Creative uses for CHOFFY!!!

 I have been really slow on pulling together another Choffy Klatch...

so finally,

 here is the latest.

My sister HB asked about other uses for Choffy the other day,

so this is a response to her inquiry.  

Hope this helps....

some other ideas that I left out of the Klatch which I have personally 

tried are to add Choffy grinds to your muffin mixes,

sweet breads, namely banana, and zucchini.

Add to cookie batter.....

the name of the game here is:

EXPERIMENT!

When you have left over unused brewed chocolate,

use it in place of water in just about anything. 

(remember to mute the music to the side, and to see it large, click to go to youtube)

I would LOVE to hear what YOU do!!

Please share your favorite Choffy creations and inspired uses.

Jilll....talking to you girl!

I am 40 years old today!!!

Wow!!

I am 40 years old yesterday!

This feels huge to me!

Huge, and super good.

I am no longer young, but I'm sure not old.

I am the PERFECT age!!

Half my life might be over......

Look at how much I have learned.

Think of the totally dumb and pathetic mistakes

  I will never make again!

I am better than that!

I am a mature, spicy, sassy, fun lady who has

learned a thing or two....

dang it.

I'm 40 and I know it!!!

I feel liberated some how....I don't know why....but I do.

I popped out of bed yesterday at 5:00am....

so excited for my day.

No particular reason except for 

that.... I'M 40 TODAY!

My sweet heart is still out of the country,

so I knew this would probably be a pretty mellow B-day,

but that's ok.

I get to get up and go work out with some of my 

favorite people.  

I had worked the previous night to get a tough Brazilian Butt

workout put together.

I was ready to get out there and kick some hinney!

When I got to Gleason and parked

it was just Barb and I,

not unusual for she and I to be early.

I got out and started rounding up my gear,

grabbed the high heeled shoes Tina asked me to bring so she could 

borrow them,

and went over to greet Barb.

Good morning Melissa!

Hi there.

I am going to kid nap you and take you away.

We will not be working out here today.

What?

NOOOOOOO....You are kidding me!

Nope, I am not kidding.

Get in the car, and let me put this blindfold on you.

Oh my gosh!!

This is soooooo very crazy and 

I AM OUT OF MY MIND EXCITED!!!

I am crazed with delight.

I knew my girl friends would not forget me on my birthday.

I pictured having a little cup of oj, maybe some Choffy,

a Birthday jingle and I would have been totally happy with that.

But this!!!

THIS was truly unexpected.....AND I did not know what to expect!

Barb is winding here and there,

trying to throw me off the scent....

she is feeding me one fake clue after another. 

I am taking it in and getting pumped.

She said we would not be working out here.....

so what location....?

hmmmmmm.

Barb comes to a stop.

She says we are at 711 and she needs to get something and I 

will be coming in with her.

OK boss.

Lead me well dear friend.

She takes my hand and we gingerly walk forward,

my other hand out....

 searching......

searching?

 for what?  

walls, or random trees that

may "happen" to be in my path.

I couldn't help it.

We come to a door and it opens,

 Loud, exciting music pours out .....

I am shaking with anticipation.

I am pretty sure I know exactly where we are at!!

Barb removes my blindfold.

And it is TRUE!!

A beautiful, wonderful group of my sweet friends are all

lined up by their very own poles.

WE ARE AT "FLIRTY FITNESS"!!

shhhhh...don't tell anyone.

Tina asked me way back what I'd like to do on my Big 

4.   0.

I said I don't know....

something fun and crazy....

Wouldn't it be a blast to go to flirty fitness?!

A few of the girls were NOT on board.

 They said NO WAY.

They would not be caught dead in that cheap place

(maybe not those exact words, but same meaning).

Me, T, and maybe Barb were like,

 you guys are n.u.t.s.

Anyway, it was dropped, swept under the rug.

..........UNTIL TODAY!

I could not believe my eyes!

I was so touched at my friends thoughtfulness.

Even my friends that said they would never set foot in this place,

were there.

They made an exception for ME.

I dropped my stuff and ran around for hugs, and to share the thrill of it all.

 I can't think of what to compare it to....

it was better than a kid in a candy store.

WAY better than a kids first time at Disney....

all I know is I could not hold in my 

shrieks of joy and dancing.

They donned my head with my royal paper crown,

and pinned my loud and proud 

40 badge on me.

We were ready for our first lesson.

What a good sport the owner was.

She gets a call from T, asking her if she would please open

at 5:00am for a session.

??????

It is a new place, so I am sure she wanted to be extra 

accommodating, so she said sure.

What alcohol would you like to drink?

Oh, no thanks, we don't drink.

???????

All righty.

I put on my high heels....the ones Tina had me bring for her.

I should have known T would never borrow my shoes.

I had told her my feet were bigger than hers, 

but she said that in fact, no, lately she had been 

wearing a bigger size.

I am thinking,

geeeee that is pretty sad, having your feet growing like crazy.

Plus, I know T better than that,

she would NEVER wear a shoe that did not belong to her.

Anyway, she was very convincing.

 Fun.

Fun to see everyone looking ridiculous.

Looking sassy, and attempting something we had never done before,

and likely will never do again.

Looking like they were having a great time....well, maybe 

it was still a little tough on one or two of us.

But over all, it was hands down

THE   B E S T,  most memorable, 

Birthday of my LIFE!!

After our fitness lesson,

we ate a YUMMY breakfast of baked oatmeal, made 

by Christi.....oh how delicious it was with whip cream,

blueberries, and strawberries...

Recipe us now!!

OJ and Choffy as well.

Somehow we didn't end up with utensils.....

who cares!

 Luckily the owner had a few chop sticks,

a knife, we found a few random plastic forks, and one of us used the 

serving spoon.

It was just that much more scrumptious because of the effort 

to get it in our mouths.

I feel so very blessed.

These pictures don't lie.  There were quite a few naturals.

Show offs!

Wish I was in that group,

but no.

But I was in the whole group, laughing, letting go of a few

inhibitions....

because WHY NOT.....I'm 40!!

It is now or never baby!

This is the time of our lives.....lets enjoy it today!

You girls look after me so very well in Kevin's absence.

Thank you.

Back Row:

Stacey (Bishops wife, and primary secretary), Brandi (amazing interior designer and fashionista), 

me (I'm 40), Karen (Ethan's seminary teacher), Vanessa (beautiful mother of 7, and performer/singer extraordinaire), Sonia (has her Doctorate (correct me if I am saying that wrong), and works at NASA,

for the space program for crying out loud!!, she sets off rockets!, 2nd counselor in the primary)

Front Row: 

Maria (Choffy sista, and fitness Zumba superstar, I am sure you can't tell), 

Tina (Choffy Boss, has 57 distributors under her!!! PTO President, 1st Counselor in the primary, 

and is way too generous a person), Christie (Social worker, horse owner, ward missionary, marathoner), 

Barb ( Some kind of very important therapist, for children, busy also with PTO,

pole super star, and kid knapper!)

I love you guys!

I will just call you the dream makers from now on!

Get a load of this shot.

This last picture is so much my favorite.

Can I possibly look any more happy? 

Heck....

I'm 40 years old today.

I have so much good ahead of me.

I am blessed beyond measure.

With a Birthday like this,

and K coming home tonight....

how can life get any better?

MAGNIFICENT Outcomes......

I have been reading and taking part in the daily 

practices of a new book I have, it is called

"The MAGIC" - by Rhonda Byrne

Click on the book, and then again on the book at Amazon and you can get really good excerpt of the book.

This book came to me, 

in fact, by way of my amazing husband K.

He was being extra chipper, happy, and enjoyable a few weeks ago.

I definitely picked up on it.

He says, I am just so grateful for all that I have in my life.

I really want to drop the negativity and focus on all my blessings.

I love you so much!

I have so much to be thankful for......

I, of course, loved it.

I was thrilled by his new lease on life, his more relaxed demeanor.

It was contagious.

He told me he had happened upon this book, 

and that he had one for me also.

Hey, cool!

I am all over self help stuff, daily goals and so forth,

so I was on board from the get go.

If you have ever read "The Secret", it is by the same author.

I really liked that book, and still go back to visualizing, saying out loud, and

speaking of my hopes, dreams and desires to bring them to pass.

I am a believer for sure!

This book is very similar, but the entire premise is a focus on 

Gratitude.

That is it.

She uses the word "MAGIC" a little too 

much for my liking.

But I get the point, and have really been enjoying my focus.

The book is a 28 day practice.

Each day you begin by writing down 10 blessings in your life that you are 

grateful for.

"I am so grateful for............, because.............

At night before bed, maybe on your knees,
she has you hold your "magic" rock,

I use a little shell and think back over my day,

think of all the good things, and pick the very best thing 

that happened today and say thank you 3X for this wonderful blessing.

Now, this sounds a lot like praying to me....

so that is how I go about it.

I am not shooting my thanks off into the cosmos,

I am thanking my Heavenly Father.

That is about it.

Everyday she has a different practice that she has you add

to these two basic ones.

I really love my volunteer time at Our Club, because that is 

when I really catch up on writing in my Gratitude journal.

I keep up with the daily ones, but some of the assignments are bigger,

and I am never finished with a few of the biggies....

still working on writing out my gratitude for our dream home.

One of the biggest elements of the book is being grateful for 

what you receive, before you receive it.

Yes....bring it!

Being grateful for the Magnificent Outcomes that you know

you will have.

Todays practice is just that,

Magnificent Outcomes......

ultimately when gratitude becomes your way of life, you automatically

go into everything you do with gratitude, knowing that the "magic" of 

gratitude will produce a magnificent outcome.

Even with the unexpected, and unplanned set backs.....

you can be guaranteed a magnificent outcome by looking at the 

opportunity, and the amazing outcome you will still have.

EVEN if it is different than what you had originally planned,

or saw for yourself in your mind.

I don't know if I am making it sound lame or good.

In her words....

Can you overdo gratitude? 

NEVER!  

Can your life become too magical?

HARDLY!

Now come on.....why not?

I really have felt more sparkly and shiny....I can't credit that to magic though...

I will always give the credit back to my Father.

However, I do believe in the Law of Attraction, that 

whatever you think, whatever you feel, you attract to you.

You get what you give.

When you give, you receive.....and so forth.

I have noticed as I have focused my thoughts and efforts more

on gratitude and being grateful,

my eyes are open and searching for these delicious blessings 

surrounding me.

In opening my eyes, and looking, it has made me

slow down and notice the people around me more.

Not only my own family, 

but the store clerks, the other shoppers, other moms 

walking with their kids..... people.

People.

They are ..... Everywhere.

When you are happy and grateful for your abundant blessings,

the next thing you want to do is pass it on.

I want to be kind.

I want to notice others.

I want to make another persons day!

When I think of the power I hold in my smile and in my words.

It really can be like magic.....

Wow.

It is remarkable that we all have this gift inside us.

Just waiting to be let loose.

We all have something amazing to share.

I have been experimenting with this lately.

I decided if I think it in my mind I should say it out loud.

Use your brain a little here.

Obviously if a negative thought slips in there I am not going to blurt it out.

But you know what I mean,

often times I think nice things about others,

hmmmm, she looks pretty.

I love that purse.

I wonder if she works out, she has such good muscle tone in her arms.....

and so forth.

 I have had so much fun!

I have had several enjoyable conversations,
simply starting them with an opener similar
to one above....depending on what I noticed and admired,
or wondered about.

I have gotten to know some really nice people that I may never

have spoken to before.

Just one example:

I was at my doctors office the other day.

The gal behind the reception desk is the same one that is always there.

She is always nice,

me to.

Hi how are you.

good thanks.

here you go, you can take a seat, etc.

This day I really took a good look at her.

She is beautiful!

She looked radiant to me.

Her black hair, with black head band, she had

taken time to apply some pretty make up w/out overdoing it.

She had a pretty delicate pinkish bracelet on 

that tied her look together.

I thought all of this.....and was just going to let it go at that.

But then thought, dang it,

I'm going to tell her.

I did.

She lit up like new money....

she said thank you so much, I had to do something,

this weather really brings me down.

Several years ago I got in a very scary accident on 

a rainy day like today, 

that scared feeling always comes back to me.

I try and keep myself up on days like this.

It made her feel good.

It made me feel wonderful.

A sincere compliment can move mountains for a person.

I have been on the receiving end.

Even as recent as last night.

I was in the car with a friend, returning from book club.

She gave me a very sweet compliment.....

something positive about something I had written.

I was already happy, 

but that warmed me right up and took my  

 gratitude up and over the top.

It feels good to be recognized,

noticed, thought of, thanked, appreciated, complimented on a job

well done.

Sometimes I need this reminder not to starve even those closest to 

me of these basic needs we all have.

Give liberally.

That is what I am learning.

Go big or go home.

Yep, last session of our olive oil comb throughs....

found this gem to share with you.

It doesn't cost a dime to be kind.

Look around today.....

Lice Lessons....

Yes, you read right....

Lessons learned from L. I. C. E.

On Saturday afternoon McCauley came to me with a very
concerned look on her face,
she held out her fingers and said,
Mom, look what I just found in my hair.
smashed bug.

Big Eyes.

I took her into the bathroom and started rummaging around
in her hair.
I found a few more tiny bugs.
I could SEE THEM WALKING AROUND!
I always thought lice were microscopic or something....
Not Even
...you can see them with your bare eyes!

Now, why in the WORLD would I care to share this news with
the general public??

Why?
Why?
Why?
Maybe if we just keep hush, hush, I could sweep it under the rug and
 this mortifying embarrassment might never be known by others.
You could go on thinking we are only slightly ghetto.
An almost perfect, sort of clean, normalish family.

I want to share it because it did happen.
I count it as a valuable learning experience, mostly for myself.
I don't want to forget my LICE lessons, and thought maybe you could
relate on some level.
..................

When McCauley told me, and then I found them,
 I felt myself go into defense mode.
I could literally feel the transition in my mind and body.
All systems focused in and ready to bear down....
for lack of a better word.

I saw Saturdays plans dissolve and change immediately,
and Sundays,  .....
I needed urgent assistance.

I said ok, M, get in the tub and lets have you scrub up.
I will make some calls and go and get the supplies....
whatever they are.


NO MOM!
Lice hold their breath in water!
They thrive in water....I should not get my hair wet.
Um......
I don't know, I think starting with a fresh head seems like a good idea
for the solution.

I really don't want to.
Well, that's ok, hop in.
I will be home in a few and we will get er done.

My number one go to lice expert friend was not answering her phone.
My second experienced friend told me about RID.....
get it at CVS, so that is where I headed.
Got it.
(Paid full price, skipped on the off brand.....this must be serious!)


Rushed back, read the instructions.

Head must be completely dry.
Lice can hold their breath for up to 2 hours in water.

Huh.
Ok.
She blew her hair dry while I set up shop.
(I know you are probably thinking she blew lice out of her hair....
I was just thinking that as well as I typed it.)

Chemicals go on.....we follow instructions.

Phase two.

Now begins the house tear apart.
The sheets, beds, pillows, blankets,
cushions, floors, counters, blinds, stuffed animals, helmets,
van seats, couches, chairs.......

Wash, wash, WASH.....wash.....wash.
Vacuum.
Boil.
Wipe.
Clorox.
Sanitize.
and bag.

When I was growing up I knew of this girl that went to school with me.

She went to the same school with me for several years.

I want to say through high school, if not at least part of it.

She was the only person that I knew of that ever had lice.

But the word was that she always had lice.

ALWAYS.

So everyone was always afraid to get by her.

To sit by her.

To get close because we were so afraid to get lice.

We heard they can jump, you MUST stay your distance.

I never got to know this girl, 

I am not the only one.

I wonder if anyone got to know this poor girl.

This is where my lice fobia began.

In my mind since that time I have been above lice.

My family was above lice.

It really never came to my mind that any of my children would 

come home with lice.

That is not for us.

We will politely pass on this one, thanks.

I know I sound like such a judge mental jerk right now,

I see the words, I am hearing the words,

but I never felt like I was passing judgement....

I just always thought, man, I am glad we don't get lice.

I would never want to deal with that.

So here we are,

the instructions say to get your child sitting in front of a distraction

while you rake the special killing gel through their hair  

using a dangerous looking, hard metal, 

tight toothed comb thing.

I had M sit in front of me on my chair and let her choose the 

Mormon Messages we watched together.

Several times over the combing, 

applications of this and that,

stripping sheets,

multiple washings

with her head bent over in the tub...what ever....

 she commented

at how fun this was to do together.

What an adventure!

She liked my combing out her hair,

and WOW, wasn't that a great message?

yes.

yes....it was a very good message.

Later that night, my expert friend called my cel phone.

She told me RID was not enough.

That lice have built up a tolerance for the pesticide, and that 

I wasn't even close to being through for the night.

oh?

Kev and I had gone to Orlando, luckily we were headed home.

M would need her head saturated in olive oil, 

and then she needs 

to sleep in a plastic cap, in the morning I will again need to comb this

through and get any remaining "debri"out.

She told me I could drive by and get a kit she would put together 

for me, including a 3 week calendar I would need to 

follow for reapplication.

Say what??

Oh...and you will need to treat yourself.

No.

I don't have lice....my head doesn't even itch....

well except for right now because we are talking about it.

No, I don't want to.

You have to treat yourself.

I will think about it.

K and I rushed back home.

I picked up the very helpful kit, and at around 10:30 pm

saturated my little buddy's hair with olive oil and 

put her in her stylish plastic cap.

I tucked the toilet paper in around the edges like my friend instructed, 

to catch the drips and excess.

M looked like a little sweet heart.

I got a photo, but she asked me not to post it.

She said she didn't mind me writing about her experience if 

it might help someone else, 

but please not the photo.

So I will sadly refrain.

The next morning, which would be Sunday before my meeting,

M and I were back in by the computer.

We took the soggy cap off and I began the comb through 

again, little sections at a time.

I was 100% certain I would not find a single thing in her hair....

probably this was just an extra precaution.

So you can imagine my surprise.....

yet again

when low and behold, I did in fact comb out some lice.

I really want to say debri!

Why is it so hard for me to face that word?

I combed out some living lice,

that I murdered.

As I was combing, 

and we were watching more Mormon Messages,

McCauley said mom,

thank you so much.

I love you combing through my hair.

It feels so good.

During the night my head itched so badly,

I wanted to scratch in those places you are getting.

I wouldn't let myself.

Now, each time I feel an itch, you go to that spot next and 

it feels so wonderful.

Thank you.

Honey, you are welcome.

I am happy to do this for you....I like it to.

Unbeknownst to her,

 tears are streaming down my face.

For many reasons.

Tears of wonderment that she and I could get so much 

satisfaction in our "accidental forced time" together.

Tears of sadness and regret while thinking back over

and over of the young girl I grew up with.

Knowing that her lice experiences had not been so kind.

Wondering if she ever had her hair combed through.

Did she have a mom to help her with the itchiness?

I don't think so.

I got M settled, and instructed the boys to be ready.

Dad would be dropping them at church on 

his way back out of town.

I would head home after my meeting to be with M.

As I was driving over to church in our van....

my thoughts went to my Heavenly Father.

Going over the events, 

giving thanks for this experience.

Repenting, and praying for the girl from my youth.

At one point the thought again came to my head,

like, I really thought we wouldn't get lice,

I thought we were above that.

My impressions were instant....

in a loving way...almost laughing....as if I was a three year old 

and my father had both my cheeks.

Oh my dear, you are above nothing.

You are the same as all my children.

No trial is beneath you.....

and you are worthy of all trials, just like everyone else.

 really?

I don't know if I want that.

That is the way it is.

Discovering lice turns out to be not as terrifying as I had

always feared.

Maybe a little exhausting.

This experience was a blessing.

A wake up call.

A nudge in the right direction.

A chance to humble myself with assistance.

An opportunity to serve my little girl.

A gift to slow down and learn from spiritual messages

that are always at my disposal, but rarely taken advantage of.

A forced spring cleaning that was way over due.

I am grateful my Father knows me, and that I can learn what is 

intended for me to gain from each experience in this 

adventurous and blessed life.

Here is one of McCauley and I's favorite messages.

Thank you to my expert friend....for everything!

She finally did convince me to "treat" myself by letting me know

that if I did the olive oil treatment, it would leave my hair

healthy, soft, and silky.

OK, ok!!

I'm in!