Visions of Sugarplums: Fabulous Finds Friday ~ March 27th

First off, I want to apologize for the absence of last week’s Fabulous Finds Friday post ~ I caught the bug that’s been going around the office and I was S~I~C~K. But I’m back this week, and have some super fabulous finds to share!

While blog~hopping this week, I ran across MckMama’s blog, My Charming Kids, and I have to say that I am officially hooked. MckMama is an amazing photographer, so her posts are full of beautiful pictures of her four children, and she is a great writer, making her posts not only fun to look at but also fun to read. This has been a particularly rough week for her ~ her youngest son, Stellan, who was diagnosed with heart failure in the womb but was successfully treated before delivery, is back in the hospital with a rapid heart rate that the doctors can’t seem to get to slow down. If you haven’t already, visit MckMama’s blog, fall in love with her and her adorable children, and join in the prayers from Stellan. For frequent updates on Stellan's condition and what the doctors are doing to help him, follow MckMama on Twitter.

During my blog visiting, I also came across a link to a man's photo journal of the last years he spent with his elderly father who had no short~term memory. It takes a bit to work your way through the whole page butit is well worth it. An amazing and touching story. Thanks, Le Love, for sharing this with us!

I am a big juice fan, but tend to shy away from it because it can be so high in calories. But we discovered Ocean Spray’s Light Cran~Pomegranate Juice at the grocery store this week and I’m hooked! At only 40 calories a serving, it’s a great low-cal alternative to their regular juice selections. And it’s delicious! You can barely taste the bitterness of the cranberries ~ they seem to have found just the right blend of cran and pom to make it extra pleasing to the palate. It’s fabulous!

Anyone who’s read my blog a few times knows that I’m over the moon about the new puppy we’ll be bringing home later this spring. They probably also know that if left to my own devices, I will treat the pup more like a baby than a dog and end up with one misbehaved, spoiled (but incredibly well~loved) Papillon. In an effort to avoid this, my dear boyfriend suggested that we start watching The Dog Whisperer. I promptly set up the DVR to record any upcoming episodes (lucky for us, they had a marathon last Friday). We’ve watched three or four episodes so far and the verdict is in ~ Cesar Millan is amazing! He can transform the most ill~behaved, vicious dog into the perfect pet. He encourages owners to be the “pack leader” and to give their dogs these three things (in this order) every day: exercise, discipline, affection. I am already feeling more confident in my dog~parenting skills after watching just a few episodes. Definitely a must~see for any dog owner!

I have long been a fan of Fire Mountain Gems and Beads ~ they have amazing prices and a selection of beads that is second to none. If you are a bead fan like me, you simply have to check them out and get signed up for their weekly email mailers. And they’ll send you a 500 page bead catalog that could keep any bead lover content for hours. This week, one of their mailers introduced these fabulous Swarovski crystal beads ~ I can’t wait to get some to adorn my garters with. At $3.35 for 10 beads, you can’t go wrong!

My department at works loves to celebrate birthdays. We have a tradition of bringing a cake in for the person whose birthday is after yours, and lately that has spread into bringing treats to enjoy throughout the day in addition to the yummy cake. We had a birthday on Monday, and one of my co~workers brought in the most delicious bean dip. I begged her for the recipe so I could include it in this post, and here it is!(Note: the dip is equally delicious cold or warm.)

Ingredients:
1 can refried beans
1 lb taco meat (ground beef w/taco seasoning and water
8 oz (or so) sour cream
1 cup (or so) shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 chopped green onions
1 chopped tomato
1 full-size can of olives, sliced

Layer the beans, taco meat, sour cream, and cheddar cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and add the onions, tomato, and olives. Enjoy!