Last month, I received my first product from Influenster to try and write about*.
Of course, that first product was a container of Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread. Just as I’d rung in 2015 with the decision to try and eat better. 🙂
First Influenster Box!
Oh boy!
Yum. Who doesn’t like Reese’s (if you answered ‘me’, we can’t be friends anymore)?!
Because I was still trying to be good, it took me a little while to dive in after I opened the box. But when I did, man, the combinations we tried in our house went on and on! This stuff seriously tastes just like a peanut butter cup…with maybe a smidge more chocolate than peanut butter. So good.
I think my favorite pairing was the spread and Granny Smith apples. They’re tangy and tart, the spread was sweet. Delicious!
Josh attempted to just spread it on a piece of bread and eat it plain. He thought it was pretty tasty that way too.
One morning B was eating waffles, so I decided to join him…and you guessed it, put the spread on the waffles instead of my normal peanut butter. Great option!
After B’s birthday party, Josh put the spread on graham crackers. Also a delicious pairing!
One day while I was home, and B was having a fit about wanting a snack RIGHT THEN, I threw his cup of goldfish together and I put some spread on a tortilla (don’t judge!)Â and surprisingly, not bad.
And not too long ago, I may or may not have dipped animal crackers left over from B’s birthday in the spread…also very good.
I found the spread to be pretty versatile in the snack department. I’d heard about the spread before, but never purchased it. My mom has bought it before, loves the stuff, and actually suggested the waffle option! Thanks Mom!
It’s probably not something I’d buy every day, because let’s be real, if I’d put it on a toritlla to eat it, there’s not much I wouldn’t put it on for a snack. And I’m trying to be better about snacking.
If you’re looking for a sweet treat, I definitely recommend checking it out. If I remember correctly the caloric content for 2tbsp is the same as 2tbsp of peanut butter…with the added benefit of some chocolate…but don’t hold me on that!
If you’ve tried Reese’s spreads before, what did you pair it with? Â Would love to try a few more combinations with what we have left!
*Disclaimer: Influenster sent me this complimentary package to try and write about. All words in this review are honest and my own.
To continue on from Part I…
Day 2:
Having fallen asleep around 8-8:15 pm on Saturday night, imagine my excitement when I awoke from my slumber at 7 am. That’s a lot of sleep! No kiddo to wake us up meant we got to stay in bed late…because 7 am PST is 10 am EST. Woke up feeling very refreshed…and hungry.
We called down for room service and ordered something to the room. When our breakfast arrived they asked if we wanted to eat in the room, or out on the balcony. Since it looked beautiful outside, we opted for the balcony, and I’m so glad that we did!
What a view!
Josh had eggs, bacon, and toast. I went with the Smoked Salmon bagel and cream cheese. Ohhhhhhh, how I love smoked salmon and cream cheese. Yum!
The weather was gorgeous and the food was delicious. We opened our second bottle of champagne from our delivery on Saturday and I had mimosas with my yummy bagel. We sat out there for a good while before we moved back into the room.
I had a hair appointment at The Bellezza Salon in the hotel at 10 am, so I freshened up and put a base layer of foundation on, since our brunch with the Hilton crew was at noon, I wanted to make sure I would be able to get ready quickly once my hair was done.
I arrived on time and shortly thereafter Maria came to take me back to her chair. I showed her a picture of my dress and a couple hairstyles that I liked, and she got to work. In 35 minutes, my hair was finished in a cute up-do! I was really anticipating it to take longer, but she was a pro! I paid and went back up to the room to start on the rest of my makeup. I was really glad I didn’t have to rush, an hour and 30 minutes to get ready was more than enough!
Back view of my hair
I applied my make-up, had Josh tell me if my eye shadow job looked scary or not (more than once) and when I finally felt like everything was just the way I wanted it, I slipped on THE DRESS. Oh, how I love this dress. I have to thank my 409’ers and a few other special ladies that helped me narrow down my dress selection over the past several weeks. I appreciate the help, especially once I slipped this on all done up.
I walked out of the bathroom and into the main part of the room and Josh’s eyes lit up. He liked the dress a lot too. 🙂
He looked so handsome in his suit, my heart skipped a beat!
We took a selfie in front of our mirror and then made our way up to the Hilton Pre-Grammy’s brunch.
We walked in, and the first thing they had us do was take pictures on their red carpet.
So fancy!
The weather was beautiful outside, and definitely warm! The view from the top was spectacular so we took a few minutes to appreciate that before walking around. We met several nice people, some who worked for Hilton and some who were valued Hilton guests from the LA area who were asked to attend the awards as well.
We mingled, enjoyed the great food and drinks that they had for us, and made our way down to the lobby where limos were waiting to drive us to Staples Center for the Grammy Awards. How fancy! But how else would one expect to arrive at the red carpet?
Here we go!
WHA?!?!
We thought we might go in a separate entrance…but no, we actually walked down the red carpet where the famous folks did – just on the other side of a wall/divider in the middle, haha!
When we walked in, the very first person we noticed was Neil Patrick Harris. AH! I was so excited, I completely missed that Madonna was on the floor right next to him!
NPH and Madonna
A few steps later, Sam Smith was being interviewed.
Sam Smith!
A few more steps, a few more musicians. It was crazy to see the setup for all the TV and radio shows waiting to talk to the celebs attending.
While I wish we could have stood and watched all of this go down for much longer, security constantly prompted us to keep moving. “Take a quick pic like the paparazzi and keep moving.” I wanted to say that generally paparazzi plant themselves and take LOTS of pics, but I didn’t want to argue with someone that could have me thrown out.
So we kept moving.
We made it to the end where all the folks with cameras were setup. They were yelling out commands to the person being photographed. So insane!
And just when we thought we’d finished seeing everything, there was Kelly Osbourne with the Glam Cam. We slowly walked by to take a look (and a pic).
Kelly!
And shortly after we passed the Glam Cam, we were out in front of the Staples Center ready to walk in for the show. And I was ready to take my shoes off. Tell me, what was I thinking when I bought 4 and 3/4 in heels? Nothing intelligent, that’s for sure.
We made our way to our section, but they weren’t letting us go in yet. Which meant more standing in the painful shoes.
While we were out in the main area watching people filter in, Jane Lynch walked by! Didn’t get the camera out in time to take a picture though.
Around 4 pm, they allowed us to head down to our seats. My feet were sooooooooooo happy. We were four rows from the floor, and not too many sections away from the main stage. We were excited!
View from our seats
And then I realized that I needed to go to the ladies room before everything got started.
Ugh.
Walked up the stairs and handled that before going to find some water bottles to keep us hydrated during the show.
We kept our eyes open, watching the celebrities down below walk around. I decided I wanted to be a seat filler for future Grammy Awards. If anyone knows how to make that happen, please let me know, ASAP. I want in on that crazy experience!
Before the show, they came out and explained what we were going to do with the light-up AC/DC devil horns, which was neat. I wasn’t about to mess up my hair, so I decided I’d just hold them up during the song. 😉
LL Cool J came out and hyped the crowd up, but we really didn’t see a lot of him after that. There were a few sightings, but introductions and award nomination readings were done by other people. I wonder how much he got paid for that gig. I hosted Mercer Idol one season, I’m sure I could do the same job LL did – and for a lot cheaper! 🙂
The evening was long, but a lot of fun. There were a LOT of performances, which was great for us since it was like one big, fancy concert with a bunch of great musicians. At one point, Josh leaned over to me and asked when the last time they gave out an award was. It was definitely hard to recall!
I have to say that my top 3 (of the 23) performances were:
1. Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige
I had GOOSEBUMPS at the end of the song. And not because I’m always cold…their duet was THAT good. I’m glad I recorded a few minutes of it on my phone, I can listen whenever I want! And it wasn’t until recently that I saw people discussing ‘Stay With Me’ ripping off Tom Petty’s ‘Won’t Back Down’. I can see it. But I also love Tom Petty, so if he did, he picked a good one. 🙂
2. Ed Sheeran with Questlove and John Mayer
I’m not a huge John Mayer fan, so I was really glad that the primary focus on this song was Ed. He’s really talented, and now I’m going to go buy his CD/songs off iTunes.
3. Madonna
It’s Madonna, what can I say. The visuals were awesome, the dancing was great. I don’t really remember the song, but I remember thinking the performance was pretty damn cool.
My least favorite 3 (of the other 20, in no particular order) performances were:
– Miranda Lambert: Not a huge fan of her song Little Red Wagon. Would have preferred something different. I like her, just not that song.
– Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine: I felt like this fell flat. I loved Gwen in No Doubt, and I love Maroon 5 – but this duet was not a good one to me.
– Paul McCartney, Kanye, Rihanna: Seriously, Paul played guitar and sang in the background? A musical legend, and THAT’s the only thing he does? Aside from not liking Kanye (as a person, I can agree that his music/producing is good), the song is catchy, but I felt the performance was a bit “blah”. I guess I expected more.
Speaking of Kanye, don’t get me started on him starting to walk up on stage. I’m glad he had the sense about himself to stop before he made a large scene, but still. It’s not the Kanye awards. If he wants to give out his own awards to artist, fine. But that’s not what this was, so he should have stayed in his seat. If I were Beyonce, I’d feel pretty embarrassed having him around!
I could comment on probably every performance, there were a lot of really great ones! I’ve heard it looked a lot different on TV though, and was hard to watch. That stinks!
Josh and I had a FABULOUS time and I completely wish it were an annual trip for us, haha! While we were sitting in our seats, Ne-yo walked up our aisle, along with Weird Al, Childish Gambino, and probably some others that I missed because I was too busy looking everywhere trying to take it all in!
After the Grammy’s were over, we went to the after party at the convention center. It was massive! There was a stage at the end of the room where Jesse J would get up an perform. There were dinner and dessert buffet tables all over and open bars for your beverage consumption. They had entertainment hanging doing aerial tricks, spinning on rings, etc. There was always something to look at!
We didn’t see any super famous folks, but we did see Peter from The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Totally snapped a pic!
Peter!
My two pics with famous people are both from different Bravo series, haha!
We called it a night at 11 pm, because we’re an old married couple – and by that point, Josh’s feet hurt too. 🙂 [I told him he shouldn’t complain!] Grabbed a ride back to the hotel and crashed, knowing that our flight back to Atlanta was at 7:30 am (ooof – we needed some rest).
And that ladies and gentleman, is a long recap of our day at the Grammy’s! If you made it through all of this, you deserve a prize.
That being said, I’m doing a giveaway! Because I loved the music from the Grammy’s so much this year, I’m giving away TWO of the 2015 Grammy Nominees CDs to folks who read my blog. Unfortunately, contest is only open to US residents, 18 years of age or older (and you have to have an Amazon account – if you don’t have one, sign up real quick here).
Win one of two CDs – not these though, these are ours!
If you want to enter the giveaway (done through Amazon), click on this link (and if you want, share this blog post on Facebook and/or Twitter). Good luck! [Note: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends the earlier of 2/19/15 11:59PM, or when all prizes are claimed. See Official Rules.]
Who were some of your favorite artists to perform this year? Â Which ones did you like most/least? Who wore the best dress in your opinion? Â I’d love to hear from those that watched on TV, since I missed all the extra commentary! Â Share your thoughts in the comments!!
Happy 2015!! 🙂
It’s been awhile since I last posted, but I figured I *needed* to write about this!
So I mentioned a few posts back that Josh was up for an award regarding a tweet that he wrote last year. Â But I realized I never really set the story up, or shared the tweet. Â Most of you reading know me in person, so I’m sure you’re well aware due to the posts I’ve shared on Facebook – but in looking at my blog stats – there are people that I don’t know reading my posts (hi!!!) so I figure I should explain a little.
In short, last year Pharell wore a crazy looking hat to the Grammy’s, that somewhat resembled the Arby’s logo. Â Josh works for Arby’s (was the manager of social media at the time), wrote a tweet directed to Pharrell, and it went viral. Â VIRAL. Â If you want to read more about it all, you can do so here.
Anywho. Â Shortly after his tweet went viral and Arby’s got all kinds of exposure, they had their company meeting. Â During said company meeting, Josh was called up and they talked about what happened, and rolled in a big cake that looked like Pharrell’s hat. Â And then the CEO mentioned that they were sending Josh to the Grammy’s in 2015.
Say. What.
Needless to say he was stunned (as was I) that they were sending us to the Grammy’s. Â I sat on this info for so long, telling only a few people, because I didn’t want to tell folks and it not happen. Â Then we started getting closer and closer to the Grammy Awards, and our travel plans started being made, and it started getting real. Â WE WERE GOING TO THE GRAMMY AWARDS!
Of course, the whole time I was wondering what I was going to wear. Â What girl wouldn’t? Â Long dress? Â Short Dress? Â AH! Â The one thing I didn’t question was where I’d get it. Â I *knew* I was going to rent a dress from Rent the Runway, but narrowing down the selection would be hard. Â That could be a whole other post, but I know folks want the details, so I’ll get to it!
Day 1:
Saturday morning, Josh and I departed to the airport leaving little man in my parents’ hands.  He’s a busy kiddo, so we knew they’d have a good time (and be exhausted). 🙂  We just asked them to send us pics throughout the day so we could see his smiling face (and update his daily Instagram account).
We hopped on our plane and settled in.  I stole J’s Bose headphones to watch Boyhood while he worked some, and then managed to keep them the rest of the flight while watching the last three episodes of How I Met Your Mother, knowing that I’d cry, and I totally did. Ugh.  Loved that show!
Once we landed at LAX, we made our way to our flight’s baggage terminal and met our driver.  We had a driver pick us up!  He had a sign and everything.  I didn’t take a pic of that like Jeff would, BUT, Josh and I joked about it. 😉
Since there was an accident on the freeway, he took us through the side streets to get to our hotel (The Beverly Hilton). Â It was a nice little drive, and our driver was really great. Â We learned about his normal clients, some of his random clients, how driving started as a side business, and how it became his primary business. We talked about his upcoming trips out of the country, talked about what brought us to LA, etc., and before we knew it we were at the hotel.
We met with our contact at Hilton who arranged everything for the trip (he was amazing by the way!), and he let us know our room wasn’t quite ready yet, so we went to grab lunch at Circa 55.  It was delicious!  We waited around a little longer before we were able to get to our room, and since I was so tired and feeling a little sick (darn sinuses!), I told Josh I was going to take a nap (since he was working).  In an hour and a half, room service came to our room three times, haha!  So much for a nap!  It ended up being fine though – I did get some rest before dinner.
Delivery 1:
Bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries (SO GOOD)
Delivery 2:
Bottle of champagne and chocolate (ALSO VERY GOOD)
Delivery 3:
Bottles of water and two copies of the Grammy 2015 Nominees CD
Lots of goodness delivered to our room in a short period of time! Â We started getting excited, still couldn’t believe that we were there! Â In Los Angeles! Â FOR THE GRAMMY AWARDS!
After lounging in the room, drinking champagne and eating chocolates, we decided we should get ready for dinner. Â As fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules, we (and by we, I mean I) originally wanted to go to SUR for dinner, but apparently there was a buy out for the restaurant, and no reservations were available. Â Boo! Â So we made reservations at the next best location…Villa Blanca! Â I love Lisa Vanderpump. Â We knew she wouldn’t be there, but figured we’d try it out anyway.
We took an Uber Plus to the restaurant. Â It was a short drive, since Villa Blanca isn’t too far from The Beverly Hilton. Â It was 6:30 and the place was pretty darn quiet. Â Our originally reservation was 5:30, I’m fairly certain it would have been just us there had we gone at that time! Â At first we asked to be seated out on the patio, but then sat down and realized they had the heat lamps beaming down on us and it was HOT. Â Before our waitress came to our table we asked if we could move inside. They graciously made the move for us and sat us in the back corner next to a table of two couples. Â It was still warm inside, but not nearly as hot as being under those lights.
Our waitress, Kirsten, came over to get our drink order and to see if we wanted any appetizers. Â Still full off of our lunch at the hotel, Josh and I weren’t super hungry, so we passed on the appetizers. Â We settled on our food choices and ordered.
I had the Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon and Josh ordered the Villa Blanca Fish & Chips.  While we were sitting there talking, I looked up and saw Scheana from Vanderpump Rules!  She was working at Villa Blanca, and working in the section we’d just moved away from.  UGH!
So when our waitress came over with bread, I asked her if it would be really weird to go up to Scheana to talk to her.  She said absolutely not, that she was very friendly and personable, and that she’d send her over to our table.  When she started walking over, I got really nervous, haha.  I told her I was a big fan of the show, and completely forgot everything I wanted to say to her!  She’s one of my favorites, and I wanted to ask about married life, etc., and I totally blew it!  But I did ask if we could take a pic together, and she graciously agreed to.  Thanks Josh for snapping this for me!  🙂
So glad we ended up at Villa Blanca!
Dinner came out and the serving sizes were HUGE. Â The food was really good, but we couldn’t finish it all. And the thought of dessert…oh my! We. Were. Stuffed.
Paid the check and requested an Uber driver, who was right around the corner. Â A quite drive back to the hotel and we were in our room by 8 pm.
Clive Davis was having his pre-Grammy party at the hotel for all the V-VIP of the music industry. Â People were lined up in the hotel to try to see musicians walk in, but we weren’t up for it (and by we, I mean I…at this point I felt like I had been hit in the face by a 2×4!). Â You really couldn’t see people anyway, so we went to our room.
I quickly got in my PJs, washed my face and crashed! Â It was such a long (but fabulous) day. Â Knowing we had an even bigger day on Sunday, we needed some sleep!
Thank goodness for comfy hotel beds!
Stay tuned for Part II!
If you know me well, you know that I’m fiercely loyal, so much to the point where when someone I’ve always been there for has hurt me, I have a very hard time getting over it and moving on – even when I really need to.
I will obsess over it internally, think about what happened, what I could have done to prevent it from happening, and stress over it ad nauseam (just ask Josh, he’s my sounding board). I have internal dialogues, as if I’d ever confront them about how I feel or their wrong doings, but as I’m also (typically) non-confrontational, I know those conversations will never take place.
I try to ignore it, and act as if it doesn’t matter that I’m hurt, because I am not ready to let go of the friendship in my mind, even if it’s clearly already gone.
It sucks.
And as I get older, I find that it’s happened more than I like to admit.
I always heard that as you grow up, you learn who your real friends are. And that’s completely true. I’ve learned that ten-fold, and am so lucky to have those people that remain in my life.
So I want to take a moment to say “Thank You” to the people that have been there for me, that I lean on for advice, that have celebrated major milestones with me, and have been there in the highs and lows of life. I am so thankful that you’re a part of my world.
I’m thankful that I’m able to be there to listen when you’re having a rough day/week/month/year. I’m thankful that you confide in me the issues you’re dealing with at work. I’m thankful that you share with me your updates on the guy you’re seeing, because you two are totally cute together. I’m thankful for lunches to celebrate engagements and to discuss planning your wedding, or dinners to just hang out because we haven’t seen each other in awhile. I’m thankful to hear about what your kids are up to, and what it’s like now that the family dynamic has changed. I’m thankful that in your busy lives, you choose to include me as a part of it. And while we’re not always available at the same time, we make it work when we can, and we pick up right where we left off like it was yesterday, which is so very important (and refreshing).
I’m a grateful for all of that.
I’m learning that I need to be a person that focuses on what she’s got, not what she’s lost. I need to wish those individuals from friendships that have withered away the best, and keep on keeping on, because it’s likely they’ve already done that themselves.
So my theme (and goal) for 2015 is going to be to “Let Go.” (Not Let It Go, I saw Frozen for the first time last week, cute, but I don’t want the songs stuck in my head!)
Let go of the anger and hurt.
Let go of the past.
Let go of the sense of obligation.
Let go of those that have already let go.
Because I have a lot more to be thankful for in my every day life, I don’t need to cloud my vision with what isn’t there anymore.
Here’s to a wonderful, happy, and thankful 2015.
…I respond, knowing what will come next.
“So, when are you going to start working on another one?”
For real. It never fails, this question always rears its head when talking about B and his age.
And my response is usually the same, “I don’t know that there will be a number two.”, which is usually greeted with a sad face or a “Oh, you HAVE to have another one! B needs a brother or sister.” And from what I can gather, that’s a pretty standard response. I just don’t get why everyone assumes that you have to have more than one child. More power to the women that want more than one, but I’ve never been that type. Heck, I didn’t even think I wanted kids until I met Josh!
There are plenty of good reasons for having more than one child, and in that same regard, there are plenty of good reasons for only having one. And I think those are very personal decisions, that should be respected rather than questioned.
I sometimes joke with Josh that I want to quit my job and stay home with B (not that the idea is funny, it just doesn’t make sense for us at this point), but in all reality, I like my job and I like working (most of the time, hence the joking). But if we have another, I question if it’d make sense for me to continue to do so. And I’m not quite ready to make that decision. And I don’t have to just yet.
Sometimes we contemplate the thought of another, and then we’re usually hit with a crazy week of work travel or illness, which makes me glad we’re a family of three and not more. I absolutely adore B, and right now I enjoy giving him all of my attention, and wonder how on earth I’d balance everything if there were another child to care for (it’s not the easiest with just one). I can’t even begin to comprehend loving another child the way I love him, and I KNOW it’s possible, but I still can’t comprehend it.
I’m not the same person I was before B, and I’m okay with that, but at the same time, I’m not sure how much more I’d change if another one came along. You hear of women feeling like they’ve lost their identity after kids, and in fleeting moments I feel it, but it’s not constant. Being a mom of two feels like it could cause me to lose myself even more, and I’m not sure I can handle that.
Having B in our lives is the most wonderful thing that’s happened, and I’m sure I’d feel the same with more children, but I can’t lie, there are so many things I fear about having another, to the point where I’d rather stick with what I know works for us. Call it selfish, call it sensible, call it whatever, it’s just how I feel.
So the next time someone says they only want one child, don’t interrogate them as to why, just nod and smile.
And now I’m going to go cry in a corner that my little baby is going to be a little boy next month.
My handsome, almost two year old.
When B and I went to Target the other day, one of the MANY things we picked up was this adorable foam Christmas tree.
$5 for Christmas fun!
I pulled it out this weekend, since we’ve been lazy bums due to the cold, gross, wet, and overcast weather we’re having. Â At first B wasn’t sure about the tree, but once he realized there were stickers, he was really excited.
Decorating the tree turned into a family affair, with lots of chatter from the little man: “Tank too, Daddy”, “Tank too, Mama”, “Good job, B”, “Good job, Daddy”, and so on. Â We realized a few stickers in that he liked grouping similar things together, he gets that honestly!
The stars together, and the Santas go together
We had fun, and B is definitely proud of his tree! We put it up on the mantle for display. It might be my new favorite Christmas decoration, and if I can find a similar tree next year, a new family tradition. 🙂
The finished tree!
After the tree was finished, I cut new ribbons to setup our card display. Since we moved into the house, we’ve put all the Christmas cards we’ve received on the entry closet door. It’s a nice setup.
Love from friends and family!
But apparently, over the past couple years, I’ve lost a few clothes pins OR we’ve received more cards than we have in the past…because I ran out of things to pin up the rest of the cards we have so far. Guess I should have looked for more clothes pins today while I was at Target (again…), totally forgot! I’m hoping to get some before the holiday though, I love looking at our cards!
And while I’m here, I’ve had a few folks ask for recipes for my “go-to” holiday desserts, so I figured, why not blog them? 🙂
Rolo Pretzel Delights
I’ve been making these for years, and everyone seems to LOVE them. I mean, who can go wrong with Rolos and Pretzels??
I originally started making them according to Hershey’s recipe, with pretzels, Rolos and walnuts, but once Josh came into the picture, I will either make two batches one with walnuts and one without (Josh can’t eat tree nuts without an itchy throat) or just do a batch, turning them into Rolo Pretzel sandwiches instead.
While Hershey claims they only take 3 minutes to make, I call bull crap on that! Do you know how long it takes to remove the foil from the individually wrapped Rolo’s? When there are approximately 65 in one bag? More than three minutes – that’s for sure!
So turn the oven on and pre-heat to 350 degrees, and get to unwrapping each and every Rolo. Once you’re done with that task, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the pretzels, then place a Rolo on each pretzel.
Lined up and almost ready to go!
Once the oven has reached 350 degrees, put the pairings into the oven for 3 minutes, which is just long enough to get the chocolate to a perfect, slightly melted consistency.
Their recipe calls for placing walnuts on top, pressing down on the chocolate to fill out the bottom pretzel layer, and that’s really good – it almost tastes like a turtle! I’ve also seen people try different candies such a M&M’s. And as I mentioned, I’ll use another pretzel. Note: If you do another pretzel, flip the top pretzel to be the opposite direction of the bottom pretzel (it helps spread the chocolate out – without getting it all over your fingers!).
Let cool, remove from parchment paper, and store (and try not to eat them all at once)!
The finished treat
Chocolate Eclair “Cake”
This recipe is a favorite, that went over really well at the office potluck (and anywhere else I’ve ever made it). It’s SUPER easy, in fact, I’d say it’s easier than the Rolo Pretzels…again, those darn foil wrappers!
Since I can’t take full credit for the recipe, I’ll give credit to Kraft, even though I’m not sure that’s where I first found it (it’s where I’ve most recently found the recipe to share with others).
I think this is one of my favorites because there really isn’t any baking.
5 ingredients! That’s it!
All you need are the above ingredients (milk, 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding, graham crackers, cool whip, and chocolate frosting). I accidentally picked up too large of a packet of pudding, so I guestimated 3.4 oz of the 5.4 oz in the packet.
First, you mix the milk and the instant pudding together. Then you put the entire tub of Cool Whip in, and mix the pudding and Cool Whip together. Once that’s done, line a pan with the graham crackers, put half of the pudding/Cool Whip mix, layer with more graham crackers, put the remainder of the pudding/Cool Whip mix, and finish off with one more layer of graham crackers.
Layered up and waiting for the chocolate frosting!
I put the mix/graham crackers in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then pulled it back out to put the chocolate frosting on. Once the frosting is on, put it back in the fridge overnight and keep chilled until you’re ready to serve.
I promise you, it’s a hit, and once you realize how easy it is to make it, it’ll become one of your go-to desserts, too!
Do you have any family decorating traditions? Or favorite recipes that you like to make around the holidays? If so, please share! Or if you plan to start some traditions, or just found a new recipe to try, I’d love to hear about them!
I have to brag, because I’m excited, but mostly because I’m proud.
I brag on Josh on Facebook, share press releases, post articles that reference what he does, you know…typical spousal sharing, but I haven’t really mentioned all of that jazz on my blog, well, because I try not to share too many details so that people that come across this don’t have too many details on our life. Josh is pretty out in the open when it comes to the social realm.
I’m making an exception, again, because I’m proud.
Yesterday, Josh flew to DC for the PR News’ PR People Awards Luncheon (held today), where he was a finalist for the Social Media Professional of the Year. Of all the nominations they received, he made the top five. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!
I never really enjoy when he’s traveling for work, and in this case, I really wished I could have gone with him, but we have this kiddo and all…and dude, did you see the price for a ticket to just the luncheon? Crazy.
I digress.
Today, at approximately (okay, exactly) 1:50, I got a text from Josh to let me know that…
He didn’t win the award… (boo…)
But you know what, he’s done an AMAZING job in his role at Arby’s, and I know he’ll continue to do fantastic things in the digital and social space. Â Him being a finalist goes to show that other people notice how amazing he is too.
And in the end, he’s MY social media person of the year, which should be all that really matters in the end. 😉
Love you babe! B and I are more proud of you than you’ll ever know!
Josh, B, and the hat that made him social media famous. 🙂
Since I like to do product reviews (or at least talk about products I like), I thought I’d create a separate post for all the items I purchased to help us survive our trip to Chicago (that took place in May…that I still haven’t blogged about). Figured, there might be some folks traveling for the holidays who might be looking for travel supplies – so I wanted to go ahead and share!
Diaper Bag
First off, we’re on diaper bag #3. THREE. For one kid. ONE. I like to be over prepared when it comes to having things in a diaper bag, but that means a lot of stuff, which means a bigger bag is needed.
My first one (JJ Cole Satchel Diaper Bag) was really cute (which is why I wanted it), and it held a good amount, but it wasn’t the easiest to take everywhere with us because it’s bulky. The second diaper bag (Eddie Bauer Harrington Diaper Bag) we got was more of a messenger type, specifically for Josh, but we used it for a good while after it went into rotation, simply because I’m lazy and hated switching back and forth from one bag to another. It held a little less than the first, but by the point we were using it regularly, we weren’t putting *as* much stuff in our bags (so it worked out).
But since we were planning on a long weekend in the Windy City, I feared that neither bag would fit our needs exactly. So I went in search of another diaper bag (cue eye roll from Josh here, haha).
I went to Babies R Us and looked at a few, and I found a few that I liked, but then looked up reviews on Amazon, which quickly ruled them out. And then I came across the Skip Hop Grand Central diaper bag on the rack, and found that it had great reviews online AND it was cheaper on Amazon…so I did what any normal person would do, I left the store and ordered it online. Plus, Amazon had it in Cinnamon, which I liked much better than the brown or black, so it was a win for me!
And let me just tell you, I LOVE this diaper bag. It’s perfect for weekend trips, or to just keep in the car so I don’t have to worry about anything when we’re out and about. I watched a great review video on YouTube prior to purchasing, which really sealed the deal. It clips to the stroller easily, I’ve got a whole front section for just my stuff, and there are lots of pouches/pockets to store things. Josh hates looking for things in it, primarily because I’m able to carry SO. MUCH. STUFF, it isn’t always easy for him to find things since I’m the one that normally packs it. 🙂
Anyway, love the diaper bag and highly recommend it. [Note: Yes, I just said I loved a diaper bag, what has happened to me???]
Kiddo Suitcase
On top of needing a better diaper bag, little man needed a suitcase for his clothes. I found the Skip Hop Zoo Little Kid Luggage (Monkey) and fell in love. It is adorable, and it was big enough for all of his clothes that I packed (more on that later, hopefully!). It has a pull handle, as well as a strap that can be used to carry it like a book bag, which is helpful when you’re carrying your stuff, kiddo’s stuff, and trying to get through the airport.
B also loves it, because it’s easy for him to pull. Win-win for both of us. 🙂
Ready to go, Mama!
J and I checked our luggage, but we brought B’s as a carry on. I didn’t want to chance losing his clothes/immediately necessary items if our luggage disappeared, so, almost all of his stuff came on the plane with us. This little suitcase fit under the seat in front of me, along with the diaper bag that was serving as my purse for the long weekend.
Umbrella Stroller
And while I love our normal stroller, I was not up for taking our not-exactly-cheap City Mini on an airplane, only to gate check it and have who knows what happen while it was under the plane. So I looked for a (cheaper) secondary umbrella stroller. I found that a lot of them didn’t have a really good canopy, which is something I wanted knowing Chicago is windy, and in looking at the weather leading up to our trip…it wasn’t going to be pretty outside. I almost gave up, but then I found the Kolcraft Cloud Plus Lightweight Stroller.
I really love this stroller, and it may or may not be currently hanging out in my car at the moment instead of the City Mini. It’s light, turns well, and has great coverage with the canopy. My only complaint is that the cup holder on the front piece is too small for B’s sippy cups (he uses the Playtex Anytime sippy cup). So we have to sit it in the seat with him, or use a strap to tie it to the stroller so we don’t lose the cup. That may be a deal breaker for some, but for the price of this stroller, I can deal.
One thing that I love about this stroller is that when you collapse it, it stands up. So you don’t have to lay it down flat like a lot of other strollers. When we went to football games this season, we brought this bad boy with us, and would just collapse it, sit it next to guest services, and go on our way, not having to worry about the part where he sits getting dirty. I’m not sure that they stood it up on the plane, but, at least they could.
And since we didn’t know how it’d be handled under the plane, we bought a gate check bag to store it in for the flight. Probably unnecessary, but it was easy to get the stroller in and out of, so we brought it along to keep the whole stroller clean.
Travel Bottle Cleaner/Drying Rack
At the point of our trip to Chicago, B hadn’t knocked the bottle habit (meh), and I wasn’t about to pack 12 bottles for a trip, so we brought 4 for the 4 times B was using them a day, and I bought this fantastic bottle brush/cleaner by OXO (Tot On-The-Go Drying Rack and Bottle Brush).
I packed a travel container with the dish detergent we used on B’s bottles, along with my shampoo, and we were set for cleaning! We left it on the counter in the bathroom while we were in the room, and when we were going out, we could fold it up and tuck it away so room service didn’t mess with it. It traveled well and it was great to have. Â Definitely recommend this for cleaning bottles/sippy cups/pacis/etc. on the go!
In use, on the hotel bathroom counter.
Ready to tuck it away.
Closed up and ready to be put away!
Surprisingly, I didn’t go *too* crazy buying things for our first family trip, but these were really helpful to have along the way. We still regularly use the stroller and diaper bag, which is good, because I don’t know that Josh would have let me live it down if I’d bought all this and NOT used it. 🙂
Are there any travel products for kids out there that you absolutely love? Something you can’t travel without? Share it in the comments – would love to check it out!
Note: WishIWereThereNow.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
It was a Friday afternoon around lunch time, and I decided to check my personal email since I had a quiet moment.
I’m in my ‘Primary’ tab when I see the subject line ‘Re: Your Facebook Account” – from Law Enforcement Response Team (LERT). Surely this is spam as I click to open the email (I know better than to click on links/download files in spammy emails, so just go with it.), but it looked too real. It read:
Hi,
We have received legal process from law enforcement seeking information about your Facebook account. The requesting agency may be reached at the contact information below. If we do not receive a copy of documentation that you have filed in court challenging this legal process within seven (7) days, we will respond to the requesting agency with information about the requested Facebook account. Please respond to this message with a copy of any documents you file with the court.
Agency contact information: XXXXXXXXXX County District Attorney
Agency case number: XXXXXXXXXX-XX
Court: XXXXXXXXXX County Supreme Court
Say what??
I have 7 days to challenge this legal process in a state that isn’t the one I live in, regarding a case I know nothing about.
So I reply back and ask which state the county is in (because there are multiple counties with this name in the US after a quick Google search) and the email didn’t specify.
Worried that it might be spam, I forwarded the email to another Facebook email address asking if this was a legit notification. A couple hours later, I get a response back from the LERT team (a different email address than the one I sent my 2nd email to, confirming this was indeed really happening):
We have received your correspondence, but have not received a copy of documentation that you have filed in court challenging the legal process associated with your account. As we previously mentioned, we are required to respond to the legal process unless we receive such documentation within seven (7) days from that date upon which we sent you the original notification.
I reiterated that I wanted to know what state this case was in, so I could further investigate. Simple request, you would think! An hour later, they re-sent me the same email I initially received, and tacked on the state the court was located in. Ugh.
While waiting on FB, I made a guess to the state and called the Supreme Court, and no one could help me there. Then I called the District Attorney’s office and talked to the Assistant District Attorney’s secretary, with not much luck. She was going to follow up with the ADA to see if she could reach out to me regarding the case. I tried calling back before the end of the day and they indicated that they had the wrong profile and that they didn’t need my information. The ADA’s secretary indicated they’d contact Facebook to let them know it was a case of mistaken identity.
In the meantime, I reached out to lawyer friends (who were super helpful, thanks Dylan!) and my friend list to see if anyone practiced law in the state this case took place. Surprisingly, a sorority sister’s dad did, but was holding off on contacting him until I heard back from the ADA.
Fast forward to Monday.
I hadn’t heard anything from Facebook (surprise, surprise) or the ADA, so I called the ADA back. Stressed, as my time was running out. I’ve been a Facebook user since April of 2005. That’s a LOT of history for them to pull, and when your profile is subpoenaed, Facebook will give law enforcement everything. Everything. If you’ve never seen what is provided, take a look at this link. And if for some chance it was used in a public case, it then becomes public record. And I really didn’t want my almost ten years worth of data out there for the public to see. Not that I have anything to hide, but still!
I talked to a different person at the ADA’s office, and I think she took pity on me. She told me the case against the man they were after involved 2 counts of assault and one count of child endangerment. I reiterated that I had nothing to do with this case at all. She asked if I could hold, so that she could look out in the hallway for the ADA.
Luckily, she found her and I was able to speak to the actual ADA on the case, and she let me know that she’d emailed Facebook regarding their request to let them know they had selected the wrong profile and that they didn’t need my information, they needed someone else’s. Whew.
I knew it was mistaken identity, but now I had to deal with Facebook. Ugh.
I begged her to send me the email she sent to Facebook (along with their response), so I could forward it to the LERT to get my profile cleared from their list, AND copied the ADA on my email to them.
Hello LERT team,
Please advise if this request has officially been closed.
I’ve copied the ADA on the case, and am providing additional details about my account. It appears they were looking for “XXXXX”, my display name is “XXXXX”. My user profile URL is http://www.facebook.com/XXXXXX. I am not “XXXXX”, that appears to be a different user URL on your website.
I am NOT the person they are looking for, and ADA XXXX has noted that in Facebook Case #XXXXXX. As the email she provided you has sensitive case information, I don’t have any more details, but she has confirmed that they do not need my account information, therefore I will not be filing any challenges to the court, but expect that my account details will not just be handed over.
Please confirm that this request is closed/null. If you need ADA XXXXXX to provide an email response to this thread in order to do so, please let me know.
I would like to have this resolved today if at all possible.
Many thanks,
Amy
No response. Imagine that.
So on Tuesday, I emailed them AGAIN regarding my email.
Later that day, I received this charming response from the LERT:
Hi Amy,
Yes, we have received your correspondence regarding the request.
Thanks,
You’ve got to be kidding me…right? I got a little testy after that one…
Hi LERT team,
That is not what I asked. I know my correspondence has been received.I want to know that the case request regarding my account has been
cancelled/closed. If so, I would like to see that phrase in writing.Please confirm.
Thanks,
Amy
Followed up with this, because I had nothing better to do with my time than to follow up with Facebook…
Hello there,
Just following up again (and will continue to do so). Please confirm that
the request to obtain my account data is no longer active.Many thanks,
Amy
To which I finally received the response:
Hi Amy,
The request has been closed.
Thanks,
I’m sure they get all kinds of responses to emails when notifying users about FB profile subpoenas, but there has SERIOUSLY got to be a better route of communication for questions about these types of requests.
I honestly believed it was a spam request until the 2nd email, and after contacting the ADA with the case number referenced by Facebook. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me, and there is NOT a good way to contact Facebook. They direct you to their ‘Help’ pages, which are essentially pointless and leave the greater FB community to answer your questions. The whole ordeal had me considering whether or not I wanted to continue using this website. Unfortunately, it’s the best way to keep up with folks, so I’m still using the site, but I am no means over the frustration they caused and their terrible follow-up.
I never thought this would happen to me, and I’m sure it won’t happen to many of you out there either, but in case it does (falsely) just know that it’s a pain in the rear end to get very far with Facebook…
While walking down the aisle with all the cleaning supplies at Publix a couple months ago, I saw the Swiffer Sweep & Trap, and decided to give it a try. Our upstairs and downstairs are carpeted, but our main level is hardwood, and we’re always finding little bits of something on the floor. Crumbs from little dude, cat sand from the cats, and other random things that make their way in from our shoes.
Since B is moving around MUCH more than he used to, I like to try and keep our hardwoods clean, especially since the little guy has taken up the habit of putting random things he finds on the floor in his mouth. Gross.
I’d seen commercials for the Swiffer Sweep & Trap, and it looked like it could solve my problem, so on an impulse, I put it in my grocery cart.
When I got home, after putting up the groceries, I decided to try the new find out right away.
The Sweep & Trap was really easy to put together, so I was done within a couple minutes. B watched on, fascinated by this new product. Since he loves the regular Swiffer, I wasn’t surprised that this captured his attention.
I managed to push it around the living room a few times before he stole it from me.
Trying out the Swiffer Sweep & Trap
In that time, and the subsequent uses, I found that the Sweep & Trap really wasn’t all that great. It worked on the bigger items (puffs, cereal, cat food) but when it came to the smaller stuff, I felt like the Swiffer pad pushed things around, and I’d have to run over little pieces MULTIPLE times to even get them to pick up in the ‘trap’. More often than not, I’d have to push with force and bear down in order for it to pick up pieces of cat sand.
Who has time to run over the same bits of dirt over and over and over again?? Not me! It was faster to lug out my big canister vacuum to pick things up than to use this product. Unfortunately, this product won’t be getting my seal of approval.
If you’re looking for something to do some easy cleaning, you’d be better off trying out another item. I wish I’d read the reviews prior to buying it. Save your $20!
What’s your favorite product for cleaning your hardwoods? Leave a comment below and share what you use to keep your house clean!
** I purchased this product on my own, out of sheer curiosity. All thoughts are my own and I was not compensated in any way for this review. **
