It has been 9 years

On August 4th, 2001, my grandma passed away.

Today I honor her by wearing her wedding ring (of course, she had smaller fingers than me, so I am wearing it on my pinky) and her initials necklace.  I love you and miss you Grandma. *tear*

ps. You would get a kick out of your great grandkids.  I am certain that they would stay out of your curtains……….not really…because they are my boys. 😀

Do I smell nice? Part 2

Last night, I decided to smell my essential oil concoction, and I decided that I did not like it.  I thought that the middle note of Geranium was too strong.  So, my hubby helped me with the quick math, and I changed the percentages.

Old                                                                     New

20% base note                                            30% base note

50% middle note                                       30% middle note

30% top note                                              40% top note

I will smell tonight and report tomorrow what we have come up with. 🙂

Slammin’ Shrimp!

On Saturday night, I went out with friends from a moms website that I spend a lot of time on. 🙂

We ate at Firebirds Restaurant.

Since I am back on my diet (I am doing my second triathlon in about 8 more weeks), I could not go crazy with the menu. So, I decided to be sensible, and got the Grilled Shrimp & Strawberry Salad. Here is the description according to the menu: Mixed greens, fire grilled shrimp, goat cheese, jicama, spiced pecans, strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette.

Can I just tell you……this salad was friggin’ FANTASTIC!!!

I managed to leave that restaurant knowing how to fix the shrimp and the salad, and I was able to obtain a little bit of the spice combination that was used on the shrimp. 

I went to Costco on Sunday, purchased a bag of 11-13 count shrimp, came home and fixed my shrimp.  I overcooked the shrimp just a little bit, so, it was a little rubbery, but the flavor was all there!

So, to my girls that were at the table with me.  I did it! 

Firebirds grilled shrimp was had at my house.  😛

Do I smell nice?

For a few weeks now, I have been looking into aromatherapy. I have always loved the smell of flowers and various scented things.

I am not one that really wears perfume, because I get tired of the way something smells after a while. It is in my nature to keep changing things up.

Well, about a month ago, I decided to take the plunge and purchased 4 essential oils, to begin my blending efforts to find the “perfect” scent for different moods that I would like to evoke, and to have our house smell more natural and inviting, like only essential oils can do.

Here are my notes from my first attempt:

Today I am attempting my first blending of essential oils.
The oils that I am blending are:
Aura Cacia – Lavender (according to aromaweb.com – top note)
Aura Cacia – Bergamot (according to aromaweb.com – top note)
Aura Cacia – Geranium (according to aromaweb.com – middle note)
Aura Cacia – Sandalwood (in jojoba oil) (according to aromaweb.com – base note)
Based on information that I gathered from aromaweb.com, I am going to blend the scents in this fashion.
30% top notes
50% middle notes
20% base notes
For my first blend – I am going to have a small amount. 10 drops total.
2 drops of Sandalwood
5 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Bergamot
1 drop of Lavender
This blend needs to sit for a few days before I decide whether I love it or hate it.
So, this is me waiting for a few days. Knowing that I am going to sniff it, throughout to see how it is coming along. 🙂