Hey y’all
This post is a sad one because I will be unable to up-keep this blog…things have gotten way too busy for my liking and I hardly get a minute to myself, let alone to sit and write out a worthy blog post.
I appreciate all of your loyalty and thanks for reading! This isn’t a goodbye…just a goodbye for now. Have a wonderful summer and I wish you all well 🙂
June
Hey y’all!
I am sorry to say that I will not be able to keep my other blog (the one all about happiness) going for personal reasons. Mainly concerning time and school — I thought I could manage it but turns out, the project is bigger and more time consuming than expected; but, it will back one day, I promise!
I am sorry my dear readers! But do not fret, this one will still be going full throttle!
Here’s a recipe for a yummy dessert to cheer y’all up!
Toasted Almond-Butter Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (optional)
Directions:
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time.
Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings, coconut, and chopped almonds.
Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup slivered almonds, if desired.
Enjoy!
Hey’all…
Let me just start off by saying I am so glad this week is over. I could really use this weekend for homework/assignments…I’ve been swamped with school work! Secondly, I am excited to say that I have registered for my next semester! I am on my way to my goal 🙂 one step at a time.
This week was also a time for learning a lot about the friends and people who surround me. I think this is a time of change and re-evaluation of many things, of those being the people who are in my life. It’s tough to cut good people out, but sometimes no matter how good of a person or friend they are, you can’t keep them in your life because you two aren’t a good friendship match. It’s sad; but, there are several stages of growing up: one is making a bundle of friends, two is pruning them, and three is you finally have a solid group of close/true people.
Why tip-toe through life to end up at the same place as those who go full force and get the most out of their years? Who want’s to sit and watch their young years pass them by? I sure as hell am not going to. For the rest of my life I am going to work toward enjoying every day to it’s fullest potential.
I heard about the book titled The happiness project and decided to read about it. The story is quite similar to what happened to me (basically an epiphany sparked a project/change/movement), and I decided to start my own happiness project (not in collaboration with the book and that movement, just a personal project to better my life). I created a second blog that is focused on this personal happiness plan (don’t worry I’ll still post recipes and rants on this one). So, I hope you’ll all join me on my journey!
Follow my happiness adventure here: http://affairwithhappiness.wordpress.com/
Hey y’all!
As promised, I have some yummy recipes to share with you! They are super simple: one is a cinnamon-sugar pecan snack and the second is a recipe to make your own creme fraiche. Followed by my usual grinding gears rant.
First recipe is one perfect for beers with friends, a hot cup of tea or just as a delicious snack while watching your favorite flick. My friends call this sugared-crack, because they are so addicting! Make lots–they will go fast!
Cinnamon-Sugar Pecans:
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups raw pecan halves
1/4 teaspoon finely granulated salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a large baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil.
Pour the butter onto the lined sheet. In a large bowl, mix the egg whites, salt, sugar and cinnamon.
Add the pecan halves and toss until they are fully coated with the sugary goodness. Spread the pecans onto the baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring the pecans every 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
*If you aren’t serving/eating the nuts right away, put them in an air-tight container and store in a cool dry place*
I love making desserts that use creme fraiche; but, honestly…it’s almost impossible to find and when I do, it’s quite pricey! A few months ago, my mom found a way to make this delicious cream herself. I tried it, loved it, and am now passing it off to you guys.
Creme Fraiche:
1 cup pasturized whipping cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Combine 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk in a glass container.
Cover and let stand at room temperature (about 70°F) from 8 to 24 hours, or until very thick.
Stir well before covering and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Now, on to a rant of things that tick me off!
What really grinds my gears:
People who stare with a very slight smirk on their face. I get it, sometimes you sort of drift off into your own world and don’t realize it…but there are people out there that just stare with this almost sadistic looking smirk. It’s frickin eerie! I can’t tell if you are hiding bodies in your basement or just finished a taxidermy project. Either way I am creeped the F out.
People that interrupt. You see…it’s not like people are unaware of this, most people are, and when they do interrupt (due to excitement or grand idea..etc) they apologize. But then you have people who just assume its their right to talk and pretend they don’t notice you were in the middle of a sentence. Same goes for those wonderful individuals who talk endlessly and forget you also have something to say…then as soon as you open your mouth they’re on to another story. Makes me want to scream.
Not cleaning up after yourself. We aren’t 5, no one is forcing us to clean up our toys; but, please clean up after yourself when you come to my house! I hate when someone doesn’t even bother to ask “do you need a hand” after a dinner party (I will usually say I don’t but still, just be polite) or if you have someone over and they know you well enough to be able to simply get up and bring their cup to the kitchen when they finish their coffee or to put their plate in the sink…or fuck, even just clean up the crumbs on the side of the table they were sitting on. I don’t want to clean up your tissues either, we’re friends but…c’mon!
Showing up empty handed. I don’t expect expensive wine and a bundle of roses. However, I believe it’s common courtesy to bring something when you are invited to someone’s house for a gathering. It’s not polite to show up empty handed when the host has put so much effort into making a wonderful meal, setting up the house and later cleaning up after everyone. It’s just thoughtful to bring some sort of dessert, a bottle of something, a small bunch of field flowers, or perhaps even a gag gift. As long as you show you aren’t just there to eat the food and leave. I would never show up to someone’s place completely empty handed unless I am coming straight from school/work…even then I rather be 15 minutes late, but bring at least something to the table.
People who habitually need favors. I am in no shape or form refusing to help friends in need…but not when the person is your friend because they need something and they know you are nice enough to always come through. I had a friend like this once; she would always contact me for a favor and in between she would be gone doing her own thing. Then on a random day expect me to be available to “do her a favor” and if I wasn’t available at her whim she would get mad at me and call me a terrible friend.
People who act like they’re in their own living room. Hey, I’m all for feeling comfortable..but if you take your shoes off, lean back and start burping with your hand down your pants while at a ballet performance I automatically label you as an uncultured prick. Or if that is too extreme for you, how about those people who attend events and act totally out of whack with the atmosphere: stuffing their faces, talking loudly, getting too drunk…etc. I sure we’ve all seen one example of living-room-John and living-room-Nancy.
People who think that they are the only one with correct background for understanding an issue. God is this one ever irritating! I don’t know how to explain this one, but I think everyone can tell what I mean. I am almost certain that each person has had the pleasure of knowing someone like this.
The “yes but” people.
When people refuse to be the decision maker about something trivial (place to eat, which movie to see, where to go for a walk…etc). If I asked you what you would like to do, don’t say “up to you” because, clearly I haven’t make a decision…otherwise I would of asked “do you want to accompany me to…” instead of asking what you want to do. Gr!
When people ask for advice but then don’t bother to follow through or do the exact opposite of the suggestion. Why in the fuck did you ask me then!?
People who no matter what relate to something you have done and try to “one up” you. And in the same group, the people who always have to be right and have the last word. Why…just why!?
People who once were nobody and then became someone and forgot you exist. I absolutely despise when someone does this. It’s so awful! I have had this happen with several people I knew. Someone is bored, doesn’t have many friends, is just starting to find their way in life and acts as though you are their very best friend. Then after a while you hear form them less and less and less, until one day you call to invite them to your birthday and they are “busy” that night and every other night you ask about.
People who talk down to you. This one really gets my blood boiling. I loathe when someone you were friends with starts feeling like they are better than you because of whatever reason they conjure up for themselves and after a few weeks of not seeing them, the next time you hang out, their tone is as if you are talking to your aunt Margaret who lives in a gated community in the heart of LA with a gold toilet and diamond studded cutlery. So completely terrible. I had someone I know give me a gift and say “here, it’s a gift card so you can now go buy some clothes you’ve wanted!”. I was shocked! I was even about to leave that card on the table and leave. Who are you to say that to me?! Just because I mentioned some items and didn’t buy them, doesn’t mean I can’t. I dress very well, thank you — at high end stores…without your help.
I could go on! But there needs to be some left for other posts hehe!
Have a good weekend/week everyone! See you next Thursday/Friday!
Leave me a comment with some of your pet peeves or any feedback in general! I would love to hear from my wonderful readers!
Hey y’all!
Sorry for missing the usual post days, as you all know it was my birthday on Thursday and after that I got swarmed with family and events of sorts so I didn’t have much time. To add to that when I did have a couple spare hours I spent them studying for my psychology exam (which was yesterday). Now I have a couple of weeks to breathe before the next round haha! Moving on with things, I was actually canceled on by quite a few of my friends for a night out which was planned well in advance, so I don’t know what happened there. In fact it kind of ticks me off because I planned this entire event and made sure people were all ready and able to come a week prior and then checked in a couple days before…and last minute people flaked. God I really hate that. Anyway, the plan was to go out for a nice time at the night market with several friends as a birthday “party” type of deal. However, my best friend and I went for a nice dinner and drink at the bar–met some friendly people, followed by a limo ride around town. So over-all my birthday turned out pretty great, regardless of people canceling and plans changing. I also went on a bit of a shopping spree…got some Clique toner and Origins eye cream. I also got new headphones from Tweaked Audio (super excited for them to come!) …I also purchased 4 different teas from David’s Tea!! If you guys don’t already know this…I am kookoo for tea; if you ever met someone who knows cars like the back of their hand…I am the equivalent of that but with teas. It’s part of my 22 going on 100 thing haha.
Oh and to add to my fantastical few days…I had to take my cat to the vet’s office yesterday. She swallowed something and it got lodged in her throat, she couldn’t puke or cough it out so she was pretty pissed off and crying for help. I loaded her into the car and off we went! Doctor took an X-ray…said he can see a shadow of something but can’t make out what it is, said it wasn’t big enough to cause harm, massaged it down her throat somehow…anyway long story short: I got her home after the visit and gave her some special food that the doctor gave me, which is extra moist and wouldn’t irritate her esophagus/help push the item down into her stomach where it will be digested and passed through. Anyways…she’s fine! Haha so I am happy, was really worried there for a little while.
Onward!
What really grinds my gears:
1. Making yourself the victim when you are at fault. Not at all effective and just angers the person you are fighting or arguing with even more. If you are wrong …just admit it! Clearly the other person already knows, there really is no reason to fight it by making the other person the villain while you pretend to be the victim. Just suck it up and apologize or admit wrong.
2. Making someone feel awkward for liking/disliking something. Why should someone have to conform to another’s interests, likes, or dislikes. I frankly rather meet someone who thinks differently about something than I do; it makes for interesting conversations. As long as the individuals are respectful of the each other’s opinion(s) and don’t poke and prod faults in things the other person enjoys or make the person feel inferior.
3. Patting yourself on the back. I don’t mean literally. I understand if someone is introducing themselves and they have a PhD and say “Hi, my name is Dr. Wilson” or making a point; the type of patting on the back I am talking about is the people who tend to re-state their achievements, shove their success in other’s faces, or constantly hint at their status/job. It just bothers me. You know the saying “the loudest in the room is the weakest”…yeah it serves really true. Someone who has to validate themselves to the same group of people by constantly talking themselves up is clearly a sad individual; how low of self-esteem do you have? My sympathy goes out to you self–back-patters.
4. Subtle guilt trips. I think you all know what I’m talking about! Those situations where someone tries to convince you into feeling like an ass by implying little hints here and there of how lonely they are, how unfair something you did/didn’t do was, and etc. Blunt guilt trips are less annoying because that just means that someone is blatantly expecting sympathy or care or attention from you, or an apology–fine, whatever. But when someone is being sly about it is when it really ticks me off. I know what you’re doing, just stop trying to hide the fact that it’s a guilt trip.
5. Deciding things for me. This is by far one of my biggest pet peeves. Believe me…I can decide on my own. I am a grown woman who can make her own choices. So, please…save your decision making for yourself. Especially if you decide my meal at a restaurant (without prior agreement)…I will just up and leave.
6. Saying “I’m fine” when you aren’t. Honestly, I am not a baby sitter or a shrink…I don’t get paid to deal with people who don’t want to cooperate or talk. If you are clearly not okay don’t try to be the hero of the day by “not troubling” me and just say the truth when I ask you — it’s a lot worse to sit quietly and clearly sigh and have a sour expression than to just say it and move on. No gold stars involved. Believe me I won’t waste my time pulling words out of your mouth, either don’t show you’re upset or talk! That’s what adults do.
7. Manipulation. This is at the top of my list. I don’t care what your motives are or how good of an intention it is. I also don’t buy the whole “I didn’t realize it” game…people who manipulate and also claim they don’t are the worst snakes in the bush. Some jackasses out there are fantastic at it too! You can hardly figure it out until you see a pattern or some sort of clue behind what they say or do. Steer clear of these hidden “gems”.
8. Privacy invasion. Everyone has different boundaries and that’s understandable. I for one, love to keep my privacy…and I hate when people knowingly cross that boundary. That includes asking “who’s that?” every time my phone buzzes, going through my stuff if I happen to leave my phone/notebook on the table…etc. Just a big no-no. Trust me and let me know I can trust you too!
9. Assuming your opinion was asked. Friends and family have a tendency to do this, with good intention which is why I let it go most of the time. It really rubs me the wrong way when someone dictates how I should do something or just adds their thoughts to my already made plan (unless it concerns them)…that kind of stuff just ticks me off. I will ask your opinion if it’s important to me to hear it and if it’s needed. I don’t barge into your house and dictate when you should put your kid to sleep, what kind of bread is better for making bread pudding, or how to properly clean a sink; so, don’t “suggest” anything for me unless I ask you. It’s just rude to assume it’s your business. (mothers and fathers are the only exception)
10. And finally…it really grinds my gears when people have a doubt in my honesty. Even after years of friendship or knowing me…some people just tend to not trust others, regardless of being proven that you are trustworthy. I wouldn’t blame you if something I say doesn’t match my previous story or if I accidentally mislead you and now said or did something different (which would never happen). But constant doubt in my actions or words is a really big piss-off…it makes me wonder if the reason you are so suspicious is because you are lying to me; you know in Russia there’s a saying: people often judge others by what they do/think. So…yep!
Well that concludes my grinding gears passage for tonight!
Hope y’all have a lovely week and I will be back on Thursday/Friday (for sure this time) for more fun stuff, next post will include an awesome recipe and will most likely involve some reviews of products…so be sure to come back and take a look!!
P.s. Going to dentist tomorrow (well today, it’s already past midnight here haha). Yikes! I hate it with a passion, but needs to be done. The picture bellow describes my exact emotional state about this said dentist trip:
Hey y’all! To start things off, I’m going to include a really delicious French dessert that I love. It’s not normally a summer dessert but, I believe that if it tastes good it can be served anytime! Right?
Cherry Clafoutis
A dessert which is super rustic and pretty simple to make. Perfect for a night in, anytime of the time of year.
Ingredients:
Thick (double/heavy) cream 200 ml
Vanilla Bean 1
Milk 100 ml
Eggs 3
Caster Sugar 50 g
Plain (all-purpose) flour 70 g
Kirsch (fruit brandy) 1 tablespoon
Black Cherries 450 g
Icing Sugar for dusting
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Put the cream in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in two, scrape out the seeds and add the scraped seeds and bean to the cream. Heat gently for a few minutes, then remove from the heat, add the milk and cool. Strain the mixture, discarding the vanilla bean.
2. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and flour, then stir into the cream mixture. Add the kirsch and cherries and stir well.
3. Pour into a 23 cm (9 inch) round baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden on top.
4. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
***Make sure you pit the cherries or buy pitted ones already!! Otherwise your friends or you might get a really unpleasant surprise. ***
*even though this recipe is best made with fresh cherries in the summer time when they are truly luscious, I sometimes make it with frozen cherries, still turns out pretty amazing 🙂 *
Moving on!
I have some tips for any of y’all planning to start anything (exercise, healthy habits, good study habits…etc.).
So, to start of I will start by saying the first thing you must do for anything you are trying to achieve — be it good grades, a fitness goal, or forming a positive habit — is you must set out a specific short term goal. Long term goals are lovely and a great help in keeping your eye on the prize; however, they are not at all useful in day-to-day aspects of achieving that goal. We mostly taper off after the first couple weeks; first week you are super energized and excited about something- you have it all figured out and then it slowly tapers off from there. It isn’t easy to keep on track with a goal so far away (such as wanting a GPA of 4.0 at the end of the semester). It’s misleading and a false sense of realism to think that you can just set your goals so far in advance and actually get to them and not taper off or lose motivation as time goes by. I am well aware that there are people who maybe can easily say “I want to run a marathon” and 6 months later…there they are, running. Those people are rare. Most of us need some sort of constant jolt and push until we get into a rhythm and build a good habit or learn to motivate ourselves without those little nudges. A simple example of this would be for me…I want to get an A in all of my courses this semester. If that is my only aim for the entire semester, heck I doubt I would even make it to half the classes on a crappy day, but it isn’t. I make daily goals for myself. This may seems a little excessive but trust me, when you are working from 3% good study habits…daily min-goals are perfect. Today my tasks were to write a short outline of my essay and email my prof, then finish chapter 2 of my math textbook exercises. I did all of those things and still had time for myself. Planning is a wonderful thing! It also helps keep yourself organized because if you aren’t setting daily milestones then your bigger ambitions will fade out due to distractions and laziness (hey, it’s human nature, no shame there) and consequently never be realized. How can someone jump from nothing to having it all? They can’t. So, in order to keep yourself motivated and your passion for the aim fired up at all times, without flickering out, just give yourself daily pushes. Reward yourself for a job well done with something pleasant. I personally like to reward all my good exams with my favorite fro-yo. It’s not hard, just takes perseverance.
Once you have this all figured out and get into a grove, you’re golden. What happens after you learn to set daily tasks for yourself to check off, you’ll feel accomplished and happy. Next step is to wake up and do it all over again! There is nothing else to start on the road to successfully accomplishing an aspiration. So, really there are two steps in the beginning process: plan/set short term goals, rinse and repeat. That is all!
Along we move!
What grinds my gears- part 2:
1. When someone called you and you missed their call by a second, you call back and they don’t answer. How!? You JUST called me….what, did you drop the phone and run away once I didn’t pick up? Honestly…annoying!
2. People who park crooked. Can you please explain why you took up 1.5 parking spots with a tiny car?! I understand if someone with a big truck or trailer does this, they simply can’t do it any other way. But if you are driving a Toyota Corolla and end up taking up almost 2 spaces or parking crooked (so that when I park next to you I can’t open my door) I think you are a moron or a jackass. Only two options there.
3. Stopping in the middle of the speed-up lane entering a highway. OMG. I have been so frickin close to crashing because of those idiots! Just the other week I was driving to the US with my dad and this imbecile stops right smack in the middle and there are 5 cars behind him (including me) going at 80 km/h. NOT a good call, bud. Why in the fuck would you need to do that?! If it’s an emergency pull the F over and don’t cause a 10 car pile-up. Unless you died behind your wheel, you are fully capable of pulling to the side of the road or waiting until you hit a turn off point in order to stop. Frick on a stick, this one really pissed me off.
4. The use of the word “dear”. It’s fine when it’s in context of an e-mail, or an ancient grandmother says it…but not when it’s someone my age or actually any age that isn’t past 80 who says that to me. I just wanna smack ’em in the face with a glove. Seriously, it sounds so douchey/bitchy. “Can you be a dear and…”/ “No, dear…”. Maybe most people don’t mean to sound like they are talking down to me, but it really does feel like it.
5. Talking loudly about “important” stuff. I hate when people try to look all important and purposely talk loud or just above normal voice levels to seem like a big shot. Especially when they are talking normally then all of a sudden their voice level goes up and you hear “yeah, that meeting really went well. Thank you for bringing me the paperwork, I will look over that guy’s resume….” and then tapers off to normal levels. I can almost hear the second part of that being “yes, boss I will organize it according to alphabetical order…yes of course I will have it done by Monday, thank you.” Haha. Just pathetic.
Well, my lovely readers and loyal followers, that is all for me tonight! Have a good weekend and I will be back sometime next weekend; not quite sure which day since Thursday is my birthday and I am not certain what will be going on during the weekend. So, to be safe, check back on Sunday, a new post should be up!
Hey y’all.
So…my birthday is coming up in less than 2 weeks and I realized that I am 21 going on 100 (not 22). Seriously! My best friend is a pipe smoking, elbow-patched tweed and fedora wearing 24 year old, so that doesn’t help. I don’t smoke, but I do have a cat. I mean just the other day my shopping list included: Sensodine toothpaste, fresh baked bread for my afternoon tea, a small liver pate for the said bread, cat food and some oatmeal. All I was missing from really being 100 is some denture cleaning tablets and protective pads in-case I pee myself a little when I struggle to get up off my couch. Honestly…it’s slightly depressing! If you throw in my slippers, the fact that I always complain about people/society, listen to audio-books at times, need a portable heater because I get cold easily, warm my feet in hot water baths, and drink hot tea constantly…then I am one sad sounding 20-something year old. Oh, lets not forget the crazy amounts of recipes I’ve collected (and still collecting more), several tomes of classic French cooking, and that I am always complaining about drafts and breezes. Yikes not even my two tattoos will save me from being geezer-esque! No wonder I’m single…
Onward!
I realized that a show can really reach you deep down after I finished Scrubs a few months ago…yeah I know, gross squishy content. But it really can! Scrubs was quite a special show it had it all comedy, love, it had hate…it had life wrapped up in 8 fantastic seasons. After watching it…all i could think about is how well it eventually played out for the characters. I only wish life was that way…and in many cases it is, but we are too busy drowning out the good by listening too closely to all the bad.
We really do underestimate the power we have on people around us. Words, actions, even looks we give people can either help someone or hurt them. That’s a big deal. Most of us never realize that every act of kindness or cruelty comes back to us in ways we never expected it to. We all worry about what other people think…that’s normal…but sometimes the right thing to do is to not give a damn about what anyone but you thinks. Believe it or not, there are situations that are better dealt with using your own discretion. Do what makes you happy, to hell with everyone else.
No matter how much I wish things in my life went the way I wanted and heck even prayed to the lions down in Africa for them to end up a certain way…and they didn’t. I was left with a bitter sadness and I always knew that no matter how much you want something to be different, sometimes there just isn’t a thing on this green earth that can shift it for the better. The truth is, that most times we don’t really get any good with the bad…but the good normally follows soon after that bad, we just don’t realize it most of the time.
I am not a super cheerful person, heck I’m a downright pessimistic lump some days (it’s not an act to gain a “tough” rep or something either, it’s real). Most of that comes from being a realist…I don’t believe that just because I wished on a penny and threw it into a fountain I am bound to have a chance with that wish, no. Life isn’t a movie. But life is special. We all get chances, make choices, and heck sometimes we even shoot ourselves in the foot (figuratively speaking, or for some crazies, literally)…however even with all the wrong choices, bad decisions, and self sabotage…each day when we wake up we have the chance to fix it all and then go ahead and start making new choices/decisions and learning all over again. That never changes.
When it comes down to it, everyone goes through life their own way…but at the end of the day all that matters is that you have the select few people who give enough of a damn to stick around the entire bumpy ride.
*gag* Sorry that was too emotional for me…but that doesn’t make it untrue. In fact it makes it so true that it made me gag.
Now, go be filled with little warm fuzzies of happiness and have a great week!
I’m off to have my cup of tea and do a tad of cleaning before I head out to the night market here in my town, it’s my second time going there…my last visit when I was too young to remember much, so I’m excited!
Hey y’all!
These are the things that piss me off.
Today’s topic: The misuse of common words and/or common expressons that bother me:
Random: one of the most annoying words I hear used in the wrong way. I am guilty of misusing this word myself on rare occasions. When someone says something is random, it means that it is without direction, rule, method or aim. It does not mean unexpected or spontaneous. However most people use the word to describe something that is surprising or sudden, for example: “this random person bumped into me” or “I’m randomly having ice cream”. Both of those statements are inaccurate. The “random person” is in fact an unfamiliar person, not a random one…though maybe he does live without direction or does things without definite aim but you don’t know that because he is a stranger; and that ice cream is something you chose to eat, though it may be a spontaneous choice, it is still not random. For something to be random…it must be erm… random.
Anti-Social: Hearing this used in the wrong way is one of the most abrasive things to my ears. Especially because it is usually used to describe an introvert or a person who doesn’t like to attend large social gatherings in order to shame them into being more extroverted (“stop being so anti-social and come out with us tonight”). When in fact being “anti-social” means that someone’s behavior is inconsiderate towards others and may cause damage to the society, being hostile and apposed to the well-being of society. Which in turn means that your friend isn’t anti-social if they merely refuse to go to your party or to accompany you to an event (maybe you are just not good company haha). They are, however, anti-social if they try to bring down the local government or take part in a massive riot which causes damage to people, property and businesses.
Ironic: This one really gets my knickers in a twist. When someone is being ironic they are using a form of humor that is most likely sarcasm or satire, or they could be using dramatic irony.Irony can also be situational. Irony does not at all mean an amusing coincidence, but, it does mean an unexpected outcome contrary to the happenings which lead to the outcome; it’s an inconsistency between a sequence of events. Therefore it is not ironic that you met an awesome guy (or girl) at a party only to find out that person is actually a student at the same university as you and was born in the same town you were born in, it’s just a pleasant surprise. Nonetheless, if you were to be searching for a tall, 24 year old Med student and happened to meet your perfect match at a party in New York, later to find out he goes to the same university, lives down the hall from you in your apartment/dorm, and was born in the same town as you. That’s very ironic! Can you sense the difference? Another misuse of the word is when people say “OMG that’s so ironic” in reference to their friend’s dad getting the same car as them in the exact shade of metallic black they did. No.
Calm Down: This expression really boils my blood. This is the most un-calming thing you can say to anyone feeling distressed or angry. Unless you are purposely pulling the tiger by the whiskers, avoid saying this.
Just Saying: So, so frustrating! There are three (and only three) reasons people say this. First reason is when they don’t have much faith in what they are saying. The second reason is they feel their thought might contradict with yours and therefore to have a safe out they add “just sayin” at the end so you don’t get mad. The third reason, being the most painfully irritating, is when people are playing the devils advocate. They pick holes in your plan, idea, or whatever else and then simply slap on “just sayin” after as a defense for destroying it. Thanks, that was super helpful!
You Always: The last of this list is the common phrase “you always”. After someone says this, you probably have already stopped listening because you’ve snapped and are just sitting there stewing in your anger waiting for a chance to speak. This is never a good argument. This phrase is a good way to annoying the person you are talking to and only anger them further. It doesn’t make any points because it makes a sweeping argument without singling out anything. This is often used when someone has a weak argument in a situation and says something like “well you always leave your dirty dishes on the table”! Just a juvenile and aggravating way to talk to someone.
Okay! So there you have the first look at “what really grinds my gears”. There will be more, much more, of these little rants to come!
I am off to watch some TV and snack on something so enjoy your night!
P.s. I will be back another day this weekend with a second post! So be sure to check back and see what’s new before Monday!
Hey y’all wonderful people!
I have been having quite a week! Sorry for missing my usual Thursday/Friday post…I was super busy with family and friends and some studying. I had a psychology exam on Wednesday (15th of this month) and when my professor posted my grade online a couple days ago I was ecstatic! An A+! YAY! This past week has been great, I really enjoyed my classes and I even got to spend time with my dad at his job on Friday! I also found a new addiction…it’s called Pink Berry. What it is: an amazingly delicious frozen yogurt place in the mall around my area…the place offers different flavors of frozen yogurt that you can add crazy amounts of toppings to, but it’s not just your regular fro-yo, it’s phenomenal and it’s healthy! You guys must seek this place out in your areas and get some (if you haven’t already, maybe I’m just late in my discoveries haha). This said Pink Berry has become something I just have to have every week or so-stupidly addicted. Anyways! Getting on with things, I have some cool face and hair masks that work for me when my face/hair needs some TLC. These are great home remedies/treatments that are all natural and very effective! I’m going to share them with you so you can try ’em out and reap the benefits of natural home made products. Much better than expensive masks that are made of heck knows what. So take a look at these masks and though some might seem like a bit of work and time, they are well worth the effort…trust me, these are all worth it! Your hair and face will scream thank you!
Coconut Mask for Hair:
Buy some unsweetened coconut cream, take a good dollop of it and warm it up in your hands. When it’s softened up, massage it into your hair. Warm up a towel and wrap your hair with it, like you would after a shower. Leave the mask on for one hour. Rinse with your regular shampoo and leave your hair to dry naturally.
Olive-vinegar Mask for hair:
Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1 egg. Whisk ingredients together and massage into roots and hair. Leave it on your hair for 15-20 minutes covered with a shower cap and then rinse with shampoo and let hair dry naturally.
Yogurt-Honey Mask for hair:
1/2 cup of plain unsweetened yogurt, 2 tablespoons of honey, a few capsules of vitamin E oil (cut them and squeeze out the oil). Mix ingredients until combined. Massage into hair and roots. Cover hair with a shower cap and hang around for 15-20 minutes, then rinse your hair with shampoo and warm water. Let your hair dry naturally.
Orange-tea tree hair maks:
3 drops of tea tree oil, 4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice, and 2 tablespoons honey, 1/4 cup strong brewed chamomile tea (cooled). Combine ingredients and then massage them into your hair and scalp. Leave on for 15 minutes (with a shower cap on) and rinse with warm water and mild shampoo. Let your hair dry naturally.
Cucumber-Aloe face mask:
1/2 cucumber and 3 table spoons of an all natural aloe vera gel. Puree the ingredients in a blender or food processor and then apply onto your face for 15-30 minutes (depends how much time you have, can leave it on for longer too). Rinse with cool water and pat dry with a towel.
Lemon-yogurt face mask:
Combine 2 tablespoons of plain unsweetened yogurt with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Slather onto your face for 20-30 minutes and this can be left on for longer if you wish. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Lemon-Honey face mask:
Combine about 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Apply this mask to your face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Fennel-Chamomile-Oatmeal face mask:
Grind up oatmeal in a coffee grinder or food processor/blender. Brew 1 chamomile tea bag and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds in 1/2 cup of boiling water, let that steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a small boil and combine with oatmeal, let that mixture cool to room temperature. Apply this mask to your face and leave it on for 30 minutes. Rinse your face with tepid water and pat dry with a clean towel.
Coconut-Papaya-Coffee face mask:
Take a slice of the papaya (discarding the seeds) and combine with 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut cream. Brew 1/4 cup of strong coffee and let that cool to room temperature. Combine all ingredients together to make a thick paste. Apply the mask onto your face and leave on for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry with a clean towel.
*De-puff your eyes and rejuvenate the delicate eye area with this: Brew 1/4 cup of strong unflavored green tea (loose leaf kind). Let cool until just above room temperature. Soak 2 cotton make-up remover pads in the tea, squeeze out the excess (but don’t squeeze the pads completely dry) and apply to eye area for 15-20 minutes. Switching the pads to freshly soaked ones every 5 minutes.
There you have it y’all! Some interesting masks for your hair and face to explore. Try ’em out and let me know what you think of ’em. Or if you have any cool masks that work for you don’t be shy and leave me a comment!
Have a great rest of your weekend everyone! I’ll be back in a few days -Thursday/Friday as usual!
Hey y’all! ‘
Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there! However the biggest happy Mother’s Day goes to the most wonderful and beautiful one of them all! Thank you for all your unconditional love, care and support, love you mom!
Today is a good day, I spent it with my extraordinary mom who my dad and I took to dinner (which I just got home from). I am stuffed! Though, I am still going to get some green tea ice cream as a palate pleaser-how can I not? It’s my favorite!
The only crappy part of today was when I had to do English assignments…in fact, last night as well. It was so drab, my poor brain was crying for something stimulating or at least less tedious…but anyways back to mother’s day!
The things I did to celebrate mother’s day over the years: taking mom to brunch, taking mom to dinner, buying a giant bouquet of flowers and cooking a dinner, buying mom Swarovski crystal earnings. I also tend to bake a lot for Mother’s Day…last year I made a raspberry mousse cheese cake. The cake came about by accident, I didn’t mean to make a mousse but some stuff went a bit wonky and it it turned out pretty delicious, my mom asked me to write down exactly how I did it so I wouldn’t forget and could replicate it haha. The shortage of currency made it difficult to do more creative things this year…which meant no big flower bouquets and no Swarovski…but we still had a lovely dinner and great family time!
Monday is coming up tomorrow…this week is going to be awful weather…all rain and cold. I have a psych exam on Wednesday so tomorrow and the day after will be dedicated to mathematics and psychology. Woop-dee-woop! Speaking of school work, you know where I would really like to go on vacation? Hawaii!! It has been my dream destination for a get-away for years, and I went everywhere else but there! For some reason things just worked out that way haha, I am hoping my next trip will be Hawaii…the coconut mojitos, sitting with my ass in the sand sipping a cool drink and soaking up the sunshine, then going for a swim in the glistening warm water. Sigh…I might never want to leave.
To leave on a yummy note, here is a recipe for a satisfying and super scrumptious Monday breakfast idea:
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
Cheese of your choice (I like feta)
Hash brown potatoes
Pimento peppers (finely chopped)
Italian sausage (diced into small pieces)
Olives
Caramelized onions
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Sundried tomatoes
Directions:
1. Melt butter and brush the inside of the baking dishes (or dish, if you are making one).
2. Layer the ingredients with sausage and hash browns at the bottom: reserving the eggs and cheese for the top -the rest of the order doesn’t matter. crack the eggs onto the ingredients already in the dish and sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Time varies depending on the oven…but in mine, once the oven is preheated it takes about 40 minutes to cook.
I wish you all a fantastic week filled with good times and pleasant experiences. See y’all next Thursday/Friday!
Lipstick & Rootbeer 