Sunny Sunflowers

Hello readers!  I should be talking about back to school things because it seems to have consumed me this week but I'm still in denial that it has actually started so let's talk about something else.

How about sunflowers!  I love these things.  When they come up they signify for me the end of summer and the hint that fall is around the corner.   They are also super easy to grow and drought resistant which is super convenient for me.

I was reading in one of my gardening books that sunflowers are also referred to as Texas corn which is just another reason for me to love them since I am a Texas girl born and bred.  Every year I buy several packages of these beauties in all different kinds of varieties.  I actually never get them all in the ground and have to save some for next year's garden.  They also tend to reseed themselves which is always fun.  This year I actually never got to plant any and had Mike transplant some that volunteers and just needed water.  I love that fact that the birds and bees love them and can be found buzzing among them happily.

If you are looking for something easy and fun to grown which is striking and beautiful try a sunflower.

Sunflowers are also reminding me of my girls this week.  Small at first and then tall and beautiful in such a short time.

I have magnets in my shop if you just feel like growing some on your fridge.  :)  No work required!

Have a great week!

Crazed Momma

Chocoholic

There are only three things in life that matter - good friends, good chocolate and, oh dear, what was that other one?

Hello readers!  As you can probably tell from the quote above today I am crazy about chocolate.  If I am honest I can admit that it isn't just today.  I've been crazy for chocolate all my life.  Who isn't?  Actually, I have come across people who don't care for it but we won't talk about them because they are obviously delusional.  :)

To celebrate my love for the brown sweet stuff let's review some fun facts that you may or may not know. 

• Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than green tea and just as many as blueberries.
• White chocolate isn't really chocolate.  It is made from the cocoa butter which is produced when beans are pressed.  
•  Chocolate does contain chemical elements that really do boost your mood and produce a euphoric feeling.
• Eating chocolate gives you the same feeling as falling in love. 
• Chocolate comes from the Aztec word "xocolatl" which means "bitter water".
• Switzerland is one of the top countries for chocolate consumption. The Swiss consume about 22 lbs of chocolate, per person, per year.
• Cocoa beans were used as currency by the Mayan and Aztec cultures.
• Hershey is the oldest and largest chocolate company in the US.
• The most expensive chocolate in the world is $2,600 per pound. It's called Madeleine and is made by Fritz Knipschildt, a chocolatier in Connecticut.
• Craving chocolate when a woman is on her menstrual cycle may have more to do with the fact that chocolate is known for helping ease menstrual symptoms. (See, we do have a reason!)
• Eating chocolate can also reduce the symptoms of stress.
• Chocolate is beneficial for proper blood flow to the lungs and other organs.
• The minerals in chocolate help to increase brain power and function.

These facts were found at http://escoffier.com.

I find most of these reasons to be encouraging.  Who knew chocolate could be so good for you!  Maybe I should start bathing it.  I love the smell and I have actually been known to buy shower gel and perfume that have a chocolaty aroma.

Lately, I have been trying to decrease my consumption of sweets in order to lose all those pounds I have gained from adoring chocolate just a little too much.  When I actually had some chocolate peanut butter ice cream a couple of weekends ago I was proud of myself  for calmly enjoying my waffle cone and not losing all control and rubbing it all over my face.  Hopefully, my desire for chocolate and my consumption of it can come to some sort of compromise.

So, how do you like chocolate?  Do you have a preference?  Do you prefer it in a drink, in bars, with nuts, baked, boiled, or fried?  Do tell!  This post is making me hungry so I think I will go and have some (you guessed it) CHOCOLATE!!

By now you know what I'm going to say:
Check out these cute magnets and have a great week!


Crazed Momma

I love Butterflies

Hello readers!  I will jump right into this post and let you know that one thing that I have been crazy about since I was about 12 or 13 is butterflies.  As I have contemplated the reasons, I honestly can't think of anything specific.  How weird is that?  It's just one of the things that make me happy.  Some people like smiley faces, ladybugs, rainbows, cats, dogs but for me it has always been butterflies.  Two instances come to mind when I think of my love for them. 

One of the first memories I have of consciously picking something with butterflies was a pair of curtains.  My Granny worked very hard cleaning houses so that she could have spending money.  She often, and very generously spent this money on her grandchildren.  She would take each of us on or around our birthday and take us shopping and to lunch.  This particular birthday she had allowed me to pick some curtains and other decor for my bedroom.  I fell in love with these curtains with monarch butterflies on them.  After that, and even to this day I still am drawn to these beautiful insects.

My next memory is going to San Francisco with my husband for the day.  We only had one child and were lucky enough to have babysitting.  We were able to go and spend the whole day on Fisherman's Wharf.  My husband surprised me by allowing me to pick a really special souvenir.  There was a whole shop filled with mounted butterflies in glass cases.  I picked one and it hung on my wall for years.

I always enjoy seeing them float and fly by because it signals summer is here to stay for awhile and they seem so peaceful in their silent flight.  Because of my infatuation with butterflies I had to of course include them in my magnets sets.  Have a look and have a good week!

Crazed Momma
Naquai