Tooth Fairy Crisis

She lost another tooth Monday night.  I told her to put her tooth pillow next to her bed so the Tooth Fairy would have an easier time finding it.  I didn't want her to have search under all her pillows, blankets and stuffed animals....if ya know what I mean. 

Soooo....Tuesday morning she wakes up and comes running into the bedroom to show me her tooth was STILL IN THE PILLOW POCKET!  ACK!!  How could the Tooth Fairy have forgotten???  I told her she must have not been able to find it since it wasn't under her pillow...right?...right?? 

So, the little pillow goes UNDER her big pillow and it was all good this morning.  Crisis adverted....sigh...

Thoughts on Whole Living--I

Some of the most amazing moments in your life will take you by surprise.  Let them.

Another Beetle Invasion

If, for some reason, you don't hear from me anymore it's because, like Gulliver,

I have been tied up by the tiny creatures around me and carried away somewhere. 

*Shudder*

Fun Mail

Look at the fun mail I received today!  My new pants from Eddie Bauer finally arrived.  Now I can wear them to the zoo on Thursday. 

The new Pottery Barn catalog.  I never order anything but it's fun to look.  I always think, 'I'm going to make that!'  But of course I never seem to get around to it. 

And  free sample of Kashi cereal.  Makes me smile!

Priceless Notebook

Sissy had this old notebook from somewhere that wasn't all that pretty so I took a card apart and made her a cute little notebook. 

I used the Stampin' Up! Priceless stamp set.  The spirls were made in such a way that I couldn't remove them to create a totally new cover.  Again...I am loving using the sewing machine on my cards and notebooks.  At least it's getting used for something!  Everytime I try to sew cloth is does not turn out the way I invisioned.  Need to stick with what I know I think. 

Vintage Flourish Cards

While at Target last week my friend The Professor's Wife saw these thank you cards with a Flourish on the front and fell in love with them.  Very simple card and no way were they worth $8.99. 

I was all 'don't buy those!!  I'll make them for you!'

I found this stamp at Hobby Lobby called Vintage Flourish and stamped her some.  She now owe's me $8.99....JUST KIDDING!

Update: SUPER large egg...the inside story

Enquiring minds want to know......

the super duper extra large egg had 2 yolks in it. 

A Little Sweet & a Little Salty

Warning!  If you are at all opposed to butter just walk away now.  Don't scroll down.  I mean it!!  This post requires a LOT of butter.  I am warning you now cause I don't want to receive a bunch of emails from people telling me how horrible butter is and how fattening this recipe is.   This is why I go to the gym people...so I can eat fattening foods (and have a Coke).  I have given you ample warning...you may now scroll down.

So, for those who are still with me be prepared for a recipe like you have never seen before.  I have never seen a recipe take such ordinary products, melt them together and form something so incredably fattening yummy.

This recipe is from Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood:  Stories and Recipes to Share with Family and Friends by Trisha Yearwood (of course). 

Mama's Sweet and Saltines
40 saltine crackers
2 sticks butter  (I told you!!)
1 cup brown sugar
8oz chocolate chips (about 1 1/3 cups)

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil and saltine crackers.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  I have to say.... if I decide to make this again I would use only one stick of butter.  2 sticks made it really soft I thought.  I think it would be a more crunchy cookie-like with only one stick of butter.  Aren't you proud of me??  I altered the recipe all by myself.  I made it healthier...a little. 

Remove from heat and pour over crackers, covering them evenly.  Put cookie sheet into oven and watch closely.  Bake for about 5 minutes, or until just bubbly. 

3.  Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips over crackers.   

When chips begin to melt, spread them over crackers with a knife. 

Transfer pan to freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until completely cold.  The chocolate-covered crackers will form a solid sheet; break into pieces and store in an airtight container. 

These were so crazy yummy but totally fattening. 

Important Egg Post Ahead!

Can you stand a couple more pics of eggs?  We got one today that just made me cringe.  The egg on the right is what the grocery store considers an X-large egg.  If it's an XL then what is the egg on the left??

It's so big that it wouldn't even fit in the egg carton!

Poor chicken!

I Think I Need This!

Isn't this fun?! I've decided I am in need of a vintage or vintage looking red wall phone to hang in the laundry room. What do you think?

Trying to buy love with presents

My dear friend Rachel turned 30 (such a baby!!) this past weekend and my other friend Nikki threw her a surprise birthday party. Because of prior commitments I couldn't make it and felt SO GUILTY about it. To make up for my absence I had to make her something. Not something knitted cause that will never happen again! (I did that once and it's wasn't all that) Something out of paper and preferably with flowers....she's Hawaiian after all. I used the Stampin' Up! Office Accoutrement stamp set. I love this stamp set!! I have used it more than any of my others I think. I like the retro office feel of it. I stamped each card with a different saying so she could use them for different occasions. Also, as my final gift to her I did not stamp the back of the cards with my name....she can claim them as her own!! I then made her a couple of little notebooks. After receiving my notebook from JadeMingmei Designs I decided to give the sewing machine a little try. I really like the added texture it gives!

Happy Birthday dear friend!!

Classic Bookclub

It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.

--Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen

I have joined yet another book club. This one is ONLY classic books. Books I should have read by now but have not. Our first selection is Sense and Sensibility. I confess I have read this book...a long time ago. I also have watched 2 different movie versions and I have the soundtrack. Obsessive I know.....

The others in the club haven't read this particular Jane Austen book so we thought it would be a great way to get our feet wet. It's not that big and most of us have seen the movie so we get the general idea.

Walden is our next selection. Not as excited about this selection as some but that's what this is all about...opening ourselves up to new experiences.

What's for Breakfast?

My most favorite thing to hear when we sit down at the kitchen table is, "I don't like this!" or "This is Yucky!" Really...it is. I hear it EVERY single time we sit down to eat. It doesn't matter what I fix...spaghetti, meatloaf, tacos, soup, mac and cheese....doesn't matter I tell ya. No matter what it is it's not like, "Grandma's, Aunt Meme's, or McDonald's."

I TRY to make something at breakfast they will at least eat so they can have some energy at school for a couple of hours. Since we have a tremendous amount of eggs right now I thought I would make breakfast casserole this morning. Eggs, sausage, cheese and bread...can't go wrong there. They like all 4 of those things, right? How can you go wrong with a breakfast casserole?? Wouldn't eat it....now I have a whole 9x13 pan of breakfast casserole to eat.

Anyone want to come over for Breakfast?

Breakfast Casserole Recipe

• 6 slices of bread coarsely torn
• 1lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or to taste
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• salt, pepper and onion powder to taste.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Place bread in bottom then sprinkle with sausage and cheese.

Beat eggs, milk, onion powder, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour over bread mixture in pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until it is set in the center and lightly browned.

You can add or delete any ingredients....add peppers, mushrooms or other seasonings if you like. I prepared it all last night and then poured the eggs over the mixture this morning and cooked it.

Guaranteed to please....unless you have my kids.

Mom! She's on my side!!

We are starting to get a lot of eggs this week. I am just as excited about this as the kids are. I swear it's like Easter every day when you go out...except these eggs don't seem to have chocolate in them.

For some reason most of the hens like to lay in the same box.

That bottom right box is apparently THE box to lay in. They even fight over it! 9 times out of 10 you will find 2 hens in that same box. Then we end up with a lot of eggs in one box. I don't know how they even have room! If you are local and would like eggs let me know. But you have to let me know the old fashioned way....call, email or text me.....no Facebook.

Is Facebook REALLY My Friend?

(This picture has nothing to do with this post....just found it on my camera and thought it was funny).

After a few hurt feelings (because of me) and rude comments (not mine) this week I decided it was time to log off Facebook for awhile. This has been coming for awhile but I have felt as if there was way too much drama on there and too much time being wasted (on my part).

Myself and 2 of my friends have decided to join together (and keep each other honest) and log off till at least Easter. If come Easter I decide I can live without it I'm going to cancel my Facebook account all together. We all 3 had some crazy drama on Monday from 3 different sources and we just decided enough was enough.

So, today at the gym I was talking to my friend, Susan, who laughed and (jokingly) called me a Facebook junkie. She couldn't believe I was off and was going to be able to stay off. I told her I wasn't going offline all together and she could still email, call or text me. I am only going to unconnect from this fake social world I had created online. She told me she couldn't email me cause she didn't have my email address. Then it hit me! Her and I talk almost EVERYDAY at the gym. We sweat, run, gripe, squat, moan, bike, crunch, moan, gripe, and laugh together every morning of the week. We also talk on Facebook everyday...but that is it! She doesn't even have my email or phone number! Are we really friends then?? If our only connection is Facebook are we REALLY friends?


I am speaking for myself only but I feel as if Facebook has created a very unsocial world. I look at wall posts or pictures from others and think, 'well I haven't done anything like that today...I must be lazy' or 'another vacation, huh? Third one this year....isn't that nice.' It makes me an evil person! I have issues I know...I'm drinking a coke and I'm working on these issues now.

Facebook is great but I have come to the conclusion Facebook is a noncommittal way to keep in touch with people. You can drop a couple of one-liners a couple times a day and all of a sudden you call yourself a friend. Just cause I know somebody just got back from doing their taxes does not make me that much closer to them. Do I really care? No I don't. But for some reason I check-in a 100 times a day so I don't miss a single detail of people I don't even really know.


So, I guess what I'm saying is....if you really are my friend you will find a way to keep in touch with me without the help of Facebook. You will pick up the phone at least once a week and call me. You'll send me an email and ask what's up? (maybe even a real letter?!?!)

It's really not all that hard. People used to actually go out and pluck a goose for a quill, smash up the berries to make ink and then make paper (however they did that) and then sit down to write a letter. Then they would give the letter to someone who risked their life to deliver it to the friend. You had to wait weeks, months or even a year to hear a response. We really do have it a lot easier but for some reason we are all SO BUSY that all we can muster up is a one-line wall post that says, 'I just went to the bathroom'. Not sure Jane Austen would be all that impressed.

When are they going to learn?

One of these days the kids are going to learn that it's in THEIR best interest to clean up the toy room and not wait till I can't take it anymore.

These 3 HUGE garbage bags are FULL of toys headed to goodwill. Don't worry...they still have lot's of toys to play with...or I should say to throw around.

So Many Choices....

hmmmm....what shall I do this afternoon???

Making Beignets

This weekend I was giving a box of Beignet Mix. It's supposed to be from the Cafe Du Monde which is in the french market in New Orleans. I have heard of these but I've never been to New Orleans so I really don't know anything about them. I decided even though the recipe called for 'cooking in oil' I would give them a try because, hey! how bad could a french doughnut be? I stirred together 2 cups of the mix and 7oz of water then rolled it onto a well floured surface. They were VERY sticky and runny and I thought I was going to have issues rolling them out and then getting them off the counter but it worked out.

Used LOTS of flour! I do not ever fry things in oil...maybe if The Hunter brings home catfish but that is about it. I used Smart Balance oil...it made me feel a little better about myself. I headed the oil to 370 degrees.

Then I dropped the french doughnuts into the oil after I had cut them into squares.

Mine didn't turn out perfectly square but that is ok. I then sprinkled them generously with powdered sugar.

To be honest I wasn't all that impressed.....they tasted like funnel cakes. I'm all about a good funnel cake but I was thinking these would taste like more. I'm sure if I went to New Orleans and had these they would be the best little doughnuts EVER but personally I don't think they were worth the mess.

Guess I'm going to have to travel south and try these in their native environment.

Spring Equinox

Did you try the egg trick this weekend? Some say it's an urban legend...what do you think? Did you give it a try?

Dress for Success Deal

My cousin Jennifer works for the most amazing company in Indianapolis called Dress for Success. 'The mission of Dress for Success is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.'

She sent me this great offer and I thought I would pass it along to everyone.
You're Invited... For 4 days, enjoy 30% off while we give 5% of the amount you spend to Dress for Success. So in a time when our communities need it most, your shopping counts for more.
Happy Shopping!!

Top o' mornin' to ya!

Happy St. Patty's Day! I got the idea for a small project and wanted to cut some felt with the Cricut and make shamrocks. I bought some wonder under and regular felt...not the wool kind cause you can't find that around here...that's just not the way they do things around here. I think that was the beginning of my problems. I ironed the wonder under on the back of the felt and fed it through the Cricut. It didn't work so well. I changed my settings on the Cricut and tried a couple different things but it would only cut through the wonder under not the felt. I read on a couple different sites that wool felt works much butter so I might try this again. Anyone else had any luck with this?So after the Cricut failed to meet my expectations (most likely just user error) I cut the Shamrock out the old-fashioned way. I then sewed the two colors of felt together and sewed a button I had from my stash in the middle. I found this project in the Country Living magazine. I, of course, didn't have the same trim or button they suggested and after taking this picture I think it might look like a 4th grader cut it out (no offense to any 4th graders with scissors out there) but I'm happy with it. If it makes it through the day I'll be shocked. I then decided The Hunter needed Creme-de-menthe brownies to take to work today. It's a St. Patty's Day tradition ya know. I'm really try to watch my baked goods intake lately and I SWEAR I only licked the spoon....once or twice. My your day be lucky!!

Bluejean Socks

I did a lot of knitting before and after Christmas for everyone but me so I decided a couple weeks ago to start on a pair of socks for myself. I only have one pair cause I keep giving them all away.
I thought this blue would go great with bluejeans. I wanted to knit something simple where I wouldn't have to think. I could just watch my DVR'ed shows and knit. The right toe is a little pointy but I'm ok with that.