Please feel free to hold my opinions against me. :)

On November 4th of 2008 I wrote this:

I may be unpopular in my choice for president, but the one I voted for did not win. I'm not sad or mad about it. I am a little worried about our future. Maybe I shouldn't be. Obviously a lot of people have high faith in Obama and his hopes for our country.

On a more positive note, I am very happy for him. I hope that he will take our country in a new direction for the better. I have prayed about this and I never once prayed that McCain would win. I prayed that the best person for the job would win. In this case I hope that Obama is that person.

I will be praying that he will be blessed as well as his family. I'm going to support him as a president. To be completely honest, I wouldn't have been completely thrilled with McCain/Palin. I would love a pleasant surprise as to how the next four years will turn out.

Tonight I am listening to  the election coverage and actually hoping that Obama will win. To say that in this platform, so publicly, is not an  easy choice for me, being that  the people I love the most are hoping for the opposite outcome. I really hope politics will not polarize me from the people I love and respect. Over the past four years I have come to strongly regret my straight party vote from the last election. That was the first, and may or may not be the last time, I will choose Republican.

I have read (via social media) and heard so much of why people think I would vote for Obama. (when I use I, I assume they are thinking of me figuratively, not personally.) I must not work, because there are so many insinuations that people who support Obama don't. I must receive "hand-outs" or want them. I must not believe in God. I most likely support abortion.

Oddly, I am employed full-time. I have never received help from the government, other than a Pell Grant for college tuition.  I don't expect or want anything without working for it. I do believe in God. I also believe that God is benevolent and would be proud of us as a nation if we stopped worrying about our own personal bottom line and instead thought about the bottom line of EVERYONE as a unit OF ONE. I support Planned Parenthood because I believe that they prevent more abortions than they perform. Personally, abortion would not be a choice I could make for myself, (Thanks to Planned Parenthood I was never in that situation.) but as much as I believe that choice is not right for me, at least I can make that choice for myself. I would never judge someone for making a different decision about their own body. I would judge a man for trying to make it for me though.As well as believing in God I believe in equal rights for ALL. Black, white, Mexican, Asian, Indian,  woman, man straight, gay, atheist, christian, mentally ill, poor, rich. I don't care how you are defined. If you aren't hurting anyone I think you should have the same rights as me. I think Jesus would have felt the same way about things.

Before I read my post from 2008,  I said a prayer, exactly as I had four years ago. I prayed that God would bring us to the president that would be best for this country. Do you know how hard it is to not pray for who you think is the best man for the job to win? As hard as it was to take my self out of the prayer, I did. I want what is best. If what is best does not coincide with what I want, I will swallow it, just like I did four years ago. I do thank God though, right now as I type. What I thought would be so horrible has not been. My doubts and fears have subsided. I have had many low points when I have thought about the state of our nation since then, during President Obama's term. Honestly I would say he did much better than I thought he would. I think he should have and could have done better. I wish all of our elected officials could come together for the collective good. If he wins again I sincerely hope that our government will do a better of job of working together instead of fighting one another.

All I can think is this: Bush got his second chance.

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Slutty Brownies...

This is one of those recipes that everyone should have in their pocket. I heard Jessica Simpson talk about something similar on a late night talk show. Basically everything is the same except she used Oreos instead of peanut butter cups. You could do that if you want. So often when I run across a particular pin on Pinterest I feel dumb for never having thought of that... whatever that may be. In this case, enter the Slutty Brownie.

Source: Uploaded by user via Tiffany on Pinterest

Unfortunately this pin is the kind of pin I am not very fond of. There is no meat. The jump simply takes you to an image. I like a little back story to my pin, maybe an introduction to a blog I might peruse. You aren't gonna get that on this one. It's fine though. Slutty Brownies don't have time for that!

The beauty of the Slutty Brownie is that they are so easy! Hee Hee! Total count on ingredients is five! You will need: refrigerated  chocolate chip cookie dough, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a box of brownie mix. That is three, I know, but to make the brownies you need eggs and oil as well. I made the full size version as described in the description of the pin, but afterward I thought a mini version would be better for portion control and because these are so rich that a little goes a long way.

For my mini version I use the Toll House Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough , Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and usually a brownie mix with walnuts. That doesn't mean you have to do the same though. I think you could go crazy with all sorts of different variations of this recipe. (And if you choose that route, please comment me your modifications and results!)

I like to prep my pan with Baker's Joy even though it is a non-stick pan. (That is why there are white flecks on my pan in the picture below.) 

I also tend to over fill my muffin cups, (that just sounds slutty.) resulting in the outcome below:

Overflowing Slutty Brownies. What more would you expect? Slutty Brownies don't take up a lot of your time, they don't require a long term commitment and everyone who has tried one never complains! They only dirty up one mixing bowl, a whisk and a measuring cup. Low maintenance!

These are great when you get a short notice house guest or party where you need to supply a dessert. If you choose to take these to a church function you might spend more time thinking of an alternate name than you will making them!

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Yesterday was the perfect day to go to the pumpkin patch and pick out some pumpkins for Jack O' Lanterns. There is a pumpkin patch right next door at a local church so we took my step-son, Hayden, to go pick one out. While I am glad that the money we spent on our $8 pumpkin went to a good cause, I was less than pleased to learn that it was pretty much rotten. (after we had purchased it.) We ended up buying two more pumpkins of the same size for a little less than $8. Lesson learned. (Neither were rotten.)

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Mighty Mud Dash made a Mighty Mess of my washing machine!

This past Saturday we participated in the Mighty Mud Dash here in Houston. It was a 5k with many obstacles, most of which involved a lot of mud! I have to be perfectly honest with you guys... I used to love playing in the dirt and mud as a kid and after the race I realized we don't do that often enough as adults. This race basically made me feel like a little kid again. Quite a few times I mentioned that it would be really cool if they opened the area we were racing in for ATV's. Mudding on a four wheeler is really fun. If there were a "gym" that offered an obstacle course for workouts I would sign up in a minute. A lot of people made a big deal out of the obstacles, but I was shocked that I was able to get through most of them without a huge struggle. The Mud Mougles were the hardest, in my opinion. They were hills about four feet up, that dropped into water about 3 feet deep only to lead to another fout foot hill. There were 3 hills and three water pits and because of the water and mud there was no traction. I had to crawl out at  the side of the second water pit, which was still hard. I attempted the mougles but they got the best of me. I loved this race. The night before I kept waking up because I was so anxious and worried about whether or not it would kill us. Once we got started though, all those fears just slipped my mind because I was too busy laughing my butt off and having fun. I am so thankful that my husband and my friend Bebe participated with me. I think we made a great team.

As you can see in the pictures above, we were covered in filth! Brandon suggested that I get in the shower with my clothes on to try to get the mud off before we washed our clothes. If I could have taken a picture of the filth in the shower I would have. It was bad. Still, I thought I had gotten a lot of the mud out of the three articles of clothing I wore. Today I put all our race clothes in the washer. After the whole wash and extra rinse cycle was done  I was shocked to see this: (The stuff on the drum is muddy soap suds. I think.)

 

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At Home Manicure Tips. This one is a twofer!

I do my nails at home, usually about once a week. Before I found this pin:

Source: gingerbreadmanne.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Slow Cooker French Onion Pot Roast

I know I may seem like a one trick pony with all these crock pot recipes but I really can't help myself. I love food that tastes good and the easier the better. Nothing says easy like a crock pot recipe. When I was a kid, if my mom made a roast I would be so grossed out. Don't ask me why because I can't tell you. As an adult I really enjoy a great roast. Pork or Beef is fine by me.  We don't eat a lot of red meat in our home, but every once in a while I get a craving.

I saw this Pin a few days ago and I got the urge to make a roast and in the process, try out a new recipe.

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Crock Pot Taco Soup

I love Taco Soup because all you have to do is brown your meat, open up a few cans of beans and vegetables, throw in your seasoning and you have a delicious, hearty soup.  I had never made my Taco Soup in the crock pot, but there is nothing I love more than walking through the door after a full day of work, and smelling a delicious meal that is already ready for me to eat. (Already! I couldn't resist.)

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Bacon, Egg & Cheese Ring

If I had a favorite pin, based on the amount of times I have used it, it would be this one:

Source: navywifecook.blogspot.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I can't even tell you how many times I have made this. I do remember the very first time I made this was on a Saturday and we were so impressed with it, that I made it again on Sunday. I love this recipe because on a weekend morning I may have time to make a complex recipe, but that does not meant I want to spend an hour or two in the kitchen.

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Crock Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup

I love Pinterest! When I think of life before Pinterest I could almost break out in hives. In a social setting I am the person talking about something I saw on Pinterest. My husband finds it super annoying. I am sure it doesn't help that quite frequently, I tell him he should thank God for Pinterest. At first he asked me why. I explained that all these great tasty morsels  coming from the kitchen were Pinterest treasures.

When I pin recipes I sometimes become skeptical. Will this really be the most awesome recipe for baked chicken? Will theses cupcakes live up to the hype?  All these questions in my mind have spawned the new subject matter here at Trivial Tiffairs. That and the fact that when I post pictures of my yummy Pinterest meals and desserts people want the recipes. I don't blame them! Not only will this be a space for the original pins, but I also plan to critique what I have already made so that you might be able to avoid a sub-par recipe or idea.

I am especially excited to to take y'all on my journey with home-made cleaning supplies and DIY beauty remedies. I don't want to get ahead of myself though. To kick things off I want to give you all my review of Crock Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup.

Source: creativelydomestic.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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On the agenda

We are planning to go hangout poolside with the Hudson Family later this afternoon and all I have been thinking about since my Friday trip to the grocery store is what I am going to make to take over to The Hudson Hippy Hollow.

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On the agenda this weekend.

Dinner will be a rotisserie chicken and "better than potatoes" cheesy cauliflower. You have no idea how excited the thought of this cauliflower makes me. I haven't had much pasta or potatoes in the last 3 months. Or even much bread for that matter. The perfection of the picture that I saw on Pinterest is what really sold me.

Source: ibreatheimhungry.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Our dinner for the night

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

Source: whitsamusebouche.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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The Oscars are on tonight! I am so ready.

I am going to have company and thanks to Pinterest I will be having...

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Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

What a whirlwind year this has been.

• My Uncle David married a wonderful lady, Jacque and through their marriage we gained a new cousin, Colt. The wedding was so romantic and beautiful that we were inspired to decide to get married  a month and nine days later.

• We chose to have a small ceremony on May 25th, 2011. We had unsuccessfully tried to plan a wedding numerous times. I knew I never wanted a big wedding and my closest friends and I had promised never to ask each other to be in a wedding party. I am not much of a romantic, probably because I am too pragmatic for my own good. Some of my friends questioned my choice to not only have a small wedding, but also why I would want to get married on a Wednesday. My explanation: I have been a near lifelong fan of Oprah and I wanted to see her last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show as it aired. I realize that some people think that this is ridiculous and kooky. I see it like this; That Brandon would agree on this date, and know the reasoning behind it, agree to a mid-morning ceremony so that I could be home and on my couch with tissues by four o'clock is a testament to the man I married. He was willing to share his day with a woman that he doesn't really like, because it was a big deal to me. He is the most unselfish, loving, intelligent, adorable man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Our anniversary is exactly six months, to the day, from my birthday. I relish the thought of our future together. It only gets better after the first four years we shared together. We worked really hard to get here and I can truthfully say that it has been very much worth it.

• On June 22 we had to say goodbye to my Grandfather. My mom, Uncle David, Aunt Lori and Mimaw were there to help him transition from life to death. It was probably the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. I prayed so fervently that night and my prayer was answered. I told him that I loved him. I told him we would miss him but that it was okay to leave. I wanted so desperately for him to not struggle or be in pain for any longer. It has been hard to watch those around me in their grief. He is missed. I had a habit of gifting him books that I thought he would like for Christmas. I asked that I could have those books back. I wanted to read them and try to enjoy them as he had. One was titled: No Angel by James Dobyn   and when he had unwrapped it, he asked me what I was trying to say. He had a sharp humor about him the whole time I knew him. I like to believe that he is in a better place now.

• Brandon and I were able to prove that we could survive 948 miles with a four year old and teenager. Granted, we kind of cheated by only making our trips at night. I really enjoyed the time we spent in Brandon's home town. His Mamaw is such a hoot and I really enjoy her spirit. I hope that we will be able to make more trips, more often, in the future. I am also hoping that his family will be able to spend some time with us, here in Texas, one day.
  
  
  

• In early August we took off to Ft. Worth for the 2011 Scentsy convention and boy, was that an experience. We had a "quirky" hotel that had little, to no, air conditioning during a record breaking heat wave. We managed to get through all the chaos and heat and were never so happy to arrive home. We did have a good time though.

• Later that same month I managed to wreck our car. It was rainy and a girl hydroplaned into me. Luckily, I wasn't badly injured and neither was the other driver. The car was totaled and I was so sad over that. C'est la vie. 

• We added to our family in October. We were blessed to adopt our perfect puppy, Lexie from her first parents. For me, it was love at first sight. She can make me laugh like no other and no one is ever more happy to see me than her. I never knew a dog would make me as happy as she has. I guess that is why I love her so.

2011 was the year I turned 30. It was a year that I made new friends. People that I care a great deal for. At times this year has been hectic, hard or great all at different times and so randomly. Our world is so chaotic, but there have been moments that I look deep down into my soul and wonder how did I get so lucky. What did I do to deserve such moments of happiness, joy and contentment?  Ten years ago, I never would have thought of this as a life for myself. I couldn't have imagined that it would be so good. Sitting down and looking back on it all makes me appreciate it even more. 

Happy New Year! May it be all that you wish for.

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I am blank

I am weird because...


I feel that if my sunshades are on, that makes me invisible.
Watching Hoarders on A&E both fascinates and horrifies me.
I love ketchup more than anyone, not counting my Uncle David.
I could never live a life without dental floss.
 If I run out of Creme Brulee liquid creamer the world. might. just. END. I will not drink my coffee any other way and my way is better than any $7 cup from Starbucks.
I love giving more than receiving.

I am a bad friend because...


I can be forgetful.
I am not good at keeping secrets.
Patience isn't my strong suit.
Sometimes I accidentally double book.
 Jealousy hits me hard sometimes if I feel forgotten or left out.

I am a good friend because...


My friend's joy is my joy.
I am a good cheerleader, I think.
I like to be helpful.
I love deeply, if I love you.
I am honest. Lying is not my a strong suit of mine. I suck at it.
I am grateful for the friends that I have. There have been times when I felt like I had none.


I am sad because...


Some people never change and even if you love them, you have to let them go.
It seems like our country is not going to see signs of relief for  a long time. (no matter how hard I try to ignore that fact.)
There are people out there that choose victims that can not defend themselves. They choose an "easy" target.
Because everyone is supposed to have theses inalienable rights: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Everyone.


I am happy because...

I am about to turn 30 and I feel like my life has only just begun.
After kissing a lot frogs I found my prince.
I have much to be thankful for. I am so blessed.
I have the love of my friends and family. And friends that are my family.
After we had decided to wait to get a puppy, our puppy came to us. Lexie can always make me smile and laugh!


I am excited for...

Thanksgiving Dinner. (My favorite holiday.)
My Birthday which will be the day after my favorite holiday this year.
Christmas decorating & festivities.
All the great  things that are going to take place in 2012 that I don't even know about yet!

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I fooled around and fell in love!

This is the apple of my eye! We were introduced yesterday and it was lurve at first sight! I never knew this little nugget could make me laugh so much! I just want to gobble her up! We have had Lexie in our life for 24 hours now and I am so happy to have her! She is such a little love bug and the best, cutest, sweetest puppy ever!

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9/11 part one

It's been ten years. I can't believe that it has been ten years. I know so many people are thinking about it. I have read a few excerpts from The Legacy Letters from a few different magazines and they are so heart wrenching. I believe that the lives of most people were affected that day whether they knew someone involved or not. It was almost like an imaginary safety bubble that protected us on American soil had popped. We were no longer indestructible. The level of fear created that day was so palpable. Everyone likes to talk about "where were you when..." I never thought that I would come to a point that I could share my story with the internet, but after ten years I am finally comfortable taking that leap.

About ten days prior to September 11, 2001 I had been admitted to Cypress Creek Hospital. The week leading up to my admittance was terrifying to myself and everyone that had contact with me. I was plagued with the most intense paranoia I have ever experienced. I felt that people were following me, my apartment was wire tapped, people were moving my personal belongings. I barely slept or ate. My conversations made no sense to anyone but me. I was so easily irate and frustrated and my family nor myself had no idea what was wrong with me. After a trip to the Emergency Room we were told that I need treatment from Cypress Creek because the hospital wasn't equipped to help me with my problems.

I went the next day. It was awful. I was behind doors that I couldn't walk out of. I wasn't confined to a room with padded walls, but I had to be accounted for at all times. The days were filled with medications, group therapy, therapy with a doctor, therapy with a nurse, art therapy, talking to other patients that could be down right scary, tons of cigarette smoking, a few phone calls here and there and so many countless tears. The day I was admitted and watched my mom walk out the door, knowing that I could not leave on my own accord, the gravity of the situation hit me like a piano had fallen from ten stories up. I felt like I could die from the weight of it all.

Looking back on my life, I could say that there were signs that my life was going to lead me to this place. I had been through a lot. A lot of the choices that I had made in my life were the types of choices many people with the same diagnosis had made. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The diagnosis was a real slam to me. I felt ashamed and defective. Because of the medications I was administered I partially felt like a zombie. Somewhere in all this I seemed to lose the essence of my self. I had no idea anymore. I couldn't be sure what was real, what was true or even if life was worth living anymore. I was defeated and dejected. This was the worst. I was at my bottom. How could anything ever be worse?

In 1997 I had been fortunate enough to take a short but very full trip to New York City. I had stayed near Time's Square and veritably enjoyed the Double Decker Bus Tour of the City. At the time my mom was pregnant with my twin brothers, so needless to say I was over come to take a ridiculous amount of photos of the Twin Towers. I felt an immense affinity towards those two buildings because of the twins that were about to become a huge part of my life. As I sat eagerly awaiting my mother to fetch me from the mental hospital, I watched the news. There was nothing else to do. I sat in silent terror as I witnessed the footage of the attacks on those very Twin Towers I had fallen in love with. I saw the airplanes make contact and the smoke. I  had only thought that things could never get worse than they had been. I was wrong. I was so wiped out that the tears silently streamed down my placid face.
 
I thought I would be so happy to have the freedom to get in my mom's car and head home. Wrong again. We heard that there were fears that Houston could be attacked as well. We took I-45 home that day and possibly saw three other cars on our 45 minute drive home. That was the creepiest thing. It was so eerily quiet.

Part II

I guess you could say that I am lucky because I did not know anyone that was injured or killed during the attacks that took place on 9/11. I didn't feel lucky then and I don't now. I think most people, whether directly affected or not, went through a great heartbreak that day. It's like we had been so naive and assured that we would never face an attack on our own soil. To me that was the day our little safety bubble popped. I know that I have never felt as confident in our safety since that day. There have been times in my life, post 9/11, that I can fully visualize what would happen if a suicide bomber were in the building. It happened to me a few times and it caused the worst panic attacks. I felt hot and sick and had to learn to mentally talk myself out of it. I really do not know why anyone would use planes as their weapons. I don't understand what taking the lives of so many innocent people accomplished. There is so much about these tragedies that I can not wrap my brain around. I can't imagine having lost a loved one in such a manner. I believe that the survivors have walked down a long hard path to deal with a lost sister, father, mother, brother, friend. I surely hope that as a nation we are stronger as individuals. I am not sure if our nation as a whole is stronger after this. From where I sit right now I would have to say it doesn't seem that we are. I don't know the answer. I absolutely do not know what could drive such a deep hatred to make someone pull off such a heinous act. It's been ten years and there is still so much that probably still will not make sense to me in 20 years. 

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We did it!

Take a look at the link and please show some comment love!

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Merry Christmas!

The Holiday season is usually a time that we reflect on the past year and I have to say that 2010 has been a great year that is really going out with a bang!

Yesterday was an amazing day. My family went to a candle light service that was awe inspiring. It was really incredible and a great way to kick off our Christmas celebrations. We had a wonderful time there together with so many strangers that wanted to keep the reason for Christmas at the focus. I hope that this will be a family tradition for many years to come.

After church we went to see Little Fockers and had some laughs together. My mom loves all the movies in this series so she was so happy to get to see this one. Afterwards we headed to Grandma Mary Anne's  to open gifts, play Fact or Crap and of course to stuff our faces. We had so much fun and so many laughs together. We always have a great time when Grandma Mary Anne hosts a party. She really knows how to throw a party! I am so very happy that Grandma Mary Anne Has move to Texas from Kentucky and I feel that our family is much more rich because she is here with us. She is a blessing!

I am so happy to have been able to spend time with my family on such a special occasion. I feel fortunate that we have our health and happiness with each other. I am so excited about 2011. I have a new job, a home closer to my closest friends and family,  I will have more opportunities to spend with them this year as well because of my new job. I can not believe the good fortune that has been spilling over in my life. I am incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life and am so excited about the year to come!

I hope everyone will have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

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Here we are again right up on the Holiday season. This Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving and I will also be celebrating my 29th birthday. In the spirit of both I write this. A lot of families have a tradition of going round the table so everyone can say what they are thankful for.

 I am so thankful to have a family that loves me and never gave up on me. In September of 2011 it will be 10 years since I was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I know there are countless people in the world that have suffered from mental illness and consequently suffered alone without the support of family or friends. I feel so lucky to have had my family alongside me to fight this even when I did not have the wherewithal to fight it myself. I had friends that gave up on me, but my family never did. I don't think they ever will.

I'm thankful for everyday I have had in this 10 year period. My life might not be the life I expected but if I had my way in the early, dark days of my diagnosis I probably wouldn't be here right now. All the days between then and now were not full of rainbows and unicorns, but they got me here. Oddly, 10 years ago I thought my life was over. Now 10 years later I feel like it is just beginning. I have learned how to live with this disease and I don't let it railroad me. I am so Thankful for that.

I am very grateful to have found a mate that loves me for me, flaws and all. We have had many ups and downs in the four years (in February) that we have been together. I am so Thankful that we made a choice to work through the hard stuff and not give up when things got tough. Now I am with someone that not only loves me, but really knows me in a way that shocks me sometimes. He my boyfriend/fiancee, but he is also one of the best friends I have ever known. He cares about me in a way that no one ever has before, excluding family. I tried but failed to scare him off in the beginning and now I am so glad that he stuck around for the long haul.

You know, as I have grown older I have less and less friends. Oddly though it's not something that bothers me. There are three friends that I do have that I feel so lucky to turn to. I am so Thankful that Danna, Colleen and Kristin are a part of my life. They are treasures in my heart. I love them all and know that life would be so dreary with out them. They make having 3 friends, true friends, very rewarding. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

One last thing that I want to give thanks for is the fact that we moved to Conroe. I always said it would NEVER happen. I had so much anxiety surrounding the town I grew up in that it was awful to even think about.  Well, we have been here since July and now I wonder why we didn't do it sooner. I love living closer to my family and friends. I am thankful that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone!  

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