Lesson 20

So apparently "floaters" is not the official term for the little particles you see sometimes. They are actually shadows of tissue and protein as they pass near the back of your eye. Here is a video explaining.
Until tomorrow...you can see clearly now.

Lesson 19

Today's lesson comes courtesy of my mom. (Thank you...love you!) I had no idea there was any use for avocado seeds other than sprouting a tree or keeping it whole in your avocado dish to prevent browning. Turns out I was wrong, it is edible! And loaded with good for you stuff!  This site has loads of details and ideas of how to incorporate it into your diet. I will have to start thinking twice about throwing away the seeds for reasons other than the garden I daydream about. I see a lot of guacamole in my future  ;)
Until tomorrow...Don't leave any scraps!

Lesson 18

Happy National Popcorn Day!
I love popcorn!  Just about any kind will please me, but I lean toward the sweet and salty varieties. In honor of it being popcorn day, I thought I would pick up a couple popcorn factoids.
"Popcorn has more protein than any other cereal grain. It also has more iron than eggs or roast beef. It has more fiber than pretzels or potato chips."
All those health benefits, I should pop me a bowl more often!
For more interesting popcorn facts head over here

My favorite way to pop up a snack is to take a brown lunch sack and put 1/4 cup of kernels in the bottom. Then I spray a bit of cooking spray and shake it up. At this point you can add seasoning of your choice, my favorite is Caribbean jerk spice blend. Fold the top of the bag over twice, shake, and microwave about 2 minutes or until the popping slows. ENJOY!

Until tomorrow....snack smart!

Lesson 17

For many of us, it is that time of year when it can be downright ugly outside. Here in Florida, there's  not a lot of what most people would call cold, but it has been cooler and we have rain year around.
I love wearing "Toms" shoes, but on a rainy day, they get wet and are miserable to have on the rest of the day. Today I learned an easy trick to keep any type of fabric shoe dry on a rainy day. I found two versions out there, but both had the same concept. You take either a piece of beeswax or a cheap tealight candle and vigorously rub the wax over the material until you have an even coating over the entire fabric area. Then you take your blow dryer and heat the shoe until the wax melts and is absorbed into the fabric. It's that easy, now water will bead up and run off instead of soaking through to your feet. I wonder which pair I will try this on first??? Until tomorrow....think warm thoughts!

Lesson 16

Today's lesson is short and sweet. We have all seen the many "Life Hacks" out there on just about every form of social media. Most of the time they are things I either find useless or not so special, but this one caught my eye today.
When making ice cream cones start by putting a marshmallow at the bottom. This way as the ice cream melts, it won't run right down to the bottom of the cone and drip all over the place. I imagine the marshmallow could also be a nice extra treat at the end and goes with so many flavors. I have a new use for my yummy homemade marshmallows. Until tomorrow...enjoy until the last drop!

Lesson 15

We have all heard about eating fruit for nutrients and how juicers will even throw in the skins for an extra punch of them. Well, I'm not into juicing, and I almost exclusively drink water, so I just leave the skins behind. Today I came across the idea of making sun tea out of pineapple skins! Apparently pineapple contains Bromelain, which helps with all sorts of things from protein digestion to possibly preventing blood clots. Sounds good and me, and I love pineapple, so why not. After a little Google digging, there are recipes for both iced and hot tea versions. Some are as simple as just the skins and core of the pineapple with water. Others have extra ingredients to add more nutrients or flavor from ginger to cinnamon to honey. This site has a couple of basic recipes to get you started. I think I will give it a try next time I cut up a pineapple.  Until tomorrow...Think outside The obvious.

Lesson 14

I apologize in advance for a sappy entry today.
I've frequently said that friends are the family you choose, but the last 36 hours has confirmed that they chose you too. Josh has unfortunately had to be in the hospital and we are still waiting to find out what is going on for sure. While all of our family back in Texas has been praying for him and supporting me, it isn't the same as having them here. But today, I learned that people here and even far away are thinking about us and wishing Josh the best. Not only have we had offers of "anything I can do to help" from our friends nearby and great support from my managers at work, but the online community that Josh is an active member of has shown how much they care. There have been moments I was almost brought to tears to see the tweets and thoughts for Josh today. To all of you have taken the time to pray for us and let Josh know he is loved, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. So, today I learned we aren't alone here, we have this giant extended family that is taking care of us from near and far. Until tomorrow...we are thinking about you too!