Jello, whipped cream, and fritos

This my friends is the Thanksgiving meal of champions. My mother slaved away for days cooking and baking, but leave it to my niece to only eat items that I'm pretty sure were not devoured on the first Thanksgiving. The rest of the family, however, ate anything and everything that wasn't bolted down. It comes once a year and we knowingly put ourselves in misery for the comfort of food. Such joy is felt as that wonderous taste slids across our pallet creating this warm and satisfying feeling. Although in 15 mins, we know that we're going to be doubled over in pain as our bellies are filled way beyond capacity. Just as a turkey-induced coma renders us completely helpless, it's time for pie! Of course, you have to sample a "sliver" of 4 different pies to satisfy an already stuffed appetite. Yet after countless hours in the kitchen, consuming thousands of calories, and popping handfuls of tums, I would do it all again tomorrow...and probably will:)

The Slanket is out of commission

Last year I ranted about this ridiculous product called The Slanket. You know...the blanket with sleeves. I also mentioned that The Snuggie was the poor man's slanket. The Snuggie is more affordable which is great in these hard economic times. It has gained overwhelming popularity and has overtaken all my favorite store shelves. Well, my friend found this new advertisement for The Snuggie and I loved it. I hope you will too.

Snuggie advertisement

Selective environmentalist

I have tried to do my part with being better to the environment. A smaller carbon footprint if you will. It seems with every good habit I've incorporated, I still have an old one to break. I've cut down on my plastics waste by using reusable grocery bags. They are very efficient and much easier to carry around since they hold about 3 plastic bags worth of product. I just put them in the trunk of my car or keep the collapsible ones in my purse so I have them on hand. And since my purse is the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, this is usually sufficient to carry any extra items. Although, my roommates have yet to adopt the same passion I have for reusable bags, I make sure we take any plastic bags back to the stores to recycle properly. At the urging of the Biggest Loser and the fact I moved to a 3rd floor apartment, I have stopped buying bottled water. A Brita water filter and a reusable bottle are the way to go...trust me. We also take advantage of the recycling bins that our apartment complex provide. I try so hard to reduce waste, but I still would rather buy food in individual containers instead of bulk for convenience sake ie. pre-cut fruit or 100 calorie packs. I'd rather spent a little more than have to cut or divide it up myself. I also have a hard time not using plastic produce bags. Just the thought of all the loose produce rolling around in my cart makes me uneasy.

Energy wise, I've saved by turning off lights when leaving a room, unplugging any appliances that are not being used, and using energy efficient light bulbs. All this effort though and I still leave the tv on at night to fall asleep and leave the bathroom fan on most of the time. I guess I just feel that this is an area that you need a little "white noise" if you catch my drift.

I'm a sucker for buying products if they are eco-friendly. I have a vast selection of pens and notebooks make from recycled materials. I just saw a commercial for sponges that are also eco-friendly. I'm sure I'll bring these into use at my home, but I don't see me getting rid of those lovely disposable clorox wipes I've come to love. While being as environmentally conscious as I try to be, I realize there are some definite ways I could improve. So for now I'll accept my strengths and weaknesses and embrace my wannabe environmentalist ways.

Check out this link for some recycling facts

It was a monster mash

I love Halloween! Who wouldn't enjoy pumpkin carving, dressing up, and eating candy by the truckloads? I usually visit Frightmares at Lagoon, but I didn't get the chance to go this year. *tear* I spent weeks figuring out the perfect costume. My mind was flooded with ideas and I had a hard time narrowing it down. It only took about 20 ideas before I finally settled on being a Geisha. And I'm super proud of the fact that it only cost me $12. Yeah! It'll be a challenge to beat it next year