Christmas found us here...

In the beautiful snowy mountains of Colorado, surrounded by family. It was perfect! Well, almost.

We decided to go sledding on Christmas eve.

Flying through the air is my brother Keith and his wife Natalie. Unseen behind them is my sister Krista. That was the first time I've ever been present for a 911 call. To see the video and get the whole story go here.

The boring pictures from our trip coming soon...

A gift idea from me to you

My recipe for candy cane sugar scrub over here.

A mom can brag!

I'm a few days late, but I just have to brag about my sweet Samm. Every month there is an assembly at school and all of the teachers pick two students to receive an award for the specific character trait they are talking about that month. This month was compassion.

Not only did Samm get picked to receive the compassion award from her teacher, but the music and P.E teachers also get together and choose two students and they also picked Samm.

We are so proud of her!

And because Samm is Samm, here is another Samm says...

As we passed our neighbors house that is covered from top to bottom in colorful lights and other slightly obnoxious Christmas decorations Samm proclaims "What great Christmas decorations! He sure has skills!"

Auction for Benson and Clair

The auction that I mentioned a few weeks ago is now under way over at BLOOM. This is a great opportunity to help out some sweet children in need. Please go over and see all the awesome things people have donated. I donated a few jewelry items including the very last pair of flower earrings I made from a 1950's necklace.

I know money is tight this time of year, but this is a family with not one sick child but two. So, let's all count our blessings and go do some Christmas shopping!

Samm says

Yesterday I was in my room working on some jewelry when Samm came in and informed me that she too would like to make some Christmas presents for people. So, I got out some beads and stretchy chord and told her she could make some bracelets.

After a few minutes of watching her sort the beads into three even piles I said "you know honey, you don't have to make all the bracelets exactly the same." to which she responded "but Mom, I just really like symmetry!"

Well, OK then! Someday I really am going to write a book about this girl.

It is the giving season after all

I made a necklace the other day. I think it's pretty. You could win it over here.

It's OK Stanta. I've already got everything I need

You can give my toys to someone else.

These two might be a little disappointed though if they don't get that easy bake oven and gun they just asked you for. So, go ahead and keep them on your list.

In hiding

Last year I had this grand idea to get all of my Christmas gifts made by Halloween. That way I could sit back and actually enjoy the Holidays. The problem is though that I have great intentions but poor execution. So, I am at this very moment drowning in the sea we call Christmas. Some day I will re-emerge, for now please wish me luck and enjoy this cartoon I found today. This is how I feel before Thanksgiving.

Another opportunity to give

I know many of you have already heard about Benson and Clair. If you haven't, go Here to read their story. It will touch you.

The ladies at bloom were also touched and have decided to do something to help. An online silent auction running from Dec 10-13th.

I will be donating some of my jewelry to the auction and I hope many of you will also consider donating of your time and talents.

All of the information you need is offered at Bloom.

Thanks Emily and Anne for putting this together!

Consider yourself warned!

I got mail

If you've noticed that the flair seems to be gone from my blog lately, well, it's because I think my own flair is missing. I've been in a little bit of a slump lately.

I think it started last week with my speeding ticket. My first one ever. A few days later I had one of those days where you go out to run errands but forget to bring an extra tampon with you. Then after running all those errands you notice a big booger hanging out of your nose. So fun!

Then, yesterday I took a huge chunk off the top of my knuckle while cutting hair, and today Macy shattered a glass on the floor and it sliced open the top of her toe. And her blankie has mysteriously disappeared making nap time very unpleasant.

So ya, I've been a little down. But, yesterday I got a package in the mail and I LOVE GETTING MAIL! It brightened my day right up. It was a box of my Grandma's things I had picked out while I was home for my sister's wedding but wasn't able to take back with me. I was totally giddy opening it.

A few of my treasures: A necklace, and a set of dish towels hand embroidered with my Grandma's initials.

Wooden spools of thread. Most of them still in plastic.

Lot's of velvet ribbon, just waiting to make beautiful packages.


And this pretty lady. She makes me smile!

My Mom would be so proud

Watch out folks, I've been temporarily domesticated! And I do say temporarily because I've had these types of episodes before. They don't last long. Mostly because my husband's diets don't last very long. (I love you honey!)

So, a little over two months ago Josh left us to go traipsing around the country doing who knows what. OK, so he was securing a spot for himself in an orthopedic residency program and thus securing our future! It was a pretty hard two months. We got to see him a few times, but for the most part it was just me, the kids, the cat, the mouse, the ants, and the slugs at home.

Can you guess how many times I cooked dinner?

Once! And James walked into the house and asked "Mom, what's that smell?

"Well son, thats the smell of food cooking!

So now that Josh is back I figured it was time to start cooking again. He probably would complain about mac 'n cheese four nights a week.

Not only am I just cooking dinner every night, I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables. Instead of a large main dish with a side of vegetables, I'm doing a smaller main dish and two vegetables. Or one vegetable and a salad.

You think you know what is coming next huh? How do I get my kids to eat more vegetables? Wrong! My kids love vegetables. They could eat steamed broccoli every night. The problem is me.

It's not that I hate vegetables, I just don't love them. I need them to have more flavor. More pizzaz!

So, I'm on a mission to discover new ways of cooking vegetables. And this is the part where I ask for your help. Please share your secrets! I'll share my two latest.

First: Oven baked broccoli. I tossed the broccoli in a little bit of canola oil and then sprinkled it with Montreal steak seasoning and garlic salt. I cooked it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. SO GOOD! It seriously didn't even taste like broccoli.

Second: Candied carrots. I'm not as in love with these as I am the broccoli, but they were still pretty good. I posted the recipe over here.

I have to say, I'm actually kind of enjoying my moment of June Cleaver-ness!

Pearly white and blacks

This morning we got up much earlier than I enjoy and went to visit the dentist.

Samm was so terrified of having a cavity that she didn't even want them to take the x-rays, because then they might find one and have to tell her. Of cours she didn't though. She had a dentist come talk to her class at school once and came home demanding that we go buy floss that very instant!

James just can't sit still for anything. Including the Dentist. Even with cartoons playing above his head.

Macy was terrific! She is all about being big like the other kids and could not get up in one of the chairs fast enough.

As her reward for doing such a great job, she was allowed to play with the suction wand, and she happily sucked her own spit for a good five minutes!



Then we came home and she decided to eat my mascara!

winterize your hair

A friend of mine mentioned the other day that I haven't posted any hair tips in quite a while.

Well, the truth is that I just plain forgot. Sorry!

So here is what I am thinking about today. Winter is coming, the air is dry, and my hair feels like straw.

If you are in the same boat as me than this is what I suggest you do...

1. Get a really good deep conditioning treatment! Ask your stylist to do it next time you go in, or for a cheaper route stop into your local beauty school.

2. Stop in at a Sally's Beauty Supply and pick up a packet of ion effective care treatment and one of extreme moisture nurturing creme. The little packets are usually by the front register and they look like this.
I haven't seen the moisture packets in all the stores, but for sure get the protein packet! If your hair is coloured, takes abuse from hot styling tools, or most likely both, than you need the protein to repair the damage. Damaged hair=dry and dull!

3. Get a good moisturizing shampoo. Pureology is my favorite, but most brands will cary one.

4. Let your conditioner sit on your hair for a good five minutes each time you wash it. (You can shave your legs while you wait.) Remember though that the majority of the conditioner should go on the ends and middle of your hair. Very little if any should go on your scalp.

5. And finally, if you have severely dry or curly hair, invest in a good leave in conditioner. I haven't used any in years so I don't have one to recommend, but I'm thinking this winter will be a good time for me to start shopping around.

A Halloween question

Several of the men handing out candy had no idea who Samm was supposed to be. Even after she told them she was Rapunzel they still had blank stares on their faces. So...

Do any of you ladies know who James is?

And some Halloween 2009 info...

• Macy's witch hat never got finished so we settled for an orange bow and figured that was better anyway. What 2 year old actually keeps a hat on.
• Watching Macy run after the older kids and say "trick or treat" was the cutest thing ever.
• Samm told me at least four times "I wish Logan and Gabe were here (their cousins who just recently moved away) It would be a lot more fun with them!"
• Dad was absent this year so Grandma Betty, who Macy has started calling waki for some reason, came with us and pulled the kids in the wagon for two hours. Thank you for saving me Betty!
• James randomly decided to ask a very old lady if she had any kids. "No" she responded. So he asked "do you live alone?" She replied "well, I have a husband." That satisfied him so he said "OK" and ran off.
• Samm loves Hershey's chocolate. Cheap chocolate is not acceptable!
• James' plastic bucket breaks when it gets so heavy that he drops it.
• Macy would not let anyone else hold/touch her bucket. When it got too heavy for her to hold I had to rip it out of her fingers so I could dump the candy into something else.
• We now have enough candy to last until next year, but it will be gone by next week because I'm one of those irresponsible moms who just let's their kids have their candy to eat as they please. They earned it!

The day mom finally said yes

To splashing in puddles. It wasn't even remotely warm enough outside for such an activity, but after a rainy day we all needed some cheering up.

I sure hope Samm's new pet worms don't disappear sometime in the middle of the night from off her dresser. I hear that happens a lot.

Should be sleeping

But I'm not. So here are a few pictures from our yummy/messy FHE tonight.

Food coloring tip...

Even if you buy black food coloring, your frosting will only turn dark black if you use chocolate. If you are like me though and don't bother to read the box, you will end up adding half the bottle in an attempt to get black instead of grey which will result in frosting that stains your mouth, fingers, table, and pretty much anything it gets on...still tastes good though!

A colorful week

Here is just a quick run down for you.

Very early in the week James decided to go swimming in the bathtub and then stood up underneath the faucet. This resulted in a very nice little gash smack in the middle of his cowlick. I think it could have used a stitch or two, but Josh was gone and Macy was already in bed so I applied some pressure until the bleeding stopped and now he will have a nice scar. It won't be his last.

A few days later the school nurse called me. I was so afraid the words fever or throwing up were going to come out of her mouth that when she said James had fallen I was incredibly relieved. She assured me that he was fine, but wanted to let me know that he would be coming home with a little mark.

I should have taken a picture two days later when it was really black and blue but I forgot. A boys first black eye is a pretty momentous occasion after all.

Somewhere during the course of the week he also managed to get himself stuck in between the springs of the trampoline. The first thing I did when I saw him was laugh, and then said "hold on, I'm going to take a picture." Like he was going anywhere.

After so many days of looking at a snaggle tooth Dad finally got physical and forced Samm to let him pull it out. Now her S's sound like sh. Is it inappropriate to laugh when your child swears and they don't know it? No. Well, what if they are talking about sitting in church?


She also had her fall dance recital and did a fantastic job. I'm living my dancing dreams vicariously through her.

Then Josh and I snuck away for a quiet date to Barne's and Noble on Friday. I'm trying to be frugal, remember. Over all it was a good week. Eventful, but good. By last night though we were all pretty much worn out.

Bring on the new week!