25 years come down to this

I am an extremely talkative person, so I guess any week I decide to take on The Cutting Edge of Ordinary's Wordless Wednesday, that is a sure sign I am a bit overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I love the simplicity of saying nothing, but I wouldn't be a blogger if I weren't a yapper.

Here is one of the many reasons why I have been quite busy lately:

Picture edited using PicMonkey

Those five binders are my printed portfolio, signed reports, authorized contracts and hand filled forms pertaining to my degree in Education. They are the last step before getting my certification, and the culmination of three year's worth of work.

In reality, it hasn't been three years, but more like twenty-five. Every since I was a five year old I have been a student, even when I worked after college. I went from college to grad school in the states, only to go back to college in Brazil to meet the Board of Education's requirements.

Part of me thinks I am done. No more school, other than the obvious choice of employment. But part of me knows that if I were to win the lottery, applying for enrollment at SCAD would be the first thing I would do.

What about you? Have any higher education interests in the back burner?

Wordless Wednesday

Tickle Me Tuesdays: DVDs

It's Ticke Me Tuesdays day here at Oh My Gosh!
Here are Sarah's rules:

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Go back to Yes Teacher Crafts and come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

This weekend we moved our living room furniture around (which wasn't the best thing for my husband) and fixed the issue of DVD storage we had. In fact, I used to think we had too many DVDs, but after taking over the bookshelves, I see we have lots of room for more! So here are the DVDs I'm looking forward to purchasing soon!

House MD, Season 5- My current series love affair.

Labyrinth- Any child of the 80s knows this movie needs no explanation of why it has been tickling my fancy!

Big Bang Theory Season 2- For those days when you just need some mind-numbing-laughing-out-loud-couch-potato-time!

I actually haven't watched any of the Holmes movies, but Robert Downey Jr.  just makes themlook so cool!

Any other DVDs you think I should invest on?

Giving up on good for today

Source

After a week being sick, on Saturday it was my husband's turn to go to the doctor. While moving some furniture around he snapped something on his back and has been in constant pain, barely able to move around.



Therefore, no Meat Free Monday post today. I'm giving up on the good (this little thing called blog) because I focused on the better (my number one man, my hubby). We'll be back tomorrow with some tickling things! Happy Monday, everyone!

Five Minute Friday: Opportunity

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Opportunity

Some of the most important moments in our lives comes as an unforgetable action or speech. Before I attended college, I was a Rising Star, a member in a summer program for upcoming seniors in highschool to get to live in the college dorms, have classes and see how fun the city is. Those were some of the most fun five weeks of my life.

When I came back to college the following Spring (school years end in December in Brazil), I ran into one of the Rising Star assistants, who was now an Orientation Leader. My mum and I got to talking to him and he casually said 'OLs are the coolest kids on campus'. I was sold.

Some four years later I graduated as the mace bearer of my college. I had held many positions in the student involvement office and gotten a couple of awards in the process. But none of that trully mattered to me.

What did was the fact that I really think I did belong with the coolest kids on campus. The USF kids(student government  members) were movers and shakers. The SAC kids (Programming board) knew all the coolest new bands and had the most fun parties. The SOS kids (Community outreach program) taught me how to genuinely give my time, which is far more important than my money. And the OLs....well, I must say I agree with Ben, they are the coolest kids on campus.

My life would have been totally different had I ignored that one sentence I heard back in 2000. And my college memories probably wouldn't be so much fun.





Ginger tea

I've had quite a few sore throats lately, and had my share of home made medicines to try to get better. From cinnamon milk to honey lemon drops, I went through a batch of  'must haves' that did me no good.

A couple of days ago I went to the doctor due to a severe sore throat, and he prescribed me antibiotics, anti inflammatory and pain killers, and told me I could have nothing else. Oh, the joy of western medicine.

The pharmacist agreed that I shouldn't add anything to the potent drugs I was getting, so she recommended me some ginger tea. I had heard about it before, but figured it would taste horrible. To my surprise, it is the best tea I ever had.

Source

Oh So Lovely Ginger Tea

Ingredients:

-chopped ginger- a handful will do for several cups
-sugar
-water
-a strainer

Put water, sugar and the ginger in a pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Pass through a strainer to serve.

Jack meets his match

I have two rescued dogs, Jack and Delta. Delta is a dream dog: quiet, sweet, and no trouble at all, as long as there are no fireworks or thunderstorms around. Jack, on the other hand, is quite the hyper active won't stop barking at the neighbor's cat will eat anything you leave out dog. Bless his heart.

We actually had to buy Jack a pit-bull looking leash, as he had destroyed two regular ones that held him by his chest. The first one was during an encounter with a neighborhood cat, and the second one chasing a dog who lives in our subdivision. I often want to die of shame when we go for walks.

Last week, however, Jack met his match. It wasn't an angry cat or a big dog, but a clothes hamper. Case in point:

Since it's winter in Brazil, and it was quite cold last week, I left the doggies on the ground floor of my house (they are usually kept in the kitchen and backyard). I was sure they would spend the entire day napping on the couch, but I came home to that.

It actually broke my heart, and Jack was such a trooper. I can't help thinking how long was he stuck there, but I am assuming not long because there was no pee or poo anywhere.

The hardest part was keeping him calm and still, as we cut through the fibers to release him. I don't think I ever got so mad at something that was well crafted before. Here is what my hamper looks like post Jack:

All ended well, and Jack got spoiled with lots of treats and a night in bed.

Tickle Me Tusday: Scarfs

It's  Ticke Me Tuesdays day here at Oh My Gosh!

Here are Sarah's rules:

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Go back to Yes Teacher Crafts and come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

This week's items are all scarfs! Although that makes no sense to you North Hemisphere people, it's winter in the South Hemisphere, so I've been craving some warmy fuzzyness:

Ava Floral Scarf from the Gap

Clarisse Scarf from Le Lis Blanc

Purple Dupatta from FabIndia

Mickey scarfs from WDW

Meat Free Mondays: Vegan Cappuccino Brownie

Last week I had a huge craving for chocolate. Flipping through The Kind Diet, I found this vegan brownie recipe and decided to give it a try. I actually made it less healthy than Alicia's, but that's what you do when you need chocolate and don't have the right ingredients in your pantry.

Vegan Cappucino Brownie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (the original recipe asks for Maple Sugar, not sure we have that in Brazil!)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk  (I used soy)
3/4 cup brewed decaf coppuccino
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional, I skipped them)

For the topping, I chose to sprinkle sugar and powdered cinnamon on top!

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a baking pan with oil
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, coffee and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to mix well.
4. If you want walnuts, add them now.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for  30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
7. Let it cool for about an hour
8. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top
    

I must be honest with you: if you are used to refined sugar in everything, such as juice and stuff, you won't find this a great tasting brownie, but if you are a healthy nut, this will taste just fine!

Five Minute Friday: Perspective

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Perspective

For an entire decade I identified myself as a 'twenty-something'. I was a college student, a grad student, a teaching assistant, a brand new and inexperienced teacher. I went out to movies often and wasted away hours from my Saturday roaming the halls of Barnes & Nobles to search for a good book and the latest cool CD. I told myself I would never give up on the things I loved so much, which made me who I am, and knowing all sorts of obscure recording artists was part of it.

As of last July, I have no longer been twenty-something. It didn't bother me much because I figured I have been maturing and making decisions to improve my life I just couldn't be bothered doing it in college- I was probably to busy gulping down Sonic slushies.

But a couple of days ago, as I drove for over two hours into the city for an appointment, I listened to my Ipod and began to feel old. All the songs that were on shuffle were from my college days, and I reminesced until I felt the best days were gone. How come not a single one of them reminded me of my initial romance with my husband, or my awesome honeymoon?

That's when I realized I have not bought CDs or music from the Itunes store in about, oh, I don't know when. I honestly think it might have been when I still lived in Atlanta, circa 2006. Add that to the fact that I used to live and drive alone, pumping songs through my stereo but now live and often ride in the car with the hubby, doing something a bit more important called talking.

Which is when I realized that my college days weren't the haydays of my life, I just don't have a soundtrack for the last couple of years. I'll get onto that as soon as possible.

Gelatin and the trick question

Jello is a healthy, light, vegetarian food, right?

Source

Wrong! According to Wikipedia, Gelatin (or gelatine) is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones.

I did not make that up, and let's just get it out of the way: Eughhh! Bill Cosby forgive me, but there is no way I am putting animal bones in my mind (again).

There are some alternatives, such as agar, which is made from seaweed (mush less yucky!). It is important to check for gelatin in regular cooking processes, as people tend to forget its an animal product.

Vegetarians and vegans should also be careful when using pills with gell capsules, so make sure your doctor specifies a vegetarian capsule.



House chores

For a bunch of reasons, I do not have a maid or cleaning lady nowadays. In Brazil, that is outrageous! I seriously have people asking me how in the world am I managing. A cleaning lady here costs about 25 bucks a day, so it's understandable that they are 'must haves' at home.

However, the truth is, I am not sure I want another one. Although they come cheap, dealing with most of them is a pain. The last draw with my former cleaning lady was the fact that she used dog pee-soaked rags to clean my house. It took two heavy scrubs everywhere to get the smell out.

I live in a 650 square feet house, with a 160 square feet backyard. A mansion, I know. But I actually love the fact that it is small, and find it a huge blessing. It means I can work a full time job and keep my house clean and tidy. Here is my routine:

First, these daily tasks take 15 minutes of my day and keep me sane:

Daily:

o   Do the bed

o   Dirty clothes in hamper

o   Wash and dry one load of laundry

o   Hang clean clothes in closet

o   Clean counters and sinks

o   Do the dishes

o   Take out the trash

o   Put out new kitchen rags

o   Any minor tidying up

Most of the rest can be done once a week:

Monday: Iron clothes, change bed sheets and towels

Tuesday: Wash bathroon, kitchen, backyard and desinfect trash cans

Wednesday: Vaccumm and dust, wash windows

Thursday: Wash oven and stove, fridge, and dutch oven.

Friday (or Saturday morning): Wash bathroon, kitchen, backyard and desinfect trash cans

Then there are the monthly jobs:

1st week of the month

o   Dog's bath

2nd week of the month

o   Dust lamp shades and fans

o   Wash glasses from bar

3rd week of the month

o   Clean under appliances

o   Clean on top of cupboards

4th week of the month

Clean inside closets in bedroom, bathroom and kitchen

If things get a bit crazy, I work extra hard to get everything back in shape. I also have a seasonal list, which I'll share another day. How about you? How do you keep your home clean and neat?

Tickle Me Tuesday: books!

It's our third edition of Ticke Me Tuesdays here at Oh My Gosh!

Here are Sarah's rules:

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Go back to Yes Teacher Crafts and come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

This week's items are all books! The first I am actually reading, but all others are in my Amazon.com's wishlist:

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

 

Cocktails for Three By Sophie Kinsella (can anyone say 'guilty pleasure'?)

 

Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst

 

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

 

How about you? Have any books been tickling your fancy lately?

Meat Free Monday: Barley Casserole with Tahine sauce

This weekend I braved the kitchen to try out this recipe from The Kind Diet book. It took a total of over two hours, but it actually wasn't much work, and the result was simply delicious!

Barley Casserole with Tahine sauce

Ingredients:

-1 cup of barley, previously soaked for an hour

-2 carrots, chopped

-2 onions, chopped

-soy sauce

-1/2 cup of tahine

-oregano, basil, paprica, garlic and salt to season

Directions:

-cook the barley with 3 cups of water until soft- about an hour

-drain the remaning water and set aside

-on a skillet, sautee one onion and garlic. Add carrots and soy sauce, and let it cook for about five minutes.

-add the barley to the mix, and cook for another five minutes.

-on a small skillet, sautee the other onion. When soft, dump it in a blender.

-Add the tahine, some soy sauce, and the spices for seasoning. Blend until smooth.

-Pour half of the barley onto a casserole, and drizzle half of the sauce. Repeat. Bake in oven around 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Five minute Friday: Identity

Today we are joining The Gypsy Mama for her Five Minute Friday. Here is what she has to say about it:

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write because we love words and the relief it is to just write them without worrying if they’re just right or not. So we take five minutes on Friday and write like we used to run when we were kids.

On Fridays we write with gusto, unselfconscious and flat out.

Rules:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here ( and @ Gypsy Mama) and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on: Identity

One of my all-time favorite books is 'Searching for God knows what' by Donald Miller. It has a lot of insightful observations, but its main point, which the author refers to again and again, is what makes me like it so much.

Miller claims we have a 'lifeboat mentality'. It's like we live in a Survivor type show adrift at sea in a small life raft. We have to continuoesly convince everyone around us that we are worthy enough not to get tossed overboard, because someone will. That is the single factor of why we would try to put others down in hopes to make ourselves look good.

To prove our point, we create labels, and get affiliated to parties. Christian. Teacher. Dog lover. Vegetarian. Humanitarian. Businessman. Rich. TV Star. All we are is supposed to come down to one noun.

The truth is, I cannot fit into any of the boxes that is assigned to me. Yes, I am a Christian, but I refuse to tell others they will burn in hell if they don't surrender to Jesus because I can't quite wrap my heart around that one. Yes, I am a wife, but at times I want to be left alone watching five consecute episodes of House. Yes, I am a teacher, but my love for the kids who have called me 'Miss' goes beyond an acquaintace-type. Yes, I am a dog lover, but at times I need my husband to call Jack because I just want to shake him.

We all have our pretty side. and our not-so-pretty selves. The biggest lesson is being able to open ourselves to learn why we do certain things, and whether we want to change or not. 

Keeping your sanity on Mother's Day (and other family celebrations!)

A lot of my recently-wed friends mentioned that they have such a hard time juggling schedules during Mother's Day, Christmas and the such. Trying to include everyone without feeling utterly exhausted at the end of the day can be a handful, but fear not...

Here are some ideas to please everyone and keep cool with parents, in-laws and the such:

Get everyone together-  It's awesome if possible, but too few families can actually survive the blast. Plus, if you start adding every-single-one-of-your-relatives, it might come out to a Disney sized family reunion.

Different families, different dates- Isn't the whole point of these celebrations being together? Then people shouldn't be so upset if you need to do it on the day or the week before/after. Unfortunately, everyone involves needs to be super mature to handle this, which doesn't always happen.

Yearly rotation- I've been doing this with my mom and mother-in-law. Spent last year's Easter with mom? This year with the in-laws. In my opinion, it's fair. Just remember to give people plenty of time by reminding them this is not their year.

Alternative celebrations- Not everyone celebrates Christian holidays. Not every families have mothers and fathers still living. If that is the case, adapt your celebrations to what matters most to people, and share their special holiday with them.

Hit the road- Who hasn't been so stressed by planning a Christmas dinner that they vowed never again to do it? If you trully need a rest, run away from everyone by taking a trip. That way, no one can complain because you've ditched both sides of the family.

Whatever you choose to do, just remember to keep feelings in check, and talk about it instead of simply announcing it.



12 things in review

I posted a list of goals for 2012 at the end of February, which you can see here, or simply access the 12 things in 2012 page. Since it's been a little over 2 months, I figured I should check how far I've gone, and what I'm slacking on. I don't know about you, but I tend to make long lists and big plans and they simply get forgotten. So drumroll, please:

1-Deepen my relationship with Christ- that's a huge one, and something I'll never be able to completely tick off my list. I have been working on listening, although sometimes I have failed miserably.

2-Lose weight- I have lost four pounds since I wrote this post. It is not much at all, but I've been taking the long, healthy route for that one. Yay!

3-Paint and do some at least five DYI projects around my house- I've managed three projects in two months! Cannot believe it! I finally have my wall of inspiration up, made my own note board with wallpaper and glass and finished my knob hanger!

4-Improve my cooking- Have been definetely slacking on this one. Yes, I've made a Summer Succotash, a Country Salad and a Zuchinni and Azuki soup, but I've maily been sticking to letting my husband cook. Oh, the shame!

5-Learn to sew- Say what? I haven't even tried to think about this one!

6-Get my Education specialist degree (almost there!)- I really HAVE been working hard on this one. Getting all my internship paperwork done so I can graduate!

7-Submit my writing for a blog as a guest blogger- I actually did, for a lovely Christian blog that shall remain nameless. Needless to say, my writing did not get posted- yet. I just need to keep trying!

8-Cut off animal products- Oh, but I do looove me some cheese. Haven't had the guts to do this yet. I did, however, manage to swap honey for Agave. Yum!

9-Set a workout routine- and stick to it!- Ok, now I am just embarassing myself. Next!

10-Take more pictures (of pretty much everything)- I have begun, especially since I discovered PicMonkey! Still have a long way to go, though!

11-Volunteer somewhere- I sorta did. I found a NGO that helps rescue dogs and place them in adoption. My husband and I became 'godparents' to a doggy by helping financially. I left my info with the NGO's director, now I am waiting on her to let me know how I can help!

12-Learn to manage save money- We are getting there. We radically cut down our eating out habits, and I've been learning to be a bit more frugal. We have managed to cut down the dent in our checking account, but we are not there yet...

So overall, I think I am on track! Yes, there are three items I have not yet dealt with, and most are still ongoing, but I can definetely say I am better off than I was two months ago! Yay!

How about you? Do you regularly check your goals to see if you are still on track?

Tickle Me Tuesday is back: week 2

It's our SECOND edition of Ticke Me Tuesdays here on Oh My Gosh! I had sooo much fun a couple of weeks ago, I decided we should do this more often!

Here are Sarah's rules:

1. Write a short post with anywhere from one to five items that have been tickling your fancy recently. Please include pictures and links :)

2. Make sure to link back to the party in your blog post (you can grab the button or include a text link)

3. Go back to Yes Teacher Crafts and come back here and link up your blog post!

4. Visit some other links and HAVE FUN!

Here are my items, all from Etsy.com:

Kindle carrier from BolsaBella

Terrarium from The Succulent Garden

PrimAttic Signs

 Vintage Bed from Hip Decor

How about you? Have you found anything inspiring lately?

Meat Free Monday: Grilled Cheese

I actually didn’t try this recipe, but I just needed to share: how yummy does this look?

Source

It’s a grilled cheese with avocado, yum!

Source

This one is with spinach….those dark greens are just sooo good for you!

My favourite is my husband’s banana & grilled cheese with cinnamon and his special touch- just a tad of maple syrup! Not that healthy, but such a treat!

Happy Meat Free Monday!