site.
This was one of the biggest downfalls that I found with DebtGoal. I do believe that if and when they add this functionality, DebtGoal’s $14.95 a month price-tag becomes more feasible.
Overall, while I agree DebtGoal no doubt adds value by encouraging debt payoff, I maintain that you can do most of what DebtGoal does for you for free using the Excel Debt Reduction Calculator at vertex42.com.
Until DebtGoal adds the ability to make payments, I’ll sit this one out.
And, thank you Mr. Crawford for checking out my little blog!
Should you Friend your kids on Facebook?
To annoy your kids on Facebook you should LIKE every single they write…. But, should you even friend your kids and their friends on Facebook?
I say absolutely because it’s just one more way for you to “see” what’s going on in their little worlds.
My boys know – because I’ve warned them numerous times – that if I ever see anything on their Facebook’s pages that is just an inch on the side of inappropriate, their accounts would be removed.
And I have their Facebook ids and passwords, so I can check messages.
Invasion of privacy? Ha. That’s funny. There is no privacy when you’re 14 and 11.
As my father taught me when I was younger, you shouldn’t be doing anything you feel necessary to hide….
What do you think? Should your friend your kids on Facebook? What about their friends?
Deep, recurring pain
It hasn’t been easy for me to write about our grief. The word “grief” even sounds too weak.
It’s hard to find the words – and the words strong enough and clear enough to say about the heart-stopping, wrenching pain.
Liam Neeson explains it as “deep, recurring pain” that is “just extraordinary.”
He’s right.
Read his thoughts on grief.
5 Things I Hate Seeing on Facebook
5 Things I Hate Seeing on Facebook…
1. Use of inflammatory words like faggot and gay – This isn’t acceptable in verbal conversation, and it’s not acceptable in the virtual world either. I’m so disappointed and disgusted when I see this language – especially from young people. Some parents need to wake up and have a serious talk with their kids.
2. Death Announcements – Facebook is not the place to announce someone’s passing and funeral details. Especially someone not even in your own family. I understand that it seems every single person is on Facebook, so it’s a convenient way to communicate. But convenience doesn’t make up for bad taste.
3. Woe-is-me attitudes – As a friend of mine told me, when someone posts that they’ve had a long day, you just want to respond with “Yeah, didn’t everyone?”
4. Too Revealing status updates – “I’m at the grocery store filling up!” Really? And I’m at your house taking your TV. Use common sense people. You might think you have your profile locked down and only your “friends” can view, but you never know. The Internet can be like the Wild, Wild West with malicious people just waiting by your trail to ambush.
5. Too Revealing Photos – I don’t want to see your cleavage in real-life, and I don’t want to see it in your Facebook photos either. Put those things away, and get some class. I also am tired of the “come hither” photos that young ladies post. Talk about molesters and rapists dreams. If you wouldn’t send your daddy that photo, then why the hell would you post it on Facebook? (And, once again, Parents where are you?)
Agree or disagree with me? Have more to add to the list? Please add a comment.
Gap Outlet BOGO Coupon for this Saturday only!
The fun deal-listing blog Fantabulously Frugal posted this Gap Outlet Buy One Get One coupon valid only for this Saturday, Feb 12, and, again, only at Gap Outlets.
I had to share and hope you find it useful! When you click on the coupon link above, you’ll be taken to Fantabulously Frugal’s site, and from there, just click on the Click here to print your coupon! link.
Easy-peasy-money-saving-breezy!
Saving Street Parking Spots
It’s illegal to save your public Chicago street parking spot after you’ve shoveled your car out, but people do it, and the police rarely enforce.
What are the police going to do anyway? Give the ticket to the old broken baby’s crib you put in the street to save your spot?
(And if you dare take the law into your own hands and move that baby crib and park your car, you risk coming back to slashed tires. No, this didn’t happen to me but to a friend. Really.)
I’m always talking to my boys about business-type things, like the worst 4-letter word ever (debt) and interest rates and mortgages and such. We talk about the spirit of entrepreneurship and how you can create your own business by solving people’s problems.
Well, check this entrepreneur out. Talk about trying to bank – $15.49 actually – by meeting Chicagoans needs!
Image Source
Cheat Day turns to Cheat Days
This week my Slow Carb Cheat Day turned into my Slow Carb Cheat Days because…. well, I am not making excuses; it is what it is, right? My circumstancs on Friday with the fasting and biometric test boiled over to Saturday, which is my usual cheat day, so I ended up with two cheat days this week. Sigh. Read more…
Why do we diet?
Well, today is not my Slow Carb diet cheat day. Tomorrow is. And, yet, why did I just eat a bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter? (Not just “eat” it, but enjoyed every single bite.) Read more…
Slow Carb Recipes
“Slow Carb Recipes” – Sounds like a great post title! Let me share with you recipes for the Slow Carb Diet!
Yeah, not so much. Read more…
What can you eat on the Slow Carb Diet?
So, what can you eat if you’re following Timothy Ferriss’ Slow Carb Diet? Read more…
