Fighting Boredom with Healthy Food + Creative Living
I like Estate Sales. Real ones. 99% of the time, someone has died and the heirs want to liquidate in the easiest way possible, and it quickens the cleanup process. You walk through someone’s home and everything is basically intact as if they were still…
There are so many cool gadgets and gizmos out there, that life is truly starting to look like a Jetson’s episode. With school starting soon, there are some fun new products out that will not only make life easier, but also add a whole new…
There are always endless things to clean and fix around my house. The yard needs constant maintenance as we live under a giant Torrey Pine that rains pine needles and sap upon us. My daughter and her friends are in and out of the house and often leave a wake of debris. Dishes are seemingly endless.
With this stream of non-stop cleaning, I have learned to overlook stubborn little messes that I’ve attempted to clean before.
The orange Crayon mark on the hallway wall that my daughter did many years ago still remains. Repeated efforts to wash it with a regular household cleaning spray failed. The orange crayon mark mocks me.
The gooey dirty mess that some scotch tape left on my front gate still remains. Another failed cleaning attempt. I’ve often considered removing the gate so I didn’t have to see it anymore.
The pine sap that builds up on my front composite deck snarkily welcomes me home every day as it sticks to my shoes.
GooGone is idea of removing stickers/labels and adhesive residue from glassware, dishes, and other hard surfaces. It’s also a perfect for at removing crayon/markers/glue from painted walls, wood tables, and other hard surfaces.
Here’s how everything played out.
With one squirt of the Goo Gone Spray Gel, the Orange Crayon that has bothered me for almost eight years was gone. Poof! Gone. Just like that. GooGone — where have you been all my life?
Check it out:
I have a love hate relationship with the pine tree. I love looking at the beautiful branches with birds perched in it, but I hate the clean-up aftermath. Sap is a daily battle and the giant offending sap filled tree is going to keep dripping away.
Here’s the huge pine tree that likes to rain upon our walkway and deck. As the Orange Crayon came off so easily, I decided to put GooGone Spray Gel to the test and try it on some hardened dry sap.
A good healthy squirt on my plastic TREX Deck and a little elbow grease, and that dried caked on sap was coming off . I’m thinking of ordering a separate bottle of Goo Gone Spray Gel and just leaving it on my deck. (Is that weird?) If I could just keep up on the fresh sap that drops, I will certainly irradicate my sticky mess!
This gate gunk is a remnant of a Halloween past when I had something taped to my gate. The sticky goo from the tape wasn’t noticeable at first, but then as it got dirty over time it stood out. I have scratched a lot of it off with my fingernail, but wanted to see if Goo Gone could just wrap this little cleaning task up.
Again, with ONE squirt and a little scrub, that annoying gate gunk was gone!
All of these cleaning tasks took me less than 10 minutes to resolve with Goo Gone Spray Gel. Years of dirty annoyances as Good as Gone in mere minutes!
To watch demo videos about other common messes that Goo Gone can remove, please click here.
As a San Diego Native, I visited the San Diego Zoo on a regular basis while growing up and I’m lucky enough to say that my daughter has had the same benefit. The San Diego Zoo has grown and improved dramatically since I was a…
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I have several gluten-free friends which means dessert time can be precarious. A gluten-loving guest will inevitably bring a beautiful pie or cookies for dessert, and my gluten-free friends are left looking a little sad. “Here, want some fruit?”, I’ll offer. Not much of a consolation…
Therefore, I’m so excited that pancakes no longer have to be associated with empty calorie guilt! Paka Baking has created a natural pancake mix that is devoid of sugar, high in fiber and even higher in protein! There are an amazing 16 grams of protein jammed into each serving of pancakes. An average person needs 46-56 grams of protein a day, so what a super way to get a protein boost – especially for vegetarians!
* There are affiliate links in this article.
Here’s the breakdown comparison between a Mainstream Brand Pancake Mix & Paka Baking Pancake Mix:
Per Serving of Pancakes:
| Per Serving | Regular Pancake Mix | Paka Baking Mix |
| Sugar | 6g | 0g |
| Fiber | 1g | 11g |
| Protein | 5g | 16g |
The Paka Baking Pancakes are quick and easy to make. Simply take 1 cup of mix and stir in 1/2 cup of water and 1 egg. Heat griddle to 350 degrees and cook up a stack of tasty nutrient rich pancakes! These protein rich pancakes come out light and fluffy and have a subtle coconut flavor which pairs amazingly well with fruit. I do love to add a little pure maple syrup and fresh fruit, so it’s great that this pancake mix starts out so low in sugar.
I’m always looking for ways to add additional fiber to my family’s diet, so what a bonus to have 11 grams of fiber per serving!
Ditch the pancake guilt and try out some healthy-option Paka Pancakes!
Paka Baking has other amazing guilt-free treats and gluten-free baking mixes.
* This post is sponsored by Paka Baking Mixes but the content and opinions expressed are that of my own. There are also affiliate links in this article.
Father’s Day 2016 is right around the corner! Here’s some gift ideas that are for Dad, but maybe just an eensy teensy bit for you too, Mom. These are all practical gift ideas and things that Dad will really use an appreciate. First up, an…
In anticipation of the San Diego Paella & Wine Festival, I made a serious effort to not eat much in the days leading up to the event. After all, what are we going to do with all this paella???? (For my Seinfeld Fans). If you…
This 1963 out of print book aptly titled I Can’t Boil Water by Corinne Griffith, is a ‘treasury of exquisite specialties from some of the finest restaurants in the United States…’ I call it a retro-food trainwreck. Some of the recipes are so absurd that…
If you don’t have a restful outdoor area to set up a Relaxtion Station for Mom, why not set her up with an Indoor Nook of Peace? If you’re wondering why Mom would want this at all, please see the previous article as to why…
Instead of spending a lot of money on an overpriced Brunch where Mom will probably just get the Noro Virus from shared utensils at the Buffet, why not create a ‘Mother’s Day Gesture’?
Children will often make their Mom’s Coupon Books as gifts. The coupons promise foot massages, doing chores on time, making Mom’s bed and other sweet gestures. However, most Mom’s never collect on these coupons. They sit as a sweet reminder of our children’s good intentions in a memory box, or errm….or a kitchen drawer (oops).
Dads, older and adult children, this is where you come in. Create an atmosphere event for your wife or Mom. This event can be an hour or several hours, but it should involve Mom relaxing and enjoying herself.
Here’s an idea:
The Outdoor Relaxation Station
Depending where you live, create an area at your home or patio that is quiet, pretty and relaxing. Here’s an example of an outdoor space that is easy to set up and Mom will love it. Move a bench or chair into a quiet area of your yard, patio or terrace. Unless Mom is a sun lover, a shaded area is nice if possible so she doesn’t get too hot. Provide a comfy cheery colored pillow and throw blanket, books, new juicy magazines and refreshments. You may use items that you already have on hand, as it is the thought that counts, or you can create a space with new items to really make her feel special. Lead her to her Relaxation Station and tell her to rest and enjoy for at least an hour! No interuptions, no questions, no noise!
This brightly colored pillow is sure to make any Mom feel happy. This orange & blue vintage starpod patio pillow by UBU Republic* has outdoor fabric and is super comfy. It’s currently available on Amazon for $24.99 – It’s a feel good purchase as well because a portion of the sales goes to fund art programs for youth in the nation. Mom will be happy with your purchase that gives back!
Throw blanket from HomeGoods – they usually have a wide variety of colors and textures around $15-$20. Magazines are around $3-$7 each and budget a little more money for Mom’s special beverage of choice. Total Relaxation Station with items that she can keep and treasure approximately $55.
* I received the UBU Republic pillow at a discount in exchange for an honest review. I have decided to use it in my content as a how to example.
