October 1, 2008

You’re so right, LilSis.  October is a very important month for women.  Breast cancer touches just about everyone in one way or another, and this month it’s getting some attention.  If we all did just one thing – participate in a race, organize an event, or just buy a product that benefits breast cancer research – then it would be a beautiful thing.

You’re also right that I LOVE me some pink!  I don’t think I know of anyone who likes the color as much as I do, except for the lady on Dog Whisperer whose whole apartment was pink, all her clothes were pink, even her dog was dyed pink.  I have to admit she had me beat.  BTW, do you love Cesar Milan?  He SO makes me think that I could adopt a German Shepherd and not have it boss me around.  Anyway, I digress.  Back to the pink and the cause.

I adore the “Cook for the Cure” series of pink KichenAid appliances!  Did I say I adore it?  I meant I ADORE it!!!!  I have the stand mixer and the food processor, all of the gadgets, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and cups.

The coffee pot and toaster aren’t KitchenAid but I lurve them anyway.  The Cook’s brand comes from JC Penney, but I don’t think they offer the pink color any more.  I’m just hoping my old white Oster blender will go to appliance heaven soon so I can get the pink blender!  Is that wrong?  To wish demise on a loyal appliance who has stuck with me through smoothie after smoothie for more than 25 years?  I think not; not if it means a donation to an incredible cause.

So get out there people, and buy something pink!  Do it for the women who aren’t with us any longer, the women who have survived this disease, and the women who will face it in the future.  We can make a difference!

~BigSis

October 1, 2008

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I’m sure most women know this. I am doing this post just as a reminder to anyone who may have forgotten.  This month the retail stores and websites are loaded with pink products that when purchased; a portion of the profits, and sometimes 100% of the profits, benefit either the Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure is an organization that is close to my heart.  This organization was started by Nancy G. Brinker after making a promise to her dying sister, Susan G. Komen. If there is anyone who has never read the story about this promise between two sisters, it is worth taking the time to read. It’s an amazing story.  I just can’t imagine losing my sister. Fortunately, our family has not been directly effected by this disease, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t all have to worry about it.

I’ve decided to captain a team again this year for the annual Race for the Cure.  My team will  be participating in the San Diego Race for the Cure on November 2, 2008.  It’s not too late to form a team of your own.  Go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and check out the dates for the Race in your area.

Here are a few fun products I found that I just can’t live without. I have always wanted a pair of yoga sandals, but I’ve never ordered myself a pair. Now that I’ve seen these pink ones, I must have them. I found out about the pink yoga sandals in my latest FitYoga issue. A portion of the sales will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

This next item may be more for us “more mature” women; not yet needed by the twenty-somethings or the thirty-somethings . I just think these pink ribbon readers are so darn cute! The elegant pink ribbon subtly sparkles in Czech crystals at your temples. They come in four styles and three color variations. They also come with a microfiber pouch complete with a pink ribbon. The mini pocket reader is adorable, too. $2 from the sale of each pair of glasses benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Coldwater Creek is giving 100% of the profits of this set of two pink quartz bracelets to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  These adorable bracelets have a silver “promise” charm dangling from the bracelet. Keep one for yourself and give one to a friend!

Here are a few more websites that have so many pink products available; I couldn’t begin to list them all. This Parade of Pink site is unbelievable! It lists over 70 companies that are participating in donating to fight this disease. It lists exactly how much each company donates to the cause. I think I need to go test drive a new BMW! They will donate $1 for each mile that you test drive a BMW on participating dates.

Check out Red Envelope for their wide variety of pink items. When you purchase any of these items this month, they will donate 10% of the sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. BigSis is going to go CRAZY when she sees all these pink products.  She’s even more of a pink freak than I am! I love these rings.

One last item that I think I really need. Amazon is offering a Special Edition Pink 6GB Pocket Drive. BigSis and I both have a little bit of a fetish about office supplies. It’s a strange thing, but we could both spend hours in an office supply store.  I just love this little pocket drive.

So, whether or not you have been directly effected by breast cancer, I think it is our responsibility as women to help fight this disease. Odds are that someday we could hear the news that either ourselves, a sister, a mother, an aunt or a friend has breast cancer.  Whether you choose to participate in a Race, donate directly or purchase products from companies donating to this cause, we can all contribute in some way.

“Don’t put off til tomorrow what you can do today”. I don’t know who said that originally, but I like it.

~LilSis

September 30, 2008

Since we have chosen to be anonymous in this blog; it might be a little rude and insensitive to use real names for family members or friends. We thought that it could be helpful to post the nicknames of the branches and twigs in our family tree.  You can’t follow the game without knowing who the players are, right?  Any time we refer to a friend, we’ll just be using a first initial.

LilSis has a large, blended, yours, mine, & ours family of 5 kids, so it could get confusing.  We feel very lucky, though, that all the kids refer to each other as brother and sister.  They have never referred to each other as “step brother/sister” or “half brother/sister”.  LilSis and SirHoney worked very hard over the last 17 years to keep this “blended” family very close.

Here is the cast of characters…the names have been changed to protect the innocent, as they used to say on “Dragnet”!

SisMama – BigSis’ and LilSis’ mother

BDot – BigSis’ & LilSis’ brother #1

Mrs. BDot – BDots’ wife

T – BDots’ daughter (Our niece)

BooBoo – BigSis’ & LilSis’ brother #2

Ashton a/k/a/ Ashy a/k/a Ashy Poo Poo – Big Sis’ Flamepoint Siamese Kitty Boy

Gabriel a/k/a Gaby a/k/a Gabriella – Big Sis’ solid black rascally Kitty Boy (named for the Angel Gabriel)

SirHoney – LilSis’ husband (LilSis calls him Sir when having a work related conversation, mainly just to irritate him, and he’s Honey at all other times.)

HayHay – LilSis’ & SirHoneys’ son (15 years old)

BigT – LilSis’ first son (24 years old)

Tom Tom a/k/a Tommy Boy a/k/a Thomas (if he’s in trouble) – LilSis’ “hell on wheels” Siamese Kitty

SarahGirl – LilSis’ & SirHoney’s sweet, loving twelve year old Great Dane.  Also know as Sarah Jessica Barker.

Meem (SirHoneys’ first daughter (31 years old)

TallGuy- Meems’ husband (He’s 6’7″; Meem calls him THSGuy, but don’t ask what that stands for)

LittleOne – Meems’ first born son (At this posting, only one week old. He was nicknamed LittleOne before we found out that he weighed 10 lbs 2 ozs at birth).  We still like the name, even though “little” he is not!

Bo – SirHoneys’ second daughter (30 years old)

TessTess – Bo’s eight year old Akita mix

AndyBoy – Bo’s newest addition to the family, a adopted Bichon Frise

BigGuy – SirHoney’s first son (29 years old)

Mrs. BigGuy- BigGuy’s wife

LittleGuy #1 – BigGuy’s & Mrs. BigGuys’ first son (6 years old)

LittleGuy #2 – BigGuy’s & Mrs. BigGuys’ second son (5 years old)

Zeus – BigGuy & Mrs. BigGuys’ latest addition to the family, a four month old Husky/Lab mix

That’s the whole crew!  Stay tuned for dramatic episodes featuring these characters!

September 30, 2008

Welcome to the first post of BigSisLilSis! We’ve wanted to blog together for a long time, and finally decided that we weren’t going to wait until we had the time to do it. Today is what we have, we are thankful for it and we’re celebrating it!

We’re really sisters and really friends, but we live a long way away from each other so that means we’re on the phone and emailing ALL THE TIME! We talk about everything and nothing at all, and just really felt inspired to share a little bit of what we’ve learned, what we believe in, what we’re excited about, what we hope for and what we know to be true.

So, what’s up with BigSis and LilSI? Here is a little frivolity and some fun facts so you can get to know us a bit:

Who are we?

LilSis: Forty-something wife/mother/sculpting student

BigSis: Forty-something/single/crafting/cookbook-collecting/recipe-contest-entering/compulsive organizing aunt

Where do we live?

LilSis: In a suburbian neighborhood in San Diego County where Bunco, Book Club meetings and “tupperware-ish parties” occur frequently, mainly as a reason for the girls to get together for cocktails.

BigSis: In a condo in Northern Texas

What is our living situation?

LilSis: I live with my husband, my two sons, a twelve year old Great Dane and a feisty Siamese Cat.

BigSis: I live with two rescued street cats; one is a sweet high-maintenance Siamese, the other is a solid black rascal.

What do we do for a living?

LilSis: I work from home for SirHoney’s business. I happen to be juggling several positions at this time; AdMin, HR Director, Payroll Clerk and Accountant. Oh, and that’s my real job. My night time job is doing laundry and cooking for three hungry men! And in my dreams, I’ll someday make a living by doing a series of sculptures that are actually worthy of being displayed in local galleries.

BigSis: I have an intense position as the Business Manager of a small partnership in a Dallas high-rise building.

Meat Eater or Vegetarian?

LilSis: Meat Eater. I could probably be a vegetarian if I lived alone. But, considering that I live with three meat-eating men, it would be impossible for me at this point in time.

BigSis: Vegetarian for 14 years! I have days when I’m a raw-foodist and days when I’m a vegan, but I just strive to eat as consciously as I can and don’t beat myself up on my off-days.

Breakfast Eater?

LilSis: Absolutely. I eat breakfast at 6:30 in the morning before taking my vitamins. First breakfast is usually Irish cut oatmeal or a banana and blackberries in Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt or a half of a wheat English Muffin. Then I usually have a second breakfast after exercise, which is most likely an egg or a light string cheese.

BigSis: Yes, yes. First breakfast is always a frozen fruit smoothie at 6 am with flax seeds, vitamin powder and unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze. Second breakfast is 3 hours later at the office, and is sometimes a banana, but usually Irish oatmeal.

Baker or Cook?

LilSis: Cook. I love to cook! I hate to measure and rarely follow a recipe that I don’t change. I learned the hard way that doesn’t work in baking. D used to tell me that I made good cornbread even though every single time I would inevitably do something wrong and it would turn out flat as a ding dang pancake.

BigSis: I love to cook, but being single, I can get away with being lazy at the end of the day, and just having a giant pile of salad for dinner. But I love love love to bake! Give me a reason, and I’m a baking fool! I’m a perfectionist, so the exact science of baking is right up my OCD alley.

Food weaknesses?

LilSis: I can’t resist Crunchy Cheetos or any kind of Mexican Food. Basically, the saltier the better! And on the rare occasion that I actually go see a movie at a theater; I can’t resist the popcorn even though I know that my stomach is going to blow up like a balloon. I don’t know why as you get older; you can’t eat the things that you used to enjoy without some sort of side effect. (Maybe we’ll discuss that later.)

BigSis: I can’t pass up a Crunchy Cheeto either, or Mexican food, or veggie pizza…darn these salty genes! But I have to admit my total-without-control food is Kettle Potato Chips. I don’t even buy the ding dang things because they disappear into my tummy in a nano-second and magically appear in a nano-second on my derriere.

Signature Dish?

LilSis: The kids all love it when I make my Bowties and Sausage; which is originally from BigSis’ cookbook. Back when all the kids were at home, I would triple the recipe and use 3 lbs of pasta and 3 lbs of sausage. BigGuy, Big T, and HayHay all request the holiday potatoes originally from BigSis’ cookbook. I’m lucky if ten pounds of potatoes feeds these hungry guys!

BigSis: When I was a meat-eater and meat-cooker, it was my stuffed mushrooms with italian sausage and cream cheese. Now it’s probably my vermicelli pasta salad or my brownies.

Exercise Routine?

LilSis: Run two times a week, do yoga twice a week, and ride my bike twice a week. I usually take one day off, which is usually Sunday. I’m getting motivated to add some weight training on my yoga days.

BigSis: Cardio and weight-training at the gym 3 or 4 times a week, and walking 2 to 4 times a week as the weather allows. I’m trying to get back into my routine of adding a 5 am yoga class 5 times a week, and doing the occasional Pilates DVD when I can.

Beliefs?

LilSis: Christian. I definitely believe in the Bible. I also enjoy reading a lot of books from Spiritual Teachers. I feel it just strengthens my religion as opposed to distracting from it as some people believe.

BigSis: Christian. I believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and it is the authority for my life.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

LilSis: Well, I go to bed around 11:00 or 11:30; I usually wake at 1:00 with insomnia and am awake for awhile, then wake up with the dog at 4:30, maybe go back to sleep for two hours and get up with HayHay at 6:30 to get him off to school. So, am I an early bird and a night owl? Luckily, I function pretty well if I get five hours of sleep at some point in the night.

BigSis: Early bird! Especially when I get in the 5 am yoga habit! I’m more productive early in the morning and have more energy. Don’t ask me about the late night talk shows!

Signature Hair Color?

LilSis: Almost platinum blonde. (That’s only because it matches my gray best)

BigSis: Garnier Nutrisse Medium Golden Brown. Totally DIY. I’ve never in my life had my hair color done in a salon! I’m a low maintenance girl!

Signature Pedicure?

LilSis: Another little fetish of mine; I am obsessed about keeping a nice pedicure. I guess my most common one I get is either a regular French Pedicure or the French Pedicure with a color on the tips. I always have to do something a little different. I get bored easily. Right now, I happen to have purple on my toes. It’s a new OPI called Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not.

BigSis: Well, DIY again! I love the China Glaze and Essie brands. My signature color for my toes is China Glaze “Fuschia”, and Essie “Wife Goes On” occasionally. If I ever wear color on my fingernails, it’s OPI “Bubble Bath”. Top coat is always Sally Hansen Power Shield with Sally Hansen Dry Kwik on top.

Music Style?

LilSis: I am still basically stuck in the 70s/80s classic rock style. I do listen to some pop, but my favorites are still the rock bands like U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Boston, Alice in Chains, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Peter Frampton, ZZ Top; I could go on and on…

BigSis: I listen to Christian pop about 95% of the time. The other 5% is a mix. I like Dave Matthews, Keith Urban, and Kelly Clarkson, for example. And Peter Frampton, can’t forget him!

Piercings?

LilSis: Normal pierced ears, upper ear piercing in left ear and belly button piercing. (I just got a new piece of jewelry for my belly after having a simple ring in for almost ten years)

BigSis: Two sets of regular ear piercings. I almost got a belly button piercing several years ago before it was really popular, but once it became so mainstream I lost interest in it.

Tattoos?

LilSis: I have one memorial tattoo on the inside of my right arm in memory of D.

BigSis: None.

Weak area of body?

LilSis: Head (That’s typical of Aries). Lucky for me I have a hard head. I’ve had a hammer dropped on my head from a boy in a treehouse, I’ve fallen from a tree landing straight on the sidewalk on my forehead and I’ve broken a car windshield in a car accident with my head but have never had stitches. (Knock on wood!) I used to have a lot of headaches; but not so much anymore.

BigSis: My weak spot is my lower back, and it flares up from time to time. It’s a genetic weakness for sure that’s always been a challenge, but it didn’t help to be in an Acura-smushing car accident 20 years ago that involved a hit from behind from a careening old Cadillac that pushed my little car into the car in front of me. Can you say whiplash? A car accident attorney was definitely needed then!

Coming soon are our “Favorites” and our “Top Five” lists. Then, you’ll know just about anything you could possibly care to know about us (maybe more) and we’ll move on to more interesting topics!