Be The Change | Till Then Smile Often

September 6, 2013

Fall Treats – Baking Marathon

Yesterday I shared my Fall Bucket List printable and to say I am a little excited to get started would be an understatement. I have been pinning and moving items on Pinterest to my All About Autumn board to help get me started. So I am going to share the five items I am excited to start making.

One. I didn’t make it to the Fair this year so I missed my opportunity for Fried Dough or Elephant Ears depending on your area. This just screams “Bring on the Chunky Knit sweaters!”

Fried Dough

Two. I love the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven, this Honey Beer Bread sounds amazing. I might try adding in some cinnamon or nutmeg or maybe pumpkin spice.

Honey Beer Bread

Three. The search is on for a really good chili recipe. I am sure I will be trying many and making my own combination. Just experimenting with a few with be fun though!

Southwest Chicken Chili

Four. This is another one that I look forward to experimenting with the recipe. I more than likely will add caramel to the final recipe.

Apple Cider

Five. I normally make some sort of Apple Pie this time of year, but I am sure there will plenty of time for that later. So when I was looking for another type of pie to make I came across this Caramel Pear Pie. Since these two ingredients sound amazing together I thought this would be a really good one to make. There is always room for pie right?

Caramel Pear Pie

Well it looks like I have a lot of baking to do in the very near future! Better get to it! Hope everyone has a very relaxing weekend.

What are your favorite Fall Baked items?

September 4, 2013

Fall Bucket List

I love Fall so much, from wearing scarves and boots to Football season. It also is the time for my favorite holiday – Halloween.

I dress up in full outfits to pass out candy to the kiddos and people have even taken pictures outside of the house. Did I mention too that it is my Dad’s house that I pass out candy. People were afraid when I bought my house that I wouldn’t do it at my Dad’s house so I got told I had to continue doing it. It is a lot of work but so much fun too.

I love the leaves changing, the slightly crisper air, and the smells of baking apples and pumpkins. So I created a Fall Bucket List of all the things I would like to do for Fall.

For an 8×10 printable click here.

What would you put on your Fall Bucket List?

What are you looking forward to this Fall Season?

September 3, 2013

Getting Back on Track

After the last five or six days off for babysitting and Labor Day weekend I am feeling a little like this:

So it’s back to clean eating to get rid of some of the bloat from the weekend. It is the same as how I have been eating just getting back to it. There is going to be no cheating at all!!! I feel gross and I need to get back to the routine of clean eating.

Breakfast: My normal shake of Protein powder, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup of almond milk, 12-18 ounces of water, 1 TBSP of Natural peanut butter.

Snack: One cup of grapes and 5 pre-sliced cheese slices.

Lunch: Salad with 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 cup of tomatoes, 1 oz of feta cheese and 1/2 can of tuna.

Dinner: 3/4 cup of egg whites, 1 egg and 1 whole cucumber.

Who is with me and want to re-commit to healthy eating? I would love to support each other!

September 3, 2013

Weekend of Family

I am finally back after the long weekend away! It was surrounded by family and friends. I am actually off work today in order to “recover” i.e. clean my house, do laundry and go grocery shopping. So while I prepare myself to go back to work tomorrow I leave you with my big photo dump of weekend pics.

Off to Cape Cod for the weekend. I went with my second family. They have played such a huge part in my life. They have taught me so much from how a marriage can work, to how to treat others, to the carrying on of traditions, to how families can get together and laugh. This is not to downplay my family just to highlight my second family and all that they have brought to my life.

I really missed Seamus after a few days away. Bringing him home and seeing his smiling mug was the best feeling. I am going to catch up on my snuggling time.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy long weekend.

August 30, 2013

Birthday Weekend

Happy Friday!! Who is looking forward to this long weekend? Come on now I know everyone said Heck Ya!! I took Tuesday off too to allow one day to recover!! It will be needed. My Dad is watching my pup Seamus so I have no worries and I just may be able to sleep past 5:30am for at least a few nights. The bags under my eyes looks forward to it!!

As you know it is Friday so that means I am going to share with you 5 things that I am loving, liking, wanting, doing, basically anything I want to share.

One. Today is my Birthday!! I wish I could say I was 21 and look forward to my birthdays, but after hitting 30, I prefer to quietly celebrate. I will be babysitting my nieces again today and then having dinner with my family to celebrate. No restaurant singing (that embarrasses the crap out of me).

Source

Two. My nieces! Seriously adorable! My brother didn’t like me posted these on Facebook before their hair was brushed but neither one likes it brushed. Corinna is a barrel of laughs, always quick with a smile of a giggle but also stubborn as can be when she wants to be. Maddie is so well behaved and willing to help out, she also really loves and protects her sister.

Three. I want to try making this Tuscan Fig pizza. I am not sure where I can get the fig though. Don’t think I have ever seen it at my grocery store.

Tuscan Fig Pizza

Four. Can I just order up this little guy for my birthday????? Cuteness Level out of this world!! A mix of Pekingese and Pug.

Source

or this guy…

Thane (JA) LOCAL!: Pug, Dog; Barrington, RI

Source

Those eyes are just so expressive. So if anyone wants to get me either one as a gift I wouldn’t mind.

Five. I am loving this song lately and have played it on repeat a few times. Lorde – Royals has such a great beat and she has such a unique voice.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!

August 27, 2013

Short Week – Good Eats

Happy Hump Day everyone!! This has to be the best hump day ever since today is my Friday!! Don’t be jealous, I will be chasing my two nieces around for two days while I baby-sit them. Did I mention too that Friday is my birthday?! Yeah I am spending my birthday with my two nieces so it just may be the best birthday ever! Since I am spending the weekend in Cape Cod I tried to be really healthy during the week so I don’t feel too guilty if I indulge a bit on the weekend. I am planning on getting a morning walk in and I am bringing my bike to ride around on. We will be sitting around though and just laughing and talking a lot! So onto the eats.

Breakfast: I am still sticking to my protein shake in the mornings on weekdays because it works for me. On the weekends I have a little more time so I get to make some Eggs over easy and a few slices of bacon. This is a real treat and not something I eat everyday!

Snack: I love this snack because it is something I can grab really quickly at work in between meetings or busy days. It is about 1-2 ounces of cheese slices and 1 cup of grapes. A great boost to get me through till lunch!

Lunch: My normal everyday salad. I really can eat this everyday! Romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onion, tomato and feta cheese.

Snack: I was missing my apples, so glad I can add them back in. My favorites are pink lady and Golden Delicious apples. Also 5 ounces of 0% Fat Free Chobani Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of Sugar Free Jello powder for a little flavor.

Dinner: Since yesterday I got two workouts in I indulged a little but not too much since this is a low carb pizza!! I was lifting 7 50 pound boxes multiple times and moving them all over the building, then I got in an Insanity workout. So I put this together post workout. It is a Joseph’s Brand Fiber, Oat Bran, and Whole Wheat Pita pocket, my homemade pasta sauce, shredded taco cheese, a few slices of pepperoni, and a little bit of sliced Kielbasa. I baked it on a pizza tray on 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. So good!

What are some of your favorite meals?

August 27, 2013

Golden Snack Mix

I am so excited to be heading to the Cape for the Labor Day weekend!! Having a few snacks to munch on are essential because getting up from our lounge chairs when not necessary are frowned upon. Just kidding but really don’t get up. The old saying goes, move your feet lose your seat applies. So I am tasked to bring the dessert but wanted to bring a snack too. This was inspired by this pin from Pinterest but I ended up making my own mix. This is a plain pick and dump recipe. We have some allergies to nuts so those are not included but a great way to add some protein and healthy fats so feel free to add some to your mix.

snack_mix-1

Ingredients: Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal ~ Pretzel Sticks ~ Goldfish in Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese ~ Raisins ~ Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions: Place each ingredient in a bowl and mix. Yup that is it! You really can add anything you want to this mix so have fun and add away!

What would you put in your snack mix?

I still haven’t decided what I am bringing for dessert so feel free to list ideas in the comments!

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

August 26, 2013

Drinks Are Meant To Be Shared

So remember when I said this would be the weekend of doing nothing?? Yeah, that really is never going to happen.

Friday: Since it was a little on the stressful side last week, I went to the liquor store to get a gift and I found some apple pie moonshine for drinks. Yeah, who could resist? Not me.

Trying to come up with a good drink combo for Labor Day Weekend. I tried straight up, and mixed with Iced Tea, Cherry juice, and sprite. It was good but not great. Think I will try with Lemonade next.

Saturday: After an early wake-up call (Thanks, Seamus) I got some laundry and dishes done. Glamorous I know, don’t be jealous. Then I had a blate with Maddie from The Whimsy One. We met at the 99 Restaurant in Walpole for lunch. We have $3.99 Margarita’s that were as big as our heads!!

I had such a good time and we laughed so much! It is great to meet up with another blogger to talk shop, compare notes, and talk personal stuff too. It is so great that she visits the area often too! If you haven’t already go check her out. She loves Bourbon, Bacon, and Football. What’s not to like?!!

A blate isn’t complete without a pic. Not my best pic. What the heck?!

Sunday: I cleaned my house from top to bottom. Watched the 2011 Footloose and rested with Seamus. He knows how to get comfortable.

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

August 23, 2013

A Whole Lot of Nothing

Happy Friday!! Can I get a heck ya!! This week has been rough but it is almost over. I am looking forward to this weekend so I can do NOTHING!! Yup I said it, NOTHING!! I am going to park my butt on my couch and do nothing. Just kidding I am going to clean my house top to bottom, and workout but mostly sit on my bottom watching the rest of Breaking Bad. Thanks twitter Fraandsss for turning me on to this show! Sucks you in for sure!

Since it’s Friday I am going to share with you little lovelies my 5 things I am loving, thinking about, or just plain gotta share with you!

One. The fall boots from Target I just got this past weekend. Can’t wait to break these bad boys in. They were only $32.99 – Steal!!

Two. Can me simple but money doesn’t impress me. I make my own money, thank you very much! Love, honor, respect and kindess means more to me. Throw your fancy car and fancy thing in my face and I am more than likely to walk in the other direction. This doesn’t mean I don’t respect your success just with how you wear it. With that said:

Puppy Love

Three. Since i am transitioning my focus and getting back into the weight room I got to it on Monday with a Leg workout. I used the Plate Loaded Leg Press for 410 pounds. This is not the heaviest I have gone but not bad for my first day back in a few months. I will take it. Yes, it was hard to walk, sit and go up stairs. I may have crawled once. 🙂

Four. I am thinking about making some of this fall mix for next weekends Labor Day party down the Cape. I am tasked to bring a dessert too just not sure what I am going to make yet.

Fall munch mix: Cheez-Its, peanuts, pretzel squares, Reese's pieces, caramel corn, honey nut cheerios, marshmallows

Fall Mix

Five. I love the chance to help others. It is one of my biggest strengths and one of my biggest weaknesses. So when I stumbled on Nadine’s tutorial on how to leave blog comments I knew i had to share it. There are a few blogs I follow that I never know responded to something I commented on because I never got an email. Nadine shows you how to fix it.

How To Leave Blog Comments

Bonus. Here is a little Usher to get your Friday moving a little quicker.

What are some things you are loving lately?

What are some of your favorite desserts?

August 22, 2013

Liebster Award – Take Two

I am part of the Bigs and Little program for bloggers and we get paired together to try and help each other learn and grow! So I would like to introduce you to my Little. Lisa from Meanderings, Adventures, and Crafty Inspirations is currently living in Peru and is sharing her adventures. So go check her out and show some love!! She also nominated me for another Liebster Award so see my answers below.

My Questions for Others:

1. What’s your middle name? Lee

2. What’s the newest blog you are excited to read? I read a lot of blogs and don’t want to single one out over the others. They all bring something to the table!

3. What’s your favorite dessert? I love the Low Carb cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

4. What was your best costume (Halloween or otherwise) EVER? I get the most compliments on my Day of the Dead costume.

5. If you could speak another language what do it be? Why? I have always wanted to learn to speak Italian. It is the language of love after all.

6. Your dream vacation: I absolutely want to travel to Italy, Greece and to Australia. Being somewhere near water and sand and a cabana boy!

At the end of our lane, you come to this portion of the esplanade. It's so pretty here, it could be anywhere on the Mediterranean.

Greece

7. Share one aspirations you want to complete in your life. I would love to work for myself one day! Maybe a bakery!

8. Where are you most content? I am most content at home. I think my home is comfortable and inviting and I get to relax. Second would be near water.

9. What song makes you really happy? I guess anything by Ray LaMontagne. Such a great voice!

10. What song is playing now or the last song you listened to? Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

11. Where do you prefer: city, country, mountains, or beach? Why? I much prefer the beach and mountains. Combine the two and I am golden!

What would be your answers to some of the above questions? Share in the comments section!

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