Love to Love it #65 November 18, 2008

I LOVE TO LOVE COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL!  Jason and I first got involved with Compassion the summer of 2006.  We sponsor a beautiful little girl from Kenya named Priscah Anwinja.  She’s 8 years old.  She likes playing ball, and helping her mother with chores.  She has 2 siblings.  We send $32.00 a month (the cost of a dinner out) to help make a difference in her life.  This money helps to send her to school, to pay for medical expenses, and provides a meal if needed.  Most importantly, it allows her the ability to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and find an eternal hope that far outlasts this world.  It is one of the great joys of our life to be able to be even a small influence on Priscah’s life.  We have exchanged several letters over the past few years and have been able to form a precious friendship.  We have had a totally positive experience with Compassion, and feel that they are good stewards of our monthly gift.  

There are so many more children just like Priscah that need sponsors.  Please visit www.compassion.com and sponsor a child today.

Love to Love it #59 October 25, 2008

I love to love Tazo African Red Bush tea.  Nothing’s better on a cool fall night!  I get it at Starbucks.  You can’t beat a trip to Starbuck’s for under $2.00!  Red tea, similar to green tea, is supposed to be good for your health, so drink up!

Love to Love it #55 September 15, 2008

I love to love my Kitchen Aid Mixer!  This is one of my favorite wedding gifts that Jason and I received.  This is the mother of all kitchen appliances.  It was a happy day when I opened the box.  :)  To be honest, I don’t use it enough for great it is.  I just used it today to make my favorite chocolate chip cookies and remembered how much I really do love this thing.  I don’t know how it stacks up to other mixers, I’ve only owned this one in my 4 years of domestic bliss , but all I can say is this thing is heavy duty.  It’s so sturdy, and mine still looks like new 4 years later.  My mixer is white, but they come in all sorts of cute colors.  I think the pink one is cute.  Happy mixing!

Love to Love it #54 September 9, 2008

I love to LOVE Michigan Blueberries!  I don’t even really like blueberries, but in the past few weeks I have not only tried, but fell in LOVE with Michigan Blueberries.  We just got back from our annual camping trip over Labor Day with our great friends the Setmeyers.  We camped in beautiful Holland, MI.  We stopped in South Haven and picked up some blueberries from the farmers market…..seriously, what have I been missing!  Soooo GOOD!  I would normally take a strawberry, raspberry, or blackberry over a blueberry any day, but these little blue bites have stolen my heart.  I am enjoying a large bowl for lunch and had to stop and share how delicious they are!  Sadly, it is the end of the season…..so get them while you can.  We found some at Whole Food straight from Holland, MI!  Got to get back to the blueberries!

Love to Love it #52 September 8, 2008

I love to love a 100 Calorie Pack!  These little bites are a perfect sized snack and at just 100 calories, you won’t feel guilty!  I think the Oreo cookies and Lorna Doone cookies are the best 100 calories packs, but I also love the Extreme Flavor Blasted Goldfish 100 packs from Pepperidge Farm.  Anyone who has been around me for more than a day knows that I Iove these snacks and eat them almost everyday!

Love to Love it #50 September 3, 2008

Ummmmm, I love to love delicious Chick-Fil-A!  This is by far my favorite fast food restaurant.  I always get a number one with a half and half no pickle.  That’s the good old Chick-Fil-A sandwich, medium fry and 1/2 regular 1/2 diet coke.  I crave it.  Good thing the closest one is to me is 30 min away or my waist line would be in serious trouble.  I love that the restaurants are always really clean, the service is always quick and very friendly, and they put handiwipes and a mint in the “to go” order bags.  You can’t get much better than that at a fast food joint.

Love to Love it #47 August 20, 2008

Oh how I love to LOVE Ina Garten.  She is so fabulous!  Her show, Barefoot Contessa, is my favorite on the Food Network.  She has a fabulous life.  She lives with her husband Jeffrey in the Hamptons.  Her show revolves around her life entertaining her friends and family.  She really knows how to throw a party.  What I love most about her is she pulls off elegance with such ease.  Whether she is hosting a Sunday morning brunch or a Friday night dinner for Jeffery, she loves cooking and especially for those she cares about.  She also writes cookbooks.  I own Barefoot Contessa Parties, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, and Barefoot Contessa At Home, buy them here.  My favorite is Barefoot Contessa Parties, but they are all great!  I will warn you, her food is not South Beach approved .  She doesn’t skimp on the heavy cream if you know what I mean, but once and a while, a decadent meal is pure bliss!  

I have to say that thing I love to love most about Ina is her story.  She was working in the WHITE HOUSE office of Management and Budget during Jimmy Carter’s administration, and decided she needed a change.  She wasn’t doing what she loved.  She went out on a huge step of faith and bought a speciality food store in the Hamptons, without any experience to draw from!  Talk about brave!  She spent 18 years running that store, Barefoot Contessa before she sold it.  Once she sold the store, she started writing cookbooks and began new endeavors on the Food Network.  That inspires me!  Even though she had a fantastic job at the White House of all places, she didn’t settle for doing something less than what she really loved.  We all could learn a little from that.

Love to Love it #44 August 13, 2008

I love to LOVE Cincinnati, OH!  Jason went to college in the city, and I went to college about 45 min north at Miami University.  I had traveled here several times with my family when I was younger to head to a Red’s game, but it wasn’t until college that I fell in love with this city!  The thing I love to love the most here is the food!  I salivate thinking about Montgomery Inn ribs, Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream (which will be it’s own love to love it soon), and LaRosa’s pizza!  All things that are uniquely Cincinnati, which I love! The skyline at night is so beautiful, wouldn’t you agree?  I love that this town is so familiar to me.  This place truly feels like our second home!

Love to Love it #34 July 13, 2008

I love to love Minute Maid Low Acid Orange Juice!  One thing about me (well, one of many things) is that I really like to have a glass of orange juice every morning when I get up.  I have one almost every day.  But, not any orang juice; it has to be Minute Maid Low Acid Orange Juice.  Normal orange juice is a little too acidic for me.  I prefer the smoother taste of Minuet Maid Low Acid.  Another perk to this OJ is that it is pulp free!  No pesky pulp for me!

Love to Love it #33 July 10, 2008

I love to love to Marsh Supermarket!  We don’t have a Fresh Market or Whole Foods up here in Kokomo, so Marsh is about at glamorous as you are going to get.  But I don’t mind, I love Marsh.  It reminds me of my childhood.  It’s where my mom used to shop.  I love my Marsh.  It’s newer and big, it has a great pharamacy (run by women-I love that) and it has close to my house.  I shop at Wal-Mart for all the essentials but I always head over to Marsh for my meat and produce.  You can’t beat it.  It is more expensive, but so much better quality.  And if shop the sales, you can get some good deals (thanks Noochymama)!  Happy shopping!