This Santa is Hot!!

I love Santa in Hawaii. He is a surfing-turtle riding- ukulele playing stud. So, I am adding this cute little Santa ornament to the Aloha giveaway. This Santa is an obvious risk taker who likes

living on the edge. Isn't he irresistible?

Just comment by Jan 3rd and consider yourself entered. An entry for every post you comment on. Prizes added daily. We're up to Kona coffee, macadamia nuts, a rice press and a beach bound Santa ornament. More coming soon!

Dear Anonymous,

Seriously, I don't need enough "energy" to satisfy the housekeeper and nanny. I REALLY don't need to see any pics of anyone under a size 6 with breasts fit for a Macy's Day float or over size six for that matter. Thanks anyway. If you popped over thinking this was your kind of place you took a SERIOUS wrong turn. I don't need your prescriptions, your dating services or links to women with more plastic than a Tupperware party. I would rather have actual links to Tupperware. Loved, loved the old fashion Tupperware salt shakers. If you can prescribe me a housekeeper or a Nanny then no need to hide out in the comment box. Just tell me what color of pill gets me a personal chef, cures gas and eliminates premature laundry accumulation? I'll be sure to ask my doctor if that pill is right for me. If he says no then I'll just get another doctor!

P.S: Dear Anonymous, consider this is your eviction notice. Now pack your SPAM and get out of my comment box.

In the spirit of SPAM HERE is a great Musubi Recipe and tutorial. It is all the rage here and a very simple and portable meal on the go.

Extra Tip: The spam can makes a great rice mold if you don't have the press. Or win my Aloha giveaway and you'll get a rice press in your Aloha prize package!!

You can also check out THESE musubi inspired Etsy items for fun! I think the musubi washcloth set and scrubbers are too cute. Don't forget to comment now until Jan 3rd to enter the Aloha Giveaway. The giveaway will keep growing. So far there are macadamia nuts, Kona coffee and now a rice press for your very own sushi or musubi!

Just Fake it!!

I don't make icing sweetened with organic apple juice. When the kids are screaming instead of whipping out my superior parenting skills I whip out my emergency marshmallow stash. Don't even get me started on my new bra and faux pedicures. Do you ever fake being fabulous? My New Year's resolution is to fake it more often. If I can shed my Martha complex I just might have more time for this....

and this...

(This moment is courtesy of icing in a can. It is fabulous and it makes me look oh so Martha. I fill cones 2/3 full with boxed cake mix and bake in a cup cake pan. Then squirt on the icing so it looks like soft serve ice cream. VOILA! And in the true spirit of faking it I must confess that I am not a gourmet genius. The recipe is on the back of the cone box)

I think I will start on my New Year's resolution early! I'm off to buy some Spanx. First I'm going to splash a little cleaner in the sink so it smells like I scrubbed the house.

Every confession in my comment box gets you an entry in the oh so fabulous Aloha giveaway!!
Macadamia nuts, Kona coffee and more could all be yours! Just make sure I can reach you if you win! Last day to enter will be Sunday, January 3rd.

And BTW if the Spanx doesn't work I'm just going to laugh my butt off and I think I will start here..

Christmas Traditions?

My grandmother had a tiny thumbnail sized elf hat. We would find it at Christmas in shoes and under the sofa. It was always moving. It belonged to a shifty little elf that always popped in around Thanksgiving and couldn't manage to keep his hat on. We were always hunting for him. He was Santa's spy and when we were naughty he would rush off to keep Santa posted. The hat was eventually lost forever but the sweet memory remains.

So next to Santa's cookies will be a tiny package. Inside will be a very tiny pair of shoes for our Christmas elf this year. We are having them custom made for the elf's curly toes.

Where does a girl go for shoes under 2inches and fit for Santa's helper? I called on Etsy.com and posted a custom request. Several sellers contacted me with wonderful ideas and jumped at the chance to be part of our tradition. Princess has decided our Christmas elf is a velvet loving, sparkle diva so we chose FaerySpell Creations . Everything in the shop looks like it was gathered from dreams and spun into reality. We can't wait to see what the artist comes up with.

A different designer, blue flame , offered to do a pair of elf shoes in green leather. I am so in-love with the idea I might buy another pair of elf shoes. An elf can never have too many shoes! Thank you to everyone on Etsy that was willing to help us add an extra dash of magic to our holidays for years to come! I loved looking at all your wonderful creations.

What unique, fun or sweet thing do you do as a family?