I'm Back & What I've Learned While on Bed Rest

I have been a bad blogger. I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted.
I want to post but my mind has been on vacation.

I blame it on bed rest. When you are told to be lazy then everything becomes a momentous task...

you'd think it would be the other way around, like I'd have all this energy to post

but that has not been the case.

So, yes, I'm on bed rest. I sleep, watch TV and read. Over the past few weeks I think I've watched more TV than I do in a year. I have a learned a few things that I'll share with you.

What I've learned while on bed rest...

In the Kitchen

1. When squeezing a lemon or lime for the juice squeeze it cute/seed side up to your hand. That way you won't get seeds in your food. Thank you Rachael Ray.

2. Pampered Chef's Deep Covered Baker is the BEST! I was able to make Rush Hour Chicken Fajitas in 15 minutes and they tasted great. {Time is of essence when I'm not suppose to be up,

shhh don't tell my doctor.}

What's that you say? Who can you purchase a Deep Covered Baker from? How about my friend Kelly? Click here to go to her site.

3. Eat full fat milk and yogurt, it helps attack bad fat in your body. When you take the fat out of dairy products all you are left with is sugar. {Per Dr. Oz on The Nate Show}

Around the Home

1. Organize your spices with the As Seen on TV Swivel Store {available at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $19.99, don't forget to use the $5 off coupon}

For You, Ladies

1. When applying mascara sweep the mascara/lashes inward to make you look more awake. {I figure this will be a VERY useful tip for myself in the upcoming months caring for twin babies.} If you want a night time look sweep your mascara/lashes outward. {once again, thanks Rachael Ray}

Useless or Useful Info {You Judge}

1. Use an ice cube after your run a line of caulk to even it out {courtesy of Real Simple, August 2011}

I guess that you can learn something while watching TV.

Today=Cleaning Day & a Quote Sign

Today I spent the day going through junk mail {ick}, finding my kitchen table again {even though the sewing machine is still on it and for good reasons}, vacuuming, washing the floors, etc....all the fun stuff. Of course, cleaning the first floor used to take 1-2 hours but today it took closer to 5 {hahaha}, mainly because I had to take breaks {remember fat mama-to-be here}. It's all good though because just the feeling of having a clean house is SO worth it. Do you know the feeling I'm talking about?

There are certain things that I just can't and won't do until everything is in order and clean again. I am totally the person who waits to put the new rocks in her vase until the kitchen is cleaned.

And I'm the person who doesn't figure out where to put her 'new' Believe sign until the living room has been picked up, dusted and vacuumed. I say 'new' because I had this sign sitting in a draw for well over a year or has it been two.

I also am the person who starts to clean out cupboards {like under my sink} and drawers {which is where I found this cute book that I forgot I had} when I clean. Maybe that is why it took nearly 5 hours to clean...hmmm.

Besides cleaning I also finally finished up the quote sign that I made for my friends birthday. Yay! I just had to add the daisy's {her favorite flower} because it was too blah without them. The sad thing is that it took all of 1 minute to add the daisy's. 

This is the second sign that I've made using vinyl letters and my Silhouette {love it} and it was much easier the second time around. If you want to know how to make a quote sign of your own check out the step by step Beach Rules Subway Art directions here.

My How Did They Do It...

So...projects are a little limited this week. We haven't had power since Monday morning. I, being a big ole pregnant lady, headed to my parents to enjoy their AC, internet and power. Monday, as I sat in a darkish, boring, hot, muggy house I thought "how did they do this years ago?"

I'm go grateful for lights, a refrigerator and freezer with ice cubes and my computer that lets me connect to the outside world. Now I would just like all those things back so I can get my work done {because this week I had a huge to do list with a ton of motivation, which is now half lost}.

Here are a few things that I still want to get to on my to do list: 

My never used, just figured out how to thread it sewing machine is waiting for me to sew some pillows for the babies room and my couch.

My etsy shop is sad and needs some new designs.

I have client work waiting for me.

The laundry pile is getting larger than it was on Monday.

I really need to vacuum.

It's really the little things in life we forget about. Like having ice for my water or power to run the vacuum. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the power is restored to my neighborhood by tomorrow when I have to go home. I'd really appreciate it. {I'd also really appreciate it if our neighbor would turn her extremely loud generator off at night that sits outside of our bedroom window.}

On the bright side I am the new craig's list poster for my family. Today I helped take pictures of items we need to sell from a storage unit {my parents own a storage/rental place} that someone didn't pay and I found a little table that I think will make a great project and work well for my living room. Yay! 

A Day in the Life...

So today...

I spent most of the morning with the AC guy {it was just for regular maintenance, thank goodness nothing is wrong}. He was very nice and made my day by giving me a gift card for a free pie at Bakers Square. Have you ever tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup pie? To. Die. For.

Somehow {I really don't know how} we started talking about cars. I'm soon in need of a larger car as our family will be doubling in size this fall. He told me that the GMC Acadia gets average gas mileage {at least his does}. This makes me so HAPPY because I read that some people were only getting 10-11 mpg and that just isn't going to work for us. He said he gets 20-23 city. YES! Now the Acadia is back on my wish list.

I also spent some time making some new summer party invitations for my etsy shop. Summer is so fun! I had a great time making these invites.

Lifes Handbook

I received this in an email today from a friend and thought it was worth sharing. I know that I have had my ups and downs with people, work and life in general but don't we all. These are the important things. I know I have to always remind myself that money won't buy happiness and your friends and family are the only one's that are going to be there for you in the end. Take a minute and read Life's Handbook. It's totally worth it.

Health

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

4. Live with the 3 E's-Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.

5. Make time to pray.

6. Play more games.

7. Read more books than you did last year.

8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

9. Sleep for seven hours.

10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily, and while you walk, smile.

Personality

11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive, present moment.

13. Don't over do. Keep you limits.

14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.

16. Dream more while you are awake.

17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

23. Smile and laugh more.

24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society

25. Call your family often.

26. Each day give something good to others.

27. Forgive everyone for everything. (Some say there is an exception to this rule.)

28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six.

29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

30. What other people think of you is none of your business.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your famiy and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life

32. Do the right thing.

33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

34. God heals everything.

35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

36. No matter how your feel; get up, dress up and show up.

37. The best is yet to come.

38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.

39. Your inner most is always happy. So, be happy.