Treat Yo Self is a series that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

Guys, I have a problem when it comes to peanut butter cups. I think I always have. In college, my best friend and I were more than a little obsessed. We even started calling them lard cups, for some reason that escapes me at the moment. The point is, we were so close to peanut butter cups that we had a nickname for them.

Fast forward ten years. My metabolism is slower and child bearing has made hips that were already wide even wider. There is a pooch. There is a spare tire. I am working on these things, but I’ve realized there are some things I cannot deny myself. Chocolate is most definitely one of them. Cutting it off of my Can Eat list only makes me want it more and makes me binge harder when I inevitably slip up.

That said, I’ve found a few ways to make myself happy in the chocolate department in a healthier way. One of those ways is by making myself some bomb ass homemade peanut butter cups.

(Unrelated note: I almost edited the phrase bomb ass out since it’s not something I say regularly in conversation. Only these peanut butter cups are so good they deserve ridiculous emphasis. Also, if my husband happens to read this post that phrase will make him cringe. That means it stays.)

Graphic tees with messages on them have slowly been picking up steam for a while now. From Zoe Karssen’s $160 Crème de la Crème sweatshirt (no, that’s totally not a typo. A sweatshirt that costs almost as much as my car payment) to Forever 21’s $14 Forever 21, they’re pretty much everywhere.

Some of them are obnoxious. Some of them I couldn’t possibly wear in front of my children (well, at least the one who can read). Some of them are blatant rip offs of earlier (usually better) versions.

Still, I’m kind of obsessed. The best part is that they’re being styled in so many different ways. Of course these guys would look good with jeans or a pair of cut offs, but they also look pretty awesome tucked into a flowy skirt or peeking out underneath a blazer and some dress pants.

Obviously not all of them work for everyone. You have to find one that speaks to you—ha! Get it?!

OK, I’ll be quiet now.

I decided to spend waaaaay too much time poking around handmade corners of the internet and picking out some of my very favorite talking t-shirts. For some reason most of them are gray. But you know what? I’m totally cool with that.

Enjoy!

You know how I said September always feel like January to me? Well it’s not just clean notebooks and cute office supplies that I’m looking for. I’m also looking to break any bad habits we’ve slipped into over the course of the summer—like over indulging in deliciousness.

At the start of the summer I was all gung ho about getting into a healthy eating routine for both myself and the girls. Well, a few too many lunches out and froyo treats side railed that just a teeeeeny bit (and by teeny bit I mean a lot).

I really want to flush the processed foods out of our lives. At least mostly. Mac and cheese is probably here to stay, no matter how hard I try. But if I can start by offering them after school snacks that are clean and healthy, I’m hoping it will slowly bleed into other mealtimes.

Here are twenty clean eating after school snacks that are totally doable with a little bit of preparation.

September always feels a bit like January to me. It must be all of the fresh notebooks, newly sharpened pencils, and clean sneakers. It makes me want to sit down to a nice, clean, organized desk, set new goals, and make plans for kicking butt.

It also makes me really, really excited about office supplies. I mean, I normally have a weird affinity for the things (I always, always have to touch them). But when they’re in my face as much as they are during the back-to-school bonanza, I get a little crazier than usual. I want my desk to have all of the cute and quirky things.

So, of course, I had to shop around a little…

I have some really talented friends. My friend Rena is definitely one of them—although don’t tell her I said that because her head will get really big and I’ll have to knock her down a few pegs to keep her in check.

Anyway, after talking about it for years and procrastinating with the best (worst?) of them, she finally opened up Rena Franco Design, an Etsy shop filled with her hilariously snarky paper goods. And I have to tell you, they’re pretty awesome.