A Few of My Favorite Scarves

It could be a billion degrees outside and I'd probably still be cold. That's why I love scarves so much. I hear they're pretty stylish these days, but I love them because I can better regulate my body heat without having to put on a parka. Now, which of these do I choose for sprucing up my spring wardrobe...

Spice Market Scarf - Anthropologie

Adorned Scarf - Nordstrom

Neck Mate Scarf - Lulu's

Bird Scarf - Gap

Indio Scarf - Francesca's

Monday Munchies

Well friends, I can't say the last week or so has been easy. We had a lovely visit from family last weekend and I was feeling great going into Monday, but apparently my body had other plans. Let's just say that I'm getting very familiar with the emergency room at our preferred hospital. I'm okay at the moment, but who knows what's lurking around the corner, waiting to pop up. Needless to say, if I'm suddenly absent for a few days (or an entire week like last week), odds are I'm off dealing with this tricky pregnancy.

On a much lighter, tastier note, don't these spiced pecans from Martha Stewart look yummy?  They remind me of the Sweet 'N' Spicy Pecans that Trader Joe's makes. I can scarf down an entire bag in one sitting if I'm not careful. So delicious.

Photo courtesy of CooksCountry.com. (Sorry Martha, your
recipe photos need some work!)

DIY Fabric Bleach Art

Craft By Photo has this fun idea for adding a fun design to ordinary table napkins.  You just need a little bleach, a pencil, and some toothpicks. In the example below, she created a pretty floral pattern, but if you're artsy enough, the sky is the limit!

Monday Munchies

Cookie dough greek yogurt?! Where has this been all my life? Just add 1 tbsp. of creamy peanut butter, 1 tbsp. of honey, 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract, 1 tbsp. of miniature chocolate chips and a dash of sea salt.

Friday Funny

If this billboard describes your significant other, I hope you'll find a laugh in it. Happy Friday!

DIY Easy Jolly Roger Lollipops

I got this idea from a blog called Modern Mom and it looks like a fun project for a rainy day. I'm saving this one for when we actually have kids to do it with, but I don't know if I'll be able to wait that long. I love Jolly Roger candies!

To make these homemade lollipops you will need:

• A bag of Jolly Roger hard candies (unwrapped)
• Lollipop sticks
• A baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil)

Heat the oven to 275 degrees. 

Place 3 Jolly Roger candies next to each other on the lined baking sheet. Repeat the 3-candy pairings for as many lollipops as you'd like to make, keeping each lollipop approximately 4 inches apart from each other on the baking sheet. 

Pop the baking sheet into the oven for 6 minutes.  Remove the baking sheet and turn the oven off. Immediately insert your lollipop sticks into each colorful melted blob. Allow the cooking sheet 10 to 15 minutes to cool, or enough time to let the candy harden and take shape. 

So fun!

Monday Munchies

I've been snacking like a mad woman lately and unfortunately, it hasn't all been healthy. (For the record, Lays Potato Chips totally nailed it with their "can't eat just one" slogan. Sad, but so true.) Needless to say, I've felt the need to come up with some healthier snacking alternatives. As I have a tendency to inhale anything with a lot of carbohydrates in it, I've looked for solutions that have more protein. This one hits the spot! Cottage cheese by itself may not seem all that appealing, but it's delicious with a little honey, cinnamon and toast. I think cinnamon raisin toast tastes best, but good old-fashioned whole wheat works fine as well.

Happy snacking!

Home Improvement Projects Galore

With two babies on the way in October this year (yay!), we've gone into a cleaning frenzy in preparation for our impending lack of free time.

Last week we tackled the rock steps in our backyard. As you can see from the first photo below, the steps didn't align with our gate and they were crooked and quite steep so climbing up and down them was tricky. With some heavy machinery, cheap paid help, and guidance from my father (who happens to be a professional landscaper), we were able to complete the project in about 4 hours. Now I just need to find some time to plant some water-absorbing ground cover around the stones so it looks a little more lively.

Up next week: we redo our front porch!

BEFORE

AFTER!

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater tots seem to be making a comeback here in Seattle. Is this happening where you live as well? I can't complain since I love tots, but it feels very '80s to me. Is it just me? Either way, I see tots in my near future. Especially after I found this tater tot casserole recipe. Yum!

Good News on a Monday

Happy Monday readers! You may be wondering why I haven't posted lately. You may also be wondering what happened with Mixology Mondays.  The short answer: I'm pregnant! With twins!
As such, I've had to take some "me time" in recent weeks to deal with 24/7 morning sickness and all the fun stuff that comes with a first trimester pregnancy. This of course also means drinking has gone out the door and with that, so has Mixology Mondays. (I look forward to bringing the series back at a later time.) In the meantime, I hope you'll join me in celebration on this fine Monday. It's going to be a great week!

P.S. This is not an April Fools' Day joke. :)