Reminder: May Holidays

If you're like me, you're blinking at your calendar this weekend a little startled to find that it's nearly May! If so, may I offer a reminder that there are a whole handful of holidays in May that might be worth remembering and celebrating?

May 3rd - Teacher Appreciation Day
May 4th - Star Wars Day
May 13th - Mother's Day
May 20th - Armed Forces Day
May 25th - Geek Pride Day
May 28th - Memorial Day

Everybody's schedules fill up fast as we approach the end of the academic year and (hopefully!) the advent of summer, so consider putting it on your to-do list for the coming week to reach out to friends or family you'd like to celebrate with, or to throw any specialty items you'd like for celebratory meals on your shopping list. Winter has been long and rough this year - make time to give your mental/emotional health a boost by celebrating something good!

Pet Food PSA: Blue Buffalo

Please be aware (and make your friends with dogs aware!) that Blue Buffalo brand pet food is being bought out by General Mills. Obviously, given what General Mills considers appropriate to put in people 'food', the future of the Blue Buffalo brand is highly suspect. 

If you're using this brand or know someone who is, it's important that you watch both the ingredient list on the packaging and your pet's tolerance of the food in the months to come. Sick furries aren't fun... and neither is paying clean, brand-name prices for product that's creeping quietly downhill and below your standards! Pass it on. Thanks!

March Holidays

It's a weekend!

This past week was long around here. There was lots going on, but the days somehow seemed to drag anyway. (The evenings went by fast, though, once we were home and trying to get things done!) So we're making a concerted effort to get caught up and ready - not only for next week, but for March which is shockingly just a handful of days away.

March always feels like one of those months that is endless as the weather wavers between snow storms and mud, and you're ready for Spring and still have forever to wait. So I forget that there actually several holidays in there. In case you forget, too, here's a reminder:

• International Women's Day - March 8th
• Daylight Savings - March 11th
• St. Patrick's Day - March 17th 
• Spring Begins (officially, actual weather not withstanding) - March 20th
• Tolkien Day (eat like a Hobbit!) - March 25th
• Good Friday - March 30th
• Easter - April 1st (not technically in March, but worth being aware of b/c it's so early in April this year!) 

(Note: I don't generally celebrate 'political' holidays like Women's Day, but I do think sometimes they're good reminders to send a hug and a thank you to people in our lives it's otherwise too easy to forget to show appreciation for, so I've included it here in case it benefits you the same.)

May you have a productive and restful weekend, and head into next week and next month recharged!!

Free Online Courses

I was talking to a friend at work recently about having read about free online courses put together and hosted by some really big names in academia and industry. I promised to get her a list and, once I started assembling it, thought maybe I'd post it here in case anyone else can benefit.

Although I have not personally had the opportunity to try any of these yet, they've been on my radar for a while. Some of them are accredited, many are not. Some run on pre-scheduled timelines (usually because they incorporate a social learning component), others are entirely self-paced.

Whether you're trying to expand your skill sets for career purposes, hoping to keep your brain limber, or just looking for something engaging to help make the dark days of winter go by faster, it looks like there's something for everybody in here!

Duolingo - learn another language!

Canvas Network - "Open, online courses from colleges, universities and organizations worldwide."

JTDigital - "technical skills for the digital world"  (Psst... this includes a course on 'ethical hacking!' How fun does that sound?!)

Open Culture- "1,300 free online courses"

Open2Study

Stanford University

edX - free courses from Harvard, MIT, RIT, Wharton and more on here!

(PS - If you get a chance to try any of these, please let me know what you think!!)

Reading Rainbow for Adults

Image credit

 Does anyone else remember watching Reading Rainbow when they were little? Hosted by Levar Burton (also of Star Trek TNG fame), it was a lot like Wishbone in its goal to bring books to life and encourage kids to read.

This past week, I ran into an article advertising the fact that Burton has recently started a podcast for adults in which he "read[s] short stories from all genres, with a little music and original sound design sprinkled in."

I'm still getting the hang of podcasts, and short stories haven't exactly been my genre of choice most of the time, but I thought it was pretty cool to see a familiar old face doing something new with the same overarching goal of keeping people connected to literature in our busy, extremely digital age.

If you're interested, you can find the podcast here or look it up in iTunes.

What's In A Carb?

This morning at work I had a customer order a breakfast sandwich and ask what she could get it on that was “low carb”. Unfortunately, the honest answer was “not much”, but I did explain that we could always put her eggs and cheese just on a plate or in a bowl if she didn't want the bread. I also started to offer to add a few of the free extras people tend to like when they take that option – tomatoes or spinach, for example. Then I corrected myself, since I couldn't remember off the top of my head if spinach qualified as low carb. (Turns out it does at about 1g of carbs per cup of fresh spinach, if anybody cares.)

Corn. Grows above ground. Not low carb.

The woman looked at me, smiled cheerily, and said “Oh, it is. Everything that grows above ground is low carb.”

Umm.... say what now? 

(Picture here an absolutely blank stare, as I ran that sentence through my head six times in an effort to figure out if I misheard it, or possibly misunderstood what she was trying to say, before I resigned myself to the fact that she was completely serious.)

I politely finished cashing her out and (barely) resisted the urge to go bang my head against the nearest wall.

Obviously, she was repeating a rule of thumb given to her by someone (probably a professional) she trusted to know these things. And I concede I can sort of see what they were getting at… potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables tend to be much higher in carbs than your (above-ground) leafy greens.

But for Force sake!! Wheat grows above ground, and flour is (or should be) just ground wheat. Apples, bananas, corn, pumpkins – last I checked, they all grew above ground and are definitely not low in carbs!!

If you're on a 'trendy' low carb diet, it might not matter that much. But that kind of grossly inaccurate, misleading rule of thumb could practically kill someone who's trying to go low carb to control diabetes, epilepsy, or other medical conditions particularly sensitive to that. 

This is the level of common knowledge about our food supply and dietary practices that permeates the country, and yet you have to pay out of pocket for any and all education on the subject. Almost no insurance will pay for more than one or two sessions with a Registered Dietician, and then only if you have diabetes, essentially. It's positively appalling. 

Anyway, I'll stop ranting now, but please consider this your friendly neighborhood PSA that GROWING ABOVE GROUND DOES NOT MAKE SOMETHING LOW CARB.  Thank you. 

Inktober and NaNoWriMo

I wanted to make this post creative and inspirational, full of tidbits of the random facts stuffed away in my brain about exploration/experimentation, practice, how doing things we love is healthy, and about the power of feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves. But my brain's just not there at the moment, so imagine I said all those things, okay?

The NaNoWriMo badge.

In any event, the point of the post is to tell/remind everybody that October and November are great opportunities to challenge yourself or inspire a young person in your life who likes art or writing!

October is host to the Inktober Initiative: a challenge to artists all over the world to pick to do one ink drawing a day for the month. Any kind of ink, any kind of paper, any subject, any size - just draw!

November, of course, is NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. Writers of all stripes commit to writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Again, any topic, any style, no judgement - just write!

Both challenges are open to all age groups and both websites have tools, resources, and links for connecting with other participants if you're interested. Fall can be a busy, hectic time for sure, but it's also one of the most important times to invest in yourself and to open yourself up to new possibilities. Even if these aren't for you, please consider passing them along to anyone who might be interested - the world can always use new Makers!!

How Not To Apply For A Job

A little free entertainment for your Friday, inspired by something that actually happened at Panera earlier this week... 

How NOT To Apply For A Job:

- Show up a solid 40 minutes before the business opens (while it's still dark outside and nothing else nearby is open) and lurk creepily

- Wait for the opening manager to go outside to do things like set up the umbrellas, grab the newspapers, etc., and proceed to demand that she turn on the Wi-Fi. (Bonus points for grousing about how the Wi-Fi should never be turned off to begin with when she politely explains that she has no control over that and it will auto-turn-on when the cafe opens.)

- Stand around inside the cafe as soon as it opens, scowling at the menu, touching and leafing through everything you can find, and mumble incomprehensibly and menacingly to yourself. When asked if you can be helped with something, refuse to talk to anyone except the manager.

- Loudly complain (two minutes after opening) that the Wi-Fi STILL isn't up and announce that you're going to call Corporate to take them to task for failing to have it turned on when it was supposed to be.

- Announce that you are going to apply for a job at the cafe. Type in the wrong internet address (even though the correct one is listed sixteen places readily at hand, or available via Google). Upbraid the manager (who is busy trying to do her job) when the site asks for a credit card to charge you for submission.

- Find some reason to demand to see the poor beleagured manager every fifteen minutes or so for the full two hours that you stay lodged in the cafe's back corner, grouching or complaining every time.

- Leave about ten minutes before the General Manager comes in, so he can't tell you to knock it off and/or ask you to leave.

Note: I requested that if my GM actually interviewed the gentleman who did exactly all of the above, he do so on one of my shifts during my break so I that I can sit inconspicuously at a nearby table and be stupidly entertained. I know, I'm a horrible person...ha!

Flea and Tick Season Is Coming

Generally speaking, I have tried since we first got Arthas to use all natural stuff with our dogs as much as possible. I use Diatomaceous Earth for deworming and love it, and most of time it's all I need to ensure we don't pick up any fleas, either. Unfortunately, it does nothing to combat ticks. Last year was a nasty year for ticks, and this year already isn't looking promising on that front.

As we have been examining plans for the summer and realizing that our furry babies are going to be exposed to (many) more unfamiliar dogs than recent years, we also recognized the need for stronger protection against fleas, as well.

Which brings me to this two-part PSA.

First, if you know anyone with a standard collie or border collie, please warn them to check any anti-flea/tick products they may use for Ivermectin. It is the base drug in  many over-the-counter options, and collies/border collies have a genetic predisposition to adverse reactions to it. In some cases, it can even be fatal. Many vets are not aware of this, so professional warnings are much fewer and farther between than would be ideal.

Second, read labels carefully. There are lots of products on the market, but only two that I found that prevent against deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease (which is an increasing problem), especially in east coast states. The problem is they all say "protects against ticks"... you have to actually check to make sure deer ticks are included in the list, though!

We ended up going with K9 Advantix II, which protects against everything and is Ivermectin free. (If you do the same, may I recommend grabbing yours off Amazon? The local stores here only carried two-packs for $40+, but Amazon had six packs for $60. Even those of us not so good at 'the maths' can tell that's a better option!)

Regardless of your needs or situation - or the stupid amounts of snow and cold you're getting assaulted with - spring will soon be with us. Consider taking a moment to reassess what you need and make sure you and your furry companions are covered?

Happy Clean Out Your Computer Day!

This is just a PSA to remind everyone that today is National Clean Out Your Computer Day!

Digital clutter is just as easy to accumulate - and just as distracting and time consuming - as regular clutter. Even if you can't do it today, consider scheduling a few minutes (or longer!) into your calendar soon to clean out old files, run a defrag, weed old pins out of your Pinterest board, address the backlog of old photos on your computer/phone, etc. Do a little mental/emotional purging and give yourself fresh, clean space and energy for current projects and priorities!

An Important Note for Dog Owners

I was hoping to keep all my initial posts for 2017 unequivocally positive, but this is important so I'm going to make an exception.

If you have a dog, please be aware that a Federal Court recently ruled that police are authorized to shoot any dogs present when they enter a home if they feel the animal is a threat. The dogs do not have to attack them in any way, or even be jumping or growling - just barking is enough. 

Kaine, a GHF baby.

No justification, compensation, or anything else is required, and there is no legal recourse. The police do not have to be in your home looking for you, either - they can be there for anyone who might be staying with you, etc. 

Obviously, this is of tremendous concern to anyone who has a large and/or naturally intimidating dog or a breed that is notoriously subjected to prejudice or considered dangerous (i.e. pit bulls, German Shepherds, etc.). That said, small dog owners need to aware as well, since many small breeds make up in noise what they lack in size. 

Conversations we've had with people who are/have been in law enforcement, as well as recent experiences a family member had with EMTs, bear out that this is not a one-off thing: law enforcement and other public servants who may enter your home are predisposed to consider dogs a threat and react accordingly.

What You Can Do:

Obviously, first and foremost, be discriminating about who you allow to live at, use, or store things on your property. The less cause anyone has to be on your property, the lower you risk of being presented with an unfortunate situation.

Second, if you have a gate or other barrier across your driveway use it. Although this will not always keep people off your property, it does represent a legal barrier that in many situations cannot be crossed without your permission or a warrant, and buys space between law enforcement and your dog. (Otherwise, your front door becomes that barrier, and that doesn't leave much room to intervene!)

Third, talk to the people in your household and make a plan to secure any dogs before law enforcement, paramedics, or others enter the home in the event that you know that they're coming. (I.e. you call for an ambulance, officers are canvassing your neighborhood regarding a crime, etc.)

If at all possible, select a location that is easy for you to get the animal to in a hurry, and one that completely - and visibly - removes their ability to be a threat. [Example - gating your dog in the kitchen with a baby gate is not a good option, as there is still the theoretical possibility of them jumping over, and they are visibly barking, jumping, etc., and may be perceived as a threat. A crate (if you use them), or behind a closed bedroom or bathroom door (as long as your dog can't open these themselves!!) is a significantly better alternative.]

Don't forget to include specific directives to that effect in your emergency plans, so that friends/family (who may not live with you or be familiar with the issue) can act accordingly if you are injured or incapacitated!

While I fully respect the need for the law to protect officers, medical professionals and others who put their lives on the line to do their job every day, our pets have no legal rights and are fully dependent upon us and our awareness, attentiveness, and protection in situations like this. As you make or update plans for the new year, please make sure your furry companions are are covered!

The Underground History of American Education

On a recommendation from my brother in law I picked up John Taylor Gatto's Underground History of American Education.

It blew my mind.

I cannot begin to describe how many disparate and complex subjects the author tackles, lining them up and connecting the dots between them. Faith, family, education, patriotism, business. This should be mandatory reading for every American.

Gatto respects the teachers who battle daily with the same goal he did - to genuinely help American students learn and thrive. But he breaks down the system, showing its poisonous roots and the myriad ways in which it crushes children, suppresses and fragments the family, and erodes Faith. Please make time to read it - we can't make a difference if we aren't informed, and this book brings together truths I have seen explored piecemeal dozens of other places. Together, the power and insight they bring is exponentially increased.

Although it would be impossible to describe here all the things that stunned me during the reading of this, one thing stood out above all else: your family is sacred. God designed families on purpose. That tiny core of structure - with all its defined roles, boundaries and supports - is the foundation of everything we need to be successful. 

There are so many things in this day and age seeking to destroy families. Many of us no longer even recognize or respect what the family was originally designed to look like - it's been beaten into us that the very things that will nurture and grow us are are restrictive, suffocating, to be revolted against. Don't buy it. Don't let anything degrade or eat away at the sanctity of your home. There is no more crucial fight than the battle to maintain a happy, content and intact home.

Okay. I'll get off my soap box now. But please read this. It will change you.

Career Advice

I've noticed a common theme appearing in the most diverse and curious places: a resistance to traditional college degrees. While the institutions of education push harder than ever to get every child to go to college, thinking people across America are pushing back:

• A blogger I have great respect for shared her home-schooled daughter's desire to become a nanny after graduation, and how they researched what top placement agencies want in candidates. They found college degrees weren't nearly as sought after as literacy skills and fluency in multiple languages. Based on their discussions with intake staff, they've mapped out a plan for the next several years that will provide everything she needs to walk into a job without ever stepping foot in college.
  
  
• A young college graduate at a workshop I attended was already finding the need to supplement her degree with outside education to get the skills employers are really seeking.
  
  
• Before taking my current job, I seriously considered going back to school for a nutrition degree. I found that largely- online certifications such as Nutritional Therapy Practitioner are infinitely cheaper and more practical for most people who want to actually help others rather than play the what-will-insurance-pay-for game.
  
  
• The stay-at-home daughter movement argues that many women whose primary plans include staying home to raise children or partnering with their husbands in business are vastly better served by self-education or targeted training in non-college environments. They'll get the knowledge and skills they need without wracking up crippling debt or wasting time on politically mandated classes they don't need or want.
  
  
• Sir Ken Robinson pointed out in his latest book that when only about 20% of the population got college degrees they were the primary sifting tool for employers. Now that they have become so common, their power has seriously eroded.

Certainly college degrees are not worthless; even more obscure degrees can prove to be a gateway to a great career and in some cases they serve as the minimum standard for entry. For some students the simple fact of being in a new place, with new people and fully responsible for themselves for the first time can be a vital (and steep) learning curve they need to tackle to be prepared for later success.

But did you notice the one thing that stood out in all the examples I listed? Research. 

The key to being successful now is doing your homework. Asking the questions - not of guidance counselors or college reps, but of the people doing the hiring and the ones working in the field right now. No matter what you (or your child) wants to do, give yourself time to do the research. You might be surprised by what you find - and you might save yourself a couple years and thousands of dollars in the process!

What You Don't See on HGTV

Note: this is a bit of a rant, based on the recent experiences of myself and several of my friends. You're welcome to skip reading it or to leave you opinion in the comments, but this was your fair warning.  :)

We don't watch much tv around here, but occasionally while I'm cleaning or quilting I'll catch an episode of something on HGTV as background noise. One of the shows I tend to enjoy is Unsellables, where a professional home stager goes in and helps people who have been unable to sell their homes figure out why and make changes for no more than a couple thousand dollars that will bring in buyers and get them sold.

Sometimes, changes are laughably simple: the first three steps are always clean, declutter and fix the stupid little things (oil squeaky doors, tighten loose knobs, or cut back the overgrown plants outside). Painting over insanely bright wall colors, getting rid of huge furniture crowding a space and putting up new house numbers so people can find the place to begin with are often sufficient to bring in crowds and rack up offers.

Unfortunately, the hardest part about watching is knowing what they aren't showing: all the houses rejected because they needed far more than a weekend and some elbow grease. It's become appallingly clear that there is a tragic disconnect between people's ideas about their houses and their actions towards them. 

To hear people talk, home is the precious command center from which we run our lives and the nest in which we nurture families and friendships.

Financial gurus call houses investments. They appreciate in value and can be strategically chosen and improved to bring a great return on investment when you're ready to move on to the next one.

Taking care of a house should, therefore, be a win-win.

The current reality is a far, sad cry from that ideal. Home sellers blithely check "no water damage" on paper when a simple glance at the poor paint-over job proves the lie. They boast of their new roof, unconcerned about the mis-installed insulation causing the base of the roof to rot out underneath. Sellers install shiny synthetic floors expecting a top dollar return, despite structural or functional issues that will take time, energy and big funding to repair.

Is this part of why the housing market continues to slump? Because buying a house right now is a Catch-22?

Buyers are expected to somehow pay good price for a house and either continue ignoring the core issues themselves until they reach a crisis point, or to find the money to fix it on top of the sale price and hefty taxes, closing fees and moving costs.

I completely empathize with people who don't want to dump tons of money into a home they don't intend to stay in or who counted on the money from their house to pay off the mortgage and fund their next place. But with budgets stretched all around, where is the give here?

Do we assume that every person/ family who has been working hard and saving for years to earn the right to own a home will further cut their standard of living, buy a derelict house and slowly restore?

Do we expect sellers to suck it up and lose money in the sale as payment for their ignorance or carelessness?

I don't know how to fix the current mess, but I would like to offer a simple suggestion to everyone intending to buy, sell or build a home in the future: educate yourself about what really matters and make good choices. 

- Make sure all work is up to code and done right every time. Have the dignity to do things right the first time around, even if it means delaying projects or sacrificing luxury extras somewhere.

- Don't assume contractors will do a good job (or that they have done one just because it looks nice). They cut corners like everyone else. We've had real estate agents flat out tell us they see new construction fail code inspections! Be smart, hold your ground and follow up.

- Learn what to look for and bring someone you trust to help assess if you're not sure. A house's suitability for you doesn't really lie in whether or not it has granite counter tops and two sinks in the master bathroom (my pet peeves from other HGTV shows... lol): what matters is whether or not it is safe and structurally sound for the long haul!

- Don't buy someone else's problem. Make people responsible for what they are trying to sell and their headaches will give other sellers serious motivation to make sure their house isn't a problem to sell.

- If at all possible, start planning to sell your house early (like from the day you buy it) so you have time to invest wisely. You're much better off doing the hard, boring stuff while you're still in the house and can benefit from it than doing a spit and polish routine you'll end up paying for later.

- Finally, take advantage of outside funding! There are many local and state grant programs that help homeowners make upgrades/ do repairs that qualify as environmental or safety improvements. Insurance companies may also offer funds for improving your land or property, especially if it not recently built and therefore not up to current code.


If we each pitch in, wherever we are in the cycle, we can slowly fix this mess our national carelessness had made. What do you think?

Warning for NYS Teachers!

We all know that New York State rarely has the best interest of its citizens in mind when writing laws that could potentially make it money.

A frightening example of this came to my attention yesterday, and I wanted to pass it along in hopes that raising awareness of it will help someone: If you are a teacher in NYS, please go over your retirement and insurance plans with a fine tooth comb and an advisor! There is a loophole in the law which, if not specifically and intentionally closed by an extra document, allows the state to pay out a one time lump sum to your surviving spouse/child and confiscate the rest of the money you paid into the program when you die!

My parents' advisor recently watched another of this clients get screwed over by this loophole and is now scrambling to prevent it from happening to anyone else in his circle. I doubt all advisors will be so aware or diligent, so please take steps to protect yourself!

(I apologize for the lack of specificity about the particulars - I don't have them on hand and wanted to post this asap. Email me or leave a comment if you'd like more info and I'll be happy to pass it along.)

Don't leave the state your money by mistake!

Mary Kay Makeover Contest!

This is friendly PSA - Mary Kay is doing another Makeover Contest! It's completely free, and runs from September 1st to October 31st.

There are two (totally FREE) ways to participate - call your MK consultant and schedule a makeover for yourself, and/or go online between Nov 1st and 10th to vote on which makeovers you like best!

Entrants in the New York! New You! makeover contest have a chance to win the Grand Prize of a fabulous trip for two to New York City! They'll also have an opportunity to attend a beauty, fashion or fitness photo shoot for Fitness magazine. The winner will have a professional makeup, wardrobe and hair makeover and a fantastic new fashionista wardrobe. It's enough to make any fashion Diva drool with envy!

Whether you opt to participate in this great contest or not, I recommend scheduling a (free) appointment with your MK Lady soon - fall will soon be upon us, and it's always a good idea to have a check-in this time of year. Skin and beauty needs change with time and the seasons, so take a few minutes in the next month to make sure the products you're using are still the best ones for your needs.

(PS -Now is also a great time to ask about any holiday open houses or specials your consultant will be running - start planning for your gift giving needs now and spare yourself unnecessary stress come Christmas. If you haven't updated your wish list recently, review that with your consultant as well - you never know who else might be planning ahead and have you on their gift list! :0)

Cooking "Creme" ... ??

I hopped over to food.com today to reference a couple recipes I'd saved and an ad for something called "Cooking Creme" by Philadelphia (the cream cheese maker) popped up. The nutritionist in me is intrigued by anything that's name clearly shouts "not a real food", so I watched the 20 second commercial. Then I looked up the ingredients.

Ingredients ("Santa Fe" flavor): Pasteurized nonfat milk and milkfat, water, whey, whey protein concentrate, salt, red bell peppers, cheese culture, onions, maltodextrin, garlic, tapioca starch, spice, yeast extract, sugar, lactic acid, corn flour, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural flavor, corn syrup, citric acid, chipotle chili pepper, lime juice, sorbic acid (as a preservative), jalapeno peppers, vitamin A palmiate.

Doesn't that sound yummy? *gag*

Pasteurized non-fat milk and milkfat, completely devoid of nutritional value after their separation and processing. "Natural flavors" which is typically code for msg or other neuro-toxic chemicals, hydrolyzed starch (maltodextrin) and corn flour (most likely from GM corn, increasing the likelihood of allergic reaction). Don't forget the vitamin A palmiate which is believed to accelerate cancer in lab rats and the 480 mg of sodium per 1/4 cup serving!

Tell me again why people pay money for this stuff?

You can make a simple sauce with endless seasoning variations from chicken stock, milk, a little flour and whatever spices you've stocked your cabinet with. Or use natural, herbed goat cheese for heaven's sake! It will give you the same creamy result and be good for you besides.

Review of today's lesson: There are always natural alternatives to the imitation foods you see on tv, and they are always worth finding!

Intentional Homemaking

For the longest time after I got out of college, my apartment was just a place to crash. My seventy- hour work weeks didn't leave much room for decorating or entertaining and the place sported a serious lack of cohesion in theme and decor (if my conglomeration of mix- matched pieces and random art actually qualified as decor). That attitude of neglect spilled over into the first years of our marriage, as we moved every year without finding somewhere to settle in and create our own space.

In the last year or so, though, we've begun to set down roots. We've talked about what we want our home to be, and started investing in making those ideas a reality. This apartment is slowly transforming into a home, a place in which to celebrate our blessings and to be a blessing to others. It is my heart to have a home in which people can feel welcome and at ease. A place where they are safe to relax, renew and fellowship. Find community and laughter or a shoulder to cry on when they need it.

William Morris's admonishment to have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful lingers in my mind as I work toward this goal, and I am so excited to have found some amazing companies that seem to be on exactly the same wavelength - like Dayspring!

I've loved their cards and ecards for years, but only recently paid any attention to their home decor line. I so appreciate that they have incorporated themes and symbols of faith and encouragement into functional pieces I can use around my home. When you're trying to keep clutter down and make the most of limited space functional and beautiful is the perfect combination.

Look at this!

(Yes, I was so excited when it came that I had to immediately take it out of the box and check it out.)

I am not a good picture taker, obviously, because it is drastically more gorgeous in real life. It's metal (and not the thin, cheap kind either), with an antiqued finish and it fits in perfectly with my stoneware dishes and dark wood furniture. I tend to be rather hard on trays (I've killed several plastic ones in the past), so I'm very happy to have this one which I know I will NOT kill!


Even with my over-sized mugs and the French press, there's plenty of room for tea service and the wide, solid handles make for easy carrying. Pieces like this fit in with the theme we are building in our home and serve as daily reminders to reach out, invite others in and not get so pre-occupied with myself and my thoughts that I miss what's really important in every day.

If you find yourself looking for more intentional decor or meaningful gifts, I highly recommend checking out the Dayspring Shop. They're running some great specials this month and usually feature some great posts (in)Courage ladies and other great bloggers sharing their own ideas, lessons learned and encouragement too!

In accordance with FTC requirements, please note that DaySpring provided me with the above reviewed product for free, but all opinions expressed herein are my own. If you've seen my book reviews, you know that I'm not shy about giving my honest opinion whether something was free or not! :0)

Something Rare

I have encountered something rare - an accurate, balanced and highly readable guide to safe eating. I am so impressed and surprised that I had to pass it along. This is seriously better than what I teach in ServSafe! (Let's hope they don't revoke my credentials for saying so...)

Ms. Perrett has done an outstanding job of distilling extensive research and multi-faceted issues into a common sense manual for those who are trying to reduce their risk of foodborne illness.

The book contains no fear-mongering, gross-out factors or other manipulative marketing tactics. The author remains true to her stated mission of bringing people the facts they need to make good choices for themselves and their lifestyles; in cases where current research and medical opinion is conflicted or indecisive she summarizes both sides fairly and allows readers to decide for themselves.

I have tremendous respect for Ms. Perrett's honesty in opening her book with the admission that it is not about nutrition, only safety. Readers can research elsewhere the nutritional merits of raw milk, unpasteurized juice, etc. and decide for themselves if those factors make the potential risk worthwhile for them; the author does not bash or forbid such foods, but does explain the safety factors involved in a fair and even handed manner.

There is no one who wouldn't benefit from reading this book, and I highly encourage anyone with a compromised immune system or who is responsible for the care of children or the elderly to make time to read it. What you learn may literally save lives.

PSA : 1 in 133

Given my extensive disdain for the FDA, I was not the least bit surprised when an email came through my inbox noting that - despite being being specifically tasked to do so years ago - the authorities have completely failed to introduce "clear, federally established and monitored regulations for gluten-free food labeling".

1 in 133 people is gluten intolerant; though the reaction is slower and less dramatic than the anaphylactic shock of people succumbing to nut allergies, the damage is no less severe or ultimately fatal.

The lack of clear labeling in the face of such a universal ingredient is a serious threat to the health of millions of Americans and, frankly, it's simply uncalled for. Honesty in labeling should be a basic expectation of all food producers and it is to America's shame that we do not require and enforce it on all fronts.

A coalition of GF food producers, Celiac Awareness groups, researchers, etc. has decided to get some publicity on the issue in hopes of (politely) embarrassing the FDA into getting its act together. They're hosting a Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit in Washington, D.C. on May 4th of this year.

(Did you know May has recently been designated National Celiac Awareness Month?)

If you or anyone you know has Celiac Disease, is gluten intolerant, or is just a proponent of honesty in food labeling, please pass this information along and considering visiting the event's website to see if you can be involved or offer support. When dealing with the FDA, I believe we should take up the FAA's motto: "We're not happy till you're not happy!"