January 2014 Favorites List

1.) Preparing Homemade French Onion Soup

2.) DoTerra's Anti-Aging Skin Care Line. It is amazing and all natural! I got the facial scrub for free too, always a plus!

3.) Carmex. It's windy. It's January, enough said.

4.) Using my Dollar Tree Valentine's Pencils at work!

5.) Counting Down til Spring Training and Spring Break weekend in Florida!

6.) My Land's End Navy and White Polka Dots Puff Vest which is probably one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year.

7.) My Land's End Heather Gray Slipper Boots with my Initials. I live in these on the weekends. (And they are now on clearance for $9.99! Find them HERE.

8.) My Nissan Rogue.  :)

What are your January Go-To's?

Soooo, here I am on the eve of my BIG move to my first house. I am bidding adieu to the renting lifestyle after living and working in a college town and moving back to my hometown. I am still working in higher ed administration, but I've finished my Master's Degree and it's a good time to feel a little more settled.

I've loved my apartment for the past year and especially will miss having access to the two large swimming pools. And I'll miss not keeping up with weekly "trash day," because apartment living afforded me "as needed" dumpster drops as I was heading out to work. I hate messing with trash. (In a perfect world we'd all have a magic garbage chute that would make our disposables disappear into thin air without smelling, piling up or taking over the planet.)

All of my furniture and boxes are packed and ready to move this weekend. My new home is the perfect size for me. It is around 1,800 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, family room, formal living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, separate laundry room, front porch, back patio, covered carport with storage room on a shady lot that's just under an acre with a fenced backyard and storage house.

Here are are just a few shots of the house...that I cannot wait to start painting and decorating:

A Tour of my Whimsical Work Office - Design on a Dime Style

I wanted to share some photos of how I recently decorated my new office at work. If you're like me, you may find that you spend a large percentage of your Monday through Friday life inside the four walls of an office.

Many people do not have the option to personalize their space beyond a few framed photos, a pencil cup and candy jar. On the other hand, these same folks typically are provided really nice office spaces with plush, coordinating furnishings that match the decor of the entire office building. And their salaries most often reflect this as well.

I, on the other hand, work in a higher education administrative type of setting. I do not work with high-dollar clients. My typical "customers" are Freshman and Sophomore college students in their very late teens/early twenties. When my entire office was relocated to another place, we were supplied with small offices with white walls -- and a mesh-mash of white metallic desks, ancient desk chairs and wooden bookcases that have a date from the 1970s stamped on the backside! You could not ask for a more blah and sterile work environment.

Since I work approximately 10 hour weekdays (Fridays are half-days), I knew I could not maximize my productivity every week in that cave-like setting. The week we moved, I did a literal blitz of blogs and Pinterest for fun work ideas but without tons of leads. I collaborated some of the ideas that I did stumble upon with other ideas that had evolved inside my cluttered brain...and the following photos show the colorful canvas I ended up with as my work environment...

I added a colorful, striped vinyl placemat (for $1) and secured on the center of the door with 3M Velcro (that is easy to remove and won't leave a mark on surfaces). I use scotch tape to hang flyers promoting various campus events.

One of two wooden bookcases that were already in my office: I used a total of four lime and turquoise plastic dessert cups ($1/ea.) to serve as vases lined across the top of one bookcase. These are great for hiding pens, pencils, loose change, etc.

My desk seemed to be the worse of everyone's desks. It is metal and plastic with lots of scrapes and dings on the sides. I made a chevron pattern on the computer, traced it across the front of the desk and filled in the pattern with silver-metallic and turquoise duct tape from Target. They sell duct tape in every color of the rainbow! This was the most difficult aspect f my office makeover, trying to get the chevron pattern somewhat symmetrical. The brown and lime throw rug is an older one I've had at home for a few years. I am moving soon and do not plan to use it in the new house, so off to work it went!

A closeup of my duct-taped desk handy work!

I used a small styrofoam cube leftover from another project as a "candy dispenser." This idea came to me as I was just about to toss the cube while sorting and throwing out odds and ends in a closet before my move. I bought a bag of Blow Pops and assorted Dum Dum lollipops for a couple dollars each and punched all of the suckers into 5 of the 6 sides of the cube. College students appreciate free candy, especially when they're ducking in between classes.

I found this idea on Pinterest, and I think it linked back to a blog : The Paint Chip Office Calendar. Cut 35 paint sample chips into perfect squares. Line these into 5 rows of 7. Use Elmer's clear drying glue to attach these onto a sheet of scrapbooking paper (measure and cut to fit the size of the frame to be used). Dry overnight. Frame it and use a dry-erase marker to label the month, year and days on the glass part of the frame. My frame was from a clearance bin for about $2, and the frame part of it actually fell apart on me the first day. I improvised by using a couple of large binder clips from our office supply cabinet at work to hold my calendar together. I clipped one binder clip on the top left and one on the bottom right.

 

I used a few old frames with broken glass and picked up a few from Walmart in the bargain certificate frames section. I cut rectangles of fabric remnants to fit inside the frames. The frames were spray-painted a high gloss white. In person these are coated thickly and have a nice glossy sheen. The lighting was a little wacky on my smartphone's camera. I did not use the glass in any of these so that the fabric texture shows through (which makes it ideal to recycle old frames with broken glass). There was also a broken corkboard missing a chunk of cork left behind in my office. I used a box cutter blade to cut a section to fit into one of my frames. I used various sized jar lids to trace circles on a circle-patterned fabric scrap and stapled a few of these on to the corkboard for some additional flare.

This is the 2nd bookcase that was already in my office. I placed one of my purple sequined lamps that my mom gave me from her set of two after her retirement from teaching elementary school for 30+ years. The other sits on my desk. Both were in her classroom for years. I framed a personalized stationery card since I did not have a nameplate at the time. I made ribbon art that I also framed. I made "no sew" curtains using a very cheap spring rod and two fabric scraps from other projects. I cut two panels according to my measurement and used fabric glue (which I already had) to "sew" the pockets across the tops of my two mini-curtains. I made sure to trim the bottom ends very carefully and neatly with my really good fabric cutting scissors since I was not planning to stitch a hem across the bottoms. So far no raveling. For good measure, I made two matching tie backs so I can open or close the curtains to stash things.

This was a very simple project - yet makes a big impact in my office. People always ask me about it. I used 5 empty and cleaned soup cans of similar size. I cut strips of fabric to fit closely around of the can's dimensions and then hot glued the fabric around the cans. I then glued the 5 cans together, making sure to keep the seems down. It is meant to sit on its side like this, because it makes it so easy to grab the utensil needed. I have scissors in one compartment, pens in another, regular #2 pencils in another, mechanical pencils in another and highlighters in the fifth one.

You will notice I carried out the duct tape to this blah faux wood and metal office table in the corner which aids in freeing up some desk space for me. Because my desk only has 3 small drawers, this Rubbermaid-style drawer canister supplements my desk drawer space. The top of it doubles as storage with little sectionals carved into the lid. I spray painted this piece metallic silver (removing the drawers so that these sections would still be transparent). I have several of these pink pails from Target (in the $1 bin which was running 70% off). I used my Cricut machine to cut out fun graphics + labels in Curlz font which I affixed to the fronts of the pails.

AFTER: This worn blue office chair (pictured below) for students seated in my office was given a fresh, new look by recovering the two cushions. I  could easily accomplish this with this style of chair, because both cushions can be removed with a screwdriver. You may remember this pattern from the circular pattern attached to my framed corkboard (seen above).

BEFORE: The blah, faded blue student chair

This is the door sign I created and applied that was affixed to the main door that enters our office's lobby area, thanks to the beauty of my Cricut machine. :)

Presidential Post

It's Monday. It's President's Day. And it was a super busy day for me -- from a dentist appointment early this morning to a long work day.

My Current Presidential Preferential "10"

What I am loving this February...

1. Fondue is fon-delicious.

2. Walgreen's Cherry Chap-Aid.

3. Owl Accessories: necklaces, earrings, figurines...

4. Pastrami Sandwiches (And I've never been a big sandwich person.).

5. The Bachelor because it is so RIDICULOUS.

6. Lavender Reed Diffusers in my home.

7. La' Berry's Taro Frozen Yogurt topped with fresh fruit.

8. Lilly Pulitzer Prints - I really need to learn to sew.

9. My dependable Navy Blue Toyota Matrix.

10. Beagles!

Eschewing Shopping!

Give up shopping for the year???

This sounds very extreme, so I will clarify. My main New Year's Resolution for 2012 is to continue my efforts in cutting back - which I've been doing for the last 6 or so months already. I've challenged myself to take this to the next level. (Along with increasing my reading load.)

I took a substantial cut in relocating to accomplish my goal (which I did) of being in a good school district closer to home to complete my practicum in Fall. It's been a bit of an adjustment for me, and I knew I would make sacrifices going into this. I left a job that demanded so much of my time to take on a new challenge with better hours. When I am feeling shorthanded, I remind myself that I do have more freedom.

I think I am doing pretty well holding down my little fort on my own. I have taken advantage of couponing, subscribed to some helpful money saving Twitter accounts and used my "librarianship" skills to research the best deals out there.

Giving up "shopping" for me does not represent the extreme of trading in my car for a bicycle and pioneering a community bartering system. We all know this is not me! It is all about "scaling back," and avoiding frivolous shopping - where a 10-minute Target run for a single item turns into 1-hour and 5 items later.

I put my resolution to the test in January. I aimed for one main grocery store trip and one main drug store run for the month in which all items purchased had to be a combination of sales and/or coupons.

A single drugstore trip was substantial this month, and I only picked up a few detergents and deodorants (less than $10). I store extra household/health items in a rubbermaid bin from previous couponing. For instance, if I find a deal to get Colgate toothpaste for around 50 cents a tube, I buy a couple for my stockpile. This way I never run out and always pay the best prices for name brand goods.

The single grocery trip was not realistic in January. If I did very little baking or cooking, then this could work but that's not the case. I go through butter, cream cheese, sugar, flour, etc. It also fluctuates from month to month depending on the occasions for baking that occur.

I made my one main trip to Kroger at the beginning of the month. I made an additional trip near the end of the month to Publix to replenish staples (i.e. milk, fruit, bread, etc.). But it wasn't a budget busting trip either. Additionally, my fave Food Lion stores here went out of business. I made a trip on the day that their final inventory went 75% and picked up some cooking spices and baking ingredients for dirt cheap.

I was really proud of myself with "frivolous" shopping which is where it can really add up. I've decided to set aside one time (any day of my choice) each month when I can make purchases that are not considered necessities. That means no online shopping and avoiding malls and Targets and WalMarts during the other 30ish days. (Gifts from my mom do not count, of course! She treated me to a lovely cardigan from The Loft over the weekend!)

I decided to save my day in January until the end of the month. I found that there were certain items I'd had in mind all month that I selected carefully (eliminating impulse buys): a pair of jeans, a cape I've been eying since November that went 60%, adorable Valentine cards that I designed online using a $25 coupon code...and the piece de la resistance, a Nook (which will also promote my other resolution to expand my reading horizons.

I had been researching refurbished Nooks, plus I had 2 large gift cards from my Aunt and Uncle from birthday and Christmas that I had been sitting on. I highly recommend looking into refurbished products when researching deals. These items undergo extensive testing and are highly scrutinized before ever making it to a retail store. The outer casings are all shiny and new, with revamped inner workings. Look for manufacturer refurbished products, because these will include full warranties and arrive in a pristine, factory sealed box/packaging.

My new camel cape with brown leather trim that's sure to be a classic which I am excited about nabbing. It's been marked down to $36 from $125 (I also used a 15% coupon code) at JCP.

Sweeten up January with Peppermint Frozen Yogurt

This afternoon I had planned to work on a little project outside involving paint, but unfortunately my humid, tornado weather is stirring up these clouds and add heavy rains and hail since snapping this view off my back porch a little bit ago. Perhaps tomorrow I can get on it. Until then, I thought I'd share my first batch of yogurt with my new Cuisinart.


I have never made homemade yogurt before, and it has been years and years since I've participated in the making of ice cream either. My grandparents always made homemade peach ice cream during summers when I was a kid. I can remember assisting by pouring the box of rock salt into the outer section of their ice cream maker. This machine is so compact that the days of rock salt are long gone.

I chose Peppermint as the frozen yogurt flavor, because I had a lot of candy canes left over from Christmas. I had quite a few mini-canes plus several standard candy canes and a few of the peppermint soft candies. I am not a big hard candy person, and I would never consume these otherwise.

Here is a recipe I found for Peppermint Frozen Yogurt through a site called YumYum.

Peppermint Stick Frozen Yogurt

INGREDIENTS:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 eggs
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup crushed peppermint candy
2 cups PLAIN yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp light corn syrup


I had a few ingredients at home, and I picked up the rest at Kroger. As you can see, I bought the store brand as Kroger was having a big sale on their private label products. I think I calculated I had about $10 in the ingredients, but the recipe only calls for a small amount of some of these which have a lengthy shelf life. I will be able to make future batches without having to pick up as much now.

First I inventoried my ingredients versus the recipe. I realized that the recipe called for 2 cups of plain yogurt, but I only had purchased one. I resorted to my refrigerator, where I had some coconut yogurts that I take to work as a snack. Since coconut yogurt has a mild flavor, I crossed my fingers that it would not affect the flavor of my frozen yogurt (and it did not).


Before I started anything, I opened all of my peppermint candy and placed it into one quart-sized Ziploc bag. I took a small hammer from my tool box and pounded the candies through the Ziploc bag onto my cutting board. Some pieces ground up to almost a powdery consistency while others remained in very small chunks. (It's a great way to get out any aggressions too!)


The first step of the recipe is to pour the milk (1/2 cup) into a saucepan on low heat and then sprinkle one packet of the unflavored gelatin over the milk. I used 1% since the recipe did not specify that it had to be whole milk. This worked beautifully as would whole milk. I was just cutting out fat and calories.

I stirred the above 2 ingredients for just a few minutes until it had pretty much dissolved for me. Then I set it on a cool burner to allow it to cool down.

In my mixer on medium speed:
I beat the 2 eggs until thick.
I beat in the corn syrup.
I beat in the milk+gelatin mixture from my skillet.
I beat in the yogurt.
I beat in the ground up peppermint candies.
I beat in the lemon juice.
I beat in the whipping cream (whisk these a few hard strokes before adding).


At this point I had a smooth pale pink mixture with the residue of peppermint candy to give the final product a little texture and subtle crunch. I did not add food coloring. The red color from the peppermints created this ideal shade of pink (you can see in the photos below) once it was completely mixed in my Kitchenaid mixer.

I bypassed the recipe steps that explain how you can make the frozen yogurt by hand without a yogurt machine. If you don't have the machine, you can follow steps #7-11 HERE. (It is about a 4-hour process without the machine).

I removed the stainless bowl for my yogurt machine that had remained in my freezer up until this very step. I wanted it to be as optimally cold as possible to work its magic. I placed the stainless bowl in my freezer 2 nights before making my frozen yogurt, based on the recommendation in my manual.

I put the stainless bowl into the base of the yogurt maker. I poured my mixture from the mixing bowl into the stainless bowl. I could see the mixture already becoming visibly hardened. I placed the machine's plastic paddle down into the mixture. I secured the plastic cover making sure I locked it onto place.

I plugged in my machine, pressed the power button and watched it work its magic. This was so quick, less than 15 minutes. Below are pictures of the mixture's consistency from start to finish.

At the end, it was perfection. I was so pleased with just how tasty it turned out and how well the entire process flowed for me. Once it was complete and I had enjoyed a scoop, I transferred all of it to a plastic container with an air tight lid which I stored in my freezer. I would say it made enough for about 5-6 servings (2 average-sized scoops). I figured up each serving to have less than 5 grams of fat and approximately 200 calories.

I'm thinking of trying a berry flavor the next time.

Just January

Well, I don't know about y'all, but the theme of my week (besides busy) is paying bills and surfing the Higher Ed job site for any sort of online, part-time instructional technology teaching positions (as a side gig)...seems everyone is looking for Business or Literature teachers instead.

My first 101 class met Wednesday morning, and it went pretty smoothly. My students were just so quiet, and I could not get them to say hardly anything. The first day is a bit overwhelming for them, because this is an orientation class and there are tons of handouts and things to take in. I even made french vanilla coffee with toppings for them, but most of them acted too shy to partake. What a vast difference from observing HS students during my practicum in Fall! They would've knocked each other over to get to a coffee bar, and I would have had a few discipline problems to boot! So I can't complain, all in all.

I also made a couple of awesome bulletin boards at work: one for the office on careers and one for the college to promote campus organizations. I received a lot of positive feedback on these. Sometimes I feel like a working machine.

It's been so warm and humid here that I am loving the cooler temps and gusty winds tonight. I just wish we had a few snowflakes in our forecast too -- jealous of those northwesterners and their blankets of white. I am gearing up for a busy MLK Holiday weekend and will be in touch soon!