Friday Favorites-I'm back!

Woo hoo...it's Friday and I am actually posting my favorites this week!  I'm glad to be back here with you all!

OK, so number one this week is my amazing swap package from Jan at The Tip Garden.  Y'all know I am a sucker for a swap.  Well, Chaotic Goddess swaps combined 2 of my favorites things into 1 awesome swap... books and mugs.  So of course I signed up!  Jan sent me such a lovely package.  I literally loved every single thing in it!   You can see my post about it HERE.  And if you want to check out what I gave her, head over to The Tip Garden.

Number two is this deliciousness called My Cup of Cake.  I received this in my PopSugar box for December, and I just got around to trying it.  OMG... it is soooo good!  It's a single serve (well, I guess it's technically 2 servings) piece of chocolate cake made in your mug.  The best part... it cooks in like 90 seconds!  I am definitely ordering more of these!

Not my actual mug of cake.. but I forgot to take a pic!

Check out their website right HERE.

Number three... PILLOWS!!!   The Spring/Summer 31 catalog debuts on February 1st and there are all these amazing new pillows!!  I can't wait to get my hands on some!  I have a feeling this is going to be my new obsession...

Number four... this funny :)

Number five... a little Valentines purchase

How cute is this?!   I got it from Blocks of Love on Etsy.  They have these for every holiday and do all sorts of cute personalization.  I also have a Halloween one with little ghosts that have each of our names on them.

There you have it!  

We've got a busy weekend ahead.  Saturday is Nick's birthday party with his school friends.  Can you believe my baby is turning 6??  :(  Then Sunday we are having family up for a birthday lunch.  I have today (Friday) off, but I am going to be cleaning, putting together goodie bags, picking up birthday cake, wrapping presents and all other sorts of birthday errands!

Hope you all have a great weekend!  Stop back here on Monday for a birthday party recap!

Linking up with Andrea for Friday Favorites 

Book and a Cuppa swap reveal!

What an amazing swap!!  Chaotic Goddess Swaps has done it again!

This go-around I was paired with Jan from The Tip Garden.  Check out Jan's blog for some seriously yummy recipes and great household tips!  Jan and I emailed each other and asked some "favorites" questions to try and put together the perfect swap package.  Well, I have to say...Jan absolutely succeeded!!

I opened up the package and could not believe all the goodies in there!!  I was so busy looking everything over, I actually forgot there was a mug in there too!

Besides the awesome owl mug and book I've been dying to read (my grandmother asked me to tell you she's sorry) she sent me the most amazing goodies!!  Hot chocolate mix, hazelnut cappuccino K cups (a ton of them!), a Dove chocolate bar, chocolate spoons (I cannot WAIT to use those!), chocolate covered pretzels (my FAVORITE), an adult coloring book & colored pencils (how did she know I've been dying to jump on the adult coloring wagon??), and the most AMAZING handmade cards!!  I think the cards are my favorite part of the package... they are so pretty and unique!!

Thank you so much Jan!  I loved every item in my package!  

If you'd like to see what I sent Jan, head over to her blog HERE

Thanks again to Chaotic Goddess Swaps for the amazing swap.  I can't wait to sign up for the next one!

Menu planning

I have really wanted to do a weekly menu planning post, but at my house it is SO hard to come up with a weekly menu.  My husband is frequently on one diet or another... Atkins, Paleo, Ketone...and typically his diet does not jive with the foods I want to eat.  Also, I should mention that one day he will decide to just "go rogue" and eat a ton of carbs.  So add in that uncertainty, along with 2 finicky children, and any hope of a weekly menu is pretty much shot.

However, thanks to my friends at Pinterest, I think I have come up with a menu this week that will satisfy both me and my husband's Ketone diet restrictions.  The kids.... well, there's always cereal!

Monday

Chicken breast stuffed with broccoli and cheese

Tossed salad

Link: RIGHT HERE

Tuesday

Mini meatloaves (using almond flour instead of breadcumbs)

Mixed veggies

**I'm not following a specific recipe for this...just kind of winging it.  But I will be using a muffin tin to bake these babies in,

Wednesday

Chicken fajitas with low carb wraps

Again, no specific recipe....  y'all know what goes in fajitas!

 

Thursday

Scrambled eggs with spinach and feta

Turkey sausage

Link: RIGHT HERE

Friday

Chicken enchiladas (using homemade enchilada sauce and low carb wraps)

Link: RIGHT HERE

If all goes as planned, I will prep Monday and Tuesday nights dinner today.  Fingers crossed!

 What's on your menu for the coming week?  Do you have any awesome, amazing low carb-recipes you'd like to share?

Friday Favorites of course!

Who's ready for some Friday favorites??  

1. Double Rainbow!

Sunday was a crazy weather day...we had a winter thunderstorm and then... a double rainbow!  I went out on my deck to snap this pic, and saw 2 of my neighbors out taking pictures too!  This is not something you usually see in upstate New York in January!

2.  Crazy kids

These kids sure do make me laugh!  They LOVE playing dress up- anytime, anywhere!

3.  Taylor Swift

I have tried to hide this.  I even tried to convince myself that what I was feeling wasn't real.  But I can't deny it anymore.  I like Taylor Swift's music!  I am sooo loving her newest song, Wildest Dream!  I may even look into going to a concert... me and the tweens!

4. Target dollar spot finds

Raise your hand if you love the Target Dollar spot!  You raised your hand, didn't you?  :)  The only problem is that multiple  $1, $3 and $5 finds do add up to MANY dollars!  But hey...look at all the cute things I got!  The cute mug is from Target too...not the dollar spot but it was only $4.99! ♡♡

5. Pop Sugar subscription box

The hubs got me a Pop Sugar subscription box for Christmas and the December and January boxes have been amazing!   It's the gift that keeps on giving!  I was so excited to see the pink and white box waiting for me when I got home on Wednesday.   Here's some of what I received :

Bonus Favorite:
As some of you know, I am a 31 consultant on the side.  Well, my 31 friend Mary Ann and I teamed up in the hopes of spreading some joy and smiles this Valentine's day.  We are doing a fundraiser called Cupid's Care package.  I'm horrible at paraphrasing so here's the description from my Facebook group:

I'm joining my friend Mary Ann for a wonderful event this month! We want to donate as many Oh-Snap Bins as possible filled with goodies to members of a local nursing home this Valentine's Day!

So, please, for just $12 let's bring that unexpected smile to someone's face this Valentine's Day! With every sponsored Oh-Snap Bin your First Name and City, State will be attached wishing a special senior a Happy Valentine's Day from YOU! 

We are using our commissions on these sales to fill the baskets with lip balm, lotion, sugar free candies, a comb, socks & a handmade card (our kiddos will be assisting in card making and the delivery of the items).  I am so excited to be doing this and to hopefully make Valentine's day a little brighter for some of our local seniors!

Well friends, I hope you all have an amazing weekend!  We have absolutely nothing planned at the moment and after a bit of a rough week, that sounds absolutely perfect!  See ya next week!

Linking up with Andrea at Momfessionals
and

Total Tuesday Randomness

Total Tuesday randomness from the mind of yours truly...

--I am so excited for the new X-files!!  Wouldn't it be fun to host an X-files viewing party?  I mean, not for ME to host one, but for SOMEONE to host one and invite me!

--Today I looked into taking a crocheting class at JoAnn Fabric.  Does this make me sound old?  It makes me FEEL old.  But I really want to make some blankets and scarves!  Wish I had paid better attention when my Grandma tried to teach me. Maybe a quilting class too.  Yeah, I just said that.

--I have become obsessed with Tiny House Hunters on HGTV.  Would I ever live in a tiny house...heck no!  But I love the idea of them!

--I really like weather.  I have been known in the past to watch the weather channel for hours on end if there is a severe weather event happening.  I also like to check and see what the weather is like where my friends live.  And just random places in general.   Like Nome.  And Kirabati.

--Our house is officially de-Christmased!  I love the Christmas season and how festive the tree and decorations make the house look, but come January, I am ready for it to GO.  My rooms also seem so much bigger without all the Christmas clutter!

--This past Saturday we had Alec's birthday party.  How darn cute is this kid in his Paw Patrol shirt (Thank you Moon Pie designs)!  I also love how his cake turned out!

--I just love, love, love my dog Daisy.  She has fit into our home perfectly.  Rescue dogs are the best!

--There are rumors swirling that Chick-fil-A is coming to town...Oh, I hope it's true!  Now I just have to convince BoJangles to open a store up here!

---The Target dollar spot rocks.  And I love my new mug from Target (not from the dollar spot).  

Happy Tuesday friends!

On Turning 40

I'll be honest.  The thought of turning 40 had me seriously depressed.

It just seems so...OLD.

When my mother was 40, I was 18.  I was in my senior year of high school and getting ready to go off to college.

Me at 40...my kids are 6 and 3.  One is in kindergarten and the other one won't even be in school for another 2.5 years.

When I think about that, I just feel exhausted.  And old.  I don't even want to calculate how old I will be when my little one graduates high school (believe me, I already have but I'm just not ready to put it into print).

And then there are all the things I have to look forward to (and may or may not already be experiencing)...  Slowed down metabolism, aches and pains, wrinkles, forgetfulness, menopause. Peeing my pants when I cough or sneeze. Sagging boobs. Mammograms, colonoscopies and a myriad of other "old person" tests and exams.   High blood pressure and heart disease (which runs in my family). You get the picture.

Deep down, when I'm being completely serious and honest, I'm scared.  Scared of getting old. Scared of getting sick.  Scared of not being there for my kids.  Scared that because I didn't have my boys until later in life, I may not have as much time with them as younger moms will with their kids. Scared that with each passing year, my parents get older too.  Scared of what that means for them and for me.

Getting older is scary.  Getting older is depressing.  And anyone who claims otherwise is full of shit.

But...

The more I thought about it, the more I realized something.

What an absolute GIFT to have been given 40 years on this planet!  40 years of experiences.  40 years of life.  Every year, every hour, every minute of my life is a precious gift.  Every single second I spend with my parents is a gift.  Every single moment with my children.   Life can change in an instant whether you're 14 or 40.  I'm not going to waste time being depressed and worried about what is to come.  I refuse to be defeated by a number!  I am going to enjoy the NOW... enjoy my family, my home, my beautiful children and my friends. I am going to strive to live each day to the fullest and enjoy life.  I am going to thank God for 40 years and pray for 40 more.

I am THANKFUL to be 40.  Not everyone makes it this far, but I have.

So yes, getting older is depressing.  But it is also a gift.  Every morning I wake up to a new day is a gift from God.

So whether you're turning 30, 40, or 80, embrace it! Give thanks for every moment of your life you have been blessed to live. Be thankful for the opportunity to grow old!

January - Goals and good stuff

I didn't make any resolutions for 2016 because honestly, I never keep them.  And why set myself up for failure?!
So instead, and to make it a little more manageable and realistic for myself, I am going to have monthly goals and "good stuff."  Good stuff can be anything I deem "good" ... date nights, activities with the kids, etc that I want to do that month!

So here is the first installment...

January 2016 Goals and Good Stuff

GOALS:
1.  Lose the 5 pounds I put on over the holidays.  I need to lose a lot more than 5 pounds.  But like I said. keeping it realistic and manageable!
2. Take down the 3 trees I put up and all the Christmas decorations.  I have most of the decorations down, but I just haven't had the time or energy to take down the trees.  I am really hoping to get this down this weekend!!
3.  Decorate the house for Valentines Day
4.  Start exercising.  For this month, my goal is to take at least 2 long walks a week (I told ya, easy and manageable!  And it's getting really cold out there!)
5.  Eat healthier.  More veggies and fruits.  Limited sweets and reduced caffeine.
6.  Buy lunch at work only 1x a week.  This will save me some money, as well as help with my healthier eating goal.


GOOD STUFF:
1. Have 2 successful birthday parties!  Alec's party is this weekend and Nick's is at the end of the month.
2.  Go skiing (pending appropriate snowfall).
3.  Take the kids tubing (again, pending appropriate snowfall)
4.  Date night with the hubby
5.  Have friends over for a game night


Check back at the end of the month to see how I did and see my Goals and Good Stuff for February!

Book & A Cuppa Swap!!

What better way to start the new year than with a blogger swap!?

The girls over at Chaotic Goddess swaps have come up with an all new swap to start 2016!  It's a combo of 2 of their most loved swaps... 

Your swap objective: 

Send a package worth $15-$30 that includes at least one mug, one book, and other book and mug-related goodies to your partner.  Once you’ve received your package and enjoyed it, take photos of the loot and write up a good post showing off your fun stuff and link it up with the recap.

A new book and a new mug!  Perfect!!!

If you want to join in the fun, there is still time to sign up!
Just click HERE and fill out the sign up form!

*******

Important dates:

Sign-Ups Close on January 11th, 2016

Partners Assigned on January 13th, 2016

Packages Ship on or before January 23rd, 2016

Swap Show-Off Post/Linky goes life on January 27th, 2016

If you're on the fence about signing up, just DO IT!!  Chaotic Goddess swaps are the best!  And... you get a new book, a cool new mug, and maybe a new blogger friend!

Just a little recap

Whoa... what a 2 week whirlwind!  The last time I blogged was before Christmas and now we are already into the new year!  OK, only 4 days but still...

So here is a quick recap of what's been happening around Life as I Know it since last we met...

Christmas:  Christmas was lovely.  The present opening commenced at around 7:15am (the first kid was up at 5:15 but we made him go back to bed).  We laid around in our PJs all day, played, built Legos, and relaxed.  The hubs made a gigantic, delicious breakfast for us...pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, toast, fruit and muffins!  It was so good and we ended up snacking on leftovers for the rest of the day.  Mid afternoon the hubs started feeling ill, and by 4pm he was flat out sick with a stomach bug.  Thankfully no one else in the house got it and it was only a 24 hour bug.

Birthdays:  We celebrated Alec's birthday on Sunday and then Tuesday was my birthday.  I had to work, but we got some friends together and all went out for a nice dinner.  The food was great as was the company, and it made turning 40 a tad bit easier!  :)

The most delish cake...chocolate with peanut butter frosting!

New Years Eve Eve:  Family trip to see the new Star Wars movie!!  I think I need to see it again.

New Years Eve:  Very low key evening.  We stayed home, made BBQ chicken pizza and watched the original Star Wars.  The boys made it to about 10:30, then the hubs and I barely made it to midnight. #lifeofaparent #weareold

New Years Day:  Off to see the in-laws to celebrate Christmas!  After quickly opening presents, we left the kids and headed north to Mt. Tremblant in Quebec for my birthday trip.  It was so snowy and pretty!!  We ate, shopped, relaxed and went snowmobiling,  A wonderful way to spend my 40th!  :)

View from our room

And.... now it's back to regular programming.  Although I didn't have a "Christmas break" per se, I did have a lot of days off during the past 2 weeks.  It was also nice with Nick on school break...  mornings were much more relaxed since we didn't have a bus to catch, and evenings were nice too since there wasn't a mandatory bedtime or homework.  In some respects I like being back on our normal schedule, but I also wouldn't mind another few weeks of holiday schedule!

So... what does January hold for me??  You'll have to check out the next blog post!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and your 2016 is off to an amazing start!