As your kids head back to school, you probably have a to-do list a mile long. There are clothes and uniforms to find, school supplies to buy, transportation arrangements to make, dorm rooms to set up, and schedules to coordinate. In the midst of all the chaos, don't forget that a meningitis vaccination could save the lives of your children, and may be the most important to-do of all.

I didn't know much about the risk of meningitis until the son of a family friend passed away from it during his first semester at college. Here's what I know now and want to pass on to you:

• Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

• There are two kinds of meningitis: viral and bacterial. Bacterial is the more severe kind, and can lead to brain damage and death.  There are several causes of each kind.

• The Meningococcal vaccination does not prevent all cases of the disease, but it does protect against most types.

• The most common symptoms of meningitis are headache, fever and a stiff neck.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends vaccinations for these individuals:

• Children: MCV4 is recommended for certain high-risk children from ages 2 through 10.

• Pre-teens/Adolescents: MCV4 is routinely recommended for all 11 through 18 year olds. If your child did not get this vaccine at the 11- or 12-year-old check-up, make an appointment for him or her to get it now.

• Adults: Either MPSV4 vaccine or MCV4 vaccine is recommended for adults if you:

• Are a college freshman living in a dormitory

• Are a military recruit

• Have a damaged spleen or your spleen has been removed

• Have terminal complement deficiency

• Are a microbiologist who is routinely exposed to Neisseria meningitis (the causal pathogen)

• Are traveling to or residing in countries in which the disease is common

There are also some individuals who should NOT get the vaccine.  Please check out the meningitis reference information on the CDC's web site and make an informed decision for your family.

~BigSis

Posted under Health

Today is our dad's 74th birthday.

We know that where he is, birthdays don't exist because we won't age, we won't be sick, and we won't ever pass from that that place of eternal joy!

Life will never be the same for those of us that he left behind. SisMama lost the one and only love of her life and we lost a great dad that loved each of us unconditionally, no matter what!

Until we see him again, we all miss him every single minute of every day.

Posted under Family

I wish that I could have a St. Patrick's Day party this year, but unfortunately I have to work on Saturday night and I'm not too happy about that. 🙁

St. Patty's Day parties are always fun and very easy to put together; all you really need is green beer and/or a festive green cocktail, corned beef and cabbage, and some potatoes.

Have everyone wear something green. pass out some silly party hats as your guests arrive and you're ready to get the party started!

Here are a couple of our favorites that you might want to try for your St. Patrick's Day celebration.

First, the cocktail.

This Glowing Green Gecko is perfect for St. Patty's Day!

Then, here are some easy and yummy Ham and Potato Pancakes.

Or, if you're vegetarian, try this awesome Dilled Potato Pie that can be served with pesto or just a dab of butter on top.

And, this open-faced Reuben Sandwich is delicious and can easily be cut into smaller pieces and served as an appetizer.

And, a fun green dessert is just icing on the cake.

These St. Patrick's Day Clover Cookies are fun and tasty.

Hope everyone has a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!

(And, don't forget an Irish toast. This is a fun one.)

“May your neighbors respect you,

trouble neglect you,

the angels protect you,

and Heaven accept you.”

~LilSis

Posted under Holidays

I am a big fan of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I don't always have time to read all of her Confessions of a Pioneer Woman posts, but I do subscribe to The Pioneer Woman Cooks. The woman is pretty darn amazing.  A lot of times, she has 40 or 50 photos posted with a recipe, and with some pretty incredible photography, at that!

I hope this doesn't come out sounding the wrong way, but I really want to know if Pioneer Woman is a one woman show or if she has a team of people helping her.  If any of our readers happen to communicate with Pioneer Woman, I would absolutely LOVE it if you would pass this post on to her.  I know she admits that she doesn't have time to comment much or reply to emails. She's just too busy!!

But, I would love to know how she home schools all her little ones, helps Marlboro Man with the ranch, cooks amazing recipes, takes amazing photography, and maintains a wonderfully organized blog.

Inquiring minds want to know…How DOES SHE DO IT?

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld when George and Jerry were sitting at the diner, talking about how salsa had replaced ketchup as the #1 condiment, and they mentioned how fun it is to say “salsaaahhh”?  So funny.  I think about that every time I say salsa.  And here in Texas, I say salsa a lot!  My favorite salsa has always been Joe T Garcia's, from the cult-favorite restaurant in Fort Worth.  I was at Central Market today, and it occurred to me that maybe…just maybe…there is a better salsa out there?  I'm so fickle!  I decided to conduct a little informal research to see if my favorite is indeed the best of the best, or if I'm just stuck in a closed-minded salsa rut.

First up is our challenger, Central Market's All Natural Hatch Green Chile Salsa Roja.

• Ingredients:  Tomatoes, green chiles, diced onions, tomato paste, lime juice, fresh garlic, fresh serrano peppers, vinegar, cumin, salt, black pepper, cilantro.
• Appearance:  Brownish brick red.  I see some dark flecks that indicate some of the ingredients were fire-roasted.  Nice!  The consistency is pretty thick, but not quite a puree.  You can still see some bits of onion throughout.
• Flavor:  Delicious and slightly complex.  The top note I get is cumin.  The salsa is smoky and spicy, but I was expecting it to be hotter with the two chiles.  I could have used a little more heat.
• Overall impression:  I love that there are no preservatives, chemicals or ingredients other than those I could find in my own kitchen.  It tastes fresh, and I do like it.  But would I buy it again?  Mmmm, probably not.  I think I'd like to try the green verde version of this salsa to see if  it has less cumin flavor since I'm not a huge cumin fan.  To me cumin is like cilantro or goat cheese.  Either you love it or you hate it; not many people are ambivalent about it.

And now the defender: Joe T Garcia's Salsa Picante in Mild (there are Medium and Hot varieties, but I know they're too hot for me).

• Ingredients:  Tomatoes, onions, green sweet peppers, green chile peppers, salt, vinegar, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro and spices.
• Appearance:  Bright red, and very chunky with visible pieces of tomato, onion and peppers.  When you open the jar, the salsa needs to be stirred to get the juice married back with the chunks.
• Flavor:  Wow!  A burst of fresh tomato, garlic and peppers with a tangy background from the vinegar.  Even the mild has a fair amount of pepper heat.  I love it.
• Overall Impression:  Somebody get this jar away from me!  I can't stop eating it!

The Verdict:

Get in your car right now and drive to a store that carries this salsa!  If you can't do that, direct your fingers over to Joe T's web site and order yourself a case of his Salsa Picante.  You can get 12 jars for $30 plus $15 shipping, which is a bargain in my book, folks!  That' s less than $4 per jar, shipped!  You WILL thank me!  This stuff is awesome in queso instead of Rotel, or poured over a soft brick of cream cheese, or just gobbled up with chips.

Hey, LilSis, you're a fan of Joe T's Salsa, right?  Can you get any good salsa out there in Califor-knee-yah?  I know SirHoney doesn't like too much heat, so I'm wondering if you're still buying Pace brand? Now you can order from Joe T himself!  Viva la Salsa!

~BigSis

Posted under Food

photo credit: mommamia on flickr

Summer has been my favorite season for about as long as I can remember, but I wouldn't say that I'm a sun worshiper, or anything that extreme. I just enjoy any time that I have where I can get out in the sun, even if it's just for a walk, a bike ride, or sitting outside reading for an hour. And, I always feel a little more cheerful after spending any amount of time out in the sunshine! 🙂

Not that it's likely it'll happen anytime soon, but, if I ever did have a lazy Summer day where I had no responsibilities and could do whatever I wanted; I would spend the entire day in a lounge chair with a good book and my iPod; either at the beach or poolside.

Photo credit: sollis.se

As much as I would love to slather myself in red label Hawaiian Tropic Coconut Oil because it reminds me of those long-gone, carefree, teenage days with friends at the lake or by the pool, I do keep sunscreen on at all times.

We've got Native American Indian in our blood, so I'm lucky that I tan easy and rarely burn. I've also never have had any type of skin cancer, which is pretty amazing considering that when I was younger, I would lay out for the entire day covered in tanning oil!

And, yes, I'll admit it, my friends and I did try the baby oil and iodine combo. My only excuse for that is that we didn't know any better and back in those days no one even talked about sun damage from ultraviolet rays. Now that we do know better, we just need to make sure that our kids don't fry themselves like some of us used to do on a regular basis.

A lot of people, including my hubby, haven't been as lucky when it comes to sun damage and skin cancers. His family has the Irish skin with fair complexions that freckles and burns easily. When he was young, they spent a lot of time of the lake and he would get so sunburned that his skin would blister. Most doctors agree that the skin cancers we have now were caused by sun damage we experienced when we were younger. A lot of my hubby's relatives, like him, have experienced serious cases of skin cancer, including melanoma.

We've talked quite a bit about sun damage and sunscreens here on BigSisLilSis since both BigSis and I are passionate about the issue. I have to stay on top of my hubby and my son every single day to make sure that they have on their sunscreen. Since HayHay surfs for hours at a time, it's crucial for him to wear the best sunscreen that we can find.

Summer is in full swing now that we're in mid-July so I thought this would be a good time to do a recap of some of our previous posts about sunscreen and sun damage.

• The very best waterproof sunscreen that we've found is Vertra, which is what HayHay wears now when surfing. I talked about Vertra and some other great Summer products in this Top 15 Summer Beauty Products post.

• My hubby used to wear the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch but now his favorite is the Neutrogena Sport Face, which doesn't sweat off and burn his eyes. I mentioned both of these and a few others when I talked about Skin cancer and sunscreen.

• BigSis shared some of her favorite sunscreens in this More Sunscreen Favorites post.

• I also talked last June about the Top Four Sunscreen According to Consumer Reports.

• BigSis shared these 7 Tips for Sunburn Relief for those who may accidentally find themselves with a bad sunburn.

We hope everyone is having a great Summer so far; but whatever you do, please don't forget your sunscreen! 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

If you've been reading BigSisLilSis for awhile, you know that I've talked about the story of two sisters, Nancy G. Brinker and Susan G. Komen and why their story has always been close to my heart. What Nancy Brinker has accomplished in her life after making her sister a promise is truly amazing. I think she's more than proven that one person can make a difference.

Last year, I also mentioned that Nancy G. Brinker was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work as a cancer advocate. I was glad to find out that she's written a book, Promise Me, about their story and how her promise to her sister launched the global breast cancer movement.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is an event that I participate in whenever possible and in 2008, the 25th anniversary of the Race for the Cure, I was the Team Captain of a team for the San Diego Race for the Cure. It was a great experience and one that I'll never forget.

During the month of October, we like to feature pink products that are being offered by companies who contribute a portion of their profits to breast cancer research. Here are a few to get us started.

Look at this cute pj short set from Susan G. Komen for only $15.00

And I love this Elizabeth Hurley Lip Gloss with the pink-croc print clutch, which retails for $25.00.There are literally thousands of pink products being sold in stores and online this month to benefit a variety of breast cancer awareness charities. Stay tuned…We'll be back with more of our favorites! 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Health

Have you been able to enjoy any lazy days this Summer?

Do you ever have the pleasure of waking up in the morning and knowing that you have absolutely nothing that you have to do that day?

No?

Me neither.

Not in my world.

I can't even remember the last time I had a day like that.

It was probably three years ago, which was our last vacation.

I was daydreaming about what I'd love to do given just one day with no responsibilities.

It might go something like this.

First, no alarm clock would be set. (It would be so nice to start off the day by awaking naturally and not panicking if it's past six o'clock.)

After a nice, leisurely breakfast, I would probably go for a walk and then I would hop on my Beach Cruiser and go for a long bike ride without thinking about where I'm going or when I have to be home.

I'd love to spend a few hours at the beach with good friends, a picnic lunch, some cold beverages and a stack of magazines.

Next, I'd come home and maybe do a little gardening and then curl up on a raft with a good book and not worry about the time or what I'm cooking for dinner.

Just to prolong my lazy day, I'd probably stay up late and watch a sappy, ‘chick flick' and call my best friend that I don't get to talk to near enough.

And if I happen to fall asleep on the couch, the family would have strict orders not to wake me. (That's some of the best sleep I ever have.)

One last thing; on my lazy day, the guys aren't allowed to call me and ask where I'm at, what I'm doing, or when I will be home.

A girl can dream, right?

That would be my idea of a perfect lazy day. 🙂

What would a perfect lazy Summer day be like for you?

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

Cooking Light way to cook

The cookbook giveaway officially ended at midnight last night so this morning I have the pleasure of announcing the winner! The winner was chosen by Random.org and out of the 35 comments, the lucky winner is Kelly who left comment #14.

The Winner is No. 14!

Kelly, be sure to email me your contact information so I can get this beautiful book in the mail to you as soon as possible. Congratulations to Kelly and thanks to everyone who entered! 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Food

The weather has been cool, windy and cloudy here in southern California this week, so we've gotten a lot of our technical work done indoors.  We won't bore you with the details, but we did make a lot of progress and we're pretty ding dang proud of ourselves!

After all that mental exertion, we're taking the weekend off for some R&R and sister time.  Our plan for the warmer sunnier weekend is beaching, boating and boozing book-reading!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

TGIF you all!  Saturday is LilSis' birthday, so we'll be celebrating it in some funtastic way with SirHoney, Big T, Hay Hay and SisMama.  We'll see you back here on Sunday!  Have a great weekend!

~BigSis

Posted under This & That