chocolate cake in a mug

i can already tell this is NOT going to be good! and by good, i don't mean not tasty, i mean, it is delicious and it literally takes 30 seconds to make in the microwave after you assemble.

i have gotten turned on to reading "Chocolate Covered Katie", which i found linked on dana's blog. i figure if dana gives her the stamp of approval, then i am safe!

i am anxious to try tons of her recipes, but finally made ONE MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE for the first time yesterday...TWICE...see, i told you this isn't going to be good! i DO appreciate that many of her recipes are single serving so you don't have left overs around! I don't do leftovers for normal food, but i will tear dessert leftovers up like it's my J-O-B!

if you get a chance, try out this recipe and head over to CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE!

ONE MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE (slightly modified from the original)

1 T cocoa powder
3 tsp cocoa powder

3 T flour
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 splenda or stevia packet
1 T extra light olive oil (will try to substitute applesauce whenever i get some)
3 T almond milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Be sure they are very well mixed. Add liquid and stir well. Microwave 30-40 seconds.

I am considering adding some strawberries or raspberries the next time because i LOVE chocolate and berries!

pink and green...

toe-boes! painted cameron's toes for the first time today!

(between my redneck toes and cam's short middle toe, i'm sure you've seen enough of our gnarly feet by now!)

party planning time!

now that Christmas has come and gone it's time to start thinking about Landon's bday party! yes, it's not until the end of May, but I like to start early!

I usually give him 2 options to choose from for themes as he has a very difficult time just initiating a choice (although he is getting much better at this).

his choices:

upside down party

or

an orange party (in honor of his favorite color)

and the winner is...

what i typically do is to ask him every week or so the same question just to be sure (we do this with Halloween costume choices and his Santa list too). He rarely changes his mind.

when asked, "well, Landon, what could we eat at an orange party?" he responded, "weeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllll {he is getting quite the 'voice' in his speech these days}, whaaaattttttt aaabbouuuuuut, orange soda?! and orange Gatorade and orange juice boxes"

"And what about things to eat, Landon?"

"ummmmm, cheetos?! how bout dat? and cheezits?!"

"What color should your cupcakes be at an orange party?"

"ORANGE!"

Orange it is, i guess!

i look forward to coming up with some creative ideas for this one! if you've got any, send 'em my way!

i sure hope you attendees like orange!

one of these days i'll figure out a way to do an elevator party!

snowman garland

i LOVE looking at crafting blogs and "Someday Crafts" is a FABULOUS one.

i love this idea and think i might just have my STING kids make a snowman garland this week for good measure in hopes for a snow day sometime soon! I think we might have to make snowflakes also so we can alternate between snowflakes and snowmen!

(original post from: real life, one day at a time)

heaven balls (ha!)

so, in this sea of sickness, i have been craving something yummy that would make me feel better.

my friend, beth, gave me these ridiculously good truffles one day after school. shaun and i sat in bed and devoured them in about -2 seconds the same night. we've been thinking of them ever since.

beth was nice enough to share the recipe and i whipped them up last night.

everything that beth has made has looked AND tasted gorgeous. needless to say, i definitely missed the mark on looking fabulous here, but they taste pretty good for my first attempt.


so happy to have these added to my dessert file. i can't wait to try some alterations as well. my two favorite chocolate combinations are choc & raspberry and choc & mint, so i was thinking that i could use girl scout thin mints instead of oreos and then for the choc and raspberry, i might just add some raspberries to the original recipe.

so, when tuesday rolls around and i have started my diet again, i sure hope these little lovelies are out of sight because i don't think i'll be able to resist!

today i'm grateful for...

*a doctor on call who would just call in an RX for me for pink eye so that i didn't have to go to Prompt Care.

*dancing in the kitchen with my daughter.

*landon getting to go on an "elevator field trip" with his dad.

add this to my want list

okay, given that we have had everything from

tonsillitis (x2)

to

impetigo

to

stomach bug (x2)

to

laryngitis

to

pink eye (x2)

to

ear infection

this week, I really only want everyone to get better...

BUT...

as i'm sitting here trying to catch up on blogs, I saw this AMAZING bookshelf and want it...good thing it is from a Korean website of which i can read NOTHING other than 1,900,000, which makes it very clear that no matter what currency, i won't be buying it! SUPER CUTE, though.

my 40 in 40 list

blog-illiterate

now that i'm back to blogging, i am becoming envious of everyone's cute headings, signatures, and fonts.

must

figure

out

how

to

do

(any advice, anyone?)

well, dana, that really just means you because you're the only one that reads this ridiculous thing!

40 bags in 40 days

I couldn't be more excited about this challenge. If anyone needs to get rid of stuff, it's me!

I saw this challenge over at "Little Lucy Lu"

The challenge in short: Fill up 40 bags of things to dump (trash, donate, etc) within 40 days. You can use multiple bags for larger spaces (2 bags for your dresser drawers, for instance).

This is the perfect challenge for me during the month of January as this month's focus is 'energy' for my Happiness Project and cleanliness and organization produces a better vibe, hence better energy.

I will post my 40 bags in 40 days list soon!

today i am grateful for...

1. working with some amazing gals who make my life so much easier and so much brighter!
2. spending the day with my sick little man. Although he isn't well, I've enjoyed his cuddles and him needing me.
3. the beautiful snow, which brought a bright light to a pretty dim day.

socks-->leggings

i can't wait to go to my favorite store (Target) and pick up some socks to make these cute things. Well, I might have to bribe my mom to help me. i haven't sewn in quite a while! They took a pair of socks; the same exact knee-high kind i wear everyday, and sewed them together to make leggings!

precious

Thanks "Just Between Friends" for posting this tutorial!

http://easyascutandpaste.blogspot.com/2012/01/diy-toddler-leggings.html

closet-->reading nook

I can add this to the long list of "some day, I'll..." list. I really want to make reading nooks in each of the kids closets...a cozy place for them to snuggle up and be read to and eventually read on their own. I came across these cute ideas, all of which are too elaborate for what I will have time and space to do, but inspiring nonetheless.

blah!

planning a diet is far more fun than actually implementing it! I am struggling...

planning a diet over a cheat meal! HA!

so, i haven't posted anything in about a gazillion years and i don't even know that i can keep this up, but i feel inclined to write about my resolutions and aspirations for the new year.

i have started reading The Happiness Project again, which has been really motivating. In my head, it was almost as if i couldn't really start my own happiness project until january since that how she structured her project. This month i am focused on:

energy

just like the author, i am convinced that if i can get my energy better under control other things will more easily fall into place. I have put post it notes all over my bathroom mirrors with sayings such as:

"don't put it down, put it away"

"if it takes less than a minute, DO IT!"

"If you can't find something, clean up!"

"eat well"

speaking of the last one...we met with Dana, Rich and Hay Hay at Mi Rancho (yum) tonight to hang out and i finally had a chance to wrap my head around some food questions. Dana has been rocking out the diet this week and i have been a slacker. watch out thursday, here i come! the second i got home i packed my meals for tomorrow, so i guess all it took was a little diet planning over a cheat meal! oh, the irony :-)

i hope to post more again soon...we'll see...