Posted on November 20, 2019
WEDNESDAY WOW: BATH BLISS!
Hi Guys,
Are you giving yourself plenty of TLC? I truly hope so because it will make you happy, and if you are happy, you’ll make other people happy too…Like a smile, happiness is contagious! Besides, with the busy-ness of Christmas ahead, you need time for YOU!!
I’ve become hooked on baths recently — addicted you could say! I attribute it to the fact I’m a Pisces and a double water sign at that! So water feels very soothing. I love my pink ‘Pepto-Bismol’ bath! (the name given to it by a tradesman because it’s the same colour as Pepto-Bismol lol!) I try and get into it twice a week now. Mid-week and at the weekend. A treat I look forward to! I have a little bath ritual. Unlike Cleopatra, I’m not a fan of milk baths. I prefer to drink my milk! Below are what I add to my bath. After my bath, I wrap myself in a warm fluffy bath robe. Then it’s a hot decaf milk coffee and some bed time prayers. A deep and satisfying night’s sleep always follow! If you are having difficulty sleeping, try this ritual!
Lavender-scented epsom salts, a drop of stress relief bubble bath from Bath and Body Works, a slurp of Body Shop Deep Sleep milk bath. Scented candles, and later body oil. Honestly, this combo is heavenly!! I put 2 cups of epsom salts in the bath and soak for 20-30 mins. You wake up 1-2 lbs. lighter as the epsom salts detoxify your body!! I love double duty products!!
LOVE my Pisces face mask — it even has stars on it!! LOL!! My daughter Claudia gave me a box of them for my birthday and they are heavenly!! They are infused with Jasmine, Coenzyme Q10 and mineralised water. To add to the celestial bath magic, I wear a cheery pink starry bath hat. To match my pink bath LOL. Only a kind husband will allow his wife paint a bath pink!!
Sending lots of love your way!
Cheers,
Patricia xxx
Updated on November 18, 2019
MONDAY MUSINGS: NMS CHALLENGE – 40 DAYS ON!
Hi Guys,
How was your weekend? Did you go to any Christmas Fairs? Every weekend now leading up to Christmas, there are several Church Bazaars, Christmas Craft Fairs, etc. Temptation is all around!! Hell to the NO!! I don’t want to end up like the poor unfortunate hoarder lady in the picture above. How sad is that? Today marks 40 days on my No More Stuff Challenge for a whole year! So far, so great, but I must admit, coming up to Christmas it’s not going to be easy, which is why I have a game plan to get over the Christmas ‘Bump’.
I avoid triggers now, such as Craft Fairs, Shops, etc. The only exception being my face creams, lotions, and potions. Hell to the YES on those! I have made my Shopping LIst for friends and loved ones. This Christmas, I will make my annual Chocolate Almond Rocca for friends and put it in a cute Christmas tin, complete with bells. For close friends, I’ll also give them a gift card for someplace ‘useful’ like Starbucks or a Cinema card. Being very practical, and knowing people are not comfortable around ‘Saints!’ I said if they insist, they can give me a gift card for someplace ‘useful’ too – an experience. No more clothes, bling, shoes, bags, stuff – for a year! I am So determined to see how long I can go with this and to get more use from my existing clothes, etc. I have planned my Christmas Glamour outfits and I’m all ready now to Rock ‘n Roll!! I do have one annual party where we do a gift exchange. Whatever I get, I’ll donate or re-gift. How smart is that!!
To make Christmas great this year d.v. I need to use my imagination more and plan ahead! I’m going to do a fun Christmas Party at the Homeless Shelter for my Bingo Buddies, and give them all a very special Christmas box with ‘useful’ treats and a little gift card. What joy and fun that will be! In addition, I have re-joined the Legion of Mary, a group which was actually founded in Ireland for the purpose of charity work. At the meeting last night, one of the ladies gave me a beautiful present of rosary beads, medal, etc. She got them in the Philippines for me. I had given her ones from Ireland several months ago, and now she wanted to re-pay my kindness to her. How sweet of her!
Technically speaking, it’s ‘stuff’, but spiritually, it’s what I call ‘Work Stuff’ for the Legion. I pray on the beads and wear the medal to strengthen my commitment – so no, I wasn’t going to tell this well-intentioned woman ‘No More Stuff!’ Besides, these I will use – with Peace and Love!
In the Legion, we honour the immaculate heart of Mary, and promise to perform works of mercy, such as helping the aged, work in the soup kitchen, visit the homebound, pray for Prisoners, reach out to those in need. The ‘sisterhood’ as I call them are all about ‘Girl Power!’ I was at the meeting last night, and by Golly these women walk the talk!! Mother Mary cracks the whip when it comes to stepping up to the plate, and actually going out and doing it! Not easy! But I cannot argue that the work is vital if I truly want to be the change I want to see in this World. It requires iron discipline and dedication. Mother Teresa would totally approve!! Besides, it takes my mind off STUFF!! Hip hip hooray for that!!
I’ll keep you posted on my NMS Challenge!
Hugs,
Patricia xxx
Updated on November 15, 2019
FOODIE FRIDAY: PATRICIA’S PAELLA!
TGIF Guys!
Hope you’ve had a lovely week so far and remember, Christmas is only approx 40 days away — if I’ve done the math correctly! A lot of you have asked for my Paella secret recipe. I don’t divulge it to just anyone! No, only my Boomerbabe Buddies!! I have been using this recipe for years. Even before I came to Canada, and it’s from an old Irish recipe book. I use only the best of seafood and fish. It does make a difference! Because I don’t eat meat, I eliminate the bacon. But, to be really honest — it does taste better with the bacon! To make up for the salty flavour of the bacon, I use smoked fish in my recipe! It works too. So you have both options to choose from. If you are a Vegan, you can eliminate the fish, meat, and substitute with tofu! Love is the secret ingredient – no matter what protein you choose to use! Some people like to put cubed chicken and sausage meat in their Paella! It’s a great sharing dish for parties!
PATRICIA’S PERFECT PAELLA (even if I say so myself lol!!)
Ingredients:
2 lbs./900 g filleted and skinned white fish (cod, haddock, monktail) cut in cubes. I use smoked fish as I don’t eat meat, and eliminate the bacon. (bacon is good in it though!)
8 ozs/225 g cooked mussel meat.
8 ozs /225 g cooked shelled prawns.
A little olive oil for frying.
6 large streaky rashers of bacon – chopped.
I large onion chopped.
I clove garlic crushed or chopped.
I green pepper chopped.
1 red pepper chopped.
4 tomatoes chopped.
1 1/2 pints. of fish stock or chicken stock cube – dissolved in 1 1/2 /800 ml. hot water.
12 ozs. /350 g. long grained white rice.
3 ozs. / 75 g. frozen peas.
Salt/ and ground black pepper.
1 tbsp. turmeric.
TO GARNISH:
Cayenne pepper, chopped parsley, cooked prawns and mussels in shell around the top as in photo. Some people add small candles and edible flowers! The sky is the limit with Paella! And no, you don’t eat the candles – only for the visual presentation!
METHOD:
- Saute bacon, onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes in oil. Add rice and season.
- Add stock, peas and mix. Cover and cook slowly for 15-20 mins. until rice is soft.
- Add turmeric either to the stock or the pan to give it the lovely saffron colour.
- Add the cubed fish and cook for 5 mins. Add prawns and mussels and re-heat.
- Keep an eye on your Paella as it may need extra water, or may be sticking to base!
Serve on a Paella dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley and cayenne pepper. Garnish with the whole prawns and mussels on top. If you don’t have a Paella dish, you can use a wok. I usually cook mine in a wok and serve it up on the Paella dish. You can also serve it up in your wok too!
P.S. I prefer to pre-cook my fish and seafood and then add it to the pan (plus all the garlic cooking juices). That’s just me as I hate the thought of raw fish or seafood! To add incredible flavour I fry everything in butter with garlic! So fricking yummy! The salted fish produces juice. After a few mins. when the mussels are well opened, I add them to the pan at the end. First I mix in the fish and seafood with the rice and veggies. I also put clams in my Paella. Try it and improvise to suit your appetite! You have to baby your Paella! Don’t leave it to its own devices. It’s important to cook is slowly as if it cooks too quickly the rice is still hard and the juice dries up. Nice and easy does the trick! If you’re a tasty cook, you’ll know what I mean!
Bon Appetit!
Patricia xxx
Updated on November 13, 2019
WEDNESDAY WOWS: PATSY’S PERK ME UPS!
Hi guys,
Do you have items in your life that perk you up? Ones, that when you use them, like a favourite perfume, or lipstick, make you feel energized and gorgeous? It’s the little things like that which make a big difference in your day!
Today, my Wednesday Wows go to the following items which I use every day and they give me a great boost — especially Buxom!
Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Energy shower gel and body cream
Every morning I feel energized and fabulous after using this combo. They have several other scents in the same series: Peace, Stress Free, Happiness, Sensual, Sleep aid, etc. Worth checking out! Really nice — and they deliver what they promise!
Buxom full-on plumping lip cream
Boy! This product sure works! You can buy it at Sephora, which is where I got it. First, I outline my lips with a lip pencil, followed by my lipstick of the day. Then I top it off with Buxom which magically gives me lips like Julia Roberts — well, not exactly! But it certainly does a super job! Love this product!
Urban Decay Glitter Rock
No matter what colour eye shadow I use (usually purple though for my green eyes) I find Urban Decay eye shadows really great. I love their glitter rock series. Just a little touch of glitter on the eye gives great vibrancy and makes them pop (not out of the socket lol!). It has been much admired too!
Hope you enjoy! We all need little things in our life that give us a big lift!
Hugs,
Patricia xxx
Posted on November 11, 2019
MONDAY MUSINGS: THE DIVINE MS. SCORPIO!
“I would like to be the air that inhabits you for a moment only. I would like to be that unnoticed and that necessary.”
Margaret Atwood
If I casually throw out a few names, you’ll believe me when I tell you that Scorpios are one of the most powerful, passionate, and totally enigmatic signs in the Zodiac. They are a mixture of dark and light and should never be taken for granted! Some of these sultry divine divas include Sylvia Plath, Marie Curie, Anna Wintour, Grace Kelly, Margaret Atwood, Hillary Clinton, Vivien Leigh — to name but a passionate and very successful few! The saying ‘Still Waters Run Deep’ was designed with a Scorpio in mind. Secretive? Yes. Intense? Yes. Sexy? Yes. Loving? Yes. Loyal? Yes. Determined? Yes. Independent? Yes. A Force of Nature? Yes, Yes, and Yes again!
I like Scorpios because they are utterly sincere. Phoney is not in their astrological make-up, nor is it a characteristic they admire in others. They give you a chance to prove your worth and your loyalty. If you betray their trust, well then, get ready to sample that legendary sting of theirs! I don’t blame them. Betrayal is one of the cardinal sins and deserves a big penance! I’m with them on that one! They like to go deep.
Astrologically speaking, Scorpio is a feminine, fixed, water sign. They are ruled by the planet Pluto, God of the Underworld, and co-ruled by Mars, the God of War. So yes, pretty intense rulership here. Which may explain their ambitious and competitive natures. Aries is also ruled by Mars, the difference between them however, is that Aries expresses all that energy outwardly, whilst the Scorpio has the energy within. Competitive sports and working out in a gym is a good way for the Scorpio to unleash some of their physical energy. Another vital and really important point the Scorpio needs to be aware of is their tendency to bottle their feelings inside. They need to let things go. Not easy for a fixed sign, but nevertheless vital for their mental health!
As a water sign, they are deeply sensitive and emotional, and love with all their hearts. Being a ‘fixed’ sign means they can be very determined, loyal, and at times obstinate. I’d much rather be their friend, than their enemy. They never forget a kindness, and equally can bear a grudge like nobody else! They share this quality with fellow Fixed signs, Leo, Aquarius and Taurus, which is why these four signs are often attracted to each other. They respect qualities such as loyalty and strength of character in another.
The words “I don’t need your approval darling. That’s for insecure people” must have been uttered by a Scorpio! And I can just picture Scarlett O’Hara, the heroine from the movie ‘Gone With The Wind’ saying it. Her character in that movie was archetypal Scorpio. The actress who played the part was Scorpio, Vivien Leigh.
One of their greatest gifts from the Gods is their power of renewal and their ability to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of their lives. They can make a completely new start and re-invent themselves like nobody else I know!
Scorpio Positives: They are loyal, strong, sincere, charismatic, deeply intelligent.
Scorpio Negatives: Can be jealous, possessive, stubborn.
Most Compatible with: Pisces, Cancer, Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus
The Scorpio woman looks divine in sultry form fitting clothing which show off her strong, sexy, figure. Blood red, black, purple, all look good on her. She can do strong colours very well. The following are some suggestions:
