Life in Rehab

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Progress Report

Ready to take a peek inside at the progress over at my mother's new place?

Well waddle on in!

We've actually gotten quite a bit done!

Let's head in here first.

The bedroom is nearly unpacked and settled.

I hated getting the furniture all in place before taking a crowbar to that
thing on the wall, but it can't all get done at once.

We got all of the furniture washed and oiled.

And we found her linens, cleaned them, and the bed is made.
You know, mundane, non-creative stuff.

The bathroom fixtures are all repaired, so it's at least functioning.

I hung a curtain rod across the width of the master bath
since the shower space itself is open, and I'll be whipping up a matching valance,
then some pillow covers for the rocker in the bedroom from the remnants
of the fabric to tie the rooms together.

I'm dying to get rid of the adobe paint in here in favor of something more coastal.

The living room is starting to take shape.
Those hideous blinds are on today's hit list

All of the out dated fixtures are coming down.

We have a great drum shade chandelier to replace this thing,
which is wayyyy too big for the dining room.

The broken porch light came down, and a pineapple fixture took its place.
Next, the mismatched house numbers are getting pried off the wall.

Mom has picked out some new flooring too, a vinyl plank
that mimics wood, but it'll be much easier for her to take care of.

The dining room is ready for its first use.

We also nearly have the office unpacked.

I'll have more progress to report in a couple of days.

And hopefully, something more fun to show you!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Easter for Teenagers

Shameless seasonal repost by reader request.

When your children are small, Easter is easy. Chocolate bunnies, dyed eggs, and plastic grass that keeps appearing under the couch for months afterward has a classic charm that we all love and treasure, wrapped in magic, myth, and the rebirth of the world. It's still a family holiday with great traditions as your children get older, but it calms down as the years pass.

Wanna keep your kids gleefully hunting for plastic eggs long after you've broken the truth about the

rabbit to them?

Copy/paste the Following list of fillers, give them a fancy font, print them out, and then cut them into

strips. Fill plastic eggs and hide them.

Once all the eggs have been found, sit down and open them one at a time, announcing what you have. Notice there's a few funny ones, as well as "Swap" ones to keep it lively. Add or subtract as you wish, lower or raise the monetary amounts, and come up with a few of your own.

We howl with laughter doing this, and then the children tuck their prizes in their wallets and produce them for redemption throughout the year. It's been a good way for the Teen Minions to ask for private time with a parent without having to explain why they need to talk too. Oddly, the cat poop one has not been handed in.

An 18 year old who shyly asks, "So, we're still doing the egg hunt this year, right?"

Priceless.

Get out of one chore free, your choice

$10 at Gamestop

$5 at Gamestop

1 hour on the computer

Trade one egg of your choice with a sibling

$5 at Target

Date with Mom

Date with Dad

Smoothies!

You pick what dessert to make

Free T shirt of your choice!

You plan the day for the family (advanced notice required)

One Family Game Night, your choice

One Family Movie Night, your choice

Download 1 song

1 custom ring tone

$5 at Target

Trip to the Pediatrician!

One Ziploc Bag of Fresh Cat Poop

Strap a Used Sock to Your Face

Put Marbles in Your Underwear

Kiss the Dog on the Lips

Trade one egg of your choice with a sibling

Now have a little fun, and keep childhood alive.

Monday, March 25, 2013

The Hard Hearted Chef: Asparagus Salad

Mother's Day, 2012.

Down 60 pounds to 160 as the hubs and I enjoyed Key West with

Michael and Carolyn Reilly.

I've dropped another 30 pounds since then,

but my cholesterol is still wayyyyyyy up there.

So how does a sybaritic beast such as myself get her health back on line?

We aren't about to give up a thing.

Just in time for Easter, have I got a salad for you...

This fabulous low calorie, heart healthy recipe is a smack of indulgence

courtesy of Michael Reilly, my BFF and diet coach.

Try not to drool on the keyboard.

Asparagus Ribbon Salad
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 2-3 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds - toasted
Preparation:
Lay one asparagus stalk on cutting board, hold by the base and using a
vegetable peeler make thin ribbons by "peeling" from base to tip. When
half-way through, turn stalk over and do the other half. Discard end and
center if too thick.
Blend lemon juice and olive oil; pour over asparagus in bowl. Add salt
& pepper, toss and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Arrange salad on plate. Add shaved Parmesan and then top off with
toasted almonds.