The 426th way to use my "essential oil" lime bathroom spray

Oh, hello.

For that faithful 10 of you that are wondering, I am still alive.

My life overfloweth with abundant "events" that seem to conspire to keep me from investing a little time into my blog life.

Reality is such a blog kill.

The cool whip on the pudding was when my external hard drive frizzed and took EVERY SINGLE one of my photos with it. If it is that important that you use a 5 volt adapter instead of a 12 volt one---they should write it in MUCH bigger font.

Sheesh.

My computer doctor thinks he might be able to save it---- pray for me, and my hard drive. I can barely focus on anything else---ALL MY PICTURES DANG IT!!!!!!

To help illustrate the point...
Today as I got ready to go into the "big city" (that means I actually got dressed in something other than my jammies, combed my hair and brushed my teeth) I blissfully applied my favorite "essential oil" lime bathroom spray all over my neck and chest area, instead of my "real" perfume.

Natural, essential oils Lime Bathroom Spray, $ 8.00

Walking around the stores with my mind experiencing a vague uneasiness that the whole world was smelling like my bathroom AND having to constantly itch the growing rash on my chest....priceless.

At least that's what my son says.

Hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things soon. I feel so naked without my pictures....naked and lime fresh.

So…..yeah, I’ve been a little busy….

 

Here a little……..

there a little….

Everyone's a little……….

 

 

My dear sweet Kelly, my #3, got her driver’s license on Friday and this crunchy experience on Saturday. THANK HEAVENS there were no injuries (other than metal and plastic ones…..we told the younger children that the van is “in a better place”) and she is alright. It could have been so much worse and she learned how quickly things can happen and that it doesn’t have to be a high speed chase to do serious car damage. The mama is okay too—I felt a little like this at first..

……but am doing much better. Sorry for the poor quality of photos---they are from my cell, and the one of the 2 girls was taken while they were watching “The Knowing”---really. I will be doing a better update soon. Hope all 10 of you who still check my blog are healthy and happy---I need to do some catching up!

I am sure it was HIGH Noon somewhere/ OR / I finally have a winner!!

Since this was a drawing for a business I thought I would be official and go for the premium random integer "thingie" and by the time I finished figuring THAT out--high noon was waning. But......we have a winner.....

FUNKY BAG FREAK

YOU won this beauty!!

A Cansolidator from Shelf Reliance

And a can of this can of "yumminess"Freeze dried Mandarin Oranges

Funky, I need you to email me your info at lisa dot bishop at gmail dot com and I will forward it on to Shelf Reliance AND I will mail you your Mandarin Oranges. Congrats! And of course I wish you could all win but I know you all count yourselves winners cuz you are MY friends. (choke* gasp* fall on floor)

If you would like to go check out the random site to see the OFFICIAL results you can go to this link:

http://www.random.org/draws/details/?draw=815

and type in your name that you entered under (the one that pops up next to your comment) and you should be able to see it. I entered the names as they appeared in my comment box and in the same order.

Thanx for entering!

CanSolidator Pantry Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED

I just can’t say enough good things about this product and Shelf Reliance. Thankfully, they were able to forgive me my Alzheimer’s slip and I get to host a giveaway for one of these beauties, here on my blog!

I know I posted this bit of information from the website yesterday but I will post it again, just to be official.

Featuring SmarTrac technology, the Cansolidator Pantry is a front loading system that automatically rotates up to 40 cans. This adjustable, expandable, stackable system takes the hassle out of can rotation and allows you to organize cans the way YOU want. The Cansolidator is easy to assemble and guarantees a more organized pantry in minutes. Sturdy, compact, and reliable, the Cansolidator Pantry is the perfect stand-alone solution for any pantry.

The Cansolidator Pantry holds both small and medium cans. To determine which can size(s) you'll be storing, please refer to our can sizing chart.
Dimensions
Height: 11"
Width: 20"
Depth: 16.5"
Capacity: 40 Cans

My personal description would include the fact that it was super easy to put together and was completely adjustable to the size of the cans that I wanted to store.

The tuna fish slot is my favorite—is that bad?

You really should go browse around their website. They have shelf and pantry systems of all shapes and sizes. Not only that but they have their own line of food storage called, Thrive and they have great videos, recipes and a blog that help you actually USE your food storage. They even took care of my last barrier to getting my food storage together by offering a calculator to help you establish just how much you need AND how much you can afford to spend each month AND THEN after all that they can EVEN set up an easy payment plan and will ship out just what you planned each month. I am all out of excuses.

I realize that not everyone is into food storage and that’s okay. Some people even have a system of their own that is working fabulously----that’s a good thing! I just think is a fabulous offer for those people who are looking for just this thing to get started or to get organized.

SO, now for the rules:

You get one entry for commenting on this post—things like; You are amazing, you are my hero and I want to be your best friend will all be accepted.

You get another entry for going HERE and sign up for Shelf Reliance’s newsletter.

You can get a third entry for going here and picking up one of their buttons and putting it on your blog. Here are a couple of examples—plus I have one on my sidebar.

BUT WAIT………

THERE’S MORE!!!!!!!!

They will send the winner the CanSolidator but I am going to send a can of their freeze dried Mandarin Oranges to the winner also. I bought 2 of these cans and we opened one, sampled and were amazed!! I am a snacker and I don’t think that will change in an emergency. You can just eat these straight out of the can...…

…...or re-hydrate them or they have a yummy recipe for and Orange drink---here. They will stay good for a year after you open them or for 25 years unopened. 25 years folks!!!!

So go ahead and enter!! I will pick the winner with the random.org thingie next Tuesday, September 1st at “high noon”. GOOD LUCK!!!! Oh, and make sure to do a separate comment for each entry and leave a link to your blog if you do a button.

Shelf Reliance = Shelf Love

Excuse me, but my Alzheimer's is showing.

Awhile back, a lovely woman from Shelf Reliance contacted me and offered me the opportunity to try out one of their “CanSolidator Pantry’s”, review it on my blog and then give one away to one of my lucky readers! Being the compulsive organizer that I am, and the fact that I enjoy myself a good giveaway----I said “Yes!”

They, being the fabulous company that they are, sent me one right away, which I enthusiastically put together, put it on my shelf, put the cans in and----- photographed the whole process for my blog.

Here’s where the plan jumps the tracks, so to speak. Let’s be clear here. I like the tracks. I like it when all the cars stay on the track and make scheduled arrivals and departures. I like it when I get to make that schedule and everyone is in agreement that life is better ON the tracks and on MY schedule. I am a track HUGGER, people. When people say things like, “Change of plans” or “I have mono and I am coming home for the summer and then I am calling off my engagement” or “Your Dad is in the hospital again”, its like their cars are merging with or smashing into mine WITHOUT my permission! All the cars are just everywhere, all willy-nilly, coming and going as they please and, and, and…… and it makes me want to just lay down on the tracks and suck my thumb.

Sorry—metaphor overload. Anyhoo-----------

I just plain forgot about it.

Until, lovely Sara shot me an email, kindly reminding me of our agreement. I feel so sheepish. So here, about 3 months late, is my VERY ENTHUSIASTIC review of Shelf Reliance’s “CanSolidator Pantry”. ( You can click on that and it will take you to their site)

Does anyone else get ridiculously excited when they get a package in the mail?

No? It probably has something to do with living in the forest, on a hill, in the middle of nowhere Montana. {sigh}

The beautiful box inside the box….

The beautiful parts inside of the beautiful box, inside of the other box.

The beautiful, handsome boys, putting the beautiful parts that were inside the beautiful box---together

My shelf before…..

My beautiful shelf AFTER!!!!!

(cue singing angels in background)

Here’s the description from their website:

Featuring SmarTrac technology, the Cansolidator Pantry is a front loading system that automatically rotates up to 40 cans. This adjustable, expandable, stackable system takes the hassle out of can rotation and allows you to organize cans the way YOU want. The Cansolidator is easy to assemble and guarantees a more organized pantry in minutes. Sturdy, compact, and reliable, the Cansolidator Pantry is the perfect stand-alone solution for any pantry.

The Cansolidator Pantry holds both small and medium cans. To determine which can size(s) you'll be storing, please refer to our can sizing chart.
Dimensions
Height: 11"
Width: 20"
Depth: 16.5"
Capacity: 40 Cans

I LOVE this system and this company. They have thought of everything and make it so easy to not only store food smartly but they even have a program where you can plug in how much you want to spend each month on food storage and what you want to store and mail it to you accordingly!! I realize that not everyone is into storing food but as I watch the news and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, where people are forced to get by on what they have instead of going to the store-----I just think be prepared is the best option. And while I am at it---this system keeps me organized with the ability to not only see what I have but ability to use what I store so nothing goes to waste.

Hopefully you can stay tuned for a giveaway here soon…….

AND

I can’t wait to get around blog land and catch up with all of you!

Everything will be alright

To quote my #3 daughter, "Love is such a funny thing. One minute you are absolutely sure of everything, but then the next nothing seems to fit quite right or the way you would like it to."

Wise beyond her years.


Natalie and Ben have called off their engagement.


It is hard and painful but they are both working through it the best that they know how.

The details are theirs to share---or not--I am just trying to love and support them both.

I feel like someone shoved me in a roller coaster car without one of those bars that hold you in. Yeah, theres a visual for you.




Like I said on Facebook--today I wish I was back to that place in time that my biggest issues were naptime and thumb versus binkie. I am pretty sure that back then I had no idea my heart could ache this badly and still be in one piece.


Everything will be alright--just keep swimming---this is but a moment---the heavens are darkest when you can see the stars--tomorrow will be better---yeah, I'm working on it.........

Us in 1989--thats Nat I'm holding--trying to make her smile--(why didn't anyone tell me how ridiculous I looked when I made that face??! And how about that spiffy outfit my hubby has on??) Sorry--I got a little sidetracked---wish it was that easy to make her smile now..{sigh}...

Good Fortune, The Sequel

Just had to take a minute and share my joy and gratitude--

YES, my beloved blogging buddies, dreams really do come true. Fortune cookies, lots and lots of fortune cookies.

Shauna has lots of giveaways and a fab new look--click the button to go see!

Change of fortune

Every once in awhile a giveaway comes along that I feel SO passionately about that I go the extra mile to get that extra entry and post it on my blog. This is one of those.

Two words:

FORTUNE COOKIES

mmmmm--mmmm--mmmmmm--mmmmm---mmm---mmmm--mmm (read with a little sassy beat)

Believe it or not there is nowhere here in the middle of nowhere to purchase fortune cookies. Apparently its not a big ticket item for ranchers and farmers. Who'd a thunk it.

Anyhoo--Shauna over at Trying to Stay Calm (love that blog name, by the way) is having a giveaway of fabulous fortune cookie gift certificates AND. I. WANT. ONE!

Click on the picture to go to her blog--she has lots of AWESOME giveaways! (at least I hope this works--I never have gotten comfortable with all this linky business--and who the hec is MR. Linky anyways??! )

So this is my blog about it to get an extra entry. And it ends tomorrow. Amen.

What would Freud say?!

This has haunted me all day so I guess I will post it and see if that has any effect on my troubled mind.

So I know that DeNae really doesn't want to hear about my dream (so run away DeNae) but I'm sure there is someone out there who does and they will interpret this and help me move on.

Here it goes:

I dreamed that Jackie Chan and I saved the world at least 5 times...

yeah--see what I mean?

But wait..there's more...

and then I built a house in the Grand Canyon and I had to keep running from one side of the house to the other to keep it balanced and then when I stopped for a minute to tuck my much younger children in bed--half of the house just washed away.

Then my son woke me up and I found myself falling back asleep to try and fix my house.

DISTURBIA!!!!


Let me also clarify that I have not seen a Jackie Chan movie in years or even thought of him and it was at least 8 years ago that we got stranded in the Grand Canyon National Park with a dead car.

Yeah--I am really starting to rethink that little, nightly Ambien pill.


So--anybody out there channeling Freud?

Seriously.

I will send chocolate to the reason I like the best, amen and amen.

Random note--GOT MY COMPUTER BACK--HUZZAH!!! Am off to catch up and comment...

Carbon Dating my Lunch

Any guesses as to what this is?

What’s that you say?

“Fossilized worms?”

No.

“A shellacked pile of poo?”

So close, but….

No.

Give up?

It was my lunch.

After the cooking, before the ingestion.

My son was the chef.

Yep, uh-huh, that’s right—this very same boy—

H-e-e-y-y Sparky!

He decided that he wanted hot dogs for lunch and that they needed to be grilled not nuked. (Irony is such a cruel mistress)

I said, “Sure, why not? Anyone can BBQ a hot dog (right?) and while you’re at it, make one for me too”.

{Disclaimer: his father HAS taught him how to use the grill and Sparky has made us some GREAT hamburgers in the past—don’t judge me}

And then (smiling on the inside because of the obvious paternal support I had just given my son) off I went-- to do something important, like checking my email.

A little while later I strolled into the kitchen and was immediately accosted by a revolting smell, the like of which I am pretty sure I have never smelled before.

“What in the world just died and composted itself in my kitchen??!!” I yelled.

My son came running through the kitchen door, waving the tongs like a white flag.

“Um, it’s okay Mom, it’s okay, and it’s just these…

…I kinda forgot about them and they got a little burnt.”

Understating the obvious, that’s just how we roll here in the forest.

I told him that these looked like they passed burnt, flew through charred and landed right smack dab in the middle of radioactive.

“No worries, Mom”, he said. “I’ve got some more cooking on the grill!”

WHA?!

After the initial shock wore off, I wanted to bury them—to freak out some unsuspecting archaeologist in 100 years --- but the dog had other ideas and snagged them when I wasn’t looking.

So…….what did you guys have for lunch?