Summer Fun!

 Summertime Fun!

Hi everyone!  I have some gardening pics, project pics and backyard pics going up later this week here so check back for those.  Just waiting for paint to dry and such LOL!  In the meantime thought I'd share a few fun and fab things that I think are super cool for summer!  Summer is my favorite time of year...just something about blue skies, sun out, green grass and the promise of some time off to just enjoy life.  These items below make me happy!!!

I adore this retro cooler...in love with the style and color...comes in many colors

and is $60 HERE!

I want a picnic basket...I want one that can hold a ton of stuff...and I'm slightly old-fashioned in that I want a wicker one.  There's just something about a wicker basket picnic basket that makes you want to pack it up, head out on a beautiful day and just enjoy life!  This particular one is the one I want currently...the plates/linens come in different colors but I like this butter yellow combo!

I also like these for the beach...we have a cooler with wheels we use but I like this one for other food items and it zips closed so no sand in can blow in there.  Bonus....only $19.99 at World Market and lots of pretty patterns too!

I love the durability of Thirty-One Bags...they hold a ton, hold up well and come in so many fun patterns.  This large utility tote is one of my faves as it can hold a ton of beach towels, sand toys and magazines for the beach AND then come home and hold sports gear, groceries, etc.

 I love pretty beach towels...for myself LOL...and I may have a "few" shhhh but I love the colors in this Vera Bradley beach towel.  So cute!!

We have a large outdoor area that we use as much as possible..I am addicted to pillows...its a problem LOL and I like lots of pretty patterns.  So a few of these are headed my way...they match my outdoor furniture as you will see in an upcoming post.  $44 for two from Overstock.com

I also love to light lots of tiki torches, candles, hurricanes and lanterns outside...I bought a few of these lanterns in white from Pier 1 Imports in different sizes.  And you can spray paint them any color if you need too...hmmmm LOL!

I love to plant in galvanized metal planters/troughs...I have some copper ones I love and have planted succulents in for under our cabana.  But I also love that you can find them in pretty colors AND if not you can paint them...a can of spray paint is the easy way to play!!

Summer is about ICE CREAM...its the only time of year I will eat it (odd I am, yes I know) and I love pretty ice cream dishes...shoot me but I have a few...its that glassware obsession again LOL!  I like the old fashioned ones best and we have a set like these above....12 for only $24.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond *use that 20% coupon you get in mail or online too*

Shoot me but I'm a sucker for the fun and kitschy at times so these condiment holders make me smile!  I love the lil picnic table and umbrella...how cute for your patio table or buffet this summer right?  Only $14.99 too...I may be getting one of these...hee!

And no garden is complete with a garden gnome to look over it...there are so many fun varieties out there but I love the all white ceramic ones I've seen.  Target had them but I missed out HOWEVER I found some online so my garden will be "gnomed" :)

What's your favorite summertime find??

Runaway Time!

Happy TGIFriday!  Sorry I have lots of posts planned and projects in-process but nothing completed yet.  Its prom-festivity weekend and my mom is coming for a visit so I've been busy trying to get my work done and chores done.  And hubby is away until tomorrow night in Boston so its just me here trying to man the homestead LOL.  Time doth' run away from me lately!

Sooooo that has not given me much time to finish ongoing projects and get blog posts done!  But I promise next week to have some goods up here for you all.  End of school year is tough on parents and especially when your kids get into high school like mine.  Its been nothing but chorus rehearsals, AP exam reviews, tests, projects, field trips, prom stuff, etc....I'm tired and I'm not even IN school! Oy!  June 6th is last day of school...that is my mantra...I keep repeating it LOL!  Then in August I will be repeating Sept 4th is first day of school...I cannot wait...LOL!  And I will get to say I have a senior and a sophomore in High School...I don't know that I like saying that so much :(

Anywho here's a few pics of stuffs that has been going on:

Cleaned out my walk-in closet...pics above are what I'm giving away.  I was holding onto so much stuff that was years old, wrong sizes, not in style anymore and for WHY? LOL! So that chore was finally done...not for the faint of heart that's for sure and took me a few hours.

Got my new family room furniture in...after 10 years our other couches had given out!  Still searching for a chair for other corner...my large chair (not in pic) is only a few years old and holding up great.  My chair fits me and 2 dogs and a few cats and is a recliner...its where I blog from each night :)

Broke two of my toes on my right foot tonight...just recovered from a broken toe..the universe seems to NOT be on my side lately.  I've broken them so many times that they are just numb most of the time...but thank goodness for sandal weather.   I had just gotten a pedicure with Alexa today (I'm the aqua toes...love that Essie color) and Alexa got a sparkly nude for prom!

Still working on backyard projects and next up is my mudroom...then we will move downstairs to finish up Riley's bedroom.  And of course many more projects down the line to come....

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

Some Nights....

Some nights...its a Friday night...its storming & raining hard outside...the dogs are trying to climb on your head because they're scared of storms...the boys are gone for the evening...its just you & the teen daughter...all your sports teams have won that night...everyone is safe & warm and happy...you whip up some No Bake Cookies...and put on your fave movie....

Yeah some times its a REAL good night....

****************

No Bake Cookie Recipe 

(the one passed down to me from my mom & gram) 

1/2 cup shortening/Crisco

1/2 cup cocoa 

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups Oatmeal

(1) Mix everything except oatmeal over high heat in pan to a rolling boil

(2) keep stirring and boiling for 2 mins (no less than 2 mins so TIME IT or they will be runny, ick)

(3) Remove pan from heat and mix in oatmeal till well coated

(4) place spoonfuls on wax paper & cool

(5) EAT & ENJOY....yummmmm

A Vintage Affair!

A Vintage Affair!

If you like vintage items or like to alter things....check out my crafty post on

 ScrapBitz today!  I turned an old cigar box into a recipe/decorative box for my kitchen.  So much fun to do and I love the way it turned out!

 So it went from this.......to.........

This!!  An altered recipe box for my kitchen!

Have you altered any items into something ELSE lately???

A Birthday Story!

A Birthday Story! 

So Thursday kicked off my birthday weekend...I like to tell the family I get TWO back-2-back weekends all about ME because Mother's Day is next week too, hee hee.  Works for me!!

 And I RARELY take off of work...I work from home so its just hard you know...but I took off Thursday and Friday....I really did (I did work out though...shhhh)!  Saturday I did clean the house and do some laundry and ran errands with the hubby.  Today we are out in the yard doing some gardening and then grilling out for dinner.....its been a great weekend!!  I am blessed with wonderful friends and a fabulous family in my life...I'm a very lucky girl!

 

We went to DC on Thursday night for a Washington Capitals hockey playoff game against the NY Rangers.  We stopped off to have some Chicago Pizza beforehand...I didn't eat any...it makes me horribly sick so I refrained LOL (but it sure smelled good...note the other diners in red...yeah cuz Caps fans rock the RED all the time). 

The teens were with us of course...we cannot escape them...they are everywhere LOL.  That's Riley's bestie on the left, Tariq.  You will see him in lots of our pics...he's my other child too...I have a ton of children I didn't birth it seems and they are always with us...can't shake em ;)

And our seats are front row-center on the ice...nothing like it...INTENSE...LOUD...and so much fun!
And YES YES YES the Capitals won...and they won on Saturday too....whoot!  Stanley Cup here we come....PLEEEEEEASE LOL!

My Design Team kicked off my birthday with a fun blog hop....err roast...I mean toast LOL!
And they sent me some pretty gifties too!  Love those girls so much!

Me & Alexa before going out for my birthday dinner!

My favorite restaurant in Leesburg is Lightfoot...I love it...always good!  Its in a very old bank and the building is just beautiful and we always get the same waiter too.  But the food is BETTER! This is my favorite...Oysters Rockefeller...no one does them better and trust me I've tried them in MANY places around the US.  They put some Sambuca in there and it gives it a kick!

Then I finish it off with filet mignon (medium rare, I like it to be pretty rare...anything more is a disgrace to the meat LOL) topped with crab meat and hollandaise sauce....yummers.  And one of my fave veggies asparagus!

And guess what???  I got a box....hmmmmmmmm?

Guess what I got TWO boxes from hubby....yup TWO...OMGEEEEE!

Yep, he got me my earrings...that I blogged about...I might have emailed him the link a "few" times hee hee...but he got the hint!  Whoooohooo, I love them even more ON ME :)

And he went one better...he got me the infinity love bracelet too...I LOVE IT!  Just my style...not too flashy and can be worn everyday!  **note the indentations on my arm are from a cuff I had on, I'm not that wrinkled at 39 yet sheesh LOL*

And I finished it off with a Thin Mint Sundae...pretty good...but I only ate half, seeee I was good!

And last night we saw Iron Man 3....let me count the ways I love Robert Downey Jr...I have loved him since the Brat Pack Days.  Loved him on Ally McBeal...loved him thru his down days...love him as a singer.  And he just GETS HOTTER as he ages...phewww wheeeee! LOL!
But seriously, I loved the movie...he makes me laugh...I think I jumped & screamed once...and covered my eyes once or twice....so all in all a great movie!
We went to the Alamo Theater here that just opened....it was AMAZING....the seats are fabulous, you have a bar in front of you and no one is directly in front or behind you (that means NO ONE CAN KICK YOUR SEAT...just sayin)
Then you have a full menu and waiter to bring you whatever you'd like...whoohooo.
So the Dean clan decided to try a bit of everything hee hee
(wine for me, a cheese plate, warm-made-to-order cookies, bottomless popcorn, gummies, pretzels & milkshakes)  yeah we's gots issues LOL!  I loved it...I will be back...hmmm that sounds like Arh-nold huh? :)

So outside the theater they have these sci-fi light games on astro turf.  OMG it was midnight and we were racing around screaming & laughing our heads off...so much fun.  And its great cardio...we did it in twos.  I played everyone and Alexa twice....and I won...IN HEELS no less...cuz I'm awesome like that on my birthday...ahahahahaha!  It was hysterical!

Good Times...that's what its all about...living life with the ones you love, the best way that you can and making the most of each day!!   

LIVE LARGE & LOUD & HAVE FUN

Juicin'!!

JUICIN'

I love to juice...sounds bad doesn't it lol..but I'm not talking about the steroids kinda juicin' folks.  I'm talking about homemade, yummy juice that you make.  I am always trying to find good ways to keep my body healthy and ready to get through each day...cuz' man life sucks it out of you so you have to work at keeping the good in!  And I found that a giant juice every morning helps keep me on track.  Three years ago I researched all kinds of juicers and found one that I liked, it had good reviews and wasn't too expensive and best of all NOT HARD to clean...because let me tell you that's REALLY important.  If you have to go through multiple steps to clean something and it sucks time from your day you won't want to do it anymore...am I right?  So if you are in the market for one make sure to read the "REAL" reviews from folks online about quality, ease of use, noise it makes and ease of cleaning...those are important.  Mine is either 850 or 900 watts...you want a higher wattage motor because you want to SQUEEZE as much juice as you can....veggies and fruits aren't cheap so you don't want any juice left in those babies after they go through.  PLUS have you priced those fancy, gourmet juices at the stores and Starbucks?  They are super expensive for the amount you are given and you never know what ELSE they may be sticking in there.  At least when I make it, I know EXACTLY what I'm drinking KWIM?

I have a Breville that I got off of Amazon for about $180 and I'm extremely happy with it...it wasn't the $300 model but it does exactly what I want  it to and its lasted well after 3 years.  I wanted something I didn't have to peel all the fruit and veggies carefully.  Also make sure it is able to do loose lettuces and spinach...some of them have issues with juicing those items.  The only thing I do on this is core my apples and cut up oranges & lemons to get peel off before putting them through.  I love it!

And homemade juice is EXCELLENT for your body and health....it doesn't get better than that.  There are a ton of juice recipes online and you can find ones that will help with immune systems, weight loss, muscle strength, gastritis, brain boosting, etc.  I have my faves I make daily and I always use a ton of veggies in them as well....good way to get those extra servings of fruits and vegetables in.  I tend to graze a bit during the day...supper is my big meal most of the time.  I'm never too hungry during the day so I might have a Greek yogurt, a banana with peanut butter, a handful of nuts or a bagel.  But I drink a juice I made each morning...that's my breakfast every day!

The thing about juice is that when you juice veggies and fruits you extract all the antioxidants and vitamins out into your juice and you drink it instead of eating it and NO chances of slathering those veggies with sauces or butter LOL.  Plus fresh is best...so use fresh when you can!  I use organic if fresh isn't available as much as possible...obviously in the winter where I live fresh fruit isn't the easiest to find.

For me I noticed it helps:
-my skin look vibrant and clear
-give me the energy I need to start the day and is filling
-helps with my Chrohn's, keeping it stable and healthy
-helps give a boost to my immune system
-I take vitamins and supplements but I always feel that you get the best does of vitamins from the foods you choose to eat.

These are three of my favorite combinations to drink although I mix it up all the time depending on what is in season and what taste I want.  I HATE CARROTS though so I always stick a few in my juice so I get their benefits without the taste LOL.  So if you hate some veggies or fruits this is a great way to get them in your body :)

Fruit Juice
-2 apples
-1/2 cucumber
-handful of small carrots
-3-5 large strawberries
-1/2 cup blackberries or raspberries
-1/2 cup of blueberries
-cup of spinach
-coconut water

Citrus Juice:
-pineapple chunks
-2 oranges
-1 lemon
-grapefruit chunks (I hate grapefruit but its good for ya)
-kiwi
-1 banana
-coconut water

Veggie Juice
-2-3 med sized tomatoes
-1 apple to cut some acidity for me
-1/2 a cucumber
-garlic clove or two
-3-4 celery stalks
-a few carrots
-some lemon juice
-spinach or broccoli

Research the veggies and fruits that give you the most bang for you buck as well.  I know lemon is great for helping keep your kidneys clear & for good digestion, blueberries are high in antioxidants, and carrots great for your eye & heart health.  So research what you think you need the most and make sure to add those things in to your juices.

I usually make a double batch so I can have one in the morning and one the next morning.  Sometimes I make the kids some juice too although Riley isn't too hip on it LOL but Alexa does like it!  But it really is easy to do, no big deal to me and I love knowing that I'm drinking some good stuff that is homemade.  I feel like I'm drinking a giant dose of HEALTHY after I've drank up!

Do you juice?  What's your fave combo to juice up?