Blogging Ben the Bachelor - Week 4

Confession time.. We don't have DVR and my kid doesn't go to bed until around 7:45PM, so he is subjected to being in the same open area as the TV playing The Bachelor. This week he was helping his daddy pick up, walked out during Chris's announcement of the trip to Vegas and he asks, "Mommy, what are those girls doing?" Being crazy, son, being crazy! The good news is that my horrible winter cold is GONE (sort of), which means the bottle of chardonnay was chilled and poured! 

1-30 minutes

I love when the show travels. Who would want to be coped up in the Bachelor mansion for 6 weeks, not me (joke)! They arrive and are greeted with a welcome sign the size of Vegas, saying Ben is excited to see all the girls. Jojo gets the first date card and is excited (duh) to have her first date with him! Olivia reminds us that Ben is her husband and she is not worried about other girls dating him.

Chaos ensues when the helicopter lands and knocks over an entire cocktail party, see real life does happen on the Bachelor. But they take advantage of the "privacy" and make out behind the knocked over table, while the girls are all watching. This date is filled with making out, so Jojo is obviously the sexual attraction contestant. Lots more kissing happens during the evening portion of their date, she admits to having bad relationships filled with trust issues, and they Ben kisses her because he loves how she opened up. Surprise, no private concert but fireworks instead!! A man after my own heart. 

Caila is super pumped for her first group date, let's see how she feels at the end of the date. Stepford wife, Lauren H., doesn't want to wear nipple tassles. The girls are asked to showcase their talent, and not a single girl has a talent, well besides the twins who ricer dance and Jubilee who plays the cello (love you, Jubs)! Well obviously not, you can't sit in the carpool line with nipple tassles.  The ladies get to open Terri Fator's show, and are warned that a Vegas crowd is the toughest in the biz. I personally remember very few shows that I attended in Vegas, so not sure why they are tough crowds? When in Vegas, am I right?

31-60 minutes 

The twins are hidden cloggers. Jubilee rocks it on the cello. There is a juggler, a hula hooper, a belly dancer, a balloon maker and Lauren H. busts out her rhyming. Did they really think that Olivia had a talent? While reading a teleprompter is hard work, it does not a talent make. She jumps out of a cake and shakes her Olivia. Of all the things that have happened on this show, Olivia's own talent throws her into a panic attack. Ok, here is the thing. Olivia is not used to losing, you can tell. So when her talent was clearly the worst talent, she has self doubts about being marriage material. In her mind, it makes complete sense. 

Ben calls Caila a sex panther? Hmmmmm, better than cougar I guess. I am pretty sure this is the Olivia episode, she is has had more screen time than Ben. Leah popped up on the screen and I had to check my master list, no idea who she is. Olivia takes Ben away and explains herself, but leaves the conversation feeling different. Lots of weird things happen on this group date, but the main thing is that Lauren B. gets the rose for the date. Ben is not messing around this season, he is letting the girls know who his favorites are and wasting no roses in the process.

61-90 minutes

Becca received the infamous dress box, and we can only assume they are getting married. Becca reminds me of someone, I can't quite figure it out. If you know who I am talking about, let me know. This date is so Vegas and I love it. Ben gets ordained and proceeds to marry  many couples. Side note, I love Becca's bohemian dress, will be following Possessionista to see where I can snatch one up! 

Photo Cred - hollywoodtake.com

I have always wanted to go to the Neon Museum, so I am living vicariously through this date! Listen, Becca has been asked the virgin question many, many times. She knows how to answer it and Ben clearly wants to make her comfortable with that decision. This date is a bit of a gushy, awkward moment. I think Becca is great but I do think he has some deep rooted feelings for people already, and she is coming into this a bit late. She of course gets the date rose.

91-120 minutes 

Finally, he sets out to decide which sister he wants to keep. This should have been done the second episode. They are from Las Vegas so Ben takes them to their home, which they share, with their mother. Haley has like massive amounts of pictures of her ex-boyfriend around her room, which is not really bizarre because she clearly was not expecting to make it it to the hometowns. She also may have graduated from high school yesterday, because her room appears to be a young girl's room. Emily gets super comfortable and lays out on her bed with Ben, which also resembles my room when I was 14. This whole situation is bizarre, and he ends up choosing Emily. Haley is upset but she has hopes that when she graduates high school, the right guy will be there for her. Emily snuggles up to Ben on the limo ride home but is clearly upset, all sorts of bizarre on this date. 

No idea if this is Haley or Emily?

They move right into the rose ceremony cocktail hour. Olivia steals Ben and lets him know that her aggressiveness equals her love. Jubilee and Ben finally get some time, but it seems the flames have dwindled and honestly she needs to get some confidence, go for it girl! Chris comes to collect the ladies for the rose ceremony and Ben lets them know that he needs to take some time. 

In order of roses:

Amanda

Lauren H.

Jubilee

Emily 

Caila 

Jennifer

Leah

Olivia 

No roses for Amber and Rachel!

Ben is amazing, he is genuine and he is such a charmer. He is totally wearing his heart on his sleeve and I feel like he is making it quite obvious who his favorites are. These first few episodes have been interesting to me, but honestly I don't usually watch the first few. They focus to much on the drama or the producer picks if you will, so I would much rather join in later in the season. 

I have had such a good time blogging these episodes and am so looking forward to getting to the good stuff!! Don't forget to catch up with Aubrey, Erin and Doris to see how they felt about last night's episode. And if you are loving blogging the bachelor, make sure to add in your website to the linkup below!!

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Happy watching, 

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quinoa fried rice

#freezerlovefriday is usually a breakfast or a dinner recipe, so today I thought I would offer up a lunch idea. Luke and I are typically running around all morning, either at the gym or running errands so when we come home for lunch we need something quick and easy! 

I came up with Quinoa Fried Rice one day when I had made WAY too much quinoa the night before. I love fried rice, but hate spending the extra $2 to add it to my meal and the extra calories are no bueno either. This comes out with a bit of crunchiness to it (thanks to the bread crumbs) and is loaded with veggies. We love ours topped with eggs, but the possibilities are limitless with what you could top with. This is a vegetarian recipe, but I think sausage or ground turkey would be great with this! 

Quinoa Fried Rice 

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa 

1 ½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup mixture of thinly cut squash and zucchini

1 can of black beans (you can use ½ a can if you aren't big on beans)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Half of an onion, chopped

**Everything from here up ↑ is what you can freeze in a large Ziploc bag! 

1 egg

3 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil 

Pinch of salt and pepper 

Optional Toppings:

Fried Egg

Scrambled Eggs

Avocado 

Directions:

Prepare your quinoa per package directions and let sit 10 minutes. 

In a large bowl mix together prepared quinoa, bread crumbs, veggies, black beans, garlic and salt/pepper. 

Scramble the one egg in a separate bowl. Once scrambled add to the quinoa and mix well. 

Heat the EVOO or coconut oil in your cast iron skillet at medium to high heat. 

Once oil is hot, add in your quinoa mix. Mix occasionally and wait for the quinoa to slightly brown. 

Serve under a fried egg or avocado and enjoy hot! 

Luke's lunch serving with scrambled eggs! 

Freezing Instructions:

Make sure it completely cools before adding to a large Ziploc bag. 
It freezes nicely laying flat in your freezer. You can also freeze a few lunch size portions in small Ziploc baggies and have them ready to go for any day. 

Reheating:

You don't necessarily have to let the quinoa mix thaw before adding to the cast iron skillet. If you are cooking it frozen, wait until it is thaw in the skillet to add the scrambled egg. It takes roughly 5-7 minutes to cook frozen! We will typically bring the quinoa mix out of the freezer the morning of and have it thaw while we are out running errands.

Happy freezing, 

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the glitter trials

I love Pinterest, as much as the next person. It is such an amazing place to find recipes, workouts, crafts and even travel ideas. But, there are times when it can be overwhelming because there are SO many blogs and SO many ways to do things. Pinterest craft fails are also something that happen in my house quite often. 

I am not typically a glitter person, but I love the idea of taking a vase or a wine bottle and adding some bedazzle onto it. I think it would completely transform a party if done tactfully, and it seemed so easy. I wanted to do a few test runs before the real deal needed to be completed. Through all the blogs and articles, I determined there are two main ways to do it. Use double sided crafting tape or use an adhesive of some sort along with painters tape to achieve a straight line. 

On hand I had Mod Podge, glitter and of course painters tape. I went to the store to find some double sided craft tape and clear sealer. 

Here are my findings:

Double Sided Craft Tape 

Process - 

I used a vase that I had handy and an empty glass bottle that my Squalene comes in (if you have not tried Squalene for your face, buy it right now). Clean the vase thoroughly. Add on the tape to the vase, in whatever design you want. 

Once all of the tape is applied, remove the top red layer to expose the stickiness. Apply glitter generously and press down on the tape areas to make sure glitter sticks. Use a small brush and brush away the excess glitter that is not attached to the tape. Spray the clear sealant to protect the glitter from coming off.



Pros:

• The tape does not have to be perfect. There can be air bubbles or slight issues without it being noticeable. 
• The tape is easy to apply and you have some give, if you need to correct something. 
• Quick option since you are just applying tape and adding on the glitter. 
• Brush was easy to use and got rid of all the excess glitter. 
• Very clean look since it has straight lines, and since the tape comes in all different sizes you could do many different thicknesses or designs. 

Cons:

• The tape was expensive! I felt like I needed to be very conservative with the usage. You would also have to buy multiple different widths if you wanted to achieve certain looks. With 40% off coupon, I paid $2.99 for this roll.
• I do not like how you had to spray the whole vase with the sealant. It made the vase seem cloudy. I am not sure of any way around this, other than taping the unglittered areas, which was be a lot of work. 
• This took some time for me to do. Double sided tape can be frustrating, so it took me about 15 minutes for the one vase. 

Glue Application

I used a wine and beer bottle for this option. Heat bottles in an oven at 350°, for ten minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the labels while bottles are hot. If there is any residue, wait for bottles to cool and clean with a sponge.

Process-

Use painters tape and tape off the area that you want to apply the glitter. Make sure the tape that is bordering the glitter area is completely flat against the glass. Apply Mod Podge generously all over the glitter area. Apply glitter. Press down on the area with your finger to make sure all the glitter is glued down. 

Apply the sealant to the glitter area, make sure to only apply on the glitter and not that area that is bare (without tape). Remove tape immediately. 

Pros:

• I felt like the coverage was very thick with the glue. 
• I love that the sealant is only applied to the glitter area, since you can leave the tape on while spray painting. 
• The whole process was very quick, about 5 minutes start to finish. 

Cons:

• If you have to purchase the painters tape, this option could be expensive. But in most cases masking tape or package tape would work too. Painters tape will give the most precise line. 
• My fingers and surrounding areas did get a bit more glitter and glue on them, since I used my fingers to press down the glitter. Using a brush would probably not work with this option because it would take off too much of the glitter. 

Outcome:

Even though I like the clean look of the tape, I think I like the glue application better. I had all the supplies I needed at home, so I would not have had to purchase anything. Some people may find working with painters tape annoying, but I don't mind it and I think it makes a nice line. The craft tape option would be better if there was a way to only apply the sealant to the glitter area, so it wouldn't make the hazy look. So if you know the secret, let me know. They still looked gorgeous and I ended up putting flowers in the vase, so the haziness was a bit hidden.  Obviously these trials happened around Christmas time, and I got so many comments on them throughout the season.

Check back in a few weeks for the BIG project that I was preparing for! I am so excited to share the party with you!

Happy glittering, 

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Blogging Ben the Bachelor - Week 3

 These first few weeks are always somewhat mundane to me. How does the bachelor remember all of these names? I find myself checking my master list many times throughout the show, just to make sure I am referring to the right blonde. After spending the week scrolling through endless amounts of pictures and memes of Olivia's mouth, I was ready to sit on the couch and watch some good ol' fashion reality  TV. 

Minutes 1-30

Lauren B. is picked for the first 1:1 date, "shut the front door!" She is in my top 3 and definitely somebody that I see going far. The sky is the limit for this date, and somehow Lauren acts surprised when they pull up to the airport? There is nothing more annoying to me than girls who play the, "I'm scared" card. You are a freaking flight attendant, get in the plane and get him to hug you and comfort you another way. I love that they fly over the Bachelor Mansion, and all the girls are out drinking and lounging by the pool. I mean, sign me up, seriously. Ben obviously has a thing for hot tubs, will there be one in every date? The generator added a nice romantic humming throughout the date. 

First tears are Caila, and happen much quicker than last week, a whole 16 minutes into the show. What? 25 girls don't date the same man in Hudson, OH? Weird! She had the first 1:1, so I get why she is attached, but it was the most boring date in history.

The romantic date continues for Lauren B. and Ben when they get an entire house to themselves. Ben continues to make all of America swoon when he starts talking about his parents, seriously this guys is the perfect ten. Of course, he hands over the rose and whisks her away to a private concert.

Minutes 31-60

The group date starts, as well as the Lulemon ad, as they pull up to some soccer stadium. None of these girls should quit their day job, and pretty sure no one "handles balls" very well. Jubilee is back at the house crying about not being Ben's type, and being upset about missing out on the group date. Back on the field Chris Harrison comes out and announces a friendly competition between the girls. Whichever team wins gets to join Ben for the rest of the date. For some reason I have a feeling a lot of these girls will all of a sudden know how to play soccer. 

photo credit - HEAVY.com 

Who is Jami? I honestly don't remember her, hold on referring to my master list.

Amber scores the winning goal for the Stripes. Of course the Stars are unhappy they lost and now have to return to the mansion. I say look at as glass half full and go have your own cocktail party, but that's me! Meanwhile, Jubilee is quite literally full of jubilee when she gets picked for the next 1:1 date.

Olivia once again gets all the girls upset with her and takes Ben upstairs for a hotel rendezvous. She knows what she wants, is slightly aggressive and all the girls want to be her. Don't hate because she knows when to steal Ben. Jami (mystery girl) tells Olivia that the girls are talking about her behind her back. This earns mystery girl major points and earns Olivia major points because she knows her toes are ugly and seems to be completely OK with it. Amber finally decides to speak and takes Ben away to explain why she now knows what she wants, and is hopeful for this season. Amber gets the group date rose, slightly confused by this one, but hey it's only the third show. 

Minutes 61-90

Jubilee does not handle first date jitters well, which in turn pisses everyone off.  A helicopter flies in and of course, she is afraid of heights. Honestly, the only thing that would scare me on this show is if the date involved me being in a pit of snakes. I just don't get the "i'm scared" card. They fly into a health spa and try some cavier. We immediately know why she doesn't like it since her favorite food is hot dogs. 

There is another hot tub in this date, seriously. Jubilee started to grow on me throughout the date. I don't see him picking her, but I do think he is genuinely interested in her and likes to be around her. She says she can see herself doing "simple, everyday stuff " with Ben after this date. Because apparently the nicest health spa in LA, that has a landing pad in the front yard, is doing simple stuff to Jubilee. 

Cue the swooning because Ben makes sure that Jubilee knows how special she is throughout the entire dinner conversation. He hands her the rose and they proceed to have a nice dinner make-out sesh. 

All the girls wake up and they can not believe that Jubilee is still in the house. He is so not the girl that Ben wants to be with, right? STOP right now, Lauren H. He wants a wife that will get along with all of the other soccer moms? She is immediately on my shit list. Because getting along with other girls and looking good in the carpool line is what every man wants out of their poster wife, right? Yuck.

Minutes 91-120

Olivia admits she hates her legs and continues to cry about her cankles. Ben is upset about the fact that this is what she wants to talk about. I get it, cankles can be upsetting. Jubilee stays to herself throughout the night until she starts giving Ben a massage. Which, surprisingly, is exactly what Ben wants. Ok, here is the issue. Lace was not super crazy this week so the producers were at a loss of what to do. They thought to themselves, "let's put a massage table in the mansion and see who is the first to take the bait!" Insert immediate cat fights.

Ok, I don't have much to say about the whole Amber and Jubilee situation. Shame on those girls for being so petty towards Jubilee, but I do think that Ben wants his rose back from Amber. I knew we couldn't go the whole night without crazy Lace, so she gives us a good dosage of it and lets Ben know how she feels. She then references her life changing tattoo and offers to go home. Goodbye, Lace, you will be missed. 

Cue the rose ceremony. 

In order of roses -

Lauren H. 

Amanda 

Becca

Haley

Emily

Rachel

Caila

JoJo

Jennifer (referring to master list, because no idea on this one)

Leah

Olivia

No rose for Shushanna and Jami.

This season is filled with younger girls, which to me completely explains why there is so much focus on each other. They are emotional train wrecks who might have just graduated from high school yesterday. I think there are 3-4 women who will continue to stay out of the drama and make it far in the season. Next week I am looking forward to seeing more of Olivia's cankles, Becca's 1:1 and enjoying the Las Vegas strip via The Bachelor. 

Don't forget to check with my linkup co-hosts (Aubrey, Erin, and Doris) to see what they had to say about last night's episode. Are you blogging the bachelor this season? Make sure to add your blog link below, we would love for you to join us!! 

Happy watching, 

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an old recipe a new way!

Way back when the blog was first starting, I did a post on breakfast cookies. They were a huge hit and we still make them ALL the time. We eat A LOT of bananas as a family. At least, 2-3 a day between the 3 of us, so we always have a fair share of ripe bananas. Match that with a need for quick gran-n-go snacks and this #freezerlovefriday is perfect for you. 

While I was brainstorming this month's #freezerlovefriday ingredient, Quinoa, I knew that I wanted a good mix of recipes. Then, I remembered the breakfast cookies and thought they would be perfect to freeze and enjoy later. The oats is what seals the banana together to make it take cookie shape, so why not add in some delicious quinoa? These turned out amazing, and are loaded with the super food. Make a double batch and keep some in the freezer to throw in your lunch box or cooler for after the gym!

Banana Quinoa Cookies

Yields: about 10 cookies


Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

½ cup uncooked oats

½ cup cooked quinoa (I would recommend not using red)

½ t cinnamon

½ tbsp agave nectar

Optional - protein powder or dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Mash the ripe bananas in a bowl. 

Add in the oatmeal, quinoa, cinnamon and agave nectar. Mix until well incorporated. The batter will be pretty runny at this point. 

Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. These will not rise or spread. 

Cook for 14-17 minutes.

Enjoy warm!

LPN enjoying a cookie! 

They will be a bit gooey straight out of the oven, but no worries, they will set just fine! 

Freezing Instructions:
Let completely cool and freeze in small batches, using a small Ziploc bag. I like to do 2-3 cookies per bag, 2 for me and 1 for Luke! 

Like I said in the original post, you can add just about anything to these cookies. Your base ingredients are the banana, oats and quinoa. So as long as you have those they will form up nicely. We have used dried cranberries, raisins, peanut butter and so much more. Try them out and let me know what you decided to add!

Happy freezing, 

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5 tips to help anyone be on time!

It's a new year which gives us all a chance to work on something. Someone close to me recently asked me for some pointers on how to be on time. Now, I will be the first to say that I am not always on time, but for most things in my life I try to show up slightly early or right on time. I think this stems from rushing around as a youngster. I am not sure if I have ever been to Sunday church with my family on time, it's a running joke that we sneak in the back well into the service. Now that I know I am more of an "on time" person, I try to make it as easy as possible on myself.

 These are my five tips for getting out the door and hopefully arriving on time! 

1. Wake up earlier:: Listen, if you have kids it is amazing to have a few moments to yourself every morning. I sip on a cup of coffee, blog, do some yoga, anything really that I usually don't get to enjoy by myself. If you don't have kids, imagine how nice it would be to give yourself an extra half hour. If doing this everyday is way too much for you, try to do it 2-3 days a week. See how much your attitude changes! 

2. Prepare the night before:: I get it. The kids are in bed and you are ready for reality TV and wine. Whether I am going for a hike or to the gym the next morning, I try to have as much as I can ready to go. That means my son's backpack packed with snacks and my gym bag ready to walk out the door. It is one less thing to worry about in the morning. 

3. Set realistic appointment times:: This is a big one! Don't make a 8:00AM dentist appointment if you have to drop the kids off at school at 7:55AM. Yes, even if it is next door to the school. You won't make it. Give yourself more time than you think you need. I am a huge fan of 10:00AM appointments or even 3:45PM appointments, since it is the last of the day and they are typically speedy and ready to go. 

4. Embrace the day planner:: Yes, having everything on your phone is super handy, but trust me the day planner is still alive and needed. Writing things down helps you to remember and store the information. Make it a part of your morning routine, to sit down and look at the week ahead. 

5. Make the car exciting::  OK, I know this one seems weird. But, when you are enjoying something it makes it more exciting to actually do it. I am a huge fan of books on tape and podcasts and since we live pretty far from everything we do, I listen to a lot of them. I also keep books and a few toys in the car for Luke, so he has something to do while driving to our destination. The more excited about what we have waiting for us, the more likely we are to get in the car. And hey if you are early, you get to finish the chapter!! 

It will take some time to change your way of thinking. Don't get discouraged, you got this! There will be hectic days, I have yet to get out of the house before 9:30AM this year, but I know things will eventually fall back into place. If you're late, apologize and make it a point to not be late the next time. 

Remember, everyone's time is worth something, even yours!

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