Ode to Our Odyssey

Don't worry, I am not going to physically write an ode, I just like the alliteration
Mini-van Confessions 

Season 1 / Episode 2

 

We walk almost everywhere, in fact, I don't even like to drive*, but most of all, I've always prided myself on being unique.  One day, a couple of years back, we were in a hurry.  I needed to swing by the grocery store so instead of walking to school to get the kids, I drove. We got back home to hurriedly jump into the van, only to remember that I had driven it to school to "save time."

Frustrated, I sighed aloud, "How did we walk right past our own minivan and miss it?"

To which my very logical, slightly snarky, and then 6 year old son replied, "Ummm... maybe because we have the same car as everyone else in Suburbia?!?" 

So how did I get to this point? of following the masses, of accepting my destiny, of embracing the Odyssey?  Just like

Frugal January

I've found 2 fool proof ways to lower our bills, and in January, with the holidays just over, there couldn't be a better time.

Firstly, I've misplaced my AmEx. No need to go into a panic, my identity is not about to get stolen and nobody is having a $100 shopping spree at Kohls on me. 
 
Although I'm organized, I am constantly misplacing my credit cards, keys, and iPhone.  Pretty much just those 3 things but repeatedly.  I stick them in a pocket* or purse or coat or book or pantry and then can't find them.  In this case, I called "New Jersey" and ordered a replacement part for my really nice but very dusty pressure cooker because I want to save money and the environment by making my own beans instead of buying them canned.  That is the last purchase.  For nearly 3

Lovin' Plum

If you haven't read in awhile and have a goal to get back into books (or start for the first time), the Stephanie Plum Series is a fun place to begin. Stephanie is an "independent" woman who needs all the help she can get from a myriad of fantastically entertaining characters.  She is consummately broke, totally tenacious, and an endearing (albeit unlikely) heroine.  The series is a really enjoyable combination of comedy, romance, and mystery.

WOW! that first paragraph is so generic that it sounds exactly like one of my Balderdash answers!  I might need to spruce up my book recommendation delivery.

WARNING:  These books are a little racy, but in a fun and non-offensive way.  There is some language and a bunch of moderate sexual references, very few between married couples.  I'm not giving anything away here, but Grandma Mazur carries a gun and is a little boy crazy.  Stephanie is constantly torn between

I Hate GS Cookies

Okay, I know, a little harsh.  I'm not normally snarky (at least publicly-- in private after a couple glasses of wine is sometimes another story) but I Hate Girl Scout Cookies^.
I don't like

Probiotic Smoothy

Smoothy Recipe can be printed as a 4x6 photo

Being surrounded by the crazy germs of school age children has garnered a renewed love for probiotics, especially in the winter.  Probiotics are (seriously this time) linked to all sorts of health benefits (lowers BP, improves digestion, clears up skin problems*), but most importantly, it keeps internal bacteria in check. 
Our society uses a ton of antibiotics to cure bacterial infections but in doing so, they wipe out all of the bacteria, both good and bad, in the body and create antibiotic resistant infections; a nuclear bomb on the body. Technically speaking, the problem is that since the good guys are gone, the bad guys can rule the city really fast.  Probiotics are like the X-men.

By regularly taking probiotics, it gives the good guys a little edge, and hopefully in the long run, keeps our bodies healthy (and off antibiotics).  Our family still gets sick (mostly viruses), but it isn't terribly often, and I'd love to take a moment to brag about how my 10 year old DS has never been on antibiotics and my 8 year old DD has only been on them once.  That said, I would be remiss if I failed to inform that, I personally, have been on antibiotics nearly every year since having kids.  Sometimes more than once.  I catch strep throat by just walking near elementary school aged children.

How does one get these helpful little probiotics (affectionately called "Probies" by a DF)?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  There are a couple of ways:

Fridays @ 5:55a

The tree has been dragged to the curb, holiday decor moved back to storage, the house has a moderate semblance of order, and very few parties are left in The Oracle.  New Years Resolutions are set and I'm kind of almost ready for a productive New Year (or at least almost ready to make a grocery list and open the kids' backpacks).