Chili weather

I love chili. However, I don't have a lot of time for extra cooking. I have a quick, easy way to make chili at home.



First, I brown a pound of ground chicken in a large pot. You can of course use beef, but I prefer the chicken. After it's done, I add some homemade chili seasoning (recipe below).

It's supposed to be 2 Tbsp/lb, but I forgot & used 4 this time. Still delicious.





 Next are the beans.
 Add 4 cans of beans, with liquid. This time I used 2 each dark and light  kidney beans. Sometimes I use four different kinds just to mix things up. Also add a 6 oz can tomato paste.








Stir well, and let simmer for a bit to combine the flavors.

This is tasty with a little sour cream and cheddar cheese on top. This freezes well, also. I'm the only chili eater in our house so I divide the batch into individual containers and freeze to take to work for lunch.


BTW, the 4 tbsp of seasoning was a bit much...


And as promised, here is the chili seasoning blend I use:

Fantastic books for kids

Psst... Christmas is coming! I know how hard it is to decide on gifts to give the kids on your list. "Do they like this character? What if they already have this toy? Will their parents hate me if I give this to them?" You can't really go wrong with books, though. To help, here's a list of books that have been kid-approved in our family.

Little Dog Lost: The True Story of a Brave Dog Named Baltic
This story, as the long title says, is a true story that happened in 2010. The little dog became stuck on a slab of ice in a river and floated out to sea, where he was rescued. The book is written for ages 3-5, and Sophie adores it. She loves to read about the little dog who is saved and finds a home.

Little Pup books
The collection is for Kindle, but all three books can be purchased separately as "real" books as well. Sophie loves these books! She especially loves "Why? Because I Love You!" It's such a sweet story of Grey Bear telling Little Pup why he has to do all the no-fun things like eat healthy foods, take baths, and dress warmly. It's also a great series because Grey Bear can be a grandparent, adoptive parent, traditional parent, or guardian. There is no specific term given other than love. Kids in all kinds of families can relate to these book, and I really love that.

Mr Popper's Penguins
This is a great book for ages 5-10. Sophie hasn't read this one yet, but Emma loved it. It was first published in 1938 and is a classic. Mr Popper is a house painter who dreams of traveling to the South Pole. Someone sends him a penguin, then he gets more, and more. The Popper family has quite the adventure.

The Hundred Dresses
Another classic, for ages 6-10, that Emma loved. Wanda is bullied by her classmates because she wears the same dress to school every day. She insists she has a hundred dresses, they just all look the same. Her classmates learn a hard lesson from their bullying.

Divergent series
I think most teenagers like this series - and the first book has already been made into a movie. To be honest, I haven't read these books but they come highly recommended by both teenagers and many parents I know. Teachers, too.

Thankfulness

It's November, which likely means your Facebook feed is filled with "30 Days of Thankfulness" posts. I have tried this several times, but I always end up forgetting a couple weeks in. This year, I'll just do one list of thirty things.


1.  My husband
2. My daughters
3. My parents
4. Our house
5. Netflix
6. Caffeine
7. Comfy bed
8. Heat
9. Cheaper puppy food (Angus eats a lot)
10. Food
11. Lower gas prices
12. Temps in the sixties in the forecast
13. Books
14. Warm clothes
15. Laughter
16. Fun times together
17. Friendship
18. Internet
19. Insurance
20. Nature
21. Trifexis
22. No pull dog harnesses
23. Employment
24. Hugs
25. Music
26. Extended family
27. Memories
28. Sparta
29. Creative outlets
30. Education

The struggle of writing

For a four years now, since I first learned about NaNoWriMo, I've been working on a fictional story. My timing seemed to be off that first attempt, since I had an infant at home, along with our preteen daughter and a full-time job. An active family just wasn't conducive to the writing commitment that needed to be made. Although I didn't complete NaNo that month, I've still worked on my story off and on over the years.

And it's hard.

I know every writer shares this struggle. But I have so many questions that I just don't know the answers to! Most of my writing is simple - I have an idea, and I write until I've exhausted that idea. My problem this time is it's not finished and I have no idea where to go next. I have no outline, no set length, not even a title.

Image via morguefile.com

And titles - how do people come up with titles? I have a hard enough time naming blog posts, much less a novel. The pressure!

I know the advice - just write. Write and get the words out and edit later. That is a huge struggle for me, since I self-edit constantly. I don't move on to the next passage until the one I finished is perfect. In school I was the same way. I didn't write first drafts of essays and revise, I wrote the finished work (and made an A, too, darn it!). Drafts are strangers to me.

Another huge issue with this piece is that I have no idea what happens next. I can't even decide what direction this will take - happy ending? Suspenseful? Is Mr X telling the truth? Is it a ploy? I have no idea. I will decide one way, write out a few more pages, then decide later I don't like that. I've added major characters and loved the new direction, then weeks later hated it and scrap that whole section. I feel directionless, like I'm being blown about by the winds of my own rambling thoughts. I just want to grab one, feel like "this is it!" and run with it.

Tell me - can it really work that way?

A few of my favorite things that help me function

Cue the music... these are a few of my favorite things! Not really when dogs bite or bees sting, but when I have places to be and things to do, these are some of the things that get me through my day.

I start my mornings with The Skimm, a daily (M-F) email newsletter that hits the highlights of the news. It gives you a summary of major news stories, without the extra pontificating you get on many other sources. And it's not stuffy, either. Important news, easy and fun to read - what's better? Subscribe easily here.





Quite a while ago, while telling a friend at work about being stuck in a horrible traffic jam on the interstate because I didn't have the news on that morning, a man overheard us and told me about an app for smartphones called Waze. He has been my hero! The Waze app (it's free btw) has a real-time, user updated map that combines navigation if you need it, real-time traffic issues, even things like police, missing signage, red light cameras, and debris on the road. I have a long commute to work, and Waze makes it easy for me to see if alternate routes will be needed or what time I will reach my destination.



When I'm trying to keep up with our family's activities, events, and work schedules, I use my Tools4Wisdom weekly planner. It's similar to the Franklin Covey system, but for me, easier to use. Not only is there a weekly calendar, with each day marked off from 5 am to 11 pm in half hour increments, but each week has space to list goals and other priorities for the week and steps to complete them. Each month has a monthly overview calendar, and a page to list goals for each month. There is also a place to record yearly goals, and action steps to implement them. It even comes with its own bookmarks!

Too ugly to win the election? You have to be kidding.

NH State Representative Steve Vaillancourt

In the "what the absolute f***" news today, apparently a New Hampshire State Representative believes that looks are what win elections, and that US Representative Ann McLane Kuster will lose her seat because she's "ugly as sin" and looks like a "drag queen."

This is insane! What decade are we living in here? Does anyone still really believe that looks are what makes a good candidate? If so, why hasn't anyone told the men that? Seriously - when is the last time you heard anyone say a man couldn't run for office because he wasn't attractive enough? Or asked a male politician about his wardrobe, hair style, makeup choice? (You know they wear makeup for the cameras.) Or what about balance - women in politics are asked about their children, how they expect to balance their position with their home lives, are criticized for their parenting choices. But aren't men parents as well? Why are they not quizzed on backup childcare for voting days?

But just going back to the main point - this is what Vaillancourt actually said:

"Let's be honest," Vaillancourt writes. "Does anyone not believe that Congressman Annie Kuster is as ugly as sin? And I hope I haven't offended sin. If looks really matter and if this race is at all close, give a decided edge to Marilinda Garcia."

As much as I hate to give this asshole traffic, here is a link to his actual blog post about it. It seems he has a thing for the young, pretty candidate opposing Rep Kuster.  He used an unflattering screenshot of Kuster, but a glossy, smiling, shot for her opponent. This is Rep Kuster's photo from her website.

She's not a young twentysomething like her opponent, but ugly? No. It's sad that he can't talk about any of the issues, her voting record, sponsored legislation, or any valid reason for not supporting Kuster. He only focuses on her appearance.

He is a prime example of what is holding women back in politics.

Hindsight

Allergy rash on 2 year old Sophie

Way back in July 2012, when Sophie was 2, we discovered she had an allergy to artificial colors. That was the beginning of a new reality for us.

However, today I was feeling nostalgic and was going through old posts in her birth board on Babycenter.com, and found two posts I made about the same thing happening! One was in November 2010, when she was only 8 months old, and then again in February 2011, right after her first birthday. Both posts mention her common symptoms- eczema spots we couldn't get rid of, the rash on her face after eating something with food dye. And both times she had the full body rash like she did in 2012! I also in retrospect figured out another incident, a few months before the final one in July, that would have been from the same allergy (she had eaten a cupcake before breaking out, but again, didn't make the connection until much later).

I know "hindsight is 20/20," but I wish I had put this all together earlier! If  I had remembered the breakouts from one incident to the next, if I had started researching causes earlier - what might have happened?

Probably nothing, except an earlier diagnosis. The post from February 2011, I mentioned she was taking amoxycillin. Guess what the liquid contains - Red 40. That is a medication she can't take now, because there is no version on the market (for liquid at least) that is not dyed pink. The pharmacist checked the last time it was prescribed to her.

So what is the point of this post?

If your child has sudden, unexplained rashes, keep a very detailed journal. Foods eaten (even if nothing was new), medications, beverages, anything that could have been consumed. And keep it in a safe place, and refer back to it whenever the rash recurs. Even little rashes - most of the time Sophie just had very red cheeks and a few small bumps around her mouth. Now we've learned that is a consistent reaction of hers to eating something with artificial colors.

Tennessee constitutional amendment 1 - What is it really saying?

Protester at a clinic, via Morguefile

In case you haven't heard, there are four amendments to our state constitution to be voted on next month. Some are not very major - an amendment outlawing state income tax, which is already the case, and an amendment allowing charities to hold lotteries - but Amendment 1 is potentially huge for women in our state.

Here is the text of the amendment:

Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1for the November 4, 2014 General Election BallotShall Article I, of the Constitution of Tennessee be amended by adding the following language as a new, appropriately designated section:Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.

Supporters of this amendment say that this is no big deal, not restricting legal abortion at all, just using "common sense":

Voter approval of Amendment 1 in 2014 will allow the people of Tennessee and their elected representatives to restore common sense protections for women and the unborn, including inspection and regulation of abortion facilities by the Tennessee Department of Health.

In reality, though, facilities that provide abortion services ARE inspected and regulated. Also, protections are currently in place to protect women. Here is the current law in Tennessee.  Partial-birth abortions, always a talking point for anti-abortion groups, are already illegal. Even though these groups try to make it an issue every time, it is not even legal. Babies are not pulled out of the womb and killed, no matter how many graphic billboards these groups pay for. And there are restrictions in place - written consent from the mother (or parent if a minor), and a 48-hour waiting period after meeting with the doctor. The Yes On 1 organization also implies that women from other states flock to Tennessee to have abortions performed. In reality, women must prove state residency to receive an abortion. The amendment also mentions funding of abortions - this is not now, and never has been, in question. Taxpayer funds are not used to provide abortions and if this amendment does not pass, that will not change. 

In short, this amendment paves the way for the current law, decided by the State Supreme Court in 2000,  to be overturned at the whim of voters. Supporters want to take the decisions out of our hands and put them in the hands of the government. It is insulting to all women, to imply that our reproduction requires legislation for us to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families.

More information: Vote No on 1

And in case you don't want to follow the link above, here is the text of the state's abortion law:

Code Section
39-15-201 to 209; 37-10-301 to 307

Statutory Definition of Illegal Abortion
(1) Failure to meet standards for legal abortion including residency requirement; (2) attempted criminal abortion; (3) coerced or compelled abortion; (4) administering to pregnant woman medicine, drug, or any substance or instrument with intent to destroy such child(5) Partial Birth abortion: no person shall knowingly perform a partial birth abortion except when necessary to save life of the mother if endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury.

Statutory Definition of Legal Abortion
First trimester with woman’s consent upon advice of her M.D., after first trimester and before viability with same, but in a hospital. After viability, necessary to preserve life, health of mother

Penalty
Impermissible abortion: Class C felony; mother attempting to procure a miscarriage: Class E felony; M.D. fails to use due care to preserve life of baby born alive or violation of 48-hour waiting period: Class E felony; abortion on non-Tenn. resident: Class C felony; coercion to obtain abortion: Class A misdemeanor; M.D. performs abortion on minor violating consent statute: misdemeanor

Consent
Informed, written consent of mother, 48-hour waiting period between M.D. giving mother information and consent; after viability, same as first trimester except M.D. must certify in writing to the hospital that procedure was necessary; by at least one parent must consent to abortion to be performed on minor; no parental consent necessary if emergency; minor may petition court for waiver

Residency
Mother must produce to M.D. evidence she is bona fide resident prior to procedure except in medical emergency, (but M.D. must still give information to mother)

License
First trimester, licensed M.D. upon his medical advice and woman’s consent; after first trimester to viability, licensed M.D., licensed hospital; after viability, only to preserve life of mother

- See more at: http://abortion.uslegal.com/state-laws/tennessee-abortion-laws/#sthash.ra1VqU3G.dpuf

Stay tuned...

A new Inspired Life is coming soon!

I'm going to redo the whole site - design and content - to reflect where I am now. As I get older (I turned 36 a couple weeks ago!) I'm less and less inclined to censor myself to please imaginary "others" and have decided to write about what I want to write about, even if I know people I love won't agree with me.

See you soon!

Getting to know me - Have I ever?

Have you ever...?

• Eaten an entire box of Oreos Yuck no.
• Thought about eating an entire box of Oreos No
• Baked a cake Yes!
• Cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for a group Yep.
• Eaten sushi Ew no!
• Been on stage Yes
• Gone skating Yes
• Made homemade cookies Yes
• Gone skinny dipping Maybe?? Can't quite remember for sure
• Dyed your hair No
• Broken a bone Yes
• Been hospitalized overnight Yes
• Had your name appear in the newspaper Yes
• Published a story, poem, novel... Yes
• Played a game that required removal of clothing Yes
• Gotten drunk or extremely intoxicated No
• Been arrested No 
• Changed your name Only my last name 
• Changed your "look" Not really
• Changed who you were to fit in Not really
• Traveled outside the country Yes

Getting to know me - my creative outlets

Creative outlets: Do you...

• Paint or draw Not nearly as much as I'd like
• Sculpt, do pottery, mold clay... No
• Build scale models No 
• Collect... (what?) Not really
• Write (what?) Yes. I write what I need to write. My posts here, fiction, writing to express something I need to get out.
• Compose music No
• Choreograph dances LOLno.
• Dance I wish
• Develop software Not a chance. That's a language I don't understand.
• Meditate I don't think I'm capable. 
• Daydream All the time.

Getting to know me - leisure time activities

Leisure Time: Do you like to...

• Read Oh my goodness, yes
• Go out, anywhere! Sometimes
• Go dancing I used to - not so much now
• See a show can be fun, at times
• Rent a video Does anyone do this anymore? Netflix family here :)
• Listen to music Certainly yes
• Go for a walk Definitely
• Watch television Yep. Favorites are Sherlock (BBC version), Doctor Who, Sherlock, The Blacklist, Sherlock, Castle, Supernatural, Bones, and I can't forget Sherlock.  O, and Arrow, and Orange is the New Black. 
• Surf the web um... duh! 
  
• Chat with friends online Yes. Great way to keep in touch with long distance friends!
• Meet people for coffee and conversation Not nearly as often as I'd like!
• Go to a party Do kids' birthday parties count?
• Stay home Of course.
• ...? I'm guessing this is for what else I do for leisure? Write. Play The Sims (or more accurately, build amazing houses and then never play the families). Do yard work (yes, I enjoy it). 

Frustration.

I'm at the frustrating part of my recovery. Yesterday, I had my post-op checkup and my staples removed. Then I stopped by a kids' consignment store and finished up Sophie's fall & winter wardrobe, visited my husband at his office, and then to Target next to his office for some ointment because my skin's reaction to the adhesive tape was worse than the incision itself and I was going crazy with the itching. Since it was my first day out and around, and driving independently, since my surgery, I ended up spending an hour in Target. Then, I visited with a coworker and had another errand to run before picking Sophie up, then picking up my oldest from school and taking her to work. I ended up being gone for over 7 hours. And I felt GREAT all day long.

Then, I went to bed. I fell asleep rather quickly, but woke several times overnight with my muscles aching and spasming, from my back to my toes. And this morning was just as miserable. I took a muscle relaxer to help, but it didn't. I was hurting, and so lethargic I couldn't even hold my kindle to read. Finally Sophie woke up and brought me the glass of iced coffee I had in the fridge and I took my pain pill. We snuggled in my bed for another hour and a half before I was able to get up for the day.

Then, grocery shopping. I couldn't even make it through the store without stopping to rest in one of the chairs at the pharmacy. I know I did too much yesterday, but I felt great all day! The limitations in what I can do is so very frustrating to me.

Thankfully, the actual back pain is GONE. The surgery was a success. I know it will take time for my body to recover - I mean, the surgeon operated on my spine! I just am impatient to get back to normal again. I've felt useless for too long.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Princess Sophie has a fun day

Once upon a time, Princess Sophie and her big sister, Princess Emma, decided to spend a fun day together, since it was summertime and school was out. They started out by playing with their dogs, Sir Angus and Sir Tucker, in the garden. Then, they took the dogs to the park.

They walked the dogs in the park, but Sir Angus kept chasing the ducks! He chased them right into the lake! The girls laughed and laughed. Sir Angus ran back to the girls and jumped all over Princess Sophie, getting her all wet. Princess Emma laughed at her dripping wet sister, until Sir Angus turned and soaked her, too!

Since they were both already wet, Princess Emma called and asked a palace helper to bring them towels and dry clothes, then the girls tied the dogs to a tree to keep them from running away, and jumped in the lake themselves. They had fun swimming and playing in the water.

When they finished swimming, Princess Emma and Princess Sophie went for ice cream. It was so yummy. After eating their ice cream, they went to the library. Dogs were welcome in all buildings in their kingdom. Princess Sophie picked out four books to read, since she was four years old.

Princess Sophie and Princess Emma finally went back home to the palace, where they read books together. It was a very fun, happy day.

The end.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Princess Sophie has a party

I wanted to rush Sophie's bedtime story last night, so I told her I'd make up a story. Her reactions to each detail were so wonderful that the story kept continuing, and she has asked for more made-up stories. Here is the first Princess Sophie story.


Once upon a time, there was a little princess with red hair and blue eyes, named Sophie. She had a big sister, Princess Emma, and two faithful dogs, Sir Angus and Sir Tucker. She played with them in the palace garden, playing chase and fetch, and having a great time. The palace cook brought Princess Sophie her lunch in the garden, with enough to share with Sir Angus and Sir Tucker.



One day, Princess Emma was going to a ball. Sophie thought this was wonderful, and asked her sister if she could go to the ball also. "Don't be silly," Princess Emma said to her. "This ball is for grown-up princesses only!" Princess Sophie was not happy. "You're not a grownup either! I'm going to ask Mommy and Daddy!" So Princess Sophie asked the king and queen if she could go to the ball. Her mommy, the queen, told Sophie that the ball is for big princesses only, but Princess Sophie could have her own ball with her friends!



Princess Sophie was so excited. She got a beautiful new dress, a pretty pink ballgown with sparkly earrings and sparkly crown, and silver sparkly shoes. Her friends, Princess Addison, Princess Shanna, Princess Audriana, Princess Mia, Princess Jada, Princess Amaya, and allllll her princess friends all came over. They danced and danced, and had a tea party. They ate pink sparkly cookies, cupcakes and cakes with beautiful frosting, and had tea in pretty cups. The best part was that the king and queen outlawed artificial colors in the entire kingdom, so Princess Sophie could eat anything she wanted, without worrying.



When their party was over, the king and queen let Princess Sophie and all her friends make a giant pillow fort in the palace living room, with all kinds of fluffy pillows and cozy blankets, and they had a sleepover! The next morning, the palace cook made pancakes and bacon for the princesses for breakfast. Princess Sophie and her friends had such a good time, she wasn't sad at all that she couldn't go to the other ball with her big sister.



The end.