Category: Uncategorized

Jan 3, Update

Why oh why did they use so much caulking. We sepent hours scraping and grinding and spraying on paint removers to try to soften up all the stuff. Rolled up the siding to fix and straighten up the flooring. The flooring was put down using 1/2 plywood, a nice sanded type too, however, they didn't square up the front so it made the back out of square. Of course we already squared up the front, now just to square up the back and we can seal her up again.

 

You can also see that the flooring was sticking out way past the side framing. this had to be cut of and squared up. We had to do the same to the front left corner of the trailer as well, it was way out of square. All the caulking was overkill on this little baby because there was plenty of butyl tape applied before these moldings were tightened down.  Now we need to scrape all of that off as well and get a new roll.  But, we expected that.


Now that is a much better fit! A little bit of grinding to straighten things up and we are about ready to strip all this molding and put it back on. First we need to address all the little holes covered by tape all over the darn thing.  I guess they thought tape would be a good fix, however it did nothing but cause us a headache. It wasn’t just taped, but a coating of roof patch was laid under all the tape, that stuff is a mess to try to get off.


That ugly spot right there is where they had put some of the roof patch and covered with a 4 inch wide tape. It was crazy trying to get that tape off, why they did this we don’t know. They taped up every seam.


Then  there  are  all  these  holes.  Holes  where  they  just  decided  to  poke  some  type  of  sharp  instrument  in  the  siding  to  make  way  for a  wire  or  something.

This is what it looked like inside when we had the back sheet of siding rolled up. Well, things are coming along, let’s just say, slowly, but steady wins the race correct? After much discussion we have decided to just gut the old gal, remove all the windows, and mouldings, get rid of all of the caulking that goes on forever and ever and put her back together.  We will be putting on a new coat of paint and probably painting the inside white. 

So, you can see a bit of the inside here. They did do a good job of insulating with 2″ foam board. However, they sprayed expanding foam into every nook and cranny they found, again overkill, like the caulking.  A lot of the expanding foam cause more harm than good. It spread out siding in places it didn’t need to be pushed out, made things move out of square, made the door severely out of being level so much that it rubbed on the bottom and had a 2 inch gap at the top. Thankfully we were able to straighten that out after we scraped out a majority of the spray foam.  That stuff is good when used properly, but you can’t spray endlessly into cracks and crevices because that stuff travels and will push out anything loose or improperly fitted.

Italian dinner decor

Planning a spaghetti dinner? Here is what I did for an Italian dinner. Under is a red/white check basket liner from Party City. It’s in the summer decor. Empty cans of tomato sauce were repurposed as a pot to hold fresh basil, parsley, oregano and rosemary. The room smells herbaceous! Added a few sunflowers for color. I collected empty and full olive oil and balsamic vinegar to set out with them. Didn’t take much time our money for this theme. I’ll re-plant all the herbs in my garden after the dinner is over.

FACEBOOK is causing me to have nightmares!

FACEBOOK is causing me to have nightmares!

This is all meant to be funny, but, in reality I have had some repeated nightmares lately and I have to be frank; I blame FACEBOOK!  You know all those posts about the good old days.  Pictures of Ward and June Cleaver sitting around the table with a meme saying “remember when you used to eat what you were served?” 8 track tapes, rotary phones and old black and white televisions.  Yes, those things are giving me nightmares.

Take the 8 track tape for instance, you remember, those things getting stuck inside the player.  Your very favorite music group getting stuck inside the player only to be driving down the road and pull it out only to see the endless crumpled yards of tape coming out, oh the horror.  Put on the brakes!  It’s got to be saved, yes that old Tammy Wynette tape singing D-I-V-O-R-C-E must be saved.  Gently now, gently, pull out the remaining tape ever so gently only to find that it has and end that’s torn and tattered.  Oh my heart, now it’s broken, the tears are falling and maybe just maybe you can save it, fix it or at least try. My goodness that thing cost you $2, by all means tape it together, glue it or whatever it takes, but, fix it for sure.  It cost you darn near an hours worth of work.

Yes I have that dream.  My favorite 8-track tape getting ate up in the player.  In my dream I pull it out and the tape is never ending, it just keeps coming out and coming out until I am suffocated in a pile of that dreaded tape media.  It has filled my entire car from floor to ceiling and I can hardly breath, it’s around my neck, I can’t see, I can’t breath, and then I wake up.  Sometimes I have the same type of dream involving a cassette tape and player, but hose could be fixed.  How many of you ever took them apart by removing the tiny screws and literally taping them back together and winding them back up? Con’t tell me you never did that.

Then there is that old TV post coming up all the time and they ask you who had to get up and turn the TV channels for their parents?  Hey that was a real thing, it was serious.  I always dreaded being the kid who had to be the TV channel changer.  WOW, we only had 13 numbers, but only 3 or 4 of them actually worked if the weather was good and you had a fancy tall antennae on your roof.  We never had one of those on the roof.  We had aluminum foil or an old wire hanger, and yep I was a good channel conductor I guess because I often had to hold the wire or the foil to get better reception.  I don’t miss that, they used to play the National Anthem at midnight then all you got was the snow and awful white noise, or maybe a buzz and a row of color blocks.

But, here’s my nightmare; my dad asks me to change the channel and I get up and turn it and the knob breaks off on a click that does not have any reception, OH THE HORROR! Do I turn around and show him what I’ve done? Do I run and hide under the bed leaving the knob lying on the floor?  No, must get tape, yes tape fixes everything. Hey I fixed my 8-track and cassettes with tape right? Well, tape doesn’t work, I start to cry and the nightmare is over. It’s a nightmare just wondering if I ever got it fixed, LOL These are things my kids will not have the joy experiencing, what a shame.

Then there is the ROTARY PHONE nightmare!  Oh, the rotary phone, the party line and the kind voice of an operator.  I remember playing with the phone when I was little and accidentally, well not really accidentally, but accidentally on purpose dialing the operator.  Hey there was a really nice lady who answered on the other end.  Way back before caller ID wasn’t it fun to call people and hang up, or say funny things like “is your refrigerator running?”  Then telling the person “they better go catch it!” But, my nightmare, yes, this is my nightmare.  Now you may not know what a party line is so let me explain.  If you could afford it you could have what they called a private line.  This meant you could pick up the phone whenever you wanted and make a call, no problem. However, most people didn’t have the money or didn’t want to spend the extra to do that so you might have a party line with maybe 3-4 people sharing the same line.  You might pick up the phone and hear your neighbor talking.  Or when you are talking you just might hear the faintest click and that would indicate possibly your neighbor had picked up the phone while you were using it. I remember if you held your finger on the clicker and only let it come partway up you could listen and hear them faintly talking and they didn’t know, ha, ha, ha.  Now don’t tell me you never did that?

So, to get back to my nightmare I have a party line and I am constantly listening with the clicker half open. I hear the neighbors talking and I write it all down.  I take the information and write a book about everyone in the neighborhood, but, I don’t use the real names.  The horrible part is that they all know it’s about them and they all know that I wrote the book and they come after me.  They chase me in the dark, it always has to be dark when you get chased in a dream right? Oh, and it’s cold, I’m barefooted and they are chasing me with bats and rope because they want to tie me up and burn me.  Now that is horrible.  My heart is literally beating out of my chest, I am out of breath and I have even woke up unable to breath or move, and I’m cold and crying! Oh, the nerve of those neighbors! I never see the faces and they don’t say anything, however the fear is real and I just know they are going to tie me to a stake and start me on fire.  I can be really dramatic I guess. But, the fear I feel when I wake up is so real. I’ve never got caught in the dream, but they get close enough that I can feel them reaching out and touching me.  Barely grabbing at my clothes, yet they aren’t close enough to actually catch me.  Writing this makes me laugh out loud right now, I am literally cracking up at myself. Seriously!

So please, can I just ask you all to stop posting those pictures of the good old days.  Not really, I enjoy them and the memories they bring to mind.  My nightmares? Well I don’t know why I have them, I guess they could be worse.  I could be getting chased by a mummy or a vampire. I could be the last one alive in an episode of the Walking Dead.  Maybe you could do me a favor and post pictures of cute fuzzy animals. No, on second thought maybe not.  My next nightmare would probably be about cute animals chasing me and gnawing me to death or something. Maybe post cooking videos! Yes, nice cooking videos. Well, as long as I don’t have a nightmare about getting my hand caught in a mixer or accidentally in the blender, no, on second thought not cooking videos either.

Last but not least I want to post a picture of a man named Rod Sterling. Rod had this voice, if you heard it you would know it was him. He had this show called the Twilight Zone which was not necessarily scary, however, it was always bizarre and in a scary way if that makes sense. Anyway, this show was something I did not like to watch in the dark. It always came on at night, and it was usually late when things are quiet and you can hear the squeak or crack of an old house shifting with the wind or with the changing of the weather. Windows were loose and would rattle in the wind, branches would make shadows of people trying to scratch their way into your house. And your own shadow would always be lurking in the hallway, ready to jump out and scare you when you went to bed. Yes, I loved Rod’s voice, it would send chills down my spine and make the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand up. I would get goose bumps walking to my room with my eyes closed and feeling the walls to find my way. Yes, and I would always have a nightmare after watching those old black and whites. I really thought those nightmares would cause my death, but that was over 40 years ago and I survived. I often watch them now on some of the old movie channels and I laugh at myself remembering how scared I used to get.  Here’s to you Rod and your very scary voice.  Oh yes, they used to show people on TV smoking.  It was kind of cool and I guess considered sexy too!

Organic Cornbread

I’ve made cornbread for years. Tonight even my husband said, “whatever you did different, keep doing it!”. The only difference was that I’ve slowly started to use more organic ingredients in my cooking. 1 C. Organic cornmeal 1/2 C. Organic flour 1 tsp. Aluminum free baking powder 1/2 tsp. Himalayin Pink or Sea Salt 1/2 tsp. Organic baking soda 3/4 C. Organic Buttermilk 1/4 C. Olive oil 1 Free Range Organic Jumbo egg(I have chickens) Tad of coconut oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees Place cornmeal in a bowl, sift together remaining ingredients into cornmeal. Add buttermilk and oil and mix well, add egg and mix well. Place in glass baking dish oiled with coconut oil, bake 15-20 mins Like I said, I’ve used this for many years, but tonight I used all organic ingredients. It was much more flavorful.

Chicken Caprese Pizza

This has got to be one of the most incredible things I have tried, eva! I mean I love caprese chicken and I certainly love me some pizza, so why not try them together?  It was a huge hit, I’m telling you, huge!

I assure you this is as tasty as it looks, a delicious twist on a pizza, but yet very satisfying.  My niece and I love to cook and we can get together and come up with some strange, but tasty dishes.  I want to say this one is tight up there as I might call it a number one hit wonder!

CHICKEN CAPRESE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

1 12 ” Pizza crust of your choice

2 TBL virgin organic olive oil

2-3 cloves coarse chopped organic garlic

8 oz fresh organic mozzarella ball

Whole fresh organic basil leaves

2 Whole fresh organic roma tomatoes

3 Tbl organic wild honey

3 Tbl organic balsamic vinegar

1 chicken breast, organic wild raised, cooked and chopped into small bite size chunks.  You may use 1/2 to 1 cup left over cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 410 degrees

Place crust onto parchment paper

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic.

Slice mozzarella thinly and place slices onto crust

Slice roma tomatoes and arrange slices over cheese

Arrange basil leaves, as many as desired.

Add chopped chicken as desired.

Bake until cheese is bubbly and melted, I prefer a bit of browning on the edges.

While pizza is baking make a reduction of the honey and balsamic in a shallow pan. To do this bring honey and vinegar to a bubbly boil and turn off heat.  Drizzle over hot pizza immediately after removing from the oven.
Thank you for joining me in the kitchen once again.  Please share this and some of my other recipes.  I have a lot of healthy and alternative recipes if you suffer from gluten intolerance and want a grain free life.  There are many grain free, and paleo delights if you take a look around.  Thank you for enjoying part of your day with me in the kitchen.

Rosalie Lopez, Things That Warm the Heart

Toxic HANDBAG!

Toxic HANDBAG!

Stop applying these dangerous toxins to your body!

Did you know there are dangerous toxic chemicals in makeup, deodorant, lotions and other body products.  What you put ON your skin goes IN the body.  Our skin is the largest organ of the body and the first line of defense against sickness and disease. Things like FD&C and D&C are suspected carcinogens.  “Fragrance” is a cover up word to protect ingredients companies really don’t want to reveal to protect their secret formula.

Phthalates are known endocrine disrupters and have been linked to certain cancers. Tricolson is widely used antimicrobial chemical that’s a known endocrine disruptor — especially thyroid and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). This surfactant can be found in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming products). SLS’s are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. Formaldehyde, Toluene(a potent solvent that can dissolve paint), and Propylene glycol are just to name a few.  To really find out what is in the products you use be sure to check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.

Fortunately there is an answer, a safe non toxic alternative when it comes to your face and makeup. Here I only discuss Young Living’s makeup line, but they also have a complete line of personal body products such as soap, deodorant, shampoo, facial moisturizers and more.  If non-toxic is where you want to go, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED FROM HEAD TO TOE!

 

A Savvy woman should never have to compromise quality for beauty. That’s why Savvy Minerals by Young Living™ was formulated to include only the most pristine ingredients.

Every Savvy Minerals product was carefully crafted so you can feel fabulous about yourself and what you’re putting on your skin. Our range of products is developed with an unwavering standard of purity and quality, giving you a full variety of naturally derived products made without cheap fillers or synthetics—and that’s a beautiful thing! Wherever life takes you, Savvy Minerals is here to empower you to be the woman you want to be.

I am so happy to have discovered a makeup that gives me a great look and with the confidence that I don’t need to compromise my health by applying toxins to my skin.  This is a great alternative to those toxins you have been used to using and I am so glad you feel the same way, right?

To get a mini series of 4 emails so you can learn all about this toxic free makeup line just like I did, just click here and it will be headed your way.  I know your time is valuable and trust me, they will be short and to the point.  If you are like me and you find it hard to make time in your day, this is the thing for you.  Sign up here today!






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Thank you!

I want to personally thank you for taking the next step to increased energy and more motivation.

Here’s what others have said:

“After a few emails and a discusstion with Rosalie I made a few lifestyle changes and I’ve never felt better.”

Jessica – Texas

“I followed the suggestions Rosalie made and my energy levels are back where they used to be. I’ve made a career change for the better! No more “stuck in a rut” for me.”

Connie – CA

Is Summer over?

 

Tuesday’s Tip

yl summer

Need a tip to end up the Summer?

I’m sitting here watching the Olympics and listening to the rain outside, for the 4th day in a row I might add, but my air conditioner is still running at a cool 76 degrees.  Why you might say? Because I live in the South and this happens often during the summer, yes it is still hot outside, yes I am still wearing shorts and sandals while I hear the thunder rolling in the distance.

Summer is definitely not over and it’s not too late to try some essential oil infused Lemon Tea or while you’re grilling outdoors, here is another great citrus marinade!  I might add that even though it is raining outside in the middle of August, I will still be firing up my BBQ well  into the month of November here in South Texas so it makes up for days like today.  I often cook my Thanksgiving turkey out on the BBQ because it’s way too hot to run my oven all day in late November.

Culinary uses for essential oils

Culinary uses for essential oils

SUMMER MARINADES USING ESSENTIAL OILS?

have you ever used essential oils while cooking?  I use them all the time, whenever I get the chance in fact.  It’s the WOW in my Lasagna and the POP! in my Cilantro Lime Brown Rice and many other recipes.  Here are some easy marinades from Young Living to get you started using them in the kitchen.

 

Cooking

Have you ever cooked with essential oils??  Marinades are a quick and easy way to start trying them in your kitchen. here are 3 recipes from Young Living that are sure to please.

MediterraneanCitrus and a Honey Lime  of course when using essential oils for ingestion I can only recommend Young Living Essential oils because I know of their Seed to Seal Guarantee for purity,  their new culinary line called Vitality Oils is just what you will love.  This is their new labeling for the Vitality line and more are on the way!   I love that this company is always making strides to bring us the products that we so love and need.

Vitality

You can learn more and order your oils at an everyday discount of 24% by becoming a wholesale member by  clicking here.

 

Monday Make It – Why I always hated school lunches!

Blog-lunchbox_JeS_0616___Header_US

As a kid I always hated the school lunches I brought.  The same ol, same ol thing everyday.  Then as a parent I really hated making them because it was so hard to think of something that would be healthy and that my kids would love.

Here are some great ideas from Young Living.  Did you know they have a blog as well?  While you are there be sure you register so you don’t miss any of their exciting posts.  These are lunches you can feel great about sending with your kids.  You can be confident they will be healthy and tasty as well.

Making school lunches will never be the same with Fruity “Sushi Rolls” and Kid Kabobs.  They are also having a FREE GIVEAWAY on the post, but you must enter by Thursday Aug 11th.  Click this link to check them out over at youngliving.com