For those of you who have been following Carrie’s adventures, check out her new blog at LeTravelista.com. But for now here is a sample of what you will find there……

Rushing through the airport, wishing I had left my house 3o minutes earlier; I quickly remove my shoes, place all my personal items on the conveyor belt and step into the body scan. Standing still waiting for the machines to do their magic, I was expecting for the guard to say “go ahead.” Instead, I see my husband look back at the monitor and say “What the heck are you wearing?”

Apparently My entire upper body lit up like a Christmas tree on the machine. This created a concerned look on the TSA agent, who then asked me to step aside. Step aside so they could pat me down and do a fully body search.

The timing couldn’t have been worse; we were already cutting it too close, not to mention the fact that it was a late night flight, and I was exhausted and not in the mood for hassles. I just wanted to get on my plane, relax and enjoy my weekend out of town. But here I was stepping aside, asking my hubby to grab my belongings while I prepared myself to be searched.

I honestly could not figure out what I was wearing that would light the screen up like that. I had a sweater on, skinny jeans, and boot socks. My jeans had no bling on them, and I had absolutely no jewelry on except for my wedding ring. Seriously I am a pro at traveling. Every time I am making a trip on an airplane I double check the clothing I am going to wear to the airport. I don’t want to slow things down in security so I won’t wear jeans with bling. I remove my jewelry. I won’t wear a belt. And shoes have to be easy to get on and off. However, even following all of those rules this time, some how my entire torso lit up, and the area around my ankles and calves were lit up as well.

You know how when you are in a hurry, you always seem to hit red lights, and everyone around you seems to be going way to slow? Well hitting a “red” light through airport security is way worse and so much slower than a red light on the street. I know it is their job to ensure our safety, and I am incredibly thankful for that. However, I know I am not a terrorist. I know I am not carrying a gun or any other weapon. So getting the full body search was not what I thought I deserved. This treatment is reserved for terrorist, right?

The TSA agent was really nice, but because I was so brightly lit on the screen she had to feel every part of me, have me life my shirt, take my socks off, feel around every crevice of my body, just to be sure I did not have a weapon, and test to be sure I did not have bomb substances on my person. She was thorough, and I suppose she went as quickly as she was able to, but It really was a hassle. Again, a hassel I thought I did not need to experience.

When she finished and said “ok, you are all clear”,  I just had to ask “what on earth could I be wearing that would have caused your machine to light up like that?” And as I redressed myself, and she looked over my clothes once more, she said “Oh well it is that shiny metallic string that runs all through your sweater.”

Wow! You are telling me that now, not only do I have to be careful about my jeans and their bling, now I have to notice what kind of fabric “metallic string” my clothing is made of?

“So what about my ankles and calves, why did they light up?”

Again she looked me over and said “It is the fact that your socks come up over your pants and create a thicker density than is normal in comparison to the rest of your body.”

Now that is something new. I had no idea that these machines could determine the density of what you are wearing vs your body density. I have to admit, it was a bit impressive learning this.

As much as this was a total and completed inconvenience (I did make it to the plane on time), the technology is quite amazing. So, I have to stop when I don’t take the time to consider everything I am wearing. So TSA has to make sure I am safe to board a plane. I’d much rather know that if I am being checked for my shiny sweater which means that other people are being checked for their possibly disastrous items as well. I may not be a terrorist, but TSA doesn’t know that. Inconvenience or not, they are just doing their job and keeping us all safe.

The moral of the story, add “Do not wear anything with a metallic string in it” to the list.

Oh, and don’t forget, “boot socks are a NO”!

Well you have seen my list of do’s and don’ts for my fly wear, do you have anything else to add to it? I’d love to hear about your crazy TSA story or about any other items I should add to this list.

Imagine a site that combines the fun of pinning pictures just like you do on Pinterest, with the handiness of notes that can be accessed from anywhere, like on Evernote. What an amazing site that would be. Springpad is that site. The creators have found a way to combine everything you love about Pinterest and Evernote into one great site: Springpad.

So what makes Springpad so incredibly cool that the girl who has sworn by both Pinterest and Evernote would dare to say there is a site out there that is even better?

I can keep all of my favorite pictures, sites, recipes and notes all in one place. If you are anything like me, you often have several tabs running at the top of your web browser just because you have so many things you want to do and see at one time. While I love having multiple things going on simultaneously, I tend to get overwhelmed by the chaos of it all. With Springpad, I can now spring (the new way to pin) my favorite things, plus keep notes on them, all the while storing them in one notebook on one site. No more tab hopping for me.

Not every notebook or spring is public for all to see. I love that on Pinterest I can share all of my favorite things but sometimes I just want to keep a few ideas or likes to myself. If I am planning a surprise for a friend I don’t want them to see all of those details, but I also don’t want to have to keep a separate file of information. With Springpad, you can choose which notebooks are private and which are public. No more losing lists of great ideas just for the sake of a good surprise.

You can share and authorize others to contribute to your notebooks. Have you ever had a project you needed to work on with another person? Did you spend too much time checking emails, pulling up links and saving the ones you liked to your notes al the while hoping you didn’t miss something or misplace the information you really wanted? Now you can create a notebook, share it and add your co-collaborator as an authorized contributor to that notebook. Rather than emailing and trying to keep track of things, you both have access to it all in one place.

It takes Favorite Recipes to a whole new level. Not only can I store all of my favorite recipes and their links in one place but now I am supplied with a list of the best local deals on the ingredients. At the bottom of each recipe there is a list of any local sales for ingredients listed which saves me time and money. Then I can quickly create a shopping list with just a click of a button with all of the ingredients I will need to make the recipe. Not to mention that if I have interest in pairing wine with my meal I am supplied with many suggestions. How much smarter can your notebooks get?

It’s a one-stop place for contacts, alarms, to-do lists and many other organizational items. I was just sitting here pinning away when an alarm goes off to remind me I have to bake those cookies I pinned last week for my son’s class. Oh wait, I was not pinning because Pinterest doesn’t have alarms or to do lists. Was I on Evernote? No not there either. That’s right I was springing. This site has so many tools to stay organized as well as supportive items to better your springs. Springpad really does have everything you need to keep organized.

For fun you might want to access Springpad on your iPad or iPhone. This can easily be done by downloading the appropriate app through iTunes. Or if you are an Android user, you can also install the Android app from Google Play. Although this is not unique to Springpad, it is great to be able to access your notebooks from all of your devices.

I don’t know that I will fully give up Pinterest or even Evernote but the one thing I do know is I will be using Springpad much more now and I hope you find it fun too.

Happy Springing all!!!!

PS… Springpad is having a great contest and you should really check it out.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS CONTEST:

Feeling stressed about the upcoming holidays? Craving a new way to get organized? Try Springpad! It’s my new favorite place to keep track of gift lists, recipes, shopping lists, travel plans and decorating ideas. Getting organized now is definitely going to make surviving the chaos-prone holiday season much easier. Plus, their recipe-to shopping-list converter alerts me about price drops and mobile apps are super awesome. This December, Springpad has teamed up with Wayfair to make the holidays at your house even sweeter. Create a Springpad wish list of the gorgeous home goods, gourmet kitchen goodies and gifts you’ve been dreaming of this season, and you could win one of three $500 Wayfair.com shopping sprees. Entering to win is easy, get started now!

How to Enter

Entering the contest is super-simple, just follow these three easy steps:

1. Create a holiday wish list Springpad notebook. Don’t have a Springpad account? Register now at Springpad.com

2. Tag your notebook with #Holidays2012. Learn how to tag a Springpad notebook.

3. Fill your notebook with at least 10 products from Wayfair.com. Learn how to add things to Springpad using their web clipper.

You can see all the contest entries on the Home for the Holidays contest page.

How to Win

On December 19, three #Holidays2012 notebooks will be randomly selected to win a $500 Wayfair shopping spree! The winner will be announced on the Springpad Facebook page and the Springpad Twitter profile, so like and follow them now.

Additional Details

·         Contest runs from December 4, 2012 through December 18, 2012.

·         Users may enter up to five #Holidays2012 notebooks

·         Winner must be located in the USA

·         More questions? View the complete contest details.

picture supplied by www.freedigitalphotos.net

There are three things I do every spring and fall: rearrange the summer clothes to the front of the closet or to the back depending on the season, change from cotton sheets to flannel or vice versa and clean. Clean? Yes clean. Although everyone has heard of spring cleaning, what about fall cleaning? Actually fall cleaning is spring’s counterpart and is equally as important.

Here are 7 reasons to consider for a big fall clean if you need a little motivation to prepare your home for the upcoming holiday season:

1. Spring and summer shuffle lots of dirt inside. If you are anything like me you tend to spend a lot of your time going in and out of your house during the spring and summer months; leaving doors open and watching kids and pets run in and out of the house, allowing for all of the dirt and dust to enter freely. So run for your vacuum and carpet cleaner and suck all of that dirt and dust out of your house before it starts circulating through your heater vents.
2. Rearranging clothes is already a necessity. When the weather changes you have to shift your clothes around so that you can access the ones you need to stay warm. Why not go the extra step and clear out the unwanted, unused and unnecessary clothes. Especially in the kids rooms. Also, this is a great time to donate warm clothes for cold months that are right around the corner.
3. You moved in a year ago and you still have unpacked boxes lying around. I actually hate to admit this because I have always been the type to literally be moved into a new house and completely unpacked with the appearance that I have lived there for years within the first 48 hours of moving in. But sadly with our current home there has been so much work to do to the actual home that I did not want to unpack just to move and pack and store while we did the work. While this was probably a great decision and has saved me some time, I am beginning to go a little crazy with things undone. So if you are like me, finish all the unpacking, and get your house back on track to looking like a home instead of a storage unit.
4. The guests are coming, the guests are coming. The holidays are quickly approaching and soon your home will be filled with family and friends including that one family member who always criticizes you. Beat them to the punch this year and do a thorough clean of your house including the windowsills, ceiling fans and floor boards. Once you get busy and are in the swing of the holidays you will be incredibly grateful you made the time to do your cleaning now.
5. It’s time to hibernate. Just kidding, but with it getting darker earlier, you are more likely to be hiding out inside your house. Wouldn’t you rather be curled up in front of the clean fireplace sitting in your favorite clean chair instead of sitting there staring at the dust and dirt surrounding you? So before it gets too dark to see what needs to be done, get your cleaning out of the way. You won’t regret it.
6. Save on the power bill. My husband is great at this, with every changing season he goes through our home and changes out the filters which keeps your furnace running more efficiently which saves on your power bill. But this year I got to thinking that in addition to the filters I should go around my home and make sure the other appliances are running to the best of their abilities. In looking around I did notice a few that needed some minor repairs and with that I quickly ordered my replacement parts and now my entire home is running smoothly and saving me money.
7. Get a jump on your income taxes. How many times have you said “I will have my taxes done in January” and it’s April 15 when you finally finish them up? Don’t be that way this year. Take the time this fall, while you are cleaning and organizing stuff to get yourself organized and ready for tax season. Just think, by taking the time now you could actually have your taxes done in January.

What are your fall cleaning must dos?

I am pleased to share the following guest post with my readers. Having a love for Apple products and recently adding an iPad to my collection makes this post a perfect read for me.  Although I have not had the time to write about must have apps for the iPad (like I did for must have iPhone apps), my guest writer from Accredited Online Colleges has. This list is full of fabulous apps that every writer should have and I hope you all find it as helpful as I have.

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Today’s writers benefit from an incredible assortment of digital tools from which they can draw inspiration and productivity. Although some writers prefer to stick to old-fashioned pen and paper or even typewriters, there’s a vast population of others that are happy to take advantage of all the new tools out there. Some of the brightest of these tools can be found on the Apple iPad, and we’ve highlighted 32 of them here. Whether you’re looking for a place to scribble ideas, organize plotlines, or just find your zen before sitting down to write, these apps have got you covered.

1. Adobe Ideas

   Keep this app handy for moments of inspiration. You can scribble notes, write on images, and create sketches to make your vision come to life.

2. Manuscript

   This app will walk you through the steps of writing to create a publication-ready document. You’ll flesh out your pitch synopsis, chapter outlines, and finally, the content. The app also offers the option to create storyboards, organize your blog, track page and word count, and more.

3. Clockwork Notebook

   This super simple doodling app is great for typing notes, doodles, and more, with stickers and even an option to paste photos from your photo library. Notes can be exported as PDFs.

4. MaxJournal

   Write a daily diary, write down notes, and create outlines with this iPad journaling app. You can attach tags for easy organization, as well as attach a few photos. Then, bring it all together on your computer by exporting entries as a PDF, text, or email.

5. Chapters

   In this app, you can simply organize your chapters, journal entries, notes, and more. Chapters allows you to search, autosave, and even protect private notebooks with a passcode.

6. Pages

   Although this app comes with a high price tag, writers say it’s worth every penny for all of its useful features. You’ll find formatting options, printing support, and the ability to save your document in a number of different formats.

7. iZen Garden

   Go to your happy place and allow inspiration to find you with this tabletop zen garden for the iPad.

8. My Writing Spot

   For a distraction-free writing environment, this app can’t be beat. But this app isn’t bare bones: it offers word count, password protection, dictionary lookup, spellcheck, and more.

9. PrintCentral

   Get your notes and writing off your iPad and physically into your hands with this app. Find the best printer, and print via Wi-Fi, 3G, or even EDGE.

10. Clean Writer

    Created for writing minimalists, Clean Writer has a zen interface with precious few features to distract you from the task at hand.

11. Kindle

    Although this app is not for writing, reading is an important task for any writer. Find free classics, download new favorites, and sync it all up with this app.

12. Dragon Dictation

    If inspiration strikes, but you can’t stop to type it all out, this dictation app will come in extremely handy. Turn your words into text lightning fast, and you’ll be amazed by its accuracy.

13. Due

    Use this timer app to encourage short bursts of intense writing and get your book written in no time.

14. Writers App

    Get your ideas out and organized with the help of this app. You can use it to collect your plot, chapters, characters, and more, all in one handy spot.

15. GoodReader

    This app is perfect for annotating PDF documents on your iPad. Highlight, comment, and make notes all over to get your thoughts in order.

16. QuickVoice Recorder

    If you need a quick fix for getting your ideas down in spoken word, this app will do it for you. Record audio clips, email them to yourself, and use them to remember all of your great ideas and inspirations.

17. Chronicle

    Find a home for your stories, life events, and ideas in this journal. The app offers password protection, cloud backups, and event the option to export your journal as a website.

18. miTypewriter

    If you’re longing for the old days of typewriters, this app can help you reminisce. It’s simply an easy way to use a typewriter interface for writing on the iPad.

19. iA Writer

    This super simple text writer can help you get your ideas out onto paper with minimal distractions and plenty of ease of use.

20. Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus

    This app combines the power of a dictionary and thesaurus, both available offline any time you need help finding the right words.

21. Whiteboard HD

    Capture your brainstorming sessions in style with this app. You can write notes, sketch charts, and even make simple freeform drawings.

22. Grammar App HD

    Find tips, rules, and other great resources for cleaning up your grammar right on the iPad with this app.

23. Colorful Aquarium

    Find relaxation and entertainment in this colorful aquarium. You don’t even have to clean it!

24. Wikihood

    For doing quick research on settings, Wikihood is a great option. The app will show you all of the Wikipedia entries for any given area, sharing the history, politics, and culture that can be reflected in your work.

25. Dropbox

    Make your novel available to you anytime, anywhere by putting it on Dropbox. Access your photos, documents, and notes easily with this app that saves them all automatically to all of your devices.

26. Notepiler 9

    Using N9, you can capture media-rich notes, with an easy to find visual catalog. Record audio notes, annotate photos, map points of interest, and more, all in one app.

27. Todo for iPad

    Stay on top of your to-do list with this app, which keeps your tasks up to date and synched between all of your devices. You can even take advantage of the app’s GPS capability to get reminders based on where you are.

28. Index Card

    TV writers love this app for thinking through and organizing scripts. It has an easy to use, attractive interface that makes writing more fun.

29. Fancy Pages

    Using this app, you can create graphics-rich documents including presentations or even a children’s book.

30. Infinote Pinboard

    Similar to Index Card, Infinote Pinboard allow you to create note cards to pin to your message board. You can share them, print them, and order them by date, color, or even deadline.

31. Evernote

    Evernote is a super capable writing app that pretty much goes everywhere. You can update notes and documents on your iPad, then have them synched up to work on your iPhone, computer, and more.

32. SimpleNote

    A lot like Evernote, SimpleNote syncs your notes online for access anywhere. This app also allows you to go back and recycle pieces of text from previous drafts, and shows the word count of your document.

This portion of Day To Day will be up and running shortly. Thank you for your patience and check back soon.

Picture by: imagerymajestic

As a little girl I would lay out in the yard under the stars dreaming of my future; a future full of fairy tales, white horses and my prince charming.  These dreams always ended with prince charming riding in on his white horse, sweeping me off my feet and riding off into the sunset with me to live happily ever after. Not unlike most young girls dreams.

After all these years later, I still lay under the stars in the yard, but now I do it with my prince charming–yes the one I dreamed of. And now instead of dreaming of being swept off my feet, we lay there talking about the things we have accomplished along with how we are still surprised by how wonderful our lives have turned out. As lovey-dovey as it sounds, our story would actually make a great book (a Nicolas Sparks meets Fifty Shades) and one day I will write it. However my life wasn’t always this way.

Looking back and thinking about those nights as a child under the stars, it never occurred to me in all that young innocence that things might go just a bit awry. That there might be ten years in the middle of my perfection that would screw things up. Ten years of unhappiness and a life that couldn’t be farther from those perfect dreams or farther from where I am today. And ten years that would bring four beautiful children that would forever change my life, my way of thinking and cause me to do things and feel ways that I never thought possible. I never, ever, thought I would have an unspoken countdown.

Going through a divorce causes many changes in one’s life. Some of those changes are extremely welcomed (like the divorce if you are the one wanting out) and some are a bit more of a challenge. For example when you divorce someone, the preferred end result would be to wipe them from your life and no longer have any contact or even knowledge of their existence. Even better (in a dream world) you would be able to rewrite them out of history. After all, you did get divorced for a reason. So when the rude awaking arrives of having to learn to co-parent (or parallel parent as those of us who have more difficult exes have to do) hits you and you realize that even with your divorce you aren’t getting rid of the headache ex quite so easily you have to find yet another way to change so that this does not overwhelm you.

With these change comes many different emotions. First there is the resentment, which is there whether you wanted the divorce or not because it doesn’t matter what the cause was you still resent the other person for the things they did. Then there is anger for all the difficultly you feel the ex is causing. And lastly there is acceptance into your new way of life. For some people these stages take a little time and others well they don’t seem to get past the first two.

Once you have made it to acceptance it is then that I have found many divorcees seek some sort of coping mechanism to make them feel better when the resentment of anger starts to surface again, which is usually caused because of some action of the ex interfering in their lives–remember you would really prefer they just disappear and since they won’t (because of children, or so they say) you have to find a way to cope. Even when you accept that things are happy with life overall, there are still those moments when you get a call, text or email that just reminds you of all the reasons you are divorced in the first place. But getting mad is not the solution. In reality getting mad only affects you and honestly the headache probably finds satisfaction in causing that disruption in your life. So you have to find a way to cope. It took me awhile, but I have come to truly believe that I will never let anyone–especially my ex–dictate my happiness.

And here is where the countdown comes into play.

You see the divorcee’ seeking some peace and light at the end of the tunnel starts thinking about how much longer in life they will have to deal with their ex. In most cases that is when the child(ren) reach adulthood (which is 18 years of age even though many 18 year olds are still very much children) and there is no longer a matter of custody. Because at 18, there no longer has to be discussions about who is handling what, doctors appointments, school issues, sports and activities, blah blah blah blah, it is all now the “child’s”  responsibility and if they need something from the parent they can ask themselves. Now I understand that during high school years this begins to happen prior to age 18, however legally if the ex wants to continue to have contact or  interfere in your life, you legally still have joint custody and on a LIMITED basis have to deal with it. Then there is 18, the magic number.  Yes there will be weddings and graduations after 18, but that does not involve any interaction from the exes, it is nothing more than a visual presence which can easily be ignored. So you start to think about how long it is until your child(ren) turn 18 and how much longer that means you will have to deal with the ex–thus the countdown and an unspoken countdown at that.

This unspoken countdown in many ways can be a huge saving grace (which is why it is so frustrating that it goes unspoken) in moments where you wonder how much longer you can deal with the insanity. When you realize that the time left is much less than you have already endured it can give you the strength to persevere the rest of the way and really this makes you a better and happy parent. If you were constantly drowning in the misery of the wake of your ex, how good of a parent do you really think you would be?

The hard part about the countdown is to an outsider it sounds so horrible. It sounds as if you are counting down the time until your child(ren) are gone. When in fact that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If it were up to you there would be no “outside involvement” and you would enjoy every moment of your child’s growth. In fact, you do enjoy every moment with your child. It is the “outside interference” that drives you to drink  start counting down. The countdown is only there to help you cope in the moments of frustration, thus making you a better parent for dealing with it rather than continuing on angry and bitter and dumping that on your children.

When my husband and I first starting feeling this way, we felt guilty and like we were bad parents for looking forward to the kids growing up. Even though inside we knew there was nothing wrong with our thoughts nor were we doing any harm to the children by thinking it, we still felt guilty. It wasn’t until I slowly started sharing these feelings with close friends who also are divorced and I found that they all did the same thing, they just didn’t speak of it like we didn’t. I even have a friend who has a countdown on her phone. Sound a bit harsh? Not at all when you know all of the garbage she deals with on a regular basis from the ex in her life. It is nothing more than a coping mechanism and honestly at times we all need it.

I think that is why I am sharing this today as I truly believe that this is a harmless way to deal with the headache and there is nothing to feel guilty about. I want all of those divorcees out there to understand they are not alone, even though apparently it is the unspoken countdown. I want them to know there is nothing wrong with finding the light at the end of the tunnel and holding onto it for dear life in those moments where you feel it is just getting darker.

So whenever my fairytale gets interrupted and my head starts to hurt from all the interference and interruptions, I take a deep breath and think to myself, time is going to fly and in “blank” years, months, and days, we will no longer have this headache. Life will soon be uninterrupted and nothing and no one will be able to insert themselves any more.

As an end note I just want to say that I have thought long and hard about posting anything on this topic because of the judgment and ridicule some will feel I am due. However, I am by far not alone in this unspoken countdown and many if not most of us who are divorced have a version of it all our own. It is those who are sad and pathetic fake people who are too proud to acknowledge they do it and therefore make others feel bad for counting down. And I feel it is time to step up and share with others so they know they are not alone and that there is nothing wrong with how they are feeling. In fact, it is really quite common. Count away!

I am sort of the Scrooge of Valentine’s Day or maybe a better description is the Valentine’s Day Grinch. If I could, I would probably go around to all of the stores and bag up all of the Valentine’s Day stuff and burn it. And no it is not because I lack “love” in my life or do not cherish the man I am married to. In fact it is quite the opposite. I am madly, deeply and passionately in love with him but I can honestly say there is nothing I find appealing to this day. I truly find it to be a joke.

So when my husband sent me todays Urban Dictionary word of the day (which always includes a definition) I was extremely excited. Well I was excited once I read the definition. You see the word of the day is “Valentine’s Day”, so at first glance, my initial thought was, “Really? Really? Why on earth would he send this to me?,” but then I decided that he knows me better than anyone so if he sent it then there must be more to it. But rather than reword it I think I will just share it with all of you, so here it is:

Even though I am not fond of this day, I am careful about sharing my despise for it to those who really do love it. In fact some of you will be very happy to know that instead of stating my usual “Bah Humbug, Valentine’s Day” status update on Facebook, I carefully wrote “Happy Valentine’s Day to those who enjoy this day, and to those of you who don’t, Happy Oregon Day!!! ” And to top that off I haven’t even pulled out the t-shirt today (see picture below).

Photo by: stock photos at www.freedigitalphotos.net

OMG — I could just scream when I walk into the kitchen, look into the sink and find a soaking wet sponge laying there. I know, I know, it sounds a little petty to freak out over a wet sponge but my problem is not seeing the sponge there, it is the effect that leaving the sponge wet in the sink causes.  Although there is an initial irritation, the real anger comes later that day or that week when I go to use that same sponge and clean up something in the kitchen and –

1. The stink from the sponge rubs off onto my hands and they smell like stinky sponge. Not to mention the fact that regardless of how many times I wash my hands after using the gross sponge my hands still stink like garbage.
2. I realize I just used that gross disgusting sponge to clean [you choose the kitchen item] and now I have to clean it all over again because there is no way it got clean with that stinky germy thing.

So being the problem solver that I am, my first thought was to throw the sponge at the person or persons who left it there in the first place so they could stink too. For the record the aforementioned stinky sponge was brand new just a few days ago, thus the reason for so much anger and hostility towards the person(s) responsible. But throwing a sponge never really solved anything so I suppose I will have to move on to the next possible solution.

I could ask nicely that they remember the sponge needs to be rung out and in its place — but I have tried that before and while it works sometimes, the sponges cleanliness is just not as important to others as it is to me.

Maybe it’s just me. No, I seriously doubt that. I would bet that I am not the only person out there with this problem. So since it is OBVIOUSLY not me, and I my requests seem to only be made known to the walls and it is not very nice to throw sponges at people, how do I fix the stinky sponge dilemma?

Thanks to Home and Garden (and a couple other sites), I found and compiled the following list of tips for keeping your sponge clean and contaminant free and hopefully will fix my perpetual stinky sponge problem:

1. Throw it into the dishwasher whenever you run it. The scalding temperatures in there will kill anything.
2. Let it dry full ever 24 hours – bacteria tend to thrive in moist environments so this will stop them. (This will only work for me when other people in my home are not touching the sponge, thus I would not have this problem in the first place)
3. If you’ve used it to clean up after raw meat or chicken – pour some boiling water over it.
4. To clean the sponge, place it in a microwave-safe dish and run on high for 3-5 minutes. Make sure to check it so that it does not dry out and catch on fire. Also DO NOT microwave a sponge with metal in it.
5. The soak method  also works for cleaning a sponge but really should only be used if you are not able to use the microwave or dishwasher. Make a bleach solution with 10% bleach, 90% water. Let the sponge soak for 3 minutes and then rinse. While this method will make your sponge smell better it won’t nearly kill the amount of bacteria that the dishwasher or microwave will.

Thank you Home and Garden, you may have just saved my family from my stinky sponge wrath.

One weekend this past fall I was preparing to spend a very cold afternoon and early evening in the impending snow watching my son play football. Knowing that I was going to be freezing cold when I returned home there was no way I was going to want to spend the next hour cooking dinner and I really did not want to eat out. So I started scouring through recipes.

I came upon the usual things I could put in my slow cooker like soups and roasts but really I was looking for a “one pot” meal where all I would have to do is come home and dish up a plate. No having to wait another 30 minutes for noodles to cook or having to add the final ingredient and wait a while longer while it finished cooking.

It was then that I stumbled upon a recipe for Crock-Pot Lasagna. I had no idea that you could make Lasagna in your slow cooker – though I am not sure why I was so surprised, I do make pizza pasta in it from time to time.

Anyhow, the following is the recipe I used and I continue to use on a regular basis today. It has quickly become a new family favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (I use Italian Style)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12 ounces cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or 1/2 cup asiago cheese
• 12 ounces lasagna noodles , uncooked (I prefer to use the no-boil kind)
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional 1 package chopped frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest, you will!

Last week while out to dinner on an “adult” date night (which consisted of a fabulous dinner and tickets to the Philharmonic Symphony) I was introduced to Pinterest. Yes I was supposed to be enjoying the fabulous symphony (which I was) but I was also learning about this incredible site with all my new favorite things. Although I am sure all of the other couples (albeit, they were at least twice my age) were probably discussing the next set of music to be played during the intermission, I was busy chatting it up with my friend (who might I mention, she and her husband were the only other two people who attended who were our age) and looking through all of her pins and boards on her Pinterest app.

Sally (who if you read my BMI blog, you would know is incredibly funny and full of entertainment) asked me “Have you discovered Pinterest yet?” “Um, NO!!! That sounds a bit scandalous. What is it?” All I could imagine was some crazy site that made fun of pin-up models, (don’t ask me why but I was focused on “pin” being like “pin-up”) something along the same line as “People of Wal-Mart.” This would be something Sally would suggest for me to check out. But to my amazement, it wasn’t.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual corkboard that lets you organize and share the things you like on the Internet. You can install a ‘Pin’ button on your browser so that whenever you’re browsing something you’d like to save, simply hit the button and a box will prompt you to label your pin. The next time you log into Pinterest, all of the beautiful things you saw online will be waiting there for you to look at.

The website is designed to be like many social media sites. You start with a profile and  instead of writing out status messages on your daily activities or emotions, you pin things you like to your boards. Each “pin” is categorized by you into a different board, providing a way to organize your profile.

Everything is image-based.  In fact, it is very similar to flipping through a magazine and just looking at the pictures. For me it is like having all of the best pictures taken out of Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and Martha Stewart and combined all in one place. And lucky for me it is not just things I have liked–like Facebook and Twitter, you “follow” people and you can see all of the great ideas and things they like and have shared.

The best part: there are more than just pictures. There are instructions and DIY details. Now instead of seeing some great centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table and wondering how I can create it, there are actually details on how it was made or ideas on how you could do it yourself.

In one week’s time, I’ve definitely become an addict. It really is a fantastic waste of time….but it is incredibly useful and deserves your attention!

It may sound a bit complicated, but it’s actually really fun. It has literally become a fabulous obsession.

5 Reasons why I LOVE Pinterest and why you’ll like it too:

1. I love to cook but who has time to come up with fabulous recipes that will impress everyone–Oh that’s right with Pinterest I do:

I really do love to cook. But with four kids all running in different directions and a husband who is just as busy, I often catch myself cooking the same things each and every month. Oh maybe I mix it up and have chili one week and taco soup the next but overall I’d bet if I asked the kids, they could easily write out our monthly menu.

So in my attempts to mix things up, I do try to make different recipes with the different seasons, but again, who has time to spend hours looking through cookbooks for new and great recipes. Not to mention the fact that I am very visual so just reading a recipe sometimes will not cut it for me–I need to see a picture.

Or even more impressive, I try to make fun and pretty foods when we have company. My mom is probably scowling about now thinking “you should make the fun and pretty food for your family–the ones you love.”

Well mom, check these out….these are just a few on my new food ideas and with so many pictures and ideas at my fingertips, the kids may think I am a whole new person (in the kitchen).

Brown sugar and balsamic glazed pork loin made in a crock-pot.

Crock-pot teriyaki chicken

S'more cookies with a graham cracker bottom

2. I have that crafty feeling—whoa that crafty feeling:

I don’t know about you but I go through waves when it comes to crafts. I have had periods of times in my life (like right after my first son was born) that I made anything and everything you could consider to be crafty. I made Hawaiian heirloom blankets for friend’s babies I scrap booked everything. I made Christmas ornaments as gifts every year and I made just about everything in my home that I decorated with.

But then just like the rut of cooking and life getting busy, I haven’t made the time to look for any new ideas on things to make.

But now with just a few clicks, I have been incredibly inspired and I have a feeling the “crafty” in me is back.

3. The Holidays are here and I am going to be the BEST party planner and hostess ever!

Admit it, there are not many of us out there that are natural Martha Stewarts and just come up with these fabulous ideas and ways to decorate and present food. Not to mention thinking of great food that is theme fitting.

But this year….things are going to change.

My table will have a creative centerpiece that will not cost me a dime but will impress all of my guests.

My guests will not be served your typical holiday nog, instead they will reach for a festive and holly jolly cranberry margarita.

And my home will be full of fabulous decor and holiday cheer.

4. All of my household ideas are in one place:

With having two homes and going back and forth all of the time, I am always looking for ideas on things I want to do both inside and outside. While I want both of my homes to be built on my tastes, I do not want them looking identical.

Now instead of trying to manage pictures on my phone of random ideas I see in magazines or stores, I can store them all on one board. So when it comes to sitting down and deciding just what I want to do to a particular room or space, all of my ideas are right there in front of me–all organized and pretty.

5. I have my own version of style. With Pinterest I have other people giving me fashion advice (which I am sure my kids will appreciate since I am not quite into some of the things they like):

I love fashion and style but what I like the most are things that not everyone is wearing–which is probably why the kids wish I would read Vogue a little more instead of searching through vintage shops.

What I have found about fashion here is that unlike Vogue or other fashion magazines, it is not just what one subset of culture thinks is great, there are a variety of people and tastes being displayed. What’s not to love?

Oh, Pinterest. I love you.