Fun and Mental Changes

I did a post a little while ago about upgrading a wedding ring or wedding set that you currently own.... well within a budget (Click  HERE for ways to save money and score some serious bling).  Welp, after months of waiting, here she is!!!!  Isn't she a beauty!?!  It turned out so much better than I imagined.  I'm not lying when I tell you that I almost blinded myself the other day on my way to work. Check out how AMAZING the gallery is!!! And can I just add, these pics were taken with my phone so you KNOW the pictures are not doing this one justice.  I HIGHLY recommend Ganem Jewelers for ALL your jewelry needs!!!!  I give them 500 high fives!!!  This ring is just so gorgeous..... only outshined by the small price tag!!!!

Yesterday I got an early birthday present..... YAY!!!  You all know I ALWAYS do.  This gift I begged for after filling in for a girl at work who stashes hand weights under her desk.  Who wants to lug around hand weights???  The challenge for me has ALWAYS been, "What to do when I'm not at home?"  And, at the new house, my beloved Curves is nowhere to be found.  Coincidentally, that is where I first read about resistance band training... the Curves book. The workout in the book utilizes resistance bands to get the 1/2 hour Curves workout at home (BTW I'm totally needing right now), which I never did because I had my Curves close by.  But then we moved and my husband had surgery and has been using resistance bands three times a week at his physical therapy appointments and swears by the workout he gets with them.  SOLD!  I HAD to have these for my birthday! WOW.... no kidding these babies are INCREDIBLE an...

  Check out what THIS girl got for Valentine's Day!!!  The hubs wanted a coffee maker but I wanted work space!!!  It's no secret, ESPECIALLY HERE that I'm workin to get my craft space in the new house put together.  It is also no secret that the "secret" to my style of organization is to utilize vertical space, so when my friend Cindy showed me a picture of these AWESOME Stamp n' Storage ink pad organizers I was preparing myself to beg and beg HARD.  You see I already had storage for my Stampin Up ink pads.... Don't get me wrong.... this rotating color caddy from Stampin Up is a VERY good option, but my craft room reduced by half when we moved into the new house and I just don't have the work space I once did.  Anything and everything that can be put on the wall saves me precious work space.     And I didn't want my Tim Holtz Distress Ink pads in a different spot than the rest of my ink pads (that too is an orga...

   THIS awesome yumminess is what I had for dessert tonight thanx to my super awesome Pampered Chef lady.  Why that is important is because not only did she share the original recipe for this low-cal dessert that I "frankenfixed" with my de-glutening super hero powers, but she also supplied me with THAT AWESOME square brownie pan that I love so much and use for EVERYTHING!  I have used this thing for mini single serve quiches, bacon bowl breakfast cups, single serve lasagna and, of course, brownies.  But THIS wonderful decadence is by far my best masterpiece!!!!   My Pampered Chef lady posted on her facebook page a recipe for a 33 CALORIE CHEESECAKE!  And added, "Let the Brownie Pan help you with your New Years Resolution!"  Well I immediately noticed that the recipe contains sugar and gluten.... the two things I swore to avoid as my New Year's resolution, but I have the pan so away I went "frankenfixing" this rec...

I've been gluten free in short bursts on and off for years, but I think this is the first time I've ever accomplished STAYING gluten free for a long period of time.  I'm coming up on a whole month and it feels WONDERFUL!!!!  I had no idea how bad I really felt.... all the time.  Sometimes you don't know how bad you feel until you start feeling good.  Well now I'm learning that it is a problem A LOT OF FOLKS might be having.  I just started the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis after hearing Dr. Wayne Dyer mention it on his New You Now video interview over at Hay House (click HERE to watch it) and then another friend of mine read it, cut out gluten and ALSO noticed a big change.  Well, with everyone getting these amazing results, I thought it would be worth a little shout out here on my blog. Just what if you could feel better?  What if you could have more energy?  What if mysterious symptoms weren't so mysterious after all?...

I've dealt with gluten intolerance for a large portion of my life and recent "attacks", for lack of a better word, have caused me to REALLY think about my lifestyle.  I've known that I shouldn't eat gluten, but was always able to tolerate it in small amounts and even when I would splurge and over-indulge I knew that I would feel bad for it later.  But suddenly, "later" is now minutes after consuming a meal containing gluten.  My latest attack ended with me feeling like I was having a heart attack and my hands swelled up so bad that my knuckles were white.  I am SUDDENLY terrified of gluten.  It's like my body is saying enough is enough.  So I gathered my gluten free cookbooks and began putting a meal plan together, but I really wasn't "feeling it" if you know what I mean.  All the recipes that I've collected are good, but I was truly wanting to find GREAT food to inspire me to change and change for good.  Let's face it, I'm ...

Yes, yes... I know I've been away for quite some time.  Had a HARD tail end of 2013 with multiple moves, multiple surgeries and just as many nervous breakdowns!  WHEW!  Am I glad THAT'S over! I joke about having nervous breakdowns, but then again sometimes my nerves got a bit frayed and threatened to break right there toward the end of the year.  So I'm here today to tell EVERYONE what got me through and share my most recent 'HIGH FIVE'!!! So Hay House, the book publisher of one of my favorite people in the world, Dr. Wayne Dyer is hosting a " New You Now " event that kicks off in less than a week.  My guess is that Hay House will feature a good number of their published authors to sort of kick off book sales for the new year while at the same time sharing some insight and direction toward you reaching your full potential in this new year..... BRILLIANT IDEA!!!  My favorite of all is that RIGHT NOW they are featuring another life-changing v...

My cleanse ended YESTERDAY!!!  I officially made it 15 days on the juice cleanse.  Here's my take-away: Pros SOOOOO much easier in the beginning than The Master Cleanse ever was... as in NO HUNGER!!! SOOOOO much tastier... as in there are about a MILLION different juice concoctions you can come up with! SOOOOO not boring...Drinking the lemonade on The Master Cleanse gets VERY boring after about the 10th day. Weight loss was a steady 1 pound a day. Staying hydrated was a snap! Monster Energy.  There are always sluggish days on The Master Cleanse.  This juice cleanse had NONE!!! Skin glowed. NO SALT WATER FLUSH... those of you who have completed The Master Cleanse know EXACTLY what I speak of here. Cons Cleaning the juice machine after EVERY "meal" of juicing got to be annoying. I found that I had some serious cravings... and for bad food!  On The Master Cleanse all hunger and cravings pretty much disappear after the first 3-4 days. NO SALT WAT...

Ok, THIS is AWESOME!!! I am absolutely gaga and over the moon for this Great Pumpkin cake!!!  So BECAUSE of this awesome cake (that by the way, gets a MILLION high fives from me), I decided to host a Pampered Chef show ONLINE!!!  I NEED that fluted cake pan...don't you???  So no matter where you live in the United States, you can join the party... your stuff will ship to you.   Here's all you need to do: Simply go to http://pamperedchef.biz/alisonheikkila Click on "Shop" Choose "Pick a host" Type "Danielle" in the first host name box And "Johnson" in the second Then shop till your heart's content!!! How easy is THAT?!?  What a perfect way to celebrate the fall season.  Personally, I think this cake would look fabulous on EVERYONE'S table, and I'm working on a GLUTEN FREE Pumpkin Spice cake recipe JUST for this awesome pan and just in time for my Halloween festivities. I'm sorry, did I say one million high fi...

Ok, so here's my ultra quick homage to the Scream franchise (serious Halloween fun)... and a fun, creepy image for my black Halloween mani!!! Shown here is CND Shellac in black pool with the fauxnad image I got from Beautiful Scratchers , image plate T29.  Word of warning with these fauxnad plates:  the images are much larger than other image plates so in order to actually wear this image, I had to grow my nails out.  Only my ring finger was long and wide enough for this image, which is completely fine since it's quite popular and fashionable to have nail art on only one nail.  And this one sure does look cool!!!  That black looks like glass!  Yep.... I'm heartin Shellac again!!! And more on the image plates from Beautiful Scratchers .... while large, the images are UNIQUE AND AMAZING!!!  I'm going to be getting a few more of these image plates in the future.  You'll definitely want to check them out.  I give Beautiful Scratchers 10 Hi...

Ok, as promised, here's my Shellac manicure after taking great care to use rubber gloves whenever my hands were in water or I was going to be doing something that was rough on my hands.  I'll start with the before pic.... Welp, they didn't make it the full 14 days, but they made it 11.  And to look at the picture you wouldn't know that they didn't make it because they still look shiny and incredible, but TWO of the nails pictured have some lifting of the product (I marked the lifting areas with arrows.  You can sort of see it in the picture on the ring finger).  The lifting is enough that it's catching on my clothes and being a regular pain in the butt.  So honestly, I probably COULD have gone the full 14 days if I didn't mind a couple of chips in the product here or there.  And truth be told, I've never been able to keep anything on my nails for a full 14 days (even fake nails had a hard time lasting that long) so I'm used to continual cha...

Ok, so I rented it and I loved it!!!  I hate that I loved it!  And I hate myself even more that I'm running out to buy it!  But watching this HILARIOUS movie remake reminds me of all the broken dreams and unanswered questions I was left with as a teenage girl while I manipulated and maneuvered my black and white TV antennae unavailingly to give me a clear picture of the hit Fox TV show. Back in 1987, Fox was a new station and did not come through very clearly on that trusty black and white and most nights it was as if my beloved Penhall was communicating to me from the other side through all that white noise.  Yes, I was in love with Officer Doug James Penhall and that teenage ritual would literally foreshadow the pain and heartbreak I would endure watching the end of 21 Jump Street the movie... and I'm STILL compelled to buy it.  If you haven't seen the movie yet, this post might come as a shock and should definitely be considered a spoiler for anyone readin...

Ok you guys.... it has been awhile since I've reviewed/recommended a product, but with summer here, a high-five just couldn't be put off.  My high-five for today isn't just for one product, it's for THREE products and a GENIUS YouTuber's video!!! Since I was a teenager I've suffered with dry cracked heels and have used EVERYTHING on the market to combat the problem... well, so I thought.  Then I stumbled upon the video below and it honestly changed my life.  I know, we hear that all the time in the corniest of commercials, but this time it's really true.  Only if you've suffered with this painful problem can you appreciate what a life WITHOUT the problem would look like and how very "changed" it would be!!!  So check out the video below.  It's a long one, but she discusses all the well known treatments for the condition ending the video with some products that really do work:  I have been using the products listed at the end of this...

So I joined Curves around Christmas of 2011 and just started the new Curves Complete program (my official start date is actually this upcoming Monday).  The Curves Complete program offers me everything that Weight Watchers was offering.... ONLY BETTER.  Let me tell you why its better for me.  1) I'm already working out there.  The convenience of weigh ins, education and group support all at the same place where I work out means that its more efficient for me. 2) I actually am saving money too!  I didn't think that I would save money since the Curves Complete is $200 for three months and Weight Watchers was costing me about $50/month to go to the weekly meetings.  But as it turns out,  for the extra few dollars a month with Curves Complete, both me and my husband can participate in it for that amount (the program is web based, but he CANNOT work out with me at Curves...its women only) AND I get online benefits.  We...

I'M IN LOVE!!!  Black Friday was less of an assault mission this year and more of a strategic mission for me as I had my sites on only one thing... the new Kindle Fire. Recently Amazon released the Kindle Fire and my husband (mostly on his own) thought that it would make a great gift for me.  This time he hit the nail on the head.  Yes, I'm forfeiting opening gifts this Christmas, but if you've read my posts from Christmases past, you'll see this exact trend.  HAHAHAHAHAHA.  Not that the new player in the Kindle line up is overly expensive.  I picked up this baby for $199... it was all the extras that I also HAD to pick up to go along with it.  Because this device streams music, video, newspapers, magazines, books, documents and allows you to browse the web, there were a few items that I don't think I could have lived without.  Needless to say, that $199 price tag turned into a $350 price tag REAL quick with the purchase of a noise reducing head...

Ok, so let me just start by saying that I'm soooooo sorry for being MIA!  I was host to a Twilight:  Breaking Dawn release party and it CONSUMED me!  I haven't had a full night's sleep in about a week preparing for this event.  And let me just tell you that it was worth it!!!  The party itself was so super fun.  We watched all three of the previous movies while making Twilighty crafts, playing games, winning prizes and eating yummy, yummy goodies.  Check out the vampire goodness that my friends Dana and Bailey brought to the party.... Is this awesome treat not perfect!?!!!!  And it was oh-so-yummy too!!!  I also put together a totally rad raffle bag (made by yours truly) that included a ton of stuff I brought back with me from Forks, WA this past summer (you all remember my trip right?  LOL) along with other cooler than cool prizes.  That raffle ROCKED!  Here's what last night's winner won.  Check it out.... And then, ...

**** HUGE HALLOWEEN GIVE AWAY... CLICK HERE !!!!****   The Halloween season has just begun and ALREADY I'm showered with gifts!!!  NOW, can you see why I love Halloween so much?!?!  And I know some of THE MOST TALENTED people!!!  So pictured above are some of the things that I've received so far with a special "Thanx You Guys" for their wonderful gifts .   Dana , thanks for the wonderful mini album.  It is SO AMAZING!!!  I placed it right next to the mini album you gave to me last year... on the shelf with my favorite things!!! Sandy , thanks for cutting those wonderful dancing Halloween images for me.  I LOVED your tutorial on the Zing... I think I'm sold!!! Cindy, thanks for the OH-SO-CUTE Halloween card!  You and those Tim Holtz dies... hahahahaha!  I love it! Barb, thanks for the cookie jar.  What an AMAZING gift and ingenious too!!!  All the dry ingredients decoratively put together in that wonderful glass jar with t...

  So here it is.... my SECOND digital coloring project.  Don't ask to see my first!  HAHAHAHAHAHA!  I just recently got the Wacom Bamboo Craft tablet and pen that came with Photoshop Elements 8 and DOVE into the world of digital coloring.  The box arrived with EVERYTHING I needed to get started... well, except I don't have a color printer! :/  Not too big of a deal since I CLEARLY need more practice, but I'm getting there and predict that my next purchase will, in fact, be a color printer! :) Now for the product review.  So the Bamboo craft tablet is WONDERFUL!!!  It came with a little tutorial to learn how to use it.  It was interactive and pretty simple.  The tablet ALSO came with Photoshop Elements 8 which is NOT so easy to use.  Reading some reviews on Photoshop I know why.  Actually, the Photoshop Elements has MANY of the components of Photoshop (the full professional version) so just a little word of advice.... prepare ...

Ok, No joke.... I DID NOT realize that I have a sweet tooth!!!  I'm 10 days into this 17 Day Diet and the "sugar cleanse" phase of it and I'd poke my own eyes out for some sugar.  REALLY???  Me, the person who does the Master Cleanse twice a year, the one who can always pass on cake and ice cream???  I've always known that I have very little will power when it comes to foods like pasta, cheese and bread, but sugar???  I cut processed sugar from my diet years ago.  We don't even have traditional granulated sugar in our house... and right now all I can think of is eating the stuff by the spoonful... YUCK!!!  Yep, I clearly had a problem with sugar and not directly from the sugar jar. Luckily, because I DO do the Master Cleanse twice a year, I can pinpoint this UNBELIEVABLE craving for what it is.... it means the 17 Day Diet is working.  Our bodies ALWAYS crave whatever poison is being removed from our systems.  Our bodies have a nas...

Oh... I just LOVE going to mailbox and discovering super fun goodies in there! It's like Christmas came early!!! THANK YOU GLORIA!!! My new blog friend Creepy Glowbugg makes these OH-SO-COOL skullies that I love and I just scored me a bunch!!! If you want some of your own, check out her Etsy store HERE . You can also email her for special orders. Here's a close up of the half inch skullie... look at that detail!!! I'm gonna have so much fun playing with these!!! The multi colored ones in the top pic glow in the dark and of course a couple have glitter. I just can't imagine a world without glitter.... That's all for today gang. I just wanted to brag about my new goodies and make you all jealous. You're jealous now aren't you??? ;) * Note: "Today" actually refers to yesterday! ;)