waiting……..

For the warm weather, sunshine, buds blossoming, flowers blooming, green grass that needs mowing ….. patiently waiting  :)

share the message

  

EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION - "Brown Family" - The Brown family from Wellman, Texas is still recovering from the loss of their talented teen-aged daughter, Alex, to a texting-while-driving accident. Parents Jeanne and Johnny Mac, along with their 12-year-old daughter, Katrina, have made it their life mission to prevent others from having the same fate. To help spread their life-saving message across the country, celebrity volunteers, including pop singing sensation Justin Bieber, actress Emma Roberts and NASCAR superstars Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, all signed a pledge promising that they will not text while driving. This two-hour episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" airs SUNDAY, JANUARY 30 (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

The Story: Jeanne Brown tried calling her 17 year old daughter, Alex, after she left for school one day and couldn’t contact her.  She didn’t have a good feeling and so Jeanne decided to leave work to go look for her. She came upon Alex’s truck.  It had rolled several times and landed off the country road. When Jeanne went up to the truck her daughter was not in there.  She called for Alex and found her laying in the field several feet away. She had been ejected and was unconscious.  Something no mother should have to go through.

The end result: Her beautiful daughter died. 

At the time of the taping, Extreme Makeover Home Edition got 50 high schools, in 50 states to sign the pledge to “Not Text While Driving” and all the students wore the “RAB Thumb Bands” (Remember Alex Brown).  They are orange bands like the colored wrist bands that we wear in support of a cause close to our hearts (Our Troops, Breast Cancer, Aids etc).  Having them worn on the thumb is an easy reminder not to text while driving.

I know my last post was about texting and driving. You can see that I am passionate about spreading the word. Lives are being lost senselessly. Families changed FOREVER.  Please help to get this message out.  This is an epidemic that we can turn around by simply asking those we know and love - “please don’t text while driving”.  I ask again,

PLEASE DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE ~ XO CHERYL

Texting

…….. and driving
After viewing this video and passing it along to my friends and family ~ I knew I could reach so many more people through my blog with thousands of “hits” per month.  I encourage each of you that stop by, please, watch this video.  We must get educated and educate on this horrific danger that has become a way of life for so many of us.

I understand that many of the bloggers in the blogging world have their comments going to their Blackberry Phones ~ and I pray that you do not read your emails or respond while driving.  None of this is worth losing a life or worse taking a life.  ox Cheryl

http://www.tvkim.com/watch/669/kims-picks-dont-text-while-driving?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=csotd&utm_content=2011-01-05-fifl&utm_campaign=s


     
is this you?


i know it has been me.

My word for 2011

This was the last sunset of 2010 as I was driving home from work. When I see these sunsets, it reminds me of why I love living in a lakeside community near a beautiful Metropolitan City - Dallas.  I want to wish a Happy New Year to All who take time out of your busy schedules to stop by and visit my blog! Beautiful Dallas Skyline

My word for 2011 – Energy: person's spirit and vigor; available power
, My goal of obtaining this energy is going to be through proper nutrition, weight loss and balance of work and home. 



Here is a recipe for a fat-flushing/metabolism boosting drink that I saw on the morning show New Years Day.

2 quarts of green tea (iced or hot)
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
Can store up to 3 days. Drink 8 oz before breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Here’s to healthy food choices in 2011 !  

Happy New Year ! ~Cheryl

Anti-aging food #3

Anti-aging food #3  - Blueberries

The most healthful way to eat blueberries is raw.  Off the bush or out of the basket!! 

You can also add blueberries to your morning oatmeal 

or your afternoon yogurt 

 

1. The highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit: Blue Berries, being very rich in anti oxidants like Anthocyanin, vitamin C, B complex, vitamin E, vitamin A, copper (a very effective immune builder and anti-bacterial), selenium, zinc, iron (promotes immunity by raising haemoglobin and oxygen concentration in blood) etc. boost up your immune system and prevent infections. Once your immunity is strong, you won’t catch colds, fever, pox and all such nasty viral and bacterial communicable diseases.

2. Neutralizes free radicals which can affect disease and aging in the body: Blue Berries bring you the brightest ray of hope, for they are laden with anti oxidants and rank number 1 in the world of anti oxidants. This is mainly due to presence of Anthocyanin, a pigment responsible for the blue color of the blue berries. The abundance of vitamin-C is also a big factor for this as well.

3. Aid in reducing Belly Fat: A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests that blueberries may help reduce belly fat and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. So far, we know that the fruit works on rats, which were the test subjects. A blueberry-enriched powder was mixed into the rats' diet, which was either low-fat or high-fat rat chow. After 90 days, the rats with the blueberry-enriched diet had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol and improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity. And their health was even better when combined with the low-fat diet. That group had lower body weight, lower total fat mass and reduced liver mass than the rats on the high-fat diet. An enlarged liver is linked to obesity and insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes. Although more research is needed to confirm these results in humans, a related study presented at the same conference showed that men with risk factors for heart disease who drank wild blueberry juice for three weeks seemed to experience slight improvements in glucose and insulin control.

http://www.womenfitness.net/blueberries.htm

Blueberry Smoothie

http://media.canadianfamily.ca/images/cf_smoothie_main_.jpg

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup washed, stemmed blueberries
honey to taste

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.

*you can also add a banana for a thicker smoothie!

Serving Size: about 1 cup

 

Anti-Aging #1 = Avocado

Anti-Aging #2 = Sweet Potatoes

 

……….. stay tuned for #4

Wishing you all a Happy and Very Healthy New Year !   xo Cheryl

focus

Add another line of lights.

Decorate another corner of the room.

Merry Christmas!

it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …

 
From as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted different “themed” trees throughout my home.
That is a hard task to accomplish because you would have to have oodles and oodles of ornaments all in different themes.  Well, who can afford that?  Not me.  I have a great collection of Santa ornaments but that is about the only theme I have collected. This year I decided that I was going to start a “kitchen” themed tree.  So I set out to Garden Ridge to see what I could find on a budget.  They had a 6 ft artificial tree for $7.  I bought two! Then I wandered on over to the “sweets” ornament isle.  How cute!   Well, I got about 10 ornaments for $30 and thought that was a good start for my kitchen tree. 


I’m crazy for glittery ornaments




As much as I think I would like to try a white themed Christmas decor ~  I always get lured back to the “lime” green and red decor.  Lime Green being the Key Color  ~ I just can’t stay away from it ! 


 
  

 
Love those socks and shoes ~ 



this little reindeer is my tree topper.  i adore her “lime green” sexy little skirt with the lambs wool trim ~ 


Gotta add some Texas to the tree! 


The Glow of Candlelight ........
 

 
Now that the house is all trimmed, it is time to start shopping!  …..  It’s the 7th of December and I have yet to have one gift purchased.  I never have been an early shopper ~ I like to get all my decorating done first and I love the hustle and bustle of starting my shopping around the 10th of the month right up to the 23rd …. that gives me just about two weeks to exhaust myself !!  :-)  

Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas!  ~ Cheryl

To revisit Christmas Decor 2009, click here

ready, set, go …..

What is so interesting about being in the blogging world (and I am only in it with one toe, so to speak), is that there is inspiration from all directions of life.  Intellectual, spiritual, artistic, marital/family ~  and the list goes on......  One of the things that I can never get over when I am visiting blogs is how so many young women, in this day and age, strive to raise a healthy family, be a loving wife, create a pride-filled lovely home and
actually use their personal God-given talents to create and share with other women. It is very comforting that the love of home and family is going strong in our younger generations!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The kitchen is the center of everyone’s home ~ especially during the holidays (mine is actually IN the center of the house (lol) …. therefore, my kitchen is in many of my posts.  We finally put the knobs on our cabinets (only took 3 years).  That is SO not like me ~ but I have found that I am not in such a RUSH in my life anymore.  I was NEVER like this PRE –age 45 !!  And as each year has passed …. well, less and less of a rush.  I guess that is the gift we get for making it this far ~  :)

We had a wonderful, comfortable, Thanksgiving Day.  Brandon & Megan brought us the sweetest “Basket Full Of Gifts” !! And they spent two nights at the house with us !!! We love it when they are here.

 

my daughter-in-law to be already knows her mother-in-law to be’s taste.  ;-))))

everything was perfect.

There’s our cute “engaged couple” making deviled eggs and peeling potatoes.

Brandon has become quite the deviled egg pro! We didn’t have paprika – so we used cayenne.  It’s a keeper.

We love HOT. 

Megan and I had so much fun talking about the upcoming wedding!!!  So many ideas and thoughts.  Thank goodness they gave the engagement a little over a year!!!  Their current decision is the photographer.  Venue (check).  Caterer (check).  Wedding Party (check).  Cake (check).  Colors (check).  Honeymoon destination (check).

(You can click “colors” and “venue” to visit those posts)

We all know who was “under foot” while preparing the “BIRD” !!   Ms. Bella !!  She looks like a lady, but she acted like a hyper-active child!  It doesn’t matter how she acts,

WE LOVE HER and SHE IS

THE

CENTER OF ATTENTION ~ and she knows it! 

Hubby and I got the most beautiful card.  We have come to expect it –  because our son always picks the most wonderful cards with heartfelt words.  ALWAYS.     I also wanted to share the front of this card because it reminded me of the most adorable paintings that  Becky at Farmgirl Paints creates.  You can send her a photo of your home and she will paint it for you.  This looks so much like her style.

 Please visit her here, if you don’t ALREADY know her.  She is known for her honesty of everyday life, hence her huge dedicated following!  And this girl has the “biggest” heart!

And now …. off to get the Christmas stuff out!  Ready, set, go!

  You know how there are Christmas decorations you will just never part with?

This Candy Cane is one of them.  It is distressed wood ~ and a real favorite! 

Happy decorating!! 

Have a beautiful week dear ones ~ Cheryl xo

Anti-aging food #2

Anti-aging food #2 – Sweet Potato

In the southern island of Japan, there's a group of Japanese known as the Okinawans. The people that are renowned for their youthful complexions and not looking their age. So what is their secret to this fountain of youth? The secret is believed to be their diet. They feast on starchy root vegetables as part of their main diet, and one of these core vegetables is the sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes and other starchy root vegetables are anti-aging superstars. For years, nutritionists have advised us to fill plates with a variety of colors of vegetables - and not just the green variety. Conventional potatoes don't provide the same kick. The sweet potato provides sugar but unlike sweets, to provide a slow release and sustainable source of carbohydrates, essential to our energy and vitality.
In fact a recent study from China demonstrated how the purple sweet potato contains a naturally occurring anthocyanin, (a super powerful antioxidant that has neuro-protective effects). The potato is also rich in vitamin A in the form of beta carotene. This element is essential for preventing rough and scaly skin. It also helps protect the skin against sun damage and helps to balance the pH levels and promotes softer skin complexions. The antioxidant levels contained in the potatoes are so high that they are excellent for cancer prevention. So if one of your loved ones is a smoker, feed them sweet potatoes!
Another reason why you would want to include sweet potatoes in your diet is for its high hyaluronic acid levels. As we get older, these acid levels drop. Our bodies depend on this to keep our skin moisturized and the joints in our body lubricated. It also helps to maintain levels of collagen in our skin without resulting to bovine collagen injections.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Anti-Aging-Secrets---The-Sweet-Potato-is-the-Fountain-of-Youth&id=4467763


Oven Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes
1 generous tsp sea salt
1 generous tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
Pinch of black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise into thin strips, and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, sea salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, and toss to coat thoroughly. Place the fries in a single layer on a wire rack, with a baking sheet underneath.
Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes (taste to tell if they’re done), or until the fries are soft and delicious.
Serves 4 (um… 2).
Photo and Recipe above courtesy of www.sugarlaws.com
This is Sugarlaws ~ she is adorable, young and has HUNDREDS of recipes!!!! Click her picture to view her food!

Bon Appetit

~Cheryl~

somewhere over the rainbow …..

  I LOVE IT WHEN IT RAINS IN TEXAS

it can happen at any given moment and is always welcome.

rain in the warm weather beckons you to run out in it and dance like a child.

 this is a familiarity to me of growing up in michigan and adoring the summer rainstorms
 – but fearing the thunder and lightening - still.

in texas the rain blows in and out

just long enough to quench the thirst of the land.  just long enough to drench the earth so it can release it’s sweet aroma.

when the rain stops and the sun shines through the clouds

the warming of the earth starts beneath your feet. you begin to smell the steaming dirt, and witness the beauty of the millions of glistening droplets of water left on every blade of grass and each petal of the flowers!

beyond  words

and then, if all is right at just that moment in time ~ a rainbow or two

“somewhere over the rainbow”

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?