Destination College Park/East Point

Apologies to Misty and others for neglecting this site over the past month!!I can never create a following if I don't continue to keep it coming! So sorry. This entry is way overdue.

Want a great place for brunch or lunch or even raw vegan cuisine? Outdoor dining? Or a nice dinner without parking hassles or reservations? Come to College Park/East Point.

The Brake Pad restaurant, believe it or not, was a selling point in my choosing to move to East Point. It has this great small town feel. I have to admit that the chef who was there when I first moved there is no longer there and the specials are not near as good as they once were. I had crab cakes there one time that were the best I have ever had in my whole life! Despite his absence, I still find this place to be a great spot for lunch. They have tater tots on the menu! You can sit outside (but the train will ride by and interrupt your conversation). Put pennies on the railroad track. The menu consists of a variety of burgers, fish tacos that they often change up a little with different flavors of chipolte and other sauces, quesadillas (which I don't recommend), yummy sandwiches on 9 grain bread, and very good salads. I recommend the arugula and goat cheese salad with blackened tilapia. They have a full bar and daily drink specials. They serve Sunday brunch. But for brunch I recommend Thumbs Up Diner.

There are a couple of Thumbs Up Diner's in the Atlanta area, and they always rank within the top 10 brunch spots in Atlanta. One is located in downtown East Point. Don't blink, but downtown East Point should not be too hard to find. Just take Hwy 166 off of 85S and take the East Point exit. Go right and look for it along Main Street on your left. Remember, they are cash only!

There is a wonderful live food restaurant just off the square, Lovin' it Live. Nothing is cooked, all raw, all vegan, all good, all expensive. I recommend calling ahead. They prepare everything fresh so it can be quite a wait. I like the nutloaf and the brownie, made from dates and carob. Oh! and these "chicken nuggets" that are portabello mushrooms rolled in some combination of nuts. However, the atmosphere is not all that. Therefore, check out the online menu, place your order over the phone and then take it a little further down the street to Barrett Park off Rugby Ave. in College Park and enjoy! College Park is the home of Woodward Academy. Rugby Avenue is one of the more prominent streets, pretty homes, a wide street with sidewalks, magnolias, and dogwoods. They also have tennis courts there. Open tennis courts in Fulton County can be hard to find! It is a great little private spot for an easy picnic. http://www.lovingitlive.com/

Also on the square in downtown East Point is an Oz Pizza where you can buy good yummy fattening pizza by the slice with spinach & feta on it (my choice) and the East Point Corner Tavern. I had to admit it, but I love this place! It is dark and smokey and stinky and punky and tattooy and freaky. But they have trivia on Tuesday nights! Rebecca, Betsy and I discovered this place by accident. We actually ran in there to avoid a downpour one 4th of July. They were having trivia night, so we signed up. The trio of attorneys, an engineer and the Policy Analyst actually WON! 1st place. So we got a little hooked and would frequent it on Tuesday's. Betsy brought her other really smart friends and we always placed each time we played, so we got a little hooked. The food is good. They have fried artichokes! They have a diverse menu of warm, tasty dishes. We like to sit out on the back patio away from the dark and smoke. It is a little shady and you will see all sorts out and about here, playing pool and saddled up to the bar. I kinda stick out in my cashmere sweater set, but it is worth the stares.

College Park restaurants include Noodle and The Pecan. Noodle is an Asian restaurant, with good food, generous portions and good prices. They have yummy mojitos and outdoor dining, but you also have to deal with the loud train every so often. The Pecan is a little more upscale, white table cloth dining. I have yet to go but hear the shrimp and grits are, "to die for".

For more upscale dining in College Park, I prefer The Feed Store. The Feed Store has a comfortable atmosphere and unique menu. The wine list is small but should have something you like and offers a diverse price range. The menu varies weekly. The wait staff is not the best ever, but being able to park up front, walk right in and have a nice candle lit meal within 6 miles of downtown Atlanta is worth whatever little patience you may have to exercise with the waitress. They have appetizers like Pimento Cheese stuffed Fried Green Tomatoes with homemade Chow Chow, and offer quail and lamb as entree options.

If this is not your style, swing by The Feed Store for a cocktail and take in the artwork, and the architecture and then walk down the street to Fina. Fina is one of the Atlanta areas best kept secrets.

This little bistro is owned by a Frenchman named Jay. He also is in the wine distribution business if you are in need. The offer Peroni on tap and a nice little selection of wines. They also have a cheap corkage fee if you want to bring your own. The wait staff is very, very good. Ask for Kay. This is delicious homemade Italian. It is warm, earthly and you feel as if you are in Italy as you sit in their bistro style chairs, exposed brick walls and eat hearty delicious Italian dishes. They have delicious homemade gnocchi, sweet Italian sausages, amazing lasagna, salmon and oh! the best caprese ever. They also have good bread, served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but don't get too full on that. Save room for the delicious appetizers and entrees. If you are bringing a group, I would call and make a reservation, just to be kind and let them know and to reserve a space, as it is a small restaurant. Also, if you are bringing a small group, request the circular booth near the bar. It is cozy. I love, love, love this restaurant. They have jazz on Wednesday and Friday. And one time I forgot my gloves and they called me at home to tell me! You can't beat it.

Greek Yogurt

This yogurt is the best you can buy. It comes in 0, 2 and 5%. It is triple strained so it is not watery like American yogurt. It is unbelievably thick and rich and creamy. It is not bitter or tangy like most plain yogurts. The possibilities are endless, whether adding fruit, honey, agave nectar, cinnamon or cucumber & dill. Fage (pronounced fa-yeh) has about half the carbs of regular yogurt, but more surprisingly it has more protein than your average yogurt. All Total Fage products are great. I also recommend their Feta cheese!

Monogrammed Towels

I love all things monogrammed. My father was supposedly named Carl Stanley Davis because my grandfather thought that CSD when written in cursive flowed well and he liked those initials. So I guess Papa Davis liked monogramming too.

Neiman Marcus has the Ralph Lauren "Lawton" towel on sale. This also includes the monogrammed bath mat that retails for $28.50 for $16.49 and shipping is FREE. Monogrammed hand towels are $10 and those really great large "body sheets" are $16.49 and make perfect beach companions. Enter coupon code NMSHIP for free shipping.

Sweetener

I really like this. It is debated whether this is a good alternative to sweetners. Some say yes and some say no. I say it has to be better than Pure Sugar and certainly better that artifical sweetners. So I say go for it. I use it all the time and I think it's a good thing. When cooking with this alternative lower the oven temperature 25 degrees and use about 25% less than the recipe calls for, 3/4c. instead of 1c.

The agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has long been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. Its fleshy leaves cover the pineapple-shaped heart of the plant, which contains a sweet sticky juice. Ancient Mexicans considered the plant to be sacred. They believed the liquid from this plant purified the body and soul. When the Spaniards arrived, they took the juices from the agave and fermented them, leading to the drink we now call tequila.

But there is a more interesting use for this historic plant. Agave syrup (or nectar) is about 90% fructose. Only recently has it come in use as a sweetener. It has a low glycemic level and is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar. Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from corn, agave syrup is fructose in its natural form. This nectar does not contain processing chemicals. Even better, because fructose is sweeter than table sugar, less is needed in your recipes. It can be most useful for people who are diabetic, have insulin resistance, or are simply watching their carbohydrate intake.

Billy Reid once again

Well, what'd ya know? I head over to Garden & Gun to find that article below on historic trees and lo and behold I see an article entitled Faulkner-esque Fashions and sure enough, Billy Reid is featured here! I found him first! This is getting a bit out of hand. But here you go, G&G's review of MY favorite designer:

What Ralph Lauren did for New England, Billy Reid is doing for the South. The award-winning designer is back on the radar with an exclusive line of clothing and accessories called Billy Reid. Pieces range from luxurious custom-fit tuxedos and handmade shoes and accessories to sportswear and premium denim, with a women’s collection causing a stir as well.
Customers can get a firsthand glimpse of the lifestyle inspired by his clothing at any one of his retail stores, each decorated to evoke the classic American South. Reid’s studio and flagship store, Pickett Place, is located in Florence, Alabama, but other boutiques can be found in Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Nashville, and Charleston, South Carolina. Reid visits each store regularly and gives customers the opportunity for a custom suit fitting with the designer himself.

Trees with Pedigrees

Garden & Gun Magazine has twice now stalked me and taken my creative ideas as their own. Now I am doing the same, but giving them full credit for introducing me to this amazing program.

Through its Historic Tree Program, American Forests, the country’s oldest national conservation group, will ship you the offspring of some of our most famous trees. Want a direct descendant of South Carolina’s mammoth Angel Oak, widely considered the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi? Or perhaps you’d like a Gettysburg honey locust, progeny of a tree that stood mere yards away from a guy named Lincoln while he gave a pretty memorable speech in 1863. Elvis fan? Look out your window at a Southern magnolia from Graceland’s front lawn. All the trees are grown from either seeds or cuttings of the original and arrive as one- to three-foot saplings, ready to plant—and ready to become a part of your own legacy. Neat, huh?

http://www.historictrees.org/store.html

Cosmetics

Laura Steen recommends this:

Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Where can I get it: Most anywhere, including: Sephora, Ulta or Amazon.com

What it is: Smashbox makeup artists use this product to create a perfect canvas for foundation application.

What it is formulated to do: The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish.

What else you need to know: Use after moisturizer and before foundation for complexion perfection. This skin-soothing blend of antioxidants, which can be worn alone or under foundation, works overtime to fill in fine lines and even out skin texture.

Whoopie Pies

These are some of my all time favorite things ever! Joyce O'Bannon gave me a dozen one year for my birthday and I kept them under my bed and ate one every day for almost two weeks! I was about 10 then and calories didn't count. Never mind the frosting is made with eggs and I was risking poisoning myself. But I knew they would not last a minute out in the common space of the refrigerator and I was willing to take my chances. Christine found this article , it makes my mouth water just to read about them. I assume Joyce's were made from that old Amish recipe. They were so moist they would stick to the roof of your mouth and physically could not be eaten without a glass of milk nearby. Whoopie! certainly fits my reaction to this oh so yummy dessert.

Din Bin Salad

This is a very refreshing salad, so easy to make, and so good for you. I can hardly wait for tomato season. Put some of all of this in a bowl and eat it! I would measure out the olive oil though if I were you. 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil has about 24 grams of fat! So go easy on it. Celery is known for its benefits to the brain and Apple Cider Vinegar aids in digestion, contains potassium and calcium, can clear up your skin, great for joint pain and stiffness and more! I added the spinach on my own, I always seem to have some on hand and find it just too good for you not to use every chance I get, so I simply add a small handful for good measure.

Hearts of Romaine

Spinach (if desired)

Feta

Tomatoes

Cucumber- diced

Celery- sliced

Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt (if desired)

Nutrition

The following are all compliments of Ginny Reddick, nutritionist with Chick-fil-a and fellow ministry school student. Ginny loves to teach others how to eat healthy, be healthy, maintain energy and live strong. She is all about a healthy mind, body and spirit. Eating healthy each day keeps our blood sugar at proper levels and keeps us from storing too much fat into our muscles and our heart is a muscle! Ginny recommends:

This simple little grocery list to help you plan ahead: /

This amazing website to help you watch your caloric intake to help you watch what you are eating and learn about the nutritional benefits of your meals and to help you lose weight and stay healthy: http://www.thedailyplate.com/. This site will soon be housed under the site http://www.livestrong.com/ It requires you to register and then you can daily add in exactly what you had to eat, how many servings and it will show you a breakdown of the percentages of proteins, calories, fat, etc that you consumed in comparison to daily requirements. You can create a profile with your age, height and weight and how much weight you would like to lose and it will tell you how many calories you need to consume each day to reach your weight loss goals. I think the site is wonderful. I don't know if time will permit for me to use it for a lifetime, but a few weeks of adding exactly what I am eating will soon teach me how to make these calculations in my head and will certainly make me more aware of what I am consuming. The features on the site are endless and I highly recommend checking it out! You can add in your exercise and it calculates accordingly.

Ginny's overall recommendations for eating revolve around a 2-2-1 plan. She suggests eating 2 servings of fruits and vegetables (a serving being a handful), 2 servings of grains, and 1 serving of protein at EVERY MEAL. She also suggests healthy snacks in between meals. Those snacks should just be small in portions and high in fiber and protein. Eating like this will prevent you from experiencing those "crashes" throughout the day and overeating. These are great tools to give you a platform and make you aware of your daily nutritional needs and simply create an awareness of eating healthy.

Joe's Jeans

These Joe's Jeans are my favorite. I do not condone their scandalous ads, so do not look at them. I stumbled upon these having tried on every kind of jeans known to man. This brand carries a cut called Provocateur which is perfect for "petites". They have a little stretch to them making them very comfortable. Typically, jeans are not comfortable to me. Thai Fisherman pants are comfortable, jeans are not. These are perfect to dress up or down and wash well- remember to wash inside out! They are a bit pricey, but I would rather have one great pair of jeans than two that I wasted money on because they shrink, don't fit well or quickly go out of style. I could have posted this Favorite Thing much earlier, but I have been working hard on my obliques to be able to post this shot.

Mally Bibs

The main reason for posting this is to show Natty's adorable face. But the bib is worth a review. This was a Nearly New find and was quickly discovered to be the greatest bib ever. It has as magnetic closure in the back, so there is none of that squeezing a snap you cannot see around your baby's neck or pulling their soft baby hair. Mally Bibs are made of leather and wash incredibly easily and are soft, reversible and cute. The magnetic closure allows you to store it on your fridge if you so desire. The easy clean up is much better than cloth bibs which only add to the piles of laundry. Thus, the bib is also environmentally friendly. They retail for around $32, but you would only need one and it will outlast messy eaters.

www.mallybibs.com

A Cooking Lesson from Mary Ann

Betty sent this to me. Apparently Mary Ann is off the island and living in Idaho. Why don't we always do it this way?

Knife Sets

Henckels Knives have been around for more than 275 years. Betty gave me a set as a housewarming present and I love them and use them all the time. You can invest as little or as much as you want in these. Given that I use them primarily to open a wedge of Gouda or puncture the wrapping of my crumbled goat cheese, I can't say that I am an expert on knives in the kitchen. But this set is all I could ever need. They slice tofu and open containers well! They wash well in the dishwasher and they stay sharp. There are a lot of other brands out there, but I highly recommend these. They are very well made and I trust they will last a very long time.

Billy Reid Clothing

I love Billy Reid Clothing. He is a designer from Florence, Alabama. His dressy-casual clothing has been described as "whiskey soaked". Take a look at his site for what he is all about. There are stores in Charleston, Nashville and elsewhere. Currently they are having a HUGE sale. 75% off! And Free Shipping. http://www.billyreid.com/

Kim, you will love this stuff!

Toothpaste

Yes, toothpaste. And one worthy of an entry at that. I like this stuff. It is priced in comparison with others. I love the cap. It is big and easy to screw on and off and much better than the usual tiny cap. It is not like I am arthritic or anything, but trust me, you will like the cap better too. I don't know if foaming is actual proof that a substance is actually cleaning, but it foams. I have no idea how to begin to promote good toothpaste without sounding like a Orbitz Gum commercial, words like "minty fresh" and "sparkling clean" all come to mind. But just trust me. Try it.

My Favorite Oatmeal- SALE

Amazon.com Special Offer

Save up to 30%. Save an additional 15% instantly when you purchase select McCann's products sold by Amazon.com. Enter code OATMEA98 at checkout. Plus, save an additional 15% when you combine this instant rebate with your Subscribe & Save order--bringing the total savings to 30%. Offer valid through March 31, 2009. Shop now.

Free Frozen Entree

Click the link below for a coupon for a free frozen entree:
http://www.kashi.com/picturehunt

Free Not So Bad Coffee

NYT Serenbe Review

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/travel/01heads.html?scp=5&sq=serenbe&st=cse

All Things Food Blog

Yum! Well designed, great ideas, fun reviews, delicious recipes and more! Thanks Pioneer Woman! http://www.seriouseats.com/
Laura, they review that Fiber One Muffin Mix ($3.99) and say that it's good!



"Serious Eats is a website focused on celebrating and sharing food enthusiasm through blogs and online community. Our unique combination of community and content brings together the distinctive voices of food bloggers, compelling original and acquired food video, and spirited, inclusive, conversations about all things food- and drink-related".

Serious Eats: Updated daily with the latest food news, entertainment, and commentary
Recipes: Gathers and curates the best recipes from cookbook writers, chefs, and the Serious Eats community
Eating Out: Dishes honest, trustworthy, reliable eating advice from all over the world
Talk: Community members start their own discussions and chew the fat with fellow serious eaters
"We hope Serious Eats reflects the pleasure and joy we all derive from celebrating, discovering, cooking, eating, and sharing great food".

just so you know...again

Now not only is Garden & Gun stealing my ideas, The Times is as well...But it's okay by me. Yankees can come to Serenbe and we can get along nicely. More grits and sweet tea for me.

Watercolors

How amazing are these? They are by Maia C. Larkin. If I had a billion dollars I would I have one made of each of the Punkins...and one of you...of me too! And I would frame them in simple frames and hang them all over my dining room wall.

http://verlichtstudio.blogspot.com/

Egghead Nonstick Omelet Pan

Harold Imports once again delivers a great product (they also make the honey jar I love). My sister gave me this for Christmas and I really do love it. I does truly make the perfect omelet and it is easy to clean and is small and, therefore, stores nicely.

• Create perfect omelets with the ease of a flip!
• Place the ingredients inside the pan, lock the cover, cook on one side then flip to cook on the other
• Safe for use on electric and gas stoves
• Makes a 5 inch round omelet
• Non-stick coated for easy clean-up and food release

Retail Price: $11.99

Shrimp & Grits

Here is a simple recipe for Shrimp & Grits provided by Mama Deane and http://www.eatingwell.com/.

Ingredients:
Shrimp & Cheddar Grits
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth OR veggie
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup quick grits (not instant) (see Shopping Tip)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
3/4 cup extra-sharp or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (16-20 per pound; see Shopping Tip)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Bring broth and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in grits and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, toss shrimp, scallions, oil, garlic powder, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, stirring once, until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve the grits topped with the broiled shrimp and scallions. ( I don't do scallions)

Shopping Tips: Look for quick grits near oatmeal and other hot cereals or near cornmeal in the baking aisle. Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to be sure you’re getting the size you want, order by the count (or number) per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught.

Serves 6

Carbs: 27g

Fat: 13g

Protein: 32g

just so you know

Garden & Gun (my favorite magazine- go to "Older Posts" for entry) has yet again stolen a Favorite Thing. The last time it was GoGo's Jewelry. This time it is Bonna Bella Yacht Club, which got a little write up in this most recent publication! I have clear proof with dates that my entry came first. If they feature Thai Fisherman pants I am going to have a lawsuit pending.

Another Hair Product

Laura and I just got off the phone. She is in the grocery store and sorting coupons and was asking me what all I had tried, liked and could recommend. The subject of hair products came up with a $1.00 off coupon and I remembered that I am almost out of my Aveda Leave-On Conditioner. This is good stuff. However, as my hair guy told me, "a little goes a long way". I don't know for certain, but I think I have had this bottle since 2002. I obviously don't use it every day. I know that using a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner is a huge faux pas, but I value time more than amazing hair so I use it sometimes. But it does require me at times to need a little extra conditioning. I am so so so so so tender headed and tangles hurt! When I was little my dad would make me lie down on the floor and spread out my hair on a towel and he would comb it out while watching TV. This memory is funny, because Dad typically did not take on any "mothering" type roles, like getting us dressed or cooking or anything like that. Dad and The Cosby Show and the blue Avon brush with black bristles are not around so that is where this stuff comes in. Just towel dry, add a small dab and combing is much more pleasant.

Hair Products

I love this line of Paul Mitchell Tea Tree hair products. I purchased the Shampoo, Conditioner and a Hair & Body Conditioner when going to Africa because it is supposed to be a natural mosquito repellent. That was back when I was a unseasoned and paranoid and now I would not even take shampoo to Africa. How silly? But I love this stuff! I especially loved the Hair & Body Conditioner. Oftentimes I barely had enough water to wet and rinse, so I would just shampoo and then put in the leave-in conditioner and use it as a lotion when needed. How handy is that? It smells amazing and makes your scalp tingle. And if you have hot water, it lathers well. It really is great stuff as far as hair products go, in and out of Africa. Below is a review I found on their hair and scalp treatment.

Made with Australian tea tree oil -- a natural antiseptic, germicide, and disinfectant hailed for its healing abilities -- this Paul Mitchell treatment is like an aromatherapy session for your hair and scalp. The minty tingle and refreshing smell will add a twist to your shampoo, condition, and hop-out-of-the-shower routine. As an added bonus, tea tree oil is a natural remedy for dandruff but isn't advertised that way, so you can cure white flakes discreetly.

Maps

I love maps. I love it that they are such pretty pastel colors. Dad had a big globe in his classroom and I loved to play with it when I was little. I love playing that game where you close your eyes and spin the globe and pretend you get to live in the place on which your finger lands. I have a map on the wall in my office. I recommend you get one too. It is a constant conversation piece and every once in awhile a random coworker will walk in my office, stand in front of the map, mumble something along the lines of , "Oh, ok. That's where that is" and walk out.

I love to put pins in the places I have been. I even suffered through a weekend business trip to Salt Lake just to be able to put a pin in Utah. Ok, not really. I went because of the nice hotel. And to make a positive contribution to national education reform, sharing the success and failures of the great State of Georgia. But I so totally put my pin in first thing Monday morning! Oh, and layovers do not count!

Flat Iron

I can't foresee stick straight hair going out of style any time soon. I have been a flat iron fan since the moment I walked out of Vidal Sassoon in 1997. I loved that feeling of swishing hair and until then, my hair never swished. I wanted to use what they used and not waste my money on a cheaper one that didn't work as well. I shopped around online and found the Chi Flat Iron that is used by most salons and it certainly deserves ranking among my favorite things. My first Chi flat iron blew up in Vietnam. Seriously. I plugged it in a 220v outlet in my hotel there and she blew up within seconds. I immediately replaced her with another, but for some reason this one does not have the dial that allows you to set the temperature. I would like the option of setting it a little cooler for days when I might not need quite so much heat. But this one works very well, has lasted a long time and I have learned my lesson on foreign electricity and hope to not suffer any more casualties.

Book Reviews

I love to read! I love to read a whole bunch of books at one time. A perfect Saturday morning would include staying in bed and reading a chapter or two or three of each. I thought I would add an occasional book review. I don't know about you, but I find myself walking the aisles of the book store, not knowing quite where to start. There is nothing worse than investing hours or days into a book that is not any good. That's why I always like to know what others are reading, their opinions and to get ideas. So here's what I am reading. You can view the book jackets along the bottom right of the site. I will rotate in new books as I read them.

Currently, I am reading God's Generals by Roberts Liardon as a book for my weekly Bethel School. I love biographies and this is a compilation of short biographies of these amazing men and women of God. I love reading about their radical encounters, mostly simple upbringing and the testimonies of how they found God, or more like God found them. I want to write biographies, so I liked reading the quick and easy to read, interesting, detailed chapters each featuring a different "General". The author also points on the mistakes these men and women made, often ego driven, humanness, that often caused tragic downfalls. We all want to learn from others' mistakes and I am sure these "Generals" would want us to continue to carry the torch. Some of their encounters are so incredibly amazing. They will blow your mind.

I am also reading The Richest Man Who Ever Lived. It was written by Steven K. Scott, a mega millionaire who is writing about how to become successful. It is subtitled King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth and Happiness. I have to admit that I would never have chosen to read this book. Steve Hale, Senior Leader at Bethel Atlanta added it to our school reading list. Steve is a very successful financial planner, so I trust him. The concept of the book is brilliant. I do believe that if we were to deeply study, meditate and act upon the teachings in Proverbs, we could avoid a lot of pitfalls. I like the practicality of the book. Scott asks you to write down your dreams and goals and visions and map out your vision. I think this is very important, for us to write it all down and map it out and set goals and write down the steps to the goals. However, I am also the girl who doesn't balance her checkbook and hates simple monthly bill payment and is a big daydreamer. The planning, mapping, details of stuff drives me nuts. But I did it! And I am glad I did. It was a national bestseller, so it has something going for it. But I imagine you could google the guy and find his website and get a good enough understanding on what teachings of Proverbs he specifically outlines. It is basically being honest, speaking kind words, forgiving and all that we already know that seems to elementary, but can be so hard to do.

I am also reading A.W. Tozer's, The Pursuit of God and he is awesome. It is a short read, a small 100 page book. Reading his stuff makes me want to read everything he's ever written. I find myself highlighting sentences that totally change the way I think and I want to paste them all over the place. He is kind of like C.S. Lewis, not just because he uses his initials, but because his writings are deep and full of great revelation. I can actually comprehend him much more easily than I can Lewis who, for me, can be a little over my head. He writes, "My appeal is addressed to those who have been previously taught in secret by the wisdom of God; I speak to thirsty hearts whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them, and such as they need to reasoned proof. Their restless hearts furnish all the proof they need". Tozer clearly had a deep, intimate relationship with God and shares his relationship in this book because he wants you and I to get there too.

Petroleum Jelly

So my adoration may appear a bit far reaching with this one. However, I love petroleum jelly. And I love the baby fresh scented kind. Despite being alive for 31 years and wearing make-up for half of that, I never knew that you could use petroleum jelly for eye make-up removal, but you can. Thanks, Carla. It's also good for your cheeks when running outside in cold weather, before and after. Also great for chaffing if that is an issue. And it works to help lube the brass hardware on the top of your closet door that keeps sticking, if you are out of olive oil. (I don't like to go to the hardware store!)

Once upon a time, when Catherine was born, they put a little tube of the Vaseline Lip stuff in her little bassinet in the hospital. It was baby scented, although not marketed as such, it just had the light blue top instead of the custom dark blue one. I remember that she smelled like it. Her little top lip was peeling off, something newborns do I reckon and I was attentive to make sure that her teeny tiny little top lip stayed covered in the stuff. I loved getting up in her sweet baby face and smelling that scented Vaseline in combination with that new baby smell. Heaven I tell ya.

I get the Target brand of Baby Fresh Scented Petroleum Jelly in the Tube, not the jar. (It gets under my fingernails when diggin' in the jar). It's $1.27, including tax.

Sunless Tanning

We are all aware of the damaging effects of the sun. I always wear a daily SPF on my face year round and do my best to lather on the sunscreen when at the beach or by the pool to avoid sun damage. But you can still have a summer glow year round thanks to sunless tanning lotions. They have come a long way in the last few years. And now is the time to break it out as we approach Spring weather (I hope). Now most do not streak or make you turn orange. My main challenge is finding one without that smell. A lot of them smell like green beans to me?! Bizarre, I know. Laura uses Neutrogena and I like the Jergens brand. Application is a pain and works best when applied first thing in the morning before getting dressed and you need to let it dry. And you must wash your hands immediately after application! But the results of seemingly sunkissed skin is noticeable and worth it. By the way, the make a sunless tanning lotion just for faces. Don't buy it. It's a marketing ploy. And don't put it on your face anyway. Use a bronzer from your favorite make-up line instead.

Restaurant.com

From time to time http://www.restaurant.com/ discounts their already reduced $25 gift certificates for Atlanta area restaurants. Currently $25 gift certificates are $4.00, but require a $35 minimum purchase at most locations. Enter the Coupon Code "TREAT" (exp. 2/15). I highly recommend The Pecan, The Feed Store and Fina Bistro all located in College Park. Some of my Atlanta favorites included in the deal are Anis Bistro, Dailey's (for Dessert!) and American Roadhouse (in Va-Highlands).