Fat, Fancy & Back to Reality (not actually an insta Insta Friday at all)

Not only do I now have Pinterest to blame for hours of time wasted on the internet, but I can also bitch about them making me fat(ter). This little concoction of honey-sugary-butter goodness was made on our last morning before school started...at 10:45am mind you. Summer indigence at its finest.

Please come to the dark side and make this.

Thanks Pinterest.jerk.

We WERE counting down the days until school started...I suppose we were all in denial because the number never went below four.

The girls were playing "fancy people" with tea cups and grapefruit. After this sophisticated appetizer I served them some Ralphs store brand (chef boyardee style) canned mini raviolis. Very classy. And healthy.right.

 This brings us up to The First Day of School. YaY.

Miss Juliet is in first grade this year and is lucky enough to have both Abigail's kinder & first grade teachers together in one classroom. They are sharing a contract so mid-week when they switch she'll have a refreshed teacher...so is the theory.

 Miss Abigail is in fifth grade this year.time.flies. 

That's all I have to say on this one.

(how cute are these signs, right?)

The first day of school also means that I must break my 10 week fast of not going to work. Back to reality. Back to being Mrs. O. 

I even got a whooping cough vaccine just for the occasion. Because kids are disgusting. 

I really was nice seeing my coworkers and catching up with a few quick sentences as you pass each other in the hall. Hearing about all the fancy far-off amazing places some of these students travel to is interesting..and a bit depressing. 

But it's good to be back. For now.

Strawberry Jam-ish

So, I decided I wanted to attempt to make jam. I have a unnatural LOVE for glass jars, so what could be better than an excuse to buy glass jars and fill them with a sugar logged fruit concoction?! Come on now!

Apprenenty Target doesn't support home canners so I was forced into a Walmart trip where all of my supplies were neatly sprawled into front of me. Things I didn't even know I needed like a kit with a funnel, tongs and a magnet stick...all of which came in very handy. (Thanks Ball for NOT selling me crap that I really didn't need. Your products are awesome.)

That evening I knew Brad wasn't going to be home until 1:30am, I got the girls to bed by 9:45, re-read the recipe 5 times, wasted time here and here. Finally when the clock looked like this:

 I got my butt in gear. After making this nectar of love:

 and REALLY wanting to eat a piece of this:

I got everything ready that this LADY told me I needed.

(I trust her cause she's a fellow Orange County girl Ü )

I'm not gonna lie, this last picture isn't of my jars of yummy-ness(plus mine is less chunky). But honestly I was too lazy and the jars were too dang hot to pose for an after shot...why haven't I done it in the last three days since I made the stuff..not sure.

As for the final product:

-a bit too sweet for my liking

-a bit too runny (over rip probably to blame)

I'm just SO excited that the actual canning process worked though, I was really stressed when I wasn't hearing "POPs"...but then again I'm not very patient.

So thanks Joanne for inspiring me to attempt this.

source

I love bags...and winning them is AWESOME

I was SO excited this morning when the mailman came.....

 ......and brought me these!!

 How beautiful are they?

I know, huh!

I have an unnatural love for bags (kinda like my glass jar issue)...so when I got an email from this company telling me I had WON a laptop/ipad case I was super excited. (though I have to admit I can't remember the blog that I won them on, and believe me I searched and searched to give props where they are deserved-sorry!whoops). Being the brat that try not to be I dared to ask if I could choose something (of lesser value in fact) in place of the laptop/ipad case...I don't need a laptop case or have an ipad. I really wanted to pick something I knew I'd use all the time. 

DJ, the person that I was emailing back and forth at Mixed Bags was SOOO nice. I was allowed me to choose from 5 different sets..not just one item, an entire set...the coolest!!!

This company also does school fundraisers. I've seen their stuff at the school I work at and hope to pitch this stuff at my girls school. Umm..hello, they'll get 50% of the sales..what a great fundraiser!

Thanks mixed bag designs!!!

Mixed Bag Designs

Juliet.6

Happy 6th Birthday Juliet!

 First thing this morning...

Me: "Good morning Juliet, Happy Birthday!"

Juliet:{singing}"YaY I'm 6-6-6 and I get to do whatever I want today."

Really?!

Proof she is evil.