Dandelions in December: Life lately

December kicked off with really warm weather over here. As in, people other than me were wearing flip flops and t-shirts outside ;) We've had cold days too, and I've been learning that sometimes it's necessary to wear shoes and socks (one day I walked half a mile in flip flops without realizing it was 40 degrees outside, though I did notice that my feet were freezing. Needless to say, I'm a wearing shoes outside a lot more than I used to!). And in all of the ups and downs of weather, we've had a few lovely dandelions gracing our lawn. 

I know that some people hate dandelions-apparently they are a weed?-but I love them. They are, without a doubt, my top favorite "flower." Seeing these little bursts of yellow in the middle of warm or cold December days was pretty great. It was a seemingly little and insignificant thing, but it made me really happy. 

There are so many things that surround us which bring joy to our days, even if they seem small or unimportant. Lately, I've been trying to do better about counting my blessings and really rejoicing in the awesome things I encounter in life. 



Last week, I made homemade cereal for the first time! I had wanted to do this for a really long time, but I never got around to it, until now. My husband made the wonderful observation that it looked like dog food (which, truthfully, it did), but it tasted great. It basically tasted like a bunch of tiny, slightly crunchy peanut butter cookies that seemed healthy-ish since I cut down the sugar and there was a teensy bit of coconut oil in them. The only less-than-awesome part about the process was rolling the dough into little balls. I tried rolling it into a log (that I could cut into pieces), but it didn't hold together well enough for that (maybe I just needed to add more milk or peanut butter?). So, I listened to podcasts and pinched and rolled the dough into balls one at a time. 

We made a half batch and that was enough for a few big bowls of cereal for my husband, myself, and our son. Here's the recipe that we used: Homemade Peanut Butter Crunch. The first tray I made, I put in the oven for nearly the full time and it was really crunchy, but didn't seem to taste quite as peanut buttery to me. The next trays I made, I put in for just a minute or two under the prescribed time and while they were softer, they tasted more peanut buttery. Regardless of how you do it, I don't think you can lose with this recipe. 

Speaking of podcasts, y'all need to listen up. Within the past handful of months, I started listening to The Catholic Feminist. It's awesome, full of frank, honest discussions about important topics that are very relevant to what we face in our lives. There was recently an episode about adoption and infertility, and it was so good. I think one of my favorite parts was when the ladies discussed why it's not good to use the phrase, "Just adopt." Even if you're not a Catholic or a feminist, I recommend that you give it a listen: The Journey of Infertility and Adoption. 

Another thing giving me joy at the moment is my toddler. Oh how he makes me laugh and smile! (even today, when he's tired and cranky and refusing a nap) I finished making a winter hat for him, and I think it's rather cunning. He doesn't like wearing it, though (as you can see from the picture), but I'm thinking he'll like it more as time goes on, and as I keep putting it on his head. 

On a final note, my husband has been continuing to show me The Office, and it's been such a fun activity to do together. I love laughing with him as we watch the antics of the vibrant characters. I could do without the crude sexual references, but otherwise, I'm really into this show. Way more than I ever thought I'd be. We just started season 9, and I'm filled with all sorts of emotions knowing that the story will soon end (but I am excited to see how it all plays out!). Rest assured, y'all will be hearing more of my thoughts once I finish the show :) 

Well, I think that's about all for today. I'm planning an Advent Tea that will take place this weekend, so I'm currently in the process of figuring out which kind of tea sandwiches I should make (I asked some people for recommendations, and now I have way to many awesome options! So clearly, I should just make tea sandwiches a routine part of my life). I hope you all have a wonderful day!