My Wishes for a Happy 2013

With every new year that approaches, we all hear people making resolutions and promising to follow through on each and every one of them. Rarely does anyone accomplish such a task, even with the best of intentions. We all set lofty goals for ourselves that would take a total life revamp to accomplish. That's a tall order. I'm not big in to the whole "resolution" thing. That's way too concrete for me. Instead, I make mental notes to try to fix things from the past year, to better myself for the coming year, and to complete things I should have done from all of the past years of my life. I like to call them "wishes" because I truly wish that I will follow through this year, at least at some level. And I usually do, at least at some level. 

So without further ado, my 10 wishes for myself for the coming year (in no particular order of importance):

1. Work smarter, not harder. 
2. Spend more time with my family away from this little black box.
3. Every time Bubby yells "huggy time", stop what I'm doing and participate.
4. Tell B more often how much I love and appreciate him (even if he's ranting about a bad day at work). 
5. Get back to the Island, and stay there.
6. Be a better friend.
7. Sparkle more and never let anyone or anything dull my sparkles.
8. Enjoy my new job (more on that later).
9. Learn how to properly use my new bad ass awesome camera.
10. Enjoy life and my children more no matter what drama gets tossed my way.   

So there you have it. I'm sure I won't stick completely to this list, but I assure you I will work toward making myself a better person while trying to achieve all of my wishes for the new year. That's the best any of us can do. 

Happy New Year! I hope all of you have a beautiful and sparkling 2013 and I hope all of your wishes, for yourself and for others, come true!

My House is Too Full, Too Messy, and Oh-So-Happy

This is my house right now. It's full of kids. It's a hot mess. I mean, seriously, do you see that mess? *SHUDDER*

But all of my kids are home and I could care less about the mess for once. I'm not even picking up behind them (much) because I'm too busy enjoying the giggles. The giggles are abundant. My kids are really, really funny. So what if they range in age from 23 to 4? They have a lot in common and funny is my favorite commonality. 

I love them all, and they are all my favorites for very unique reasons. This week I feel incredibly blessed. I don't get them all in one room very often anymore. I will enjoy this chaos while it lasts and I will revel in the mess that is now my home. 

Next week I'll clean. This week? I'll just enjoy the view through the chaos. Life is good and I'm one lucky momma!

Santa is Coming, Except Well..There'sThis...

The presents are ready, 

All wrapped with such care, 

Hiding in my bedroom,

Just ready to share.

But you see there's a problem, 

Bubby's awake. 

He won't go to bed, 

This stress I can't take. 

I've explained that St. Nick,

Can't show up at all. 

There will be no presents,

No Christmas at all. 

But Bubby doesn't care, 

He's not interested in sleep.

He took a 2 hour nap,

And now I just weep. 

What's a momma to do,

With a stubborn little boy?

I've threatened and begged,

but he just doesn't care, OY!

I want to have a nice Christmas,

but so far it's been crazy.

I need to wake up early,

but I fear I'll be lazy.

This Christmas has been insane,

and it's not even here yet.

He needs to go to sleep,

But he'll be up for hours I bet.

I need to stay up, 

And keep Christmas alive. 

But I'm tired and hoping,

Bubby takes five.

Here's hoping you all have a very Merry Christmas,

and that you get some rest.

Merry Christmas to all,

And I wish you the best!

No Sparkle Nails, A Lack of Christmas Spirit, and an Angry Elf

WARNING: Pissy Pants Post Coming Right Up!

Let me start by saying, I'm not digging Christmas this year and that is so atypical for me. I've barely decorated the apartment (as in...just the tree that took me forever to put up due to lack of motivation). The Elf is out but I think he's an angry elf because I don't do anything fun with him. He just moves from place to place nightly for the benefit of the babies. 

There are no snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. No lights other than the tree. No village displays. No festive candle holders. No countdown calendar. It's 3 days before Christmas and it isn't beginning to look a lot like Christmas at all. 

We're having some issues with a couple of the kids (no one is sick or anything, just crazy behavior) which is causing undue stress on my marriage because we don't always see eye to eye on how to deal with those issues. Plus, I still want to click my pink sparkly heels 3 times and be back on my island home again. I'm tired of the Stepford World and of the drama. And last night I snapped. 

Well, I snapped my sparkle nails if you want to get technical. I feared I had become one of these Stepford Wives and that we were becoming a Stepford family. So I snapped the sparkles off of my fingers (man, that's a lot of work) and then cut them down. And they're ugly. And I'm sad about that, and about my lack of holiday spirit. I'm feeling all Grinch-ish and this does not please me. 

I'm sure Christmas morning will be fine. The kids got great presents and there is sure to be laughter in my lightless and snowflakeless house, but I can't help but feel like a sparkleless Grinch at this point. 

Where are you Christmas?
Why can't I find you?
Why have you gone away?
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me?
Why can't I hear music play?
My world is changing,
I'm rearranging,
Does that mean Christmas changes too ?

Oh my sparkles, I hope this is temporary. At least one of the big girls is coming the day after Christmas so that will make me smile. I'm hoping #1 stops flaking out and joins her. I'm hoping I can find happiness in the babies' smiles on Christmas morning when they wake up to see the many gifts that Santa will deliver. I hope the Drama Queen will "bother" to thank me for unlimited internet at her fingertips. That's a lot of hope. I'm hoping it all comes true. 

The holiday blues suck so hard. This really is a pissy pants post and I'm sorry. Thanks for indulging me if you've stomached my whining this long. 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I hope all of your holiday wishes come true!    

Holiday Gifting Inspired by Starbucks Delicious Pairings

If you've been following along at all this month, you are highly aware that I am a) a last minute holiday shopper, b) a coffee addict, and c) a lover of all things from the movie Elf. That's incredibly random, I know, but let me explain how I used all three of them as inspiration this week.

On Wednesday evening I was feeling incredibly accomplished. I thought I was finished with my Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, I was not as I had moronically forgotten to buy anything for Bug's Kindergarten teacher. The worst mother of the year award was imminent.

Thursday morning, I knew I had to redeem myself so Bubby and I headed to Walmart to pick up a gift card. As soon as we walked in the door, I realized how lame that was. A gift card? I was trying to redeem myself in my daughter's eyes for goodness sakes. I'd have to be more clever than that.

And that's when I saw this which was the beginning of my inspiration for my last minute gifting idea. Right in the middle of the Bakery Department, Starbucks was calling my name and I answered the call.

Do you see that sign? It says that if I participate in this delicious pairings experience, I will achieve pure perfection (OK, it doesn't say that exactly but that's how I'm interpreting it for my own use here). Everyone loves Starbucks and who wouldn't enjoy receiving a perfect pairing like this for Christmas? I'm particularly fond of Starbucks Holiday Blend with its sweet, spicy, herbal flavor and I know it pairs perfectly with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg to name a few flavors. And just as luck would have it, right across from this display I was able to find some fresh Bakery at Walmart Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing. I picked up 2 bags of coffee and 2 boxes of the cinnamon rolls, one for home and one for gifting. We scurried around the rest of the store for other supplies and headed for home to get Bug and to put our gift basket together.

My crafting inspiration came from two sources (and this is where the rest of that randomness comes in). The first source was this amazing holiday bow making tutorial I read earlier in the week that really made beautiful bow making look easy. And the second source was my love of Elf. Watch this 8 second video and you'll see why, plus you're welcome for the giggle.

With my 3 inspirational sources aligned, I began the task at hand. I loaded the reusable basket with Starbucks Holiday Blend Coffee and the Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls for a delicious pairing. I included a mug for hot coffee and a cup for cold coffee, along with a sweet little bangle bracelet. Then, to make it pretty, I made my sparkly homemade bow and quite a few 6 inch ribbon curls. Bug was impressed and that makes my heart happy. Redemption!

This morning Bubby and I dropped Bug and her gift basket for her teacher off at school and headed home for our own little party. 

Bubby enjoyed his cinnamon roll and juice for breakfast and he felt like a rock star. "Cake for breakfast Mommy? This is the best day EVER!".

And I indulged a little, which I don't do often. I wanted to see for myself how well these two items actually paired together. I brewed my beloved Starbucks Holiday blend with its sweet and spicy goodness (for the record, this is one of the few coffees that I will drink black if I have no creamer) and then I tasted the cinnamon roll, then the coffee, then the cinnamon roll, and well you get where this is going. It actually is a delicious pairing and although I'm not a sweet eater, I enjoyed this rare treat. It truly was a good day!

For more information on other Delicious Pairings, be sure to like Starbucks on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And go like Walmart on Facebook and follow them on Twitter too. You never have to miss a thing!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own. #CBias #SocialFabric #DeliciousPairings

Teacher Gifts, Starbucks, and Bows...OH MY!

It's that time of year! Are you as excited as I am? Bug's gift to her teacher is pretty stinkin' awesome this year. Score one for this mom right here! We've got Starbucks, coffee mugs, and cinnamon rolls, plus some other fabulous stuff. And 6 inch ribbons! SIX.INCH.RIBBONS!

And if you admire that bow...stay tuned because I'll be sharing that secret with you soon.

The spirit is alive in our house and we love sharing. What are your best gift ideas this holiday season?

Be Your Own Coffee House This Holiday Season with Nestles Coffee Mate

Let me put this out there. I adore coffee, as in 2 pots a day adore. Treating myself to a Coffee House Drink used to be a regular event in my life, especially during the holidays, because I'm spoiled like that. But this holiday season, I've been incredibly busy and just haven't had time to stop by my absolute favorite major coffee chain for a hot Peppermint Mocha. And let's face it, that can get pretty expensive anyway if you do it on a regular basis. A $6 cup of coffee and a sweet treat for the kids really adds up a couple of times a week.

But since I'm all clever and stuff, I had a brilliant idea during my latest trip to Walmart. Why wouldn't I just use my favorite holiday coffee creamer, which just so happens to be Nestle Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha, and try to knock this off at home and save a ton of money in the process? And while I'm at it, why not just pick up some other supplies to make some sweet treats for B and the babies? Genius at work right here! I couldn't wait to get this party started.

I headed straight home, got everything out that I would need, brewed a pot of my favorite coffee blend, and got to work.

And I did it! Yes I know my coffee might not be as picture perfect as the average coffee shop drink, but I'm here to tell you, I actually like mine better. Do I like it because I can make this from home for a lot less money or for the flavor? A little of both actually. I was able to adjust my own recipe to suit my personal pallet. Lighter on the chocolate, heavier on the peppermint. SCORE! If you'd like to try Christy's Coffee House Peppermint Mocha in your own home, here's what you'll need:

• Your favorite coffee blend brewed to whatever strength you like
• Nestle Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer
• Nestle Chocolate Syrup
• Whipped Cream, the squirty kind
• Crushed Peppermint
• The prettiest glass you can find just to make it a fancy occasion at home

Pour the coffee creamer in the bottom of your glass, pour in your coffee (no need to stir if you do it in that order), squirt on the whipped cream, put as much or as little of the chocolate syrup as you'd like, sprinkle it with the crushed peppermint, drink, relax, and enjoy. So easy, so inexpensive, and oh-so-good! I figure the entire cup of coffee cost me roughly $1 and that depends on which coffee brand you enjoy. You could save even more if you use a less-expensive brand than I do. 

While I was enjoying my first cup of heaven at home, I was inspired to start baking for the babies. If you know me, you know this is something that I just don't do. I can bake, I just don't like to bake. If this was going to be an entire coffee shop experience, they'd need baked goods and I planned to deliver. I stepped totally out of the box (well not really, you'll see in a minute) with this recipe and created something that I thought would fit my festive theme and hoped for awesome. 

I call these French Vanilla Candy Cane Surprise. Y'all, I am no Betty Crocker but the babies loved them and B snagged one this morning and sent me a text about how good it was. YAY ME! If you'd like to try these out, here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup Nestle Coffee Mate French Vanilla Creamer
• Any boxed white cake mix 
• Vanilla Frosting
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup Canola Oil
• Cupcake tin and cups
• White chocolate candy cane candy (several available during the holidays)
• Candy Cane Spinkles
• Candy Canes (I sound like Buddy the Elf)

Follow the instructions on the box for the cake mix but instead of using water or milk, use 1 cup of Nestle Coffee Mate French Vanilla Creamer. Pour the mixture in the cups filling them half way, then push the candy down in to the batter, and bake according to instructions. Decorate as festively as possible and watch your family admire your awesomeness. 

I'm sure I'll still visit coffee houses on occasion. It's nice to have someone do the work for you for a change but it's nice to know that you can recreate this experience at home and save a ton of money in the process.   

Folks, do try this at home! It wasn't only yummy, it was actually really fun for all of us. Before heading out to Walmart, be sure to snag this coupon to save even more money on your Nestle Coffee Mate Creamer of choice. You can thank me later. 

Be sure to follow Coffee Mate on Twitter and on Facebook to stay up to date on new products available and to find other fabulous recipes and ideas.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Nestle Coffee Mate. All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own. #CBias #SocialFabric #ad #UltimateCup

OMG...She's Baking! Be Afraid...Be Very, Very Afraid!

For those of you that haven't been following along, I don't bake. I can cook up a mean storm, but baking is NOT my thing. I quite honestly avoid it (and burning everything within reach) like the plague. But I was on a mission tonight and cupcakes were in order. 

I might have even said "B, Will you help Bug with her homework? I have to bake cupcakes and make a Coffee House drink tonight for work and I'm pushing a deadline.". I didn't mean cupcakes to bring to work, I meant the cupcakes were my work. Who does this? OK, I do and I worked on them for hours. HOURS!

You're looking at those and saying to yourself, "hours...for real?". Yea I know but if you only knew what goes on behind the scenes, you'd get it. Some of you reading know exactly what I mean. It's not just a cupcake people. For some of us, it's all about what goes in to the cupcake that matters most. 

The babies loved them and that makes me happy. I didn't burn them, and that makes me happy. But I had a couple of major fails in the making. Stay tuned. More to follow!  

Ornament Exchange...Just for Giggles

My online blogging friends are a part of my world and they make me laugh on a daily basis. They know me, my likes, and my *GAG* dislikes. We have a healthy game of who can "one-up" the others the most. It's probably very sick and twisted in many ways, but it works for us and we enjoy it. 

We had an ornament exchange through Social Fabric. This should be a beautiful exchange of meaningful ornaments that our friends will love and cherish for years to come. It should...but you don't know my friends. My "official" exchange came from my dear friend Janet from Going Crazy!! Wanna Go??!! You see, she loves me so her ornaments of course involved purple sparkles. Because well...I hate purple and there's this whole #purplearmy vs. #teampinksparklepants debate going on. Too much to explain but SoFabCon in May will settle the debate (wish me luck, I think I'm losing the battle). I was challenged to hang purple sparkles *GAG* from my tree and I met that challenge...TAKE THAT! There was also a lovely pink sparkly wreath ornament for me and some goodies for the babies. See what I mean? There is love there, it's just that "the funny" is a big part of our lives. 

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't share my non-official exchanges. Amy from As the Bunny Hops sent me a lovely treat because working on a recent campaign, I threatened to shoot my own eye out more than once, kids. Oh yes, my tree is FUN!!

Then there's...THIS. Yes it's a beaver. I can't explain because it's a long story but Mallery who is a Horrible Housewife by the way, decided this beaver should hang proudly from my tree. It does, and it makes me giggle. But what makes me laugh even more is the fact that Bubby loves this beaver and often tells his Daddy things like "Do you see Mommy's beaver hanging on the tree Daddy?" or "I like Mommy's beaver". Yes, it's just so wrong but oh-so-innocent. 

And these are my friends. Fun huh? What frightens me the most (and makes me laugh all at the same time) is that there are still 8 days until Christmas. You never know what might show up around here. I just saw a message a couple of minutes ago that my tree will be even more purple if the post office would hurry up. 

OY! I might have sent out a couple of pink sparkle surprises when I visited the post office today to pick up my purple *GAG* sparkle ornaments. I know they will LOVE them! I love my life!

Repurposed Light Bulbs: Christmas Tree Ornament Tutorial

Shocker Alert: I crafted this week. I used to craft all of the time but I kind of just quit. You see, crafting takes imagination and skill (I have that), but crafting is much more than that. You have to have time (this is not a luxury I have) and patience (I stepped out of the line when they were handing that out because it was just taking.too.long). But I've missed it because it's relaxing and rewarding so I stepped back on the craft wagon for the holidays thanks to a bright idea I had while working on a giving mission. And the result was fabulous (in my head...OK I think this is really cute). Without further ado, my latest crafting project: Sparkly Christmas Tree Ornaments made from repurposed light bulbs.

Eco-friendly, easy (although a little time-consuming), and most importantly...sparkly!

Want to make one or 12 of your own? I'm here to tell you how! You probably already have the supplies around your house so gather them and let's get started. What you'll need:

• A blown light bulb (hey...no need to throw anything away)
• Elmer's School Glue Mixture: 2 parts glue, one part water
• Small Paint Brush 
• Glitter
• Vise Grips (shush, we're rednecks, you can use something else but this worked great)
• Craft Wire
• Ribbon
• Embellishment
• Ornament Hook
• Elmer's Glue Spots

Step 1: Put the base of the bulb in a vise grip for ease of handling and so you have a place to let it dry through the process. 

Step 2: Paint on the glue mixture. 

Step 3: Get ready to get your glitter on. I did this over the sink so I could wash the overspill down. Note: I also think it's important that the glitter you use matches your fingernails, but that's probably just me. 

Step 4: Sprinkle the glitter until the bulb is covered while the glue mixture is still wet.

Step 5: Let it dry then apply another layer of the glue mixture and another layer of glitter. 

Step 6: Lather, rinse, repeat. Yes this is where that patience (that I don't have) came in. I had to put one layer of glue mixture then glitter, then another layer of glue mixture and glitter, then top it off with one more layer of glue mixture to hold the glitter to the bulb and avoid all of that unwanted fall off in to the carpet. That's a lot of dry time. 

Step 7: I wrapped craft wire around the neck of the bulb, tied it off, and formed a loop at the top so I'd have some way to add the hook for hanging. And it was ready for ribbon.

Step 8: Apply the glue mixture to the neck of the bulb, over the wire, and wrap ribbon around 3 to 4 times. Glue down the end of the ribbon so it doesn't fray. 

Final Step: Get out your Elmer's Glue Spots and your favorite embellishment. Apply the glue spot to the center of the ribbon, apply the flower, attach the hook to your wire loop, and you're ready to decorate the tree. 

It looks very vintage, it's eco-friendly and inexpensive, and oh-so-very sparkly!

Hickory Farms, Family Traditions, Last Minute Holiday Shopping, and Charitable Giving

Family traditions are important to me. Holiday traditions are imperative because these are the only times we tune out and focus on what really matters...our family!

You might remember a month or so ago, I reminded you that Hickory Farms can make any day a fun day. We had an amazing time enjoying our goodies from the Taste of the Trade Toolbag we received. Hickory Farms makes football games and family time seem somewhat nostalgic to me and that makes me incredibly happy!

But when I hear about people scrambling for "last minute" Christmas gift ideas, I always giggle. Last minute? Hardly! This is when I start every year. True story. 

So what to do. What to do? You've got distant relatives or friends left on your list? I've got the answer. Give them the gift of holiday traditions that brings back fond memories from their childhood and that will brighten their holiday spirit. There's still time and Hickory Farms can help with a wide variety of gift baskets that will suit any family and any budget. Quality, freshness, and value are key traits of Hickory Farms. For more than 60 years, Hickory Farms has been providing holiday shoppers with options for tasty gift giving. In fact, their Signature Summer Sausage was rated #1 in America winning the Masters of Taste Gold Medal for Superior Taste in 2011.

Family Favorites from Hickory Farms (photo courtesy of Hickory Farms)

But wait! There's more! Hickory Farms is totally in to charitable giving so by gifting to your family and friends, you'll be helping others in need. They have partnered with Share Our Strength which is a leading non-profit organization that works to stamp out childhood hunger. For each Party Planner gift box sold this holiday season, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to SOS's No Kid Hungry campaign. Through this program, Hickory Farms and its customers have already donated $1.9 million to this cause. How cool is that? Jump on the band wagon and put a smile on the face of your friend while helping a child in need!

Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box (Photo courtesy of Hickory Farms)

And as if that weren't enough, Hickory Farms also has a partnership with Operation Gratitude. This is a national non-profit that creates care packages for military families. They offer 8 products with free shipping to military APO and FPO addresses, including the Home for the Holidays gift basket. 

Home for the Holidays Military Gift Packs (photo courtesy of Hickory Farms)

You should really consider this if you are a last minute shopper like me or completely forgot to pick up something special for someone on your list. Remember sitting around the table eating Hickory Farms sausage and cheese during the holidays with your family waiting for Santa to come as a child? Yea, me too. 

Bring that magic in to the house of a family on your list this year. It's quick, convenient, and you never have to leave the comfort of your home! Spread the love, enjoy the season, and happy holidays to each and every one of you! Or as we say in my house...Merry Christmas!
Disclosure: Compensation and products for review were provided to me by Hickory Farms via MomTrends. As always, all opinions and ideas are entirely my own, and not indicative of the opinions of Hickory Farms.

Remembering to Enjoy the Beauty of My Every Day Life!

The beauty of a child is immeasurable. There is nothing more precious than a sleeping baby (shush...he is TOO still a baby).

I love his look of innocence. I love that he looks like a little old man when he sleeps. I love the feeling of peace that comes over me as I watch him sleep. And I love that he keeps my heart soft even when the world sometimes tries to make it hard. 

This baby boy was brought in to the world for many reasons I'm certain. He will do amazing things for mankind some day, of this I have no doubt. But for now, his sole purpose in life is to keep his momma happy and he is just so darn good at his job! Even at rest, he makes me happy. 

I am so incredibly thankful that I get to stay home on a daily basis with this angel on earth to watch him grow, laugh, play, and yes, even sleep. I'm one lucky person and I need to remind myself of this more often. I hope you find some beauty in your own life today. Truly it is all around us...we just have to remember to open our eyes and enjoy!

Elf in the Tree and Bullying

What do these 2 things have in common? Nothing really unless you were in my house tonight. You see, the world can be a cruel place no matter how much magic we try to surround ourselves with and tonight, this hit home.

Our elf has been magically moving around our home all month and the babies have remained in awe of his prowess. They believe. But tonight was a different story. It had a happy ending but I'm sad because tomorrow might bring a new day of sparkles being dulled. 

We woke up and our elf was sitting in the lamp. The lamp you say? How did he get there? It was magic of course! But even with him smiling down on us, Bug fought me getting ready for school. She didn't want to go...again. This "green" every day kid did not want to go to this place where the stepford world rules. I convinced her that the elf was watching and Santa would be kinder if she did as she was told, so she got dressed and off we went. 

It was cold so she wore a hat. No bow. Oh heaven forbid in stepford-world...you must wear a bow in your hair lest you be shunned by the stepford children. She didn't want a bow. She wanted to wear a hat so of course I let her.

Later in the day, as always, Bubby and I walked to school to pick her up and my baby seemed deflated...again. This has been going on for some time. I asked what was wrong. She explained, hesitantly, that some of the girls had laughed at her because her hair was a mess when she took off her hat (ummm hello...stactic?)...and heaven forbid...she had no bow (I kid you not). It didn't matter, I assured her of this (knowing in my head that they were just jealous of her natural beauty and non Vaseline-induced, natural smile). 

The night went on. Dinner, clean up, bed time ready and all of a sudden, the babies noticed the elf on the entertainment center and started talking. 

Bubby: Oh Ky-ee how did the elf get over there?

Bug: Mommy put him there.

Bubby: No, it's magic!

Bug: Nope, Mommy put him there Bubby. 

He looked so sad but as he looked up again, he said with joy, "No Ky-ee...LOOK. He's in the tree now!"    

And her face changed, lit up, and for that moment, the magic was alive again. 

For the record, I didn't move the elf. He scurried from the entertainment center to the tree all by himself...just for my Bug...to prove that magic is real as long as you believe!

I'll always believe, and I'll always attempt to make my children believe, that there is magic all around us...despite the mean people. 

Tonight Bug believed again and she was happy and went to bed early. I hope she wakes up with the belief that the world is a magical place because she is in it. That's what she deserves. 

Today's life lesson: Mean people suck, bows don't matter in the real world, and life is full of magic. Just embrace it and enjoy!  

The Biggest Plate O' Carbs EVER...I Should Be Ashamed

That was my dinner tonight. I should be ashamed. You see, around here we watch carbs, fats, sodium...you name it, we watch it. I only cook healthy foods because I want my family to stay healthy. And truth be known, I really don't eat much at all. 

By "much at all" I mean, maybe once a day, and sometimes that's only crackers or something of the sort. It's not like I diet. That's just my lifestyle and although that in itself is not healthy, it's how I've lived for the past 40+ years. But every once in a while, like every 6 months or so, I get hungry. I mean HUNGRY! And I break the mold. 

Tonight was one of those nights. I have no clue what triggers these events but tonight I had the biggest plate o' carbs and I should be ashamed, but I'm not. Obviously I'm not since I'm sharing it with you here. 

I made Potatoes O'Brien a la Christy. I do not recommend this recipe for health reasons but I do recommend it because it is totally yummy! Oh and I didn't do anything from scratch, which is never healthy, but always fun. 

• Frozen Ore Ida Potatoes O'Brien from the bag
• Cook them in butter (OK, it was salt-free butter, I'm not a rebel...ever)
• While still in the pan, throw on some sliced jalepenos
• Add Pepper Jack shredded cheese until it melts
• Slide out on to the plate
• Slop on some Tapatio Hot Sauce (seriously the best stuff on the planet)
• Eat like there's no tomorrow

My dirty secret. But it's no longer a secret since I shared it with you. I won't even tell you the carb content, nor the sodium content...because it's just not pretty. 

And tonight I'm bloated and ashamed. Tomorrow I'll feel icky for being so dirty. But I've fulfilled my twice yearly hunger craving and life is good. It's OK to live a little every now and again. Stay tuned...next time it will probably be pizza. It's usually the pizza that I succumb to (and not the good for you homemade, low sodium variety either). 

So how often do you splurge on not-so-good-for-you foods? What are your favorites?   

Sparkle Queen and Princess Bug: A Tale of GoodNites Ever After

Once upon a time long ago in a land far, far away, a princess was born. She was a fair, blue-eyed, blonde-haired maiden that brought much happiness to the kingdom. As she grew, the people in the kingdom adored her as she spread sparkles throughout the land. But at night, this poor princess would retreat to her tower and weep. 

Because of her devastating beauty, at the age of 2, a jealous, evil Queen had cast a spell upon her ensuring that she would have a weak bladder until the age of 8 so that she would miss out on the childhood fun that should be bestowed upon all good little princesses. 

She was 7 and she couldn't have sleep overs with the other little princesses because of the curse. This fair maiden was a bed wetter and no matter what the Queen Mother tried, she had accidents on a regular basis, and no wizard, not even Merlin, could reverse this terrible spell. And the princess was ashamed. 

As curses go, just one year later, the curse was lifted and the princess was frolicking, twirling, and sleeping over at the neighboring castles...worry free! But she had missed so much.

Years passed and the princess grew up, fell in love, became Queen, and had 3 little princesses and 1 prince of her own over a span of 20 years. But alas, the Sparkle Queen's minions had all inherited the curse of the weak bladder and this truly dulled her sparkles. She had potty-training troubles and they had bed-wetting woes. No Queen should endure this and watch as her own little princesses stay at home while others swap crowns, tell royal stories, and sleep over in their canopied beds. 

She changed sheets nightly until the 2 oldest princesses outgrew the family curse. She struggled as she watched the 2 youngest miss out on royal events. Princess Bug was still in Pull Ups at night because waking up to a wet bed was not worthy of this royal. She was 6 and two years of the curse remained. What was a Queen to do? 

She turned to the internet as all modern queens do. There had to be an answer. Princess Bug wanted to be a big princess and the Queen wanted to help. Her first Google search led her to GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats by Huggies. What? No night time Pull Up for her little princess anymore while they wait out the curse? The Queen was thrilled and headed straight to Walmart online!

Her order was placed in minutes and she was assured through online scroll that the bed mats would be ready for pick up first thing in the morn. As promised Sir GoodNites rode in to the magical land of Walmart and made the regal delivery. The queen scurried to her carriage and rode to that magical land to fetch her princess' hope for a dry and big princess night.

While there, she picked up a few books, some new royal pajamas for her Princess and Prince, and headed home to nestle in for a relaxing evening at the castle. While the family feasted on pizza, she quickly made her way in to the princess' chambers and readied her bed with the new GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats by Huggies.

When it was time to retire to their chambers, the Sparkle Queen dressed the beautiful princess in her new pajamas and the princess was thrilled to be without a "diaper" on.

They all read a story about a Snow Princess and as the little princess yawned, the Queen kissed her good night, covered her up, and hoped for a comfortable night for her little minion. 

In the morning, all was well in the kingdom. The princess emerged from her room still in dry pajamas. No accident at all. It seemed that the bed mats had given her a new sense of confidence and she was happy and ready for her day.

They will be putting these to the test throughout the holidays with confidence that if the curse rears its ugly head, the princess will be ready and her beautiful princess sheets will stay dry regardless. She has even committed to a sleepover during the holiday break! She will be bringing one of her GoodNites Disposable Bed Mats along in her bag on her journey to another castle. It's so simple to use, even a little princess can do it. 

If she happens to wake up wet, she can simply pull up the mat, throw it away, clean up, and change her royal gown without being detected. She is one happy princess and the Sparkle Queen believes that fairy tales do come true. 

So the curse is still upon the royal family but there is something to make it more magical for now. The Sparkle Queen and Princess Bug have found the secret to GoodNites ever after until the curse is lifted or her 8th birthday, whichever comes first. 

The End.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Huggies. All opinions, ideas, and photos are entirely my own. I might have played off a fairy tale or 2 to create the content though. #HuggiesWalmart #CBias #SocialFabric