Fun and Mental Changes

Do you remember in kindergarten, when you learned about sharing, listening to others when they are speaking and sharing what you think and feel politely? Welcome to Twitter! In a world that has become so sex driven, real human connection has become lost. Twitter is getting us back to fundamentals of connecting to others through the sharing of thoughts and ideas minus the distraction of superficial physical connection. Employing the communication skills you were taught in kindergarten will take you far in the Twitter world. In my post Twitter Freak , I discussed the brilliance of the 140 character limit on Twitter. The fact that Twitter asks "what are you doing" is missing the mark in my opinion and I'm convinced that Twitter is the result of a bunch of developers who got lucky and created a forum that has taken on a life of it's own. But as far as the greater good is concerned... kudos! Because along with increasing the efficiency of our speech, Twitter is also creati...

See, now this is what I'm talkin about when I talk about duplication! Casual Lavish has an amazing tutorial video posted for a nail polish technique called water color (?). This tutorial is so good that the pic you see here was taken after a first try! For such a pretty effect, you wouldn't think it would be super easy... but it is! It involves applying two colors of polish while the polishes are still wet. Very interesting! And it turned out beautiful! First try Step three: Dry cream color polish brush on a paper towel and with it brush over the cream polish mixing the two colors together. I found that brushing upwards across the bottom half of the nail and then brushing upwards on the top half of the nail gave me a very pretty "marble" look. I had to clean the cream polish brush a couple of times during the process on each nail. But just keep playing with it until you get the desired look. Here's mine. Be sure to clean the brush very well before putting it back...

Wow! This week is just fabulous! I was asked earlier in the week to contribute a scrapbook layout for someones blog. Well, here it is... drum roll please!!! http://scrapimenta.blogspot.com/2009/05/scrap-showcase-1.html I sent her four layouts (I think) and she said that she was going to be utilizing all of them. It's just nice to be recognized. I have never thought of myself as an artist, but all of you are certainly making me feel like I am. You better be careful! My head already makes me look like I'm a walking caricature... any more and I won't be able to lift it at all! Be sure to leave a comment on Scrapimenta's blog... it'll be a ton of fun if you don't speak spanish! LOL!

Sometimes I am just not a master of the obvious! Most of the time, pretty simple things elude me, but this time... Here is a VERY small sample of my stash (wow, that almost sounds illegal)! It was during one of my organizational rampages that I discovered this amazing and economical use after having to throw out bottles of polish that had gone unused for years. What a waste!!! And yes, I missed that particular use in the infomercial from way back when! :) NOW I know that when you hit sales on things like nail polish or shampoos, you can stock up and vacuum seal them and they stay just like brand new for when you're ready to use them. This is something that will free many polish lovers who fall in love with a specific color but cannot stock up for fear that the polish will dry up before they are through with the first bottle. Not anymore polish addicts and future polish addicts... here's your fix! I even did that with last years Halloween makeup! You know... the make up that you...

Ok... THIS JUST IN!! Anyone who loves the Konad Nail Art like me can now purchase it at 20% off AND get free shipping on orders over $20... so AWESOME!!! Go to http://store.ocnailart.com/ and enter coupon code "MENTAL" at checkout!!! To see some examples of this amazing nail art (that I love so much), check out my other blog posts in the TOPICS INDEX under Nail Stamper! :)Have fun gang... it's just a great deal!!! PS. Those who know me know that the coupon code "MENTAL" could not be more perfect for me! LOL

Immitation is no longer the greatest form of flattery. The greatest form of flattery is... DUPLICATION! I have just been asked to feature my Konad posts and pics at http://store.ocnailart.com/ ! I am beyond excited! This is the second time someone has asked to use my blog content this week! And I've purchased from OCNailArt, so this makes this even more special... I BUY FROM THEM!!! I don't know how long it will take for my pics and posts to be up and running, but click on the link as often as you can... and tell your friends!!! I'm so freakin excited!!! Not only will you get to see the nail art stamper that I just can't get enough of, but OCNailArt also offers free shipping on orders over $20.... oh, and don't forget you'll be able to see my stuff! hahaha! The pic that is featured in this post was the very first nail stamp I ever did (around Valentine's Day) and it turned out perfect... I was hooked from then on! Cuz this is just FUN! :)

This one is just for fun! I don't really have much to say on this one... it kind of speaks for itself. I'm just having some fun with the nail stamper you all know that I love. Although I do want to share this blog that I found with some pretty great nail designs. I'm gonna give some of them a try. The Christmas nails just look fun! Anyway, I got this particular Konad image disc ( M61 ) a long time ago, but never got the chance to use it. I had my sister-in-law in mind when I got it. She has a thing for cows.

About two months ago I began preparing my backyard for my very first garden. While I was so excited to start this new adventure (adventure, really?), one of its consequences broke more than my heart. I managed to break every last nail until I realized that I should just keep them short until all of the hard work was done...(sniff). Some have said, "just wear gloves." Well, easier said than done. Try getting ahold of a stubborn weed at the root wearing gloves! No, I was just resolved to short stubby nails... until now!!! They're coming back... hello luva! Realizing that all the hard work in the garden is done for the time being, I decided to pull out my Konad nail art and play. Yes, the pic shows short nails, but I assure you that they are quite long compared to the length I've been sporting lately. I'm just so happy to have pretty nails again. If someone can point me in the direction of a miracle treatment for cuticles, that would be just super. I found that the g...

The first zucchini!!! This is the very first vegetable I ever grew in my organic garden. This beauty was exactly a foot long and was 4 inches in diameter. This one zucchini fed my whole family and was so incredibly yummy. When I pulled it from the garden, it didn't have a mar on it and looked better than ANY zucchini I have ever seen. I also pulled an 8 inch summer squash that was also very yummy. Not a single pesticide was used! There was nothing added to the soil aside from organic compost. I simply planted the seeds and watered. This gardening bit is really an addictive thing and even more exciting now that I actually get to eat from it! What the heck am I going to do when everything finishes growing and I REALLY have a harvest. Deuteronomy 14:22-23 "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, or your win...

I have a brain that loves to dive into situations and seriously dissect them... sometimes asking 'why' to a fault. But there are times when I will hear something (usually on the news) about politicians or scientific research that really sets me back and I wonder... how can that NOT make sense to everyone? Why is no one asking why? With obesity on the rise , it amazes me how little responsibility Americans take for their own health. WHY do we sit idly by and wait for someone else to help us? So I'm watching the local news (SOMETHING I RARELY DO) as the anchor talks about obesity studies and research grants that have been awarded to try and find the cause of the highest obesity rate America has ever known. Our researchers are traveling (all expense paid) to foreign countries to study other cultures whose obesity rates are at normal levels. Why? So I'm walking through the gardening department ( poison us for years. I find it hard to believe that they are actually using th...

I hope that my story doesn't make anyone squirm, but I lost weight by having an alter ego. Anyone who really knows me could have told you that it was bound to come to this. Like some of you reading this, I'm completely insane. I just embraced it to get to my weight loss goal. For those of you reading who aren't insane, I'm gonna make you change your mind... literally. For years I could not get this excess weight off. It was driving me crazy (pardon the pun) hearing everyone say, "we all know what to do, it's just a question of doing it." If that were the case, then why was diet and exercise an $80 billion business? Why were we paying people to tell us what we already know? We aren't paying them for that! We pay them to help us with the doing. I am just so leery of anyone telling me that they will teach me how to eat... and paying them for it! I think that is why Nutrisystem didn't work for me. It was time to get to the doing, something I knew I co...

I don't know about you, but I used to LOVE chocolate covered coffee beans from Starbucks. They also used to carry the chocolate covered cherries too, but the coffee beans gave you that bonus buzz that nothing (but their coffee) could compare to. I rarely drink coffee, but today I got an overwhelming craving for those dang coffee beans. Was it the sweetness of the chocolate, the bitterness of the coffee bean or the rush that I wanted? No matter, I whipped me up a little chocolate covered coffee bean of my own... sort of. Chocolate Covered Coffee Bean Shake 1 serving of Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Myoplex Lite) 1 1/2 tsp. of decaffeinated instant coffee crystals 4 oz. cold bottled water 4 oz. almond milk 1 oz. dark chocolate (I used Raw Dark Cacao) Ice Cubes (I used about 6) In blender, combine all ingredients, blend on high and enjoy. I used my Magic Bullet (cuz I love it) and it turned out amazing. It was almost like the ice made the cacao break into pieces so when I drank the sh...

So in my blog post, It's Official , I have a HUGE caption on the plant pictured there as ZUCCHINI. Yah , turns out that is NOT zucchini. What I planted was actually summer squash. And beautiful they are (check out the pic... no really, check it out)! And they are just about ready to eat. Oh, I did plant zucchini as well, but they are not growing as quickly as the summer squash. I will be plucking the first batch by next week. I'm so excited!!! And in the meantime, I will be nurturing the corn, watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumbers! Here are the updated pix. Be sure to click on the pics for a closer view. I originally planted spinach next to where the actual zucchini are planted and the leaves got so large, it blocked the sun and I lost the spinach. So that will be my project this weekend AFTER I pick up some gardening gloves. Now that my nails have started growing again, well, I'm just not willing to sacrifice. I hope everyone enjoys the update. I'm thinking that I...

Ok, for those who may ask... here is my recipe for my gelato. As soon as I make another batch, I will post a pic. I just froze some organic peaches, so that's going to be the featured flavor... see how that works!?! hahaha! Gelato 2 Cups of Almond Milk 3/4 Cup of Coconut Oil 1/2 Cup Agave Nectar 1 tsp. Pure Organic Vanilla extract 2 Cups of your favorite organic fruit. Mix all ingredients in high speed blender and chill until very cold. Prepare in ice cream maker per manufacturer's instructions. If preparing in a Vitamix, you do not need an ice cream maker. Just increase fruit to 3 Cups and make sure fruit is frozen prior to blending. Be sure to use tamper while blending for a creamy consistency.

So I have an indulgence that has kept me going on my lifestyle change to eat healthier. In fact, I credit this for piquing my interest in raw food... almond milk!!! I have NEVER liked milk . I did not drink it growing up and in fact, watching others drink milk makes me gag. I just never got it! For me, cow's milk had a very 'off' consistency (somewhere between liquid and solid, GROSS) and an even more 'off' flavor. Enter almond milk. Almond milk was the very first raw food recipe that I attempted. I was quite successful, if I do say so myself.... and I do! I made the almond milk as a base for a gelato recipe I was also trying for the first time. I have an equal and opposite reaction to almond milk from cow's milk, but had no way of knowing, so imagine my surprise when I finished making the almond milk and poured myself a "test glass". With pursed face and squinty eyes, I plugged my nose and took a sip. "Holy Machunka! This stuff is good." Th...

Wow! I'm drained just thinking about this post! Emotional Vampires are what I call people who suck the life out of you when you have to deal with them and is a characteristic of a Takist that I did not cover in my post ( Serial Takists ) last week. After experiencing the burst of adrenaline while dealing with a Takist , you are left drained. Add to that a guilt trip and multiple dealings and it all leads to some serious fatigue. Over time, just anticipating having to deal with a Takist zaps your energy long before the actual, unavoidable confrontation occurs. But, while ALL Takists are Emotional Vampires because of this energy drain, not all Emotional Vampires are Takists . In fact, they are two totally separate things for a reason. Here are some quick similarities and differences. Unlike Takists , Emotional Vampires are not violent. However, like Takists , Emotional Vampires seek control. Their tactics are VERY passive as they utilize guilt playing on sympathy to get their way....

As of late I'm finding myself focusing on the fun of working out. Actually, truth be told, I look for the fun in everything hence the blog name... LOL! But I'm noticing the workouts that I WANT to do are the one's that make me feel like a kid again. I now have two such workouts that I want to share with you. These workouts turn exercise into playtime and I LOVE them! Some months back I attended a Body Flow class at my gym that I lovingly call Yogalachi. Body flow is the mix of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. Sounds like it should be difficult, but that is exactly what made it so fun. The Body Flow moves really make you focus on balance and really develops your core. When you're successful you feel a great sense of accomplishment, when you're not, you feel a great sense of, "hey, I'm seven years old again!" I have NEVER laughed harder when working out (which, by the way, increases the fat burn). I noticed the first time I took the class that even the instru...

I am addicted to sunglasses. I have gotten at least one pair of sunglasses every year for the past 14 years (usually for Christmas). I want to explain the relevance of owning so many pairs and more importantly, why I need more! :) General Protection: In a previous post , I explained the importance of your eye wear protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. A good pair will provide full protection, but polarized glasses takes safety a step further and actually makes your vision crisper and clearer. Polarization cuts out glare that may hinder your vision while driving, etc. Making a Statement: Depending on the situation, a great pair of sunglasses speaks volumes. For example, when you're on a poker tour. Nothing says "I'm a serious gambler" like wearing a pair of sunglasses indoors... at night. Or here's another statement, "Hey, I'm a uni-bomber." Hopefully you're seeing how a great pair of sunglasses tells a lot about a person. And I'm seeing ...

Have our spiritual lives become dogmatic ? Or are we tuning ourselves to real, Divine, spiritual expression? Who are we really trying to connect with? And in our attempt to have spiritual connection, who are we ostricizing? I had an interesting conversation while passing through the 'New Age' section at Barnes and Noble. For some reason people (I'm talking about complete strangers) trust me with seriously fragile information instantly upon meeting me. Information that is usually reserved for a best friend is given to me freely without any fear that I might judge them. It really does shock me most of the time. I must have a really trusting face... So, I had a very interesting conversation with a witch. I always love it when people assault my sensibilities and make me think. I can tell you, she was wonderful! A very long time ago I decided that my spiritual beliefs would be based in non-denominational religious practice. What does that mean? To me it means that I was going to...

I have been studying my Bible for years! So it's no surprise that when I sat down to run a list of blog topics I wanted to talk about, Bible studies were at the top. Don't get me wrong, I'm not preachy or what one would consider a "Jesus Freak", but I do believe in one Almighty Creator and believe that his son was my redemptive sacrifice to get to heaven. The REAL reason for this belief.... SCIENCE! Now, to talk to me you'd never take me for a science lover of any kind. Those who knew me growing up would laugh in disbelief if you tried to convince them that I would ever LOVE Quantum Physics. I actually just had a little chuckle! But the more I learn about science the stronger my faith grows. Just going to church has never done it for me spiritually. I mean, I would learn scriptures to memorize, but that's as far as it would go. For a very long time I thought there was something wrong with me. How is it that so many christian friends have amazing stories of...

Our "American" standards need to be set to be universal standards across the board. When a model possess for pictures in her underwear not showing anything that our children can't see on any daytime television show, then we NEED to see them for what they are. I also want to point out that if you are after "dirt" you absolutely will find some. Not that there's any "dirt" present, just that anyone can make anything dirty. For example: Ms. Tyra Banks pictured here. Appropriate or inappropriate? Pictures like this can be seen on a couple of channels where America's Top Model is being aired. Why the heck would ANYONE deem that Ms. Prejean's photos are any worse or "inappropriate"? Donald Trump is to be commended for his press conference just a few minutes ago. It's about time that someone with some clout stood up for this amazing beauty queen!

For some reason, we just cannot leave poor Ms. California alone! I can't help but think that in a land where we prize freedom of speech, that Carrie Prejean could be so condemned for exercising it. It seems to me that her answer to "Mr." Hilton's question should have made her a shoe-in for the title for exercising the freedom that we prize so highly as Americans. The temper tantrum that Mr. Hilton exhibited on his vlog is case in point. He felt the need to personally attack her without consequence while she attacked no one and is getting crucified . I say heck with freedom of speech (we've managed to warp it into something seemingly very unjust)! Go to a society where we are truly held accountable for what we say and how what we say effects others, and 'OFF WITH ALL THEIR HEADS'. Just kidding of course! Why, that's anti-American!!!

I've gotten heavily involved with Twitter as of late, but had a very hard time explaining why. I was asked, " What is Twitter and why do you like it?" Ok, well, Twitter is a way to communicate. It asks you what you are doing and you explain in 140 characters or less. Stop! I've revised! Here is my answer: "I am officially a Twitter Freak! Twitter is, in my opinion, the greatest form of communication there is. As a matter of fact, if husbands and wives could communicate solely through Twitter, I believe that the marriage rate would increase because of it. Yes, I said that I'm a FREAK! But let me tell you why. Twitter asks, 'What are you doing right now?' But what you are doing now means very little in the Twitter world. Tweeple (the people you talk to on Twitter) want to know, 'What do you think right now.' That is the true beauty of Twitter. It is multiple on-going discussions with many people simultaneously and SERIOUSLY entertaining! You hav...

I learned at a very young age that there are takers in this world. I call them Serial Takists . I also learned that Takists are a lot like rapists in that their victims are always left feeling violated, taken advantage of and angry. The effects from a Takist attack stay with you and reverberate long after the attack is over. I survived a Takist attack and I want to share with you how to spot, deal with (or avoid all together) a Takist attack yourself. How They Operate Takists are not kleptomaniacs ; they do not take for the sake of taking. But like kleptomaniacs , their behaviors are compulsive. It is their compulsion to try and manipulate everyone and everything around them to gain something, anything. If a Takist is talking to you, they want something. Takists will always appear pleasant at first but will turn on you the moment they see that their manipulative tactics aren't working. Failure to bend to their will results in angry, dismissive behavior. I will touch on that a...

Last Week!!! Lifetime Television Network is coming out with a new show called Cook Yourself Thin ... I just saw the promo on it today. I'm really kind of excited about it. For some time now I've prescribed to the whole Volumetrics way of eating and this show seems to really incorporate those principals. From the promo, it looked like three girls who take recipes and reduce the amount of calories without changing the flavor. It looked like there might be some sort of judging? ... kind of cool! So it's like Paula Deen meets American Idol .... at a weight watcher's meeting. HA! It does look very good and informative and I can hardly wait! It comes on next week... I'll keep you posted! Today!!! So I am currently watching Lifetime's Cook Yourself Thin, and its not quite what I thought it was going to be in that there isn't any judging.... awe! But the show is wonderful!!! It started off with chocolate chip muffins that were around 800 calories being reduced to ...

How fun is change really? The hardest part is always discovering that you need to change because THAT place is usually the most painful. I say usually because at the point you realize that you need to change, but do not move in that direction, brings about a sort of slow agony. The insanity of running around in circles living a life you know you aren't happy with, and that knowledge in and of itself brings the unhappiness (thanx Eve! You just couldn't leave the fruit alone!!! HA!). People don't change when they are perfectly happy. I found that out with smoking. For years I had smoked and knew that I had to quit. I had tried quite a number of times always to find myself back to smoking. I would always say, "I'm just not ready to quit.... I like smoking." Which to some degree was true, or I would have quit for good. But no, the slow agony began and eventually gained momentum. First it was the smell that I started to hate. I started noticing that people would lo...

Yesterday I made Coconut Ice Cream from one of my favorite raw recipe books called Raw Food Real World . The recipe itself called for an ice cream maker as well as a Vitamix, but I just used my Vitamix and it turned out AMAZING!!! It tasted great with strawberries too! I did alter the recipe from the book just a little because of the ingredients I had on hand and it still turned out fantastic! I used 1 cup of raw, organic coconut meat that I had frozen in a food saver bag a couple of months ago. I also used (from frozen) 1 1/2 cups of raw, organic coconut water, 1/4 cup agave nectar, 2 stevia packets, 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of coconut butter blended in the Vitamix on high for about 1 1/2 minutes until it was very well blended. I placed the Vitamix pitcher with the mixture into the freezer for about 3 hours and then blended again on low using the tamper until the mixture was smooth and placed back into the freezer for another two hours. It turned out PE...

Yesterday I posted a blog with the recipe for my raw candied yams and mentioned slicing the yams. I forgot to put in the post that the fun little gadget that I used to make all my yam slices uniform was a "mandolin" slicer. So this got me thinking about all the gadgets in my kitchen that I use and LOVE. As I have posted in the past, I am a gadget girl and thought it would be fun to showcase some of my "must have" tools. Here are my top 10. This is my #1: the mandolin slicer. Mine is an OXO V-Slicer. It is, in my opinion, the very best slicer on the market and the one I used to make my candied yams. It is easy to use, easy to clean (everything goes into the dishwasher) and easy to abuse. Basically, "it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin". It will slice four different slice thicknesses as well as julienne and fry cuts. I literally cut an entire bag of yams in about 10 minutes. Seriously quick food prep. And speaking of quick food prep, #2 is a food process...

These are the real thing baby! They are super simple and were SO yammy... uh, I mean yummy! :) All I did was peel and slice the organic yams and place them into a large Ziploc bag with 1/4 cup of maple syrup powder and then shook the bag. The natural juices from yams will mix with the maple syrup powder and make the yams "gooey". I then placed the slices of yams on my Excalibur Dehydrator tray and set the dehydrator to 105 degrees for two days. When they were done, I had a gooey, chewy, super sweet treat. I found out that my dogs LOVE the yam peels, so I am working on a recipe for organic, raw, yam doggie treats. That one should be fun! I'll let you know how it goes....

It's official... I am a gardener! hahahaha! I feel like I need a badge or something. That might be the little girl in me who never got to be a girl scout. If I start selling cookies, then I think we might need an intervention. But in the meantime, here's the updated photos on the garden. Just awesome!!! I left to go on a little mini vacation for four days and when I returned... tah-dah! The leaves on all the squash are just about bigger than my hands. Wow! And last but not least, the watermelon!!! I have said it in the past, and I will say it again, I NEED to keep a log of everything that I'm planting and how long it's taking for things to sprout. It might be helpful to know what worked and what didn't.