Timeless Tuesday - #3

Dear Reader,

Thank you.  Gracias.  Danke.  Merci.  Domo arigato (Mr. Roboto...sorry, I couldn't resist).  Asante.  Mahalo.  Spasibo.  Dank u.  Grazie.

The words thank you in any language sound pleasing.  Of course I'm partial to the English version; however, I love the thought of my Italian ancestors shouting grazie across a large dinning room table as pastas, meats, and cheeses are paraded around. My heart also lightens at the sound of the Hawaiian version as it conjures up vividly relaxed images of sun, sand, and umbrella topped fruity drinks.

In 2011 I'm convinced that saying thank you is rather underrated.  As a kid I can recall a firm, but fun expectation of writing thank you notes after holidays and birthdays.  Not only was it the right thing to do, but it taught me that saying thank you to someone for what they did for me could make me feel just as good as the gift itself did.  I'm also a believer that the best thank yous come unsolicited and are rarely in thanks of anything tangible.  They are thank yous for actions; not materials.   

Regardless of the form it is made in, a heart-felt thank you is timeless.  Be it a "look you in the eye" thank you; a phone call or email version; or my favorite, one in old-fashioned paper form - they are all a simple piece of grandeur in a world busy rushing on to the next activity.  Let's let today's Timeless Tuesday turn that overdue thank you hovering in the back of our mind into a priority.

That being said here is a thanks from me to you, blog style.  Thank you for taking the time to read my posts (although we are not moving any mountains at filterlifepretty hopefully we are brightening your day in the tiniest way).  With greatest sincerity I say thank you, grazie, and mahalo for tuning into filterlilfepretty.  Which in other words means thank you for reading this post now lets go eat some pasta, by the ocean, with a fruity drink in hand!  I'll meet you there with lots of gratitude in tow.

Love,
Janie

Timeless Tuesday - #2

Let's awaken our inner child for today's Timeless Tuesday and remind ourselves of the simple joy found in donut holes and children's artwork.

Let's be honest, I've had my share of donut holes over my 31 years.  However, it wasn't until I saw RJ eat a donut hole last week that I realized how they truly are a simple staple of sugary happiness that can span the years.  RJ barely had a bite in his mouth before he was urging, "more, more, more".  I too barely had a bite in my mouth before I was ready for another taste. Sitting there watching RJ devour his donut,  I was reminded of the look on my 3 year old niece's face when she had her first jelly filled donut hole this past summer.  Her eyes grew wide and a smirk sneaked across her sweet face - it was the look of sheer delight.  Donut holes can even conjure up memories of my own childhood.  I recall what a special treat it was to have the Entemman's Chocolate Coated donuts on a weekend morning.  Mmmm.  And though I haven't indulged in as many donuts since I hit my thirties it is safe to say that they taste every bit as delightful as they did as a kid.  I'm pretty certain it is also fair to say that 30 more years from now donut holes will still taste of the same yummy goodness that they do today. 

Is your inner child still there, dear reader, or has it hoped in your car and raced off to the closest Tim Hortons?  If you are still tuned in, let's turn to another timeless treasure of mine - children's artwork.  RJ's coloring, though an impressive scribble for a toddler, doesn't quite merit refrigerator adorning yet.  And to be fair, with my husband and I as RJ's gene pool I'm certain he will be better at anything that requires a ball rather than a crayon.  Regardless of his artistic aptitude I still can't wait to plaster our walls with his creations.  In the meantime, I'm lucky to have 2 nephews and 3 nieces to feed my love of kid craftmanship.  I keep a picture stand full of their artwork in my kitchen. 

Anytime the kids bring us a coloring page, a thank you note, or any other gem they have crafted I display it on the photo stand.  During their visits, I've noticed the kids peaking at the pictures on the stand to see if any of their artwork is displayed.  I'm certain the photo stand cost me no more than a dollar or two and the looks on the kids faces when they see their artwork displayed is well worth it (not to mention how many times I glance at it and it brightens my day).  Someday I think I will upgrade to these bit more glamorous frames* designed to hold children's artwork that I recall seeing in the SkyMall magazine on a flight to somewhere I can't remember, but for now I think the little picture stand works just fine. 

If your inner child has hung on to the end of this post, then you certainly haven't tapped into a young enough version of yourself...so throw caution to the wind, go grab a donut and devour it as you throw millions of tiny little crumbs on the floor knowing that someone else will pick it up.  Then take a bite of that red crayon as you decide you rather color with blue and; of course, forgo the coloring book (that is way too restrictive) and just Monet yourself away right on the table.

*If you are interested in seeing another way to display children's artwork, you can view the Dynamic Art Frame through SkyMall at the following link.  I find it to be another lovely, clutter free way to show off the work of little Picassos. http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102678662&c=

equinox, turtle babysitting, quinoa risotto and other randomn thoughts

Sunday, March 20th at 7:21 p.m. EDT is the first day of Spring.  It is like the blessed arrival of a baby; we can capture the timing down to the minute. 

The temperature didn't have to get much over 58 degrees for me to have my first flip flop sighting. Sadly it was courtesy of a group of high school-ers, not my husband.  As much as I tease him for it, I love that it only takes him slipping on his flip flops to decide it is Spring - sorry equinox, we have our own seasonal indicators here in Ohio.

I'm currently babysitting a turtle.  I'm not an animal person.  Do you remember the Jerry McGuire saying, "did you know that bees and dogs can smell fear?".  I take that quote as fact.  As much as I try to be kind to all animals, they sense my anxiety.  At least that is what I thought until the turtle stopped over for an extended stay.  It is my sister's turtle (technically it belongs to her beautiful kiddos, but I don't think she will mind me saying that like most moms she does the primary maintenance to keep Cutie ticking).  Yes, it's name is Cutie which I find to be the perfect name for a turtle (they also once had a Goldfish named Carl, which although a bit formal oddly strikes me as a rather appropriate Goldfish name too).  I'm timid about admitting this because I still have 7 more days of babysitting duty to change my mind, but I'm kind of growing fond of the reptile. He doesn't bark, doesn't ask for more than a little UV light and a few reptile sticks a day to keep him happy and healthy, and he actually doesn't seem to sense my fear, but rather enjoys it when I visit his tank.  Maybe this means I'm turning over a new leaf with animals.  What, what is that?  Oh yes, it is that voice in the back of my mind reminding me that turtles can carry salmonella.  Right.  I think Cutie's short stint with us will be just long enough.

Quinoa Risotto with Carrots & Sugar Snaps

I made this delicious Quinoa Risotto this week.  It was a hearty meal and made for great left-overs when tossed with chicken and spiced up with a bit of Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce.  I've spared you the pictures as I've just ordered a new camera and I refuse to take any more photos until I have it in hand (and learn how to use it!). 

Ingredients:
4 tsp butter
1/2 sm sweet onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 and 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (Costco sells pre-washed quinoa - which is a great time and mess saver)
1 c unsalted vegetable stock
1 c water
4 med carrots, chopped
2 c sugar snap peas
1/2 c grated Parmesan

Directions:
1.  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and salt. Cook 5 min.  Add thyme and garlic and cook until onion is golden, about 3 min longer.
2.  Stir in quinoa and stock.  Cover and cook 10 min.  Stir in 1/2 cup water, cover again, and cook 5 min.  Stir in carrots and the final 1/2 cup of water if needed to keep quinoa moist.  Cover and cook until carrots are tender, 10-15 minutes longer.  Add sugar snap peas for last 5 min of cooking.  Season with salt and pepper to to taste.  Top with cheese. 

This recipe is adapted from Prevention Magazine's version by Pamela Parseghian.  If you Google "Quinoa Risotto with Carrots and Sugar Snaps" you can see a picture which does justice to the finished product.

Timeless Tuesdays - #1

I realized this morning that Tuesdays are the perfect day for this little installment we are starting.  Mondays are always full of promises for a positive week.  Wednesdays are the beloved "hump day", halfway mark.  Thursdays are undoubtedly worthy of a happy hour and Friday, oh dear Friday, how we adore you.  However, Tuesday just hangs out there with little appreciation for its job in carrying us another day closer to the weekend.  Fret no more Tuesday, we are here to gratify you.

I wouldn't be doing this sweet, little blog justice if the first Timeless Tuesday didn't pay homage to it's underlying theme - using our soft lens to pretty up the world.  So, for our inaugural Tuesday let's rig up our ugly filter and shoot in black and white.  I cherish pictures in any size, shape, color, or form.  They are the first thing (beyond the people, of course) that I am drawn to when I visit someones home.  Pictures provide a little window into someones life and I admit, at the risk of sounding a bit creepy, that I love peaking in that window.  I am particularly drawn to the simplicity and agelessness of black and white photos.  A black and white photo could be 60 years old with worn edges or a day old and in digital form.  It is timelessly enchanting either way.

Black and white photos force your mind's eye to take over and focus on the importance of the image, the people and places that were captured in that moment, not the glitz and glam surrounding it.  It can soften a sky that was too bright.  Mute a patterned, too hip even for the times, shirt rendering you dumbfounded by what year the picture was actually taken.  A black and white photo can even beg you to question which baby it is in that picture (especially if you have three girls, photographed in matching outfits over the years).   Thank you to black and white photos for being a treasure among our colorful, high definition world.

Timeless Tuesdays


In our fast paced, screen focused, technology hungry world I've been working hard to remind myself of that in our surroundings which is truly timeless.  Those people, places, and things which never go out of style, never age, always look or taste fresh, and eternally warm our hearts.  As my friend Merriam-Webster likes to say, timeless is that which has no beginning or end nor is it restricted to a particular time or date.  As lovely as this definition sounds I think I enjoy the synonyms even more: ageless, continuing, dateless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, imperishable, perpetual, abiding, and undying.

This brings me to the introduction of Timeless Tuesdays.  On Tuesdays I would like to share a thought on something in our every day surroundings that strikes me in it's own way as being timeless (or sometimes it may be something that has definitely exceeded it's expiration date, but in the name of timeless hilarity it must be shared).  I encourage you to join in on the fun of Timeless Tuesdays by using the comments section to share what you find to be the most enduring people, places, and things.

So. It's Friday you say.  Correct, but Tuesday is only 4 days away and I bet you can't wait to find out what the first Timeless Tuesday thought will be.  I know I can't wait to read your thoughts so be sure to click the "subscribe by email" link to the right of this posting so that you don't miss out on any of the fabulous updates to FilterLifePretty.  After entering your email address you will receive an email with the subject line "Activate your Email Subscription to: filterlifepretty".  This email will contain a link that you must click in order to begin your email notifications.  Don't worry - it is safe and free (if only everything in life came with those two descriptors)!

Any Season, Other than Winter

This time of year I wish for any season other than Winter.  I have my heart set on Spring.  However, the 50 degree temps, brisk winds, and leaf barren trees have skipped my mind months ahead to Autumn. 

September through November is my favorite time of year.  Warm sweaters; no need for jackets.  Leaves turning shades of gold and crimson. Pumpkins and mums adorning the porch.  Apple picking.

Since there isn't an apple bearing tree to be found in all of Ohio this time of year I have turned to a new favorite of mine, apple butter,  in the spirit of a season other than Winter.

Apple butter in all of it's dark gooey-ness is a wonderful treat year round and it's rich flavor far outweighs the taste of processed jam and jelly.  Tap'n Apple has less than half the calories and almost a third of the sugars in comparison to an equivalent serving of Welches Jelly.  It tastes delicious on a waffle for breakfast, makes for a tasty afternoon snack on toast, and thankfully apple butter can turn my picky protein eater into a ravenous bear when spread on a piece of chicken or added to a turkey sandwich.

I'm learning that homemade apple butter is very manageable even for the kitchen challenged like myself.  Maybe this Autumn I will muster up the courage to turn a few of my hand-picked apples into something other then pie.  Fortunately, I will have Spring and Summer to talk myself out of that idea.  As delicious as apple butter is - it certainly is not pie.

Couponing 102

I'm guessing you are proficient in Couponing 101.  Purchase Sunday Newspaper, cut coupon out, use said coupon at grocery checkout, save money.  Easy enough, right?

Well, I would like to introduce you to Couponing 102. Otherwise known as Janie's version of The Price Is Right and a very simple way to find great deals without a lot of effort.  I used to be like everyone else who used the occasional coupon at the check out for an item I was buying anyway.  Then I got married, had a baby, and became a stay at home mom.  Wow, did the value of a dollar ever change.  I've yet to become one of those obsessive couponers (I have seen people at the grocery with binders full of coupons!), but I have found that a little bit of effort can go a long way at the cash register.  Below are a few tips that have saved me $100's over the last year and in turn offered me the opportunity to have a few guiltless splurges when the need arises (hello $150 boots, how I've longed for you!).

How To Make The Price Right

• Drug Mart (Columbus) sells the Sunday Newspaper for 99 cents.  I always buy two papers so I have double the coupons.
• Most coupons are best served at stores where coupons (up to 99 cents) can be doubled.  These stores include: Meijer, Giant Eagle, Kroger. These stores will also accept and double up to two identical coupons.  So if you find a great deal you can get it twice!
• Some great deals can be found on cosmetics and toiletries at CVS when you use your newspaper coupon, CVS offer (buy one get one, etc.), and your Extra Care bucks. CVS negative - they don't double newspaper coupons.
• Don't forget to check the grocery store's website for Digital Coupons.  These load directly to your store's rewards card.  Kroger's digital coupons seem to be the best and currently they allow you to use a digital coupon and a newspaper coupon on the same item. And remember, that newspaper coupon can be doubled if it's face value is under 99 cents.
• Review the weekly adds and match coupons to the grocery store that has the best deals. Shop there that week, or throw a cooler in your car and stop by the 2 stores that have the best deals in conjunction with your coupons.
• Buy items when they are on sale and you have a coupon, not when you need them. I have a stash of toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand soap, and much more that I got for free or paid pennies for!  I also load up on paper products when it is a good price.
• If there is an item that you use regularly that you don't have a coupon for then check the internet.  There are many great coupon sites (couponmom.com, or the manufacturers website) were you might be able to find a coupon for that item you regularly buy that is never on sale.

Examples of when The Price Was Right

Colgate Toothpaste - on sale for 99 cents
Newspaper Coupon - 75 cents
Doubled Coupon - 24 cents (coupon is only doubled up to the price of the product)
Free item!

Charmin TP (12 double rolls) - on sale for $5.99
Digital Coupon - $3.00
Newspaper Coupon - 50 cents
Doubled Coupon - 50 cents
$1.99!

CVS - Purex 3in1 Laundry Detergent/Softner/Dryer Sheet - on sale for $3.99 (regularly $9.29)
Newspaper Coupon - $3.00
I had an Extra Buck reward from a previous purchase - $1
Free item!

Needless to say, these prices are very, very right!  Over the week I encourage you to find one item that you can purchase for free or for pennies.  It only takes finding one great deal to feel the rush of victory and ignite the fire to try again ("take this manufacturers...I can get your stuff for free!").  What is that old adage...a dollar saved is a dollar earned?  Sounds good to me and I would just add with a bit more detail that a dollar saved on toilet paper is a dollar earned towards something much prettier!

More useful  couponing ideas as well as internet coupons are available at http://www.couponmom.com/ .