Shameless Tastefully Simple Party Plug!

With the Fall & Winter months quickly approaching, now is the PERFECT time to enjoy some of the delicious, easy & new foods that Tastefully Simple has to offer! I will have a smorgasbord of tasty samples at my party that will have you drooling for more...no worries, I have napkins & we will be amongst friends! I hope to see you at my party but if you are unable to make it this time, you can browse the online store... by visiting the link below and make sure to select ME (Jenn Howard) as your host prior to checkout!




(Copy and paste this link: www.tastefullysimple.com/web/aanderson11 or just Click HERE)


Feel free to share this link with your friends and family....you are ALL invited and ANYONE can order if they want!! When ordering online there is no pressure at all, it is easy to order and the products will be delivered right to your home quickly!!


Please RSVP and let me know how many will be attending or if you have more questions about the party or products, feel free to send me an email at jennperko@hotmail.com.


Also, I am in the process of becoming a consultant in the area so if you are interested in hosting your OWN party or would like to be included on an email list when I re-order products just send me a message anytime!



THANK YOU!!

Shameless Plug or Fun Invitation?! Tastefully Simple is in the House!!

Beer Bread and Mixes and Desserts....OH MY!!!

So my wonderful cousin who lives in my hometown has decided to become a Tastefully Simple consultant. Now as my cousin is gracious enough to drive 3 hours and I have been considering becoming a consultant up here, cannot turn down a party, and can definitely NOT turn down a party all about FOOD I am going to be hosting a party of my own on Saturday, September 25 at 2:00p.m.!


I am sending out an open invitation (so you can get an invitation) to anyone who would like to come over to my house for a few delightful Tastefully Simple treats or would like to order something in anticipation of the Fall and Winter months!

Just so you know, the new Fall-Winter Catalog will be out very soon and since I saw a sneak peek I can say it is jammed packed with all of your old favorites as well as SOOOO many tasty treats specifically for the colder months! Plus there are over 25 NEW products available! Not to be bias, but the Fall catalog is my favorite…as it is hard to go wrong with Oh My! Chia, Pumpkin Patch Bread Mix, and Creamy Potato Soup! *drool*

So if you are looking for some delicious and easy items to help you through the holidays, gift ideas for friends/family, or just want to try some delectable food please let me know!

Please feel free to comment on the blog and leave your email or email me at jennperko@hotmail.com if you are interested in receiving an invitation to the party so you can hang out with me and eat some fun food or if you would like a link so you can purchase stuff online!! I have a list already started, but just so I do not forget anyone please let me know by Sunday as I will be sending out invitations then!!

Run To The Bell…..For A Bag Of Doritos

We saw a commercial for Taco Bell and apparently you can get a $2 meal deal that includes a beverage, a burrito/taco option, and a bag of Doritos. Yes Doritos. No tortilla chips and cheese dip, but rather a bag of nacho cheese flavored Doritos.


I think if you go to a Mexican eatery, even a pseudo Mexican eatery, you should get Mexican, um, Mexican-American like food. Doritos are for sub places, you don’t see KFC giving Sunchips with their Double Down. Taco Bell I feel the Doritos are a huge copout and I shake my head at you in disappointment.

Comment to Taco Bell
Dear Taco Bell, just because Doritos say they are Nacho Cheese flavored it does not mean they should be sold at your Mexican-American like food establishment. I go to your place to eat cheap and bad for me food and if I wanted Doritos I would go to Subway where Jared could sell me a healthy footlong sub. Please reconsider your actions because I fear you are just a few steps away from selling a lunch meat taco or a $5 footlong ham and provolone burrito.

PSA: Ohio Appliance Rebate Program – Get Yours Now!

So incase you haven’t heard, starting Friday, March 26 Ohio residents can reserve and redeem a rebate for the purchase of some ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances. The program ends April 19 for refrigerators, dishwashers, and clothes washers. It ends on May 24 for gas storage water heaters and electric heat pump water heaters.


Our dishwasher died a couple weeks ago and my awesome parents knew this was coming and got all the details and actually went to the Sears friday morning at 6:00 am to get it ordered for us. (Yep, I know they are pretty wonderful!!!) We will have our new Energy Efficient dishwasher joining us on April 1! I also have already got emails with my rebate reservation number and the information I need to complete the rebate steps which Sears took care of for us. Now I just need to have the Sears guy take our dishwasher & sign off when they install the new one then send our completed forms off and wait for the rebate! It seems very easy and quick!

So if you are in need of new appliances, you may want to take a look at this program and see if it will help you save a little money!

Rebates are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Appliances included in the rebate program are:

Refrigerator, $100 rebate (26,000 rebates available)
Clothes Washer, $150 rebate (24,000 rebates available)
Dishwasher, $100 rebate (21,000 rebates available)
High-Efficiency Gas Storage Water Heater, $100 rebate (15,000 available)
Electric Heat Pump Water Heater, $250 rebate (2,000 available)

Eligibility requirements

Instructions and how to reserve rebate online
*If you know you are getting something very soon, you can actually reserve your rebate online and then have three days to purchase it.  Just FYI.

It is Concert Season Again!!

If you know me, it is absolutely no surprise that I LOVES me some concerts!! If there is a band performing in the area that we love then we are there!



So last weekend Kristen and I and some of her friends went and saw MUSE in concert at the Palace in Detroit. Can I just say their show was flipp’n AWESOME! Seriously, one of the best concerts I have ever gone to! I have heard their shows are pretty great as they use a lot of lights, lasers, and giant screens but being there and seeing them and hearing them in person was just amazing. They had an awesome light show, had three moving elevator platforms for each of them to be on during different parts of the performance, they had giant video screens on and above those platforms that constantly played something that visually fit with the songs, and they had giant balloon eyeballs that popped and sprinkled confetti on parts of the audience! (really does it get better than giant confetti filled balloon eyeballs?! No.) Muse was amazing and they sounded even BETTER then they sound on their CD…which is always a fear sometimes when you see people in concert, that they sound horrible live.  But that was not even close to the case with these lovely gentleman. They managed to give a true rock concert performance and I seriously was in awe.

CLICK HERE for video footage from this tour. It is suh-WEET.

We actually had perfect seats too, second level but first row. (Good job with that K.) We had a perfect view of the stage and the light show and we had no one in front of us which was great because I could just sit there and chill and take it all in. (Yes I said sit, I might be a bit prudish at times.) Muse sounded perfect and really knows how to put on a visually entertaining show. This is a MUST SEE show. They managed to greatly exceed any and every expectation I had. THAT is why I love music the way I do and LOVE going to concerts, I truly enjoy seeing these artists perform and express themselves in the biggest way they can… LOVE IT!



AND, if seeing this concert wasn’t excitement enough for the year the day before we found out that Iron Maiden…that’s right F'N IRON MAIDEN, is touring again and will be around in July! If you remember, their concert was the BEST concert I have ever seen. You can bet your ass that I will be trying to get tickets....which go on sale this weekend!!


Anyone else seeing any concerts this year?!
(I may want to tagalong!!)

Iron Maiden….July 15 at Blossom!!!!

I’m Sorry I know You Are At Lunch, But….

An open letter to all coworkers everywhere.

I know I can not be the only one who hears this statement A LOT at work. “I know you are at lunch but” …….followed by……”I have a question, here is a file, can you do this for me, do you have a minute” etc.

We do not have a lunch room and as I do not have time to leave for lunch (and also have nowhere to go) I stay at my desk and mess around on the interweb for a bit. During that 30 minutes I like to pretend that I am all alone in a locked room with no distractions; just me, my microwavable lunch and the computer. Of course actually achieving any solitude is impossible when you sit in a cubicle right by the door and at the center of the office, but I strive to at least pretend that I have some morsel of privacy for a few minutes each day. I have managed to block out the constant drones around me; the beeping of the copier, the ringing of the phone, the annoying chatter that echoes through the entire office and I have to say I am fairly good at doing so. Well, I can block out just about everything except loud crunching. (Why people WHY must you crunch loud?!) Yes, I manage to block out all of the office hullabaloo that takes place around me, that is until my fleeting moments of peace are interrupted by those dreaded words, “I’m Sorry I know You Are At Lunch, But…”.

Let us take a moment and just dissect this phrase if we can, because I find a number of things that are wrong with a person saying this phrase to me.

First: “I’m Sorry”. Are you? Are you really sorry? Are you sorry that you are disrupting my “me time” or are you just saying that in an attempt to make yourself feel better for the unnecessary question you are about to ask me and the interruption to my lunch you are about to cause? I am guessing if you thought long and hard you are not really, that sorry. I’m sorry, I’m just say’n.

B: “I know you are at lunch”. Had you just started talking and then said as you saw me take another bite of my 4 cheese penne Lean Cuisine “Oh I didn’t realize you were at lunch” I may have forgiven you for simply be unperceptive to the activities taking place within my 4x6 area. But noooo, to come out and acknowledge the fact that I am at lunch and you know it and yet you still just have to talk to me right at that very moment is unacceptable.

3rd: “But…” This is where I believe you make your fatal mistake. When walking up to me and noticing that I was infact partaking in lunch you could have made that phrase above a statement and just said “I’m sorry, I know you are at lunch.” (period) And leave and I will come to you when I am done. But no, you choose to add a but at the end of that phrase and that but is not what I want to hear while trying to enjoy my 30 minutes of serenity during my otherwise crazy work day.

I guess I shall say this. I get 30 minutes for lunch. 30 quick minutes where I am stuck in the office. I understand things happen, but (and this is my but to you) unless there is a fire or someone is hurt or I am in grave danger…please give me my 30 minutes of attempted peace and quiet and I promise if you do that I will not dream of throwing my half eaten apple at any of you or dream of paper cutting you with our file folders ever again. I know I am nearly not that important that 30 minutes of not talking to me will cause chaos to ensue and the company to crumble. But I guess I should be happy you all think that highly of me.

Thank you,
Jenn

Sorry Luke Wilson…..

I know it is a recession and all, but I think you need to get a real acting job or at the very least find a better product to shell out other than a phone company.



I like you Luke Wilson (I really do) but I do not like you in these commercials. If you could just find some satirical romantic comedy movie to be in, it would be greatly appreciated. But misleading AT&T commercials, you are better than that.

I am just trying to look out for you. I don’t want your career to end and for you to only be remembered because you did some stupid AT&T commercials, the same way Jamie Lee Curtis’* did when she started selling Activia. Plus the commercials are just stupid, you need to be in something better than these.

I am only trying to look out for your best interests dearest Luke, you are far too young and funny for these commercials. I forgave you for My Super Ex-Girlfriend; I know we can get past this too.



*I also adore Jamie Lee Curtis, but come on who doesn’t laugh thinking of the SNL spoofs of her sitting on the couch eating Activia about to poop her pants. I will think of that always….or until something funnier comes along.

Happy First Day of Fall!!!

Fall is my most favorite of all the seasons and now it is officially here! YAY

Oh my dear, sweet Fall…..I love you so. I am so glad you are finally back and I am looking forward to the next few months we have together. You bring so much joy and happiness to my life, you are truly the BEST of all the seasons…and I don’t care if the other seasons know I think that.

Here are some of the reasons I fell in love with you in the first place:


The weather changes and we have cooler days and nice chilly evenings.

Having the windows open to enjoy the cool, fresh air.

The leaves changing color – SO pretty. (I love going home during the fall because we have the prettiest trees back home)

Wearing fall clothes! Scarves, sweatshirts, jeans, boots, sweaters….ahhh – love it!

It is not light out at 9pm.

Those Fall days where it is really really sunny but really cool, perfection.

Drinking Apple Cider (both hot and cold)

The Smell of Fall

Halloween!

Apple Cinnamon Spice Candles.

Big pots of soup or stew for dinner.

Sitting outside by the fire…..we can do that now!

Thanksgiving!

Though it is not an essential or all weekend long activity, I do like watching football during the fall months.

Snuggling under the blankets on those extra cool nights.

Not sweating or freezing the minute I go outside. It is just perfect.

Pumpkins!

The return of new TV shows.

Hay rides, corn mazes and anything outside

Going shopping at outdoor malls in preparation for Christmas. The fall is the only time I really enjoy shopping.

Fall decorations

And pretty much everything else that I may have not mentioned!!


If you love fall, please share your favorite things.

PROJECT RUNWAY - TONIGHT!!!

Make sure your DVR's are set...or even better just don't plan to do anything at all tonight except sit in front of your TV and watch Project Runway! The new season of Project Runway starts tonight at 10pm on Lifetime. But that is not it, at 8pm tonight there is a 2 hour All-Star Project Runway Special. Awesome.

What a great week for TV. 3 hours of Project Runway tonight. Last night was 2 1/2 hours of Top Chef and the new Season kicked off. And the new season of Ghost Hunters was last night.


(I think I love TV too much)

Gotta Love Old Wives Tales

So my mom told me about this trick that she heard of for helping/preventing/reducing leg cramps when you sleep. So if any of you suffer from this or know someone who does, listen up!

Apparently all you do is put an unwrapped bar of soap under the fitted sheet at the foot of your bed near where your calves are… and.... there you go, no more or at least fewer leg cramps.


How does it work – I don’t know. But apparently, it really does.

It has worked for my mom for the past month or so and my mom was skeptical and kind of laughed it off when it was suggested. But later she gave it a try as medicine had not been working and she remembered when her SIL (who is a Physician’s Assistant) mentioned it worked. It was a "Well what the heck, nothing else seems to be working" kind of thing. Even my mom’s Dr. had heard of this and said that it has worked for some patients.

Google it. Short Article here. Even Snopes doesn’t have a definitive answer on this.



Seriously, no clue on how or why this works, but IF it does help even a little bit and for whatever strange reasons, that is HUGE for people who suffer from leg cramps at night.

I always think it is fun, these old wives tales that work.


Any old wives tales you would like to share with the blogging world that you KNOW works?

Still Down With the Sickness

I just wanted to say sorry for my lack of blogging, but I haven’t been up to it. I am on day 12 of being sick and I have a feeling there could be a few more days of this before I am better, though today is the first day I actually feel & sound more like myself instead of a contagious, coughing, moaning, mucus filled zombie! And this is not like a little cold with the sniffles, it is straight up I am sick. I look, sound and feel like shit 98% of the day. I will be happy when this cold is no more, though I am hoping I can continue to convince people to do chores around the house for me, you know in the off chance I may still be contagious. yeah right.


I decided to list the 10 stages of my sickness because I am boring and I simply can not think of anything else to blog about.

Stage 1: Conjunctivitis in both eyes. (Days 1-8) This is the fun stage where people do not even want to come near you. And at night you wake up every few hours and after blindly making your way to the bathroom after tripping over your cats that lay in the middle of the hall you have to peel apart your eyes because they are fully stuck together. As this lasted an entire week and medicine didn’t help, I don’t think this was pinkeye…it was viral. Positive – I think the eye mucus acted like a conditioner on my eyelashes, they look great! Thicker and longer.

Stage 2: Sore throat. (Days 1-7) All I have to say is UGH. We all know having a sore throat just sucks. Nothing you do makes it feel any better to swallow, talk, eat or even breathe for that matter. And Chloraseptic Spray - blech. I would much rather gargle salt water then use that stuff. Of course being the big baby I am I won't gargle with salt water and therefore probably prolong the pain just so I can complain that much longer. Oh well, it is how I roll.

Stage 3: Can’t sleep. (Days 1-present) Fact: I am tired. Fact: When I get better I am sleeping for an entire day.

Stage 4: Bad cold (Days 4-present) including; coughing, sneezing, runny nose, congestion, fatigue, slight fever, itchy ears, and just generally sounding and looking like complete shit. I like to refer to myself as a “hot mess”.*

Stage 5: Severe pain in sinus cavity, from forehead to jaw. (Day 7-present) There were a couple days where this pain was almost unbearable and nothing worked, even my teeth and gums hurt. Good thing about this, between the medicines I am on to help the pressure and the fact that every time I try to eat something I feel extreme soreness in my mouth I have not eaten much and have loss 6 pounds this week. Um, not noticeable but still awesome.

Stage 6: Phlegm phase (Day 7-present)…and the grossest of phases. The things coming out of me and the amount of stuff coming out of me is just disgusting and a bit sci-fi. I don’t need to say anymore. (Secret confession that you really didn't care to know: though this is the stage of sickness that is the grossest I study everything that comes out of me. Color, consistency..etc. Totally gross, I know that - But I can't help it.)

Stage 7: Sinus Infection Stage. (Day 7 -present) Yep, full blown sinus infection and I blame my doctor and her inability to care about her patients on more than a monetary level.**

Stage 8: Uncontrollable coughing. (Day 7-present) I currently sound like a sea lion hacking up a fish along with some seaweed that got stuck in my throat. Annoying for all in ear shot.

Possible Stage 9: Womanly Infection stage due to a high doses and 10 days of antibiotics. I am trying VERY VERY HARD to avoid this stage by eating as much yogurt as I can each day. Bring on those yogurt cultures!

Stage 10: ALL BETTER, FEEL GREAT! YAY (Day = unknown)



Side Notes:

*When you are sick when “swine” flu is going around people make reference to this, alot. I am not talking about the funny comments from people in the office or my friends but I am talking about complete strangers making reference to it. Few examples: Lady at coffee shop: Hesitated taking my money. She said “so you are, um, sick?” As I kept trying to hand her my money I smiled and said “Yeah, thank goodness it isn’t that swine flu.” She took the money, but with a bit of hesitation. Lady at drugstore “Oh you poor thing, you sound horrible.” I smile. She says “so do you have a cold or is it the, a flu?” Me, “just a regular old cold.” Lady “oh that is good, with all the talk of flu’s in the news you don’t want to get that.” Lady at Time Warner: “How are you?” Me “I am good how are you?” Lady “Oh you sound sick, it isn’t that pig flu, haha.” Me: “Nope.” Lady “Haha, just kidding!” *sigh*


**I am beyond frustrated with my doctor. I have gone to the same office since I moved to BG. However a few years ago my doctor moved to FL. and I was moved to another doctor in the office. From the beginning I never really got along with him or his Nurse Practioner (which is the lady I see), they both always seem too busy and very disinterested in what they are doing. Case in point I specifically asked when I went into the Dr. on day 1 if this could be something else other then pink eye as I was getting a cold and had a sore throat AND I had pink eye once before and this has different symptoms. She simply said no, didn't even look at my eyes (her student did that) handed me a perscription and said this will work and you will be fine. Obviously this wasn't the case. She never told me "well maybe it could be something else I can't tell right now, if it doesn't get better in a few days come back", she simply didn't listen. And this is not the first (or second or third) time. I have looked into a couple other doctors in the area referred by friends, but they both are not (and have not) been excepting new patients the last couple years. I don’t just want to change to a new doctor without knowing whether this doctor is going to be better, I prefer to be referred by friends who know what the doctor/s are like. Therefore I have stayed where I am. But after things in the past and how little she listened to me and I feel her inability to treat me properly I am ready to switch. I want to find someone who will take the time to listen to concerns and encourage questions, someone I can feel comfortable with. Is this too much to ask? I don’t think so.

Do you feel comfortable with your doctor? If you have a doctor in the area that you love and don’t mind sharing their info, please let me know!

News Round Up For Today

Just in case you have not had a chance to read the news today, please let me give you a quick recap.

Swine Flu - Do I Have It?!
Swine Flu - Will I Get It?!
Swine Flu - It's A Pandemic!
Swine Flu - Protect Yourself Against It!!
Obama - After 100 Days, What Will Happen?
Chrysler = Bankruptcy
Swine Flu - Don't Blame The Pigs!
Guess What - The Economy Is Bad :(
Guess What - We Are In A Recession :(
Swine Flu - Are We Overreacting?!
More Missing People
Swine Flu - Yes We Are Overreacting And We Better Panic, Now!
People Sick :(
Mel Gibson Steps Out with New Brunette. Is It To Soon?
*Cough* It Is Swine Flu *Cough*
Swine Flu, Mexico, Obama, Bankruptcy, Swine Flu, Recession, Obama, Swine Flu.


Yep, that is pretty much a recap of the news for today. Pretty uplifting stories, I think. Carry on with your day now, just wanted to save you a bit of time.

Friendly Reminder

Please & Thank You

Simple words that are very important and that you should never forget to use.