Home Made Lip Gloss To Kiss Away 2011 and Welcome 2012

It’s been one of those weeks—a lazy, relaxing, low-stress time to enjoy my kids and my family and my friends in a way that we just don’t get to do during the rest of the year. It’s like that during the week between Christmas and New Year; it’s almost like everyone is on autopilot, recovering from the holidays and the past year, and getting themselves ready for the new. For real? I’m SO ready for 2011 to be over and hopeful that 2012 comes with much less disappointment and way more awesome.

I’ve been doing my best to focus on what matters. The girls and I have been baking and trying out new recipes (Mari made this awesome banana bread recipe from scratch, Lila helped her whip up these delicious, gooey butter cookies and this gumbo recipe is totally my new obsession) and we hosted some old friends at an impromptu dinner that turned into a warm, much-needed gathering of like minds, hearts and kindred spirits. The girls and I also turned to my Pinterest pages to whip up a sweet treat for our lips—home made Kiss Gloss. It was super easy to make and yielded big rewards: giggle time with my girls and a perfectly kissable booty of lip gloss—enough to last us through Spring. Lila dubbed her lemony vanilla confection, “Gamma Bettye’s Shush Cake Kiss” (because it smells exactly like my mother’s lemon butter pound cake); Mari’s Peppermint Kiss leaves our lips all tingly; and my creation, made with grapefruit, rosemary and lemon essential oils, makes me want to put some on my lips and my wrists, it smells so yummy.

Our time together over these past two weeks has been a great elixir while I recover from 2011 and plot and plan and shape what’s to come for 2012. Here’s hoping that the next year is as smooth and shiny and kissable as our kiss gloss.