Monthly Archives: September 2015

21Sep/15

Remembering Grandma

All 3 of them…

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I was extremely blessed to have two wonderful Grandmothers. Actually if you count my ex-husbands Nan, I had three. They were all special in different ways and have helped make me the person I am today. I learned a lot from these strong women and I hope I have passed some of it along to my kids and grandkids.

I remember cold winter nights sleeping at my Mom’s mother’s house. Before we could do anything, we had to go into the basement to put coal in the furnace so we wouldn’t freeze. It always amazed me that we had to do this because we just turned our heat on with a thermostat at our house. She would let me shovel the coal but I wasn’t allowed to put it in the furnace and had to stand back while she did it.

I have so many memories of her house and the people who lived there. My Grandfather and my Aunt and Uncle and their son all lived there together. I always thought that was so cool. And now my son, his wife and kids live right behind my house. And that is very cool.

But my best memories of her are the ones where I spent the night with her. After the feeding the furnace… and us, we headed upstairs to her bedroom. She would always stop and let me go in my Grandfathers room. He had passed but his room was still there and all of his books were lined on the many shelves. I loved the smell of that room and I think that is where my love of books started. Then we would go to her room and climb in the big warm bed and cover up with her many quilts. After saying our prayers we would lie awake for what seemed like hours with her telling me stories of her youth and what life was like back then. I can still feel the warmth from the furnace and the smell of her perfume. I loved those nights in my Grandma’s bed.

My Dad’s mother was a strong outspoken woman. She never held back and said exactly what she thought (maybe this is where I got some of my outspokenness). She ruled the family and even though my Grandfather was a very strong man, he would always defer to Grandma.

The best memories of her are the ones we spent as kids in her kitchen. She would make us wonderful treats and “big people” drinks at her kitchen counter. We thought we were so grownup drinking our creme de menthe drinks she made for us. But even better was when she left us make the treats with her. Making peach pie with her was such an experience, she was never satisfied with the crusts. She would stomp and shout and want to throw it out and start over. We would finally talk into using it and it was as usual the best pie ever. It may not have looked good, but it sure tasted good. In later years when my grandparents moved to Florida, they would come home every summer and not one would go by without us making a peach pie together. I can still smell it baking and have yet to have one that tasted as good as those messy pies we made together.

My third Nan was one of the strongest women I knew at that time. Women just didn’t do or say the things she did. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and encouraged me to do the same. I was very young when I married her grandson and she took me under her wing and loved me unconditionally. She taught me so many things about life. I think many of the things I say and do with my grandchildren come from her. We spent many hours just talking and I think it helped for me to have someone like her to talk to and say things I couldn’t say to my Mom. She helped me at a time when I needed someone and I miss her every day.

These three women have shaped my life. All of them, each in a different way. I can only hope to be half the woman they were.

Who helped shape your life? What memories of your Grandma do you have? I hope you have good ones…

10Sep/15

Fall 2015 Fashion Trends

Watch out the 70’s are back…

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We are going to be surrounded by Boho, Fringes, Suede and Leather. I loved the 70’s, really I did..but not sure I can do it again. Ok, maybe some of it. I would really like to see the whole “Peace and Love” thing happen again that’s for sure. But we are here to talk of fashion for Fall 2015. And as for the men: Whether you like it or not Christmas is coming so take note..

1. Colors for Fall 2015 are: Army Green or Sage, Off White, Camel, Burnt Orange and all shades of Brown. Brown is evidently the new black!  For men they are showing lots of grey (shades of grey, maybe)

2. Handbags- Saddlebags, Crossbody bags and Clutches. I for one can never use a clutch, I can’t get all my stuff in one. Ever!!

Here is a cute Saddlebag from Nine West. I really do like these! Not sure but maybe I could get all my stuff in here…

3. Chunky heels – yes, they are back. I’m not a big fan of these however they are better for your feet if you are going to wear heels. I don’t really wear them much anymore except for special occasions. However, I don’t mind a clunky heel on a boot. And while we are talking about boots…

4. Boots, boots, boots – Ankle boots, calf high boots, knee high boots and cowboy boots. All kinds of boots. I love boots and wear them most of the time from Fall thru Spring. I would wear them in the summer if it wasn’t so hot!

My favorite pair of cowboy boots from Ariat..

5. Clothing- 70’s style, boho, fringes, suede, knits(oh no not these again), crocheted vests like this one Ladies Bohemian Beaded Crocheted Camel Color Vest and flared pants. Although they did mention a good white oxford shirt is going to be big this fall. Personally, I didn’t know it ever went out of style. Oh, and I even hesitate to put this in print..turtlenecks..yes, I said it. I really, really dislike turtlenecks.

6. Statement jewelry – Bigs earrings, Chunky necklaces and bracelets. For more beautiful jewelry please check out my website at www.mysilpada.com/renee.stambaugh

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7. Lipstick – Red, Red, Red..all shades of red. Mary Kay has some beautiful ones. Check out my friend Becky’s Mary Kay page. www.mary.com/BeckyGohn

8. Nail color – Plums, blues, copper and all metallics. My favorite nail polish is Essie and here is essie Nail Color, Metallics, Good as Gold for you to check out.

9. Jeans – they are showing flares again and also high waist. Not a fan of either one. I do like a boot cut for when I am wearing boots. But really I like skinny jeans for my knee high boots. The boots fit over the jeans so much better. I am not talking about jeans so skinny they cut off your circulation. My jeans have stretch in them and they really do stretch. Believe me there are times I think they may burst after a big meal.

And last but not least..

10. I know this isn’t a fashion trend, but it is a trend and one I will definitely embrace. Wine in cans – yes you heard me. Who doesn’t love this? My favorite 2015 trend of all!

Happy Fall!!

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03Sep/15

Top Ten Benefits of Coconut Oil

There are actually way more than 10…

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I love Coconut Oil. I love to cook with it, take it everyday by the spoonful or use it as a treatment when I need some TLC for a certain issue. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it and why.

1. Take a spoonful everyday. It has wonderful antibacterial properties. Doing this daily can help with a lot of issues. Candida, kidney stones, liver problems, IBS and other digestive problems. Please consult your Doctor first if you have any serious issues.

2. Put it on your skin everyday. It is a great sunscreen and also very moisturizing. It is also not extremely greasy.

3. Use it for cooking. You can use it just like any vegetable oil. It is more easily digested than other oils and contains the “good” saturated fats the body needs. Because of this it is good for your heart. And it makes some very tasty scrambled eggs.

4. Put it on your feet. It has anti fungal properties so it is good for athletes foot or toe nail fungus.

5. Coconut oil can be a great help when you are trying to lose some weight. If you are craving something, like ice cream(just as a for instance, not saying I ever crave this) take a spoonful of coconut oil instead. For some reason it satisfies the craving. It also helps with digestion, due to its antimicrobial properties, which can also be a help with weight loss.

6. It is a wonderful mouth rinse. It has been shown to prevent cavities and heal gums.  My gums have been healthier since using this and my daughter in law has not had as many cavities as she has had in the past. Just take a little bit and swish it around your mouth for a few minutes and then spit it out. Follow up with some water and spit that out as well. You should do this for at least 10 minutes, but any time you spend doing it is better than not doing it at all.

7. Great as a massage oil for pain. I recently had my back go out so I put some peppermint oil, frankincense oil and coconut oil in a bottle and rubbed it on my back. It really alleviated the pain and helped with the healing of the muscle. And it smelled good too!

8. Coconut oil can be a wonderful stress reliever. Rub some on your forehead if your are feeling stressed out or have a headache.

9. It has recently been shown to help Alzheimers patients. Some studies have shown it has increased brain function and slowed down the process of alzheimers. I don’t know about you but I need all the help I can get with increasing my brain function.

10. Coconut oil is wonderful for your hair and scalp. You can massage some on your scalp and then shampoo as usual. Also put a little on after hair has dried to tame down any frizzies and help with dry hair. It has also been known to help with preventing head lice.

There are a lot of other things coconut oil can do for you. But these are my favorites and ones I have tried and worked for me. If you want to buy some you can click on the jar below. It takes you to Amazon and my favorite brand.

As always I am not a physician, so if you have any serious issues please consult your doctor before trying this.

Thanks for reading and good health!