Oriental Steak

Ingredients:  2lb round steak sliced in 1 inch cubes or strips 1 clove of garlic minced 1 small bag of baby carrots cut in half length wise  2 TBS flour 4 TBS sugar 2/3 cup soy sauce 1 cup white wine 1 bell pepper sliced in 1 inch strips 1 can sliced mushrooms 1/4 tsp pepper 1 can sliced water chestnuts Rice
Directions:   Mix wine, soy sauce, garlic, sugar and pepper, set aside.   Brown round steak.  When I say brown I mean lightly brown it.  If you overcook the meat at this step it will be tough.  No one wants to eat tough meat!   Pour the set aside mixture over steak and turn the burner to low heat   Add carrots, bell pepper and mushrooms   Simmer on low heat stirring occasionally for approx 1 hour or until carrots are tender (put a lid on it)   Add flour to thicken sauce stir in well  ***a sifter works well to keep the flour from clumping   Add water chestnuts Remove from heat    Serve over cooked white or brown rice

Tips For Moving With Pets

Moving can be stressful and it can be for our four legged kids too.  I've been compiling some good tips in preparation for our upcoming move and wanted to share them.  1. If you are moving far enough away that your pet will need a new vet, be sure you get their vet records before the move so you can share them with the new vet. Make sure you pet is up to date on vaccinations and has a current health check.    2.  Check you new city for regulations and permits for you pet if applicable.    3.  Get their ID tags updated with your current contact information just in case of a great escape from your new home. If you have a microchip be sure you update that too.  You could consider getting a travel tag, a small luggage tag with your info and an alternate person to contact just in case you cannot be reached and your pet is lost during the move.   4.  Speaking of great escapes be sure to check out the new place for escape hatches.  Holes in the fence line, anywhere your little Houdini can disappear.  They are going to be curious in the new environment so keep your eyes peeled for anything you may see that could assist them in roaming the new neighborhood on their own.    5.  On moving day there will be lots of commotion.  Consider crating your pet with familiar toys and bedding and putting them in their own room away from all the commotion.   This will help keep a stressed pet calm.    6.  Depending on how far you are moving your pet may be in the car and hotels for 24-48hrs.  Be sure you have your travel route planned and prepare for frequent bathroom breaks.  Crates are the safest place for dogs to travel and they have a place to be contained if staying in a hotel.  Collapsible exercise pens work great too for hotels and potty breaks.  Be sure you have enough supplies for the trip.  Food, water, travel dishes, can opener, toys, leashes, medication, treats, puppy pads, waste bags, etc...  If traveling by air contact the airlines for regulations.  Some pets can travel in small crates with you on the plane if the carrier will fit under the seat.  Larger pets must travel air freight.   7.  Pack up a pet box will supplies you will need immediately and transport it with you in the car.  You will need bedding, food, dishes, toys, leashes...etc  Make sure you mark this box so that it will be easily found amidst all the other boxes.   Consider a brightly colored label.    8.  Your pet will need to acclimate to your new home.  Try to keep food dishes near the same things as the old home, like if they were near the back door keep them near the back door.  Use their familiar bedding and toys so they feel safe.  If your pet is a cat they will need to be confined for up to two weeks so they do not run off and attempt to go back to the old home.

Senior Citizens Survival Kit

You can whip this gift up for under an hour and buy most items at the dollar store. My dad is turning 60 and I wanted some sort of gag gift to give him.  There aren't many homemade gifts out there for guys that I think my dad would use or any man for that matter.  I know he won't use most of the items in this bag, but I only spent $18 including the bag and tissue paper.  So here's your shopping list now head on out to the dollar store. 1. Marbles - for when you lose yours. 2. Spray starch- Wrinkle Remover - for when the iron isn’t enough 3. Energizer Batteries - to help keep you going and going (had to get these from wal-mart) 4. ACT II popcorn - welcome to another stage of your life. Play your part well 5. Socks - Relax!  Sit back, kick up your feet! You've earned it! 6. Puzzle - Life is a Puzzle Just in case you haven't figured out the "big" picture, here is one you can. 7. Antacids - Laughter is the best medicine but when that isn't enough, try the medicine cabinet 8. Life Savers Mints - Senior Moments memory loss mints 9. Arthritis & Sport - to soak your old bones 10. A jar of dirt - To remind you that you are now older than dirt. (just grab and old jar and fill it from the yard or potting soil) You can make this as cute as you want with ribbons or fancy cut outs on your circut, but I was in a hurry so I just used some labels I had around the house and ran them through the printer.  Simple, quick and will serve a purpose as a small gag gift.

Plunger Housewarming Gift

A funny easy housewarming gift!  Make sure your recipient has a sense of humor.   This gift was cheap and got lots of laughs from everyone who saw it.  So first go buy yourself a plunger.  I tried to find one at the dollar stores, but was unsuccessful so I ended up at Wal-Mart and it was under $3.00.  Grab a cute picture frame.  This one is also from Wal-Mart by better homes and gardens.  I was looking for a scroll type picture frame so it would be easy to tie on with ribbon.  Next you need toilet paper.  Put it all together, I am not sure you need directions as it is so simple.... ;) I printed out the little phrase "Welcome to homeownership, Hope nothing craps out on you!" and put it in the picture frame. Now give to your new homeowner and hope they love it too!   Plus it's all useful things they can use in their new home.

Poker Themed Stamped Coasters From Tiles

	Wanted to show you all some different stamped coasters I recently made.  I made these for an avid poker fan who intends to give them away to her poker buddies. I made 80 of these little things! Tiles from lowes, stayz on ink, sticky back felt, rubber stamps and finishing wax. If you want to know how they were made you can go here to find my original post about them.

Bread Board iPad Stand

	After pinning some recipes on Pinterest I decided, this week... I am going to cook!  Yes, a rare occasion in our home!  So I ran some of the pins by the husband and decided to go grocery shopping.  While spending the week cooking the recipes from Pinterest off my ipad I thought, this is annoying.  My ipad wouldn't stay propped up against the wall and I was kinda of a pain in the butt to keep it out of my way on the counter all while trying not to get food on it.  So I figures there has to be something better.  I have an ipad stand made from rice and it's not good for much. I turned to Pinterest.  I searched DIY ipad stand and this cute little breadboard stand popped up from diyandcrafttutorials.com.  As I continued my search, I couldn't find anything that peeked my interest near as much as this one.  I spent a few weeks looking for just the right bread board and I couldn't find anything that I wanted.  I was frustrated and gave up. Then last weekend my cousin said we needed a craft day.  So I was like hmm?  I can make that stand.  I gave up on trying to find the perfect board and ended up with this one from amazon.  It arrived just in time for craft day and to have my husband make me a "wedge" for the back.  I stole from my scrabble game for the tray the ipad sits in.  I couldn't see buying one online for the price they wanted and I had a scrabble game just sitting there.  I can't say we have ever played scrabble with anyone else but the two of us and I figured one missing stand wouldn't hurt anything.  Plus who plays scrabble anymore with Words With Friends around?  Right?  Anyhow, I just used wood glue to attach the pieces.  Simple enough.  I sanded the whole thing down so paint would stick to it. I started with white spray paint which wasn't covering well so I moved on to regular white interior paint. After two coats of paint, I looked at it and thought this isn't what I had in mind at all. Also the one I was inspired by was distressed and I kind of wanted that feel.  I decided I am going to distress this and if it turns out looking like crap then I will just spray paint it with my glittery rustoleum flat chestnut spray paint.  So off to the garage for stain I went.   First I decided to use some sand paper to rough up the edges a bit and take off the white paint down to the wood.  I covered the entire thing with dark wood stain and lightly wiped it off.  I decided ok, this isn't so bad.  It has character.  Looks better than the solid white.  It has personality.  I like it.  I had bought a W sticker from hobby lobby on sale for 40 percent off in the fall decor section and I slapped it in the middle.  I'm loving it.  Can't wait to use it in the kitchen!

Painted Crown Royal Bottle & Glass Vase

So seeing these cute little painted crown royal bottles from turnstylevogue.com I couldn't resit calling up my cousin to see if he had any empty bottles I could use.  Of course he obliged me with an empty bottle and I set out to Home Depot for some rustoleum flat chestnut spray paint.  It has a hint of glitter that catches the eye. I had or originally bought a black fleur-de-lis but it was too big for the bottle so back to hobby lobby for new ideas. Suggest no more than 3in wide and 4in high.   I made a DIY painting booth out of a card board box and went to town lightly covering the bottle.  I choose to spray the lid separately. By not having the lid on it, I was able to stick my finger in the top to turn the bottle around thus avoiding fingerprints or waiting for one side to dry! I have no patience and don't like to wait.  Good thing it was a nice hot sunny day and it dried quick.  Once dry I was able to affix my jeweled sticker on the front.

Once I finished with the crown royal bottle I decided to paint a vase.  Why not?  I have plenty and I had an extra sticker that was begging to be used on something.  I think the vase turned out cute too. 

And if I get sick of looking at the fluer-de-lis then I can just turn them around! Maybe I will fill the vase with some fall flowers?  Fall is coming soon and it already has a fall tone.

Modge Podge Holiday Decor

Need a little holiday decor?  A simple, cheap, easy DIY?  Could even involve the kids. Choose the words you want to decorate with and go to Michaels or Hobby Lobby and get some letters.  Any kind you want, wood, metal, chipboard.  I chose to buy the chipboard letters since they are $1.99 each.  Once I decided on the letters, I carried them over to the paper isle to pick out holiday sheets that were large enough to cover each letter.  Then all you need is some modge podge, some paint to match your paper and a foam brush or two.  Start by painting the edges of your letters as they will not be covered by your decorative paper.  Once the edges are dry lay your sheets of paper face down and place your letter on top of the paper (backwards of course) and trace around the letter. Next cut out your tracing.  Next modge podge your letter and press the paper onto it smoothing it out as you go.  Once it dries apply another layer of modge podge.  I chose not to attach my letters together for easy storage after the holidays, but you could always do that with a flat bracket. 

Paul has a Genius Idea for cupcakes?

So at our fabulous crab and shrimp boil, I made some cupcakes for dessert where my cousin shows off his genius way to eat a cupcake. My husband thinks this is amazing and has a whole new outlook on cupcakes. No more getting icing on your face or your nose. Simply tear your cupcake in half, invert and replace, eat.

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Rubbing Alcohol as a Stain Remover

So I keep seeing these pins on Pinterest that rubbing alcohol will remove carpet stains and stains on micro fiber.  Well after about 2 weeks of seeing these and looking over at the 3 stains on my carpet I finally marched upstairs to grab my bottle of rubbing alcohol.  These stains appeared on my new carpet shortly after we got it a few years ago.  I have tried Resolve on them to no avail.  Every time I vacuum over them I get annoyed and think DAMN YOU STAINS!  So it won't hurt to try rubbing alcohol.  So here's the before and the after!  Yes, folks it worked.

I just poured a bit of rubbing alcohol on my rag and started to rub the carpet stain with it. So yeah the whole living room smelled liked alcohol for a few minutes, but it dries quickly and the smell dissipated.  Run now... get your rubbing alcohol and attack those stains! 

Stain be gone!  My rag after rubbing the stain

Dinner Decision in a Jar

My hubs an I can spend hours saying "where do you want to eat?" "I don't know, what sounds good to you?".  Yep and this can go on for quite a while until one of us just picks somewhere.  And where do we end up?  We finally end up at a tried and true restaurant and never venturing out and trying new things.  We are so exciting! I know!  You do this too and you know you do. 

We used to put restaurant names in a jar and draw one out and that was where we went for dinner.  I don't know why we quit doing that? I think I will start up a restaurant jar again.  I will include our favorites, the tried and true, and of course a few new places to try out. 

Can't think of any places?  Log on to trip advisor, yelp, or urban spoon and search your city to find new places to try.  Once you have your list, cut them out fold them up and toss them in a jar.  Decorate your jar if you feel so inclined. 

Pinterest isn't just for crafts!

I'm not saying that my New Years resolution is to lose weight, because that never works for anyone. I've been on an on and off diet since 2007 and I need to get back on the wagon before my vacation to the beach in a few months. If I don't do something now, my only option will be to buy new clothes that I can fit into! Since May I have been packing on my winter insulation to the tune of 15lbs. I need to start shedding my layers ASAP.

I'm starting with going back to my favorite free app LOSE IT.  You can use this to count your calories, keep a food journal and log your exercise. Now that this app has the convenience of a bar code scanner to add your food it's even easier to use. You can even set a password to keep nosy nellies out. Add your friends, Lose it always keeps your weight a secret and only tells your friends if you have lost or gained weight.  It's a good way to keep on track an not lie to your buddies because they can see it.   Lose it will also tell your friends if you haven't been logging your food or exercise.

I set up a new program on lose it the day after Christmas and the very next day got sick!  I'm still sick and trying stay within my calories and not doing a smash up job!  I think this is my bodies way of revolting.  Telling me that I don't need to exercise! 

Anyhooo I'm going to be pinning some fitness to my board Girl look at that body.  I work out?? ;).  Fist let us look at the name of this board!  You can tell when I created it that I was in no mood to work out.  And today I was browsing the pins in this board and discovered that most of my pins were weight loss funnies.  How on earth did I think any of these would help me lose weight?  There are so many free website and apps out there that show you how to do proper technique on an exercise or stretch so why am I not pinning those?  I'm going to start pinning those and then I am going to get off the couch and do them!  So come follow me and join me in shedding those unwanted pounds! I'm off to dust off the treadmill, stationary bike, and exercise ball.  Oh and where's that stair stepper and DVD?