ten reasons why pinterest isn't just a waste of time

I, like almost everyone else, is spending lots of time on Pinterest.  I just have to say I LOVE Pinterest, really really love it and here's why I love it:

10- It has given me so many good ideas and it is a better method for organizing stuff then I have ever had.  For years I have bookmarked articles or pictures I have run across on the web, I have written down recipes, and I have torn out pages out of magazines and put them in a folder or bulletin board, but 9 times out of 10,  all these great ideas, recipes, pictures get forgotten, lost, or abandoned, but they don't with Pinterest.  I love that I can organize all the cool stuff and have it in one place.  I love that I can quickly like something and then check it out later to organize it on a board. 

9- I love that I have found a recipe on Pinterest to make Olive Garden like Salad Dressing and it doesn't require raw eggs!  I have found several recipes over the years to duplicate the salad dressing but got freaked out by raw eggs.   I have also forked over the money for the dressing, but thanks to Pinterest and The Country Cook, I have a recipe that tastes just like it and it so easy and inexpensive to make!  I made it last night and I love it, can't wait for salad tonight.

8- I love that I can make a Christmas or gift board for my family.  I am supposedly a hard person to get a gift for so I started a board of things I love or want, which is a great way for someone who loves me to see what I would really love to have but probably not going to buy for myself.  In fact, my husband bought me a watch for Christmas that I had pinned, unfortunately, it looks better in the picture than it did on my wrist, but that's another story.

7- I love that I have found some great homemade household cleaner recipes.  I made and love my homemade laundry detergent and I plan on making dishwasher detergent as well and hand soap eventually.  I could go on and on about the laundry detergent, but since I already have a whole post on that, I won't, but I still love my new detergent and it works great.

6-  It is a great place to organize ideas or crafts that I've tried and loved and will do again next season, such as the hanging leaf mobile that the kids and I made this past fall, that I can't wait to make again next year.  (didn't find this on Pinterest, but I found it and pinned it after reading it in a magazine because I knew I would lose the magazine)

5-  I have found lots of freezer meal ideas which I just love and having them all in one place to browse instead of pulling out 4 or 5 cookbooks is so nice. I found and made a chicken tikka masala recipe on Pinterest from What's Cooking Chicago. I am so happy that I found a recipe for one of my favorite meals that is from scratch and fresh and not a sauce from a jar.

4- I have found many ideas on how to re-purpose, remake, or just fix up things I already have which is so good financially and environmentally.  I found the other day a pin on how to remove scratches from dishes by using Bar Keepers friend, I haven't done all my plates yet, but it made a HUGE difference and I am so thankful because my plates were looking a bit sad, now they look new.

3-  My favorite pin find so far is the directions on how to cook bacon in the oven.  I love bacon, but I hate making it because I easily burn it and it requires so much attention in a skillet, but bacon in the oven is PERFECT.  I don't like extra crispy bacon and so bacon in the oven is ideal for me, I now am not afraid to try a recipe with bacon in it or I should say I will include bacon in a recipe that calls for it.  Bacon in the oven made Christmas morning breakfast a dream because I didn't have to stand over the stove for 25 minutes watching to make sure the bacon didn't burn.

2-  I love my dream home board.  One day we will move or renovate our house and when that day comes I will have a board with all kinds of ideas which is much neater than a folder full of torn out pages.  I also love how I can look easily follow a pin link to more pictures which you can't do with a torn out picture from a magazine.

1-  I love Pinterest is FREE.  I love magazines, but I don't like paying for a few pages of inspiration but tons of pages of advertising, I love that I can go to Pinterest, see what I want to see from a whole wide range of magazines and blogs in a little bit of time.  I can find Martha Stewart crafts, Southern Living decorating, and recipes from a food blogger all in one place, but it doesn't stop there, when I have time I follow the pins to see what other jewels can be found, and there are many.  I am inspired again and so thankful for the little things that have made life a bit more fun and a great conversation piece with friends!



For more top ten lists, try:

Top Ten Really Interesting Things I Have Learned in Anatomy

 Actually the title should be Top 10 Interesting Things I Have Learned in Anatomy that Aren't Going to be On the Exam

Human Anatomy is kicking my butt, there is so much information and so many body parts it is ridiculous.  My first exam is Thursday, it was tonight, but thankfully the professor pushed it back a class period.  The exam is 104 questions plus 1 critical thinking essay (he will injure a body area and we have to explain body parts affected, i'm scared!). 104 questions that cover the anatomical body regions/cavities, the skin, the nervous system, cranial and spinal nerves, the cardiovascular system, including tons of arteries and veins to major areas of the body, the skeleton, and tonight we will cover joints.  So through 3 hours of lecture twice a  week I have learned some really interesting stuff so here's my top 10 really interesting things I have learned in Anatomy that probably won't be on the exam, but I have learned it and probably won't forget it:

10- that mammary glands are modified sweat glands, though they are very different knowing they are similar is kind of weird after nursing two kids

9- at age 40 you have completely ossified, basically it takes 40 years for your skeleton to be complete!

8- you are born with approximately 270 bones, by age 40 you have only 206 (bones fuse together and not just in the skull)

7- one nerve cell can be 2 meters long such as in a really tall basketball player where a nerve can run from their toe to their spinal cord

6- your spinal cord is the length of the vertebral column when you are a child, but it ends at lumbar vertebrae 1 as an adult and so nerves have to stretch to reach their origin openings once the spinal cord stops growing, I thought it was the length of the vertebral column

5- the hypoid bone is in the neck and isn't attached to any other bones, in a CSI situation if it is broken you were strangled

4-the fibula's purpose is to stabilize the ankle, it can be used a donor bone if needed and you can still walk/run fairly normally even it is removed (fibula is in the lower leg)

3- a doctor or health professional could identify the location of a spinal injury based on touching different areas the skin and a lack of touch and making it according to the dermatome would identify the area of injury, basically areas of the body are divided into dermatomes (regions of nerve sensitivity) and lack of sensitivity can pinpoint where damage to the spinal cord/vertebral column is, fascinating stuff

2- despite how complicated we are there are two options for body organs they either contract or secrete, seems so easy yet we are so complicated

1- that blood from organs in the abdominal cavity (mainly organs associated with digestion) gets filtered through the liver before it returns to the heart, the liver filters out toxins as everyone knows, but it also filters out excess glucose.  the liver is glucose storage for the brain, it stores about 12 hours of glucose so the brain will have glucose (food energy) for the fast of night or anytime we aren't eating, after 12 hours are body starts breaking down fats, never thought about how the body adapts to sleep/resting periods or times when food might not be consumed

So Anatomy is the one of the hardest classes I have taken, a lot of information really fast, and I haven't mentioned the worst part- cadavers, it has been three weeks and I am still uncomfortable and next week we begin dissection, this is only a 7 week class, almost halfway through, I think I can, I think I can.

Top Ten Favorite TV Shows

Last night there was nothing good on television and it got me thinking about my favorite television shows and how most of them are "reality" television shoes.  Some are shows are educational where others are my guilty pleasure and fortunately most aren't shown in the same season so I am not watching television all night, every night.  So here's my list of favorite television shows:

10- Million Dollar Listing (Bravo)
- I have no idea why, but I am hooked, I guess I am fascinated by really expensive houses and the price people will pay for them and not to mention the super huge, silly egos those boys have

9- Tabitha's Salon Takeover (Bravo)
now the first season was really good, and the second was okay, but I am amazed at how these salons are gross and unprofessional and how to the point, tell-it-like-it-is Tabitha is

8- Deadliest Catch (Discovery)
-we started watching it 4 years ago when I was in the hospital after having Lance, I don't quite know why I like it, it is a "manly" show, yet I enjoy it every season, I guess it is just sentimental to me since it was on a marathon the day Lance was born and I had to watch ever episode since Jeff had the remote and I was too tired and in pain to fight for it, new season starts tonight!

7-  Storm Chasers (Discovery)
- I am afraid of tornadoes, yet I am totally intrigued by these people who get as close as humanly possible to a tornado, I can't wait for a new season

6- Dirty Jobs (Discovery)
-I think Mike Rowe is funny and entertaining though after a friend told me she thinks he is "hot" I have a hard time watching Dirty Jobs now without thinking about Molly and her crush on Mike, the show does make me thankful for not having to do some of the NASTY things people do for a living, my favorite episode of Dirty Jobs was the behind-the-scenes where they showed the crazy things the camera men, producers, and sound and lighting guys do to get the perfect shot, they are crazy

5- Desperate Housewives (ABC)
-It is so a soap opera, yet I enjoy it and like how the weekly theme runs parallel in everyone's lives, Jeff supposedly hates it, but if it is on he gets sucked in, maybe that is why he hates it so

4- Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice (ABC)
-I was a big ER fan when ER first arrived on the scene and I like medical drama and enjoy these two shows, well sometimes I love one and don't really like the other depending on where the storyline is going, but I usually watch both shows regularly and am hooked

3- Lost (ABC)
-I have had a love/hate relationship with this show over the many years, I loved the show in the beginning and currently do since things are kind of making sense, but I have hated the large gaps in between seasons and a few of the tangents that it went on in the middle years, overall it is one of my favorite shows that has kept me interested over the years and I am sad the end is near

2- Whale Wars (Animal Planet)
-I hope there is going to be another season of this because I love this show, I am amazed at how you have two groups (the Sea Shepards and the Japanese Whaling Fleet) who both are right and who both are wrong and the intense war between them, can't wait for a new season especially since I heard on the news the Japanese sunk or tried to sink one Sea Shepard's boats, or maybe it was the other way around

1- The Real Housewives (Bravo)

-Real Housewives is my guilty pleasure.  I am extremely entertained to see how these women live and how ridiculous their lifestyles can be.  It has been extremely interesting these past seasons with the economy being rough and watching them try and downsize.  My favorite seasons are Orange County and New York, though New Jersey can be quite a circus and can give a good laugh.  Watching makes me appreciate my simple, genuine, poor life, this show has proved that money doesn't buy happiness and love, it just buys stuff

This is just my top 10 of favorite television show, Oh Amanda has even more Top Ten Lists for reading fun.

Top 10 LIttle Hints of Warm Weather

There are a few things of spring and summer that appear at some point without us really noticing and disappear just as mysteriously.  Most of the hints aren't something we really think about until we notice them, which makes them a little magical.  So here's my top 10 little hints of warm weather, some bad, some neutral, and some are good, but all of them are things that are usually ordinary things that are forgotten about in the fall and winter:

10- being sticky- not sticky like sugar coated, but hot, sweaty sticky, when you don't want body parts of touch each other nor touch anything like leather car interiors, ick!

9- shade- how wonderful the shade feels when it is sun is beating down, during the fall and winter months standing in the sun helps to keep warm, but there is a shift come late spring when shade is the place to be because the sun is so hot, it is amazing how the sun is so different in the summer as compared to the winter

8- wasps, bees, ticks, and mosquitoes, not my favorite spring and summer friends, but they appear one day and are a pain while they are hear and every year I resolve that I will find a way to safely win the war against these creatures without chemicals

7- the smell of fresh cut grass- I always forget this warm weather smell until I smell it for the first time each spring and am reminded of summer memories and good times

6- thunderstorms- we had a big one last night, it woke me up, the wind was blowing, the rain coming down in sheets, the lightening was as bright as day and the thunder never seemed to end, I forget about thunderstorms during the winter and it takes a little getting use to, the first couple always wake me up at night and scare me a little, but by June, I will be use to them and not even wake up and before I know it they are gone like the warm weather

5- having the ceiling fans on at night- having to keep the ceiling fans on all night long and all day for that matter, they are a hint of warm weather in our home, I love the soothing sound the fan going and the cool breeze they produce

4- the smell of sunscreen- it is a warm weather smell that brings back fond memories, we rarely need it in the winter so the first time we apply it is nice, by August it isn't so fond anymore

3- the warm breeze that occasionally occurs inland that reminds you of the beach, every now and then when the weather is warm a warm breeze will blow in such a way it reminds us of an ocean breeze

2- flip flops- I am not a shoe person and love no shoes and flip flops and a hint of warm weather is being able to wear flip flops without having your toes freeze

1- lightening bugs- though they haven't appeared yet, they are my favorite sign of warm weather, I love the way they just seem to appear one night and every night thereafter, you get used to them being around and then one night you just notice they aren't there anymore, which always kind of sad because it means summer is over, but until then I will look forward to seeing my warm weather critters

Spring has just begun so all my favorite warm weather hints are cherished and enjoyed until it becomes the norm and then before I know it they are forgotten and gone until they return each spring.  Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons and I am just soaking it all in, I'm out of hibernation and loving it.

Top 10 Things I Learned from B90days

Since I am done with reading the entire Bible I have been reflecting on what I learned over the last 90 days and here is my Top Ten List of Things I Learned from Reading the Bible in 90 days:

10- that the ark of the covenant contained not only the 10 commandments, but a jar of manna, and the staff of Aaron and there was a lot of work involved in moving the ark from place to place, for example: it had to be covered in blue fabric, only certain people could carry it, you couldn't look at it, etc

9- that temple worship/ sacrifices were really gross and I am so thankful for Jesus' sacrifice that fulfilled all sacrifices

8- that Bible characters were not some holier than though people, they were normal people with issues and weakness, even Solomon the wisest man and lover of God turned to other gods and God used them despite their weaknesses

7- many books make more sense having read other books, for example, Psalms makes a lot more sense after having read the history of King David and the prophets makes more sense after having read the history (Kings and Chronicles)

6- that the Israelites were easily distracted and very quickly turned their faith to other things, just like us and they aren't that much different then us now

5-  I knew that there were many prophesies about Jesus in the Old Testament, but actually discovering them through the reading instead of just getting them pointed out was eye opening- there are so many throughout the Old Testament

4- that even the famous characters doubted, for example, John the Baptist doubted if Jesus really was the messiah and Moses doubted that he could go against Pharaoh to free the Isrealites

3- that Jesus would bring salvation to the Gentiles and it is written in the Old Testament, I wrongly assumed it was an afterthought, I didn't realize salvation for the Gentiles was prophesied in the Old Testament, it was part of the spoken plan

2- that the Bible isn't just a rule book, but a story and can be just as interesting as any novel about people and the ups and down of their faith, I was sad when the Old Testament was over because I was drawn into the story of the Israelites and didn't want the story to end

1- that the Bible is alive and finishing reading the whole thing is not the end, but the beginning, I can't wait to read it again and I have a hunger for it to be "written on my heart"

Top Ten Songs that Have Gotten Us Through Winter

Not being able to play outside because of snow on the ground has been brutal.  We are not fans of the short days and long nights.  In a little house with two kids and limited outside time we have needed to find ways of getting some energy out.  So we dance.  Here's a our list of Top Ten Songs that have gotten us through winter and helps on rainy days too.   I should admit, some of these songs I don't know the lyrics to so if they are talking about something unappriopriate for children then it went over my head so I figure it isn't bad since if I don't get it. Most of the songs we first heard from the soundtrack of snowboard videos which generally are more unique then the standard play-lists on the radio. 

Counting down from 10 to 1, with 1 our favorite:

10- Shadow of Def by Brave Saint Saturn
this one is old, but funny and makes me laugh, and the kids enjoy dancing to it too

9- Thunder by Nuttin' but Stringz
this we heard this for the first time on Noggin, I like the blend of hip-hop with strings

8- Fly Away by Grits featuring Mac Powell
i love Grits

7- Float On by Modest Mouse
a snowboard movie find

6- Deliverance by Bubba Sparxx
reading the lyrics I realize it isn't that great and there is a bad word, but I never knew it, but this one is bad, yet good, i think another snowboard movie find

5- Kids by MGMT
this is from a snowboard short found on You Tube, "magic flashlights," even if you don't care for snowboarding, this is a cool video and I have no clue what the lyrics may say, but it is a cool sounding song

4- Zero by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
this is the song that Lance LOVES we recorded him dancing to it and he sings a long with some of the lines

3-  Wake Up by Arcade Fire
from Where the Wild Things Are

2-  Daylight by Matt & Kim
I don't know how Jeff found this song, but I love, it is just fun, have no clue what the lyrics may say, but they play it as background music after church so it can't be bad?

and our all-time favorite

1-  One Day by Matisyahu
have you heard this song?  it is awesome!  the lyrics give me goosebumps but it is fun to dance to


for other Top Ten Tuesday Lists

Top Ten Conveniences that Make Life a Little Easier

Lately I have been so thankful for the small conveniences of modern times that make my life so much easier and/or cheaper, though I could probably come up with more than 10 here are the top 10 for this week:

1- Dishwasher- it cleans and dries and saves me so much time, now if there was a washing machine and dryer combination that was affordable I would be in heaven

2- Freezer- though I don't have a separate freezer, I am so thankful that I have a place to keep foods frozen for an extended period of time, because I hate going to the grocery multiple times in a week and I like to make double and freeze for later

3- Multipack of tampons- I remember back in the day having to buy several boxes, it is so nice just to buy one and have everything you need especially with little people who like to get into things, less is more when it comes to storing personal items in our house

4- DVR- so thankful I can watch my favorite shows when I want to without commercials, I don't have to try and stay up till 11 to watch Bravo anymore

5- Vacuum cleaner- more specifically a Dyson- it sucks, in the good way and is worth every penny, never thought I would feel so strongly towards a vacuum, but it is wonderful, and I really do use it every day

6- I-pod touch- a little computer in my pocket, but right now I am loving the Bible app and how it has my Bible in 90 days reading plan that shows me the progress I am making through the day's reading, love it!

7- Magic Eraser- our porcelain tubs and kitchen sink would be yellow and not white without them, and a few places would have permanent crayon markings, and it even gets out spray paint

8-remote keyless entry and electronic door locks in cars- with two kids and groceries I can't imagine how I would get everything in the car without something breaking, the groceries that is not the kids

9- online banking- especially for bill paying, so nice to log on, type in the amounts hit send, no need to worry if the mailman will come that day or dropping them off at a mailbox to make sure they arrive on time (the mailman isn't very consistent there are days when he doesn't come at all)

10- jogging strollers- though I don't jog, I do love to walk and pushing a regular stroller is no easy feat, I just bought a double jogger last week on Craigslist (another great convenience) and I am so thankful for it, my other stroller was difficult to push and it would not make it over the smallest bump on the sidewalk, though I am still on the quest for the perfect stroller, one that is small yet durable and pushes like a jogger, but not the size of a smart car, and doesn't cost a fortune I am thankful for what I got

Overall I am thankful I live in this time in history and not in say 1765, I love air conditioning and indoor plumbing too much plus everything in  my top ten list, though I guess I wouldn't know what I was missing if I lived in 1765 or earlier, but I am still thankful.
For other Top Ten Tuesdays check out Oh Amanda.

Top Ten Sounds I HATE to hear from my children

 10 sounds I hate hearing from my children, in order by how I think of them

1- vomit, especially when child is not in the bathroom or close-by

2- diarrhea, especially in a child wearing diapers

3- water or other liquid being poured out on the floor- this is the inspiration for this post, i am upstairs getting ready for the day and I just heard a whole bunch of liquid being poured out onto the floor- Lily loves to find my water thermos and dump out any remaining liquid resulting in a large mess to clean up and clothes to be changed

4- the sound of contact then a child crying- this is usually from older child hitting younger child with some toy and younger child alerting me a crime has been committed, this happens a lot when we are in the car, older child gets made at younger child and has been throwing a sippy cup and younger child, unfortunately 3 yr old has good aim

5- silence when children are awake, playing together, and not in my line of vision, this usually means they are up to something naughty, for example, yesterday there was silence, discovered 3 yr old had pulled powdered sugar down from off of the kitchen counter and had given it to the 18 mo old to play with

6- child's head making contact with hardwood floors- worse sound ever, fortunately it rarely happens

7- child waking up about an hour or two after I fall asleep, I am the most groggiest and when I finally get functional I  have the hardest time falling back asleep

8- sound of paper being ripped especially when it is a bill or book, I put stuff up I tell you yet somehow they find ways to get to everything

9- the kids in my closet, this is Lance's current location when he has found something that he wants to eat but know I will not allow it, he is getting quite stealth, it is kind of scary

10- bathroom door opening when I am hoping for a minute of private alone time, we have very old doors that get stuck easily so I don't always shut them tight so I can easily be bombarded with the kids

Overall my children are good, well behaved children, just lately we are all sick of being stuck inside due to the large amount of snow everywhere and cold temperatures, the conditions do not create an environment that allows for my children to get out all of their energy which then makes them mischievous, I can't wait for spring!