Valentine's Day is a VERY Special Day in Our House

Growing up, Valentine's Day was always celebrated with boxes of colorful paper, glue, lace, doilies, ribbon, thread and really anything else you can craft with taking over the dining room table from the third week in January until the very last moment that you could make it to the post office to mail your fantastically crafted, hand made valentines. My mother made this as special as any other holiday. Her beloved Victorian house was decorated so sweetly in delicate cupids, antique valentines, lace, hearts and love. She made sure we celebrated this season sending messages of love to everyone we knew. February 14 was also mom's birthday. A valentine baby. Grandma used to tell us that when she was born her nostrils were shaped like hearts. Silly, that grandma.

Mom's tradition of Valentine's Day and the season of love is alive and well. We have a messy dining room table (the very table actually) from the third week of January until February 15. Even at 16, my Mickey was cutting and gluing away, making sure handmade love notes were sent to all.

Thank you mama for this wonderful tradition. I miss you. so. much.

DAY 30 - Whole30® 30 Days of Education That is For Certain

I Said "I Can Do Anything for 30 Days"... I was Right.

TOP 10 Things I Learned on My Whole30® Journey

1. Sugar makes you need (physically need, like an addict) sugar. [PERIOD]
2. What feeling hungry is really like... not "fake hunger".
3. I used to eat mindlessly when stressed (battled a few of those in the 30)
4. How to make homemade sausage and cashew butter. (super easy and awesome)
5. I am a nicer person when the right foods go into my body.
6.  I will never buy a hot pocket again for my children. (70+ ingredients, half of which I can pronounce)
7. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Plan, slice, dice, roast, can, freeze, cook and store.
8. Read ingredients, not just the nutritional info, damn near everything has sugar. (or fake sugar)
9. Life is really okay without Diet Coke.
10. I am in control of this whole food intake thing, I did not used to be. Sugar ruled me.

I am slightly terrified about day 31. Reintroduction of foods is the next step. Not all too comfortable with reintroducing anything... except maybe a Bloody Mary. 

DAY 20 - Whole30® Bake a Cake? Challenge Accepted.

The 2nd Birthday of Rhett, my sweet little great nephew.
We are not pastry chefs or cake decorating professionals by any means....
we had fun, it was a Saturday night family project.

Sugar and butter and flour and more butter and more sugar and some food coloring and some more sugar. I did not lick, bite nor taste. And I LOVE butter cream icing almost as much as I love cake.
Needless to say that was a bit tricky but not impossible. Yay me.
Oh and Rhett liked his cake, A LOT.

So, I can bake and decorate big crazy sugar mountains and have self control.
That is new for me. I like it.

Happy Birthday Sweet Little Boy!