Go For Chinese

Martin took some time off from work last week and we finally went to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. (It only took us 6 years.)

I had a two for one admission ticket from my Chinook Book, but frankly I would have paid full price. It was magical, it was peaceful, and it was beautiful.



I highly suggest you take one of the free walking tours of the garden. It was one of the best tours I've ever been on. (And I've been to Europe.)

Make A Complaint

A little while ago, I purchased some new underwear. Hanes Perfect Stretch (2) Opaque Bikinis to be exact. I've worn them maybe 3x. They are fine. Not spectacular, but certainly comfortable. So, I was quite shocked to find that the elastic has broken and is sticking out the side of the underwear.




*Sigh*

So I decided I could:

A) Just throw them away and never buy another product from Hanes.

B) Mail the product back to Hanes (as stated on the packaging).

C) Write a blog post about the issue and leave the URL in a comment form at Hanes.com.

I choose option C.

Put Down That Gatorade

YOU: "But, Lia, I just worked out and I need to replenish fluids."

ME: "Did you workout for more than an hour? Are you a endurance or ultra endurance athlete?"

YOU: "Um, no. But I'm thirsty. And I worked so hard."

ME: "Drink water, stupid. If you drink a 32 fl. oz bottle of Gatorade, you will drink 200 calories. If you drink a 20 oz. bottle of Powerade, you will consume 195 calories, a bottle of VitaminWater has 125. Why un-do your hard work?

YOU: "Umm, but it tastes better than water."

ME: "Yes, I know it does. It's because it's pure sugar. Want to know how I know this?"

YOU: "Not really, but I have a feeling you will tell me anyway."

ME: "True. Because, when I am having an insulin reaction (my blood sugar is dropping) and I need fast acting sugar, purer than table sugar, purer than apple juice or candy, I drink GATORADE. (And all I need is a cup of it to send my blood sugar soaring back up.)"

YOU: "You are so smart."

Don't Destroy My Trust

Last week, I was hanging with my brother in Olympia, Washington and he introduced me to the book: Eat This, Not That (Supermarket Survival Guide), by Rodale.



It's a beautiful, glossy, book. It's supposed to steer you away from the truly crappy food at the supermarket to well, less crappy food [my opinion] at the supermarket. Now, I'm always up for a new and easy way to find nutritious things to eat. I get tired of reading all the labels at the supermarket, or *gasp* researching things ahead of time.

Upon further inspection, I noticed that the makers of the book also publish Men's Health Magazine and Woman's Health Magazine and that each issue has a Eat This, Not That section. The next time I was at the library I grabbed some Men's Health Magazines (they did not have Women's Health) and took them home. They seemed overly ab focused, but I found some interesting articles. (Yep, I read Men's Health for the articles.)


I was ready to buy a two years subscription to Woman's Health (I have the check right here), and then I happened to see Matt Bean, Senior Editor of Men's Health Magazine, on the Early Show suggesting people eat both McDonald's Egg McMuffin and a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (sans the cheese).


What? I don't care if a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (sans the cheese) is only 300 calories. A Quarter Pounder with Cheese is NOT FOOD. McDonald's can claim it uses 100% beef, but I don't believe them. Plus, the bun alone has 25+ ingredients. Scary stuff.

So, Rodale, I don't trust you anymore. (I have now ripped up the check I was going to send to you.)

And for me, trust is sacred. Once you lose my trust, it's hard to get it back. And if I don't trust you, why would I bother spending any of my precious time on you? The answer: I'm not.

4 Painless Ways to Save Money RIGHT NOW!

1. Get Tap Water Instead of Soda When You Go Out to Eat
While dining out lately with my 14 year old niece, I noticed that she never ordered soda. That made me notice the amount soda goes for these day. Yikes! Save about $2 each time, plus you won't rot your teeth!

2. Swap Your Magazines
I leave my read magazines on my neighbor's doorstep. She appreciates getting them and I consider it money in the bank for when she needs to get rid of her bumper crop of fruit and veggies. (This also works in an office setting, just be sure you aren't making a mess for the cleaning crew.)

3. Hang It Up
Make sure you have installed towel hooks and clothing hooks in everyone's bathroom and bedroom. Make sure they know that except for underwear, socks and heavily soiled clothes, most items can be hung up and used at least once more before needing to be washed.

5. Use Them Up The next time you are running low on shampoo or conditioner, use the little hotel bottles you have been saving for a rainy day. (Don't look at me like that, I know you have them!) You only really need one for your travel kit. Use up the rest.

Have a Treasurelicious Tuesday

One of the reasons I created Treasurelicious, was that people would ask me where I got things. Rather than repeatedly looking up the info, I created a slick little widget that has all the info right there. Now, I just send people to my Treasurelicious list.

Last night, after my weekly walk with my friend, Dorothy, I showed her my composter AKA my Urban Compost Tumbler. She started asking all the usual questions: How much was it? Where did you get it?.... and I realized I needed to add it to my Treasurelicious list.

So I just did.




It's been a great composter, the lid keeps the bugs and shredded bills in and animals out. It's easy to turn and keeps things quite clean. (Frankly, I feel a bit spoiled.) Although the company is based in Redmond, OR I picked my composter up in Portland, OR. (So if you live in the Portland area and are looking to buy one, please ask about that.)

I currently have cut up cotton socks in my composter, I will let you know if they actually compost!

Have a Plan B: Part 2 of 2

I'm not gonna start until we are all on the same page: Read this first.

Ok, so I head out to the Governor Hotel and eventually get to the parking garage and then to the hotel. An evening of fun, food and killer foot pain stretches out before me.




At 12 am I finally head home, only to realize that I have forgotten my blood glucose meter. I quickly call the hotel, but they tell me that the catering company that hosted the event is gone and all the rooms have been closed up. So, what's a girl to do when her normal blood glucose meter is locked up all alone at the Governor Hotel?

Well, she breaks out another. (This is why we have emergency kits, folks!)

(FYI: My blood glucose meter was found and I picked it up last Friday. Yay.)

Have a Plan B: Part 1 of 2

I volunteered at last week's Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (of Portland, OR's) Hope Gala, at the Governor Hotel. Since it was a fancy event, I had tried to make an appointment with my regular hairstylist, to do my hair all fancy. She was unavailable so instead made an appointment for me with another one of the ladies at the shop.

Saturday morning rolls around and I get a call from the stylist saying that she won't be able to do my hair today, because she tripped on her daughter's shoe, and has fractured her finger. So she gives me the name of another lady that works at the salon that could possibly help me.

I ooh and yikes, the appropriate amount of time regarding her finger and then call the salon back to try and schedule the appointment with woman #3. It's now 1:00 pm and I need to leave for Portland by 4 pm. When 2:00 rolls around, I decide to take matters in to my own hands and I head to Target to get a curling iron. I'm positive that I can remember how to use one. About 15 minutes in to trying to do my hair, I realize that it ain't gonna happen. By this point the front of my hair is straight, so I decide to let the front stay straight and let the back go curly (as it wants to do anyway). I add some beads to my dress, decide I look punk-ish and call it a day.

(But not before I document...)


From the front:


From the side:


Stylist #3 calls me back at 3:50 pm saying, "So you want to come in for an appointment today?" And I tell her that she is too late.

To be continued...

Have a Treasurelicious Tuesday

I've decided to mix things up a bit with Tlish Tuesday. Rather than telling you about what other people think is cool, I will illuminate you on some of the things in my Treasurelicious list. (All located in the handy widget in my sidebar.)

For this first post, I will start off with one of my favorite things. So favorite in fact, that when I see it on sale. I will buy FOUR of them. (In fact, I just did this on Tuesday.) I've tried others, I've tried to go cold turkey, but there is no getting over my addiction to Bath & Body Work's Jasmine & Vanilla Sugar Scrub.





I love using it in the winter, when my skin gets dry from all the hot showers I take. Nothing works better. Oh, and the smell! Heavenly! And most importantly, because it is made out of sugar, rather than salt, if you happen to have small cuts, nothing will sting or hurt.

Want to share something that is in your Treasurelicious list? Please leave a link to your post in the comments of this post.

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Martin and I and our friends Alex and Kim went to a Lumberjax game last weekend.



Martin had gotten us pretty good tickets. We were almost close enough to touch the players.


(Stupid plexiglass)


Almost close enough to touch the Jax Dancers.


(Stupid plexiglass)

And so close, that I was only 4 seats away from the Lumberjax mascot, Jaxon.


(WHERE THE HELL IS THE PLEXIGLASS?)

If you've been a long time reader of my blog, or happen to ever be out in public with me during any holiday season, you will remember that I am not a fan of people in costumes.

While sitting down, I found myself leaning away from Jaxon. And later when Martin and I walked up to get some food, and happened to walk by Jaxon, my normally wonderfully, sweet husband, the one that normally shields me from these beasts, thought it would be funny to wave at Jaxon and try to catch his attention. (This earned Martin a well deserved smack on the leg from me.)

We return to the Rose Garden soon, to see the Lumberjax play again. This time I'll have Wayne to protect me, in case Martin gets out of line again!