Taking the good with the bad...

The Bad

My checking account has seen a lot more doctor's entries lately.

I've not been feeling so hot lately and we're trying to figure out the reason.  For sure item # one is

Arthritis

I hate typing that even now.  I feel ridiculously to young to even be even in the same category as people with arthritis.  But really.. years of not taking care of myself is the culprit.

For sure item # two is

Fatigue

I'm just going to blame this on my inability to sleep all my life. On a serious not though... I've NEVER slept as much I have been doing the past 6 months.  I'm not sure why my body is turning against me, but we are delving into some more scary reasonings including

Fibromyalgia

If this is the cause... I'm going to be hating life. I've been pricked and drained of blood so many times now I am surprised I'm not dead. I'll keep posting my "diary" of progress.  It's a bit cathartic to get it out of my system and hopefully share some talking points on my discoveries.

The Good

This weekend though, I had extraordinary energy and only took one nap midday all weekend.  Yes... this is a feat. :)

The cats have a newly redesigned room that Jasmine can also use for artwork. We cooked, we cleaned, I nearly felt like my old self.

Things that Fizzle and I tried this weekend (of course via Pinterest):

Caramel Pull Aparts

Chicken Spaghetti

Chocolate Syrup & Caramel Syrup

Chocolate Mug Cake (I actually took pics of this one)

I can't stop making wreaths

So forever now.... I've had the materials to make this:

The Pinterest Link

It has sat in my craft cabinet for at least a year. I just love the fluffiness of it. I'm soooooooo loving this wreath I think that I'm going to use this every non holiday time and just switch out the bows.
So there's the cast if characters:

Here's what was key to this project. A thick marker type pen to stick in the filter. Not only did it help space out the filters, but it also helped get a good amount of glue on each placement.

So off I go. Sticking filters on a foam wreath. Over and over and over again...

Then I get an ingenious idea. Get the girls involved. Soon I had a fortress:

Here we are after one row...and then I realize....this thing is going to be huge!
And here we are after 3 rows

And 5 rows...almost done!

This is where it got hard. I wasn't sure if I should stop at this point, or add one more row. But being that I don't seem to do anything small...

I flip over the wreath and add another row.

Glad I did.... Looooook at that bit of loveliness!!!!!!!!!!!

Well that took forever to post.  Sorry it's been crazy busy at work. :)

Enjoy and definitely TRY THIS!  In total I used 4 packages of filters and about 4-5 sticks of glue...and worth every penny.

Marshmallow Fluff Craze

Jasmine is obsessed with marshmallow fluff. On my mom's death-iversary I had an inkling for a fluffer nutter. So I made us both one. And without knowing it, I killed the PB &J from ever entering my daughters mouth again. Fluff fluff fluff.

So of course I had to search Pinterest for a recipe for marshmallow fluff. And bingo!

Pinterest link to the link to the blog

And today... We experimented. Of course I don't have a stand mixer, so we just used our electric mixer but here's how it all went down:

Egg whites and sugar whipped to peaks

Sugar/corn syrup to soft ball stage

Mix the two together and beat beat beat 

Starting to firm up!

What mom wouldn't let her daughter be the guinea pig?  She's lucky I stopped the beaters really...

It's more creamy than I thought it'd be.  But.... it's still warm...

Canned and ready to store....or....eat!!!

Easiest recipe I've done on Pinterest for what it yielded. Now we wait and see if it holds. :-)

Christmas Eve.....

It is Christmas Eve, and all though the house nothing was stirring... Not even a mouse.

The stockings all hung on the wall with care since we live in an apartment with no fireplace to spare.

And.... I'm blocked. Lol

I can not think anymore, my brain I'd fried from thinking up presents to give to people who give me far more.


This year I was fortunate enough to be blessed with some help from the local food pantry. They have a program to help single mothers and the less fortunate at Christmas. Truly a blessing. They arrived with a huge box of food - which wasn't expected. And so many gifts that combined with what little I had already bought jasmine, was far too much. So since her birthday is in February, I held back my purchases and will give her those at that time.

Crazy crazy times.

The Mayan guys were wrong... Lol

This year has been far more trying than I expected.

So since I have some time today, I thought I'd make some rolls. Cookies. Toffee....

Last night I found this:

Link to the link to the blog

And of course, I had to make it.

My version below

Of course I had to add pretzels!!! :)

Enjoy your Christmas! We are going to have a blast!!!!!!