Beeker’s Words

I was watching Oprah today and she had a number of talented kids on today’s show. One of those kids was a 15 year old named Charice Pempengco. Charice is from the Philippines and has been singing since she was four years old. I had never heard of her but apparently she is quite popular on You Tube. I thought she did a great job on an extremely difficult song. Check her out!

I was reading the news and came across the announcement that the Duggar family is expecting another child. This is their 18th child! There is part of me that says she should have as many kids as she wants. They support their family and do not receive any government assistance.  Then there is the part of me that thinks those kids must crave attention and privacy. Not to mention that I cross my legs and cringe thinking about 18 kids popping out of me!  My grandmother was one of eight kids and my great-grandmother was one of 18 kids but that was because my great-great grandfather had two wives. His first wife had 10 children and then passed away. He married again and his second wife (my great-great grandmother) gave birth to 8 children. They lived in rural North Carolina on a farm. Apparently it was common to have large families in those days and they were blessed that their children survived a wide range of childhood illnesses that typically took the lives of many children.  I just don’t think I could handle 18 children. Could you handle 18 kids?

Pete has finally scheduled some time off from work. In a few weeks we will toss aside his Crackberry and my cell phone and see the sites! We decided to start our little vacation by heading up to Cooperstown, NY. Pete has always wanted to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame and I am excited that this will make one of his baseball dreams come true! I won’t exactly be short changed. We have booked a room at the Landmark Inn. I have heard good things about small inns and B&Bs of New York. I love historic homes and I can’t wait to see Cooperstown, which apparently is full of charm! I am going to visit the Fenimore Art Museum, which is known for their collection of American art. We will then take a leisure drive down to Cape May, NJ and then a short ferry ride over to Rehoboth Beach, DE for a few days with family and friends. Baseball, history, beaches, rum punch and seafood…this is our kind of vacation!

I went to see Baby Mama this afternoon. I would give it 3.5 out of 5. It is a chick flick. A 30-something chick flick to be exact. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hilarious. The shower scene and the natural birthing class scenes are classic. When this comes out on video, you should definitely rent it for a girls’ night!

My husband has been working hard and he has been really sweet. Have you ever had one of those days when you just feel awful and then your husband/partner complements you at the moment when you think you can’t feel any worse? [Read more →]

photo by: ilmungo

The inside of my vehicle needed to be vacuumed and wiped down badly. This afternoon I took it to a car wash that had vacuums and cleaned out the inside. My friend Nicole told me not to wash my car because it is suppose to rain for the next few days. This made me remember that I also needed new windshield wipers for the front and back of my vehicle. I figured it would be best to go pick some up on my way home. I stopped off at a local auto parts store and [Read more →]

photo by: cindy47452

It has rained in New Jersey and I can breathe again! All 11 gallons of snot I collected in tissues last week has made its way to the landfill. Last week I became a complete and utter tree hugger. It was as if I became a cult member and felt compelled to tell everyone the news. Kinda like my family that have been born again and feel the need to save my soul at every family gathering. Bless their hearts. I am excited about the changes I am making in my life and I will share. This does not mean I expect everyone to rush out to do as I have. I think I have family and friends that would prefer I was trying to convert them to a cult than preaching about the environment. I think we all have to be happy with ourselves and this past week I identified something that I wanted to change and wanted to share with everyone. This past week has also been filled with what I call Come to Jesus moments. [Read more →]

Everything is budding, growing, and blooming.  Yes, it is lovely to look at but absolutely awful on my allergies and sinuses. I slept 14 hours yesterday and so far today I have logged 12 hours. Allergy medication makes me sleep, a lot. As you may have noticed I have not been posting too much this week, but it is hard to write when you feel like your head is about the explode.  I am calling it a day and going back to bed. I know, it is 3:30 in the afternoon, but I need my rest. The good news is that it is suppose to finally rain in New Jersey tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully it will cut down on the pollen in the air and my life can return to normal. Good Night All!

I went through my medicine cabinet, makeup drawer, shower, and bath cabinets two days ago and threw out everything that was out dated, never going to be used or contained ingredients that I have decided to keep out of my life. I have outlawed Pthalates, Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and Fragrance/Parfum. I was happy to find that most of my lip balms and lotions had none of these ingredients. I found two lotions that were a Christmas gift from three years ago, so I decided to let them go. I threw out my shampoo, deodorant, and bath wash. I spent time online researching possible replacements and yesterday I went to Target and Whole Foods to purchase replacement items. I highly recommend Burt’s Bees products. I have used their lip balm, cuticle cream, and bug repellent for years. I added the following three products this week to that list:

I found deodorant at Whole Foods and it passed the exertion test this evening while I chased my nieces and cared for my nephew. (My sister and her husband had a lovely dinner out to celebrate her 29th birthday!) I also find that Burt’s Bees products do not cost all that much more than the other products I had been using. I am going to start searching for new cosmetics and face care products in the next few days. If you have any recommendations, please let me know!

I know it is not feasible for a lot of people to buy everything organic. I have been trying my best to buy organic when it fits my budget. I was watching Sophie Uliano on television and she mentioned that you can still get rid of some of the chemicals that are sprayed on your fruit and vegetables. This was good news, because often I pass on organic produce in favor of organic dairy and meat products. She recommended that prior to consuming the produce, use a produce cleaner. She gave an easy and cost effective one below that you can make at home.

Materials needed:

Large Mixing Bowl

Spray Bottle

Ingredients:

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Distilled White Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

20 Drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract

Directions:

Combine ingredients in large mixing bowl. Transfer mixture into a spray bottle. Spray mixture on produce. Rinse thoroughly after 5 to 10 minutes. Produce is ready for use. I would recommend making this and using it on the day when you shop. This way you clean everything before putting your produce away or setting it out for your kids to grab as snacks!