Lazy Boy

Our basement is really cold, so while I'm working on homework (sometimes hours at a time) I turn on the space heater. One of Ziggy's favorite things to do is to lay by the heater. There are times when he is literally pressed against it. I have to move him away a lot of the time because his fur gets so hot I'm afraid he'll catch on fire.

{I don't want that kind of a hotdog!}

Btw, THANK YOU THANK YOU to those of you who gave me suggestions for my dishwasher and glasses. Lemi-Shine and Dishwasher Magic worked wonderfully. I'm in shock with how clean everything got!

Come Back Phosphorus!

I cannot even say how frustrated I am with how my dishes are washing up. Ever since the "phosphorus" was taken out of dish detergent, my dishes (mainly glasses) have a terrible film on them. The gross thing is that the particles from the dish soap are starting to cling to my dishes, so having a dishwasher does nothing because I am washing each individual piece after they get washed! I have tried numerous remedies, but none have worked so far.

Don't these look like non-drinkable glasses? And yet we are drinking from these everyday.

I swear Michael and I are going to get sick from all the caked on particles...ah, I can't even go there. Just thinking about it makes me cringe.

Here is what I have tried:

-Vinegar

-Finish Powerball Detergent

-Jet Dry Baskets

-Jet Dry Finish Liquid

I probably should mention that I do have hard water, which probably isn't helping.

Is anyone having this same problem? Have you tried anything that works?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. :)

Homemade Granola

My night class on Monday was cancelled, so I thought... Why not make some granola? I've had this recipe on my mind for a while now, but getting around to making it was another story. After finding out I didn't have class, I was elated and practically sped home with one thing on my mind. I stopped by Gregory's Wheat Shop to grab some of the ingredients and then got to baking.

This recipe was taken from "The Little Red House" and the blog {ourfinehouse}, which I've absolutely fallen in love with.

I now love knowing exactly what I am eating with this granola.

I have been eating it as cereal for breakfast as well as using it for yogurt parfaits...delicious!

Recipe

{From The Little Red House & ourfinehouse.wordpress.com}

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

4 cups oats

2 cups puffed wheat (unsweetened)

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1 cup chopped almonds (not ground)

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup wheat germ

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla

Steps: 1. Mix together in bowl until well coated

2. Spread onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes

My Tips:

*If you can't find puffed wheat you can use unsweetened puffed rice.

*Make sure to check it in the oven every 5 minutes or so; it can easily burn.

{My oven cooks fast, so I was done baking at 20 minutes}

My Hair

I had to take a picture to document this moment. I just got my hair done and finally am loving the way it is starting to look, finally! I cut my hair super short a few summers ago and have been waiting for the day that it is all one length again. Other than a few hairs in the front on the right hand side, it's pretty much all around even, yay!

Oh yeah, I need to thank my helpers along this journey:

Redken All Soft Heavy Cream & Folic Acid Supplements

I already know this is a lame post, so just ignore it if you don't care.

This is a big deal for me and I am celebrating it. So there!

This Week I...

• have done too much homework (although very glad I did)
• went on my first group road ride (started at Bike Fix and went out to the airport & back)
• trimmed and mowed the lawn for the first time this year (had to be outside enjoying the wonderful weather yesterday!)
• voted for Naima 3 times, but she still went home :(
• had a BBQ and watched "Nanny McPhee Returns" with Wes, Jess & their cute children
• learned @ Camp Kick-off that I can start a fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool (who knew?)
• got a new calling
• made dark chocolate covered cinnamon bears...my favorite
• put up Easter decorations

...And now I can't wait for Michael to come home. He is racing as an expert in the iCup in Hurricane today, which starts in 2 minutes! He left Thursday and made a work trip out of it too, so unfortunately I won't be able to see him race. {But I'm cheering him on from home!}