The Un-Blizzard of 2015 and a Reddish Velvet Hot Mess

You know how you think something's gonna turn out one way,
and it doesn't happen that way at all?

This post was supposed be about a red velvet Valentine's dessert. 
I'm already late, and now, thanks to my usual shenanigans of messing something up,
my Valentine's post will be later still.  
I was baking along, and everything was going beautifully.
I double and triple checked that I added the right amount of everything. 
But I couldn't figure out why the batter wasn't bright red - just red-ish.

I've made this recipe dozens of times, and this was a first.
What the WHAT???

I finally realized that I bought "special dark" cocoa powder by mistake. 
It turned the red batter back to brown.
 
Another fine hot baking mess I got myself into. 

I could have gone out and bought some more, but I just didn't feel like it.
My mindset was that today was a stay-in-the-house kind of day, 
because of the blizzard.

Yeah...about that.
Another thing that didn't turn out as planned. 

The Blizzard Wizards really screwed up this time.

  "CRIPPLING  AND POTENTIALLY HISTORIC BLIZZARD TO IMPACT THE AREA,"

shouted The National Weather Service. 

"Prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before,"

advised New York City Mayor, Bill De Blasio. 

"60 million people will be devastated by this storm," 

warned Al Roker. 

"Hooray! No School!!!!!,"
cheered Junior Goo Shoes.
 

All day yesterday, the news was hyping the severity of the storm.
We were supposed to get between 24-36 inches.

All travel was banned into New York City.
Major highways were closed throughout NJ and NY.
School closures were announced 24 hours in advance.
Businesses sent out notices that they would not be opening.

Holy moly. 
This was gonna be the BIG one!
 

By 1:00am this morning, when only a couple of inches had fallen,

I couldn't help but wonder...is this for real, or is it just a lot of 
50-mile-per-hour hot air from the weather forecasters? 
Could it really snow that much in the next few hours?

Mr. Goo Shoes got up early to start plowing the driveway,
and practically whooped with joy when he saw 
that only another 2 or inches had fallen, for a grand total of about 4 inches. 
Yuppers. That's all, folks.
The only reason it looks like there's a lot of snow 
is because we got six inches on Saturday...more than the day of the "blizzard."

The forecasters weren't totally wrong.
Other areas, like Montauk, NY and the Boston area got pounded.
It's just that they were so definitive about this one for our area,
and they couldn't have been more off-base.

Overall, I'm glad we didn't get all that snow.
It's only fun the first day, anyway.
I guess "Juno" was historic after all...
It will be remembered as the "Un-Blizzard of 2015."

Too much cocoa powder...
Too little snow.

It's always something. 

Why Waikiki? 10 Reasons Why You Should Stay A Few Days

Can you name three beaches in Hawaii?

1. Waikiki

       2. Uhhhhh.... 

       3. Hmmmm...

Chances are you came up with Waikiki, and maybe you said Ka'anapali, 
because you read my "Where In The World Is Ms. Toody" post,

but I bet most people can't think of anything but Waikiki.

So why is it that so many folks turn their nose up 
at the mention of one of the world's most famous beaches?

"It's too built up."

"It's just like Miami Beach."

"It's seedy."

"It's not the real Hawaii."

I'm guilty of being one of those nose-turner-uppers.

It took three trips to Hawaii to finally decide to give Waikiki a chance,

And now that I did, I've got ten reasons why you should, too.

1. It's a bucket list thing.

Waikiki is one of the most famous beaches in the world...

why not cross it off your bucket list?

It's really a shame to pass it up when you've more than likely got to stop in Honolulu,  anyway, before changing planes to another Hawaiian Island. 

2. See Diamond Head from your beach chair. 

I don't know about you, but Mr. Goo Shoes and I are not adventurists. 

We like to see famous sights without having to hike it, climb it, bike it.

Situated at the end of Waikiki Beach, the only effort expended to see the extinct  Diamond Head volcano was turning our heads to look down the beach.

My telephoto lens brought me close enough, thank you very much.

We liked the idea of crossing this famous landmark off our list 
without having to actually go there.

As Mr. Goo Shoes once said,

"We've seen it. It's nice. Let's go eat."

3. Pearl Harbor is only 11 miles away.

My other nine reasons are all about fun...this is the serious one.

Visiting the USS Arizona memorial -- the sunken battleship where thousands lost their lives on December 7, 1941 in a surprise attack by the Japanese Navy --

should be reason enough to stop in Waikiki.

We skipped it on our first two trips to Hawaii, 

but perhaps it was meant to be that we waited to see 
this important historical site with our teenager. 

4. Your two feet can take you everywhere.

Ever since our rental-car debacle in Turks and Caicos -- two blown out tires at a roundabout, which is a story for another post --

any place we don't have to rent a car gets bonus points from me. 

The immediate Waikiki area, is very walkable.
There are also trolleys, buses and taxis, if your tootsies start to hurt.  
 

5. It's all about the beach, 'bout the beach...no pebbles. 
The beach is quite lovely, albeit crowded.
 Our taxi driver told us the beaches were as jammed as Times Square.
Ha Ha, we laughed.
He was right.
It was Christmas, so it may have been extra-packed with people, 
but it's surely always "happening."
Aside from the people-parade,
there are tons of water sports to partake in...you can rent surfboards, stand-up paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and more.
The sunsets aren't too shabby either.

6. Ogle a historic lady, or two.
Two grand old hotels are still operating in Waikiki. 
We were fortunate to stay in one of them -- the Moana Surfrider.

It's one of those walk-in-and-say-WOW places.

After an 11-hour flight, we received a truly Hawaiian welcome,  with a lei made of orchids for me, and Kui Nut necklaces for my men.

The hotel, which opened in 1901, is called the "First Lady of Waikiki."

The lobby is gorgeous, and opens onto a patio with a huge banyan tree in the center.
The outdoor restaurant is a great place to watch 
the beautiful Hawaiian sunset over Waikiki Bay.
The other historic hotel, the Royal Hawaiian, was only a pineapple's throw away,
and for whatever the reason, I forgot to go look at it. 
Reason number 1 to go back.  

 

 

 7. Spend just a few bucks...or a few hundred...on meals.

There were lots of price-point options for restaurants. 

Everything from inexpensive noodle shops to the "tres cher" Alan Wong's...
and everything in between.
You might even happen upon a farmer's market.
Definitely stop at Duke's Barefoot Bar on the beach.
They have a breakfast buffet for $16.95, 
where the views alone are as sweet as the pina colada bread pudding. 

8. Learn to catch a wave. 
There are almost as many surfboards as people.
Because the waves are fairly gentle, it's a good place to your get your feet --
and the rest of you -- wet, so to speak.
One of the greatest swimmers and surfers of Waikiki fame, Duke Kahanamoku, 
surfed these very waters, and a statue near the beach pays tribute to him.

9. It's where the action is! 
Waikiki is crowded, but that's half the fun, 
and what makes it different from the other Hawaiian islands.

You've got to have the right mindset, though.
The sidewalks are as crowded as Manhattan streets (we were there during Christmas, so it was especially busy), but it's a hoot to stroll up and down Kalakaua Avenue.

There are shops and restaurants galore...looking at the storefronts, you could be Anywhere, USA, since every chain store seems to be represented.

There are enough Hawaiian souvenir stores to keep you amused,

and if you want to keep the kids busy, just ask them to count the ABC stores. 

 
10. It IS the real Hawaii.
Yes, you can get your inner hula on in Waikiki.
(I'd love to take credit for that line, but you'll see it all over Hawaii).
Saying that Waikiki isn't the real Hawaii 
is like saying that the Catskills are not the real New York.  
 You can surf, eat pineapple, watch a hula dancer, play the ukelele;
people say Aloha and Mahalo.  
It's a different Hawaii, than say, Maui or Kauai, but different is fun.

Three days was just enough time to get a taste of Waikiki.
Have you been to Waikiki?

Linking with:
Weekend Travel Inspiration

Chicken Noodle Soup For Colds & Flu; and "You May Be Right"

You know how disappointing it is when you are really REALLY looking forward to something, and then you can't do it because you get sick?

It stinks, right?

Well, multiply that by a bazillion times, 
and that's how teenagers feels when it happens to them.  

Two weeks ago, Junior Goo Shoes couldn't wait for Saturday--
 he had a big day planned in New York City with his camp friends.

But we all know what happens to the best laid plans.  

Friday night, 6:00pm:
 
"Can you pick me up? I don't feel well."
99.5°

Great timing, as Mr. Goo Shoes and I were just about ready to leave for NYC 
to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden. 
He's been playing there every month...
it's the 13th month in a row that he's sold out, and we finally got tickets.
I couldn't help but wonder, who is going to be the bigger baby here --
me, if we can't go to the concert...
or JGS, if he can't go to the city on Saturday?

When I picked up JGS, he got in the car and said,
"This doesn't mean I'm not going tomorrow. I'll be fine by then."

With Aunt Goo Shoes on call, Mr. GS and I went to the concert.

I kept checking my phone to make sure JGS was ok.

Ironically, in the middle of the song Pressure, I got this text: 

My fever is going down.

I am GOING tomorrow. Right? RIGHT? Mom? MOM!!!
 99.2°

"You have to learn to pace yourself...PRESSURE!"

Just as I was getting into a NY State of Mind, so was Junior Goo Shoes:

I'm better! My fever is normal.

"See, I told you I'm fine.  I am GOING to New York City tomorrow.
 98.7°

"I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line...
I'm in a New York state of mind." 

Twenty-two songs later, including a 4-song encore, we were back home.  
JGS was indeed, "normal."
I started to relax a little, thinking maybe the slight fever was just a fluke. 

But on Saturday morning, I changed my mind:
 
What do you mean, I can't go? 
It's My Life and I'm not staying home. You worry too much.
I AM GOING!!!
 100.4°

"I don't need you to worry for me cause I'm all right
I don't want you to tell me what time to come home.
I don't care what you say, this is my life.
Go ahead with your own life and leave me alone."

Mid-morning, and two hours of pleading later:

Mom, PLEASE...WHY can't I go? 
 100.8°

 

I'd given every logical reason I could come up with:

You can't go out with a fever. 
It's bitter cold out.
You'll get pneumonia.

Your body won't have the energy to keep up with everyone.

You'll get your friends sick.
 You just CAN'T, that's why!
 "Don't Ask Me Why!"

"Don't wait for answers, just take your chances,
Don't ask me why!"
 
Saturday afternoon, it was clear I made the right decision:

  I can't believe you didn't let me go.
You ruined my weekend.
It's all your fault.
I'm Moving Out so you can't tell me what to do. 
Oh, and I'm freezing, and sweating, and I have a headache.
 101.2°

"Mama if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out
Mm I' movin' out, mm oo oo uh huh mm hm"

Sunday morning:

101.8°
 I feel awful, mom. My teeth hurt; my eyebrows hurt.
I haven't felt this sick...EVER. 
You May Be Right about me not going
I'm sorry I gave you a hard time.

"You may be wrong for all I know, But you may be right."

I told him it was OK, that I knew he wasn't really angry, just disappointed. 

After all, I said, "You're Only Human."

"It's alright, it's alright. Sometimes that's what it takes.

You're only human, you're allowed to make your share of mistakes."

 And by the way, JGS, I love you "Just the Way You Are."

 "I couldn't love you any better. I love you just the way you are."

And to show him,  I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup...
  and sprinkled in lots of love.
 

Chicken soup is one of the best things for you when you've got a cold or the flu. 

I kid you not! 
The NY Times reported that chicken soup may really have medicinal value...
and could be even better for you than over-the-counter remedies. 
It's not called Jewish Penicillin for nothing!
And by now, I think you know me...I'd rather do anything but cook, 
so if this recipe wasn't super-easy, I'd have opened a can of Campbell's.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

But this is better. Much better.

 Wednesday morning
98.6° 

Turns out that JGS did, in fact, have the flu. 

But he got over it pretty quickly. 

It must have been the soup. 

It's "All About (chicken soup for the) Soul."

"It's all about soul...the power of love and the power of healing."

Have some, it's good for you...you'll feel better, I promise.

Linking With:
Best of the Weekend
Weekend Bloggy Reading 
Bouquet of Talent
Share Your Creativity 
A Tray of Bliss 
Metamorphosis Monday 
The Scoop  
Tweak It Tuesday
Treasure Box Tuesday 
What's It Wednesday 
Wow Us Wednesday  
Whimsy Wednesday
Home and Garden Thursday
Simple and Sweet Friday
Weekend Social 
Let's Get Real  
Feathered Nest Friday 
Home Sweet Home
Foodie Friday 
 

How To Feng Shui Your Desk and Improve Your Life

Would you like to improve your chances for prosperity, love, 
recognition, career, health and relationships?

That's what I thought...who wouldn't?

And what if I told you that all you need to do is re-arrange the stuff on your desk?

Stop laughing! Before you send me packing, bear with me.

Feng Shui...c'mon, say it with me..."fung shway"...

is an ancient Chinese art practiced for over 5000 years. 

The premise is that the energy, or "Chi," (chee) in your living or work environment 
is affected by the objects in it, and how they are placed. 

The objects interact with, and influence your personal energy flow. 

In other words, do you think better when your desk is piled high with papers
from the year 20 B.B. (Before Blacklist)...or when it's neat and tidy?

I rest my case.
 

Can I guarantee that this will work? 

Well, no.

Am I an expert in Feng Shui? 

I'm no Chi-whiz, but I do know more than the average panda bear. 

 For an in-depth lesson, you'll have to go elsewhere,  
but if you want to have some fun, read on.

If the idea is to arrange objects so invisible energy can flow more easily, 
and improve your life, you may be wondering...

 How do I know where to put my stuff?

A Feng Shui map, called a Bagua chart, is the key. 

It's divided into nine sections, and correlates to areas in a house, a room, 
or even just a desk. 

Different colors and elements are associated with each area. 
For instance, if you want to improve your finances, you'll need to put a purple item, something representing water, or a secondary color or element, like wood, in the Wealth area. 

Just a note here - don't take everything literally.
You won't need to set your desk ablaze to satisfy the fire element.  
It can be symbolic.

Two things are super-important when it comes to desks and Feng Shui.

 Don't sit with your back to the door.  
Your desk should be placed so that you can see the entrance. 
If you can't reposition it, put a mirror on the desk to reflect the entrance, 
like I've done. 
 (This is optional for parents who have eyes in the back of their heads). 
The placement of your desk is one of the most important priorities in Feng Shui, 
the others being the positioning of your bed and stove. 

De-clutter your desk area. 
Nothing stops Chi in its tracks like piles of old magazines
and empty yogurt containers. 
This means the space under your desk, too, 
so gather up those old shoes and find them a new home. 

Let's focus on the individual areas.
  I've laid the Bagua chart over my empty desk.

WEALTH/OPPORTUNITY/PROSPERITY:
Use purple, red, green, black, water features (such as a fountain or photo of water), expensive items, candles, wood, rectangular items.
 
Show me the money! Use purple to stimulate your cash flow. I put a square of purple paper in the drawer in the Wealth area. No drawer? Cut a square of felt or paper to any size, and put it under an object, or even secure it to the underside of your desk. 

Phones are best placed in the Wealth area. The "ringing" stimulates more money coming to you. I'm not quite sure how that works if you've got a Justin Bieber ringtone.

A lamp is good in any section of the Bagua grid, as it "brightens" that area. I decided to light up my financial prospects. 
 

FAME/RECOGNITION/RESPECT: 
Use red, purple, green, candles, wood, paper, animal prints, plants, your own business cards, and triangle-shaped objects.

Heat up the Fame area with something red. Whether or not you want to be the next finalist on The Voice, this area can enhance your reputation, help you gain notoriety or recognition (or, blog followers!).  My red vase and animal print note pads intensify esteem and respect.  It's the perfect place to display my awards. 

MARRIAGE/RELATIONSHIPS:
Use pink, red, white, yellow, pottery, metal, candles, squares, cubes, photos of spouses/partners.
 
Think pink to spice up relationships, and not just romantic ones -- this corner refers to any relationship. I put a square of pink paper, and a couple of pink post-it pads in the drawer.  A photo of me and hubby in a metal frame was a no-brainer.

CHILDREN/CREATIVITY:
Use white, gray, black, yellow, metal, pottery, stones, circles, spheres, photos of children, notepads to jot down creative thoughts. 
 
Jump-start your creativity with something white, metal, or circular. This is one area you won't want to mess around with, especially if your job requires the use of your left brain. I used a round, metal bowl with paper clips to enhance this spot. In the drawer below, I've got some envelopes to satisfy the "white" requirement.

HELPFUL PEOPLE/TRAVEL:
Use gray, silver, white, black, metal, pottery, water-themed objects, circles, other people's business cards, travel books, travel photos, souvenirs, contact lists, client files.  

This is a gray area...literally, but let's be very black and white about this - we all need to have a support system of helpful people. I've put some travels books, other people's business cards, a gray and black travel-themed note pad and silver metal pen in my drawer. 

CAREER/LIFE PATH:
Use black, midnight blue, white, items symbolic of water, (such as things with wavy patterns), photos of water scenes, metal, wood, work-related items.

Get down to business with black and blue. Whether you use your desk for a paying job, a hobby like blogging, or to manage the family's finances, sprucing up the Career area will stimulate your success. This area also represents your life path, not just your work life. I lined the drawer with a piece of black wallpaper with a wavy pattern (symbolic of ocean waves), added a wooden ruler, and incorporated lots of metal -- laptop, scissors, hole-punch, etc. 

KNOWLEDGE/WISDOM/INSPIRATION:
Use blue, black, green, wood, paper, plants, reference materials, diplomas, inspirational quotes or books, squares, items symbolic of water.
 
Violets are blue, and knowledge is, too. To stoke the area representing learning and inspiration, I placed a blue piece of paper, and some inspirational books in the drawer. A green plant, symbolic of wood, sits on top of a reference book.

FAMILY/ROOTS/ANCESTORS:
Use green, black, blue, wood, water elements, items passed down from ancestors, plants, rectangular objects, vertical items, pictures of mountains, family photos. 
 
Strengthen family roots with green. This section is important for improving unity and creating strong family bonds, as well as reminding us of our key priorities. A small family photo fits the bill (yes, there is a photo in that frame). I like to think the plant roots in the green pot is doing double duty for both the Knowledge and Family sections.

HEALTH:
Use yellow, red, white, pottery, ceramics, smooth stones, squares, cubes.
 
Yellow represents the picture of good health. The center of the bagua chart is responsible for keeping mental and physical well-being in check. Some say it's the most important part of the bagua chart, which fits with the saying, "If you've got your health you've got everything." I used a yellow square of paper, a pottery dish, and some yellow highlighters for good measure. This area shouldn't be too crowded.

That was a lot of information, I know.

The suggestions I gave aren't an exhaustive list,

but hopefully, it's enough to get you started, and have some fun.

Feng Shui is not a superstition, or get-rich-quick scheme. 

It's a serious, ancient philosophy.
If it's got 5000 years of staying power, I figure there's got to be something to it!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Feng Shui.

Do you buy into it? 
Have you practiced it?

Will you give it a try?

You may also like:

The Butterfly Effect and The Mudroom

Linking With:

Wow Us Wednesday

What's It Wednesday

Home and Garden Thursday

Simple and Sweet Friday  

The Weekend Social

Foodie FriDIY 

Let's Get Real  

Feathered Nest Friday

Home Sweet Home  

Best of the Weekend

Weekend Bloggy Reading 

Bouquet of Talent  

Share Your Creativity

Metamorphosis Monday 

The Scoop  

Tweak It Tuesday 

Treasure Box Tuesday

Share Your Style