Nikko's Progress

Nikko is doing quite well.  He's managed to gain 1 pound in the past 3 weeks.  He's developing his personality and is becoming adjusted to his new home.  Or perhaps, we are becoming adjusted to him.  Jim is Nikko's primary care giver and it is working out well for the both of them.  Jim is no longer bored during the day while I'm at work.  If anything, he's a bit tired, as Nikko operates on his "own" schedule and has not yet conformed to Jim's.  

He has truly become a part of the family!

New Arrival.............Nikko!

Meet Nikko!  He's a 10 week old Shih Tzu who has now taken up residence at our home.  He loves to play and he's a quick learner.   We've only had him since 9/22/2010, but already he's an intricate part of the family.

Pantry Paradise

My pantry was "out of control".....stuff stacked (sometimes) everywhere and not necessarily in order.  But, heck it was a pantry off the kitchen with stored groceries, it wasn't on display for all to see.  Then one day as I was relaxing in front of the TV, I heard a "pop...bang".  I looked around and didn't see anything.  Got up, walked into the kitchen and everything looked fine.  Huh!  must have been outside.  Very strange!

But, a couple days later as I'm preparing dinner I open the pantry to get......OMG!  A can of mandarin oranges exploded.  Everywhere!  What a mess!  I just bought that can, so I knew it wasn't old.  Must have been defective or something.  Well, I proceeded to clean up the mess when I realized it was everywhere and it was a sticky mess.  I did a so-so job and knew that a major cleaning of the pantry was in my future. 

Well, the future arrived.  And for the past couple days....I emptied, I washed, I lined, I sorted and I stacked.  The end result........was worth it.  Now I love my pantry again and I can't wait to cook with all the "treasures" I found hidden in the mess.

A Weighty Issue

Long story short........the past several years have been an up hill battle with a few more pounds to lug around.  Finding out the thyroid was the issue and having Hashimoto's Disease meant that no matter how little I ate or how much I exercised....the weight was here to stay.  Depressing!  And that's putting it mildly.  I could always exercise and diet and lose the excess pounds.  Not anymore. 

On June 8th, with my friend Lynda at my side and the blessings of my new doctor, Dr. Tibbetts, I began my HCG Diet journey.  The protocol is challenging because it is very restrictive.  But, I'm appoaching the end of my 3 week protocol and will enter maintenance this weekend........18 pounds lighter.  Yup!  That's what I said....18 pounds! 

It has made a remarkable difference, not just in me.  Jim has lost 27 pounds doing the HCG Diet. 

This is by far the most challenging plan to follow, but the most rewarding. 

Soupy Soap

A friend recently told me she was making her own laundry detergent.   Times are tough and she was doing whatever she could to save pennies.  Now I've got to tell you....this sounded pretty bizarre.  I mean how much difference can there be?

So, being a skeptic, I decided to check it out for myself.  I checked several websites offering recipes.  And what....only 3 ingredients!  Now really, could this actually work.  So, I said what the heck.  On Memorial Day weekend, my sister Laura and I decided to give it a go.  I had already purchased the 3 ingredients to the tune of $10.31.  Now, mind you, we only used a small portion of the products to brew 2 gallons of what looked like a gooey mess. 

The next day, we gave it a try.  It worked!  And it worked very well.  When I made the comparison to the batch I made vs. the cost of my normal detergent............oh my gosh!  I was averaging $0.25 per load of my detergent to.............are you ready for this..............$0.018 of the homemade version.  That's right .... it's not a typo it was less than 2 cents per load. 

The clothes come out clean and fresh smelling.  They are even softer to the touch, because the soap rinses clean.  It is just amazing to me....because I'm not a very domestic person.  But for this kind of savings, I can make soap.

Now, I'm on to making window cleaner, fabric refresher and furniture polish.

The Heritage Continues

I have been working on my family tree for years.  But in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult, as I've lost touch with so many family members.  As the older generation has passed and the next scattered from one end of the country to the other, it has proven to be a challenge at best to keep in touch.  Now, thanks to Facebook, I've been able to reconnect with family members that I've not seen in 20 - 30 years.  It's just awesome!  So, the legacy continues as we all work together to fill in the spaces on the tree to preserve our heritage.  To the Costanza Clan............thanks!!!

My New Passion

It's not that I have a lot of time, just that I have some.  Three great gals and I have founded a new non-profit organization called Women With Willpower.  It's been so exciting and so humbling.  It is an infant and we're working hard to get this off the ground.  The community of Lake Havasu City has been so warm and receptive.  The fundraising stage has proven to be a real test of stamina and imagination, but I know we will prevail.  We are only 6 months old, but we've got 39 great ladies on board working with us to make this happen.   It is a true joy to see it all come together.

Visit us at http://www.womenwithwillpower.org/

 

A Visit Home

A visit home earned me the opportunity to see my family.  My special treat was meeting my new great nephew, Darby and playing with his "big" brother, Brody. 

And I got a rare moment with my great niece, Lillyanna, to pick dandelions!

Happy Easter

It's Easter Weekend and so much to do.  But this is a special weekend and I want to wish everyone a very Happy Easter. 

AND....only 2 more weeks before my trip back to Kenosha.  Been a year and a half since I've seen my Dad and the rest of my family.  Can't wait to go.

A Gift for Patty

My dear friend Patty just celebrated her birthday.  I like to do something special and usually have a difficult time, since Patty has everything.  Not this year!  Many months ago as we did our morning walk through beautiful Rotary Park, Patty shared some family news about her granddaughter, Jensen.  Apparently, Jensen had a story published in the school newspaper.  Patty emailed me the story.  Now, I have to say for a 10 year old, her ability was outstanding, but it was the story that had me rolling on the floor in laughter.  In my mind I could see the events unfold as Ms. Jensen described her mishap with her beloved dog, Tula. 

I took Jensen's story and framed it for Patty.  So, Patty could treasure Jensen's story and show it to Rosco, Tula's brother.

And I do believe it work....................Happy Birthday, Patty!

The I.R.S. Man Cometh

Recipe:

A New Year
2 small businesses
Tax deadlines

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.  Add Sorting and Purging to the mix while working 50 - 60 hours per week.  Toss in a handful of cross-eyed and some aspirin for the headache.

Pour into boxes, set computer to print annual reports and pray.

Each New Year brings so many blessings.  But, preparing taxes is just not one for me.  The process is often daunting and I find myself procrastinating.  

Well, not this year!  I'm done!  That's right!  I've got everything done and off to the accountant.  I have no doubt that Claudia will faint when she receives my package, as I never get it in before the end of March.

I feel so liberated and free!  The relief of having this part over with is just incredible!

Miss Lillyanna

We've booked our flight to go back home for a visit in April.  It will be about 18 months since I've been back to see my family and I'm really excited.  What makes this trip extra special is that I will get to meet my great niece Lillyanna and I'll have a chance to be with all of my sisters for the first time in a number of years.

My New Favorite Coffee

A splash of this and it's a piece of heaven!  Absolutely delicious!  Thanks Gee for turning my morning coffee into a sinfully delicious dessert.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday.  It was a great day!!!  I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life

- my wonderful husband, Jim

- my son, Chad

- my family

- my Devil Sisters

- my colleagues

WOW!  It doesn't get much better than that.

To all of you, my heartfelt thanks for making my day so special

A Gift to Love

I received so many wonderful gifts this Christmas.  Each year, I look over the gifts and pick one that really stood out or was really cool in some way.  This year it was tough to select just one, but I did and it's "Body Butter".  My friend, Becky, gave me a basket of goodies and one of the goodies was "Body Butter".  IT IS WONDERFUL!  I use it after my shower each morning and it smells so good and the best part of all is that it has eliminated my "winter dry skin".  I've used all kinds of lotions and creams, but nothing really did the job.  This Body Butter is excellent.  My skin is not dry and itchy.  What a relief!  Thanks Becky for such a great gift!