Oh, you want a title? I'll give you a title. ... Nope, not happening.

I'm tired but my body is playing this fun trick on me where I sleep for three hours, wake up for two hours, then sleep for another two hours. It's so much fun; you should all try it! So instead of feeling like I got a night of sleep, I just feel like I took a nap. It's amazing.

We've had Punk since last Friday. It's been nice. She has to go home today and it's going to feel weird to not have her here. It's the first time we've had her for more than four days. Hopefully not the last, but we'll see.

I'm addicted to edamame. And I don't care who knows it. And I have no desire to change. They sell these boxes of cute little single-serving packs that steam themselves in the microwave. I don't know if anything better has ever been invented.

Spell check just made me try to change edamame to dammed. That is just plain rude. They are not dammed, they are soy beans. Get it straight.

Life tends to run in circles, and for 180º things go well and I am happy, and then for the other 180º I feel like the world is trying to kick me in the junk. If I had junk. Why is that?

My birthday party mini swirls are all gone. It's a tragic day.

I am ready for something new, I think. My life has become a bit monotonous and it's dragging me down into the outer darkness. I don't know what needs to change. I just know something needs to.

Really, honestly, the best thing I've ever received in the mail. (Plus a giveaway!)

I kind of knew this was coming, but it didn't stop me from being any more excited...

...the suspense is KILLING you, isn't it?

Dry ice? What would come in dry ice?

OMG, is that... ice cream?

Oh praise the Gods above, I got ice cream in the mail!

I have to send out a gigantic thank you to the ladies over at BSM Media for hooking me up with this opportunity. Seriously, ice cream? You win.

I was lucky enough to get three different ice cream varieties to try - mini ice cream sandwiches, and Champ! mini swirls in vanilla and birthday party.

I can't go on any further without telling you how astoundingly good the birthday party mini swirls are. I can't even talk about anything else until you understand me. I am ADDICTED to these divine little treats. And they are small enough that you can eat one entire one without feeling like you over-indulged. And HOLY CRAP are they good. Sugar cone, with vanilla ice cream, with a blue spot on the inside (I don't know what it is, I just know it's good), and covered in a white chocolate-ish, frosting-ish coating. O.M.G. I have to go eat one.

Okay, I'm back. The vanilla mini swirls were Husband's favorite because he's a plain ice cream kinda guy. Sugar cone, vanilla ice cream, coated in chocolate. They are lovely! Total winner in my book as well. Just not as much of a favorite as those blasted birthday party cones.

Now, the sandwiches. Again, they are mini. I LOVE MINI. I can eat one when I need a small sugar kick and I can eat two when I need to indulge. The outside is almost cookie-like, with soft Blue Bunny ice cream inside. YUM.

Overall, I LOVED the entire thing. From the box, to the cones, to the sandwiches. Plus, the dry ice in the box to keep the ice cream cold made excellent dry ice bombs...

Did I say that? Forget I said that.

Go get yourself some of these tasty treats from Blue Bunny. Want help? How about winning some Bunny Bucks (a coupon) for the purchase of one Blue Bunny packaged ice cream or frozen novelty?

I'd say, go for the birthday party mini swirls. But that's just me.

Leave me a comment and tell me something that is mandatory for your summer. Anything. Just make sure you also leave me a way to contact you if you win. K? You have until midnight MST on Sunday, August 14th to enter to win. Then I pick a winner via Random.org and hooray! Someone gets free ice cream! Sweet.

Oh yah, here's all that lovely legal stuff. I got three boxes of treats, as pictured, for free through BSM Media. But the opinions I stated are all mine and are not at all influenced by the free ice cream. I'm just in love with Blue Bunny. And ice cream.

Wordless Wednesday - with a side of recipe

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. Really easy! REALLY yummy.

1 box white cake mix
eggs, oil and water as stated on box
Pink lemonade powder mix

Dump some of the pink lemonade powder in the water. I wanted the flavor to be strong so I kept adding until I could tell it was near the point the powder wouldn't dissolve any more.

Add pink lemonade mixture, eggs and oil to box mix and make as directed on the box.

I told you it was easy. And they are super freaking good! Top with a cream cheese frosting, or try a pink lemonade whipped cream frosting if you want something light (take heavy cream, whip, add powdered sugar, whip some more, add pink lemonade concentrate, whip some more, add powdered sugar/whip to desired consistency). I didn't go with either of these options but in my opinion, my frosting sucked so I'm not posting the recipe. (I was told it wasn't bad but I could feel the texture of the pink lemonade powder and it totally ruined the frosting for me.)

My cupcake liners are behemoth and super tall for some reason. I thought they were normal until I put them in the cupcake pans. So, I baked them and frosted them inside the liners. It was actually lucky because the frosting was super runny. Hence why I have a marbled look to the tops instead of white and pink striped star frosting mounds. Yeah.

Anyway, the cupcake recipe rocks my socks so make it and love it. Kthanksbye!

It's Monday in my world. Yesterday was a pretend day.

I've got a headache and three hundred things to do so I'm totally cheating my way through this post... Forgive me. Or not.

It's another round of getting to know yours truly. Take these questions and answer them or I'll send my zombies after you. K? They are weird questions and I like it.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?
Meal-in-one - a fabulous combination of everything you've got in your pantry. I think I'll make it for dinner tonight, now that I think of it.

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?
Right now, it's Get Up by Korn. I can't stop listening to it.

What is one of your favorite quotes?
"I am so not a raper!"

What’s your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
Indoor: knocking boots (I'm just being honest, kids)
Outdoor: four=wheeling

What chore do you absolutely hate doing?
Putting the laundry away

What is your favorite form of exercise?
Riding a bike, if I have to choose. I pretty much hate exercising.

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?
WHOA! That's a cheater question. Three in one!
Time of day? Evening
Day of the week? Saturday
Month of the year? August

What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?
A public bus

What is your favorite body part?
Of my own or someone else's? My own - my boobs. They're pretty nice. :) Someone else's? I love eyes and arms.

What sound do you love?
The ocean, and thunder, and rain.

A butterfly award. You love me, you really do!

My super crafty and very pretty cousin Brandy presented me with this award, so I figured I'd play along. Sort of. I'm not tagging anyone, no matter how hard you make me try. :)

Aww, so cute! Anyway... here are the rules:

1. Link the person back who awarded you (check)
2. Share 7 things about yourself (check)
3. Answer the questions below (check)
4. Award this to 15 bloggers (not happening, sorry)

Seven things about myself
1. I am ambidextrous.
2. I am double-jointed.
3. I wish I was as fearless now as I was when I was little.
4. I have a 36" inseam and shopping for pants SUCKS.
5. I am a sugar addict.
6. I don't really care much for meat, though I do sometimes get a serious craving for a good steak.
7. I don't want anymore children.

Questions
Name your favorite color - hot pink and turquoise

Name your favorite song - this all completely depends on the day. Get Up by Korn is a good one right now.

Name your favorite dessert - cupcakes, silly. Or ice cream.

What wizzes you off - I don't even know what this means... what pisses me off? Liars and cheaters. And people that are disrespectful to the people they "love".

When you’re upset you - punch stuff. Or listen to music really loud.

Your favorite pet - the only pet I've got currently; the Devil in a catsuit, Turbo.

Black or white - both and neither.

Your biggest fear - missing out on life because of fear. So I guess, fear itself.

Best feature - I hate questions like this. I hate talking about myself. I'm incredibly loyal, I guess.

Everyday attitude - I like Brandy's answer: "Thug life" (see, she's fun)

What is perfection - HA! The only thing I believe in perfection in is food. So, food is perfection.

Guilty pleasure - Reality TV. Sugar. Frosting that comes in the plastic tub. Driving super fast.

That is all. Thanks, Brandy! You're the bestest!

Wordless Wednesday - oh deer.

Taken in the fast lane of the freeway. Car next to me, staring at me trying to take a picture. Punk and I laughing our butts off - I don't know if it's that funny but it was to us!

Butter Cake. The recipe.

If you've been around for a few whiles, you know how big of an impact the freaking Butter Cake from California Pizza Kitchen made on me. I crave it like a pregnant woman craves ice cream and pickles. I searched and searched and couldn't find a total copycat recipe, but I did find something that is awfully close and will do in a pinch. (If I can't make it to CPK.)

Just writing about it, I can taste it. Now I want cake. Thanks a lot, self.

Anyway, here you go. Make it and love it. And if anyone finds an exact replica of that blasted cake, PLEASE send me the recipe. I'll love you forever.

Butter Cake (mmmmmm)

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, 2 cups sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Blend in buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs.

Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed (seriously, this step is important or your cake will fall in!). Pour batter into Bundt pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Prick holes in the still warm cake (I used a wooden spoon handle but I recommend something smaller. My skewers are MIA or I would have used those). Slowly pour topping over cake. Let cake cool before removing from pan (also incredibly important!).


Topping

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 TBSP water
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine all four ingredients. Cook over medium heat until fully melted and combined, but do not boil.

Recipe originally found here.

Pirates of the Carribean. Because I love Johnny Depp in eye liner.

They announced the release date of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - October 18th. Which happens to be my little brother's birthday. They put out a new behind-the-scenes clip to celebrate. It's about the Mermaids, who are one of the coolest things about the movie.



I will definitely be buying this when it comes out. If you haven't seen it yet, you should!

Wordless Wednesday - *drool*

It's kind of like handmade Mondays. Only it's DIY instead.

Do-it-yourself glitter toes. If you haven't ever had glitter toes, you're missing out. They really are cute. But are they worth $20-30? Eh, not so much. So I do my own at home. And it's super easy. Here's how:

1. Cut/file your nails to where you want them to be.
2. Pick a base coat. Any color will do, but it helps to match your base coat to your glitter color. If you like that. Paint one solid coat of your base color. Let dry.
3. Paint one quick coat of clear on one foot. Take the glitter and dump it over your toes, making sure they are well coated. [It helps to do this over a sheet of paper. Unless you want craft-herpes (my loving term for glitter) all over hell and back.] Then shake your foot or tap it gently or whatever you need to do to get the excess glitter off.
4. Using a clear top coat reserved for glitter toes, paint one coat over the top of the glitter.
5. Go back and repeat steps 3 and 4 on your other foot.
6. Lay another good coat of clear over the top of all toes.

Ta da! Cute glitter toes, that won't destroy your nails, at home.

Just a few side notes:
- it is hard to get this off. Make sure you come prepared with lots of cotton balls and acetone polish remover.
- you can find the glitter at Sally's for less than a dollar a bottle, or you can use any craft glitter you can find. The smaller the chunks, the easier to do.
- have a clear coat that you use only for going over the top of the glitter. Glitter WILL transfer back to the bottle.

But, in a moment of genius (those are fleeting around these parts) I decided to try something yesterday, and I LOVE IT! Get some cute rub-ons (they are a scrapbooking product, if you didn't know). Cut the design you want out. Over the top of the dry clear, run your design on. Then cover with another coat of clear. SO CUTE! Wanna see mine? (Sorry for the toe picture. Feet are ugly.)



They seem to be holding up well enough, and they add just enough cute. I love them.

And yes, for anyone also following my scrapbook blog, this is totally a double post. So sue me. Have a good Monday!

My quote of the day today was from Al Bundy. That's awesome.

I need your help. Yes, dear reader, you. I bought this super cute dress from Target on the clearance rack for $3. Killer deal. But it needs something. It's not fitted at all so when I wear it without anything around my waist, it looks sorta mu-mu-ish. [See Example A and Example B]

Example A


Example B


(side note: do I look totally high in that first picture? I have no idea what that face is I'm making but it's not cute.)

See? mu-mu-ish. I've got this black stretchy belt that I wore with it once, but that just made it seem a little bland. [see Example C]

Example C


(there's that face again. I've got to stop taking pictures of myself.)

What can I do to make this dress live up to its $3 potential? I'm stumped.

Wordless Wednesday - check out this beaver!

I want you all to know I can't read the title without cracking up. Yup, still totally 13 years old emotionally.

We ran into this little dude when we were taking Punk's pictures, and he came right up to the water's edge. So close I could have kicked him. But I would never do that. It was the first time I had ever seen a beaver out in the "wild" before.

He's so cute!

Give me fireworks, or give me death.

Okay, maybe not death, but I seriously love fireworks. It takes me right back to childhood. I want to give a big thank you to Utah for changing the fireworks laws this year, because driving around and seeing so many fireworks up in the sky is incredible!

We took a trail up to the top of the mountain on Saturday (original intent was to watch the Stadium of Fire, but apparently there was another big mountain that didn't want us to see them. Very rude.) and all over the valley below us were big, bright fireworks. I loved it.

Last night we took the chopper up and watched the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point. They put on a pretty good show. Afterwards, the cops were blocking off the freeway entrances and forcing everyone to the two frontage roads instead. Not sure how they thought that was a good idea.

Husband, Father-in-law and I are loading up the bikes (by that I mean motorcycles, not just pedal bikes, sheesh!) and going on vacation in August and I'm ecstatic. We are going to California for 10 days with absolutely no plans, other than to spend a lot of time at the ocean. YES! My perfect retreat. I may not come back.

Now, off to kick-start my brain into believing today has things that need to be done. Long weekends are hard to come back from, even when your job is at home. Really. The couch thinks I should be lounging on it right now. Hell, I think I should be lounging on it right now. That's the problem.

Have a fantabulous day!

My ten-year-old. Oh my.

I decided since I have a really nice camera and I kinda (emphasis on kinda) know how to use it, I am going to start doing pictures of Punk for her birthday every year. A whole lot more fun than the school pictures they send home, with an outfit change and everything.

I still can't believe she's FREAKING TEN YEARS OLD. Ten. I shouldn't have a kid that's ten. That's scary.

Here are a few of my favorites. You can click on the pictures to make 'em bigger if you want.

Ten. Really? Really?

June couponing, YEAH!

You have to say the title like Lil' Jon or it's just not the same.

Total retail value of dollars spent in June: $329.50
Total actual dollars spent in June: $195.94
Overall savings: $133.56 or 41%

Best trip of the month: spent $26.57, saved $36.43

But this right here is why I hate that Extreme Couponing show, and why I think they should take it off the air. All of the couponers out there are NOT like they portray but because there is a TV show about people like that, it's going to screw the coupon world over. It aggravates me.

Anyway, my goal for July is $160 for the entire month. I'm pretty stocked up and will start being more picky about what I buy and for how much. I really only need dishwasher detergent and cat food, and then I'll be well stocked with everything we may need. We even have enough chicken and beef for the next two months in the freezer. Sweetness!