Tonight I was making various baking mixes for when we go camping, and I ran out of Baking Powder. Did you know that chocolate and baking soda together is a suitable substitution? I never knew that before!
Here is a list of substitutions for Baking Powder (1 tsp)-
1/4 tsp baking soda with one of the following:
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
at least 1/2 cup sour milk, buttermilk or yogurt
1/2 cup applesauce, mashed bananas or tart jam
1/2 tblsp vinegar or lemon juice plus sweet milk to make 1/2 cup
Hoarding is a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It tends to be an inherited disease. Often a hoarder had a parent who also hoarded.
People who hoard isolate themselves from people, and start building realationships with stuff instead. Things always take precedence over other relationships. A lot of hoarders live on their own because they've driven everyone else away.
Many adults with this problem started collecting things as an adolescence. Most of these people tend to become extreme hoarders as they age and are not treated until they reach age 40-50.
People who hoard are not lazy or unmotivated. Hoarding is debilitating, and can affect anyone, anywhere. Interestingly, most hoarders tend to be quite intelligent and articulate. Hoarders tend to hide their symptoms and their homes from their friends and family. The problem gets worse as people become more isolated.
Throwing hoarders things away can be very traumatic to them. Hoarders develop emotional connections to their things. Hoarders need to want to change, just as an alcoholic wants to stop drinking. Hoarders may need the help of a therapist, an organizer, and patient friends and family. Even with treatment and help hoarding is a culmination of lifelong habits, and relapses should be expected.
If you or someone you know is a hoarder find out how you can help or enlist the help of a professional.
Did you wash the sheets and forget what sheet goes to which bed? Here is a simple tip to help you remember: On the bottom corner of your bed sheets or on the tag (if there is one) use a permanent marker or fabric pen and write the abbreviation for the size, such as K for King, Q for Queen, F for Full; another option would be to put the person's initial instead. Then when you go to make the beds you can tell if the sheet is the right size for the bed!
The other night I found my Bodum French Press and was super excited! I cut up an orange and put it in the bottom of the press and filled the rest with water. The next day I had my own orange flavored water. Last night I had a few strawberries and put those in the bottom. Today I am going to drink some strawberry flavored water. For more ideas check out Easy Homemade Infusions!
A few months ago I attended a beginner Reiki class that had a lot to do with self-healing. It is suggested that everyday we do Reiki to ourselves. Since I am a very visual learner I decided to see if I could find a video online to help guide me with the hand movements (much better than reading off a piece of paper). I found these videos and it has helped guide me with my self-healing sessions. If you want to feel relaxed give it a try!
Do you hate being a controlling parent, and are looking for advice on how to stop butting heads with your children and have more fun parenting? Scott Noelle's Daily Groove provides daily lessons based on the Attraction Parenting principles. You will love them!
The Breakfast Club is one of my favorite movies and I have probably seen it atleast 20 times in my life. I remember one time I actually wrote down every word they said much to the chagrin of my best friend at the time. When ever I hear, Don't You Forget (about Me) I think of this movie. My favorite part was when Claire gave John Bender her earring. Who doesn't love a bad boy?
What are some of your favorite 80s movies? Did you ever fall for a bad boy?
There is a new film coming out called, Race To Nowhere. I really hope that it will come to my area! It is about how our current educational system is pushing our kids to a Race to Nowhere. We are creating stressed out, achievement driven kids, but are they happy? Are they healthy? Do they even know who they are? Some things to think about when you are pushing your kids to sign up for one more activity.
Last month, on Mother's Day to be exact, we had to take my hubby to the Emergency Room in the middle of the night. We spent 3 hours in the ER, and found out that hubby was passing a kidney stone. He passed the stone at home the next morning, but during the night he was in excruciating pain. His pain was so strong they had to give him heavy narcotics. It is a pain most of us would rather avoid!
Here is a video about Kidney Stones:
Hopefully this will help someone recognize the signs!
Here is an interesting article, How Shrek and Dora are Making Kids Fat, that claims that child-targeted advertising which uses cartoon characters is making our kids choose foods that are not exactly the most healthy for them. I know that my kids would choose a product with Dora on the front if they had a choice. Interestingly, even when we go through the health food sections my kids want us to get the cereals with the cute animals on them, but then they are let down when they don't like the cereal. What do you think of these marketing tactics?
When I was in high school (in the 90s) I loved to listen to my Dad's old records (from the 70s and 80s). Maybe Tonight by The Knack was absolutely one of my favorite songs. I often played it when friends came over too. It must have made an impact on them as well because recently one of those old high school friends contacted me to find out the name of the song. I think it is a timeless song and it's still one of my all-time favorites!
Is there someone in your life that you want to open up to? What are you waiting for?
Since I have been introduced to TED I have watched quite a few inspirational videos! I like that they make you think about topics you may not have thought much about before. Isn't the Internet great? I especially love videos about reforming education and how people learn. Here are three videos that will make you question our current educational model.
In this first video Sir Ken Robinson talks about how we are not all meant to do the same thing, but we are all being taught the same way. He makes a point that we are treading on our children's dreams and doing them a diservice by not recognizing their individual talents and dreams. He suggests we reform our current educational model.
Here is another video by Sir Ken Robinson about how schools take creativity away from children. He is a really great speaker!!
In the same vein as these other videos here is one by Gever Tulley at TEDxAtlanta. He says, "You can make people study, but you can't make them learn!" This video is about promoting self-directed learning.
If you go to any touristy places in New England you are bound to run into a copy of the children's book, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. Apparently Cooney lived in Maine before she passed away several years ago.
Despite the many times I have seen the cover of this book I had yet to read it until last week when the kids begged me to read it to them. I am so glad that I did. It is a beautifully illustrated book and has such a heartwarming message: Do Something to Make the World More Beautiful.
I recommend that you read this book no matter what age you are. You may find that this book inspires you to do something to make your mark in this world!
I have always been drawn to things from decades gone by whether it be clothes, music, movies, household items, gadgets, or pictures. One particular gagdget I loved as a kid (during the late 80s/early 90s) was my friend Steve's 8-Track player that was a permanent fixture in his family's camper. Whenever I had the opportunity to visit I would beg him to play an 8-Track cartridge. My favorite song we would sing to was Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel . Back then I didn't grasp the meaning behind the song since I hadn't seen The Graduate yet! I just liked the song and still do today!
I just read How a Mom of Seven Got into the Best Shape of Her Life - That's Fit and found it inspiring! I like that she choose to exercise at home and to watch what she ate. She didn't do any fad diet or get a gym membership. If a Mom of 7 can lose the weight then we can too!
A friend and I were talking recently about the Law of Attraction and The Secret. Specifically about how we attract things to us based on how we percieve our realities. For example, if we think the world sucks then we will attract things that suck to us. If we think the world is great we attract great things. She suggested that I check out What the Bleep Do We Know?. So recently I went onto YouTube and found the video. It is a documentary about the science of Quantum Physics and how this field is working to prove that we have alternate realities. Within the documentary was a kind of soap opera starring Marlee Matlin (a deaf actress). The whole documentary was really thought provoking. Amazingly both my little boys pretty much watched the whole thing with me (I did have to block their eyes a few times though). I think they liked it because it has really cool effects. I liked that it wasn't all just stuffy science lingo and was kind of edgy and spiritual at the same time. It kept my attention and really made me think!
If you go to any touristy places in New England you are bound to run into a copy of the children's book, 
