Sass and Sippy Cups

Hi everyone! Fall weather is in full swing in New England, which means it's soup season!! I love soup, but I'll only eat it when the weather gets cool enough for sweaters and boots. A couple weeks ago when the weather first changed, I was thinking of using a new recipe because I was sick of the same old beef stew/tomato soup and grilled cheese/canned chowder. I love butternut squash soup, so I thought I'd be even more seasonal and use pumpkin. My husband loves spicy food, so I thought Thai Chili would be the way to go. I have a jarred sauce that I buy at the supermarket that is sweet and spicy and delicious, and since the flavor is well-rounded, I used some of that in the soup. It was almost as quick and easy to make as the kind in a can, and it's absolutely delicious.  In fact, I am currently sipping some of this soup as I'm typing. It's a perfect lunch for when I'm cold but too busy to sit down and eat. Yes, I drink pureed soups in a mug. I am not di

Hi everyone! In my last post, I talked about how I've been suffering from what I think might be high-functioning depression. This means that I can get what needs to be done accomplished, but it takes so much effort and energy that everything extra falls by the wayside, including self care. My next doctor's appointment isn't until right before Christmas, so I need to figure out what to do in the meantime.  For me, it's not enough to just say "I have a few minutes, let me sit down and write, color, read, etc." I know I won't do it, or I'll feel rushed and won't like what I made. I'm a big fan of lists, and I have always been good at meeting deadlines. So I'm thinking if maybe I make a point to give myself a project and a deadline, then maybe I'll be able to get it accomplished without being TOO critical of the outcome. For example, something that's been on my "when-I-have-time" to-do list is to make some seasonal canvas pa

Hi, friends! I know it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve decided that maybe it’s best not to make promises regarding content or frequency of posts. The reason why is super personal, but I feel like I need to share. Hopefully my experience will resonate with someone and we can start a conversation. I’ve mentioned before that I suffer from severe anxiety, and have since I was a kid.   More recently, however, I have experienced symptoms that are making me believe there may be more to it.   Mental health issues run in my family, and I have grown up with my dad suffering from severe depression with suicidal tendencies.   People I’ve known that have suffered from depression have all fit the same stereotypical profile: intensely sad over things that may seem insignificant to everyone else; can’t get out of bed to take care of their basic needs; and even having suicidal thoughts, feeling as though their loved ones would be better off without them.   I never thought there would be a

Hi everyone! Today I'm coming to you with a product review for Kiss Gel Fantasy Artificial Nails. I am not someone who just needs to have their nails done all the time: I spend 99% of my time with bare nails. Manicures are expensive and my hands shake way too much to paint them myself. But I recently had a trauma to my nails that I had to cover up. I'm not sure how it happened, but I woke up one morning with one nail on each hand that had peeled up from the cuticle. I have had them peel before, but always from the tip, never from the cuticle. I would show you photos, but they were pretty gross. So I picked up these bad boys from the drugstore and gave them a shot. Here are my thoughts. Pros: They cost less than $10 , and are sometimes on sale BOGO 50% off. The nails are one solid color all the way through. Many artificial nails are white plastic that is polished on top. This is important because I have a tough time with artificial nails to begin with (they feel so

It seems that in recent years, all anyone is concerned with is the ability of children to read at an early age. How many commercials have you seen for baby reading programs? Forcing kids to read is only going to make them hate reading. I truly feel that this is why many adults end up hating to read. I truly feel that adults who love reading began as children who loved reading, and were exposed to it before it became mandatory. Think about it, if your only exposure to books were the ones you had to read in English class, you'd probably hate it too. That's why it's SO important to get little ones into reading without forcing it on them.  So here are my tips for getting kids to love books (and maybe spend some more time away from that tablet). 1. Just read to them!   The easiest way to get your children to love reading is to read to them. I've been reading to my toddler since the day she came home from the hospital. Now she will crack open a book and say "mommy, I