three pugs & a baby

{ helpless }

2012-02-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

There are some pretty awful feelings in life.

Walking out of a public restroom with your skirt tucked into your underwear, for example.

Or, you know, seeing your child sick.

Oh, yeah. That's the worst.

Turtle is sick. Blah.

On the plus side, we caught it really early and got him started on his antibiotics.

On the minus side, it breaks my heart to see him under the weather.

There's just nothing I can do.

He's actually doing ok - he's still eating and he's not terribly lethargic, but every so often, he just wilts on to the couch with Monkey and his thumb and he's so despondent it breaks my heart.

He was a trooper at the doctor. He told the medical assistant "I'm just a little sick. Can you fix it?"

And then he tried to charm the stethoscope away from Dr. V, with a very sly "I don't have one of those." Wink wink. He was close, but walked off with a tongue depressor and some surgical gloves. Not too bad, I guess. He doesn't get a lot of exam room practice.

We're watching a lot of Disney movies. Ok. I'm not going to lie. We're watching a lot of the Fresh Beat Band's The Wizard of Song featuring Jason Mraz. And eating chocolate pudding. I bought him a new Buzz Lightyear action figure, to help make up for the fact that it sucks being sick.

It made his day.

He just wanted to snuggle and rest on me and that was a-ok by me.

Hopefully, he's feeling better soon. It breaks my heart to see him down for the count.

{ so lucky }

2012-01-30T05:33:00.000-08:00

Our calendar?

Is full.

Between Turtle's school and playdates and birthday parties and boys' nights out and girls' nights in, football parties, BBQs...

It feels like there's always something.

But you know what?

We are so. Stinking. Lucky.

Lucky to be surrounded by wonderful people who love our family and who we love in return.

Lucky to get to spend days full of laughter and warm wishes.

Lucky to know that our son is growing up in such good company.

It's such a good feeling. Sometimes, I have to just take a moment and catch my breath because I don't know how we ever got so lucky.

And we are so grateful for it.

{ macgyver has options }

2012-01-26T05:24:00.000-08:00

In the event MacGyver ever gets burned out or fed up with his current career, it's good to know that he has options.

He can play farmer at birthday parties.

The hat really makes it, doesn't it?

At my friend's son's second birthday party, the kids (particularly Turtle) loved riding in this tractor. To the point that my friend's father (the original farmer) had to take a break and passed the keys off to MacGyver.

He got to drive in circles for the better part of an hour, keeping the kids entertained.

Who knew he would be so fabulous at it?

I'm just waiting for the ride-on mower request.

{ happy birthday, molly! }

2012-01-25T04:10:00.000-08:00

Two pug birthdays in exactly one week!

Molly is my princess.

It's really her and me alone in this house full of testosterone. Fortunately, she's got enough attitude for the both of us.

She came to me seven years ago, after Oscar and I lost our sweet Annabelle. We were both hit hard by her passing and I never would have considered a new puppy, until a dear (pug-owning and -loving) neighbor told me that her co-worker's pugs had just had a litter of seven puppies.

Love? Is being swarmed by seven itty bitty puglets. True story.

Miss Molly was one of the runts, and the second of only two black babies in the litter. She was just such a lil bit. It was love at first sight.

For both of us.

Oscar has always been a good big brother. He would herd Molly to something new if he thought she was being naughty, and he would help her escape the bathroom where I kept her enclosed during the day while I was at a work.

It's a total Pinky & the Brain situation. She's the cerebral force, he's the brawn.

With a face like this, she usually escapes most suspicion.

Molly has infinite patience. She tolerates me dressing her up for photos.

And despite the fact that she seems to be annoyed by most humans, she's developed quite the love for Turtle.

She'll snuggle him when he's not feeling well. Lay by him while he's playing. And generally just give him all kinds of love.

She loves belly rubs and quiet time and pillows. Lots of pillows.

I can't say I blame her.

On her big day, she opted for plenty of snoozes, some treats, and belly rubs. All her favorites.

She also wanted to monitor the writing of this post. Probably making sure I didn't post any embarrassing or unflattering pictures of her. Diva.

Happy birthday, sweet girl!

{ training tuesday: 1/24 edition }

2012-01-24T05:14:00.000-08:00

Things are going great!

I have been absolutely consistent with my walks, adding a little extra distance every few days. I'm also including some resistance training by way of some hand weights during walks.

Every other day, I'm doing some toning work for some of my major muscle groups, too.

But wait! There's more!

MacGyver is joining in the fun!

He's dusted off our "old" Wii Fit and has been knocking out about an hour of activity five to six days a week. I'm really, really proud of his dedication and am happy to be cheering him on.

The weather has been perfect and we are hoping that the rest of the winter will be nice and mild. It's great for playing outside with Turtle, who also loves getting in some running around.

How are things going for you?

{ my superheroes }

2012-01-23T04:55:00.000-08:00

I love superheroes. Always have.

Superman. Batman.

Tarzan.

Yes. If you run around in the jungle, barefoot and in a loincloth, dodging bullets and saving elephants from ivory poachers, you rate as a superhero.

We got to attend an awesome superhero themed birthday party this weekend.

It was pretty ridiculously adorable. I couldn't have been more in love with this fabulously photo wall and the personalized capes for each child.

After the festivities had ended, we headed for a nearby park. Turtle had a really good week on his responsibility chart, and so his reward was a park outing.

He suffered posing with me for a rare picture.

And sometimes? You just hit photographic gold. My two guys, showing off their muscles. You know this is getting enlarged to 16x20 for our wall.

Sometimes, I can't even handle how lucky I am.

{ mis(ter) independent }

2012-01-19T04:22:00.000-08:00

It will never cease to amaze me.

How, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, Turtle can just DO these things.

All by himself, with no prompting.

Like pick his clothes and dress himself. Or "dress himself up" as he likes to phrase it.

Or set the table.

Or put all his dishes in the (for the most part) proper spots in the dishwasher.

We often hear "Mommy! Daddy! I can do it with myself!"

And, while I'm not going to speak for MacGyver, it makes my heart swell.

He's been getting up by himself most mornings, and sneaking into our room to snuggle with us. And possibly to watch some Disney Junior while we try to eke out a few more minutes of sleep. He'll use the restroom and change into his big boy pants, and crawls up with Buzz Lightyear and Monkey, fitting perfectly into the middle of the bed.

He loves being in charge of the remote, and he loves getting to play the Wii with his Daddy.

He's been so much more adventurous at the park, too. Climbing walls he never tried before and going down the bigger slides he tends to avoid.

He's getting so brave and doing so many new things.

We even had to change up his responsibility chart a little, to reflect the fact that he can now pretty much get himself ready for bed all on his own and that he's consistently helping out around the house.

It's just amazing to a part of his life.

We're so very grateful. And so very blessed.

{ happy birthday to our little old man }

2012-01-17T04:16:00.000-08:00

That's right.

Our dear Oscar pug is 12 today. TWELVE!

And just as handsome and darling as he was when he first came home to me.

It's safe to say he's pretty much the sweetest dog ever. And that tongue? It never fit in his mouth properly. Bless his little heart.

He was always a good big brother. First to Annabelle, who went to Rainbow Bridge eight years ago...

And to Molly, who, like any good pug who believes she's really a cat and/or an empress, allows us to live in her presence.

We hope to spoil Oscar all today, probably with a trip to Chick-Fil-A for nuggets. He's a little too old and it's a little too cold for him to enjoy rafting like he used to.

Maybe he'll build something out of Turtle's Lincoln Logs or Legos...

Or maybe he'll just snooze on one of our laps. But whatever he does, he'll get star treatment.

Not like he doesn't get that every day!

Happy birthday, Oscar! You're one of our great loves and we look forward to more snuggling (and snorting) to come.

{ the thing about tebow }

2012-01-16T04:16:00.000-08:00

So here it is. I know some of you were hoping that you wouldn't read the T-word until Training Camp in the spring, but I've just got to get this out.

I've been struggling with my feelings towards a certain Tim Tebow (you may have heard of him) for about half the season. The Broncos are hardly a blip on my radar. For whatever reason, I just don't see them as an out-of-conference heavy hitter like the Ravens or Steelers or like the Colts (used to be). But the name of Tebow has been cluttering up my Facebook and Twitter feeds like nobody's business.

Interestingly, a lot of that clutter comes from people who never expressed an interest in football in general or the Denver Broncos in particular.

Of course, he's a former Gator, so that's an automatic strike against him. And I didn't want him to go to the Dolphins or the Jaguars when he was up for draft. I can't tell you why. Maybe because he's a crier. Maybe because of the Gator thing. I don't know.

And let's just get this out of the way right this second. I don't think Tebow is a Great Quarterback. Gasp. Now, before you come at me with your arguments of how he's overcome and everyone said he wouldn't get this far... Hear me out.

I think the Great Quarterback, in the tradition of Elway, Montana, Marino, Aikman, Unitas... I'll even toss in Peyton Manning and Brett Favre (if you forget the last few years), is a dying breed. There are really good quarterbacks surrounded by ridiculously good teams (like Tom Brady), but I personally don't feel that we've seen a trend of newly emerging Great Quarterbacks in quite some time.

Did Tebow have a Good Year? Sure. But that doesn't make him a Great Quarterback.

I guess, for those reasons, the hype grates on me. I've never been one for hype or bandwagons, and it automatically puts me on edge. Of course, that's not Tebow's fault, but that's the association.

So why do I feel like the Grinch and immediately go on the defensive when I say "I don't like him"?

While it shouldn't matter at all, because it's football and I am fully entitled to like and dislike anyone I want for whatever reasons I want, it does matter.

Because of Turtle.

The thing is, I have this amazing little guy. And I want him to grow up into an amazing man. And, people, it is HARD. We live in a world where kids have to grow up faster than I care to think about. Where we have to teach them about drugs and sex and evil at an age where I was playing with My Little Ponies and the worst worry I had was whether or not we were having Brussels sprouts for dinner.

Positive male role models? Well, that's where we're starting to come up empty. There's MacGyver (my husband, not Richard Dean Anderson). And Papa Bear and Pop Pop and Popie. And he has some wonderful uncles and cousins who are all great people. We are so grateful for all of them.

But what about the icons with whom he will be confronted? Celebrities and athletes. The people we call superstars.

Jail time. DUIs. Drug abuse. Domestic abuse. Sexual abuse. Adultery. Failing to pay child support.

It's everywhere. On the news, in the tabloids, online. The people who get paid the big bucks for their talents, the people who are in the spotlight, the people we are supposed to revere? They're not really doing things I want my child to emulate. Not by a long shot.

When you think about it, it's quite embarrassing. Even some of the people I really supported and defended (cough cough Brett Favre cough cough) as a folks of strong character? They go off and do stupid things like text pictures of their genitals to women not their wives.

And then you have Tebow.

For all intents and purposes, he seems like a good guy. Goes to public events with his mom (aw). Doesn't apologize for his belief system. Doesn't talk smack. Seems to have stayed out of all kinds of trouble.

Oh, and let's not forget this little thing he does where he flies people suffering from illness and disease to his games with their families, puts them up in hotels, sets them up with meals, hosts them at the game, chats with them directly before and directly after said game and sends them home with souvenirs and memories that will last a lifetime. Swoon! Why aren't more players using their considerable resources to do things like this? To really make a difference to the people who love them so?

That's what I want for my son.

It's not Tebow's fault that the media has latched on to him as the feel-good sports story of the year.

It's not his fault that he has rabid fans who idolize him and call anyone who doesn't bitter, jealous and a hater.

Tebow had a good season. He's done well. It's not the most amazing season a team has ever played and he'll never be my personal Rudy (that title is reserved for Wes Welker, who I have loved with the fire of a thousand suns since he first popped on to the field in Miami and refused to be held down). I give him credit that he's held it together in the face of the hype and the fame. It's a hard thing to do, especially for someone of his age.

I hope the best for him. I do. And I hope he doesn't let me down.

Like Favre, who has gone down in flames in my book for what he did to his wife.

Like Cromartie, who can't even name all of his own children.

Like Big Ben, who seems to have developed quite the reputation for taking advantage of women in bathrooms.

Like every player who has gotten behind the wheel drunk (too many to name).

Like every player who has cheated, done drugs, abandoned his family or beat his partner.

It's sad to me that these players are so casual with their gifts and their talents. If they were accountants or bartenders instead of marquis names in the NFL, most of them would probably be behind bars. But the message is that if you have enough money and enough power, you can do whatever the hell you want and get away with it.

Nice. Really.

My hope for Turtle is that Tebow is the real deal. And that he helps to inspire a new trend, where good behavior and personal accountability means something. Where athletes and celebrities treat their good fortune, not as something to be taken for granted, but as something precious for which they should be grateful and that they can use to make positive differences in the lives of those who adore them.

My hope is that Tebow isn't going to topple from his pedestal in flames, unable to handle the pressure of his position and unable to sustain his image.

I hope, for Turtle and for all his friends and for the children growing up today, that he's not too good to be true and that he is the start of a positive upswing in the role models in whom they will believe.

{ what comes next }

2012-01-11T07:05:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that, in a month or two, registration will begin for a little something called VPK.

Say WHAT now?

First of all, how in the hell is my wee, little baby old enough to be in the class before Kindergarden?

Secondly? I don't have a secondly. Refer to my first of all.

I just can't fathom how quickly he is growing up. How he will be going from three mornings a week to five. And then to five full days. It's mind boggling.

Every day he wakes up and amazes me with something new. Something funny, or sad or dramatic or stubborn. Some different facet of his personality. A new phrase or facial expression.

This very morning, he said to me "Mommy, you can come with me to college." Of course I will, buddy. I'll go anywhere you want.

He's growing up so very fast.

And while I'm so excited for what comes next, he'll always be my baby

{ training tuesday: 1/10 edition }

2012-01-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

Did you know that speed walking can be dangerous?

Well, it can.

And not just because I have a tendency to trip over holes that don't seem to exist in this plane of reality. Although that doesn't help at all.

My first walk of 2012 was pretty uneventful. A little on freezing side (no really, low 30s), and a bit windy. But fine.

Days two and three?

Not so sporty.

You see, on Day Two, I was prancing along, rocking out to the sounds of Fergie on my iPod, when I noticed some movement off to the side.

Before I knew it, a huge dog came loping out of the bushes in front of an empty house.

Um.

So they say you're not supposed to panic, and stay calm, and above all else, dear God DO NOT RUN, and I think I did ok. There was a clear burst of adrenaline and I'm pretty sure I broke into a fearful sweat. But I held it together and took stock.

The dog had no tags, no collar. Its head came about up to my waist. It was perhaps American bulldog, mixed with some other similar breeds. It looked friendly enough, but on height alone, was perfectly capable of eating my face with very little effort.

I like my face.

I turned and firmly told it to sit. And then to stay. It did neither, but did slow down from trailing me, and gave up after about a house or so.

The next day, in a completely different area, a completely different dog presented itself. This one was a collie/shepherd mix and was decidedly more territorial. It was planted in the driveway of a house (where I know for a fact it did not live), and it was not a happy camper. It did have a collar, but no tags, and it was pretty clear that it was not going to let me pass.

Both times, I called Animal Control. I was furious about it, too. Our neighborhood is a safe place, and it's horrible that a person can't walk or run without fear of crossing a loose, angry dog, or that children might be unsafe playing in the streets with their friends. I was even more furious that two beautiful dogs were left to roam by their owners in freezing temperatures. It's just not fair to to the dogs and unfortunately, they don't have much in the line of recourse.

I immediately notified my neighborhood friends of the situation, just so that they could keep an eye out for themselves and their kids and pass the word, and I hope that Animal Control was able to locate the dogs and return them to their homes. It breaks my heart to think otherwise.

However, it does lead to some important points about walking or running by oneself, even in broad daylight.

For example, always be aware of your surroundings. Keep an eye on street names and house numbers, just in case.

It's ok to listen to music, but don't keep it so loud that you can't hear someone or something coming up behind you. I only keep one earbud in and I don't blast the volume.

Stay in populated areas. I generally stick to my neighborhood. There are enough subdivisions to sustain several miles, once I start looping around. If I get bored, I head out to the main road, which generally has light-to-medium traffic. In the event of an emergency, I'm fairly confident that I will be able to get help, either from someone who is home, or someone on the street.

Carry your cell phone. You never know when you might need to call for help. It's just a good idea to have a means of contacting the police (or Animal Control) or who knows what else.

Oh, and never run from a dog. That's pretty key. I'm not sure if the same rule applies to snakes, snapping turtles, sunning alligators or wild boars, but use your own discretion.

Have you encountered anything unplanned during one of your walks or runs? Tell us about it and how you handled it. And if you know the protocol for wild boar or alligators, share that, too!

{ beach in december }

2012-01-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

One of the perks about living in "the south" is that you get to go to the beach in December without freezing your pants off.

You can usually do it in January, too, if you want to get technical about it.

Nana and Papa Bear usually take a detour to Sanibel Island to go shell-hunting when they come visit us. This time, however, they opted against it. Instead, they asked us to take them to a great beach so we could all "relax" for a bit.

You know I have no idea what "relax" means.

But, the weather was gorgeous, even if we did have to bundle up a little. And they had brought the most vibrant kite for Turtle (a real one, not one of those $1.99 plastic kites with the cheap string that inevitably snaps in a gentle breeze), so we packed that up as well.

Turtle (and Buzz) was so excited. He loves the beach.

It was such a bright day. But I love how these pictures turned out.

Sometimes? You just get lucky when you hit the shutter button.

Pure joy.

He did lots of running that day.

Watching the waves.

I absolutely love this kite. I can't wait for us to take it out again.

MacGyver had fun, too.

Turtle chased the tail, giggling all the way.

All good days end with soft-serve ice cream. Yum.

It wasn't Sanibel, and I don't think too many shells were collected, but it was so much fun, and maybe a little "relaxing" too. I will treasure all the memories of this day forever.

{ wow, we've been busy - christmas recap }

2012-01-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

Seriously.

I barely remember the last time I sat down! We have been so ridiculously busy! And having so much fun!

When Nana and Papa Bear arrived, Turtle was in heaven. And he wasn't the only one. We were all pretty thrilled to pieces.

There are so many things we go to do, but I'm going to start with Christmas.

Honestly, if there wasn't a single thing under the tree for me, it would have been fine - my gift was having people I love sharing the day with us.

Christmas Eve was loaded with tradition.

Feasting on homemade carbonara...

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa...

Sprinkling reindeer food in the grass...

And curling up to listen to Twas The Night Before Christmas.

Riveting stuff.

And then it was off to bed for Turtle, so we could stuff stocking and finish wrapping and catch the first few runs of the A Christmas Story marathon on TBS (You'll shoot your eye out!).

Finally, we finished and scurried off to bed, to catch a few hours of sleep before morning.

Turtle slept in, a little. I had set the alarm to make sure we were up before him to get the last little details in place.

He made his descent....

And dug right in!

Seriously. It was great. This is the first year that he hasn't been overwhelmed or shy or holding back. Last year? He put himself to bed for like 12 different naps and it took a week to open his presents. This year? He was stoked! I ate it up!

Pugs love Christmas, too.

Even if it does tucker them out.

We took a break for French Toast Casserole and mimosas. Deeeeee-licious.

And then it was time to play!

I wish I had set up the tripod for some family shots, but .... well, maybe next year.

Turtle was in LOVE with his new Lionel train. He spent hours with it.

And then, we built his new scooter and sent him out with all the right protective gear.

He wasn't TOO sure of himself, so it ended up being a "walk the scooter" kind of affair.

Lucky for us, Nana is a good sport.

Finally, it was time for dinner. We had lasagna, meatballs and braciole, with Casear salad and garlic bread.

And I relied on our handy Publix to supply desserts. I just couldn't do it this time.

Hey. We all have our limits.

It was a fabulous day. I surprised MacGyver with a tv for our bedroom, and he surprised me with tickets to the opera (I cannot begin to express how excited I am), and a new iPhone (Who loves Siri? This girl!). Nana and Papa Bear also gave a cake pop maker and some great cupcake and cake pop books. I'm excited to bake up some new treats.

Most importantly, we spent the day surrounded by love. And that's the best gift of all.

{ training tuesday: 1/2 edition }

2012-01-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

"Training wha....?" you say.

"Training Tuesday" I reply. "Sneaker up."

I've been, most shamefully, on hiatus, both from blogging and from a lot of my daily activities.

And while on the one hand, I've been enjoying some wonderful visits and travels and good ol' unplugged family time, the other hand has been gleefully stuffing my face with Christmas cookies and big breakfasts and something called "Pizza Dip", which should be illegal in all 50 states.

Twas the season, right?

A little over-indulgence from time to time is ok. I'm all about moderation. However, I usually temper the higher calorie days with more physical activity, to compensate for the blow. Unfortunately, this December, I was not so motivated and I can already feel the negative side effects.

No sense dwelling on what I can't change.

On this, the first Tuesday of 2012, I get back in the swing of things. The weather is perfect for some outside walks and bike rides, and I'm hoping that the whole family will be on board with taking advantage of the crisp air and sunshine.

Ok. Maybe not Molly. She's kind of a diva about having to do something as mundane as walking. Perish the thought and all.

I'm not one for making resolutions. It's too easy to let them go by the wayside after the initial burst of dedication. However, I am promising myself to return to my consistent, five-day-a-week fitness regimes, in order to keep myself fit and feeling great and full of energy.

Who's with me?

{ 2012 }

2011-12-31T06:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight, at midnight, we ring in the New Year.

2012.

At which I throw up the silent prayer that we don't go the way of that awful John Cusack movie.

Tonight, we plan to celebrate quietly with a close friend.

And some bubbly.

2011 was a good year. There were ups and downs. Hooks to the left and steps backwards. Sad times and glad times and moments that took our breath away.

I remain focused on the positive.

And 2012 is going to be even better.

Lots of love and good wishes to you and your families, friends and loved ones!

Happy New Year!

{ merry christmas }

2011-12-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

May your day be full of love and happiness, family and friends.

We will be spending the day with Nana and Papa Bear and couldn't be happier.

{ rudolph the red-nosed reindeer... }

2011-12-20T04:59:00.000-08:00

...needs to eat. Just like everybody else.

So we mixed up some reindeer food today. We'll sprinkle it on the lawn on Christmas Eve. So the reindeer can have a little snack while Santa does his thing.

I set up oats, raisins, cocoa powder, crushed chips and a sprinkle-glitter mixture. It was up to Turtle to mix up just the right combination of ingredients.

He was pretty fond of the sprinkles.

A little bit o' this. A little bit o' that.

Mommy! Look!

He took his time measuring out the perfect quantities.

Shaking it all up. I guess maybe that activates the extra flying power? I don't know. I was just supervising.

Hopefully, the reindeer enjoy it!

{ it's christmas week }

2011-12-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

Which means that things will be slow around here.

Nana and Papa Bear are in town!

We are having the best time. Turtle is getting lots of lovin' in. It's wonderful.

We have so many fun things planned, but for now, we're just enjoying our time...

{ turtle's first real photograph }

2011-12-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

Last night, we explored the Night of Lights in historic downtown.

I was snapping pictures that I was way too lazy to download and edit.

We were nearing the end of our visit, when Turtle told me he wanted to take a picture of Mommy and Daddy.

Uhhhh....

I love my child to pieces, but I'm just a wee bit protective of my DSLR, so the thought of turning it over to him, while standing over concrete on a path where he might possibly get jostled... It was wasn't appealing.

So I gave him my iPhone.

It took him a moment to figure out how to push the button, and once I helped how him how to keep his finger off the lens, while using another finger to snap the pic, I took my place by MacGyver and a replica cannon and we did our very best "cheese."

I think it's a wonderful abstract capture of the moment.

Don't you?

{ letters to santa }

2011-12-14T04:43:00.000-08:00

This morning, we finally wrote Turtle's letter to Santa.

By which I mean, I wrote, and he dictated.

This is what we got.

Like you, I am baffled as to why reindeers would need or want fire, but you don't argue with the three year old when he's dictating his Santa letter.

Of special note?

See that scrawl at the bottom?

That's his name.

Written by himself.

For the first time.

My heart swells.

{ festival of trees }

2011-12-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

One of the local hotels sets up an amazing display of fully decorated trees and wreaths for a week or two. Business and organizations donate trees, and visitors can vote or bid for their favorites in a silent auction.

In almost four years, we've never checked it out.

It was simply set up, but so pretty.

Trees ranged from traditional to more innovative.

Yes, the snowman was Turtle's favorite. How did you guess?

I was a fan of this candy cane striped one.

It didn't take too long to walk through and admire, but it was a fun little event for our family, nonetheless.

As you can probably tell, I'm a sucker for all the pretty lights.

We are looking forward to more of the things to do around town as we get closer to Christmas. Nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than spending time with MacGyver and Turtle, enjoying the lights and music.

{ our christmas tree }

2011-12-12T05:07:00.000-08:00

It took me about a week and a half, but it's up and it's decked.

And, if I do say so myself, it's magnificent.

It touches the ceiling (I actually had to trim a limb or two to get the star on there). I would have loved it a little wider (to entirely block the windows, you know), but it was the best we could do, given our selection.

We stuck to the local tree lot this time, instead of hoofing it out to the farm like last year. MacGyver may have been disappointed. But any day that I don't get attacked by a cactus in the hunt for a Christmas tree is a good day in my book.

I was so excited to hang the new Hallmark Pug ornament.

And Turtle was thrilled to see Buzz Lightyear up near the top!

I crammed as many lights on it as I could. We love turning it on after the sun sets and enjoying the warm glow.

I finally convinced (or bribed, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe) Turtle to pose by "his" tree with a smile on his face.

Lollipops have that effect on him.

I love hearing about different trees. Do you use real or artificial? White lights or multicolored? Garland, tinsel, beads or ribbons? Color-coordinated glass balls and accents or a mish mosh of random ornaments?

{ we're going on a trip: a honeymoon trip }

2011-12-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we've had a

Which clearly means we haven't been doing anything travel-y.

Boo.

But on November 4, MacGyver and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. And that's kind of a big deal.

We took a trip. Not far away. Less than an hour, really.

And with Turtle in the care of some wonderful friends (thank you, T & K), we headed off for two nights at One Ocean Resort.

The hotel is gorgeous,

as are the rooms.

Our view.

MacGyver arranged for champagne to be waiting for us in the room. I'm a sucker for the bubbly.

Our first night, we planned on eating a late, romantic dinner in the hotel's restaurant, Azurea. They have the most yummy menu that changes each season and I was looking forward to enjoying a long, quiet night with lots of yummy food.

They were running behind and so the restaurant treated us to a complimentary round of martinis while we waited. One of the ways to my heart is via martini, so I was in a happy place.

We moved on to our booth and got right to work drooling over the menu.

To start, we had this Pacific Ahi Tuna Carpaccio, which was a little too rich for me because of the crabmeat, but still yummy.

And the most magical salad with beets, roasted almonds and the best goat cheese we've ever had. I could eat this at every meal for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

I'm not sure what MacGyver had for dinner. Something with lamb chops, maybe. All i know was that this Late Harvest White Corn Risotto was divine. Creamy, perfectly cooked, and with a lovely little crunch from the pumpkin seeds - it was such a warm, welcoming fall dish. I had it prepared vegetarian style (the menu offers it with ham). Delicious.

It was nearing 11, and we were both pretty exhausted. MacGyver had been talking about "hitting some bars" but I translated that to "taking dessert back to the room and watching TV."

Turns out, I speak his language quite well.

We slept late. Which was weird. Normally, I am awake by 6:30, if not out of bed. But we lounged around til maybe 9:30 or 10.

The plan was to wander down the street to this place called Poe's Tavern and hang out for some NCAA football and then maybe wander around the little downtown area to grab some dinner off the beaten path.

We assumed our bar stools at 11:30. Bloody Mary, anyone?

Poe's is known for their burgers. Something about grinding high-quality beef on premises each day.

Sometimes, a good burger makes everything better. Perfect fries don't hurt, either.

As far as I am concerned, Poe's should also be known for it's kick-ace bathrooms. The ones they paper in pages from Edgar Allen Poe stories.

Yes. I took pictures in the loo. I'm classy that way.

We hung out for hours. Actually, hours. Ok, I admit it. I went back to the hotel for a little nap. The fresh air at the outdoor bar kind of knocked me out.

When I returned, MacGyver had "made friends" and the bartender made us some kind of anniversary shot. I still don't know what was in it...

It's been many, many years since we just chilled at a bar, glued to football. It was pretty fun to get to do it again. Kind of like riding a bike.

That night, we wandered around One Ocean again, admiring the view of the water and the moon (almost full), and getting warmed up by the fire pit.

Sunday dawned and I think we were both ready to get home to Turtle.

We had a quick breakfast.

And a very quick walk out on the pier.

And then we hopped in the car and hurried south.

It was great to get some quality, adult time, and we would stay at One Ocean and dine at Azurea pretty much any day. Fabulous service, top quality, and close enough to home to make it an easy overnight trip.

Happy anniversary, MacGyver! It was a wonderful time!

{ wordless wednesday: just some cakes }

2011-12-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

Which is really code for "I've been playing catch-up since MacGyver got back in town, trying to deck the halls and spread the holly jolly and whatnot, and haven't had a chance to put together a useful post, but let me distract you with cake!!!!"

People like cake.

This duo was for a baby shower for twins. I love the little tie & mustache theme, carried over from the invitation.

Next up was a small birthday cake for a sweet 4 year old, who loves Cars.

I confess that I had the best time making this. It was just fun.

And last, but certainly not least, a tower fit for Rapunzel.

This was probably my greatest cake challenge. Ever. It's pretty much completely edible (except for the figures and the cake board).

And I think the birthday girl was pretty darn happy.

I have three more very special cakes to do before the year is out, and I'm looking forward to baking!

Happy Wednesday!

{ last minute gifting }

2011-12-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

Not exactly last minute.

It's not like it's store closing time on Christmas Eve or anything like that.

And to be honest, I'm not particularly caught up in the whole shopping craze this year. We did manage to snap a LeapPad for Turtle well before Thanksgiving, when a mom friend of mine spread the word that this was going to be THE toy of the season and would be sold out by Black Friday. Far be it from me to fight the Black Friday hysteria, so we grabbed one on Amazon and set it aside for later.

But really? I have everything I want and need. MacGyver. Turtle. The pugs. Our health. Our home. Nana and Papa Bear are coming in less than two weeks and will be here on Christmas morning.

And while I would not be sad if Santa dropped an iPad, or a MacBook, or a Canon 35 1.4, or a pony down the (nonexistent) chimney, I wouldn't trade what I have for anything in the world.

I still love giving gifts, though. Although sometimes I get stumped on ideas.

So I'm going to share a few things I love that might be perfect for the people you love. Hopefully, this helps in your last minute gift-finding efforts!

1. Ornaments. I love ornaments at Christmas time. Whether you hit up the Hallmark store for one of their Keepsake ornaments (and might I add, that after 20 years, they FINALLY added a pug to their Puppy Love series),

or make something at home, ornaments can be so special. I have a collection as old as I am, and every year, I love unwrapping them and hanging them on the tree. You can make simple things (candy canes out of beads and chenille stems) or get more fancy with repurposed light bulbs or glass balls, or even make cinnamon applesauce or salt dough varieties (there are hundreds of recipes and techniques out there). Check out Pinterest for some great ideas.

2. Books. Oh, books. Beautiful books. Great for adults and kids alike. I'm a purist. I like books with paper and hard covers and spines that crack. However, with the new Kindles and Nooks and e-readers on the market, a gift card for e-books would probably be just as welcome as "the real thing." This year, I'm eyeing a new work by author Garry Cook.

(available on amazon.com)

It's about a little black pug dog and his adventures (it's going to be a series, too!!!!). I love Cook's illustrations and I love the fact that a black pug is getting some attention (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find things that resemble Molly!) And, since I have an admitted pug addiction, it would make a perfect addition to Turtle's (and any pug-lover's) library.

3. Anything from Etsy. I realize that doesn't narrow it down, too much. But I adore Etsy, and I love supporting small businesses if I can.

Check out these adorable State Love Onesies from Morning Star Loft. This is one of my favorite shops for children's onesies and tees. Dana also does amazing custom work.

Vintage holiday coasters from The Retro Road? Yes, please.

Camera strap covers? Dessert stands? Jewelry? Repurposed and upcycled wares? Ruffles, ribbons, bows, dresses, art? You can pretty much find it on etsy. It's magical.

4. Edibles. If you love to cook or bake, you can make amazing gifts in your very own kitchen. Create intricately iced cut out cookies and package them in a pretty box, or put together the spice mix for your world-famous chili in bags tied with ribbon. Fudge, candy, grilling rubs, breads, muffins, mulling spices... you make it, you package it, you win.

5. Theme baskets. Sometimes, there exist people (or families) who are just hard to find gifts for. Either they seem to have everything or they want nothing. But what everyone seems to need in this busy world is time. And possibly some relaxation. So put together a spa kit with a cold mask, a sugar scrub (could be homemade, could be from the store), snuggly slippers and some lotions. A pedicure basket with some foot lotions, great nail polish colors, and pedi tools. A family game or movie night: include a board game or movie rental gift card with some popcorn, boxed candy, and bags of snacks. Even a romantic movie night basket with a bottle of wine, a great rom-com, a box of chocolates and maybe even a gift card for dinner.

So there it is. Just some ideas from my place on the internet to yours. Hopefully this helps you in your quest for some last(ish) minute presents and inspires where you were drawing a blank!

Happy Shopping! (Or Baking! Or Creating)

Disclosure: I am not being compensated in any way for this post. These are gift ideas and items that I personally utilize at my own expense, from stores and websites I personally frequent. The opinions expressed here are my own.

{ child's play: footprint penguins }

2011-12-05T04:35:00.000-08:00

Sadly for me, Turtle hates getting paint on his hands and feet.

Which is pretty upsetting for projects that involve handprints and footprints.

Like this.

I was able to cajole three footprints out of him. No more. No less.

And then, while he napped, I took care of the wings, white penguin bellies and orange beaks.

He got to glue on the googly eyes.

Super fun. Super cute.

Just super.

{ it's.... december! }

2011-12-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

And Friday!

Double win! Hurray!

And now that we're on the official countdown to December, I just want to share some thing we've been doing.

Like checking out holiday lights.

And taking festive pug pictures.

Decking the halls

And picking out the tree.

And let's not forget a visit to Santa, too!

Even though Turtle doesn't look all that sure of himself, he loved sitting on jolly Ol' St. Nick's lap for a chat.

We are ready to roll!

What are some ways you kick off the month of December?

{ it's a dark day when a mom pats herself on the back for being a bully }

2011-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

You know, if I ever get asked to write something for the Huffington Post? The last thing that I would even have on my topic list is "Hey! I'm a bully! And proud!"

Primarily, because I'm not.

But Allena Tapia did exactly that. Wrote this piece about how she, an alleged adult and mother, is pretty damn hung up on being one of the "cool kids" and sitting at the "popular table" and something about Lindsay Lohan.

Quite frankly, when LiLo is your real world guiding light, it's time for some soul-searching.

(I cast another side eye at Parentlode columnist Lisa Belkin, whose introduction to Tapia's piece ends with this gem:

"Whether you choose to muster sympathy for her, however, will likely depend on exactly which clique you ran with in high school."

Because obviously, women don't grow up or mature or move on. Alrighty, then.)

I don't "muster sympathy" for Tapia, though. Not because of my popularity, past or present, real or perceived.

But because I'm not particularly sympathetic towards bad behavior and poor character.

Especially when the person in question is in her 30s. And responsible for other human lives.

When Tapia boasts about her behavior (and that of her gang of "Plastics") in a PTO meeting, in which

I giggled through agenda items with a table full of my friends from the old group, compared notes in stage whispers, and texted friends across the room.

My gut reaction was pretty much "Really? This is how adults behave in meetings?" Clearly, it's far better to be rude and disruptive than pay attention and possibly learn something.

My second reaction was "Wow. Way to set women back a few decades. People like me work hard to be taken seriously, both personally and professionally, and this kind of behavior ruins it for all of us. Thanks heaps."

What's worse? Tapia is a mother. If this is what she considers appropriate behavior, one can only wonder what she models for her children. Kids learn what they live. And if mommy spends her time acting out, abandoning manners and behaving like a boor, well... It's certainly not the way I would go with my child.

Tapia excuses herself by saying she hasn't gone as far as "some of those other mothers." I assume she means people like Wanda Holloway or Lori Drew or one of "those." Neat. That makes it a-ok.

Then she tries to give advice for breaking into Cliques Like Hers (Just Do It! Even though I've spent the past few paragraphs making it quite clear that I'm going to interrupt you at meetings and text about you and gossip about your knock-off purse! We'll welcome you with open arms!!!!!!) and promises to mend her ways and not be quite so Mean Girl.

Just don't ask me to give up my seat at the popular table.

And that pretty much says it all. Priorities, you know.

The shame of it is that parents should be as involved with their children and their schools as possible. It helps with communication and relationships. It keeps parents abreast of all the behind-the-scenes stuff that their kids may not necessarily divulge. It might help promote more open dialogues. I'm all for it.

But with people like Tapia at the helm, the whole point of PTO and similar groups gets lost. It's not about stroking fragile egos and validating insecurities. It's about the kids and the schools and doing the best you can for your children.

End of story.

I hope that Allena Tapia takes the advice she so graciously dispenses to herself, to be more welcoming of "outsiders" and maybe more inclusive. It would be a good thing. A sign of maturity and self-confidence. Hopefully, she'll stop being rude at meetings, too. In the name of professionalism and proper etiquette.

I recognize that not everyone meshes or clicks. That different personalities don't always jive well. That naturally, groups of friends will form and bond together. It's ok. But despite that, it costs nothing to be kind, to be polite, to be respectful. You can be nice without being BFFs. It's not so difficult to do, if you just give it a try.

Hopefully, enough people, particularly moms, reading Tapia's self-congratulatory piece will have the good common sense to say "This isn't how it should be" and take a stand against the cliques and the bullying behavior. Hopefully, when I get to the PTO level, I'll be fortunate enough to find a kind and child-centric group of people who are open to newcomers and their ideas and help, even if this particular newcomers is just a lowly stay-at-home-mom who likes to be involved.

And I hope Tapia uses her platform for good. To make some changes and turn the emphasis back to the focus of the group and not which Queen Bee is leading the hive. That doesn't involve anyone asking her to leave the cool table. It just involves being a decent human being.

Which is what we should all be striving for anyway, right?

To help take a stand against mom bullies, online and off, join The Mom Pledge and make a difference.

{ i spoke too soon }

2011-11-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, I was all "Oh, yeah, so Turtle is pretty reasonable and we have this North Pole Pug to kind of give him a gentle reminder that he needs to make good choices and he totally digs it and life is rainbows and puppy dogs Yay."

And then we had a great day and I went to class and came home and Turtle was in the throes of night terrors, and I spent the night in bed with him and two pugs, all fighting for the exact spot in which I was trying to sleep. Not that it mattered, because I didn't get any shut eye worth mentioning, so I probably should have just moved to the floor and let the three of them fight over territory without me.

And come morning, Turtle was in what I can only call a Vile Mood.

Capitalized.

There was whining. And crying. And attitude. The full trifecta.

We had lots of sit downs about making good choices and using our words, accompanied by a few time outs to regroup. But it just went on and on and on.

He didn't want to watch TV. He didn't want to play with blocks. He didn't want to draw or color or write his pen pal letter or do stickers or race cars or build train tracks.

He didn't want to (and what I'm about to write is like a knife in my heart) help make cookies.

Gasp.

I must have counted to ten 600 times. I think I stole a moment to cuddle a wine bottle in the laundry room, in anticipation of bedtime. I almost cried more than twice. Partly because I was hurt by some of his words, and partly because I was so frustrated in myself for not being able to snap him out of his funk.

And for not having infinite patience.

And, while I'm being honest, for wanting to lock myself in the bathroom with a jar of Nutella and a spoon.

The mantra that played out in my head was simple. "He's three, he's three, he's three."

But that doesn't make it easier to stay cool and collected to ride out the seemingly irrational wave.

Logically, I know he was overtired and therefore sensitive and more quickly aggravated. And I know sometimes, rarely, we hit a point of no return, where we just basically have to chalk the day up to a loss and start again tomorrow.

And it was just one of those days.

They happen. It's inevitable.

We had a few bright spots. Like when I found him waking up from nap, curled up in bed, with his pillowcase pulled up over his feet to his waist, like some kind of sleeping potato sack racer. And when he snuggled up to watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas with me. Those were beautiful despite all the chaos, and I cherish those moments.

Especially on a day like today.

At bedtime, I wasn't angry and he was no longer in the Vile Mood. We sat together on his bed and talked. He went to sleep quickly and calmly, and with what I hope was a positive spin on all the negatives of the day. We let him know how much we loved him and that we all have bad days from time to time. But that we can all make better choices and can be more considerate of our family and friends and we hope he does so tomorrow.

And then I went and collapsed on the couch with a bowl of chili, a glass of pinot noir and an episode of Glee. Because sometimes, a bunch of people breaking into random song and dance makes it all ok.

I hate not having all the answers. It stings that Turtle and I don't always get it right. I'm kind of an anal-retentive perfectionist and I don't like not "getting it." Days like this are upsetting and humbling and terrible, but I have to keep reminding myself that tomorrow is another day, and we'll get another go at it.

This post is dedicated to Holly, who told me she would rather read about our no-good, rotten, horrible, terrible day than my impending excitement over the month of December.

{ pug on the shelf }

2011-11-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

I guess it was only a matter of time before I caved.

I wrote about how much the Elf On A Shelf scared me here.

The actual Elf.

Not the concept.

The concept is actually not an awful one, in my opinion.

It's just a visual reminder to encourage good behavior at a busy and intense time of the year.

Turtle's a good kid. For the most part, very reasonable. When he acts out, there's usually a good reason behind it and it doesn't take long to get to the bottom of it.

However, he feeds on the energy around him. And it seems he knows that since Halloween, Mommy and Daddy have been running at top speeds. There are parties and visits and get togethers. Constant outings and errands and events. It's crazy and hectic and just a little more fast-paced than our normal.

It throws us all for a loop.

And it leads to some extra cases of acting out.

After some soul-searching and discussion, MacGyver and I decided that maybe a visual reminder for being extra nice during all the chaos wouldn't be a bad thing.

But that Elf was not getting in my house.

I had joked about perhaps a Pug on the Shelf. And we do have a bobble head pug wearing jingle bells and reindeer antlers that looks a bit on the festive side...

And so a plan was born.

I dug around online and found a sample letter here that I adjusted to our needs. It reads something like this....

Dear Turtle,

Merry Christmas! Mrs. Claus and I have sent you a very special North Pole Pug. He will be there to watch your progress from now until Christmas Eve. Your Pug will report back to me when you are especially nice and when you are not so nice. Below are some lists of Especially Nice and Not So Nice things. Try to do all of the Especially Nice things and None of the Not So Nice things.

Don’t forget to give this Puggy a name so he feels welcome in your family. Once he has a name, please do not touch him, as it will interfere with his magic.

Especially Nice

Help Mommy & Daddy

Clean up toys

Listening to Mommy & Daddy

Playing nicely

Sharing with others

Trying new foods

Not So Nice

Whining

Yelling

Not using listening ears

Yelling and using mean words

Hitting and kicking

Throwing things

Love, Santa Claus

We took out all mentions of the word "naughty." We want this to be fun and positive.

We printed that out, signed it with some "Ho! Ho! Ho!"s and folded it into an envelope. When Turtle woke up from his nap, we set the scene and rang the doorbell.

Turtle wasn't entirely sure why there was a bobblehead at his front door.

Please note, the preschooler squat in full effect.

Finally, he worked up the courage to open the envelope.

He's not entirely convinced.

We read the letter together, and he started to get a little excited.

And then we put the North Pole Pug on a shelf, and let the fun begin!

Every night, the North Pole Pug moves to another part of the downstairs and Turtle has a good time looking for him. The Pug hasn't been a threat or a punishment - just a gentle visual reminder that maybe, if his behavior is getting unpleasant, that he might want to reconsider his actions.

I'm debating some antics, like a marshmallow snowman or something like that (thank you, Pinterest), but we'll see.

For now, we've got a new friend hanging out with us, and he's fitting in with our crew just fine.

(And he's nowhere near as scary as the Elf).

{ our thanksgiving day }

2011-11-28T04:51:00.000-08:00

We spent our Thanksgiving Day with some very special guests: Grandma and Pop Pop.

Turtle was ecstatic to get hardcore quality time with his grandparents and we were thrilled to see so much love in the air.

Our day started early - MacGyver picked up some munchkins and bagels for breakfast and I fired up the oven. We tuned the TV to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the work began.

MacGyver brought the most beautiful flowers (and I'm really proud of this pictures since I took it on full manual with no autofocus - thank you, photography class).

Turtle snuggled up to Grandma during the preparations.

I put together a little menu for the place settings. It looks cute with the silverware.

We planned appetizers and cocktails for about 12:30. Kind of a very light lunch before the main event.

MacGyver handled the bar: dirty martinis for him and Grandma, a Manhattan for Pop Pop and a Bubbletini for the cook.

We served them up with an assortment of cheeses, olives, hummus, bruschetta and pepperoni.

I took a moment to decompress before getting back to the turkey and trimmings.

And finally, we were ready to go.

Somebody was all ready to dig in!

Mmmmm. Turkeyyyyy....

We had to get one shot of Turtle with his grandparents before the feast.

Great fall salad - spinach with goat cheese, dried cranberries, cashews and blush wine vinaigrette. Yum.

After the meal, everyone had to take a little break, including Turtle.

And after naps and a few rounds of Chutes & Ladders, it was time for dessert. Also known as "the best part."

It was a wonderful day, full of family and fun.

How did you spend your Thanksgiving Day?

{ happy thanksgiving }

2011-11-24T05:34:00.000-08:00

From our house to yours.

May you and your families and friends have a beautiful and love-filled day.

{ thankful turkey. the things pinterest makes me do }

2011-11-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that everyone on Pinterest has a love/hate relationship.

We all love the influx of amazingly creative ideas. And we all hate that there aren't enough hours of the day/money in the bank to take on every project.

If you're me, you worry about how many times in a week you can challenge the hot glue gun and walk away unsinged.

Things like that.

And then, oh dreadful day, you see things like this Ribbon Turkey Shirt.

lovefromtexas.com

Things that are too stinking adorable for words, but that really don't have a place in your life.

Because I just don't think Turtle would be down with so many ribbons.

But it got in my head, that ribbon turkey.

And then, I was watching NickJr, and saw Joe, of Blue's Clues fame, prancing about with a turkey-shaped book of all the things he was thankful for, and inspiration struck!

A Thankful Turkey Book!

With a Ribbon Turkey Cover!

Boom.

I used a foam turkey I had handy as a template and cut two full turkey bodies out of cardstock for the front and back covers, and then five footless versions for the pages.

I sat with Turtle and we got to work, naming things for which he was thankful.

He started with "colors" and "letters." Which are, as you know, very important in daily life.

He helped me with illustrations.

He had very specific directions for some of the pictures we made.

He gets that from me. :)

While he handled the inner pages, I cut out some felt and ribbons for the cover.

I glued down a big piece of yellow felt, attached my ribbon "feathers" and then added the turkey body/neck of brown felt. I topped the whole thing off with button eyes, a red ribbon "gobbler" and a yellow felt beak.

I bound it by punching two holes through the far right side and tying ribbon loops through each hole. Super cute. And a great way to use up some leftover ribbon scraps, too.

And just for fun, some of the Turtle's thankful things...

He is also thankful for school (and his teacher), letters, colors and a cat. Hey. I was just writing the stuff down. I don't know what cat he's grateful for, but he is.

I thought it would be nice to sit and go through the pictures when Grandma and Pop Pop visit for Thanksgiving. Perhaps a nice tradition to do every year.

But at least I got that ribbon turkey in!

{ thanksgiving, the three pugs way }

2011-11-16T21:29:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. It's a week away.

But I am all ready to get cracking. We'll do our big, pre-Thanksgiving shopping-fest this weekend and then, I'll be up bright and early on Thursday morning, to get the bird in the oven.

And to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Before noon, it's floats, balloons and marching bands. After that, it's the gridiron. It's how Thanksgiving works, yo.

I thought I might take the opportunity of the one-week mark to share our menu and some favorite recipes. Everyone has the dishes that are near and dear to their hearts, and it's always nice to see what others are making.

Appetizers

We generally serve the turkey at about 4pm on Thanksgiving. Too early for lunch before, too late for dinner after. And I certainly don't want anything too heavy so our diners can't enjoy the rest of the meal.

We used to put out a big spread of stuffed shells and meatballs, stuffed mushrooms and other forms of deliciousness. So good, but way too much.

So, we cut back to antipas.

Sharp cheddar and green apples, green and black olives, hummus and flatbread. Light and easy and great for grazing. We can leave this out for a while and just pick as needed.

Of course, don't forget a signature cocktail. My in-laws love Manhattans, so that's what we did here. I have no idea how MacGyver made these. Except it involved some liquor and maraschino cherries.

Salad

I like a small salad before a nice dinner. I have two different varieties I like to include. I always pre-plate this course and have it waiting on the table when everyone sits down.

Spinach Salad: Toss spinach leaves with sliced strawberries, crumbled bacon, crumbled bleu cheese or gorgonzola and chopped walnuts with your favorite raspberry vinaigrette.
Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette: Arrange your favorite baby greens on a plate with thinly sliced granny smith and macintosh apples. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts and drizzle with cider vinaigrette (whisk together 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp minced shallots, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp honey, and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil).

Main Course - Turkey

Turkey is a personal thing. People have all different tried and true methods, so you really have to decide what works for you and yours.

We generally make two turkeys: one roasted traditionally in the oven. One fried. Oh, baby.

Roasted Turkey: I'm a butter, wine and herb girl. I stuff the cavity of the bird with peeled and roughly chopped red onion, garlic, celery, lemon, lime, green apple, and fresh herbs (sage, rosemary & thyme). I open up a space between the skin of the breast and the meat, and massage a mixture of butter and garlic all beneath the skin. I then slide in fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage, and rub the outside of the skin with the same butter & garlic mixture. I then pour some white wine over the whole shebang and sprinkle the outside of the bird with paprika for color. I baste every 30 minutes with a blend of melted butter and white wine, roasting at 325 according to package instructions (Go here for basic rules of proper temperatures and technicalities.) The end result is something like this.

Oh, beauty.

I use the drippings in the roasting pan to make a bourbon gravy. I simply heat the pan on the stove burner, salt & pepper, add flour, some chicken broth and bourbon, and mix til smooth. Finish with a drizzle of cream for added richness.

Fried Turkey Breast: This technically falls outside of my domain. MacGyver takes a small (5ish lb) breast, cleans it, pats it dry, seasons it lightly with some pepper and salt, and tosses it in our deep fryer outside. It doesn't take very long to cook, and the frying seals in all the yummy turkey flavor. It's a fan favorite.

Main Course - The Trimmings

This year, I think we will be having the following sides with our turkey.

Traditional Stuffing: I prefer to use the Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing bread crumbs as opposed to day-old bread. It makes it less mushy. I saute celery and onions in butter, per the instructions on the bag, and replace the called-for amount of chicken broth with 2/3 broth and 1/3 white wine. I bake the whole thing in a greased casserole dish to get a nice crunchy topping. Mmmm. Crunchy topping.

Cranberry Sauce: Some people love the ridges from the can. I love the real deal. Bring 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil and then dump in 24oz of fresh cranberries. Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the skins start to pop. Allow to cool enough to handle and then run through a food mill. Pour into containers, cover and chill in the fridge. If you like whole berry sauce, you can skip the food mill, entirely.

Brussels Sprouts: This will be our green veggie this year. Quarter fresh brussels sprouts and saute with some minced garlic and butter until the cut sides are golden brown. Add salt and pepper and some crumbled bacon. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes: I normally make a divine sweet potato souffle, but it is rich. And heavy. And kind of time-consuming. And rich. So this year, I'm just going to whip up some sweets with butter and milk and maybe a touch of cinnamon and vanilla. We've been skipping the white potato. You know. To save room for dessert.

Rolls & Butter

Dessert

AKA. The best part.

Typically, we have pumpkin pie, apple pie and butter spritz cookies.

This year, I'm switching it up.

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cakes in single-serving sizes
Individual apple tarts or my Nana's apple pie. Or maybe cherry pie.
Chocolate cupcakes with buttercream. Turtle is a bit silly about pies, and he loves cupcakes. It's only fair to have something for him.

And there you have it. To be honest, I could make do with just the stuffing, gravy and cranberries (and dessert), but the people demand their turkey, so I give them what they want.

What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? Besides sharing with family and friends, of course. Any special recipes you care to share with us? We'd love to hear them!

Ok, ok. Here's the sweet potato souffle recipe. It's really, really good.

Combine 3 cups cooked, peeled sweet potatoes, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, slightly beaten, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 stick butter and 1 tsp vanilla and pour into buttered baking dish. Top with 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 cup self-rising flour and 1 cup chopped pecans, mixed & blended by hand. Bake in 350 degree oven until topping is light brown, 15-20 minutes.

{ jump start on holiday shopping with red envelope }

2011-11-16T04:59:00.000-08:00

I waver between proactive and procrastinate when it comes to holiday shopping.

I get it in my head that I'm going to get everything done early. And I do make a go of it. But then new toys come out. Or Turtle changes his mind. Or I try to wait for a sale. Or I forget that I've already bought things.

I'm probably not alone.

Also? I love online shopping.

The mere mention of Black Friday is enough to make me break into hives. The thought of shopping while jostling in a sea of people, hunting for spots in the overflowing parking lots... it's just not worth any potential savings. Not for me.

It's so much nicer to click a few buttons, enter my shipping information and wait patiently for my goodies to be turn up on my front porch.

This year, I did get a bit of a jump start, thanks to Red Envelope, which has always been one of my favorite sites for unique and special gifts.

There were definitely some must-haves for Turtle. It took forever to decide, but I finally selected this adorable, personalized Dear Santa t-shirt.

Seriously. How cute is this going to look for Santa and candy cane pictures?

The answer is "so very cute."

I was quite taken with all the cute t-shirts, and all the child-friendly wall art, too.

Additionally, I did purchase two more gifts for the grandparents, but I can't post links to them here. Because I know for a fact that at least one grandparent reads here (hi, Mom!) and I don't want to spoil the surprise.

What I CAN say is that Red Envelope, once again, delivered. Literally. Within four days of ordering, two packages showed up at my front door. One with the surprise gifts and one with the t-shirt, which had been personalized. That's amazing turn around, especially for something name-specific.

If you're like me, preferring the convenience of online shopping to the holiday rush, check out Red Envelope. Even if you procrastinate, you're in luck, with their super-fast shipping times.

Disclaimer: this is a sponsored post. In exchange for my review, I was compensated in the form of a gift card to Red Envelope in order to blog about my shopping experience. This review reflects my own, personal, unbiased opinion.

{ back to school. for me }

2011-11-15T04:14:00.000-08:00

Last night, I returned to a classroom for the first time since 1998.

I've always been a bit of what might be called "a nerd." At one point, there were even thick glasses.

But, as long as it wasn't something horrible like statistics or physics, I loved sliding into my desk in front of the chalkboard, opening a college-ruled notebook, and taking copious notes in blue ballpoint. Medium tip, of course.

I love learning. Mostly useless things like art and anthropology and things that have no importance in the real world.

Unless I ever got into the Cash Cab.

Dare to dream.

I registered for an Intermediate Digital Photography class at UNF.

I love my Rebel. I love taking pictures. And I'm not awful at it. But I also don't know exactly what the hell I'm doing. Or why I'm doing/not doing it. I don't shoot automatic, but I could benefit from actual knowledge from a real photographer.

Plus, I really like school supplies. I look for any excuse to buy a new notebook.

I thought this would be a great way to learn some technical skills. What metering is for. How to use ISO and f-stops and aperture all together in harmony.

That kind of thing.

And I was right.

Nervous. But right.

Last night, I drove to the campus and found my way to the classroom. I was intimidated for sure. I've never been great with new situations. And I have this bizarre parking hangup, which I blame on years living in Miami, where there is valet for everything from Publix to fancy restaurants to the movie theater to the Dollar Store.

Fortunately, thanks in part to great directions, I secured a close parking spot and found the room.

I'd like to add that classrooms have come a long way in the last 10 years. Very high-tech and such. Call my nostalgic, but I miss chalkboards and those weird half-desk things.

Moving on. Before I really embarrass myself.

The class is great. The instructor is very nice and very patient. Great personality and very friendly. He seems to teach all levels of the class and the Photoshop Editing class, and I think I'll be signing up for Advanced and editing pretty soon.

Additionally, he hosts some "field trips" - a few hours at a local location or a weekend away for hands-on training. That is right up my alley! I would love to be able to work with someone to find out exactly what I'm doing right or wrong on the spot.

Tonight, I walked with all kinds of great handouts and my first homework assignment in years.

I'm only slightly excited to get working on it.

And I'm looking forward to next week's subject matter.

It's taken me a long time (three years) to work up the nerve to register for a continuing education class, and I can see how it might become a habit. It's nice to exercise the cerebral cortex a little and I'm always in favor of expanding my horizons.

Wish me luck with the rest of the course!

{ time to start thinking about holiday cards. time for shutterfly. }

2011-11-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

We are at the halfway mark in November, which means, it's time to start looking at holiday cards!

Once again, we are trusting Shutterfly with our holiday cards. Prior to Turtle, we really didn't do photo greetings, but once he came and we wanted to share more pictures of him with family and friends, I really can't imagine going anywhere else.

The quality has always been amazing - our cards are printed brightly and beautifully on heavy cardstock. And it doesn't stop at cards, either. The same great quality carries over to other products, like calendars, prints and photobooks.

The few experiences I've had with customer service representatives have been positive and stress-free.

You can't beat the prices.

Oh. And the best part? There are so many gorgeous Christmas and holiday card designs in so many different styles, it's hard to pick just one favorite.

We have some beautiful family photos we would love to include in our card, so we are looking for just the right style to complement our images.

This Snowflake Pattern Holiday Card has such a simple elegance.

But I'm drawn to the fun colors of this Wonder Trees Holiday Card.

I also like the idea of including more than one photo, so I'm not counting out In Brackets or Bright Polka Dots.

It will all come down to a coin toss. Or a spirited game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

While you're taking care of your holiday cards, don't forget to check out some of Shutterfly's other great products: they have a full line of invitations and thank you cards, as well as great gifts like photobooks, and photo fleece blankets.

Definitely a unique (and toasty warm) way to keep your special memories close to your heart!

I can't wait to place our order for our holiday cards and annual photobooks, this year!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. In exchange for my review, I was compensated with 25 holiday cards from Shutterfly.. The opinion expressed in this review is my own, unbiased opinion.

{ penn state got it right }

2011-11-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

Last night, at a 10:30ish press conference, the Penn State Board of Trustees made the announcement that head coach Joe Paterno was terminated, effective immediately, along with former university president, Graham Spanier.

The declaration was met with gasps, shouts, flashbulbs.

And throngs of angry students mobbing the common areas.

But Penn State got it right. They sent a message, loud and clear. That sometimes, even though you may do what's legal, you should still do what's right. And also, that integrity is more important than a sport.

And also, that it doesn't matter what kind of living legend you may be, if you don't call the police or CPS after finding out that one of your staff raped a child in the locker room, you're not going to be allowed to retire with dignity.

Although that should really go without saying.

If you've missed it, you can read a pretty comprehensive timeline of the week's events here. Long story short, former Penn State assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky, over a period of 15 years, sexually abused no less than eight young boys. Young, as in seven, eight, nine years old. In the campus locker rooms. He was seen, several times, by different people. And although he was reported to various people, including Paterno, the athletic director Tim Curley, and the senior VP for business & finance Gary Schultz, Sandusky was never investigated or charged by the police.

It would seem the reports never made it that far.

Here's the Grand Jury Report. I would advise you to read it, if you must, on an empty stomach.

Legally, Joe Paterno did what he was supposed to do. The bare minimum. He took the information from then-grad-student Mike McQueary, who witnessed Sandusky raping a child in the showers in 2002, and passed it on to to AD Curley. The police were not called. CPS was not contacted. An investigation was not escalated until years later, when the victims started speaking out.

I can't fathom how the ball could be dropped in an instance like this.

Paterno is most likely not a bad man. He made some really, really, really bad decisions. And he has to be accountable.

He coached at Penn State for over four decades. People called him a legend in his own time. Winningest coach. Maintained a clean program. But now, his legacy bears a blight. Because he looked away while children were raped.

And that's what I'm going to remember. Hopefully, it's what most people remember.

Legally, he's in the clear. He told his superiors and passed the buck. But that's not enough for me. It's not enough for the victims and their families. If it was your child, would it be enough for you?

And it wasn't enough for Penn State, either, who made it clear last night that Joe Pa would not coach another game at their institution.

Sometimes, it goes beyond legal. This time, it was about what was right.

As I watched the CNN footage last night, I was saddened to see the students. Rallying around a man who didn't stand up for children not THAT much younger than they are now. Any one of them could have been a victim of Sandusky's atrocities. Thank goodness the only thing these protesting students have lost is a coach. Not their innocence. Not their sense of trust. I hope one day, they can look back and realize that. See how misguided their anger was on this night.

The Lions will rebuild. From the bottom. I imagine it will be a long time before a top coach or top recruit wants to get near the program or be touched by the residual taint of this scandal.

It's not the end of the Nittany Lions. I don't think it should be. The athletes were not at fault for this. The program was not at fault. The blame is in the hands of an accused pedophile and the leaders who protected him.

This won't ever go away. The children who were victimized by an evil creature will never be able to forget what happened to them. And how no one stood up to help.

No one else should forget that either.

The Board of Trustees stood up for Penn State's integrity last night. They drew a hard line against wrongdoing.

It's a step in the right direction and they should be commended for that.

They're sending the right message.

{ scared of shadows }

2011-11-08T04:57:00.000-08:00

We have been vigilant about not using the "scared" word around Turtle. we're all about not putting ideas in his head, if we can help it.

But, somehow, he's enter into a "scared of the dark" phase.

Any time he has to enter a dark room, even in daylight hours, he tells me the room is spooky.

He asks us to turn on lights in unlit rooms, and he loves having all the lights on. All the time.

He has two nightlights in his room, and he still turns on his main light and falls asleep with it on.

He says he doesn't like the Shadow Wall.

Tonight, I tried "Shadow Spray" to convince him that all was well.

He wasn't buying it.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I have what some would call a hyperactive imagination and I've been known to get more than a little panicky about shadows. And things under the bed. And bogeymen in the closet.

It can't come as a shock that my son would have similar tendencies.

In the meantime, we keep trying to play down his concerns. We show him where the spooky shadows are coming from and check out the areas of his alarm to soothe him. We leave the light on if he prefers it and we are quick to address his fears, if he needs.

Last night, MacGyver sent him to sleep with his little Toy Story flashlight. I guess whatever works?

In the meantime, suggestions are welcome. I guess Shadow Sprays and Monster Sprays don't impress him. We're prepared to ride it out as a phase, but if there are thoughts on how to alleviate his anxiety, we're more than happy to hear them!

{ what's going on }

2011-11-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

We survived the end of Daylight Savings. Turtle actually slept til about 8am, which is pretty late for him. I, on the other hand, spent the night plagued by allergies and utterly convinced that the wind outside was really an intruder trying to break in. I could have slept till 11am. How did falling back out work out for you and your littles?

The Miami Dolphins won their first game of the season. It's about damn time. And yay. Now, let's keep it up.

The weather has taken a turn for the nasty. Granted, not snowstorm nasty (and I hope that everyone up north has their power back and is staying warm), but enough to make me want to crawl into pajamas and watch movies with Turtle on the couch, all day long. With hot chocolate.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, followed by Christmas. I need to get on menu planning.

Today begins a return to working out. I've been out of the game for almost a month, what with being sick, getting sick again, and then topping that off with another bout of sick. That ends now.

I'm starting photography classes at the local college in two weeks. I'm excited and scared. I hope I don't embarrass myself horribly.

MacGyver and I are tossing the idea of starting Turtle in martial arts classes. It's definitely something we want for him, but I'm not sure if he's too young for the commitment. We'll be having some more discussions, but would love input if anyone has it.

And.... that's about it. I'm ready to get this week going!

{ happy anniversary to macgyver & a winner! }

2011-11-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

First, a very special Happy Anniversary to my husband. Five years ago, on a very, very windy day, we married in Coconut Grove and embarked on a fabulous adventure together, that has led us to some wonderful things.

Not least of which is Turtle.

I love you.

And now, the winner of our Scentsy Plug-In Warmer giveaway...

Comment #42...

Which is... ALEXA W!!!!!

Congratulations, Alexa! Kristin and I know you are going to love your new warmer!

If you are still interested in great Scentsy products and offers, check out Kristin's Facebook page, Wick-Free! She's got all kinds of great promotions going on, just in time for the holidays!

Thanks for playing and have a great weekend!

{ thankful }

2011-11-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here we are, in November.

Another year is almost over.

And I'm thankful.

Thankful for almost five years with the most wonderful husband a woman could want. Even on the days when he gets on my nerves.

Thankful for our sweet little boy. He's three and testing us every day, but I forget all about that when he snuggles and makes us laugh. Which is so often.

Thankful for our dear pugs. Even the crazy one. We couldn't be luckier to have such cool furbabies.

Thankful for our home, our health, our lives, our families, our friends.

Just. Thankful.

{ halloween: the recap }

2011-11-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday through Monday has been nothing more than a blur.

A fun, beautiful, wonderful blur.

Three parties.

Two costumes.

One great night of trick or treating.

We started on Saturday afternoon, as guests at a great birthday party for two sweet brothers.

Turtle went as Clark Kent/Superman. My friend A introduced me to the idea via Pinterest and I went with it because it was comfortable and easy and because Turtle's main costume (Buzz Lightyear) was predominantly white and subject to getting dirty over the course of three parties.

I know I'm biased, but he's the cutest Clark Kent pretty much ever.

He had so much fun painting candy lips with edible markers...

And beading candy necklaces (He has done some lacing, but he did really well with the small pieces. We were so proud).

And he loved his "candy corn" cupcake.

Some more cupcakes, because I thought they came out really cute. I loved getting to make the different "monsters."

Then it was home to rest up for Sunday morning. We were planning a big Halloween Boo-tacular at the house for some of our friends.

Turtle reprised his role as Superman again.

We had some yummy food.

Along with some yummy treats.

I'm going to take this opportunity to rave about Publix, yet again. I ordered a spider-shaped pumpernickel loaf for spinach dip in a 2lb size, when we were getting our deli trays. It was so cute and something I couldn't do myself. Although I should have tried to take credit for it. Anyway, they made a mistake, and to fix it, they gave us a 2lb spider loaf AND a 10lb spider loaf, for $16! (the posted price was $12/lb, so this was HUGE). And that 10lbs of bread did not survive our hungry guests.

I set up a really cute photo booth area with hay bales and corn stalks with some awesome props from etsy seller Photo Booth Fun.

Guests could take serious pictures.

Or silly pictures.

We had a Make A Mask station...

And a pumpkin painting station.

Turtle wanted to paint his pumpkin orange. Yeah. That would make sense.

The festivities lasted well into the afternoon, and it was early to bed for everyone to prepare for October 31.

Which dawned, dark and rainy.

Turtle had a parade and Fall Party at school, and we were giddy with excitement. He decided, rather last minute, that he didn't want to wear his Buzz Lightyear costume to school, so I whipped out his extra Superman shirt (thanks, Nat!) and another button down for over it.

I'm not going to fight those battles so early in the morning.

Here he is, at the start of the line for his class, parading around the gym.

It was a little bit of organized chaos. But the cutest damn organized chaos I had ever seen.

Parents were invited back to the classrooms, where the kids got some yummy treats and we got to watch them play and interact.

Some of the class projects.

Enjoying his snack.

Exhausted after all that hard work!

After the festivities had died down, we took him home.

It was time for the real fun.

We had a few friends over for a quick dinner of the infamous spider bread...

Served with some Lou Malnotti's pizzas, shipped in from Chicago, when MacGyver went away on business, and the cutest little desserts ever.

I dressed up as a 50s Housewife.

And Turtle finally donned his Buzz Lightyear costume.

He had to do a few practice runs, to make sure he had the hang of it.

The superheroes were out in full force...

And they were all adorable.

We tried to bring some Northern hospitality to the south by offering cider and donuts at our house.

It was a decent hit, but we are going to have to step up our game next year... I see big things in 2012.

The whole day was just awesome.

Turtle was so excited and had so much fun. He was so proud of all the candy he collected in his bucket, and he wants to wear his Buzz Lightyear suit and wings nonstop, now.

We love that kid.

Happy Halloween to you and yours! Time to move on to November and all the reason we're thankful.

Starting, of course, with this giveaway from Wick Free for a Scentsy Plug In Warmer! Check it out while there's still time!

{ trick or treat }

2011-10-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Confession time.

I am running on energy harnessed from the mini Twix I pilfered from Turtle's Halloween bucket.

But I can't deny you guys a photo of the cutest little Buzz Lightyear ever.

He had the best time trick or treating and I melted a thousand times over, seeing how much fun he was having.

Did your little ones enjoy Halloween? What did they dress up as? What did YOU dress up as? I'll share my costume this week!

And don't forget - if you want to win a free Plug-In Warmer from Scentsy, enter our giveaway before Friday, November 4!

{ happy halloween! and a scentsy giveaway! - CLOSED }

2011-10-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day full of treats, and maybe a few fun tricks.

I am so excited to spend time with my family and some friends tonight, for all the trick or treating and passing out candy.

Don't worry, pictures to come. Turtle really gets it this year and it is so hard to keep the smile off my face when I hear him tell me that he is going to all the doors "with himself" so he can get his candy.

Swoon.

Another thing this week?

MacGyver and I will celebrate five years of wedded bliss on Friday. I can't believe it. So much has happened in that time - most of it so wonderful (hey, you can't have the good without the bad). I'm really looking forward to spending time with my husband and father of my sweet boy.

So.

In honor of all these fun things, I want to give you a gift.

My friend Kristin is an Independent Lead Consultant for Scentsy. And I confess, I am pretty much addicted. Before MacGyver and I got serious about Scentsy (and yes, there were intense conversations about making the switch), we were candle addicts. We spent a small fortune on candles and went through them like nothing.

I had heard of (and smelled) Scentsy products at other friend's houses, but it took me a while to determine if it was right for us. In case you're not sure, Scentsy is a wickless system, which uses decorative burners to heat scented wax with a warm bulb, filling your home with wonderful fragrance. Two huge benefits are that a) you never have an open flame in your home and b) the wax never gets hot enough to burn, should it spill or come in contact with your skin.

Practical AND decorative.

Oh, and did I mention so economical? So much more reasonable than candles.

The warmers are so cute, too! Like this, in honor of Halloween...

Or perhaps you're ready for something a little Christmas-y, like this.

There are tons of different styles and sizes from which to choose - neutrals and themes and holiday-focussed.

And the scents? Oh, where do I start.

I am currently warming Pumpkin Marshmallow, which is just beyond yummy - a combination of pumpkin spice and cream cheese frosting. Another favorite is Blueberry Cheesecake, which is the most delicious blueberry scent in the world. I like the smells of baked goods, obviously. But there are floral scents and fruited scents and fresh scents and natural scents.

Really, there's something for everyone, and so many other great products like Room Sprays and Scent Circles.

And here is our Happy Halloween Gift to you!

Kristin will be giving away to a lucky reader, one Plug-In Warmer of your choice!

You could prep for next year's Pumpkin Day...

Or get ready for the holidays with this cute snowman.

Or choose from any one of over 30 different varieties!

Perfect to treat yourself or as a gift for a friend or loved one.

Here's how you win.

Leave a comment on this post, telling me which Plug-In Warmer you like best from Kristin's Scentsy site! Don't worry - you can change your mind if you win. Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win! (mandatory entry).

For an additional entry, tweet about this giveaway. For example: "Enter to win a #Scentsy Plug-In Warmer from WickFree & @3pugsandbaby! http://tinyurl.com/3ezalch" Leave a comment saying you did, with your Twitter name.

Easy peasy!

You have until our anniversary, Friday, November 2011, at noon EST to get your entries in. Open to US residents only, 18 years and older. Winner will be selected via Random.org and announced on this blog and via email.

If you have any questions about Scentsy, or want to purchase additional items or host a party, please visit Kristin's Facebook page: Wick Free. She is constantly offering specials and running games and promotions to win fun Scentsy products, so you don't want to miss out!

Good luck!

Disclosure: This review reflects my honest opinion of Scentsy products, which I own and purchase with pride. I was not compensated in any way for this review or giveaway.