Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Warrior Tales

What’s Sugar Free, Fabulous And Holds Bling?

By 3 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Couple years ago I got serious about losing weight because my fat jeans were strangling me. One of the things I did on “The Belly Fat Cure” by Jorge Cruise was to substitute Truvia natural sweetener for Splenda. Cruise advocates cutting excessive sugar grams and processed carbs in your diet and staying off chemical-based sweeteners.

Truvia container with label. Then naked containers with baubles inside. Like my jewelry tools mug holders?
Truvia container with label. Then naked containers with baubles inside. Like my jewelry tools mug holders? Who remembers the tv show “Northern Exposure?” My kind of crazy!

So 18-months later and 33 pounds lighter, I was accumulating a stockpile of said clear plastic Truvia containers. Since we have to up cycle everything around here, just like in “Portlandia” on tv, I thought they would make great storage holders for the odd-sized beads and things I use to make jewelry.

They work so well! First, I’m buying Truvia all the time anyway which makes the storage containers free to me. Score! They’re wide-mouthed and have a nice snapping lid, but I can also unscrew the top to wash it out and easily clean inside. They are fun to arrange, they stack well and are see-through!

Even spent bullet casings leftover from my Dad’s weapons collection fit inside one; I know I can turn those into jewelry some day. They’re great to take in the car for shell collecting on the beach and also putting screws and nails in for safe-keeping. In life as in recycling, it only takes a different perspective to change ourselves, our career or our sweetener containers into something different, fun and useful.

Perhaps that’s one reason I enjoy watching Flea Market Flip on HGTV so much. I like to see other folk’s visions about re-purposing items and know right away what works for me or not. Sometimes I cringe when I see a piece of furniture I think is perfect the way it is get all gussied up or turned wacko, but everybody’s got their own design style – mine is French country Victorian with lots of books. And beads. And teapots. And shoes.

What’s your design style? Got fun up cycled storage container ideas?

P.S. For those of you keeping track, I am back down under my 5-pound big no no limit after the Easter candy/ham/potatoes/gravy and leftovers week food fest. Lettuce is my friend. One must be ever vigilant!

Time For A Gummy Dance?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

So I did my usual weekly weigh-in this morning and gack! Too many Easter treats, over my five-pound weight limit cushion. To be honest, I’d been flirting with the edge for weeks, but now it’s time to get serious.

At the time an image came to mind of one of my favorite YouTube videos below. If I keep eating like this my butt will look like Gummy Bear’s too. Since this video always makes me smile, here is an encore. And maybe I can do some cardio dancing like Gummy Bear. Couldn’t hurt!

Click off the ad and subscription tags so you can get the full Gummy Bear dance and music experience. Then let’s get moving! Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

Got Chocolate Leftovers?

By 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

The only thing I like more than leftover chocolate Easter cupcakes is Easter candy on sale! Since we always have candy snack packs for the “big kids” every Easter, I had to stock up ahead of time on treats. The bags were on sale two-for-one before the holiday, so I experimented and found some Hershey’s chocolate covered almonds.

Chocolate covered almonds and chocolate cupcakes; double-decker dessert! Yes, but of course I have pink china.
Chocolate covered almonds and chocolate cupcakes; double-decker dessert! But of course I have pink china.

Weekend before last when I was under the weather, it seemed the perfect time to taste test the new morsels. They were fabulous. Included some in the snack sacks and then shared them on the top shelf of the cupcake dessert display.

Added some of the Dove dark chocolate half eggs in the bunny bowl on the table and all the treats seemed to disappear throughout the meal.

Decided to check out the leftover Easter candy after work last night and the locusts had already hit the store; no Hershey’s chocolate covered almonds in sight. Sigh.

However, I did find some sugar-free dark chocolate covered almonds in the bulk candy section. It’s a miracle! They also have milk chocolate covered almonds too, so I must insist on testing those out.

I always travel with snacks so I must see if these new items are worthy to be added to the peanut M&M’s I always carry when I take a trip. One thing the military taught me, always pack snacks. It’s logistics!

Now all I need to do is put a reminder in my calendar to stock up on the Hershey’s chocolate covered almonds next Easter. Maybe a case. Buying in bulk is always a good idea when it comes to snacks. Got candy?

Would A Carnation By Any Other Name Smell Of Spring?

By 4 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                     (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

The great thing about gardening is the unexpected surprises. Went out the door on Sunday and found out my carnation had bloomed, all by it’s little own self. I’d noticed the buds, but it was in full on open to the world mode. Fabulous!

The perfect pink carnations for Spring!
The perfect pink carnations for Spring!

While I love roses, carnations are like a very dear friend. The memories they bring back start with the large all carnation lei I brought home from a trip to Hawaii, my corsage for the Senior Prom and then all the way back to spending weekends at my Grandma Cook’s home. She grew carnations in her yard and they smelled like cinnamon under the fir trees.

The scents of Spring to me range from daphne to hyacinths, but I know carnations are my favorite. From their soft and lacy petals to the variety of colors, their fragrance still sweeps across me like the smell of Clove gum or butter rum lifesavers always hidden in my Grandma’s purse. Treasures waiting to be discovered.

The bright sun, the smell of the earth blooming anew once again, all the best parts of starting the growing season and Mother Earth coming back to life. Spring gives me hope and carnations; two great presents in one. What are your favorite Spring memories and flowers?

Time For A Refreshing Otter Ice Cube?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

I’m a day late and a blog post short since I took time out to nurse a stupid sinus cold yesterday. Forgot how much energy sneezing, blowing your nose and coughing takes. You think I’d burn lots of calories but pounding down the medicinal Easter candy in the house pretty much negated that prospect.

So while I recoup during the end of Spring Break here, thought we would check in on Gidget the sea otter at the Monterey Aquarium and see how she was enjoying her days. Ice cubes are a great treat for her and then she takes a quick nap. I thought maybe she was getting brain freeze. Eat then nap. I am so like Gidget!

Have a great rest of the weekend and Happy Quirky Saturday for a change!

Is It Really Possible To Be Organized?

By 1 Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Finished doing my taxes Sunday so I could drop them off to my accountant. Every year I promise myself I’m getting them done in February and most years I don’t make it. They are a piece of cake with the day job, but it’s  the writing business which requires me to become OCD receipt girl.

Spec Ops Cat working hard on my desk to help me with taxes. See how concerned he is? Not!
Spec Ops Cat working hard on my desk to help me with taxes. See how concerned he is? Not!

Last week I was pondering just when my normally organized self got led astray. I’m pretty sure two major milestones are the cause. One was when I moved into my second house and the movers dumped my fabulously organized file cabinet upside down and I swear inside out. Those files never recovered.

Time two was when I went to transfer my contacts from my Palm Pilot to the Blackberry phone. Turns out the one version of the Palm Pilot software I owned was the one version Blackberry did not like and would not talk to.

I have not been organized since. Even when I migrated to the Samsung Galaxy S2 and grudgingly put in a few contacts, I kept carrying a paper list.

Then my Samsung died dead. Nada. Never to recover. The AT&T geek guy even replaced it free of charge after only three months since he couldn’t get it to work either. They thought it was me. Ha!

I’d bought the bestest niftiest backup program and all that was saved were a few photos since I still use a camera. Contacts all gone again. I’m staying with paper.

The more I try to streamline and simplify my life, the more the tech and bureaucracy gods are out to get me. I’m not paranoid if it’s true. So one more year of receipt chasing is in the books and I have grand and glorious plans to do it better next year.

Earlier! With unicorns and fairy dust! And Keebler elves……

Taxes done?