Jaime Loves Stuff

The North and The South... Korea

2013-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have a strange obsession with the Koreas. Something about Koreans, the Korean culture, food, music, etc. draws me in. Heck, my ex is half Korean. If that tells ya anything... Lemme back step a bit and say, I have a love of all things Asian period.

I had a pen pal from South Korea when I was in junior high and was really sad when she had to stop writing. She used to send me cassettes of her favorite Korean music and I would send her mine. She was teaching me words written in Korean. It was very cool! I fell in love with all things Korean. I adore Korean food. I really, really, really am a bit obsessed with K-Dramas (Korean Dramas). Let's face it, they are pretty. Very pretty to look at. The drama...oooohhhh, the drama is so deep. Ha. I totally have a Pinterest board dedicated to K-Dramas (Click on the link... I dare ya). I was indoctrinated when a random person via Send Something sent me a DVD of Princess Hours and I was done. I get on serious obsessive kicks and will be watching for DAYS on end my "stories". I had to dig to find my stories! It was so difficult to find them. Now, they have such a wide audience and you can watch them on Hulu, Netflix, Viki, Drama Fever, etc. It's crazy! They have taken the world by storm! No lie! Besides, I think Asian guys are seriously hot.

*cough* Sure I will *cough*

My first:

Of course. The plot. Always the plot.

Check out what Hulu has:
Korean Dramas

Now, my friends that would be SOUTH Korea.

Perfect choreography. Via: Unknown. Please let me know if this is yours and I will cite the proper source!

Sadly, North Korea has been so cut off from the world since the Kim Dynasty has taken over all north of the DMZ. A North Korean can be put in the gulag or even executed for being in possession of South Korean shows, music, etc. The country is starving, they have been brain washed and are so controlled... it's sad. Some have been lucky enough to escape. I have spent two nights of my depression watching a few documentaries about North Korea. One is called Kimjongilia (believe it or not, there's a flower called that named after Kim Jong-Il) and it's heart breaking. The interpretive dancers are a bit distracting but it's about the people and their fight to survive. Another one is called Seoul Train about the underground railroad helping get defectors to safe ground. Jaw. Dropping. And last, Lisa Ling went in as North Korea but posed as a Medical Coordinator- she gave us a rare glimpse of what it is like VISITING North Korea. It's mind boggling. North Korea is starting to allow visitors in. You can't go in without a "guide" *cough* handler *cough* but.... this has me thinking.

I want to visit Korea some day. North and South.
I want to volunteer with Helping Hands Korea.
While I am at it, I want to help out the Cambodian Children's Fund
I know most of this will have to wait until my daughter is much older but... it's a goal. It's in writing! I can't back down! Right?

Where would you like to go? What is a goal you have?

Affiliate Link if interested in buying/renting the above mentioned documentaries:

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Boring + PM Dawn

2013-10-02T08:00:00.001-07:00

I posted previously that I have been in a bit of a funk. I don't want to divulge too much of my personal issues but it all boils down to finances. I am in a dangerous area financially and I am very scared. We all go through feast and famine modes and right now, it's famine. These are all my own doing and I will get myself out of the mess but it sucks. It pulls my spirit down and am having a hard time trying to motivate myself to blog and my mind is a bit blank which makes it difficult to come up with a topic. I feel like I am such a boring blogger these days. I need to get my juice flowing.

To make matters worse- my TV stopped working. We don't have cable and just watch via Netflix and Amazon Prime (and hulu on the computer). Netflix is a reward I use with my daughter for when she has a good choice day. She likes choosing her shows to watch and enjoys the 30 minutes to 1 hour she earns. i feel this is fair. So when it went out last night, I cried. I can't replace it. It sucks. My sister is giving me one from her house but who knows when it can get taken off her wall. It's not even about the TV right now. It's about everything being too close to the edge. It SUCKS. It affects my daughter. Enough about personal issues. That's enough. Ha.

On the positive side, I listed two items in my Etsy shop. Only two items but TWO are listed! Whoo hoo. I hope to get photos taken this weekend and get items listed! Yay! I do have a ton of product reviews to write. Sigh... get motivated grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllllllllllllllllllllllll ha.

So... I am on a huge PM Dawn kick. Prince Be the Nocturnal has an amazing voice. Their music has always resonated with me and it's a shame that the band's career has kind of stalled. Unfortunately, Prince Be did have a stroke which caused a left sided hemiparesis or maybe hemiplegia (essentially, left sided paralysis) and recently, he had a leg amputated (I believe due to diabetes). I feel like their music is timeless and I will always be a major fan of theirs! It's a little difficult to find videos of their music but these are some of my favorites!

If you like their music and would love to download the album or purchase the CD, please click through the widget below. This is an affiliate link and I do earn a small commission!

Thank you!

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Insane Ramblings and Confessions of a Hoarder.

2013-09-25T20:26:00.001-07:00

I have been very obsessed with jasmine scents lately. It doesn't help that I just finished reading Jitterbug Perfume (brilliant! Bloody Brilliant!). Did I tell you that I tend to, um...., become obsessive and have some hoarding tendencies? Well, one day Bath and Body Works had one of their major sales and what did I do? Bought a BUTT TON of body washes, lotions and sprays. Oh and shampoo and conditioner. I bought a ton. A TON. You figure it out that I bought a ton? Ha. I bought plain, old fashioned jasmine and a gardenia (of course, many other amazing scents) and I really like them. Very uncomplicated. I love them. Speaking of hoarding- I fear I am turning into my grandmother who is a serious hoarder. Oh who am I kidding? I AM turning into her and I am trying so hard to STOP IT! Ha. But... but... but I love my books and goodies. I caress my goodies. Do you hoard? Come on... admit it. What do you hoard? I tend to hoard books, movies, makeup, body washes, shoes, purses... um, lots of stuff.

I have PTSD. People look at me weird when I tell them that because I have never been in the military or a first responder. From the National Institutes of Mental Health:

PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers

I have been abused but... it was seeing Emma after being abused and nearly dying. That was my trigger. My reaction and post injury behavior wasn't "typical". I was in shock. I was failed. I, even though I am quite a bit better, feel that the system let us down. I was very... apathetic to everything. I was barely there mentally and emotionally. Lights were on but nobody was home. Emma was receiving great care but they didn't look at me and see that I needed mental health services to take care of her. I think that they should provide immediate mental health service to families who have a child with special needs (they are at high risk for abuse/be abusers/neglect/etc. due to the stress) as part of the services with the child. Even more so when it's caused by a traumatic event. My two cents. Maybe I can start something and get something going.

Speaking of PTSD, my brother was injured in Iraq in 2003. He has been dealing with not only the physical injuries but the PTSD he has been battling. He is a brilliant guy but the man who returned isn't the same man who left. The mental illness caused by serving in the war has put a weight on his shoulders that was a lot for him to bear, the loss of working, he tried to go back to college to change careers with support from the VA and he tried to return to work and unfortunately, he relapsed. Severely. He finally has some relief. Since his injury, he's been living in severe poverty. He FINALLY got approved for VA disability. He lost his vehicle, income, everything and dealing with this and being a single 30-something year old man is crushing and he came by with his new car and his face was so lit up with happiness. It was great to see.

Earlier this year, my sister, brother and I said it would be our year. My sister has been battling her homeowners insurance for nearly TWO years to get her house fixed. She hasn't been in her house during this time and FINALLY the repairs have started. It's been a long stressful time and I am soooo glad that she is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. She needs to be back in HER home. I am so excited for her to get back in there.

Oh and I love 70s shows. Enjoy!

Monday Music: The Emmys and Some Blues...

2013-09-23T18:41:00.002-07:00

Craziness.

The past week and a half I have been on a huge 70s Television kick. When I was unemployed, I would watch Retro TV (or now called METV) every day! It was the best. I would watch Ironside, Quincy ME, Adam-12 and other amazing gems every day. I was so stuck in the 70s. Oh hell, who am I kidding, I am stuck in the past. No joke. The one show that REALLY sucked me in was Quincy ME. It was so cutting edge at the time. The world of forensic science was becoming a big thing and it is amazing watching things develop in the police world thanks to forensics. Just like Hill Street Blues gave birth to NYPD Blue, The Shield and other iconic police procedural shows, Quincy gave birth to shows such as CSI. It's amazing. Besides, I am such a sucker for the fashion, cars and interior design during those times. Gorgeous.

It's kind of odd because I read about Jack Klugman's (Quincy) son upset about his father being left out of the Emmys. I don't blame him. His father was one of the most iconic actors and paved the way for the current stars. I am going to voice an unpopular opinion but... people have said that Cory Monteith is relevant. Jack still acted until 2010 (he was in Camera Obscura). The man earned the respect and deserved to be mentioned. He was on the big screen and television since the 1950s to 2010! I am not saying Cory didn't deserve a mention. Not at all. Cory is relevant to today's youth and was a great loss to Gleeks all over but... in 10 years, Glee won't be relevant. I am not sure if Cory would have been able to move on from his role and we will never know. I enjoy Glee but it's not a MUST see for me however, it is important to the fans and that is what is important. I also think that Ebert should have been given a shout out BUT my only draw back to him was he was a reviewer and most focused on movies over TV but he was important. Also, Larry Hageman should totally have been recognized. Who DOESN'T remember "Who Shot JR?".

I won't say one loss is greater than another. However, I think Emmy nominated and Emmy award winning stars should have been recognized along with pop culture stars. Just my opinion.

I will post more of my thoughts on this later. Hell, I might run a series on the great shows of the past... oooh! I think I will! Ha. *High Fives Self* Oh and to get back on track, I have been watching Quincy ME for two days straight on Netflix streaming. Go watch it. I COMMAND YOU! Just kidding. Seriously, watch it! It's fabulous!

Ahhhh... speaking of being on a kick, I have been on a serious, almost obsessive (see? addiction. I am not being facetious when I say I have a bonafide addictive personality. I become very obsessive with things and form addictions easily. I have to be VERY careful. I can't shop - hence, my current financial difficulties... and must maintain a lot of control. It sucks. Ha) about Blues. BLUUUUUUUUUUESS.

I've got the babysitting blues... remember that from Adventures in Babysitting? Love that movie. So does my daughter.

Robert Cray Band.

I have always found Right Next Door to be an extremely sexy song. His voice. The guitar. Pure perfection. Of course, it is a song about cheating but... listen and enjoy. Such an 80s vibe. Love it, right? Smoki

Smoking Gun is another amazing tune. He just gets down on the guitar...

Another favorite Blues performer for me is Coco Montoya. His voice. My gods... his voice.

Listen to Forever:

Same Dog is a great jam:

The prodigy that is Joe Bonamassa (he has done amazing work with Beth Hart).. His guitar skills give me serious goosebumps. Serious.

Speaking of Beth Hart:

I hope you enjoy these songs. If you do and wish to buy, definitely click through my affiliate links below. Pretty please :) I am shameless, I know but I am trying to earn some Christmas Money

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Pork Lo Mein + Dystopian Future

2013-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying, I am obviously not a food blogger and I am a mediocre photographer with a decent camera but missing the awesome skills. Ha Ha! Am I the only one thinks the step by step photos are kind of annoying?

I've been trying to cook more at home and I am obsessed with Asian food. If you follow me on Pinterest, you will know that I am obsessed with Asian grubbage. I am fatally allergic to fish/shellfish, so I cook at home. Speaking of cooking at home, I am trying to be more frugal. TRY being the operative word. Have I told you that I get sucked into that whole conspiracy-chicken little-robots are taking over future theories? I totally do. I am also obsessed with Doomsday Preppers. I started googling what jobs we will have when 2040 hits. Hey, I will be middle aged then! So, of course, the Robots will take over the world, we will be at a 50% unemployment. Yep. My ears started ringing, I got warm (might have been a true hot flash, but whatever) and my anxiety levels went up. I am such a sucker. I prefer the Fifth Element type of future. Corbin Dallas. Multipass.

I use real lo mein noodles from the Asian market, but you can use spaghetti. I have an AWESOME Asian market here in Phoenix and I score sweet goodies.

While the water is boiling (for the noodles), make a sauce mixture (I am guessing on the amounts because I eyeball them):

2 tbs tamari soy sauce (you can use regular)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove
small chopped piece of ginger

3 tbs Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce
1 tbs rice vinegar
1/4 c of water
1/2 tsp of chicken broth
I mix this us in my Bullet Blender and then I sprinkle in some corn starch and mix it up again.

Add noodles to boiling water
While the noodles are boiling (this brand takes four minutes), I sautee the pork in coconut oil with garlic, ginger and soy sauce (again, I eyeball). I also start sauteeing cabbage and onions in coconut oil in my large skillet (Man, I need a wok).

The noodles are finished, as long as the pork is cooked all the way through, add it all to the cabbage and let every thing get a nice, carmelized brown. Then add the sauce to the mix and let it cook a bit and BAM! You're done. Top with scallions and cilantro. My kid pigged the f out! Delish.

You can do this with any veggie or meat you like in a stir fry.

Yummy. Yummy. Yummmy.

Random Wednesday Finds: HBO

2013-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Who here watches the programming on HBO?

Come on, now... don't be afraid to admit it.

I will. I love Game of Thrones, I loved the Wire, Girls, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood, True Blood and on and on and one and there's one recurring theme: boobs. Lots and lots of boobs. And whores. Don't get me wrong, it's all lovely and all but why is it only men who get the show? We demand gender nudity equality. Heck, OZ did show some of the goods... lol.

Ok, here is this week's wonder Random Wednesday Find that I found courtesy of Pat's Fantasy Hotlist. By the way, if you love Fantasy and SciFi- that's the blog to know. Seriously.

Anyhow, I giggled. A lot. This video is perfect and it's so true.

Seriously, HBO... kick it up a notch. For the girls, of course. *wink wink*

Monday Music: Christopher Cross + Amateur Radio Operators

2013-09-15T21:53:00.001-07:00

Do you ever get into those super lazy funks where it seems like it will steal your energy just to do some minute task? That's how I've been for the last few weeks (hence the lack of posts). I felt too lazy to turn on my computer. Girl Scouts honor! I looked at my computer and said that's too much work! Haha.

Pure laziness. Actually, I've been super zapped. I hit a bit of a valley and it's taking everything I have to get back into the groove of things. I feel terrible because I haven't shipped out the BB cream winner's package yet (Sorry!). I've been stressed, sick, and dealing with some money troubles but such is life.

I was reminiscing about my dad today. He was a huge lover of boxing and radios. I remember how exciting the boxing scene was in Southwest Kansas. There were so many tournaments, matches and Tough Man competitions going on. So much heart and excitement. I believe the scene is pretty dead back there but a few of the fighters in the gym did go pro and there were some who had a great chance at going pro (my brothers being amongst them). These guys had so much heart. There were a few coaches in the area (my dad and a few others) and sadly, they're all either too old or have passed on. My dad was a die hard Ham Radio operator. He used to drag me along to the classes to test. I hated it. Back then, it was all about morse code and frankly, it did nothing for me. It never dawned on me until... well, Sunday night (literally, this Sunday night) why he dragged me there. I never got my amateur radio operator's license because... well, I was a dumb kid who thought this was only for old fogies (Seriously, I was the only person under 50 attending). My dad and mom noticed my obsession for music and deejaying. My dad told me once (mind you, my father NEVER said any kind of positive affirmation to us. He never really encouraged us unless you were one of the boys boxing, so this is huge) that I should get a job on the radio. I pooh-poohed it and continued making mixing tapes. I was also insanely obsessed with Christian Slater's Pump Up the Volume movie. As you have seen via my Monday Music posts, I have a wide range of musical tastes. My music trivia knowledge is pretty good. I am also a huge book nut. I love a good book. I also love sharing my thoughts and opinions on things I find. I never realized that an Amateur radio can do many cool things- talk to astronauts, help in an emergency, and you can broadcast to other operators. You just can't get paid for it. Just thinking about maybe picking it back up and seeing if my brother kept my dad's equipment. Might get a bit of a shout out for my dad and my mom out there in radioland.

Anyways....

For some reason the past two weeks, my music line up has been a bit... eclectic for my drive to and from work. I am serious. It's an odd mashup: It was a Good Day by Dr. Dre, Juicy by Notorious B.I.G. and then... Christopher Cross. Cross my heart. It's the truth! No clue WHY I've made my playlist this way but it's allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll good, baby baby bay,,,

I am going to try something new, instead of Youtube, I'm trying Grooveshark. Let me know if you prefer the Youtube vids over Grooveshark.

I love Christopher Cross' voice, he reminds me a lot of Michael McDonald but different but the same. Haha.

Think Of Laura by Christopher Cross on Grooveshark

Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross on Grooveshark

All Right (Album Version) by Christopher Cross on Grooveshark

All Right (Album Version) by Christopher Cross on Grooveshark

Ahh... Local Boy Music: Matt Bowlin

2013-09-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

So....

Shameless plug here. A school friend of mine who is not only an amazing human being but a fabulous country singer. He has worked very hard on his music and gives non stop.

I think you should check out my friend Matt Bowlin. I am pretty biased but he's freakin' fabulous.

Oh and he's on CMT, Facebook and here's his website

Nope. No sponsorship or anything. This is my friend and I am not afraid to shamelessly promote him.

Besides, he totally rocked it with my kid when she was little and rollin' in a helmet :)

Internet Break + some Tori Amos

2013-09-04T07:00:00.001-07:00

Not to beat a dead horse but when I came down sick with this, what I have self diagnosed, sinus infection- I took a pseudo internet break. I haven't turned on my computer since my last blog post. Now... the reason it is pseudo is because I still Facebooked and Pinned from my phone. Oh yeah and Instagrammed. It was nice to step away from the computer for awhile. I sit in front of two alllllllllll day at work. Ok, two monitors. This little break had me thinking a bit. I think I am going to delete some of my apps. Maybe. I find that even without a computer, I am still too hooked. It steals away precious time I don't have and I really don't need to waste it. I find myself mindlessly checking for updates without any real purpose. I did, however, find that by Monday, I was checking less often. You can always tell when I am bored or procrastinating a lot- I share a lot of crap on Facebook.

I feel a thousand times better but I still have a lot of pressure but better than I was! Yay!

So, a few months back I did an interview with a local organization who publishes resources, articles, etc. about the special needs community and services. This group employs parents to help other parents. When Emma was shaken, our world was turned upside down. Those with typical kids will get their kids enrolled for school, have their annual well visits, have a sick visit or two, see a dentist and have extracurricular activities and sports. Well, our lives are like this: enroll our kids in school, have IEP meetings, Day Treatment and Training After school and summer programs, we have our annual well child visits plus routine follow ups with a buttload of specialists: neurologist, neurosurgeon, orthopedic, physiatrist, psychiatrist, opthalmologist, and I know I am forgetting some of ours. I always do, haha. Oh and a dental visit for Emma isn't typical- she has a shunt in her brain which means that any time she goes, she has to be on antibiotics to prevent bacteria from getting released into her shunt. We have daily medications- Emma's are 75 mgs of topamax and 150 mgs of Carbatrol twice a day. That's a high dose and it's to prevent seizures. She has an EEG due this year. She gets botox injections every 4-6 months in her arm. She has to get fitted for leg braces (AFO) and hand splints. I have to watch for signs and symptoms of a brain shunt failure. She is delayed cognitively. She's beautiful. She has therapy three times a week at 7 AM- Physical, Occupational and Speech therapy. This little girl starts her day at 5:45 AM every school day. She gets up for therapy, she goes to school, after school she goes to a program (Day Treatment and Training at United Cerebral Palsy) after school that ends at 6 PM and she doesn't get home until nearly 7 PM. That's a long day for a 10 year old and she doesn't complain. She's always happy and is my ray of sunshine. Oh and every three months, I have to meet with her Department of Developmental Disabilities support coordinator to keep her services in place. Let's also add that I work full time + will be starting up my part time supplemental instruction lead position again soon + working on posting stuff into my Etsy shop. Oh. Did I tell you that I am a single parent? I am 100% single parent- there is no father in her life. I do this on my own and I do the best I can. I need support from time to time. I do get exhausted but I have no choice. Did I also say I love her? I can't imagine my life without this chaotic shenaniganizer.

So to my point... here's my interview for Raising Special Kids Arizona
Don't forget to check out an interview for Raising Arizona Kids Magazine

I didn't do a music post on Monday. Hey, it was Labor Day after all and I had a Law and Order SVU marathon to watch...

Ladies and Gents- TORI AMOS! Gods... I love her. I know what I will be listening to when I am driving to work today :) Enjoy!

Oh Sweet Lorraine. Oh Sweet Fred.

2013-08-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

As you know, I've been ill.

I don't know if it's another sinus infection, allergies, a cold or stress. Don't know, don't care why, I just want my energy, voice and the ability to smell back. Tonight, I saw a clip about sweet, sweet Fred and his song. I bawled. Seriously. This man's genuine sweetness and love for his wife melted my heart. So many years together and he wrote an amazing and beautiful tribute to his Sweet Lorraine. Well, Fred, you're my sweet Fred. You have just won the Internet. You have stolen all of our hearts and you, sir, you deserve it. He made me think of all the couples who have been together for years and how their hearts ache when their partner passes on. When my mom passed away in 2006, my father was devastated. Over 40 years, 9 children, and many struggles together. When he passed away this past June and I went home, he didn't change anything that was a reminder of my mom. Nothing. He missed her dearly.

Of course, I bought the song. How could I not buy it? They did a great job and reaction was perfectly wonderful.

Watch the video. Fall in love. Then go download from iTunes. Team Fred!

I'm Sick

2013-08-25T13:15:00.001-07:00

I'm sick.

As a dog. Ha. Ok, no clue why that term is used but I am using it even though it doesn't make much sense. However, I am sick and I'll return to posting soon. I need to pick the winner for my giveaway but as soon as I feel better.

Orange is the New Black

2013-08-21T18:50:00.001-07:00

I am always late to the party but have you seen "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix???

I am obsessed. I can't handle waiting for season two. I just can't! I absolutely adore everybody, even Piper. I absolutely geeked when I saw ~~Captain Janeway~~... er, Kate Mulgrew in the series! I am a total Star Trek geek and Kate played as Captain Janeway in Voyager and was amazing. So, she is Red in Orange. Ha. I totally didn't mean that but I am leaving it. My uber favorite, though, is Suzanne or I fondly prefer her as Crazy Eyes. I WILL CUT YOU!!!! She's brilliant especially quoting Shakespeare. I am pretty bummed that Alex won't continue to be a main character but I am stoked for season two and might just need to read the book. It's a fabulous show. Seriously. Netflix killed it with this series.

In the meantime I will finish Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Oh and here's proof that I am a Star Trek nerd. I drink my caffeine out of my beloved Trek mug. Don't judge. Deep down inside, you know you love Trek. :)

Random Wednesday Finds: Foodie Blogger Edition!

2013-08-20T18:13:00.002-07:00

Confession time. I love food. I mean, I really, really love food and I think it's at an inappropriate level, too. I would trade a kidney for some good grubbage. I love to cook but I am a terrible food photographer. Oh, I can take a good photo, not at a pro level, but it's good enough but the problem boils down to the fact that I want to eat NOW and besides, my kitchen is so cluttered and I don't want to create a lovely scene to photograph so instead, I choose the eat the food and lament how I could have shared the recipe with a lovely photo. Que sera sera. I think that's spelled right. So, here are some of my favorite food blogs! These women post not only beautiful photos but UNIQUE recipes.

1. Curry and Comfort. The blogger behind the blog creates beautiful recipes of amazing fusion meals. Seriously. Go. You are going to drool! Just look at this photo of her Asian Spaghetti and Meatballs. You want it. I want it. One day, I will make it. This photo is from her site (obviously).

2. My other favorite belongs to the amazing Chef In Training blog. Holy crap, this girl can make you drool. Again, insanely amazing photos and creative recipes. Her desserts? Gonna make me fat. I have made her Cafe Rio Chicken copycat and it was amazeballs. Just go. Trust me. You WON'T regret it.

Of course, there are TONS of amazing food bloggers out there and these two are barely scratching the surface. I follow so many food bloggers and I love them all!

What food bloggers do you like to visit? I would love to check them out!

Monday Music: Country Edition!

2013-08-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Kansas. A small town in Kansas, not exactly a tiny town but not very big. I believe that it has a population of maybe 35,000. Like I said, small. A big change compared to living in Phoenix! Every summer we have our one big event: Dodge City Days. It was always a lot of fun with the big rodeo that was kicked off with a major country act, the street dances, the fairs, and so many things. It is literally the big event of the year. I do miss downtown Dodge City during Christmas with the shops lit up and opened up with snacks and the small art gallery opened up. It was nice. It's nice to visit but to live there again? I don't think so :)

I miss the COOPs and the grain elevators

The scenic overlook gives you a view of the feed lots full of cattle heading to the slaughter houses. It smells ... wonderful. Haha

Brick roads :)

Bat Masterson :) Oh and my nail polish? The Wizard of Oz collection. Appropriate, no?

So back to the music. I have a lot of fond memories of country music from growing up in the Queen of Cowtowns from the races, going to the bars and dancing (kids could stay until 10 because they served dinner) and at the street dances.

Here are some that make me smile and brings back good memories. I'm going to leave out the amazing Garth Brooks this post because A. He's featured in Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy and B. I featured him in the 90s Music Post :) Also, I don't think he would mind I skipped him since Chris is getting an awesome feature and they were friends.

I want to start this off with some great music from a great singer, Chris LeDoux. I was very fortunate to meet him when he came to Dodge City and was at the Gibson's store signing autographs. He was such a nice, nice guy. I no longer have the photos with him but he was so nice to an awkward small town girl. He signed an extra one for my mother. The very cool thing about MOST of the country artists when they came to town, they'd get down with the locals :) RIP Chris LeDoux

Should've Been a Cowboy was written in Dodge City about Dodge City. Very cool, huh?

TGIF!

2013-08-16T06:22:00.001-07:00

Well. I didn't do any of my normal posts this week.

My daughter went back to school on Monday. It's been chaotic. I need to declutter/dehoard my apartment.

I'll be back *Ahhhhnold* soon :)

Delicia Dessert Beverage Review

2013-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. God.

Oh. My. God.

I am speechless.

I was emailed one day and the subject said "Have Your Cake and Sip It Too!". My first thought was this must be a foodie book coming out and when I opened the email it's telling me all about Delicia, a brand new alcoholic dessert beverage and if I wanted to try it out and review it. Naturally, I went to the Delicia website. Well... hello! Yes, gimme gimme gimme!

Needless to say, ladies and gents- this is a review of an amazing new alcoholic beverage called Delicia. Delicia comes in four flavors: Whipped, Peaches & Cream, Red Velvet and Strawberries & Cream. They come in a bottle that is identical to a wine bottle. I was sent a bottle of Peaches & Cream and Whipped. Holy deliciousness yo! You really, really can have your cake and sip it, too. We have only tried out the Peaches and Cream so far and hellllllllllloooooooooooooo dessert. You are delicious. Will you marry me?

Let me be frank here... this drink is PERFECT for a girl's night out or girl's night in. These are for the ladies.

I give this a drunken 4 thumbs up. Yep. Four. I think I see four but we all know it's really my two opposable thumbs.

If you have this beverage in your area, grab it. GRAB IT!!!!!

I will upload my photos soon. My camera battery is dead and I need to locate my charger.

disclaimer: Obviously stated above, this is a review of a product that was sent to me to try out. :)

Monday Music: I Love the 90s

2013-08-12T18:23:00.002-07:00

Last week's post about my being a teenager and turning into an adult in the 90s really inspired this week's music Mondays.

What I really love about the decade is that the music was fabulous across all the genres.

Tell me Friends in Low Places doesn't get you singing ridiculously and embarrassingly loud and I will call you a LIAR!!!

SWV, Xscape and En Vogue were killing it during the 1990s. The R&B girl bands of the 90s brought vocals that could give you goosebumps.

My anthem? These songs

Jade- Don't Walk Away

Zhane's Hey Mr. Dj

Xscape's entire album was played over and over until the cassette (I went there...) was eaten by the tape deck!

A guy wanting to swoon a girl? Boyz II Men, Keith Sweat and of course, Jodeci was put on a mixtape.

Don't lie and tell me you don't remember all the lyrics...

Now let's get to the Metal... the hard core metal.

If you don't know these guys, then you better walk on home, boy

Oh I haven't forgotten the alternative/punk/grunge folks. Oh never.

I had better stop here or this post will be ridiculously long.

Reminisce.
Enjoy.
Share some songs you love from the 90s!

And.... GO!

Grief and Losing a Child

2013-08-11T09:18:00.001-07:00

Losing a loved one is never easy and losing a child at any age or any stage is a tremendous loss.

Sometimes I feel that my life has been an enormous tragedy but thankfully, I have a silver lining and I have a good life.

Many of you know about Emma's story of being shaken, slammed and living with lifelong disabilities because of her traumatic brain injury. Emma's life has been full of joy, tears, pain and happiness. She is a lucky one. If you even want to use the word "lucky" in the same thought as shaken baby syndrome but she is. Overall, her health is good. She has many impediments but she is overall a normal, healthy little girl who is full of life and energy and makes me laugh non stop. Emma has sisters that I rarely talk about. Emma is not my first child. As a matter of fact, she is my third child.

In 2000, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl at 32 weeks gestation. She passed away an hour and a half after being born. She was 17" long and 4.5 lbs. I knew she wouldn't live long after her birth so I held her. I held her as I watched her struggle to breathe and she never opened her eyes. Alanna was diagnosed when I was 23 weeks pregnant with bilateral fetal polycystic kidney disease. Due to both kidneys being full of cysts, her kidneys enlarged and she was unable to urinate the amniotic fluid back out thus deceasing causing her lungs and heart to become hypoplastic. On top of that, my uterus was crushing her because there was not enough fluid to cushion her. When a baby has both kidneys affected, they can do dialysis until they are old enough and at a weight to be able to get a kidney transplant. However, when on dialysis there won't be much growth so we end up spinning our wheels. Instead, I opted to let her go naturally. No rescue attempts. Just let her be in peace. I went into labor early and I spent as much time with her until it was time to let her go. She had a respiratory arrest and died in my arms. Thirteen years this September and I still grieve for her. The grief isn't as strong as it was and most days are better than others. There is no timeline for grief. You will never stop grieving but the time makes it easier to deal with the loss.

Sadly, not long after Alanna, I became pregnant again. Entirely too soon. I was angry and hurt and devastated and all the emotions wrapped up in one. I waited to get maternity care. I thought if I ignored the reality, it would go away. Well? What do you expect from somebody grieving?! I finally went to the doctor when I was 18 weeks along and because of my history, I started ultrasounds immediately. At 21 weeks, the scans showed that this baby had the same disease infesting the kidneys. I was asked if I wanted to know the sex. I said no. Mind you, this is the same perinatologist I saw in my last pregnancy. Because I was also early enough in my pregnancy- I was given the option to continue on with the pregnancy or to terminate. I remember the what my first daughter went through and I couldn't go through it again. I opted to terminate. Mind you, the termination isn't what you think. I was admitted to the hospital and I was induced at 23 weeks. My baby was born and although I didn't want to know her sex during the ultrasound, I found out at birth she was a girl. Another beautiful baby girl. I held her tiny body until her heart stopped beating three hours later. This time, I opted for an autopsy as I needed to know if this was a genetic issue. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disease. The autopsy revealed that she had fetal diffuse renal multicystic dysplasia. That is not genetic and it's not common to have two back to back. I carry a kidney gene that is imperfect (the best word I can think of) and my ex carried a translocated gene (an extra gene that in our case, attached to the gene that causes the kidney disease). I still think of her often. I think of both of my girls often.

In 2000, I buried my first daughter.
In 2001, I buried my second daughter.
In 2003, I gave birth to my Emma.
In 2004, I nearly buried Emma.
Now? Although I grieve over all the above losses, I focus on what I have now.

If you have faced a loss, do not put a timeline on your grief.

You never get over it, that's cruel to suggest one should get OVER a loss, but you do get through it. I promise.

Phoenix Program for Athletes with Disabilities.

2013-08-11T08:52:00.001-07:00

I have posted previously about programs that Emma attends that cater to children with disabilities but I wanted to quickly share with you an article we did for a local Arizona parenting magazine.

Please go to Raising Arizona Kids Magazine to read more!

I'm a 90s Bitch!

2013-08-08T18:46:00.001-07:00

Yes. Yes, I totally went there.
I quoted Icona Pop. I'm going to be honest here and tell you that I really like "I Love It". The songs makes me act a fool and of course, the line "You're from the 70s but I'm a 90s bitch!" rocks my socks. However, the reason it rocks mine is way different than it rocks theirs. They think the decade they were born in makes them appreciative of the generation... uh, I don't think so.

I loved the 1990s. See, without fully giving up my exact age, I was born in the late 70s, was a child in the 80s but the 90s was when everything in my life happened.

I became a teenager in the 1990s.
I got drunk in the 1990s.
I went to high school and college in the 1990s.
I fell in love for the first time in the 90s.
I had my heart broken in the 1990s.
I was a free spirit in the 1990s.
I was a Riot Grrrl and tried to write my own 'Zine.
I saw Drew Barrymore's descent into drugs (I am so glad to see her redemption! I love her!).
R&B was amazing. Jodeci had me feenin' and Silk was all about Freak Me! Aaron Hall, Guy, and Bobbie Brown were at the peak of R&B. Girl groups like Xscape, Jade and En Vogue were wowing us with their lyrics and made me feel like they knew me and my situation.
Rap was freaking awesome with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and 2 Pac.
Punk, Grunge, and Metal were ace. Phil Anselmo's vocals blew my mind when on Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album. Metallica had me banging my head. Green Day, Beck, and The Offspring were all over the radio and we loved them. Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain were a hot couple.
Country was rocking with Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw.
Mind you, there are many, many, many more musicians I could list but that would make this blog post endless.
I loved flannel, reddish brown lipstick and Doc Martens. I also thought Dickies and Nike Cortez were awesome. I had big hair, straight hair, light hair and dark hair.
Buffy and Angel.
Saved by the Bell.
Full House.
Fresh Prince of Bell Air.
I was in love with Jordan Catalano and sooo wanted to be Angela Chase in My So-Called Life.
Gleaming the cube.
Skateboards = yum.
I had to get off the internet when somebody needed to use the phone.
Chat rooms were fun! AOL Chat anyone? How about IRC?
I loved having pen pals! Heck. I still do.

The nineties was an awesome decade because we were an eclectic group of kids who could rock, rap and belt out ballads.

Are you a nineties bitch (or dude...heehee) or what decade do you connect the most with?

Random Wednesday Finds: Pinterest Edition

2013-08-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

My Random Wednesday Finds are usually found all over the web from Etsy to shopping sites and many others. Today's Wednesday Finds are from my various pins that I just loooove!

I love quotes from The Buddha and this one is so true. It has a lot to do with how I was able to forgive the unforgivable (story here). This one definitely resonates with me and is how I am able to let go of the anger that held me in a deep prison within myself. Thanks Pinterest for this lovely find!

I love kitschy kind of kitchen art (whoa, hello alliteration!) and this is no exception! Seriously. How fab is that? You can even get it as a pillow. Yep. I love it!

Found here

I loooove pillows. I'm so glad I reign in my pillow buying because I'd be a hoarder but at least a cool eclectic one!

Bloggers! How cute is this? I mean... come on, this is seriously bad ass. I am in loooooooove.

Found here

One of the things I love about Pinterest are the outfits that are put together via Polyvore. Sure I'd love to buy the entire outfit (I so would if I could!) but it gives one ideas on how to style an outfit and colors that look amazing together! However, ModCloth is the business. Seriously. I want EVERYTHING on their site. Most days. This outfit? I want. No. Scratch that, I NEED this outfit. All of it. I didn't make this board, I copy and pasted the code. It's amazing.

Blue Crushin' Tee by modcloth featuring a stretch skirt

Your turn! What did YOU find?

Monday Music: Regina Spektor and John Mayer

2013-08-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday!

Wait. Is that rude? Ha. Mondays can be good or bad- depending on how you want to handle it. I almost didn't post my music post. I am in a bit of a funk. My daughter's 10th birthday is Wednesday and I am flat broke. Like... so broke, I'm in the negative but it's all good. I can't do anything about it, so no use getting worked up, right? As long as we have food in our mouths, clothing, a roof, etc.- it's all good. However, I can't help but feel sad because this is a big birthday. She's never really had a big birthday party- always something small with just family and no swimming in presents, so it's not like she's spoiled. Le sigh... It just happened to be that my car plates and insurance premium are due this month. Ok... enough of my pity pot whining.

I am on a John Mayer and Regina Spektor kick. I think Regina's been on my mind alot thanks to Netflix's absolutely amazing series, Orange is the New Black. Have you watched it yet? You must, if you have not! It's amazing. I am in love with it and need season two to start! Good job, Netflix!

I don't judge John Mayer on his very public personal life. It's his life to live and I am not going to judge him for his choices. My life isn't without skeletons and I've had mine judged because as we all know, it's easy to judge when you are looking from the outside...

So, here are some songs I absolutely adore. His voice is amazing. His lyrics move me.

Regina... Regina. The woman is a lyrical and piano madwoman. She speaks to me in ways... well, just listen to her. Her voice. Her music. She's amazing. 'Nuf Said.

Eet. This song is what consumed me and brought me to the world of Regina:

Sunday Social

2013-08-04T08:49:00.003-07:00

Sunday Social is a weekly meme brought to you by Ashley Lately

1. What are 3 items you can't live without on a daily basis (water, food, shelter, and clothes don't count):

Since this particularly stated ITEMS, my daughter is a given but... my phone, my books and my computer :)

2. What is your all time favorite book? Why?

Oooh. Hard call! I am such a book nerd. How about top three? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love her snarkiness and Mr. Darcy. No need to say more. Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. Murder. Anarchy. Betrayal. Fight for a throne. Pure awesomeness. Lastly, I think Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. It's like an acid trip in a book mixed up with pure genius!

3. What is something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2013?

I am on a spending diet so my goal is to pay off most of my credit card debt by the end of the year. I won't say ALL because I am setting myself up for failure.

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?

None. All the years, good and bad, have shaped where I am now.

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?

How my daughter acquired her brain injury because when I have to retell it, I relive it.

Le Sigh... My Baby Is Turning Ten!

2013-08-01T20:13:00.002-07:00

Sigh.

A seriously heavy sigh. Why am I sighing? My daughter will be TEN next week. This is a big deal!

It means I'm ten years older. Seriously. Where has the last ten years gone? (Yes, that's my narcissism making it point number one! Haha).

Nine years ago, when she suffered her horrific brain injury, I never thought that I'd see the things I see come from her!

One of my New Year's goals was to get her potty trained and more active and BAM! Goals achieved! Whoo hoo!

This summer has been extremely pivotal for the both of us; her behavior has been amazing. I think her self esteem has gone up. I am so proud of her. I try to keep her active and making new friends and she is! I am so proud of her! Her social skills are improving! She saw her Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Singh, this week and she didn't scream when she was feeling her head (to make sure her cranioplasty was still stable!). She behaved very maturely!

I feel bad because I can't really afford to do much for her birthday for her this year (and this is a BIG birthday!) but we will do something special together and plan something in a few months. Keepin' it frugal, yo!

Sigh... again... where has ten years gone?

Us when she was six months old

Three days after being shaken and slammed

Four years old before she had her cranioplasty

This year! At nine years old doing adaptive ballet

Random Wednesday Finds

2013-07-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Wowza! Happy Hump Day everybody!

I am already ready for Friday. Come on... pleeeeeeeeeeease come on Friday! I just want to go get my produce coop on Saturday, prep the produce and meals for the next week, scrub my apartment and be lazy for Saturday Night Seduction on ID and then sleep in late on Sunday. I don't ask for much. Really, I don't.

Here's another edition of cool stuff I find that I like and that I feel I need to share on Wednesdays. I have no clue WHY I picked Wednesdays but there's something wonderfully random about that middle of the week. Maybe it's just me. I am kinda not right sometimes.

By the way!, if you find some interesting items - give me a shout at revengeofthebooknerds at yahoo dot com. If you find something and send it my way, be sure to send me a link to where you found it (have to give credit where credit is due!) and I will also link your name to the item. Maybe this could be a cool link up in the future. What do you think? Ok, so here's some amazing stuff I like:

via the Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Shop on Etsy

I found the above via a cute apothecary shop on Etsy called Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary. I have never purchased from this shop nor have I ever chatted with the owner (so just an FYI this isn't any form of sponsored post or anything...) but first, I love the design of the label and the image is great! I have been dying to try a lip scrub! Plus... this is lime. It just sounds delicious!

Dessert wines. Do I really need to say more? By the way, this is a bit of a heads up kinda share for this one. I am going to be posting a review about the above wines and lemme tell ya... oh happy day! You really CAN have your cake AND drink it, too! Delicia wines in Red Velvet and Peaches and Cream. To. Die. For. Trust me.

Image via Etsy Shop "This Girl Gabbie"

So. I am a huge Austen and Heyer fan. Well, and... Bronte and Dickens and... you get the point. I need a new case for my iPhone and I have been EYEBALLING the above one for awhile. I will probably get it soon! Is it adorbs or what? Def for an Austenite! Again, not affiliated or sponsored by this Etsy shop but I found this AMAZING case at This Girl Gabbie's Etsy Shop. She has some seriously fab cases in her shop. Check it out.

Soooo... did any of you find anything awesome this week? Share!