Wow!  I was just sitting here thinking about what I could do to pass the time while the eggs I put on the stove to be boiled, well boiled and it hit me!!!  Why the heck haven't I put on and shared with you all how I make my fool proof boiled eggs.

After years of hearing how others do it; putting a dash of baking soda in the water while the eggs boiled, let the water boil first then put the eggs in, put the eggs in before it boils, cover the eggs after they are done and let sit, etc, etc, etc. I stumbled upon my way (and maybe others) just on complete accident.

Before I tell my story (hehehe, sounds like the beginning of a 20/20 news event) I want you to know a couple of things: 1. These are not made fast, it is a slower process so if you are looking for a quick hard boiled egg recipe, this is not it. 2. I wouldn't call these hard boiled or soft boiled... more of a slow boiled ending with the results of a hard boiled egg.

Okay back to the story...

One night I decided that I was going to make some hard boiled eggs for the following morning's breakfast and maybe even for the next day.  I am a true believer in putting the eggs in before the water is even hot.  So I put a pot of water on the stove with my single layer of eggs at the bottom and I let them come to a boil, turned it down a bit and intended to let them boil for about 5-10 minutes and then let them cool off in the hot water with a lid on it because 7/10 times this is a great method of cooking eggs.

Well that is not what happened.  I forgot they were cooking!! *GASP*

About 20 minutes after I started cooking them boyfriend asked if I was cooking rubber eggs and that's when I remembered!  To play it off nicely I laughed and said, oh no I meant to cook them this long, hehehehe.  I waited about another minute because at that point I though that there was no way I was going to get the shell to come off and because I had to play the whole "I meant to do it" scenario.  I skipped the covering and drained the eggs and ran them under cold water until the water stayed cool and I could touch the eggs.  I then, because I just had to see, cracked the outside of one of the eggs and began to peel.  I expected the whites would be stuck badly to the inside of the shell.  I expected a tragedy!

I was fooled!!!  The egg de-shelled perfectly!!!

Long story short, the best eggs I had ever made occurred on this what began as an unfortunate boiling night!

So here is the how to on these eggs in a little less story telling format...

First fill a pot with enough water to cover how ever many eggs you are going to boil (a single layer of eggs, do not stack). Add the eggs to the water and ensure that the water is covering the eggs, like below I didn't have enough so I added a bit more.

Then bring the water to a boil.  Doesn't have to be a rapid boil for you to start the timer and turn down the heat.  I turn the heat down to just above a simmer so it continues to boil without overflowing.  Set a timer (hehehe because you dont want to forget) for 25 minutes and let the heat and water work its magic.

Once it is done boiling immediately drain hot water (I just drain as much as I can from the pot so I don't dirty any other dishes) and then fill the pot back up with cold running water.  Empty once maybe twice, to get rid of the warm water (the eggs and pot will heat the water back up).  Once the water is cool and the eggs are cool enough to touch transfer them to a bowl and put in the refrigerator until completely cooled (at least 2 hours maybe a bit longer).

Once cooled you can peel with ease and serve however you planned.  Beautifully shelled eggs are great for; breakfast, deviled eggs, cobb salads, egg salad and so much more!!

Now I know that there are a million posts about how to make the perfect egg but I really hope that you do give this one a try.  It is the best one I have found, even if it was on accident!

Throwback Thursday--- Salmon Pouches

I wanted to do a throwback to a summertastic dinner idea!  

It is that time of the year to turn that grill on and create some amazing dishes!

This salmon pouch dish is one that is always a hit at my house.  It is easy and super yummy!  For the recipe of click HERE and scroll down till you see these scrumptious pouches.

If you are wondering how in the world to make a pouch that vents but doesn't leak see my original post HERE for a how to.

It is not only a family favorite but it is one of my blog favorites too!

Would love to hear your thoughts on these super easy salmon pouches... Let me know your variations or what you think.

Best Mushroom Soup Ever!

I guess the title of this is more my opinion than anything else but I love this soup!!  The mushroom flavor is just to die for!

It is too hot for soup but I don't care, this is a good anytime soup that just hits that mushroom craving spot (you know if you have one *WINK*).

This soup is an adaptation to one that I found on Skinnytaste.com.  I have used more "clean" type of ingredients.

So here is what I do...

I gather all my ingredients... Organic chicken broth, white button mushrooms, celery, wheat flour, and portabella mushrooms.  I cut up the mushrooms but leave the celery whole.  I don't cut the celery because I am going to have to gathering it out of the soup later and blend it.  I cut it up the first time I made this soup because I didn't read the directions fully and man was it hard to get it out of the broth.  That is what makes cooking fun though and well I learned from my mistake.

Okay, then I put the broth and the flour into a blender to blend it together (it is definitely easier than mixing it together with a whisk or fork).

At this point rest is pretty simple...

Putting everything in a medium size pot.  You first let in boil then bring it down to a simmer and cover.  It will seem like it is going to over flow out of the pot but as long and you have it low and covered that won't happen.  

Once it has been simmering for about 20 minutes it is time to put the finishing touches on!

Taking the celery out and some of the soup and placing it into a blender (blend, obviously) then return the smooth mixture to the pot and let simmer for a little bit longer.

I don't know if you noticed that I have not added any seasonings.  It seems weird I am sure but I want the soup flavored by the mushrooms and celery.  When the soup is finally finished and you ladle yourself some into a bowl... taste it.  If you would like to add pepper and salt this is when I do it.  Sometimes I don't put any in, others I need my salty friend.

For the full recipe click HERE and scroll down.

VIOLA!  

Awesome, flavorful, mushroomtastic soup!

Enjoy!

A How-To: Cleaning Your Yoga Mat

I have to be honest... 

When first starting yoga many years ago it really never occurred to me that I may have to clean my yoga mat.  Cue YUCK!  But here is the thing I don't wear it and once put away I didn't think about it.  It wasn't until I went to a real yoga studio and saw others doing it that it clicked... DUH!  I sweat on my mat, I touch my mat, my sweaty clothes touch the mat... Why in the world wouldn't I clean it?!?!

So then I just started cleaning it with the wipes that they had at the studio.

Now that I am doing yoga only at home because of the Yoga Boot Camp I am in and the love I have for my yogi guide Adriene I knew I had to come up with a way to clean the mat at home.  

Luckily that was easy because on Adriene's blog she was kind enough to show a little how to on making your own yoga cleaning spray. To see her how to video click HERE.  

Here is my version though so you can see what I used since I have to work a little bit on a budget.

So I used the ingredients that she provided but I had to cheap it down with not 100% essential oils and a cheapy version of witch hazel.  I got the plastic bottle for 99cents at Wal-mart too!
I followed her directions...

3/4 full distilled water and the rest witch hazel then about 5 drops of an essential oil.

I did lavender in the pink bottle and the I did mint rosemary in the green bottle (seen below). 

I chose lavender because it helps to relieve stress and improve your mood (if you choose to use 100% oil it you can use it sparingly on yourself to help relieve stress, tension or even disinfect your scalp, you can search for other health benefits on google of click HERE for an awesome article).

I chose rosemary mint for the other bottle because mint helps calm the body and rosemary is wonderful for many reasons including stress relief.  Using rosemary by itself is also marvelous!  If used topically it helps with clarity, headaches and pain relief.  Click HERE for more info on rosemary, since you know I am no expert.

Once you have made your spray, use it liberally on your mat (I let it sit for about 30 seconds) and then wipe with a cloth with the grain of your mat. 

I love this spray and it makes my mat smell amazing!

I use it about every other day depending on my yoga sessions and how sweaty I get. 

Keep Cool Fellow Tucsonans!

I have three cranky kiddos when we reach heat that is hitting record breaking temps!  What does a mom do to keep things cool?  Here are some ideas for parents in our area:

1. Mount Lemmon

This may seem like a give in but I had to put it on my list because there are so many awesome things to do and it is usually 20 degrees cooler!  What does our family do while on Mount Lemmon?  We hike, fish, picnic, explore, ride the ski lift, and eat scrumptious giant cookies from the Cookie Cabin in Summerhaven.

2. Pima County Libraries

I love this one!  We start at the beginning of the summer and sign up the kiddos for their summer reading programs. The kids can earn prizes and at the same time you win as a mom because you can get your kiddos to read during the summer!  On top of the awesome reading program there are many neat free classes that your kiddos can join, play and learn from.  They range from Minecraft times, science experiment demos, magic shows, and so much more!  Click the Pima County picture below to find events at a library near you.

3. YMCA Swimming

This one is if you are adventurous enough to go out in the heat and sun (wear lots of sun block and drink lots of water). Even if you are not a member of the YMCA you can take yourself and your kids to swim for pretty cheap.  If you are under the age of 17 you can swim for $1, over 17 is $3.  There are certain times in which open swim is so check out the YMCA website for your local YMCA and times that they are open for swimming.

4. Bedroxx Bowling

I personally love this alley the most and that is why it joined my list.  Beat the heat in a rock solid fun environment.  Here is the prices I have found that make going here even more solid...

Monday Family Movie Night--- $30 for 6 people to use a lane for 2 hrs, includes shoes, 12" pizza and soda, plus a fun family movie!

Tuesday--- 6-10 pm has $1 games and $1 shoes.

Wednesday--- $8 a person which includes the price of shoes and unlimited bowling from 7- 10 pm

5. Reid Park Summer Movie Nights

This is FREE!!!  Grab a blanket, chairs and a dinner picnic and get ready for a fun evening.  Cox puts on a movie for your family to enjoy right in the middle of the cozy Reid Park.  You can start setting up camp around 6:30 and the movie begins at dusk.  There are some vendors and fun activities for your family to enjoy while there. More information, click on the picture below.

Would love to hear from you all about any other cool events going on in Tucson.  Leave info in the comments if you have anything you would like to share with all of us.  

Yoga Revival!

Well it has been a short minute since I even thought about blogging because I was super busy with the end of the school year and all the shenanigans that come along with it. 

But here I am now and I feel awesome!  The end of the school year was not the only thing that has made me feel magnificent (AHHH a break) but because I decided to take the leap and join a 30 day yoga camp.  Cue blog point...

I wanted to share with you the amazing program that has jump started me into holding onto my health and well being.  I am pretty good at keeping on the "clean" eating band wagon but I needed an exercise routine that could go with it.  I don't like the gym, I don't like running (especially here in Tucson where we have been hitting record temps) and well I don't like exercise!  But I can stand yoga.  I have off and on gone to yoga to help with weight loss and healthy living but I found something finally that I believe will keep me going on the "workout" train.  

With the help of the amazing Adriene, I have been able to let go stress, work through problems and keep to my eating habits with more ease.  Who is Adriene you ask... she is my yogi guide.  You can find her at her blog Yoga With Adriene.  She has free yoga videos, tips and astounding advice.  I just finished day 10 today of her yoga "boot camp" and I can already feel the startling difference it is making in my life.  If you are looking for a new way to accept yourself and let go of some inner stresses you may not even know you were holding onto her camp is great with mantra's that help you understand, accept and be present in your life.  

Now you may be thinking this is a marketing ploy but I assure you it isn't.  This is just me shouting from the roof tops that I love my new found awesomeness and Adriene just happen to help me find my inner strength.  

Thanks friends!

Namaste!

Weekend Shenanigans With the Daughter :)

This past weekend I took a morning to hang with daughter.  We decided to visit a local Farmer's Market but I decided to surprise her with a stop for a quick breakfast at Roadrunner Cafe.  It was the first time either of us had been to this certain little cafe.  I was taken back by how sweet and homey it felt.  There were clearly regulars hanging out and talking and the owner (I assume he was the owner) was involved with the conversation.  He also was so nice to daughter and she loved, for the first time ever, the strawberry smoothie she got.  I say the first time ever because usually she hates the smoothies from coffee shops but she loved this one and the impressive whipped cream on top!

I got a caramel macchiato that was the best thing I have ever had!  I decided I even liked it better than Starbucks!!  

If you are ever in Tucson I highly recommend this local cafe :)

After we ate we took our drinks to go and headed to the Heirloom Farmer's Market up at the Steam Pump Ranch.  I was super excited because I LOVE the Rillito Park one.  When we got there I noticed immediately that it was so much smaller.  I do not know if it is always like this but it was this past Saturday.

I got some gigantic cucumbers (made a cucumber salad with those) and some pretty plump carrots (which I am eating right now with hummus).  
I do have to say though I will probably stick with the Rillito one though because it is closer to my home and it had more options.
Either way though I am a firm believer in Farmer's Markets because they are local people just trying to make a living with great ideas and stupendous food!

Lemon Hand Pies Turned Tarts

As promised yesterday on my Twitter, here are the amazing lemon tarts that I made over the weekend!  I adapted a recipe that I found on another pretty awesome blog called Pixel Whisk.  On her blog she made lemon handpies!  They looked so tasty and flaky and well all around amazing, I decided to try and make the recipe.  

I have tons of lemons on my lemon tree still.  If you all recall I made Organic Lemonade with these lemons and let me tell you the picture below doesn't even do this tree justice!  We still have so many lemons I don't even know what to do with them all.  I think I am going to have to start juicing them and freezing the juice and/ or giving them away to family and friends.

Also, yes I do know that the tree is over grown but we don't like to cut the tree when there are lemons still growing on it. 

Anywho...  Back to the tarts...

Like I said above the amazing Pixel Whisk made these beautiful handpies and I knew right away that I was never going to be able to replicate them fully for several reasons but the main one is because I have never made a lemon curd before.  Even now after making it, I still don't think that I made it right but my tarts turned out super tasty and one of my good friends, The Bubbly Brunette, tasted them today and she gave me the yummy approval so I decided that I would for sure share my experience and what I think I will do differently next time.

To start it all off I followed the Pixel Whisk recipe for the lemon curd to a T!

I squeezed my lemons (using my handy dandy juicer from IKEA) and set aside for when it was time to add it.  I put the sugar (organic granulated) and the yolks together in the saucepan and heated till combined.  Then I added the juice and zest of the lemons.  Here is when I think I went wrong...

I believe I did not let the curd mixture thicken enough because I was super worried that I would get some weird cooked eggs.  But I rolled with it because at this point I didn't know that it mattered how long to cook it, I thought it was thick enough and as it cooled with the butter it would thicken more.  Next time though I will for sure cook it a bit longer.

I also do not have the correct whisking apparatus for my pots so I used this cute egg spatula (figured it was fitting and it is small) and rolled with it.  Can you tell that I am a first timer or what?!

As that cooled I began the wheat flour crust.  I used the same recipe on the Pixel Whisk blog but I did not add the walnuts (boyfriend doesn't like them).  After everything cooled and sat in the refrigerator for the allotted time I began the process of putting the tarts together.
This is when I really noticed that the lemon curd was too thin because it would not stay put in the middle of the bottom half of the pies.  So in a leap of faith I used the dough not for hand pies but for tarts.  I used a muffin tin to form the crust (I used a regular muffin pan and only filled the cups with dough but only half way) and filled the tart crust with the curd.
I continued to follow the recipe, with out the egg wash, by putting the tarts in the oven at 400 for about 16-20 minutes.

Then VOILA!

My first lemon tarts were born!

Since my lemons are super sour I decided to add half a blackberry to the top of the tart (my own twist) to cut some of the tartness.

Also because most my pictures didn't turn out that well (like the one above) I made sure to get a yummy side angle to show you all the amazingness that were these tarts (that's right folks, they are all gone).

So if you are in the mood for some pretty amazing little hand pies or in my case tarts you can find the recipe at Pixel Whisk.

Thanks friends!

Oh and I wanted to mention that I also shared this with

10 Things I Am Just Starting to Recognize Fully...

Hi friends!  I am sorry about the delay in writing but I have been dealing with many things right now. Too many balls are up in the air so to speak.  This sounds super clique but as I am getting older I am realizing (33 if you are wondering) that I have a lot of crap I need to get back in order or together.  Some of the following things I am sure others think or feel so I felt it appropriate to share because maybe I am not the only one thinking these things...

1. Living a Healthy Life Style is a Daily Struggle

I have been trying for many years to eat, as people call it now, clean.  Clean eating I think is one of the most important parts of keeping your body healthy.  Eating foods that you do not know how to pronounce or drinking nasty sugar filled sodas, juices and even alcohol.  I have tried to live this idea the very first time I heard a very smart chef once say "If you can't read the label, don't eat it!"  Jamie Oliver inspired me that day to be better about what I put in my body before I even knew what clean eating was.  But the reality is I live in a 5 person household (2 of them teens) and it is pricey and next to impossible for me to feed everyone with all natural or organic items.  I buy amazing dinners but I lack every where else.  I am trying to be better but it is a daily struggle because we are living on a very, very tight budget and sometimes we just can't afford it.  Then I read a stupid meme and it made me recognize fully that I am making excuses and I need to worry about our health now and not have to pay for it later.

2. Metro PCS SUCKS!

Wow, that feels good to say! I hate the service, I hate the phones they have and the customer service in store is just awful. Switching ASAP!

3. Sometimes I Just Don't Need to Say Anything

I tend to open my mouth a lot (as I am sure you can tell from some of my posts) and at times it gets me into more trouble than I was thinking it would.  I am a know it all and when I have decided something it is really hard to change my thoughts and opinions.  So on this note I have fully recognized that I need to just shut up sometimes.  Sometimes I just need to shake my head and pretend that I agree or that I understand.  I would get into less trouble.

4. I Am A Good Mom but I Want To Be A GREAT MOM!

I love my kiddos with all I got but at times I find that I am upset or annoyed but today's entitlement that most kids under 18 have.  I feel like some where in life something went horribly wrong and they think everyone owes them something.  Here is the thing... if I continue on this mentality I will only ever be a good mom.  To be a great mom, I have decided, is to set aside this thought (I mean heck they are a product of their environment) and remember that these are my kids and no matter what I would do anything and everything for them.  With that in mind I feel I can make better choices, teach better lessons and help them to be amazing adults one day.

5. Date Night Can Be Over Rated

I am a firm believer in the idea and concept behind date.  But to me, the homebody, I think it is over rated.  I work all day to come home and clean and cook and hang out with the fam, who has time.  I can make time but then I think I am taking away from my family.  Plus when we go out it is the same everytime.  I would much rather sit at home conversing with the people I really love and watching a movie or catching up on some shows.  OH and I save money.

6. I Love My Job But...

I really do love my job.  I am a kindergarten teacher and it really is amazing.  Here is the thing, as I have been getting older I realize that I really wanted to be a meteorologist.  I love weather.  Everything about weather rocks!  I think the idea o being able to predict what is going to happen is amazing.  I think tornado chasers are awesome!  I think that meteorologist are astounding.  I just am in awe and wish I could have done that too.

7. My Co-Workers Secretly Dislike Me...

Okay really I think that we are all good friends but I am pretty sure that this year they may not like me as a co-worker.  I need to step up my at work game and prove to them I am better than they think or maybe really I need to prove it to myself so I can just stop feeling like they dislike me as a co-worker.

8. Chores and I Have Love Hate Relationship

I love vacuuming, dusting, cleaning counters or making my bed, but when it comes to things like dishes, cleaning the tub and folding the laundry I am lazy and just do not want to.  I could clean all day long if it did not include those 3 things.  So I want to clean up more but I just can't and I just won't.  Hehehe.

9. I Will Never Be Rich

And that's okay.  I have realized that I don't care what happens in life as long as I am with Boyfriend and have my kids I am blessed.  I have struggled to try and see the light at the end of the tunnel so many times that I give up.  When the kids are older and move out we can start to really be financially stable and steady.  Until then we will just keep on truckn'. 

10. This Blog May Never Get Off the Ground

I love the idea of this blog and I know that some of you do too (which I appreciate) but here is the thing.  I suffer from sever anxiety.  So much it can be debilitating.  I am working through it but during rough times I may not be around.  I am going to continue this, not as a place to make profit but as a safe place to voice thoughts and opinions.  So if this blog never gets big, that's okay.  I am just glad that get the opportunity to even have this blog and will do my best to keep up with it.

Skewer Sundays

My family has weirdly been begging me for theme dinner nights.  Even Boyfriend was asking why we don't do Taco Tuesdays!  So this week I am doing a theme every night!  Here is how the week looks:

Skewers Sunday--- Chicken and Shrimp Skewers

Marinara Madness!--- Spaghetti

Taco Tuesday :)--- Tacos

Waste- Not- Wednesday--- Left Overs

Thirsty Thursday--- Nachos and Sparkling Strawberry Lemonades

Free-For- All Friday--- Leftover or anything you want to make :)

Last night was of course the skewers and they were a huge hit!  The kiddos loved them and Boyfriend of course did (he loves all my cooking, he can't even pick a fav recipe).

I thought that they were pretty amazing myself.  The thing I loved the most was the marinade that I put on them (click HERE for the recipe).  Sweet and salty, almost teriyaki flavored.

I start by putting all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Then I put the chicken into the marinade for at least 2 hours (if you can do it longer or even over night that will be better).  Once they have sat and are getting yummified I start placing them on the skewers.

**HOW TO HINT**

To make sure wooden skewers do not burn while on the grill, soak them in water for at least 1 hr before putting the meat and vegetables on the skewer.

Then I placed these bad boys on the grill.  Yes ladies and gentlemen I know many tricks, including grilling.  I am actually the go to griller in our house. 

I cooked the chicken for about 30 minutes in total only turning them maybe twice.  Too much turning can cook your food unevenly.  On these skewers I used onion, bell pepper and mushrooms.  But I have used cherry tomatoes, pineapple, asparagus and squash before.  Really you can put any veggie you like on there as long as it will hold to the skewer and not fall off into the abyss of your grill.

Then voila!  These yummy guys are ready to go!

We also did shrimp ones, but I didn't take any pictures of those.  

This time I paired this with a pasta salad using organic noodles, broccoli, kalamata olives and mozzarella.  This whole meal brought us a bit of summer on a super rainy day (I guess I didn't mention I grilled these in the middle of a rain shower, I got skills guys!).

5 Things that Made This Week Awesome!

This was one of the busier weeks for me this year so far.  Teenage drama at home, kindergarten drama at school/ work, ice machine broke in the refrigerator, chores piling up, and so on and so on.  I won't bore you with the bad things that happened, instead lets discuss the awesome! 

1. Farm Street

I found a new game for my phone that has kept me quiet entertained this week. When I had 5 minutes to spare I would whip this game out and build my farm and restaurant, since I can't have the restaurant that I really want in really life I figured why not use a pretend one. :)
This one is mine so far.

2. My Daughter

Well of course every week she makes things awesome but this week she came home proudly with her perfect attendance award and honor roll!  She is one amazing kiddo!  I don't even know how she does it.  She is one of those kids that learning, discovering and wanting to know more about life is her passion.  For example she creates speeches, stories and Power Points just for fun.  She keeps me grounded and reminds me of the parent I want to be not the parent that gets crazy because the kiddos aren't doing the chores the way I thought them up in my crazy head. hehehe

3. My Backyard

Our backyard is a hot mess pretty much always but with the weather we have been having we have been spending a lot of time out back.  The reason it made this list is because the flowers from other peoples yards (we don't have any flowers in out backyard because Jax would eat them, see 10 Things My Do Can't Live Without for more, funny, details).  The weather has been so amazing that the flowers are in full bloom!  It makes me feel like I am in paradise!

4. My Floating Shelves

I made an earlier post about my shelves.  I figured they would be done by now and I could post the final pics of them but it has just been more time consuming than I thought and well I don't have time.  But they made this list because they are coming along nicely and I am so proud of Boyfriend and I for making these instead of buying them for some insane amount of money.  My goal of the weekend is to finish them!

5. Netflix

Now I am sure that they have made many lists but for this month and this week they have topped the cake in my world!  Last night I went on to see what new shows or movies were coming in April and butterflies of excitement began fluttering in my stomach because not only do they have many new good looking shows like The Ranch with Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson but they brought it with one of my favorite movies!   The Princess Bride is now on Netflix folks!  Shout it from the roof tops!  Get the kids, hubs and popcorn ready because movie night just got a whole lot funnier!

(pic from Amazon)

So that's it folks!  These are the tops things that made my week just a little bit more bearable.  I hope you all had a better week than I did but even if it was just as crappy try to find the small things because they really do make things better and worth while. 

When Life Gives You Lemons... Literally

We have a gigantic lemon tree in our back yard.  It is at least 10 feet tall so we live a real life, "If life gives you lemons" scenario.  We give many of them away to friends and family but we also like to utilize this awesome citrus!  So for the first batch of lemon flavored yummies this year we went for the simple and made lemonade!

What made this extra special is that my daughter made it, almost all by herself!  This is an organic lemonade that is super simple.  You can find the recipe on my recipe page!

So my daughter juiced the lemons while I made a simple syrup for the ade.

Then we mixed everything together!

Yes the lemonade is not going to be quite as yellow as you as use to seeing but that is because it is from fresh fruit and organic sugar.  This is completely normal.

Daughter says it makes her cheeks pucker which she says is the best part!  So this summer enjoy a drink that is not super healthy but made healthier by the fresh lemons and organic sugar.

*CHEERS*

Happy Anniversary Babe!

I have been wanting to post this for a bit but have been just completely swamped with life!  

This past week was my boyfriend and my's anniversary.  We have been together what seems like forever and each year just gets better and we just get closer and closer.  I love him with all my heart!

This year we do not have a bunch of money or really any money to get each other something but because we don't like spending money for things we want throughout the year this is one of those times we just buy what we can so that the other knows we are thinking about them and how special they are to us.  Though on a side note we decided that this was the last time we were going to buy individual presents for each other and have decided to buy something for the both of us next time.  Something we can work on together or do together and what not.  

This year I went super simple but still a bit crafty (which I like to do every anniversary).  I made boyfriend a cute bag to hold all of his stuff into.

I found this on Pinterest (of course, hehehe) which lead me to a cool crafting site called  Craftriver.  It was super simple to make and fill up!  I just used a sharpie marker so that the words and the hearts popped, stapled it to the bag, added some of his favorite things and then tied it with string.

Some of the things I put in there were Twinkies, beef jerky and his favorite beer (Stella).

As for what he got me... I feel like that was a bit more excited!

I got home and found him working out back making my present.  He didn't want me to peak so I went creeper and looked through the window.

I still couldn't see but I had a guess because in my bedroom he had left the most vibrant and aromatic flowers I had ever seen or smelled!

The above picture does not even do them justice so I had to take close ups.  Below is one of the better ones.  They are African Daisies and they are suppose to attract butterflies!  

As the evening drew I knew he was building me a planter for these fabulous flowers!

I want to show you all a picture of the flowers in the planter but it is not completely set up yet, so I guess this is a teaser about what it will look like!  But I will hint...  It is huge and it not only holds my flowers but my daughter's wild flowers and there is space for the herb garden that I am going to plant!

Back to the post at hand...

Our anniversary was amazing!  Oh and I forgot to mention that he also got me an adult coloring book (because I am a big kid at heart) and come coconut oil.  The coconut oil is so that I can start oil pulling!  I will post about that here in the future too so stayed for that.  All in all this was a great day and at the end of it I am just blessed to have such a wonderful partner in this life.

I will leave you with one more picture of these cool but simple gifts!

Ba-humbug April Fool's Day!

Something you need to know about me is that I do not like being fooled, tricked, mislead, hoodwinked or any other synonym that means being deceived.  April Fool's is a dumb holiday too say the least, but I do have to say that there are many other things that I think are more "foolish" than this holiday.  Here are 5 of those things (and just in time for Sept Farms Friday link up!):

1. Drivers other than myself: 

Yes I do believe that I am one of the better drivers that I know.  Road rage runs deep in me.  There are rules of the road friends, please use them to keep yourself and others safe.

2. Cooked cabbage: 

YUCK!  Who wants to eat a food item that smells like dirty gym socks a tastes like vomit. Hehehe,... okay maybe that is a little too harsh but it is the truth that is known to me :)

3. Screaming Hairbands and Metal Rock:

Yes I feel like these are the same thing because they are both yelling at me!  I do not do well when someone is yelling at me, even if you are yelling at me about how much you love me.  I may just have to punch you :)  

4. Non-Punctual People:

Are you better than everyone else?  Did your first grade teacher forget to teach you how to tell time?  

This one is the worst of all in my opinion because this tells me that you feel you are the best thing since sliced bread and you feel like everyone should wait on you.  UGH... no thank you.  Plus really how do you even hold a job.  If you can't make it on time to family/ friend events than I can only assume you are always late and that would include work. 

5. Sponge Bob

Why are you letting your little one watch a show that teaches them to be dumb unless it is because you do not think they deserve to learn how to make smart choices in life.  The show has zero point and shows kids that making dumb choices will be fixing and everything is going to be okay.  Sorry folks, that is not how the world works.  Things are not always okay when you make a dumb choice like stealing, hurting someone else, etc.

I hope I wasn't too harsh but these are my truths. :)

Thanks Sept Farms for letting us link up!

Sneak Peek!

Sneak Peek Day!

I am so excited for this new project that my boyfriend and I have been doing together and I could not wait any longer to show you a peek of what we have been working on!

I decided several months ago that I wanted to put floating shelves in the kids bathroom so that it would be easier to store their many items while bringing more flare to their boring and ugly bathroom.  Well maybe not ugly because I did decorate it a bit.
After many months of searching for shelves at yard sales, Target, Walmart, thrift shops, etc. And to no avail, I could not find any that were in our budget, nice looking or the right color.  

That is when boyfriend decided that he would just make me some!  

He has been working on making many awesome projects because he is going to be opening an Etsy store to sell all his cool items (birdhouses, walking sticks, shelves, planters, and so on), which I am sure I will tell you all about when the time comes. I find him to be so amazing that he took time out of his busy schedule to make me the two floating shelves, just the way I have been really wanting.

He started by measuring it all out on some wood and then cut using the one tool that really scares me!

Oh and did I mention the work bench he is using he made himself!  He is so handy *SWOON*

After making all the cuts he nailed on a front edge to the actual shelf so that I could set things on it without worry of things falling off the shelf when the kids or guests grabbed something from the shelf.

Now that we have everything put together and ready to be painted I have to figure out what color I am going to paint them.  I do know that the bathroom is an ocean theme and I am going to try and do the worn our sanded look on them.  So I do know I am going to paint it with a white primer and then paint over that a shade of blue.  My inspiration is this little glass jar that I found at a yard sale for 25 cents!  The color choices are endless though and matching the shelf to the jar and the other decor in the bathroom is going to be very tricky!

Tonight is the night that I am going to paint on the primer though so I guess that means I should really pick which blue I am going to use.  Ugh... Choices, choices!

I hope you have enjoyed my sneak peek!  Stay tuned for the update (which I hope to post in the next week or so). 

Ta, ta for now.

Have a happy Wednesday!

10 Things My Dog Can't Live Without

This post was originally a joke with my boyfriend last night but then I was thinking about it and the things that my dog, Jax, clearly can not live without is super funny.  He is a character, I am sure like most dogs out there, but how distraught he gets over certain things in his life is just hilarious!  So, for this Sept Farms link up I am writing 10 things that my dog can not live without (or he may perish, hehehe).

1. Squeakies

Jax DESTROYS EVERYTHING.
There is not one plant, watering tube, hose, leash, floor, carpet, pillow... well you get the point, that Jax has devoured and tore apart most everything, but then there are his squeaky toys.  I bought one for him when we first brought him home (he is now 3) and he still has it.  He carries any squeaky we give him with finesse and grace.  

2. His Momma

He think that I am just the bees knees.  He is very protective of all our family members but he will even growl at boyfriend when me and boyfriend are wrestling around.

3. Pizza

Just the smell alone will have him running! He loves every part of this flavorful food.  He will dig through the trash late at night just to grab a piece of thrown out crust.  

4. Marrow Bones

This is a favorite for many dogs but this is the one treat that we have had to tell the kiddos they are not allowed to touch once we give him one because he will snap at you if you try to play with him while he chows down on this.  And yes, we do not give them to him often because of how grouchy he gets if you try and take it away.

5. Chow Mein From Ms. Saigon's

I was eating this as a leftover the other night and realized that this may be his new fav food.  We were trying to train him to go into his dog house that boyfriend made for him and I decided to give him a noodle as a treat for listening.  At that point there was no more training.  He only had eyes for the noodles.  Side note: Ms. Saigon's is one of our fav restaurants here in Tucson, if you have never tried them, they are amaze balls and you should check them out!

6. The Living Room Rug

We have a rug in our living room that Jax just adores.  I know this because every single time he comes in the house he runs to the carpet, throws himself onto it and starts scratching his back with it (legs in the air like he just does not care!).

7. Hikes

This dog can hike!  Desert hikes, no problem.  Mountain hikes, easy.  Long and treacherous hikes, simple!  Jax couple hike for days with no break and he would be golden as long as he has his favorite people with him, he is golden.

8. Car Rides

So he may love hikes but car rides are definitely his second fav!  He will just go in the car and ride around with us (like when we are looking around at yard sales) and he is completely content because he gets to hang with his fam and he gets to get out of the house.  Oh and sticking his head on my right shoulder while I drive is one of his favorite past times too! 

9. Beer

This one is a complete accident!  My boyfriend spends a lot of time in the back yard due to all his wood working projects and has spilled a few beers in the past three years for us to realize that Jax loves beer.  He loves it so much he will lick the floor until there is not one drop left and it sounds like his tongue is rubbing sand paper on the cement!

10. Spit

Also a very nasty one but something he just can't resist.  If any person spits (yes this is gross) on the ground in the backyard (and it is not in dirt) Jax will lick it up just like he does the beer.  I wonder what it is about the spit he likes because clearly the person spitting didn't like what it was, hence they spit.  So weird.

So that's it!  My loving dog and all his weird must haves.
What is something your dog can't live without?

Ham vs. Turkey: Easter Traditions

First and foremost Happy Easter to you all. I know I'm a day late but I wanted to still post something about Easter. It's one of those times of the year where family gets together celebrates the reason for the season and put together some of their most treasured family traditions.

For me our traditions are simplistic. We do not have some crazy Easter egg hunts or any huge family gatherings with more than 7 people. For my family the traditions are simple but they run deep, at least for me.

Our celebration includes good food, fun and family.  The first thing that is always the same is that we have ham.  This is a fight (a nice friendly one) every year because my step-dad think it should be turkey but us polish people (my mom and I) believe that we should have ham and well the cooks always win so we have ham. :)

Also like many others we dye Easter eggs.  We have tried all the new-fangled kinds of dye but we always end up do a traditional dye job our our eggs.  Then we simply eat them.  No hiding and forgetting that one egg that will smell up the house for days after.

Something else that is always the same (traditionally speaking) is that we always play board games.  It is something that we all love doing, except for my boyfriend at times because he seems to think that my mom and I are plotting against him in a battle of house rules vs real rules. Hey what can I say, my mom and I our very opinionated people and like things to go our way. Hehehehe

So we eat at about 2 o'clock every year and then we just sit and binge on games, candy and snacks.  All the while yelling at each other that they are cheating or not playing right or laughing or secretly plotting on how you are going to beat everyone!

What are your family traditions?  What makes Easter just a little more special for you and your family?

Happy Easter everyone!