MANIC MONDAY

"holiday, oh a holiday, and the best one of the year..."
i post a lot of odd "holidays" here. "peanut butter cookie day". "barefoot day". "day of the zombie". so, i thought a day to celebrate the bk would be awesome. a day that everyone who knows and loves him can celebrate his existence. not the day of his birth...just the fact that he lives on this planet and is, as one friend put it, "da man". i thought it would take some work. it doesn't. i just have to declare it to be his day, and celebrate it. if i do this enough, it could catch on and be celebrated by people all over the country. 
you want to create your own holiday? here's how:

1. pick your date. try to avoid nationally recognized days. you don't want your holiday to be overshadowed by something like valentine's day, do you?
2. announce it publicly. i chose social media. twitter. facebook. those are your best options. you could even create a page on facebook totally dedicated to your holiday.
3. celebrate big! i am celebrating the bk with dinner at o'malley's in the alley followed by a cincinnati reds game. okay. the reds game was already planned, but still...
4. again, go public with the celebration. this is key if you want other people to begin celebrating your holiday.
5. repeat steps 2~4 year after year. eventually, it will catch on and others will join in the fun!

want to make it national? ugh. it literally takes an act of congress. you have to grab the attention of your local congress person. then, they have to make a proposal and get that on the congressional agenda and that can take years. literally years. boo. 

                                                

^reds taking bp^

  

        

if you would like to participate in "celebrate the bk day", head out to your local pub on the third monday of june (this year happens to fall on this very day) and raise a glass to your bk!! 

WHAT UP WEDNESDAY

"i’m waiting for the dinner bell to do the bell thing...dinner bell dinner bell ring"
we're all super busy, and nobody feels like cooking. but who can afford to eat out every night? no one. so, how do we cook a good meal with little, or no, effort. get out the trusty crock pot. it's not just for pot roasts and stews. try this delicious chicken recipe:

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND POTATOES

ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
5 potatoes (scrubbed, not peeled)
garlic salt
pepper
rosemary
1/2 italian dressing
shredded parmesan

place chicken breasts in crock pot. season, to taste, with dry seasonings. cover with 1/4 cup of the italian dressing (i used newman's own family recipe italian). sprinkle with shredded parmesan, to taste. cut potatoes in thick chunks and place on top of chicken. season, to taste, with dry seasonings. cover with remaining italian dressing. and sprinkle with shredded parmesan. cook, on low, for 6.5 hours. serves 4.

^the finished product was demolished before i got home to take a pic :)^

enjoy!!

                                                  

IT'S FRIDAY, I'M IN LOVE

 "take off your shoes and throw them away...come back and get them another day...we're barefootin'"
FLASHBACK 1965
like every other baby, i am born barefoot.
FLASH FORWARD 1970 something
maybe...MAYBE...my parents will say different, but i hate shoes. i only remember wearing shoes when i had to. obviously, i wore them to school...or the mall...or in the snow. 
FLASH FORWARD today
i am still barefoot as much as possible. and i am not a fan of shoes. when other women are excited for that cute new pair of pumps...or sandals...or boots....i'm just like "whateva". i have shoes. i have some cute shoes. i have cute shoes because the bk said "i like these, you should get them". or because, when i go to work, the boss is all "really, you have to wear shoes. it's the rules". if i want to be barefoot and they won't let me in the restaurant, or store, or movie theater, i wear flip flops. which is an awful lot like being barefoot. 
there are health benefits to being barefoot:

• it helps stretch and strengthen muscles and tendons in your feet and ankles, using muscles that aren't used when wear shoes. this can help prevent knee strain and back problems. 
• it frees your mind. while you're focused on avoiding sharp rocks, sticks, and thorns, your mind is clear of everyday problems and anxieties. 
• bumps and rocks can stimulate reflex points in your feet, basically a free foot massage!

                           

but, if you're going to go barefoot, you're going to want those babies to be gorgeous. follow these steps for a perfect, at home, pedicure:

1. remove any old polish and soak your feet in a warm salt bath for 10 minutes. sally hansen has some good options...
2. trim your nails straight across, making sure they are about even with the top of your toes, and round edges with an emory board.
3. rub a pumice stone over callused spots. next, rub in an exfoliating scrub (try bliss super slough scrub available at sephora) and rinse with warm water.
4. rub on a moisturizer like kiss my face foot creme. wipe toe nails with a cotton swab to remove any lotion from nails.
5. pick your fave color and paint those piggies. start in the center, at the cuticle and brushing up, finishing at the sides. apply 2 coats of color and a top coat. 

i would do this tonight while your relaxing in front of the tv because tomorrow (june 1) is national go barefoot day!!!