I've been doing a bit more of this lately… investing time in the people I love.
Library visits and field trips with Ella…

Saturday lunches with Clara…

and some occasional outside time with Ema.

Inspired by my desire to find ways to stay connected to what matters most, I bought a book called Hands Free Mama. It's all about finding ways to "unplug" from the devices that seem to be glued to our hips, purses, hands, eyes…you get what I mean…and instead, being engaged in what matters most - our LIFE! (and of course, the lives of those we love).

My efforts are not perfect by any means. Nor do I think they are supposed to be.

FUNNY STORY
One night after dinner, Ema asked if I would come outside with her and Ella to toss the ball around.
I, however, was exhausted and did NOT want to do anything after having made dinner and was just finishing the dishes. After telling her "No…I'm too tired" and watching her and Ella head outside disappointed I was overcome with guilt. Excerpts from the Hands Free Mama book flashed through my brain so I changed my mind and surprised them by showing up in the backyard ready to "play".

Ema had the baseball gloves ready and challenged me to a friendly competition while Ella was swinging.
Em likes to throw a racquetball against the side of the house and catch it so she thought it would be fun to turn it into a competition; whoever had the most consecutive catches would be the winner.

I still wasn't feeling completely "into" it at that point but there I was…outside…doing what I knew was right...so it was game on. When it was my turn, I was determined to beat Ema's 10 or 12 consecutive catches and after the first throw the ball bounced back and hit me...right. in. the. eye. Seriously!? I was so angry I wanted to cuss (but didn't) and then I wanted to throw down my glove and go inside and pout (or cry) like a baby…but I didn't. I immediately thought, "Here's what I get for trying to do the right thing!? This is so freaking awesome!" Once I breathed a few deep breaths after realizing my eye didn't get poked out and was able to come to terms with the fact I may end up with a black eye, I soon lost myself in Ema and Ella's laughter and allowed the humor of the situation to sink in. I mean really. It was funny. And honestly, it was exactly what I needed to kick my butt in gear and get rid of the "ho-hum" attitude I had and just loosen up and be in the moment. Black eye and all. *wink*

By the way…I ended up with high score for the night! (52 catches) BAM!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
The shoppe has been busy this past week and I've had lots of requests for the Art Prints I've been sharing on my Instagram Feed - like this one:

I'm going back and forth about just opening my own shoppe (through Shopify or some place similar) or if I should just keep everything in Etsy. Or maybe I should just do both? Not sure.  Any of you have any suggestions? Are there specific E-commerce Platforms you really like or recommend? I could use your feedback and suggestions.

I've also been dealing with the "ugly side" of manufacturing…again!
Will be making some tough decisions with regards to all of that soon!

SHARE | April Fool's Day Shenanigans for the Whole Family

Monday is April Fool's Day...
Are you ready for the shenanigans?
Here are some "Harmless and Silly" ideas to try...

STRAW PRANK

Stuff a small part of a marshmallow in one end of the straw to clog it. 

Add it to a beverage you are serving someone and try not to laugh or smile while they're struggling to quench their thirst. 

CONFETTI PRANK

Add some confetti to the paddles of a ceiling fan and wait for someone to turn it on. Messy but worth it!

Click the "Read More" button below to see all 11 Harmless & Silly April Fool's Day Pranks...

promise ME | goals #3 and #43

I hope this video puts a smile on your face
and adds a bit of sunshine to your day...

KEEPiNG iT REAL

It's incredibly unbelievable how long it takes to create a video...

The time spent saving, editing, cutting, adding music...

not to mention the fact that I have to convert the files from .MOD to .mpeg and then to a movie file.

Craziness I tell ya!!

But I figure the more I do it...

the faster I'll get.

Right?! *wink*

ella | mystery of the missing chocolate bar

I'm happily preparing lunch in the kitchen one day...
when suddenly the silence in the house rang loud in my ears.

The sort of silence moms immediately know indicates "trouble".

I tip toe quietly from the kitchen...
hoping to quickly dispel my intuition...
but knowing all too well to be prepared for what I might discover.

empty chocolate bar wrapper

fingerprints...

the culprit caught red chocolate-handed...

Trust me...
I wanted to cry when I saw my keyboard and mouse covered in chocolate.
But I calmly grabbed my camera (while discreetly hiding my smile and chuckles)
Took photos of the "evidence"...
Took "mugshots"...
Took the "suspect" into custody...
And with the evidence insurmountable...
and the mystery solved...
The cute little culprit did her time...
"timeout" that is. *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL
These photos were from a couple of weeks ago.
I decided to share them today though because I just felt like I needed to end the week with something a bit light-hearted.
It's been an emotionally draining week for me.
I've been helping a neighbor work on a memorial program for the one year anniversary of her husband's tragic death.
I attended a funeral service yesterday for a dear friend's mother who passed away from pancreatic cancer...
So I really NEEDED to end the week with something light-hearted...
Something to make me smile...
And a reminder to appreciate the little things.
Let's all be exceptionally aware of the "little" things as we head into the weekend.
Hugs to each of you...

life | tradeoffs

I wasn't really going to post today because I'm just completely swamped with orders, deadlines, projects...you name it.

But it's because I'm so busy...
I'm actually inspired to post a few photos.
Some REAL photos.
Photos I took yesterday depicting "tradeoffs"...
The tradeoffs of being so completely busy...
my two year old decided to keep herself really busy with some projects of her own.

Ella + black permanent marker =

 • couch art •

• carpet art •

• ottoman art •

I guess the fingernail polish art she created a couple of months ago - under the supervision of her two olders sisters, mind you,

needed another design element added to complete the work of art??

• dog art •

yep...not even our dog, hamilton, could escape being a blank canvas for this budding artist...

 • the art of having a "time out" •

Finding the balance is never easy...

I'd say things were certainly "out-of-balance" yesterday. *wink*

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone...

KEEPING IT REAL

I'm seriously thinking I need an assistant...

or at least someone to help with Ella a few times a week?

{in the kitchen} keep calm & bake on...

the truth of the matter is...

sometimes things don't quite turn out the way you are expecting...

despite your enthusiasm.

take, for instance, mini key lime pies...

i was COMPLETELY excited to try my hand at making these little morsels.

i'd purchased fresh key limes...(remember this?)

i had my brand-new pan...

all the ingredients were stocked in the pantry...

my mom even showed up unexpectedly so i had an extra set of hands.

i pretty much had all of the necessary items to produce a fantastic mini key lime pie.

instead, this is what i got...

an entire pan-full of overcooked mini key lime pies...

mistake #1...

forgetting to reduce required baking time due to pan size.

let's move on....

how about some chocolate cookies instead...

ummmm.....

yeah. (prounounced "eee-yah")

chocolate cookies...

with an overabundance of meringue still left in the bowl...

i decided to be resourceful.

i filled up a piping bag and whipped out a cookie sheet full of meringues.

(and i'm actually proud of myself at this point for not being wasteful).

approximately thirty to forty-five minutes later...

after having shut the timer off on the oven and wondering why it even went off in the first place...

after continuing to ignore the odd smell of something i can't quite put my finger on...

the sirens suddenly go off in my head...

"THE MERINGUES!!!!"....

mistake #2:

forgetting something was in the oven

no chocolate cookies here folks...just these lovely "autumn-kissed" meringues.

i was pretty discouraged...

i mean look at these pathetic attempts at baking...

and so...

it just goes to show...

things don't always turn out the way you anticipate.

and that's okay.

life isn't perfect - especially mine.

not everything in my kitchen turns out wonderful...

shoot.

some things barely make the "okay" list.

giving up, however, is not an option...

it's not acceptable...

and it shouldn't even be a consideration.

even when the odds are stacked against us.

we've got to dust ourselves off...

keep moving forward...

and find a different approach.

with that said...

here's my contribution to the infamous "keep calm" prints around the world...

i hope you all enjoy your wednesday...

and if for some reason you are feeling discouraged...

i hope this helps to add a little sunshine to your day.

KEEPING IT REAL

• i pulled the meringues from the trash the following day just to do a photo shoot for this post. *wink*

• key lime pies sat in the refrigerator and meringues sat in a ziploc for 4 days until i had time to photograph them.

• clara & i scraped off the overcooked pie filling & meringue and ate a few of the crusts...delicious!!

• i really did tell the girls these were chocolate cookies and i was in hysterics as they both took a bite...or tried to...it pretty much turned into "autumn-kissed" dust particles...

mistake #3: attempting to make these in the late afternoon with too many distractions.

j's parents came into town for a visit and my intentions were to have these as our dessert one night after dinner.

luckily, for me, i hadn't even mentioned i was baking these so there were no expectations on their part.

the happy meal...

source

we come up with a lot of creative analogies in our house.

#1: because i'm a deep thinker

#2: because j is quick-witted

today's post is an analogy about the "happy meal"...

(this all derived from a very "heated" walk on the treadmill this morning)...*wink*

i think it's pretty safe to say most of us have eaten a happy meal.

and if we haven't eaten one, we've purchased one for someone else to consume.

regardless...

it's REALLY convenient.

it's fast.

it's easy.

& it's satisfying...

to an extent...

right?

is it the BEST choice?

no

is it a HEALTHY choice?

no

but we do it anyway.

and that's what has me so fired up this morning.

how many of us indulge in "happy meals"?

not the "actual" happy meals from the golden arches...

i'm referring to the "happy meals" of life...

- settling for less.

- expecting less.

- accepting the status quo.

- choosing the path of least resistance.

- giving up on our dreams

- losing hope.

filling ourselves with those "happy meals" leave us feeling...

bloated! *wink*

empty.

hungry.

& even starving.

bottom line is this.

why don't we hold out for the "real meal"?

the meal that has unsurpassed quality.

the meal using the freshest ingredients.

the one that satisfies every nutritional requirement.

the meal you walk away from nourished, satisfied, inspired & enlightened by.

the meal you can't stop talking about for months.

you know the meal i'm talking about.

the definition of a "real meal" is different for all of us.

but the craving is universal.

isn't it time we expect more for ourselves?

do we all need a visual here?

let me help you...

settling on the "happy meals" of life would be like:

eating these...

source

...instead of these

source

or driving this...

source

instead of this...

source

okay...so maybe the "tricked-out" hello kitty bug isn't your thing...

but you get what i'm saying?

don't you?

if you've pushed some of your dreams to the side & thought:

"it's too late"

OR

"i'm not good enough"

OR

"i don't deserve that"

OR

"this is just how things are"

forget it people!

you are important enough to be treated to a gourmet meal.

stop going through the drive-thrus!

fill yourself up with wholesome goodness by following your dreams.

put the "happy meal" down and step away from the car!

turn around

& put your hands in the air...

and then seize the day...

because every day is an opportunity.

an opportunity to better ourself.

our life.

our world.

stop making excuses.

stop with the "should haves".

replace your paper napkins with cloth...

your plastic utensils with silver...

i'm tired of the happy meals...

it's time for some gourmet cuisine...

bon appetit!

Keeping It Real

i post things like this to motivate and inspire MYSELF...

i'm really talking to MYSELF...

so if anyone else benefits from it - then it's just the icing on the cake! *wink*

and if some of you are wondering, "where did this come from?"...

don't worry...

we'll be back to regularly scheduled posts...

tomorrow!

hugs!

the apple...

she adores them.

she goes crazy for them.

she squeals with excitement over them.

and she'll carry one around for hours if you let her.

but to eat it?

no teeth.

no luck.

only when mom cuts them up for her. *wink*

here's to a "tremendously productive" tuesday....

and for fun...don't forget to vote for your favorite holiday card.

see THIS post and then use the poll on the side bar...

bittersweet...

it's the little things in life that mean so much. don't you think?



i've been saving this since last week - just to share with you.

i haven't ever tried 99% dark chocolate. (honestly, i've never even seen the % available in stores). have you?

(j brought it home for me - knowing my love of chocolate and how i'm always justifying how "dark" chocolate is actually "heart-healthy". he included a sweet card too - but that's TOO sweet to share - *wink*).

let's unwrap the pretty packaging and try it together...

wow...fancy gold foil...makes me feel like i'm about to eat something very special...

see my reflection as i'm trying to take the picture.

hmmm...what's this? "tasting advice"....very unusual??

it says to progressively develop your palate. it suggests starting with 70%, then 85% & finally 99%??? okay? whatever. just get me to the chocolate.

foil peeled back: is it supposed to look like that? (two-toned)? interesting.

well...let's break off a piece...shall we?

oops...not a perfect break. oh well

i've placed it in my mouth...and i'm letting it melt...as suggested in the "tasting advice".

hmmmm...??? let's take a picture of the remaining chocolate while this piece melts in my mouth.

ummm...it's still in my mouth - stuck to the roof, actually. i'm trying to allow the "bouquet of cocoa aromas" to overwhelm me. and actually...it IS getting to be a little bit too overwhelming. this is almost uncomfortable. when's the sweet part of the bitter going to kick in? now i'm forcing my tongue to hold it in place - keeping it stuck to the roof of my mouth. i don't WANT it to melt anymore. stop the melting! (said with a bit of panic)!

okay. that's it. two minutes of trying to "adjust"...i hate to do it...

i'm walking, (well...okay...a slight run), to the kitchen sink. it's no longer in my mouth. (didn't take a picture of that).

oh my...i guess i need to develop my palate - as suggested. i'm a little disappointed. not in myself. not even in the chocolate. just in my "underdeveloped" palate.

oh well. the card was definitely MUCH sweeter. *wink*

have a terrific tuesday. and avoid the 99% unless your palate is much more developed than mine. *smile*

bananas over an apple...

the video speaks for itself...enjoy!

(don't forget to scroll ALL the way down & pause the music first).

grocery store inspiration

okay - so. i don't do the grocery shopping in our home. i make the weekly list/menu and j goes. j prefers it that way. he says it's more "economical" . he says i get too hung up on the "extras" i see along the way? i'm not sure what he's talking about. but anyway. THIS weekend...he decided to "allow" ella and i to tag along with him. i decided to turn it into an adventure...kind of like a documentary of what jessica sees at the grocery store. (cool packaging, my favorite things, etc.) you with me? let's go...

not sure why? i just thought the name on these black olives was amusing and wanted to share.

i mean come on...do you want large or do you want COLOSSAL?

(notice the actual pictures of the olives don't REALLY look that much different?)

we DID NOT buy these.

i thought this was clever packaging...

transparent top to view the cookies which also tie-in the look of the animal. VERY clever.

the baking aisle. my FAVORITE aisle....

this is my favorite brand of chocolate chips...

i'm not a "chip snob". i'll use anything that sounds delicious and looks cute.

have you seen the mini reese cup chips...haven't tried those yet. & i don't have a picture.

BUT...we didn't need any chocolate chips this week anyway.

reynolds actually offers mini designer baking cups?

i hadn't seen these before. how about you?

didn't purchase these either. just making a mental note for future reference.

then, j found a new beverage that his company distributes so we sampled it right on the spot.

(i scoured the packaging for any signs of caffeine...NONE).

oh these caught my eye. how adorable.

i'm thinking "carnival" party or a "movie night" for kids.

or how about a class party?

i didn't put these in the cart though.

(note to self - popcorn bags available at publix).

this is the 2nd one of these that i banged into with the cart.

(and it wasn't just a polite little bang either time...

it was one of those "bang and drag along" occurrences)

mmmm....goodness.

thanks for the nutella addiction, lannette.

you put the girls on this and then i HAD to sample it.

(NONE on this particular shopping excursion)

and this looks tasty.

"what peanut butter should be" slogan caught my eye.

(but this didn't make it into the cart either).

candy aisle!

these particular hershey nuggets are my favs...

(none purchased...thank you very much).

and i'm always curious to see the latest hershey kisses.

just when i think they can't POSSIBLY come up with something new...

BAM! how about some "chocolate meltaways" people?

("no" to these as well - it's no fun shopping with j...*wink*)

while on the subject of candy goodness...

look at this sweet little sugar stick...

onward to the produce section...

ladies and gentlemen...this sums up the fall season here in florida.

(in order to find it you must create a display). *wink*

(one butternut squash for harvest soup this week).

these totally creeped me out.

although there's certainly a demand for unusual "unique" pumpkins, etc.

i believe trying to pass off complete rejects as "gourmet" items is a bit of a stretch?

(need i mention these didn't make it into the cart)?

my new favorite cucumbers.

look at THAT packaging. "pink" mushroom cartons?

it kind of caught me off guard, actually.

i mean i appreciate the pink packaging. and let's face it, pink tends to make ANYTHING cute.

i'm not sure it's workin' for the mushrooms? what do you think?

my all-time favorite lettuce. seriously.

("no" on this item too. j had already gone to sam's & purchased 2 "colossal" sized bags of lettuce).

and of course, we can't forget the veggie spray.

(ella knows the importance of removing pesticides from our produce).

in the frozen food section, i found these to be very intriguing...

uh. wait a minute.

now that i'm looking at this a little closer, wouldn't this be considered just a "muffin top"?

so does the marketing on this product go something a little like this:

"reduce your muffin top by devouring our muffin tops - only 100 calories a pop?" hmmmm?

these would be perfect for ella's mini french bakery party coming up!

(i just LOVE the font they used for the word "mini" & even the "cream puffs")

they had mini eclairs too.

martha & amy would be so disappointed. shhh.

my favorite fruit bars & the veggie crumble for the lasagna this week.

last but not least. celebrity gossip.

looks like brad is movin' out...

and jen is movin' on...

good for her.

okay. so. i must tell you of this little ritual at the grocery store.

j has a real knack for guessing the grocery bill within "pennies" of the actual total.

i mean, seriously. this is an ongoing occurrence. it's NOT luck.

i'm usually ALWAYS wrong & j thinks it's because i don't pay enough attention to what things REALLY cost. (and he's probably...well...could be...somewhat...a litte bit right)?

so i've been working on that.

why bother telling you all of that?

j and i made our guesses.

his guess: $124

my guess: $134...

drumroll....

the publix monitor conveniently displaying our grocery total:

"ta dah!" did you not see that?! how about a little bit closer?

....54 cent difference!

*clearing throat*...guess i'm getting a little bit better!? *wink*

( i just HAD to take a picture. because honestly, i'm not sure i'll get that lucky again).

so you see...despite all of the "no's" and the "didn't get that item this week", we still managed to spend some money - not including the sam's trip j made prior to this.

thank you for going on the grocery store excursion with me! don't think i'll be doing that again any time soon. (clara read over the post this a.m. and didn't think it was too interesting).

hope you all have a much more interesting tuesday! make it a great week. it's my first official day "off" of the 21 challenge. WOW! it feels weird.

disclaimer...remember folks. these are pictures taken with my phone. my "real" camera is in the shop...so these are NOT examples of fine art by any stretch.