The Five Love Languages

 

In grad school I read the book, “The Five Love Languages for Singles.” This book literally changed my life.  Never had I read such practical life applications.  The message of North Carolina author, Gary Chapman, is that there are five fundamental, God driven, love languages, including: words of affirmation, quality time, gift giving, acts of service, and physical touch.  

Everyone has a primary and a secondary love language.  For example, if you happened to be little ole’ me, you would have words of affirmation as your primary, followed up by quality time as a secondary.  Basically, I need words of affirmation in my life, backed up by quality time.  It is incredible.  Recognizing what you need emotionally in your life is eye opening.  More importantly, the application of The Five Love Languages points out that while you have your primary and secondary love languages, others do as well.  What is so fascinating is that most of the people in your life may or may not have the same primary love languages as you.  Resulting in our need to recognize their love language and not love them with ours.  This often takes practice and does not happen overnight. 

Example: I cannot love everyone with quality time and words of affirmation, because someone might need a small token of appreciation or a hug, or for me to take out the trash or mow the lawn, instead of expressing my love or appreciation verbally. 

The book points out that in our life we should strive to love others in all areas, not just our love languages.   This is now a life goal for me!

The Five Love Languages applies to all of the relationships in your life, whether work, home, church, friends and family. It is the most practical of life applications and the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. Several editions exist including, singles, teenagers, married, men’s edition, and children.

Tuesday Tip: In the Buff

 

No, no… that’s not a suggestion for this weekend. (Wink.) I don’t know about y’all, but I can’t keep my fingers painted like a proper lady should. If I paint them before I got to bed one night, the next morning, by the time I’ve bathed, curled, ironed, and dressed, they’re already chipped.

It’s a losing battle.

But there’s nothing more simple and beautiful than a nice, shiny natural colored nail. So stop fighting the losing battle and buff them. It’s quick and looks beautifully groomed.

Then apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to buff and soften your cuticles.

Petroleum jelly is my all time favorite beauty product. It does secret wonders. And if I had to be stranded on a desert island with only one thing, that would be it.

Do any of you have a product that you can’t live without?

Garden & Gun Giveaway Winner

Our new friend, Jill is our Garden & Gun winner! Congratulations! We know you’ll enjoy become obsessed G & G like we are.

Jill L. comments:
“Great for my husband and I.”

Jill, let us know how you like it!

[We use random.org to choose a truly random winner. Fun!]

Love Year Round

In 2008 the band, Sugarland, released the song “Love,” on their “Love on the Inside” album.  Basically, I fell in love with “Love.”  When brainstorming about Valentine’s Day (a Hallmark holiday), I couldn’t help but be reminded about this song and the need for LOVE all year round. Ok, I realize that statement sounds super cheesy and a little over the top, but why are we called to publically recognize the loves in our life only once a year, when it should be a constant, everyday practice? 

Practicing love can be difficult when others have hurt us with words and deeds, and it is especially difficult when it is the people closest to us.  Some might debate me, but isn’t love worth practicing? Worth striving over? Worth the tears, the joy, the pain, the moments and hopefully years of happiness?  I think it is worth it all and more.  With that in mind, I will leave you with a few lines from Sugarland’s song, “Love.” You should also check out the live version of the video. 

Is it the face of a child?
Is it the thrill of danger?
Is it the kindness we see in the eyes of a stranger?
Is it more than faith?
Is it more than hope? 
Is it waiting for us at the end of our rope?

Is it the first summer storm?
Is it the colors of fall?

Is it having so little
And yet having it all?  
Is it one in a million? 
Is it a chance to belong?

I say it’s love.

I say it’s love.

Pictures from Valarie Allyn Bienas via www.sugarlandmusic.com

Wheee!

From Flickr - kocojim's photostream

Raise your hands in the air, ladies and gentlemen. Get ready to consume many funnel cakes, ice cream cones, and turkey legs!

Yes, it’s hard to believe summer is just around the corner, but it is! So start planning your summer vacations now. If you’re at a loss for where to go, here is a list of all the new additions to our favorite theme parks around the South.

• Spring 2010, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa Bay, Fla., — Sesame Street-themed playland featuring Elmo, Big Bird, and  friends. “Sesame Street Safari of Fun” will feature rides, shows, and adventures that celebrate the spirit of Africa, including a new “Air Grover” family roller coaster.
• Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., — new roller coaster inspired by racing legend, Dale Earnhardt. The 232-foot-tall “Intimidator” will send riders plummeting down a 211-foot first drop, then race at 75 miles per hour through more than a mile of high-speed twists, turns, and seven more extreme drops.
• Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., will also introduce a Dale Earnhardt-themed coaster, the “Intimidator 305.” This 305-foot-tall gravity-driven roller coaster takes riders along 5,100 feet of steel track at 92 miles per hour.
• A $1 million water slide is planned for Dollywood’s Splash Country Water Adventure Park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Modeled after one of Dolly Parton’s favorite childhood activities, the “Slick Rock Racer” will span 300 feet and feature four side-by-side lanes with riders belly down on mats sliding downhill head first.
• Nashville Shores in Nashville, Tenn., — expand this year with new attractions including a 25,000-square-foot wave pool and a 1,000-foot-long lazy river.
• Quassy Amusement Park — “Free Fall ‘N,” a family-friendly drop-tower ride. With a circular seating arrangement, the ride will lift 12 riders to the top of the tower before releasing the ring of seats for a series of thrilling drops.
• Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., kicks off its year long 50th Anniversary celebration with the opening of “Tom & Huck’s RiverBlast.” Raft riders and spectators, armed with water soakers, battle each other raft-to-raft and raft-to-shore.

Pot Roast by the Pioneer Woman

This lady isn’t really a Southerner technically, but she embodies all the best qualities that we Southerners pride ourselves in. Hard work, family, resourefulness. And uh, comfort food.

[Complete side note: And my, my. If you haven't read her love story over on her blog, block out about 2 solid days of your life and get enthralled. (I practically ignored my family over Christmas, because I made the silly mistake of starting the saga right before vacation, and could not put it away. I'm BEGGING for a movie version. Begging!) Ok, side note done... on to the food!]

So, while checking out way too many items for Christmas gifts, I snuck this book in there for my own winter cooking pleasure. I just had to share this recipe for “Perfect Pot Roast” according to The Pioneer Woman Cooks with you.

PW suggests chuck roast as her favorite. So, don’t mess with “perfection,” right? Get one about 3, 4, 5 pounds…

Preheat the over to 275 degrees. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and let it get HOT. Salt the chuck roast on both sides with kosher salt. Then slice 2 onions in half, cut off the tops and bottoms of 2 onions. Peel off skin. Place the onions in the pot in oil and brown on both sides, about a minute per side. Remove to a plate. Wash (don’t peel) 6 to 8 carrots and cut up into about 2-inch slices and throw the carrots into the hot pot and toss them until slightly brown, about a minute.  Also remove the carrots from the pot and allow to get hot once more. Add another tablespoon olive oil to the pan and place the meat in the pot. Sear about a minute per side. Remove to a plate. Deglaze the pot by adding a cup of beef stock, whisking consistantly. Loosen all the burned bits from the bottom of the pot. Then place the meat back in the pot, followed by the carrots and onions. Pour enough beef stock into the pot to cover the meat halfway (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups). Put in 3 fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme into the juice.

Cover the pot and roast for 3 – 5 hours (depending on size of roast – 3 pounds, you’ll want 3 or 3 1/2 hours; for 5 pounds, you’d want 4 or 5 hours). Don’t disrupt. Be patient! Check the roast for doneness by easily inserting a fork into the tender meat. Slice on a cutting board against the grain. Place with veggies on the table, and maybe some yummy buttery smashed potatoes with gravy. Yum!! PW claims if you look up “rib-sticking meal” in the dictionary, you get this meal! Double yum!!!

So there you go. Not too hard, just a little time consuming. But then again, food shouldn’t be rushed. It’s just not civilized. Buy her cookbook. You won’t be sorry. This is just one of many delicious-looking recipes in the book.

And I mean, look at her… she’s adorable (not that that really matters when it comes to food, but it really does help in life… I mean, who doesn’t love a cute and stylish country girl?)!

Do we buy too many cookbooks? Well, you’ll thank us. So make like your momma, and make this for Sunday dinner (’specially if you’re one of those lucky/unlucky souls stuck in your houses from all the snow storms)!

Don’t Forget…

Don’t forget to leave your comment to win the Garden and Gun Magazine Giveaway. I promise, you will look forward to each and every issue of this beautiful magazine.

Click here to leave your comment by 3pm today. Good luck.

Geaux Saints!

While I’m not particularly married to any one team in the NFL (I’m a college football girl myself), I will have to cheer for the Saints this weekend, as they’re a Southern team from New Orleans (and I do NOT like that Peyton fellow, and therefore don’t particularly care for Indianapolis).

Who are you rooting for?

Valentine’s Day for the Food Lover

Do you have a food lover in your life and are still looking for that perfect, most thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift?

Look no further, stop here.  This is it, The Ultimate Southern Pantry, Food of the Month gift from our favorite set of southern brothers, Matt and Ted Lee.  Who doesn’t love a gift every month, especially a gift you can devour?  Exciting items include pickled okra, stone ground grits, and Cheerwine.  I am excited just writing about this idea.

Knowing that the first gift will not arrive by Valentine’s Day , you could send a hand written note including the upcoming monthly food gift, the Lee Brothers new cookbook, Simply Fresh Southern, and perhaps a little package of peanuts and a Coca-Cola (the ultimate southern combination of salty and sweet). 

The Lee Brothers also have lots of other gift suggestions, such as the Southern Breakfast, and The Condiment Club.

Here is to a different kind of Valentine’s Day!  Happy Eating!

p.s – If you receive one of these gifts, we would love to see a picture.

A Wink and A Nod

With a wink and a nod Sweet Iced Tea sends our best to Memphis natives, Booker T. Jones and Andrew Van Wyngarden for Grammy wins and nominations. 

Andrew Van Wyngarden, one half of the band MGMT, received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, but the award went to the Black Eyed Peas.  “I Gotta Feeling” MGMT might enjoy their newly found fame.

Booker T. Jones, a legend of song and musical prowess WON the award for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Potato Hole.  Having not produced an album since 1994, Mr. Jones said, “I really feel like I’ve been opened up again… I don’t know how to put it, except it’s like I can see again.”

I rather enjoy that statement. Sometimes we get lost within ourselves and life can be overwhelming.  All too often we forget that creativity is not a rushing river, but that there can be dry spells along the way. 

Glad to have you back Mr. Jones.    

Picture from www.grammy.com