:: love ::

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:: things we can make ::

woohoo! november's is up already. i am an overacheiver (or just tired of keeping quiet!)

so i have been into craft/food/all kinds of blogs this past summer...so i've decided to do something about it! my goal is to make something at least once a month (which i think is completely achievable).

just a note...some things i can make completely by myself,and other things require help from significant others.

this is a very special edition of ::things i can make :: it is definitely not a things i can make...it is a thing we made together.

we could not have "made" this special treat without my dear sweet hubby, without my Father God ~ the creator of all things AWESOME, and the prayers and encouragement of some super awesomely amazing friends and family.

and unlike all the other :: things i can make :: i'm NOT going to give a step by step tutorial...because that would be GROSS and completely TMI and if you aren't sure you should ask your mom!

so without further ado....what God has created within me!

update on the 10 minutes

...i'll be honest...the ten minutes is difficult (if you aren't sure what i'm referring to click HERE

i can be known to come in from work, sit on the couch for "just a minute" and that minute turns into an hour and then i have stuff i really need to do.
so i punish myself (bad joy). if i dont do 10 mins today...i have to do 20 tomorrow. it can add up pretty quickly. so much that ive had to do an hour (or more) on the weekend. arg.

i'm still trying to make simple steps. even when i don't do my 10 mins
~ pick up all five pairs of shoes i have under the couch
~ throw the junk mail away
~ clear off the kitchen table
and it helps! but its not enough! i have to discipline myself enough to actually do the 10 mins!

like right now i could:
~ fold clothes
~ put sweet hubby's hunting mess up
~ load/unload the dishwasher
~ clean off the "island" (old kitchen table) and counters
~ straighten the bathroom
~ etc...etc...etc...

WOW! i need to get to work!

so yeah...more discipline...less propping my feet up (though sweet hubby helps around the house sooo much! i love the mess out of that guy!)

...i'm going to do today's 10 right now...

:: things i can make ::

so i have been into craft/food/all kinds of blogs this past summer...so i've decided to do something about it! my goal is to make something at least once a month (which i think is completely achievable).

just a note...some things i can make completely by myself,and other things i need help from significant others.

this month a made a very stereotypical simple craft. with the help of some super awesome kindergarteners of course :).

materials:
pumpkin
sharp knife
paring knife
ice cream scoop
pen
cinnamon
candle
matches

*special note: do not allow children to handle the knife...they could cut their fingers off!

step one:
cut a circle around the stem and remove stem (you will need to keep it though!) - make sure to slant the knife so that you can put the stem back when you are finished

step two:
remove the icky slimey insides and seeds...let the kids help (and play with it) - this is when the ice cream scoop comes in QUITE handy (you can also separate the seeds from the gunk to roast later)

step three:
trace the outline of the face/object you would like to be on your pumpkin with a pen (i did leaves a few years ago all around the pumpkin and it turned out SUPER cute)

step four:
cut out the outlines (a paring knife is great for details), remove and throw away

step five:
sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin completely with cinnamon so that it doesnt stink when you light it

step six:
light candle, place in bottom of pumpkin, and put the stem back on

step seven:
display for all to see :)

:: things i can make ::

so i have been into craft/food/all kinds of blogs this past summer...so i've decided to do something about it! my goal is to make something at least once a month (which i think is completely achievable).

just a note...some things i can make completely by myself,and other things i need help from significant others.

this creation took the assistance of my blessed mother. without her...i would not have had the equipment needed to make this beautiful creation.

that being said...here we go

materials needed:
magic bullet (thanks mom)
various fresh fruits/veggies
various frozen fruits
small container or yogurt
milk
knife

time required:
maybe 5 mins

result:
super smooth and sweet smoothie :)

directions:
get materials (dog treats not required)

i used kiwi and baby carrots for my fresh fruit this time (one day i want to try apple)

strawberry yogurt (though plain and vanilla make good smoothies too)

and strawberries for my frozen fruit...fooled you with the blueberries didnt i? (bananas* and blueberries...yum...maybe next time)

peel (if neccessary) and cut the fresh fruit/veggies into small chunks

put the yogurt in the bullet cup first (...ive learned order does matter...just in time until completion though)

add fresh and frozen fruit and veggies (the more frozen stuff the thicker the smoothie)

add milk to the top of the bullet cup

screw on the bullet blade

put the bullet cup in the bullet base

get ready to whir :)

whir :) (press the bullet cup so it blends)

continue "whir-ing" until thoroughly blended (this may require a couple pauses to shake the bullet cup)

you can actually see and hear when it is completely blended...pretty cool

enjoy

just a note:
* bananas freeze well - wait until ripe, peel,cut in half, freeze in a ziplock bag - take out what you want when you want it (and surprisingly they don't really freeze together)

the fruit/veggies/yogurt you use will vary the color of the smoothie...don't be grossed out

:: just 10 minutes ::

i have a confession to make.

I AM A MESSY PERSON.

I AM A VERY MESSY PERSON.

whew, im glad i got that off my chest! now, if being a messy person wasn't enough...i just have to complicate it a little.

I AM A VERY MESSY PERSON AND I HATE MESSES!!!!!

yup thats me. messy while despising messes. leaves me in a conundrum.

there are many (many) times i have talked to my sweet husband about hating how messy our house can get. but i look around and realize ~ the mess is mostly mine!
the 6 pairs of shoes under the couches and kitchen table ~ yup mine
the opened mail fanned out across the table ~ you guessed it mine
the magic bullet parts on the counter ~ again mine
the sink of dirty dishes ~ ours (finally something thats not all my fault)
the onion skin and potato peelings on the floor and counter ~ i blame it on me attempting to cook
the dirty clothes on the bedroom floor ~ hey i may be able to wear them again

i think you get the point. im messy. but it drives. me. crazy. beyond. crazy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (i had to get that off my chest).

this summer i did a little bit better controlling the mess. life was pretty relaxed and i found some pleasure in keeping the house straightened (gasp, its true). but school started a little over three weeks ago for us. school = work, i teach, sweet husband does campus ministry. so three weeks of full time work plus about a week of prep...that being said...our house has gotten a bit cluttery...well messy honestly.

and again it drives. me. crazy.

so i came up with a plan. a 10 minute plan. just 10 minutes monday through friday.

it boils down to this:
as soon as i get home (immediately after walking though the door...immediately!)
set the microwave timer for 10 mins (and only 10)
straighten, wipe-down, wash, put away the 6 pairs of shoes, you get the point
when the timer goes off ~ stop..sit down, prop my feet up, eat a snack, rest

it only adds 10 minutes to my work day but makes my evening so much less stressful and more relaxed. i no longer have to be overwhelmed by the clutter...oh happy day :)

i tried out the 10 minutes today for the first time...and look at all i got accomplished:
shoes put away
floor in living room, kitchen, and bedroom picked up
counters, stove, and kitchen table straightened and wiped down
dishwasher unloaded
sweet hubby's work stuff organized
tools put back
laundry started

i say it was a very successful 10 minutes.

and i came away with only two rules...and both of them have to do with the dishwasher
1 ~ start working on dishwasher tasks LAST
2 ~ if you start unloading and loading and the timer goes off...finish before you stop

thats it success in 10 minutes :)

now for me to feel caught up on housework i just have to fold laundry, ill tackle that after my rest...

:: glaucoma and me ::

this summer i went for my yearly exam...eye exam that is.
having been in glasses since 4th grade, this is of significant importance to me.

everything was going just "run of the mill" when near the end of my appointment my eye dr (lets call him dr h) goes "do you have a family history of glaucoma."

me being the naive silly one that i am said "well i think my grandfather had to have surgery to remove it"
silly girl...he had surgery to remove his cateracts....

that being said...no i was not aware of any history of glaucoma. "WHY?!?"
and dr h says..."the hole in your optic nerve (which everyone has) is much larger than it should be. lets run some more tests. oh and medical insurance will now cover your eye doctor exams and tests because you are a "glaucoma suspect". someone who one day MAY develop glaucoma."

...ill be honest...i freaked out a little. but he said one day i MAY develop it...so breathe joy, breathe.

i was to return for some "baseline tests" so "we can monitor your eyes to see if there are any changes through the years"

so tests...pictures of my optic nerve, peripheral vision flashy light test, heat picture of my eyes, touch my eyes with the plastic thingy....tests.

i survived each and every one of them. "you'll be getting a phone call in a week or so to review your test."

...no phone call. wait another week (me calling them would mean that i would have to take some initiative..and well i didnt) still no call. wait another week...get a voicemail "we have the results of your tests, call us so we can review them. i call them back, "oh wait, i can't go over them on the phone, dr h wants you to come in and go over them with you as soon as possible."

that was definitely not was what supposed to happen, so i conned sweet hubby into going with me.

we arrive to go over my tests. i passed the peripheral flashy light test with flying colors (dr h even showed me where i cheated). the other tests were ok too...my pressure was not too high...the picture just showed what the doctor saw. but the heated picture...that is where the problem was. apparently, you should have fan like heat coming from the optic nerve going out to the edges of your eyes...i do not.

so the official diagnosis was glaucoma...at 27...i have glaucoma.
...or a major injury to my optic nerves...but dr h feels pretty confident that it is glaucoma.

so what does that mean for me?
i have the pleasure of taking an eye drop a day. thats it. simple as that.
the eye drop Lumigan, should keep my pressure from spiking and therefore prevent further injury or enlargement to the hole in my optic nerve.

if it doesnt, then i could start to lose my peripheral vision, and if we dont do something about it, i could slowly lose my vision. if i lose any of it, i cant get it back. thats is why dr h is so glad we "caught it" so early.

so side effects of Lumigan:
~ my eyelashes will become longer *reversible with discontinuance of drop

~ my eyelashes will become fuller *reversible with discontinuance of drop

~ my eyelashes will become darker *reversible with discontinuance of drop

~ my beautiful brown eyes will become browner (no matter what color your eyes are the drops make them browner)*non-reversible

~ my eyelids may become darker *reversible with discontinuance of drop

~ dry eye, scratchy eye, eye fatigue (these are the side effects i am actually experiencing)

i have decided that i can handle this...and i can conquer this..."it aint nothin but a thang" (i cant believe i just said that)

so i have been on the drops for two weeks now (no i havent noticed any difference in my eye lashes).
i went for a follow-up appt to test my pressure and look at my optic nerve again. so they touched my eye with the icare tonometer (anyone that says they cant feel it...is lying...and i wear contacts) and my pressure had gone up (gasp). definitely not supposed to happen. so they retested...it was a little bit better, but not what dr h wanted to see. what to do what to do?
im to continue with the Lumigan, and hopefully my pressure will drop a little bit more. dr h also added another drop to help with my eye fatigue, scratchy-ness, and dryness.

but like i said, i can handle this...im not going to let it conquer me. its just a lable, and believe me, i know that anyone can overcome lables :)