When I moved to Savannah 2.5 years ago, I made the horrendous mistake of trying to make friends using Meetup.com. Seriously. Slap me. I found myself surrounded by negativity. Constantly. These women always had something bad to say about someone else in the group but at the next event the same bad-talking beeyotch would be [...]
Jan 112013
Hey-ho, Everyone! I, (Summer) am going to turn the keyboard over to The Workaholic today, because we’re talking about one of HIS favorite things: Iced Coffee. I’d like to preface this article with the following: This man’s main indulgence is coffee creamer. There, I said it. He drinks sugar in the morning. Every morning. But seriously? Have you seen the size of his waist? It’s like 10.25″ around. NOT. FAIR. So I don’t harp on him too much. But when I DO find the opportunity to feed him something with less sugar in it, it’s a good thing. And we like good things here, don’t we? Well, I found a much better thing for him, and it’s coming soon to a….OH HECK, I’ll let him tell you.
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I’m not supposed to show you this picture, but The Mouthy Mistress drinks iced coffee sometimes too. (I generally prefer mine hot with coconut milk and cinnamon). Here she is gulping a glass down before her toning class. Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell her I posted it because I know she’ll kill me. (Or forget to wake you up for work tomorrow.)
I see you, and I know what you’re doing, Workaholic. Yeah, I indulge a little too. WHAT OF IT?
See her goosebumps? I’m laughing too.
So anyways, we got this pretty sweet shipment of International Delight Light Iced Coffee and a blue tumbler. Let me tell you what happens to these tumblers. I drink iced coffee on the way to work every day, and these tumblers pile up in my car. We have 5 or 6 of them, and when I run out of tumblers, I start using our large drinking glasses. Then when I run out of large drinking glasses, I bring the entire stack in when I get home at night, and put them in the sink for The Mouthy Mistress to clean up the next morning. It’s her paybacks for keeping the van such a mess. (It’s true you guys. I’m kind enough to have dinner in the refrigerator for him every night and he doesn’t even have the decency to open the dishwasher. PSH!)
I’ve toned down the sugar in my coffee in the past year, but I do still like to have creamer in my coffee. And I like for it to have sugar in it. I generally think that low calorie coffee creamers, or low calorie anythings for that matter, are really gross so I wasn’t sure how I would like this International Delight Light Iced Coffee.
I woke up the morning after it arrived and was excited to be the first to try it, but The Mouthy Mistress and The Nerd had already torn into the Vanilla flavor, so I opened the Mocha flavor and I was really surprised at how sweet it was. No weird aftertaste. Hm. I checked the ingredients and there weren’t any artificial sweetners in it, just less sugar. I like that, because I really don’t like artificial sweetners.
SO then I was really confused because this stuff was really sweet. The Mouthy Mistress tricked me into changing a nasty cloth diaper, so I set my iced coffee down and got distracted by the toxic waste coming from The Stinky’s butt and completely forgot about the drink sitting on the counter.
I went back for it about 30 minutes later and took a small sip. I realized the ice cubes had melted a little bit and watered it down. It was actually really good and not too sweet that way but it gave me an A-HA! moment.
walmart, light iced coffee, International Delight
I took the bone broth cubes out of our ice cube trays and filled them up with the International Delight Light Iced Coffee Mocha flavor. Why? Well, because every day I make iced coffee, the cubes melt when I pour the coffee over them, and water my coffee down a bit. We like good coffee here, and I want to be able to taste the coffee, not water and creamer. So I figured if I filled my tumbler to the top with ID Light Iced Coffee cubes, that my coffee would melt them and I would get just the right amount of this delicious ready-made Light Iced Coffee, and the coffee that we drink every day! Plus, doing it this way saves me from running through the drive-through of any expensive coffee chain on the way to my fancy job.
I actually got up early the next morning and The Mouthy Mistress had just finished brewing some hot coffee for herself, so I poured the coffee over the ice cubes, and they melted just the way I like them. I had to add a little more International Delight Light Iced Coffee to get it to the sweetness I wanted, but it was a great new way to drink my iced coffee, and I didn’t have to worry about the robust flavor of my coffee being ruined by watery ice cubes. When I add the cubes to my hot coffee, it gives me the perfect blend of creamy, sweet that I am always looking for. This ready-to-drink iced coffee is great on its own, but I prefer it a little coffee’d up. The melting International Delight Light Iced Coffee cubes make a delicious, swirly flavor, and because it is made with 100% premium Arabia coffee, I’m not losing out on any caffeine. And at only 100 calories a serving, who can turn it down?
I wonder how many miles I can get out of this half gallon of creamy iced coffee?
Where can you find it? NOWHERE yet! *evil laughter* But it will be available in your local Walmart store, located in the dairy aisle the week of January 21, 2013. SO print out THIS COUPON and keep your eyes peeled!
I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and WhiteWave #CBias #SocialFabric”
Sep 152012
If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with Auburn Football. Auburn is my first love and I stand behind them win or lose. I have a Saturday shirt and earring tradition, where you will find me parked in front of our TV shouting “WAR EAGLE!” and belting the school song, or shouting at the players and telling them to run faster.
I love the friendly rivalries that come with being a college football addict and I never miss an opportunity to yell, “WAR EAGLE!” to someone wearing an Alabama shirt.
I’ve recently become quite obsessed with the Cute Polish channel on YouTube. I found a really great color blocking nail design that looked easy enough to do while the babies were napping and cute enough to show my school spirit on game day. This nail design is inspired by this cute design.
Of course you could use the same technique for your favorite NFL teams as well. It just so happens that my Tigers have the same colors as my Broncos so I’m golden…but I bleed orange and blue.
The technique is SO, SO easy and relatively quick. Cute Polish recommends using a striper brush to draw diagonal lines but I found it easier to rest my hand on a hard surface and roll my finger to create a thick line, then brush downwards to spread the color all over my nails.
So here it is:
Materials Needed:
Base coat
White Polish
Team Color #1
Team Color #2
Top Coat
Step 1:
Paint your nails with a base coat to protect and strengthen your nails.
Step 2:
Paint your nails with an all-over white polish. This really helps the other two colors pop!
Step 3:
Carefully paint a diagonal line with Team Color #1. It is best to rest your hand on a hard surface and rotate your finger while keeping the polish brush steady. Once the line is drawn, paint downwards to evenly spread color on the bottom 2/3 of your nail. Do a second, thin coat to even color. It’s OK to make a mess. We’ll be cleaning your cuticles when we’re done.
It’s OK to make a mess! We’ll clean them up when we’re all done.
Step 4:
Take Team Color #2 and draw a diagonal line from where Team Color #1 ends, at the lowest point. Once line is drawn, carefully paint downwards to evenly spread color over the bottom 1/3 of nail. Apply a second coat to even color.
Step 5:
Apply a top coat to protect your design and provide a beautiful shine.
Step 6:
Dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and carefully clean the skin around your nails.
Step 7:
WAIT UNTIL YOUR POLISH DRIES to change diapers, do dishes, and rummage around your purse for the last feminine protection option in your house. The time this takes will completely depend on what sort of nail polish you used for each coat. I try to buy quick-dry polish for this reason.
Step 8:
Head out to the nearest football party to cheer your team on and show of your super festive nails.
English: Sports logo of Auburn University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I legally divorced Styles’ sperm donor in December of 2005. We had been separated for 18 months at that point, and in a short-lived marriage riddled with infidelity prior to that. It all came to a head in June 2004 when I finally confirmed what I had known all along: that he was cheating on me. I didn’t know at the time just how many women he had cheated with but this one was enough for me to FINALLY leave The Douche.
When I found out that he was cheating, I felt every emotion on the planet. Literally. You name it, I felt it. Styles and I moved in with my mom for 6 months so that I could get back on my feet.
I was only 22 when we separated but turned 23 a few weeks later. I was young, naive, and broke. Over the course of the past 7 years, I have realized the enormous mistakes that I made during our divorce proceedings and I want to share some of those blunders so that you, or someone you know, doesn’t make the some of same life-altering divorce faux pas.
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an attorney so this is not legal advice.
gavel (Photo credit: s_falkow)
1. Don’t Wait For Your Ex to Make the First Move
The Douche kept promising to file for divorce but there was always some sort of excuse as to why he hadn’t yet done it. He wasn’t working so he had all the time in the world, and at the time, the State of Florida had a financial aid plan that allowed for sliding scale divorce. He could have filed his financials and done the divorce himself for FREE. I’d like to once again point out that he wasn’t working at the time so had absolutely no income and all the time in the world on his hands. I, on the other hand, was working two full-time jobs to make ends meet.
I ended up having to file myself but didn’t do so until 9 months after our separation. The whole thing could have been done by that time, had I only done it myself from the get-go. Even if your ex says that they are going to make the first move, do it yourself. Their timing isn’t your timing and YOUR timing is the most important of all.
2. Don’t Leave Anything Out
The Douche was is a loser who worked here and there whenever he felt like it, smoked pot all day, and basically had has no regard for anyone but himself. I didn’t think that we had anything worth fighting over so I didn’t list anything on our divorce documents. BIG mistake, HUGE. BIG!
While we were married, The Douche put EVERYTHING in my name and paid for NOTHING. He didn’t work for most of our marriage, I did, and I was stupid enough to believe that he was paying bills with the money that I gave him every night after my serving shift. I ended up with a repossessed car, a DirecTV bill, numerous medical bills, and an apartment eviction.
When I was filling out my paperwork, I didn’t realize that my credit could be included in the divorce proceedings. Prior to our marriage, I had 3 credit cards, all in good standing. After our divorce, my beacon score was in the 300s and he walked away with better credit than he had when we got married.
KNOW your rights where credit and divorce are involved. Do not let yourself get burned because you want the easy way out, it’s just not worth it.
3. If You Have Children: Be Firm, Be Specific
You must always keep your children’s best interests at heart. Don’t go through the divorce trying to take the easy way out or with spite and revenge at the forefront of your motivations. Honestly think about what is best for your kids, especially where visitation is concerned.
If, after a year after the divorce, your ex hasn’t held up their end of the bargain, go back to court and have visitation re-visited. You owe your ex nothing and your children everything. If your ex doesn’t exercise their rights to visitation and come back into the picture 6 years later, they can still flex that visitation muscle. It is confusing and hurtful for your children so do everything you can to protect them along the way. No fit parent wants to put their child into a confusing or emotionally traumatic situation. Unfortunately, not all parents have the best interests of the children in mind and are only out for themselves. Protect them with everything you have.
4. Do YOU
Your ex doesn’t care about you. Your ex isn’t out to help you get the better end of the divorce deal. Your ex is out for themselves and you must be out for yourself too. Your ex may make grandiose promises during the process but you can’t trust a word they say. If you were married to a charming, narcissistic, compulsive liar like I was, you HAVE to remember who they are when they are being saccharine sweet to you during the divorce. Don’t let their deceit blind you into standing up for yourself, and don’t take their lies to heart, lest you wind up with the short end of the proverbial stick.
If a situation comes up after the divorce is final that requires you go back to court, GO back to court and don’t let your ex beg you not to because they will be reprimanded for their non-payment of child support. You don’t need to protect them and if you do, I guarantee that it will bite you square in the butt in the future.
5. Keep Records
Write EVERYTHING down. My dad told me to do this from the day The Douche left me and I didn’t heed his advice until I was in a world of emotional pain about 6 months ago. I kept written files here and there but never anything constant until 6 months ago. No matter now “nice” your ex seems, or how cordial you are with one another, you have started a legal proceeding and you need to approach every situation with them as such. Communicate via email so that you have viable records of everything they have said. Print everything out and keep them in a binder. Make notes in a notebook every time they show up for visitation, noting the time of their arrival and their attitude. Also note when the children were returned and any conversations that may have been had.
These notebooks are admissible in court and could help you if you and your “wonderful” ex wind up in court proceedings in the future.
Remember: You are getting a divorce for a reason and you can’t tell the future. Situations change, people change, and the same person who is smiling in your face right now, may some day turn on you.
Banana Hammocks & Tutus’ Guide to Moving: Packing Edition1. The “Open First” Box I asked for tips on my Facebook page because I am easily overwhelmed by chaos. I never know where to start and what to do. I’m a big picture person so I know where I want to get, I just have a difficult time mapping out how I’m going to [...] |
Come to Our Nest 
