Getting Ready to Get Ready

*My links are not showing up unless you hover over the words...I'm working on how to fix that.

I had a really fun weekend doing almost nothing. I love that. And hate that.
But mostly just love it.

I spent most of my time with Mark, and we went to Costco, that's a little something, right? Seriously, who doesn't enjoy a Costco trip?

We had the opportunity to listen to Elder D. Todd Christofferson speak, and that was a good something.

And I met new people, and one gave me a copy of her newest cookbook!
Keeping Up Cookbook
Grace Ivory Rock has published two cookbooks and this is her latest and the newest addition to my kitchen. I already love it, it's cute for starters. And everything in it sounds sooo good.
I am so excited to use this, I made my first today, Garlic-Lemon Spaghettini, It was very good. Her recipes are not intimidating, but are sophisticated enough to be delicious and exciting.

Naomi's birthday is coming up soon! And so is Valentines Day.
She and I decided to make it one big celebration.
We are making birthday party invitations tomorrow!
I'm guessing it won't be many more years where she thinks a Valentines Birthday Party is a fun idea. Personally, I think it's a fantastic theme. You really can't go wrong with pink, purple and red hearts. And Candy and hearts. And more hearts.
And please send any fun party ideas my way!
I'm thinking I need to make a heart-shaped cake.
Maybe something like one of these? Naomi just wants candles to blow out.

I really love chocolate, this recipe is from Joy Of Baking

(sounds good, but maybe too much for a birthday party)

This heart cake tutorial looks so great, and probably very complicated....from I Am Baker

(really, this is my favorite, how fun is this cake!)

Martha Steward never fails

(These would probably be just perfect. Adorable too!)

 Or how do you make something like this? Heart shaped molds would be helpful I'm sure. And knowledge of how to use fondant. I watched Ace of Cakes enough, I should be able to handle it I think. Ha, joking of course.

And I just found this image, how to make a heart shaped cake: Not that tricky.

Speaking of Valentines, I saw this valentines idea from Twig and Thistle via Design mom today and It's just the cutest thing ever. Ever. DIY Valentines Fruit Stickers.

Ok, maybe not ever, but it's really fun, right?

We already started this homemade color-theory Valentines from Mer Mag.

This is ours so far:

I think we might have to pair it with the DIY fruit stickers! But I need to locate some sticker paper. I already tried printing them on label paper, not many turned out centered on a label. But it was worth a shot...

And other things? I am keeping up with school work, but it's difficult when there are so many other things I need to do and so very many things I want to do, besides school work. 

It is interesting. Psychological Stats is both interesting and time-consuming. Behavior Analysis isn't bad, and I'm learning, or rather, re-learning how human behavior works. It should prove to be an interesting semester.

One of the other things I just want to do is make new pillow covers for my couch pillows. I have the fabric, the sewing machine and the tutorial. Just need the time. I'll probably follow this one from Freshly Picked.

I love all these creative people sharing ideas, it's fantastic.

I also need to make some more bows, clips, ribbons, flowers, etc for Naomi. I really love doing that and it's been a while. I need the fix of starting and finishing a project and she needs new accessories. Win-win.

Oh, and running. I took a break. Now I'm back. I think. I loose my base so quickly that it makes me anxious when I haven't run for a few days. Ok, a week. Back to the gym for another few months until we thaw here. 

And lastly, Jamesy fell asleep on the couch. He is so sweet and peaceful when he is sleeping. He got a hair cut too, so cute.

Pickleville Playhouse

So, long time since I've posted! I've been busy, busy with school and a lot of play. And just getting ready for Christmas!

But I wanted to give a quick shout-out to my favorite Local talent and business! Pickleville Playhouse!

Pickleville Playhouse is playing here in LOGAN right now! Every weekend and a few other dates as well.

Their Holiday show, "Santa's Elves: A North Pole Musical" is on through December 23. 

I have never seen the Christmas show but I am going this year! Hooray!

I have seen the summer shows and Bandito is hilarious.

So support some GREAT local talent and go see this fantastic show! 

I have it on good authority it is so funny, like "laugh until our cheeks hurt" funny.

Happy Holidays!

Here is the link to the website for ticket and showtime information. 

www.picklevilleplayhouse.com

Vintage Wanna Bee

Vintage Wanna Bee
Check out this cute bag giveaway on a very fun blog!
I just learned of this blog, it's a girl I know but had no idea she was so crafty and creative!
Follow the link to check out her blog and enter the giveaway. Or don't, because I want to win ;)

Social Media

Madsen Bikes!

A bucket bike!
I really would LOVE one of these bikes. Really, really. Look how cool they are!
I could put both my kids in there and go for rides, fast rides!
It's a lot more appealing than running with my double jogger.
Madsen Bikes. Just one more thing I think is super cool, check them out.
Click the Pic

Things

Just a few things.

Yesterday evening I ran a 10 mile race. It was the Last Dash Relay. It was an event for USU business week, and proceeds went towards the Huntsman Cancer Institute. I ran it solo, there was the option to relay at 5 miles but I didn't have a running buddy. It was killer the first few miles. That's always the hardest part for some reason, then I just get into a good rhythm. The views from the trail from Green Canyon to the mouth of Logan canyon were beautiful. I did 10 minute miles the whole time! Yeah, I know I talk about running too much, but I am proud of myself! My legs are soooore and tired today though. My mom and dad were great to watch my kids for me.
Oh, and I won a gift card to Al's in the raffle!

James doesn't like to nap anymore. He's 2.5 and naps about every other day, sometimes less. It's ok, as long as I can stave of the 6p.m. meltdowns. He's a sweetie though, I sometimes just let him stay up because he's so cute.

Both of my kids have small feet for their age. And height. James is like a 6 or something? Maybe 6.5 and Naomi is about a 10. Naomi is probably about right, maybe an 11 is average for a 4-5 yr old.
But I think James has tiny feet.

I really dislike figuring out every. single. day. what to make for dinner. It's a chore.

Reading my textbooks for school is interesting, and very informative, and definitely helps my grades. But it's difficult to make myself do. I blog instead....

I got my season pass to Beaver. I've wanted to do this since I can remember. And I got it super cheap because I'm a student. And I got a free pass for Naomi. Awesomeness. Come and ski with us!

Naomi loves, loves LOVES her new preschool. She hops out of the car and waves as she runs inside, "love you mom, BYE!" I'm glad she's not worried about going, but I wish she missed me! Not really. I love my little Miss Independent.

My children are stubborn. More than normal? I don't know. More than I want, that's all I know.

I am stubborn too.

I want these shoes. Who has my name for Christmas this year?

What do you read?

Blogs, what blogs do you read?

Do you read The Sartorialist? I do. It's interesting and sometimes entertaining. And I don't have to actually do much reading, more like "looking". Just a quick click and see. Here's a link for you. http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

I also read design mom, I've mentioned that before. I love her blog. LOVE it. And here is her link.

http://www.designmom.com/

I have buttons on my sidebar for a few others I like to read, like SSB. If you don't think she's funny, then something is wrong with you. Ok, maybe not, that's rude. But seriously, you're not offended by her, right? And you know it's satire? Right? http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/

I like The Onion because it's just plain awesome. http://www.theonion.com/

And I read http://freshlypicked.blogspot.com/ and http://www.makeit-loveit.com/ and sometimes I look at http://www.sweet-juniper.com/ especially the "terrifying nixon-era children's books" and good ideas from here http://melissaesplin.com/home/ and not to forget http://thepioneerwoman.com/

So that's it. When I'm clicking around the blogosphere that's where I'm usually headed.

Share with me where you go, maybe I could use a new destination.

Random Things.

even Sick, he's so cute.

Today we were late for church. We all woke up late. James and Naomi are my alarm clock. So, we made it to Primary and Nursery. But James's face crumpled when I dropped him off at nursery. Poor baby. He reportedly pulled it together but just was a little out of sorts and kind of sad. So he was returned to his momma shortly before church was over.

Then during lunch he emptied his stomach. Cantaloupe from breakfast. Apparently he is not well yet. He had two and a half good days since he was sick Thursday morning. So this took me by surprise. He napped and then had some soothing applesauce and water. Yummy huh?

We stick to the B.R.A.T. diet when sick. Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast.

Anyway, a sick boy means simple food for everyone and lots of lounging around on the couch. Definitely no gym tomorrow. I have a race this Saturday, the top of Utah half marathon. I am not as prepared as I hoped to be and this week will prove to stay with the same trend.

Sigh.

I will finish, but not very quickly.

Also, I think I figured out what the problem I have with my knee is when I run long distances. IT band syndrome. Anyone know anything about it? I'm stretching it and paying attention to running on a flat surface and trying not to underpronate when I run. I think it helps a little bit. Also I got a strap to help stabilize my knee while I run. I felt good Saturday after my run so maybe that's a good move too.

The kids have been eating bananas and cheese and crackers while watching Dora, Diego, Word Girl, Dragon Tales, and, my personal favorite, The Electric Company. So I am here at the computer blogging.

I am trying, maybe unsuccessfully, to change my program for school. I was set to start a masters program in Family and Human Development in a week or so. Then I was having second thoughts about school and mostly about my choice of program. It being a bit generic and I want to be sure before I invest time and money (loans) into anything. What I would really like to do is the Professional School Counselor Education Program. So, be a school counselor. It's a two year, through the Summer program. 6 credits per semester and only one night a week. Perfecto. I did a short stint as an intern at my old high school alma mater during my undergraduate final semester. I loved it. I don't know why I didn't figure out that this is what I want to do sooner. But like they say, better late than never. So we'll see how things shake out this next week. Wish me luck. I would have to take a few prerequisites for this program, it's in the psychology department and I am missing a few essentials it seems.

But for other fun stuff. I like to online shop. Online fantasy shop. I have my eye on a new dress, but I question my nerve to actually wear it. To church I mean. Because where else does a girl like me wear a dress anyway?

It's Shabby Apple, what do you think? I am having a strange new liking for animal prints. Sometimes.

And then there's this one too, but maybe it's too... something, probably short. But I really like the look. Could I pull it off? Do I want to?

(I can't seem to copy a larger image of these dresses. So click the link if you need to actually see it, sorry.)

And then there are these. I've coveted a pair of Toms since I first heard about them. But, ya know. It's pricey, but it goes towards a good cause! So maybe eventually I'll get a pair, Christmas maybe? But THEN, they came out with these hot little numbers. Wedges. I heart wedges and peep toes and just heels in general. So these are probably more "essential" than the original Toms. So practical in a Northern Utah winter too, I know, I know.

Are they not so cute? I think I like Ash best.

And just one more thing to polish this off. I have a very favorite cookie recipe. It's from Peggy Cullen's "Got Milk? The Cookie Book" recipe book. I still have a handful of recipes to try, but the classic chocolate chip cookie is just that, a classic. Seems like I've posted this before, but it's worth a repost.

The Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened. NOT melted, that=flat cookies, fyi.

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Use the real stuff.

1 large egg. At room temperature.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. (I add more, usually about 1/4 cup more, every time. It just needs to be the right consistency, not gooey, but not dry.)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (about 6 ounces) chocolate chunks or chips

1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) large pecan or walnut pieces, or any nut you prefer. I usually use about 1/2 cup pecan gems.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula, and beat for a few more seconds.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Combine the chocolate chunks and nuts in a small bowl and stir into the cough.

4. Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and drop them about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. For perfectly uniform cookies, scoop the dough using a 1 1/2-inch-diameter ice-cream scoop, leveling the dough off across the top before dropping onto the baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These are always so perfectly yummy.

Bake some cookies and Have a Happy week!

Mr Darcy...

Mr Darcy... handkerchief.
How romantic!

El Bandito.

From Pickleville Playhouse website:
Warning: Viewers of The Hanging of El Bandito can expect to experience severe fits of laughter, chronic happiness, and an overall increase in quality of life.  
No seriously ... we're not kidding.


So here's a shout out to a great show run by even GREATER people!
(and I'm also hoping to win some free tickets:) but if not, I will be a paying customer, cross my heart.)


So, I've been wanting to see this show for what seems like forever. Maybe it was just all last summer. But that's a long time too.
So now it's playing in Logan! Hooray. But only Valentines weekend. Feb 13 and 15. 
Here's a link to the webpage, for show and ticket information, and here's a link to the blog for more stuff:)

An Old Favorite

I rediscovered this sweet Golden Book at my parents house recently.
'We Help Mommy' is darling and I only wish my little ones were so helpful!
That's why we're reading it now.


My mom wrote my name in the cover for me when I was a little girl.

Autumn Treats

I found these delights at my grocery store.

Yes pomegranate are a lot of work, but they are oh so good.

Clementine's are perfect little snacks for little fingers.


Pumpkin Eggnog? You bet, and it's delicious. And I don't even really like regular eggnog.

They also had the flavors, Cinnamon Stick, Sugar Cookie and Gingerbread.
It's tastes just like pumpkin pie!


And THESE are a special treat for just Mommy. I mean it.
Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears. Delicious.

Used Books?

Last night my sister in law Erica took me with her to a new Used Book store Pre-Sale.

Let me just start by saying that I came home with 50 children's books for $14. FIFTY BOOKS.

AWESOME.

This store is called Jensen's Books and is located in South Logan, just South of Black Hawk Condos and very close to the SEI outlet (scrapbook). It will be open for business on Friday the 13th! I think it will be a good luck day for them:)

They have so many books, pallets and boxes and tables and tables of books. They are working hard to sort them all out for opening. They have all kinds of books, seriously, you name it, they have it.

Once they open you can go shopping. Fill a plastic grocery sack with as many books as it can hold and it will only cost you $7. So sweet.

I walked away with great finds such as:

Go Away Big Green Monster(Erica found it first and gave it to me!),

Pinkalicious,

board books by Sandra Boynton,

10 Little Ladybugs,

Strega Nona,

Little Critter Books,

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything,

If You Give A Pig A Pancake,

Mama Do You Love Me,

and a brand new (uncreased) Goodnight Moon.

I was very pleased. There were so many more to look through too.

I was told that they will have a whole new inventory every month.

So if you're a book-aholic like me, it's worth going back over and over.

Let me know if you're in the area andwant more directions.

Fill in the Blank

1. Where is your cell phone? nightstand
2. Your hair? wavy
3. Your mother? talkative
4. Your father? wise
5. Your favorite food? fruit
6. Your dream last night? missing
7. Your favorite drink? juice
8. Your dream/goal? happiness
9. What room are you in? study
10. Your hobby? running
11. Your fear? disappointment
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
13. Where were you last night? couch
14. Something that you aren't? carefree

15. Muffins? chocolate!
16. Wish list item? coat
17. Where did you grow up? Utah
18. Last thing you did? bedtime
19. What are you wearing? sweats
20. Your TV? off
21. Your pets? cheetah
22. Friends? great
23. Your life? complicated
24. Your mood? relaxed
25. Missing someone? Cassie
26. Vehicle? champagne
27. Something you’re not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? Charlotte Russe
29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Friday
32. Your best friend? irreplaceable
33. One place that I go to over and over? beach
34. One person who emails me regularly? bank
35. Favorite place to eat? home
So the rules are: Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. You must use only oneword answers! I'm passing the love to: Everyone who reads this! :)

Thanks Michelle for a fun idea!

Snow White

I'm fast adding to my princess repertoire around here.

Naomi own's a good stock of princess dresses, crowns, wands, clicky-clacky shoes and the attitude of entitlement to go along with it all.

So, most of you mommies of girls know that Snow White came out on DVD the other day.

I wanted to get it, I couldn't really justify spending $20 though.

As I was longingly holding the DVD at WalMart this morning, a fellow mom stopped short next to me.

She said "You know there's a coupon for this, right?"

I said no, and she proceeded to tell me how to get a $10 off coupon, online.

Wow, that's a great deal!

So, I am now sharing it with you all, it's good through tomorrow. TOMORROW, that's 10-10-09. So you need get yourself out to Walmart/Target soon!

Here is the link

http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/snowwhite/couponoffer/?cmp=dmov_dvd_sno_coupon_url_swoffer

This is for the Diamond Edition DVD + Blu-Ray combo pack. You get both dvd's for $10. Nice.

Also, just a note. I couldn't print it from my Google browser. I installed the coupon printer as prompted and nothing.

I repeated the process with Internet Explorer and it worked like a charm. You can print two coupons per computer.

Enjoy!

Taylie

This is buzzing all around the blog world right now. At least with the blogs I follow.

A little girl from Richmond, UT is fighting cancer and there are some awesome fundraising efforts going on for her.

Here is her website, take a look.

http://www.tayliebug.com/Index.html

I don't pretend to know what it's like for this girls parents, but I'm sure it's very difficult.

Prayers for her...and them.

And another spot to take a look at is this blog here, A Dash of Season, she's raising money and donating a new purse as incentive! Just link and blog to contribute.

http://adashofseason.blogspot.com/

Just someone to keep in your thoughts.

H&M

My parents gave us money for Christmas this year and I decided to go on a little shopping spree to H&M last week. I took Naomi and James, they were troopers. Naomi is becoming such a little fashionista. She has an eye for all things silky, super-soft, shiny and sparkly. We also took a look around Forever 21 for a few minutes. Naomi was tunnel vision for the tables and tables with endless racks of earrings, necklaces, headbands, bracelets etc. She was in heaven!

Tyson's Corner mall is my shopping destination of choice. It is huge and has tons of fun stores, like Janie and Jack (not that I can afford that...) Pottery Barn Kids, (or that one) Banana Republic, (nope again) CakeLove, (kinda- it's SO yummy) Benetton, (not really either) and tons of others. It's huge, probably the biggest mall I've been to. True Religion Jeans has their own store, and Puma and Free People. The kids play area is really fun. Naomi and James love it. It's worth going just for that.

Anyway, my favorite store there is H&M. They have some seriously cute clothes and they are great prices. Really, it's like it's all on sale, but that's the normal price. They have kid stuff too, but I was on a mission for "Trisha" clothes. I didn't even stop at Gymboree, I'm proud about that. 

H&M is a European brand, based out of Sweden. There are a few stores around here and all over the country in big cities. (Not in Charlotte yet, hopefully soon.) They do have one BIG problem though. You can't shop online, at least not the U.S. Too bad huh.

So, here's my ode to H&M. Love your clothes, wish I could buy more!

Crazy Eights. Tag, I usually don't play tag....

Tag from Talia:) I usually ignore tags, rude, I know. But It sounded fun this time. We'll see how fun it is at the end!

Eight things I did yesterday: (TODAY)

(wow, yesterday was a really laid back day... I'm going to have to change that to today. It's 11 p.m. now anyway)

1. Colored Cinderella pictures with Naomi

2. Let James try my orange juice

3. Watched Naomi shove a huge piece of tofu in her mouth and then regret it but swallowed it all anyway...

4. Read a play by Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

5. Talked to my mother in law and my sisters mother in law

6. Dressed James in his pj's for bedtime

7. Fed James bananas that he did NOT like, too lumpy?

8. Went to church

Eight places I like to eat: As you can tell, I have very fine taste.

1. Home, when Zach is cooking

2. Olive Garden

3. Chick-Fil-A

4. La Madeleine's

5. Ben and Jerry's (that's food right?)

6. McDonald's (only because there aren't enough Chick-Fil-A's)

7. HAPPY SUSHI!

8. Formosa, or Mandarin Garden- it's been a long time...

Eight shows I like to watch:

1. Dancing With The Stars

2. Life on Mars

3. Eli Stone

4. The Office

5. Samantha Who?

6. CSI Miami

7. Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Princesses

8. Go Diego, Go

Seriously though, I don't have 8 shows I watch, more like 3 or so regularly. And 7 and 8 I don't really LIKE to watch, I just seem to all the time. Sigh...

Eight things I look forward to:

1. Skiing

2. Sleeping-in vacations

3. Christmas

4. Zach's graduation and job:)

5. Summertime

6. Seeing my all my family over the holidays

7. Reading good books

8. Being totally recovered from surgery

Eight people I tag:

hmmm, how about...

1. Ruth

2. Heather J

3. Ashlee

4. Natalie F

5. Brooke

6. Jenna

7. Cassie

8. Michelle F

And some picures thrown in for good measure. Pictures make blogs a little more entertaining. I think so anyway.

Zach put James in the sink because he was tired of holding him and it seemed like a fine idea. Indeed, James liked it, especially the dishsoap;) So I got my camera. Naomi insisted that she get in the sink too. We convinced her to wait a minute or so, because she wouldn't fit with James. Oh the agony. So there you have it, James and Naomi in the sink.

I Voted

I got a sticker too. It ensures treats at places like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and the like today and tomorrow.
I noticed that most, and I mean probably about 90% of voters there this morning appeared to be part of the younger crowd, like under 30. I was impressed and proud:)
The real story is that I waited in line for an hour and a half!!! I got there at 7:30 a.m. Polls opened at 7. The line was about the same when I finished voting. Zach stayed home with our kids, that was so nice of him. He's going to vote this afternoon, hopefully the line isn't too much longer for him.

I wasn't really expecting the line to be that long. Maybe it's just this election has a much higher voter turnout than past elections, and maybe it's be because I'm from Utah that I was a little shocked at the turnout.

I'm glad I've done it. So get out and vote!


http://www.benjerry.com/features/i_voted/
http://www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet/news.aspx
http://www.krispykreme.com/images/hot_vote_now08_pop.jpg

I don't like daylight savings...

This is Naomi and her Power Ranger Ship Tower!

So daylight savings is not something I really look forward to, anymore. Not since I have children. That and I am lazy and annoyed about having to change all my clocks. I like that my computer and cell phone change automatically.

"Fall Back" should be a great way to catch an extra hour of sleep. It used to be, and I think I remember it being lovely. When I was a teenager I used to argue with my dad that I should be able to stay out an hour later Saturday night. I don't think that was ever a successful debate on my part. In fact, I'm pretty sure he tried to turn it around on me in the Spring, saying I should get home an hour earlier.

Anyway. Having kids and changing times kind of messes with the balance we try so hard to obtain around here. Just when I have these little stinkers sleeping until 7 a.m. or so (instead of 6!!!), we go and "fall back" an hour. Keeping them up at night for a later bedtime works some, but it's not a fix all. Kids have an internal clock and it's tough to change it.

So what I'm saying is that instead of an extra hour of sleep, we end up with an extra hour of awake time. That means tired kids. And it also means that they have the tendency to wake up at 5:30 and think it's 6:30. Kids, or rather babies and toddlers, have no inclination to "sleep in". I think that is a skill you pick up when you hit your teens.

Tonight we put our kids to bed at about 7:30. It felt like 8:30 to them, which is a little late nowadays, so they were dragging. Tomorrow I won't be surprised if they wake up at 6 a.m. because it will still a bit like 7 to them. I guess what I'm saying is that it's going to be a while before I get to sleep past 6 again.

Darn daylight savings.

And some pictures too of course.

Carving pumpins on Halloween

Happy Halloween 2008