TORI who?

So, it's happened a couple times this last month...I stop and think to myself, "since when did I start thinking that/doing that?  I'm a middle child and highly influenced by others.  I tend to change my mind as fast as I change conversation partners, and not because I don't have opinions, or lie to the individual whom I'm talking, at least I don't think that's true...Let's say that I am well rounded and like to consider other points of view :)  Another option is that I just keep doing things like my older sister :)

Well here are some of my "Tori who?!?!?!" moments when I have shocked the socks off myself.  Oh, and quite a few of them are my current points of passion...Who knows, maybe I'll rub off on you, like Tara(older sister) is rubbing off on me. :)

• Coconut Oil = I love it.  I love it for my hair (overnight in a shower cap/old shirt & thoroughly washed out in the morning), a monthly face scrub (sugar and CO!), an "anything dry scrub(sugar and CO!), cooking, makeup remover, cuticle softener, sunburn ointment...just to name a few uses 

• Homemade Granola Bars =   http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-chewy-granola-bars-without-corn-syrup  People, I can't stop eating them.  The recipe is VERY versatile and can be altered, but I like: 1/2 the amt of honey, organic PB, coconut oil, 1/2 old fashioned oats or steel cut oats & 1/2 quick oats, ground flax seed, sesame seed, chopped peanuts, chopped almonds, and when I really need a pick me up - after I get them pressed in my 9x13 I sprinkle a chocolate chip/butterscotch mix on top and lightly press them in....AHHH so good!

• Bed Making = credit goes to my mom here...I can't stand it if it is't made! mine and the kids! My mom is falling off her chair right now (as well as anyone who went to college with me), but its true - I'm a bed maker...It's the first thing on my To Do List for the day :)

• Cloth Diapers - I'm in complete regret mode for having stopped using cloth with Violet 5?ish months ago.  I miss her cute little cloth bum, I miss the absence of buying diapers every month, and I think it would help me in my upcoming job of potty training.  HindSight is 20/20 my friends...

• Tea Tree Oil = It would be used more frequently at my house, but my husband doesn't like the smell.  So I've limited my usage to this -  http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/.  An oil cleansing method I'm using incorporating castor oil, EVOO and tea tree oil.  I'm on Day #2, so I can't speak of the actual oil cleansing method itself, but i know that tea tree oil is effective when I used it for spot treatment, and nothing I've used in the last 8 years has worked, so here I go, giving it a whirl.  After Day #1 I will say this, "AMAZING make up remover.  This was a huge complaint of mine with my previous cleansers/toner/moisturizers.  The other complaints I've had have been $ and spot treatments.  I can't afford much of anything right now, so spending money on things that leave my skin tight and wrinkly, while still broken out, doesn't seem sensible.  Wish me luck!

• Doing the dishes IMMEDIATELY after a meal.  This has been a process in the making, but I've become passionate since moving.  There are a good amount of bugs outside and that's where I want them to stay, so leaving dirty things lying around, seems counterproductive.  Also, it's a great time to take a breather.  The kids seem to not need as much, when I'm busy washing dishes (contrary to most other things).  Breakfast and Lunch dishes generally take no time, and its nice not seeing them all day. Dinner dishes take much longer, but its great "Daddy/baby time, and it makes me so excited to put the kids to bed and know that the only thing waiting for me is the last load of laundry in the dryer/and or a quick 15 minute pick up from the day, followed by a good read (Did I mention we don't have a TV?)

• Speaking of a good read, I will leave you with my last "obsession".  The Bible in 90 Days. - cover to cover in 12 pages a day.  Again, we don't have a TV, so reading has much less competition that it did in my previous lives.  My husband is studying law, which means constant reading, so the natural thing is to join him.  Now, my choice of the Bible is shocking to even me.  I have never been consistent in my daily time with God, so it's pretty jaw dropping that in the last 20 days I have read Genesis through 1 Samuel 16.  I say this as encouragement to those who would classify themselves in my category of "inconsistent at best", in their quiet time.  Hang in there.  Keep "starting over".  Get rid of the TV if you need to.  Get the 90 day version I mentioned.  Do something, because it's worth it.  I can't remember ever reading the Word of God so continually that it actually became God's letter to me...His story of who he is...It's been the book that I can't wait to read when I get up, the one I grab before I go in to quiet my 1 yr old in nap time so I can get a few pages in while I stand by her bed, and that leaves me wanting to "read one more page" before bed.  In fact I became so wrapped up a few nights ago, that when I got to the end of Judges I was so mad, I almost "threw it out".  I wanted to be done; I was so mad at Israel, mad at a Levite, mad at the Benjaminites and kinda ticked at God.  Good thing I knew the end of the story to keep me going :)  All this to say, if you're looking for a good read, I'd highly recommend it.  Recognize it as God's love story to you, and his Redemption of his children.  It has action, it has romance and I think it will keep you on the edge of your seat. :)

I'd love to hear about one of your points of passion...I'm sure you could persuade me :)

ps (I really must make sure you know how little I researched some of these items, and how naively I jumped in because of my sister Tara.  She's really the one with most the good ideas, I just wait till she's fully researched something and then steal her passion :)

THE END