An Uncomplicated Life Blog: August 2017

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Roasted Root Vegetable One Pot Pasta

This recipe only uses one pot for an easy week night meal, and the flavors are perfect for fall!


One of the best things about fall is the cooler weather. Cool weather makes me want to cook! Cooking is definitely one of my hobbies, so to come full circle, fall is a favorite season of mine because I get to really enjoy my very favorite hobby. In the summer, we grill tons and I make cold salads, but fall is the time for warm, hearty food. I'm not talking high calorie, I mean warm, filling and nutritious. Which is exactly what this roasted root vegetable one pot pasta is!


Did you know that root vegetables are some of the most nutritious plants you can eat? Since they're grown fully in the soil (thus the "root" part) they absorb all of the minerals and nutrients from the dirt. They're packed with vitamins A, B and C, antioxidants and iron. When you eat them, they go straight into your belly. 

Some are more nutritious than others - for example, a sweet potato has more nutrients than a white potato - and I've put my favorite ones in this one pot recipe for you. This meal is perfect for a mid-week night dinner because the bulk of the work is in chopping the veggies, and you only have one pot to clean at the end of the night. Start to finish, it's ready in under 45 minutes. And bonus! You'll have to open some wine to make it, so you can enjoy a glass and relax while you wait for it to cook.


Roasted Root Vegetable One Pot Pasta
- 1 bunch carrots (I used multi-colored with the stems on for prettier pictures - no need to be so fancy! You can even used the peeled and chopped "snack carrots" if that's what you've got)
- 2 turnips
- 2 rutabagas (anyone else think that word is super fun to say?)
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 gloves fresh chopped garlic
- 1 32 box of vegetable or chicken broth
- 4 to 6oz dry white wine
- 6oz water
- 1 box whole wheat pasta (the whole wheat holds up better in "one pot" pasta dishes)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese (plus more to sprinkle on your plate before serving)
- 1/2 cup half n' half
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper



Peel and chop your root veggies into bite sized pieces. In a large dutch oven (this is my MOST USED pan in the house! Invest in a good one like this or this and you won't be disappointed) heat the olive oil. Add the root veggies, stirring occasionally, and cook for about 7 minutes, or just barely turning tender.


Add the bay leaves, sage, thyme and brown sugar, and garlic. Stir to coat the veggies. Add salt to taste, but be careful not to over-salt, as there's plenty of salt in the stock and Asiago cheese you'll be adding later! De-glaze the pan (fancy word for adding liquid while the pan is still on high heat) with the white wine. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the stock, water and pasta.


Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the liquid and adjust the salt if needed. Once the pasta is al dente, add the cheese and half and half. There should be enough liquid for a thick sauce to cover the pasta and veggies, but not be "soupy."

Like it?! Pin it! 

Serve warm and top with more cheese as desired. Enjoy, especially with the remaining bottle of wine and knowing you only have one pan to clean! There's enough to serve four adults with leftovers, and this dish re-heats wonderfully. You can also freeze the leftovers and reheat later. The whole wheat pasta and root vegetables can hold up to freezing without getting mushy or gross.

Monday, August 28, 2017

What I'm Loving Lately

From the weather to fundraising, here's what I'm loving right now




Since I went on vacation for two weeks this month and wrote two posts on back to school, I thought it would be fun to slow down and share with you some of the things I'm loving lately. Kinda like a good old fashioned update post, but focusing on all positive, good or fun things. Go top off your coffee and settle in to read about what I'm loving lately.

THE WEATHER
Hurricane Harvey has brought us nonstop rain, which has kept Dallas so insanely green! It's also kept us cool. Guys, it's like 82 degrees. In Texas. In August. It actually feels like fall. When we get a break in the rain, we can actually go outside and and not be surrounded by miserable, sweltering heat. I know Harvey caused some SERIOUS damage down on the coast which is awful, but if you're in north Texas, it's made for quite a pleasant end of summer. Crazy how there can be two totally different results from the same weather system in the same state: Dallas is pleasant and Houston is a flooded disaster. It blows my mind.

It's been this cloudy and dreary for days on end

FUNDRAISING
In a "former life" I was a director of fundraising for a large nonprofit. In fact, I spent over half my career as a professional nonprofit fundraiser. So when the folks at Ronald McDonald House Charities reached out to me to talk about fundraising, it was a no brainer that I'd partner with them. We're all familiar with the clown with the big red nose, but what Ronald McDonald House Charities does for families is truly amazing. RMHC provides lodging for families to stay near medical facilities where their children are receiving care. Imagine living two, three or even more hours away from the hospital your child was being treated at! You couldn't drive that every day, and staying in a hotel for a long period of time would be extremely expensive. RMHC provides that place for families to stay so that they can stay near their children.

They provided me juggling balls... I wish I had a video of me attempting to juggle. No juggling skills here!

But to provide that service, RMHC needs money to operate! The coolest thing I've seen as a professional fundraiser is this: You can literally fund raise for RMHC by doing anything! Love baking? Cool, host a bake sale at your child's school, your church, or your neighborhood association. Love juggling? Cool, start a Facebook live video and have friends commit to donating a few cents for every ball you catch. Anything could become a fundraiser! Click here to learn more and start raising funds for this wonderful charity that provides a valuable service to families with sick children.

FALL DECORATING
Yup. We got back from vacation, and I had hubs climb up into the storage above our garage and pull down all the fall decorations. Yes, I'm aware it's August. So basic. But I refuse to apologize for my love of all things fall! My mantel now looks fully festive, and I can't wait to go all out all over the house with my Halloween decorations. I promised hubs I would wait until September for that, though. It's hard, especially given the weather here - it's so rainy and dreary and fall like, it makes me want to go nuts with all the decorations!


Pumpkins make me happy

ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSING
I normally diffuse oils once a day, but I've really gotten into having my diffusers going nonstop lately. I have lavender or lemongrass going just about all day in our master bedroom, and I have thieves or Christmas Spirit (it smells spicy like a fall scent) in the living room. I used to love to get fall-inspired candles and have those going, but once I learned about all the toxic chemicals they use to artificially scent the wax, which you then breathe in as the candle is lit, I said nooooooooo thanks and switched entirely to running my diffusers. Not only is it healthy because you get the benefits of the oils, but I don't have to worry about little fingers getting burned with fire or hot wax. Win win! Check this out to see what diffuser I recommend.

That's what I'm loving lately! I hope this weather lasts. It's made it really fun to pull out all the fall decorations and get cozied up with a scary movie. Don't burn any of those nasty candles to get into the fall spirit though. Try some oils! Heck, maybe you could even turn decorating your own house into some sort of fundraiser for RMHC... Hmmm, maybe I'll even do that myself with the rest of my Halloween decorations. I think I just came up with a fundraising idea that's perfect for what I love!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

My Favorite Back To School Products

Check out this review of some of my favorite products for back to school time


This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

So many people are already back to school! I swear it's like people go back earlier and earlier every year it seems. We don't start until September 6 and I think we're the last kids on the planet to go back. The summer has been fun, but I'm SO looking forward to getting back into a routine and getting the house to myself for five hours a day three times a week. Fifteen whole hours to blog and get work done uninterrupted every week sounds wonderful to me right about now. With the start of the school year looming, however, means that I need to get myself in gear and get organized with the kids school supplies, lunches, and schedules. Here are the products I'm loving for back to school:


A roundup of products that make going back to school fun for everyone

Wemo Mini WiFi Smart Plug
How cool is it that in 2017, we can remotely control our lights and appliances?! Yup, this device lets you control the temperature in your home, whether or not your lights are on and other major appliances from where ever you are, right on your smart phone. Which sounds like it would be tricky to set up and get figured out, but you basically plug it into the wall, download the app, connect it to your wifi and get going with your home automation! Which is super convenient because we keep our home cooler at night for sleeping, then turn up the air during the day so we don't have a ridic electric bill. What's cool about this is I can raise the temp of our home in the preschool drop off line and have the air turned back up so the house isn't roasting when I get back. I'd love to say that this isn't necessary for back to school time, but this is Texas and we run our air for ten months out of the year. If you want to control your home from your phone AND get 20% off your Wemo device, click here! Offer good through Sept. 30, 2017.




Zoono GermFree24 Hand Sanitizer
Ahhh, back to school time is great for getting back into a routine and for SAHM/WAHMs to get more free time/productive time, but it also means germs run rampant and cold season is near! It seems like my kids always catch a cold sometime during the first two weeks of school since they're surrounded by so many new kids and the germs that come with them. Zoono's water based hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs and stays active on the skin for 24 hours. I like to throw it in the kids' backpacks and apply it before school to combat any yucky germs that cause colds, flu and other illnesses. You can get some for your little's backpacks here.

Pure Growth Organics
What mom doesn't like pre-packaged 100% organic foods to easily throw into their kids lunchboxes?! While I make parts of my kids lunches from scratch, I also love the ease of having individual servings of things like organic white cheddar popcorn and organic crispy rice squares. Henry LOVES popcorn and Otto has a sweet tooth. He ate both his and Henry's crispy rice treats, so I know they'll be a hit in his lunches this fall. Pure Growth Organics has a full line of organic kids snacks, including chocolate animal crackers for an after school snack that's yummy and healthy. Want 20% off your next snack order? Click here and use code 2020BABBLE.

Otto having a snack attack with his crispy rice squares

OOLY
How cool are these fun school supplies? Henry has really gotten into creating art lately. He's learning how to write letters, and has a solid H and L down for his initials. I'm sure he'll learn the rest this year at preK3! One of the best parts of being a parent is watching your child learn how to express himself and explore his imagination. OOLY's products help him do just that. I even thought about taking some of these for myself... More on that later! In the meantime, click here to get FREE shipping and 15% off your order of $35 or more. Offer good through Sept. 7, 2017.


Snip-Its Haircuts For Kids
I'm picky about what products I put on my kids. The skin is the body's biggest organ, and everything you put on it gets absorbed into the blood stream. That's why I like this brand of hair products for my kids. They use plant derived ingredients that are irritant and allergen free. Now, I keep my boys hair cut short because it's way easier to manage, and I'm not one of those moms who gets attached to her son's hair, so I gave them the shampoo and gel and stole the mousse for myself since I have more hair to style. Hehe. Salon haircare products for kids... AND moms! Click here to find a Snip-Its salon near you.



Teal Duck Tape®
You know those products that kinda do everything? They have a million different uses and you find yourself reaching for it again and again, even in unlikely circumstances? That's this tape. Y'all know I love to craft and make my own DIYs. Teal Duck Tape® just created a page on their website devoted to people like me who love to make their own things. There's videos, tutorials and other things to get you inspired to craft! Check it out here. I can't wait to get inspired and to have some time to do fun crafts again after the kids go back to school.


Monday, August 21, 2017

Committing To A Healthy Lifestyle

Re-committing to a healthy lifestyle after a gluttonous vacation




Hey guys, I'm back from my Minnesota adventure! The wifi situation was a bit rough as they switched around which cabin provided it (and thus the router got moved father away) so my Instagram stories weren't as funny as they were last year. I could only post in one room of one cabin or one part of the yard! Boo on you, first world problems. Anyyyyyywayyyyy, vacation was lovely and I was an absolute glutton. Ate and drank whatever I wanted. For nine days straight. Needless to say, I'm (re) committing my self to a healthy lifestyle!

We partied hard on vacation

Do you ever get so off track with the way you eat (and drink) that you actually gross yourself out? I'm not talking about looking in the mirror, that's more of a self esteem issue. But rather, you've eaten so unhealthy for so long that unhealthy food actually disgusts you. That's the level I'm at right now. At the cabin, my mom had ALL my childhood favorites there for me to consume: potato chips and Top The Tator, home made beef stroganoff, home made brownies, 3619 bottles of wine, hot dogs from a butcher, and on and on. When we were in Minneapolis, we ate out every. single. meal. Then the kids go to bed at 7pm, so we'd hang out and drink wine and order room service late at night (please tell me you caught some of my IG stories on that!)

The boys partied with bubbles and I partied with bubbly

Back to reality and back to Dallas, and I feel like I've eaten the way I did for nine days. Which is a nice way to say, I feel like garbage. I'm not one to wallow in the poor choices I made - heck, I had a great time eating bad for me food! But, I am one to immediately get back on track once the party is over. This is the key I've learned to maintaining my weight for over 20 years (yes, I weigh the same as I did in high school, even after having two babies in a year and a half): it's ok to let yourself indulge and have a great time, as long as you get right back on track as soon as your "cheat day(s)" are over!

How am I committing myself to a healthy lifestyle (again)? Actually, it's really simple!

I found an awesome recipe for a roasted butternut squash, lentil and kale salad. I like to eat a plant based diet using whole foods. This means I don't "diet" in so much as count calories and try to reduce fat, but I cook my own meals and focus on the nutrients and actually add fat to the meals using olive oil, whole milk yogurts, etc.  I've found counting calories and "watching what I eat" to be destructive in so many ways, but when I focus on the nutrients and making nutritious, plant-based foods, my mind is in the right place to make healthy changes.


I also like to spruce up my beverages. Visiting a raw juice bar after a hot yoga class is one of my favorite splurges! One of the coolest things I've discovered is Kiwami Greens. These to-go packets are full of nutritional properties that rev up my juice even more! There's Young Barley Leaf, Ashitaba that's combined with Matcha and Sencha to deliver a boost of vitality and energy. Kiwami Greens also contains a prebiotic ingredient (Fructo-oligosaccharides) and a type of vegetable polyphenol (EMIQ) to jump start your commitment to a healthy lifestyle. I can throw these in my yoga bag so that I have them for my post workout drink. I love that!

How do you get Kiwami Greens? It's a subscription box that gets delivered to your door monthly, so you don't even need to leave your home to boost your commitment to a better, healthier you. Check out their website here, and if you want 10% off your order, use code SUMMER10. 


Summer is drawing to a close and it's time for me to hunker down and re-committ myself to a healthy lifestyle. I'm jumping back on my yoga mat four times a week, preparing my own plant based meals, and getting my greens in with Kiwami Greens. Getting my rump in gear now will ensure I'm healthy heading into the holiday season and beyond.

Monday, August 14, 2017

BLOG BREAK!

Hey guys, just like I took a two week break last year to soak up the rest of summer, I'm doing so again! I know many of y'all are cramming these last few weeks of summer in with family vacations, last minute weekend getaways and getting that summer bucket list as marked off as possible. Me too! So go enjoy the weather and I'll see you back here with TONS of awesome content (and some really cool collaborations) on August 24 - just in time for those kids to go back to school.

See you Thursday, August 24! 

This is what we'll be up to! And by we, I actually mean the boys, because I hate fishing. So gross and boring.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Easy Back To School Morning Routine

Get back into the easy, stress free school morning routine with General Mills and Costco AND help raise money for your child's school!

This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Who's excited about back to school time?! While I love having my kids in preschool three days a week so that I have more time to devote to my blog and business, I am NOT a fan of how hectic mornings can be. Our school doesn't start until 9am so we don't have to wake up at a completely terrible hour, but in two years when Henry starts kindergarten, it's going to be insanely early. I'm not a morning person, so insanely early translates to insanely last minute and insanely last minute translates to hectic for this type A planner. But it doesn't *have* to be that way! I'm rounding up my best tips for calm, stress free and efficient back to school morning routines. Oh, and there's also an awesome sweepstakes for you to enter with Costco!

Have you ever heard/been annoyed by that saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail"? Yeah, well it's true. Fail might be a bit extreme, but it will result in more stress and more chaos. Like I mentioned, I'm NOT a fan of mornings, and I want things to be as seamless and smooth as possible. I'm not one for talking, especially prior to coffee, and I don't want any power struggles, last minute meltdowns (that's not just from the kids - it includes me too!) or too much going on in the mornings. The older I get, the longer it seems to take my brain to "turn on" and having all that nonsense so early in the morning just gets my day off to a bad start.

So, what can be done to improve your back to school morning routine? Here's what I do to ensure things are as easy as possible for the kids AND for me:

1) Make lunches the night before. Yes. Just do it. Before you sit on the couch, before you pour an evening glass of wine, make those lunches! If you build it into your nighttime kitchen cleaning practices, it will become habit. It's so nice to just throw those lunches into the kids backpacks in the morning! Oh, and when my kids get to first grade? They'll start to help me make their lunches and I plan on having them entirely make their lunches by second grade. Don't think that will happen? Watch me. It's how I grew up, and it's how they'll grow up too.


2)  Make sure backpacks are packed and all paperwork/homework is in place the night before. Whether it be tuition checks, field trip waivers, diapers, or other various supplies your child might need or your school requires your child to have, make sure it's all in there and ready to go the night before! Then all you'll have to do is add those lunches (that you already packed).


3) Check the weather and plan outfits the night before. This works really well with my littlest child since he's too young to care what he wears. It's slightly trickier with my oldest. I usually look at the weather so I know what I'm working with, then give him two options on what to wear. This way, he feels like he has autonomy over his wardrobe but I still have the ability to plan ahead. Win-win.


4) Make breakfast easier. I don't allow my kids to eat in my car, but they can walk about the house while they eat breakfast (it's the only meal I let them walk about for, and really it's so I can get stuff done while they eat and therefore everyone can sleep longer! #protip from a woman who likes to sleep) Ziplock bags make Cheerios on the go so easy, and I love to throw a granola bar in my purse so I can eat it on the way home after school drop off. No, I'm not that mean mom who doesn't allow the kids to eat in the car, but eats in front of her kids! That's just rude.
Speaking of breakfasts, did you know Costco has all these General Mills products stocked at affordable prices? Yeah, go stock up wholesale style and you'll have easy breakfasts for weeks! Or if your kids eat like mine do, days. The thing that's extra cool about these products is that you can simultaneously fund raise for your child's school by saving the Box Tops logo on the box. As a bonus for some back to school inspiration, Costco is hosting a sweepstakes where you could win extra box tops for your kid's school! Let me translate that for you: win money for your child's school. Here's how to enter:


How to Enter Costco Sweeps:
  • Take a photo about how Box Tops for Education inspires imagination in your kid
  • Preferred ways of entry: Instagram or Twitter
  • Can upload to microsite as well but is not the preferred way of entry
  • Follow @BTFE on Twitter or Instagram (this is how winner will be notified so must follow this handle)
  • Share and use hashtag: #InspireContest
  • Prize: 3,000 Costco members will win. Each winner will win 100 Box Tops for their school
  • Sweeps will not include/do not engage in e-box tops
Sweepstakes fine print:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 years or older. Ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 9/30/17. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize descriptions visit www.costcobtfe.com. Void where prohibited by law. Use of “#InspireContest” when posting entry constitutes entrant’s agreement to Official Rules. Sponsor: General Mills.
Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.comfor program details.
Box tops for education makes raising funds for your child's school so easy!
I hope my pointers help make your back to school morning routine a tad easier for everyone! Remember, planning ahead is the key to a successful, less stress morning. General Mills products make my life easier by providing nutritious convenience foods to eat on the go (or, to eat wandering around the house, as my kids like to do.) Costco makes them super affordable, and their sweepstakes could help you raise some cash for your child's school. How awesome is that?

Monday, August 7, 2017

Dear Moms, You CAN Do This

An encouragement letter to moms during the final weeks of summer break


Dear mom, 

You're tense. You're tired. You've cleaned up the kitchen for the fifth (sixth? tenth?) time today. You've been asked the same questions all day, and have asked your children to do the same things all day. "Mom, I'm hungry, what are you making to eat?" "Sweetheart, please, please please go make your bed!"

Feel like your kids are going to drown you this summer, mamas? 

You're going on month three of this. Your right eye is twitching and your shoulders are tense. You're not getting nearly as much done around the house as you'd like, and all your side projects are on hold. If you work part time, your work has suffered. Your "side hustle" has come to all but a grinding halt.

Back in June, you had grand plans for the summer. You even prepared a bucket list of ideas so that nobody could get bored or complacent. At first the community pool or splash pad was a luxury. Driving out to a berry farm was an adventure. But all that June glory has given way to the August heat. Heat that's full of boredom, whines, questions, and perhaps most importantly of all, a complete lack of time for yourself and YOUR interests.

Oh mama, I want you to know I KNOW. I know. It's not just you. You're not a bad mom because you're counting down the seconds until your children go back to school. You're not a bad mom because while June made the community pool seem so fresh and refreshing, it now smells bad and grosses you out. You're not a bad mom because driving to the berry farm seems like a waste of gas money, and after all, it's so dang hot to be outside, picking berries and being attacked by bugs.

You're not a bad mom because the bucket list got pushed by the wayside. What was planned to be a grand time has given way to running through the sprinkler, playing with the same old toys, heck - maybe even a movie at 2pm in the afternoon, because a few extra hours of screen time today won't kill anyone, right?

My summer has devolved to the kids eating bubbles and screaming, too. But we CAN do this!

Dear mom, you CAN do this! You can make it to fall. You can weather another day of nonstop questions and obnoxious requests. Your side hustle, your work, your personal interests WILL all bounce back again this fall. Your brain will return to normal and it will get used again! Odds are you'll even miss those kiddos as they disappear off to school. And I bet you by December, you'll be longing for these slow summer days again.

You can do it mamas. There's not much summer left now. The finish line is in sight. You're not a bad mom or a failure if you didn't do anything particularly special this summer, or if you threw out all romantic ideas of summer break back in July. You're a hero to your kids. You're a hero to your spouse. Dear moms, you CAN do this!

Love, 
Paige aka another SAHM with a suffering side hustle 

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Thursday Confessions

Deep, possibly dark, usually embarrassing thoughts


I know I wrote a "Currently" post last week and now I'm changing up Wednesday Confessions to a Thursday, but here's the truth: I have a few sponsored posts in draft form that I thought would get approved but haven't yet. So I can't publish those. We're headed on vacation in one week and the boys are off from school, so developing "real" blogger content has been, ummmmmmm, challenging. Have you ever tried to stage a photo shoot with toddlers around? Either they tear into it, ask you what you're doing seven million effing times, or start fighting/tearing up the house. It's impossible. So, I'm getting personal with you with some of my (possibly snarky) confessions today so that I don't have to do any photo shoots/editing. 

I confess that:

I have a BIG "influencer" crush. Hasan Piker is a political reporter and super leftist, but is tall, dark,  handsome, seven years younger than me and loves the f-bomb as much as I do. True love? Yeah, probably not, but his Instagram stories make me laugh and I love all his videos on Facebook. Crushin' that cradle rob so hard right now.

Oh, hai Hasan. Image source

I'm absolutely DREADING flying with two toddlers this month. Henry will have his own seat but Otto will be a lap baby. He's squirmy and HATES being confined, so this 2.5 hour flight will be a freaking delight for us and everyone around us. It's right about the time he takes his nap, so he'll either be kind to us and sleep or a complete terror and not sleep until we get in the car, which will then throw off bedtime and be a nice 15 hour day from hell. I'm betting he's a complete terror. For those of you who have well behaved children on flights, good for you. Every time we fly with our kids, I say NEVER AGAIN. Yet here we are, about to fly... Shoot me. 

Look at these faces! Flying with these two will just be a TREAT.

I've actually eaten enough tacos this summer to get "taco'd out." Yeah, I don't know how that happened, but it did. I need a solid week or two off from taco consumption, so it's a good thing we're headed to the land of Worst Mexican Food Ever, aka the Upper Midwest. 

I've forgotten what it's like to step outside and NOT get donkey-kicked in the face with heat, so I'm pretty excited to regain some memories of pleasant summers in Minnesota. Oh, and see water that is actually clear, and not a radioactive green like the "lakes" (all man made reservoirs) here in Dallas.

I'm already designing my custom planner for 2018. What's that, you say? We still have half of 2017 left? Whatevs, there's no time like the present, or so they say. Whoever the hell "they" are.

I'm reading Little Big Lies, and the book is better than the HBO series, if you watched that. I always tend to do things backwards, and watch the movie/series first, then read the book if I loved the movie. If you were into the series, get the book and read it! If you read the book, watch the series! 

I'm getting a little tired of Game Of Thrones. There's one more season after this and I think it's time they called it a day. Don't get me wrong, it's still great... I'm just a little "dragon and warfare and magic saturated" right now. SciFi has never really been my thang. And when it goes mainstream, it kinda loses it's appeal, amirite? I dunno, I watch it and I'm just like put the Mother of Dragons on the throne already and be done with it! How many more raunchy sex scenes and fake blood squirts do I need to watch here, dang. 

Y'all, I DIED at this meme

That's what has been lingering in the dark corners of my mind lately! Sorry I don't have a bunch of beautiful pics for you to check out. Don't worry, I'll have tons after our trip to the scenic lake lands of Minnesota. I was planning a blog break for that time, but inevitably that's when I'll get approval for these sponsored posts, so I'll be around. I'll certainly be around on my Instagram and IG stories (checking out Mr. Piker, duh, and likely posting stupid rants after a few glasses of wine, oops.)