Sniffle Central

Well, I've finally succumbed to the many hours of hospital time 

I've logged this last week and came down with the flu. 

I'm not a very good sick person.

I whine.

I cry.

I sniffle.

And I ask for very expensive vitamins.

(Have you tried Oscillo?  It's magic.  Pinky-swear!)

Shug has been taking good care of me,

even if I'm a nightmare to be around!

I'll have an awesome post up tomorrow, promise.

I am determined to feel better by then!

Beach Dreamin'

 

Brrr!  It's gonna get ridiculously cold in Utah the next few days.

I'm not gonna lie, after the holidays pass, I'm o-v-e-r winter.

I'm just going to daydream about a warm, sandy beach today.

In which I actually consider wearing a see-through blouse in public.

I am reeeeealy digging on these diaphanous blouses...and it is snowing as I type!  I think they look so chic and sexy, but without being vulgar.  Do you know what I mean?

I would probably wear a contrasting bra color to my skin tone, I wouldn't want to give anyone any ideas...This American Apparel styling would be the OPPOSITE of how I'd wear this shirt!  But, I do love this olive color.

I'm making all sorts of fashion-concessions lately!  First jeggings and now these?  What's a girl to do other than wear them together?

Irish Breakfast

One of the most pleasant surprises of our trip to Ireland was how much we loved the food!  We had heard tale after tale from some of our foodie friends that we would be sorely disappointed in the typical Irish cuisine.  Well, I am happy to report that that statement couldn't have been further from the truth!  Shug and I adored the Irish food!

The resounding favorite for the both of us was the Irish Breakfast.  This breakfast is probably the utter antagonist to what I eat every day for breakfast in the States.  My usual bowl of granola with coconut milk was replaced with two bangers (sausages), two slices of Irish rashers or "bacon" (I'll get to this glorious bacon in a sec), two eggs, a broiled tomato slice, a small portion of baked beans, and heavenly black and white pudding.

Don't be surprised that I cleaned my plate at every breakfast!  I was told that the proper way to eat this plate was to get a little bite of egg, with the sausage or bacon, then add a little bit of pudding and beans, and then a sliver of the tomato!  All of this in one bite! 

The rashers were lean and bacon-y tasting without all of the grease that seems to accompany American-style bacon.  In other words: glorious.  The bangers were delicious, too, with just the right amount of seasoning. 

But it was the black and white puddings that had me at "hello."  I couldn't be sure they were gluten-free, but I asked what the binding agent was in these lovely puddings and I always got the answer "oats."  I took the risk and didn't feel sick after my breakfasts, so I kept on eating the puddings!  The black pudding was made of blood, bacon, oats, and spices, while the white pudding was made without the blood and some organ meats thrown in for flavor.  I know is sounds  unappetizing, but it was sooooo good!

I probably consumed more pork products on this trip than I have in my entire life!  That is not an exaggeration!  But it has been weird upon my return, I've been craving vegan pancakes and salads like crazy...I wonder why;)?

Have a lovely weekend! xo.

Wanna Trade?

Goldteef is looking to trade buttons with you!  If you put up a Goldteef button on your blog, I'll gladly return the favor!  Just email igotgoldteef@gmail.com with your button!

In other news around our place, Ruby has had her little nose out of joint since we got back home!

She's been moping around the house looking for Grandma and the foie gras she must have been feeding Ruby!

My dog hates me.

Body Snarking

I've always had other women take liberties when talking to me about my body. 

It started when I was young, 6 or 7, I was painfully aware that I had the knobbiest knees and twig-like arms.  Teachers would grab my upper arm, close to the armpit and squeeeeze, like the witch in Hansel and Gretl, testing JUST how bony I was.  In junior high, when my classmates were busy cultivating curves and honing their skills at brassiere buying, they also made it a point to regularly pull my baggy uniform tight to check and see if any breasts had budded over the weekend.  In high school, classmates, male and female, just couldn't help commenting on my lack of makeup and unflattering outfit choices and comparing them to my much better-dressed cohort.

I was kidding myself that these comments would cease as an adult.  I feel they have gotten worse, to be honest.  The straightforwardness of checking my wing to see if I'm done has morphed into a passive-aggressive comment-question-smirk routine.  Yes, I understand that women's bodies are scrutinized, analyzed, and snarked about on a constant basis in our culture.  I have the unfortunate knowledge of who has the BEST bikini body of 2010...and who should have just stayed home in their period-stained jogging pants with the elastic waistband.  And all of this information from just trying to check out at the grocery store and glancing at the covers of magazines.

But seriously.  SO WHAT if my pants are a little tight today?  I DON'T CARE what you think about my hair color choices.  It's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS what I had for lunch, ok?

How do you deal with other women talking crap about your body to your face?  Karate. Chop.

Source.

SLC Oil Spill

Oil spills can happen anywhere.  Even in my own backyard.

This last weekend a Chevron pipe burst in a beautiful place called Red Butte Creek.

The oil leaked into the creek and down into our city waterways.
It ended up in our city park's lake.

I'm pretty sure wind power and solar power "leaks" are ridiculously rare.

Dear LOST...

You know when you think you have some mysterious plot

of a book or movie "figured out?"

It feels good, right?

But then the plot decides to take enough twists and turns

to make a Smoke Monster super-jelly.

You start to question how stupid you are.

You shake your head over your simplistic theories when the plot really gets going.

And complicated.

But you know what is more infuriating?

When after SIX seasons of crazy-ass numbers,

hatches,

Dharma stations,

sideways worlds,

time travel,

Egyptian mythology,

hydrogen bombs,

smoke monsters,

and

Walt,

the plot takes you to the BIGGEST cop out of story-ending....

You just gotta walk away.

LOST, you may have dumped me last night,

but I'm ok with that now.

You were the biggest pile of red herrings EVER.

Regards,

Goldteef

Srsly?

Arizona - explained in crayons.

Word has it that Utah is drafting a bill similar to Arizona's.

Bummer.

Via 9GAG.

Vs.

I know I shouldn't have expected anything less for Superbowl advertising, but I REFUSE to believe that love of football and misogyny are mutually exclusive.

What do you think? It seems men only have to be "civilized" to get a fast car. I hate that this commercial makes men seem so one-dimensional and spineless...

P.S. F-bomb alert at the end of the female's commercial...

Paraben-Free Update

A few weeks ago, I embarked on an adventure. I aspired to rid my house of all cosmetics, lotions, soaps, scrubs, and potions that had parabens in them. Little did I know that everything, I mean EVERYthing, has parabens in them!

Most of my spendy makeup I splurged on for the wedding, yep, has em'. My favorite of all favorite cleansers, that is touted by dermatologists as the BEST, has em' too. Even Shug's favorite local heat and serve enchiladas have them in it!!!

So, instead of the huge overhaul I had planned, I've been phasing the house over bit by bit. It's been a tedious process. You know why products have parabens in them? Because it makes them work better! Case in point, in search of a paraben-free mascara, I tried Physician's Formula Organic Wear. Aside from the fact that I smelled like honey all day (the smell really never went away), I had raccoon eyes by lunchtime.

Some products I've tried are actually better than products I've been using with parabens. Two products I've fallen hard for have been Korres Lip Butter and just extra virgin coconut oil. The lip butter is pretty self-explanatory, but the coconut oil is amazing! I've been using it as a moisturizer for my face and body, on the ends of my hair, as an oil-cleanser for my face, and to cook with. I know I sound like a crazy hippie, but this stuff has a million uses!

If you have any paraben-free products you love, let me know!

Ruby Drama

I found the cutest line of dog collars for Rubes.
I decided to get her one.

It wasn't cheap.

Shug and I went to a movie this weekend,
and when we returned
Ruby was sweet enough to make us TWO of her collars.

She'd managed to chew her week-old collar in half.

Mind you her $1.99 collar is still perfectly intact.

I love my dog.

"Difficult" People

I may be an opinionated lady, but I have always tried to be a team player. Not an "ok-I-don't-care" teammate or a "no-no-no-YOU-decide" teammate, but an opinionated, (and I hope) diplomatic, and integral part of the networks in my life.

Being a teammate to other "difficult" people has proven to be much more of a challenge than my personal quest to not rock the boat. When my will wavers (usually after an extreme lack of sleep, a big ol' bowl of wheat, or finals week) I have to bribe myself to keep the devil of verbiage that wants to belch its way out of my system under control.

I think this ability to "play nice" may be getting worse in my old age! My tolerance level for rudeness, narcissism, and just lack of general awareness and concern for others had plummeted in the last few years. Maybe because I know it's NOT OK to let difficult peoples' behavior persist in the workplace, school, relationships, or family. I realize I may have been a part of the creation of these "difficult" peoples' idiosyncrasies and atrocious interpersonal tics by not addressing them at first blush! I don't think these individuals are horrible people, I just think they have horrific personalities...

I truly would appreciate some "tips and tricks," if you will, on how to deal with people that make me want to reconsider my aversion to poking others' eyes out with my thumbs.

January 31

While everyone is settling back into their old or newly resolved routines, I'm still a wreck. I am in persistent fight-or-flight mode until January 31. After making it through the marathon of ThanksgivingChristmasNewYear's, I have one more hurdle to clear before normalcy can return to my life: Shug's Birthday.

Since he's the easiest person in the world to shop for, finding a present will be a piece of cake...right?

Improve your karma or help out a desperate wife by emailing present-to-end-all-presents suggestions to igotgoldteef@gmail.com.

Kisses and my first-born will be your handsome reward.

Recipe of the Week: Magic Peanut Butter Cookies

Having to eat gluten-free can mean using all sorts of weirdzies flours like garbanzo bean flour, fava bean flour, arrowroot, and potato starch. Gluten-free baking can be more of a science experiment than anything else. My years of chemistry classes are finally paying off..!

To whip up this little cookie, it is so not mandatory to have a good grasp on organic chemistry - it's a gluten-free cookie recipe that's comprised of normal ingredients!!!

I know, I was excited myself.

Magic Peanut Putter Cookies
Makes ~24 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth...I like smooth)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Mix well and then fold in chocolate chips. Portion out tablespoon amounts of dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Use a fork to press the cookies flat and create a crisscross pattern on top. Bake for 12 minutes or until slightly golden brown on top.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly on the pan since they will be a little wiggity. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a cookie rack. Pat yourself on the back for making gluten-free cookies without one trip to the grocery store!

Serves Me Right.

Remember how p.o.'d I was a week or so ago because Shug kept on buying himself stuff during the holidays? Well, after serving myself a big ol' slice of hypocrite pie, I decided to buy myself something before Christmas: a new camera.

This camera was supposed to make my dreams come true. It was miniature, cute, vintage-looking, digital, uber-portable, cute, came in a fancy-schmancy wooden box, weighed mere ounces, and it was cute. Did I mention how cute this camera was? I wanted, nay, I NEEDED this little beauty to be perfect. Why? Well, I didn't consult Shug about purchasing it...I just up and bought it myself...Without consulting the world's expert-on-damn-near-everything-camera about it!

Annnnd, let's just say that I have learned that cameras that are cute don't always take the best pictures....

Exhibit A
Exhibit B
It's being shipped back today...Shug's gloating has added the insult to cute camera injury.

Presents and Presence

Some people would say I'm obsessed with finding people the "perfect" gift. Shopping for the holidays begins on December 26th for me. All year long I keep a running list in my head about what would make the recipient sublimely happy. I don't want to just give something the person would get for themselves...I want to do better. I want to give a present that is so unexpected, yet somehow perfect EVERY TIME.

Perfectionist much?

Take Shug, for example. I want to give this crazy kid every bazillion dollar camera the world and Russia has to offer. But since we're in a recession, we've imposed a $50 limit for each other this holiday.

Do you know what you can get for $50?

Nuthin'.

I've discovered everything amazing-cool-awesome-jawdropping-beautiful-creative thing is usually well above the half-Benjamin mark and to make matters worse, Shug has gotten the "I'm just gonna buy myself a few things" bug...Doesn't SOUND so bad, but just wait.

Shug has a short-list of "Things Necessary for Supreme Happiness." Quite a few of these things actaully are under the fifty dollar limit, so like a resourseful wifey I went a picked up one of the things on the list. Because that's what wives do, I'm told.

Attempt #1 - Guitar from Costco. Every time for the past few months, after we've stocked our cart with month's worth supplies of sun-dried tomatoes and laundry detergent, we'd swing down the musical instrument aisle and Shug would crane his neck as we passed this acoustic guitar like he was watching a childhood friend left behind through a rear view window. After the twelfth time this happened I went and bought the damn guitar. TWO days later I come home to find Shug practicing "Stairway to Heaven" or whatever on a new guitar from Costco. "WTF, babe?!?!" I asked calmly. I had thought he'd found his present and opened it up, but NOOOOO, he just went to Costco and bought himself the guitar. Result - Guitar returned.

Attempt #2 - Remote controlled helicopter from the pushy kiosk salesman at the mall. When holiday shopping with Shug's little sisters a week or so ago, we pass said kiosk and the light in Shug's eyes blinds us as he talks about how cool a remote controlled helicopter would be. We have to stop since we can no longer see where we are going. He grabs me and I squint from his bright stare. "You got one for me! Didn't you!" he posits, "I can just tell by the look on your face!" Result - Helicopter returned.

Attempt #3 - The best robe in the universe. Shug loves Twitter and apparently Twitter loves Shug, because three days ago he just won a DAMN ROBE in a Twitter contest. Result - I cried and robe was returned.

So nobody is getting anything for Christmas. Period.

White Christmas

Do you see why the white Christmas tree would have been oh-so-perfect?

Well, I guess I can hold out for next year...!

We had our first official snowstorm of the year
and
even though we had an extra snow-free month this year
I
was
still
a
crybaby
about
the
snow
!

How many more years until I can retire to Florida?

While I despise the cold,
I do love the glittery sparkle you can almost hear
when the sun comes out and hits the freshly fallen snow.

I love this so because my vantage point is usually from inside,
accompanied by a scalding hot beverage
and four layers of polypropylene and wool.



Photos via Canadian House and Home.

Too bad kitties grow up to be cats...

I don't really like cats, but I love a kitty now and then...Happy Sunday!

Self-Care? Sounds dirty.

Guess what? Asinine paper has been written and submitted! Now what am I going to cry about?

I've had the rare privilege to watch my lack of self-care slowly being flushed down the toilet this last year. Before the wedding insanity, I'd managed to carve out a piece of time for myself each day so I could read, work out, make crafty stuff, blog, whatever. The only stipulation was that it had to be something I enjoyed and was for no one else but myself. It might sound a little selfish, but I firmly believe that if you don't take the time to care for yourself, how can you care for others when your reserves are kaput?

I'm sure you know many women who have dropped the time for self-care to fit in another page of homework, another chore completed, another task at work, or another person looked after. I always thought I'd be able to stave off the usurpation of my self-care time, but, lo and behold, it's gone...and it left me last fall.

I've noticed with the lack of my self-care time I'm crankier, exhausted, and have a really negative outlook on situations I am lucky to be in. Take, for example, my extreme distaste for some of my graduate courses...C'mon! Wah! I mean, really? Poor me has to go to graduate school and take graduate classes I don't like. Could I be any snottier? Not really. I am lucky and I am blessed. Now just to get that through my thick skull.

I realized that my usually positive personality was struggling to emerge from a carcass that hadn't taken any real self-care time in over a year.

So, this last weekend, I didn't do a page of homework. I read an amazing book (I'll post about it tomorrow!). I cooked some yummy meals for Shug and myself. I spent some much-needed time with friends. I decorated a little for the holidays. I took a nap with Ruby. I bought a treadmill and ran for miles to my favorite songs.

I feel better already.

I want to know, as the hectic craziness of the holidays approaches, what do you do for self-care?