Author: Susie Pea

Hello there! Welcome to Susie Pea's. My name is Kim and I am a wife, mom, granny nanny, and blogger. I am excited to share all things me. We will talk about child development, fun with my sweet peas (grandbabies), my KETO way of eating, Keto recipes and menus, DIY's, and so much more. It's Just me. All day. Everyday.
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My Journey with Keto – Finding Myself

Susie Pea

Food has been an accurate representation of me it feels like for my whole life. I celebrate with food. I use food when I am stressed. When I am sad I eat. When I am happy, I eat some more. I love food. And I hate food. I have issues with food. Therefore I am out of control. I can’t do this to my family, my body, my self anymore! And so my JOURNEY begins.

Struggling

At 50 years old, I topped the scale at 220 pounds. I couldn’t believe it. I was unhappy with myself. So unhappy that I ate even more to try and make myself happy. I was struggling. I was depressed.

It was a hard year for me. I lost my home of 23 years to a devastating flood. My dad was dying. My children had married and moved out or went away to college. Jason and I were empty nesters. Everything that I loved, my dad, my home, my children were all slipping away. All reasons for me to allow my bingeing life style to take hold.

Bingeing

I didn’t know what a binge eater was. When my doctor diagnosed me, I thought she was crazy. I disagreed with her. A binge eater? I wasn’t hiding it – I thought. I ate when I wanted to, which was all the time, and didn’t care if anyone saw me. But, maybe I did eat a little more when no one was around. That was because no one was around, not because I was hiding it, right? (10 Signs of Emotional Eating.)

Even though I disagreed with my doctor about my eating disorder, I knew that I needed to lose weight. She told me at that same visit that I was obese, borderline morbid obese. I let her know that no one has ever said that to me before. I was shocked that she did. Denial. – She was right. I was bingeing. I was out of control and my health was paying for it. Read my post Bingeing – The Struggle is Real here.

Starving

Back on the yo-yo diet, I worked HARD to control my eating. I was literally starving myself. I even passed out at a public event and went to the hospital by ambulance. Dehydrated. What was I doing to myself? This could not be the answer.

I lost 20 pounds in 2 1/2 years. During that time, we lost my dad. And I lost what little unhealthy control I had. I began to binge. My weight began to come back.

Keto Journey!

In April 2018 something clicked. No more gaining. I could barely fit into my jeans. Unhappy again. This crazy new KETO way of eating looked too good to be true. There were tons of pictures of people dropping weight and fast. Something had to be done. I had to try.

I began following some Keto dieters on Instagram and tried to eat what they were eating. It was hard though, because everyone was saying that the Keto journey is different for everyone. Find your own macros. Intermittent fast. Do this. Don’t do that. I was scouring YouTube channels and social media for information. I searched for recipes on Pinterest. In the end I just kind of winged it. Even with all of my confusion – it was working! I was doing something right.

Month after month, the weight was coming off. As the pounds were dropping, I realized that being in control of what I was putting into my body made me happy. Being in control of my way of eating made me feel good inside. Therefore, I kept going. In just 8 months on Keto I lost 60 pounds (80 pounds total – WOW!!). My bingeing is under control. I no longer feel that I am starving or dieting. I have a new view of eating. It is a lifestyle that I choose for myself. A lifestyle that is easy and sustainable. I feel amazing. My energy level is way up. I am strong.

Somewhere Along the Way I Found Myself

Something else happened along the way. I found myself. I have learned that I am a better wife, mom, daughter, sister, grandma, and friend when I put my health and happiness higher up there on my list of important things. Taking care of myself allows me to take better care of others. I am truly the best me that I can be. I am enjoying growing ‘old’ on this journey. These are the good old days! ~Susie Pea

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Find my recipe on Banana Walnut Egg Loaf here. And Keto Cake & Cake Pops here.

Hey friends! With so much information out there flying around about the KETO way of eating, I wanted to help make it easier by offering you my Free Keto Menu Week 1. This will show you what I eat in a typical week for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner and include snack ideas. Keto Menu Week 2. Keto Menu Week 3. Keto Diet Don’ts. Happy keto-ing!

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DIY Lake House Wall Décor for Pennies

Jason and I took the plunge and bought a condo at the lake a little over a year ago. Even though most of the properties that are sold at the lake come turn key, I still wanted to make our new place “mine”.

Here are some DIY projects that gave our lake house an extra dose of loveliness – Susie Pea style. They were so simple and inexpensive, and didn’t take much time at all.

DIY Lakehouse Sign

I made this handsome sign to hang over the front door at the condo. It is a great way to direct our friends and family to the right place when they come to visit. I love the black and white colors. It sets the stage for the décor of the entire condo.

Now you remember how frugal I am… Home Depot has an area that they house discount wood boards that are warped or damaged for 70% off. What a deal! I dug through the pile and found the perfect width for my sign. I had an associate cut the appropriate length for me. They will do this for free for any project as long as it is a straight cut.

With some leftover paint that I had around the house, I painted the board solid black.

I have a friend that cuts vinyl things for me at a great price. I had her print out my words for the sign in white vinyl. I added my vinyl to my sign and eyeballed it. You can use a ruler to find center board and make marks to ensure level placement for larger projects. But because this one was so small and simple I was able to line it up with out doing all of that.

I then sprayed polyurethane over the top of my finished sign to help it survive Missouri weather.

The board was $1.60. The vinyl lettering was $5. Such a simple project and cost me only $6.60. I love the way that it turned out!

DIY Fishing Lure Prints

I looked all over for the perfect pictures to hang in the bathroom at the condo. Something black-and-white that related to the Lake would be amazing. I just couldn’t find what I wanted so I decided to make my own artwork.

There were prints on the internet that I thought would look great. I got two black picture frames with white matting from Walmart for $5 each. Perfect and inexpensive.

DIY Whale Wall Art

While scrolling for miles and miles on Pinterest for ideas for the condo, I came across the cutest whale picture. I knew I wanted to add him to my wall art somehow. He would be the perfect touch. See my Pinterest board on Lake Décor here. It has a ton of great Ideas on how to decorate a unique Lake House.

To make this guy, I got a piece of precut 1/4″ hardboard plywood (think luan flooring) from Home Depot. I free hand drew my whale onto the board with a pencil. After I was happy with the design, I used a jigsaw to cut the shape out of the wood. Then I sanded the sides to make sure I didn’t have any rough edges. With some left over black and gray paint, I painted the whale board. To hang on the wall I put Velcro command strips on the back of my whale and pressed onto the wall. It adds to the nautical feel of that room.

Black and White Prints


The day we closed on the condo was such a relief. Buying a condo is way different than buying a house. Who knew all of the association insurances and rules would be such a complicated pain! We got the keys and CELEBRATED! I enlarged black-and-white prints of pictures taken that day. These darling DIY prints definitely show our feelings at that moment. Jason with a thumbs up on the dock, and me relaxing in the cabana!

I found two picture frames from Pottery Barn Outlet that were 90% off of the damaged cart. (I also got a large 24″ x 36″ chalkboard from the damaged cart for $4.60 that looks great on a different wall.) The frames were in pretty good shape and the roughed up edges only enhanced their charm. Easy Peasy!

For fun, I had black and white prints made of family and friends visiting the lake with us. I started a collage on the door of the deck that I will add to each year as we make more memories with the people we love. It has already become a fun hangout for guests to check out.

Lake House Coordinate Sign

Back to the 70% off cart at home depot. There was a 1 x 4 x 10 that looked almost perfect. The associate cut off the 6 or so inches that were damaged. I painted the board white with the some leftover paint. I found the coordinates for the condo online here. To put the design onto my board, I used some stencils and gray acrylic craft paint . I lightly sanded my sign to make it look distressed. I love the way it looks and it only cost $2 for this DIY project.

Large Distressed Deck Sign

I searched for a large piece of wood for this project. I wanted it to be big enough to mock an old lakefront fishing /gas one stop store that you find on the water.

I got an 1x8x12 board from the 70% off cart and had my “crew” (can I call them that now after so many projects?) take off any undesirable inches. The whole board was painted two different shades of gray with some white streaked in here and there. @lovegrowswild.com has an easy post on how to distress signs. I used a layered technique of lightly coating the board with back and forth horizontal swipes.

After the paint dried, I printed large block letters and taped the pieces of paper together to make a large template. I then took a pencil and chalked the back of the template where all of the letters were. I place the stencil over the top of the board and traced the letters. When I lifted the template you could see a light pencil marking on my piece of wood. I filled in the markings with a darker gray paint. After it dried, I lightly sanded the entire project for a distressed look. I sprayed polyurethane to protect from weather. This simple and inexpensive guy hangs above the sliders on our deck and looks great.

Random Art

For multiple DIY signs, I went to Michael’s and used 50% coupon to buy different sized canvases. I painted them a light coat of off white paint. I searched Pinterest and found a few great sayings that I liked and added them to the canvases. If you want a more professional feel, you can have your silhouette friend print you the vinyl or even a stencil. Or make your own DIY by the tracing technique I used with the deck sign.

I hung all of my canvas artwork with command strips. It is a great way to be able to move my art where I want and not have to worry about patching any holes later. Jason hung my heavier signs with screws to secure.

These fun and simple projects helped me to feel like I have left my mark on our home away from home. It is such a great feeling doing projects like this myself. Plus I love saving money!! ~ Susie Pea

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do? Let me know in the comments below. If you like DIY’s, check out my post on DIY Chalk board here. And my DIY Burlap Wreath here. And I just added my Easy and Quick DIY T-Shirt Blanket.

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Inspiring Me with The Happy Planner

My Happy Planner

Calendars have always been my best friend. You know, the kind with 30 plus boxes that I would scribble doctor appointments, meetings, birthdates, and date nights in. Those boring, plain pages of my year have worked ok for my entire adult life. My 2019 is going to be different. I got a HAPPY PLANNER to log those usual important dates AND to help me manage this thing called life. This montage of months is inspiring me to add my dreams and goals too. (Check out my post on ‘Goal Jeans‘. My planner helps keeps me on track with my weight loss journey too!)

I am just learning about all of the themes, stickers and pretties that everyone adds to this diary of a planner. I’m excited to add my own touch to this montage and see what it becomes in 365 days!

My HAPPY PLANNER

Inspiring Me with Pinterest Ideas for Planning

To help me get started, I turned to Pinterest. I created my own Happy Planner Board and started pinning to my hearts content. @crazybusyhappylife has an excellent post 10 Tips For Using A Planner For Maximum Productivity. I found some interesting ideas from her post that I am planning on implementing into my new calendar. On my Pinterest board, I have added informational post after inspirational post of how to organize your planner. These are amazing guides to organizing your Happy Planner for sure!


@eslamoda.com has some darling ideas to add to your planner. Check these out here.

Inspiring Me with Social Media Ideas for Planning

I joined a Happy Planner group on Facebook as well. I like to get ideas on this more personal level. It allows me to ask questions and make friends. Search Groups on Facebook and type in Happy Planner. There are tons of Ideas on Instagram too. Search for Happy Planner or check some #hashtags about calendars or planners and you can find literally hundreds of people to follow showing you their planners and how they personalize them.

What To Put In Your Planner

Here is a list of ideas to keep in your planner. You can add to the calendar, but also make a page just for these types of things. And decorate it up to your hearts content!

  • List of Daily To Do’s
  • Deadlines & Do Dates
  • Menu Planning
  • Grocery Lists
  • Health Tracker – Exercise, water, weight, menstrual cycle, symptoms
  • Pregnancy – dates, sizes, weight, moods, cravings
  • Wedding – appointments, venues, events, contacts
  • Mood Tracker
  • Appointments
  • Special Dates – Birthdays, anniversaries
  • School Activities
  • Journal – Gratitude, mood, special thoughts, relationships
  • Goals – Weight loss, exercise, healthy lifestyle, accomplishments
  • Milestones – Walking, talking, lost teeth

Online & Instore Supplies

Online and Instore ideas are everywhere. There are several local stores that have Happy Planner items and their own brand of calendar cuties as well. Hobby Lobby and Michael’s are great places to shop for pens, markers, washi tape, stickers, and stamps. Remember to shop the sales ads, or use your store coupon to get 40% off your supplies. Amazon has an amazing selection as well. What a great way to have everything sent right to your front door.

UPDATE: I have added birthdays and anniversaries to my calendar. I found some cute stickers that match my color scheme too. It is very relaxing, almost like coloring. Now it is so cute that I am having a hard time adding everyday, miscellaneous appointments to my planner. I’m afraid that it will take the darlingness away!! ~ Susie Pea

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Unique Party Ideas for Her

Now you know I love to throw a fun party, but when it comes to celebrating my ladies – I can go wild! It’s like makeup and new shoes – every girl wants them!! These great party ideas will get you well on your way to throwing an amazing bash.

So I thought it would be fun to put together some Unique Party Ideas for Her. Here are some themes that she will love. Read along to find some creative and fun ways to celebrate those special women in your life. I hope that you will find some great ideas to inspire you for your next get together celebrating the sistas!!

Grown Up PJ Party

Grown Up Pajama Party

@inspiredbythis.com has a great Grown Up Pajama Party themed evening planned. What an amazing idea to be ‘locked in’ with all of your tribe in some comfy PJ’S, with great food, and silly games. Remember when the sleepover was the best thing ever on the weekend. Getting a chance to do it all over again will make such great memories. Think of all of the fun games you used to play like Bloody Mary! You can rent movies, order pizza, drink wine, stay up all night catching up. And you don’t even really have to spend the night. But if you do, DONUTS for breakfast!!!

Italian Dinner Party Ideas

  • Authentic Italian Dinner Party
  • @pictureperfectmeals.com

Think of a dinner party set around her favorite Italian meal, wine, and Sinatra playing in the background. How lovely an evening would that be! Candlelight and decorations all set the mood for the evening of fun with all of her favorite people. Check out some more great ideas for this dinner party theme @jacolynmurphy.com.

A Champagne Brunch

A Champagne Brunch is a great party theme if you are planning an afternoon get together for the birthday girl or bride to be. The invitations and decorations can all be in this softer color pallet to keep the party simple and easy. Check out the Bubbly Bar at this shower @catchmyparty.com.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Here is another unusual idea for a shower or birthday, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. What a great way to celebrate her in style. My oldest daughter had a Breakfast at Tiffany’s wedding shower. We asked the guests to dress in black and wear their pearls. We had candy cigarettes, black and white photo booth, and of course Tiffany Blue everything! Click here for more about our Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridal Shower.

Chopped Dinner Party Ideas

Host a Chopped at Home Dinner Party

A Chopped at Home Dinner Party is a great way to celebrate a birthday for her. She can show off her cooking skills and have fun at the same time. Here are some great ways to host a chopped party. Be sure to tell your guests to come hungry.

The Last Swing Before the Ring

Last Swing Before the Ring

Not everyone is a girlie girl. Some of us love sports just as much as he does. So for that lady in your group that would rather be watching the game than shopping (well maybe that’s a stretch but you get my point), here is a great Bachelorette party idea. The Last Swing Before the Ring. Meet up for a tailgate to get the party started and share gifts, then head out to the game for a great time celebrating the lucky lady. For more of our Last Swing Before the Ring bachelorette party click here.

Redneck Party

Redneck Party

Buzzfeed.com has amazing Redneck Party pictures that will inspire you to do some crazy things for a Redneck Party! I think this will be my next big bash! Who’s birthday is coming up?? There are tons of funny ideas here. Wear your mullet and brush your tooth for this one!

I hope that these ideas encourage you when planning your next party for your favorite people. If you liked this, check out my post on My Favorite Party Planning Tips. Let me know how it turns out. – Susie Pea

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Great Party Ideas for Him

One of my favorite things to do is host a great party. I especially like making sure that the get together is completely about the one I am celebrating. From food and drinks, decorations, and the cake, I want it to be all about the guest of honor. I want to embrace every aspect of the party and make it all about him.


Just because your guy isn’t a kid anymore doesn’t mean he wouldn’t love a party all about him. Here are some great ideas to get you headed in the right direction for an amazing party.

Shop for official St. Louis Cardinals fan gear from Majestic, Nike and New Era at Shop.MLB.com

While men don’t usually get into all of the excitement of putting the perfect party together, they still enjoy being the center of attention when the day arrives. And when they see the little touches that you included that showcase his personality, he will be impressed to say the least.

Murder Mystery Party

If a smaller gathering is what you are going for, here is a fun party idea. Invite a few adventurous friends that would like to “play” the part of an exciting murder mystery. There are games that you can buy that already come with invitations and scripts for each guest, or you can find some ideas for your own murder mystery online. Here is a great one from @nateandrachael.com.

Get everyone pumped up for the big night by starting with great invitations. Be sure to assign them a part for the night in the invitation. Request that they come dressed in character. Theme your decorations, foods, and cake around the mystery that you will be playing. With the perfect crew, this one is sure to be a great time!

Bar Cycle Party

St. Louis Bar Cycle

Have you ever seen a Bar Cycle? It is a party on wheels just waiting for you to peddle all over town. The bar cycle comes with a guest driver to help you plan your route stops, and keep you on schedule for your final destination. St. Louis Barcycle is a great company that travels all over the Soulard neighborhood. I did this party for my hubby’s 50th. We had an amazing time! Check it out here.

Super Hero Party

Super Hero Party

A fun Father’s Day party that I hosted for all of the Grandpas and Dads in our family was a Super Hero Party. @sippycupmom.com has a some cool ideas that you can use at your party. This party was so much fun and it made the day extra special for the kids too. It was an easy way to get together with all of the men in our life at once. With all of the wives and moms attending, there were more than enough hands to help with running the party.

Taco Bar

source @caferio.com

Men love food! So you could let the party be all about the food. How about a Taco Bar with Margaritas and Coronas? Perfect for that festive and easy event. Add same green and orange balloons and it’s a party! Or grill burgers, whip up some baked beans, add potato salad. Serve in aluminum pie tins with a bandana napkin – boom – western theme.

Whatever you choose to do, just remember that he is the reason for the get together so the food should be some of his favorites. It wouldn’t be fun for him if he didn’t like what you made.

Cigar Bar

source @cigarblog.tumbler.com

Another fun ideas would be to host a cigar bar. Serve whiskey and set up some charcutery boards and mini sandwiches for guests. You can have the matches printed with a special birthday wish for your guy.

Get Together For Favorite Sport

Football Themed Party from @catchmyparty.com

Put together a party around his favorite sport or sports team (or whatever hobby that he is into). Now just whip up some concession stand food and beer, hang some balloons and streamers in team colors, and there you have it.


If you are still not sure what to do for an amazing unforgettable party, ask yourself, “what does he like to watch on t.v.? Does he play video games? Is he a bowler? Or does he lift weights?” You can have a party about anything that is all him. And I know that he will love it!

I hope that these party themes have given you some good ideas on throwing a great event for your guy. As long as you put things all about him into your party planning he will be over the top happy with anything that you do. If you liked this, you might want to check out Great Gifts Ideas for Him – Give Him What He Really Wants!  or My Favorite Party Planning Tips.

Good luck! And let me know in the comments what you have done for awesome parties for your guy. Or send some pictures of how your get together turns out. – Susie Pea

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Boo

Brooke is a Kindergarten teacher turned Stay at Home Mom of her 4 littles. Here you will find posts from her that will relate to running an action packed home full of energizer bunnies. She will be sharing her tips and tricks on surviving a day as a SAHM (I am sure it includes coffee!). She is sure to entertain and enlighten us all.

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Great Gifts for Him – What He Really Wants!

What do you get for that special guy in your life that has everything? Chances are that if he doesn’t have it already, then he will get it for himself or doesn’t want it in the first place. So what’s a girl to do. Well I’m here to give you ideas of things that he really wants. Great gifts for him. The real-real!

I have made a list of some great gift ideas that he will actually enjoy. The things that he wishes you would get him but would never ask.

His Favorite Sports Event

MIZZOU-RAH!
Shop for official St. Louis Cardinals fan gear from Majestic, Nike and New Era at Shop.MLB.com
  1. Tickets to see his favorite sports team or event. He already makes you watch his team play on t.v. What could be more exciting to him than actually being there? If his favorite is too far away for you to travel, find a local team that he shows an interest in. Maybe seeing a minor league game or college team would be his idea of fun too!

A Great Steak

Your local butcher.

2. Pick up a couple of his favorite cut of steaks from the market. Add some savory seasonings to go with it. Ask the local butcher what cut of meat is good and the best way to season and cook your steak, he will be glad to help.  The butcher is a wealth of information about shopping meat. He can tell you the best deal for the week too. Go here for tips on how to get that perfect cut of meat.  Don’t forget to pick up your guy’s favorite drink to wash it all down.

A Getaway With the Guys

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

3. A weekend away with the guys. Ahhh, the gift of freedom! But not real freedom, just a couple of days. He loves being with you, but hanging out with his boys for a weekend of manly fun is hard to beat. The Lake of the Ozarks is a great weekend get away! Hundreds of places to eat and drink are all over the lake. Great fun by boat or car. Most bars offer live music and entertainment. If he doesn’t have his own water toy, there are plenty of places that rent jet skis and boats. Plus you can shop with your girls all weekend while he is gone!

Pedicure or Shave

The REAL Mani-petti.

4. A pedicure or shave. He might not know that this is something he wants yet. Having his legs and feet massaged will be his new thing. If you don’t think that he will go to the salon, here is a DYI on how to give him an at home pedicure yourself.

Axe Throwing

Axe Throwing Bars are the new place to hang out.

5. An evening of Axe Throwing. This is the perfect date night idea that he wont think is stupid. Who needs darts when you can chuck axes. Of course you are using bigger tools and targets.  Go here to find a great place near you to try your hand at axe throwing.

With any one of these gifts, he will surely brag to his friends about how great you are. If you still can’t decide, I suggest giving him an Amazon Prime Membership. Give the gift of PRIME!

Here are some benefits of Amazon Prime:

  • FREE Two-Day Shipping on over 100 million items
  • Watch thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video
  • Stream millions of songs and thousands of playlists
  • Also get free Kindle e-books, unlimited photo storage, exclusive access to deals, Twitch, and much more

If you liked this, you might want to check out Party Ideas for Him.

What are some cool things you have gotten for your guy? Let me know in the comments below. – Susie Pea

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Keto Easter Brunch Ideas

All through my life, holidays and family get togethers were the perfect reason for me to over indulge. So many dishes and treats made by the people that love you most, how could I say no to just a “little” taste of EVERYTHING? So being the trooper that I am, I tried more than just a little taste and my weight showed it.

In April 2018 I decided to stop the craziness and get my weight and lifestyle under control. (see My Keto Journey – Finding Myself here.)No more little tastes of everything. Even though it was made with love, I knew that it wasn’t good for me.

Believe me, it was hard to say no to a piece of birthday cake or Thanksgiving pie. But even one bite of sugary sweet goodness and I was sunk. I had to want to be better for me. I had to make it stop.

It was either give up family get togethers or learn to handle them. My family means the world to me so I decided to make a plan on how I would make it through holidays, parties, and Sunday family dinners. (Check out my Ultimate Scavenger Hunt for Kids – a variation on the Easter Egg hunt).

After a lot of research and a readiness to lose that unhealthy weight, I found KETO. If you want to learn about my Keto journey, check it out here. Since starting a Ketogenic way of eating, I have lost almost 60 pounds! I haven’t missed any holidays or family meals. I learned how to make the menu work for me.

With Easter coming up, I decided to put together some Easter Brunch ideas that are low carb and Keto friendly. I plan to take one or two of these yummy dishes as my contribution to the Easter celebration.

Banana Nut Egg loaf

Banana Nut Egg Loaf

This is a great version of @ketosami.am’s Egg Loaf. This one is made with walnuts and banana extract (because banana’s are not keto). It tastes very close to Banana Nut Bread, but isn’t a bread at all. Even the non-keto diner will not be able to pass this one up. You can find my recipe for Banana Nut Egg Loaf here.

Crust less Spinach Quiche

Crust less Spinach Quiche

Here is a Crust less Spinach Quiche recipe from @thelittlepine. It is so cheesy and savory. I have made it several times and my family love it just as much as I do. It is every bit as delicious as the original without the carb filled crust. No crust equals more cheese and that is a win in my cook book of love!

Blueberry Egg loaf Muffins

Blueberry Egg Loaf Muffin


Here is another variation on the egg loaf. The blueberries are the perfect amount of pleasantness for your sweet tooth and this brunch idea. I like to sprinkle the top with cinnamon and a drop of sugar free syrup. You can find my recipe for Blueberry Egg Loaf Muffins here.

Low Carb Carrot Cake

Low carb Carrot Cake

What is an Easter meal without the carrot cake? This low carb carrot cake is so moist and delicious, no one will guess that it is gluten free and sugar free. It is surprisingly easy to make and presents like you were in the kitchen all day. You know, one of those recipes where you throw flour on your face and shake up your hair so everyone thinks you worked harder than you did. You will love this brunch idea of a Low carb Carrot Cake recipe from @Wholesomeyum.

Easy Ham & Cheese Rolls

Easy Ham and Cheese Rolls

@sweetcsloves has a phenomenal recipe Easy Ham and Cheese Rolls. It has all the salty, savory, cheesy goodness that as a keto connoisseur, I am looking for. Plus, this one is filled with ham and makes for a filling brunch treat. You can substitute bacon or sausage for the ham if you prefer.

And of course, bacon and eggs should grace the Easter brunch table too. With so many KETO options this year, I know that I will have a guilt free celebration with my family. I’m getting hungry just imagining how great these Easter brunch ideas are going to be!

What are some of your favorite Keto friendly brunch recipes. Let me know in the comments below. I hope you have a great Easter! – Susie Pea

Hey friends! There is so much information out there flying around about the KETO way of eating, I wanted to help make it easier by offering you my Keto Menu Week 1. This will show you what I eat in a typical week for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner and includes snack ideas. Look for more menus coming soon. Happy Keto-ing!

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Mother’s Day Gifts She Will Love

A gift on Mother’s Day should always be something special and meaningful for your mom. She is the one that has loved you your whole life. Show her how important she is this year with one of these Mother’s Day Gifts She Will Love ideas.

Bookmarks

Boo, Jaybird, & Leelou hanging on for Life!

One of my favorite gifts were bookmarks made of my kids hanging on strings. These make me smile each time I open my book and see them. Here is a how-to on how to make these lovelies yourself.

Flower Pots

Curtie Boy helping me PLANT my seeds

My grandson made this DIY herb garden kit for me on my First Mother’s Day as a Grandma. The best part was that he helped me plant the seeds. What a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day hanging out with my sweet pea! The kit came with 3 different sized terracotta planters. They painted a chalkboard label on each pot so I could write the name of the herb planted. It included hand stamped bag full of potting soil. And some oregano, parsley, chives seed packets. Simple personal touches add to this DIY inexpensive gift.

Watercolor Art

Watercolors of my HOMES

This sweet gift of watercolors are of my First Home of 23 years (that we lost in the 2015 area Floods), and my New Home. Brooke drew my homes exactly how they look and painted them herself. I love the saying that she added. You can go here for 10 Tips of Learning Watercolors to DIY these as a gift or for yourself.

Treasured Bracelet

My Dad’s Handwriting

My kids got me this delicate bracelet the year after my dad passed away. It is his handwriting taken from a card that he gave my mom. I love that they made something of his into a gift that I will always treasure. Find jewelry made with handwriting here.

Photo Wreath

Picture Wreath

This photo wreath has pictures of all my little sweet peas surrounding it. I love the candid black & white photos of my grandbabies intertwined together. You can make one as a gift with a grapevine wreath, floral wire, and small picture frames. Here is my post on how I made this Picture Frame Wreath. It is a beautiful keepsake that mom would love to have.

Framed Sheet Music

You’ll Be In My Heart

This framed sheet music is Phil Collins’ song You’ll Be In My Heart from the Disney TARZAN movie. It is my song with my Jaybird since he was a little boy. I love having a copy of our song hanging up in my home.

One of my favorite things that I got was an Amazon Prime Membership as a gift. The gift of PRIME! Perfect! Here are some benefits:

  • FREE Two-Day Shipping on over 100 million items
  • Watch thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video
  • Stream millions of songs and thousands of playlists
  • Also get free Kindle e-books, unlimited photo storage, exclusive access to deals, Twitch, and much more

I hope that you liked my ideas of Mother’s Day Gifts She Will Love. These are just a few of my favorite things that I have been blessed to get from my own Pod ~Susie Peas

What are some great things that you have gotten from your kids? Let me know in the comments below.

Check out my post on Great Gift Ideas For Him – What He Really Wants! here. And if you like DIY’s see my Easy DIY T-Shirt Blanket post.

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Are You Up for the Challenges?

Now that it is the beginning of a new year, social media has gone crazy with all of these fun new challenges to get you moving, creating, imagining.

Challenges to be a Better YOU

I’m sure that you have scrolled across two or three. There are weight loss challenges, 30 day wall squat challenges, 30 day writing challenges, 30 day minimalism challenges, monthly photo a day challenge, you name it! Some seem so silly. Actually silly enough to play along. Most are to help inspire us to be better in the one thing that we deep down feel like we need help on.

A lot of challenges put a 30 day time frame on them because, let’s face it, we don’t have more than that to give. Also, it is said that if you do something for 21 days straight it becomes a habit. And why not throw in a couple more days to make sure it sticks.

Challenges to get you Doing

Some challenges aren’t about the number of days, but about how many things you do. 12 books in 12 months challenge, or 2019 Reading challenge where you are guided to read 26 books – one every 2 weeks. Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? There is a 20 acts of kindness challenge, cut back on spending challenge, 7 ways to be more creative challenge, and even a challenge to be more Waste Less.

Challenges on YouTube

Then there are the YouTube challenges which I think you have to be younger than me to do. Maybe -before your common sense kicks in- kind of age. These usually come about from hanging out with a bunch of friends and you just get bored. You make up a crazy challenge and video it. Boom. There it is! Here are a few fun friend challenges. These are sure to get your Saturday night rockin’.

20 Things About Me Challenge

So here’s my Challenge: 20 Things About Me – 1) happily married 31 years. 2) Momma to 3 great humans that I am so thankful for. 3) Mimi to 6 darling grandbabies. 4 boys, 2 girls. All 6 and under!! 4) My 9-5 is Granny Nanny. 5) Born in Cali, raised in Missouri. 6) My last job was as a Parent Educator. 7) Some hats that I have worn include Soccer Coach, Girl Scout Leader, Teacher, and Personnel Director. 8) I’m a Cardinal’s fan.

9) I graduated High School from Busch Stadium. 10) I was a brace face. 11) My favorite stores are resale shops. 12) I have a shiatzu named McGrady. 13)I lost my home of 23 years in a flood. 14) Weekends at the lake are the best. 15) I’m a full time passenger on a Harley. 16) I’m a middle child. 17) I miss my dad. 18)I love my KETO woe. 19) I am learning how to cook. 20) I always talk to myself when I am alone – OUTLOUD! There you have it. Me in a nutshell. Kind of cool, right?!

We don’t grow when things are easy.  We grow when we face challenges. – InspirationalQuotesMagazine.com

Challenge Yourself

So take inventory of what is missing in your life, or what you feel the need to work on. If you want to clean the clutter, find a challenge on 30 days to become a minimalist. If you need to look good in that swimsuit, find a 30 days to Brazilian butt challenge. Wanting to read more and social network less? Challenge yourself to put the phone down at a certain time each evening and pick up a book. Finding a challenge, or even making one of your own can be the way to go to help you get there, or laugh. Whichever works for you. ~Susie Pea

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