Airing My Blogging Failures

I have aspirations of being a blogger.

One who posts regularly.

One who writes posts that are useful, entertaining and/or inspiring.

Instead I'm a blogger who goes months without posting.

One who plans posts in her head and then never writes them down.

One who has big ideas of sharing fun party tips and then forgetting to take photos until AFTER the party. Ending up with just this to show for that great blog post...

Fun Fondue Fixings from the Holiday Clearance Aisle

One who tries to be crafty and ends up with a blooper reel of photos to show for her efforts...

Had to break open this kit to find a paint brush... 

Had to use this to fix the spacing of my letters...

End results...not too bad even with the wrong paint

and the wrong paint brushes

One who is going to blog funny photos and observations from her travels but never does...

Blow up decorations in a cactus garden...really?

Well, it's a new year and with it comes renewed motivation to get back on the horse (well, back to the keyboard...I don't ride horses) when it comes to blogging.

Saving Money Five Dollars at a Time

I shared some ideas about teaching children (and yourself) how to save money in fun ways over at Real Farmwives of America.

The post inspired me to kick start my savings for an upcoming trip to Disney World with my sisters and nieces.

A friend of mine helped fund two recent trips by simply NEVER spending a five dollar bill for almost two years.

Wow, could it be that simple?

I decided to give it a try.

I'm looking forward to the challenge of tucking away these bills over the next year and seeing where I end up. I am sure I won't have enough to bankroll the Disney trip, but I'm hoping I have enough to pay for some meals while there.

Of course, I may have to go Dave Ramsey style and start using cash for everything. It's kind of hard to save $5 bills when you use a credit card all the time!

Mint Chocolate Yumminess

A bag of M&Ms for $1.10...I'll take three. I can't seem to pass up a bargain on holiday candy.

Can you?

I currently have 6 bags of holiday M&Ms in assorted flavors.

I also have at least 3 bags (that I have found) of these Nestle Winter dark chocolate & mint morsels.

What's a gal to do when faced with so much holiday chocolate goodness?

That's right. Make some Mint Chocolate Puppy Chow (for humans, not dogs)!

I can't take credit for the recipe...I saw it first on Pinterest (where else) from Shugary Sweets. She actually shares several mint-inspired recipes in her post, so check it out.

My version has just four ingredients. Yes, just four!

Before I share how I made it, I do want to warn you that it's not really a recipe. I didn't do a lot of measuring so feel free to add a little more cereal or a little less.

Mint Chocolate Puppy Chow

Bag of Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels
5-6 cups of Rice Chex (or similar cereal)
1 cup of Powdered Sugar
Bag of Mint Chocolate M&Ms (or Peppermint White Chocolate, maybe?)

Measure cereal and place in a large mixing bowl. Put powdered sugar in a large, clean plastic storage bag.

Melt a bag of dark chocolate and mint morsels (in the microwave or on the stove). I did mine in the microwave in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. I started at 45 seconds, stirred and put it back in for another 30-45 seconds. Be sure to stir well because they will melt quickly and you don't want to overcook them.

Add melted chocolate to the cereal and stir to coat all of the pieces.

Dump the coated cereal into the bag with the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake, shake, shake!

Spread coated cereal on sheet of wax paper until set. Add the M&Ms and store in an airtight container.

Plan to share this with family and friends because if you don't, you'll find yourself with powdered sugar down your shirt as you eat all of it yourself!

Now what to do with all of the Milk Chocolate M&Ms...