Be The Change | Till Then Smile Often

December 11, 2014

Blog Survey Results

This post almost didn’t happen because I was wrapped up in getting my Christmas tree decorated, but I really wanted to share my survey results and what that means for this old blog of mine. I am finishing up my second year of blogging and I really want to focus this blog a little more, and plan a little more to keep my sanity.

In the coming months I hope to make some slight changes and I would love your feedback along the way. I might even do another survey in a few months so brace yourselves.

How Did You Find This Blog?

We know each other in real life	2	4%
Facebook	0	0%
Twitter	0	0%
Linked from another blog i.e sidebar or linkup	25	54%
Pinterest	1	2%
Friend recommended (If so give that friend a hug from me)	1	2%
Can’t remember	17	37%

Summary: If this says anything, it is that linkups are worth it. I know some of my longer time readers are from a recipe linkup we used to do. I obviously need to do more with Facebook and Twitter. I fail to pay attention to either on most days so this is not shocking to me.

How often do you read this blog?

This is my first time	0	0%
Every post	35	76%
Once a week	6	13%
A few times a month	3	7%
Whenever I remember	2	4%

Summary: For the most part you read every post. Some of you catch up when you can. This at least let’s me know I am not boring the pants out of you.

Should I post:

More Often	7	15%
Less Often	0	0%
Just right	37	80%
Don’t care (I’m crying a little)	2	4%

Summary: I like that for the most part you like the frequency in which I post which is roughly 4 times a week. I like having Wednesday off to play catch up with blog reading but depending on how organized I can be next year I may blog more often. I love that no one said less often. I am going to assume don’t care means you want me to do what is best for me and not that you could care less, because you hate my blog. Mmmm kay!!

How do you read this blog

Through a reader i.e Bloglovin, Feedly, Google reader etc.	34	74%
Via Email	1	2%
Twitter	0	0%
Facebook	2	4%
Type in the address into a search engine	4	9%
Other	4	9%

Summary: I am not surprised most come through a blog reader, since that is becoming more common. I am surprised people type it into the address bar, but again I really need to work more on Twitter and Facebook.

What are your favorite posts

Friday Favorites	28	61%
Recipes	32	70%
DIY	24	52%
Be The Change/ Random Acts of Kindness	29	63%
Book Posts	21	46%
Random Life Posts	31	67%
Weekend Recaps	18	39%

Summary: I am glad recipes are in the lead because they are something I like doing and plan on continuing. Friday favorites are fun for me and I like to be able to catalog some projects I am hoping to complete. I am not surprised the Weekend recaps are in the bottom since most bloggers can care less for them. This is one of the posts I am looking to revamp and hopefully cut a lot of info out, and shorten them. I am going to try a few formats so look for those and give me feedback.

What are your least favorite posts

Friday Favorites	1	2%
Recipes	3	7%
DIY	2	4%
Be The Change/ Random Acts of Kindness	0	0%
Book Posts	8	17%
Random Life Posts	0	0%
Weekend Recaps ( I know most bloggers hate these)	10	22%
Duh, none!	25	54%

Summary: Awwww I love you guys. Not surprised again weekend recaps are the least favorite. Book posts are subjective, what I read may not be your cup of tea or *gasp* you may not be a reader. It is a huge part of my life, I read from a book everyday so I don’t plan on removing them but I do like the linkup with Steph and Jana that is once a month. This frequency is a better fit than mentioning them every week. Compromise wins.

Anything else you want me to know?

More pics of Seamus! lol – You got it!
I love your recipes and decorating tips!! – Why, thank you.
Keep doing your awesome thing! – Will do, thanks!
Every time I come to your blog I love it!! – Thanks!
You’re doing a great job! You never know who you are inspiring…including me. 🙂 – Such a great compliment, thanks!
Love you and your blog! And Seamus. – Seamus, loves you too.
You do a fantastic job!! I always look forward to a new post. Your DIY are very impressive!! – Thank you, made my day!
you’re awesome! – Well, you are pretty awesome too.
I actually found you because you commented on my blog first!! – Yeah, see linkups do work. 😉
You know I love you and all you do!!! – Thank you!
you are awesome sauce. That is all. – My favorite.
I really enjoy your positivity and creativity. Thank you for sharing and enlightening. And for caring what your followers want to see. – Always care about you all, it means the world you spend some time reading my ramblings.
I love your face! – I love yours too.
I comment less often than I do on other blogs because I read via my iPad and it gets tedious to type in my email address, blog link, and name every single time. If I comment from a computer, it’s not as bad because it remembers me but from an iPad, it doesn’t. While I read almost every post, I don’t comment as often due to the commenting format your blog has. Other than that, I love your blog so much!!!!! – You should be able to comment via google, maybe I’ll do a tutorial. Unfortunately this is a WordPress issue but it is a benefit because of backlinks.
Seamus is adorable! – Thank you, I agree.
You do you, my friend! – Thank you for the encouragement.
I really love ALL of your posts- you have such a great variety of everything and I really look forward to reading your blog. – Thanks, it would be boring for me without the variety.
You have an awesome blog! – Thank you so very much!
You and your blog are awesome! Keep it up 🙂 – Thanks, I am sure going to try.
MORE PHOTOS OF SEAMUS. All Seamus, all the time. I like all your posts. I don’t read weekend recaps in general, but I browse yours for Seamus photos. – Haha! Seamus is a star!! He is already a photo hog I won’t be able to get him away from the camera now.

Summary: It was so hard for me that this was anonymous because I wanted to comment back to you all with these sweet comments. This was really a section for you to give me any feedback you wanted including what you want to see in the future, and it was all pretty positive. I can’t thank you enough. It seems Seamus can not be ignored and will find more space on the blog.

Not worth mentioning: All those who filled out the survey were female and no one had any issues finding what they are looking for on my blog. This let’s me know at least my design is okay. I thought of a million other questions I wanted to ask after I posted this survey, so a follow-up might happen.

I loved being able to hear your thoughts and see what you liked. I think it confirmed what I was thinking and also got a chance to see what you all think. If there is anything you want to see on my blog in the future, a topic you want me to cover please let me know in the comments.

December 9, 2014

November Books I’ve Read

I was really feeling bad about the number of books I was reading but looking back on this month I actually finished quite a few. The genres of books are all over the place since I was doing some research and also some self-help books snuck their way in there too.

I luckily didn’t have any totally horrible books and some were even really good. I may be biased as they were from some of my favorite authors.

My rating system:

Five Stars: Blew me away, made me want to stay up till 3am to finish, would read again and again.

Four Stars: Really good book, fast paced or thought provoking

Three Stars: Okay, didn’t thrill me but didn’t disappoint me either.

The Experiment: Discover a Revolutionary Way to Manage Stress and Achieve Work-Life Balance – Cover Not Available – This book blew me away. I am usually not a fan of self-help books because the author is trying to show you how life evolved they are instead of trying to actually teach you something. What I loved about this book was that it felt like you actually had a life coach and were in the sessions. He gave “homework” and really boiled it down to basics. One of the best self-help type books I’ve read.

Forbidden – A man finds a woman in the middle of a snowstorm, only to find out she is supposed to be the fiance of his dead brother. She doesn’t believe he is dead though, and wants him to help her find her brother who was overseas covering a story. The way that Suzanne Brockmann tells a story is just so amazing. I have read so many of her books, and this one didn’t disappoint. So many twists and turns and I didn’t want this one to end.
Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook: Real Food for Real Life – This book covers recipes for incorporate the Paleo diet into your life. I made the meatloaf, ketchup and mayo recipes. I was so happy with the book I ended up going out and purchasing a copy.

The Icing on the Cupcake – A mean spirited debutante from Texas gets dumped from her fiance, which is social suicide. She moves to NYC with her grandmother, she as never met this grandmother before but she needs to save face. She tries to figure out what to do with her life and baking cupcakes are her therapy. This book includes recipes and I wanted to try them all.

Touch & Go – Lisa Kackson is another of my favorite authors, so intricately woven. A family is kidnapped and as the search continues parts of their lives are exposed to where you are not sure who is telling the truth and what other secrets are being hidden. The story is pulse pounding and fast paced right to the end.

The Heart of Christmas – Eve is all alone and single after a broken engagement. She is now managing her family B and B, her birthday celebration went a little too well and she wakes up next to a gorgeous man. He is hiding something and can’t give her forever but she is willing to give it a try. It might just end up being everything she ever wanted.
Worth the Fight – Elle is introduced to Nico by her ~~boring~~ steady boyfriend. The sparks are immediate and she knows she has to make a choice because Nico is claiming her, but he doesn’t share. Very Alpha male who has his own issues as does Ella. Neither want to settle down but they just might not have a choice, they might just heal each other.
Bluegrass State of Mind – An attorney is hiding out after she sees a crime being committed by the partners of the law firm and her boyfriend/fiance. She moves to a small town where an ex lives in hopes he can give her a reference and hide out. The attraction is still there, but Will’s ex-wife won’t go down without a fight. The town is highly invested in the relationship and shows their small town charm.
Books, Cooks, and Crooks – I have read the first two books in this series and it is quite entertaining. A room full of competitive cookbook chefs in for an event and one ends up dead. It seems everyone has a motive for murder. Lila is a literary agent and it is all she can handle to keep the other chefs from going after each other. I was constantly changing my mind as to who I thought did it. A great read.

My De-Stress Diary: 52 Effective Tips for Less Stress and More Peace of Mind – This book was outlined as a once a week lesson and while some were too easy and some were worth a look it was unlikely that I would read a book that way. No “homework” or how to apply the lesson was given. Very short and sweet, not a lot of meat to it.

How to Start a Home-based Etsy Business – I think I have read this twice and it provided some really basic general knowledge which I found useful but I was hoping for more of the business side of things and not just the idea side of setting up an etsy business.
Nothing Changes Until You Do: A Guide to Self-Compassion and Getting Out of Your Own Way – While I liked the way the author provided real life examples I felt it got tedious after the first few chapters. It was not broad enough and didn’t really give me the sense that it could help me or relate to my life. It was also a little more for someone later in life maybe 40-50 years old. Not bad but just harder to relate or connect to like I did with The Experiment.

What books have you read this month?

Will you add any of these books to your list?

Linking up with Steph and Jana for this months reads.

December 8, 2014

Holly Jolly Christmas By The Sea

Next week I will be trying out a new format for my Weekend recaps thanks in part to your feedback from my survey. There is still time to fill it out too. I will be closing it on Tuesday at 8pm, so head on over to complete it if you haven’t already. It is also a really good thing that I am off today for the installation of new cable and internet since last night I had major issues connecting.

Every year we have a girls weekend in Camden Maine for Christmas By The Sea. We also ~~explore~~ shop the towns of Rockland, Rockport and Thomaston. Maine will forever be a place of such fond memories and hopefully for years to come. We go up early Friday and make stops along the way and return home on Sunday also making stops along the way. Too say we were shopped out on most days would be an understatement. I think we really helped boost Maine’s economy! Haha!

Highlights:

~ The Lobster pot tree at Stonewall Kitchen

~ Amazing finds at Big Al’s (a dollar store type place). The thigh trimmer and a remote big enough even my Dad wouldn’t have issues finding the buttons.

~ The parade gets better and better every year. The big lobster is a big hit every year.

~ We hit Moody’s diner for lunch on the way up since we normally hit it right at lunch time though it was a little later than normal. Amazing food.

~ For dinner we go to Applebee’s, a new tradition, for their half priced apps and drinks. We each get apps and share among the table. The laughs that ensue after a drink or two are so fun and really adds so many memories.

~ My sister/friend Lynn pointed out that she bought one of these scarf pendants so I took a look at them and ended up buying one. They are made from fishing lures which is so unique, but they are also very pretty. The one I purchased was only $15, so go buy one before she hits it big and charges more, totally worth every penny. I ended up buying another piece from her Facebook page. Check out her website here.

~ After an initial shopping trip to the T.J. Maxx/Home Goods not once but twice we tried out this new place called The Water Works Restaurant and Pub, the food was really good and we shared the brownie sundae and Chocolate layer cake. I would have pictures but we ate it too fast. The bartender/server Chris was really nice and friendly. It was a great find and we hope to go back again. The sweet potato crinkle fries we amazingly delicious.

~ For breakfast the next day we stopped at one of my favorite places The Three Dog Cafe. I would love to open my own franchise of this place in Massachusetts. The dessert case is mouth watering but they also make really great breakfast food. I didn’t want the bread for my sandwich, sothe guy at the counter suggested serving my bacon, egg and cheese on a bed of greens. It was amazing! The place is decorated in lots of little dog statues, dog fabric covered chairs, and art work and they even have a fireplace in the store.

~ After picking up Seamus from my Dad’s I picked up a Christmas tree. Once it falls I will be able to decorate it. Looking forward to getting that done.

How was your weekend?

Is your tree up and decorated?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and Biana from B Loved Boston.

December 4, 2014

Operation Organize

My office wears many hats. It is home to all of my yarn and needles, my sewing machine and fabric, receipts, makeup collection, and a ton of random craft supplies. I would have to say this project was only partially successful since I didn’t really set aside enough time to really work on it. I would have liked to gets some more organizers for my drawers but such is life. I will consider it a work in progress.

So what I did to help get it somewhat under control.

1. A letter sorter doubled as storage for my eye shadow palettes. I got some acrylic organizers for my face and eye products. I found them at Marshall’s and one at Ross while I was in North Carolina.

2. My fabric was in the same box I moved them in 4 years ago, so I put all the fat quarters, and scrapes in a stackable sorter that I got from Marshall’s. I put the rest in my file cabinet folded over hanging file folders.

3. Now the dreaded receipts, I really wanted to shred and get rid of everything that was over a year old. I did keep any major purchase receipts, home improvement receipts, and any condo specific documents. I think I did pretty well getting rid of a lot. I shredded and recycled what I could.

4. After my Nana passed a few years ago my cousins and Aunt helped my other Aunt Karen go through her knitting items and we each got to take some home. I was the only one who was a major knitter while the others crochet so I go a majority of the needles. I donated some to the local Council on Aging but kept a lot too. I was storing them in a pretty box, but wanted a few on display. I placed them in a nice yellow pitcher and held them in place with spare fabric. I also sorted the yarns by type and placed in fabric bins that are in my bookcase, I just need to label them, my handwriting is messy so I want to print them.

While I still have some drawers to go through I think this was a really good start. Now I just need to make some projects so I can really downsize my yarn and fabric stash.

Do you have a room in your house you want to organize?

Do you have any favorite tools for organizing?

December 2, 2014

Looking for Direction – Reader Survey

Since I spent so much time baking for Thanksgiving I had no motivation to create a new recipe, so I am switching it up for today.

Most bloggers know how much time goes into a blog, from creating an idea, to making recipes or a DIY, taking pictures, editing pictures, reading blog posts from our favorite bloggers, and responding to comments. At times it can be overwhelming but it is also very rewarding. I have met some incredible bloggers this year in person which I am so grateful for, but I also talk to many of them everyday.

There are also some of you who read but may not comment, which is totally okay but I hope you will also participate because I really want this blog to get better and grow to provide even more content that you want to read in the coming year. This also gives you a chance to tell me what you want to see more or less of next year.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer, there are only 9 questions so it should’t take long.

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December 1, 2014

A Weekend of Thanks and Lazy

This was the kind of weekend that I have been wanting for a long time. I really got to spend most of Saturday and Sunday just being lazy. I am so thankful for 4 day weekends. I also got to spend time with family and Maddie came up for the holiday so we got together for dinner on Friday Night. I didn’t take any pictures though. Womp womp. We were too busy talking and laughing. I also had major internet issues so I didn’t really open my laptop until Sunday night. So here was a bullet point account of my weekend.

~ I made Buckeye Bars (Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars), a Caramel Apple and pear Pie, and my Butterscotch Toffee Bars for Thanksgiving desserts ~ The girls at Thanksgiving, being so affectionate with each other and my brother. So sweet.

~ I just had to document a good hair day.

~ After getting home from my Aunt’s house I had a slice of pie, a craft cider and watched Love Actually. Getting in the spirit.

~ Snuggles with Seamus, he likes to get really close.

~ Starting Saturday with some peppermint coffee. I did some shopping including a new reindeer that I smashed in the car door. Have no fear I fixed it with some Gorilla Super Glue and some glitter. Good as new.

~ I got some fabric to make a fabric tree garland for my tree. This was shortly after a woman almost ran me over in the parking lot. Sheesh!

~ I started decorating but I wasn’t feeling it so I only did small sections, which I am sure will be re-arrange next weekend.

~ A few more decorations. I spent most of Saturday reading so I had to get something accomplished.

~ I started decorating my dining table for Winter. It is a work in progress.

~ Seamus looking fluffy and adorable.

It was just what I needed and I got a lot of reading done and just relaxed. I also got to write out my Christmas cards. Next weekend I will be in Maine for Christmas by the Sea and I can’t wait. I love getting together with the girls and hopefully finish up my Christmas shopping.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Did you get some relaxing in this weekend?

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and Biana from B Loved Boston.

November 26, 2014

Christmas Wish List

I am typically not a fan of gift guides because typically they contain things I can not afford. I am a pretty simple person. I am a girl on a budget so I tend to go for items that are unique and cost effective versus high priced. This list is more for people in my family or friends that may not know what to get me for Christmas and hopefully it maybe gives you some ideas for some people in your life too. Win-win.

Mugs: Like this is a surprise. I love mugs and really love just about any mug. Here are a few I wouldn’t mind finding the way to under my tree.

One // Two // Three

Random Items: Because not everything fit into a category. Is that anchor bottle opener not adorable!

Four // Five // Six

Scarves: If you know me you know that scarves are an obsession of mine. I wear them year round. Heavier wool fleece in the Winter, to light silks in the Summer.

Seven – $28.43 // Eight – $9.99 // Nine – $32.39 // Ten – $28.43

Art: Nothing makes a house feel more like a home than with Art that speaks to you. I love bringing the outdoors in whenever I can. Sayings and word art that makes me think or feel is also a favorite of mine, and can really brighten any day.

Eleven // Twelve // Thirteen // Fourteen

Hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving and gets to spend it with those they love and cherish. Stay warm and safe.

What’s on your wish list?

Would any of these items make it on your list?

November 25, 2014

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Bars

For Thanksgiving for the last 10 years or so I have been bringing the dessert options. There are still some pies and such but I tend to make either cookies, and the ever requested buckeye bars. I like to try at least one new recipes and magic bars are one of my favorites so I wanted to come up with my own twist. Based on what I had on hand I decided to try out some toffee and butterscotch.

Ingredients: Cookie Dough of Choice ~ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips ~ 1 Cup of Toffee Bits ~ 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk ~ 1 cup shredded coconut ~ 1/3 cup Butterscotch

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). I used a homemade cookie dough I had in the freezer but the Toll House rolls are fine too. Place your cookie dough in a 13 x 9 inch glass pan, press down into the pan. Try not to eat any of it.

Warm up the butterscotch in a glass dish in the microwave for 25-30 seconds. Spoon on top of the cookie dough and spread out.

Sprinkle the toffee bits on top, then add the chocolate chips. I only used a 1/2 cup since I used a chocolate chip cookie dough.

Pour the condensed milk and spread to the edges of the pan. Top with the shredded coconut.

Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars, or not because they tasted just as good warm.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Chocolate Toffee Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Cookie Dough of Choice
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Cup of Toffee Bits
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup shredded coconut
⅓ cup Butterscotch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Place your cookie dough in a 13 x 9 inch glass pan, press down into the pan.
Warm up the butterscotch in a glass dish in the microwave for 25-30 seconds.
Spoon on top of the cookie dough and spread out.
Sprinkle the toffee bits on top, then add the chocolate chips.
Pour the condensed milk and spread to the edges of the pan.
Top with the shredded coconut.
Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.

November 24, 2014

Weekend Happenings

This weekend went by in such a whirlwind that I barely remember what I did. Excited for the short week though so I get to see my family. I will be baking up a storm on Wednesday night and Maddie is coming on Friday so we will be meeting up. So let’s review the weekend so we can get that much closer to Thanksgiving.

Friday: After a long day of 3 meetings all lasting about 1-1/2 hours each I ended the night with a glass of champagne (it’s wasn’t that great) and caught up on my DVR stockpile. Poor Seamus also got to model his new Christmas headband, he’s such a good sport.

Saturday: I read for a little bit in the morning then got to some cleaning. Thanks to Biana for the inspiration for this way to organize all my Christmas card and wrapping supplies.

I went out to get some shopping done including Marshall’s, A.C. Moore, Lowe’s, the post office and then to the library. Once I got home I had some yard work to finish since this is the last week for curbside pick up. Yes, my town is weird. After 15 bags and a few hours I was finally done. Since we were expecting rain I had to cover them up and my tarp had a rip in it. Good thing I got some Gorilla Glue tape, it’s clear but just as strong as the regular gorilla tape (I received this product free of charge to try out, and I would re-purchase it myself) so I patched the hole and covered everything up.

I spent the rest of the night knitting, watching Elf and texting friends. Probably not the best idea because I kept losing my place.

Sunday: The morning was spent trying to get some final house things finished like cleaning my office and attaching door draft guards to my doors. Then it was finally time for the Holliston Craft Fair. This one is so big they actually have a map for all the vendors. I am not a fan of the cover charge to get in but I met one vendor who blew me away with his talent so it was very worth it. Though they look like photographs, these are actually ink drawings. The detail in them was amazing, I ended up purchasing one of a covered bridge, though the Tree On Rock was a close second. I think this would be a great gift for anyone that loves nature scenes and rural life. I asked for permission to take some pictures to share on here because I was just so impressed, check out his other works here. I also managed to get one Christmas present too from another vendor.

This is the one I purchased, but it doesn’t do it justice one the amount of detail you can see when it’s in front of you:

After the craft fair I went grocery shopping them home for a nap. Once I woke up I finished cleaning my office, putting away laundry and vacuuming. I got up in the show 90 day Fiance while catching up on some blog posts.

Linking up with Leeann from Join the Gossip and Biana from B Loved Boston.

November 21, 2014

Friday Favorites | Christmas Inspiration

Happy Friday! I am looking forward to this weekend. The huge Holliston Craft Fair that I went to last year is this weekend and I am hoping to find a few gifts to finish up my Christmas shopping. I also have quite a few more things to check off my ever ending to-do list. With the recent snow in NY I need to check that my snow blower doesn’t need to be serviced, and rake the last of the leaves. I am still hoping to get some reading and relaxing done too if I can.

Favorite Gift Idea: How cute is this idea. There are no directions for it but I imagine you can just melt some chocolate into some muffin tins and place the wooden spoons in them once half harden then place in the fridge. Add a plastic bag to wrap them, maybe toss some marshmallows in and a cute mug or mason jar and you have hot cocoa gifts.

Favorite Recipe: I made this Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and I had it for breakfast all week. It is so good and it’s paleo! Score. I replaced the apple butter with almond butter, the coconut milk with almond milk, and adding in 1/4 cup of finely chopped coconut for moisture. It was AMAZING!! It was so light and fluffy, not at all dense.

Favorite Quote: Just keep moving forward.

Favorite DIY: Ashley shared this really cute fabric garland and I just adore it. I think I may have to make it for my tree this year.

Favorite Funnies:

If only we had unlimited funds to spend at Target

And you think about Target more than you think about literally anything else. | 17 Secrets Every Target Lover Will Never Tell You

I laughed so hard at this one I had to share.

What are you up to this weekend?

Linking up with Amanda

Also linking up with Natasha for 5 on Friday.

How often do you read this blog?

Should I post:

How do you read this blog

What are your favorite posts

What are your least favorite posts

Anything else you want me to know?

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