Help Paying for the Holidays

The holidays will be here in the blink of an eye and affording those of recent past might not align with the current cash flow plan. With that in mind, I'm offering the following suggestions to help:

• Cash Infuse your Holiday - Find something that works into the nooks and crannies of your everyday life and start a business. Start today and you could earn extra money to boost the holiday budget. Suggestions: Network marketing, organization, virtual assistant, focus group participation, anything your friends say, "Wow! You're good at that."

• Feed your Holiday - Homemade food gifts can be some of the very best because of the time and care that go into creating them. Preparing these gifts can be a great way to get the whole family involved. Many can be made well in advance of the holidays so your gift center is stuffed well before the Thanksgiving turkey! Suggestions: Homemade garden fresh salsa or preserves that have been canned, chocolate dipped pretzel rods, hot cocoa kits, herb infused cooking oils, spiced nuts, or a custom spice blend or rub with a recipe for use.

• Craft your Holiday - Crafty can be cool! There are tons of ideas out there that will flatter the diverse styles of your friends and family. Grab your significant other and or your kids and get crafting! Suggestions: Buy bulk plain note cards and envelope then create personalized stationary using stamps or stencils and give a set of eight cards and envelopes tied with a sweet bow, decorate ornaments, or check out Etsy just about everything handmade under the sun.

• Picture your Holiday - Get out the digital camera or just download the pictures already on your memory card and select a few favorites. Visit a website like Snapfish and check out the hundreds of gift ideas. There are often discounts for buying multiples.

• Trade your Holiday - Everyone loves the way you paint, cook, plant, arrange flowers, bargain shop, blog, whatever it is that everyone loves, give a gift certificate for your time to teach, help or do it for them. This is a great idea for a gift exchange for a group of friends.

How do you plan to pay for the holidays this year? Post your comment here.

Three Minute Face

Enjoy this short video demonstration on a quick and easy three minute make-up routine.

Products

Virtual Illusion Makeup Primer

Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15

Eye Shadow in Linen, Smudge and Petal

Virtual Illusion Dual Volume Mascara inBlack/Brown

10-Piece Precision Brush Set

Did you know, during the month of July, Arbonne is paying for you to become a Preferred Client? Tell me more, you say? Well, it's only the greatest thing ever! Preferred Clients receive a 20% discount and their own login and id to shop online anytime they want. It's truly fab and I'd be happy to tell you more.

Have a beautiful day!

The New Pick Me Up

Red Bull, Rock Star, fill in the blank with your energy drink of the day. What's mine you ask? I'm so glad you did! Well, I've been a Starbucks fan for quite sometime but can't always run out for my usual triple venti, four Raw sugar cappuccino. Enter my new passion, Fizz Tabs.

I've been enjoying the energy boost from the Fizz Tabs for quite sometime but honestly didn't savor the flavor like my coffee treat. I was sharing this with my upline at a brainstorming session last night and she said, mix 1/2 tab pomegranate with 1/2 tab citrus splash. She was right (of course) - it was delish.

I'm now enjoying the flavor and the energy boost without all of the extra sugar found in your usual energy drinks. Tell me your favorite pick me up trick and if you'd like, I'll send you samples of mine.

Repurposed Over the Door Shoe Organizer

I'm quite the organizer, my can goods are faced and sorted in the pantry like you would see in the super market, my linen closet towels are folded in thirds with the open end facing toward the back of the closet and the list goes on. These things make me happy.

From time to time friends ask me for tips on staying organized. Recently, my gal pal Katie, otherwise known as Katie the Romance Lady, was bemoaning her transport, setup and break down routine for all of her, eh hem, bedroom accessories. We were brainstorming some solutions and I suggested an over the door shoe rack organizer. You know, the kind you find at Target for $12.99. It's worked out quite perfectly for general storage and decreased her set up and break down time for shows. Take a moment and just visualize an entire door covered with all of those, eh hem, bedroom accessories showcased in their clear plastic pouches.

Katie is so thankful for this idea that she is giving away an exclusive, limited edition, dual action vibrator. Yes, the Summer Lovin will be given away on July 31st to one lucky individual.


Here's how to enter:
Follow my blog - 1 entry
Follow me on Twitter - 1 entry
Follow Katie's blog - 1 entry
Follow Katie on Twitter - 1 entry
Book a party with Katie in July - 5 entries
Book a party with Katie in August - 3 entries

Do any number of these items and come back here to post a comment to let me know what you did. The winner will be selected via a random number generator on July 31st. Now get to it and tell your friends!

By the way, you have to be 18 or older to win this one.

Half a Green Thumb

I love to work in my yard, plant things and watch them grow. Currently, I would say that I maybe have half of the green thumb that my Mom possesses but I do know some of her tricks.

1. Start with good soil. If you aren't having success, have your soil tested. The Missouri Botanical Garden will do this for you.
2. Choose plants for your light conditions (sun, shade, part sun or part shade)
   
3. Don't over plant. Space your plants appropriately so there is room for them to grow.
4. Water regularly.
   
5. Fertilize (Miracle Grow) twice a week.

I hope, with time and patience, I can create outdoor wonderlands that look like this:

Your Secret's Safe with Me

Dad: Uh huh.

Dad: She said she really didn't like that apple, blueberry cereal puff concoction her mom made for dinner and the grass really felt icky on her feet and that grandfather needs to do something about that like get new grass or something but it was really funny when brother kept stacking those cups up and she kept knocking them down, good times, good times.

Dad: No, I didn't tell them what you really said.
Bailey: Good because I'm going to keep playing up this whole baby thing for awhile. These people make really hilarious faces trying to entertain me.

(Thanks to my friend Rachel at His, Mine and Ours for her awesome blogspiration. The format of this post is all hers. )

Five Minute Party Prep (ok, maybe ten)

I love to entertain and have a tendency to overdo it. I like to, it's just what I do.

Lately, I have been pressed for time between starting my Arbonne business (http://angieslayton.myarbonne.com), summer schedules and everything else but I still want to entertain. In light of this, I have developed a party prep routine that allows me to get party ready in under ten minutes. I also say "that would be great," when people ask if they can bring something. "Whatever looks good to you," is what I say when they ask me what I need.

Quick Clean (Three Minutes)
Grab the Windex, Bathroom Cleaner (I like Scrubbing Bubbles) and a roll of paper towels and head to the only bathroom guests will use. If you are a "green cleaner" replace paper towels with cleaning cloths of choice.

1. Windex the mirror
2. Wet the paper towel used to clean the mirror and wipe down the sink and potty
3. While everything is still wet, spray the Scrubbing Bubbles over all surfaces
4. While that sits for a few minutes, replace the hand towels and fix the shower curtain so it hides the tub/shower (remember this is the Quick Clean - no one will be showering or looking in your shower)
5. Wipe down the surfaces with a clean paper towel
6. Put the cleaning products away
7. Wipe down the counter in the kitchen

Quick Food (Five Minutes)
Have on hand grapes, crackers, cheese (I like the sandwich sliced variety) and summer sausage of your preference. Get out a cutting board, knife, kitchen scissors and if using the sandwich sliced cheese, the pizza cutter and three plates.

1. Wash your grapes and set on paper towels to dry
2. Put crackers on a plate, any plate will do - dinner plate, or a couple of small plates
3. If using sandwich sliced cheese, place four pieces on the cutting board each one covering half of the previously placed piece
4. Roll the pizza cutter up the middle, this will yield eight, long and skinny pieces of cheese
5. Roll the pizza cutter horizontally to cut each piece of cheese in half - not cutting the piece underneath (you now have 16 cracker cut pieces of cheese, already staggered to layer on a plate)
6. Place the cheese on a plate and continue with the cutting process until you have as many pieces as you need
7. Slice the summer sausage and place on the plate with the cheese
   
8. Grab the grapes and kitchen scissors and cut the bunch into tiny bunches with 4-6 grapes on each (guests can grab a few grapes without fighting the entire bunch)
9. Put out some small plates and napkins for guests
   

Straighten Up (Two Minutes)
Take a quick look around and

1. Fluff couch pillows
2. Straighten rugs
3. Stack up any piles of paper or magazines
4. Toss shoes or bags or any miscellaneous items into a bedroom or closet
5. Put on some lip gloss and smile! Your guests are here! Enjoy your visit!
   

Outdoor Fun

I'm preparing for a little brunch this morning with some friends that we haven't seen in quite awhile. I'll post my favorite recipe (creme brulee french toast) later with some pics.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share what we've been up to in the yard.

Last weekend we planed our containers, annual beds and herb garden.


Tonight we are having a pasta with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil from the herb garden - YUM!

The clematis is finally blooming for the first time. This is its third year and is a cutting from my mom's clematis. I love its deep purple blooms.
I can't remember what this plant is (found out - it's a bleeding heart) in the hanging basket but I find it very interesting. I do know it prefers shade. I should ask my mom, she would know, she's a botanical encyclopedia.

It's a lovely morning and I'm actually writing this post from my patio table while enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee - very special indeed!

Here's my spot:


And here's my view:

Baby's crying...pausing zen.

Blogging from the Phone Results

I was just able to access my blog from the laptop and see that the phone blog post somehow chopped my one blog into two. hmmm.... Well, maybe it is useful for emergency blogging of mini stories.

of thought as the tic, tic, tic of my laptop. I suppose this would be acceptable, say in some sort of blogging emergency...

Hmmm...blogging from my phone. So it says I can post to my blog by texting to this number from my phone. The keys don't seem to accommodate the same free flow

Rachel's Rockin Raffel

My gal pal Rach is having a Rockin Raffel on her blog His, Mine and Ours. Check it out if only to see super cute Carli Grace rockin her very own Newsgirl hat http://bit.ly/C8U9T.

While you're there go ahead and enter to win a Newsgirl or Newsboy hat in any size from Simply J Crochet's Etsy Shop. Super cute stuff!

Weekend Beauty Shower

I'm not an overly high maintenance gal but I do like my little luxuries. On occasion I like to have a piece of good chocolate before going to bed and I enjoy a pedicure from time to time but I digress, back to the beauty shower.

During the week it's shampoo, condition, body wash, wash the face and shave (if weather or clothing necessitates) in fifteen minutes or less. On the weekend, I linger and indulge myself in my shower. It goes something like this:

Before shower (12 minutes including mask time):

• Pull a clean towel from the linen closet (to use when the beauty shower is complete)
  
• Wash face in sink
  
• Tone (or use a facial wash with toner like the one found in Arbonne's FC 5 line)
  
• Apply mud mask (I have lots of recommendations here, let me know if you need any)
  

and...

...sit in the super comfy chair in my room, feet propped up on the foot of the bed and breathe deeply with my eyes closed...inhale...pause...exhale...pause....repeat and clear my mind.

Ok, times up, hop in the shower.

Shower (about 20 minutes):

• Leave the mask on and shampoo, rinse and repeat. Yes, repeat. Not everyday, just on beauty shower day. It makes a difference.
• Apply a hair mask - just tried Arbonne's Sea Source mask and LOVED IT! (Yes, I'm turning into an Arbonne junkie)
• Rinse facial mask
• Exfoliate entire body with scrub of choice - I like olive oil and coarse sea salt (straight from the kitchen) but only if you aren't going anywhere because you'll smell like salad dressing all day but it does wonders for the skin.
• Wash body with luxurious body wash (Dove's sensitive skin formula is just fine)
• Rinse hair mask
• Work conditioner into hair and leave in
• Shave with a shave gel or cream
• Wash face
• Turn the temp down in the shower as cool as is comfortable and rinse the conditioner. This leaves super shiny hair.

Hop out of the shower:

• Slightly towel off
• Apply super luxurious moisturizer (Arbonne's 24 hour Sea Source moisturizer is my new fav - in one week the winter dry skin bumps on the backs of my upper arms vanished)
• Apply facial moisturizer and eye cream (I'm loving Arbonne's FC 5 line right now)

Approximately 30 - 45 minutes later it appears that I spent four or more hours at a spa for a fraction of the cost and am ready to conquer the weekend refreshed and revitalized.

I love my beauty shower! My husband always laughs at me but I'm pretty sure he likes the results of my beauty shower.

Decorate Your Plate with Strawberries

Strawberries are back (with flavor) in the local markets and are a favorite fruit at my house. They are super yummy in oatmeal, on Cheerios, with pancakes, all by themselves and of course, heavenly with any type of chocolate.

Create a pretty, edible and speedy garnish with strawberries and an egg slicer.

Wash your strawberries and leave on the stem.
Place the strawberry, stem side down, into your egg slicer.
Push the top of the egg slicer down to, but not through, the strawberry.
Lift the top of the egg slicer, remove the strawberry and using your thumb and forefinger, fan the slices of strawberry and put on the plate.

We had these strawberries with a luscious chocolate cake - happy birthday, mom!

Tazer Your Aura (what?)

I'm not trying to get all ethereal on you but I very much believe that the energy around us or, our aura, collects ions, for a lack of a better term, that can either be positive or negative.

Whichever the charge of the ion, positive or negative, it attracts more of the same and fills up our auras. In the process of filling up our auras, a buffer is created for the opposite charge. The fuller your aura, the greater the buffer to the opposite charge.

So if you have a bunch of negative junk floating around in your aura, nothing positive can get in. The same goes if you reverse it - fill up your aura with positive and it's becomes a negative aura ion shield! (oooohhh...ahhhhh....)

So you have negative junk in your aura. How do you blow out the negative ions so the positive can flood in? I say random acts of selfless kindness! The level of effect on the other person equates directly to the impact of the neutralization process on your negative aura ions. Nothing like providing sheer, unexpected joy to another human being to tazer an aura back into a positive flow!

So go ahead, make someone's day and tazer your aura positive!


Need some starters?

Animal lover? Take a couple of pet toys to your local animal shelter (Target has bins of stuff for a buck a piece)
Have elderly neighbors? Ask them if you can pick up something at the store for them the next time you are out.
At your coffee house? Buy a $1, $2 or $3 dollar gift card and give it to the person in line behind you.
Walking into a building? Open the door for someone and hold it open to let them walk in ahead of you. (You know, like men used to do when chivalry was cool.)
Parent? Drop by your kid's school at lunch with his or her favorite meal and stay for lunch. (Might not be so great if your kids are in high school.)
Son or daughter? Send flowers to you mom for no reason with a card that reads "thank you" because no matter your relationship, she loves you no matter what, always has and always will.

Get the picture? Now go out and do something nice, damn it!

Coffee and Sugar Pancakes or Affectionately - Long, Skinny Pancakes

This is a favorite taste from my childhood and that of my mom (and probably her mom too). It reminds me of Saturday mornings sitting on a stool at the counter, swinging my legs and smelling yummy smells while I waited for my Long, Skinny Pancakes.

Start with your favorite pancake recipe - I use the Joy of Cooking Griddle Cakes (see end of post for recipe) and a very hot griddle. It should sizzle when you sprinkle water on it.

Thin the pancake recipe with water until it pours in a stream.

Pour the batter onto the griddle and using the back of spoon, spread it out to a long rectangle.

When the top is dry and puffy, move the spatula around the entire bottom of the pancake and flip.


After about 45 seconds, transfer the pancake to a plate and spread on a bit of butter.
Sprinkle with sugar (about one tablespoon) and using a spoon, sprinkle entire pancake with coffee.

Roll it up.
Sprinkle with a bit more sugar.
Enjoy!
Thanks, Mom, for showing me how to make this family favorite and for pausing the cooking so I could take all of the photos!


Joy of Cooking Pancake Recipe

Sift before measuring:
1 1/2 cusp of all purpose flour
Resift with:
1 t salt
3 T sugar (I'm a little heavy handed with this measure)
1 3/4 t double-acting baking powder

Combine:
1 or 2 slightly beaten whole eggs (I use two)
3 T melted butter
1 to 1 1/4 cups milk

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients and pour by ladle onto hot griddle. Makes about fourteen 4-inch cakes.

Ten Puppies!

My neighbor's English Springer Spaniel had litter of ten puppies! Here are some shots at five weeks.

So soft and sweet! Of course I was asked, "Mom, can we buy one?"

Can you just imagine? They have teeth! Oh, mama, I feel for you.

Perfect Turkey, Jello Salad and a Reflection

I love my oven - GE Profile, 30" convection, in-wall, double oven.

On Easter I was able to cook an 18 pound turkey in two and a half hours - that's 8 minutes a pound! A little butter, salt and pepper, stick the temperature probe in, set the oven and bam! Check that out! I didn't open the oven once! Seriously! That's Food Network style right there!


My favorite jello salad is this Jello Ribbon Salad, it is absolutely beautiful and great to make when you are spending a day in the kitchen as you have to add a layer every half hour and there are twelve layers. Yes, it takes six hours total but you only tend to it about ten minutes an hour.

It would also be great for your local Pride Fest.

And now for the Reflection. I like to give thanks for the blessings in my life and so does my family but not always in a room full of 30 plus people.

For Easter I filled a small basket of empty plastic Easter eggs and asked my guests to write a thought, blessing or word, place it in an egg and then before lunch everyone who wrote on an egg would get to pick one and read it. It was really great to hear all of the anonymous thoughts. Two of my favorites were "Yea! It's Easter! Rah, rah, rah! Yea, God!" and "I believe in the Easter Bunny!"

Bunk Bed Lighting Solution

Two problems:
1. Scared of the dark (primary) and
2. Difficult to read bedtime stories (for me - still not sure when low light reading difficulties snuck up on me)

One solution:
A string of patio paper lantern lights from Target



They are actually rather festive and earned me a "very cool mom" comment from the husband and a "best mom ever" from the son.

I plugged them into a power strip, which is at the foot of the bed (between the slats) and I switch them off on my way to bed.

Easter Centerpiece

So my mom suggested these cute little centerpieces for our Easter table and it was much easier than I originally thought so I'm sharing.

Step 1
Crack open a regular egg (not hard boiled), discard (or use) the white and yolk and rinse.

Step 2
Dip the egg shell in your standard Easter egg dye.

Step 3
Remove from the dye and let dry.














Step 4
Buy some annuals from your local nursery - I removed about half of the dirt from the bottom of the flower to better fit inside the egg.














Step 5
Work the annual into the egg.

It took some squeezing and back and forth wiggling but it went in much easier than I expected.

There were a couple that "ripped" a little and at first I was annoyed but it ended up looking like the flower hatched from the egg, which was really super cute.














Step 6
I used the egg carton to hold the flower-stuffed egg shells while I finished the rest.














Step 7
I cut the egg carton (after removing the stuffed egg shells) to fit into my basket. To elevate the eggs, I turned a tupper ware container upside down so the bottom of the egg carton rested on the bottom of the container. This gave better height to my final arrangement.

I placed some Spanish Moss in the basket and over the egg carton and placed in the eggs.














Step 8
Enjoy a darling centerpiece and lots of compliments.