What I Learned This Week

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My head has been swimming all day. I’m not sure if it’s a side effect from the methotrexate or some sort of virus, but it is making me crazy. In fact, I’ve wondered several times if its all in my head. It is hard to put into words, but basically, my head feels queasy, like maybe my head is swimming. People have all kinds of things going on, things a lot worse than what I have going on… but, man, I would love to just feel normal, again.

Here’s what I learned this week.

1. General Malaise is a common side effect of methotrexate.

2. Malaise is a a generalized feeling of discomfort, illness, or lack of well-being.

3. Guess what? I am definitely suffering from malaise.

4. It is possible for Bentley to bite and chew all the way through his leash.

5. How To Get Away With Murder leaves you on the edge of your seat.

6. If you’re not watching “How To Get Away With Murder,” you should be.

7. The leashes sold at Dollar General are about 24-inches long.

8. A 24- inch leash is ridiculous.

9. The more I type, the dizzier I get.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



VeggieTales Noah’s Ark [Review & Giveaway]

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If you have ever had small children in your life, chances are you have heard of VeggieTales. Even though my boys are a little past the Veggie Tales demographic, I was eager for the opportunity to share VeggieTales’ newest tale because VeggieTales is wholesome Bible based entertainment for children, and in my opinion, there isn’t nearly enough of that on the market. And anyway, who doesn’t love Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber?

I received an advance copy of VeggieTales Noah’s Ark, and as you might have guessed, it is the story of Noah’s Ark.

ABOUT VEGGIETALES NOAH’S ARK  

In NOAH’S ARK, Shem and Sadie return home from their honeymoon to find that Noah (played by Pa Grape) has begun, at God’s direction, to work on a massive ark (that looks like an orange!) which his wife Naamah (played by Madame Blueberry) and sons Ham (played by Larry) and Japheth (played by Bob) are helping construct before the start of 40 days and 40 nights of rain.

But Shem doesn’t understand Noah’s unshakable faith in God, particularly when animals start arriving two-by-two – while the rain is nowhere to be seen. When the great storm does come, Shem begins to understand Noah’s determination to preserve humanity’s future … and more importantly, the importance of trusting in God.

In NOAH’S ARK, Brady, the multi-Emmy award-winning host of one of TV’s most famous game shows, Let’s Make a Deal, and star of Whose Line Is It Anyway, brings to life Noah’s son Shem, who first questions, then learns to embrace, his father’s direction from God. Christian singer, actress and radio host Jaci Velasquez co-stars as Shem’s wife, Sadie.

“Saying ‘yes’ to VeggieTales was a no-brainer – my daughter’s a fan and I love the music and messages,” says Brady, who performs seven original songs in NOAH’S ARK. “The best part is, Bob and Larry are down to earth and they never let the ‘I’m a global Veggie superstar’ thing go to their heads.”

NOAH’S ARK also features a brand-new “Silly Songs With Larry” segment, in which Larry dons a safari outfit as he goes on a quest for a gigantic, golden egg. (This was a favorite part of mine!)

Less than three weeks after the DVD and digital download release of NOAH’S ARK, the VeggieTales excitement continues when five all-new episodes of VeggieTales In The House, the hit animated series, debut exclusively on Netflix – bringing the total of VeggieTales In the House episodes to 15 as the series continues its first season.

MY THOUGHTS

First, I loved this particular version of Noah’s Ark, because it focused on Shem’s perspective. I haven’t ever stopped to think about it from any other perspective than Noah’s. After first doubting and questioning, ultimately Shem learns to embrace his father’s direction from God. The movie serves as a wonderful reminder, that God’s plan is ALWAYS better than our plan.

I have always loved Wayne Brady. McDaddy and I loved him on Whose Line? back in the day. He is a hoot on Let’s Make A Deal, and I was most impressed with him when McDaddy and I had the opportunity to see him live in person. He is so talented and I think Wayne Brady was a great choice for Shem.

My niece, whom I watched the movie with, stated, “There is a lot of music in this movie.” I have to agree with her, I even caught myself tapping my toe! (And, I love that the cast sang karaoke on the Ark!)

I giggled when the female hamster lost her mate and there was a movie reference from The Titanic – and was relieved when male hamster made his way back to her at the end.

The VeggieTales never disappoint. I loved Noah’s Ark and thought this was a great episode.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive their won copy of VeggieTales Noah’s Ark (which will be available on DVD March 3, 2015). This giveaway is open to US Residents only. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite vegetable is. Simple, right? The winner will be chosen by Random.Org on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 (the same day as the release). The winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to claim the prize.

In the interest of full disclosure: I was provided two copies of VeggieTales Noah’s Ark by Grace Hill Media to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and in no way influenced my opinion of the movie.

—–

Edited to announce winner….

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1

Timestamp: 2015-03-06 02:57:42 UTC

Congratulations to commenter #1 – Missy who commented on February 28 @ 1:43 am.

What I Learned This Week

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It’s been a relaxing week around here.

The boys were out of school all of last week thanks to Snowmegedden 2015.

I hesitate to complain because we barely got any snow during the months of December and January, but DANG. Give it a break, Mother Nature.

I thought I was going stir-friggin-crazy.

It is supposed to be one degree at drop-off time in the morning. You can’t even imagine what kind of person I become when the thermometer reads ONE.

In fact, it makes me cantankerous even typing such nonsense. Let me just get on with what I learned this week.

1. When mashing potatoes on the kitchen counter, it is wise to move the fresh chocolate chip cookies away from the potatoes. Unless of course, you are fond of chocolate chip cookies covered in mashed potatoes.

2. I never realized growing up that the Golden Girls was so inappropriate for children.

3. Unfortunately, my boys watched an episode of Golden Girls and laughed silly. It’s sad that there are so many sexual references in that show, because it is really funny.

4. According to the cashier in our local grocery store, I look old enough to be a grandma.

5. The newest cast of Dancing With The Stars will be announced today!!!

6. Bathing Bentley in Pantene shampoo makes him smell much better than the raspberry puppy shampoo I purchased at PetSmart.

7. Bathing Bentley in Pantene shampoo makes me wish I could bathe him daily because it also makes his fur so soft.

8. I think we have more iPhone cables in this house that don’t work than ones that do.

9. It will take me a sweet forever to decide on monogramming for oh snap pockets (31 Gifts) intended to declutter my kitchen counter.

10. Muck Boots are wonderful for snowy, icy conditions.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



Organization Tips and Tricks

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There are few things I like better than a good organization project. Much to McDaddy’s dismay, Pinterest helps with any and all organization projects I am interested in.

In fact, I have an entire Pinterest board full of tips to help me around the house.

Most recently, I found this on Pinterest:

So, I did what I typically do when I know McDaddy will roll his eyes at my newest idea.

I went to MY Daddy.

I showed him the picture of the pin and asked if he thought it was something he could do.

And of course, he did it.

It looks almost identical to the one on Pinterest and I love it!

Basically, instead of squatting down low enough to easily wrestle with the pots and pans, all I do now is pull the entire drawer out, get what I need and then push it back in.

Y’all.

It is just as fabulous as it looks.

If you’ve spent any time around here, you may remember that my Dad also built a wall unit for my mudroom.

 This took organization in our home to a whole new level.

I have forgotten how beautiful this wall unit was before we bogged it down with everything it was meant to hold.

And finally, my newest organizational project makes me smile every time I open the cabinet door.

Here is the before…

which, I’ll admit it B – A- D.

And just take a look at this:

 

I found the basket on the right at Wal-Mart. It is really long and works like a drawer which means, AGAIN, that I don’t have to get myself down on the floor and go digging through the mess to find Bentley’s puppy shampoo.

Oh, and I almost forgot about this great storage hack,

All of those crazy plastic bags are now kept nice, neat and tidy AND they smell nice and fresh, too!

Happy Hump Day, y’all.

What I Learned This Week – Pepperoni Rolls

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I learned something very important this week. I learned  that I will never again buy pepperoni rolls from anyone because I can make better ones.

I’ve purchased pepperoni rolls recently as a fund-raiser. They were hard and nasty.  On several occasions, I’ve purchased pepperoni rolls at the grocery store and every single time, I am sorry that I purchased them.

In another words, my pepperoni rolls are the bomb dot com.

I have both made friends and influenced people with my pepperoni rolls. Last week, while sharing my menu board on Facebook, several people asked me for me pepperoni roll “recipe.” I thought I’d share it here with all eight of you, too.

Here’s how to make the Bomb dot com pepperoni rolls.

First, you’ll need these ingredients:

 

1. First, you’ll need to follow the directions on the back of the frozen rolls. Basically, spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place rolls in the muffin pans and cover the pans with saran wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray so that the wrap doesn’t stick to the rolls.

2. Let the rolls raise 3-5 hours.

They will swell like ankles during pregnancy. Don’t panic. This is normal.

3. You can flatten the rolls in either of two ways. You can do it the fancy way and use a rolling pin, or save time and frustration and use your hands. Just know that you’ll have to pull it carefully so as not to put a hole in the roll or else all of your goodies will ooze out during baking.

4. Once you flatten the roll out, place 4-5 pieces of pepperoni and a pile of mozzarella cheese on it.

 

5. Fold each corner toward the middle, making sure you close the roll completely.

6. Bake pepperoni rolls for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Best when served WARM.

 

Here’s what I learned this week.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



What I Learned This Week

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Well, I am two weeks into the Methotrexate and so far, I haven’t experienced any noticeable side effects. I am so thankful for that. I appreciate your prayers.

Here’s what I learned this week.

1. Jim Carrey’s middle name is Eugene.

2. Shopping in Lowes is dangerous.

3. When the knobs on a jewelry armoire become loose and spin (and the drawers are lined, hiding the screw head), you may not have any luck removing or replacing them.

4. Bentley is more cooperative with me brushing him late in the evening.

5. Washing a 31 small zipper pouch will make it look brand new.

6. Same with a Vera Bradley purse.

7. When you fail to find your favorite off-brand silvery eye liner at several drug stores, Amazon is a great place to look.

8. The new Investigation Discovery channel on our cable lineup has kept me entertained for the past two weeks.

9. It feels good to finish up a three month project.

10. Having a menu board on the wall in our dining room has changed my opinion on dinner times.

11. I cannot stand sleeping with socks on.

12. It is difficult to get rid of the nasty chest congestion goop.

13. I am not completely convinced that deploying iPads to every student in our county is the best idea.

14. Walmart really does have the cheapest prices in our area.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



What I Learned This Week – A Tough Pill To Swallow

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Since last March, I’ve been complaining about crazy ear pain that starts off as soreness and progresses into a flaming red, hot, throbbing, painful ache that has been known to drive me to tears. When it happened for the first time (March, 2013), I was sure I had a small cut in my ear that had become infected. I should have known that nothing in my life is ever that simple. It became obvious after three rounds of antibiotics (and no relief!) that this was anything other than a simple infection. After a month of constant, nagging pain and a bottle of ibuprofen later, it was gone.

Three months later, it was back.

And three months after that, it was back again.

As it turns out, I am one of the lucky ones. Most people who share this diagnosis suffer for several years before it is diagnosed. Mostly because the disease is so rare, Doctors are not familiar enough with it to actually make the diagnosis, but also because it presents as an infection. I first heard the words relapsing Polychondritis back in August, but was just definitively diagnosed this past week after a CT Scan, blood work, two biopsies, an oncology consultation, three different ENT appointments, and lots of prayer. Relapsing Polychondritis is an auto immune disease which means the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body by mistake.

This disease effects 3 to 4 people in one million.

I guess you could say I hit the relapsing Polychondritis lottery.

There is no sure for this disease and the best medication to treat the flares is prednisone. If you know anything about prednisone, you know it is not a long term answer for an incurable disease. The Rhumetologist (whom I really like!) suggested that I start on Methotrexate. McDaddy and I have done extensive research on the medication and formulated a list of questions to discuss with the Doctor.

Ten months after the onset, I feel like I may be on the right road. I started taking Methotrexate this week. In fact, I took it yesterday. Because the medicine has serious, life-threatening side effects, it is only taken once a week. While I am only taking four pills per week now, I will eventually work up to eight pills per week. Though the pills are small, they are fierce. This medicine is typically given to cancer patients and those suffering with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

There is a list of side effects a mile long. Some of those include, mouth ulcers, liver damage, hair loss, extreme fatigue and dizziness. All I can do is pray that the Lord will protect me from all of the horrible effects I read about. I had a dream night before last that I was holding my hair – all of it – in my hands after taking the medicine.

I realize that losing my hair wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen, still it’s a tough pill to swallow. The hope is that the medicine reduces the flares which will in turn reduce the amount of damage to my ears, nose, trachea, heart valves, eyes and joints.

As the four little yellow pills made their way down my esophagus yesterday morning, I prayed for the Lord’s protection and guidance as McDaddy and I continue to navigate this medical condition. I’d appreciate your prayers too.

That’s what I learned this week.

How about you?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



What I Learned This Week

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Somehow, I’ve contracted the crud. I’ve lost my voice. My chest is rattling and I’m hackin’ up junk. I went to my family Doctor today – after being miserable and on the couch all day yesterday – and I came away with an antibiotic and an order for a chest x-ray on the off-chance the rattle is still there in two days.

I spent the day on my big, blue, bloggy couch watching Investigation Discovery and drifting in and out of sleep. According to my Doctor, it takes three days to get a cold, three days to have a cold and three days to get rid of a cold… so, according to that I’ve got a ways to go.

On top of that, my mom and my granny are in the hospital – one in room 311, the other in room 312. Unfortunately, since I am hackin’ up green goop, I am contagious and not permitted to visit the hospital. This is one of those crazy times in

In the meantime, here’s what I learned this week.

1. It is tough to relax in jeans.

2. American Sniper is the best movie I’ve watched in a long time. Maybe in forever.

3. If you go to the theater to watch American Sniper, you should take plenty of tissues.

4. Orange marmalade and barbecue sauce makes a really good sauce for crock pot chicken breasts.

5. Stevie is interested in taking Karate. Mainly, in his words, so that he can learn to do a backflip off of a chair.

6. Aveeno unscented hand lotion is perfect for cracked, wintery hands.

7. The only thing worse than eating pretzels is eating unsalted pretzels.

8.  If your Roomba decides to lay down and die or shows ERR5 in the power window, you can save yourself three calls to Roomba, and some mechanical work on the thing because you need a new battery.

9. A battery for the Roomba will set you back $69.99.

10. Guacamole still makes me gag.

11. Neither my Rhumetologist OR my medical Doctor has ever had a patient with the same auto-immune disorder I have.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



What I Learned This Week

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I totally enjoyed having the day off from school the early morning alarm. After church last night, a large group of us went out for Mexican. It was well after 10 PM when we got home and it didn’t take long to figure out that I shouldn’t have eaten so much so late in the evening.

Nor should I watch Wives with Knives before bed.

That’s the first thing I learned this week.

Here’s a list of the other things I learned this week.

1. Methotrexate seems like a tricky medication for one to take.

2. After reading about Methotrexate and talking to a Pharmacist about Methotrexate, I have lots of questions and concerns.

3. It makes me so sad to throw away my favorite pair of jeans.

4. I had a lot more free time before Pinterest.

5. Since October, Alex has grown out of at least six pair of pants.

6. Although there are three years between them, Alex weighs only one pound less than Stevie.

7. If I commented what I’m really thinking on Facebook, I wouldn’t have ten FB friends.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!



What I Learned This Week

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It’s Tuesday and around here, that means its time for another edition of What I Learned This Week.

So, here’s what I learned this week.

1. I just found out about The Fire Challenge. Have these kids lost their ever lovin’ minds?

2. It is possible to have identical triplets.

3.  Even after backing down the same driveway several times each day for ELEVEN years, you should never take for granted that you won’t get too close to the grass and end up over the hill sideways in your vehicle. Or at least that’s what a friend tells me.

4. A vacuum cleaner can drive a six-pound dog crazy.

5. Kerfuffle is a fun word.

6. A new vacuum excites me.

7. A regular biopsy doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as a punch biopsy.

8. It is hard to beat a Chicken Fajita Chimichanga when eating at a Mexican joint.

9. I don’t think I’m meant to have an acrylic nail on my iPhone finger.

10. An auto-immune disorder is an aggravation.

11. Watching a murder investigation on Dateline just before bed is not a good idea.

12. Kitchen coconut oil is a great hair product.

13. Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn is dating Tiger Woods.

14. Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken severed her spine in an ATV accident.

That’s what I learned this week.

Now, what did YOU learn?

To join in on the What I Learned This Week carnival, simply follow these steps.

1. Any time this week, publish your What I Learned This Week post on your blog and link to this post.

2. Link up with the Mr. Linky form down below. Please put the link to your POST, not the front page of your blog.

3. Then visit the other participants and see what they learned this week.

Easy enough?

GO!