Where Do I Begin?!

What wonderful pictures above, huh? The happy housewife at work.
A spotless home is lovely..and oh so relaxing....
But my confession for today: My house is a wreck!

This weekend we had a garage sale--a last minute decision (but worth it--Praise God, we did great!). I stayed up all night getting things ready, and pretty much tore the house up in the meantime.
Sunday we were at Bob's parents' celebrating his dad's 65th birthday! It was a nice day of relaxation..away from the mess!

Today, I'm ashamed to say, I finished reading a book, surfed the web, and watched the last of my recorded shows,--we're turning the cable box in tomorrow. I did a little bit of laundry and made dinner..but other than that, it was a very lazy day =( Guess what verse kept coming to mind?? Proverbs 31:27: "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness". Ouch.

I just look around the house and think..."Where do I begin?!"

So Long, Old Friend

Bob and I did something drastic today...

We got rid of our digital cable..which means no more TLC, no more Food Network, no more excitement as I sit down to watch my plethora of recorded shows...**Sigh**

BUT it cut our bill by more than half!! Woo hoo!!!

I'm so proud of my husband! He didn't want to do this (I secretly didn't either), but we are trying to save money where we can, and cutting back our cable was one big way to do it. This may seem like a silly sacrifice, but Bob was definitely being selfless and sacrificial by doing this, b/c he loves his recorded shows, too.

I'm hoping this will not only save money, but also allow us more quality family time. The TV can totally become the center of everyone's attention. Not good. I was actually inspired by my cousin after I read a post she did about the Television. Check out her blog--it rocks!

So, I say, " So Long, Old Cable Friend...until we meet again....hopefully not too far down the road...b/c I'll be missing my shows pretty soon...and..." Ok, pull it together, Kari!

Shatter that Platter!

I used to get so annoyed when I'd watch the Food Network and see restaurant chefs serve scant meals leaving tons of "wasted space" on the plate. I like my plates piled high with food so I know I'm getting my money's worth!



But when I recently ran across WebMD's Portion Size Guide, I was reminded that a piled high plate isn't figure friendly (nor health friendly)! It's always astounding to see how little food we really should be eating compared to what actually goes in our mouth. After I read over the portion sizes, I realized the chefs were doing their customers a favor by not serving them the whole kitchen on a plate!

I'll be the first to admit that I can down a platter at one of my favorite restaurants. Yes, I said platter, not plate. Isn't it rather ridiculous that our meals can be served on PLATTERS??? And isn't it even more ridiculous that I can actually finish one? Seriously, that's a lot of food! I'm always sicker than a dog after I'm through eating, and that just shouldn't be the case! Eat to live, Kari, don't live to eat!


Anyhoo, I printed off a Portion Size Guide and hung it on our fridge as a reminder when I serve dinner in the future. I'm bad..er, I guess really good, at serving too much food!

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So, I'm turning over a new leaf. I've been trying to get back to living a healthier lifestyle, and cutting my portions back is one way I can do that.

If, in the future, I do go to a platter-not-plate-serving restaurant, I'll need to keep in mind a couple of tips so that I don't overeat and end up sick! Here they are:

Eat slooooowwwlyyy....
I'm terrible about eating ridiculously fast. It's such a bad habit. My meal is over before I realize what I just inhaled ate. Eating slowly will make mealtime more pleasant, and will also allow you to realize you're full before you've eaten too much.

Chew, chew chew!
The more you chew your food, the more digestive enzymes you release which in turn helps your body digest the food properly. Also, it allows you to savor the food before you!

It's no fun sitting at the table watching others finish their meal while you sit there with an empty plate feeling like a gluttonous pig! Believe me...I know.

Lastly, here's a quote I find helpful during those emotional eating moments:

If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.
– Anon

Here's to our health!

What's the Dill?

I have a new found interest in Dill. Dull, huh?

Seriously though, it's quite the healthful little herb.



Here's the Dill....

This common ingredient for modern do-it-yourself "picklers" was so historically valued that the ancient Israelites were required to tithe from their supplies. The ancient Greeks and Romans also cultivated dill as a kitchen herb. Dill has been used traditionally as a remedy for cancer and estrogen deficiency, and research supports dill's 3,000-year use as a digestive aid and remedy for excessive intestinal gas.
Dill-seed oil inhibits the growth of several bacteria that attach to the digestive tract. As a tea, it soothes the stomach and intestines and also relieves upper-respiratory ailments. Its oil is so strongly antibacterial that it inhibits organisms such as anthrax (Bacillus anthracis). Dill contains various phytochemicals that act as insecticides, enhance estrogen levels and serve as a uterine relaxant, and fight infection, bacteria, and insects.
Source: James A. Duke, Ph.D., Herbs of the Bible: 2,000 Years of Plant Medicine

Dill isn't so dull after all!

Here's a yummy dill sauce recipe to try:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/8 t. garlic powder

1 t. fresh lemon juice

2 T. chopped fresh dill (organic if possible!)

Mix together and serve! Goes great with Tilapia.

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Proverbs 15:17

Animoto.com

I created these 30-second videos using Animoto.com. It's soo easy!

The 30 second videos are free, or you can subscribe for a price.

*You'll need to pause my music playlist to the right so it doesn't interfere with the video*

Sunday Selection

***If you'd like to join in on Sunday Selection,
click here to read the first post/guidelines!***

My selection today is found in Proverbs 31:12.
"She will do him (her husband) good and not evil all the days of her life"

As I mentioned in my anniversary post, I began praying for my future husband as a teenager. As I got older, I became very passionate about purity and waiting on God's perfect timing for my mate. My freshman year in college, I roomed across the hall from a girl that was constantly in the Word. She had so much knowledge and loved the Lord incredibly. One night we were talking about our future and how to prepare for the day we would become wives. She went over Proverbs 31:12, which I'd read a million times before, except this time she made a point I'd never thought about. It was a "Duh!" moment for me.

She said, "Notice how the verse says ALL the days of her life. It doesn't say 'All the days of her married life'--just life. She made the connection that, even as single women, we could obey this verse on a deeper level than just thinking, "Okay, I'm a married woman now, so I need to do good to my husband for the rest of my life." She said that we could do good to our husbands as single women. *Even though neither of us knew who our husbands would be at the time* How could we do that!? And how, for you ladies that are still single, can you follow this verse now?

Here are a few ways:

1. Pray for him regularly. Pray that God would protect him and his family and that he would guard his heart and be patient for you. Pray that he'd be a great man of God that would lead your family in the ways of the Lord.

2. Be patient!! =) Don't just give your heart away to any guy that looks your way. Ask God to give you the strength (and humility) to wait on HIS timing rather than jumping prematurely in a relationship just for the sake of being in one. It can be lonely during the waiting process. But lean on God--He'll see you through and you'll be so glad you stuck it out.

3. Keep your heart and mind pure. "Chick Flicks" can be somewhat dangerous! Don't get sucked into a fantasy world regarding relationships. Instead, ask God to give you the proper expectations and to help you keep your mind on Him, instead of allowing it to wander...

4. Prepare. Learn as many skills as possible...or fine tune them. Whether it be cooking, sewing, cleaning, whatever--get used to taking care of a man/home!

5. Save! Save your money! I regret that I pretty much wasted all the money I made before I got married. I should've been setting some aside for our future!

6. See #1!! I can't stress how important it is to pray for your future spouse! That person is worth it!! You are worth it!


Those may be "givens", but I just thought I'd share them. Sorry this selection turned out to be so long! I realize most of the people on here, that I know of anyway, are already married. But I just felt led to post about this. I have a heart for young girls, or any single gal, and their preparation and purity before marriage.

Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts!

Tazo Goodness...

Have y'all ever tried a Tazo Tea??

I've finally given up pop (it was so hard!), so now when I stop at a gas station, instead of getting an ice cold Dr. Pepper at the fountain, I reach for a Tazo Tea. Brambleberry to be exact.



I love ancient history. So when I saw what was printed around the bottle, honestly, it's the main reason I chose the drink in the first place!

It said,

"An ancient Sumerian proverb says one can taste all the flavors of Babylon's Hanging Gardens in a single sip of Tazo Brambleberry."

That's neat to me.

Anyway, other than the possible link to history, the drink has other things going for it. It's not a perfect drink, but a much better choice than pop!

These are the ingredients:
(Water, Hibiscus, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Lemongrass, Rosehips, Orange Peel, and Natural Lemon Essence). Cane Sugar, Concentrated Apple and Marion Blackberry Juices, Natural Flavors and Citric Acid.

Berries are known to pack a punch of antioxidants. Antioxidants help the fight against cellular damage. Cinnamon also has a lot of health benefits.
Ok...this is beginning to sound like a lame report I wrote in Jr. High so I'll cut to the chase...

I just wanted to let you ladies know about the drink. It has an interesting taste--it kinda caught me off guard the first time that I tried it; but now I enjoy it!
It's certainly more healthful than the Dr. Pepper I used to be addicted to!

Let me know if you try it!

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Ruins of Hanging Gardens of Babylon-Iraq