High Fructose Corn Syrup

I recently was on facebook and one of my friends posted an video from YouTube of the new ads PROMOTING high fructose corn-syrup. Cue the laughter. I know it is ludacris, but what's sad is that I am sure some people are totally believing these commercials. Guess the processed food industry is taking a big hit with all the research that is out about all the processed sugar that is put in our food.

As a nation we are addicted to sugar. It starts when we are only a few months old and gets worse as we get older. Almost all children's cereals and breakfast items are PACKED with processed sugar. I'm not talking the good sugars found in fruits. I'm talking white granulated sugar, and all the other sisters to sugar they put in processed food. It's toxic to our bodies and we have become addicted to it. Simply put these commercials are an outrage and a lie. How do you moderate something that is addictive? You don't and you can't, and we have been fooled for a very long time. You have to cut sugar out and enjoy those sugary treats once in a blue moon - not as a regular part of your diet. The tricky part is sugar is put into almost all processed foods - juices, and healthy items at the grocery store even. If it's in a box check the sugar content. Even the bottle that say 100% juice on the label - read the ingredients.

Wonderful stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods actually have juice options that DO NOT have added sugar - the ingredients will simply say "Ingredients: Oranges." The sugar content on the label is what NATURAL sugars are already in the oranges, and your body knows how to do business with these types of sugars.

For a video that explains more of this click here!

Book Review: Cooking for Two

One of the best gifts I have ever received was a love for cooking from my "Luli" (Grandmother). When I got married I was more of a baker than a cook, I loved to make muffins, cakes, pies, you name it! My first Thanksgiving as a "Mrs." I was put in charge of all the holiday deserts. I made my first pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie and a key lime pie.

Cooking intimidated me at first because it didn't have all the rules and boundaries like baking. There was only technique, that I didn't have, and it seemed more "feeling" then "knowing". My husband was so natural when he cooked, and loved to use spices where I preferred simple salt and pepper on anything and everything. He encouraged me to be adventurous and at first I bit his head off for it, complaining that he did not like my "simple" cooking. But things soon changed when Cook's Illustrated (also known as America's Test Kitchen) was introduced into my life.

My husband used Cook's Illustrated to register us for all our appliances, and all our cook books are Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen). Their publications are simply amazing, and after using it it's almost gut wrenching to use any other cook book because it doesn't explain and teach the way ATK does. I have made everything from enchilada's to homemade pasta noodles. The Cooking for Two is a wonderful edition that is just what it says, recipes for two. The other great thing is they test dozens of recipes per recipe, so for example they will make tons of apple pies, taste test them and cook them different ways to see what way is the best way to make apple pie, then they explain how they did it. You learn technique and also why to do something, there is even trouble shooting in the books. One of my most exciting times of my week is meal planning and cooking something new, and it's all thanks to my wonderful husband and these wonderful cookbooks we have. Next week I am trying a slow cooking curried chicken recipe, I am stoked!

See for yourself

"What do you do all day?"

One of the most frequent questions I get asked when I inform someone that I don't "work", and that I am a "stay-at-home" is, "What do you do all day?"

So here is your answer:

8:00 am My husband makes me breakfast in bed

8:30 am I fall back asleep while my husband goes to work

9:30 am My maid comes over, cleans the house and makes me a snack while I watch soaps

11:00 am Lay out by the pool & read Twilight & catch up with my "fren-emies"

2:00 pm Receive my daily pre-lunch full body message & facial

3:30 pm Late Lunch at the spa! Nothing better!

4:30 pm Go on a quick spending spree

7:00 pm Meet my hubby for dinner at an over priced Northern Virginia Restaurant

Sike. This isn't The Real Housewives of D.C. people. Let's be honest running a home takes time, effort and, I would argue to do it well, talent. I don't need to argue my point to much here because houses don't stay clean by themselves, food doesn't get cooked by a witch named Samantha, and children don't take care of themselves. Okay I don't have kids yet, but I am in "training". I will say it again, household management is a lost art. It's funny to me the women who have smirked at this - because they themselves had stay at home Mom's - and I'm not talking Mom's who stayed home because they didn't have a choice but because they loved it!

Beauty Product Review: Mascara Picks

Okay ladies so I got two picks for you today! My friends are always asking me what I use on my eyes and what is the best mascara! As much as I love being a Domestic Diva, part of that is getting dressed up and looking my best every day! So I'm gonna be adding some product reviews of beauty products into the blog along with the household product reviews! (Not in the same posts though! One thing at a time!)



My first all-time pic is Dior "Diorshow" Waterproof Mascara. If you have a problem with mascara creeping down your face all day and getting those lovely little dark smudges on your under-eye this will solve your problems. You can opt for the Non-waterproof if you wear contacts but just make sure you wear a really good heavy duty under-eye concealer that will "hold the line" so to speak. The secret to not getting those smudges, and sweating off your eye makeup is "waterproof". Also I am totally obsessed with the big brush applicator it is amazing. The key to big gorgeous eyelashes is application, application, application! Apply this stuff like it's the last time you will ever use mascara. I would estimate that I do at least 4 - 5 coats per eye, it sounds like a lot but it looks great! You can purchase this online at Sephora.com, at your local Macy's or Dillard's counter. This bad ace mascara will run you $24.00 before tax, but I promise you it is worth every penny. It lasts me about 3 months and I use it like crazy!


And the runner up is.... Bad gal Lash by Benefit. Again this mascara has a great applicator and like Dior doesn't leave your eye lashes feeling like you put clay on them. It thickens, lengthens and separates! The down size is that it is NOT waterproof. They do have a waterproof version, but the applicator is not up to par with the original Bad Gal Lash applicator. And like I said it's all about application when it comes to mascara - and that is why the lash brush matters so much! The benefit (ha-ha, no pun intended) with this mascara is you can actually buy it in a smaller size for only $9 at Sephora, it's called "A Little Bit Bad Gal Lash" which is just too adorable. The regular size will only run you $19 vs. the $24 for Dior, so if you are on a budget this is the mascara for you! Again the regular size should last you about 3 months.

You are not alone.

Found this picture on a google search for "housewife".

Studies in Parenting

My Mother used to say (and still does) "Just wait till you have kids one day", implying my lack of understanding about her role as parent. It is true, I can't understand even a fraction of the love a parent feels for their own child. I don't have kids of my own just yet. I have to be very careful not to make judgments because I haven't walked in the shoes of a parent (except when I played dress up). But I can do one thing; research!

I spend a good amount of my time reading articles about parenting and "interviewing" new parents, especially moms. I am interested in gathering information about pregnancy to raising teenagers. Though I am not a parent, my brothers and sisters use to call me "Jr. Mom" because I was the oldest daughter of six (eight including step-siblings). My youngest sister is eight years younger than I and my youngest brother is ten years younger so I know what it takes to survive with young kids in the house! I know what is like having infants around, what toddlers are like, potty training mishaps, nap times, meal time, what to do when a three year old eats a glass Christmas ornament, and how to install child proof locks on cabinets, toilets and bedroom doors. I know I am ahead of the game for someone without kids, but really I have no idea. That's why I have taken to research!

I believe Winston Churchill said it best when he said, “There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained.”

I can't get over how much time in America we spend on educating ourselves in a certain vocation, yet there is little time dedicated to learning about parenting! I would argue nine months is not sufficient. We have a crisis of the family going on in our country. From divorce rates to pediatric depression. Say what you want, but this is an important issue. And the only way to solve it is to be educated about what parenting is and how to do it well. We can't cry out "I didn't know" anymore because there are so many free resources available to us now. Libraries are full of parenting videos, books, guides, and studies on just about any family topic you can think of. Community centers and churches often have classes and seminars. Not to mention the knew resource of the Internet. There is so much we can learn about family and it is never too late.

I am going to end with two quotes that I believe touch on the heart of this issue. We can sit around and discuss the problems of the world all day but we will never solve them because we are ignoring the heart of our countries problems. The brokenness of the family.We can treat the symptoms all we want but we won't get better unless we treat the cause of the symptoms.

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." - Confucius

"The family is the corner stone of our society. More than any other force it shapes the attitude, the hopes, the ambitions, and the values of the child. And when the family collapses it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale the community itself is crippled. So, unless we work to strengthen the family, to create conditions under which most parents will stay together, all the rest — schools, playgrounds, and public assistance, and private concern — will never be enough" - Lyndon Johnson

Costco.

Just returned from a trip to COSTCO. I need a drink and a nap after that experience. I am always surprised by how overwhelmed I feel when I shop there. I always end up getting lost in the isles, because you have to go down almost every single one to find what you need. Plus you always pick up things you think you might need, but really don't. "WOW! Forty frozen chicken breast for only fifteen dollars!" Who needs that many? They'll get freezer burn before you can enjoy them unless your having a big BBQ.

The only good experience I have had when going there was when I woke up and went right when it opened. I was in and out in 30 minutes. But an hour after opening time there seems to be an alternate reality in which the store eats your pocket book and the hours of your day. I always leave wondering, "Did this really save me money?"

Well at least we won't be running out of toilet paper, zip lock bags, paper towels, body wash, or deodorant anytime soon! And by soon I mean in the next three to five months Hooray!

"a smart gal with a college degree"

Well I can't say I am surprised by the comment I received from my cousin Caitlin. I knew I would have to address this very comment at some point. So I want to respond to Caitlin's comment because I know it will be a common response to this blog, after all Caitlin is a beautiful, hard-working, hip twenty-something herself! Caitlin wrote:

" i love you to death and support everything to do but you're a smart gal with a college degree! you don't even want to have a career or anything since you paid for all that school? you always wanted to be involved in music, and i know as life change so does your desires and i know i can't relate to this housewife desire yet...but i don't know. i dont think i could let something i've spent my whole life waiting and studying for. thoughts?"

Let me start off by saying that this sort of comment always takes me back to the women's movement, a movement that was about giving women choices. Today it seems like there is only one choice: Career first, family second (if at all)... try to "have it all". Women who choose to be housewives are now looked down upon by women who choose to be professional full-time working women, and the banter goes back and forth. This isn't an "us" and "them" blog, but society has truly turned women against women. We should be encouraging one another and celebrating one another's choices, because this is really the essence of what being a women is and what the movement was for! Supporting your sisters whether they choose to be a CEO of a company, a teacher, or a wife and mother! Yes, I earned my college degree and I am glad I did! Education is incredibly important! Back in the "old days", and even before that, women had to educate themselves, but not to aspire to be greater than their male counterparts, but to enrich their own lives, the lives of their children, and be an influence on their husbands. Women today should not take this role of influence lightly. This blog was not created to convince all young women their only place is in the home, which was what women up until the 1960's were told (and I am not trying to awaken that lie again). This blog is to encourage and educate women (like myself) who have decided that their calling is in the home, while also addressing the social stigma that goes with being a housewife.

Second, having a college degree today does not equal having a career. When I graduated with my business degree I was surprised to learn that I was under-qualified for jobs I really wanted and would need to invest another $100,000 in a masters degree. The master's degree is the 80's Bachelor Degree. In terms of my music, I am still writing, still creating, still exploring! The business I went to study was far too corrupt and also in a major downturn because of the digital era. I don't need to live in Nashville or work for a publishing company to be a songwriter. In fact, now that I don't work, I get to play guitar and write everyday for hours at a time. It is wonderful. Art for the sake of art is a beautiful thing.

real housewives with real lives

Once upon a time, women took pride in getting married and being the caretakers of their home and family. Women learned how to cook everything from scratch and did not rely on Hamburger Helper to feed their brood. Any twenty-something woman in 1950 would know how to iron, do dishes, laundry, vacuum, all while taking care of her personal appearance and hygiene. Now, fast-forward to this twenty-something generation of women, which I am a card-carrying member, and we have to learn all this on YouTube.

I am not poo-pooing the twenty-something women that don't learn to do their own laundry till college or couldn't properly clean their own bathroom if their life depended on it; after all, it isn't their fault. In fact, the older generations gripe about our "out of control" Gen-Y when they themselves have made little effort to pass on their skills or wisdom about running a home.

As exciting as it is that women now have the potential to attain jobs that pay as much men, and often do, it isn't exciting that we look more and more like them, and we often emasculate them in the process. Yet, looking feminine, knowing how to sew a dress for yourself, and cooking a gourmet meal is as valuable in America as speaking Pig-Latin, unless you turn simple hobbies and pleasantries into all consuming career aspirations and dreams. For example, if you learned to sew when you are thirteen, and showed promise, in today's world you would feel a mound of pressure to then continue on to design school and be a top stylist or famous designer. Not that this is a bad thing, but something is wrong if a paradigm creates a culture in which people are obsessed with selfish-ambition and fame. It's bad when young women who admit at an early age they desire to be married and have children are looked down upon, even though it's part of our nature to desire companionship and to nurture children.

Maybe I am not being fair... maybe it isn't like this all over the country. But in Northern Virginia you should just see the looks I get when I tell someone my age, and that I am Housewife.

The reason I am starting this blog is to create a discussion about the controversy of being a Housewife and also to explore the ins and outs of this role, from hosting a dinner party to removing stains from your All-Clad! Hollywood and the media portray Housewives as "Desperate" (i.e. promiscuous, rich, petty, greedy, crazy, neurotic, alcoholics, work-aholics, plastic, gossipy, arrogant, lazy, gold-diggers, etc.). This is NOT reality. It's entertaining to see those rich women in L.A. and Atlanta wearing clothes way too tight, running around in their mansions and expensive cars, but let's be honest... that's not how life is for most of us! Being a Housewife is not a status thing! It is one of the most humble lifestyles with the greatest rewards a woman could dream. And it's a life completely misunderstood, sometimes even feared, and often belittled. I hope you will enjoy reading, learning while I learn, and going along with me while I uncover many aspects of being a Housewife with a life!