Saturday

COFFEE IMAGE

DEPRESSO
HOW I FEEL WHEN THERE IS NO COFFEE

Wednesday

Girls basketball

Upward.org

History: Founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin in Spartanburg, SC, Upward Sports has grown to become the world’s largest Christian sports league for children. The first-class sports programming—which includes basketball, flag football, soccer and cheerleading—provides a fun sports experience based on healthy competition for kids, teaching skills for the sports arena and values for life. 
1986 Developed a kids basketball program that incorporated athletic skills and values for success on and off the court—including sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity and respect for authority  
1994 Reached maximum number of athletes that could participate by outpacing the gymnasium’s capacity (despite a renovation); a wait list was created  
1995 Launched first nationwide season of Upward Sports when seven churches hosted Upward Basketball Leagues with several hundred kids participating  
2000 Expanded to include kids soccer and kids basketball cheerleading
2003 The 1,000th Upward Sports League is hosted by a church
2005 Added kids flag football and kids flag football cheerleading
2006 More than 400,000 kids participated in Upward Sports for the first time. Launched the first Upward Sports League in Canada
2008 The 2,000th Upward Sports League is hosted by a church
2010 Upward Sports tops a half million coaches, referees and other volunteers for the first time  
2013 Some 2,400 churches worldwide host Upward Sports Leagues with close to 500,000 kids participating through the help of just as many volunteers, coaches and referees in 47 U.S. states and Canada





Monday

Note to self on "Food Pushers"

My top 4 tips on staying on a healthy eating plan this holiday season and how to be polite to "Food Pushers"




1. Stall, 
Comment: Food Pusher is offering you food as soon as you get to the party or you are offered snacks between meals, and Finally offered holiday food at work or as a gift. 

Remember: these acts are acts of kindness, food is love to most people. It is still our obligation to be polite and caring even if we don't want the food being offered. 

Strategy: "The Stall" 
-Wow that looks so good, but I am stuffed, maybe later
-I will check out the desserts after (fill in the blank) I get warm by the fire, or after I get settled in, the point is to stall 




2. Take and Fake
Comment: Birthday party how to handle the sharing of the birthday cake. Also this is a great strategy at work functions that involve food.

Remember: Misery loves company, and people like to see others do bad because it lessens their guilt. You still want to look friendly and a game player, so play along with the "take and fake" It is our social obligation to look and act as part of the team


Strategy: Take a piece of cake and cut the piece of cake in half, take your time, Give the appearance of eating by taking a fork full of cake half way to your mouth and then putting it back down, the truth is for me, cake does in fact smell great, ( like a vanilla candle) so I am truthful and say Mmm this smells great. When you have the fork full of cake half way to your mouth, try to get eye contact with the hostess or someone important such as the birthday person or who is important to your career if this is at a work function.  

The secret here is that most party food is full of air and can be easily smashed to look smaller. When you see people almost done eating try to discard your smashed uneaten food and that way you are done the same time as everyone else without poisoning your body with unhealthy food.



3. Charm is your best friend

Comment: (Dinner party or your a guest at someones home) I worked all day on making this meal just for you, or this is my signature dish, I made it just for you.

Remember: No one likes to think they made the wrong decision. 
(It took me years as an adult to finally get it in my head that people do every single action for them selves, Simply put, everything is personal.)
Here is what is really going on when someone makes or offers you a personalized dish and you refuse it. They think they made the wrong decision on what dish to make or purchase for you. Its not about rejection as mush is a hurtful opinion on their ability to make the right decision. 

Scenario: You go to a dinner party and the main dish is seafood, and you hate seafood. You say yuck I hate seafood. The hostess gets hurt feeling which has nothing to do with seafood but everything to do with the fact that the hostess made the wrong decision on what to offer, they made the dish to impress and failed. 

Strategy: Take smaller portions of higher-calorie items during your meal. Then, take a small portion of the dessert. Place a tiny bite on your fork and eat it, (10 calories of the dish) and make sure you give the chef your compliments; she will be less likely to assume that you disliked the dish when you say that firm no to a second helping.

Allergies, what if you are allergic to shell fish, the first step should be taken by the hostess to ask if anyone has a food allergy before planning the event menu, but if this doesn't happen, the person with the allergy should be polite and protect themselves without broadcasting it to everyone of their health status, because (health issues are boring and private) Avoid the food, by stalling and as a last resort, use the take an fake method, which allows the offered food to be avoided at all cost. 



4 Get it to go

Comment: I made the cookies for everyone (at work), or in my case in healthcare we have family members bring or bake cookies and sugary foods for us all the time, we even have one family member who buys pizza every single weekend for the nursing staff. 

Scenario: I am working as charge nurse for the 6am-2pm shift nursing home, and a family member purchased expensive christmas cookies from a local  bakery and is full of pride and kindness as she thrust the cookies my way. 

Strategy: I make a big deal of the act of kindness, I compliment their decision on choosing the bakery or if it is homemade on the decision of what type of food they made. 

Store purchased food: 
"Wow, these are from (bakery name), I have heard they make the best (food). 

Homemade food:
"That so nice, I can see that you are good at making (the food). Give a detail, if it is cookies compliment how nicely they are decorated, or if it is a savory dish, compliment how good it smells.

Also, compliment the packaging or their timing on giving the gift, such as for a holiday or birthday. Remember this is an act of kindness and gratitude on their part. 

Now for the Get it to go strategy:
After you make them feel good about giving the food, say something in this area
"I will really enjoy this when I take my break" the point is to let then know that even though you will not eat the food now, that you will take it with you

You are at a party or holiday meal and you are having food pushed onto you while you are just trying to exit graciously. The loving comment from you should be
"Please wrap it up, I will take it with me" 
When ever possible just get the food to go.

Final thought:
Never, I repeat Never be afraid, worried, or concerned about wasting food. I think of it this way, must celebratory food is made from unhealthy ingredients such as lard, trans fats, starchy white flour, and fatted meats. Zero starving children are saved by a person over eating. 




Friday

My Favorite Dry Shampoo

I have fine and thin hair, which I have learned to work with my entire life.

Dear Matthew and Ashley,  I remember when I first had a frustrating moment with my hair. I was in grade school and my hair was long, it was down to my middle back and every moring my Mother would comb my long locks into two high pigtails. At the time, the trendy hair grip was the elastic loops with the balls on the end and you place the middle of the loop on the hair and wrap and wrap and then slide one ball over the other to secrue the ponytail. One saturday morning, my Mother refused to do my hair and gave me the horrible news that it was time for me to starting styling my own hair startintg today. I spent over an hour standing infront of the mirror trying to twist that (dispicble elastic loop) around my ponytail. (Of course, the prudent partent action would have been to set up a child with the products needed to be successful, instead of starting a beginner with advance tools, but you know how Granny O. is) To no suprise, I walked out of the bathroom an hour and half later, face tear stained and for the first time, I hated my hiar. 

Ashley today you are finishing your second grade year and your hair almost a mirror image of how mine was. I am so blessed to know that you mother is gentle and has guided you love the hair you were born with. 

Reasons why I love my thin and fine hair.

1. A bottle of shampoo and conditioner last almost a year, and for this reason it is easy to afford a higher end brand. 

2. Our fine thin hair dries super fast, even when air drying.

3. We spend almost little if nothing on styling products, every little thing applied to our hair can weigh it down, so a little goes a long way

4. Even when its long, it is light on the scalp; therefore, updoes feel light and easy on the head.

5. Our type of fine thin hair is silky soft, and our loved ones and family love to play with it, which is so relaxing and bonding.

Two major disadvantages to thin and fine hair
1. It looks greasy very easily, I can shampoo and air dry my hair at 8pm and by 8am the next morning my bangs and crown can look a little limp and greasy. 

2. When styling our hair our scalp can show. So a quick flick with the tooth brush to tease the crown is almost always needed no matter what style we do our hair. 

To address the two most disadvantages, I use dry shampoo

I have tried many over the years including baby powder and kitchen supplies such as corn startch
but the best for me is the following.
(baby powder did work but to get enough on my hair to truley absorb the oils, made the powder settle on my scalp which clogged my pores and gave me some scalp acne. 
I use batiste original scent on my bangs and crown, I spray enough for a white cast, and let it sit while I do my makeup and then I rub/massage it out with my finger tips and my hair has volume, great scent, and looks clean. 



Wednesday

Weekend look fox fall 2013 Novembet

Its that time of year when Texans pretend its cold outside. I purchased this sweater last year from Old Navy.

Ashley, you might noticed that your Aunt Kimmy buys most of her clothes from Old Navy. I am going to share why.

1. I have wide shoulders, so even though i am thin, I am relatively a large woman in structure.

2. Old Navy Tops in general fit my shoulders perfectly. Their button up tops shoulder seam match my shoulder joint perfectly, they fit my frame as if they were custom fitted to my shoulders.

3. Dresses, I have an average length upper body, but my hips and legs are abnormally long. I order cute dresses from OldNavy.com under the tall sizing.

4. I am one of those people who are gentle on their clothes. I purchase $30 and $40 dresses that have structure and fit which makes them look higher end than they are.

I wear this fox sweater with jeans and orange Madras skirt.

I think this would also look adorable if you turn it backwards and tie it around the shoulders so that the fox is looking at the people behind you, just relaxing and checking out the world from your back side. Pushing the boundries in fashion is a womans perogative, am I to old to wear a critter sweater, well that depends. I choose one in a neutral tone and color, the fox is classic silhouette and it is minus extra embelishment such as bows, faux leather patches, and glitter. As I approach age 50 my concern for what is age appropriate bears more on my mind. But, as you know me, I am like whatever, if it feels right with my soul and spiritual then go with it.









Wednesday

Weekend re-cap week 1 in November

Temp range 40's to 70's cloudy
Activities picnic and grilling over open fire with friends in San Antonio mid day Saturday 
Late Friday went to real gambling bingo business and played for 3 hours (it's been around 20yrs since we played) we didn't win 
Late Saturday movie (time change weekend) with different friends from earlier picnic
Sunday church and later choir practice wore jeans and a tan/black stripe sweater, flats tan