Christmas Fudge

Do you have a special treat that reminds you of Christmas?? I do... it's my mom's fudge. She always makes a big batch for their annual Holiday Happy Hour on the last day of school. I spend the next week trying to (un)successfully avoid it because I know it's not the healthiest treat but holy moly it's delicious. I added a little twist to my version of the fudge by adding crushed candy canes to the top. It just adds a little peppermint crunch that I love. I hope you enjoy this super easy holiday dessert!

Ingredients:
3 cups of sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar of jet-puffed Marshmallow creme
1 tsp. of vanilla
3 candy canes

1. Line a square packing dish (8x8 or 9x9) with foil so it overlaps on the sides.
2. Bring the sugar, butter, and evaporated milk to a full rolling boil in a large saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly.

3. Cook for four minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees fahrenheit, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and marshmallow creme and stir until it's melted. Add the vanilla and mix well.

5. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Crush candy cane pieces and sprinkle candy on top.

6. Let it cool completely and use foil to lift out of pan.

7. Cut into squares to serve.

I hope you love this super easy recipe as much as I do. I am linking up with Jessica, Amy, and Alisha for the Bits of Cheer holiday linkup. I'm also linking up with Katie, Pinky, and Sara for their Countdown to Christmas.  Check out their blogs for more holiday goodness!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Weekend Recap: Disneyland Craziness

Happy Monday everyone! This weekend was a whirlwind and seriously flew by so fast. I knew it was going to be busy with Disneyland on Saturday but I didn't think it was going to be THAT insane lol. Here's a little recap of my weekend:

Friday- I stayed after school to work for awhile to try and get caught up. This time of year is SUPER busy at school and this week is going to be even busier. Then I went to meet my friend Greg for sushi. We love Sushiya and when Mark is home the three of us go almost every week. It's an addiction. Afterwards I went home to start wrapping presents. We leave on Friday to head to Vegas so I wanted to make sure everything was wrapped early.

Saturday-  I woke up at the crack of dawn to try and get out of the house by 7 a.m. I was supposed to pick Steph up at 7:30 but I was late...whoops! The mornings are so hectic and I am a sloooow mover. We got to the park around 9:30 and headed straight to get a fast pass for Space Mountain. The park was already super busy so we knew we were in for some LONG lines. We then went and found Brittney and Jeff in line to meet Chewie. We got there just in time to meet him. So fun but also kinda scary lol...he's huge! The rest of the day was a whirlwind of waiting in lines, rides, waiting in more line, and repeat. It was seriously a blast! Here is our day in pictures...

Super bright selfie... this was our "We made it" face!

Matterhorn

Dylan, Jeff, and Liam with Chewie

The Parade

Liam is so adorable :)

Coffee Round 2

We stayed for the fireworks and it was well worth the wait and the crowdedness lol. It was beautiful!! Disneyland is just so magical at Christmas time!

Sunday- I spent the morning trying to recover from my Disney "hangover." I was just exhausted from walking/ standing all day and I was soooo tired from getting home so late. It makes me feel old lol.

Breakfast: Acai Bowl

I spent the day running errands, finishing Christmas shopping, and doing laundry. Greg came over  and had tacos with me for lunch. I used the Against All Grain recipe for taco seasoning and oh my goodness it was so good.

Later on I headed to Sara's house to learn more about the Rodan and Field's skincare products. She is a new consultant and wanted to share some info about the company with Ashley and me. I feel like I learned a TON about the company and what they offer.  I got to do a little tester of the Reverse line last night and I really liked it. It was super soothing and not too heavy, which can sometimes be a problem for me. It's exciting to see products that are clinically tested and have great results! I am interested to see how I like them long term.

This is the kit that I tried out. I have sun damage from being a lifeguard in Vegas for four years. I was terrible to my skin!

These two little guys seem AMAZING! They are on my wish list for sure! I love anything that helps to exfoliate.

If you want to know more about any of these products contact Sara Peterson at smpeterson1987@gmail.com

I hope you all have a great day!! Five more days until Christmas break... yay!!! :)

Five on Friday- Christmas Wish List Edition

Happy Friday everyone! Wow, this week flew by so quickly! I guess that's what happens when you are still trying to catch up from Monday on Thursday haha. I still can't believe I had a fever on Monday. I haven't had a fever in years! Apparently I'm not immune to my students germs :/ Anyways I am looking forward to the weekend so I can finish up some Christmas shopping and I have something super fun planned for Saturday. I can't wait!

I thought that instead of my normal Five on Friday post, I would share five six items on my wish list this year.

One- Some New Tunes

My super thoughtful hubby bought me a record player last year for Christmas. I only have a couple records so far so I would love to add more to my collection. I saw this Journey: Greatest Hits album and immediately added it to my wish list. On my search for other records I came across the Guardians of the Galaxy deluxe edition and I was so excited. Mark and I both loved the Guardians of the Galaxy movie and I have the soundtrack on my phone. This little guy is for sure on my wish list! 

Two- Ankle Bootie Love

These Dolce Vita ankle boots have been on my wish list for a long time now. I love the taupe color and the wedge will make them super wearable. I'm a size 9 in case anyone is wondering :)

Three- Columbia Vest

Mark also bought me a gray vest a couple years ago and I LOVE it. I've worn that thing to death and it's my go-to for throwing on over workout clothes or other long-sleeve shirts. I would love to add a black vest to my collection. I like the puffy look of this Columbia vest because it's not TOO puffy. Since I live in San Diego I definitely don't need a crazy warm vest, just something neutral.  

Four- Brush Set

Makeup Geek is one of my favorite eyeshadow brands and I've heard nothing but good things about their brushes. I'm in need of some new face brushes since some of mine are pretty old and are starting to shed the little brush hairs. Does anyone else hate that?? I do! It drives me crazy haha. This set is pretty awesome and is under $50!

Five- GapFit

I purchased a GapFit long-sleeve shirt a couple months ago and I absolutely LOVE it. Like I said before, I live in San Diego and it doesn't get very cold. Layering is always the way to go and these GapFit shirts are super breathable and light. I have a gray and white striped shirt but I would like a solid colored one to go with my patterned workout leggings. 

Six- Book Worm

If you've read my blog before you probably know that I LOVE to read. I would be totally happy if all I got for Christmas was books but I thought I would just put two on here so I didn't bore everyone lol. I've read a couple of Shauna Niequist's books in the past and loved them. I've had her newer book Savor on my Wish List for awhile now. When you're reading her books you feel like an old friend having a conversation with her. She seems so down to earth and real, which makes her writing so relatable. I also want Ree Drummond's latest book The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime. I just adore her!

As always I'm linking up with April, Natasha, Christina, Karli, Erika, Narci, and Andrea.  I hope you all have a great Friday and a super relaxing weekend!

Book Over- Review: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff`

Buy it here. 

Let's just start out by saying I didn't like this book in the beginning. This seems to be a theme with all the books I've read lately.  It seemed pretentious and almost like it was trying too hard to be cool, or smart. The over-use of metaphors was driving me nuts! Don't get me wrong, I love a good metaphor but she had a metaphor built into another metaphor. It was exhausting but I kept reading. When I read the second half I started to see the pieces fall more easily together and I found myself reading it during every single free moment. I loved it and in the end I thought the writing was incredibly sophisticated, but still a little pretentious.

Let me set up the story for you... It is written in two parts. The first is in Lotto's perspective and the second is in Matilde's. In Lotto's story you hear snip-its of his childhood and teenage years, and more in depth parts of his marriage. There are constant flashes of the past meeting the present. You get glimpses of Matilde (his wife) but only from his eyes. This is something I love because it's a reminder that no matter how we think of ourselves our spouses always see us in a much better light. Lotto seemed to be a very bright and charismatic man but his ego needed to be stroked at all times. Matilde was consistently there for him through all stages of his life and helped him to become a famous playwright. Throughout his journey you see that he lives in a dream-like state, being loved by almost everyone around him. Even when he wasn't successful, he had his charm and good looks that was a magnet to the people around him.

Matilde's story starts after more than 20 years of marriage. You get a more in-depth look at her haunted childhood with the same flashes of past meeting present. The darkness that penetrated her heart and continued to envelope her life was so sad and a little disturbing. She made some hard choices but also managed to make her life happen in a way that she didn't originally think was possible. I can't imagine growing up in the way she did without becoming stiff, or the "ice queen" as she was referred to in the book. She wanted a marriage with Lotto and got her wish, while falling in love seemed to be a bonus. She had a wonderful marriage with Lotto but never seemed to let herself fully feel worthy of love or experience true joy. She always held back apart of herself and you see this in her reserved demeanor. Her story completes the holes in Lotto's part of the book and made it all worth while.

It was a book that really makes you contemplate what the characters were thinking and you never truly have a full grasp on their lives. This was a heavy book and could not be labeled as an easy read. I felt myself frustrated, a little disgusted, and even saddened by the characters actions. Some of the things that occurred during their lives were such a far stretch from anything I have ever experienced. That being said, I also thought the love they shared was incredibly sweet and romantic. They really stuck through the thick and thin together...or maybe it was more her who stayed by his side through it all. She seemed to be the rock and the glue. It was a little scary how many secrets were in their marriage when they seemed so open and honest.

This book is worth the struggle in the beginning, to see the pieces fall into place during the second half. You will be shocked but also sucked into their strange lives. If you've read this book I would love to hear your thoughts!

My other book over-reviews:

Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand 
Circling the Sun by Paula McClain
The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig