Where's the Beach?

Do you have that one kitchen appliance that you never seem to use? The one you either bought or asked for as a gift certain it'd make your life easier? For me it was a slow cooker. We had an old one given as a gift that pretty much had two temperatures settings: hot and hotter. So for Christmas a few years back, I asked for a fancy upgrade. One that had timers and various temperature settings. It even locks the lid into place, how's that for fancy? I tried using it a few times for some soups or chili. Each time I either overcooked the vegetables until they were basically mush, or it was so undercooked I ended up transferring to a regular pot and finishing the meal on the stove. Not exactly simplifying life. One of my problems is that I can't seem to follow a recipe. I pin them, write them out, email them to myself, print them even. But when it comes to following them step-by-step, I don't. I decide to add my own spin on things. Sometimes it works out really well, ...

Contemplating Resolutions How are you doing with your resolutions? I'm sort of 2 for 2. I only listed 4 that I borrowed from fellow blogging buddies ( Jessica and Allie ). Stop with the "can't wait" (as in can't wait for Friday) Stop with the negative talk Smile Compliment someone 2 Up I've done really good with stopping the "can't wait" mentality thus far. Of course it's only the 6th right? But I didn't start wishing my week away on Monday. However, I will admit that I have secretly said, "I can't wait for Saturday," simply because it's my sister's birthday party. I'll be going to her house early to help her set up and staying the night. So that's acceptable right? I think so. I've done good with the smiling. I smile at myself first thing in the morning every morning - it's how I put on blush (some tip I read ages ago). No matter how crummy I am feeling, I have to smile to put on the blush an...