New Years!

Excitement runs through my veins.

Who's ready for the New Year to begin? 

Have your New Year's Resolution List made?

It's that time to start a New Year's Resolution list. What's on your list? Here are some of mine. 

2013 Top 10 Goals: 

1. Complete my weight loss and reach my goal. I started in 2012 but have reached the end so I have to reach my goal this year. I must! 
2. Write, write, write! I need to write more 
3. Work on getting my books published
4. Learn Japanese!!!!! 
5. Keep up with my blog 
6. Be a better person 
7. Get a good job 
8. Believe in myself 
9. Smile more 
10. Learn - anything and everything
• I'm going to start posting 5 words and definitions to my blog a day. I'll add more info on how I'll work that at the beginning of the year. 

Merry Christmas!

M e r r y 

C h r i s t m a s !

Have a great Christmas everyone! 

This is the best ever!! <3

Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark 

I must insist! You have to try this out! It is so, so, so good and rather quite simple. Even if you don't like peppermints very much (like me) but love chocolate you will like this. I don't hate hard peppermint candies but I don't go out and buy them for myself either. I'm sure you will love this if you try it out!

You Need:

• 1 12 oz bag of Hershey's real semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 12 oz bag of Hershey's Premier White Chips 
• 10 oz bag of hard peppermint candies or candy canes 
• Vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons 

#1 Get out a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan. If you don't have one you can use two cake pans. Get out enough foil and line your jelly roll pan or two cake pans. The foil is a must. 

#2 Take the candies out of their individual wrappers and put them into a plastic bag (a freezer bag is recommended). You don't have to use the entire bag of candies but use most of them. I had about 6 left over. Seal the plastic bag and lay a towel on top of your work surface and place the bag on top and cover with another towel. Use a rolling pin or a heavy pan to crush the candies. Leave some larger pieces. 

#3 Now we melt the chocolate. You need two nonstick medium sized saucepans. In one, dump the entire bag of semi-sweet chips. In the other pan, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil then the white chips. Turn both the burners on LOW. You must cook slowly, watch constantly, and stir frequently. Turn the heat off when almost all of the chips are melted and stir until the rest finish melting and the chocolate is smooth and shiny. 

#4 Pour the semi-sweet chocolate onto your foil lined pan and spread out to the edges with a spatula. It doesn't have to be all the way to the edges but be as close as possible. If you are using 2 cake pans, pour half of the chocolate into one pan and the other half into the other. Do the same with the white chocolate. 

#5 Once you have the semi-sweet chocolate spread out it is time for the white chocolate. Drizzle the white chocolate over the other layer.

#6 Using the edge of the spatula, smooth and swirl the white chocolate over the semi-sweet chocolate. Try and make some fun designs with it.  

#7 Sprinkle all of the candy pieces over the chocolate. Use all of it. With clean hands pat the top of the candy pieces with your hands so they press into the chocolate a bit. Be very, very gentle. 

#8 Put the entire pan in the frig for at least an hour. Once it's completely cold, take it out and lift the foil with the bark off of the pan. Flip the candy bark over so the peppermint pieces are touching the pan. Press on the back of the bark to break it into pieces and peal off foil. Use your hands to break the rest of it into smaller pieces. It will start to melt from the heat of your hands so once you are done get it back into the frig for a few minutes while you enjoy a piece or two. Once it's cold again put it in a plastic bag or storage container and keep in the frig to enjoy again and again. This is wonderful for holiday parties.  

e n j o y ! 

My Mom's Macaroni Salad!

My Mom's Easy and Simple Macaroni Salad! 

You Need:
-StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in water, 5 oz can
-Miracle Whip, 2 cups to 2 1/2  
-3 cups uncooked Creamette Ready Cut  Spaghetti noodles 
-Sweet Peas, 15 oz can
-Salt 
-Pepper

1. Cook the noodles in salted (4-5 strong shakes with salt shaker), boiling water. Use a large saucepan. Cook until they are just tender. Watch closely so you don't overcook.
2. Strain the noodles and run COLD water over them. You need to cool them down so they don't continue to cook. Once the noodles are slightly cooled, use your hands to lift the noodles and toss them gently in the strainer with cold water running over them until they are completely cooled.

3. Shake off excess water and dump the noodles into a large bowl. 
4. Drain the water off of the tuna and the sweet peas and add them into the bowl with the noodles. You will have to break up the tuna with your fingers. Toss until the noodles, peas and tuna are complete mixed up. I like using my hands (wash first) to mix everything up but if you don't like getting your hands dirty you may use a spatula or spoon. If you use a spatula or spoon make sure you toss gently instead of stirring. 

5. Add your Miracle Whip. The amount you need can vary. Start with two cups and if the noodles seem dry you can add a bit more. 
6. Mix the Miracle Whip and the noodles/peas/tuna together. I suggest using a spoon or spatula this time. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of pepper during the mixing process. Taste and if you think it needs a bit more salt or pepper add some. 

7. Dish up and serve. Store the leftovers in the frig. This macaroni salad is a great side dish with a sandwich for lunch or for a picnic or if you just need a quick bite before you have to run. This is a simple, easy, and yummy side dish to have in the refrigerator for a few days. 

Options!

With this macaroni salad you can add a few more things. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. These options are: 

-1/2 cup of small diced celery

-1 small onion (red, yellow, white-your choice) 

-Tiny cubed cheddar cheese or self shredded cheddar cheese. Don't use the bagged shredded cheese you buy in the store because the powder on it doesn't work with this salad. 

---If you add these things you will have to add a bit more Miracle Whip and a little more salt/pepper. 

Enjoy!

Comment if you have any questions! 

My BFF Dani

Right now I need to give a shout out to my best friend in the world, Dani. He is going through something right now and is a bit stressed out so I wanted to specially write this and let him know that I love him. He is the best friend in the world and I'm so glad to have him in my life. Cheer up! You have reasons to smile. 

Relax! =)

Grab a warm cup of hot cocoa, your favorite chair or spot on the couch, and a book or movie and relax the night away. That's what I'm up to. 

Dreams or Love?

Say you have a dream that you have had forever. This dream means the world to you and you want to make it a reality more than anything. Now say you meet someone and fall in love and he/she wants you to give up that dream because it does not mesh with his/her life/goals. Would you be able to give up your dream that has kept you going? I wouldn't be able to. My dreams are something that I have been working towards all my life and I won't give them up. It would be to hard to give up all that work. Would you be able to do it? 

Busy life but want to burn a few extra calories?

So many people are busy, busy, busy with their every day lives and sometimes don't have time to properly work out. Well I have a few small tips that will help you burn a few extra calories during everyday tasks. 

1.  When at home or wherever you feel comfortable, walk on your tip toes. I always do this around the house and it helps tone my calf muscles
2. While doing dishes or preparing a meal or whenever you are by a counter, stand on one leg and let the counter help keep you stable without having it hold your weight. 
3. While brushing your teeth, bend your knees slightly until you are done.  
4. When sitting, lift your toes off of the ground but keep your heel on the floor - repeat moving your toes on and off the floor. 
5. Use a stress ball even if your aren't stressed. 

I do these things throughout the day. They are not much but every little bit counts.

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Makes Me Smile, Always

This little dog of mine always makes me smile. She is the best little friend and I'm so happy that she came into our lives when she did (mine and my moms). She's spoiled rotten and a little bed hog but I wouldn't trade her for a million dollars.  If you have a pet, does he or she make your world brighter? I sure hope so because they are an important part of our lives. Treat them well and love them more and more every day and they will do the same for you. 

Lucky

Blackhead Removal! 2 Options

Blackhead Removal Tips (Nose/Face) 

Option #1 Blackhead removal - nose 

As long as you are not allergic or have super, super sensitive skin that is easily affected I suggest trying this out. I learnt about this by searching Google. I do not remember the source/can't find it again so I can't give proper credit to the person or persons who thought of this first. But this is great idea so I'm sharing it as well.

First, gently wash your face with warm water and dry it off. 
Second, put some Elmer's NON-TOXIC and washable glue on your index finger, or which ever finger you wish to use, and smooth over your nose. The layer of glue has to be thin but not too thin. 
Third, let it dry. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes and sometimes 10 minutes. The glue will be clear when it's dry. Make sure you don't smile or move your face until you are ready to peel it off.  
Four, using the tip of your finger but NOT your nail, roll it along the edges of the dry glue to lift it up so you are able to peal it off. You can use your nail if you are having trouble but be very, very gentle or you will irritate your skin. Sometimes it helps to crinkle your nose and move your facial muscles to get the glue to loosen up so you can get it off a bit easier. That is what I do. 
Five, once you have all the glue peeled off wash your face with a foaming face wash or whatever works for you.  
How this works: The glue dries while surrounding your pores so when you pull it off it pulls out the blackheads and other stuff clogged in your pores that make your skin feel unpleasant. You will see the results on the dry glue skin when you peel it off. Note, this works wonders for some people while it doesn't for some others. This works for me but it worked a lot better for a friend of mine. If this doesn't work I have another option. 

Options #2 - Pores cleaner - Entire face

You know those pore and facial brushes that you can buy in the store? Well, I can't afford one of those right now so I thought up this method a while ago. It's a toothbrush. Yes, I use a tooth brush and foaming facial cleanser to clean out my pores and it works wonders. 
Fist, get a SOFT toothbrush. 
Second, get a foaming facial cleanser that you like. 
Third, wet your face with warm water and massage some of the foaming face wash over your skin.
Four, wet your soft toothbrush and add a bit of your facial cleanser onto it (just like when you brush your teeth but with face wash). 
Five, use the toothbrush and gently brush it over your nose and the rest of your face (use circular motions and up and down and sideways... whatever you like best). Be careful the first time you do this because the first time I did this it hurt a bit. I had a different toothbrush and it was too bumpy and hurt my skin. But the one I have now works well but I still have to be gentle. Always be gentle so you don't irritate your skin. 
Six, wash your face off and dry it off and get ready for your day or night like normal. 
Note: Don't use the same toothbrush to clean your face as you do your teeth. If you have any questions leave a comment. 

Purifying Scalp Treatment! (Dandruff or no dandruff)

 

Have dandruff? Don't have dandruff? Either way, if you want to purify your scalp and leave your head feeling wonderful I suggest you try this out. I do this several times a week and it makes my hair look so much better and I don't have to worry about an itchy scalp when I'm around people. Scratching your scalp isn't the nicest thing to do with company around. And it's embarrassing. 

I'm sure some of you have heard to use vinegar on your scalp to help cure dandruff and it's true. However, I've mainly heard that you should use apple cider vinegar but that didn't work that well for me. So I tried rice vinegar and it worked wonders. I love it and I love the way it makes my scalp feel. 

Step 1: 

Find a vinegar that works best for you (I think rice vinegar is the best but that is my opinion)

Step 2:

 Use a syringe to apply the vinegar to your dry hair! Guide the tip of the syringe along your scalp and use your fingers to massage it in. Using the syringe allows the vinegar to soak into your scalp properly. Plus, you don't waste any either. Gently pouring out of a cup and onto your scalp is too difficult and I find that I wasted more than anything. But if you don't have a syringe and want to try this then the cup method will be alright. Be careful of your eyes! Vinegar in the eyes isn't nice. 

Step 3: 

Let the vinegar soak into your scalp for 5 minutes! This way it is able to work it's magic and get rid of the icky dandruff. If you don't have dandruff and just want to give your scalp a purify then I wouldn't suggest leaving it in that long. 

Step 4: 

Shower and wash your hair like normal and style it how you want it  

Having a clean, flake free scalp makes me feel so much better about myself and I'm sure it will make you feel better as well. If you have any questions just leave a comment!  

Christmas Tree 2012

This is my little Christmas tree. It's not very big at all but I love it. 

Looking at it at night makes me all warm.

This is a little thing that makes my life sweet and enjoyable.  

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

This is not your average 'instant' oatmeal. This is homemade, wonderful, yummy, healthy and comforting. And it is so, so easy and doesn't take that much time to make. Try it out and make your morning a happy one. That's what I did today! 

You need (One serving): 
    
A small green (sour) apple 
Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal (Follow the  cooking instructions for one serving) 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 tbsp butter 
1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar (You can add more/less if you want) 


1. Cut up the apple. Remove the skin (unless you want them) and chop it into small cubes

2. Make one serving of oatmeal, follow the instructions on the oatmeal container (I made mine in the microwave)

3. Melt your butter in a small saucepan and add the apple and 1 tbsp of brown sugar and most of the cinnamon. Cook until the apples are tender but not mushy and the butter and sugar are a nice caramel color. 

4. Add the cooked oatmeal into the saucepan with the apples. Add the rest of the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until blended. Don't over stir 

5. Eat and enjoy a comforting but healthy breakfast that should brighten your day   

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