#Chocolate Treats Melt #Flowers #ChocolateChips #HarvestCrunch #Granola #Cereal #MiniMarshmallows #ChocolateChipCookies #Kids #Parents

Get the Best Price on the Flowers, Chocolates and/or Gifts you want, for #ValentinesDay! : ) #affiliate : ) Thank you for shopping through me - I get a wee something from the company, but it doesn't affect your price, at all - no worries!

Make Your Own Chocolates! It's fun to buy delicious chocolates, of course, and sometimes it's fabulous to know how to make your very own chocolates, too! #DIY, Baby!



Does "Love Shopping!"  mean Shopping for Love? I think maybe it do! lol! ; )
Make Someone's Day Great, or get a wee treat for yourself ! 

#TreatYourself! lol! : )


Yum, Purdy's! For all my lovely Canadian Chocolate Lovers!

Yum, Ghirardelli Chocolates! My favorite!! So good! : )

Buy 1 Get 1 50% off 100 ct. Ghirardelli Mini Chocolates Gift Bags with code 100MINIS.
Save 10% on orders $50 or more at Ghirardelli.com with code SAVE10.
Save 15% on orders $75 or more at Ghirardelli.com with code SAVE15.
Save 20% on orders $100 or more at Ghirardelli.com with code SAVE20.

Super easy little Chocolate Nests - Perfect for Easter! 

Lol! Looks like I was so excited about our new way to make cookies - now I make the cookies soo teensy tiny, the size of a quarter...anyway, scroll down a little, you'll find the easy directions to make these cute little Chocolate Nests! Yum!!

Yum! We looove Ghirardelli Chocolates - so delicious! Chocolate Bunnies! And Chocolate CARAMEL Bunnies - ah', Yes, Please!! : )   Shop Spring at Ghirardelli.com!

Save 10% on Bulk Candy purchases at Ghirardelli.com with code BULK10.


#Chocolate Treats What to Do With All Your Leftover Chocolate! lol! Or ANY chocolate, melted - #ChocolateChips! : )

Okay, we juuust took some deeelishush Chocolate Chip Cookies out the oven, so I'm jus' gonna add them to this page, since it's yet another thing to do with Chocolate Chips, and maybe you'll want to try this, the next time you make chocolate chip cookies, or any kind of cookie, really - it's a simple little trick, the kids will love it, and so will you! Yum! 

One, I always just use a knife to mix the dough, now - wish I'd thought of THAT, years ago - soo much faster and easier than the wooden spoon - who knew? Now we both do - lol!

So, (two? haha!), I just rolled the cookie dough, that I had to knead very quickly and easily into a ball, anyway, otherwise, I was jus' gonna 'pour' the cookie dough right onto the parchment paper, cook it in one giant piece, like a cake, sort of, right? Then score it into 1" squares, but then the dough didn't look like what I thought it was gonna look like, when I started out....

It's always good to be adaptable, in the kitchen - and then in the rest of your life, too - who knows what amazing new thing you'll think up next! (Me know you iz very smart!: )

So, I already make little rolls - snakes, like plasticine snakes you made as a child - with my Shortbread Cookies, but I've never done that with Chocolate Chip Cookies, but now I'm thrilled that I did, and very excited at how super-cute they turned out - so little - just right! 

However you would normally make a 'snake' for your cookie dough, make it waaay thinner - maybe an inch, around... you're gonna love it, and it's gonna make soo many more cookies - we ended up with 5 rounds, 3 are in the fridge for another day, and that plate of cookies (minus the ones we've already eaten, right away - haha!), that's on a giant plate, not a little plate - that's just 2 of the rounds - that's ah'mazing, right? Yay! Tons o' teensy tiny cookies! 

And, of course, smaller cookie, less calories... but, really, I don't count calories, I would rather Count Sips of Water... and I hope you try that, to - I'm all full o' good ideas! And Good Cookies! haha! 

Okay, on with the show... What else to do with your Chocolate Chips - which I buy when they're on sale : )

 Okay, this is my latest in my new Melted Chocolate Chip 'creations' - and I looove it! Soo delicious, sooo easy to make - if you can stir, and melt stuff in the microwave, you can make it! lol!

So, melt a package of Chocolate Chips in the microwave, about 2 minutes outta do it... 

It'll stir up so prettily - looks lovely, already! 

You can use this melted chocolate as a frosting, if you like, or to drizzle over, cake, say... or over a Cheesecake... or Cheesecake Mousse - yum! 

But I love to just stir some cereal into the melted Chocolate Chips - fast, easy, stretches out your chocolate, gives you a lovely treat with some health features (the cereal - lol!)

  Omg, it's soo good! Pop it in the fridge, let it col - I cut it into 1 inch squares, but, then, I just take out a little marshmallow bit, when I go to have a wee bite... so, the next time I make this, I'll use a GIANT bag of mini-marshmallows, since that's the part that I love the most, it turns out - and I only put the mini-marshmallows in, because I happened to have soo many of them in the house, thought, well, it's worth a try - and that's how most of my favorite  recipes are born (and two children? hahahaha! Well... sorta'! haha!) 

 AND, the next time around, I'll definitely use the biggest bowl I have, since it was a little tricky adding this amount of the mini-marshmallows - the next time, I really DO plan to add in a zillion of them (might be a slight exaggeration - as in quite a few o' mah' wee stories - bah'hahaha!)

 Okay, so I happened to have these extra bags of mini-marshmallows - mah' lucky day, since I looove the mini-marshmallows covered in the chocolate -covered Harvest Crunch Granola Cereal - yum! 

 I always use Parchment Paper - Parchment Paper used to be so hard to come by, and a stooopid price, but now you can just pick it up at your local Dollar store - or if it's a good price at the regular store... but you'll hardly have any clean-up, and is so easy to use - and great for baking, too - just lift the Parchment Paper right out of the pan - and seems like nothing ever burns on the Parchment Paper, too? Don't hold me to that, jus' a little theory - lol! 

And if there's any chance you haven't tried cooking, say, Butterflied Shrimp, the one that's prepared and frozen, on the Parchment Paper, you're in for a treat - is just as if you'd deep-fried it, but you've really cooked it in the oven - soo much healthier for you, and super-delicious! 

I'm all about the Healthy and Delicious! It doesn't have to be one or the other, it can and should be both, right? We gots'ta enjoy our healthy choices! 

  So, all very involved - you just need to open, melt, stir - haha! 

Make sure you stir the Harvest Crunch Granola Cereal in first, make sure it's cool enough before you add the mini-marshmallows, or they'll melt  (or whatever is your own favorite - I happen to looove the Harvest Crunch, I add a handful of Oatmeal, mix that with mah' fingees, is one of my favorite meals with milk - yum! Fills you up, keeps you going, and you KNOW how much I love Oatmeal! Little Miracle food that it is! : )

  Oh, and if the marshmallows did happen to melt, that would be okay, too, now you just have very fancy, very chocolatey Rice Krispie Squares, but with different cereal - yum! Hey, maybe we should try this with Rice Krispies, too - but, frankly, we loove our Rice Krispie Squares the traditional way, they're amazing just the way they are - but, you know, we're always open to new ideas! lol! : )

YUM! It's INSANE - you'll go mad for how delicious this is - and you could easily make this like I would make 'Church Windows', where you use the multi-colored mini-marshmallows, I used to make them with Chocolate, melted, Walnuts, maybe Graham Crumbs? Can't quite remember, has been a while since I've made the Church Windows, but you get out some plastic wrap, make a 'log' out of the marshmallow chocolate mix - i would either crush the Granola, or just leave it as it is, but would cut easier, and more neatly, i think, if whatever you've mixed in isn't all lumpy... stand to reason - lol!)

Anyway, you make that into a log, wrap the whole thing up, make a bunch of them, pop the chocolate logs into the fridge, slice down - when you slice them, they'll look like little stained glass 'church windows' - so cute! and super-yummy! 

So, here's the next plan of action - We're thinking (this 'we' is me an' mah' wonderful, hilarious son - he likes to be involved in the creative and eating processes - haha!  But I do think it's fantastic to teach your children how to cook healthy food, for themselves, when they are older, and for their families-to-be - and friends, and whatnot!) 

We're thinking, crush the Harvest Crunch Granola, mix in the melted chocolate chips - press into the pan - with parchment paper, for super easy cutting and cleaning...

Full layer of marshmallows, then my addition is to cut up some caramels (literally, just use your kitchen scissors - or, you, know, if you feel like using a knife - lol!), toss the caramels on top of the marshmallows...

Bake a little bit - maybe 10 - 15 minutes, let set, but pour chocolate chips on top, sprinkle them on the top, they'll melt very quickly, then spread the melted chocolate chips with a knife... 

Let that cool and then score into 1" squares - now, doesn't that sound amazing? We gotta try it! That'll be our next batch - will post pics when we try it, but isf you try it, send me your pics, we'll get them all posted on here, for us all to see! 

Does Food, Glorious food, come to mind? lol! Yum! 


Okay, now that Easter has passed, I just make this lovely and super-easy Chocolate and Cereal Treat, any time I feel like I really DO want some chocolate,but I also want it to be pretty healthy... soo, that's how I justify it in mah' own mind! hahaha! Use any justification you want, as long as it leads you right back to some delicious chocolate! lol! 

Took about 3 minutes to melt the chocolate chips in the microwave - chocolate bars - like the Giant Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar I used after Christmas - yum! That was delish! 

Anyway, seems to take the chocolate chips a bit longer to melt in the microwave,and this time, I tossed in a little butter - just a little, but you can put in as much as you like - it's fun to experiment in the kitchen, find new treats lovely new things for yourself and your lovely family : )

Just use a soup spoon, seems to be the easiest to mix the cereal into the chocolate, with... fast and easy - they should be mah' middle names! haha! (That's an old joke, too, but me sure you iz already thinkin' of it! hahaha!)

And, as you have prolly guessed, I looove Raisin Bran - is healthy, is delicious with chocolate (or just milk - haha!), but you can use any cereal you like, or happen to have around the house, and you can fancy it up with nuts - walnuts or pecans, whatever you happen to have on hand... 

And I put the whole thing onto parchment paper - soo easy! 

It'll break in your hands when you pick it up - or keep it as one giant piece, use it as a cake - lo! ah would make me laugh! 

I just slide my hand under it, crack it into bits and pieces - is so deelish! You'll love it! : )

AND, you could use this melted chocolate to spread on a cheesecake, that's always lovely, especially an Orange cheesecake, that's delicious, a very nice flavor combination... or Add Icing Sugar, Some Cream or Milk, Butter, whip that up, will be a gorgeous Chocolate Icing : ) 

See, I'm all full o' da ideas! lol! Enjoy!! Just in General, Enjoy Your Life!! : )

I just tossed in a whole bag of Chocolate Chips - I usually just grab the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, but I think I'll try the Milk chocolate Chocolate Chips, the next time we make this - and it takes about, oooh, 5 minutes to make, including the microwave time to melt the chocolate - haha! My point is, couldn't possibly be any easier, you'll love it, the kids will love it - the kids can MAKE it! So easy! 

Look how cute! Me yuv! Little Individual Birds Nests with Pastel Chocolate 'Eggs'! 

 So this time I used about 3/4 of a bag of Chocolate Chips - was very surprised that it took so much longer to melt the chocolate chips in the microwave - I put them in a minute at a time, and it took 2 minutes, I think... just take the bowl out periodically, see if it'll stir easily.. and go ahead and start stirring before the chocolate chips look like they're melted - they'll stir down to a really nice, smooth chocolate, and the last chocolate chips will melt with the heat there, already.

You can melt chocolate on the stove, too, in a double burner, but hardly anyone goes to that much work, any more, do they? But you can, if you want to - lol! 

Then just add as much cereal as you can - you just stir in a bit at a time, keep stirring until you've got a nice mix, all the cereal is covered in chocolate - yum! 

Place about a spoon of the chocolate cereal into each Cupcake Holder, then put the M'nM Pastel Easter 'Eggs' - I tried to find the Cadbury Eggs, but they were all sold out - but any pastel colored 'eggs' will be cute - or jelly beans, anything at all : ) #SoCute!

See how much it makes? I put the rest in the regular pan on some parchment paper - then you just pop them in the fridge for them to set, and we just break the chocolate cereal in pieces - so you can have a little bit, any time you like : ) #Yum! 
Raisin Bran Chocolate Treats #Yum!

 Yum, this is seriously deelish, and sooo easy, you'll laugh...

Shop Easter Eggs at See's Candies! Hurry, These Seasonal Favorites Go Fast!

Shop the NEW Garden Party Keepsake Tin at See's Candies! Ooh, that sounds so pretty, a Garden Party Keepsake Tin - love it! : )

  We got a LOT o' Chocolate for Christmas, and there does come a point where you say to yourself, hmmm, what else can we do with all this chocolate? Other than eat it with bananas, which, well, me do love to do - hahaha! I'll go get you a pic! 

 Well, this was my obsession for a little while, there - I'm over it, now, but for a while there, I just loooved a bite of banana with a little tiny bite of chocolate, preferably a little tiny bite of the Jersey Milk Bar... and then a bite of apple, and a bite of the Apple Chewy Granola Bar... man.... that was tasty, but now I'm back to just the fruit, please, and nothing but da fruit - lol! 

So here's all you need - whatever chocolate you have around the house - chocolate chips, chocolates from a lovely box of chocolates - you can melt all that stuff, is super-easy, just pop it in the microwave for about a minute, or so, until you can easily stir it so it's smooth...

Anyway, you can see we had a massive amount of DairyMilk chocolate - we got 2 of those giant chocolate bars - soo much fun to get - yahoo!! Until we got to the point where I thought, okay, how can we health this up a little? lol! That was a LOT o' da chocolateh! haha!

So there's the chocolate, all melted - maybe 60 seconds in the microwave - they used to say you had to melt chocolate on the stove, in a double-boiler, but that's so old-fashioned, and unnecessary - I just like things that are straight-forward and normal, and accept that times they have a'changed, and we all need to move forward with the march of time... you know the deal, I hate when people refuse to change something to make it easier or better... me no gots time for dat! haha!

So, put whatever chocolate you have, in a microwavable bowl, just stand there and keep an eye on it - if it's been in the fridge, you'll have to put it in a bit longer, but you know the drill, just add 30 seconds, check it when you feel like you should have a wee look, see how melty your chocolate is, see if you can stir it easily...

And I used a metal soup spoon - that is easier to work with, the chocolate doesn't stick to the spoon, like it would with a wooden spoon...plus, chances are super-high that you have a soup spoon - lol!

 Here's the Raisin Bran info - see all that good stuff? Now you've added some healthy stuff to your lovely chocolate Treats! Whammo, Healthy Treats! hahaha! #HealthyTreats

Oh, and I used about 6 cups of Raisin Bran, but you pour it in a bit at a time, so I would go with about 2 or 3 cups of cereal, mix it, add more cereal, as you like it, so it's all evenly coated with chocolate - and it depends on how much chocolate you have - you'll know... : )

And for this batch, I used 2 bars of 8 squares, but I first figured out the recipe when I had 4 squares left over from when I was having my Dairy Milk with a banana - hahaha! I didn't want to waste the last 4 wee squares - lol! 

So you can make a small batch of the chocolate covered cereal, no bother - just melt whatever chocolate you have, pour in some cereal, mix it up really nicely, Bah'Dow! Now you've got a much bigger treat, and it's healthier, too! : ) 

Then it's just a matter of pouring in the cereal - I love the chocolate with the Raisin Bran, because chocolate covered raisins are deeelish, but you can use any cereal - in fact, if you happen to have the darker chocolate, the 72% Cacao bars, sometimes they're just too bitter to have fun eating (I wasted mine, last year, and wish I'd thought of doing this, way back then, darn it! lol!) (AND, they were all the large Godiva Chocolate Bars, waaaah! What me thinking? How did I forget all about the GODIVA chocolate bars?? haha!)

So, then (how long is this story?? haha!), just gently mix in the cereal to the melted chocolate, so it's very lightly coated with chocolate, and then add some more cereal, so you've got a nice big bowl of chocolate covered cereal - yum!

 See how I have some Parchment Paper in the pan? I loove me some Parchment Paper, it makes all baking soo easy - and is great for baked foods, like, say, mah' fave Butterfly shrimp, that you bake in the oven, taste like they're fried.. much better for you... 

 Anyway, you just pour the chocolate covered cereal into a pan, kind of flatten it out, gently, so the cereal doesn't get crushed,and pop that in the fridge, break apart with your hands, and then you've got a massive amount of chocolate treats for you and your family, or friends, or sweetie... IF you feel like sharing it - haha! Is really good!

 

So you've basically taken a chocolate bar, or 2 (ish), and made it into a giant 9" X13" pan of chocolate treats - what a great idea, right?  Is brilliant! And soo Yum!

Save Everyday with gifts from Lindt ChocolateShop Valentine's Day Gifts at See's Candies!Build a Custom Box at See's Candies!Valentine's Day Sale! Save 20% off on ALL orders only at 1800flowers.ca! Use promo code VDAY20 at checkout (Valid 1/25 @ 12:01am EST - 2/14 @ 11:59pm EST)

Yep, That's Right, My Christmas Tree Is Still Up, And Here's Why : ) #Uber #FreeThinkers #WendyWilliams #Sparkle!

Yep, That's Right, My Christmas Tree Is Still Up, And Here's Why 
: )

Now it's my Flower Tree, and I LOOVE it!

Here's a better pic I just took, when I walked back through to the living room - and it's still dark enough, even during the day, but especially in the morning when we get up, and in the evening, when it gets so dark, so early, right, so why not have more light in the house?

I love flowers! And lots of lights! So pretty! : )










Uber APAC - Australia Text Link And that link is for my Australian Friends! lol!
Uber APAC - Hong Kong Text Link And then all my pals in Hong Kong!
I think you can pop in from wherever you live in the world, to find out more about being an Uber Driver : )

Everyone speaks the Language of Money! lol! Uber is a great way to earn some extra money, or earn a good living, all around the globe - still waiting for them to clear Uber in a lot o' paces, though... bleah! Come on, Everywhere, move into the future (need a ride? haha!)

You Know Who I Love? Non-Traditionalists. Any Kind. #Uber #FreeThinkers #Futurists #OpenMindedPeople #Sparkle!

Well, this Uber ad made me laugh, because I went in to grab a few good ads for my page I am writing in my head (and now in real life - lol!)(here, on mah' blog! lol!), because I am mad at the pressure I am about to get to take my Christmas Tree Down, even though I always transition my Christmas Tree to a Flower Tree, at this time of year - I will go gets da pics o' mah' "Flower Tree", right now - be right back! lol!

But this Uber ad made me laugh, because, really, it's a "Give Yourself the Gift of Uber", and what is Uber but a service that frees yourself to start using your own car to make you some money, help to make ends meet, or provide a full income for you (A Good Thing, right?), and Uber frees you from the old fashioned ideas of how you ca get from Point A to Point B... and maybe how to get more cuddles in you life - (whoever is or was at Poiint A or Point B - hahaha - you know dat a'make'a me laughs! hahaha!) - AND, of course, Uber has UberKITTENS and UberPUPPIES - but no UberSnakes - you gotta get a plane for that (buh'dum-bum!) Ha! No, that silly! haha!


See how dark it is in the morning? It's too dark! That's one of the many reasons I want to keep my Christmas Tree, magically transformed into a Flower and Butterfly Tree - up as long as I like - I'll be the one to decide when it comes down - me. I makes all mah' own life decisions - lol!

Whaddya mean, these are terrible pictures? Hahaha! Dat otay - me knows! lol! But you get the idea - my camera goes all wonky when there are lights involved!

Oh, and those are my favorite little Crystal Trees that I make - I love them so much - they're pretty, and I love to make them - it would be THE coolest thing to be commissioned to make one of my beautiful Crystal Trees with Gold Wire and Real Gems - oooh, that would be so gorgeous!

And I have a fake tree - an artificial tree, a faux-tree, if you will - lol! But that's how I have no time-line - the real trees only last so long, then you can get them mulched, or give them to a petting zoo for the goats - apparently, goats looove the old Christmas Trees - who knew? lol!

Okay, here we are - my Christmas Tree transformed into my favorite new Flower Tree - so what, who cahes', right? Well, you might be surprised how many people - or, specific people, REALLY care, like what I do in MY home has ANYTHING to do with what they do in their home...

And that's where we get my, errr, intense dislike, sometimes hatred, but mostly annoyance, for an intense Traditionalist.

They're annoying. They're gonna come into my house, and say something mean about everything in my house, I just know it. Too many sparkles, for one. (And, for the record, I think of myself as maybe some sort of giant Sparkle - bah'hahahaha!)

No, but, for real, I do love to sparkle - emotionally, intellectually, physically - are there any other ways? Anyway, I love to sparkle, and I love other people who sparkle, too, or are open to the sparkles.

Here's what me no likes - people who want to shut down the sparkles. Now why do they want to do that? Hmmm? How does it affect their lives? They're angry that you're happy? They're mad that you get to live your own life as you see fit, and be as sparkly as you a'wanna be?

I say, Be a Sparkle! Do it, Girl! Or Guy! You know I'm talkin' to you! lol! Be Free!

You can be a girl, you can be a boy, you can be a little of either or both, sometimes and then not other times - you be you, me be me - isn't that just an easier way to be? (Oh, just had a little wave of sadness for the loss of our beloved David Bowie, who really encompassed living his own life, who led the way and opened the doors for freedom for everyone... seems like a very reasonable door to open, right?) (Human Rights for Everyone - think Macklemore- just wanna pop that in there! A li'l #LGBTQ Love, fo' sho! Love and Freedom for everyone, baby! lol!)
 What if you want to check out people in a better place - bah'hahahahaha! 'Cause you gotta get out of this place? hahaha! Otay, me jus' entertaining mah'self, right now - haha! (Me still laughing! hahaha!)

Haha! That make'a me laughs! I'm all about the Freedom. Freedom to choose whatever you want - and, of course, that means the freedom to be a Traditionalist, too, but that does not extend to any one person being able to say to any other person, You don't get to do that, because of my TRADITION. That's where I have a problemo... if someone else loooves their traditions, so be it, tradition away, by all means, but when I either adapt your/our traditions so they fit my own life, don't get all bent outta shape... what difference does it make? I think it makes it better, soooo.... hm.

Wow, that a lot to come out of, I don't want to take my Tree down until I feel like it - it's too dark in the morning - it's still pitch black out, when I get up, and it makes it much nicer and easier, to have a lot of pretty twinkles around me, all day, all night, if that's what I want. Maybe January and February would be easier months if we would stop thinking in terms of the Traditionalist, who want that Christmas Tree down, asap, right after Christmas.

Frankly, I don't think the heavily lit tree has as much to do with Christmas as it does from quelling a human need for more light during what are, literally and figuratively, the darkest days of the year' - especially in the North - we need the light! More lights! lol! More Sparkly Lights! (Yay!!?)

Anyway, there's my little "pop-off" for the day - lol!

And I do like lots of Traditions, I just like to be more flexible with them, adapt them to my own life, and want everyone else to be able to have their own traditions - we should all just be free to be whoever we want to be - in a nice way, o' course! lol!


I love that Uber is coming to more and more towns and cities... I don't really get what the whole thing is where Taxi Drivers have to have a medallion from the city, or something? It sounds like it costs the cab drivers a lot of money, so, what, the city is the one who really gets the money, and not the cab drivers? I'm not clear on that... I would want to make sure cab drivers don't lose any money,either...

But what I AM clear on, is, we need to be able to move into the future, embrace new idea and business models - if it works so much better than the old model, or can easily work in conjunction with the old model, then, great - let's do it, let more people have access to an easy way to make money, when it's harder and harder to make ends meet, or even get a job - a traditional job - these days...it's frustrating for a lot of people, so anything that gives people an opportunity, without a mile of red tape, that's a Great Thing, right?

Options, baby, it's all about the possibilities! lol! I want you to have the BEST life, ever, any way you likes! : )

Big Internet Hugs for You!! Ailsa : ) 

Look how pretty! Now why would I take this down, when I clearly love it so much - day and night - lol! 

Whatevs, I hate being #SociallyCompliant - For what? Approval? 

I don't have that person's approval on any other aspect of my life, why should I have to worry about my pretty little Flower Tree, too? No. Forget it - it's my Flower Tree, and I'll leave it up as long as I want to - lol! 

Now who's a little #SocialDeviant, today? hahahaha! HAPPY little Social Deviant, and that's what makes it okay! : ) 

In case you're looking for a new job, or A job - Beyond.com is a great resource for you! : )

Free Job Seeker Tools from Beyond.com - Register TodayFind a New Job with the Beyond.com Career Network - Click here to start now!

Okay, I took the Tree down - lol! Spring Cleaning, Baby! And the place really does look nice and spacious, now - is always funny, when you first take your tree down, the space looks gigantic, you can't believe how much space you had! haha! 

Hm, that IS a lot clearer and tidier... will have to balance that idea alongside my great love of lights, color, and sparkle, baby! lol! ; )

Can you see the Love Hearts hanging from the bottom of my Christmas Tree? I was just sitting in my favorite spot on the settee (couch - lol!), and it dawned on me, is like Love dripping from our Christmas Tree - like that? haha! Made me laugh, enough to go take teh pic! lol!)

  Oooh, I'm looving the gorgeous HSN Dress Wendy Williams is wearing, today - and every day! lol! I loove me some Wendy Williams, and I loove, her dresses!

Wendy Williams has an amazing HSN Collection! Yay!! : )

 Sooo pretty!! And the dress is nice, too - haha! These dress styles are very flattering on everyone who loves a great dress! : )

And I watch The Wendy Williams Show on KCPQ - I'm in Victoria, BC, Canada, but I think KCPQ is out of Seattle - I'll go check that out! lol! (Yep - just checked it - KCPQ is out of Seattle : )

#SevenYearSwitch is Back! #Relationships The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman #MakeYourRelationshipsWork : ) #HarvilleHendrix #Wine Might Help!

The 5 Love Languages - find out what YOUR Love Languages are, and Find out what your Spouse, significant other, family members, children (dog? Is it Treats? haha!), neighbors, co-workers, employees, contractors (is it money? time? hahaha!) - find out what other people might need from you, in order to feel loved, appreciated, secure, happy... all that good stuff! Make your relationships work : ) 

HIGHLY Entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons? lol! You'll laugh and laugh and laugh, and maybe pick up a li'l something, here and there, too, help you with all your relationships - and might give you some insight into some old relationships, too... overall, though, I laughed soo hard, all the way through this book, The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman. I think it could be rebranded: Unintentionally Funny!

Add some wine, see if that will help - well, it'll help one of you - and hopefully both! lol! ; )
Save $120 on 12 World Class Wines for $69.99, Plus Free Corkscrew Set!
Okay, sooo, normally, I would never write about a book that I disagreed with so vehemently, but, however, The 5 Love Languages made me laugh more than almost any other book, was sooo a'crazy.... I just said to my son (who is wonderful), you know, I think I WILL write about The 5 Love Languages, because what other book has made me laugh as much as Dave Barry books? Not very many ... well, okay, lots and lots of hilarious books, but, you know, I'm makin' a point, here - lol!

  Oh, man, I feel soo guilty, saying something baddie about any book, especially a book that prolly helps a lot of people, if you are maybe ultra-conservative, and it was still 2009, and, frankly, after reading this book, Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages, I was shocked - soo shocked - to see that Oprah had Dr. Gary Chapman (now he's a doctah') on her fabulous show, SuperSoul Sunday, which I love... so, clearly, Dr. Gary Chapman must have adapted his ideas since this book was written - or, I would hope so - I haven't seen that episode of SuperSoul Sunday, yet... I was busy reading Gary Chapman's book, The 5 Love Languages, which, for the record, me could not put down ... and I laughed my way right through the book...

Okay, so, first of all, one of THE most entertaining parts of the book were all the markings some loonie had written in the book - and this is a LIBRARY Book - now, who does that? Actively sits with a pencil, reading a LIBRARY book, la la, Oh, this is ME, fo' sho'!! hahaha! And then writes it right in there? It's a LIBRARY book - or, liberry, if you love books, AND liberry pie... haha! An old joke, but a goodie!

That, "This is me" really broke me up - hilarious! and it was after the WORST page, all sorts o' crazy stuffs... hahahaha! Omg, I laughed so hard, reading this book - absolutely, without a doubt, this book is accidentally hilarious.... provided you think the same way as me do - hahaha! (Uh, that Singles are NOT Lepers, and those words should not be easily interchangeable... in any context - bah'hahahahahaha!) (And to be SUPER-clear, in no way does the author say that, I just THOUGHT that, and it made me laugh! lol!)

Now, this particular edition of Gary Chapman's The 5 Love Languages, Singles Edition, is written just for Singles... the lowliest of all the lowly people to roam the earth (so, that's me... and, I have to tell you, I'm super-happy being "A Single", because being "A Married" was not fun, the vast majority of the time... and, frankly, as well as Shirley, (an old Far Side 'yoke for you, there - haha!), I loove to be Free to Be Me! It's fun - it's relaxing - it's super-easy...

And, I don't want to alarm you, but I'm also a PARENT. No, no, don't start sobbing for my existence just yet - as a SINGLE PARENT, which Gary Chapman refers to like Single Parents are THE most unfortunate people, ever, and how do they even look at themselves in the mirror? With Love, that's how I look at myself in the mirror, and I'm hoping everyone, even Single Parents, can look at themselves, straight up, in the mirror, and say, with complete and utter happiness and truth, I Love You, to themselves. (A little Louise Hay for you, there, too! lol!)

There was a whole section just for Single Parents, like we're a breed, where the kid, a boy, throws a football IN THE HOUSE (so this is a charming boy, but we don't know how old he is, just yet - maybe he's 8, or 10, say...)...

So the boy throws the football in the house, breaks something. Enter the SINGLE PARENT. We don't know if it's a SINGLE MOTHER (the saddest of all the Single Parents), or a SINGLE FATHER...

So the Single Parent enters the room, sees the damage, and says, (I'm paraphrasing, for extra fun...lol!)

"Oh, honey, you are almost always good, and I appreciate that about you"

(Read: the kid is a bad-ass, we all hate the kid) (hahaha!)

"You are gonna have to pay for that damage out of your allowance, Mister"

(Again, this is me paraphrasing, for waaay more fun - hahaha!)  (And the kid will pay for the damage that HE has caused, out of the ALLOWANCE that this PARENT, nay, SINGLE PARENT, is going to give him - see any problems, there?? hahahaha!Omg, this was so funny, and I, of course, was reading this out loud to my 16 year old son, and we were both laughing so hard, was the bestest day, ever...)

Conversely, this Single Parent, and now I will have to quote accurately, because I could not make this up (nod to Dave Barry! haha!),

"You know you are not supposed to throw the football in the house" (so, this has happened before, perhaps daily, maybe hourly, or more...this is a truly horrible, fictional, child - haha!)

"Now look at what you've done. You've broken a glass. You know the results of this. Go put the football in the trunk of the car, and your allowance this week will have to go to buying the glass. " And then you walk out of the room.

Your child will likely put the ball into the trunk of the car while saying to himself, I try to obey the rules. I mess up one time and she comes in screaming at me.

A child rebels not against the discipline but against the manner in which the discipline is rendered. The child will feel rejected rather than loved.

Okay, let's just have a wee look at that whole interaction, and ALL the fancy information in this little tidbit of advice, specifically and directly for SINGLE Mothers... first, how the hell old is this 'child' - clearly, old enough to go to the car, open the trunk, put the offending football in it, and close the trunk, come back in the house... so, maybe he's driving, too? hahahaha! Otay, dat make'a me laughs, right there! We are NOT dealing with an 8 year old boy, but an active teenager, probably over 16... haha!

Oh my goodness, I just can't even (my favorite bad carpenter joke - haha!) ...

How WASPY is this story? Do you picture the Single Mother with a Gin and Tonic in her hand, saying that crap to the boy? hahaha! Omg, so funny! I could not stop laughing...

There was soo much, right through the entire book, so crazy, so offensive that it was funny to read out loud - I had to keep running through to my son's room, hey, listen to this, or I would arrive at his room, stand there laughing, clasping the book, hah, listen to THIS! haha... or I would shout through to him, from my reading spot on the couch (settee...), "Can you hear me? I wait for the "Yes : )", then read all the bits I think are soo crazy, so out-there, that I just cannot stop laughing... it's all in the interpretation, right?

Can you see this picture? The person who read this before me, with indeterminate male or female writing - ooh, I hope it was a fancy male writer, but who's to say? At first, I thought, now, what da hell? Who on earth would write in a library book, like it was their own personal journal? And then, mid-way through the book, I loooved the little notations, the underlinings, if you will, - was hilarious - and always, always, at the very worst parts...

And then, by the end, I was soo disappointed when I had to squint to try to figure out what the Crazy Person had jotted down, thoughts for later, maybe? haha! Little ideas for future relationships? Me tinkin' dat prolly not happening, for this particular jotter downer.. this little loonie! haha!

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot this part - good thing I took some pics of it, as I was going through, and could not believe what I was reading - and this is from 2009 - this is not an ancient text.... the man as Godly, and the woman as a gold digger? hahahahahahaha! Ah, personal, much? O' course, dat make'a me laughs, too... it all made me laugh... unintentionally... this was written as a very serious study on The 5 Love Languages... let me see if I can remember them...

Gifts (hilarious!), You better give this person lots o' gifts, or else... Gift Ideas for you! lol!

Quality Time (you have to force yourself to spend even more time - or any time - with these needy people, who you WOULD spend more time with, if they weren't so annoying, right? There's a reason you're not spending enough time with someone... hello... haha!)

Okay, that's all I can remember - me gots'ta look at the book, again, to remember the last three - but I DO remember thinking, where's FOOD on the list of ways people feel Love, or ways people share Love? If I make you a Peach Pie, I prolly love you, because it's kind of a big deal to make that Peach Pie... haha! Soo, there you go! lol!

See all those ingredients? Now THAT's Love - lol!

Okay, well, that's looks delicious, and it IS insanely delicious, so now I'm'a gonna have to make a Peach Pie! lol!

Oh, yeah (and I am looking at the book to remember this, not out'a mah' mind's eye - haha!)...

Acts of Service - this person wants you to do soo much stuff for them, all the time, or you don't love them any more. Neeeedy! No. Sometimes, this is super-annoying. I had an old boyfriend, who, maaaybe, didn't realize he was an old boyfriend? Anyway, he would come over and do all this housework, which I thought was super-weird... so, maybe this was his Love Language? Who knows - not me! ha! Whatevs... be nice to me, or I'm out - that's MY Love Language - hahaha!

Oh, Words of Affirmation - hmmm... like, "Oh, I like the way you built me that house?" haha! Noo, that's just me - in da mirror! hahaha! And, incidentally (of nothing), I'm really only interested in someone if they want to build houses with me - haha! Like every girl... so typical...)

I can't think of any Words of Affirmation, right now - but here's the thing - you should be very comfortable with the whole saying, out loud, of the "I Love You" thing - to yourself, to your partner, to your children, to your parents, to your friends... they're very nice words, and too often, they are not spoken - out loud - that part is really, really important - or written - that's important, too - but you want to be very clear, abundantly clear, that you love the other person (and yourself - did I already mention that? Ha! I'm a'gonna always mention that Self Love thing - it always starts with you being good to your own self, then extend that out to others : )

Oh, and Physical Touch. You think? haha! My favorite part of the book is the whole focus on 'Physical Touch' being hugs, buuuut, well, you might want to take that a little bit further, see if that makes your relationships pop! haha! Sizzle, maybe... and if there's no sizzle, you're outta there, man... or, is that still me? hahaha! Prolly me.. but maybe you, too - lol!

I did love the story about the person he tells to go and give a hug to her mother, and she says, it's like hugging a flag pole - yikes! There's a whole lack of love thing going on, there - and it is so shocking how many families are soo disconnected, no hugging, never say I love you, would never dream of being nice to one another... that seems to be rampant, and can easily be fixed, soo, if you read this book, Gary Chapman's The 5 Languages of Love, you could definitely take some good information from it, and even more from his later books, I'm sure, to help married people, or people wanting to have better relationships with their family, friends, spouse, or co-workers... hey,mif you pick up a little tidbit that really works, and changes your life for the better, go for it, right? Yeah, baby! lol!

 Grumpy Cat Say, No. Hahaha! 

Does remind me of Grumpy Cat, too - what would Grumpy Cat say to all of these 5 Love Langauges? No. Haha! I gotta go get you a pic o' da Grumpy Cat, now - lol! (There you go! : )

My bottom line is, you treat me well, I treat you well, we're all good... when something feels awry, problemo...

When we all feel loved, supported, respected, cared for, well fed, well housed, no worries, right? Smooth Sailing, all the way! (To the bank? I hopes so! hahaha! And there should be a lot o' laughs in any good relationship, too, and some chocolate! lol!) Go give someone a hug, say, I love you - see what happens... omg, I almost forgot to tell you the whole bit about knowing when is okay to hug..or more... yeah, always, fo' sho', only hug the people who know you and WANT to hug you - hahahaha! Yick! Hello, being a normal human being! Is always good to remember to be decent, and on this side of the law - yikes! haha!)

And no makes Grumpy Cat mad... or, madder.. lol! : ) Hugs! Ailsa! : ) xoxo!

Okay, here are some more of Gary Chapman's Love Languages books - see what might work for you : )



I just watched Oprah's Lifeclass with Dr. Gary Chapman, and this is the copy of The Five Love Languages that Oprah held up, in case you want the exact same one - lol!


  Well, if it works for your marriage, or for any relationships in your life, it's worth a read, right?

One of my favorite parts was when Oprah laughed soo hard, when one of the women in the audience was told to ask her husband, every night, "What can I do to fill your love tank, tonight?" and Oprah just about fell down laughing - hahaha! Best Oprah Moment, ever! I loved it!

But, for real, is a good idea, if you are having a tough time with any relationship, as the other person (or yourself!), do you truly feel loved? It's good to ask, but then you might just get an answer, sooo, be ready for some change - and make sure the other person asks you,too, since a relationship is only functional when it's a two-way street, right? (Usually....)

To All The Love in the World, and to a Full Love Tank! haha! That make'a me laughs! lol! 

Dr. Harville Hendrix and Oprah Winfrey - Wow, So Brilliant, as always! lol! 

So, here's another show I just saw - Oprah has her Super Soul Sunday, and sometimes Oprah will run an older show that really touched her, or transformed her, or a lot of her audience..anyway, I happened to turn that on, tonight (I've had it on the DVR for a while, I must've missed it...)

Anyhoooo, Oprah had Dr. Harville Hendrix on, and he was talking about how the emotional wounds from your childhood are played out, in order to be resolved, in your adult relationships - back in the day, that was almost always in a marriage, but now, you know, everything's different, now, and hopefully, and I really, really hope, that parents are much better informed for dealing with their children, so our own children aren't burdened for life by hurtful words or actions from the parents in earlier generations (and not always from parents - childhood wounds can come from other kids, other family members, outside sources...aawww, all those poor little kids, just trying to make their little way into their own lives.... I'll link this to my parenting page, for some tips, just in case... Love those kids! They're our future, and they're their own future : )

So, I was watching the show, and Harville Hendrix said a line that really resonated with me:

What is the deepest wound from your partner?

And what is your deepest wound from your childhood?

And then from me:

Has that affected you in any other relationships?

And guess what? Yep, I wish someone had asked me that in my last marriage... the first marriage was a nightmare, start to finish, horrifically abusive. What a monster, am disgusted he didn't go to jail.

And that's about the most I've ever said about that.

But for my second marriage, it really was a very hurtful wound, very hurtful words and feelings, from my childhood, that he triggered, and if that question had ever come up, and we could each have answered it, AND he was willing to make the actual changes to correct those problems, maybe that marriage would have survived and thrived. Maybe. There was a lot going on, there, too.... Divorce is never taken on lightly - very serious problems have existed for a very long time, before a divorce happens...

So, if you are looking for a new relationship, want some closure from an old relationship, or want to make your current relationship or marriage much stronger and happier, have a wee look at these books. Very, very interesting.

Open communication - real, actual, what is really hurting you so much, and then how do we work together to correct it - that's brilliant - I love that!

Good Luck with Your Love Life!! Giant Internet Hugs for you!! Ailsa : )

Now, why did they take this off the air, before we even got to see the full season? We know you have them in the can, just show them to us - put it on at 4am, we'll DVR it, for Goodness sake! lol! ; )

I am looving this new show on Slice - Seven Year Switch - it's a show that let's couples see what it would be like if they had married someone else - very inneresting, right? See if someone else meets your needs, or if you are coming up against the same old problems, then maybe it's something you're doing, in any scenario? Anyway, my favorite parts, o' course, since me a li'l bit o' a cynic (hahaha!) is when they say, "Well, this is worse than Swingers" - hahaha! Whaat? #KeyTherapy? That's funny - and I loove that the people who really couldn't stand being in their marriages, one more minute, they have THE biggest smiles, they're all laughing, joking, having a great old time... Plus, the houses are super-nice, soo, that DOES have a lot to do with your happiness level - not everything, to be sure, I know that firsthand, baby, but, two weeks of not having to think about the usual day-to-day worries, that would change everything.

Hopefully, the couples will get to see some personality traits that might be the cause of some of their marital problems - maybe not during the experiment, but possibly when they watch it back? lol! Well, one way or another, I'm lovin' Seven Year Switch - so far, so good! 

And now onto the book -