by kathilipp | May 18, 2011 | Uncategorized |
I’m 13 days away from a book deadline (not that anyone is counting…) and 43 days away from another one.
It’s at about this point that showering becomes optional.
I’ve got a lot of words to write, and then put into the right order. There isn’t a lot of fun reading, chatting or other exciting stuff going on. Normally, I would sooth myself with loads of baked goods. The problem with that is that I have once again turned myself into Weight Watcher and there is a price to be paid for indulgence. Oh, and I’ve given up soda except for twice a month. Sigh…
My last refuge? Coffee.
I wish I were a black coffee kinda girl. But I’m just not. And a latte still has a bunch of calories – even with non-fat milk. But you know what doesn’t? A misto.
At least half the time I order my misto at the inside counter at a Starbucks, another customer will ask me what that drink is (and a couple of times over the past five years, I’ve explained it to a barista or two.)
A misto is half drip coffee, half steamed milk. If you order it non-fat, it is only two Weight Watchers Plus Points. I add a little sugar-free vanilla sryup and it’s a beautiful thing.
I want to have some interruptions to my day here (fun ones, that is…) so if you tell me what your favorite drink is at Starbucks, I’ll put you in a drawing for me to buy if for you with a $5 Starbucks card. Post it by Thursday 6:00 PST and I will announce the winner on Friday.
by kathilipp | May 8, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Today is a critically important day for moms everywhere. Because today, is National Comparison Day.
It’s the Monday after Mother’s Day and you will be going into work our logging onto Facebook and you will see what every other kid, every other husband, has done for every other mom on the planet.
I don’t know how your Mother’s Day went. Some year’s mine is great. Some years, not so much. (This is not a color-me-bitter post. I had a lovely day.) But no matter how your day went, tomorrow can be filled with challenges…
- If your day was not all breakfast in bed and hand-drawn cards, it could be hard to hear about the flowers that were delivered, the brunches eaten, but other moms.
- If you had a great Sunday, there could be a crash and burn when you realize that it’s another 364 days until you have a Sunday afternoon off.
So here is what I want you to do, today, in celebration of National Comparison Day: Something just for you.
I want you to take a moment today to take care of yourself. It is so important that you do not measure the job you are doing as a mom by the number of kids who posted their love on Twitter. It is critical that you do not spend Monday going over the game tapes of how your day went.
Here are just a few things that would count in taking care of yourself and celebrating you as a mom:
- Getting a latte
- Reading a chapter in a book that not about your work or your kids
- Sitting by a lake, a pool, or any other body of water
- Buying a $5 magazine that you normally wouldn’t buy (Real Simple is my magazine indulgance)
- Buying a song on iTunes (May I suggest Sara Groves, Jack Johnson, or Third Day…)
- Lighting a candle that smells amazing
Q4U: What are you going today, on National Comparison Day?
Bless you girl. You are doing good work.
by kathilipp | Apr 26, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Don’t you love when you read something and think to yourself, “Have they been following me? How did they know this is exactly what I needed to hear today?” Let me introduce you to Kathy Howard – my happy accident of the day. Read her words below and ask yourself – what is God trying to tell me?
Yesterday, I prayed with a heartbroken friend. After years of searching for answers, doctors diagnosed her five-year-old son with mental illness and other behavioral issues. Even with a diagnosis, these reputable doctors could not offer them treatment or practical steps to meet the overwhelming challenges. So, what now? Where does she turn?
Recently, many Christian women I love and admire have faced significant trials like life-threatening illness, divorce, death of a child, and financial hardship. These kinds of situations would knock many people flat. But these women are leaning on their faith in God. And He is proving Himself faithful.
I began to wonder how I would do in similar circumstances. Like most women, I juggle the everyday things of life without too much difficulty. But sometimes, even in just a small crisis, my self-sufficiency is shaken. Would I be swept away in the midst of something really difficult? I began to ask God to show me how my faith could be prepared. He pointed me to the life of the apostle Peter.
My new Bible study, Unshakeable Faith: 8 Traits for Rock-Solid Living, will help you prepare for life’s harshest storms by applying key “faith traits” found in the life of Peter. Walk with Peter as he walked with Jesus. Learn what Peter learned. Allow God to do in your life what He did in Peter’s.
Shaky times demand an unshakeable faith that stubbornly clings to God no matter the circumstances. God developed this kind of faith in Peter. God used Peter’s relationship with Jesus to transform his weak, fragile faith – that once denied Jesus – into a faith that stood firm even in the face of death. That’s the kind of faith I long to have.
Kathi here again! We have a copy of Kathy’s new Bible Study to give away. Share with me a way that God recently showed his trustworthyness in your life in the comments below and we will pick a winner on Friday.
by kathilipp | Apr 13, 2011 | Home, The "What's for dinner?" Project, Uncategorized |
Prep 10 Minutes
Start to Finish 10 Minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Cesar Salad Kit from the Produce Section of the Grocery Store
1 package pre-cooked chicken cut into cubes
4 pitas
Directions
1. Cut pitas in half and open up pitas. Put pita haves in the toaster. Toast the pitas and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients from the salad kit (except for the croutons) with the chicken chunks.
3. Stuff the toasted pita with chicken Cesar salad mix.
4. Garnish with whatever extra goodies (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.)
by kathilipp | Mar 29, 2011 | Home, The "What's for dinner?" Project, Uncategorized |
We’ve had a sudden warm streak here in N. CA so I thought I would share one of my very favorite No-Cook recipes.
Asian Chicken Wrap Ups
Prep 20 Minutes
2 cups chopped cooked skinless chicken breast (chop up strips from pre-packaged chicken breasts)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup crispy rice noodles
Seasoned salt and pepper
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded broccoli slaw
Four to six butter lettuce leaves
1/3 cup Peanut sauce (store-bought)
1/3 cup Asian salad dressing for dipping sauce (store-bought)
Directions
In a medium glass bowl, combine chicken, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, , green onions, and almonds. Mix well. Season to taste with seasoned salt and pepper. Cover and let set in the refrigerator for an hour.
Add small containers each of peanut sauce and Asian dipping sauce to platter.
On platter, arrange lettuce leaves. Divide up the chicken mixture and place a mound of it on each leaf. Top with crispy noodles, carrots and cabbage. Roll up the leaf and dip in one of the sauces.
Serves 4 as appetizers, 2 adults as a main course
Q4U: Do you have any no cook tips to share? I love to find shortcuts in the kitchen – any secrets you would like to divulge?
by kathilipp | Mar 29, 2011 | Uncategorized |
There are so many cool things about my fellow author Arlene Pellicane…
- She is a Harvest House author
- She was featured on HGTV for a bedroom makeover for her son (I didn’t know real people actually got on HGTV…)
- She’s smart, funny, and adorable
Oh – and she has this amazing, real life for real women book
Book: 31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding (Harvest House)
Here’s all about it:
In the next 31 days, how would you like to:
• Be thinner and more attractive
• Wake up with excitement for life
• Have more energy to do what you want
• Update your wardrobe without looking like you’re trying too hard
• Improve your relationship with your spouse, children, family, and friends
• Master daily habits that improve the quantity and quality of your days
I was at SeaWorld with my children and I had to laugh at something my daughter Noelle did when she was two in the bathroom. As we were leaving, she stopped right in front of the full length mirror. Looking at herself intently from head to toe, she exclaimed with attitude, “Good!” Not sure of what I heard, I asked her, “Noelle, did you just say that you look good?” With a broad smile on her face, she said “Yes!”
What a crack up! I’m glad my 2-year-old has a positive self image! I wondered if the women I knew could say the same thing. Friend, when you look in a full length mirror and see yourself from head to toe, do you think “good”? Looking and feeling younger is about accepting your appearance, embracing your God given age, and doing your best to improve your assets. After all, when the Heavenly Father looks at you, His daughter, He proclaims “Good!”
So the next time you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, don’t forget to smile. You are a luminous work in progress. Beauty has no age limit or expiration date.
An energetic speaker and author, Arlene Pellicane has been featured on The Hour of Power, The 700 Club, and Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah. Her book, 31 Days to a Younger You: No Surgery, No Diets, No Kidding helps women become more beautiful from the inside out.
To win, all you have to do is leave a comment about some way you want to be a healthier you in the next 31 days. Me? I’m doing pilates for a minimum of 10 minutes a day (doesn’t seem like much? That’s five more hours of pilates than I was doing two months ago…)
Leave your comment below and Friday I’ll announce the winner!
OH – and check out her very cool site here.
I’m 13 days away from a book deadline (not that anyone is counting…) and 43 days away from another one.
