5 Things To Like This Week

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  1. In the April 2019 issue of DISCOVER magazine is a fascinating article about the T-Rex. Was this dinosaur really the lone hunter we see on the big screen? Or did T-Rex have a brain big enough/capable enough to run in packs and even take care of each other’s young? These dinosaurs scare the crap out of me. Now wondering if they hunted in packs? Thanks for the nightmares Discover magazine.
  2. I have discovered the coolest cleaning tool. It’s called Pumie Scouring Stick. We have very hard water here and this little thing works wonders on mineral build-up in the toilet, stove burners, and sinks. (I use a separate one just for the toilet, of course.) Today I cleaned all the carbon stuff off my burner covers, the mineral build-up around the faucet of my kitchen sink, and my aluminum tea kettle. It worked so well! Plus, there is no odor and it is non-toxic. I love it!
  3. Beto O’Rourke. He just announced that he is running for president and I couldn’t be more excited. Beto is a fresh start. He listens to people. People keep squawking (mostly Bernie supporters) that he got money from big oil. People! That has nothing to do with NOW. He is running a grassroots movement NOW. OMG he got busted for a DUI when he was in his 20’s. Were you perfect in your 20’s? I know I wasn’t. Anyway, listen to him speak sometime. I did and I was moved. I’ve listened to Bernie too. He is angry, squandered his 20 years in congress, and he is TOO OLD to run for president. Period. BETO FOR AMERICA 2020.
  4. Adrift Movie. First of all, the ocean scares the crap out of me. Second, I love survival stories. This has both. It was an amazing movie and I can’t go into it because you just have to see it to believe it.
  5. Kind Breakfast Protein Bars (Dark Chocolate Cocoa). I love these! They are delicious and they keep you full until lunch. Can’t beat that! Yum!

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5 Things To Like This Week

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  1. The 2000’s on Netflix. Holy popular culture and politics from my 20’s! I get pretty riled up over the politics. I mean, people, you think the Cheetoh we have in office now is bad? Do you not remember/weren’t old enough to remember GEORGE W. (fu*king) BUSH???!!! How about the most meaningless war the US EVER fought? And, get this, if you protested said war, you were deemed unpatriotic. This is why nothing in current politics surprises me. I lived through 9/11 in real-time. I saw Barack Obama live on the campaign trail in Bozeman, MT and cried. He was a politician promising hope and not war in the Middle East! I waited in anticipation on Sunday nights for The Sopranos, and Deadwood. So, the 2000’s on Netflix is really great and it reminds me of how far we, and I, have come.
  2. I am a big Shameless fan. That show has me genuinely cracking up. My favorite characters are Kevin, Lip, and Frank. My least favorite is Fiona. Kevin is just so adorable for this huge, sweet guy–considering he grew up in foster care on Chicago’s South side. Lip is just too handsome for words and has a big heart. Frank is a hot mess, but he is actually a genius and you never feel too bad for him when instant karma hits him every damn time. Fiona. Ugh. Fiona. Ya, ya I get it. She took care of 6 kids. She’s selfless. But is she? Sometimes I think people like playing the martyr–Fiona’s no exception. I’m pretty sure the last episode ever is next Sunday. Bummed, but it is a good show to binge if you are looking for a new show!
  3. My snuggly cat Stella will sit on my lap (Bella wants nothing to do with me) when it is -20 outside. This is the only upside I can come to about it being -20 outside. Bring on Spring, please!
  4. Here’s to Celebrating Women in Music. Stevie Nicks is being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time in her career. She is the only woman to ever do so. There is a great article about this in the March 2019 issue of Rolling Stone. Rock on Gold Dust Woman.
  5. I spent nearly all weekend taking pictures and listing 20+ new items for the Etsy shop. Tons of vintage jewelry and vintage boho decor. There might be something over there that you want. Check it out here——>MysticTeaTrinkets.etsy.com

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5 Things to Like This Week

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  1. Mondays are for SNL clips. I don’t have cable NBC, so I rely on Youtube for my SNL fix. I love it. It puts me in a good mood. I still remember when I was in junior high and my Mom would let me stay up and watch it. She would even tell my Grandma, when we stayed at her house, that it was okay if I stayed up for it. Now as an adult, I appreciate it, and treat it as a comfort. We need that kinda thing right now, I think. Saturday Night Live is really not just a show–it’s a statement of where we are and, even though things seem wrong in the world, if we can still laugh, things are gonna be okay.
  2. “Art Matters: Because Your Imagination Can Change the World” By Neil Gaiman and Illustrated by Chris Riddell. This book would be a fantastic gift for a graduate. It is very motivational and talks about the importance of physical books, libraries and librarians. So, of course I would like it. Now I am recommending it to you and maybe you will too?
  3. My “Bookshelf”. Are you looking for something new to read? I used to read a lot and then my Etsy business took off and my smart phone addiction was at an all time high. Now I am reading on a regular basis again and I am updating my “Bookshelf” on this website as I go. Go ahead and sneak a peek at what I’ve been reading!
  4. So, I’ve got this thing for Post Malone. He’s adorable! There’s just something about him that draws me in. I didn’t get a chance to see him perform at the Grammys until this week and I LOVED IT. His performance of “Dark Necessities” with The Red Hot Chili Peppers was fantastic. Seriously, I almost squealed.
  5. Hand me a box of Momoas please. Oh what is a Momoa? It’s my favorite girlscout cookie, the Samoas, with Jason Mamoa on the box. I’m coo coo for those coconuts.

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Simply Ramen

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I love Ramen noodles, plain. Sometimes I will even eat them dry as a little crunchy snack. This recipe came to me one day at the office when I was thinking about something warm to make for dinner. It was winter and very cold outside, so soup it was! I absolutely love wasabi paste dissolved in soy sauce, so I added a couple tablespoons at the end as a bit of a liquid “garnish”. Anyway, this is a totally versatile inexpensive dinner or lunch.

INGREDIENTS

2tbs coconut oil

Half Yellow Onion (Chopped)

1tsp minced garlic

1/2 C frozen broccoli

1/4 C chopped mushrooms

garlic salt + red pepper to taste

2 C water

1 serving of dry Ramen noodles

“garnish” wasabi paste soaked in 1/4 C low sodium soy sauce

(optional: extra firm tofu squares or hard boiled egg)

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion, garlic, broccoli and mushrooms. Add salt and red pepper to taste. Cook until onions are transparent. Add 2C of water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add Ramen noodles. Cook 3 minutes. Optional: add wasabi + soy sauce. Serve.

Makes 1-2 servings.

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5 Things To Like This Week

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  1. Big Little Lies. It’s like “Mean Girls” meets “The OC” with children. Plus, there’s a ton of TEA. (When did “spilling tea” become a “thing”? It’s kinda annoying, but whatever. I need to embrace the younger generation.) Anyway, the show is addicting. Here are a few things I liked about it: Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie (his solo nearly made me cry), Nicole Kidman (I get it, but I would’ve murdered him), and the impressive drone shots of the California coast.
  2. The Penny Hoarder. This is a great website if you are trying to manage your money. For me, financial articles are so boring and reading them is a little like pulling teeth, but this website does a good job of keeping me interested. Plus, most of the stuff they offer is not sponsored, so it’s legit.
  3. Acorns. Speaking of budgets, I will learn to invest smart. I write about things. Investing is the last thing on my brain. However, Acorns is an amazing, new app that allows you to invest your spare change. Then when that change adds up to $5, Acorns does the rest. Plus, what a cute little name right?: “Acorns”–kinda less intimidating than, say, Merrill Lynch.
  4. Perrier Lime. Do you want some sparkling water that tastes like Fruit Loops? Then getcha some of this stuff! It’s so good!
  5. Russian Doll on Netflix. Timeline shifting, metaphysics, code breaking, NYC, Natasha Lyonne (The girl, Nadia says, “looked like if the girl from Brave and Andrew Dice Clay had a baby”) and love? Netflix is hitting out of the park with this one.

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