Super Bowl Commercials-The Reason I Watch

I enjoy watching sports live. If I'm not there in person I just don't care. I'll more than likely watch the Super Bowl because, well...that's what everyone is doing. (But I enjoy half time and the commercials more than the actual game.)
Honda has already released their Super Bowl ad, a play on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I'm a child of the 80s so I had to share:

It's My Blogiversary!

One year ago I sat down and made my first post on what would become As The Bunny Hops. So what's in a year? A lot of cooking and baking and candlestick making. (OK, candle decorating.) 182 times I wrote a post. 753 times someone was kind enough to leave me a comment. My most popular post was one I wrote about the arrival of White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms. (Somehow-I'll never know how-I became the first hit on Google if you searched for them.) I tried to find my least popular post but my stats wouldn't show me. Perhaps I'm better off not knowing. :)

Thank you for being a part of my silly little blog. It never ceases to amaze me that there are actually people out there who want to read what I've written. I appreciate each and every visit. Every comment you leave. Each time someone decides to follow along. I'm not sure what the new year will bring, but whatever it does, I plan to keep writing about it!

Perfect Stovetop Popcorn

I made popcorn all of the time when I was a kid. And I have a lot of not so fond memories of burning popcorn almost every time I tried to make it on top of the stove. Last weekend I thought it was worth trying again. I did a quick search for tips and found something over and over again that I had never tried before...taking the oil off of the heat for 30 seconds. I tried this-and it worked perfectly!
The first step is taking a large pot with a lid and adding 3 Tablespoons of oil. (You can use the oil of your choice as long as it has a high smoke point. Remember the oil will impart flavor into the popcorn.) Add just a few kernels of popcorn to the oil and heat on medium high with the lid on until you hear the test kernels pop.

At that time you want to take the pot off of the stove and add a 1/3 cup of kernels. Put the lid on the pot and wait 30 seconds. After 30 seconds are up add the pot back to the heat. Occasionally lift the pot and give it a little shake. The popcorn should start popping rather quickly. You will hear the popping slow down. When there are a few seconds between pops remove the pot from the heat. 

You'll have a pot full of light and fluffy popcorn, no burnt pieces and very few (if any) unpopped kernels. Just add butter, salt or whatever seasonings you like and toss. Perfect popcorn every time. Apparently the 30 seconds off of the heat allows for even heat distribution which makes the kernels pop at almost the same time...and that means no burning!

Winter Driving Safety

I live in North Carolina. We get snow from time to time. It's never too much, but it does tend to shut things down. (It's a huge pet peeve of mine when people like to make fun of how everything does shut down. I get it. You're from another place. You get ten feet of snow on a regular basis. We don't, we get snow sporadically and it usually comes with icy roads. And icy roads aren't safe.)

A big part of preparing for winter is preparing for winter driving conditions. My personal number one winter driving tip? Stay home if you can. Depending on where you live, what type of car you have and how well the roads are maintained that can be your best option. 

If you have to get out when the weather is snowy or icy make sure you drive slowly. Leave plenty of space between yourself and any other car on the road. As long as you have plenty of room you shouldn't need to slam your breaks. Slamming your breaks is pretty much the worst thing you can do in icy conditions. You'll skid and skidding is no good.

Speaking of skidding...if you do start to slide on the road don't yank the wheel. You'll just spin out of control. Turn the wheel into the direction of the skid until you gain control of the vehicle. (See why I said just stay home? This is scary stuff!)

Make sure your car is ready for winter by checking the wiper blades and tires. You'll need both to be in good condition for winter weather. It's a good idea to make sure all of your fluid levels and belts are OK, too. (You don't want to be stranded on the side of the road in a snow storm!)

Make sure you have everything you need in your car in case of an emergency. A warm blanket, a flashlight (with working batteries!), a cell phone, water, flares. You might even want to keep a bag of sand in case you get stuck.

I think I'll just stay here and play...

But remember, unless you much get out, why not stay home? Build a snowman Make some snow cream. It's a lot more fun and I guarantee you it's a lot safer!

Snow Cream Recipe

Large bowl of snow (we always put out a big kitchen pot as soon as the flakes started.)

1 can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix everything together and enjoy! (How's that for an easy recipe?) Add more milk and vanilla to taste. (You can also add sugar if you like.) 

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Why Can't I Bake Pretty?

I'm pretty handy in the kitchen. I can cook. I can bake. I can create recipes. The one thing I can't do? I can't bake pretty...
Now I've had some baking adventures that were successful. My pink princess ducky cupcakes were pretty cool, although a lesson in baking and traveling. My fishy cupcakes came out pretty well. But I'm had lots of disasters, too. Seizing chocolates and sliding cheesecakes come to mind.
When I was "hired" by my family to make cake pops for my cousin's wedding shower I was more than a little nervous. The color was peacock and the theme was winter. But after so many battles with uneven coatings and pops sliding off of the stick I was nervous.

My first challenge was creating the color. Peacock wasn't an available color in the candy melts. I decided to use multiple bags of light blue mixed with single bags or purple and dark green.

The color came out a lot grayer than I had intended. A lot. But it was too late to turn back! My solution to the issue of cake pops sliding down and falling off of the sticks was to put them in mini baking cups.  This actually worked out quite well. They're not really cake pops, of course. I guess you could call them cake bites. In any case, that made it so much easy to deal with when I dipped the cakes. This was also my first time using my electric fondue pot to melt the candy. It liked this idea so much I've done it several times since. 

The silver mini muffin cups and the silver sugar I sprinkled on top made everything look a lot better. The flaws in my candy coating were mostly hidden. And the cups were a more elegant choice than sticks for the shower. It also made it a breeze to present. The cake bites were just loaded onto a multi-tiered crystal server. 

Trying to bake things "pretty" still seems to be a lot of hit and miss. But I am getting better. And people must like what I do-I keep getting asked to bake for events. Next up? My niece's forth birthday!

My First Fiverr Purchase: Five Dollars Well Spent

I've heard of Fiverr many times. Thought it was a neat concept but honestly never looked at the website. Then another blogger pointed me in the direction of Mollee's Fiverr proposal. Mollee will draw a picture of anything you want for $5. She's eight year's old and it would be a cute enough idea of Mollee was just trying to earn extra money to add to her My Little Pony collection-but that's not what she's doing. Mollee is drawing pictures to raise money for her twin brother's class. He has autism and his classroom wants to use iPad's to help with communication and learning. So Mollee is drawing pictures to help raise money to purchase the iPads.
I didn't think twice-I knew I was going to make an order. And the obvious choice was a bunny. Ten days later I had this:

I think it's pretty much the best $5 I've ever spent. Thanks, Mollee for my awesome bunny! And thanks for helping out your brother's class. You rock!

If you want to help support Mollee's mission you can go here to order your own drawing. 

One Of A Kind Art From Gallery Direct

Last week I told you about my  new art from Gallery Direct and their special offer. You can still order your own custom photos on canvas for 75% off with code photo75.
My own photo print arrived this week. (Yes, that fast!) My order was placed on January 12th and arrived on January 19th. That means you still have plenty of time to order photo prints for Valentine's Day gifts.

I ordered a canvas with my adorable nieces. I couldn't be more pleased with how everything came out. As a matter of fact I like it so much I really want to keep it for myself. (But it's a gift for my sister...and I know she'll love it even more than I do.)

I couldn't resist trying it out on my own wall, though, first. And it really does look great. With the code photo75 this canvas (24" x 16") would only be $45! There's even free shipping until midnight tonight. Photo prints on canvas are a great one of a kind gift. (Perhaps even a gift for yourself?)

Don't forget to follow Gallery Direct on Twitter, Google +, YouTube and Facebook for more discounts and giveaways. 

I received my photo print on canvas for review purposes as part of the Gallery Direct Ambassadors program. All opinions are my own. 

Training Tips For The New Puppy #ILoveMyK9

Remember last week when I introduced you to sweet little Ruby?

Ruby, the new puppy!

She's had an exciting time since her parents got married last weekend. I did bring a special gift, just for her, to the wedding. (Milk-Bone®, Pup-Peroni, and Milo's Kitchen treats, along with a set of new teething bones.) She's a busy girl and everyone is working hard to make sure her training is successful. Luckily she has some great treats to help reward her along the way.

Wrapping up my wedding gifts...

Which treat is her favorite? It's too soon to say. (I have a hunch it's going to be the Pup-Peroni.) One thing I do know is that she has a great new home and a lot of loving caregivers who will give her the time and attention she needs to grow into a happy, healthy dog. 

The smaller box on top is all for Ruby!

Are you thinking about getting a new puppy yourself? Here are some of my favorite puppy training tips: 

A Three Part Plan For Training Success

• Chewing is normal, so make sure the puppy has a chew bone or toy to use. (This helps avoid the puppy teething on your favorite shoes!)
• Look for signs such as sniffing and circling to know when to take the puppy out.
• Make sure puppies get plenty of socialization early. This can help avoid problems with aggression later on. 
• Show lots of patience, as training a puppy takes time.
• Be consistent. Puppies learn rules better with security and consistency. 
• Establish yourself as the one in charge. 
• Reward good behavior with treats like Pup-Peroni, Milk-Bone® and Milo's Kitchen.

Dreaming of her favorite treats?

What are your favorite tips for bringing a new puppy home? Are healthy treats a part of your training success?


This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

#AbbottCFK Twitter Party Tonight

Join me tonight at the Champions for Kids Twitter party sponsored by Abbott Nutrition. You'll need to RSVP here to be eligible for prizes. Just follow along with the hashtag #AbbottCFK tonight at 9pm. You can also use this custom TweetGrid. There are four gift cards up for grabs and we'll be chatting about a great cause. Hope to tweet you there!

Wordless Wednesday

#sopastrike

A Day Of Service-Fighting Children's Hunger #AbbottCFK

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For some today is a day off-but for many today is a day on. A day to participate in one of many service opportunities around the country to make an impact in their community. I couldn't think of a more fitting day to complete my SIMPLE Service Project-Abbott Nutrition Pack A Snack.
I searched my own pantry and closets first for things that I could donate. I also looked at the wish list for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to get additonal ideas for what was needed most.

The mission of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is to harness and supply resources so that no one goes hungry in central and eastern North Carolina.

As I went shopping to purchase additional items I looked for things high in fiber and protein as well as natural products with no sugar added. It's easy to find inexpensive choices that are not healthy, but for very little extra money I was able to purchase items that were more nutritious. I did a lot of label reading as I was shopping, probably even more than I do when I'm shopping for myself.
The nutritional quality of the food I'm donating is important to me. 17% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese. 1 of 7 low income preschool aged children is obese. Healthy options are vital if we want those numbers to change.

I gathered two large bags of healthy options to contribute to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. My donation will combine with others to support the services they provide to help end hunger in a 34 county region of North Carolina. The Food Bank participates in several programs specifically for children. Kid's Cafe is a charitable meal service program providing hot meals, nutritional education and academic support at 26 different locations. The Weekend Power Pack provides a backpack each Friday to eligible children with enough nutritious food to last until Monday. Children are provided with meals during school breaks through the Kids Summer Meals program.
If you're interested in participating in this month's Champions for Kids SIMPLE Service Project gather your family, friends and coworkers together. Collect nutritious options like Zone Perfect Bars and PediaSure SideKicks and donate to an agency that serves children in your community.

If you'd like to find out more join us for the Champions for Kids Twitter Party on January 19 at 9pm. Make sure you RSVP here. You can win Walmart gift cards that you can use to create your own Abbott Nutrition Pack A Snack donation. Just follow along with the #AbbottCFK hashtag.
You can view the photo album from my shopping trip here.
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own. 

Sugar Free No-Bake Cheesecake With Pretzel Crust

Are you starting out the new year with any healthy new habits? (Notice I didn't say resolutions? I pretty much hate that word-but healthy new habits are good. And you can start a new habit any time of the year.) I've been trying to stay more active and cut back on unhealthy snacks and sweets. White foods (like pasta and bread) and sugar are my two biggest challenges. The problem with cutting back on things that are bad for you-at least for me-means craving them pretty much all the time.
Making a treat that satisfies my sweet teeth without actually using sugar is tricky, but necessary. Luckily there are some great sugar substitutes available to help. Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels help, too. Not only do they satisfy my craving for something salty, they also create the base of one of my favorite sugar-free desserts: no-bake cheesecake!

Filling:

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese (room temperature)

1/3 cup sweetener of your choice

8oz. whipped cream (You can purchase premade, or if you cannot find sugar free whipped cream you can make your own with whipping cream and the sweetener of your choice.)

Fresh fruit of your choice or sugar free fruit preserves

Crust:

1 1/2 cup Snyder's of Hanover pretzels (your choice of type)

1/3 cup butter

Place pretzels in a blender or food processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Melt the butter in the microwave and mix the butter and pretzel crumbs together. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate. (A drinking glass with a flat bottom is helpful for getting the crust flat and smooth.)

Mix softend cream cheese and sweetener together until thoroughly combined. Add whipped cream to the sweetened cream cheese. Spoon into pretzel crust. Add fresh fruit or a swirl of sugar free preserves if you choose. (To use the preserves to create a swirled cheesecake just add a some preserves to a microwave safe bowl with just a little water. Warm in the microwave for a short period of time, usually under 30 seconds, to thin. Then swirl into the cheesecake filling with a knife.) Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. (Cheesecake will remain soft.)

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks and treats? Do you use pretzels in any of your recipes? I'd love to hear your favorites!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Snyder’s of Hanover blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Go Ahead, Cry If You Want To

I have a confession. I can cry at the drop of a hat. And I hate it. When something makes me want to cry I fight it with every ounce of my being. And of course trying not to cry just makes you cry that much harder. Weddings, funerals, telephone commercials...it doesn't take much. 
The other day I was visiting a classroom. A little boy was crying his heart out. His teacher was trying to sooth him and kept saying, "Don't cry, don't cry. Dry your tears." He actually looked like he was trying to stop but couldn't. I sat down beside him and asked him what was wrong. He never did say. (And I'm not sure he was old enough to have the words to explain.) But he did seem to appreciate having me ask, as strange as that sounds. 
On the way home I was listening to a radio interview with some guy I can't remember who wrote some book I can't recall. But I do remember one thing that was discussed. He mentioned that it was OK when someone asked you how you were doing to tell the truth. So many people default to "fine" or "good" when they're asked. But a simple, "It's been a rough week" or "I've been better" is a perfectly acceptable answer. And being honest gives you a chance to make a real human connection. Maybe the person asking is having a hard time too and could use that simple moment of empathy with another person.
So I tried it today. Today was a day that I had been dreading for a while just because I had so many things scheduled. And as the day got going I got asked the traditional, "How are you?" several times. I answered truthfully. "I'm tired." "I'm feeling overwhelmed." "It's going to be a really long day." And what I got back was actually nice. Several people who were in the same boat. A few sympathetic nods and well wishes. But I felt better for being honest. 
OK, so I'm not ready to start crying in public when the urge strikes. But I am going to try to stick with owning up to how I'm feeling when someone asks. (While trying to avoid whining, hopefully!) And who knows? Maybe if I emote a little more when I get the chance I'll feel a little less like crying at the drop of a hat anyway!

A Sweet Surprise! #IcedCoffee

Some days are just sweeter than others. Yesterday just as I was pulling into the driveway I saw the UPS truck enter the neighborhood. I'm going to confess-seeing the UPS truck pull up in front of my house feels like a mini-Christmas every time.

It's not every day that UPS drops off a box marked perishable. Inside the box was a cooler packed with ice and this sweet surprise:

Now I'm the kind of girl who orders the thing at the coffee shop that is the least like coffee. Blend it, frapp it, whip it...that's what I like to drink. (Black coffee? Ick!) I've been hearing amazing things about the International Delight Iced Coffee from other bloggers so I was excited to try it for myself. 

I brought an Iced Mocha to work with me today. As you can see by the empty cup I really enjoyed it. (I'm also dying to try it blended with ice. I have a feeling that would rock!) I proceeded to bug anyone in the office who would listen about how amazingly awesome the International Delights Iced Coffee Mocha flavor was and how they needed to immediately head to the store and pick up some for themselves. 

Special thanks to my friend Tonia at The Gunny Sack for surprising me with my iced coffee treats! If you're not already a follower make sure you check out her blog. It's full of amazing crafts, recipes and more. Thanks, Tonia! 

Special Offer From Gallery Direct

If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me tweeting out the picture of my new artwork from Gallery Direct. (I think I'm in double digits for tweets of my picture now...but hey-I really like it!)

See? Isn't it pretty? I actually ordered the piece thinking it might go in the living room-but it ended up in my bedroom instead. (That means I'm still on the hunt for the perfect art to put in my living room.) 

What I really love about Gallery Direct is that you can customize everything. Pick what you want then select your size and material. You can choose between canvas, paper, acrylic, aluminum, mirror or wood with a variety of framing options. How many times have you seen art in a store that  you would have purchased except it wasn't the right size or the frame wasn't to your liking?That's not a problem with Gallery Direct.

Speaking of customization-it doesn't get much more custom than your own photos. You can upload your photographs and have them transformed into works of art. Best of all you can now get 75% off a photo print on canvas with code photo75. That's right-75% off!

So what are you waiting for? Go pick out your favorite pictures and create some art! Photos on canvas make great gifts. (And Valentine's Day is just around the corner...)

You can follow Gallery Direct on Twitter, Google +, YouTube and Facebook. 

This post was written on behalf of Gallery Direct for compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

A Wedding Gift For The Puppy #ILoveMyK9

See that cute little face? That's Ruby. Ruby was a Christmas gift for my cousin and his finance this year. She's a total sweetie, but she's also a puppy. That means lots of training ahead for the couple. It's a tradition in the family to go to my Aunt and Uncle's house for breakfast on Christmas morning. Needless to say Ruby was the center of attention. Despite the almost constant attention she was getting and frequent trips outside I think there were no less than three accidents in the short time I was there. They are going to have their hands full. 

This weekend is the big day, my cousin is getting married. I thought it would be fun to include a gift for Ruby along with their wedding present. I know it will come in handy as they're training her in the coming weeks. 

And of course any training program for a puppy is going to rely on treats! I'm not sure what Ruby is going to like best so I decided to pick up a few options.

I've never met a puppy who didn't love Pup-Peroni. I also love that it's easy to break into smaller pieces for a littler dog. I think these might be a favorite. I decided to get the lean beef variety which is 90% fat free. (I have a feeling Ruby is going to be getting a lot of treats-it's probably a good idea to have healthy options.)

I also wanted to have a hard treat option, and Milk-Bone® treats are a classic. As a matter of fact, Milk-Bone® is the favorite of Lucy, my parent's Boston Terrier. (Although she's a big fan of Pup-Peroni, too!) Select boxes also have coupons good on your purchase of Milo's Kitchen and Pup-Peroni products. Keep an eye out!

I haven't given Milo's Kitchen treats to any of the pups in my life before, but I've heard great things. Plus it seemed like a good idea to give Ruby a chicken option. Everything from Milo's Kitchen looks just like real food. What pup wouldn't love that? 

In my limited experience with puppy training I know that teething was one of the biggest issues. I decided to pick up some teething bones for Ruby, too. I remember it being important to have something appropriate for the puppy to chew when they had the urge.

I'll be delivering my special wedding present this weekend and I'll report back with how Ruby's training is going. (And which treats are her favorite.) 

You can check out my complete shopping trip here. 

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Because No Child Should Go Hungry... #AbbottCFK

There are some things I've never had to worry about. I've never had to wonder when I'd get my next meal. I never had to think about how to put food on the table. That's not to say there haven't been some times that were harder than others. I've had more than my share of Ramen noodles when that was all I could afford. But I've always had something. And if I ever was truly in need I had the blessing of family and friends available to help me out if I asked.
Unfortunately that's not the case for everyone. There are lots of children in our own communities that go to bed hungry. They don't know when they are getting their next meal. They have already learned far too early that life can be cruel and unfair. I've seen it myself while I'm at work in the classrooms I visit. I've seen the children eat their meals quickly because they are so hungry. I've watched them gratefuly accept when their teachers offered them seconds. I've been told the stories by their wonderful teachers who sometimes pack up the leftovers to go home with those children because they know they won't eat otherwise.
Did you know that 1 in 4 children in the United States is food insecure? Those same children are also not getting the recommend amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains their bodies need to grow up healthy and strong. Proper nutrition is vital for success in school.

This month Champions for Kids, with the support of Abbot Nutrition, is doing something to address this need. Abbott Nutrition Pack A Snack is this month's SIMPLE Service Project. Items like Pediasure, Pediasure SideKicks and ZonePerfect Bars are perfect nutritional donations to local food banks.
In the coming week I'll be creating a snack pack to donate to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. The Food Bank's Weekend Power Pack program ensures that children at risk for hunger do not go without on weekends and school breaks.
If you're interested in creating an Abbott Nutrition Pack A Snack you can find out more information here. You can also join us at the next Champions for Kids Twitter Party on January 19th at 9pm ET. Just follow the #AbbottCFK hashtag. Keep up with Champions for Kids on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #cbias

Baking Bucket List Update: 2 Down, Sort Of...Plus 1 Addition

Last month I talked about baking bucket list. I've started to chip away at my list and so far, so good.

Layering the filling over the white chocolate.

My first bucket list attempt was a cheesecake. That's where the sort of comes in. I wanted crustless New York style cheesecake, but I became obsessed with the Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle recipe hack I found online and had to attempt it for myself. Laziness got the best of me and I didn't scrape all of the filling out of the cookies when I was making the crust. That made it a bit softer and messier than it should have been. (But no effect on the taste.) I also read in the reviews that the raspberry filling would be runny if you used the amount of water the recipe called for so I used less.
This was my first time using my spring form pan. (So needless to say it was also my first time lining a spring form pan in parchment paper.) I couldn't figure out how to get the paper to stay on the sides and ended up using kitchen clips to hold it into place until the filling was in the pan. The cheesecake ended up being really easy to make, just very time consuming.

Melting my pound of chocolate with butter. 

Next on the list was the Mt. Airy Chocolate Souffle Cake. I still want to make a traditional Chocolate Souffle, but when I found out this was the Crook's Corner recipe I had to try it. I pretty much followed it step by step. Instead of using a double boiler I actually made everything in my fondue pot. That worked surprisingly well. If I had to do it again I would probably cut down just a touch on the brandy. I had no clue what brandy to buy when I was shopping so I just picked up the smallest bottle I could find.

Two really large pieces of each. 

I made both receipes for my dad's birthday dinner. I tried to encourage everyone to try at least a little of both. Favorites seemed to be split right down the middle, with some people preferring the chocolate cake, while others preferred the cheesecake. Everyone said that both were really good. (My dad said I should feel free to make either any time I coming over.) My sister's comment was my favorite. She referred to them both as "restaurant quality". My presentation skills weren't quite restaurant quality, however. I messed up a bit adding the preserves to the cheesecake and the top sort of slid off of the bottom. The good news is taste isn't effected by appearance. (OK, OK, I know...you eat with your eyes first. They weren't ugly, they just weren't pretty.)
Now for the addition. If you want to live forever you just have to keep adding to your bucket list, right? It must be a sign, but I've heard three times recently about homemade marshmallows. So homemade marshmallows are officially on the baking bucket list. My one fear is they'll be so good that regular store bought marshmallows will no longer do it for me. But I'm not going to let that fear keep me from making them. And of course you can expect me to report back when I'm done!

Not Quite Wordless Wednesday

I'm not a fan of bragging, self-congratulatory posting. But bear with me. This involves you.
When I first started blogging about a year ago I wasn't sure where I was going to go. I thought maybe I could make a few bucks if I got good enough at it. I became involved in some blogging communities, I got a few opportunities to write for compensation.  And I basically had a forum for whatever random ideas popped into my head. Paid opportunities weren't that frequent, but I was happy for whatever came my way and I was just enjoying the chance to write.
Then about halfway through last year things changed. My blog was getting bigger. (It's still little, but it's a big little.) I was getting more chances to write for different brands that I loved. Things were great. And I decided at that point to set a goal. I wanted to make enough money with my blog to purchase a new washer and dryer on Black Friday. (OK, I keep talking about money. I hate talking about money. Still...bear with me...I'm getting to the part about you.)
When I made that goal I honestly didn't think I would be able to do it. But guess what?

This week the new washer and dryer that I ordered on Black Friday were finally installed. I love them. I actually find doing laundry fun. (I'm sure that will pass.) And every last penny of the set was paid for by this blog.

OK, you waited...here's where you come in. Thank you! It's because of you. If you didn't come to my blog and read my posts and leave lovely comments and tweet about them and share on Facebook and give me +1s then no one would ever hire me to write for them. And if no one ever hired me to write for them I would not be enjoying laundry day quite so much. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading. Thank you commenting. Thank you for sharing. And thank you for my new washer and dryer!

Resolve To Give Back By Helping A #BraveWoman

It's a new year-time for positive changes. One of the best changes you can make is to do more. I don't believe in resolutions per se, but I do believe in trying to start the year off right-and I always try to start off a new year by doing more for my community.
Last month I told you about the Brave Woman campaign. If you haven't yet I hope you'll take the pledge to support the 1 in 4 women who will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  This month I'm doing something to help me keep my pledge.
One of my goals for the new year is to become more organized. That, of course, means lots of cleaning and lots of purging. But I'm going to do something great with the stuff I don't need. I'm donating it to the local women's shelter. Like most people I have clothes that are in fine shape but that I never wear. I've got a closet full of body wash, toothpaste and other things that I've picked up when they're on sale and I had a coupon. More than I can ever use. Why am I hanging on to these things when they could go to good use?
Many times when women decide to leave their abuser much if not all of their personal property has to be left behind. They're starting from scratch as they begin their new lives and that means there are lots of things they'll need. Shelters also rely on donations of household supplies and countless volunteer hours to operate. A quick online search led me to the wish list for the shelter and crisis center in my area. The list included cleaning products, personal care items, baby supplies, household objects and more. There were even some things I hadn't thought of like craft supplies, journals and bus passes.

I'm working right now on putting together a bag to donate. For some reason knowing everything I get rid of will go to good use is making letting go of some things far easier than it would be otherwise. I also got some great ideas from the wish list that I'll pick up the next time I'm out shopping.  If you want to donate to your local center or shelter don't forget to take a look at their website or give them a call first. Most centers have specific requirements about when and where you can donate for the safety of the women they serve.
Don't forget to take the Brave Woman pledge. I hope you'll be inspired to help support the crisis centers and shelters in your area. You can also follow Brave Woman on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #cbias