So what happens after the holidays?

To be honest a lot of good intentions and lounging. Hahaha

As my mind starts to shift mentally to prepare for the next term of Grad school (& the course I've feared before I ever got my admission letter). I had a lot of projects, cleaning/organizing that I wanted to achieve but haven't done much. Christmas sucked sometimes, just laziness. Its harder with kids, it is true. At least for me since I haven't found that sweet rhythm yet. So with a new year starts a new you!

Goals:

Get Healthy
Get Focused (particularly for school)
Get Clinical Preceptor Commitment
Get Lily some education

I'm a big goal and list type of person so it's always a working thing, modifiable & adjustable.

Do you have any new goals for 2018?

Merry Christmas

Happy birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone is blessed not only today but in the new year. And may the world be kinder & more compassionate in 2018. 

Military Life

Are you (or your spouse) in the military?

I'm interested in finding out some personal insight/opinions. I have considered the military as an employer several times in my life. Recently, I've gotten some information from a recruiter from the Air Force because it is the only branch accepting WHNPs. While some of my family are strongly against the idea of me joining the military, it is still something I can't rule out. My biggest concern is how my kids would be impacted. With moving at least once (if I only served 4 years) and the potential for my deployment (although less likely than a FNP and probably only for 4-6 months). 

I'm gathering information as I continue with school. 

Some pros would be: job security, honor in serving as a Captain (probably), healthcare/potential retirement benefits, military discounts.

CVS Trip

I went to CVS today to spend about $9 ECB from my Thanksgiving trip.

My breakdown:
I spent $33.11 OOP
got $18 EB back
Which would be about $15 on this stuff. I've never tried any of the makeup product but am trying to expand my makeup abilities. Get cute and maybe look have a sharp professional look. At least need some good headshots. I've got a month until my $18 EB expires so who knows what else I'll get but if you need any makeup they are having some great deals.

The Christmas Gift that almost wasn't...

A couple weeks ago my husband ordered me a gift. It hadn't come yet so he checked the status on the retailer's website. It was sent to an address that we lived at 10 years, maybe a couple miles from our current house. I suppose my husband was "click happy" and didn't bother to read the shipping address. We went to the post office to see if it might be there. We went to the old house but no one answered. We didn't leave a note but decided to see if the retailer had gotten it back. While they had not they were very nice with working with us to fix the problem, even giving us free 2-day shipping so the replacement could arrive before Christmas.

So, I thought that was the end of story. But this afternoon someone came to our house and handed the package to my mom, saying they opened it figuring it would be someone's gift and checked the billing address. 

I don't know who lives in our old house and they certainly owed us nothing. It was a simple mistake. They could have kept it or returned to sender. So I just want to say thank you & God bless those with an honest heart and the kindness to deliver a gift to the correct house. While the gift of this item is a material possession I could live without, the true gift is knowing there are still good people in the world, in America. 

So don't get too caught up in the materialism of the holidays but remember to be kind, compassionate, and giving. Those gifts will outlive any material item. Merry Christmas!

DIY Gifts

Are you making any of your gifts this year?

Recently I have tried a few DIY recipes for household products and am going to use some as gifts. I use Pinterest to find the awesome recipes. Click my link to pinterest on the right and go to my crafty album. 

Homemade Vanilla

Toilet Bombs

Challah

Taco Seasoning

If you've used Pinterest then you probably know that you can find almost anything on there.

But if you prefer to buy your gifts, why not a Zulily Gift Certificate. They have such a wide selection from baby gear to clothes for the family, even pet things at times. 

Try the cute reindeer as a little extra embellishment. Lily & I made a few of them the other night, Fun project for kids! 

Happy Gifting!

Tuesday Tunes

This week's song is a catchy little old song that reminds me of love. It also reminds me of How I Met Your Mother. But this song could be applied to many of the people I love and has a good beat tht I can clean to. Sing it with me...

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)

And if Netflix hasn't taken HIMYM off the life-up then I'd watch an episode (it was featured in several episodes). Because when you love someone, anyone, wouldn't you walk some miles? 

For my daughters, my husband. 

Thrift Store Trip

So I like to go to some thrift stores every now and then and see what kind of magic I can find. I will say that stores of second-hand items vary greatly. The Goodwill stores near my home are not that great, maybe I've just come after all the decent things are gone OR maybe it is related to the organization of the store but I've rarely gotten anything at them. However, the very best second-hand shop I've been to is a Goodwill in another town (another state), I go to it about once a year but secretly wish I go about once a month haha. When I lived in Palm Beach County the Goodwill was pretty good too. Got some of my favorite jeans there. So do not judge one store based off of another!
My latest purchase was at my local thrift store. I was going for the purpose of needing some 18th-month clothes for Trinity, the selection was limited but probably expected due to the closeness to the holiday shopping season. I got some items for her and picked up a few more...

Above: 2 toys for Trinity $4

Above: 2 pairs of Torrid Jeans $18.99

I "might" be able to get a lower-priced brand of jeans at Walmart for that price, just one pair or slightly more. If I were to go to a Torrid store the price be about $64-74 for one pair, so I definitely got a good deal there! The toys I'm not sure what would retail for brand new. 

Do you shop at thrift stores?

Tuesday Tunes - Christmas Edition

Well it's December so that means it is time to bust out the holiday jingles (if you haven't done so yet). This week of my little musical segment I'm focusing on my favorite Christmas songs. Although, I am honestly still in a 90's R&B kick (or something with TLC, Boys 2 Men, etc). Which makes litte sense to me because I've a rock godess with heavy mental & alternative tendencies but I do grow up around then. Perhaps when I heard those songs my heart was still innocent & dreaming of a fairy tale... then life occured & bring on the Zombie muhahaha. But anyways, here is my (quickly put together) grateful 8.

8.Dean Martin - Let it Snow

7. The Drifters - White Christmas

6.Amasic - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

5. Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song 

4. Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack

3. You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch

2. My Chemical Romance - All I want for Christmas is You

1. Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

While I love most any Christmas song, the last one has been my favorite a long time. It makes me reflect and miss my grandma. But always a message dear to my heart keep going, move forward, it will be OK, we will meet again. 

Merry Christmas

Kohls Shopping...

Who doesn't love $15 Kohls Cash? Well, I loved it so much that I was able to score two of them with some post black Friday shopping. What is better than earning them? Redeeming them baby. Below is what I got...

Big One King Size Comforter Orig. $119.99

Moana Girls Tee Orig. 20

Baby Girl Jumping Beans Plaid Henley $16

Men's Sonoma Flannel Shirt Orig. 40

St. Nicholas Square Gingerbread Salad Plate $4.99

-------------------------Cost Me Out of Pocket $56.34------

Saved $154.59

used $52.12 in promo code & my previous $30 in Kohls Cash & $5 reward

I also earned $10 in Kohls Cash for use next week 

Moana Shirt - a birthday gift for Lily

Red plaid shirts - Lily & I already have one that matches them so we are going to be a red plaid matching family

Salad plate - it is going to be used as out Santa cookie plate for Christmas Eve

Comforter - Just something for me & the Hubs, we needed a change in the boudoir 

Walmart Beauty Box UNBOXING

I got my "Fall" Walmart beauty box last week. They cost $5 shipped and you get a random amount of women geared items. Mostly travel/sample size but I have gotten a full-size bottle of nail polish or lipstick in the past. Walmart also has a baby box but it is a bit different and only $5. This is not shipped monthly like other subscription boxes but seasonally (4x yr).

Tuesday Tunes

While my original idea was to make a musical Monday post, life happens & that usually involves changes. This week is an old one from the 90's. Something about this song makes me want to dance and I did just that as I spent time cleaning. On a side note, I once had this song sang to me over the phone. Enjoy it (and the songs to follow)...

Ginuwine "Pony" 

While I'm all about the original (above) I soon found that this song as many renditions. Maybe try one out? 

Ed Sheeran 

Voice of Germany  (why is a German show singing in English?)

Bruno Mars 

Ciara 

Gee I...

GI!

What a complex system of the body! Liver, spleen, pancreas, mouth to anus. I'm guessing that most adults have had some sort of GI abnormalities, acute ones at least. The doctor may listen, look, poke around but all in the great effort to diagnosis without causing excessive unnecessary testing. So to all my future patients who come to me with GI pain disturbances, forgive me for palpating you. Just trying to assess the location & size of your vital internal organs. 

Know Your Poop

Evaluation of the GI patient. 

My Favorite Deals

The deals are a popping & the bank accounts are dropping

Have you done any post-holiday spending?

I definately have and here are a few of my favorite deals, catch'em if you can...

• Kohl's: They are having a variety of sales, coupon codes for extra percentage off, & my fav $15 Kohl's Cash!!!!!
• Shutterfly: Use code PREVIEW to get 10 free cards & 40% additional cards (there are probably other deals too or codes). 
• Good Earth Tea Co.: Get a free sample here. But once they meet the quota then it's shut down so don't hesitate. I know I've been getting into tea more (I'm not cold/sweet tea person, I like green, herbal/medicinal types). 
• Maple Holistics: Get a free sample here, I've not tried this company but have requested a sample. 
• If you just wanna save on some groceries or other items then download Ibotta, use my link & we'll be teammates toward bonus goals & I'll receive a referral bonus too. (Make your Kohl's purchase thru this app and you'll save more). This year I'll earned over $95, probably gonna turn that into gift cards. Or you can use my referral code htmsmac
• Walmart: My First Christmas teddy bear. I gotta get this for Trinity's 1st Christmas! Also some of the black Friday deals are online now. 
• Academy Sports: Fleece blanket for $1.99, free shipping!!! LIMITED TIME deal here.

Brandless

Have you heard of Brandless?

Apparently, it is a sweet online shop that offers everything for $3 in simple, no excess/hassle packaging with high-quality wholesome products because they reduce the need for all the extra pizzazz. So when they had a free shipping promo I ordered the Maple Pecan Granola & the Maple Cinnamon Twists. I haven't tried the granola yet (I usually eat mine with yogurt but due to family illness I've been off dairy for a week) but the M.C. Twists are yum yum!

Maple Cinnamon Twists
 Very flaky with a good coating of a maple, cinnamon sweetness. Crispy but not crumbly. The package is on the smaller side but I only eat a couple at a time which is satisfying (if you tend to eat a large quantity at one time you might order more than one). Vegan & no artificial anything.

                                                                      (copyright Brandless)

They have a variety of items like health, beauty, household, etc. and appear to be expanding. Also, my items were shipped pretty quickly after I ordered them. Very satisfied customer.

[my opinion is my own and I have NOT been compensated to post this, just a personal review of my own experience]

23 & Me

Have you done your Ancestry & Health genetic screening yet?

I did mine a few months back when I was in my epidemiology class because I found it was interesting to see what my genetic map may hold for me in my future health. And I've also been fascinated at what my ancestry holds. 

I'm mainly northwestern European, some Irish/British, French/German, & Scandivavian. 

TODAY ONLY you can for half off, $99 on Amazon!

Don't tell my husband but I ordered one for him....

Get yours HERE

The Pie

4 Way Sheet Pan Pie 

I made a few alterations 

• Streusel topping instead of pie crust over the apple section (1/2 c flour + 1/2 c brown sugar + 1/2 t cinnamon + 3 T butter)
• My local store didn't have jarred cherries (& the canned ones were just too $$$) so I cheated and bought premade canned pie filling (next time I'll check another store or use fresh)
• Pumpkin section I used my own homemade pumpkin puree
• Crust dams = because some people are just picky and don't want "extra" flavor in their pie

***UPDATE***
So  the pie was good but I would say...

• Apple - needed more apples. I weighed mine at the grocery store prior to peeling/coring to get near the 2# mark but maybe it should be 2# post prep? I'd definately use more as my husband, the apple pie connoisseur , said "there is no apples"...
• Pumpkin - section was the thickest or more filled section which was close to normal pumpkin pie thickness/depth
• Pecan - was thinner or less full than a normal pecan pie, good ratio to pecans vs gooey filling. This was more the thickness of pecan pie bars that I've made in the past
• Cherry - one can of filling as appropriate (although next time I want to try homemade)

I'd this was a good recipe for a family or if wanting options. I sliced each section into 4 moderate/large pie slices, equaling 16 slices.

Music Motivation

What a dull world it would be without music! I love to sing (in the privacy of my own house) played the clarinet for a year, and own a piano. I love music. It soothes my soul, it gets me moving, it inspires me, it comforts me. Music is therapeutic. So for this episode (yes, I'm calling this post an episode because when I write it is an extension of my voice, sure maybe no one is listening & I'm talking to myself but so be it) my motivational music is ....

Destiny's Child - Bills, Bills, Bills

I used this song (& similar songs) during my study session today. And yes I might have been seat dancing (is that what you call the movements that take over your body when you are seated?). Perhaps the title correlates with my task at hand (studying) because I got to get the grades to pay those bills (student loans?). LOL 

Check out the link, it's to Pandora if you have the app or use the website. I was listening to it on the TLC radio channel. 

Want more information on musical therapy? 

- American Music Therapy Association 

- Music As Medicine 

- Music Therapy: What is Music Therapy? 

- How Music Can Help You Heal

Lily's Future Christmas Gifts UNBOXING

This one is geared to the family who may have a desire to buy darling daughter Lily a gift this holiday season. This is most of our gifts for her. I can't recall when I started this collection but it has been accumulating for months. My 3 yr old loves cooking/kitcheny stuff. She has some characters that she likes too like PJ Masks (new), Disney, and probably others but she is the kid that is like "oh I want that" "ahh yes I need that", etc. But the God honest truth is, she has no Need for any more toys, which is why she is getting dress up stuff and a mod podge of randomness. Please refrain from toys unless it is on her list, like a play microwave, or something educational. She loves to read to as well. her piggy bank can always use a few dollars... seriously my house is well stocked with toys.

P.S. forgive my not so clean room

Happy Thanksgiving Week

If you ask me, Fall time is the best season. While the end of this fabulous time is fading into colder days, longer nights and a glimpse of what winter has in store for us lets enjoy the time we have left.

Are you cooking a feast this week? I sure am. I cooked my first turkey when I was 12 & for years have been doing the same or similar feast to celebrate Thanksgiving. In fact, I bet I posted about it in early years of the blog.

My Menu 2017

• Relish Tray (this is what my family calls dip with veggies, cheese, crackers like an appetizer)
• Deviled Eggs (no mayo, no relish)
• Rolls
• Turkey
• Gravy
• Stuffing
• Scalloped Corn
• Green Bean Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• 4-way Sheet Pan Pie (it's a new one I'm trying) 

Way more food than my little tribe need but how do you cut out a dish that you usually only get once or twice a year? I just don't know if it would be T-day without them all... 

Here is my rough draft plan:

Tuesday: Make brine & bath the beast

Wednesday: Make the mammoth pie, rolls, eggs, prep relish try.

Thursday: Bake the beast and finish the feast! 

My plan for Thursday will also include a trip to CVS (gotta score some deals) & watching the Macy's parade. My husband has to work on T-day, poopers, so we eat Thanksgiving Lunch = Lee wakes up super Early! 

Facebook Shopping ads?

I have noticed that a few clothing type shops have been on my facebook. Dresslily, Gamiss, Rosegal, and probably others. Have you shopped these places? Visited their sites?

While they appear to offer discounted fashionable clothes, is it too good to be true? Or a just a hot seller? I'm about to find out as I just purchased 4 items from one of the listed retailers above. Once my items arrive I will blog it. And if I don't fizzle out or neglect my real life then maybe some other posts I will create will include:

• Black Friday/Holiday Shopping
• DIY projects
• Cooking
• Life of a graduate student

Anything you'd like me to post about?

FYI: Here is a flash of my life changes since I was a blogging.... Since the birth of my Lil in 2014, I've... gotten my BSN, delivered child #2 (3 yrs & 1 day after Lil), started grad school, almost done with 1 yr grad school to be the most awesome WHNP. Living in the same house but lost a cat and a dog then gained another dog but had to give him away. Decided to move then took it back, then decided to move, and.... I'm not sure what is happening anymore. I'm a mom, a wife, a nurse, and faithful to my studies to achieve WHNP.

I'm Back...

So it's been a long time, years lets say. But I miss my tiny blogging world. While I will not begin to dabble in the thoughts of what others have of my nearly non-existent blog. I'm doing this for me and my story. Or better yet, my family's story. So enjoy my blog revamping and I will try to post on a semi-regular basis as I continue my journey through graduate school. So here we go...

I have a Samsung G5 but ran out of storage... And grad school wants me to download apps.... uhh umm... so.

As I googled, struggled my way to find how to get my old sd data onto my need sd card. After an hour at a website, a car ride to the lost prophet, and one lucky break while at Walmart my solution was found. I'd like to believe this would work on any phone but I have no knowledge to base this on.

I found this Sunpack high-speed card reader. Hooked up to my computer with my old sd card, uploaded and copied to a file. Then replaced it with my new sd card, copied the file onto my new sd card.... wham bam thank you, Mam! And now I have tons of space to clog my phone with.

It's just what I need to reinstall the Amazon app and score some Black Friday deals! bahahahaha