Is it a Grape or an Apple? NO! Its a GRAPPLE!

I was out grocery shopping today and I found something I just HAD to try....

They are Grapples,  apples that taste like grapes.   I am not kidding.   I can't count the times that I have been happily eating an apple and thought to myself how it could only be better if my apple tasted like fake grapes.....yeah....

They go against everything I believe and am trying to instill in my family, eating healthy and making wise food choices.   I just couldn't help myself though and had to buy these today and try them.

They were nice crunchy, fresh apples but its been about a half hour since I ate it and my mouth still has this weird, sweet after taste to it.   Their website says they have the taste of concord grapes....not so much, its more like that fake grape taste in candy and Popsicles.   My teeth hurt from eating them.   I bought them this morning and just walking by the container you can smell the artificial grape flavor coming off of them.  The funny thing is they don't really taste that much like grape, they taste mostly like an apple, I found the most 'grape' flavoring the closer I got to the core.

  I just don't understand why anyone would want to intentionally ruin an apple by doing this to it. 

We Are The Champions!

Just a quick post to share the exciting news!   Logan's basketball team won the championship tournament yesterday!!!

I think everyone was pretty much in shock.  I don't think the team won many, if any games during the season.   Then goes to the tournament and beats both teams that they played, it was amazing! 

CHEESE!

 

 

 

 

 

 



This was my Christmas gift from Ryan.   I haven't been using it as much as I'd like to, honestly I'm a little intimidated by it.   I'm hoping to do a little research to learn how to use it for real instead of just as a glorified point and shoot.

 

 

Here are a few pics I've taken with it since I got it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping that I will take more pictures now and actually print them out.  I have a million pictures but they are either on memory cards around my house or lately, on my iphone.   My poor kids won't have photo albums of their childhood, they'll have electronic equipment that they will hope to be able to get pictures off of someday when iphone's are no more. 

 

 

 

We have a 'fancy' pet store by my house now, its not a pet store as in they sell pets but all the fancy treats and food.  The boys and I went and checked it out this weekend and I got the dogs these treats while we were there,  I can't tell you how many times I've walked by this bag in my kitchen and ALMOST ate one because I keep thinking they are peanut butter cookies.  





I Need a Change.

As you can see above, I'm trying out a new name for this blog.    The Just Sayin name was never supposed to be permanent but I just can't come up with anything.  

When I sit to think it over I swear my mind just goes totally blank.  I'm sure by the time I actually post this, I will have changed it another dozen times. 


If I still have any loyal readers out there and you have any suggestions, I'm ready to hear 'em!

I have so much to update on...here is a little bit of what we've been up to...

Cole is still taking skating lessons, he's been at it for almost a whole year.   That's him in the black in the front, he does pretty well.   Next up sign ups for fall ice hockey!

This is Cole's baby kitty.   We found her and her little sister at my work.   A customer took the sister and we took CeCe.   This is one of her favorite places to lay, in Mac's food dish.  

Some of the knitting I've been up to.   The two hats were Christmas gifts for my nieces and nephew, there was a second hat but I must not have gotten a picture :(   The shawl was a gift for my mom and the owl square was part of a project my knitting group did for another member that is having a baby.

  This was a little stressful, I made these for my mom and mil for Christmas.   The pictures were taken this fall for a MOPS fundraiser through Antiquities.   I saw the idea for this on Pinterest and thought that these pictures would look good in this type of 'frame'.  It was a little frustrating at first trying to figure out how to hold everything in the back but then Ryan helped out and got it fixed.   Now I need to go digging around for a window for myself :)

What's That? A Finished Knitting Project?!

Along with all of the activities I've been busy with lately,  I've been knitting....alot.   

Really.

I'm shocked myself.   I can't believe how many projects I've been getting finished lately. Ok its not a TON but its a lot for me.   

First up we have Pogona...It hasn't been blocked yet so its not a beautiful as it could be.  While I'm not new at knitting,  blocking isn't my most favorite thing to do yet nor is it easy for me.    

Sorry for the crappy pic.   I used this cool yarn that I got at the Homespun Yarn Party in Maryland this past spring.  Its the Philadelphia Eagles colors. 

Next up is my Color Affection.   This one I tried to block but my blocking mats weren't big enough and I just don't think I pinned it out correctly.

Again crappy pic...  sorry.

Ok well its not a lot but two finished projects in a short (for me) amount of time!  I'm super excited.   I have a few more projects on the needles that are almost finished,  I'll save those pics for another time.  

Besides I have another problem.....

That is one of my KnitPicks Harmony interchangeable needles.   Its at least the 4th one that has been broken and I'm sick of it.    I'm currently in the market for better needles...preferably something that won't break, has smooth joins and are interchangeable.   

Any suggestions???

Football Cake Pops

This past week and weekend was another busy one.   We had all the normal activities.   Work, school, football practice, soccer and swimming lessons.   Logan's football team was also having a bake sale.    Now I'm not much of a baker but I knew I wanted to make something different.   I didn't want to do the typical brownies or cupcakes.   When I icing a cupcake it looks like I did it left handed while blind folded.  I even have a fancy icing thingy from Pampered Chef!  

So after doing some searching I decided on football shaped cake pops.   I had all these grand ideas that I was going to do red ones and blue ones (team colors) and chocolate ones.   After I made the red cake I decided that was enough.   Instead of being a true red like I wanted, it was more of a pinkish red.  It wasn't until 11pm that I realized my mistake, I should have done an egg white only cake.  Apparently the yolks from the eggs tone down the color.   Who knew?

I wasn't too happy but had plans to make this my test cake.   Ha!

Then I realized how HARD it was to roll them into football shaped balls.   My biggest fear is they would look like turds on a stick!

They ended up not looking TOO bad, though the laces were tricky. I realized the error of my ways after the fact of course.   At least I'll be ready for next year!

Toy Clean Up

In my blogging absence I've been trying to clean out my house and get it somewhat organized.

I feel like we moved in almost 5 years ago and we still aren't really "settled". There just seems to be so much more to do but there really isn't.

Part of my problem is that when we moved, we moved EVERYTHING. Just last year, I finally got rid of baby toys, I had every last toy that my boys had ever received from anyone.

I've been on a roll the past few months, I've taken at least 5 bags/boxes of just toys to goodwill. It looks a ton better but there is so much more to go through. My ultimate goal is to have all toys upstairs in the boys room/extra room, there are still a few clusters of toys in the living room but its better than it was.

I need a few suggestions/ideas though. For starters, stuffed animal storage? I don't know where to go with them all. I have weeded them out too and we are mostly down to the 'special' ones. The build a bears, nicer ones they've won at fairs or gotten on trips. I have a plastic chain hanging from their ceiling with some on but its not that great, a lot of the clips have already broken off. i'm also looking for ideas on just general toy storage, I hate toy boxes. We have one and its almost totally cleaned out. I hate to put anything back into it because it just all ends up in a disorganized, cluttered mess. I'm mostly using canvas totes and the plastic drawer carts. They don't really work with the larger toys though. It seems like so much of it is still just laying on the floor in the boys' bedroom.

Also now that I'm trying to get a handle on the toy clutter, what do I do about the upcoming holidays? Honestly another reason why I have gotten rid of so much is because my boys don't play with much of it anymore. They are both way to addicted to video games or being outside. They mostly play legos, board games (occasionally) or lately beyblades. Any thoughts or suggestions on what to do about gifts and ideas for family this year would be great!