Coffee, Tea and Me

I have started drinking more coffee.  I was drinking this instant coffee that I could use my IngenuiTea pot and make one cup at a time.  Until I ran out of coffee.  Then I had to use beans.  I can drink one really big cup a day, and I'm good.  So I resorted to using our french press.  Yuck what a mess to clean.  So then I decided just to use our super awesome coffee maker/espresso maker and ended up drinking 3 really big cups of coffee on Friday which was not so good. 

This weekend, DH took me out to FL Mall and we stopped at the Teavana store.  I wanted to pick up some of the White Ayurvedic Chai Tea that my Mom had, because it was awesome!  Now, I have been in a Teavana store before, and it is pricey, but the teas are excellent.  I saw the price on the gigantic bin said $5, so I got 8 ounces.  Too bad the guy didn't mention it was $5/ounce.  I didn't find that out until we were all done.  I started talking to him about a substitute for coffee, so he talked me into this mix which smells a lot like coffee, and had some really expensive teas in in.  Almond Biscotti, Honeybush Vanilla, Black Dragon Pearl, and Matevana.  I was getting concerned, but again, I know that the tea lasts a long time, and you can steep it more than once.  $77 later, I was done.

I really wanted to come home and try out my blend, but it was 9:00, and I can't drink too much caffeine that late, so I had a nice cup of the Chai.  I waited until this morning to try my new blend, and it smelled great!  I added just some sugar to it to try it, and took a great big whiff of it.  The first smell, you get this strong almond followed by chocolate and fruit with a hint of vanilla.  The first sip tasted like....tea.  I was so bummed.  Then I thought, maybe some creamer would help.  So I added some of my favorite hazelnut creamer, and that made it taste like english style tea.  Oh well.  It is a delicious tea which reminds me of a cookie.  And I have always liked milk in my tea. 

Maybe if DH ever lets me back into a Teavana store, I will just get some of the Matevana instead of this very expensive mix.

To Do List...

Wake up.
Do Some Work.
Nurse Small Child.
Do Some More Work.
Feed Breakfast to Small Child.
Eat Breakfast Myself.
Clean Up Gigantic Mess Small Child Made with her Sister's Drink.
Give Small Child A Bath.
Snuggle with Small Child.
Diaper and Clothe Small Child and Let Loose.
Do Some More Work.
Discover Small Child Has Made Another Gigantic Mess.
Try Not To Cry My Eyes Out.
Clean Up Child.
Clean Up Mess.
Do More Work.
Discover It's Only 12:30.....CRAP.

JCPenney Scandal?

Did you all see this today?

JCPenney's Facebook had this to say all over their Facebook page when people complained about it:  We agree that the “Too pretty” t-shirt doesn't deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale. We would like to apologize to not only yourself but to all of our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect. Thank you!

But tell me why I can still find the link as active?  In addition to that,  they have even more horrifying t-shirts available.

Pap has Diabetes

Explain that to a child.  My dad has a long history of Diabetes and not taking care of himself.  He has neuropathy in his feet.  He takes a few different types of insulin shots.  He also continues to eat candy and junk food as he has his entire life.  He's 68 now, and he feels old.  We've all asked him to take better care of himself, but he still does what he wants.  So, now we've gotten the grandkids in on it.  When they see Pap eating candy we've told them to tell him they don't want him to die.  Do you think its going too far to tell the kids that candy could kill him?  Or is there something else we should do?

Got some samples and coupons! Oh and a giveaway!

Yesterday I got the coupon for the Motts for Totts, so I can finally try it out!  Just in time for me to go pick up Melissa too!!  I also got a sample of the Glad bags with Febreze!  I've tried those bags before with the scent blocker, and they were so strong that it gave me a headache.  I've actually had this Febreze bag in the office with me for about a week, and I haven't even noticed the smell.  It kind of smells like fresh laundry.  I have 5 $0.50 off coupons to give away for those, so leave me a comment and I will pick out the winners randomly!

Motts For Tots

I'm excited to become a Vocalpoint member!  Trying great items, and telling other people about them are what we all do anyway, right?  So, go get your sample and let me know how you like it!!

Swagbucks

Okay, lots of people ask me what this is, and I will explain.

Swagbucks has a search bar where you type in your searches just as if you were typing into Google or Ask.com. The answers you get, come from these two search engines. To reward you for taking the extra step, you get free points called Swagbucks. One of the ways to redeem Swagbucks is by getting free gift cards. You can get crazy with this and spend a lot of time – or you can just do a couple searches a day and earn some free Amazon.com gift cards. For every 450 Swagbucks, you can earn a $5.00 Amazon.com gift card.

I've been using Swagbucks for about 6 months or so, and I've traded in for at least 6 $5 Amazon Gift Cards. 

And yes, I do realized that they are using the information to track what I am searching for, but Google does that as well, so I may as well be rewarded for it.

The Rules of Life

I came across this today, and it resonated with me.

 The Rules of Life

Rule One - You will receive a body.
Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons.
Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned.
Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end.
While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here".
The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you.
You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you.
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you.
Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth.
We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.  

Scott's Rules of Life

It's different how you remember it now.

I was looking back at the post that I made about Melissa's birth.  It's on the old blog.  I remember it so differently now.  About how the doctor was so nonchalant about telling me he wanted to remove my child from me.  How he asked my husband afterwards if she was going to have a circumcision.  I definitely feel worse about it now.  I was never told about any complications that could arise.  My left foot still has limited feeling on top.  No warnings that I could have pain in the incision for years afterward.  But, I think what bothers me the most, is that as this was my first pregnancy, they had no patience to even see if I would go any longer and progress more.  No, it was cut now, and ask questions later.

Make your own lyrics

Some fun lyrics to popular songs as told by Melissa:
"I only wanna break break your brain break your heart."
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, Calling Gabba Land"

Bonus points if you know which songs they are!!

She is really into singing songs now, and loves California Gurls, Rock That Body (aka Shake your body), Immabe and any other sing-a-long songs.  It's really cute to hear her singing along with the radio.