So, while engaging in one of my favorite activities this weekend- drinking coffee and perusing Pinterest, I came across the most heavenly recipes I ever did see. They all involve cake batter, so how much better can they get?
Ladies, let me introduce you to these heavenly creations...
1. Cake Batter Pudding Cookies. Mind. Blown.
2. Cake Batter Truffles
3. Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I made these last night, and they are SO yummy! I highly recommend you do the same! I am going to make the truffles this weekend for my niece's 3rd birthday party. I'll let you know how they turn out...
P.S. I must give credit to Chef in Training for introducing me to her delicious creations on her blog. There are many, many more, so I would make sure to check her out!
Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am in full Christmas mode; my decorations are up, I've been jamming to Christmas music in my car non-stop, burning my "Winter" B&B candle, and I've already watched "The Family Stone" which is one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies. I love how cozy the Christmas season makes you feel! I decided to post some Christmastime Coziness to celebrate the start of the season...
And, of course you need a Christmas classic...
I hope your holiday season is off to a wonderful start...
I am ALIVE! It has been way, way, way too long and I have missed you! This is going to be a long post to explain my absence, so you have officially been warned.
Let's start out with my BIG NEWS first...
He put a ring on it! We got engaged Oct. 14th and I could not be more happy and excited! It was a very low-key proposal- I kind of knew it was coming, but that's our style! We went to my favorite Mexican restaurant and he popped the question at home. The big day is July 20th, 2012 and I am SO EXCITED! This is where our reception will be, and I cannot wait! So pretty and fun...
Reason #2 I have been M.I.A:
My sister donated part of her liver to my mom on Nov. 3rd. No worries- both are doing just great! I cannot tell you how scary it was to have both my mom and baby sister (she's 22) undergo such a major surgery on the same day, but in the end it was all worth it. My sister has given my mom her life back, and there is truly no greater gift on earth! She is and always will be my hero. *Tear*
Me and my mom 2 weeks after the transplant! Looking fab, Mom!
Casey 3 weeks after transplant on Thanksgiving! Her sense of humor is back- she's holding the turkey liver...
Reason #3:
I am finishing up my masters program and will be student teaching this coming spring! Scary and exciting all at the same time!
Needless to say, I had a LOT to be thankful for this year! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of love, laughter and of course food!
Did any of you watch American Horror story last night? I was super excited for the first episode, and I have to say; it wasn't exactly what I was expecting but I loved it!
It was creepy, sexy and dark and I think I might have a new favorite show on my hands. How creepy was Jessica Lang, the crazy neighbor? And what did she mean when she said, "Don't make me kill you again" to the maid? AHH! This is the perfect show for fall- especially with Halloween right around the corner. I'm excited to see what happens as the season goes on! What did you guys think?
Another show I've been loving is New Girl with Zooey Deschanel, who I love! It's really quirky but also funny and cute! Zooey plays Jess, a girl who has just broken up with her boyfriend and moves in with a group of guys. She's super dorky but lovable, plus she's a teacher, so I love that! I'm so glad there are finally good shows on that aren't reality T.V. Can I get an Amen?
What shows are on your "Must Watch" list this season?
Oh my goodness- Thank you Victoria for awarding me with this! How sweet of you! I am honored and truly appreciate your thoughtfulness!
The Rules:
Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them....(Done! Thanks again, Victoria!)
Share 7 things about yourself
Pass the award along to 15 blogs that were recently discovered by you
7 Facts:
I love to dance! I took lessons for 15 years and I miss it like crazy
I am slightly obsessed with Christmas/The Christmas season. I put up my decorations mid-November and start listening to strictly Christmas music shortly thereafter
I LOVE coffee, but only with lots of creamer and sugar in it
I LOVE 80's music- especially Guns N Roses, Madonna, and Michael Jackson
I own all of the seasons of "Friends" on DVD
I am kind of messy. Kind of really messy...
I am a wino...
So, now is the really fun part: I get to pick 15 blogs that I adore, and give them an award. So here are 15 of my favorites...
Hello friends! I hope your week is going well so far! It has been way, way too long! Since I went back to work and school, life has been hectic to say the least and I have already had a few teeny meltdowns... Aye, Aye, Aye!
Today I want to write about things that I love and that make me happy:
Hershey Pumpkin Spice Kisses
Oh my goodness. I found these bad boys at Target tonight and they are like a party in your mouth (yes, I just said that)! So good and yet another reason to love fall.
Dance Moms
I'm sure most of you have seen this show already because it has become huge, but if you haven't you are in luck; it's on Wednesdays on Lifetime and you really need to tune in. It is cra-zy! From the over bearing/semi verbally abusive choreographer Abby Lee to the borderline nuts-o moms living vicariously through their daughters, this show is one addicting slice of reality T.V. Plus, the dancing is pretty impressive. I can't get enough.
Scarves
One of my favorite accessories! Love that it adds so much to an outfit and keeps you warm at the same time! I heart this one from JCrew.
Essie "Carry On"
I am really loving purple this fall, and this is the prettiest purple polish! It goes on a little darker than what it looks like in the picture.
Cupcake Wars
At the school I work at, they have fun activities every Friday for the kids. I got to plan one for this Friday that I will facilitate along with another Educational Assistant. We'll be doing "Cupcake Wars" with the kids for our activity- just like the T.V. show on Food Network! So far, 75 kids have signed up- I can't wait! Our theme is Disney Movies-I can't believe I get paid to do this stuff!
Bling
This may or may not be on my wish list at Jared...
Today was the first day of school for the students where I work- I forgot how much I loved my job! It was so good to see all of their smiling faces and hear about their summers.
Speaking of summer vacation; I had to answer "What did you do this summer?" about 75 times. I was horrified as I thought back and working on my blog was one of the only things that came to mind. Oops. I mean, I did go to a lot of weddings, which was fun (I love going to weddings) and I did get to read a lot, but holy buckets- I realized what a lame summer I had!
I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! Mine was jam packed from Fri-Sunday. We had barbeques both Saturday and Sunday and I ate WAY too much. Time to amp up my work out...
One of my best friends got married on Friday. She and I met in 7th grade in Science class and became fast friends. She's actually more like a sister to me. I'm so happy for her and her new hubby, but I couldn't help but feel a little sad. It's always a little bittersweet when your friends get married...
Anyways, funny story: My boyfriend and I decided that we want to get back in the habit of going to church, so we picked one we liked in Saint Paul, and headed there for 9:00 mass on Sunday morning. Well, being the morning people that we are (totally kidding), we got there at about 9:03. So, we found a seat in the back of the church and tried our best to sneak in. After a minute or so something just didn't seem right- we then realized went to the WRONG church, and the mass we were at had started at 8:15... You have no idea how embarrassing this was! I wonder what everyone around us thought as we snuck in at the very END of mass. Oh well, God knows we tried. We'll try again this Sunday. I swear my boyfriend is the only other person in the world as clueless as I am sometimes... Match made in heaven, we are!
Yesterday I put up most all of my fall decorations! I was very excited about this, needless to say...
I hope all of your weeks are off to a great start!
Hello ladies! Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far! Friday is just around the corner-Woohoo! Anyways, I decided to link up with Amber over at Brunch With Amber for today's "It's OK Thursday". If you haven't stopped by her blog you should! She's awesome.
It's OK...
To be slightly addicted to blogging and/or reading other blogs
To eat a bag of M&M's a week
To engage in a little retail therapy, even when your bank account says otherwise
To hate sleeping alone
To be completely addicted to coffee
To not know what you want to do when you grow up. Even at 27
To love the school supply isle at Target
To buy the same top in multiple colors if you really love it
To honk at someone when they cut you off
To blog when you should be doing your homework
To be indecisive
To dance when you're getting ready in the morning
To decorate your house with kitschy holiday decorations
Today was my first day back at work! I cannot believe how incredibly fast this summer went. While I'm not quite ready to be done sleeping in until whenever it is I feel like, I am SO ready to see the kiddos again and find out how their summers went! They come back on September 6th (not soon enough). I miss them all so much- they are truly the best part of my job and they make me smile and laugh every single day...
The high in Minneapolis was 68 degrees today. As I sit here with the window open and my Pumpkin Spice candle lit, I am getting even more excited for fall if that is possible! The smell of leaves, pumpkin candles, apple orchards, bonfires, everything- bring it on! I am so ready!
Having the summer off has been wonderful, however I can't lie: it has been a little harsh on my wallet. I've had to get creative with make-up and other products as a result. I am a Sephora junkie, and it's been really hard not to replenish my favorites there this summer. I have to say though, I have found some really good alternatives at Target and wanted to share my finds with you.
1. Loreal Colour Juice in Bubble Gum
My all time favorite lip gloss is MAC Lipglass in "Underage". It's a perfectly girly pink and smells delicious, too. However, Loreal's Colour Juice is almost a perfect substitute. I cannot say enough good things about it. Highly Recommend it!
2. Cover Girl Professional Mascara (with the curved wand)
I have used this mascara since I was a dorky little 8th grader at Metcalf Jr. High. I have tried many, many different mascaras- most cost far more than the $4.99 that this stuff costs and I ALWAYS come back to this one. Always. It makes my lashes look like their twice as long as they really are. I am not very good at make-up application but the one thing I do get compliments on are my lashes thanks to this mascara.
3. Olay Quench daily lotion plus shimmer
I really like this lotion- it smells great, adds a little shimmer to my life and makes my skin super smooth. Good stuff!
4. E.L.F Shimmering Facial Whip
Now this is an entirely new product for me. I am partial to MAC's Highlight Powder but I was pleasantly surprised by this stuff! For one thing, it's $1- yes ONE DOLLAR- and it makes my cheeks shimmer like nobody's business! I would definitely recommend it.
5. Rimmel Lasting Finish PRO
I LOVE this nail polish and bought it even before my budget limited my options! In my humble opinion, it's better then Essie and comparable to OPI. It has a wide brush that makes application easy, goes on extremely smooth, and lasts a very long time! My favorite color is Steel Grey, which is pictured above.
Of course, there are some products that just can't be subsituted...
1. Aveda Smooth Infusion
For my curly-haired sista's out there- this is a miracle in a bottle! It makes straightening my hair 100x's easier. I mean it-it's a life changer and if they stopped making it, I might not get out of bed.
3. Clinique Moisture Surge
I have unusually dry skin, and one thing I can't skimp on is moisturizer. This stuff takes the cake in that department. It makes my skin so smooth and really hydrates it.
3. MAC SheerTone blush in "Pink Swoon"
This is honestly the best blush I have come across. It's the prettiest shade of pink and it's just my favorite. The color is a little shocking when you first see it but I promise it goes on much lighter than it appears in the case.
What are your favorite drugstore products? What are your must-haves? I love trying new products, so I'd LOVE to hear what yours are!!!
:
