Razing Mayhem

House M.D.: Critical Cases Review

Monique — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:21:23 +0000

I used to watch House M.D. religiously and it remains one of those shows that I want to get back into and catch up on, especially now that the series is over and there will be a TV on DVD boxed set at my disposal soon enough.

In the Facebook based House M.D.: Critical Cases, you play YOU as a doctor on the Princeton-Plainsboro teaching hospital team, and your job is to help the team investigate the medical maladies that come rolling through, using a wide array of tools at your disposal.

There aren't many tutorials, they'll tell you how to play each minigame, as well as offer up a few explanations of the icons, but otherwise - you're pretty much on your own. The House M.D. Critical Cases Facebook page has an extensive help section, should you get confused, but it was all relatively easy to follow along with.

Investigating! Can you find the dried vomit?

House is not any less curmudgeonized, {thank goodness, his sarcasm was always my favorite part of the show} and more often than not, his speech bubble spews something crude and even as he demeans you, you can't help but chuckle, because look at how cute he is!

As with any Facebook game, Critical Cases allows you to announce your achievements on your timeline, and since you've put up with all the Farmville notifications, you should display your doctoring abilities proudly.

Typically, I am not a Facebook game person {meaning that I've blocked every Facebook game in existence since the dawn of my Facebook time} but admittedly, this one is enjoyable.

I found the minigames to be a ton of fun and often ended up helping people in the clinic before helping the main character of the story. I loved having my character chase House around, and clicking him to see his rude commentary. And I utilized my nerdiness to scour through Wikipedia for a better explanation of what the medical afflictions actually were. Learning, for the win!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps

Week One: Onward, To Vegetarianism!

Monique — Sat, 26 May 2012 12:37:42 +0000

Please click here to see where this started, and how we're maintaining our diet for now.

First - I want to thank everyone for the support! We are excited to be starting this journey to a healthier family. There are so many of you who have sent me links, emails, all sorts of messages with helpful links, blogs to read, and have commiserated - you are the best, thank you!

I'll only be discussing dinner as our main topic, since breakfast, lunch and snacks are usually by the seat of our pants, instead of planned out - we do eat meals other than dinner, and unless there's something of note to remark upon, I'll only tackle weekdays since I'm longwinded. :)

The recipes more often than not, have been changed slightly, as per our taste {or Christian's kitchen wizardry}, or we used some substitutes because I'm picky.

You can find upcoming recipes and ones we've already tried on my Live To Eat Pinterest board.

Week One - Welcome To Purgatory

Tip: First time shopping to fulfill a vegetarian menu? Go with a game plan!

Christian and I stupidly thought we'd walk into Walmart {of all places}, find all the fruits and veggies and beautiful looking fish and walk out with mounds of creative dinner ideas.

HA! One: it's Walmart, where the bagged vegetables look fresher than the fresh vegetables and you are unable to discern a mango from an avocado without cutting into it, and even then - beware. Two: We'd never had a meatless meal, and we're just waltzing into the aisles like "Yeeeeeah, boyee! We gots this!", that's just asking for disaster.

And that's exactly what we got.

MONDAY
Dinner: Vegetable Stir Fry and Brown Rice

Tip: Know how to cook brown rice. {Or read directions}

We walked out of Walmart, after two hours of aimless wandering, with only a horribly put together dinner idea and some fruits to snack on.

Stir fry we've done before {though not veggie}, and considered it a safe option for our first meatless meal - it's familiar to the boys, and if they really didn't like it, there was rice to fall back on.

Brown rice takes two and a half decades to steam, which I learned after popping spoonfuls of crunchy rice grains into my mouth at least five hundred times. Some 30 minutes in, I gave up watching the already cooked vegetables wilt in the pan and served them up to the boys as the only main dish.

Severus licked his broccoli, threw it on the floor. Licked the snap pea, threw that on the floor too. Licked a bean sprout, wasn't too sure, licked it again, tossed it. This continued until his bowl was empty.

I handed plates to the bigger boys nonchalantly, like I didn't just hand them a plate full of everything they hate most in this world besides going to bed at bedtime, and they both, instantaneously started to bawl! It was hilarious, but mostly sad, because I know those feels.

After they calmed down, we instructed them to try a few nibbles of each veggie, and if they really, truly couldn't take anymore bites - we would understand. And they did! They tried each of the veggies on their plates and took turns bolting into the bathroom to spit them right out.

After I'd cleared my own plate {which was dreadful}, I sliced some strawberries for the boys to tide them over and made a fresh pot of white rice instead, which we all demolished without hesitation.

Strike both of these from the roster.

Forever.

Later that evening, Christian texts me from work to ask sarcastically if I felt any healthier yet. I told him I was farting a lot more, and that I supposed that counted for something.

TUESDAY
Dinner: Hearty Black Bean Quesadillas

Tip: Be ye not dumb. Limit your cups of caffeinated tea.

Thanks to the help of an amazing soul on Twitter and avid Pinterest users, we had a much better plan when we walked into the grocery store the next day. We were even armed with a list that was detailed down to the spices we needed! It felt amazing!

Until Mercutio darted to every. single. unhealthy thing in every aisle. Every cookie, every candy, every birthday cake... It really threw into relief just how bad our habits were! Even though he never got to eat that stuff daily, he remembers them as treats and knows he has seen these items in one or both of the houses he most often frequents.

I felt like I was constantly denying him. "No Mercutio, you can't get those Chips Ahoy." "No Macky, we're not buying Oreos today." "No love, I'm sorry but you cannot have M&Ms." It was just awful seeing his disappointment, and then not really knowing what to offer as a replacement was worse.

I offered him a special tea, one that he could pick out all by himself, which made him happy, and we managed to get out of there with everything we needed for the rest of the week's dinners.

We spent a buttload. It's no wonder that we've been led to eat so poorly, when all the good stuff is so expensive! Usually we don't price shop, but when the cashier told us the total, I think Christian and I both made a silent vow to find the best value from then on.

Dinner was the bomba! Not only was it simple and quick to make, but I loaded the boys' plates with one quesadilla and a handful of grapes and they both asked for seconds {I was shocked: Mercutio swears he hates cheese and Caesar thinks corn makes him throw up {it doesn't} and 'doesn't like' beans}! Severus ate half of his quesadilla and all of his sliced strawberries {while the other half of his quesadilla went on the floor, this is such a fun age!}. No one fussed, Caesar even told me it was "my best dinner ever", which made me feel like we were on the right track.

I was a little sad that it was blatantly missing a cohort; some steak strips, ground beef, or even chicken for god's sake! But, it was no less delicious. Definitely a keeper.

We picked up some Chai tea the day before, to conquer the caffeine withdrawal headaches and to have a substitute for the coffee we're not drinking. But, the problem is - it's frickin' delicious. It's much easier to make, takes less time, and doesn't destroy my tummy like coffee does. So I had a cup in the morning, a cup after dinner while the boys drank their new Peppermint tea, and I had a cup at night when Christian got home, and now I'm sitting here at 2:06am talking about how much I love tea.

WEDNESDAY
Dinner: Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Tip: When your significant other asks "Can I tell you about my poop?" don't be an idiot, the response is always no.

We've gotten to that stage already... Where we want to discuss changes in bodily functions. Oh what? You've never reached that phase?

You're missing out, this is prime oversharing bliss here. Don't worry, I'll spare you the gory details, but I will say that this discussion lasted through a very large chunk of our day.

Our morning started out wonderfully, although I went to bed relatively late I didn't feel overtired when I woke up with Christian to get Caesar ready for school at 6:30. After Christian got back from dropping Caesar off, he went all King of the Blender on me and made a really yummy fruit smoothie!

The only problem was that it seemed to thicken each second, and the consistency was gross, so I gave up the rest of mine. It was really great to have before Caesar's field trip, I was feeling good!

And then... temptation.

About 45 minutes away there is a tiiiiiiiny Bodega that sells the best Puerto Rican noms. My moms went up there for for something and came back with extra Pastelillos, since my mom wasn't too happy with the way they tasted.

Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. The boys love them {so do we for that matter}, and we couldn't let the money they spent go to waste {justifying}, so Christian and I both had one Pastelillo, while the boys had two each. We actually don't feel bad about it, so I don't know why I'm being dramatic.

Dinner was epic. The boys ate well, and so did we! Nice, sort of successful day.

THURSDAY
Dinner: Spicy Seafood Stew & White Rice {instead of Quinoa, since we were pretty sure the boys would only eat parts of the stew}

Tip: Eh. Screw tips! I want a soda!

I feel like I spent most of today in a "NEED FOOD, NAO" induced haze. I seem to never have enough to fill my voracious appetite, and Caesar had another field trip so I left without breakfast and got home just in time to leave again to pick him up from school. I was really looking forward to a filling dinner.

I found the stew to be a little bland, and too "fishy" for me, which duh, seafood stew. The boys fussed about everything except the shrimp, but ate enough anyway. Christian was the only one to really love the stew, I was so meh about it and grumpy I finished my plate and didn't bother with anything more - so naturally I was hungry instantly.

Does this ever go away? I hate it. I eat, but nothing is sticking!

FRIDAY
Dinner: Who gives a crap? Do you? I don't. I hate food. Fruits are dumb. Veggies are dumb. This whole idea is dumb!

Tip: Don't convert to vegetarianism.

I spent most of the morning napping on and off, since I had an awful allergy attack and the half dose of Benadryl made me all soggy, groggy, boggy. I better stock up on that stuff, since I think it's the only way I'll get through this transition.

Worse? Someone in the area is barbecuing, and it's probably delicious, and I hate them.

I hate them.

{P.S. Hi, it's Saturday and I'm feeling remotely sane again! I ended up frying some calamari rings because we forgot the cheese for one of the dishes we intended to make. I also had some broccoli with cheese. The boys, hating everything about this meal - ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which made them so happy I thought they would cry.}

Hey, Blog! Happy Birthday!

Monique — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:25:07 +0000

{In my imagination, this blog drinks wine and likes to party.}

I started this blog when we were just a wee family of five and a half. Now that half is a full fledged sixth member of The C Squad! He's even old enough to chase his brother down screaming "Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! Quack, quack!" and is about to start potty training.

I wish I could say I have a huge giveaway blasty bash planned, but I dropped the ball for the second time. As far as blog celebrations go - I guess I'm not the best at getting those set up!

This blog has grown beyond my expectations, and I am proud to share the moving and shaking in my life with all of you.

Thank you for being here, and for celebrating this achievement with me!

We're Making Healthy Changes, And Crying The Whole Way Through

Monique — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:08:23 +0000

I love food.

I live for food.

I love anything deep fried, or ends in 'cheeseburger', I love a good steak, my 'stereotypical' Puerto Rican beans and rice, I love ice cream, and cupcakes and I love a good something smothered in cheese, oh god... I love cheese.

I refuse to compromise taste for health, and I'll be totally honest - I'm a glutton. Food makes me so happy, it's right up there with "Minions" and "Husband" in my "Most Favoritest Things Ever" list, and I can't get enough.

I was raised on arroz con gandules and fried chicken, my comfort food at the worst of times,{meaning it comforts me on Mondays} and a whole host of other relatively unhealthy Caribbean delights.

As was Christian.

Every one of our dinnertime meals is based on a meat, then a side and a veggie as co-stars.

The Minions push aside their veggies and voraciously attack the rest. Severus is the only one who snacks on green beans and corn during the day without a thought to all the sweeter things he could be eating.

But even here, even though we don't dare restrict ourselves, we limit the boys' "junk" intake. My mother jokes about my poor, deprived children, and when she asks if they can have Kool-Aid, or a cupcake, or an extra ice cream cone we always decline. {Sometimes she doesn't care. She is their grandmother after all, but we are lucky - she mostly understands our strict restrictions.}

We were under the impression that we were actually doing them a service.

I'm grateful that my metabolism is super fast, and I'm moderately active {including my Yoga}, but I'm always, always exhausted. Now that I've decided to keep the job at the daycare {the other teacher gave me a cubby of my own and I truly adore the children I work with - that made the decision concrete}, I need to be able to keep up there and at home.

Christian is overweight, and I am concerned about some digestive issues he's been having and the fact that Diabetes runs in his family is another terrifying worry. I love him enough to change my diet, because I am not going to be the one shooting insulin into his hip, or wherever it goes. I know 'for better or for worse', but I don't have the stomach for that.

He's just as exhausted, if not more, and now between us - we have three jobs and our top priority is keeping our family happy and functioning.

Our diet has wreaked havoc upon our bodies, and it's time *sigh*, to fix it.

We're starting small, cutting out meat except for seafood {which we want to keep as an occasional}, and phasing out the stuff we want to eliminate with alternatives; almond milk instead of cow's milk, tea instead of coffee, water instead of soda {for the adults, of course - the boys are seldom even allowed juice}.

This is a monumental leap for us, we are both so stubborn and I am usually hesitant to try anything too new. We know we're going to make some mistakes, this world is foreign to us. And I wanted a triple cheeseburger yesterday {have I mentioned that it's only Day Two yet?}, so I know it's going to be difficult to move away from the mindset we've held for all these years.

I'm going to try to share our forays into eventual Vegetarianism weekly. Sharing some tips, tricks, recipes and ideas that we've picked up, or have been given to us, along the way. Of course, I'll share our thoughts, and feelings {and pictures! Oh. My. God. the pictures!} as we make this drastic change.

I hope you'll join us, because that would be so great.

And by gum, I hope you'll indulge in an extra cheeseburger, or some coffee, for me.

I miss them so much already. My true loves.

TeetheMe: The Hottest Baby Products Delivered Monthly - Review

Monique — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:10:24 +0000

I love baby stuff almost as much as I love babies themselves. If it's not the nail polish Christian is dragging me away from, it's the baby stuff - it doesn't matter what phase of life we're in.

Severus is old now, quickly approaching two, and I'm still losing my mind over newborn sized sleepers, and binkies, and baby bath tubs... I like to be in the know, things change so quickly!

I'd learned of TeetheMe through a friend and thought "Holy criznaps, that. is. brilliant!"

You subscribe; the fee is an affordable $24 a month {or $120 for 6 months/1 month free and $240 for 1 year/2 months free}, get a box chock full {4-5 items} of the newest age appropriate goodies delivered to your door, and then you have the option to talk to other moms about baby stuff!?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

And then I was given an opportunity to review! "Oh, blogging, you are too good to me." I shouted from the bathroom where I am frequently found hiding now that Severus is growing his first molar.

I anticipated its arrival, and alas!

Teethed! {I love this logo, I LOVE THIS LOGO.}

Upon opening, I was assaulted by a very heavy fragrance - if I had looked at my email earlier on, I would have read that a Greenleaf sachet was included, and that its scent had infiltrated a lot of boxes - more on that later.

When I peeled back the tissue paper {finally!}, I found...

Slight disappointment...

Allow me to explain.

When TeetheMe launched last month, I instantly went to subscribe - until the voice of reason {Christian}, reminded me about how I feel toward "one size fits all" ideas. I concurred and decided I'd wait to see some reviews, the contents of a few boxes, and it was just lucky that I was able to get hooked up to be one of those reviewers myself before TeetheMe's new dust had even settled.

Le Bullets:

I felt like the box was geared for a younger baby, not my 19 month old - given the NuturMe baby food samples {that we couldn't even use anyway - more on that too}, and the Dr. Bloom's Chewable Jewels teething jewelry that Severus has mostly grown out of.
{Also - a note on the latter, I received a bracelet and necklace set and both items picked up lint faster and more efficiently than my lint roller does - even if it's just sitting, it collects dust.}
The sample sizes of the Dr. Robin shampoo, sunscreen and lotion were tiny. Though I did love the sunscreen, there was just barely enough in that foil packet to cover my toddler {which is cute because it says "Don't Be Shy, Reapply!" like there was the option} - it lasted well into the day, after football and tennis and freezies and tag! There was no harsh scent, and when I rubbed my eye promptly after screening Sev, I didn't howl in pain.
I am totally pleased with the Earth Mama Angel Baby balm. Breastmilk is our 'Tussin for now, if Caesar broke his arm I'd probably rub some milk on it, but the balm will come in handy later, or in a pinch, so I do appreciate its presence!
I was under the impression that the boxes contained only items I could use for/on/with Severus, but the sachet and Bridgewater candle proved otherwise. We're getting use out of them though the smells are not really our 'style', the sachet is great in my kitchen, and the candle is a godsend in our bathroom.

Back to the food packets now - in the email I received about the sachet, we were asked not to use the food samples, just in case the sachet scent permeated the packaging and soiled the powder with its fragrance. I am grateful that they looked out! They're also giving a credit towards your subscription, Greenleaf will send a different fragrance and they are sending new samples - in next month's box.

Waiting for the replacement doesn't impact me, because Severus is 19 months old - too old for purees alone, and though the pouches are for feeding children aged 6 months to 4 years {they suggest mixing it into their food to boost nutrients}, I'm not going to bother! He eats what we eat, and I just can't imagine mixing pea flavored powder into his couscous.

I wonder more, what happens to the people who aren't getting boxes next month?

I don't know if I received this particular box because I'm a reviewer and not a subscriber, or if this was the typical box for Sev's age, but I see TeetheMe subscriptions as great new parent gifts; if I'd had a 6-9 instead of an old coot, this box would have been great to hold onto for him.

Now that I've picked through the entire box, I have to say, sincerely, that I don't find the idea any less brilliant. With time {and maybe a bit more thought into the age ranges of the gear included}, I truly feel that the service could, and should, take off!

I intend to give TeetheMe another shot after Cinco De Minion is on his way, and I am hopeful and confident that these kinks will be worked out by then.

In the meantime, TeetheMe isn't leaving my radar, and it shouldn't be dismissed from yours either.

I love a company with a good social media presence, and you can find and follow TeetheMe just about everywhere;

Facebook|Twitter|Pinterest|Instagram: teethemebox

Full disclosure: I received a TeetheMe May 2012 box free of charge to facilitate this review, and no further compensation. Opinions are, as usual, my very own. Post contains affiliate links.