Apps We Wish There Were

 I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has heard the phrase, "There's an app for that." If you were to scroll through the app store, I'm sure you would find there is nearly an app for every single desire any given person might have. However, there are some apps that I find are seriously missing from the mix. And I'm curious as to what you think about them as well. So here is a list of apps I think would make life... interesting, to say the least.

1. The Find My Prince app - This could also be to find your princess. But let's not say it's simply another dating app. No, this application would be something far more intricate. This app would alert me as to when, where and how I'm to meet my shining other half. After all, how many of us wish we hadn't had to go through 1-??? bad relationships before we found the soulmate we now hold dear? How many of us wish we could just simply stroll through life until the alert goes off before we have to worry about if this one or that one could be THE ONE? Granted, on the flip side, we wouldn't be stronger, braver, raise our self esteem, etc. if we knew all the details. Right? So as amazing as it would be, I suppose it would really dull things too...

 

2. Haggle Cadabra - How many of you wish you could negotiate prices everywhere you go? Do you have the skills to do so at yard sales and flea markets? This app would allow you to say the right things to get the price you want by putting the wording directly on your screen! Or upgrade to the Mega Haggle Cadabra and have your voice simulated through your phone to do all the talking for you. Watch the savings flow freely! 

3. The Un-Calorie Diary - What if you could be rewarded for all those calories you didn't eat? Let's say you didn't have those extra 2 cookies with your sandwich. You input the foods you didn't eat, it will figure out how many calories you avoided, and then deduct that from your weight! I think I'd lose weight a lot faster if this was my reward system. I can't handle counting calories. I can't stand being told what not to eat. So reward me when I make a good choice and I will be more willing to keep it up! Let's even take it a step further - tell me when I have reached my limit of chips. If you are like me, you have those moments where you could eat the whole bag because they are just that good and no one will stop you. This app monitors each chip you crunch down and sounds an alarm when you have reached the maximum of your serving.

4. Husband and Children Translator app - The most important part of a healthy relationship is communication. Despite this, one of the top reasons a relationship fails or couples divorce is failure to communicate. Not always because we don't speak, but because we don't seek to be understood by speaking clearly. Or, even more so, we miss each other's meanings when we interpret it the way we think they are saying it. Same goes for our children, if you think about it. My son has a tendency to say things that he finds hilarious, however, they come off insulting. Like the day he looked at me and said, "Mom, you're not fat. You're just fluffy." Great. I'm not a giant mass. I'm a marshmallow. In his way, he was trying to make me feel better about how I look to myself. In my mind, he's making me feel worse. Our significant others sometimes do this too. On the flip side - be prepared to have your mind blown if secrets are revealed...

5. Drab to Fab app - We look in the mirror, shrug, and tell ourselves that we look good enough or great. But what if we missed something? After all, I can't see all of my backside. Can you? What if we had an app for that? It could take a 360 degree look at us and tell us what we are missing. A better color lip gloss? Hair up or down? This earring or that? With or without the scarf? We would never have to second guess our style again.

When Curiosity Keeps Us Going

I've been reading a friends blog posts lately (I hope you will check them out too). He has been writing about things that made him curious. Things that have driven him to learn about something new. And they have been quite inspirational to me. They push me to look at things with eyes wide open. 

Bast Creative has his blog posts under Curiosities. What started as a website to promote his photography has escalated to a deeper look at the ordinary things in life. He often talks about things he has found on his weekly treasure hunts. I admit, I'm quite envious of this. I miss going to yard sales on Saturday mornings. I miss searching for those things that no one else would see value in. Things tell stories. If you can listen for them. Look for the post about turning your lights on! It is one of my favorites. This post is more of a response to his postings. Hats off to a fellow treasure seeker!

So what do I treasure?

I'm an eclectic collector. Normally, I stick with my nerdy tendencies. Minecraft, Stranger Things, Wonder Woman, Star Wars, Steampunk, Cosplay - not necessarily in that order, but you get the picture. However, that doesn't mean I'm only drawn to those things. Take the following treasures for instance...

My Fire King Peach Luster Soup/Chili Bowl - I don't know where I found this. I think it happened with my grandfather, but I can't be 100% certain. I fell in love with the luminescent shimmer and the unique shape. Bowls don't often come with built-in handles, you know. They are not standard sized when they can fit comfortably into your hand. I like curling up on the couch, cupping my bowl as I read or watch videos. I've even considered getting more like it, being that they are so inexpensive and we need more bowls. Then again, maybe having just one makes it that much more special. For the longest time, I knew nothing about it except it was beautiful and sparked the dream of a reading nook, in my own home, while snow flakes or leaves fell outside. I had plenty of times when I contemplated getting rid of it, but could never bring myself to do it. After doing some digging, I found they are vintage, but cheap. I learned what kind of a bowl it was and saw so many others. But this one is mine, and that makes it unique to me.

My party bowls - They aren't special besides the fact that they have patterns embedded in them. I think my mom gave them to me many years ago. I especially love pulling them out to bring rolls or chips to parties and events. I feel like I don't get the chance to do it often enough. I was curious and took a closer look at the bottom of the larger bowl. I found Arcoroc and France stamped to the bottom! Sadly, I can't find any that look like mine. Whether they are real or not, I don't care. They are beautiful. And I hope to use them much more over the years. 

My Johann Haviland Forever Spring Platter - I recently found out this piece is from Bavaria, Germany. Who knew? All I knew, was that it was pretty and made a great serving platter. It is another thing that is cheap to buy, but means more just because I like it.

What might be concluded from this? 

I love parties! Well, no. I love cooking and serving up good foods to others. I also love vintage pieces, regardless of them matching. They go well with my views on how a variety makes things interesting. And finally, I love foreign things... Does this mean these are my only treasures? No way! I have some other fantastic things that are not easily accessible, or they would have found a feature spot on this post too. Like my Galadriel and Legolas Barbie dolls from the Lord of the Rings... Or the tiny crystal glass that my grandfather rescued from a condemned house... Oh the memories that come with these!

What about you? What is something you have that wouldn't be worth much to anyone else, but you simply couldn't let it go? Leave me a comment below and please be sure to check out Bast Creative's website and blog. Share the love with a rising blogger!

Lakanto Fall Into Baking Party!

 I love fall weather, don't you? Okay, actually I love the idea of fall weather. See, here in Texas, we only have two seasons; Summer and Extreme Heat. Summer is the majority, with Etreme Heat blasting in the peak of summer. But the idea of Fall weather is that the temperatures drop and leaves fall from the trees. Everyone starts baking and curling up with good books. Oh, yeah. That is what I like. Tryazon understands these joys and connects their influencers (like yours truly) with wonderful companies who make it their goal to help us #SweetResponsibly! 

*Disclaimer: I was sent these products in exchange for hosting a party and sharing my honest review. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions expressed are that of myself and my guests.*

Lakanto has an amazing product line. Take, for instance, their Monkfruit Sweetener. This is a sugar alternative that is healthier for you! Non-caloric and doesn't decay the teeth like sugar does or mess with your blood sugar. It tastes and looks like sugar though. Their Golden version is actually slightly sweeter. I made the mistake of adding a little more than needed into our tea - talk about southern sweet tea! But I use it in my baking and cooking just like normal. 

 

I've made coffee cake with it.

Why should you make the switch?

The main ingredient is a chemical compound called erythritol. I had to look it up. It comes naturally. The formula that Lakanto uses makes their sweetener totally calorie free as well as zero-glycemic. It is the only one of that variety! We made the switch because we are trying to eat healthier in every way we can. We are wanting to lose the extra pounds and get back into shape. Especially after taking the kids to the park the other day and being so out of breath! It was a real eye opener to me. I've let my constant physical pain be an excuse as to why I don't get healthy, but the real thing I am needing to work on is the food side of it all. So sugar had to be cut down and cut out. 

Cookies stuffed with Suntella are amazing!

Time to party! 

I had 2 guests in person and some that attempted to join online. I feel really bad for those online... Turns out Facebook and I aren't on good terms. And after crashing the party more than once, the online side had to be shut down. However, that doesn't mean there weren't some laughs. 

My mother and sister-in-laws came to dinner. I made a wonderful coffee cake (okay, I thought it was wonderful, but my mother-in-law definitely makes it better!). Several of my online guests are getting their samples shipped to them. With things the way they are, there are still a lot of people who are choosing to stay virtual until Covid-19 numbers drop. I managed to get a couple comments from those online. My mother-in-law agreed that this was the best alternative to using refined sugar. She said the consistency and taste were just the same. Which is what everyone wants right? The taste, the consistency, but without the bad side effects? 

They had also sent me the Suntella. I have had Nutella before, well, this was like that. But better. I LOVE it! And I don't have to feel bad when I eat it because it's healthier!

After the party, this was all that was left...

What are your thoughts?

So I really want to know what you all think! Leave me a comment below. Have you tried this before? Will you try it after having read my little post? Let me know!

4 Fun Ways to Pass the Time

 I've started cleaning out old files. You ever do that? Have those moments of thinking you would clean out old papers? I found magazine articles from 2013. I had saved them because they had great ideas to help get through those doldrums of life. To spark ideas on what to do in our down time. I came across some marvelous ones that I wish I had found sooner. However, there are plenty of chances for us parents to use them with things not being fully opened in most places. Especially if the second wave of pandemic hits and everyone is put under lock-down again. 

When you have a lot of toys...

Create a toy catalogue: Take pictures and print them out. You can put them into a photo album or glue them into a notebook. Let your kids pick which ones they want to keep out for now. The rest go into a stored state. When they are bored (at least 2 weeks later), they may pull out the book and "shop" for "new" toys. New selections have to be kept out for a certain amount of time before they can "shop" again. 

I had heard an idea like this before. Instead of photos in a book, however, you would take half of their toys, put them in some kind of container and put them away where the kids couldn't access them. When they got bored, you swapped toys. Ones in their toy box were put away and the stored ones were brought out. This renews their interest. It is like they forget they even had those toys and makes it seem like they are new all over again! No need to spend money, no need to hear the whining when they can't find something to do. Though, as far as whining goes, my kids know better. I take a toy every time they are "bored". I give it away. And they have to do reading, chores or reports to pass their time. They now see the word 'boredom' as a forbidden word. Like a curse word. 

This also helps keep the clutter down. The downside is, you have to have space to store those extra toys in. You can also use it to determine which toys they have absolutely no interest in anymore. If they don't order that toy in 6 months time - they don't truly want it anymore. 

If you have a big enough yard area...

Create a treasure mine! Get a small pool - think the plastic ones or a small blow up kind. Fill it up halfway with sand. Find little plastic gemstones, shells and pretty rocks (fools gold!) - whatever would bring excitement and fun to the kids, and hide them in the sand. Then fill up the rest of the pool with water. You can get little sieves pretty cheap these days. Let the kiddos "mine" and hunt to their hearts content. 

Satisfying a sweet tooth...

Bring out the ice cream! One of the best ways I have seen to end the summer, is through an ice cream tasting party. Some have gone so far as to even buy 10 gallon-sized varieties of ice cream. You line them up on the table and pass out sheets for the "judging". Have silly things like "Quickest to melt" or "Most intense flavor", etc. Once the judging has ended, you can then make sundaes! 

Another twist is to just have multiple types of ice creams, toppings, and fixings. Create a sundae bar. Everyone designs their ultimate sundae creation. Then let everyone vote to see who they think made the best one.

Make learning fun...

Bring the world to your doorstep! Or even choose a different kind of adventure. Check out Little Passports for all kinds of subscription options that bring fun to learning science, geography, and even history. I would love to get my younger son signed up for the Science Expeditions one. They can learn forensic science and fingerprint analysis in the first go! Every month after, they solve another mystery with science. And if you don't want to get a subscription, they also offer Pack options. 

What other ideas have you seen or tried? I'd love to hear them!