Let it all out!

So today makes me a blogger for 9 days! This is so new and fun! I think blogging motivates you to do the things that you want to stop talking about and doing. Otherwise, your life is boring and you have nothing to say. Well, I will always have something to say, just not sure if it is newsworthy. I changed the design last night and I am playing around with what exactly I want. I want your feedback. Please tell me what you think. I love love love Green and Purple so that is why I chose these colors. I also want to know if you are bored by my postings, love them, or hate them. Seriously, I want feedback now! Khak-a-lackin will have a definite format in the weeks to come, but for now it is free range and I just blog what I am thinking about, doing, or wanting to do. Please tell your friends about my blog if you like it! I need more followers! This post is coming across as desperate, but that's ok, I can handle it. I am going crazy with the fact that I don't have a party to plan right now. Does anyone need a party planner? I need something to focus on. The NYE party kept me busy for a while and now I got nothin'....it's like how I felt after the wedding was over...I love to plan plan plan and I am realizing this might just be a bad thing. Should I be more spontaneous in the future or should I remain a planner?

So, question of the day? Is it better to be a planner or spontaneous?

Food Dilemma 101

I often find myself frustrated with the "flow of food" when I entertain. We have so many unique and diverse friends that instead of having intimate sit-down dinners of only 6 guests, we invite everyone and serve buffet-style. The problem with this set-up is, our dining room table is inside (naturally), BUT our guests usually spend most of their time outside in the backyard at the LTB (Lime Tree Bar).

In the Summer, I cannot possibly display all of the food outside. If you have ever been to the LowCountry in August, you know what I'm talking about. Scorching temperatures along with extreme humidity. I believe I have found the answer to this question that I debate with myself over and over. Instead of narrowing the food down to one location, how about two or more locations. When making a recipe, split it into two or more containers and cook separate dishes. This way you end up with multiple places to display your hard work!

I have a dip recipe that I plan to make and display at my next entertaining opportunity and I am going to split it into four Le Creuset Mini Cocottes. My mom (Santa) gave these to me in a beautiful orange color and they are perfect for my dip! They are oven and dishwasher-safe and extremely durable.

I can now rest easy in knowing that my inside guests and my outside guests are enjoying the same appetizer simultaneously.

Problem solved!

Cheers!
KHAK

trash/treasure...you choose?

Back ground Info.:
Last week I finally "cleaned out" the top of my closet. About 6 months ago, a friend saw the top of my closet and was in disbelief. She made a comment about how she couldn't believe how messy the top of my closet was. First, the door should have been shut, my bad. Second, I am NOT perfect. I DO have "some" messy drawers/closests. Third, I am 5'2 so if something falls, I just jump up and throw it and hope it sticks. HaHa! The top of my closet consists of sweatshirts, sweatpants, work-out pants, etc.

Anyhow, last week I had a freak out moment and decided to clean out the top of my closet while watching American Idol. (Aaron did not like this because I had all of these items thrown across the bed so he could not get cozy to watch tv.) I actually threw out my first VT HighTechs Dance Team Black Fleece, ugh. That took some letting go for me! ;-) (Throwing out means putting in a trash bag and giving to GoodWill.) I also threw out some of my warm-ups from my HighTech days. Why was I saving these? I don't know, but it took me down memory lane really quick. I could name the faces and good times that came to my mind, but that would be an entirely different post.

Ok, back on track. So today when I got home, I knew I had an hour left of sunlight so I quickly changed into workout clothes, grabbed Goose (10 year old black lab), the leash, and two plastic bags and off we went on a walk. When I opened my closet doors, I thought "ok, what to wear". A silly thing I do, is actually want to look not like a bum when I work out. I admit, ok, I admit it. At the bottom of the fleece pile was one I have had since 1998! Really?!? I love it. It is grey and blue and probably looks "Old", but who cares, I have always loved it! It's from American Eagle. I felt like I was walking Morgan aka Goose when she was a puppy. So, is it trash, as in should I have thrown it away? or is it a treasure that I should keep as long as it looks ok? This is a question I ask myself every time I clean out my closets. I usually use the rule, if I haven't worn it in the last year, trash it. But, there are a few exceptions to this, right? Am I crazy or do you agree?

Which leads me to the next item. About two years ago, Aaron came to me and said I got some cool chairs. And I said, "What do you mean some cool chairs, and from who?". Mrs Wright the sweet lady next door was throwing them away and he took them off the curb from her. Honestly, when he told me this, I thought, yeah right, when are we going to get these in tip-top shape for the LTB? I was so entirely wrong, I changed my mind once the LTB was done and told him not to paint them. He originally had planned to sand them and paint them and I told him "NO"! He looked at me like I was crazy and said, "really". I said yes, I love the little bits of Green and the imperfections. "Don't do a thing to them, They Are Perfect!"

Don't assume that trash is trash and treasure is treasure. You never know what can be re-used in a different way around the house. Also, don't be afraid to throw away. It will be ok, you WILL forget about it. Today it is important to recycle, re-use and also to de-clutter. Don't be afraid to tackle that closet you have been avoiding, but also don't be afraid to look for ways to use another's trash and make it your treasure.

Peace,
KHAK

every girls loves a new do!

Besides today being quite draining in more ways than one, it was a GREAT day because I got to see my girl Krista today! Krista and I have had a date every 6-8 weeks for the last 4.5 years. As you would guess, Krista is my wonderful hairdresser. She knows exactly what I want and I never cringe when she is spinning me around in the chair to see the end result.

Why is it that when we decide to grow out our hair it feels like light years before we get to the length we originally had set out for? I ask this because the last two times I have threatened to just "cut it all off". Growing my hair out is like waiting for my knight in shining armor to arrive. Thank goodness I have my knight, just waiting for the hair ;-). Since I am patiently waiting for the hair to grow, I decided to try something different. I asked Krista to make the underneath really dark compared to my typical high and low lights. I was picturing something really drastic, but she reminded me that I would look like a skunk so we were gradual with the color change. It is really dark brown underneath, but not BLACK. I like extreme change but think Krista was definitely right, as always!

Ladies, don't forget to pamper yourself. Mothers, new mothers, expectant mothers, single ladies, married ladies, which ever category you fall into, every girl likes a new do! Don't forget to sometimes put yourself first. If you feel great, so will the others around you.

Last but not least, the best part of the day is that a wonderful friend of mine gave me a gift card to Stella Nova (my salon) and I was able to treat myself on her behalf. The gift card was a nice gift and it was great to know that she took the time to find out what salon I go to! Thanks girl!

PS. I just realized my blog is becoming pretty much a ladies only destination. Oh well, they are missing out, huh?

Healthy replacements....

So we all like a little chips and salsa, nachos, chili, etc. when watching football, but sometimes we all regret it afterwards....Tonight we decided for the lighter fare and now we feel great! I made my "infamous" chicken salad. The funny thing is, I make it a little different every time. I started making this after college when I would mix together any and all veggies I had in the fridge with shredded grilled chicken. Tonight's dinner was light and perfect for us. You can still enjoy football without all the snacking ;-)

Tonight I mixed the following ingredients:

2 boiled chicken breasts, then hand-shredded
lots of carrots
lots of celery
sliced almonds
sweet relish
fat free mayo
dijonnaise
salt
pepper
Mrs. Dash

Notice: I do not measure, I add what feels right and then taste test ;-)

A little goes a long way since I loaded it up with lots of carrots and celery!

We also had leftover Greek Salad from our pizza order last night. I didn't even use salad dressing because the salad was so tasty!

After dinner, I made my new addiction. The Calm Tea I discussed in Thursdays post. It was nice and relaxing besides the stress of the football game we are watching right now.

Trying to go to bed early. Tomorrow's a new week!

KHAK

Go with the flow....

Sorry for no post yesterday, this weekend has been up in the air and plans have changed a thousand times. You know how in O Magazine, Oprah always asks "what do you know for sure?". Well, this weekend "what I know for sure" is that any plans we had, will change!!!

I, by nature, am a planner. I like to know what we are doing for the day so I can plan my attire, when I am going to shower (if I will blow-dry my hair or not ;-) ), meals, etc. Yesterday was pretty hysterical actually. Aaron and I laughed a lot at our craziness. After an hour of adjusting my new bike seat over 5 times, we went on a bike ride. It was freeeeezing so I wore hat, gloves and hoped for warmth! Prior to our bike ride, Aaron decided he wanted Oysters. So the journey began. We went to a wholesale seafood market who was supposed to be open and when we arrived no one was there. So we both got on our i-phones and raced to see who could find the best price per bushel for Clusters. Long story short, Backman's had the best price and they were open until 7pm. Perfect! Well, at least I thought. Aaron decided after our bike ride and I assume deep thoughts, that it would be too messy and we opted out. So we ended up ordering pizza. What the heck, how do you go from Oysters to Pizza?!?

I guess the lesson learned here is even though men think women change their minds a bizillion times, men are just as bad. This reminds me of the day during the holidays, when we spent over three hours at Costco staring at flatscreens only to come home with groceries and no new tv for the LTB. What's up with that? I need to have a serious discussion with Aaron. He needs to become more decisive, pronto!

every little bit helps!

Last night, we tried a recipe in this week's People mag (you know the one with Heidi Montag on the cover, she's crazy btw). It's a Chicken thighs with Mushrooms recipe featured in the back of the magazine. We had chicken quarters so that's what we used. It was fantastic! Aaron cooked while I took down the Christmas Tree (i know, i know) how crazy that I hadn't done that yet. January has been so busy that I had not had a chance and I am actually obsessed with white Christmas lights so it didn't bother me a bit that it was still glistening in my living room. We rocked out to a little Jack Johnson, as I enjoyed the memories of each ornament one by one and Aaron cooked just a few feet away. I suggest this recipe for anyone who loves chicken, mushroom, and onions. The hint of white wine in the sauce made it so tasty! Yum! Oh, and it's no carbs, but still filling! Here is the final product. Looks very similar to the photo in the mag. Email me if you would like the recipe!

This morning I completed my every 56 days ritual of giving blood. I always feel great after giving in this way, but today it was a different feeling. I know we all feel helpless in the fight for Haiti and we don't know how to help. I can tell you that I spoke to the staff at The American Red Cross and blood donations are a major part of what Haiti needs right now. If you are not comfortable with giving monetary donations, your blood is actually a better donation. The nurses at ARC are professionals and they make it as painless as possible. I had my nurse in stitches because I was asking a thousand questions, like I always do. She thought I was funny!!!! If you are afraid of needles then donate your time. They always need volunteers for the blood drives.

Have a great weekend and Go Vikings!!!!!
KHAK

Two's a Charm

Good afternoon! I just arrived to the office after my hour reading with Shanay, my 9 year old 3rd grader, that I read to on Thursday mornings. We read the most books we have ever read in an hour today, completed 3 and started another! Yay! We keep a log of all of our readings so at the end of the year we can pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. We started a "chapter book" Pippi Longstocking. Love her, btw! (I always wanted her freckles!).

Two weeks ago Shanay and I signed an oath to each other (I wrote it on a scratch piece of paper and we both signed it) that we would both read five minutes extra every night til the end of the year. When I asked her if she has kept her word, she said "yes, and I am logging the time in my reading log too"! Love her! She is the cutest thing. I am not sure if it is appropriate for me to post her photo. Please send feedback, I would love to hear if you all think it's ok.

It is raining and I just had a healthy lunch, so I am now drinking a Tazo tea. A special uncle of mine bought me these teas and I am in heaven. There are several flavors. I have tried Calm (which I drink at night, it is caffeine free), Awake (obviously, I drink this one at work) and today I am trying Zen (I figured I couldn't go wrong there). I usually add a tiny bit of honey, but of course I forgot to pack it in my bag. I highly recommend these teas. They are a nice substitute for that extra glass of wine at night, etc. You know what I mean. I am trying to not drink wine during the "school week" in chance of losing a few pounds. Which brings me to another subject. I am trying to get healthy again, and you are my guidance. You will make me accountable and I know I will be successful. Summer is right around the corner and I can't wait to wear plenty of sunscreen and spend my days at Folly!

Oh and no need to pay attention to this mug, my cute husband bought it for me as a joke, at least I hope! I am no Diva that's for sure! ;-)

Peace and Love,
KHAK

Sooner than Later

Ok, so I am posting again much sooner that I thought I would be.

I feel it is my responsibility to share with you what I just experienced. I just skipped (well, really walked... but felt like skipping since the weather is perfect and life is bringing so many amazing things my way) over to Subway for a light lunch. As I begin to order, a complete stranger gets in line behind me and long story short, he pays for my lunch! No strings attached, just a friendly gesture. I have always wanted to buy someone's gas at the gas station or help someone with their groceries, but have never done it. It's time to stop thinking and do it. I am asking you all to "pay it forward" in the next seven days and then share your stories with me. I, of course, felt awful and insisted that he not, but he also insisted.

It's time to learn both ends of giving. Giving and Receiving.

There's always a first....

Today is a first for me! I have never even been on twitter or any other blogging site. I already spend too much time on Facebook and celebrity gossip sites, so I never gave into the temptation to blog in case of experiencing enjoyment from it. Blogging can be time consuming and addicting and I wasn't quite up for the challenge. At least not until 12.31.09 when a friend approached me and asked me why not? Why was I not sharing my entertaining ideas, how to throw a successful party, etc.

What began as a joke, quickly became a thought. I took a few days and let what my friend said marinate and decided she was right. She's the type of friend who tells you everything you already know, but you never want to step out of your comfort zone. She's wiser than she knows and always allows me to see things in a new light. Thank you SSJ, I think you are onto something. At least I hope.