All new 101 in 1,001

It was time. I finished my list a while back and while I did not complete all my items, I sure made progress on a lot of items. So here I am, in a mind where I have lots of things to change and/or strive for, and I am actually motivated. So here goes nothing. I've created a new list of things to achieve and posted it to the right for everyone to see - and for me to keep track of my progress.

As we know from past experiences, some of the items may change during the 1001 days to accommodate for life, but I have somewhere to start. If you can think of something that is more important that the items I have, let me know and I can adjust. Otherwise, here we go!

And another...

She is a swimmer!

Baked Beans for a Crowd

This recipe comes from my amazing mother-in-law, who I believe got it from someone else as well. Honestly, I don't care about the origin, I just care about them being ready to eat! I love these and as far as I can tell, everyone else who has tried them loves them as well. We usually do half this recipe since there are only a few of us, but if you need a dish for a potluck, picnic, or holiday, you could do the full recipe.

INGREDIENTS

5 cans pork and beans
5 cans Ranch style beans
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 C mustard
1 C brown sugar
2 C ketchup
4 chopped onions

DIRECTIONS

Brown ground beef and onions; drain. Combine all ingredients and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes - or cook in a crock pot. Enjoy!

These beans freeze well, so make a batch and save some for later!

Where would you go?

Paradise, that is where I want to go. To live. To spend the rest of my life. Seriously. You?

I got in contact with a college friend a little while back and I found out she just happens to live in St Croix. Yes, LIVES there. Wow. You always hear about people moving there and very rarely do you think it is something YOU can do. After a short conversation with my husband, we figured why not make it one of our goals. We are starting to do some research to see exactly what it takes and where we would want to go. We know we'll need to find a job that can maintain the lifestyle we want AND that we are willing and qualified to do. We also need to worry about schooling for Ruby. What is the cost of living? What are the houses like? What items are available and what is the lifestyle like? These are all things that need to be looked at with the reality of moving and not just the dream of living in paradise.

So that is it. Our goal is to eventually relocate to somewhere we see as paradise. We don't know when it will happen, but we know that it WILL happen.

With that said - we want your input to add to our growing research. Where would you go? Why would you go there? What do you know about living there? What job would you do and what industries do they have there? Who knows, we might pick yours and then you can come visit any time you want!

July is THE month

I can NOT wait for July! CAN NOT!!! Anyone who knows me knows that July 4th is my favorite holiday, I mean, its summer, there's no school, we get a day off work, BBQs, picnics, friends and families, and, of course, FIREWORKS. Yup, I love 'em.

Add to all that how Scentsy is introducing this super cute cupcake warmer AND doing their Bring Back My Bar special in July, and I'm even happier. I don't care if this warmer doesn't match my decor. I don't care if I don't have a designated spot for it. It is way too cute for me NOT to buy, and it will be perfect to have out at all of Ruby's birthday parties ... and some of my own. Then there are all the Bring Back My Bar scents, I'm a sucker for special items, or limited-time only deals since last time I bought the Fresh Cut Grass an now I want more. So of course I already order the full bunch of scents so that I can smell them to see if I want more before they go away, and so I have them handy for Heather's July party. In case you're wondering, here is the list:

Banana Flower
Delightful combination of fresh, sweet banana mingled with soft florals.

Banana Nut Bread
Right from the oven with ripe bananas, nuts, and spices.

Cashmere
Sheer floral bouquet combines Moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley,
and bergamot.

Coconut Palm
A blend of tropical coconut and musky patchouli with subtle green notes.

Cutiepie Cupcake
Sweet clementine and yellow cake batter with vanilla and sugary icing.

Exotic Vanilla
/Velvet Spice
Spice up your home with a blend of vanilla bean, jasmine, patchouli,
and sandalwood.

Fresh Cut Cantaloupe
Vine-ripened melon with hints of
juicy orange.

Fried Ice Cream
Vanilla with a nutty touch along with cinnamon and caramel.

Grape Granita
Sun-warmed grape and pineapple with undertones of honeysuckle.

Irish Cream
Smooth and mellow, highlighted with hints of coffee and chocolate.

Lemon Lavender
Inviting blend of tangy lemon and sweet lavender flowers.

Luscious Lemon
Light, creamy lemon.

Orange Dreamsicle
A classic combination of fresh orange, swirled with vanilla cream.

Oxford
A masculine blend of ginger and frankincense with woody cedar and amber undertones.

Red Delicious
Crisp, juicy apples, fresh from
the orchard.

Root Beer Float
Concoction of old-fashioned root beer and creamy vanilla ice cream.

Spiced Orange Harvest
Strong, sweet oranges spiced with cloves and cinnamon.

Strawberry Sweetie
A fruity delight of strawberries sprinkled with sugar and vanilla.

Tuscan Garden
Mediterranean floral bouquet, enhanced by cassis, apples, berries, and rosemary.

Watermelon Patch
Sweet, vine-ripened watermelon.

And don't worry, I should have more pictures of Ruby to post here soon! She's currently outside swimming with Grandma - swimming on her own without her floaties. And she's not even 3 yet. Amazing.

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Salad

This is the perfect salad for summer and rivals the one from Bucca di Bepo. I can eat this for a meal by adding some chicken or use it as a side among a variety of meals, either way, I love it. LOVE IT. It is another one of those pick and choose the amounts you want based on your tastes.

Lettuce - I like the mixed greens or romaine
Chopped apples - I use green apples, honey crisp, and/or pink lady
Honey glazed walnuts (or almonds, or pecans, or...)
Craisins
Gorgonzola cheese
Red onion (just a little)
Girard's Apple Poppyseed Dressing

Mix it all up and enjoy!