Peanut butter dog treats

My mind is always in 30 places at once and I can go from one thing to another in one fell swoop.  Yes, I'm weird... it’s part of my charm :p

I had gotten my landlord’s dog a giant peanut butter bone shaped cookie that I had gotten over the weekend and I hadn't seen him all week.  Well, I gave him that cookie and  I swear he walked away and was jumping for joy.   LL even shared a video of Apollo happily chomping away on it too :)

While I was home I decided I would make him some bones myself and I found the perfect recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction which, once my oven is fixed I will be making for the biggest mushball I know :)

I don't have all the answers... BHG bakeware inquiries

A reader had sent me an email on Saturday night regarding a post I made in March, 2011 about the Better Homes and Gardens Non-Stick Bakeware 5-Piece Set. This was bakeware that was sold exclusively by walmart and, in my honest opinion some of the best non stick bakeware that I've ever used (and continue to use today, it's still in perfect condition, I use it for everything).

I couldn't find any information from the Better homes and Gardens site, if you click on the bakeware or appliances tab you are automatically redirected back to the cookware (which by the looks of it is something else that's been discontinued because it's clearance priced and no longer available). I took it upon myself to contact BHG and see if I could get some answers. I tweeted them and also left a post on their Facebook page

Me: Have you discontinued the cookware/bakeware/appliances? I honestly was shocked by their answer and lack of details:
BHG Live Better Hi Ashley – Yes, the BHG cookware, bakeware and small appliances have been discontinued. Thanks so much for being a fan!

I followed up by asking why it was discontinued and never received a response.

I use my bakeware all the time, I use my grind and brew coffee maker every day and my stand mixer is used every time I bake something and for the marshmallows I love to make (and hate to eat).  I'm honestly shocked since they are all very good products.

GLADE EXPRESSIONS® (I'm a BzzAgent)

I'm a Bzzagent So when I got an invite to the Glade Expressions campaign this morning I jumped on the opportunity to try these new products. I love when my home smells good, but it's honestly not always easy with a 65 gallon aquarium with 2 bratty turtles sitting in my living room. Trust me, no matter how good the filter is, it's always going to have some kind of odor. I have a scented oil plug in right under the aquarium to keep the odor at bay and it works very well, but sometimes I'm a little iffy about what kind of fragrance to use in my home.

Glade is here to solve that problem, they create their scents without the use of harmful ingredients:

What’s NOT Inside Matters Even More
If we wouldn’t want it for our family, we wouldn’t ask you to use it near yours. We’ve excluded more than 1,500 potential ingredients from our fragrance ingredients palette. Using our palette, SC Johnson does not formulate its products with:
Alkylphenols (APs)
Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs)
Diacetyl
Formaldehyde
Nitro musks
Peanut or tree nut derived ingredients
Phthalates including DEP, DBP, DIBP, DPP and DEHP
Or any known carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins listed by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, the European Union’s REACH and Substances of Very High Concern programs, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Carcinogens, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Stylish new oil diffusers that release long-lasting, true-to-life scents
Glade Expressions® Oil Diffuser releases a combination of long-lasting fragrances, without the hassle of electricity. The oil diffuser infuses layers of true-to-life scents throughout even the most open living spaces. The trendy holder matches décor perfectly, making it a convenient and stylish home-fragrancing option.

Glade Expressions® Fragrance Mist comes in a new stylish holder that releases a longer-lasting, finer mist of fragrance. The gentle mist creates layers of true-to-life fragrance that opens up note by note. The chic, newly designed holder blends with your décor for a burst of fragrance that’s always out and available. Just squeeze to spray; then refill the holder with your favorite fragrance.

I'm really excited to get my BzzKit and try out these great new products :)

Yes, I actually did this...

Because I like to torture myself, or to better phrase this Push myself past the limits I give myself, I volunteered to make a pinata for my nephew’s 2nd birthday party this weekend.  This is going to be a Yo Gabba Gabba themed party.  My choice of creature for this Pinata is Muno

I did some research online... making a pinata can’t be too hard.. Make a skeleton out of posterboard and some balloons and paper-mache it making sure to leave a trap door in the back to fill the sucker with candy.

I started this on Tuesday night by building the body

Wednesday night I did the first layer of paper-mache and left it in front of a big fan to dry overnight

Thursday night I did the second layer around the body and added the arms and head

Friday I glued sheets of red tissue paper to the body to cover up the newspaper and then proceeded to hot glue strips of crepe paper all around the body.  By the time I was finished it was 11:30, my thumb and index fingers were burnt and blistered and I was exhausted. 

Saturday morning I had the kid cut the eye out (which was, according to my cousin a little too big but oh well it was good enough since I'm not a regular watcher of yo gabba gabba) and I made the mouth and then glued them on, carefully put him in the back of my truck and went on our way to my cousin's to prepare for the party that was yesterday.

The Pinata waited patiently until we stuffed him with candy and taped him shut and then they tied him up and hung him from the balcony.

He took a good beating before the candy came spilling out, but the kids had fun and I think my nephew is a little traumatized from the experience of seeing his friend Muno get the candy beat out of him.

Will I do this again?  Yup.  It was fun.  It was a LOT of work and next time I'll use construction paper taped together for the body instead of the posterboard.  Posterboard was too strong even though I paper mache'd over it.  This was a Huge Pinata standing a good 4' tall when he was finished.