Nix9to5

Letter to the Editor Regarding the “Planned Unit Development” Rezoning Request

// February 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Life in General

(Following is the text of a letter I am submitting to the editor of the local newspaper regarding the rezoning of a field adjacent to our property.)

On February 13, 2012, the Piedmont Planning and Zoning Commission will consider a request to rezone the property located at the northeast corner of Cemetery Road and Edmond Road.  The property is currently zoned as “Rural Residential,” but if the rezoning request is approved, the property will be zoned as “Planned Unit Development.”  The rezoning of this land will lead to the construction of a housing addition which will allow for 176 homes to be built on 76.34 acres of property.   In order for this development to take place, the rezoning request must be approved and the Piedmont Comprehensive Plan 2020 and Land Use Map must be amended.

Prior to voting to approve, deny, or table this request, the Piedmont Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing at the George Fina Municipal Center at 314 Edmond Road NW.  We encourage all residents to attend this meeting.  This includes residents of Golden Hills, Skyline Estates, and those living on Edmond Road, Harrison Avenue, Tyler Avenue, Polk Avenue, and Taylor Avenue.   However, this development will negatively affect citizens throughout our city.  Construction of this housing development is not what is best for Piedmont.

The most critical step in protecting our city against the issues created by a new housing development is to deny the rezoning request.  The field where the new development is planned was zoned as Rural Residential for a purpose.  Rezoning the land not only defeats the vision for Piedmont, but it opens up the possibility of even greater problems.  “Planned Unit Development” refers to “a designed grouping of varied and compatible land uses, such as housing, recreation, commercial centers, and industrial parks, all within one contained development or subdivision.”  Though the property’s owners promise to build a residential community, promises are easily broken at the prospect of increased profit.   The only way to prevent this property from being used in a manner unfitting to our small-town community is to deny the rezoning request.

Piedmont has long been proud of its sense of community and its small-town atmosphere.  In fact, Piedmont has been able to offer the “best of both worlds” by creating a suburb that maintains its rural roots.   One of the first things people notice upon visiting the city or evaluating real estate in the area is that the housing developments echo the spacious feel of our town.  Homes are built on larger lots than those in surrounding areas.  Houses in Edmond and Northwest Oklahoma City are frequently built on small lots, which gives the neighborhoods in these towns a crowded, claustrophobic feel.  Until now, Piedmont has been able to offer something different.  However, Skyline North Addition will change that.  Similar construction has already taken place at the corner of Piedmont Road and Northwest Expressway.  Many of these homes clustered on smaller lots remain vacant.  Furthermore, the homes currently adjacent to an open field that houses only grazing cattle will suffer decreased property value once their homes back up to closely crowded residential lots.  Not only will those homes adjacent to the planned development see decreased property values, but values of homes in the surrounding neighborhoods will suffer decline as well.

Another important consideration in the rezoning of this property is the influx of traffic created by the addition of 176 homes.  On a proposed map of the planned development, the only inlets to the neighborhood are Tyler Avenue and Edmond Road.  Neither of these roads are equipped to carry a heavy traffic burden.  Tyler Avenue is a residential street, and Edmond Road between Piedmont Road and the Golden Hills addition is a pot-hole laden mess that is already heavily congested by the demands of Piedmont Primary School, Piedmont High School, and which will be further congested by the completion of the Police Department.

Necessary road improvements would entail not only widening Edmond Road to improve traffic flow and alleviate congestion, but it would necessitate proper repair and maintenance of the road.  Furthermore, beyond the high school, Edmond Road is a dirt and gravel road.  With the development Skyline North, Edmond Road must be extended and maintained.  If the city struggles to adequately maintain existing roads, can it be expected to successfully construct and maintain new roads?  Property tax dollars generated by the new homes will be insufficient to adequately construct, repair, and maintain the roads travelled by the new residents.

In addition to the concerns regarding traffic and necessary road improvements, the city’s water and sewage system may prove to be inadequate.  We know that the current sewer lines are insufficient to meet the demands of the new Piedmont Intermediate School which is being built adjacent to the Skyline Estates addition that will border the proposed Skyline North.  If Piedmont’s sewage system cannot handle the demands of our city’s fifth and sixth graders, can it be expected to handle the daily demands of 176 families?

Please attend the public hearing regarding the rezoning of the property at the Northeast corner of Cemetery Road and Edmond Road.  Let the Piedmont Planning and Zoning Commission know that rezoning the land to “Planned Unit Development” is not in the city’s best interests.

Reflections of Motherhood

// January 13th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies

You may have already seen this video from Nummies, but if you are a mom or about to be a mom, and you haven’t seen it yet, you should.

Nummies says, “We asked moms if they could go back to before their first baby, what would they tell themselves. These are their answers. Everyone in the video is a mom.”

Easy Gourmet from the Amazing Amanda

// January 12th, 2012 // 1 Comment » // Cooking

One thing that amazes me about my sister is her astonishing ability to whip up delicious and creative meals out of whatever she has on hand.  This is serving her well as we are taking on our spending freeze challenge.  As I’m surviving the challenge by dumping chicken in the crockpot and trying to make something happen (tonight:  BBQ chicken sandwiches), she’s creating beautiful, balanced  meals.   In the rest of this post, the Amazing Amanda shares with you last night’s inventions:  Bacon Teriyaki Tenderloin, Parmesan Baked Florets, and Baked Sweet Potatoes with Praline Cream Sauce.

I’ll let Amanda tell you how she did it:

(more…)

Nic’s Cheddar Turkey Burger

// January 10th, 2012 // No Comments » // Cooking

I like turkey burgers okay, but I’m not wild about them.  Generally, if I’m going to have a burger, I want a serious burger.  Still, if you’re trying to save calories–or if you stocked up on lean ground turkey at .99/pound–then a turkey burger is probably a good option.  However, I try to never think of a turkey burger as a substitute for a sirloin burger.  Instead, I want it to be its own creation.

Tonight I made turkey burgers that I thought were actually pretty good.  They were make-again-on-purpose good and not just okay-if-you-have-to-use-up-the-turkey-before-it-gets-freezer-burn.  Even Bear ate his.

I started out with a recipe, but then realized I was out of this . . . and that . . . and that, too.  Because it is a fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants recipe, I thought I’d better write it down.  Here’s what resulted from my improvisation.

(not my actual turkey burger)

Nic’s Cheddar Turkey Burger

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat)
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. dried chives
• 1 t. dried minced onion
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 1 T. spicy brown mustard
• dash of salt and pepper

Heat a skillet over high heat.  Mix all ingredients together and form into four patties.  Spray skillet with nonstick spray and place patties in the skillet.  Cover and reduce heat to medium.  Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  ”Decorate” your burger with traditional burger toppings or whatever your little heart desires.

Because I don’t really want my turkey burgers to try to impersonate regular burgers, I made mine with a slice of cheddar, roasted red pepper, lettuce, tomato, light mayonnaise, and more spicy brown mustard.  I think they would probably be good with roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato and feta for a Mediterranean turkey burger, or with swiss, or with green chiles in the meat mixture and topped with pepperjack, or with. . . well, pretty much whatever you can think of to put on them.

If you try these, let us know of any variations that work for you.

Coffee Mug Coffee Cake

// January 10th, 2012 // No Comments » // Cooking

Y’all are going to love me for this one, for reals.

It’s a recipe for coffee cake that you can make in a mug in less than five minutes.  The Amazing Amanda found it–duh–on Pinterest, and here is what she said about it:  ”Eating me a warm mug o’ cinnamon goodness, and so happy to know this recipe exists!”

You just can’t beat a warm mug o’ cinnamon goodness, and that’s a fact.

Here’s the basic recipe, which Amanda and I have both tweaked depending on what is in the fridge.  After the  recipe from Prudent Baby, I’ll explain what we’ve done to it, and how our experimentation worked out.

Coffee Mug Coffee Cake

• 2 T. butter, softened, divided
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 egg (this is tweakable)
• 2 T. sour cream
• 2-3 drops vanilla
• 1/4 c. + 2 T. flour, divided
• 1/8 t. baking powder
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon

Place 1 T. butter in a mug and microwave 10-15 seconds to soften (NOT MELT).  Add 2 T. sugar and stir until creamy.

Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add flour and baking powder and stir well to complete the batter.

For the topping, in a separate small bowl or ramekin, mix 1 T. butter, 2 T. flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly.

Put the topping on the  batter in the mug and microwave for about one minute.  If that isn’t long enough, cook an additional 10 seconds at a time until done.  Prudent Baby says that 1:20 is perfect for hers.

It is wicked hot.  You may be tempted to dive right in, but patience, grasshopper.  Stir the topping into the batter to swirl all the yumminess together:

And gobble it up.

Mmmmm . . .

Now.  Here are some adjustments you can make, based on minor changes Amanda and I have tried:

Berry Crumble Coffee Mug Coffee Cake

Substitute berry flavored yogurt for sour cream and toss in a few blueberries.

Egg-Free (Egg Allergy Friendly) Coffee Mug Coffee Cake

In the Prudent Baby recipe, she says you can use a whole egg, half an egg, or even no egg.  She says she prefers half an egg (divides it between two Mug Cakes), but I was out of eggs and so I just did it without.  It was pretty fantastic without the egg, so I might just skip the egg every time–we go through eggs crazy fast around here, and I don’t really want to tax the chickens too much.  Not that we own chickens.  I just mean chickens in general.

Other Easy Substitutions and their results:

• Substitute vanilla yogurt for sour cream and vanilla extract.  Fabulous.  I nearly always have vanilla yogurt on hand, but I rarely have sour cream, so I’m glad to know this works.
• Substitute coconut oil for butter.  Yum.  I had only 1 T. butter in my fridge, so I used butter in the batter (say it three times fast) and coconut oil in the topping (Notice the white blob in the picture of the topping?  That’s coconut oil at room temperature). Worked great for me!  Coconut oil is healthier than butter, so it’s a good choice.  Also, you could probably just take a big dollop of your Brown Sugar Coconut Body Scrub and add some flour and cinnamon for the topping, but that just seems wrong.  So.  Very.  Wrong.
• Substitute light tub margarine for butter.  Eh.  It still tastes good–just not as good–but it has a gluey consistency.  I’d say if you were trying to cut fat, this might be worth it, but otherwise, I’d only do it if that was all I had on hand.  Which is usually true.

DIY Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub: I Heart Coconut Oil

// January 9th, 2012 // No Comments » // Homemade

My love of homemade bath and beauty products is growing by the second.  First, I told you about DIY Pore Strips (or as I like to call it, Way Stinky Mask for Cleaning Pores and Ripping the Hair off Your Face).  Then, I brought you the DIY Miracle Mask, which smells like holidays and makes your skin super soft.  Now, I’m on to sugar scrubs.

For Christmas this year, I made the ladies in my family one of two sugar scrubs:  Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub or Brown Sugar Almond Scrub.  I’m going to give you the “recipe” for the Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub first, because I happen to have some on hand, and so I have pictures to go with it.

This recipe is based on a Warm Vanilla Sugar and Coconut Body Scrub I found via Pinterest.  My original attempt at the recipe replaced vanilla essential oil with vanilla extract.  My subsequent attempts have left off the vanilla completely, because I think it smells delicious as is, and if it ain’t broke, don’t scent it.

Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub

• 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. coconut oil
• Mix well.

That’s pretty much it.

Actually, I do have some tips for making this.  First, if you haven’t used coconut oil before, you need to know that it is solid at room temperature.  The melting point is 72 degrees or some such, so when it comes in contact with your skin, it immediately liquefies.  Now, the original recipe for this scrub says to slightly warm the oil so it is melted when blending.  However, I just flat out skipped that, because it didn’t seem necessary to me.  I just stirred it all up until it looked like cookie dough, and put it in a jar.

This has been used as a body scrub two or three times, and as a hand scrub a few times, so the picture shows less than the actual recipe makes.

Just like any other sugar scrub, you don’t want to get this wet until you’re using it.  You don’t want the sugar to dissolve and harden in the water.  I keep my sugar scrub in a mason jar by the sink so I can use it for hands, but when I’m going to use it as a body scrub in the shower, I scoop some into a plastic container with a lid and take it in the shower with me.  Alternately, I scoop some in one dry hand, step into the shower and get all wet (except for my one dry hand), step out of the spray and apply the scrub.

Now, you may be wondering why I’m showing two different kinds of coconut oil.  The recipe only calls for one kind–don’t go running out and buying two (unless you develop a coconut oil obsession like I have).  The taller jar is one I bought at the grocery store.  I’ve seen this particular brand at Crest, Homeland, and Super Target, so I’m guessing it’s pretty common.  The price ranged from $8.99 to $10.99, I think, with Target being the cheapest.  This is refined coconut oil, and it has virtually no fragrance.  I think People Who Know would consider this to be inferior coconut oil, but it worked just fine for me.  Actually, since you can replace butter with coconut oil in cooking (yes, I’ve used it to make healthier Rice Krispies Treats–YUM!), it might be preferable in cooking if you don’t like a hint of coconut flavor in your food.

The shorter white tub is extra virgin coconut oil.  It does have a slight coconut scent and flavor–which, to me, makes it preferable in this sugar scrub.  It is the oil I used in the Rice Krispies Treats, and it gave them a slightly different flavor, which I thought was pretty fantastic.  I got the Nutiva Coconut Oil in a pack of two from Amazon for $15 something–which makes it cheaper from buying at the store.  Actually, I just looked it up for the link, and it’s currently $13.77 if you choose Subscribe & Save.

I’ve actually chosen Subscribe & Save on the coconut oil because I have become completely infatuated.  It’s my new favorite thing ever.  In addition to using it in a scrub and in treats, I’ve also:

• Used it in place of butter on breads
• Used it in place of body lotion
• Used it as a hair treatment
• Used it as eye makeup remover
• Used it as a facial moisturizer

Okay–I know I probably lost you at telling you to slather something that looks like lard on your face, but it WORKS.  A little bit goes a long way.  It didn’t make my skin break out at all, and in fact, may have made it look a little clearer.  It definitely made my forehead lines look smaller.  Just go lightly and don’t grease up your face all crazy.  Oh–and I only use it at night, because I suspect it would eliminate any lasting power my makeup may have.

As an eye makeup remover, coconut oil is the best thing I have ever, ever used.  Even stuff for sensitive skin makes my eyes burn, and I always have to feel like I’m scrubbing off eye makeup.  With coconut oil, I just smooth a tiny bit on my eyelids and wipe it all away.  No blurriness, no burning, no eye-makeup residue (oh–I am a contact lens wearer, too).  It’s effectiveness as an eye makeup remover is why I only apply coconut oil as a facial moisturizer at night.

As for using it as a hair treatment, I just goop it on the ends of my hair and rub it in–remember, the warmth of your hands melts it.  I use a lot, because my hair is really thick, but I apply less at the roots.  Leave it on for 30 minutes or more.  Longer is better.  If I plan ahead, I put it on about 2 hours before my shower.  Some people say to leave it on overnight, but I shudder to think of what it would do to my pillowcase.  Just rinse and shampoo it out.  You may want to shampoo the roots twice, depending on how oily it feels after the first wash.

I had some pretty significantly damaged hair, so I used this every day for about a week.  My hair is so much healthier; I’m ecstatic.  Now I’m down to using it once or twice a week, just to keep my hair soft and shiny.

Coconut oil is pretty much my favorite thing in the history of ever.  If you try it, let me know if you’re as hooked as I am.

Nix9to5 Polls

// January 7th, 2012 // No Comments » // Life in General

Check out my new polls feature on the right side of your screen.  I just thought it would be fun.

Now go vote.

Are You Enjoying Every Minute? Really?

// January 6th, 2012 // No Comments » // Balance, Children and Babies, Family

Ever read something, and it resounds so clearly within you that you think, “Wow.  I could have written that”?  Or, in my case, “Wow.  I wish I had written that.”  Well, Glennon from Momastery has written the blog post that I wish I had written.  It rings so true for mommy’s who, in the midst of a toddler tantrum or a day of endless whining, feel guilty that they are not enjoying every moment of ever day.  I mean, let’s be honest . . . who just loves cleaning up pee dribbles off the floor for the eleventy-thousandth time?

Read the article “2011 Lesson #2:  Don’t Carpe Diem” and then come back here to “discuss” it (I shared this post on Facebook, but I’m reposting it here for my readers who don’t follow Nix9t05 on FB.)

Done?  Okay . . .

I wouldn’t trade being a mommy for anything, but there are times when it’s really, really hard.   I have never begrudged anyone who told me to “enjoy this time,” because I don’t take it as “enjoy trying to manhandle your alternately limp and completely rigid child into a carseat.”  I take it more as enjoying “time” in the Kairos sense of the word.  I take it a support that, if can just make it through trying to get an overtired and whining to stop fighting his nap and for-the-love-of-Pete-go-to-sleep-already, there is a silver lining awaiting me.  A cherished Kairos time.

However, there are times when I feel very, very guilty about not enjoying every single minute.  I know women who have lost their pregnancies, lost their babies, lost their young children, or never even had the opportunity to have children, and I think, “What she wouldn’t give to be scrubbing dried spaghetti sauce off the floor.  Again,” or “She would be more than thrilled to be reading the really poorly written dump truck book over and over and over and . . .”  And I feel so guilty.

But let’s be real.  Even these women who would give anything to have a baby, or to have their baby back, wouldn’t just love every moment.  They wouldn’t be tickled pink to see their children lying right down and throwing a slobbering fit in the shoe aisle at Target because the Cowboy Woody shoes aren’t available in the needed size, and mommy can’t just INVENT the right size, now, can she?

No.  They would give anything for the Kairos.  That beautiful, blissful time that makes all the other stuff worthwhile.

It does go fast.  Except for those moments that seem to last forever–when your patience is insufficient to meet the current demand and your child’s tantrum has exceeded your capacity for tolerating whining.  But this too shall pass.

Hang in there, mommas.  If you can make it through this meal, this fit, this mess, this embarrassment, this endless playlist of Cedarmont Kids, you’ve got a little Kairos coming your way.

It’s hard.  But it’s so worth it.

Playing the Odds

// January 6th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Children and Babies, Life in General

I had today’s post all planned out.  I was ready to tell you about a little competition the Amazing Amanda and I have going, and I was going to invite you to join our challenge.

But I’ve been derailed by a two-year-old with a gambling problem.

That’s right.  You heard me.

I was taking a few minutes to look at Facebook, and a friend posted a beautiful video made by her sister, the mother of a beautiful little girl with the happiest smile . . . and with Down Syndrome.  Jamie made the video in honor of her daughter’s second birthday and all the accomplishments little Maddox has made in just two short years.  If you work with children with special needs . . . and especially if you don’t . . . take a minute to watch this video.

Wait–go get some tissues first.  I’ll wait.

Okay.  Now:

Wow.  Just . . . wow.  I mean, could there possibly be any more love in that room?  That right there is a mommy who is fighting for her daughter in a way that many of us will never have to.  So maybe those of us who don’t have to fight for our own children like this should help fight for Maddox and girls and boys like her.  Down Syndrome, autism, Asperger’s, Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Cystic Fibrosis, and on and on and on.  There are so many juvenile illnesses and disabilities and disorders that it’s really a miracle when our children are born healthy and remain healthy.

Let’s not hold children back . . . let’s encourage them to be their best whatever their needs or abilities.  Let’s teach them to be kind and loving and accepting.  And the best way to teach them how to be kind and loving and accepting is to show them by being kind and loving and accepting ourselves.

Happy birthday, little Maddox.  Even though it’s your birthday, you’ve given all of us a wonderful gift.

To find out more about Jamie and Maddox, to read their story, and to learn more about living with and dealing with Down Syndrome, visit The McClintic Family blog.

Happy New Year from Nix9to5

// January 2nd, 2012 // No Comments » // Life in General, Money Matters, Work at Home

Now that the whirlwind of the holidays has come to an end, I’m ready to settle back into a routine.  Well, maybe not so much “settle in” as “develop.”  I’ve been toying with some task lists and productivity apps to try to find a way to efficiently manage my time and my projects.  Surprisingly, I’ve had a very productive couple of days, even with traveling across three states for “Christmas, Part Two.”

I’ll now be able to share with you some of the gifts I made for Christmas.  I’ll have the “recipes” for a Vanilla Brown Sugar Coconut Scrub and a Brown Sugar Almond Oil Scrub that I made for the women in my family (and that launched an obsession with coconut oil).  I still have some DIY cleaning product recipes for you as well.  Oh–and a few easy craft/home decor projects I made, too.

A couple of years ago, I launched Nix9to5 shortly after the start of the year.  Fresh on my mind was developing a budget and sticking to smart spending strategies.  Since that time, I’ve become lax in my spending, and as such, things have become a little tight.  When I first started the site, one of my main principles in making it as a work at home mom was that what you don’t spend is as important as what you earn.  Maybe more so.  It’s time for me to go back to basics as far as budgeting and saving, and so that’s where I’m starting 2012–with a spending freeze.  For the month of January, I’m planning on spending money only on necessities like perishable grocery items.  We have enough stuff in the freezer and pantry that, for the most part, we should be able to eat without having to buy much.  Maybe an ingredient here or there, but nothing major.

I’ll be interested to see how much “extra” we have at the end of the month if I’m careful with my resources again.

My goals for this year are to be more productive with my time, to spend more quality time with my family, and to be a wise steward of our resources.  I’d like to make 2012 my “Intentional Year,” focusing on how I spend my time rather than letting time just happen and pass me by.

I hope this year brings you and your family many blessings.  What are your goals for 2012?