Craving Chocolate and Lazy Days
                                                           

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

 

Look what I found today!  I MUST have these!  I guess I am starting my list for Santa early :)

They are only $11.99 for the pair!  Not too shabby.  Santa?  Santa?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

 

Now that there is a little seed growing in my belly, Adam and I keep talking about what we would like to see our baby’s nursery look like.  We don’t want something cheesy.  We want classy and gorgeous.

Today I am wishing for a celebrity nursery designer…or any designer really…to come and decorate our baby’s room.  I would love to walk in, take the blindfold off and have my breath taken away.  I could go for something like these celebrity nurseries, please:

Any one want to be our “Celebrity Designer”?
If not….got any great ideas you would love to share for a drop dead gorgeous nursery?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

 

Okay, so I know it is REALLY early in my pregnancy to start thinking about this but I have wanted this for a long time.  Just never had a kid to try it out on.  Now that one is on the way, I starting to wish for this early.

I have seen the infomercial for this sooo many times.  I understand that I am a sucker for anything on an infomercial….I have Insanity, P90X, Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, you name it – - well I don’t have The Slap Chop even though they are making America skinny one slap at a time.  Your Baby Can Read look awesome!  Plus, I would rather have my baby learning rather than watching cartoons.  Come on!  babies at 11 months, even 9 months reading!  GET OUT!  I want to try this so bad!  Who wouldn’t want a genius child!?

What are you wishing for today?

Wish List Wedneday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

I know that today isn’t Wednesday but I didn’t post yesterday and I found something I want!  I posted this on Real Moms Real Views today.  I am in love with this company.

PLUS…if you head over to Real Moms Real Views, you can enter to win one of 5 one year subscriptions!!

Raise your hand if you:

–Put all your pictures on your computer to clean off your memory card…maybe even thinking one day you will burn them all on a dvd or get them printed off.

–Have tons of word documents saved on your computer.

–Paid to download music and have saved them all on your computer…maybe thinking that one day you will burn them onto cds.

–Uploaded all our your videos from your camcorder to your computer…maybe thinking that one day you will burn them onto dvds.

–Gone somewhere and needed a document or photo from your computer but do not have it with you.

Ok…now think…what if your computer crashed?  What would happen to all your precious things, memories?  You paid for them and now they are gone.  Photos and videos can’t be recreated.  Moneypaid to buy music is down the drain.  I would be devastated.  How about you!?

Did you know most computers crash within three years?  Random disasters and viruses can cause your computers’ external hard drives and other data storage devices to be vulnerable to destruction at any moment.  If you are not backing up your valuable digital things you take the chance of losing everything.

HomeDataGuard (HDG) is “essentially a remote file cabinet for your important documents, photos, videos and anything else digital.”  They use Amazon for their secure servers, so it’s well encrypted (meaning you’re quite safe from identity theft).  Not a computer guru?  No worries.  Their interface (or perhaps in your terms, “program” ;) ) is very simple, clean, and animated.

“HomeDataGuard was originally founded by Dina Moskowitz, a serial entrepreneur in San Diego, California who is also a Mom raising two kids.  The business was sparked by the evacuations and impact of the 2007 San Diego wildfires that destroyed thousands of people’s homes and memoirs.”  Wouldn’t it make having to evacuate your home less stressful if you didn’t have to worry about packing up your computer in order to save your things!?

Not only does HomeDataGuard protect your things, it allows access to any of your documents, photos, videos, etc from any computer 24/7/365!! Wouldn’t this be great for traveling business people.  Now you don’t have to haul around your computer and hassle with hooking it up just to show your slide show.  Just arrive at your destination and log in!

Here is a great tip:  If your documents or photos aren’t in digital format now, just scan them in or use a fax machine.  “If you do not own one, take your documents to a local copy store for assistance.  [If] you reside in regions where [they] offer HomeDataPro assistance, you can schedule an appointment to have a HomeDataPro come to your home to do all the scanning for you.”

Here is how it works–

Once you are signed up, “enter your username and password. The vault door will open and you will be taken inside to your File Cabinet. You have the choice of working in the File Cabinet view (most popular) or the Tree Structure view (best when you’ve added many files).”

“Your HomeDataGuard File Cabinet has four drawers: the top two drawers include several pre-named folders to get you started; the bottom two drawers are empty. In each drawer, you can create new folders as you need them. We recommend that you open the top two drawers to see if the pre-named folders are useful to you; simply delete those which are not.” (There is a great video of how it works on the home page www.HomeDataGuard.com)

We recommend that you decide in advance how to organize your file cabinet in the most logical way for your personal needs and preferences. For example, you might want to put all home-inventory and emergency related information together in one drawer, all videos in another drawer, and all business-related information in another.”

PLUS–Your subscription comes with its own unique email account, so that you can do things like email photos from your cell phone right into your account, or have your advisers send important files into the account, or use that email address when you make travel reservations, etc.

I think this is the greatest thing!  I am totally hooking myself up with HomeDataGuard.  I just would be sick if I lost some of the things on my computer…especially my pictures and all the music I have paid for (not to mention the time I have taken to upload all my cds onto my computer).

Since regular 12 month subscription is $49.95 and you get one month free up front. HomeDataGuard is offering Real Moms Real Views readers a discohttp://realmomsrealviews.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpunt!!  50% off the first year’s subscription (price will actually be $25.00). Use the code: !RealMomsBackup!



Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

Dear Mother Nature–

On the news last night the weather guy talked about how snow was in the very near future for the valleys here in Utah!  What!?  I am loving the fall weather.  Can’t you keep it coming Mother Nature!

But…if you must bring the snow…could you also bring me these?

These are the Bailey Button Triplet from UGG.  They are $180 but they will keep my feet toasty!!  I love the chocolate color…surprise?  It can either be worn up or cuffed down to add a little variety.  They have a soft foam insole that is covered with genuine sheepskin.

I have never owned a pair of UGG’s…just the fake and cheap ones.  Yes they keep me looking cute but my feet don’t stay warm and they aren’t well made at all.  So now is a good time to start.  Don’t you think, Mother Nature?  Perhaps if you couldn’t bring them before you bring the snow, you could put in a good word for me with Santa?

Thanks-
Crissa

What are you wishing for today?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

Dear Santa-

I am DYING for this for Christmas!

Please see what you can do.

I have been g ood, I promise!

(And if I haven't I will be better this next year.)

Thanks- Crissa

Today, I am wishing for…

permanent eyeliner!!

Just think how much time I would save, how much money I would save, and how great I would look without makeup on!!  It would be glorious!

Look at some before and after pictures of others:

Awesome huh!?  I want it soooo bad!

What are you wishing for today?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

Today I am wishing for this beauty…

This bike is from Classic Beach Bikes.  Isn’t it the cutest!?  Imagine riding this up the canyon and soaking in the fall colors.  Then in the summer taking a Sunday bike ride with the hubby.

It has been FOREVER since I had a bicycle.  I think I NEED one.  Going green is the latest trend right!?  Then it is a NEED.

What are you wishing for today?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

Look how cute this necklace is on Jillian (past Bachelorette) that I am wishing for.

This is from a company called RitzyMisfit.  The owner is a mother in Utah.  She takes metal, melts it down and and stamps it by hand. “They are then painted, rubbed, sanded and buffed until at the peak of imperfect perfection!”  She will hand paint the pendant any color you want, if you want it painted.  I have seen her at a boutique painting pendants!  Each pendant is unique.

I think I would take one in each color :)

They are about the size of a quarter.  They sell for $30 and come with a chain.  I am just in love!

What are you wishing for today?

Wishlist Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

It has only been a week and a half with out Meghan at Heritage.  She left to work on her student teaching and to become a mom.  Just before that I had two girls leave to go work full time jobs.  That left me with hiring 3 new part time girls all at once.  If you haven’t tried that I wouldn’t recommend it.  It is VERY tough.  Not only because the job has TTTOOONNNSSS of information but it is very time consuming.

In fact, it is so time consuming that I have been in overtime the last three weeks.  Despite me taking off 3 hours early today, I will STILL be in overtime this week.  I am pooped!

When I get home from work, my poor little puppy Max wants to play. She has been in her kennel all day and can hardly wait to get out and run around.  Unfortunately it is at the same time that I can hardly wait to get home to lay down and take a nap.  Making the transition from working at 9 AM to working at 7 AM is harder than I imagined.

Today I am just wishing for a nap. I would love for someone to come and pick up Max, take her to go and play, and leave me home to enjoy a nice peaceful nap.  To make it even better, I would love to take a nap outside in the shade!

What are you wishing for today?

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wish List Wednesday

Wednesday’s can be a rough time of week some times.  It means that the week is only halfway through.  You still have 2 days until Friday.  You have been following your diet really well and are starting to feel sugar cravings and want to sneak to a closet to eat some chocolate.  The day seems to drag on.  It isn’t quite pay day but you have something you would really like to buy…that is why Wish List Wednesday is PERFECT.  This provides all of us with a chance to express our latest wishes…material items, health items, spiritual, etc.

Feel free to leave a link in the comment box to a picture of something you found you like, a blog posting you wrote about what you are wishing for, etc.  Grab the picture and start Wish List Wednesday on your blog!  Leave the link so we can visit!

HEY!  Maybe this will even help people find just the right item that they KNOW you will love for your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or just when they want to make you smile.  OOO!  Tell your husbands about Wish List Wednesday :)

All these summer fruit stands had me thinking…I wish I had kitchen gadgets to make eating easier.

Here are some of the great gadgets I am wishing for today:

OXO Mango Pitter from Williams Sonoma

What an awesome idea!  I can never cut up a mango at our house.  I just am no good at it.  With this handy little kitch gadget, it is simple.  It is only $13 too.

Dear husband,

If I had this I could make Avocado, Tomato, Mango Salsa in a breeze.

Ingredients

1 mango – peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado – peeled, pitted, and diced

4 medium tomatoes, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped red onion 3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Chef’ n Strawberry Huller from Williams Sonoma

Look how cool this little guy is!  This strawberry huller removes the leaves and stew from the berry leaving as much fruit as possible.  It has a push-button stainless-steel “claw” that you insert into the strawberry, give it a twist and pull!  Wah lah!  No stem or hull.

You can even use it on tomatoes!  Only $7.95!

OOO!  Imagine filling them with cool whip and popping them in your mouth!  Delish!

Chef’ n Strawberry Slicer from Williams Sonoma

This is like an egg slicer for strawberries!  Pop a strawberry in, squeeze the handle, and tada! sliced strawberries!  6 slices in nothing flat. Use the sliced strawberries on cereal, ice cream, and cake!

Use it for eggs or even mushrooms!  Only $14.95!

Dear husband,

If I had both of these gadgets I could make you a yummy dessert…Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla extract)
confectioner’s sugar (optional)

1. Prepare 2 9″ pans by spreading butter or shortening on the bottom and sides. Dust with flour, tap out extra flour. Put rack in center of over, preheat to 350.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl or with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs one by one, beating after each addition. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat and scrape down sides after each addition. Stir in the almond or vanilla extract.

4. Pour batter into pans, level the top, then spread the batter slightly towards pan edges. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool the cake in its pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife blade around the edge of the cake. Top with another rack or plate, invert, and lift off the pans. Cool the cake completely before assembling the shortcake.

Stabilized whipped cream

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy cream
4 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan and gradually stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir constantly and simmer for a few seconds until thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Whip remaining cream in electric mixer (chill bowl, cream, and beater first for best results) until it begins to thicken (when beater marks begin to show). Hand-whisk in the thickened cream mixture and whisk until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

Ingredients:

Cake recipe
Whpped cream recipe
1-2 pints strawberries, half sliced thin

1. Using a long cake-cutting serrated knife, cut cake layers in half to create 4 layers. Place one on a cake dish.

2. Spoon a thick layer of whipped cream over the cake, up to about 1/2 inch from the edge. Place thinly sliced strawberries (or other berries) across the whipped cream.

3. Put the second layer of cake on top and repeat the layering process. Do the same with the third layer. Put the fourth and final layer on cake on top, then top with a thicker layer of whipped cream and whole berries.

Peach Pitter by Williams Sonoma

Another little beauty!  This tool turns peaches and nectarines into even slices.  Look like a pro!  Plus it is safer than trying to use a paring knife.

You can cut your fruit into 12 slices with this $12.95 tool.

Dear husband-

If I had this amazing little tool I could make Strawberry Peach Bread!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (half a stick), softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup strawberries, chopped
3/4 cup fresh peaches, chopped

Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
With electric mixer cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.

In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend flour mixture with butter mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk and only stir until just combined; do not over mix.
Carefully fold in strawberries and peaches. Dough mixture will be thick.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

I wish I had a kitchen full of fruit cutting gadgets.

What are you wishing for today?