I Spy

     Did you know that an estimated 40% of people admit to snooping in other people's medicine cabinets?  It's an interesting phenomenon, one that was brought to mind when I saw today's Photo-a-Day Challenge prompt: "inside your bathroom cabinet."
     I wouldn't snoop in someone else's medicine cabinet because I wouldn't want to get caught it's wrong, but I'm actually looking forward to seeing everyone's photo for today's challenge.  ;)
     There's just a certain curiosity about the contents of one's bathroom cabinet.   According to Dr. Troy Thompson, former chair of the psychiatry department at Jefferson Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia, "Medicine cabinets are where you find secrets.  People are naturally curious, and they like to know things about other people".
     There are several examples of medicine cabinet snooping on television and in movies.  Like this Southwest Airlines commercial:






     Or this dialogue from Seinfeld's "The Conversion" television episode:

Elaine: What were you doing opening her medicine cabinet?
Jerry: I didn't open it. It was open. I just nudged it a little.
Elaine: You were snooping.
Jerry: I was not snooping. I did not break the seal. There was no breaking and entering. I wouldn't do that.
Kramer: I would. I always open medicine cabinets.
Elaine: Well I trust people not to do that.
Kramer: Big mistake.

     And finally, this clip from the 1991 movie, Father of the Bride, where Steve Martin does a bit of snooping in the medicine cabinet of his daughter's prospective in-laws.
     We do not have a medicine cabinet per se, but we have plenty of cupboards and drawers that can be peeked into.  For today's challenge I photographed the drawer that contains some of my hair care products and tools (you didn't really think I'd photograph the ones with the secrets, did you?).

      Now I'm off to Instagram to do some snooping of my own and check out all of the "inside your bathroom cabinet" photos!

♥C

Pumped Up Kicks

     Shoes.  Some women swoon when they hear that word.  Not me.  I'm not really a "shoe gal."  My daughter is.  Every time she gets her allowance or receives gift money there's a new pair of shoes she wants to buy.  To which I say, "Really?  Why do you need another pair of shoes?" :)
     If I'm not wearing my slippers, then I'm wearing a comfortable pair of shoes.  Either mules (as close to slippers as I can get!) or tennis shoes.  Right now, these are my favorite sneakers:

Today's photo challenge prompt is "your shoes"

     Good 'ol Chuck T's.  Nothing fancy here, just classic, cute, comfy shoes.

     "Pumped up kicks", on the other hand, (besides being an awesome song), would be more like these:

For my husband, Jon:

Find them here

For my daughter, Emma:

Find these shoes here

For my son, Ethan:

I found these ones here

For my son, Elliott:

Same place as the other Mario shoes

And finally (saving the best for last!), I chose two pair for me.  One for dressy occasions (as long as I didn't have to walk in them):

Available here

How amazing are these shoes?!? They're called "MJ Love".  :)

And one pair for everyday:

Toms Shoes are so cute!

♥C

  

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho

This is my workplace (aka Home Sweet Home):

Today's Photo-a-Day Challenge prompt is "where you work"

     I am a private chef, a housekeeper, a laundry attendant, a chauffeur, a nanny, an accountant, a party-planner, an interior decorator, and an animal caretaker.

     Some people would say I have the hardest job of all, that I work 24/7 with no time off and no paid vacations.  AND that I don't even earn a salary!  But I love my job.  To me, it isn't even a job.  It's a privilege for me to stay home and take care of the house and the kids and the cats and everything that entails.

     As I write this I can't help thinking about a scene from the Disney movie, Enchanted.  I'm not quite this enthusiastic about my job, but it's close.   ;)

♥C

     

Love Is...

     When I saw today's photo challenge prompt, "a fave photo of you", I didn't even think twice about what I would photograph.  I love this picture of my husband and me.

     It was taken in October 1994 at the Great Salt Lake.
     A year or so ago I found the perfect frame for this photo at Hobby Lobby.

     Surrounding the photo is a passage from the Bible that defines "love."  This passage, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, was read during our wedding ceremony and has always held special meaning for me and Jon.  I was thrilled when I found this frame!
     Even if you've never read the Bible or don't believe in God, it would be hard to disagree with His perfect definition of love:

Love is patient, love is kind.

Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way,

it is not irritable or resentful,

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

♥C

I'm linking up to:

By George, It's Washington's Birthday!

     Today is a federal holiday here in the United States.  These days people know it as "President's Day".  Or "Presidents' Day".  Or even "Presidents Day".  When I was growing up it was known as "Washington's Birthday". 
     It's an interesting story, really, how a day that began as a holiday dedicated to honoring the "Father of Our Country", George Washington, has turned into a day that eludes definition by many Americans.  Some will tell you it's a day to honor Washington's birthday (February 22), some say it honors President Lincoln's birthday (February 12) and Washington's birthday, and still others will tell you it honors ALL U.S. Presidents.  There isn't even agreement over placement of the apostrophe in the word "Presidents"!  
     At its inception in 1879, this holiday was known as "Washington's Birthday".  It was our first federal holiday to single out an individual's birth date, and it seemed a fitting tribute to a man who led the colonies to a victory over England thus securing independence for our young country, and a man whose political leadership led him to become the first President of the United States.

     Over time, and for various political reasons, "Washington's Birthday" has morphed into "President's Day".  (To read a detailed account of this change in the holiday's name and focus, check out this article written for the National Archives.)
     In honor of George Washington's birthday, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite quotes from the man himself:

Today's photo challenge prompt is "handwriting"

♥C

"Hate" is Such a Strong Word

     I really try to avoid using the word "hate".  Merriam-Webster defines hate as "an intense hostility and aversion...a loathing...". 

     Dictionary.com says that "hate" is an "extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward" something.

     Today's photo prompt is "something you hate to do".  Most of the things I hate to do have to do with housework.  Laundry, cleaning the toilet, washing the light fixtures, ironing...things like that.  But it just so happens that today, when I'm trying to capture "something you hate to do", we are working on......

Dun, Dun, Dun

Science Fair Projects.

     It starts in early December.  The kids bring home a 14-page packet from school that includes the project guidelines, the judging and grading form, sample reports, and the project proposal form.

     I dread that day all year long.  I know that when the packet comes home we should start working on the project immediately.    

     We should already have an idea in mind (cuz we know it's coming, right?), we should get teacher approval that same week, do the research, conduct the experiments, analyze the results, write the report, and create the Science Fair Project Board within that next month.  Then the project would be DONE by mid-January and we could breathe easy.

     But NO.  The packet comes in December when we're too busy with Christmas activities to even think straight.  January rolls around and no one knows what to do for their science project.  We look online, we check out library books, and finally a topic is chosen.

     Then, invariably, the teacher denies the idea:  "No, you can't test whether driving while talking on a cell phone is distracting.  It wouldn't be safe." "No, sorry, you can't test whether there are more germs on the bottom of your shoe or on a telephone." (I don't understand why that one wasn't approved.)  So...it's back to the drawing board.

     Finally approval is given (cue angels singing "Hallelujah").  We are so relieved that our topic has been approved that we set aside the project for a week or two.

     Before we know it it's February and only 3 weeks until the Science Fair.  One weekend is spent conducting the experiments and research, the second weekend is spent writing the report.  And the third weekend (this one) is spent creating the Science Fair Project boards.

      Don't get me wrong.  I love education.  I am a huge believer in challenging our children to learn and to think for themselves.  But I think it's the rare elementary school child who can complete an entire Science Fair Project all on their own.  Mention "science fair" to any parent out there whose child participates in one and I'm betting you'll hear a groan or a growl or some other indication that I'm not the only one who hates the science fair.

♥C

Cheers!

     A couple of months ago my husband and I hosted a poker party.

Source: www.life123.com

     I'd like to say we play a regular game, but we don't.  We're lucky if we can get a game together once a year!  But when we do, it's a great time: quarter bets, good music, lots of laughing, and a little bit of Texas Hold 'em.  And now our poker parties include, I'm proud to say...a signature cocktail.  Yes, you heard me right.  My husband created a drink that is now the "house cocktail", one that is refreshing and oh so delicious.

Today's photo prompt is "drink"

     This beauty is called the "Volturi Cocktail".
     You see, at this aforementioned party of ours, my husband offered to make drinks.  He had picked up some Parrot Bay Passion Fruit Rum the day before, knowing that I enjoy fruity cocktails.  He mixed that with San Pellegrino water that we had in the refrigerator, added a touch of cranberry juice to give it some color and extra flavor, and garnished it with a slice of a clementine.

     When we tasted this concoction, we knew that he'd created a masterpiece.  But what to call it?  We threw a few names around until one of us suggested "Volturi".  Volturi are a civilized coven of vampires who enforce the laws of the vampire world in the Twilight saga.  And since the latest Twilight movie, "Breaking Dawn", was to be released the following weekend, and three of us around the table were super excited to see it, the name made perfect sense. ;)

♥C