WFMW – An Oldie, But A Goody

Sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on things that are NEW!, ADVANCED!, or THE NEXT BIG THING!

Often I find that the same old products that have worked for years are the best things to use. I hate it when I get caught up in the frenzy of trying something new, only to find that it didn’t work as well.

Take 20 Mule Team Borax for instance. Here is a time-tested product that has worked marvelously for decades. It’s a naturally occurring mineral with many practical cleaning uses. It does so many things that specialized cleaners can’t do because they’re specialized. Can Resolve boost laundry detergent to make clothes brighter? Can Comet be used as a deodorizer the refrigerator? Will Woolite make the porcelain in the bathroom shine? You would need several different products to do the work of one box of TMT Borax.

I’ve been using TMT Borax as the back of the box suggests.

• I’ve added a ½ cup of Borax to the load and I’ll be darned… They were brighter!
• I’ve sprinkled some of it in the bottom of my trash can rather than using Lysol and it does deodorize as it said it would.
• Since I had to clean the refrigerator for our move, I used the 1 qt: 1 Tsp TMT solution and that puppy not only shines, it smells so much better… and it didn’t stink in the first place!
• I’ve made my tubs and sinks sparkle with the TMT too. I just used it like a cleanser and it looks mah-vel-ous, darlink!

I haven’t used it as a spill remover or a pet stain remover yet, but just as soon as I have opportunity, I’ll try it to see if it will work in that capacity too. And although we’re out of the nighttime accidents, TMT is supposed to work wonderfully to neutralize urine odors in mattresses or mattress covers and still be soft enough for your delicates – from baby clothes to your fine china. Its non-abrasive quality lends a hand to many things in your house.

The extra bonus to this discovery is that a large (76 oz) box only costs around $4. So you can do a lot of your cleaning for a very little price. Save that money for things that you really need – like a box of chocolate or a really good book.

For a little fun, 20 Mule Team Borax created a quiz so that you can find out exactly what kind of cleaner you are. As an incentive to encourage participation they will give back to the Earth by planting one tree for each quiz taken. They will donate up to 10,000 trees or the equivalent of $10,000 to the American Forests organization. If you're interested, click here to take the quiz.

So a tried and true frugal multi-cleaner works for me!

Head on over to Shannon’s place for some excellent suggestions.

WFMW – 5 Ingredients Or Less

This is one of my family’s favorite meals. It sound odd, but Oh. My. Lands! It is delicious, easy and cheap!

Strawberry Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken (enough to feed your family)
Italian bread crumbs
Milk (to make the bread crumbs stick – can use eggs if you prefer)
Strawberry Jam (or Seedless Raspberry if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Dip chicken into milk (or eggs), then roll in bread crumbs. Place on cookie sheet. Cook 20 minutes and then flip the chicken. Cook additional 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serve with strawberry jam as dipping sauce.

That’s it. Easy as pie. (Mmmm… pie!)

There are a few things you can do to speed up the cooking time.

• I’ve flatten the chicken; that cuts about 10 minutes off the time.


• You can cut the chicken into strips to cut the cooking time as well.


• Strips make it a finger food for little ones.


• You don’t have to flip the chicken, but I like to do it so that it will crisp both sides.

We love this meal with the cheesy broccoli rice and a side of small early peas.

Go find some excellent dinner suggestions at Shannon’s place. I’m heading over there to find some that don’t involve a grill…

WFMW - Father's Day Idea

Did y'all realize that Father's Day is this weekend?

THIS WEEKEND?!

Now I know how Mr. Right felt when I mentioned Mother's Day gift ideas and he had this blank look on his face...

I told him that I'm getting him a house for Father's Day. Do you think he'll buy it?

With Dad's Day quickly approaching (June 15th by the way), I've decided to take him to one of his favorite places: Outback. He'll be able to have a wonderful steak without the work of grilling it!

Did you know that Outback is running a special offer? If you bring your husband, father, etc. to Outback on June 15, they'll receive a $10 certificate valid on their next visit. So basically, they'll give me $10 to eat there. Bonus!

How it works is: Dad’s (or let's face it, Mom's will wind up doing it as they do most of the tasks around the house) will need to need to activate the certificate online at http://outback.com/dadsday (Note: link will launch during the weekend of Father's Day) where in addition to activation, they’ll automatically be entered in an online sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card when they enter the promo code found on the bottom of the $10 certificate. The certificate can be used at any Outback location from June 18th– July 20th with the minimum purchase of $25.

You can learn more about this promotion and some of Outback’s new menu items by visiting their site. They'll explain anything that I neglected to put in the post.

So free money definite works for me. If you win the $100 certificate, I only ask that you send me a Blooming Onion as a thank you gift.

Head on over to Shannon's place for some other great ideas!

WFMW – Putting Kids In Their Happy Place

I know that I’m blessed beyond measure in so many ways. My cup is often overflowing and spilling out onto the floor. I’d like to take a mop to it, but I like that kind of mess.

One of the ways that handle the kids is that I get rid of them send them to Grandma and Grandpa’s for the summer while Mr. Right and I act like newlyweds again and get to sleep nekked while we miss them terribly every waking moment of the summer. My in-awes actually came up with this brilliant plan, which is a God-send for us. No daycare on our part, the in-awes have live-in help and the kids make memories that will last for the rest of their lives.

The grandparents live 4 hours away, which makes weekend trips very doable. I think this year the trips will be cut down quite a bit mainly because we’ll be moving to our new house this summer and we’d like to have many of the projects done prior to the kids coming home, which will involve many weekends. But we’ll visit with them if only to make them appreciate their grandparents so much more. :)

The ache of missing them is dulled when we think about the stories and times of joy that the kids share with us when they come home. This year, along with gardening, reading and getting and arts and crafts memories, the kids are going to learn to sew, take swim lessons and cook for their grandparents. The Girl is going to take CPR which will come in very handy with the babysitting she wants to do next year and she’s going to detassle the corn. Hard work, but when she realized the money that could be made by working hard for 2 weeks, she became so much more excited about the task. I’m excited about not needing to fund as many events in the coming year.

I know that this situation won’t work for everyone, but I’m so grateful to God (and my in-awes) that it works for us.

After you quit wrestling with the little green monster, head on over to Shannon’s for some ideas about what to do with your kids if you can’t ship yours off to Grandma’s place too.

WFMW - Slave Labor

With the up and coming move, we've involved our kids in the entire process. They've helped pray for the sale of our house. They trudged through more houses than they would care to admit. They've continued to pray that God would lead us to the house in which He wants us to live. Now they're praying that God will make friends readily available for them when we move to the new place.

In other words, they have an invested interest in this move.

So now that we're at the packing stage, guess what my kids want to do? Let me put it this way: There are four full boxes in The Boy's room and The Girl is cleaning out her desk so that she can pack her things away. And I've had no hand in any of it.

If you get your kids excited enough about anything, they quickly will offer their services to help. And having one less room to pack definitely works for me!

(By the way, it's working for teaching The Girl to cook and for teaching The Boy to help around the yard. You don't have to move to get your kids' help. You just have to encourage excitement in whatever you need to do.)

Head on over to Shannon's for some other great tips.

Green Detergent That Saves Some Green (Free Sample!)

Back in the days before I made my own detergent, I used to buy Purex, mainly because it cleaned really well at a fraction of what Tide, Gain or All cost. I was always pleased with its scent, its cleaning power and its price.

A week ago, I received a sample bottle of the new Purex Natural Elements Apple & Melon scented detergent, a laundry cleaner derived from 100 % natural cleansing ingredients and natural fragrance. I had high hopes about this detergent. I wondered if it could still live up to its reputation of cleaning really well while being gentle on the environment.

I can honestly say that after umpteen loads of laundry, I am extremely please with the results. It really is tough on dirt while it’s still softens the clothes and makes them smell fantastic! This detergent is concentrated, so I still have many capfuls left after all my washing. And being the rebel that I am, I always just poured the capful into the tub when I started the washer and threw my clothes into the washer immediately. I’ve had clean clothes every single time.

So if you’re looking for a way to go a little greener without it costing an arm and a leg, I would recommend this detergent. If Apple & Melon aren’t for you, there’s also Linen & Lilies or Cherry Blossoms & Vanilla. You can find a 100 oz bottle for about $7. So not only is Purex going green, it’s saving green too!

If you want to know more about this product, check out this Purex site. In addition to tips and product information, the site is home to an auction of celebrity designed t-shirts with eco-friendly slogans with all proceeds going to the Earth Day Network (check out Jaime Pressly and Bette Midler’s designs among others). Consumers can also get involved by entering the national design contest and creating a virtual t-shirt with your own original design. Every person who enters the contest will get a free sample. The winner will have their design produced for sale on the Web site (with all proceeds going to EDN) and will win a smart-for-two car from Mercedes Benz.

Not in the mood to design a shirt? You can still get a free sample here.

You’re welcome.

Head on over to Shannon’s place for some other fabulous tips.

WDWFM - Not Participating In Life

It's one of those days for me. I can't seem to wake up. I'm not grumpy, but I can tell that I'm not my normal merry self either. What's up with that? Perhaps the fieldtrip with my son took more out of me than I thought it would. I know that I woke up yesterday with legs that were telling me that I had more muscles that aren't being put to good use than I thought.

Here's my gripe: Why is it that parents will go on a fieldtrip with their kids and not participate with them? I was the sole parent who chose to get in there and have fun with the kids. The rest of the moms (and one dad) sat outside the area and just talked amongst themselves.

The school went to a play place where the kids could play in the foam ball pit, play miniature golf and then go through a series of mini-classes that taught about weather. When we arrived at the establishment, our group was the first to enter the pit. The kids walked in, but they weren't really playing. I saw the problem: No one knew what the room was capable of doing. I ran upstairs, quickly threw some balls into a container and started pelting the kids with foam balls.

Oh. My. Lands! You should have seen the look of understanding that crossed their faces. Squeals of glee could be heard throughout the room as the kids quickly ran upstairs to shoot each other with balls. I totally got pelted a time or two for all my trouble. Kids!

I quickly headed down and told some other kids to start throwing balls into the machine in the center of the room. Over time, the machine would blast several balls into the air all over the room. This produced more screams of delight.

For the piece de resistance, I had the kids start vacuuming up balls, but I didn't tell them why. They also gathered balls to throw into another vacuum-type machine. Soon I heard a beeping sound so I gathered all the kids to one spot, backed up and watched as a huge bucket dumped all the balls onto the kids. You would have thought that they had died and gone to heaven, they were so happy!

It was the same for the rest of the day, even on the bus. But one joy I had was that several of the kids were requesting to sit by me on the way home. We played charades, sang songs and overall had a wonderful time with each other. I had a feeling that they were glad to have an adult talk with them in a way that didn't involve yelling or disciplining. The smiles were contagious.

And The Boy? He was really happy to have his mom along on the fieldtrip, spending unexpected time with him as he shared me with the other kids.

My other gripe? I didn't download the pictures in time for this post. That definitely doesn't work for me.

What I'm mainly trying to say is that rather than sit on the sidelines, why don't you jump into the game? You might find that you're having just as much fun as the kids. I, for one, did not feel that it was a wasted day, even if my legs aren't really thanking me.

Head on over to the timed-out Shannon's place to see what other things doesn't work!

WFMW - How To Shop For A Wardrobe On Ebay

A recurring question from my Prêt-à-Porter, Fiesta Style! post that I have been asked is "How did you buy all your clothes on ebay?!"

Come closer my little friends. I'll tell you my shopping secret...

Here’s the long and short of how to shop ebay for clothes.

1. Log onto ebay and select “Clothing”.


2. Next select “Women’s Clothing”. Ummm, if you're a guy and you're shopping you might want to select "Men's Clothing". If you're a guy shopping for himself and you're selecting "Women's Clothing", then I don't want to know about it.


3. From there you can do one of two things: type in your normal clothing size to see all the clothing that is available for you. (You can further narrow it by adding a color or a style that you want.)


4. OR you can do what I do: I put in my size and then add the word "Lot". All the bulk clothing listings will come up. You peruse those lots and then decide if you want to bid.


5. Remember to look at the shipping when you are determining how much you want to pay over all because some of the sellers will gouge you there.

That’s it! I found two lots - one that had 31 pieces and another that had 40 pieces - that I bid and won, costing me $150 altogether or the equivalent of 3 or 4 things in a store. I’m not a huge ebay advocate; I just love that I won two lots that contained several pieces and that I don’t have to go shopping except for undies and shoes…

Oh, and unless you wear a size 6x like Michelle thinks that I do, you can bid to your hearts content and you won't bother me a bit!

Head on over to Shannon's place to get some other awesome tips!

WFMW - Second Glances

Seeing how I recently wrote about my eyesight, I thought this was very appropriate to post today.

I received an email from a friend yesterday.

Shalee,

I am getting a kick out of your memory blogs! I'm not sure if you watched MTV when your parents weren't looking, but Bowling for Soup has a song called 1985 and you should totally watch the video...especially if you watched music videos in the 80's! I really enjoy checking out the music you've selected for the years. Many of the songs were featured on Miami Vice (1985 & 86) as I have found a site that has old episodes online! Hope you and Mr. Right are doing great!

-- Chris

After reading it, I replied with this:

Well, ummm, I’m glad that it’s making you sick?! You might want to have a bowl around for the next few Mondays…

I’ll have to check out the Bowling for Soup song. I’ve heard it, but I’ve not seen the video. (Yeah, I was an 80’s video watcher – back when they were great videos and not soft porn. I have to tell you, I never watched Miami Vice. That was such a guys show and it never, ever interested me. But at least it had great music!

We’re great here. Hope all is well with you too!

Shalee

Sometime later I happen to glance at his original email and then sent out the following to him:

Hey Chris… I have to tell you that I thought the first line read I’m getting SICK of your memory blogs… Perhaps I need glasses after all! So ignore the first paragraph of the last email I sent you!

To which he responded:

I don't care who you are, THAT'S FUNNY! I would never let you know if I was sick of your blogs! That's just too rude! It's just fun looking back and you hear a song and instantly you remember where you were in life when that song came out. I'm glad you got to watch some MTV when you were young. You for sure need to see the Bowling For Soup Video now as it totally spoofs Robert Palmer, Michael Jackson, Run DMC, George Michael, etc. Hope you have a great week!

So my advice is to either read your mail carefully or don't tell the world the day before that you're thankful for the fabulous eyesight that you have. It could come back to bite you later.

Want some really good tips? Head to Shannon's for some words of wisdom. For some words of wisdom.

WFMW - Easy Vegetable Cleaning

Once again, my tip is coming from my mother-in-awe.  (That woman makes my life so much easier!)

To clean potatoes, carrots, yams - any number of root veggies - in a jiffy, get a pair of these:

These body scrubbing gloves are great for cleaning off all the dirt in a snap. I keep my pair under the sink for quick access and put them back when they're dry. Easy peasy and I can quickly move on to making the potatoes (or whatever vegetable I'm using) into whatever I need.

For some other great tips, head over to Shannon's place!

WFMW - Vacationing While Never Leaving Home

We are blessed beyond measure here at the Diner.  We have a parents who love to spend time with the grandkids, so every spring break, we take them up to their place for the week and a half vacation.

It saves us a mint in childcare AND, more importantly, it allows our kids to have a chance to forge fantastic, recall-them-years-later memories with them.  Oh, and it allows Mr. Right and me an opportunity to date without having to wonder what to do with the kids.

It's a win-win for everyone.

So these next 10 days or so, we're going to vacation at home.  I want to go see the art museum and if the weather will cooperate, I'd love to have a leisurely stroll through the zoo.  The arboretum is spectacular this time of year and I haven't been bowling since last September... maybe we can get a group around here to go.  If it weren't for this whole "house selling" thing, I'd love to steal Mr. Right away for a bed and breakfast somewhere around our city.  We have lots of places that are within an hours drive in some beautiful country.  (That doesn't fit the "not leaving home" scenario, but it's close enough to still feel like home.)

What would you do around your neighborhood for a vacation?  I might just steal your idea for some fun around here too!

For some excellent tips on how to ease life for you, head to Shannon's place.

So what I'm trying to say is that 

WFMW - Home Makeover

Yesterday we put our house on the market.  

You want to see pictures of the inside?  Of course you do because it will help you help me.  Click here, look at the house pictures and then come back please.

Now, what would you suggest that I do help with selling the house?  What seasoned advice can you give me when it comes to doing a FSBO?  What should or shouldn't we do when showing the house?  When you've gone looking for a house, what things have turned you off a house and what things made you go back for a second look?  Do's and don't's... Give it to me baby; I can take it all.

In other words... HELP ME!!

Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated... as well as prayers.

Want to help a bunch of other bloggers who are stumped?  Head on over to Shannon's place to see if you can be the hero for someone else too!

WFMW - Magically Appearing Dinner

Yesterday, The Boy was sick and Mr. Right elected to stay home with him.  That was good for several reasons, one of which was that Mr. Right could put some finishing touches on the house before it goes on the market.

When I returned home from work, I walked into a kitchen where Mr. Right was making dinner... and I don't mean he was calling out for it either.  He was making it from scratch from a recipe that I pulled from the internet, but we had never tried.

I could have kissed him right then and there.  (Oh, who am I kidding?  I did kiss him right then and there.)

He was making Chicken and Corn Chowder, and let me tell you how good it was: three out of four of us had seconds.  And really The Boy doesn't count because he wasn't feeling well, remember?  It was deeeeelicious!

So if you want to have your dinner magically appear before you, I suggest that you marry someone like Mr. Right (but not him specifically because he's taken you see... and I will fight tooth and nail with any woman who tries to steal him away.  It will not be pretty.  You have been warned.)

But I will do half of the equation by giving you the recipe.  Maybe you can leave it on the counter and your man will magically make it appear for you too.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

• 1/2 c butter or margarine
• 1/2 c onion, finely chopped
• 6 T flour
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 1/2 c hot water
• 1 1/2 c cubed cooked potatoes
• 1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
• 3 c hot milk
• 1/4 t white pepper (black will work too)
• 2 chicken breasts, poached and chopped

Heat butter in large saucepot and cook onion until tender but not browned.  Add flour; cook and stir for 5 minutes over low heat.  Do not brown.  Add bouillon cubes and hot water, stirring with whisk to fully mix together.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  (It will become thick.)  Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.  Serve with bread.

There, you have the recipe.  Now find the person who will make it for you!  Head on over to Shannon's place... maybe someone posted about how to find that person.

WFMW - Simple and Delicious

About a year ago, my mom gave me a subscription to a little recipe magazine called Simple and Delicious.  Little did I know that it would quickly become a way to introduce some new and easy recipes into our repertoire.  I've made more recipes from it than I imagined I would have!  They weren't kidding when they created the title!

What's really neat is that most of the recipes come from the readers.  They are tried and true, favorite recipes that the readers think will be a hit with others.  I'd much rather spend my time working on a new creation that other families love than to waste my time and resources making something that we all wish stayed in the cookbook.

The tag line for Simple and Delicious is "Quick, easy recipes.  Everyday ingredients."  That's so true, friends... it's so true.  For $14.95, you can have a new magazine every other month, giving you some much needed refreshment in the cooking battle.  The magazine is filled with gorgeous pictures and very simple to follow instructions.

The best part about the entire gift?  Everyone in my family goes through the publication, circling the ones that they want to try.  It's a family affair at our house, one that makes me smile - especially when I see The Boy circle one that actually has vegetables.

So if you are looking for an easy way to spice up your daily cooking, I highly recommend that you check out this sweet magazine.  If you don't want to commit to a subscription, check it out at the supermarket or a bookstore.  You can usually find this magazine at the magazine display or at the checkout line.

But I warn you:  You may just want to pick up a copy if you find it in your hands... it's that good and useful!

Head on over to Shannon's place for some excellent suggestions that will help you in your everyday life.  But be very quiet... she's trying to catch up on her sleep!

WFMW - Personal Mailboxes

Since it's the day before Valentine's, I thought I would post a suggestion that would help your kids know that you love them... all year long!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting real mail. But with the convenience of email and postage being outrageous, we don't receive much in the way of real mail - only credit card applications, mailers and other stuff. Oh yeah... and bills. Going to the mailbox isn't any fun anymore.

Years ago, my mother-in-awe sent a valentine present to my daughter. It was candy in a metal Snoopy mailbox. It even has a flag on the side. My daughter loved that candy and the container too. Have I mentioned that she also can be a bit of a packrat? Well, she can be.

One day, I left her a note in her mailbox, flipped up the flag and waited to see how long it would take her to discover it when she came home from school.

Not long. That's all I can tell you.

She walked right into her room, saw the flag was up and ran to it. She loved the note. She loved the communication. She loved that it was for her and her alone. She checked that box every day for a week and then some...

I think I'm onto something here.

You know how kids go beserk when they get a letter from someone? It works the same even if it doesn't comes in the "real" mail too. A letter is a letter is a letter to them.

Over the years, I've placed little notes, little gifts, whatever I wanted to put into that box. Sometimes it takes her a while to discover it; other times she finds it right away. She always loves the attention and little nods of love going her way.

My son wants a box of his own too, so I'll have to figure out something that will work for him as well.

So I guess leaving mail for my kids works for me. And so do the hugs and kisses that I get for taking the time to do it in the first place.

Head on over to Chilihead, our lov-er-ly surrogate host for this week for some other great tips.

Originally published May 5, 2007

WFMW - Online Shopping

Well, I must be frank.  No, I'm Shalee being frank, but not in a transvestite sense either...

I very much dislike shopping.  I'm such the atypical girl.  I love having new things and girly stuff, but I want someone to either give it to me or to do all the mix and matching for me.  I'm a real go-getter, aren't I? I don't even have the patience to look at things online...  after a while, my eye starts to twitch and my pulse races, not in a good way.

And the retail prices!  Sheeze Louise, how can people pay what is charged at the mall?  I've have so many other things on which I would prefer to spend that money - like groceries or a date night with Mr. Right.

But now and then, I need to find a particular item fast, and I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it.  So I head to Amazon.  That's where I not only find great deals, I can locate hard to find items as well.

For example, my favorite cookbook, Betty Crocker Old Fashioned Cookbook, has been out of print forever.  About two years ago, I spilt something that appears to have contained industrial glue or liquid sugar in it, all over the book.  Oh what a sad discover I had when I found that I couldn't separate some pages.

I've looked for a replacement since then, and lo and behold, one day I found three of them on Amazon.  Woo hoo!  Life is good again.

I also found the perfect Valentine's gift.  It's something that I know my entire family will love and find funny at the same time.  Plus, I'll be introducing a certain fine culture to my kids as well.  I can't say because Mr. Right reads the blog.  I've kept it a secret for a month now, and I don't want to botch it this close to Valentine's Day.

There are a few times I actually have to make a purchase online and when I do, I always check to see if there are codes that will give me a savings.  So before you press buy, take a few minutes to Google "(name of store) online codes".  You will be thankful that you did.

When buying Christmas presents for my boss this year, I talked him into digital photo frames for the ladies, mainly because I did NOT want what he was originally getting for everyone.  So I found the best deal at Target.com, did a search for Target online codes, and saved 10% on the entire purchase, which for him was around $100 dollars.  Not only did I save the company money, I made myself look good for taking the extra initiative to find a deal.

And that, my friends, may make me some more money in the long run come evaluation time.

Head on over to Shannon's place for some more ideas on online shopping.  I'm sure those other  entries will have way more fantastic ideas than this non-shopaholic.

WFMW - Just Let Go

Yesterday in the office, I was chatting with one of my coworkers.  (Basically, we were avoiding work at all cost, but we were socializing at the same time.  You'd totally want me working for you, wouldn't you?)  

Anyway, as we were talking, our landlord (who is a teddy bear of a guy and has been doing a lot of work throughout the building) opened the door with a fellow workman and had a hangdog look on his face.  I said, "Gaylord, I haven't talked with you in a while.  How are you?"  

"Oh.  You won't like what I have to say," he said.

"Are you turning off the hot water again?" I teased.

"No," he sighed.

"Are you turning off the power?" I asked, thinking it was awfully cold for him to do so, but hey, it gave me a legitimate reason to go home early!  (It was cold something fierce with the wind blowing and snow swirling.  I could really use a to day to read take a nap watch a movie to work at home.)

"No," he sighed again.

Then it hit me.  "Gaylord, did you hit my car?!"  I inquired.

"Yes, and I feel just so terribly about it.  Come and see it."

The driver's side had a scratched across four of the panels and the mirror was hanging on by a single wire.  He gave me a hug and said, "I'll admit to 100% fault here.  I just feel so badly.  I was trying to back into a parking space to fill the truck and while looking at the curb, I hit your car.  I'm just so sorry."

I turned to him and said, "Gaylord, I've got insurance.  I'm not going to worry about it.  It's okay."

He gave me his insurance card, stating that his insurance would pay for it all.  I ran in to make a copy of it.  When I came back out, Gaylord said, "Shalee, I just feel so awful about this. I can't tell you enough."

Sweetly I said, "Gaylord, you feel badly about it if you need to, but then you knock it off.  It's just a car.  Things can be replaced.  No one's hurt and that's all that matters.  It's really okay."

Seeing the look of disbelief and relief in Gaylord's and the other workman's eyes was worth every moment of not being upset, worried or frustrated.  I could see they were expecting anger, tears or emotions, but all they got was forgiveness.  You could tell that a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.  And I felt really good about doing that for them.

And it gave me a glimpse of what I look like when I experience the grace from God.

Head on over to Shannon's place for some excellent tips on how to make life a little easier.

WFMW - Super Easy Super Bowl Pizza

Now anyone who knows me knows that I love me some football.  I love watching.  I love making calls.  I love yelling loudly enough that the team can here me from my living room.  

I coulda been a contenda... if I were a boy.  Stupid boys' club sport.  Hmph.  I can't even make it as a ref.  

Yes, I have issues.  But they really have nothing to do with this post.  So let's move on, shall we?

And if you're bummed, like me, that your team didn't make it to the final game of the season (sniff... final game!), then let me show you some stinkin' easy ways to showcase your favorite team(s) during the Super Bowl.  Your team might not be at the Super Bowl, but that's no reason they can't be at your party!

Just in time for the biggest pizza eating day of the year, Boboli has created some wonderfully easy pizzas for you to serve to all the fans.  They've created one recipe for each of the NFL teams and gave them fun names to boot.  Even if you know nothing about football, you can impress your mate with your football terminology!

Using Boboli crusts and Boboli sauce on two of the pizzas, my family made 4 different types of pizza and had I had all the ingredients when we started, I would say that all told, it would have taken us 30 minutes to make all four.  But that's just crazy talk, assuming that I would have all the necessary ingredients on hand.  So if you throw in the 45 minute trip to Walmart, where I waited in line for 25 minutes to check out (NOT A TYPO), then it took us more like an hour and 15 minutes to get it all done.  But here is where we're going to assume that a) you're more prepared than me or b) your Walmart has all lines open on a busy Saturday at noon.

We had to make the Indianapolis "Interception" Pizza (good old pepperoni, green peppers and onions), 

our Arizona "First Down" Fiesta Pizza (refried beans, taco meat, cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole - YUM!)

our Cleveland's "Bootleg" Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza (sauce with hamburger meat, real bacon bits, onions, dill pickles and cheddar cheese (my personal favorite),

and last, but not least, Washington's "In Bounds" American Apple Pie (oh my lands...  it was so good, I thought I might have to give up my apple pie... almost - sweetened cream cheese with sliced Granny Smith apples, brown sugar and cinnamon)  

On my personal "I'm letting go of  my angst against the Patriot's cheaterhead ways", I looked up the New England pizza.  There's no way on earth I'm forgiving them enough to eat a clam bake pizza.  I can forgive them, but I don't have to root for them and I don't have to eat their fair.  Yuck.

You can hit the Boboli.com for all the recipes if you're so inclined or you can go wild.  It's yourc call.

Oh, and as a last note, I made them all on the Whole Wheat Pizza Crusts.  I wasn't sure of it when I got them, but we're doing what we can to eat a bit better.  Seriously, no one in the family could tell a difference.  They were all just so delicious!  So now you have a choice in crust if you want one.

Hope y'all have a great time at your Super Bowl party, or if you're not a football fan (freak!), might I suggest a movie?  It's a perfect time since everyone else will be watching the game.  But don't see Alvin and the Chipmunks, whatever you do... trust me on that one.  That movie so did not work for me.

Head on over to Shannon's place to see some other truly fabulous ideas.

WFMW - Valentine's Day

Welcome to the reversed WFMW at Shalee's Diner.  I love these days because it's the one day when I get to take a booth and ask you to take my order.

My request this time is to ask what you think is a fantastic Valentine's day gift for a 41-year-old, romantic hunk of burning love.  (He'll kill me for that last sentence.  He has enough of a problem not turning eight shades of discomfort from my imposed title "Mr. Right".)  

Give me your top suggestions because this year my brain will not cooperate with me and I'm drawing a big old ________!

Oh, and while you're at it, would you mind bringing me coffee and a slice of that apple pie?  The big piece because I'm hungry after all this hard work.

Now head on back to Shannon's, aka World Traveling Superstar, to help some others out too.

WFMW or FIR #10 – A Wrinkle In Time

There's just a few days left before Christmas, and if you're still looking for a great gift for those hard to please tweeners, this gift may just be the answer to your search.

With the success of Harry Potter and the renewed interest of the Chronicles of Narnia, I thought I would read a fantasy book that paved the way to my great love of reading: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle. What a powerful, capturing author L’Engle was!

How can you go wrong when a story starts as such?: It was a dark and stormy night.

The story surrounds three main characters: 

• Meg Murry, a volatile and stubborn ninth grade girl who is regarded as a bad-tempered underachiever by both her peers and her teachers; 
• Charles Wallace Murry, a complete genius at age five – but since he rarely speaks to anyone save his family, most of the town deems him dumb since no one takes the time to understand him; 
• Calvin O’Keefe, a junior who is unwanted at home, but accepted at school because he excels at basketball. Despite the accolades at school, he feels that he is a pretender because he can’t be who he knows himself to be – except with the Murrays, especially with Meg.
  

These three characters join together with some mysterious, immortal characters (Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which) to save Mr. Murry, a scientist who has gone missing. (Town rumors indicate that he left Mrs. Murray - a gorgeous, loving, brilliant scientist in her own right - for another woman, but the all know the rumor to be false on every count.) They must tesseract, or travel through space and time through the fifth dimension, to Camazotz to save Mr. Murray who has been imprisoned by an evil disembodied brain with powerful telepathic abilities, which the frightened inhabitants of Camazotz call "IT".

This story is neither a tale where superheroes save the day, nor is it completely science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travelers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers that will save everyone from the evil powers of IT.

I forgot what a wonderfully mind-stretching story it is. I distinctly remember the first time I read it: there was a part where the group was traveling through time and space and they kids go through a two-dimensional time/place. I recall feeling that my heart was squished just like Meg’s; my heart had the heavy, strained beat like the characters had, and I could barely breath for the pressure that I felt at becoming two dimensional in my mind.

As an adult, I loved reading the religious overtones in the book. On several occasions, scriptures were quoted in context to the story and when the children are asked to name other who fight darkness Jesus is the first to be named, among many others who were artists, leaders, teachers and philosophers. Ultimately, it is the story of individuals fighting evil so that goodness can prevail.

Another bonus is that this book starts another series, so if I can get The Girl to start on it, I’ll have a future gift-giving selection in line. So if you’re looking for another gift to give or just another series to reacquaint yourself as an adult, let me heartily recommend A Wrinkle In Time. There’s a reason it’s a classic.

Now head on over to Shannon's for some other great Christmas ideas!  (And Merry Christmas to you all!)