Aside from the warmer weather, here are a few things that make my heart go pitter-patter right now:

Asher’s Sugar Free Chocolates

I stumbled across these in WalMart the other day. They are the best-tasting sugar free chocolates I’ve found. Perfect for one of “those days” when only chocolate will make things better.

If you have any diabetics or post WLS patients that you love, these would be a great gift.

They have a caramel-marshmallow confection that reminds me a lot of the scotchmallows I used to love.

 

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Gloss

I think I shared this before as something I love.  This is one of the only lip glosses I’ve ever used that doesn’t dry out my lips and make them feel gunky.

They stay in my purse all the time – love them.

I can’t live without my Click these days. I have one almost every day. There is a chocolate mocha flavor (think coffee + hot chocolate) and a vanilla latte flavor. I love them both.  I make them cold and then heat them in the microwave for a minute or two to have my own “starbucks-esque” drink that fills me up, gives me tons of energy and a great protein boost to my day.

 

This is my go-to cleanser these days.  I love how gentle it is on my sensitive skin and yet how it just decimates the makeup and grime of the day.  My face feels fresh and clean when I use it and my moisturizer absorbs readily – without the need for a toner step in my day.

Speaking of moisturizers…

I love this one. I am truly a Philosophy girl when it comes to my skincare routine. Love how they go on so easily and you don’t have that gunky feeling like some moisturizers have.

And this cute little recipe book – I’m in love:

I’ve bought three of them and I’m putting all my recipes in them.

There’s a blue version, too, if that suits your fancy (or kitchen decor) better:

They’re just too cute – and I love the three-ring binding so I can move things around quickly and the pages lie flat when I’m using it.

What about you? What sort of things are you loving these days?

It’s been warm here this week.

In the 70’s the last couple days.

It’s been wonderful.

I feel like a bear coming out of hibernation.

I want to sit outside and soak up the sun, feel the breeze on my face and listen to the birdies chirp.

*achoo*

and sneeze.

darn allergies.

But –

as I sit and soak up the rays and revel in the milder temperatures, there is a part of me that wonders if it is all really, truly happening…

or is this just a tease?

Will we have another spring “blizzard” like we did in ‘93 when we were snowed in for a week in April?

One never knows.

I’m kinda thinking we might.

But, until then, I’ll enjoy what we have.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite (recent) blog posts with you –

There have been quite a few with some really good information in the past couple weeks and I thought I’d pass them on to you.

• How to be a more patient mom in 24 hours on Inspired to Action
• Here’s a recipe I just have to try: Lemon Herb Crockpot Chicken on Crafting Chicks
• Catalog Living – have you seen this before? Funny, funny.
• Homemade Chocolate Pop Tarts on Cheeky Kitchen. Got to try making these.
• Here’s another thing I want to try to make – from Make and Takes
• And another DIY project I want to try before summer.
• More dinner ideas from Cozi. If you haven't tried them you ought to check it out. I love the calendar features and the fact that I can store my grocery list online and access it from my cell phone.

So, if you have a few minutes, take a look around – and I’d love it if you’d share some of your favorite blog posts with me in the comments!

Ugh.

I am overwhelmed today. My brain is swirling with all the things I need to do, should do, and want to do.  Things like pay bills, do laundry, meetings for work and taxes. Plus the creative side is looking for a little outlet and my book is calling to be finished.

I hate it when I feel this way. 

In computer terms, it’s called “thrashing.” When your CPU has so many requests for activities that it slices up tiny little bits of time to allocate to each request, but the slices of time are so small that nothing ever really gets accomplished. And so, the programs keep requesting time and the computer just kind of “hangs” because of all the requests.

Yeah, that’s how my brain feels.

I am almost stuck – which is the most important? where do I start?

THAT is the question.

I think, for me, I’m going to start with some tea and breakfast.

Maybe write everything down so that it is not swirling in my brain but is approachable as a checklist.

From there, well, we’ll see.

I really need two of me. But I am not sure I could stand another one of me running around, either. (and I’m pretty sure my family couldn’t either)

Dinner this week?  Goodness, that is somewhere on that list… not totally sure yet.

I know we will have leftover spaghetti (left over from our new Sunday dinner tradition) and steak is on the menu tonight.  Maybe some chicken fettuccine alfredo one night. Beyond that? I don’t know yet.  We have a lot of leftovers to finish off, so I am thinking that may round out the week.

Honestly?

Food is the least of my concerns today.

Outside my window, it’s gloomy and grey. Low clouds full of mist hanging over the mountain and grey, sad skies. (as a matter of fact, you can’t even see the mountain)

It’s the first day the girls are back to school since the great blizzard last week. They were none too happy to be awakened early this morning and I think would’ve been quite happy to stay at home again today. 

I had to chuckle, though, reading Facebook early this morning – all of the mommies celebrating the back to school day and the return of their routines and peaceful houses. I have to admit, I’m pretty happy about that as well, although I will miss the monkeys while they are at school.

A lot of mommies, I’m sure, are planning to catch up on some rest today – I am positive that (even if no one admits it) many moms take naps during the day. Especially if you have toddlers and they nap. I know I did when Little Bit was a toddler. Some days, you didn’t have a choice – I’d just collapse and fall asleep as I was trying to get her to fall asleep.

As I was thinking about that this morning, I wondered, do people have a favorite nap place?  Is there somewhere you love to nap?

For me, my favorite nap spot is on my sofa. If the kids are home, I can still hear them and know they are safe and happy. If no one is at home, I revel in the peace and quiet and the fact that I can snuggle down and still hear if anyone knocks on the door or drops off a package.

I am most definitely a napper.  I have been for as long as I can remember. I recognize that some days my body needs just a little more rest than others and I don’t think it’s weak to nap.

SuperMan, on the other hand, never naps. As a matter of fact, if he naps, I get worried and start planning a call to the doctor.  And if he does nap, it totally ruins his sleep that night. He’ll stay up way too late and then is even more tired the next day.

I don’t have that problem, fortunately, and usually sleep just fine after napping.

What about you?

Are you a napper?  Do you have a favorite nap spot?

Until tomorrow…

yawn…

I love blogs.

I love reading about other people’s lives, their hobbies, thoughts and dreams. I love looking at the crafty projects they do and getting ideas for things I can do.

I thought I’d share with you some of my current favorite blogs.

Some are scrapbookers, some are not. They are all good and I look forward every day to seeing what’s new when I log in to my Reader.

• Embrace Life
• Havoc & Mayhem
• Over at Our Place
• Trimming the Sails
• Small Notebook
• Big Mama
• Katie the Scrapbook Lady
• Elinjanne

There are more… many, many more.

But I thought I’d share a few of my current favorites with you.

Hop on over and check a few out.

And then let me know what some of your favorites are!