Past "April's Fools Day" Tricks!

It's almost that time again...April Fool's Day!!! I usually try to play a trick on my family each year. Some work...some don't! Listed below are a few of my favorites that actually worked!!!

1. One year the day before April 1st, I took several pairs of Marcus' underwear and stitched them side to side. About 10 pair, and laid them carefully back in his drawer. Now when I did this, it was when he would get up earlier than I in the morning. So I pretended to be sleeping as he came out of the shower and started getting dressed. As he reached for a pair of underwear, they just kept coming, one after the other. I could hear him as he exclaimed, "What the Heck?". At this point I couldn't keep from laughing and the joke was up. Sounds silly, but it worked! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also stitch up the fly of the underwear, but I'm not that mean and I wouldn't want an angry husband coming home in the middle of the day to change!!!
2. Another year, after everyone went to bed, I set all the clocks ahead 1 hour. It worked...everyone was up early for school. This year, no way!! I need my sleep!!

3. Last year, I was having trouble w/the starter on my car. We actually had to replace it twice from Jan to March. So on the evening of April 1st when I called Marcus from the grocery store to tell him the starter of my car had gone out AGAIN....he bought it!!!! He was very happy to hear it was only a joke!!!Dang those foreign cars!!!

4. This Year??? There are always a lot of food tricks to play and I do have a fake bagel hidden away w/plans for breakfast. But if you know of any good pranks, let me know. I don't like anything mean, but I do like to have fun!!!

Spring Bags!!!

After posting "What's in your Bag?" I realized, I carry very boring bags. I need to spice it up....I wear BORING blue scrubs everyday to work. I have no personality, no style all week long! I've decided I've got to break away from the black bags I carry from Sept-March and white bag from April-August. I need a little COLOR in my life!!!!

Here's what I found out there....

A lovely teal B. Makowsky Shopper only $298


My favorite, Kate Spade of course...$495 (I wish!)


Cute Green Flower Bag at Nordstrom at $88, this seems to be the bargain of the day!


A cute aqua bag by Fossil $285


Problem #1 Are you seeing a trend??? I've moved from black and white to mostly blue....can I only see one color at a time? Blue is not going to stand out against my blue scrubs!!! I think I may need some color therapy!!! I have a very difficult time buying things that aren't black, white, grey or cream! Help! I may be hopelessly boring!

Okay problem #2, I can't afford any of these bags! Sad! I did check out Target's website and they had some cute spring bags, but I couldn't copy and paste any of their images! What's up w/that? They did have a look-a-like of the Kate Spade in you guessed it, blue for $24.99, I'm there tomorrow!!!! I can do $24.99!!!! I'll keep you posted on my quest for a fun and bright spring bag! Maybe I'll surprise you and find something fab in hot pink!

What's In Your Bag???

I was tagged on Feb 13th by Jean at Quincy Cottage to show my purse and what's in it! That gives you an idea of how behind I am in my life...it has taken me 46 days to respond!!! Jean is my good friend Jenn's mom! Like Mother like daughters, Jean and all 3 of her daughters are very talented and creative...it's not fair, so much creativity in one family! She has a fun blog w/lots of great ideas and yummy recipes, check her out!!!

Here are the rules for the game...
1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are today - not last weekend when you and your hubby went out to that fabulous restaurant. No cheating!!!
_____________________________________
2. Tell us how much it cost. This is a no-judgment zone -- there will be no ridiculing or eye rolling here. And, if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I'd love to hear it.
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3. Now tag some fellow bloggers and link back to this post so people know why you are posting pictures of your bag.

Okay, first before we begin...a HUGE disclaimer...I have 2 main areas of weakness when it comes to organization...
Number 1. My car
Number 2. My purse (okay, let's be real, I've got a lot more, but I'm trying to keep things simple!)
I do try...I clean it out and the next day I swear, it's a mess! I don't know..I could buy a purse organizer, but I don't think I'd use it. I am always on the run, and everything just gets thrown in, but never put where it needs to be! When I was tagged for this "What's in your Bag" game, I was working 2 jobs and it was a CRAZY CRAZY week for me. I know I'm supposed to show my current purse, but I've also taken a photo of what my purse did look like at that time. Since then I've been much more conscious of keeping my purse more organized, but it's still pretty bad! Please don't judge me...just love me for who I am!!!

Purse #1
Faux Croc by Guess
Purchased at Macy's on sale(of course), $19.99
This was purse I was using when tagged. It was my crazy week, working the last week of my old job and the 1st week of my new job! It was also the week of Valentine's Day, and those who know me well, know I refuse to skimp on a holiday!!!


Here's what it included:
Wallet and Checkbook
Planner (can't live w/out)
Going Away/Miss You cards from old job
Hand Sanitizer
Lots of assorted business cards
2 hairbrushes (that I don't even personally use on my own hair)
1 teasing comb (okay, I admit, I do use that, dang that Brang hair)
Jumpdrive
1 Pink Glove (nice, what happened to the other one?)
Various types of mints (can't chew gum w/out swallowing. Yes, I am 3!)
Energy pills (don't waste your $)
Plastic Spoon (you never know when you'll run across a yogert in the fridge at work)
Sunscreen (don't EVER leave home w/out it!)
Scissors
Post-it Notes
Assorted pens and pencils (always too many)
Ribbon and Tulle (Were wrapped around a box of the yummiest cupcakes ever made from Dear Lizzy, a gift from 2 of my fav students. Yes, I did eat them and they were fab!)
(Sorry, long list!)

Purse #2 Current Purse
Black Hobo from Bath & Body
Gift from nice friend
This is a bit better, but still too much junk!!!



Includes:
Wallet and Checkbook
Planner (still can't live w/out)
Stress Relief Hand Lotion from B & B (love it!)
Gum (I'll give it another try)
Mints
Breath Spray
Lip Gloss/Carmex
Water
Crystal Light (trying to mellow out on the DC, we'll see)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen (still a must!)
Botox Pen and Compact Mirrow (gotta love the Botox)
Hylauronic Acid (plump me up baby!)
Kleenex Pack (I'm a crier!)

Okay, you have to admit...it's better!!!!

Okay, now it is the last week of March...time for a new purse and something other than black!!!! But more on that later, I promise!!!!

Here's who I tag in this games....and please do a better job than me of responding!!!

1. Marie at Wes and Marie Raymond (Marie always has fun purses! You can do it!)
2. Katie at Welcome to the Jungle
2. Marilyn Browne who doesn't have a blog, but needs to....Katie can help you, you can do it together and post it on her blog. If you don't, you'll be forced to give up your darling yellow springy purse!!!!

Friends!! One of Life's Best Things!

How can you not love friends! In my opinion, friends are one of lifes best inventions, maybe even better than chocolate. I read a fun article on friends in a recent magazine...I happen to be blessed with several absolutely fab friends! I'm just afraid that I often take a little more than I give. So this was a good article for me to read!


6 Little Ways to be a Better Friend!

1. PUT HER ON YOUR TO-DO LIST!
Sometimes life gets hectic, make sure you still have time for friends, even if it is only a quick phone call or a few texts between "hairy" appointments (haha)!

2. BE THERE IN THE BAD TIMES TOO!
When her life sucks, be there, it doesn't mean you have to say the right words, just show your support!

3. DON'T OVER-ADVISE!
Sometimes friends want your advise, and sometimes they just want you to give them your "Okay".

4. ACCEPT HER WEAKNESSESS!
Recognize your friends' shortcomings and play to each of their individual strengths. I know I have plenty of weaknesses and thankyou to all my friends that put up w/my annoying habits!!!!

5. BE CASH-CONSCIOUS!
In this economy, be sensitive to her budget when making plans or telling about your most recent shopping spree!!

6. LOOK OUT FOR HER EVEN WHEN SHE'S NOT LOOKING!
Talk her up, post only flattering pics on facebook. If you are shopping a great clearance sale and see something in her size you know she'd love, call her and let her know!


All I can say is....thanks for all my great friends near and far. I love you all and can't express enough gratitude for listening to me and all my drama and still loving me!!!! You are the best and you all know exactly who you are!!!!!!!
Thanks for being there...even when I have to work TOO much!!!!

More Tasty Spring Desserts!

Okay....I know this is a weak blog but, it is all I have time for lately!!! So as I find fun spring decor ideas and recipes, I'll be passing them on! Besides, I'm a sucker for desserts! Who needs a meal, when we have dessert! (Obviously I got my Grandma Brang's genes!)

Easter Almond Petit Fours!

These look absolutely AMAZING!!!! I will be making these and if I like them as much as I think I will....they will be added to my annual Easter tradition of sugar cookies and chocolate dipped strawberries!!!

For this tasty recipe...click HERE!

A Little Bit of Spring

I know the weather is looking soooo NOT like Spring today, but I thought I'd share a yummy dessert recipe I found. Hopefully it will cheer you up!!!

Tangerine Chiffon Cake

I love the taste of citrus and what could be more springy and light! I don't know if I can pull off the flowers, but thought I could add real flowers to make it pretty!

Click here for the recipe!

Have a great week and happy baking!!!

March Cupcake of the Month & More!!!

Gummy Shamrock Cupcakes

1. Frost a cooled cupcake with white icing.

2. For the shamrock, flatten 3 green gumdrops or spearmint leaves with a rolling pin (sprinkle on a little sugar, if necessary, to keep the candies from sticking).

3. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 1 1/2 inches across) to cut a heart from each flattened leaf.

4. Place the hearts together on the cupcake to form a shamrock.

5. Cut a stem from the excess of one of the flattened candies and set it in place below the 3 hearts.

Although I am loving the "Cupcake of the Month" and we will be partaking of them...our family fav for St. Patrick's Day desserts is....

YEESSSS!!! The Mint Chocolate Brownie! If I ever did NOT make them for St. Patty's Day, I would have my bags packed for me....that's how much my kids LOVE them!!

I usually don't have a lot of "homemade cooking time", so I do it the easy way!!!

1. Make my favorite family size brownie mix and let cool.
2. Frost w/my fav buttercream frosting, adding green food coloring and mint extract.
3. Either top w/chocolate glaze or drizzle melted chocolate chips along the top.

Chocolate Glaze:
3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate glaze starts to dull.

But if you have too much time on your hands AND you are an over-achiever, click here for the complete, from scratch recipe!

Lucky Clover Cupcakes!



1. Place paper liners in 32 standard muffin cups, then fill each halfway with the batter.

2. For each cupcake, roll three balls of foil (ours were 2/3 inch in diameter) and insert them evenly around the perimeter between the liner and the tin, as shown. (You can also use marbles)


3. Bake the cupcakes for a few minutes less than the package suggests (because there's less batter per cup than usual), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Allow the cupcakes to cool, then remove them from the tin.

5. Cover each with green frosting (our ratio was 1 teaspoon of green food coloring to one 16-ounce can of white frosting).

6. Use a toothpick to draw leaf veins, and insert a 2-inch-long piece of green licorice for a stem.



Looking for a Heathly Dessert or a side dish for your Irish dinner??? Try this cute Leprechan Jello served in a hollowed out lime!!!

3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin
6 limes
Sugar
1 teaspoon of whipped cream

1. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang on each side (this will make removing the gelatin easier). Combine a 3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin and 1 cup of boiling water in a medium bowl, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in 1 cup of cold water, then pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill the gelatin for 4 hours or until firm, then slice the gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Cut off the top quarter of each of 6 limes, then, without cutting into the fruit, slice a thin layer of peel from the bottom of each one to help them stand upright. With a small knife, cut around the inside of each lime's rind to loosen the pulp, then spoon it out to make a shell.

3. Place a pinch of sugar and 1 teaspoon of whipped cream in the bottom of each shell, then fill each lime pot with gelatin gold. Makes 6.

Enjoy and I will have some St. Patty's Day dinner ideas to post this weekend!!!
(At least that's the plan for now!)