Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

It is upon us......Fall is here (except for the fact that it's still 99 degrees outside)  But I actually think they should change the name from Fall to Pumpkin Season...because really that's what it's all about

Pumpkin Pop Tarts, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ravioli, and of course.....pumpkin coffee

I first got the idea to make my own pumpkin spice creamer when my sister sent me a pin on Pinterest for a Paleo version of the creamer.  I would give credit but the pin had no source and the recipe was just written in the description.  But being Paleo it had honey in it....not my thing.  So I took the basic idea and tweaked it to be low carb.  I also put a lot more pumpkin in mine than the original recipe called for

Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

1 can Pumpkin puree

1 can coconut milk

4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. clove

50 drops of Sweet Drops

Combine all the ingredients together in a blender. The mixture will be thick.  Keep refrigerated in a jar.  After it is refrigerated it will be even thicker but don't let that worry you, it will melt right into your hot coffee just fine

The above recipe is what fit my taste....but tweak it to how you want it.  I LOVE cinnamon so I always go heavy on that. Keep in mind though that you do want to make it a little strong so that a relatively little amount of it will flavor your coffee sufficiently.  I also didn't make mine super sweet but you could add more Sweet Drops (or other sweetener of choice)  I figured I could add Stevia to the cup of coffee if I need to

Orange Creamsicle Jello

I first made a similar version to this jello when I was doing my Low Carb 5 Day Fat Fast.  In that version I just made sugar free jello with cream cheese in it and then topping with fresh whipped cream to get lots of healthy fats in a low carb dose

I ended up liking it so much that even after my fast was over I needed to make more.  This time I stepped it up just a tad more by substituting the cold water in the jello for orange creme flavored sparkling water

All you do is whisk in a block of cream cheese to the boiling water with the gelatin (it's easier if the cream cheese is softened already) until it's nice and creamy.  Then add the cold sparkling water and pour it into a pan to set like normal

It's kind of cool because even though  you mix the cream cheese in well it will always rise to the top when it cools so you get 2 layers of jello. Regular and creamy.  You can see in the picture below.  Top with whipped cream and you have a delicious dessert or snack

Wardrobe Wednesday - Mint and Tourquoise

This weeks look is all about me trying to step up my basic jeans and tees.  This is an outfit very typical of me...especially on a day off.  I want to look somewhat put together and cute but not put a whole lot of time and effort into it

Shirt: Wet Seal

Jeans: Ross

Shoes: Bongo (Kmart)

Necklace: Rue 21

  The old me would have just worn the shirt and the jeans. I'm a sucker for a comfy Vneck  and just got a bunch of them (5 for $20) at Wet Seal last week. (Ironically they are named the Whitney V Neck...personally I think it's a fabulous name choice ;)  The new "trying to branch out a little" Whitney decided to go with a big statement necklace since the overall look was so simple.  I've only worn this necklace maybe 2 other times since I bought it and I was stuck on the idea of wearing it with a contrasting color so I always wore it with coral or orange.  This time I decided to wear it with a color in the same family.  What do you think of the turquoise and mint pairing??

I wanted te be comfy....I was running errands and going to the eye doctor so I wore my gold flat Tom wannabe things.  The Boy always makes fun of me when I wear them because he says they give me flat duck feet.  I can't really argue with him on that one....my feet do look incredibly flat lol  But I like them so I wear them anyway

I STILL don't have any gold bangles otherwise I would have worn them here....but since I didn't I wore a gold headband instead.

So what are your thoughts?  Still too basic?  

And I just wanted to show you how in this picture you can see my gnarly bruise I got at work. (Right arm)  Ignore the little white piece of paper I am standing on

I think this means that my job is detrimental to my health and safety and that I should quit ASAP and become a full time blogger.....right?

MoMo Monday Week #21

Me and The Boy are aware that being as cute as MoMo is a 24 hour a day job.  It's tough work and somebody has to do it and she pulls it off with finesse.

But really.....shes's home all day....couldn't she pitch in and do a thing or two around the house?

You would think that being the big Disney fans that we are that by now she would have picked up on some of the things the animals in Snow White do

Instead me and The Boy keep dropping subtle hints saying stuff like

"Look MoMo! Isn't it cool how the animals do the dishes. You already lick the plates like the deer does"

They even dust

And do laundry

But I don't think she's getting it because I keep coming home to the same piles of laundry from when I left and her lounging around like this

And this 

At least she's cute 

DIY Kitchen Countertop and Cabinet Redo

I had zero to do with this project.  Nada. Zilch. This was all the hard work of my sister and brother in law.  I just get to write about it....win!

They bought a cute house that was built in 1986.  The joke is that my brother inlaw seems to love everything from that year.  Not only is it the year the house was built, but it's also my sisters birth year and the release of his favorite movie, Top Gun.   Anywho, the house is in great condition but needs a little sprucing up to fit their taste.....especially the kitchen

Not terrible...but drab builder grade.  Regular oak cabinets and formica counters

First project up was the counter tops.  They used a Rustoleum Cabinet Transformations kit.  It contains everything you need from deglosser (eliminates the need for sanding) to the top coat and everything in between

Ta -dah!!

Lookin better already!  But they didn't stop there....the counters were up the next weekend.  They really wanted granite but that would be a big expensive pain in the ass.  After alot of research they decided on the Armor Garage brand Countertop Kit.  It's a bit more expensive than other kits out there but the end results is heat resistant (like real granite) and thicker than other kits on the market. It also has the "sparkle" effect already mixed into the paint so you don't have to sprinkle it in yourself

The counter tops made the look of the cabinets pop even more!

What a difference right??

It really turned out great and looks even better in person.  Their dog Phoebe agrees but she is glad it's all over....quite frankly this kitchen project was exhausting for her

So if you have been thinking about sprucing up your kitchen don't rule out these DIY options.  It may take a little work, but it will save you ton of money

For more DIY kitchen cabinet ideas check out this post by Top Reveal. They have so many great ideas that I have never even seen before! It's amazing what you can do to personalize your space yourself

Wardrobe Wednesday Week - Retro Polka Dot Navy Dress

This weeks outfit is a little weak in my eyes...lacking on many levels.  Mostly because I don't have all the pieces I want to really style it correctly

Dress: Ross
Belt:Charlotte Russe
Heels: Charlotte Russe

I got this blue polka dot dress at Ross at the very beginning of the summer.  I was drawn to it because it has sort of a retro feel.  I added the belt because I felt like it needed to be broken up a bit

I REALLY wish I had some red heels.  I think it would have really made this outfit pop....but I don't have a pair...poop!  It's on my Lookout List and has been for a while.  I just can't seem to find the right pair.   Even a yellow heel would have been cute and then maybe I would change the belt color.  Either way I think the white heel makes this look sort of fall flat.  

If I ever find the right heels I will restyle this look and post again.

DIY Leopard Trash Can

One of my dear friends from work has had some unfortunate news recently.  She was diagnosed with lung cancer after just having cancer removed from her colon as well.

She has been undergoing some very intense chemotherapy which as you can imagine has made her incredibly sick.

We all pitched in and made her a nice gift basket full of stuff like magazines to read while she is there, sugar free gum and mints for the metallic taste it puts in your mouth, and various socks, slippers, and other useful things to use doing her treatment.  She really loved it

But I felt like I still wanted to giver her something on my own.  Something useful that would also make her laugh....That's when I decided to make her a fabulous looking barf bucket.

Part of the reason I chose to make a barf bucket is because I suffer from emetophobia (read all about it here) and wanted to show some support for her "sickness" because I knew I wouldn't really be able to when the time came.  Unfortunately my emetophobia can make me very standoffish and almost rude when it comes to those sorts of things.   She is aware of this and is always so sweet about it.  She leaves very discreetly and tries to not let on when she is feeling sick....which makes me feel even worse. haha   While I completely appreciate what she is doing for me I feel like an ass that in her time of need she is thinking about me.  Sigh.....

Anywho....so that's the story behind the barf bucket.  And I also figured that if you're gonna yak you might as well do it in style.....right?

So I bought a trash can from the dollar store and covered the entire thing in leopard duct tape.....that's it! Super easy but makes it super cute

Sorry in advance for the crappy pictures.  It wasn't until I was out the door and on my way to work that I remembered I hadn't taken any pictures.  The door was already locked and I didn't have time to do a fancy set up or I would be late....so you get a picture of it in my rocks

And on my car seat

She absolutely loved it!  I told her I hoped she didn't need to use it much but that it was there just in case.  She said that she is a realist and knows she will.....so at least if she does need to she has something cute

I think this would be a great gift for anybody going through chemo....or maybe even a pregnant friend with morning sickness.  Throwing up sucks but why not show some support right?