Let’s get this party started!!

Hello! (throwing confetti, let’s get this party going!) As you may have read from my bio my name is Connie. I’m 51. Married mother of 2. Grandma with 1 absolutely PERFECT Granddaughter. I work full time as a receptionist for an optometrist in Escondido. With each of the different hats I wear, I have stress that I need to learn to manage without using food. (I have that management skill mastered! )

51 brought along menopause (okay, seriously! I can have a hot-flash and a pimple at the same time? How is that fair!??) I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a couple of years ago which makes me feel sluggish and tired all the time.

My wonderful husband brings his own type of stress. (noooo not just for being a man) My husband has Multiple Sclerosis. I’m always worried about him. Heat is really hard on MS patients so doing things together outside is usually out of the question. Walking for any amount of time puts him into hours of pain. So we spend a lot of time watching movies and staying where it’s air-conditioned.

Children. LOL stress and kids that’s almost a no-brainer. Everyone worries about their children. My kids are all older (29, 32), since they don’t live at home, they are no longer worried about being grounded so they don’t clear things with me anymore. I don’t know which is worse, waiting up till you know they are home safe and sound or not knowing they’ve been out all night!! I really am kidding, my kids are great. Each one is doing amazingly well. My daughter spent time in the Navy, then went into law enforcement (STRESS!!).  My son runs his own successful business.

Work. Of course, there is stress. It’s WORK! It’s a four-letter word even! My job is to be upbeat and happy. EVEN during a hot-flash.

But I’m excited to have been chosen for the Channel 10 Half Year Challange. I was even MORE excited and less stressed after meeting with Trudi, Patti and David at Channel 10 and finding out the official picture taking didn’t involve spandex or biker shorts and bra top. (My children! They do know just which buttons to push to freak me out!! SO HA!!! No spandex!)

I’m excited to get started! Is it bad to really want that bag of m&m’s to kick start this diet? (am I skinny yet?) ummm well Gracie (the dog) thought that was funny anyway.

I also need to add Happy Birthday to my dear husband Randy!

Updating my blog’s SEO has officially entered the same category as cleaning behind the refrigerator. Necessary. Noble. Slightly horrifying. 🧹✨

Because nothing says “fun afternoon” like opening a five year old post and discovering half the images have vanished, three links lead to businesses that now exist only in memory, and somewhere deep in the code lives a font choice I definitely made during a caffeine spiral.

Welcome to my glamorous life.

Recently, I decided it was time to “freshen things up.” You know, a light polish. A little dusting.

Instead, I uncovered what I can only describe as The Ghost of PBnWhine Past.

This sneaky little phantom floats through my blog at night deleting pictures like a Victorian librarian with a grudge.

“Oh, you liked that step by step craft tutorial with helpful photos?”
Poof. Gone.

“That product review with beautifully staged shots?”
Vanished into the ether.

Now posts look like:

Step 1: Do the thing
Step 2: [image missing]
Step 3: Trust me

Very helpful. Ten out of ten. No notes.

And don’t get me started on the links.

Nothing keeps you humble like clicking a reference and landing on:

Error 404: This business has retired to Florida.

Apparently half the companies I worked with have closed, rebranded, or transformed into something called “Crypto Spoon AI Wellness Collective.” Time is wild.

So here I am, updating old posts like an archaeologist with Wi-Fi. Replacing images. Fixing links. Adding keywords. Whispering sweet nothings to Google like, “Please notice me. I have snacks.”

It’s not glamorous work, but it does make the blog faster, prettier, and easier to find. Which means more crafts, more reviews, more giveaways, and fewer digital tumbleweeds rolling through the pages.

Speaking of goodies…

While you’re visiting, check the sidebar for the current giveaway at
👉 https://peanutbutterandwhine.com

Because nothing pairs better with freshly polished SEO than free stuff.

And since we’re sharing treasures… have you tried Freebie Flow yet? It’s basically a treasure chest of random freebies and wildly discounted finds. Use code PBNWhine10OFF for 10% off:
👉 https://freebieflow.com

Also, please tell me you’re using Rakuten. Getting paid to shop feels delightfully rebellious, like cookies before dinner but financially responsible:
👉 https://www.rakuten.com

So if you see me muttering at my laptop and chasing imaginary ghosts with a broom made of metadata, just know I’m not losing it.

I’m “optimizing.”

Which is blogger for: battling invisible spirits, resurrecting broken links, and bribing search engines with fresh content.

Totally normal behavior. 😄