Thank You!!

This marks the one year anniversary of this blog and social media accounts, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has liked a post, followed along on this journey, and continues to do so. It has been a fun learning experience for me and I hope will continue to be going forward. I know I haven't been posting as much recently but I will get back in the grove this fall and winter and you will see more content. Happy Halloween folks!

Halloween Gift Idea - The Lego Keeper

 With the way the world is going and trick or treating maybe not happening this year, who knows right, maybe a gift for Halloween is the way to go.  If your kids love legos but you don't love the firewalk that is stepping on legos in the middle of the night check out these lego storage blocks that are legos.  Now tell the kiddos to put the legos in the legos and they can build with the storage devices as well.  I hope this helps reduce your firewalking in the middle of the night. 

Also if you are binge-watching The Home Edit's new show on Netflix Getting Organized you can color-coordinate your legos and storage to match.  Also, I recommend watching Getting Organized and The Home Edit's new book  - The Home Edit Life linked below.  It is a great read and they are also a great follow on Instagram, their stories are priceless.

Happy Fall and Halloween folks!!

                                

            

What to do with all that Zucchini????

It is harvest and farmer's market time, and zucchini seems to be abundant this time of year.  What to do with all that zucchini, besides make some bread and fry it, I have a solution, make zucchini casserole.  Growing up my mom cooked lunch for all of us plus anyone helping us farm 6 days a week, and we had a garden that was constantly producing so we had this casserole a lot as a side or a main dish and it was always delicious.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Zucchini/Squash Casserole

6 cups Zucchini or Summer Squash sliced thin

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream (8oz.)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 8 oz. package of herb stuffing croutons (ex. pepperidge farm like you would use at Thanksgiving)

1 stick of salted butter

In a pot or saucepan, cook zucchini and onions in boiling salted water for 6 minutes.  Drain.  Combine sour cream and cream of chicken soup, fold in carrots and drained zucchini and onions.  Melt the stick of butter and in another bowl add the butter to the stuffing croutons and combine.  Put half of the stuffing mix in the bottom of a greased baking dish (this makes a lot I would go with 9X13) top with cream mixture and cover with the rest of the stuffing mixture.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.  

Great LED lights for any space that needs brightening up!!

I have purchased a few of these puck LED lights from Menards in the past and also the larger round closet light and every time I use them just appreciate them more and more.  I found the exact same ones on Amazon and they are linked below.  The reasons I like these lights are because they are rechargeable and don't require batteries, because they are moveable via velcro tabs on the back, and because they have an auto motion detection setting.

I also like that the puck lights are smaller and can be placed in areas that you need light but where a traditional electrical structure may not work, such as under a sink, in a linen closet, or under a cabinet.

The puck lights are slightly cheaper at Menards and can be found in the lighting section, and are available at Amazon for those that don't want to go out in these times.

On that note I have been posting less on the blog and have been posting weekly or daily deals I find along the way on my Instagram (@lazygirlslowdown) Twitter (@lazygirllowdown) and Facebook (Lazy Girl's Lowdown) pages, please give me a follow there if you get a chance.  Going forward my posts will still be around once a month for a while as I continue self-care and just working through life right now.

Thank you for your support and I hope this post finds you doing well and taking care of yourself and those around you.  Happy Summer!

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

Pet Hair Removal - Reusable Tools That Work!

Life with pets is great, minus the pet hair all over your house, watch the video below on how I remove pet hair from a rug in my house that attracts everything, and from my couch cushions.

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

       

Thank you!!

This blog went live 6 months ago today and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has browsed a page, clicked a link, or interacted in any way.  It has been a fun learning project for me thus far and I hope it continues to be going forward.  Here is to another 6 months of lazy-girl shortcuts and learning.  Thanks, folks!

Support Small Businesses, Here Are Some I Love!

Hi all, I know in this crazy time it can be so difficult to figure out how to help, below are a few small businesses that I love, all around the United States.  Some involve self-care, the other cooking since we are all spending more time trying our hand at spicing up our daily grub routine.  I hope you will support these small businesses if you can, now or in the future.

  
I love their match striker and candles, they are always developing new products, taking customer suggestions through their Instagram stories, and just interacting with their customers in general.  Kristin is also very knowledgeable about candles and shares her knowledge willing, and I enjoy her Instagram stories and watching her business grow each day.  The company is named after their son Henry Robert.  Below is my match striker and my glass chicken, it's a family thing.

Website        Instagram     

They also have an Etsy shop and are on Amazon but you can get everything from their website!

 

I came across this company while visiting Charleston and I know I have promoted them before but I just LOVE this company and their products.  Their bath bombs all smell amazing, along with their candles and soaps.  If you need a pick me up, order their new gift box sets, you won't regret it!

Website        Instagram

They are also on Etsy but you can buy through their website!

Galena Garlic Company is out of Nashville and other regional locations, and is working through a recent tornado in Nashville and now everything else.  Their spice rubs and olive oils look amazing and some people I follow on Instagram religiously use them.  I just placed an order, and through this weekend a number of their spice rubs are on sale for $5 (it will show up in your cart).  Check them out and support a community-based business.  They have every spice and spice rub I could think of and flat rate shipping.

Website        Instagram

They have many more products on their website and accept phone orders as well!

*No preservatives or artificial flavoring or hidden ingredients 

How Can We Help? Stay Positive Peeps, Love Ya!

First off I want to say we are all in this together, I am writing this from my couch while watching a show on Netflix, like most of us now, this has become a norm for me during part of my evening.  I am trying to stay active in some way, walking with my dog, working on small projects around the house and outside (Wyoming weather permitting) and doing my job from home, which I am eternally grateful I am still employed.

I am also grateful for everyone making efforts in this time to keep our world as normal as possible, yoga class online, teaching skills online through video conferences, deliveries still rolling in, family and friends reaching out to check on each other.  In that same effort I have listed a few items below to help those who might be feeling lonely during this time, seniors in Wyoming, and those in need of food in this state.  If you aren't from Wyoming and are reading this please feel free to look for the same opportunities in your own state I am sure they are out there.  Hope you have a good week at home and stay healthy!

Send a card to seniors in Wyoming, with the First Lady in partnership with the Wyoming Department of Health Aging Division via the addresses below, just make a card or many cards and send them to the address below and they will take care of delivering them.

Purchase one of these Wyoming Strong shirts from Little Wyo Things (click on image for a purchase link) and $5 from each sale will be donated to the First Lady's Wyoming Hunger Initiative.

Brené Brown Has a Podcast, and It Is Just What We All Need!!

Did you know that Brené Brown just released the first episode of her new podcast  - Unlocking Us, last Thursday, and it is everything I needed to hear to start this week off.  I would call that a Wednesday win if there ever was one.  I know I am a little late in listening to this podcast, work has been busy, and I have just felt emotionally and physically drained, not sick, just drained, social distancing whiplash I guess.

I do realize I am lucky to still be able to have a job that is busy right now, not as busy as some though, God bless everyone who is working around the clock to try and solve the problems this pandemic is presenting the world.

So for those of you needing a break or something quality to listen to please check out this podcast it is worth 38 minutes of your life, I promise.  I will warn everyone, there are some swear words in the podcast (FFT - you will figure it out).  Happy listening!

Great Shirt for a Great Cause! This is Me!

I am not a hugger - sorry unless you are family or a close friend I need my space.  So this shirt speaks to me.  As you already know I am a fan of The Shop Forward and I know things are really tight money-wise for everyone right now.  If you are looking for a fun way to support others in this pandemic I think this is it.  I just wanted to share this shirt and cause.  Stay healthy!

One of My Favorite Self Care Companies!!

Do you have a company that makes products you just love, maybe one you feel like is a hidden gem? I do, the Old Whaling Company out of Charleston, South Carolina. I came across their products on a great girls trip to Charleston a few years back about this time of year while walking through the city market. I bought a few items and tagged their Etsy shop as a favorite and didn’t think much more of it at the time.

Then I got home and started using all the wonderful smelling lotions and have been ordering their soaps, which work great as a shaving cream, face wash and I am sure so much more, bath bombs (all amazing), and candles ever since. These products make great Mother’s Day gifts, get well soon baskets, birthday presents or just thinking of you gifts. I haven’t found a scent I don’t like or a product I don’t love. Check out the Old Whaling Company online and if you are in Charleston walk through the city market and check out their stall!  You won’t regret it!!

Are You Competing to be Busy, and Running to Exhaustion?

Do you feel a need to be busy all the time?  When someone asks you what you are doing this weekend, do you feel like you need to rattle off a list of items you are doing or plan to do, because that is what is expected of you?  Expected by who.... by you, by your family, by society, has being busy become a social norm, are we working ourselves into exhaustion, just by being busy?

This week I just want us all to focus on ourselves, take some time to read this blog, and do something for yourself whenever you read this, take a break and relax.  No DIY's, no shortcuts this week, just a simple break from the busyness that is has become the day to day life we all lead.

Sit down and take a deep breath, grab a drink that makes you happy, no judgement here on what that drink happens to be.  Now think on something that made you smile today or recently, be grateful for that moment.  Maybe write that moment down in a journal, I am not a person who journals, not even a little, but have started writing down one item per day that I am grateful for, even on those bad days.  I am also not good at meditating, so I feel like I am killing two birds with one stone while I am writing down my one item of gratitude I think on it and my overall day, that is my meditation for the day.  Some days it lasts 30 seconds, some days it lasts 5 minutes.  Either way it helps me slow down, and focus on the results of my actions.  I have only been doing this for a little while, will I stick with it, only time will tell, I hope so.

Now that you are relaxed with your favorite drink and have a good thought in mind do something you enjoy today, something that brings that smile back to your face, and something that isn't busy work!!  If anyone asks you what you are doing today, tell them NOT being busy, per Lazy Girl ;).

I hope this short blog post have provoked some thoughts for you on the topic of being busy to the point of exhaustion.  The intention cards below are from my yoga instructor Theresa Hansen at Little Lotus yoga studio, if you need a break from your busy life and want to connect with a great community check out a class or event at Little Lotus, you won't regret it!

How to Hide Those Cables!

Do you dislike looking at those pesky power strips and cables in your office or living room?  I have hidden my power bank and some cables in a black woven basket that I cut a small hole in the side of and ran the cables through it and then organized the cables together from there.  I have also used block out stickers for lights in my bedroom and living room where my router and other devices are located.  I hope these solutions help you hide your tech and block out those at times irritating lights in your life.  I have also linked a more upscale cable management box below in case you are looking for something a little nicer or one that can be displayed in a more open area.

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

            

The Best Item for the Candle Obsessed!!

I listen to the Amy Brown Four Things podcast, on a previous podcast, she was talking about one of her favorite items an electric candle lighter that is rechargeable.  With my candle addiction I had to check this out, so ordered one from Amazon, and have been trying it out this evening and I can say I am in love.

It is rechargeable and comes with a USB charging cable.  There is a safety button on the bottom of the device that you must turn on before the device will ignite and then it is very easy to use just push the lighter switch up and then start lighting candles to your heart's content.  I have included a video below of me using it.  Sorry, it was hard to video me using it and lighting a candle at the same time. Now I can get rid of all the dollar store click lighters you see around my house, and in the video.

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

The SinkShroom - It Works!!

Do you have hair that clogs up your sink and causes slow draining issues on a regular basis?  It seems to be a regular issue for anyone that has long hair or teenage girls in their house.  Towards the end of December 2019, I installed the SinkShroom in my master bathroom sink.  It was very easy to install, I uninstalled the traditional sink stopper and then installed the SinkShroom in its place.

I waited for just over a month before checking my SinkShroom to see if it was doing its job, and as you can see from the results below it definitely collected some hair.  We all shed hair right, it's normal, I guess this is one of those morbid curiosity moments in life.  I do have to say I feel like this is enough for me to purchase the TubShroom next and see how well it works in a tub/shower combo.  I am a bath taker, I know this is a controversial opinion for some, but they have a cover (the StopShroom) for the TubShroom so you can cover it and stop up the water as needed.  I have linked all these items below.  I will let you know how things go with the TubShroom in the future, maybe after giving my dogs a bath!  Happy declogging!

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!



           

Take the Love Dare!!

I listen to the Four Things with Amy Brown podcast and on it, she outlined the love dare, with one of her guests, where they talked supporting The Shop Forward, one of my favorite fashion outlets for a cause, with the love dare.  Purchase their Love shirt for Valentine's day and give it to someone you love, someone you have lost touch with and want to reach out to again, a relative you don't see as often as you would like, or just someone you want to know you care and this is your way of showing it rather than saying it.  Maybe you don't have the money to purchase a shirt, then send a text, make a phone call, or write a letter (yes people still do that) or send a card.  Take the love dare folks, reach out to someone you care about this year,  it will make a difference.

If you are interested in a Love shirt they come in short sleeve or long sleeve, and proceeds from these shirts go to My Life speaks in Haiti.  Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Love Dare!!

My Favorite Cooktop Cleaner!!

I have tried a few glass cooktop cleaners because let's face it, I am NOT a clean cook.  It runs in the family, I enjoy cooking, sometimes, but am much better at making a mess.  I found this cooktop cleaner and the sponges that come with it on Amazon and love it.  Do I use it as much as I should, nope not even close, but it keeps my cooktop looking more like new and less used and abused.  Happy Cleaning!

While I make a small percentage off sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

How to Support Australia?

I know personally for me the people, firefighters, and animals in Australia have been in my thoughts lately.  I always wonder how to support these causes and those in need.  A page I follow on social media always comes through for those in need, The Shop Forward.  Give them a follow on Instagram and check out their line of Australia items for a way to support those in need.  Happy Helping!

Removing the Lid Off a Spice Jar - Without Breaking Your Fingernails!

Removing the plastic lids off spice and seasoning jars has always equaled a fingernail ending experience for me.  Until I thought about the process and how I can make it easier on myself.  I don't do it all that often but sometimes you need to a teaspoon of spice and don't want to sit there for half a day tapping spices out of a jar.  That is where my church key or manual can opener comes into play and save my fingernails.  As you can see in the video below either process works for taking the plastic shaker piece off a spice jar.

This also lead me to research where the term church-key comes from originally.  In my reading, it appears to be an older term that references the old glass bottle openers used in breweries that resembled an actual church-key.  In the 1930s when a device with a triangle on the end to punch a hole in flat top beer cans was developed, the term church-key was more widely adopted.  Happy learning!

While I make a small percentage off sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

Flat Iron Storage in a Tiny Space!

I live in a tiny house, which is perfect for me and less to clean, but when it comes to storage there is a lack of storage space, everywhere.  I don't use my flat iron every day but often enough and like to have it out and available instead of hidden away in the dark confines under my bathroom sink, where items tend to disappear with the dust bunnies.
My solution for this was storage on the back of my toilet tank, or you can hang this flat iron/curling iron holder off your vanity top as well.  I haven't had any issues with it falling off in over a year that I have been using it.
Do you have tween/teenage girls, a great solution for their bathroom clutter!  I found this very helpful in my tiny bathroom and thought you might too! Happy organizing!

While I make a small percentage of sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!

New Year, New Balance

Do you set New Year's resolutions, I don't, I tend to just set a goal or goals and try to live a more balanced life each year.  Balance is one of my goals in 2020.  I met some big goals in 2019, walked a marathon and started this blog.  There were also some downtimes in 2019, peaks and valleys that is what life is about right? I am working hard on not comparing the years and just working on being myself.

If you set a New Year's resolution I hope you accomplish it and set many more!

My goals for 2020 are to keep this blog going, it has been a great learning experience so far and I hope to keep learning along the way.  I want to pick up a book more often instead of turning to a Netflix binge.  Look to travel more in this state and outside of it, there is so much left to explore.  Finally, I would like to work on volunteering in my community more and be open to new events.

I hope 2020 brings you the adventures you are looking for you! I hope you keep learning and exploring, take the risk and enjoy the process.  Like making Yorkshire pudding aka popovers which I did for Christmas, a new process and some learning along the way!  Happy New Year folks!