Auction adventure

I LOVE auctions. I feel like I should be on one of those auction shows. You can find some AMAZING deals at an auction. Sometimes you don't know you even want something until it goes for like a dollar, and then you need 6. The rush I get from raising my hand and saying yuuuupppp is enough even if I don't win. I do have to admit that I get super competitive though. Do it though. Go to an auction. Even if you don't bid of want to buy anything. They're a blast. It's a great experience. 

And if you do decide to buy something, it's even more exciting, especially when you get something you've wanted for a super great price.  So our goods...the stuff that got me super excited for today's auction...

We got a Lionel train set for colt, that was brand new, in the unopened box, for a Xmas, we got it for $50. It retails for over $300!! 

We also got an acuostic guitar for $25...brand new. I've wanted to learn to play for a while now. This makes me so so happy! 

Jay had to get a remote controlled boat for our pond lol he just had to have it. 

Which is fine because what we got next is probably the best deal we will ever get and I almost peed myself in excitement over it. I've wanted a paddleboard for the LONGEST time. I've dreamt of myself pulling over to the numerous lakes around us with colt and just paddling my little heart out, while he rides. Water is one of our favorite things. Well when we got to the auction EVERYONE crowded around it and thought it was a sailboat or something and that it didn't have the sail, so it wasn't really worth it. Ignorance is bliss here lol jay and I were convinced it would go for at least 800 and we weren't going to spend that much on it...I wasn't even going to spend 200 on one. So I said to jay, 100 is the top for that. He laughed and said "it probably won't even start at 100." After a very long and hot auction, it was one of the very last things to get auctioned off, it was game time! The bid started at ONLY $15...some other guy and jay were going back and forth with each other bidding. Jay turned on his mean mugging face, and kept outbidding him...until it got to $100...I thought to myself "oh darn...but that was still fun." To my surprise, the auctioneer said "SOLD to number 19" that was us!!!!! so we got a $1500 paddle board for $100. 

Can you believe that?! 

Brand new. In bubble wrap. 

Have you ever been to an auction? If so what were some of your good finds?

Homemade powder laundry soap

Lots of my friends have inquired how I make my laundry soap...it's super easy and AMAZING for people who have sensitive skin. 

In fact, my husband (Jay) didn't want to try it at all because his skin is so sensitive and didn't want to try anything except dreft, what the doctor recommended for excema, at the time I was cloth diapering Colt (our son) and any detergent was a huge no no on cloth diapers. I used Charlie's soap, which really was amazing too but it started adding up, so I ventured into making my own. I found a recipe that I loved, that's easy, and have been using since. And oh...whole point of me starting this story...my skeptical about everything husband even loves it and has shared it with the guys that he works with. (Back story about that lol..I noticed my soap was going REAL fast...I thought it was so odd...maybe it was disintegrating...so when I told him that it was the weirdest thing that the soap was just disappearing so fast...god knows I don't do laundry THAT often...he fessed up and told me he took some to work for Denny, a guy at work to try...who also got hooked...but gave him the recipe because grating soap is hard work for me). 

Now to the goods...what you'll need

borax (you can find this in the laundry aisle) 

Washing soda (laundry aisle too..sometimes right by the borax)

Bars of soap...I generally go for all natural ones with lavender or tea tree in them..you can use fels naphtha, ivory, castille, etc.

A container with a top...I use a glass one I got at meijer

A little scoop...you have one laying around I'm sure

A Grater (I use the big mama jama of graters) 

You mix 1 cup of borax, 1 bar of finely grated soap, 1 cup of washing soda. I put a little bit of coconut oil in the mix and some essential oils, maybe tea tree or lavendar. I also do more than one batch at a time because I hate grating soap..so obviously you'd double everything. 

This isn't a detergent, so I put a little bit of white vinegar for disinfecting powers. White vinegar is awesome to have around anyways...if you're a serial 1 load washer (you know...when you wash the same load 67 times in a row), like I am, 

white vinegar takes the musty smell out. 

healthy pizza recipe! 21df approved

Yes, you read the title correctly...it says HEALTHY pizza. And for all of my 21 day fixers...it's 21df APPROVED! ✅ what you'll need:

 1 Green container of Cauliflower 

1 Green container of tomatoes (I love tomatoes, and put a whole container in there, but you can go with 1/2 too) 

1/2 of an egg (1/4 of a red

) 1 blue container of cheese 

 Your 21 day fix all seasoning mix and any other 21df approved seasonings you may like. I would add extra of this, if you don't want it too bland. 

A little bit of honey (weird, but it cut down on the bitterness) Any other 21df approved toppings (I did jalapeños) turkey would be good, or even a spinach and feta one would be great too. 

 First take your cauliflower and either grate it or put it in the blender. I put it in the blender. Blend it up until it's pretty fine, like mush basically.

Microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Let is cool! Important!! I tried to drain it without letting it cool all the way. 2 words.Molton. Lava.  

Preheat oven to 450. 

Mix your all spice, and any other spices you'd like, I wish I would have added more as it was a little bland because I went light on the spices. Put your spice concoction in with your tomatoes, and a tablespoon or two of water. Depending on how thick you want your sauce. Throw it in your blender and blend that sucker up. 

Once blended into a sauce, put over a stove and boil. Add a little bit of that honey here to it. Bring down to a simmer, and make sure you stir it occasionally. 

If your cauliflower is cooled down...put it in some cheesecloth, and squeeze it to death...make sure you do this good...the more you get out...the less of a hard time you'll have flipping your masterpiece of a pizza. 

Once all drained out...add in a half of a mixed egg and mix it very well together with the cauliflower. 

IMPORTANT: oil a cookie sheet up very well! Use coconut oil or a little olive oil. 

Pat into a little circle on the cookie sheet, or a heart, or a bunny, whatever shape your heart desires. 

Put in oven for 10 minutes

Flip over and put back in for 10 mins. When you take it out put your sauce on, cheese and toppings. I broiled it for a few minutes. Watch it though. It can turn from cold to flames in a matter of a second, in broil mode. 

Tadaaaaaa you have your awesome healthy pizza 

It was definitely no jets pizza but it surely did hit the pizza spot and kept me full for a long time. Will definitely do this again. I was surprised at how close the cauliflower crust tasted like bread. 

What are some of your unhealthy cravings? 

Travels to Tennessee

It's so nice being so close to multiple different states. When the hubby gets a long weekend off (generally on a VERY short notice) We pack very fast and head south, or to one of the surrounding states. It's awesome! This last weekend, we decided to go to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. We generally go glamping in little camping cabins that just have beds and an A/C. Sometimes we get lucky and they have a fridge and a microwave. ;)

We went to Gatlinburg National Park, I really suggest that for anyone who is traveling that way. It takes a while to drive up the mountain, make sure your "oh Sh*t handle" is engaged and strong.


We played in the river. Colton's favorite part.

He played with rocks, and threw them in the river, over and over, and over. 

After that we went even further up the mountain, and saw what was my favorite part of the trip. Wayyyy wayyy up there, there was a huge ranch full of horses. 100's and 100's of acres of flat land in the mountain, and lots of amazing horses. We got lucky enough to get super close and pet them. 

We then went back to our cabin and got cleaned up, and went to Hatfield and Mccoy dinner show. It was hilarious, and completely worth it. The pulled pork was great, some of the best I have had. The actors and actresses were on point! Once we got back to the cabin, we had a little camp fire and made plans to head back north in the morning to stay the night in Corbin, Kentucky. It was a smaller town, and right up the road there was the Cumberland falls. (on a full moon, there's whats called a "moonbow" which is like a rain bow, but only happens there on a full moon, we weren't there at the right time though) It was gorgeous though. 

It was definitely awesome but by the falls, there were a lot of people, and it was only tied off on the top by a few pieces of rope. Definitely hold on to your kids lol It was a beautiful trip and adventure but it felt so nice to be home with all 62 of my pillows.