Smooth and Silky!

As a huge fan of Pinterest, I stumbled across this blog about smooth and silky legs.

I decided to give it a go.  Especially after reading about all the health benefits of coconut oil.

A Sugar Scrub...something I have never tried.

But let me tell you it will forever be a part of my beauty regimen!

I followed the directions on my legs first.

Then decided that this would be amazing over my entire body.

And oh my goodness!

My skin felt AMAZING!

My legs were incredibly smooth!

So here it is...

2 1/2 cups of Sugar

1 cup of oil (I used Coconut Oil)

5 TBLS of citrus juice (I used Lemon)

For smooth legs:

Soak your legs, body in the tub for about 5 mins or so.

Shave.

Scrub with the sugar mixture.

Shave again.

Scrub.

For smooth skin:

Scrub with sugar mixture.

Amazing!

Your legs will feel amazing.  Your hands, arms, body will be so smooth.

Best homemade beauty secret to date!

Trust me you won't be sorry :)

Insanity Workout DVD Give Away-Why Yes Please

I have been wondering about this insane workout people all over have been talking about.

I can't help but wonder if it is just a fad like most diet plans,workouts, etc.

Kinda like everyone joining the gym the 1st of the year.

So I saw this link on a friend's Facebook page and clicked on it.

Well it is a give away for all 10 DVD's. 

I definitely care about my health and as I grow older even more so!

Healthier eating habits and workouts have become so much

more important to me.

I would love to give this Insanity Workout DVD a try.

I have seen some results from friends who have tried it and they truly are amazing!

So if you want a chance to win the Insanity Workout DVD Give Away

mosey on over to

http://knowmybody.com/insanity-workout-dvd-giveaway/

and enter for your chance to win!

I know I am!

Sticky Cinnamon Bun aka Monkey Bread

Ever bought the premade sticky cinnamon bun?

Disappointed?

Well you won't be with this recipe.

This is super easy

but

DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:

3 TBLS Butter Melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 cup pecans (optional)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup of pancake syrup

2 cans of Grands Biscuits

Mix melted butter and syrup in bowl and set aside. Combine, pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray. Pour half of the butter/syrup mixture in bottom and top with brown sugar mixture.  Place biscuits at an angle around the bundt pan.  It will be a tight fight and you can just use one can.  (I like using 2 :) Pour remaining butter/syrup mixture on top of biscuits and top with the remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-45 mins with 2 cans of biscuits.

Allow to cool for a few minutes and flip on to a platter.

My family loves this fresh out of the oven.  It tastes YUMMY!

More cakes

Dinosaur Cake I made for my friends son.

I was very pleased with the result.

I got a dinosaur kit from Toys R Us that included rocks, volcanos, dinosaurs, and trees.

I used 2 smaller round cakes to set the volcano on and to make a grassy area.

Classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Grassy area is butter cream.

Kit Kat Cake I made for my beau!

Chocolate Cake with caramel in the center.

A peanut butter frosting.

Wrapped with Kit Kats and filled with Peanut M&M's.

Break the Kit Kats in groups of 2 set around the cake.

Super easy and really cute!  He loved it :)

Cakes and Stuff

Monkey Theme Baby Shower I decorated for and made both

the diaper cake and edible cake.

Sweet Monkey Boy Diaper Cake

Sweet Monkey Boy Edible Cake

(only took me 7 1/2 hours to do everything)

Under Sea Sweet 16 Cake

Diaper Wreath

Jungle Friends

Kayla's Birthday Cake

Woodland Friends Diaper Cake

Butterfly Kisses Diaper Cake

Final Paper

I am seriously procrastinating!

I have a paper due tomorrow, grant it, it is ONLY 10 pages long

but...

I am only 3 pages in.

Geez!  I just can't seem to get inspired.



FINALLY, the Baby Shower

I am finally getting around to posting pictures of the baby shower!

I have been away for a month now.  Wow...I have been SO busy with work, school, and the kiddos

that I haven't had time.  Sorry.  Life sometimes takes over.

I am 2 papers shy from finishing the semester and being

OFFICIALLY

half way through my Master's degree. Yay me!

Now for the baby shower.  Let  me just say I LOVE babies!

And I LOVE hosting parties!

I put a lot of time and effort into the baby shower.  The day started with lots of tears, read why here.

I had to call in the grandma to be to help.  I just couldn't seem to get myself together.

Once at the location, I was behind!  I was stressed. I had a ton of last minute details.

I was not so nice to everyone who was trying to help. :(  But it turned out beautiful!

I am very grateful to Thomas, my girls, my cousin, and the Grandma to Be!

Sweet Treats Baby Shower

Food Menu:

Mississippi Mud Pie (not a pie but acutally a cheese dip that is absolutely YUM)

Mini Chocolate Eclairs and Cream Puffs

Mixed nuts with chocolate chips

Veggie tray, cheese & pepperoni tray

Mixed fruit (strawberry, mango, pineapple, peaches)

cookies (cut in the shape of baby feet)

Cheesecake pops

Peanut M&M's

Starbursts, Skittles, Mints

Lollipops

Cake and cupcakes

Cupcake tier was chocolate

Middle tier was strawberry

Lower tier was yellow cake

Mini cupcakes in all three flavors

Strawberry marshmallows, lemon marshmallows,

Almond Candies

Sugar free candies (some people were diabetic)

The table cloths were not as thick as I liked.  I bought them online and in bulk & at a spectualr price.

But they worked.

Look to the left of the cake.  The cheesecake pops.  The stand was supposed to be decorated.

One of the last minute details that didn't get finished.

The platform that the cake is on, I made with scraps of plywood and painted.  I bought chalkboard paint.

Love that stuff!  The writing, if I had more time would have looked much better.



I found the chalkboard signs at Michael's on clearance for $2.  What a steal.  I painted the bases pink and yellow.  The smaller chalkboard signs (one next to the cupcakes) were to display the foods. Those particular cupcakes were sugar free.

Centerpieces.  I painted small flower pots (bought at Michaels) with the chalkboard paint and the rims in pink and yellow.  Lollipops were purchased in bulk at Oriental Trading Co.  The pots were supposed to have cute sayings written in chalk.  Another small detail that did not get finished.

The rattles had little candy pacifiers in them and were the party favors.  All bought at Michaels.

The flower balls I made using styrofoam balls and flowers bought at the dollar store.

The prize table. You can also see the Over the Moon Scentsy warmer.  I had Newborn Nursery as the scent.

The gift table.  You can also see the Diaper Cake I made.  It matched the baby bedding I bought as well.

The beverage table.  Sherbet punch, sweet tea (sweetened with splenda), and water.

Behind the cups was the Scentsy Cupcake warmer, you can purchase that here.

Tissue Pom Poms I made hanging from the ceiling.

Games and mommy photos.



Despite the unfinished touches it turned out beautiful.  Everybody had a good time, Mommy to be got some nice gifts and the food was delicious!



With love,

Michelle

Bounce Dryer Bar

So have you heard of it?

Well I have been using it for several months and let me tell you.

Best thing Ever.

Stick it in your dryer and forget it.

No more dryer sheets.

No more trying to remember putting in fabric softner.

And it last for MONTHS!

Awesome right?

Well head on over to Stillettos and Diapers for her review

and win

a Free Bounce Dryer Bar

and

a $50 visa gift card!

How awesome is that?!?



Tribute to Chloe

This is Chloe.

On the morning of the baby shower (I was throwing)

my beautiful, fun-loving pup went missing.

But not for long.

My oldest daughter, Alyssa, found

her next to our driveway.

When she came back crying that Chloe was dead,

my heart stopped.  Thomas and I headed out the door.

I ran.

There she was. Lifeless.  My heart immediatly broke.

My spirit shattered. My desire to do anything gone.

All I wanted to do was hold my Chloe.

Alyssa and I sat at the road, next to the driveway and just cried.

It had just happened.  Her body was still warm.

Chloe was so young and still a pup.

She loved to chase squirrels (never would know what to do with one if she ever caught one)

so I am guessing that is what happened.  

It has only been a week.  And I still can't believe she is gone.

Her brother Lil Man followed Chloe where ever she went.

He came back to the house and was acting strange.  My guess is he saw it happen.  He has been whining ever since.  I am sure his heart is broken too, he now has a permanent place in my bed at night.  I take full responsibility for her death.

I live in the country, away from the main road, and not close to the road at my house.

It is not typical for my pups to go far from the house.  Usually they are pooping in the neighbors yard (bad, I know) or digging in the cow pasture next to my house. I never rarely leave them outside unattended.  This particular day I was getting things together for the baby shower.  I checked on her twice in the 1 1/2 hours she had been outside.  Once she was in the neighbor's yard taking her poop and the other time she was digging in my front yard (stupid voles).  Then Thomas noticed her missing, then Alyssa found her.  Usually, we are outside with them because of one of my other stupid neighbors.

Our home has not been the same since she has been gone.  We are still grieving.  My other pups are still grieving.  This is the first pet my children have lost.  This is the first one for me in a VERY long time.

Now the household is a little incomplete.  See I would do ANYTHING for my pups.  I LOVE them like I LOVE my children.  Those 4 legged, furry creatures are the most loyal and loving

creatures a person could ever have. They will be your best friend till the end. I have had three pups.  And let me tell you, three pups is a lot.  I, ashamedly, admit that sometimes I wish I just had my Kasey, the pups mommy, because the pups would drive me crazy!  They would play ALL the time.  Crave attention ALL the time.  Eat each other's food ALL the time.  See they had to be babysat like toddlers.  I had to make Chloe stop eating her brother's food.  I had to make sure her brother didn't take her favorite toy.  I had to love on ALL three of them at the same time.  But in the end I could NEVER get rid of one of them.  See pets are not disposable.  They have feelings.  They know when they are loved.  My pups are loved.  They are a part of my family.  Even though I know Chloe felt loved and was loved, I know my guilt comes from mere thoughts because NOW she is gone.  Not by my choice.  and I love her and I miss her. 

I have been asked if I am going to get another dog to replace her.  You can't replace a pet, no more than you can replace your own child.  Chloe was my child.  I watched her be born.  I loved her the moment she was born and I taught her to be a good girl. (a lil mischevious at times).  So no, I will not replace her.

There may come a day when I decide to get another pup but not for a long time.  We are still mourning Chloe.  I still have the momma, Kasey, and her brother, Lil Man.  Right now I am dedicated to making sure they know they are loved.  I hold Lil Man when he cries and walks around confused and whining.

I give him lots of treats (because he is a man and loves food :)

I am currently trying to help him mend his heart at the loss of his sister.  She took care of him (he was the runt).  They always slept together, took baths together, played together, and did not know life without each other.  Now he is a little lost.