Who said being random was bad?

Vegetarian 4 hour body canned soup

2011-05-16T05:53:00.001-07:00

It is not easy being a vegetarian on the 4 hour body diet. It seems there are only so many recipes that combine vegetables, legumes, and vegetarian protein. I am happy to share my vegetarian recipes and discoveries with other vegetarians on the 4 hour body diet. If you find something please share it with me!

I have found the best vegan canned soup that fits in with the 4 hour body diet. It is Amy's organic Golden Lentil (Indian Dal) soup and it is delicious. The ingredients are; Filtered water, organic yellow split peas, organic red lentils, organic carrots, organic tomato puree, organic extra virgin olive oil, shallots, organic garlic, organic ginger, sea salt, spices, organic turmeric, and organic black pepper.

I have seen this soup anywhere from $2.50 - $3.50 per can. Here is a link to Amy's website with information about this soup. http://www.amys.com/products/product-detail/soups/000593

My first week on the 4 Hour Body diet

2011-05-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am a chubby vegetarian. I gained a lot of weight when I was pregnant with my son. After he was born, I never did take that weight off. In fact, I just kept adding weight! I have tried everything so when I heard that people I knew were losing weight on the 4 hour body diet, I bought the book. This is not a paid post, this is my own personal experiment.

After the first week I am down 5.5 pounds and 5.25 inches. I will keep everyone updated on my progress as a way to share my experience as well as keep myself accountable.

If you would like to read more about this crazy ass diet, check out the website at http://www.fourhourbody.com/.

As I go I will be sharing vegetarian recipes that are 4 hour body friendly. If you are a vegetarian trying this diet, be prepared to eat a lot of lentils!

Z is for Zanker

2011-04-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

A was going to be for Antoons, but the Z post worked out better for both me and my friend Anton Zanker. Anton Zanker is the creator of Antoons and the artist responsible for http://antoonsiscool.blogspot.com/.

Anton Zanker started Antoons in 2009 but he has been making art for as long as I have known him. Anton and I first met at a party my sister was throwing. I just had returned from spending a year at Art School in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Here are some of my favorite Antoons from http://antoonsiscool.blogspot.com/. If you like them too, consider subscribing to the blog and 'liking' Antoons on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/antoonsiscool

AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT.

Image by Anton Zanker, http://antoonsiscool.blogspot.com/

FUN!!

Image by Anton Zanker, http://antoonsiscool.blogspot.com/

YOU CANNOT FORCE FAITH.

Image by Anton Zanker, http://antoonsiscool.blogspot.com/

Y is for Yum!

2011-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a super lame post but we are nearing the end of the A-Z challenge. I promise that I will have a good one for Z tomorrow. Y is for Yum because I am having pizza from my favorite local pizza place tonight! I hope everyone enjoys their night as much as I will!

X is for Xanthippe

2011-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Today's X post has had me worried for days. I have been searching all around, asking friends, and even dreaming about what I would write my X post about. This search has made me a bit cranky. My husband's persistent suggestion of 'X-ray' has made me grumpy. Just don't call me a Xanthippe!

Okay, I know this post is super lame.. :) Please let me know if I am using the word Xanthippe incorrectly!

W is for WTF?

2011-04-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

Today is dedicated to my favorite sites that make me say, WTF?

If you haven't heard of regretsy yet, you are missing out! Careful, this site contains images that are not safe for kids or work. It is funny as hell though!
http://www.regretsy.com/

I admit, I check this site to make sure I am not on there. :)
http://www.lamebook.com/

Sometimes all it takes to make me feel better is knowing there are people out there whose lives suck worse.
http://www.fmylife.com/

Warning, this site can suck hours from your life.. but it is worth it!
http://fyouautocorrect.com/

Randomly I will get photo updates from this site on my phone. Yes, I am the redhead that busts out laughing at her phone in public.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

I am sorry Ms. Cole.. but I had to include this one of my list! I have no doubt that I will find myself featured here eventually.
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

Enjoy! :)

V is for Vagina

2011-04-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

I am the type of mom that says penis and vagina.

In the past I have gotten some criticism for teaching my son the proper names of his body parts and suggesting that other people do the same. I was shocked to hear that some people actually thought children would be more likely to be abused if they knew the proper names. To me that makes no sense at all. As I have gotten older I have learnt to be accepting of how other people parent their children. It is not an easy job so whatever works for you, great.

If you feel up for reading a cute article about teaching toddlers human anatomy you can read one HERE.

Happy V day! :)

U is for Uh-Oh

2011-04-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh, the A-Z blog challenge is coming to an end. This has been a very interesting month for me and my random blog. I went from under ten followers, to almost fifty. I have discovered probably fifty or more bloggers that I might never have found. Overall this has been a great experience for me.

Why is today U for Uh-oh then?

Well, now that we are getting to the end of the alphabet, I am struggling. I am excited to be featuring artwork and information from my good friend Anton Zanker for Z is for Zanker. Other than that, I am in the dark.. I am especially stuck on X.

As worried as I am about my blog this week, I am equally excited to read what everyone else will be writing about!

T is for Too Long

2011-04-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

I have been working on an article for several days now and it is still too long! I almost forgot about my T post because I have been obsessed with getting this 1000+ word article down to 500 words.

Currently I am sitting at 750, so I guess I can think of it as being half way there. Have you all had this problem? What did you do? Did it physically hurt you to cut out parts? :)

S is for Sushi

2011-04-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

How could my S post not be about Sushi?! I am in love with vegetarian sushi. This is another joy in life that I owe to my wonderful husband.

I was hesitant when this cute guy asked me to join him for errands and sushi. I was / am a picky vegetarian. I never thought that I would ever like something like sushi. I did not even know there were sushi rolls that did not have fish in them. I said yes because he was cute, and my love for sushi and my husband began.

Since sushi is expensive, we usually save it for special occasions. A few hours after my son was born, and almost two days after I started my labor, my husband brought me sushi in the hospital. Some of the first pictures of our son involve chopsticks and take out boxes.

R is for Rest

2011-04-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

This goes along with my last post about quiet time. Rest is something we all need, but are you getting enough rest at night? I went through a stressful period where I would toss and turn at night. No matter what I did, I could not turn my brain off and go to sleep. I tried everything including a prescription sleep medicine. The medicine worked, but it had some odd side effects.

My husband caught me one night standing by the fridge, spoon in hand, eating pie from the pie dish! I was completely asleep. I seriously did not believe him when he told me the story in the morning. Sure enough, there was a spoon and missing pie as evidence!

Now that I am more tranquil, I can sleep better. It is tempting to stay up late to meet a deadline, but I know that rest is a requirement of a peaceful life.

Q is for Quiet

2011-04-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it feels like being a working mom means I do not get any quiet time. At any given time I have demands from my job, my son, my husband, my dog, and the other animals all being focused in my direction. I used to think that if I wasn't paying attention to one of my critters (husband and son included) that I was not doing a good job. Now I realize that sometimes every mom needs quiet time and I have started to schedule it into my day.

How do you get enough quiet time? Do you?

P is for Proud Mama

2011-04-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

I am one proud mama. My son's school did their fundraiser over the weekend and it was amazing. We did not have to pass around a catalog of junk and pressure coworkers to buy stuff. This year they held a song and dance performance. Not only did we raise money for the school, the children got to put on performances from African American Folk Songs, to Can't Touch This by MC Hammer. I loved it! I loved it so much that I turned into one of those crazy proud mamas.

I admit it. I screamed out for my son after one of his dances while he was leaving the stage. I never thought I would be one of those moms. Apparently, I am. I could not help but let out a loud woohoo followed by my son's name. Maybe I embarrassed him, but more than anything I was proud of him.

Are you a proud mama? What are some things you have done to show your kids how proud you are? :)

O is for Opossums

2011-04-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

If all goes well, soon I will be the owner of baby short tailed opossums! Short tailed opossums are not the standard North American opossum that digs through your trash. These creatures stay small and only grow to about the size of a mouse.

N is for New Babies!!

2011-04-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

N is for new babies! My husband and I are getting cute little babies soon. What kind? Well, I will tell you that they are mammals but they are not humans. :) Stay tuned for the reveal.

M is for Massasauga Rattlesnake

2011-04-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Massasauga Rattlesnake is one of the most beautiful animals I have seen. The eastern massasauga is a very shy snake and although there are small populations in Illinois and Wisconsin, I have never seen one in the wild.

These small rattlesnakes are protected because of their declining population. In addition to losing their natural environment, massasaugas have been hunted and killed because they are venomous. Killing venomous snakes just because they are venomous is a disgusting practice in my opinion.

I hope that we can learn to appreciate these beautiful creatures for the important role they play in our ecosystem.

L is for Ludicrous

2011-04-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow writer friends brought this news story to my attention. It is by far the most ludicrous thing I have seen in a while.

J. Crew Ad With Boy's Pink Toenails Creates Stir

There I go again, turning my son gay. Not only have I painted his toenails, pink even. I have also played salon with him, given him dolls, and let him dress up in girl clothes. What I wonder is why he is still so into stereotypical boy things. You would think after all of my 'brainwashing' he would not turn every possible toy into a gun.

I just don't understand it. For some reason my son still loves bugs, ninja toys, and pretend bow hunting. Come to think of it, when I was little I played with dirt. How is it that I am not a lesbian? This is all so puzzling to me! :)

K is for Kitsch

2011-04-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love kitsch? Oh them? They just won't admit it, but they love kitsch!

I have a garden gnome hiding in my front garden.

My dinner plates are deliciously kitsch. It is actually a mystery as to where they came from. My husband moved them from 2C – the infamous apartment where everyone and both of their brothers have lived. Apparently they just showed up there one day.

These are some of the kitschy things I have. What about you?

J is for Jumping

2011-04-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

I had a post about justifications worked out but I am changing it at the last moment. J is for jumping, something I have been doing on my new workout trampoline lately. This trampoline was a pain to assemble and a kick butt workout. Not one week after I finished setting it up, it is broken.

Luckily I did not break it by jumping on it. That would have just been embarrassing. No, it was broken by the little hands of my son and his neighborhood friends. Who actually snapped off the calorie counter and how they managed to do it remains a mystery.

What is clear is that after the super glue surgery has healed, my son and his friends will be banned from using this trampoline! Mean mom? Maybe, but that is how it is going to be.

I is for ICP!

2011-04-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

I is for Insane Clown Posse!

Enjoy my favorite, not safe for work, kids, or normal people songs. :)

Another Love Song - I could kill off some bears and dogs and shit just to make you a fur coat.

If I Was a Serial Killer - If I was a serial killer, I would sleep on broken glass and thumb tacks. And I would smoke mad crack.

This one is dedicated to my husband who is a dead body man by profession. :)
Dead Body Man - Dead bodies, dead bodies in the back of my van. All the little kiddies love the dead body man.

I couldn't forget Mr. Happy! - I know this don't make any sense to you but fuck you. This songs about me exclusively.

H is for Hedgehogs

2011-04-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

I know the last thing we need is another pet but lately I have been thinking about getting a designer hedgehog. They are the cutest little things!

When I first started dating my husband, he had a pygmy hedgehog and I fell in love. He had her for a long time and sadly she died of old age a few years after we met.

I am so tempted to pick one of these up! http://hedgehogsbyvickie.com/hedgehogsforsale.htm

G is for Grammostola pulchra

2011-04-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

When our son was born my husband decided to get a pet that would grow up with our child. We are a little strange and did not get a dog or a cat. My husband picked out a Grammostola pulchra, also known as Brazilian Black tarantula.

Grammostola pulchras are slow growing and have a long life. Females can live up to twenty-five years. My husband thought this would be a great tarantula for our son because they are docile. I agreed because they are also beautiful. They grow to around 5 inches and are a silky black.

My son and his G. pulchra are now six years ago and both are doing great!

This is a picture of two adult Grammostola pulchras mating.

Bom chicky bow wow, Grammostola pulchra tarantulas mating.

F is for Forgive

2011-04-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was reminded of a huge jerk. This jerk went out of their way to make my life just a little bit worse during a tough time. I was tempted to get upset again. I almost let myself feel the drop in my stomach, the tightness in my throat that I used to feel. Instead of feeling bad or angry, I forgave them.

It would be egocentric of me to think they would read this post. I sure have moved on, I can only assume that they have found someone else to bully. Just in case though, hey douche-bag.. I forgive you.

To everyone who has ever done me wrong, I wish you nothing but a happy life - far away from me!

E is for E-file and Excited!

2011-04-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today I did my taxes. My brain is mush so I was going to write a short E is for E-file blog post.

I opened my awesome random blog and found that I had won an award from Dierdra at A Storybook World.

I am excited to share that I have been awarded the Beautiful Mommy Writer Award!

So today is all about e-filing and being excited! Stay tuned for more meaningful and thought provoking posts now that I have my mind numbing work done. :)

D is for Dilly Dally

2011-04-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

Dilly dallying is something I am great at doing. Sometimes I like to dance the day away. Other days it dawns on me that I should be doing something. Make dinner? Do the dishes? Right now, I think I'll just dance.