Be My Guest: Opposites Really Do Attract

Today I've decided to give you all, my beloved readers, a bit of a break. You can thank me later (OR you can thank me by stopping by again on Friday when I'll be publishing another post. Yeah, do that second one).

It's been a while since I bribed, persuaded, cajoled, wheedled, coaxed (you get the idea) someone to write a guest post for my blog. 

Seems I'd been doing it all wrong. Instead of twisting someone's arm (College Boy, I'm looking at you), I should have been taking another approach. Entice, that's the ticket. With a little quid pro quo (a term I can now use since everyone in this country knows what that means). 

My friend Rena McDaniel was looking for a guest post for one of her three (yes, three) blogs, The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver. I'd written a piece, not about Alzheimer's specifically, but a personal account of my feelings when I lost my dad to the disease. I was happy to let her share it with her readers . . . for a price . . .

Today she's paying up. So lucky you (and lucky me for having such a great friend), I have the honor of sharing what Rena took time out from her busy day week month life to write for Baking In A Tornado.

First I want to thank Rena for taking the time to share her post today. But most of all I want to thank her for her kind words, her unconditional support and her friendship. Be sure to visit her blogs, she offers something for everyone:

Wandering Web Designer

The Blogging 911

The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver

And I'm going to let Rena introduce herself:

I'm Rena and I'm a 50 year old child in an old woman's body. I love to take long road trips, build websites and write stories about my adventures or even the latest trip to the grocery store. I'm a wife of 29 years, a mom and a grandma and I run my own web design/maintain/troubleshooting business. When I'm not creating CSS, or piled up in the passenger seat of our car, you will find me happily playing with my grand kids, reading a book, or wrapped around a cheeseburger!

Opposites Really Do Attract

Karen and I have been friends for a few years now and even though we've never met IRL, she has seen me through some of the most painful lows and celebrated my highest highs. I love her dearly and consider her one of my very best friends BUT we are total opposites!

I absolutely love to cook, which we definitely have in common, but loving to cook and being good at it aren't always the same thing. Love definitely doesn't equal skill.

Karen can open her refrigerator, look at its contents and come up with a 10 course meal that is not only delicious but picture perfect. I can take a well written recipe and mangle it so badly it doesn't even resemble what I was trying to achieve. 

It will either be burned or undercooked. I will have injuries such as burns or cuts. The kitchen usually ends up in disaster just like whatever it is I'm attempting. I actually used to be what I'd consider a good cook, back when I had a gas stove and half a brain.

I threw dinner parties on Sundays and have served upwards of 20 people. Hell, I even cooked all of the food for my very own wedding! That was almost 30 years ago and since then my body and brain have been beaten senselessly. 

Today things like adding and subtracting doesn't come easily for me. Things like ingredients can become so overwhelming that I often just throw in what I think goes . . . mostly it doesn't. My poor sweet husband has suffered through so many bad meals that I'm surprised he doesn't have stomach issues, or asked for a divorce.

I once served my family a bloody turkey on Thanksgiving because I couldn't figure out time vs weight. I also don't understand spices. I love them, buy them all. I'm a sucker for a pretty jar but I often use too much or forget to add them altogether.

I come to Karen's site for guidance, inspiration and even to whine when things go wrong. I have made some of Karen's recipes and they were actually successful. She taught me how to make a cheese sauce that my husband begs for and would eat every single day! I also made her Marinara sauce that was well received, but these days take-out is king at my house!


Got you covered, Rena. Here's a recipe anyone can follow:

Mocha Butterfingers Milkshake 

Mocha Butterfingers Milkshake        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (per milkshake):

1/3 cup brewed coffee

2 TBSP French vanilla creamer

1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 TBSP chocolate syrup
1/2 cup finely chopped Butterfingers candies

Directions:

*Mix the creamer into the coffee. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the ice cream, coffee and chocolate syrup in a blender and blend until smooth. 

*Add the chopped Butterfingers and blend again until fully incorporated.

*For a thinner milkshake: blend in up to 1/4 cup of milk, a little at a time.
*For a thicker milkshake: freeze for an hour.

Be My Guest: Love from Not That Sarah Michelle

Happy Valentine's Day!

I thought today would be the perfect day to share a post by Sarah of Not That Sarah Michelle, in the latest of my Be My Guest series. Mainly because Sarah reminds me that there are all kinds of love. There's romance, of course, and the love of those we cherish in our lives, the people we celebrate on this day. 

But love has so much more depth than that. For instance there is a commitment to our core beliefs, the willingness to stand up and speak out that can only be described as a love of values. And there is the love of words. Sarah marries these two. 

My online friendship with her goes back years. We've read each others' posts, been involved in writing challenges together and supported each other on a personal level. We, like many bloggers, have talked about walking away from writing, felt that we've had enough, said all we wanted to say. She reached this point again just a few months ago, walking that line of "should I or shouldn't I?" The decision was to take a break.

I believe that Sarah has more to say. That, agree with her or not, she has a passion for her personal beliefs and the ability to express them. So I reached out. I offered a direction and extended a challenge. Not just to express her opinions in defense of human rights, but to back them up with facts. And in the process see if she regains her enthusiasm for writing. Because in my opinion, the world needs more public expression of this particular kind of compassion than it has in a long time.

Happy Valentine's Day, Sarah. Love having your big voice here in my little world. 

From Sarah:

Religion is so multifaceted. There are different beliefs, different offshoots of those beliefs and offshoots from THOSE beliefs. Each one feels like they are correct and if you don't follow along with that, then you're wrong. It is rare that people take the time to really get to know what another religion is about and, if they try to do ANY research, it is usually nothing but negative that they find. So, which religion is right?

In a time where equality is a big fight and everyone wants equal rights, people often turn to their religion for a better understanding. Unfortunately, history has been so bastardized and reshaped to fit the conformity of the religious left that people don't realize that this country is a melting pot for all people; race, religion, gender, be damned. It can be confusing, especially to those who just want to live in our great country as the majority of Americans do. Why can't two consenting men who are madly in love marry? Why can't a Muslim be president? Why does religion have to dictate and decide everything, especially if we are supposed to be a country with a religion-free constitution?

It is a common misconception that we are a "Christian nation". If you look back through history you will see that this is a reoccurring argument for anything as small as "should our children be spanked" to things as big as "should people of the same sex marry". People look to religion to figure out what is right and what is wrong, all the while losing sight of what really matters . . . human rights.

 This country was founded by poeple looking to escape the oppression and persecution of the Church of England. They came here looking to worship, or not worship, freely. So why is it that now people want to TELL you how, who, or what to believe? Freedom of religion is a basic human right that everyone is entitled to. It is MY right to be a Christian. It is YOUR right to be a Muslim. It is HIS right to be Jewish. It is HER right to be an atheist. To tell someone that they HAVE to believe the way you do is to turn your back on the freedom people seek in this country and return to a way of life where we all have to fall in line.

The bottom line is that we are a country built by people who want to worship and live our lives freely. Although all religions have extremists, a fact people seem to forget quite a bit, my choice to live my religion is not hurting you. Singling out any one religion for vilification? Well, ask Hitler how that worked out for him.

And a final note from me: I'm pleased to announce that this is just the beginning. Sarah will be continuing this discussion in a monthly feature on her blog. I'm looking forward to reading about her point of view in more depth and in joining in the conversation with her. Hope you will too.

About the author: 
Sarah Michelle is a wife, working mother of 3 and college student living in Florida. She's a passionate advocate for equal rights and a never ending source of Instagram entertainment. Sarah shares her life and her thoughts on her blog Not That Sarah Michelle. You can follow her on Facebook, twitter and Google +.

Be My Guest: Valentine Candle Stamping

I wish I had started blogging when my kids were little, there were so many fun projects I would have shared. Including my love of scrapbooking and stamping. A neighbor in our first home got me into scrapbooking. It's a great way to preserve memories with personality. I look at those books now and see not only my boys' childhood, but my own personality in how I chose to decorate the pages, comment on and share the pictures.

I stamped as well, it was a fun way to personalize stationary, birthday invitations, and thank you notes. Stamping has come a long way since my days. Projects are so much more sophisticated.
 
Today I'm sharing a craft project you can adapt for any season or reason, perfect for decorating your own home or for sharing as a gift. Welcome to the latest in my Be My Guest series of guest posts.

Let me introduce you to Melissa of My Heartfelt Sentiments. Melissa is a long time Close to My Heart consultant and she's agreed to share a Valentine's Day tutorial. She's created easy to follow step by step instructions for how to make a stamped candle for Valentine's Day.

From Melissa:

Did you know you can take any plain candle and decorate it as you desire, to fit any home decor, theme or color preference?

This candle (on the left) was purchased from the Dollar Tree for $1.  Altering it as you see on the right, makes it a handmade treasure for your gift recipient and only requires a few tools.

To decorate your own candle, follow these four steps:

STEP 1: Using the "Adore You" stamp set from Close To My Heart, the heart image was stamped on a white piece of tissue paper. Black ink was chosen for this image to allow for coloring it in. However, any color of ink can be used to suit the theme or your preference. Be sure to use scrap paper underneath the tissue paper as the stamped image will bleed through.

STEP 2: Color your image as desired (still using scratch paper). You can use markers or colored pencils, being careful not to tear the tissue paper. The image does not bleed when colored in although it may appear so here because of my close-up photo.

Once you have finished coloring the image, trim around it with scissors. The cut does not have to be precise but the closer you get to the image the better.

STEP 3: Gather the supplies needed to melt the image into the candle which includes: image, candle, Craft Heater (can be purchased from Close To My Heart or craft stores), wax paper, and adhesive.

STEP 4: Use a small amount of adhesive, on the back of the image, to place it on the candle. This will help hold it in place and allows for accuracy of placement. Then take a piece of wax paper, big enough to wrap around the candle, and hold it securely where the image is located. Allow the craft heater (which does get very hot) to warm up and then wave it over the image quickly. You will be able to see as the tissue paper and image melt int the candle.

Do not hold the craft heater over the stamped image, nor the candle, for too long or it will melt more than desired. Do so just enough for the image to set into the candle.

Once you think you have melted the image into the candle, carefully remove the wax paper. If you did not heat set long enough, you can wrap it back up and apply more heat.

When you are finished you will have a decorated candle that looks much better than the one you started with, don't you think? You can add ribbon or bling to pretty it up. Isn't this too fun? It istruly this easy and took me about 5 minutes to decorate this candle.

I hope you have enjoyed learning how to stamp on candles. I would love for you to follow me on social media where I can show you how to use various papercrafting products to create other beautiful homemade projects that you and others will enjoy.

About the author:
Melissa is a Texas wife, Professional Development Trainer, and has been a Close To My Heart consultant for over 18 years. She enjoys scrapbooking and stamping with friends and sharing her artistic adventure with others.

For more great project ideas, see her blog: My Heartfelt Sentiments 
and her website Melissa Robinson Close To My Heart
be sure to follow her on Facebook: Close To My Heart Independent Consultant,
on Pinterest, 
on Twitter,
on Instagram,
and join her VIP Group.

Be My Guest: Gourmet Feast on a Budget by The Angrivated Mom

I spoke, one year ago, in my post Moving Forward and Be My Guest about the friends who so generously offered to write guest posts for my blog as I dealt with the loss of my Dad. I remain grateful to and for every one of those writers.

The mental paralysis took me by surprise though, a few weeks ago. I hadn't even considered what impact this first anniversary might have on me.

And then suddenly there it was, the ping of an incoming email.

A guest post from another friend. Obviously a clairvoyant one.

Not just any guest post either, it's the perfect companion to the piece to the one I'd just published about The Work of Angels, providing food to struggling families in our area. In this post, Kristina shares recipes and strategies for preparing a holiday meal on a budget, proving that we don't need to spend a lot to serve a gourmet holiday feast.

I'm honored to introduce you to Kristina of The Angrivated Mom. I've known for some time that Steena is a talented writer. As well as her own blog, she's regularly been published on a multitude of well-known web sited. So it should come as no surprise that the same creativity that comes through in her writing presents itself as a resourceful and innovative approach to cooking.

Gourmet Feast on a Budget, Semi-Homemade Style

Many of us have found ourselves living from paycheck to paycheck with no wiggle room for extravagance at some point or another. The Holidays can turn into a stressful time of year when money is short. While some people luck out and are able to avoid hosting the customary get-togethers with relatives and friends, for whatever reason others are left to pull off the makings of a feast with little means to do so. Sometimes you are the only family member with enough space or are welcoming enough to invite guests over. You might not have the kind of situation where relatives want to gather either, leaving you to celebrate with your immediate family alone.

I, myself, have been found scrambling to make miracles happen for Thanksgiving and Christmas: on more than one occasion, in fact. Being stuck in a rut so many times before has enabled me to learn how to make magic happen out of what I commonly keep in my kitchen and what I can buy on a small budget. Not everything has to be homemade from scratch to blow your guests out of the water. A few key focus dishes that look amazing paired with a juicy, flavorful turkey make it easy to chat with other items on the menu and save your pocketbook. Below are my go-to recipes for a holiday meal that will surely impress, and a list of items you can get away with going the store-bought route in order to complete the menu. Recipes are enough to feed roughly 6 - 10 people.

 

Turkey

Marinade Ingredients:
6 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved
4 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved
1/2 bottle Worcestershire sauce
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 cups cheap white wine
8 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 container seasoned meat tenderizer
2 capfuls poultry seasoning
2 capfuls dry mustard seasoning
1 capful paprika
1 capful garlic powder

1 turkey, defrosted

Marinade Preparation:
*Mix ingredients well. Brine turkey at least 4 hours prior to cooking, preferably overnight. 
*Pat dry. Reserve 4 - 6 cups marinade, depending on bird size.
 
Seasoned Butter Rub Ingredients:
2 - 3 cups margarine or butter spread, slightly softened
2 capfuls seasoned meat tenderizer of seasoning salt
1/2 bottle of Mrs. Dash (salt-free) onion and herb seasoning
1 capful garlic powder
1 capful lemon pepper seasoning
1 capful onion powder
1/2 capful of poultry seasoning
2 TBSP ground black pepper
2 TBSP dried basil
2 TBSP oregano
2 TBSP dried parsley

Seasoned Butter Rub Preparation:
*Mix ingredients together. Rub all over the turkey, leaving as thick a layer as possible to drip during the browning period.

Stuffing Ingredients:
1 medium apple cut into quarters
1 medium white onion cut into quarters
1 small lemon cut into quarters
1 small orange, cut into quarters
6 cloves of garlic, smashed
reserved turkey marinade

Stuffing Preparation:
*Pour marinade into the cavity of the turkey. Arrange the rest of the ingredients inside however they will fit.
*Put into a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
*Cover with tin foil and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
*Baste turkey with juices 30 - 45 minutes.
*Cook according to recommended time limits for a stuffed turkey. Mine was 15.8 lbs and it took 4 hours and 45 minutes.
*NOTE: Reserve a cup of the drippings for use in the gravy.

Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients
1 cans no salt added cut green beans, drained
1 can french style green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 oz block of cheddar cheese, cut into tiny cubes
1/2 cup evaporated milk (reserve the rest of the can for the mashed potatoes)
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp paprika
2 tsp pepper
1 cup Fried Onions for mixture
1 cup Fried Onions for topping

Preparation:
*Mix soup, milk, seasonings and cheese in a greased 8" or 9" baking dish, round or square.
*Mix in green beans and 1 cup of the Fried Onions until well coated.
*Put into a 350 degree oven uncovered, for 25 minutes.
*Top with remaining Fried Onions and continue baking until golden brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
2 boxes Country Cheddar Rice-A-Roni
milk and butter as the packages of rice call for
1 bag frozen broccoli cuts
1 bag frozen corn
2 cups crushed crackers or corn flakes
1 individual use packet of Velveeta Cheese Sauce

Preparation:
*Make rice according to package directions.
*Microwave broccoli with 2 TBSP water in a lidded container for 5 minutes. Add the corn, mix and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Container will be hot, be careful lifting the lid as the steam will rush out.
*Once it cools slightly, drain any remaining water.
*Mix finished rice and vegetables together in a large greased baking dish. Add Velveeta Cheese Sauce and mix well. Pat mixture down and top with crushed crackers.
*Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until thoroughly hot.

Candied Yams

Ingredients:
2 cans Yams in syrup, drained and rinsed
1 cup Toffee Peanuts, crushed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 bag miniature marshmallows

Preparation:
*In a small saucepot, cook yams and butter on medium heat until they begin to break down into mush.
*Add cinnamon, salt and brown sugar. Continue cooking while mashing with a fork until only small lumps remain. Stir in crushed peanuts.
*Pour mixture into an 8" greased baking dish and top with as many marshmallows as will fit. Brush a little butter over the tops so they don't fluff up too much while baking.
*Put into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and marshmallows are melted.

Items You Can Cheat On

Stuffing: Packaged is no different than homemade if you use a little less of the water and butter the directions call for on the box. You can always mix in chopped walnuts and dried cranberries for a fancier version, but I can tell you right now, my kis won't eat it like that.

Corn: Grab a few economy sized cans, drain 'em, dump into a microwavable bowl with a dab of butter and pinch of salt, then heat up while the turkey rests before carving.

Baked Beans: Prepare just like the corn. Dump a few cans into microwaveable bowl and warm it up the same time as the corn.

Mashed Potatoes: Instead of wasting milk your kids probably go through way too fast as it is, use the leftover evaporated milk you already opened for my Cheddar Green Bean Casserole. I have found my creamiest mashed potatoes are made this way. I don't add any water to dilute the contents, either. In a real pinch though, you can fix instant potatoes to be more like the real deal by using evaporated milk, an extra bit of butter, a couple TBSP more of the flakes than called for by the box directions, and a few pinches of garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Gravy: I have no issues with making gravy from a packet. I get them 2/$1.00 at the grocery store, which is a steal in comparison to the price of canned gravy. I replace about 1 cup of the water necessary to make 6 packets worth with 1 cup of the leftover juice and drippings from the finished turkey for a more homemade touch and kick of extra flavor.

Rolls: While everyone loves crescent rolls, they're not very budget friendly. Grab a few packs of the brown-n-serve rolls from the bread aisle and call it a day. Before putting them into the oven to warm, lightly brush the tops with a mixture of 1/2 cup margarine, 1 TBSP garlic powder, 1 TBSP parsley flakes, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and 1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese. Brush with the remaining spread when you pull them out of the oven.


About the Author:
To Insanity and Beyond!
At The Daily Rantings of an Angrivated Mom, Kristina chronicles her journey as a SAHM of 4 with big dreams and little luck. A writer by nature, poet by heart, and blogger by nurture, Steena shares an eclectic mix of poetry, essays and humor running a gamut of themes. From parenting experiences and relationships to marijuana legalization and mental health awareness, there's something for everyone. 
Don't miss her blog posts at The Angrivated Mom.
And be sure to follow her:
on Facebook, 
on Twitter, 
and Bloglovin.  

Be My Guest: Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

I'm honored again today to present the next post in my Be My Guest series. Jenn is in the house and that means we're all in for a treat. Although she writes the blog Sparkly Poetic Weirdo, don't let the name fool you, there's nothing weird about Jenn, she's 100% genuine.

Every now and then a voice comes to the blogosphere and social media that stops you in your tracks. Jenn has one of those voices. She's honest and uplifting. Her message is always one of peace, but written from a place of strength. She believes in empowerment, and that it comes from within.

Jenn:

I was only maybe a quarter of a mile in when I dropped my glove, for the third time, and wanted to quit. While it was true the hiking was causing me to work up a sweat it was my addiction to snapping photos that made my hands itch to be free of the thick, warm, insulated gloves. So, into my pockets I shoved them, or thought I did . . . until I realized, yet again I missed my picket and left it on the snowy trail somewhere behind me. Truly, I debated leaving it there. I mused that I could have just shoved my hands in my pockets while overnight winter camping. Worst case scenario, I'd lose a couple of digits and at that point I was kinda okay with it. Instead I backtracked AGAIN, said a slur of curses, bent down slowly balancing my 30 pound pack, mostly full of kind bars and idiocy, and snagged the damn glove.

My friends were ahead of me unaware that I kept dropping my gloves. Thankfully so. I did not want them to wait for my slow as molasses ass. I did not want them to coddle me or treat me like the winter hiking virgin I was. I wanted to hike and hurt. I wanted to feel my muscles slightly ache from pushing myself. I wanted to fall in love with the sunset while drawing the cold air into my lungs. I wanted to be amazed and blinded by the glistening glitter shining from the snow.

Really I just wanted to be.

To be alone with my thoughts.
To be alone with my inner dialogue.
To be open to nature around me.
To be open to myself and what I could accomplish.
To be one with my surroundings.

Where was I?

Oh yes, the quitting. I had wanted to quit. I was annoyed with everything. I was not a hiker. I waas not fit, I was not fast, and I was trying to convince myself I was not going to have any fun. It was better to just turn back now and break into the truck and sleep there for the night than keep going towards what was going to be a failure of a trip to me. I was *sure* I was going to drop the glove(s) a million more times, I was going to have to pee outside, I was going to get lost, I was going too slow, I couldn't do it and of course, I might fall.

Falling always seemed the worst to me.

 It meant that I had placed my trust in the wrong foothold, that I thought I was so sure yet failed myself with a miscalculation, and it meant I was down on my ass, again.

But there I was, turning around on the trail, pack on my back, glove clutched in my hand, ready to keep going. Because I had already gone that far. I had already shattered misconceptions about myself by even agreeing to go. I was ready for a small adventure. I was ready to try something new. I was ready to be awed.

When I began walking again, I finally felt it. I felt the awe come over me.

The blue sky winked at me through the chaotic canopy of the naked branches that clung to one another over the forest floor, the stark contrast of the white snow against the dark bark unleashed the butterflies in my stomach that fluttered all the way up to my heart, the sound that seemed void yet amplified caused my mouth to dry and eyes to water . . . as I realized my trail waited to welcome me with packed down snow and promises of memories I would never make anywhere else.

How sad would it have been to give up and talk myself out of falling in love with the world around me? It would have been a detrimental disservice to my soul. 

For the record, I did not drop either of my gloves again.

My friends blazed the way, waiting for me only at forks in the trail and at the sand dunes. We laughed, joked, ate and drank. We made camp 100 feet or so from Lake Michigan and fell asleep to the crashing waves kissing the shore while the stars poked through the velvety midnight sky and serenaded us with a lullaby that only the beauty of nature can provide.

The next morning we packed up and took off ready to go home. The wind was whipping, my ass did not like being exposed to the cold air in the morning, but

I trekked a couple miles in the snow, camped outside in winter, in Michigan, and was alive. My friends once again were in ahead of me - die to my insistence - and while descending my last sand dune before the trail. I biffed it.

Hard.

I fell face forward then rolled down the dune and ended up like a turtle on my back. I was stunned. I did not know what to do. I had done what I feared most and . . .  I was okay. While laughing I rocked myself upright, dusted myself off and got back on the trail.

Here's the thing, the falling was to be expected. Not planned necessarily but there will be moments in life where we get knocked down out of nowhere leaving us confused and unsure what to do. Falling was not the worst thing to happen to me.

Did it scare me? Sure.
Did it hurt? A bit.
Worst thing? Oh, heck no.

It is the getting up part that is the bitch. Because you are not sure how to react. You are not sure what to do. You are not sure what your next step is. But as long as you are willing to take the next step and keep going that is all that matters.

Life is messy. It is not perfect nor is it meant to be. There is no clean way in and out of everything. There is no planner or itinerary of how things are supposed to go. They just. . . go. They happen. The be . . . and become. There is a lot of readjusting, recommitting and retrying. But no quitting.

It is okay, always okay, to decide a new path to try if you do not like the one you are trekking but to stop the journey altogether? No. You would be robbing yourself of opportunities to find out who you are, what you are made of and what you can do.

As for me, I am going to keep hiking. I will hopefully always decide to keep going even if I drop my gloves twenty times. I will continue to laugh at myself when I bust my butt. Which, I am sure, will be a lot. That being said, I will also remember it is okay to pause my journey, sit on the ground and cry for a bit if that fall scares the shit out of me.

But I am going to keep getting up because goodness only knows what else is out there waiting for me.

About the author:

Annoyingly nice. Science lover. Wife. Daughter. Mother of a fur baby named Rufus. Writer. Shenanigan finder and firm believer in kindness.
Visit her blog, Sparkly Poetic Weirdo. 
Join her on Facebook.

Be My Guest: Confessions of a part time working mom

I'm able again today to introduce you to another friend and fellow blogger who has agreed to Be My Guest. In the 6th of my Guest Post series I'm introducing Tamara of the blog Confessions of a part time working mom. 

Tamara is another international friend I met through blogging. Although you can't tell from her amazing grasp of English, she's from Switzerland. She's one of these people who can do it all, she works part time, raises her son, cooks, bakes, crafts, plans theme parties . . .  How can you possibly do it all? Well, I'll let her tell you.

Today it's my honorable turn to guest blog for my dear friend Karen!

We met almost three years ago. Actually, her husband introduced us. This is how it went down:

I was groceries shopping and almost ran over her hubby with my brimful cart. He was crouching in front of the bottom of the baking aisle, scratching his head.

Oohps, I am sorry, I almost didn't see you! Are you OK?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I was just trying to remember what it was that I was supposed to take home."

"Well, what do you want to make?

"Haha, not me. I don't bake. It's for my wife.She wants to bake some bread."

"Hm, not many ingredients needed to make bread. Flour, water, salt, yeast, done!"

"Ohhh, noooo, she doesn't do yeast! It's definitely something else."

"Really? Is it something for St. Patrick's Day maybe? Irish Soda Bread? 'Cause that's a bread that doesn't require yeast!"

Looking relieved, he dumped about a dozen packs of baking soda into his cart and told me his wife blogas about what she bakes. I stood there, rooted to the spot, my mouth probably open. When I regained my composure I asked if by any chance his wife was the famous Karen @Baking In A Tornado?

That's when we were done with shopping and went to their home for some Bay Leaf Coffee and yummy baked goods . . .

Wouldn't that have been a fun way to meet? Instead I can't even remember through which common acquaintance I came to read my first post of hers, but I do know it was the Fly on the Wall about garage door openers.

So today I want to talk about life balance. Just life. No work - OK with you?

What do I enjoy doing?

• Sleeping
• Eating
• Having coffee and wine, not at the same time, though and PLEASE no bay leaves!
• Spending time with my son
• Blogging
• Browsing at the mall
• Meeting with a friend
• Purchasing a purse
• Watching movies
• Baking

• Arranging parties for St. Patrick's Day or Halloween.

What do I spend my time doing? 

• Being awake in the middle of the #$@&%*ing night.
• Doing laundry
• Shopping for groceries and cleaning supplies
• Cooking, sometimes as many as three times a day
• (Un)loading dishwasher
• Cleaning up other people's messes
• Working at the office
• Going to the dentist
• Recycling
• Telling my son to brush his teeth, to hurry up and put on his shoes

Now I wish I could tell you "scr** your to do list, life is short, do as you please" because that wouold bit you (and as a result, me) in the butt. I do have a suggestion, though:

Make your to do list more enjoyable!

How?

Grocery runs don't have to be as stressful and annoying if you shop during quiet hours whern there's no war out there in the parking lot.

Bring a list! Sounds like a no-brainer, but how many times did I go to the market because I literally just needed milk, eggs and apples, however I ended up buying milk, crushed tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, ham, pizza dough, Italian herbs mix, olives and more because, oh my goodness, we haven't had pizza night in at least 10 days!! 

If you can, order online and pick it up. Saves so much time you can spend doing things you like.

With a little positive attitude (and this is really the key word for it all) I even found things I like about going to the dentist:

• They play a radio station with music mostly from the 80s
• My hygienist is a really nice girl, unlike the know-all bitch who was treating me before
• All I have to do is lie back, open wide and relax (haha, who can relax at the dentist?)
• Once it's over, I don't have to worry about it for another year

Laundry? It needs to be done, and you can call yourself lucky if you have access to appliances that do it for you! Remember, your grandmother would have killed for a utility room like this:

Keeping that in mind, stuffing your laundry in your machine and pushing a button isn't really hard, and afterwards you may have coffee and do something from your wish list! Time permitting, take the items out of the dryer while they're still warm and not wrinkled. It's kind of nice to fold and put away. What an achievement, you're done! Coffee?

The day job. Hmmm. If you are not passionate about what you earn your money doing, that's a bit of a toughie. Still there are plenty of things that may be quite nice about that job, I'm sure. coworkers, the coffee maker, a nice pen, the fact that you are indoors where it's warm and dry (or would you rather collect other people's trash while it's raining cats and dogs? I didn't think so), plus you can squeeze in some Facebook time here and there.

If you feel the scale pan that contains the chores, worries and annoying things is weighing you down, please take a step back and think about how you can remove one item! Just one! Can a family member do it? Will the world end if nobody did it at all? How much happier will you be once you're released from it? What will you do with the time you've just won?

Visualize it!

Are you smiling?

Tell me about your simple change you're going to make!

About the author:
Tamara has been blogging as part-time working mom since summer 2012. When she isn't working, parenting or writing, she likes to bake and craft, and she has a bit of a reputation for taking on one too many projects.
You can find her posts here: 
 Confessions of a part time working mom
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