Livolution.

Change. What is too much change? What is too little? Why are most people prone to one extreme or the other?

The common saying is that everyone is "scared of change" - but I don't think that's entirely true. There are individuals that crave change. They love the drama of always having something new to think about, to talk about, to live for. There is something to be said for finding your niche in this world and pursuing what you love, but the danger in this thought process is getting so used to the mental activity that improvement never happens. It's impossible to build on that which doesn't have a foundation. Where is progression?

Then there's those that hold firm to the old "fear the unknown" dogma. They take so much security in their habbits that again, there is no desire for basic advancement. People don't like having inconveniences, and change requires mental and physical adjustments. It seems like a chore so some would just rather accept the status quo. Where is breakthrough?

..So how do two counteracting viewpoints bring us to the same conclusion?

(Have I asked enough questions? Probably, but I don't care because they're rhetorical :D )

The constitution in 1776 brought about change.
The Dred Scott Decision in 1857 brought about change. (The Dred Scott Decision was when our supreme court ruled that black people are nothing more than property.)
The Emancipation Proclomation in 1863 brought about change.
Nuclear weapons in 1945 brought about change.
The assassination of Kennedy in 1963 brought about change.
Boston College defeating Miami in 1984 brought about change. (Down by 4 with 48 seconds left, Doug Flutie heaves to glory. Epic.)
Kirby Puckett passing away in 2006 brought about change.
Mark Zuckerberg brought about change.
Barack Obama brought about change. Wait, did I miss the fine print? Anyway..

Change happens. Good and bad. What matters is how you react to "bad" change and how you promote "good" change in your life and in others lives.

"You can never stay the same, you are either trying to get better, or you are getting worse."

Chemistry In Your Cupboard

I have been a full-time live-in nanny now for a monumental three weeks. And I have a few morsels of knowledge I would like to share with the rest of you.

• Clorox wipes > Lysol wipes. Actually, scratch that.. all Clorox products > all Lysol Products.
• Never have kids.
• Bleaching your kitchen/bathroom grout makes the entire room look better.
• The family I nanny for has so graciously added my grocery list to theirs and I have learned that when I actually cook I save A LOT of money. I probably won't ever go to a restaurant again.
• Alongside that last one, I have perfected my coleslaw recipe:

16 oz. coleslaw (regular sized Dole bag is my favorite)
2 tb. minced sweet onions
2/3 c. Miracle Whip
3 tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar (beet sugar if you know what's good for you!)
1 tb. white vinegar
1/2 ts. salt
1/2 ts. poppy seeds

Combine onions and coleslaw in a large bowl. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together Miracle Whip, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds. Pour the mixture into the large bowl; toss to coat. Chill. If you like creamier coleslaw versus vinegar-y, ask me for my yogurt version recipe!

• Hard water deposits are alkaline, so an acid-based cleaner is the best way to get them off. Mission has wonderful cleaning products for stuff like this and soap scum build up.
• I've also learned a lot about having a home and children at the same time. This is a list of what to, and not to, splurge on.

To not splurge on:

• Carpeting..nuff said.
• Furniture. Especially in the living room and kids' bedrooms. Maybe splurge a little on your own bedroom furniture, such as a king size bed to avoid cuddling at all costs.
• Hardwood flooring. The fake stuff looks exactly the same, and you'll save a pretty penny.
• Techy stuff. If you're always on your phone or ipod, your kid will always be on theirs.
• Wine. Who doesn't love a 6 dollar bottle of Sutter Home?
• Netflix. Kids like to watch movies over and over. And over.

To splurge on:

• Pets. A quality family pet or 7 is a must!
• Countertops. Granite is my personal favorite. The kids don't spend much time plotting revenge on the kitchen, and messes wipe clean real easy! A caliber counter top makes the whole kitchen look a lot nicer :)
• Trips/Vacations. This one is more "make lots of time for" than "splurge on". Even if it's just camping on the weekends or driving to the grandparents house, the memories will last a lifetime.
• Dates. Parents, get out! Husband, treat your wife! Wife, put out! (This would be a good time to accomodate a glass of that Sutter Home)
• Camera. You are not going to want a blurry memory of every stinking cute face your kids make. I'm a Canon fan myself. My mom has a 30D and I'm not jealous at all. That's a lie, it's saweeeet. 

Reader Requirements

I realize I haven't jump started this quite how I would have liked to. But I am going to share with you a list of things you will want to observe before reading.

#1. I am a very sarcastically crude person. If I offend you, I'm probably making fun of you, and you need to consider a substantial lifestyle change.

#2. If you are a Packers fan, a safe driver, if you hate ice cream, if you are a liberal, if you hate Johnny Knoxville, if you hate country, if you are a hippie, if you have never eaten squirrel, if you are on drugs:  you will not like my blog. You are probably one of those people I'll offend pretending to be sarcastic, but really I think you're a moron.

#3. If you expect my blog to have some reason or rhyme, you either 1) need to find joy in the simpler things in life or 2) read my blog, and learn son. I'm guessing both.