- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

How Do You Handle Hectic Days?

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The folks over at Mucinex asked me to give some tips about how to keep your head clear and keep your cool, even on your most hectic days. I gladly accepted, then started thinking about it. What exactly does help me do that? One thing I kept coming back to was Make A Plan. When you have a plan, or a list, even if something goes wrong, you can still get back on track and save the day.

Even though my husband and I have been traveling in an RV fulltime for over 13 years, travel days can still be hectic. Our lifestyle during that time has been to work at a campground, resort, or national park for six to eight months out of the year, and then volunteer at a state park or forest service campground during the “off” season. This means traveling from one place to another every six months or so. Getting ready to go can be the most hectic days of all.

To keep my cool, and a clear head, and to prevent temper flares, we developed a game plan to make things go easier. The number one thing on the list of things to do was always to Make A List. I can not tell you how much just sitting down and making a list of what to do can help, even if it is something you do on a regular basis. It might be getting ready to go grocery shopping, or getting ready to run a zillion errands on your day off, or like us, getting ready to go 2,000 miles down the road to the next job.

Making a list, or plan, helps me feel more prepared for whatever is it that I need to do. Sitting at my desk for the five or ten minutes it takes to make that list, along with a cup of coffee, just makes me feel so much better about getting started. Depending on what you are preparing to do, taking a few minutes to prepare yourself for it can save you money, time, or even your life!

When you have a hectic day planned, trying to keep it together when you’re under the weather calls for help! Maximum Strength* Mucinex® Sinus-Max™ Pressure & Pain triple action formula fights mucus, congestion, sinus pressure and headache/pain. With cold and flu season in full force, I am relieved to know that even my worst symptoms can’t derail my plans.
Maximum Strength* Mucinex® Sinus-MaxTM Pressure & Pain has a triple action formula that contains three maximum strength medicines*. One medicine reduces swelling in the nose that causes sinus pressure. Another medicine thins and loosens mucus. And the third medicine relieves pain and headaches.

What do you do to clear your head when you have a busy day ahead of you?

* Per 4-hour dose

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mucinex. The opinions and text are all mine.

Time To Clean The Carpets

Karen · Leave a Comment

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the house

One of the things I really loved about living in an RV for thirteen years is that there was not much “housework” to do. The whole trailer was only six hundred square feet (probably less than that) and less than half of it was carpeted. When it came time to clean the carpets, I could do it in about thirty minutes with a brush and can of carper cleaner.

Now that we have a house, the amount of housework there is to do has multiplied. I seemed to have forgotten just how much work it is to take care of a house! We only have two rooms that have carpet, but it still seems more the job for an expert carpet cleaning company to clean them. Compared to the size of the carpets in the RV our new house seems enormous!

Right now, I am trying to decide if I want to get the carpets cleaned now, or wait until spring. The bedroom smells musty, like maybe the people who used to live here had a dog. We also live on a dirt road that has a lot of traffic going back and forth all the time. The dust seems to settle into the carpet. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that if we did get the carpets cleaned now we would be able to sleep better. Hmmmm……….

5 Tips For Protecting Your Home

Karen · 1 Comment

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adt protect your home

Your home is your castle – and you must do all that you can to protect it. The best place to start is with a high-quality security system from a reputable company like ADT (see www.quortek.com ). Nonetheless, you shouldn’t rely on an alarm system alone to keep your home and family safe. It’s merely a tool – albeit a powerful one – used in a much larger home security strategy. Consider the following do-it-yourself tips to ensure the most comprehensive protection for your home:

Use your yard as a deterrent

Many people are unaware that landscaping plays a significant role in home security. In fact, it’s typically the first thing a burglar will check out when casing a neighborhood for potential targets. They will look for homes with unkempt lawns, tall hedges, privacy fences or anything that could potentially provide cover while they attempt to break in. Thus, you should make sure your yard is not only well maintained, but also well lit. Removing an intruder’s biggest asset – the ability to move around a property unseen – will do wonders in helping protect your home from unwanted visitors.

Replace old or damaged locks

There’s nothing more appealing to a burglar than a rusty or broken lock. Not only will it be easier to break in, but it’s also a clear indicator that the homeowner is unconcerned with security. Consequently, you shouldn’t wait to examine all the exterior locks around your home. Any locks that look to be worn or obsolete should be replaced with a high-quality deadbolt.

Secure windows

At the very minimum, you should make sure all your windows are furnished with quality locks. In many scenarios, particularly in residential neighborhoods, simple locks provide sufficient protection since the risk of breaking a window or attempting to crawl through one is likely to draw attention from neighbors or passersby. If you’d like to take it a step further, consider investing in security bars or safety glass. These upgrades will make it markedly more difficult for an intruder to force entry through a window.

Perception is reality: Make your home look occupied

It’s important to remember that burglaries are crimes of opportunity, and a thief isn’t likely to attempt to break into a home that appears occupied. For this reason, it’s helpful to manufacture the illusion that you’re home – especially when you’re not. This can easily be accomplished by leaving a television, radio or a few lights on. You can also take it a step further by purchasing a random light timer, which costs around $20-$30 at your local Home Depot. These nifty devices can be programmed to turn lights on and off at random intervals to make it appear like someone is home.

Don’t hide a spare key in obvious places

First and foremost, it’s never a good idea to hide a spare key anywhere outside your home. It’s always better to give a set to a trusted neighbor or friend instead. However, if you absolutely must hide a key somewhere outside, avoid putting in obvious hiding places such as under a potted plant, rock or doormat. Most burglars know to look for spare keys in the most common hiding spots.

Ta Da! I Can Wear Jeans Again!

Karen · 13 Comments

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Ever since I came home from the hospital in June, I have not been able to wear my jeans. Even though I lost over fifty pounds, those old jeans were just too uncomfortable on my abdomen to be able to wear them. Now I don’t know about you, but to me, if I am not comfortable in my clothing, I am just miserable. The other thing is that the only thing I could find that WAS comfortable to wear were sweat pants.

I have NEVER in my life worn sweat pants outside of the house. Wearing them made me feel frumpy. Old. Unattractive. I think that contributed to my depression. A while back, I started thinking about getting some maternity jeans to see if I could wear them. I asked around in a forum I am part of, Momdot, that has a lot of young moms as members, to find out what the best brand of maternity jeans would be. I got lots of recommendations for them. But I felt sort of silly being a 60 year old Grandma going into a store to buy maternity pants.

Me with my daughter, Emily. The baby is scheduled to be born by C-Section in TWO DAYS!

Then I called my daughter, Emily, who is pregnant right now, and asked her where I could buy some maternity jeans. She told me that she had a couple of pairs that she was not able to wear and she would give them to me the next time she saw me. Today, she came over to visit with me, and brought the jeans with her.

When I put them on, you can’t tell that they are maternity pants. But, OH! do they fit, and they do not cause me discomfort by being too tight across my abdomen. They accomodate my colostomy bag quite well, too. I am so happy to be able to dress the way I want to dress again! Yay!

Pork and Chile Stew Gluten Free Recipe

Karen · 4 Comments

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DSCN5005 Last year a friend of ours made us his version of this great southwestern dish. His was a little soupy–I like my soups and stews to be a little more substantial, so I came up with my own version of it. It is delicious, has just the right amount of “heat”, and is good with cornbread or corn tortillas. I use whatever cut of pork is on sale at the time. Last week I found the country style bone in ribs for $1.00 a pound, so that is what I used. I cut them up with a butcher knife, and saved the bones to throw in the pot while it cooked.

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1.5 lb pork stew meat, cut in 1 inch chunks

2 stalks celery

3 cloves garlic

1 poblano, anaheim, or serrano pepper

1/2 to 2 jalapeno peppers ( how much heat do you like?)

5 medium potatoes

1/2 lb frozen mixed vegetables or 3 carrots

1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbs olive oil

seasoned salt and meat tenderizer

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Put the olive oil in a dutch oven and turn the heat up to medium. Peel and chop the celery, peel and mince the garlic. Cut the peppers open and remove and discard the seeds, then chop them up. Add all the chopped veggies to the dutch oven with the olive oil. Saute until the garlic is tender.

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Rinse and dry the pork pieces, then sprinkle generously with tenderizer, and lightly with seasoned salt. Add the meat pieces to the pan with the veggies. Cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Peel and dice the potatoes and add to the pan. Add the mixed vegetables or carrots. Add in about 5 cups of water and the rest of the seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours.

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This is a naturally gluten free meal–there are no ingredients that contain gluten. I forgot to take a picture of it, I’ll try to remember to do that next time I make it. Delicious served with corn tortillas or cornbread. Don’t be afraid to add different vegetables to this soup. I like it sometimes with just potatoes, or sometimes with yellow squash added instead of mixed vegetables. As long as you get the seasonings right, it will be muy bueno!

Out And About: La Fuente Mexican Restaurant Cedartown, Georgia

Karen · 2 Comments

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Last year when we went to Cedartown to buy a washer and dryer, we discovered this Mexican restaurant. It was down the street from the furniture store. We decided to get lunch there, and we’re glad we did.

The fountain, for which the restaurant is named.

We spent two and a half years living in south Texas, eight miles from the Mexican border. While we were living there, we loved the authentic flavors of real Mexican food. La Fuente is one of the few Mexican restaurants we have found since leaving the south Texas area that makes us feel like we are back down there on the border.

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Yesterday when our daughter, Becky was visiting, we went back to La Fuente for lunch. We all ordered the same thing: 2 tacos, 2 tamales, and a coke. We also ordered cheese dip. Our total bill for 3 people was about $21.

You can order your tacos soft or hard shell, and with several varieties of meats. The Asada, or steak, tacos are filled with very flavorful and tender bits of grilled steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. The tamales are home made and served authentically in corn husks. The chicken tamales are mildly seasoned. For the more daring, try the pork tamales, which will leave your lips burning. Of course you can add even more heat with the red and green sauces served along with the meal.

There is a Mexican supermarket located in the same building, where you can buy anything from pinata´ to nopal cactus and everything in between. La Fuente is located at 500 West Avenue, Cedartown, Georgia. ((770)749-9945)

Keeping The Grandkids Busy In The Cold Winter Months With Babbabox

Karen · 6 Comments

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babbaco-drawings

Back when my children were little, we did lots of arts and crafts together. It was especially hard to keep three busy bodies occupied during the winter months, when it was cold and rainy for days at a time. I tried to keep supplies on hand for them to use creatively. I can remember once when my son was about four years old, he asked me at lunch if the seeds on his hamburger bun would grow hamburger buns. I told him, yes, of course they would.

We went outside and put some dirt in a flower pot, and came back inside and carefully planted the seeds and watered them. Than night, after he went to bed, I put a stick with branches on it into the pot, and stuck hamburger buns on the ends of all the branches. When he got up the next day, his eyes were so wide, and he was sooo proud of himself for “growing” the hamburger buns.

While I haven’t tried that trick as a grandmother, I try to keep things on hand to keep the grandkids busy when they come to visit, especially when it is cold and rainy outside. It’s not always easy to keep them occupied. I never know what they’ll be interested in doing from one time to the next. One thing I have found, though, that keeps them all occupied for a little while, no matter what their age, is art and craft projects. Even the oldest of them likes to make things.

One of our favorite projects one year was making a scrapbook of their visit. I had taken pictures at every place we went, and saved all the tickets and brochures from places we went. On the last day of their visit, when it was raining outside, we needed an activity to keep them from getting bored. I printed out the pictures we had taken, and we spent the entire day gluing them on construction paper. The older kids could write a paragraph or so about the zoo, or the movie we went to see, or the pony farm we visited. They went home with a great memory book of their visit with me.

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Babbabox Puppet People

If you’re like me, and need some help figuring out what kind of supplies to keep on hand, especially when it is cold and rainy outside, Babbaco’s Babbabox is full of wonderful ideas.

The BabbaBox makes an absolute perfect solution for those indoor blues! If it is too cold, too dark, too grey to play outside, create an incredibly warm, rich world by playing pretend with your child. We all know that we can go a little stir crazy looking for great activities in the post-holiday winter slow down, and the “My Awesome Adventures” BabbaBox provides the perfect antidote!

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Babbabox Storytelling

With a subscription to Babbabox, you’ll get all the supplies you need in one box to make all sorts of craft projects. The box is delivered right to your mailbox. This means that you don’t have to run out to the store to get glue and crayons when you hear that your grandkids are coming. It also means you won’t forget an essential item to get the project done! The boxes are geared towards ages 3-7, but that doesn’t mean Granny won’t have fun with it too!

You can find all sorts of good ideas for arts and crafts to do with kids on Babbco’s website. And, when you sign up for BabbaCo’s super fun Newsletter and you are entered to win a great prize package:
Annual Membership to the BabbaBox ($240 value)
$50 Gift Card from Shutterfly

Additionally, BabbaCo is running a very special “Cure to the Indoor Blues” offer right now:

33% ($10) Off the 1st month of a new Monthly or Annual Subscription!
Just use the Coupon Code: FEB33 at checkout.

Full disclosure: this article is financially supported by BabbaCo

Thinking About Taking A Road Trip

Karen · Leave a Comment

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA We have been thinking about taking a little road trip to visit Fabgrandpa’s Mom and Dad. We haven’t been up there since we got back from Arizona at the end of October. Mostly, it’s because I haven’t been feeling good at all, but another reason is because our truck uses so much fuel! It gets about 17 miles per gallon, but diesel fuel is consistently more expensive than regular gas.

Because we lived in an RV for more than 13 years, we only have one vehicle and it is the truck. So, now when we think about taking a trip, we usually think about renting a car from a place that has discount car rentals. Renting a car makes more sense for a short trip because it is easier for me to get in and out of a car than it is for me to get in and out of our truck. We could get a small car at a good price, and have a comfortable drive too.

We are also thinking about taking a trip to Tampa. Our best friends live down there, and we haven’t been to see them since they moved to Florida. They did come to stay with us for a few days at Thanksgiving, though. It is our turn to go there. Renting a discounted car for a week would be a good deal. We would have a truck where we can stow our suitcases and other things, and not have to spend half an hour rearranging the back seat if our friends want to go on a drive with us. We have to do that every time we go somewhere with friends in the truck.

One more thing that would be a plus, at least to Fabgrandpa, is that going somewhere in a small car would deter me from buying furniture at a thrift store or antique shop. Having the truck is great for that, but a small car has no where to put stuff like that.