Thoughts and Prayers

Oh, Christmas tree!

Nothing like the holidays to rev up the old bloggity blog (good thing I don't get paid for this). Last weekend we set out on our annual hunt for the perfect tree. This hunt was all the more special because it's our first Christmas in the new casa. 

Higher ceilings and more space = bigger and fatter tree. Confession: my tree criteria is painfully simple-- it should be shaped like my grandma-- pleasantly plump with a round bottom. Trust me, she would have LOVED that☺

The journey unfolds...

Success! Seven-footer with a fat booty.

Trusty side pooch.

 She helped again this year...

 And of course, the GOATS! I love them. Am I seriously disturbed?

Aspirations for the next house... the bigguns.

Next up, decorating... Happy December!

Peanut-buttery goodness

Had a hankering {yes, I just used that word} for something peanut buttery a few weeks back. I scoured my bookmarks for everything from mail order treats to Fiber One brownies. I settled on this yummy little recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. They were super simple and swiftly gobbled up. 

They also seem pretty customizable flavor-wise since you're using cake batter. Hmm... I just had a brilliant idea for a fall-inspired pumpkin version. Stay tuned!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars - ☆☆☆☆☆ (I'm a sucker for peanut butter)

Enjoy!

Ruta-ruta-bo-buga

On yesterday's menu: rutabaga fries! ::crickets:: 
Yeah, it was hard for me to get excited about it too-- but I did-- because I'm trying new ways to get more veggies in, and this is a great one. 

Yes. It's ugly. 

 Fugly, perhaps?

 Got rid of the nasty protruding part... it's starting to look a little better...

 Took a basic vegetable peeler to the skin... starting to resemble a potato...

Chopped it up into 1/4 inch thick sticks, and I really couldn't tell the difference. Mind was sufficiently tricked in the visual department. 

I seasoned with sea salt, Adobo, and my new favorite: Penzey's Arizona Dreaming. 

Still fooled in the looks department!

Served them with a little ketchup, and felt my life changing with every nibble. The Mister liked them too-- they were gone in record timing!

My waistline thanks you, Mother Nature!

Now get going to your grocery store, peep this recipe or the million others, and get your rutabaga on! 

Gettin' jiggy with it.

Confession-- I've had that blog title in mind ever since I bought this:

And what on Earth would I need with a jigsaw you ask? Because I wanted one of these:

(source)

...without paying an arm and a leg. This is where my deluded sense of my DIY abilities comes in to play (fueled by way too much HGTV, teacher discounts, and stockpiled coupons). I gathered up some materials...

 Then I got to work. I wasn't quite sure what shape I wanted, but I knew I wanted some curvature-- although nothing overly feminine because I do have to share the room with a boy. I drew a line on half the board freehand, then cut and used the scrap as a stencil. 
                        

After the board was cut, I stuck on the batting with a very light coat of spray adhesive. I just needed it to make sure the foam stayed in place. I used about an inch and a half of batting because the board was only a half inch. 

After the foam was in place enough, it was finally time for fabric. Thanks to my teacher discount, fabric wasn't the splurge I thought it'd be. 

After the fabric was on and straight, I had to flip the board and start pulling for dear life. That part was super boring... but at least it was easy...

...unlike installing the nailhead trim. It's a lot harder than it seems, and my left pinky finger would probably be ok never dealing with it again. 

                     

I suppose a little slice in a fairly useless digit is a small price to pay for the finished product. 

Ta-da!

Two very enthusiastic thumbs up-- and the Mr. loves it, so all around success! Fist bumps for finally having an adult bed. Woo!

Here come the waterworks...

...and you just made me blubber like an idiot, little one. 

Happy Summer to all the educators out there!

Closing time.

The hubster dreamt up a whole new reason for gift-giving-- closing on a house! My oh-so-clever boy got me a Giants jersey, but not just any old Giants player-- Brian Wilson, my favorite CLOSER. Get it?!

Thanks babe!

Brian Wilson is sadly on the DL for Tommy Johns, but here's a look back at his healthier days-- 

Can't wait to wear my jersey when the Giant are in town in July (forgive me, Nats)!