All Posts By

Deborah

Food & Drinks Household

Good Ol’ Sweet Tea

April 14, 2017

Who would love a glass of good ol’ sweet tea? Well, if you asked this question in the South, it would be a resounding YES! However in Massachusetts, they would look at you like you had two heads.

History of sweet tea goes as far back as the late 1700s. South Carolina was known for being the only state to produce the tea commercially. In the 1800s when ice boxes were common, the idea of creating different kinds of tea and tea punches were published in a variety of community cookbooks.

By the 20th century, tea being served cold was common place. Why?… It is hotter than hell in the South and during the American Prohibition, it was a good alternative to illegal alcohol. Many well-known cookbooks, like Southern Cooking by Henrietta Dull, set the standard on how it was to be made. All ladies of society had this book and did their best to follow her recipe to a tee.

One of the biggest don’ts in preparing tea was that milk was never to be served with it. Well, darn, if New Englanders can have medium, regular ice coffee, why can’t Southerners have medium iced tea with milk?

If you want to try my recipe for the two types of traditional teas, Ice Tea and Sweet Tea, the recipe is the same but the only difference between the two is SUGAR.

Traditional Ice Tea and Sweet Tea Recipe

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
  2. Turn off heat, add 8 to 10 tea bags and let them steep for about 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer Lipton Black Tea bags.
  3. While still warm, pour the steeped tea in a gallon jug.
  4. If you want a traditional tea, no sugar required and go to Step 5. If you want sweet tea, place ½ cup of sugar and increase sugar slowly to get your desired taste. Usually 1 cup of sugar is sweet enough.
  5. Fill the rest of the gallon jug with cold water and refrigerate until nice and cold.
  6. Serve over ice, with or without lemon and enjoy.

Do you have a favorite tea recipe that was passed down to you? Please let me know and as always, thanks for stopping by.

0 Comments
Advice Column

Ask Ms. Deborah – Managing a Possible Layoff

April 7, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

 It is likely that I will get laid off in the next two months. What can I do to prepare?

 Sincerely,

Hopefully Not

 Dear Hopefully Not,

I am so sorry to hear that you feel this event is coming upon you quickly. However, there are many ways to prepare for this event. It’s time to do a little low under the radar ground work to ensure that you are prepared for this day by doing the following:

  1. Know your benefits. This would be a great time to review all of your vacation and sick days along with any other benefits to ensure you and your employer are on the same page upon your departure. Also, when you are prepare, it makes negotiating your severance package much easier. Lastly, if you have a 401k with the company, please make sure you know how to login to their portal to review your assets in preparation to transfer those investments when that time comes.
  2. Start saving even more now. You should have a savings account with at least 8 to 10 months of your monthly salary.
  3. Re-examine your lifestyle and budget. This would be a great time to really look at your spending, sticking to a budget and see if there is any expenses that you need to cut at this time.
  4. Get rid of debt. If you can pay down some or eliminate debt, this would be a great time to do it while you have your current income.
  5. Severance package. If you are presented with a severance package/agreement, please don’t sign it right away. Please make time for yourself to review it and completely understand it. If you are unsure or have any questions regarding this agreement, please have an attorney review it for you and provide any feedback.
  6. Maximizing your unemployment benefits. When you are laid off and receive your severance package, please try to maximize your unemployment benefits and sticking with your revised budget. The severance package is your additional cushion and should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

Overall, if you are prepared financially, this will relieve any stress and will allow you to be able to focus on finding that perfect job for you.

 

0 Comments
Advice Column Household

Ask Ms. Deborah – 5 Ways to Paying Bills on Time.

April 4, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I am in my 30s and make enough to live comfortably but there is one thing that I am not very good at, paying my bills on time. My wife and I get into huge arguments because it can and will affect our credit rating down the road when we want to buy a house. Can you provide me with some tips?

Sincerely,

Procrastinating Husband

Dear Procrastinating Husband,  

Bill paying is very important because it does increase your credit score and enables you to get better interest rates on future loans. So how can you start paying bills on time?  It starts with both you and your wife working as a team and creating that habit together.

My suggestions that may help you stay on top of your bills are as follows:

  1. Organize your bills. You can create a filing system that has 12 monthly folders and 31 numbered folders to help you organize the bills by the month and day they are due. For example, when you get your mail and it notes that the bill is due next month, May 15th, place it in the monthly folder marked May. At the end of April, I would suggest pulling the May monthly folder and taking all the bills due and now organizing them in the number folders on when the bill is due. Knowing that the bill is due on May 15th, I would place that bill to be paid by the 10th to ensure it arrives on time.
  2. Schedule a bill paying time. It is important to schedule a designated time as a couple to go over finances and pay bills. This ensures everyone is on the same page and can bring up any upcoming expenses or budget for something in the future like a home or dream vacation.
  3. Schedule automatic payments. This is a great way to ensure that those credit card bills and mortgage payments are paid on time. The only downfall is that you always must have enough in your account to cover those bills.
  4. Pay the bill when it comes in. Once the bill comes in, go directly to their mobile app or your banking website to schedule that payment or if you prefer mail, write that check and mail it off.
  5. Set up bill reminders via email or text. A lot of credit card companies and banks offers services to ensure their clients are successful in paying their bills on time. Enroll in those reminders and possibly save the planet by opting for paperless bill service.

Paying bills on time reduces stress and a happy wife is a happy life! I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by.

0 Comments
Household

Organizing Your Mail

April 4, 2017

The dreaded stack of mail that comes in our box can be overwhelming at times. With that said, here are few steps that I do that eliminates unwanted mail while organizing those few bills that do arrive the old fashion way, via the Postmaster.

  1. Open and sort mail immediately that day. I have categories to include recycle, shredding, bills and catalogs/magazines. Right of the bat, I throw any paper and junk mail that does not have my name printed in the recycling bin. Anything with my name printed is immediately shredded. I highly recommend buying a shredder that cross cuts into tiny squares. If you don’t want to buy a shredder, your local bank may schedule free shredding for their clients. Also, there are shredding companies that will shred your information and provide a certificate destruction for your peace of mind at low cost.
  2. Set up a Work Area. I have a designated area that I place all things that I need to work on. If I can’t immediately address the mail and sort it, I place it in my “Things to Do” file. I created a filing system that enables me to know what I have to do, what is pending and store those important documents for later review.
  3. Creating a Filing System. I have two files, Things to Do and Pending, that are located in a small plastic organizer under my desk. Then, I have a larger plastic banker box with other important files that I want to store and review at a later date. The categories that I chose are the actual vendor names and alphabetize them.
  4. Designate a Day and Time. I designate Friday’s for reviewing mail, paying bills, reconciling all accounts to include credit cards and filing those important documents for later review.  With identity thief being at its highest lately, I want to ensure that I know what is being charged on my accounts and making sure no one, including the bank, is crossing a boundary.
  5. Magazines and Catalogs galore! I create a separate pile to review later while sitting on the couch with my Meg. Once I receive a newer catalog or magazine, I immediately recycle the old one. I go through the magazine to see if I kept that one for a reason. For example, I liked an article, a clothing outfit idea or recipe. Now, I tear out that particular page and recycle the rest. Purging is the key for me. If you can get your favorite magazine or catalog online, you might want to consider canceling the subscription or calling the catalog company to ask for your name be removed from their list. I do this every chance I get and it has helped reduce paper in my world and possibly saved a couple of trees.
0 Comments
Advice Column

Welcome to Ask Ms. Deborah

March 23, 2017

Hey Ya’ll….. I am so excited to welcome you to this part of my blog. I am offering up some Southern advice for those easy or hard questions that you have been pondering for quite some time. Mind you, I might not know all the answers but I am willing to share my Southern state of grace and charm that has helped me through many of my life’s experiences and challenges.

For instance, here’s my top ten basic manners or common courtesies that are a must in the South.

  1. Be Humble. There is no need to be walking into any home, office or building with your nose in the air blocking anyone’s light. Being uppity or selfish will get you no where fast.
  2. Say Please and Thank you.  If you are requesting anything, please be mindful of the way that you ask for such request by saying “please” and always being grateful by saying “thank you”.
  3. Be Modest. There is no reason for any of us to see your party bits, nooks and grannies or whatever you want to call them.  Please keep your body contained in the appropriate garments and be mindful of the event that you are attending.
  4. Keep your word. If you make a promise, you better keep it. You always want your reputation to proceed you in a good way and not in a bad way, so keep those promises.
  5. Mind Your Business.  Trust me, a small Southern town has been known to hear quite a bit with regards to their neighbors.  However, if it ain’t your circus or your monkeys or if you have not been ask to help, please respect their privacy.
  6. Say Ma’am or Sir. In the South, our parents and grandparents beat us with a switch of our choice on how to appropriately address adults and seniors. Mind you and out of habit, that phase has rolled off our lips to our peers or young adults.  If someone says Yes or No Ma’am/Sir to you, it means they were brought up with manners and have respect for you. It is not to be taken as an insult, so please do not take it that way.
  7. Be Courteous and Kind. Being courteous and kind should come easy, but with the hustle and bustle of the world today, it has been lost. Please go out of your way to helpful. Hold a door for someone, smile and say hello to a stranger are just a few things that can be done to make your day and someone else’s as well.
  8. Behave! If you don’t want someone to pierce your soul and place you in a jar way back in a shed, then do not under any circumstances make a fool of yourself in someone’s home or in a public setting.
  9. Don’t touch the TV Remote!  You might think this is silly that I am even discussing this scenario but it has happen. If the TV is off, don’t turn it on. If the TV is on a particular channel, don’t change it and don’t ask to change it. P.S. This little advice is for all those husbands that so desperately want to change the channel to watch sports because their wives have drove them to a party and are missing the game.
  10. Chivalry. I truly believe that most women (I say most) want to be treated like a lady. In the South, its a must for a gentleman to hold the door, pull out a chair or stand for their ladies when they are entering or leaving a room. That is such an honor and I will take that all day long.

If you have any ideas for me to blog about or again, any questions, please feel free to email me at askmsdeborah@outlook.com.  I look forward to hearing from ya’ll! Until next time, don’t bang the screen door or let the flies in on your way out.

 

0 Comments
Rescue Spotlight

Mimi & Cherie

March 21, 2017

These precious senior girls are looking for their new forever home. Their elderly mother went into a nursing home and was unable to continue caring for them.

  • Both girls are 12 years old.
  • Fully vetted, spayed and ready to go!
  • House trained.
  • Prefers a home without small children.
  • Mimi is a little shy at first but warms up quickly.
  • Cherie is all about her.
  • They are a bonded pair and must go together.
If you’re interested in adopting Cherie and Mimi, please submit an application to Poodle Rescue of New England at www.poodlerescuenewengland.org.

Poodle Rescue of New England

P.O. Box 441447
Somerville, MA, 02144-0012

(617) 628-1425

Email: poodlerescue@poodlerescuene.org

0 Comments
Health & Fitness Lifestyle

My Fitness Journey: My Personal Trainer

March 21, 2017

When researching personal trainers, I wanted somebody that embodied all aspects of fitness and led by example. I was driving home from work one day and saw a personal trainer sign, Kandace P. Fit Studio. I immediately googled and checked out her Facebook business page.

What did I learn about Kandace?

  • Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritional Specialist through NASM
  • Specializes in personal training and small group classes
  • IFPA Pro Figure and Bodybuilding competitor
  • Qualified Judge for the OCB/IFPA organization
  • Urologist Nurse for over 17 years

On June 29, 2014, I requested more information via email.  She was prompt with her response and outlined her rates and packages. On July 9th, I went for my free consultation.

Her smile and enthusiasm was infectious. Literally, I was in awe of all the information given, her eagerness to know why I was there and what her thoughts were on how we, as a team, could accomplish my goals.

From 2014 to today, Kandace has done the following for me:

  1. Creates workouts to help me accomplish my goals while focusing on my weaknesses and fine tuning my strengths;
  2. Helps me understand that nutrition is the key to my fitness success;
  3. Focuses on my form to ensure proper muscle development and to ensure my safety during each exercise;
  4. Listens and is always there for me when I have any questions or concerns;
  5. Reminds me to breathe and that Rome wasn’t built in a day; and
  6. Always prompt, professional, and flexible with her schedule when life throws me a curve ball.

If you are interested in learning more about Kandace and how she can help you with your fitness goals, please see her contact information below:

Kandace Platts

Kandace P. Fit Studio and The Diet Doc Haverhill

145 South Main Street

Haverhill, MA 01830

978-314-7743

www.thedietdoc.com/locations/Haverhill

0 Comments
Health & Fitness

My Fitness Journey: My Beginning

March 15, 2017

At 40 years of age, I wasn’t really happy with myself. Yes, I was skinny, but not healthy at all. I knew that I wanted to change something about myself but I had no idea where to start. One day, a friend of my husbands asked me to come hang out at the barn and ride her sweet girl, Dixie. It had been a very long time since I had ridden a horse, so I was a bit nervous.

In awe, I stared at this beautiful, spirited mare. My friend reinstated some ground rules of her baby girl and reminded me to be confident, sit back and just relax. I was in heaven. The smell of the horses and the outdoors was exactly what I needed. After that brief ride, my legs, back and core was so sore. The muscles that I used to ride a horse was unbelievable.

During the next year, I leased a horse and rode every day that I could. I began to get stronger, leaner and didn’t huff and puff up a flight of stairs anymore. It wasn’t too long before I bought my own horse and began training with a wonderful horse trainer that focused on riding smarter, safer and truly connecting with your horse.

Riding did take a toll on my hips but that didn’t stop me from riding. I reached out to my healthcare providers and my chiropractor. They educated me on how exercise would improve those muscles around my hips.

Nervous about how to even begin exercising, I researched personal trainers. I found one just steps away from my job. I gave myself a goal of 90 days. I met my trainer and that began the journey of upping my game and focusing on, not just my legs, but the whole body. For a year, I had a blast working with this wonderful man. I learned so much about myself. I was so grateful for his patience and knowledge.

As you know, life does happens. I took a break from weight training but it wasn’t for very long. That’s when I found her! A beautiful woman that was a nurse, passionate about fitness and led by example. I made an appointment. When we met, her enthusiasm was infectious. By the end of our appointment, we devised a plan to accomplish my goals and that is when it truly all began, my fitness journey.

 

0 Comments
Dog Training

Introduction to Clicker Training

March 8, 2017

Clicker training is a fun and effective way to teach obedience exercises, solve behavior problems and even teach tricks!

 Clicker training has been used with marine mammals for years and is a clear, effective way to communicate with your dog.  A clicker is a small plastic box with a metal tab that makes a clicking sound when pressed.  That click is a clear, consistent marker to let your dog know the moment he is doing exactly what you want.

Why would a dog care that you CLICK?

Each click is followed by a treat!  When a dog learns that a click equals treats, they will try to recreate what they just did to make you (the human) “click”.  See, the click is the “aha! moment”. Since the click is faster and consistent than the human word, the dog will learn the behavior that you are trying to teach much more quickly.

Things to remember when using this clicker:

– The clicker is not a remote control. Please do not point the clicker at your dog! It doesn’t work that way.

– Timing is so important. If you clicked wrong, you still have to treat. You can fix that oops moment on the next click.

– Keep your training sessions very short, like 5 minutes.

– Teach only one behavior at a time.

– If you are trying to teach two or more dogs, teach each dog individually first. Once each dog has mastered the behavior, then up the level of distraction to a group session.

For more information on clicker training, you can hit the web, go to your local library or search for a dog trainer that focuses on positive reinforcement and clicker training.

Here are some other links and books for your reference below:

Clicker Basics for Dogs and Puppies by Carolyn Barney, KPA-CTP, CNWI

http://carolynbarney.com/index.php?id=50

Getting Started, Clicker Training for Dogs by Karen Pryor

http://www.clickertraining.com/whatis

0 Comments
Random Acts of Kindness

10 Easy Ways of Being Kind

February 28, 2017

Have you ever had someone pay for your coffee?  Held a door open for you? It’s the random act that surprises you and just maybe, makes you smile.

On February 17, 2017, it was Random Acts of Kindness Day! Most people joined in the celebration. However, does it only have to be on a holiday to be kind and to give? I say not. Plus, it doesn’t have to cost a thing to be kind.

Here are some websites that devoted to being kind and inspiring others to do so.

Random Acts of Kindness

Pay it Forward Foundation

Operation Nice

It Starts with Us

One Million Acts of Kindness

Operation Beautiful

Hug Nation

My top ten things to do for random acts are:

  1. Send a positive text or email to my friends. I love using the new BitMoji app on my IPhone.
  2. Pay for someone’s coffee behind me.
  3. Holding a door for someone.
  4. Offer up some free babysitting for that hard working person or couple.
  5. Run an errand for a free. If you are already going to the store they use, ask them if they need anything picked up.
  6. Donate food, blankets or time to charitable organization.
  7. Check in on a elderly neighbor.
  8. Say hello to a stranger and smile.
  9. Write a positive comment on your favorite blog, website or friend’s social media account. 🙂
  10. Be kind to yourself. Please try to forgive your mistakes and tell yourself something positive each day.

If you know of other sites or have some ideas giving kindness, please let me know. Better, yet, What was your random act of kindness for today?

 

 

0 Comments