Soon it will be Christmas Day....

Ok I know its only Halloween, but the next two months will FLY by. So for all the early shoppers out there, I've put together a list of great gift ideas. And don't be surprised if you get one of the following from me.

How cute are these Coffee Warmers ? Maybe it makes more sense in colder climates, but they're like little sweaters for your coffee!

You cant go wrong with this little Four Leaf Clover. And for only $1 you can pass the luck around.

For the reader on your shopping list, these Classic Books are so fabulous. The covers are designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. A very talented lady.

Glass carafe. When you're invited to a fancy holiday party and you need to bring a gift, this is a great option. A wonderful gift to the host that always has guest.

These message beans are by far one of my favorites. Sometimes I get worried that I'm trapped in the instant gratification bubble, but this gift makes you just sit back and wait. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

And lastly, quite possibly the most gratifying gift. Sponsoring a child. Not to sound like an infomercial but it's really a good idea. My friend Julie sponsors a little guy and that got me hooked. Then I passed it along to Denise and she now sponsors a little munchkin. With this, I introduce my little guy, Luis.

And why not throw in a Goat and 2 Chickens? Such a great gift for anyone, but an even better gift for a family in need.

Shhhh......

I've got a secret.

I'm a dork.

Not to be confused with nerd, because for some reason I associate nerd with being smart. Just a dork. The best part is that I don't find it to be a bad thing. Just a fun personality trait. But I would not want anyone to think I got this way all on my own. I have strong genes pulling me to the dork side. (see what I mean?)

Hence an e-mail from my dad when announcing my blog.

Dear Jessica,

HERE IS ONE BIG "BLISS KISS" FOR YOUR NEW BLOG

Here are 6 things that I find Blissful in my life.

1. The peace of God when all seems lost.
2. Learning something new that I never thought about before.
3. Waking Up!
4. Keeping a really, really positive attitude. Forgiving, loving, and offering peace to others.
5. Living in Florida during the Winter when its snowing like hell in Boston.
6. Knowing Jessica Lyon.

So listen Sis,
I'm sending you a Kiss.
It's not a Hiss or a Diss....Miss.
It is Bliss!

Dinner Time

I come from a very long line of strong, independent, bright, beautiful women. However, the one trait that no one has seemed to master in my family is cooking.

My dad's mother, who lived through the great depression not to mention worked at the Pentagon, was a strong lady, but my favorite dish of hers was pre packaged little smokies grilled up on Sunday morning.

Then there is my mom's mother. She was an absolutely amazing woman all around. She had her 2 superior dishes, soup and chicken tacos, and that's about it. And, I probably shouldn't admit this, since my mother is a dietitian, but she was not the chef in our house growing up. I distinctly remember making my mom very happy when i turned 16 so now I could drive to the "TO GO" window to pick up dinner on nights when it was her turn to "cook."

I've decided to break this tradition. Now I'm on a quest to cook one recipe a week. Doesn't seem so bad, but just getting the ingredients together is the hardest part. I'm starting with this Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding from epicurious.com.






The "after" picture doesn't look that great, but let me tell you, this dish was AMAZING! I was really impressed with the finished project. Maybe I'll even make it for Thanksgiving dinner.



And maybe that one woman in my family who cooked dinner every night is smiling down on me. :)



**** I do have to give a side note here. My dad is a wonderful cook. He made us dinner most nights and I always loved his meals. He did teach me a thing or two but I found running around with the neighborhood kids more entertaining then cooking.

***Update ***Cooking Tip: When you cook mushrooms, they sweat, A LOT. It's kinda weird. I wouldn't expect mushrooms to be huge water retainers but they sure are. Just keep that in mind when cooking with mushrooms.***

200oz of goodness

So I promise my friends and I aren't some crazy heavy drinkers but for some reason 5 girls dressed up as cute 40oz beers seemed like a good idea. Last weekend we had a rousing good time at a Halloween party in (wait for it...) Taunton, MA. It's apparently quite and event. (Check it out here.) Just so you know, a Taunton party can pull quite a crowd, and apparently its filled with a lot of creative people. The costumes were great, and if I didn't think that ours was the best, then I probably would have taken pictures of other people.

However, I was not the only one who thought we were great, because we won 3rd place in the costume contest! Yay for us....The prize? 3 baseball caps, 7 coozies, 15 key chains, and $150 later we were very happy ladies.

P.S. Please say a prayer for Tia Nydia, its much needed today.

So This Is Bliss....

I've finally done it, started my own blog, and I could not be more excited. To stick with the theme, I'll start with 5 things that I just find absolutely Blissful.

1.) Rain. Maybe growing up in Florida has made me appreciate the rain, but I just have the greatest time sitting inside and listening to it. Like Kenny Chesney says, "There's something sexy about the rain."
2.) Gut wrenching laughter. So cliche but so true. For some reason, when I get together with my family and friends, I get that laugh so hard till it hurts thing.
3.) Canollis. BEST. DESSERT. EVER!
4.) Catching the sunset when you didn't plan on it.
5.) St John. I had the opportunity to visit a friend there last winter, and you just get a different feeling when you're there.