A Writer's Hair Clip

My father. He just wants me to be healthy and happy.

2016-01-28T21:07:00.004-08:00

Sitting in a restaurant booth across from my dad. I talk quickly, bubbling up and out, like a pot telling the world there is hot steam ready to come out. But his tone of voice is stern as he speaks to me about watching out for the liars of the world.

“They said I could do buy this house for very little dad!” I exclaim.

“Really? Well I bet you could never earn a profit from that house then,” he says questioning my new so called facts of life.

My heart sinks a level. My shoulders slump. I am 25 and yet you look at me like I am five years old. Something tells me I could be pregnant with my third kid and you’d would be treating me like I like just came into this world yesterday.

My heart hums and the motors churn. Maybe I can trust him to keep talking to him.

“So I found some pot cream!” I exclaim.

His eyeballs almost pop out of his head. Which was funny, because his eyes normally set in his wrinkled eyelids, buried under gray bushy eyebrows and with a cynical squint. So it was quite a site to see them that surprised and excited.

He leans in closer to me and asks, “Here?”

I look around. We are at Izzy’s. I chuckle.

“No dad, at a pot shop downtown.”

“Oh okay.”

In the back of my head, my hurts sizzle away as I remember the generational gap between us and how different we really are when it comes to modern culture. The feeling was almost as enjoyable as reading a text message from him filled with something close to English. Because apparently English became Spanglish when you try to type it into a phone. I have had my share of autocorrect mistakes, but nothing compares to a text message from this generation.

The next day sitting in my client’s home I had just cleaned, we catch up on the recent happenings in her life. Then suddenly her dog comes to me and paws at me to come up. I let the fluffy little Chihuahua up, but suddenly I notice something terribly wrong. She is shaking uncontrollably. Sitting in my lap looking into the distance, she then she growls, almost barks. She wasn’t looking at her owner, but just next to her.

“Who are you looking at Chelsea?” I ask the puppy. Because the dog would respond right!

Her owner responds, “Oh it is probably my dad. I’ve caught her barking at that area before. My dad likes to haunt my mom too.”

My hairs raise on my arm and my blood pressure rises. I somehow stop really breathing very well.

“What puppy, do you want to tell him you’re the boss?” I ask.

The dog shakes and growls. More frightened then aggressive though.

“What would your dad tell you if he was trying to reach you?” I ask my client.

“Oh probably to lose weight.” she responds, while shrugging her shoulders.

I sit with my feelings for a little bit. I feel sad, not heartbroken, just defeated. I wonder if that is her father’s feelings.

“I think your father would say that he would want you to be healthy and happy.” I say, trying to encourage her and bring out the more empathetic side of what was her father’s message.

Such is father. He dies. But he still haunts his daughter. Nagging her, scaring the snot out of her dog. Trying to tell her to be better and get all her ducks in line.

Fall

2014-08-16T20:31:00.002-07:00

While I was camping last week, the rain poured down along with thunder and lightening. As Tylor and I were stuck in the cabin during the storm, it reminded me of the fall here in Washington. Then today, I cooked garlic in spaghetti and the scent reminded me of home.

Fall at home meant I was curled up next to the fire, watching the rain and the wind outside blow down auburn leaves, while I ate some home made dinner that smelled delicious. All these memories and scents are getting me excited for fall!

Fall always means new beginnings in school and church. This year, I am excited to start up leading in a ministry and helping in fall church events. I guess I like the cooler weather because it brings people inside together to get warm and cozy. Much like my husband had to stay close during camping to keep from getting cold.

Although this summer has been fun, I am ready for fall all it has to bring. Are you?

Free Stuff and Plants

2014-08-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

This month has been pretty quiet so I am bored naturally, but I have been turned on to Craigslist and Facebook Groups where I can get free things! At first I wanted to adopt every pet I saw online, but you can't do that when you live in an apartment. I did find an amazing couch for free though! There is only so many pieces of furniture you can fit into an apartment as well, so what can I hoard you may ask? Plants!

My first plant that is still alive, might I add, is a hanging flower basket that is a piece of work to keep happy. I've been feeding it coffee grounds, water and I even added potting soil since it's been around for a while. The flowers are sometimes open and beautiful, other times closed or dead. The plant really is very temperamental.

My low maintenance plant that I just got last week is my new snapdragons. I bought three, put some cover with them in a new pot. The flowers haven't sagged or turned colors yet. I am hoping to keep it healthy and happy.

Knowledge So Far

You have to dead head flowers that die so they can reseed and bloom again. Coffee grounds are good, but in moderation. Egg shells blended are good. Epsom salt twice a month can be good too!

My hanging basket is still yellow in certain spots, so I am looking for ways to nourish it. I rotate it so it can get plenty of sun. If you have any ideas, let me know!

Anyways, that is what I have been interested in lately, finding free plants online and expanding my garden.

Hey Girl-Tylor Style!

2013-02-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

My friend Patti mentioned that there is a Hey Girl Link Party going on. So I thought I'd join in at the expense of my boyfriend, now fiance, of five years. He is a pretty sweet man, so this was a pretty simple task. Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day! The best part about theses Hey Girl memes is that most of them are true!

A Rose

2013-01-16T00:18:00.003-08:00

Late at night, in my semi-warm, little apartment, I have to ask myself, Why do I burn the midnight hour candle Monica?! Then I thought to myself, passion. Passion is what keeps me up at night. Passion is what motivates me to better myself, my relationships, my work, and my life.

Some say that red is a color of passion, like how a red rose represents love, others I think see red and they think of blood, which courses through our veins to keep us alive. Still others I think see red as a color that could represent anger of fury. To me, I see red and I think of the Passion of the Christ. I think of Jesus's blood on the cross, shed for the forgiveness of my sins, and it reminds me that there was one man, one perfect man, willing to die for me so that I might have life and hope. I grew up with pink walls though in my room, so here is a pink rose!

Credit: Suzie Rose

According to http://www.almanac.com/plant/roses, you should plant roses where they will receive a minimum of 5 to 6 hours of full sun per day. Roses grown in weak sun may not die at once, but they weaken gradually. Give them plenty of organic matter when planting and don’t crowd them.

Recently, I feel like I have had a heart transplant. Now, I have no idea how that actually physically feels to go through surgically, but what I do know is that I have begun to let in important people into my heart. After suffering from what I think of as a dark fall, dark past, and rough couple of years, I now have a renewed sense of passion in my life to better myself, my relationships, my work and my life. I am looking forward to getting married and in thinking about my wedding colors, flowers, and decorations, I have begun to think about what matters to me! But what matters to me isn't having the perfect color, flower or decoration at my wedding, what matters to me is that my wedding party is happy on that day and that I am happy, because I am marrying the one I have chosen to love for the rest of my life.

Having overcome doubt, pain, fear, and finding faith, hope and love, isn't an easy process and I think I will have to go through it every day for as long as I live. At least I know though, that each night, when I go to sleep, tomorrow when I wake up, God in his infinite wisdom, will have the sun rising again, over the mountains, over the highway, over my place of work, and his grace and mercy will be ready and available for me to receive, and like a father with open arms, I'll run to Him like a daughter or princess running to her king, because I know, that he paid the ultimate sacrifice for me.

11 Odd Questions

2012-11-26T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is a challenge from my friend Patti. These questions were posted on her blog which is simply divine.

1) Do you hit the ground running when you first wake up or are you slow to warm up? I hit the ground running! I usually give myself 20 minutes from the time I wake up to the time I am out the door.
2) What is your favorite movie of all time? The Notebook because I believe it en captures the love story I am going through. The last half of the movie will hopefully be the next half of my life.
3) What is the best vacation you've ever taken, and why?
I liked going to Hawaii and going snorkeling. I got to see coral, dolphins, large fish and taste pineapple ice cream.
4) Do you have a hero in your life? Who and why? God is my hero because he won't give up on me.
Patti is my hero because she has stuck by her man. Tylor is a hero because he has stuck by me.
5) Cat person, dog person, or other?

Cat person. Purrrr, dogs are kinda intimidating. Cats are gentle and they like to sleep. So they are like me.
6) Favorite subject in elementary school?
English! I love words. My second favorite would be technology.
7) What is your favorite kind of food?
Chicken nuggets. I know its gross, but its what I grew up on. Nuggets and ketchup!
8) If you could ask God for ANYTHING what would it be?
If he could give me some heat in my apartment to keep warm.
9) What do you like to do in your spare time? Don't have
any? Pretend. I like to curl up and read a good book and drink some hot chocolate or tea.
10) What helps you get your creative juices flowing?
Journaling or day dreaming.
11) What genre of book do you tend to read the most?
Right now I am reading Cake Boss and I am learning about business, life and cooking.

My questions for you are:
1. What is your source of heat in your house?
2. Is that heat source expensive?
3. Which one do you like best? Hummingbirds, dragonfly's or butterfly's?
4. If you could be free from one thing what it would be?

Bringing Hope To the Suffering

2012-11-04T11:37:00.003-08:00

Acknowledging that there was pain in my life was a tough realization to come to last year. But last year I had to start over and take a hard look at myself. In September 2011, I found myself living at home, working part time, scrounging for money, barely being able to hold onto the idea of hope, and running (in the literal sense) from any pain I might possibly feel while living out my life.

I think it was fair to say that while I did have a home, friends who had a home that let me in and a boyfriend whose family welcomed me into their home, I had my bags packed and was ready to run. It sounds cowardly, but it was the sad truth.

Granted I still struggle with communicating and responding to people, rather than just reacting, fixing, and fleeing from painful situations. But in July, 2012, after graduating from a year at Freedom Session at Faith Assembly of Lacey, taking a self employment business class that taught me how to hone my skills as a professional, learning to budget money, and examining in my heart what I wanted to do with my life, I ended up finding, applying and subsequently taking a position with the Red Cross in Tacoma as a (Listener/Story Teller).

I also became a facilitator's assistant and signed up for an other round of Freedom Session. I am still the secretary for Lutheran Women's Missionary League, and I am going to be on the Board of Evangelism at Trinity Lutheran Church come January. Life and Times as my mom always says!

My Red Cross job entails bringing hope to the hopeless and alleviating suffering endured by those affected by a natural disaster or emergency. Just recently, I was creating a flier about our Holiday Giving Campaign and the graphics on it that were created by National, said Let it Hope, Let it Hope, Let it Hope. I just smiled knowing personally that for me, hope is the result of faith and faith is something I realized I had to hold onto last year when times were bleak. Faith & Hope is what I cling to now to stay sane and healthy.

After a year of getting to know my mom's passion for healthy living, I now leave my apartment every morning with a vi shake in my hand and vitamins in my pocket. I want to lose weight and know that I can if I eat healthy, drink my vi and exercise. I look forward to holding Challenge Parties at my apt complex's community room soon too. What I am really excited about is that I have my own apartment now (#B52, wifi is titled "Rock Lobster Network" and it looks like a pink bomb went off when you come in).

Life has suddenly become fast, furious and fulling, but I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to say that my life's entire work whether it be Mon-Fri or on the weekends is to bring hope to the hopeless and alleviate people's suffering. God is surely an amazing God who is full of grace and mercy and will use what you have been through to help others.

The Lovely Adventures of Jack and Jill in Olympia

2012-01-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Jill leisurely danced to a 90’s love song being sung by a soulful singer in the dark cove on the second story of The Pig Bar in Olympia. She nonchalantly swayed her hips from side to side and closed her eyes so that her ears could listen to the music being sung. Jill was enjoying herself and relaxing by the sound of Olympia.

Watching her was Jack who was seated on the black leather couch underneath the large flat screen T.V. in The Pig Bar. He took a bite out of his pulled pork nachos and then a sip from his cold beer every time she finished going side to side with her hips.

The bartender watched the two of them and silently smiled. “It’s the time for love again I guess” He thought to himself and poured another glass for the gal and another beer for the guy.

Upon a bold move by Jack and help from the bartender, Jill released her phone number and a few days later the date was planned.

“We’ll go out to eat at Wally’s and then enjoy a sunset at the marina,” Jack spoke carefully.

“Okay sounds great!” Jill answered.

Jill felt butterflies turn in her stomach as she looked through her closet. To her surprise, she hardly had any good weekend date clothes. Luckily she saw a store that looked like a closet called Mandelins . So the next day she went back to the closet store to find an outfit for the date.

Upon entering Mandelins she noticed the twice worn clothes on the racks and realized it was a consignment store. But a pleasant surprise awaited her as she started to sift through the clothes…practically everything was a brand name piece. Torrid, BGX, AGB, Jones New York, Alfani, Karen Scott, Calvin Klein, and the names went on and on. The next surprise was pleasantly shocking…the prices were low enough on the pieces of clothing so that she could afford them.

“This place is great!” She exclaimed to the cashier.

“Yes, I love it. You’ve got a great outfit here too. I love that you picked out the pink pencil skirt and white lacy, cap sleeved, top. You must be going on a date!”

“Yes I am,” Jill said while the color in her cheeks rose. “The guy who asked me seemed nice enough and I kind of let my guard down at this little place downtown so I guess I’ll just have to live with the consequences. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good consequence.”

-----

The Date
As Jack and Jill pulled up to Wally’s Sub and Sand which shop, the anticipation in Jack’s abs tightened as he thought of enjoying a good sand which with such fine company. Jill stepped out of the car daintily and put a simple smile to put him at ease.

Wally’s offered the two full sandwiches that they could each customize to meet their tastes in food. There was also entertainment because along the wall were drawings of scenes of local Olympians eating delicious meals at Wally’s. Jack drew a drawing of Jill illustrating to her how beautiful she looked to him with her hair pinned up, eye lashes darkened, lips colored and white lace top accenting her feminine shoulders. Her polite smile turned into a real one as he pinned the napkin portrait on the wall with the rest.

While driving to Boston Harbor Marina, Jack and Jill chatted about their likes and dislikes, commented on the cold February weather and relaxed while watching the wide open sky, forests and fields pass by them.

Once they got to the marina, Jill interest sparked in the scenery even more.

“Can we walk down by the boats and get closer to the Puget Sound?” Jill asked.

“Of course, just be careful the wooden docks are a little wobbly.” Jack answered.

As they walked down the stairwell from the parking lot to the dock and then from the dock to the lower docks on the water, Jill thought of the local families who come and enjoy this place and how she might have one of her own someday.

Walking along the dock, a seal came up and greeted them both with a watchful eye. Boat owners tinkered on their boats and the masts on the boats chimed with the others. The cold air swooped in around them and Jack moved closer to Jill to make sure the wind wouldn’t cut through her light layers of clothing.

At the end of the dock was a bench. Jack offered her the seat and she took it. They sat together and watch the boats sail by, the kayakers’ row and the clouds move past the foot hills that sat just beneath the white capped cascades in the distance.

Jack sighed to calm himself down even further and then put his arm around Jill. She smiled expressing the tingle of warmth that she felt spark within her heart.

“Thank you Jack, I was getting cold and you warmed me up,” she said to break the ice even further.

“You are welcome Jill, you are a beautiful lady and this is the most beautiful place I could think to take such a lady.”

Facing Giants

2011-10-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Our family dog, Zorro, is a small pooch. He is a Lhasa Apso and as cute as an ewok. He doesn't care how small he is or how cute he is though.

While sitting in the living room enjoying some late evening T.V., I heard Zorro barking. My brother and I went to investigate in the back yard. Zorro had chased a raccoon way up into one of the trees.
A giant, dark, furry animal with sharp teeth didn't scare him and neither have big dogs. I remember when a friend of ours brought over their giant dog for Christmas and he barked at the giant dog letting him know whose house it was.

Instead of cowering behind the glass door with his tail between his legs, Zorro approaches his giants and lets them know how he feels. If Zorro can face his giants so can you. It doesn't matter how small and cute you are, or how big you are, be an ewok and scare the Emperor's best troops off of their flying mopeds!

Key Lime Pie

2011-07-21T18:52:00.001-07:00

While working in the kitchen this week, someone mentioned key lime pie. A instant craving for it came up and the sound and thought of it reminded me of my family at home who enjoys it. That evening at dinner I mentioned it during conversation, a young girl named Rhianna next to me piped up excited at the thought of making one.

“I made one of those just last week! Can we make one tonight?” she said.
“Sure!” I replied surprised. And so it started, the process of making a pie. First, ingredients had to be gathered, which Tylor, one of the summer staff guys, graciously went into town twice after acquiring cream cheese frosting the first time instead of cream cheese. Then Rhianna and I squeezed the life out of several limes, cracked open several eggs to get egg yolks, put in some creamy ingredients, mixed it all together, cooked it and put in the refrigerator to set, but there was no patient waiting. After 45 minutes we enjoyed our pie….soup….since it wasn’t quite set yet.

This Saturday, Rhianna got up during testimony time and shared about how God called her name while she was working in the peach plant. When he called her name, her faith was affirmed to believe that God can do anything. She said she had given her life to Christ in 2008, but not fully since she hadn’t quite believed God could do everything, like speak to her. This week though was a break through.

Proud and happy for Rhianna, I believe she sets a great example for us all. We are like key lime pies. We need good cream cheese, not just cream cheese frosting, to have strong flavorful faith that can be enjoyed by all and it takes time to set us in our faith. Plus God continues to work in us to make our faith as delicious as possible so that we don’t just have faith soup.

Dried Peaches and Soup go to Hungry Kids

2011-06-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

After breakfast this morning, Fritz, one of the directors here at Gleanings for the Hungry, shared about his recent mission trip to Haiti where he went with a team from Gleanings to help people in the recovering country. The slide show began with pictures of individuals giving out dried peaches and soup to hungry people, then it progressed to tell a deeper of story of circumstances aligning and an amazing accomplishment coming together.

The story started to unravel with a picture of a resort by the water coming up on the screen, after seeing many pictures of the hungry being fed, this one seemed kind of odd. But it turned out that there was a woman who worked there that really had a heart for the kids and the team prayed with her about this woman's longing to do something for the local kids.

A week later, when the team came back, she had hired a nanny and brought in 6 kids. The neat thing about this is that the team had been wanting to build a house for Rick's daughter Kim, who is a missionary there that watches over children. In introducing Kim to this woman, a greater purpose for the house was now set...to open an orphanage where Kim could share the responsibility of watching over orphaned children with this local woman.

Donations came in for the house and local people helped build the house and it came together in a couple months. "It was really incredible," Andrea Merrill, who went on the mission trip last year.

To learn more about their trip, go to http://gleanings.org/?p=2182

Snapshot

2011-06-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

I am excited for tomorrow. At 8am I'll be flying out of SeaTac on my way to Fresno where I'll meet my guy and be taken into Dubina, CA to the Gleanings for the Hungry YWAM Base. This will be my first mission project and I admit I am nervous for how I'll adjust from working eight hours a day in front of a computer to physically moving and working with my hands this summer.

I am hoping that they will teach me how to cook since I hear they need help in the Kitchen and I am sure I'll get a chance to see first hand how the peaches are processed through the equipment, dried and shipped out. The latest batch went to Kenya!

I really think this will be good a chance for me to get out of my head, step away from my career, take a break from writing and just experience life and people. After going through the intensive college years, working my hardest at several internships and establishing my reputation in the local business community...my brain is just kind of tired. The break is a welcome one.

I am also excited to support Tylor while he works driving a forklift day to day feeling useful. This last year has been a struggle to find consistent work and it is nice to hear him happy and feeling fulfilled. Seeing him every day in this environment will be new and uplifting for us. :)

My Review of Crush Master 10 Speed Blender in White

2011-05-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Features:

10 Speed blender
White finish
Multi level stainless steel blades
Heat resistant glass blending jar
Ten speeds plus pulse
One touch ice crush
Motor overheat protection system
Safety interlock system
Fas...

Good Sturdy Product

By Monica from Olymipa, WA on 5/19/2011

I am actually very impressed with the blender itself. The blender jar is a very tough, thick, and durable glass (perfect for a blonde klutzy destructible force like me). On one side of the jar, it gives measurements for cups and ounces, while on the other side, it gives liter measurements. This is very handy for a recipe stickler…not me…but for someone who is of course.
The blades in the jar seem to be pretty durable, sharp, and strong. They are long and have crushed up our over-frozen ice cream into perfectly creamy milky mixtures. Just think…with this Crush Master, I can crush ice and make smoothies! This will go over very well during the three days of our Northwest summer when everyone is salivating for an icy smoothie.

(legalese)

Laughter and Fun Mark FAC's First Family Fun Night

2011-04-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

The team at the BHG Family Activity Center is upholding the centers name by bringing families together to become active. On April 15th, they held their first Family Fun Night where parents and their kids, together, got to experience gymnastics and enjoy each others company in a relaxed atmosphere.

It's not every day that you see parents trying to quickly run on a balance beam to catch their kids who are gall abounding over big octagon shaped obstacles, in a game of cat and mouse. That was my first experience at the Family Fun Night and it was a blast. My sister, Natalie Jonen, was the mouse and I was the cat who had to catch her. She was a fast little mouse, but I was faster and adrenaline sent me leaping over the obstacles and running through the course headstrong.....until I rolled my ankle coming down from a leap.

"Cat Down!" Everyone yelled as I walked off the course. It was comical no doubt and everyone was laughing, but all the effort that went into running and jumping was squashed by my inability to coordinate my feet with my brain. However, the rest of the night proved to be fun even for a slow cat like me.

I also noticed that my sister thoroughly enjoyed playing the rest of the games and so did the families. For instance she gladly used all energy at "Ships and Sailors" (which is kind of like Simon Says), relay races, parachute games, exploring all the beams, bars, cushion shape thingies, and socializing with other kids her age and their families.

We all finished the night off by eating pizza from Round Table Pizza (another YEF merchant), Schwan's ice cream and watching Chronicles of Narnia on a giant wall that would make IMAX look like an old fashioned 60's t.v screen. I am glad I went and got to meet new families in a relaxed atmosphere and I enjoyed the activities and of course..the ice cream and pizza were delicious.

The BHG Family Activity Center is a YEF merchant where YEFkard members can participate in the YEF program. I am looking forward to the next Family Fun Night at the BHG Family Activity Center which will be on May 13th starting at 6:30 and hopefully I'll see you there! Remember to vote online on which movie that you want to watch through the Facebook events page that will be set up for the event that will be connected to the BHG Family Activity Center fan page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BHGFAC and bring bean bags and pillows for the the movie!

Becoming a Professional

2011-03-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been riding a roller coaster that has ended now that I am home and doing what I love. I started work as a paid copywriter this last Monday, which has helped me feel validated as a person and as a writer. My life hasn't always been so lovely though. This last Friday when I drove passed Skippers; memories from my first job rushed through my mind. I distinctly remember one particular night that was the start of a long line of personal changes that led me to where I am today.

On that night in Skippers, I was charged with the task of cleaning the chowder pot. The chowder pot is a giant cauldron that Skippers uses to make chowder, but it is more than just that. It is the cantankerous sore that belongs to the person who has to close that night and that night it was mine.

As I scrubbed the chowder pot, burnt chowder stubbornly stayed on the walls, pieces of chowder decorated my fishy smelling black outfit and the hot giant pot ceased to get clean. Anger, frustration and desperation swelled within me. I was so done. It was in that desperation though when I set a fire within my heart that would continue to blaze within me for years. That fire's purpose in me was to keep bettering myself, to become a professional and to make it.

It was in that moment late at night when I smelled of seafood and vinegar and nearing my breaking point, that a stern determination began to set in. That stern determination to make it and become a professional writer has finally paid off though. As I drove passed Skippers, five years and two degrees later, it hit me that I did it. I landed a job as a professional copywriter in Lacey. I am home. I am not in Seattle at Marchex. I am not in Tacoma at UWT. I am home and I am doing what I love. God is amazing.

The Crush Master 450-Watt Black & Deck Blender Review

2011-03-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

A review written by Monica Jonen about the blender provided by CSN Stores.com

Anticipation brews as I sit swirling my pink milkshake, than I take a sip and…smile. My sister ingeniously suggested the sweet flavors of Strawberry, Cherry, Pineapple, Cocoanut and Banana for the milkshake. Each flavor rolls around in my mouth inevitably blending. ‘This must be what pink tastes like!’ I think to myself. Pink is my favorite color and so this thought makes me exceedingly happy.

The machine that allowed me “taste” pink today was the Black & Decker Crush Master 450-Watt Blender. I recently ordered it from http://www.csnstores.com/Black-and-Decker-BL10450H-BND2182.html and it came within a week of ordering it! It arrived on the weekend, while I was out socially playing, and so I let my sister and mother open to test it out first. They are very happy with it, except for the confusing buttons and its’ instruction manual.

I believe the most confusing button is the Hi/Low button. It is a simple gray button that you just push, but communicates nothing. There is no indication as to whether you are blending at high or low speeds except for the sound of your blending. In the instructions manual it says, “Select to change speed between High and Low. The word will appear on the LCD screen to show which speed is being used” However, there is no LCD screen on the blender to tell me what speed I am using. This is frustrating, especially since the instructions manual doesn’t match up to the product.

The other point of frustration is that there are two sets of blending speeds. The ones on top and ones on bottom of the gray buttons, both which serve different purposes (puree, blend, liquefy, crumb, beat, etc). You can’t switch from the top to the bottom buttons though because it doesn’t say how to do that in the so called “instructions manual”.

The directions aren’t very detailed and do not communicate very much, except for that this is a blender, don’t stick your hand in it and turn it on. These are instruction manual problems though, and while tied to the product, (it just means they don’t pay their technical copywriters enough doe). My mother also pointed out that there are three different model numbers which indicates that these instructions could be for any one of those. There is nothing to indicate what model we have though.

The blades in the jar seem to be pretty durable, sharp, and strong. They are long and have crushed up our over-frozen ice cream into perfectly creamy milky mixtures. Just think…with this Crush Master, I can crush ice and make smoothies! This will go over very well during the three days of our Northwest summer when everyone is salivating for an icy smoothie.

And so now you know who to come to during the summer time for hydration. If you are looking for a basic blender though that will serve you blending needs, I would definitely suggest the 2015 version of the Crush Master when it comes out.

Cubes and Interior Decorating

2011-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

So with my new job I have a "cube" as everyone calls it. So far, I've put three pink things in it, but I would love to decorate it with wall and art decor. I think I'll get it from CSN stores too because they have free shipping on orders of $69 or more and their A+ BBB reviewed.
I don't know why cubes are gray, it is the sleepiest most boring color. I need some color, because I have a colorful personality! I was thinking about a painting, not a Salivor Dali painting, but maybe a sunset or a picture of the south sound. Something to give me peace and keep my dreaming. I love shopping for fun things like decor, but I prefer to do it online.
Speaking of dreaming, stay tuned for an upcoming review.

Treasures Found in Cinderella's Closet

2010-12-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

A mother and three teenage girls walk into Cinderella’s Closet. Glittering beautiful gowns of all colors hang in rows along one wall, while jeweled shoes and purses line the other. Surrounded by what looks like expensive gowns and accessories, the mother nervously pulls a volunteer aside.
“Is it true? Is it really true that my girls can borrow the dresses on scholarship? Because I can’t afford the rental fee,” the mother asks.
“Yes,” the volunteer replies.
Tears begin to well in her eyes as she hugs the volunteer.
Yes is the answer that everyone receives when they come to Cinderella’s Closet and cannot afford to rent a gown for prom. Cinderella’s Closet is a non-profit service organization that promotes self worth in females by lending dresses and everything a girl or woman needs to go to any dance or special event.
Often times, Cinderella’s Closet is the last hope for some girls and without receiving scholarship dresses they would not be able to go their high school prom. You may be wondering what the importance of a prom is to a girl. To Renata Hansen, founder and president of Cinderella’s Closet, it means building up a young girl’s self esteem by making her feel beautiful.
In today’s society, young women are bombarded with images of anorexic models and constantly attacked with ads telling them how to lose weight or wear more makeup.
“My goal is to give women self esteem so that they can see themselves differently. I try to be as positive as I can and give the message that you are beautiful,” Hansen said.
Girls that receive scholarship dresses do have to write why they want to go to the dance and what it means to them. One girl wrote, “My parents both lost their jobs, my brother is living somewhere else and I am a fifth wheel. Thank you for helping me feel beautiful.”
Helping Cinderella’s Closet fundraise is YEF, an organization that supports youth in their pursuit of excellence. YEF’s mission is closely aligned with Cinderella’s Closet mission of helping youth which is why Hansen joined YEF.
“I just saw it as a win-win and I especially liked that they are helping youth. I also see it as a variety of ways to raise money. Felt like a no-brainer yah know?” Hansen said.
If you would like to support Cinderella’s Closet you can volunteer, donate dresses, go online to http://ccn.yefsite.com/, and go to The Masquerade Ball at The Landmark in Tacoma May 14th, 20100. You can get 10% off a tux at Top Hats in Tacoma for the event and your ticket includes dinner, an auction, live music, dancing, wine, and dessert.
What message are you sending to your daughter?

Whats Trending: Sock Monkeys!

2010-11-08T22:59:00.000-08:00

So to lighten things up a bit, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the new sock monkey trend.

Here is an example, I was shopping on CSN stores, (it's another Amazon that has contemporary coffee tables to sock monkey slippers) and I noticed these slippers!

When I was at the Tacoma Food and Gift Festival, the sock monkey's were everywhere! Kudos to CSN for keeping up on the trends, but you know who I think started it? A couple guys from Canada. They were at the Tacoma Food and Gift Festival last year and had these sock monkey hats.

What makes them so popular? Is it that they are a classic comforting character or is it that it's such a funny thing, it makes a perfect gift for a kid. I was tempted to buy one at the festival, but find it hard as an adult, to buy it. My boyfriend might wear a sock monkey hat or slippers, seeing as he sees life a little lighter than I do, but still I don't know if its a reasonable buy. I think it is just something popular, classic and trending right now. Of course the definition of trending, includes something that people are no doubt...buying.

Homeless By Choice Because He Was Homeless By Default

2010-11-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: Sensitive material

Roy Juarez Jr's dad was a roofer by trade and his hero. One day, his dad promised him a fishing trip. The next day, at age 7, his dad left with his cousins, family and dog to go get “ice”. They left Roy at his aunt’s house and came back 2 days later to gloat about what a great time the trip was. That was his first lesson, how to be angry, to hate and hold a grudge. So he built a relationship with is mom. But in the middle of the night, she would call out, “Me Ho, Me Ho” which means “my son, my son,” than she’d cry out in Spanish for help. The last night he remembered, his dad broke her jaw.

So his family moved into hiding from place to place trying to avoid his abusive dad, but his dad always found them though. The police were at the house so much for domestic calls that the cop started dating his mom. The cop said come live with me, but I don’t want any kids. So at 14, Troy became homeless and a couch surfer. He had a 9 year old sister and a 2 year old brother to take care of.

Family after family adopted him and would tell him, “You are just like a son to me” and he said “No, you don’t know me!” and built barrier after barrier. Finally, he took a notepad and pen and wrote two letters to be read at his funeral. One letter was to his dad and he said, “I forgive you dad.” After Roy finally did learn the lesson of forgiveness through mentors, he went to college, graduated and got a job.

One day Roy’s boss tells him “If you work for me, you’ll never do what you are called to do. In three months you don’t have a job.” Fresh out of college that is a frightening thing to hear, but his boss was right.

So he asked God, “What do you want from me?” That night Roy had a dream that he was walking into an arena with young kids and a band playing come on in and together we can make a difference. Then he went to Denny’s to work on his tour. His tour is 24 months and he is going across the nation to tell his story. Check out his site here, http://homelessbychoice.com/.

Roy believes in young people, encourages young people to keep on dreaming and wants to remind adults to never make children feel like a burden.

“If you grow up in a hard life and learn lessons you’ll never learn in a book. The greatest lesson is forgiveness and becoming the change you wanted to see in the first place,” Roy Juarez said. Let’s make some change for the homeless kids in Olympia.

You can help by donating socks, underwear, sleeping bags, tarps, flash lights and winter coats to Standup For Kids-Olympia, http://su4k.yefsite.com/. These items are not just on a one time giveaway, but a bridge for volunteers to communicate with homeless kids and build relationships with them, relationships that lead to trusting volunteers to help them get off the streets.

Here are Some Fast Facts about Homelessness:

13 kids die of disease, suicide or abuse every day on the street
There are currently an estimated 1.3 million homeless and street kids in America
2/3 kids on the street try to commit suicide
Children makeup 27 percent - the fastest growing segment - of the U.S. homeless population.

http://www.standupforkids.org/about/faqs.aspx

Bringing Up A Leader

2010-11-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

To pick up where I left off, at Capitol Playhouse, when a new kid walks through the door, they are walking into an accepting community. Someone who is shy and may not say boo to the other kids in the hallway at school will find friends and get the chance to sing and become a leader at KIK. One such leader is Alayna Deatherage.

Alayna grew up singing with Kids in Koncert. In her first year, she sang at the 9/11 memorials. She was eight years old. In the following years she sang in places around the world, including Japan, France, Washing DC and Disneyland. She turns eighteen next month and is now the choir president. This is her last year with the group.

“It’s always good to make connections with people in other countries,” Alayna says. Even now she is still in contact with her Japanese host family and is good friends with some other youth from France.
Connections in Japan and friends from France only come after working hard to raise funds needed to travel. Last year, the kids sold YEFkard discount cards. A YEFkard membership provides discounts at local businesses.

This year they are encouraging supporters to visit their new YEFsite, an online community and fundraising website from Youth Enrichment Foundation. (KIK.YEFsite.com) Friends and family can visit the interactive social website to stay informed about Kids in Koncert and show support by purchasing from an array of items such as coffee, movie tickets, buttons and other merchandise including the new, even better, YEFkard.

Kids in Koncert is a community where kids from ages 8 to 18 spend a lot of time together singing, traveling and developing close friendships built on trust and accountability that last for a lifetime. The YEFsite social community takes the close knit friendships online, bringing friends, family and other supporters into the KIK world. Check out the site here, http://KIK.YEFsite.com to support the Kids in Koncert community.
This post was previously posted at YEFTalk's blog.

Get Rythem When you get the Blues

2010-11-06T17:36:00.001-07:00

This blog was previously posted on YEFTalk blog:
In a community where everyone is accepted, leadership is encouraged, you get opportunities to travel and have a mentor, I can think of no greater place for a young one to blossom. The community that glows safeness and opportunities at the same time is Kids in Koncert (KIK) put on by the Capitol Playhouse located downtown Olympia.
“It’s a place for kids to showcase their talent, gain leadership skills, self discipline and a new family,” Cathie Shaughnessy said, Business Manager of Capitol Playhouse.
When Cathy told me this, it brought up memories of when I was a kid. I was often the shy and unpopular kid in elementary and especially middle school. In fact in middle school I was picked on quite a bit. My sister who is now in elementary school has told me the kids aren’t any different. If you know any kids in public school you know they have encountered bullying at some point or know of it. That is why the KIK is so vital to our community and our youth.
At Capitol Playhouse, when a kid walks through the door they are walking into an accepting community. A kid who is shy and may not say boo to the other kids in the hallway at school will get friends and the chance to sing solos and become a leader at KIK.
Also, what makes this choir community unique is that there are kids from 8 to 18 that sing together. In most choirs, only kids that are closer in age are put together. With KIK older kids mentor the younger kids, which is important in a young one’s development.
The kids have gone together to France and sang with the Army band at Fort Lewis. Last year the Army band was in Iraq so they did a live webcast concert with them. Talk about learning important real world knowledge at a young age about our troops and the world in general from traveling.
Helping the choir raise money to travel and operate is Youth Enrichment Foundation. Last year, the YEF Kard fundraising campaign help offset the cost of traveling to France and this year the YEFsite will help offset the cost of travelling nationally next year.
Cathy at Capitol Playhouse is excited about the site because it will suit multiple needs. Such as fundraising and creating a family community online since the families can upload pictures, videos and share information on their YEFsite. Their YEFsite is http://KIK.YEFsite.com. Check them out!

Web Innovator Raves about Success of Startup Weekend

2010-10-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Thubten Comerford first attended a Startup Weekend in September of 2009 when he was invited by the web developer for Startup Weekend Seattle, and now he is volunteering his time to lead the Startup Weekend in Olympia this weekend. As a Startup Weekend veteran, he knows that Startup Weekend is as real as it gets when it comes to starting a business.

“I’ve been a part of several technology startups and this is really the startup experience. It’s meeting deadlines, coming up with something exciting and new, and getting into revenue,” Thubten said.
He also says it is similar to running a 54 hour sprint and at the end you have something to show for. At the end of the sprint, you’ll have more than just a business idea though. Startup Weekend is about meeting people you didn’t know and coming up with something that is marketable, then having that experience continue on. Thubten’s project continued and actually split into to spin off companies that are still going a year later.

One such company is CluePad which helps make sense of SEO for business owners. CluePad gives daily recommendations to business owners on how to improve their business online. The recommendations are based on data about their website, and take anywhere from one to 30 minutes to complete. That is just one example of a technology startup that was created from a Startup Weekend team. Not everyone in the team was a technology person, but they were a part of a team and that is what counts.

“Most people aren’t going to be part of a technology startup, but you can get a feel for the training and be in the environment. It’s like going to space camp, only afterwards you get to be an astronaut. I’ve seen a lot of people hired out after the weekend. Small businesses are the source of new jobs and innovative creations in this country right now. Larger companies aren’t designed to innovate so they buy out smaller companies that were started by a team of people,” Thubten said.

Startup Weekend was started by a small team out of Seattle and now reaches across international borders. To date, Startup Weekend has helped educate more than 17,000 entrepreneurs at over 120 events worldwide, and has facilitated the launch of over 560 new startup ventures around the globe, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the nonprofit’s biggest sponsor.

Olympia is fortunate enough to have this worldwide event come to St. Martins University this weekend and have Thubten as the facilitator. Thubten will be facilitating, providing business, technology and social media knowledge to the teams. As well as being a technology startup veteran, he is a social media expert with as many as 80,000 Twitter followers. Look forward to the next article about how important Twitter is to a business. For now, to register for Startup Weekend Olympia, go to www.olympia.startupweekend.org

The Story of Kimberly Bey, President/CEO of KB Associates Bookkeeping

2010-09-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

After being in the financial industry for 11 years, Kimberly Bey, President/CEO of KB Associates Bookkeeping, LLC decided to leave a high end credit union position in July, 2010 and start her own business assisting small business owners with their books.

As a passionate woman who enjoys working with people to find resolutions to their challenges, Kimberly started out helping people as a student in college. While earning her undergraduate degree in English from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, she volunteered as a “defense lawyer”, gradually building her way up to a Chief Justice, fighting on behalf of the students in Student Traffic Court. She’d nail the situation down and fight on the student’s behalf. Kimberly won all of the cases that she fought and had many of the student’s traffic fines lowered.

After college, Kimberly’s first job was at a bank working in customer service. After five months as a customer service representative, she progressed to become a junior underwriter and loan processor for a finance company. Eventually Kimberly ended up running the Closing Department at the bank for four and half years in Columbus, Ohio.

Keeping her family priority though, Kimberly moved to Washington State to support her brother’s ministry. Olympia is where she continued her career and went to work for a local credit union. During her time at the credit union, Kimberly managed the Lending Operations and lead the department in a developing their new core loan origination system. In Lending Operations Kimberly managed policies and procedures, lending trainings, and many other critical operating tasks. She enjoyed her time at the credit union, but noticed a problem that had arose during the peak of her career.

“While working on the development of the new core loan origination system, I realized that I was spending so much time away from home and my kids. I missed them so much and they were so very patient and understanding during that crucial project period. My 7 year old daughter would get up at 5:30 am all by herself and she would get dressed so that she could see me off to work. So I set out with a determined mind and heart that I would find a way to be at home more; spending more time with my children while still enjoying a satisfying career.

That’s when I started KB Associates Bookkeeping, LLC. It was as if I was a magnet for other mothers who were like minded. We’d discuss our dreams, visions and goals. We encouraged each other to go after each of them by setting personal attainable goals. My motivation is my desire to be at home with my children. And I promise to grow my business enough to hire and bring other mothers and fathers home too. Our children need us and we need our children.” Kimberly said.

The solution to the problem was a business license, a plan and a few other women with the same mind and heart and it is called KB Associates Bookkeeping, LLC. KB Associates’ mission is to bring mothers and/or fathers home who want to be home, happy with a great career and where they belong.

“I am able to spend more time with my kids. They are happier, I am happier and I love my new career as full time bookkeeper,” Kimberly said. The kids she is referring to are her two children, Niko, age 4 and Kaleb, age 7.

KB Associates has five associates who are all mothers and all operate from home. Just like the other women who work with numbers, Kimberly has fit her passions and priorities together, just like a budget.

“Putting numbers together and making them work is like putting together a beautiful puzzle. You can’t stop until it’s finished,” Kimberly said. The KB Associates office will be in the Business Center at the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce on the corner of Plum and Legion Way in Olympia, WA in October, 2010. Stop by and visit!

New Study Shows Eating Raw Chocolate Will Help You

2010-08-25T16:47:00.001-07:00

By: Monica Jonen

New research is showing that eating raw chocolate and the Acai berry can help people lose weight, look younger and fight off diseases and diabetes. Trial members that are part of the clinical study sponsored by XOCAI Chocolate gained have lean muscle, lost weight and reset their body shape without getting any flabby skin. The clinical study found that patients had a reduced blood pressure and cholesterol, and evened out their blood sugar. The clinical trial is a 12 week study on 50 subjects and right now it's in the fifth week. Other benefits people are experience include, increased energy, no hunger, their skin is clearer and they look 10-20 years younger.

Official Quote from Dr. Mike Kennedy M.D., D.P.A

One local example is Matt Moore who consumes the XOCAI chocolate on a regular basis.

"I have more energy and I am less fatigued," Moore said. "When I first started using it, my stomach problems went away and now my acid reflux is gone."

Moore also said that it has helped his muscles heal faster after long hikes.

"It is a blast to see those kinds of reactions with people," Robin Lee said, a local XOCAI distributor.

How does the product work? Well consuming oxygen is essential to live, but when molecules in our body come in contact with oxygen, they oxidize and turn into free radicals. Then those free radicals will assault whatever cells are nearby. So in essence, our body is "rusting" a little bit every day. Antioxidants are good for you though, because they burn fuel and stabilize cells.

"Once those molecules are attacked, their structure and function are changed and they don't work as well," said Joe Vinson, Ph.D, a professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton. (CNBC, 2010 & XOCAI: Healthy Chocolate)

The free radicals are also encapsulated by fat molecules to protect our body from them. So not only is the process of oxidation releasing disruptive free radicals, but it is keeping us overweight as well, according to Robin Lee, a XOCAI chocolate distributor. The only way we can combat the oxidation process and the harmful free radicals is by consuming antioxidants. If you flood the body with antioxidants, it will help burn fat quicker too.

Official quote from Dr. Mike Kennedy M.D., D.P.A.

The Government says you need 3,000 to 5,000 ORAC (the measurement of antioxidants) a day. How do you get all those anti oxidants? Well consuming fruit and vegetables is a good way to get anti oxidants, but how can you eat that many in one day?!

If your reading this right now and don't believe you consume enough antioxidants each day, then you might want to try XOCAI Chocolate. XOCAI has combined raw cocoa and the Acai berry to produce the most potent antioxidant product on the market. If you are interested in trying it, contact Robin Lee at lee@giftofhealthychocolate.com