♫ Why Women Love Flowers!

I’ve decided, that your favorite flower can tell a whole story about you. Screw horoscopes and signs, and ask somebody their favorite flower. Then, bust out your latest, ever so fashionable, phone, and google it.

Example:

My favoritest favorite flower is the Calla Lilly. It stands for majestic beauty. A close second is Dahlia, which means good taste. Third would be the sunflower, meaning homage (respectable) and devotion.

I am not full of majestic beauty, but I must say, I am good at finding beauty in all things. I do have good taste, most of the time, which is why I have the friends, job, and boy, that I do. Or, perhaps, I’m just that lucky. Either way, I plan on being respectively devoted to every single one of you.

I’ve always agreed with most men in saying flowers are a waste of money. Until I get them, of course. *wink* But, now that I am doing a bit of research, not only am I finding that they have an incredible power of making somebody’s mood exponentially better, but they are also good for your mental health!

It’s a sign of affection to send/receive flowers. It’s a way of saying “I thought about you this much today. It triggers all kinds of healthy sparks in the emotional part of your brain, and your mood is almost always, immediately lifted.

Some flowers have been proven to relieve headaches or even speed up healing in a wound, just by the smell. The comfort feeling can be brought on by certain scents, including lavender and vanilla, which is why they’re the best selling aromatic scents in the stores! Wild strawberry leaves give out a scent that is supposedly exhilarating.

By popular vote, and some serious sniffing research, the best flowers to have around for your aromatic pleasure are Jasmine, Gardenias, and Roses. First thing in the morning will give you the best scent.

So…do tell, so that I can tell you someday that I am thinking of you this much, what is your favorite flower?

Yours Truly,

Nomz

All Things Thrift

Okay. A new obsession. Or shopportunity, you could call it.

Thrift stores!

Really, why pay retail prices (those cute new shoes you just bought? Yeah, they've been marked up at least 300% from cost) when you can pay 1/10 of that? Okay, so it has been used. Who cares? It has character! I will admit that there are things that should not be bought second hand (car seats, underwear and -lets all cringe- toothbrushes). But, in "this economy" (can you hear my booming, political voice?) it will not only save you money, it will help you get more for your money! And, ladies, you can brag about the amazing treasure you paid only pennies for!

Here are a few secrets to get more for your buck at a thrifty shop:

You must decide if you're the sort of person who likes thrift store shopping. Thrift stores require a lot of rummaging, which can be time-consuming and tiring. Often they smell musty or are dusty, so if you have allergies, be sure to spend only short amounts of time visiting. Also, you won't always find an item in your size. You won't always find something you like, either.

Color and texture should leap out at you just by running your eyes over the top or sides of the clothing racks. This takes care of the need to pull out every item.

Check closely for stains, tears, mended parts, stretched stitching (often hard to repair) and marks. Do pants have a shiny seat, are beads or buttons missing? If you see these, ask yourself if are they easily reparable or are they so damaged that the rag bag would be a better place for these clothes? Only get items in good condition or capable of an easy repair. And never buy anything with perspiration stains - they're permenant.

Bring a friend! One whom you trust so he/she can offer advice, critique and a second opinion. This will save you the unfortunate experience of purchasing something you don't actually want. If you end up having a day where nothing amazing presents itself, it's good to have a friend along so you can show them all the humorously horrible things you find.

Best Times to Shop
Many thrift stores have regularly scheduled discount days. Many shops do color coded tag discount days, seasonal discounts, or discount by department. Shop regularly or get acquainted with the employees to be alerted about sales. Or you can try tracking the sales in your thrift store notebook and see if there is a schedule.

Pay It Forward
Donate items you no longer want to your local thrift store and encourage others to do the same. Many of these donations help support programs in your community. You can contact your local thrift store for their donation policies. These donations are tax-deductible. Here is some information on determining the fair market value of your donated items: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf.

Check out some of the previously-loved goodies I've found! They were purchased from a local second-hand shop called The Advocates.

A cute halter-top style dress
$3

Rocketdog Flip-flops
$2

Teva sandals, size 5
50¢

The best part of shopping at The Advocates? A major part of their proceeds go directly to the local shelter for battered and abused women. Rock on.

Malachi gives thrift shopping a thumbs up! Well, sorta...

EDIT--

You can find these hints and more by visiting this site.

♫ Oh to be a Weed!

Life goal: To be a Weed.

True story. Definition of a weed: an obnoxious growth, thing, or person, something like a weed in detrimental quality ; especially : an animal unfit to breed from.

Why would I want to be a weed you ask? Well, I surely do not want to be obnoxious. I do, however, prefer to be stubborn. Impossible to plow under. And am pretty set on not having any more beautiful little babies, and are therefore unfit to breed. *wink

In all seriousness though…

I didn’t notice weeds until I started dating a farmer. Ok, I noticed them long enough to pull the three stragglers out of my back yard, but not overgrown, obnoxious, reoccurring weeds. My man, cusses them. It’s literally his job to plow them under, wait for them to grow back, and plow them under again.

Why I want to be a weed:

I don’t think it’s wrong to be an individual. I do not think it’s wrong, to stand in your truth. I think it’s grand to be stubborn on what you believe, and strong in your ways. I am not saying that compromise it out of question. It’s actually quite healthy to get plowed under every now and then. My goal, is not to suck life out others around me, like weeds suck nutrition from soil, but it is my goal to stay strong, no matter how many times I have to grow in order to make that happen. There are good weeds, you know? You don’t have to be the kind that kills. You can be the kind that blooms. From my good friend Wikipedia: A Beneficial weed is any of various plants not generally considered domesticated, but which nonetheless has some companion plant effect, or else is edible or somehow beneficial.

I am far from domesticated, I am a companion, I will work on being edible. I... am a beneficial weed. And a stubborn one.

The best thing about weeds? The more that stand together, the stronger they are. Won’t you be my weed? (♫ sings to self, oh won’t you be my neighbor with mister rogers)

Yours Truly,

Nomz

PS. The picture at the top is my mans worst enemy. I attempted to find a picture of “beneficial weeds”, and only pictures of POT WEED decided to appear. I am not Pot, but will attempt to also naturally have that affect.

F is for frustration. V is for venting.

Usually I am a big bundle of optimism and love. However, on occasion, if you put me in a juicer, you would pucker that the sourness that I spill. It happens. And it's happening now. Ugh. So, to release the frustration I feel, I am going to spew my negativity here, where it won't hurt anyone.

As I have so obviously put forth, I adore mah boy. He is the light of my life. But, about a month ago (around the same time we moved from Cheyenne) he began to change from my sweet boy... to a child who has not only discovered his own will, but one who does not sleep very well.

Without sleep I am nothing. I swear, I could be super-mom if I had at least five or six hours of uninterrupted rest each night. But, I digress.

I've blogged before about my internal struggle with weaning Malachi from nursing to sleep. And I've taken each piece of advice (with the exception of the silly points) to heart and have truly followed it to see if it will be successful. Every time another mama suggests a formula, a theory or a way to help my situation, my brains shout out, "Now, why didn't WE think of that?!" Until, my predictions come true. Malachi does not take to any tactic that I try to put in to practice.

Really, I would be totally okay with nursing him to sleep until he weans himself or until I feel that I am strong enough to endure hours of non-stop crying- on both our parts.Last week, I had had enough and to avoid throwing him across the room, I sat him in his play pen and walked out of the room. Four hours later, with pieces of my heart trailing around the house, I went back in to soothe his temper and horse voice. I really do think that if I hadn't have gone in to the room, he would have continued to cry for hours more. Stubborn child.

NOTE: it is a silly idea for a woman to think that she is beyond hurting her child. I am admitting here that thoughts do fly through my head with ways I could get Malachi to stop crying or go to bed. But, those ways are wrong. Instead, as I said, I choose to put him in a safe place (crying or not) and give myself a moment to clear my emotions. If any mama reaches the same point, she has the responsibility to take control of her emotions. {Call a friend, a neighbor and ask them to watch your child for a few minutes while you pull yourself together. If you don't have anyone to call, set your child in a safe place and leave the room.} No good will come from using force on a child that doesn't understand the intention behind it and your conscience will only rip you to shreds if you loose yourself in a moment of anger.

On Monday, Malachi and I will move to Boise and start a transition over again. I really hope, with everything that is in me, that we will be able to slowly work toward a new routine. I know that routine is everything. I just need Malachi to be able to comfort himself and I will always be here for him, to do the rest.

As of last night and the hour and a half it took to go to sleep; I do not have a bright outlook for the future. It seems that this will never end and I will always be attached to him by my bosom. I just need me time and I need to be able to appreciate my son. A break is severely needed but I'm sure I won't get it in the near future.

As always, advice is welcome. I would truly appreciate hearing from any parents that have experienced nursing their baby and and then breaking from that. I'm not excited about the "crying it out" method. Isn't there a middle road I can take??

♫ Blogging…from a bloggers perspective.

A little background on the Daily Offensive, because it seems we’ve gotten a bit off track lately.

Daily Offensive was set up last year by myself (Nomz) and Sazaran…in hopes of giving our quick, witty brains, and tempers, a way to ventilate. It was named as it was, to guard the blog, or defend it-so to speak. We named it the Daily Offensive Blog so that everybody knew before they even clicked through on that pretty Google link, that the content may not be something you particularly enjoy. We are not intimidated by others thoughts on our writing, and simple enjoy the fact that we can get everything out, in our own individual style.

We’ve developed quite the following. Not to brag, but more to say, we appreciate all of our readers, and hope this blog continues to grow. It seems, that the feelings and pains that Sarah and I go through, are quite common and fairly easily debated and discussed. We’ve asked for your opinion on almost every blog, praying for healthy discussion. We love every single one of our readers, whether it’s your first time, or your last. We appreciate you taking the time out of your day to let us get our blog on for you.

Toward the beginning of this year, we had a few people request to post their personal thoughts and material on our blog. We call them “Ghost Writers”. They write in occasionally, vent, and continue on their merry way. Writing is a release for some. Our blog, is our way of inviting you in and asking you to play in the discussion. Every now and then, due to the content of the conversation, it’s harder to participate. Sometimes, we just need a shoulder. Sometimes, we get to be one.

Offending somebody on this blog, which is generally unintentional, happens every so often. And when we rush to defend ourselves, we tend to push that line further.

My wish? That people would realize that a blog is a way for our minds to release themselves. An opportunity for emotions to spill out all over the place. It’s a story. And the author, is the only one telling it. Whether or not it makes sense to you, really shouldn’t matter. You can either actively participate in what is said, or you can just listen to their grief, joy, or other emotion they are trying to share.

The definition of a blog:

The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read by anyone but them. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality.

Ladies and Gents, Daily Offensive is a Personal Blog. We take pride in our blog, our writers, our Ghost Writers, and our readers. We are reflecting on life, and asking you to join us. Sparing details, sometimes just begs you to get a bit inspired yourself and let your imagination come out to play. We love that you participate and give us your opinion on our writing, but don’t assume because we are defending the blog, that we are criticizing. We just want you to understand that not all blogs come from, or are written to, one perspective.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

"I never met a chocolate I didn't like."

SO, yesterday I was craving something sweet and entirely bad for me- it always happens after dinner. You name it and I'll indulge, as long as it's chocolate. I came across this yummy cake-in-a-mug recipe and I thought I'd share it with you. It's super easy and hit the spot for my late night sugar needs.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Instructions:

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:

Spoon in 1 egg
Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug (some of it might "spill" out- that's okay.

Tip contents out of mug into bowl and enjoy!

*** My experience with this was good! Although the cake wasn't fluffy like that made in the oven (it had a dense texture, like bread pudding) it was just sweet enough and went amazingly with vanilla ice cream!! ***


"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

"Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put "eat chocolate." Now, you'll get at least one thing done today." - Gina Hayes

"Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of those pieces." - Judith Viorst

"There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now." - Anonymous

"There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." - Anonymous

♫ Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

If today was your last day, looking back, could you leave tomorrow and never look back? Never have regrets? No stones unturned, no words unsaid?

I know with all this new-ish music coming out reminding us that time is short, that more and more people are living today like it’s their last. I worry though, that we are living today like it is our last one, knowing life is too short, but living it for ourselves rather than everybody else. Don’t get me wrong, do go skydiving, bull riding, mountain climbing, never say never, all of that…but at the same time, I think we need to look around us too. It’s not so much where we’ve been, as who we’ve loved.

I look around, and it’s heart wrenching to see broken relationships. I hate seeing families torn apart, friendships burning bridges, relationships ending, hard words being thrown, and judgments being cast.

I am far from innocent. This year has been one rollercoaster of a ride, and I will be the first to admit that I’ve said some things I shouldn’t, especially toward some people that mean the most to me. There are broken relationships and words going unsaid for fear of making things worse.

There are people in my life that I have a hard time telling them how much I care, for fear of being hurt or admitting that I care. But what if today was it? Have you said everything you need to say?

We are so fearful of honesty. It’s hard to swallow when it’s coming at you, whether sweet or painful, and it sometimes can be harder to say.

I’m making it a goal to get everything out there. To keep myself out of awkward positions by swearing to few secrets, and full honesty. I want the people that I love, to know that I love them, regardless of what they’ve done or said in return.

Live like I am dying? Psh. Screw skydiving, I am jumping out in to life with my heart wide open, falling in love as often as possible, and risking everything to make sure I feel life to its fullest. Give it a shot.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

Oh PS. Listen to this video...it's what we'll call: Blog Inspiring. Nickelback: Never Gonna Be Alone

**Consuming Me…24 hours a day….

A letter from a Ghost Blogger:

Consuming me…24 hours a day….

Have you ever wanted or ‘desired’ something desperately? So much so, that it never leaves your mind, never leaves your heart…consumes you 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year? Well…I want and desire ‘something’ so bad that it might just drive me crazy if I don’t get it…
From Wikipedia…”Desire - is a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome. When a person desires something or someone, their sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment or the thought of the item or person, and they want to take actions to obtain their goal.”
I am truly a patient person and of course I usually get what I want, when I want it and how I want it. Maybe I’m a spoiled brat because of this…but… oh well! I have wanted this ‘something’ for a long time and recently my brain decided that I REALLY, REALLY WANT this something. Unfortunately, what I want (or desire) is out of my control, totally and completely….end of story. I don’t know why this ‘something’ is consuming my world like it is…I’ve never let any want or desire overwhelm me like this has…I’m trying very hard to distract myself from this ‘something’, so I don’t weaken my normally strong persona.
I might just compare what I want or desire, to an ice cream cone…
I love ice cream! Don’t we all? There are so many flavors of ice cream out there to pick from. My favorite flavor of ice cream is licorice (not everyone’s favorite…but I’m different and weird, I admit it!). And, I must eat my ice cream in a waffle cone or not eat it at all.
So, now summer is in full swing and I want that ice cream (in my waffle cone!) to help me cool down in the afternoons or evenings. But, for some reason, I’m not allowed to have that particular ice cream flavor, ever, due to an ‘allergy’ (we will call it that). This makes my desire grow stronger every day I’m not allowed to have my favorite ice cream. I watch others order their favorite flavors of ice cream, enjoying every cold minute, licking the delicious flavor, inch by inch, watching it drip down their hands, never complaining because they are totally satisfied. ‘An ice cream cone a day, would make the heart and mind satisfied…forever’…has always been my motto.
There is no alternative to my ice cream ‘desire’…none whatsoever. Licorice is my favorite flavor and if I can’t have it (which I can’t because of my ‘allergy’), I don’t want or desire anything else in this world that is so very sweet and satisfying like Licorice ice cream.
Soooooo, how do I get over this ‘allergy’ so I can have my ice cream? Or how do I make this want (or desire) go away…it’s so very strong, so intense, so true and consuming me completely right now. I love Licorice ice cream more than anything in the world…I would do anything to have my ice cream, every single day of the rest of my life.

**Ghost Blogger

**Men are Hunters Woman are Gatherers.

A letter from one of our ghost bloggers:

Today I try my hand at blogging. I have never done this before, but in the past months I have had a very inspirational person come into my life.

You see I’m a mom getting to watch her children grow up and go through lives ups and downs, and there struggle in finding that Mr. or Mrs. Right.

I was asked a week or so ago if I believed that there is that “special one” for everyone, and if so how do you know. Well from someone who has been with my wonderful husband for 21+ years. I can honestly say the following.

Yes there is that “special one” for everyone, we just have to pick through the bad ones to get that great one. We also have to work at keeping that one special. I can say from personal experience that its hard work and there is no one way to make it work. But if you take some things and keep them in the back of your mind it can make those times when we think we are at the end of the road we all of a sudden get a new path to take with that special person.

First off you have to go back to the very basics of the human (animal ) race.

1. In every species on earth and every relationship there is an Alfa person. Sometimes it’s the guy and sometimes it’s the girl. What matters is that you know witch one you are. There can not be two Alfas in one relationship. When you find out were you are in the so called pecking order it will make many things go easier.

2. Men are hunters and Woman are gathers: This goes for many things in life. You see Men are made to think they should be the providers, protectors. They tend to have one track minds in most that they do. They tend not to be able to multi task. Woman on the other hand are gathers, we open arms and gather all we can in. We are touchers. If we go shopping we like to touch, feel, look, and admire all we can. When we are troubled we tend to want to gather our girls and all the info we can around us.

3. I was once told by a very wise women after a long road trip with my husband and being frustrated that we had hardly talked the whole trip. That men only have about 2500 words a day to use. We woman on the other hand have a endless amount. As you scratch your head and wonder what I’m talking about stop and think about the last time you spent several hours just the two of you together. Who did most of the talking. Its us woman. And there is nothing wrong with that. What we have to realize is that next time your trapped in a pick up truck traveling down the interstate for hours at a time. The man isn’t going to tend to do a lot of talking. We will carry 80% of the conversation. Best thing you can do is learn to do something else to take your mind off of the silence.

4. The last thing I can add that will help is. Remember to save time for the two of you. You see your children will grow up and leave the nest and you will be left looking at that person you married so many years ago and think who is this person. By taking time for each other you will grow together instead of apart. Because lets face it none of use are the same person we were all those years ago when we walked done the aisle. If you cant see how each other is growing and changing then when the kiddos are gone you will look at each other one day and think who is this person I call my spouse. So take a few days or a week what ever you can spear every year and rediscover who that “special person” is. It will be the best thing you can do. Don’t get me wrong we should dedicate our selves to our children but a few days or a week every now and then isn’t going to make our children screwed up. Just the opposite. It will help them when there time comes around.

Ok I have blabbed enough. Probably way to much. Hope this is helpful to all of you in your young love stage or even those who have hit a rocky patch. Thanks for reading.

**Ghost Blogger