Special gifts

We are always trying to think of ideas for personal gifts. Pinterest sure is a great resource for ideas! Thank goodness! I'll tell you, people think I am SOOO creative, but really I just actually MAKE some of the ideas/projects I find on the internet. Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone. ;)

This spring I had to make some teacher quilts. Well, HAD to might be a bit misleading. That is what I typically make for teachers at the end of year. My middle daughter has a large creativity streak in her (yay!). One day she had done a design in crayon on some paper. I LOVED the pattern. So, she and I together created a digital file that could be uploaded to Spoonflower and made into this and this fabric! And then that fabric became part of her teacher's quilt. Cool right? (Her fabrics are the 2 fabrics that look patterned in this photo.)

Healthier Peanut Butter Bars

I know I have mentioned several times that I love to bake. I also, OBVIOUSLY, have to be careful not to bake so much that I gain a million pounds. Plus, I do like to attempt to make the desserts at least semi-healthy so I am not filling my family with completely empty calories.

Fall Decorating

I  have been a bit behind on decorating the house for fall. Normally, Oct 1 comes around and we break out all the Halloween stuff and really enjoy it for the full month. But, since our house is on the market, we are not allowed to decorate for Halloween - just fall. Now, I do miss the Halloween decor, but I really like fall decor as well.

Have you noticed all the 'natural' decor on Pinterest lately?  Lots of white pumpkins, burlap, berries, acorns  pine cones, etc. I must say, I really love natural decor. However, I find myself wanting a little more color. Like, regular pumpkins, red leaves, red berries, etc.

So, after seeing several blog posts and ideas - I have been inspired to get my act together and get at least a few things done. So, I did my mantle and dining table. Want to see?

Buckeyes for Halloween

This is a special treat I make most years for Halloween. And since we are getting close to Halloween, I thought I would share! These are ALWAYS a hit at school and parties. It has become a requested item.

You can use any buckeye recipe you prefer for the balls. There are even some healthier peanut butter ball recipes (like this one) you could use as the base. Using the white chocolate is the key to making them look like eyeballs. I have a hard time finding the red decorator gel before December, so mine have evolved into monster eyes - using whatever colors I can find at the time.

Derailed, again...

Oh crap. I've gained.

Derailed is not even a good description. Crashed and burned covers it better - but luckily I don't have any of my own photos of something in flames!

I had been holding steady - not great, but considering everything going on, I didn't feel too bad about that. But, then - I went CRAZY! Not thinking at all about what I ate or how much I exercised. It's totally my fault and all within my control.

I am not doing this for anyone other than myself. And yet, I always feel guilty when I eat something I shouldn't. Then, I beat myself up over it. Why do I do this? I suspect I am not the only one that falls into this trap.

So, my back is better and time to start exercising again.
Time to remember calories count - no matter how 'healthy' they are.
Moderation and balance are key.
WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

Not sure how I will make it through the holiday season - which starts now. I love to bake! You have probably guessed that by now. My goal is to lose 10 pounds between now and the end of the year. I best get at it!