all things simple

simple celebrations: hello kitty party + printables

2013-04-24T19:21:00.002-06:00

We kinda have a crush on Hello Kitty around here.

Ella turned seven this month, and at the last minute decided she wanted a "friends" party with a Hello Kitty theme. She must have caught me on a good day, because I gave the okay. Not one to usually do something like this so late in the game, I figured I could throw something together quickly if I kept things super simple.

Am I sharing the printables? Well, of course.

Hello Kitty fill-able invitation (add your own details using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements).

So here's the rundown of the festivities, starting at the top left.

1. My version of an ice cream cake went together in about 15 minutes (with Tayler's help).
2. I put together a simple game on the trampoline. The girls jumped around while Lynn threw balls over the net. If a ball touched anyone, they went out. Last girl standing was the winner. The game lasted forever because they kept wanting to play.
3. I used my balloon flowers again, this time creating them in colors to match Kitty's flower. Actually, my daughter-in-law Tayler, made them all! She'll be making them again for Piper's first birthday soon.

4. For a craft project, I planned to have each of the girls design their own pin/button. It was a huge hit and they each made multiples. My friend Jen, just bought a button making machine to use at Girls' Camp and for other occasions and loaned it to me. Thanks, Jen!
5. I gave Ella a budget for the goodie bags and she chose the items she wanted (all from Target.) I also designed and made an HK button for each of the girls and my daughter Kate, found pink and orange mini buckets to package everything in. Thanks, Kate!
6. The silly birthday girl in her Hello Kitty dress. Kate and I found matching ones for Ella and my granddaughter Madi, at Old Navy for about $7 each.
7. Our granddaughter Piper, decided that hangin' with her Poppa was much more fun than those noisy, cray-cray girls. :) Check out that one little tooth--so darling!
8. The aftermath.

I created this 16 x 20 Hello Kitty welcome poster for the front door. It's only $6 to print at Costco or Walmart and Ella now has it on her bedroom door.

Hello Kitty printable for 1 1/4" buttons
2" Hello Kitty toppers or tags

I did learn a few things raising my bigs, one being that the the simple parties and celebrations really are the most memorable--for everyone. I also figured out that my expectations were always far greater than my little ones. This little party is proof. I was able to put it together in just a few days and for about $60 total. Ella loved it and the girls had a delightful time. How do I know? They didn't want to leave.:)

Happy Birthday, Ella Bella! Big loves.

P.S. Send me photos if you use these printables for your own Hello Kitty themed party. I want to see!

Also shared at:
Chic on a Shoestring

celebration ice cream cake

2013-04-22T16:21:00.000-06:00

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California. Before we left, we had a little birthday celebration for Ella with some of her giggly, silly, darling schoolmates. I hadn't planned on a "friends" party, but Ella must have caught me on a good day and I agreed, even though it was quite late in the game.

This "cake" could not have been more simple to make. My sweet daughter-in-law Tayler, came over to help me with the party preparations and we seriously put this ice cream cake together in about 15 minutes. We were so pleased with how it turned out and it was a huge hit with both the girls and adults.

My Ella isn't a big cake eater, but she'll never pass up ice cream. And adding sprinkles to anything makes it an instant party, especially for a bunch of six and seven year olds. :)

We used 11 Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches. Make sure whichever brand you purchase has the ice cream go all the way to the edges of the cookie part--some don't.

Step 1.
Cover all four sides of the ice cream sandwiches with rainbow sprinkles. (We poured a layer of sprinkles in a jelly roll pan and set each side of the sandwiches in them until covered.)

Step 2.
Layer ice cream sandwiches in four layers on a cake plate like this:

Layer 1. Arrange sandwiches about 1" apart for the base.

Layer 2. Arrange sandwiches close together at an angle.

Layer 3. Add two more centered side by side.

Layer 4. Place the last sandwich at an angle centered on the last two.

Store in the freezer until ready to serve. Another thing I love about this ice cream cake, is that the portions are already made, so you just lift and serve.

Simple and delish--my favorite kind of treat. Enjoy!

Post also shared at:
the 36th Avenue
Chic on a Shoestring

a simple treat: rice krispie pops

2013-04-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

My Ella Bella turned SEVEN years old this week. I'm amazed at how quickly she's growing up. She's certainly grown-up enough to make the big decisions in life, like what she wants for a classroom treat on her birthday.

Ella loves Rice Krispies treats. We found a huge box at Costco for like $7.99 with the instant rebate. I wanted to make them a little extra special, so with the help of my daughters-in-law, Ashlee and Tayler we made them into pops--with sprinkles. Because around here, sprinkles make everything an instant party. :)

INGREDIENTS:
Store bought Rice Krispies Treats
4 1/2" sucker sticks
Rainbow sprinkles
Parchment paper or wax paper
4 x 6 1/2" treat bags
Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

Insert the sticks in the end of the Rice Krispies Treats about 1 1/2".
Spread a thin layer of sprinkles on parchment paper, and lightly press one side of the RK Treat into it. (If you want to add more sprinkles, just find a different spot on the paper with more sprinkles and press again.)
Add to a treat bag and tie with ribbon.

Seriously, so simple and so darling. I was afraid some of the boys might think the pink ribbon was too girly, but Ella assured me they would still eat the treat. Apparently, she was right, because she said the kids all thought these pops were tops. :)

Also shared at:
Oh My Creative!
Chic on a Shoestring

a simple tip: price matching made simpler

2013-04-09T18:33:00.000-06:00

Ella's birthday is in a few day. We always have a family party the Sunday before the big day. Ella decided she wanted ice cream for her special treat, so we'll be setting up a hot fudge sundae bar with my amazing homemade hot fudge sauce. I recently found a great big ice cream dish, and she's pretty excited she'll be the first to use it.

Breyers is by far our family's favorite store-bought ice cream. At $4 a half gallon, it can be a little pricey to feed my crew. I price matched at Walmart today and got if for Ream's price, $2.49 a half gallon instead. Love that! At that price, I stocked up.

I'm excited to see even more of you joined Deals to Meals this past month. (For more information, see my post Simple Solutions: Deals to Meals.) You're going to love it! (BTW, there's an option to search by item on the DTM site, so you don't have to go through the entire list of deals in order find just one item--like ice cream.)

Here's a brilliant little tip for price matching at Walmart. I've been doing this for awhile now, and not only will it have the checkers singing your praises, but it will save you even more time.

I have a clipboard I keep my Deals to Meals list on. I attach a small pad of post-it's with double stick tape to the board. (The brighter the post-its, the better. That way you or the checker won't miss one.) When I purchase items, I simply write the price on the post-it and attach it to one of the items I'm price matching. When I get to the checkout, I don't have to go through my list again to find the prices. The checkers just look at the price on the post-it and key it in. They LOVE it.

I also attached an envelope to my clipboard to hold any coupons I might use.

Have you found any smokin' deals lately? Deals to Meals or not, I want to hear!

For more information on Deals to Meals and to see why I love it, read my post Simple Solutions: Deals to Meals.

easter basket fillers: all things girly 2

2013-04-03T17:47:00.002-06:00

Obviously, we're loving all things Hello Kitty around here. And sparkly and rainbow-y. Yep, all things girly.

I have a very hard time loading up E's basket with everything sweet and sugary. So how do I avoid the chocolate and jelly bean crash and still have a happy six (almost seven) year old? I'm spilling the (jelly) beans with the hope it will give you some simple ideas for next year.

A Hello Kitty bucket to store things in and take to the lake/beach this summer.
A new beach/pool/sprinklers towel. Ella went nuts over this rainbow towel at Target awhile back (the other side is rainbow stripes), so I purchased it and tucked it away. It's not an official "beach" towel (just a regular bath towel), but she LOVES it and she can take it outside instead of my good ones.
Sparkly flip-flops.
Green Toys jump rope. It's a nice one. We found it at Pottery Barn Kids, but also saw them at Whole Foods and on-line at Amazon.
That red, flower-y thing in the background is a clipboard. A little strange I know, but Ella kept taking my Deals to Meals stuff off mine and using it to write and color on. I found this one at Target, and she LOVES it!
Belly Washers 100% juice in a Hello Kitty bottle. (Found it at Walmart.)

{In The Bucket} List

A Junie B. Jones chapter book. Ella's teacher holds on to book orders if I e-mail her and let her know my order contains gifts. I also bought a book for each of my grandkids with my last Scholastic Books order. I save a lot and it benefits Ella's class. (They get a free book with my order.)
Wreck-it Ralph DVD. Lynn bought it the day it came out and I stashed it away.
Fun pink and white striped straws.
A box of Hello Kitty bandaids (It's rough when Lynn or one of the boys needs a bandaid around here :))
A darling notebook and matching pencils.
A snack bag of mini Peanut Butter Ritz crackers (a fave)
And because I'm not the meanest mom on earth, a small Reese's bunny, two mini bags of Skittles in eggs, and a serving size box of Trix cereal.

Ella was thrilled with her haul and never missed the extra sweets. Her favorite things? The clipboard and the jump rope.

So what's in your bucket?

*Check out my strategy and tips for creating simple and fun-filled Easter baskets at Easter basket fillers: all things girly (2012 edition).

tulle pom-poms + garland tutorial

2013-03-27T12:39:00.000-06:00

I promised a tutorial after my last post. It took a little longer than anticipated. I ended up having my granddaughter, Madi, spend two whole days with me. I like to give her my full attention when she visits. She's also a talker, so getting anything done is a little difficult. :) She is seriously one of the most hilarious little people I know.

Then I was called to a new position at church. I know. I did not see that coming. I loved my calling as RS Meeting Coordinator and I will miss working with so many wonderful women. More on that later.

Okay, let's get this party started.

Because I knew I would use this project often, I made a mini version of all the the pom-pom tutorials I could find. There were about six. I found this method was most simple and created the prettiest *pouf.*

SUPPLIES:

6" tulle (4 yards for each pom-pom)
crochet thread (I tried regular thread and fishing line, but found both made it difficult to see my stitches and broke when I pulled them tight. Crochet thread works great.)
needle with large eye
scissors
Fishing line for garland. (I just used what was in the garage, 12 lb. test)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut four yards of tulle and approximately 3 feet of crochet thread. Thread your needle and tie a nice big knot at the end so you don't accidentally lose your gathers.
Make a running stitch (up, down, up, down) the full length of the tulle, gathering lightly as you go. Make your stitches about 1/2" and 1/2" inch apart. Don't worry about keeping completely straight, it all works out in the end.
Gather the tulle tightly on the string, making sure it's not twisted.
Tie a knot with the two ends (pull together tightly), then tie a few more for good measure.
Twist and pull on the layers to form a pom-pom.

Yep, it's that simple.

To make a garland, simply stitch through the center of each pom-pom with monofilament (fishing line). I use clear 3M hooks to hang mine. We leave the one in Ella's room up all the time. Both Kate and Tayler want to make garlands for their little's rooms after seeing this one. I feel some girls' time coming on. :)

MINI POM-POMS

I made mini pom-poms for our spring RS birthday party. I wish I'd known about these pre-cut 3" rolls then, it would have saved me a lot of time and grief.

The process for mini pom-poms is the same, with one slight difference. Instead of one strip of tulle, you will cut two strips approximately 60" long, and layer them on top of each other before hand-stitching. Gather your tulle tightly and tie the string in multiple knots.

Couldn't be more darling. :)

ADDITIONAL IDEAS FOR POM-POMS:

Use as decor for baby showers, birthday celebrations, weddings, and little (or big) girls' rooms.
Attach to a dowel and add ribbon for an instant fairy wand.
Tie mini pom-poms to bare branches for spring decor.
Use to top a gift in place of a bow. (Totally doing this for birthday parties.)
Attach to a little girl's headband for a "pouf" of style.

Any other ideas?

SOURCES:

Paper Mart is my go-to source for tulle. The 25 yard rolls at my local craft stores are $4.99. Paper Mart has them for $1.35, and it's the same quality. The garland I made for Ella's room has 12 pom-poms, so it cost me about $3.00 to make. They also have100 yard rolls of tulle, that are a quarter more than the craft store's 25 yard rolls. Even with shipping included, it's a huge savings. (And their shipping is super fast.)

I just noticed Paper Mart has added 12" and 18" pre-cut rolls of tulle. Fabulous! Thinking mega pom-poms for Ella's birthday party would be wonderful. I'll need to play around with the length.

Premium tulle in 3"-18" wide rolls.

Also check out the polka dot tulle and shimmery tulle.

Happy spring crafting.

a simple surprise: Easter decor

2013-03-19T19:30:00.000-06:00

While Ella was at school the other day, I spread some Easter love around her room. She was so surprised and thought it was wonderful!

This little chickie perched on her lamp was her favorite part.

A couple others just wandered around on her dresser. I bought these chicks years ago at Rod Works because I loved that they were made from chenille fabric.

This Easter egg garland couldn't be simpler. I purchased a million bags of plastic eggs on clearance last year for .25 each, so my activity day girls could make garlands for their rooms. Then I got released, and was going to give them to the new activity day leaders. My own girls, Kate (daughter), Ashlee, and Tayler (daughters-in-law) decided they wanted to make garlands instead. :)

The tulle garland stays up in Ella's room all the time. It's so sweet and girly. I'll share a tutorial on how to make one this week sometime.

Happy spring (finally!).

St. Patrick's day fun: a leprechaun trap + celebrate simply

2013-03-16T10:57:00.002-06:00

Ella had a homework assignment this week to create a leprechaun trap.

I thought for sure Lynn would Google for ideas, but when he said he found some on Pinterest, I couldn't help but laugh. Yep, that's my man.

Here's ~~the genius idea~~ what we came up with.

First the leprechaun climbs the little ladder (borrowed from the Lego collection).

Then it's a straight dash to the "treasure" at the end of the rainbow. Ella told us that leprechauns love shiny things, so we found some coins. And who can resist rainbow Skittles? (Especially if your name is Ella.)

Here's the tricky part. When the leprechaun runs for the treasure, the floor will cave in and he'll get all caught up in the fabric. I know, pure genius. :)

And because no project is truly "Ella-worthy" without a ~~massive amount~~ sprinkling of bling/glitter/shine, the outer surface of the trap was decorated appropriately.

The students in Ella's class all brought their traps on Thursday, and set them all around the classroom. On Friday when they arrived, the classroom was trashed! (Ella's own words :)) A mischievous leprechaun had dumped out crayons, scribbled on spelling tests, put clipboards in the sink...it was crazy! And he had left a note in Ella's trap that read:

Nice trap! You almost got me, but I am too tricky!

Fun stuff. Great teachers are awesome. (Thanks Mrs. Hulme!) Lynn said he loves that little ones get so excited about these things and really missed it when our bigs got older.

Celebrating Simply
When my older kids were young, I would go all out on holidays and special occasions--special meals, decorations, activities, etc. The kids loved it and I loved that they loved it. But it was a lot of work and time.

I'm doing things different with Ella. Because I've "been there, done that," celebrations aren't as elaborate. We do just a few simple things instead. At times I felt a little guilty, thinking E was getting guyped out of those special "experiences."

But guess what? She gets even more excited about the little things than my bigs did about the big things. And the bonus is, we all enjoy the celebrations more, because I'm not tired and cranky from running around putting things together. There's less expectation too, which I think is a big issue with children these days.

Just speaking from experience.

So here's what our simple St. Patrick's Day celebration will include:

One: Display this Lucky print from Simple as That. Maybe we'll even talk about why we're so lucky.

source

Two: Paint our nails green and add glitter. A true Ella-esque activity.

source

Three: Because we don't do sugar cereal around here, this special St. Patrick's Day treat of Lucky Charms is sure to be the highlight of Ella's celebration.

Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

RS birthday celebration 2013

2013-03-13T13:19:00.000-06:00

Our annual Relief Society birthday celebration was last week and I would chock it up as a great success. Our theme was "Small and Simple Things."

I have to admit, this are my favorite invitation I've created to date. I feel like I'm coming into my own style and loving it. :)

I've always been one to take a great idea and tweak it to fit my needs or make it my own. I've realized that's not the case with everyone. So many of you contact me wanting to recreate what we've done for our Relief Society meetings, and I think that's great! I'm flattered, actually. So from now on, I'll share as much as I can. :)

Our decor was super simple. We've had a very, very long winter here in Utah, so we wanted something that shouted spring. These balloon flowers are bright, cheery and large enough to not get lost in a gigantic cultural hall. They're also easy to make. I love the colors Tracy chose--pink, orange, and teal. We strung them across the cultural hall on fishing line. (Note: Tracy used 9" balloons since they were the only ones available. If we had to do it over, we would have blown up the flower centers a little larger to hide the tied together mess better.)

We ended up getting triple duty from the balloons. My friend Crystal, told me her daughter Abby was having a birthday party two days after the social, and that the balloons were the same colors as the invite and decorations. I told her to take them when we were done. She was thrilled. Crystal then took them to Tracy's home, who used them for her daughter's party the next day. Love it!

The streamers were cool too. Tracy made them from plastic table cloths she cut it strips, then pulled on the edges to "ruffle" them. The cost of decor for the night ended up being minimal.

I had these lanterns from Patrick and Ashlee's wedding last year. They lined the walkway to the reception center. I just added a simple pink sheer ribbon bow and set them in the center of the tables.

I asked Erin Winters to create some chalk art for us. It was the perfect finishing touch to our decor. She chose the perfect quote and scripture for our theme.

Here's the quote she used:

"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love it.

And I love President Uchtdorf. Seriously, who doesn't? My daughter-in-law Ashlee, is a fantastic hair stylist. (I'm not just saying that because we're related. ;)) She told me the first time she met President Uchtdorf, she kept thinking, "He has the greatest hair!" So the first time Lynn went to Ashlee to get his hair ~~done~~ cut (sorry, hon), he told her, "I want President Uchtdorf hair."

For our dinner, the presidency made these scrumptious ham and cheese poppy seed sliders. They were a hit. Marci bought rolls from a local bakery (Shirley's). Just a personal note, I'm not a fan of mayo, so if I were to make these for my family, I think they would be just as good if I left it off. What do you think?

For the rest of the meal, they had the sisters sign up to bring a favorite salad or dessert.

As we finished up dinner, Gail Tilley, our Stake RS President, gave a great message and led a discussion centering on our theme. She's hilarious and we all love her so much.

I chose this quote--one of my absolute favorites--to go along with our theme. I gave a 4x6 print to each of the sisters who attended the celebration as a little swag. Once again I have to give credit to Bobbi for this quote layout. I used her same quote for last year's RS celebration, after seeing it on Pinterest and tweaked it just a little to fit our theme. Now I'm using the layout again. Thanks again, Bobbi! (*Remember to have the auto enhance turned OFF when you print these or you will get a very funky color.)

We also included service in our celebration. Marci (our RS President), suggested care packages for the missionaries serving from our ward. We loved the idea. Because Patti has a missionary son out right now, I delegated that task to her to organize.

Patti announced our project and sent out a list to all the sisters of suggestions for items we could include in the packages. We brought them the night of the celebration. Here's the list of suggestions:

ties
treats and/or snacks
mints
socks
photos of Christ or the temple to give away
CTR rings to give to kids
stamps
hair clips or ties
written story of your conversion
your written testimony

Anything else you'd add? We also added a copy of the David A. Bednar quote from the meeting. Patti also had note cards so we could jot a quick note of encouragement and love to those serving.

And of course there was lots and lots for socializing, something we're all very good at. :)

We accomplished our goals--socialize, service, and bringing the spirit to our meeting. I'd love to have you share any details of your favorite RS meetings.

Resources:
Hello, cupcake invite psd. (find someone in your ward with Photoshop Elements and have them add your information.
Hello, cupcake invite jpg. (Use a different program to add your information.)
balloon flower tutorial
ruffled tablecloth streamers tutorial
ham and cheese poppy seed sliders recipe
David A. Bednar quote

Also shared at these fabulous blogs:
Whipperberry
Chic on a Shoestring

{IRL} in real life

2013-03-11T13:53:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday. Did setting your clock forward for daylight savings time--and losing an hour of sleep--kick your hiney like it did ours? I really think daylight savings is ridiculous. Arizona has it right.

I'm loving capturing little bits and pieces of our life with my Galaxy 3 phone/Instagram. February was a busy month for us. So busy, I created a separate collage for Ella to put in her own scrapbook.

1. I read both Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Divergent Series Box Set. Both Lynn and I LOVED them both. Looking forward to book number three and the movies. 2. I had a milestone birthday this month. My talented daughter-in-law Tayler, made cupcakes for our family dinner. Not only were they beautiful, but so yummy! 3. My sweet little (granddaughter) Madi showing me her new haircut. She wants to show grandma everything. Makes me happy. :) 4. Birthday lunch with my friend, Jechelle. She introduced me to a new restaurant, Tortilla Bar in Orem, and I LOVE it! (Going again this week.) 5. I adore little people drawn by little people. (Artwork by: Madi) 6. Making lunch for Ella with our favorite bread. 7. Quiet Saturday mornings are the best. 8. Date night, dinner and Les Mis. We both thought it was wonderful, in a very different way than the live version. Yes, I cried. 9. My man sportin' his new Vans, a birthday gift from Kate. I don't know many grandpas who wear them. :) FEBRUARY 2013

1. It's a twenty minute drive to the mall. E likes to be prepared. 2. Ella signs everything with her entire name now. Glad she likes it. 3. A special Valentine from Daddy. 4. Ella's Valentine's box. If a little bling is good, a whole lot is even better, right? 5. Cousins rock! (And so does Hello Kitty.) 6. Ella's class valentines--blow pops that say, "Valentine, You Blow Me Away!" 7. E's first text. Wish we hadn't. (And so do her brothers and sisters--sorry guys. :)) 8. Monkeyin' around. Ella thought this was hilarious. 9. We FINALLY got rid of that darn ear infection. Hooray!

simple recipe: brushetta with roasted garlic and a gift idea.

2013-03-08T12:27:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure, when we arrive in heaven, Brushetta will be served as the appetizer at our "welcome home" dinner. The combination of ripe tomatoes, garlic, and basil, must truly be a gift from God. :)

My birthday was a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't home when my friend Delayne, dropped off this simple, yet thoughtful gift.

It was a basil plant, with a handwritten recipe for Brushetta. I was thrilled. I love Brushetta, but I don't ever remember making it myself. Every time I walked past the plant, I would breath in, and the cravings began.

The next day I purchased the ingredients I needed, including fresh garlic to roast and spread on the baguette slices. Is your mouth watering yet?

Roasting garlic is so, so simple. Just cut the top portion from the garlic (opposite the "root" end), and place on some foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the top, letting it seep into the little holes and crevices. Let some drip on the outside too.

Wrap up the foil around the garlic bulb, nice and tight, and roast at 425 degrees for about and hour and 15 minutes. (I like mine nice and spreadable.)

Side note here: This mini-mini baking sheet (it's a 1/4 size sheet) was another gift from my friend, Jen. I had to ask her where she got it--the Bosch store. I love it and it was perfect for this little job. (Thanks, Jen!)

While the garlic is roasting, mix up the rest of the ingredients, and let the flavors meld together. Resist devouring the entire bowl, by taking just a few bites and getting a taste of what's to come.

Cut the baguette or french bread at an angle in thin slices, and spread with a bit of butter. When the garlic is done roasting, scoop it out of the bulb and spread over the butter. (I like a lot!)

Toast the bread slices until slightly crispy, and top with tomato/basil mixture. Oh my.

This was our entire dinner. Both Lynn and I loved it and will be having it a lot this summer as a fresh, simple dinner. (Thanks, Delayney!)

If you're looking for a lovely and simple gift idea this time of year, I'd recommend a basil plant and this recipe. Good stuff.

BRUSHETTA
by Delayne Dayton

5-8 tomatoes
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh basil, chopped (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste (not cayenne!) *I thought I had some but didn't, so I left it out.
Olive oil (be generous, it's a good fat)
Splash of balsamic vinegar

Mix ingredients together. Store in refrigerator.

Baguette or french bread (I used 1/2 baguette)
1/2 stick butter (I used less)
1 garlic clove, minced or use roasted garlic (above)

Mix butter and garlic together. Spread on bread and toast in 350 degree oven until crisp and golden brown.

Top with tomato mixture and savor.

P.S. I'd love to find a whole grain french bread for this recipe. If anyone knows where to find one, give a holler. :)

Post also shared on these fabulous blogs:
Whipperberry
Six Sister's Stuff

simple solution: teaching kids to set the table

2013-03-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

Question: If the silverware had a fight, who would win?

"Bite" silverware designed by Mark Reigelman.

Each Sunday after church, our married kids and their families (and Annabelle the dog) come over for dinner. It's pretty casual, but we always sit down at the table to eat together. We also have ~~horrible~~ special traditions like making a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough after dinner, and devouring the entire thing. And Ella always challenges her big brothers to a game of Mario Cart. (And usually wins--seriously. Luckily, they're good sports.) It's a day I look forward to each week because it means I get to see my grandlittles and catch up with my bigs.

Recently Ella has become more interested in helping out with the prep before everyone arrives. I think she believes they'll get here faster if everything is done. So, I've been teaching her to set the table.

About forty-five years ago, my Grandmother Hilfiker taught me a simple little poem to help me remember which side of the plate the knife, spoon, and fork go. It's so simple I've never forgotten it, and still recite it when I set the table. It goes like this:

The silverware had a fight,
The knife and the spoon were right,
so the fork left.

Not super uplifting I know, but I always remember (and now Ella is learning), that the knife and fork go to the right of the plate with the napkin, and the fork goes to the left.

Answer: The knife and the spoon win!

Speaking of silverware...

I'm in love with stamped silverware. I know it's been around a long time, but I find it classic. I found a delightful little shop on Etsy, Beach House Living, that has the most darling words and phrases stamped on silver. Thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

Spring is on it's way, and I can't wait to start growing lots of basil (for a fabulous brushetta recipe I'll share) and rosemary (just because I love the look of it).

Love the cursive stamps used on these.

Special spoons just for ice cream? Oh yes, a must. :)

Just plain sweet. And I love even more that they don't match.

Have a great day!

Post also shared at these fabulous blogs: The 36th Avenue, Somewhat Simple, Six Sister's Stuff

out and about: BYB 2013 Conference

2013-02-27T15:06:00.001-07:00

Wondering what to expect at a blog conference? Here's a bit of my personal experience.

I attended the Build Your Blog 2103 Conference last weekend in Salt Lake City. The darling girls at Six Sisters Stuff blog (yes, they are actually sisters) hosted and did a beautiful job.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST?
When I was deciding whether or not to go to the conference, I saw that Brooke Walker, host of KSL's Studio 5, was the keynote speaker. I watch Studio 5 almost every day while I'm on the treadmill, and think Brooke is darling, so that was the little push I needed. In real life, she's even more funny and inspiring.

I loved that the conference was just one Saturday, which made it very doable, less overwhelming, and cost-effective for so many attendees. And, I love, love, love that all the classes were recorded, and will be available for viewing soon (free for attendees and a small cost to non-attendees). That means I (and you!) can actually attend ALL the classes. I think that is a huge perk to attending this conference.

WERE YOU NERVOUS TO GO?
I attended/taught at more shows than I can count during my career in the scrapbooking industry, so I pretty much knew what to expect. I was a little concerned about being the "grandma" of the group, and surrounded by girls my own girls' ages. Not the case. We ~~older~~ more experienced women were definitely represented.

I really feel we ~~older~~ young at heart bloggers, have a unique voice that should be shared, and that is perhaps a part of what sets us apart from many other bloggers. Going to ponder that a bit. :) And possibly start acting my age. Nah. Madi loves it when I act cra-cra. :)

WHAT MAKES A GREAT CLASS?
There were four breakout sessions with a choice of three classes in each section. Of the four classes I attended, my favorite was Fueling Your Blog's Fire Without Getting Burnt Out: Tips and Tricks to Manage It All. It was taught by Tara and Wendy from The Dating Divas. It had a lot of useful information on organization, having a plan, scheduling, and building a "dream team." I will be implementing a lot of the suggestions. The class was fun, but also very organized and to the point. I super appreciate that. And the visuals/downloads we have access to are exceptional. It was nice knowing I didn't have to take so many notes, because they made the visuals available on-line to class attendees. Super class all the way around.

Side note: I saw Tara in the restroom at the end of the day. We talked for a minute (she's very high-energy and so fun!), as I rummaged through my pack to find my keys. She pointed and asked, "Oh wait, is that them?" They were on my wrist! Seriously, I'm a dork. We laughed and then I actually admitted that one time I was running around trying to find my darn cell phone while I was talking on it. Please don't judge. :)

TAKE NOTE & BE INSPIRED
I took a lot of notes during the conference. I added a little star next to those items I want to implement first. And then I drew a little heart (something I've done forever) next to those things that really inspired me personally.

Here are just a few of my notes from Brooke's keynote presentation:

Take the process of creating your blog from your head to your heart, so you can inspire and influence others. Become an "influencer," not just a blogger. There is power in being an influencer.
Find your focus.
Commit to a cause so you can do good, share, give back, and know when you need to say no to opportunities.
Add your voice and passion to your blog.
Ask interesting questions that will make others think, act, or desire something more.
It's okay to play up the positive. The world craves positive, happy headlines/information. Readers aren't stupid (okay, maybe Brooke didn't use that exact phrase), they know you have downfalls.
Balance the bucket. Take the opportunity to fill others' buckets (celebrate their success) by pinning, liking, leaving uplifting comments, and/or mentioning them on your blog. Give back to others--a lot! If you blog is already super successful, help others become successful too, by filling from the top down.
Strive to leave a lasting impact. Readers may not remember all the information you shared, but they will remember how you made them feel.

Good stuff. And there was a lot more. Wishing you were there? Sign ups for BYB 2014 are already in the works.

Are you thinking about starting a blog? What's holding you back?

one simple recipe: heavenly hot chocolate

2013-02-25T11:35:00.001-07:00

Here in beautiful Utah, we've had a far more extreme winter than usual. There have been record breaking low temps and snow accumulation totals. Brrr! That's led to far too little socializing among neighbors and friends.We decided to warm things up a bit with a good old-fashioned Relief Society social.

It was a rousing success. Keeping it simple, allowed everyone to socialize and reconnect. And if there's chocolate involved, you're pretty much guaranteed success. Not just any chocolate, really good chocolate. :)

Our resident foodie, Breanna Smithson of Breanna's Recipe Box, showed us how to make homemade hot cocoa. Seriously, I will never use powder again. It was so, so simple and amazingly delicious.

Here's Breanna's recipe:

Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 heaping cup dark chocolate chips (if you like a sweeter cocoa, use semi sweet)

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium heat. Place chocolate chips and salt in a glass measuring cup and add steaming milk. Stir mixture until it looks chocolately, then pour into blender. Blend on high for 10-15 seconds. Pour hot chocolate back into the saucepan and heat until steaming. Pour in cups and add shaved dark chocolate. Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Using dark chocolate definitely made this a more "grown-up" version of hot cocoa. It had a bit of a bittersweet taste which I love. Breanna also made a quick video to demo the process. It's super fun to watch, so go check it out.

Along with the cocoa, we had a large variety of homemade scones--cranberry, blueberry, lemon poppyseed, chocolate chip and lemon ginger. (Thank you RS Presidency--Marci, Tirage, Marina, and Tamsen!) We all pretty much broke out the knives so we could taste each one. They were all wonderful.

If I had to choose a favorite though, I think it would be Marina Jensen's lemon ginger scones. Yum!

Notes from Marina: I only baked my scones 18 minutes. I also drizzled the scones with a glaze made from powdered sugar and lemon juice.

Both sweet and simple makes for a great meeting. Here's to staying warm and cozy.

Also shared at these fabulous blogs: Whipperberry, Six Sister's Stuff, I heart naptime, Thirty Handmade Days, Be Different, Act Normal, Tatertots and Jello.

helen's quilt

2013-02-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

I have a friend, Helen, who is sweet and caring and can always make me laugh. Seriously, she's hilarious. She's also authentic to the core and very knowledgeable of the gospel--all things I very much admire about her. One thing she apparently is not, is graceful. :)

While painting a room in her home a few weeks ago, she took a major dive off of or onto (?) a chair and got a spiral fracture in her leg. I'd describe what that is, but it's super gross and would make you cringe. I just did--eck. Following her surgery, she's been at a rehab center for physical therapy. As much as I'm sure everyone there is enjoying her humor and antics, I know she's going nuts without her family and friends.

To give Helen a little comfort and remind her we're thinking of her, some friends got together and made her a quilt. Actually, Jen Ostler did most of the work, the rest of us got to help. The whole thing came together in three days. I know...amazing!

JEN'S PROCESS FOR A GROUP QUILT:

Choose a simple quilt design with blocks beginners can easily piece. (She used Little Man from the book Simplify With Camille Roskelley: Quilts for the Modern Home (Stash Books). Great book for beginners--and everyone else.)

Purchase or pull together fabric from your stash. (Be sure to use your friends favorite colors.)

Pre-cut all the pieces and stack into blocks.

Send out an e-mail (Jen used our ward's Google group) for everyone to either come over and sew a block or two or take one home and do it. (It took me about 20 minutes to sew and press two blocks.)

Sew the blocks together with the sashing and borders. Layer quilt top, batting and backing.

Make a run to a favorite quilt shop--or three--for a backing.

Send out or do the quilting yourself.

Give to someone who can bind a quilt lightening-fast (that's Monica Steelman).

Jen embroidered a sweet message before sewing on the sashing.

After much contemplation, the extra little band of cream between the border patterns, was just what it needed. Great choice Jen, it's perfect. :)

I love the backing. Another friend, Amber Bonner, used scraps of the fabrics to make a matching bag. It's beautiful!

Love you, Helen. We're ready for you to come home!

NOTES: The original pattern is for a baby quilt that measures 40 1/2" x 51 1/2". Helen's quilt is 60 x 76. Total blocks: 36. Fabric used: 9 fat quarters, 1 1/2 yards for sashing, 1/4 yard for border 1 (2" finished), cream scraps for border 2 (1" finished), 1/2 yard for border 3 (4 1/2" finished), and 1/2 yard for binding cut at 2 1/4", approximately 4 yards for backing (depending on if you use fabrics from the front for piecing). Purchase Simplify With Camille Roskelley: Quilts for the Modern Home for original pattern.

Also shared here:
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Whipperberry

three things Thursday: a kitchen tool, cukes, and my Coach cross body

2013-02-21T07:53:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I wrote a three things Thursday post. Here are three things I'm loving right now.

On a girlfriends' getaway last fall, the condo we stayed at had this cool OXO Good Grips 2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup. We were most likely using it to make another batch of chocolate chip ~~cookie dough~~ cookies. :) What I love, is that it allows you to read the measurements right from the top, instead of the side--so cool. I also love the super pointy spout, so I bought a second one for filling my iron with water. I found mine at Target and have also seen them at Kohl's.

Okay, where have these mini cukes been all my life? I've seen them at Costco a million times and always pass them up. A few weeks ago, I was shopping for ingredients for a salad for our Sunday family dinner. The store was out of regular cucumbers, so I picked up a package of these. They are so much better than regular cucumbers! And they're seedless. The taste is very different from the larger version--kind of more earthy (?) with no bitterness. It's hard to describe. Give them a try if you haven't already, and let me know what you think.

I love Coach purses. They are a big splurge for me, so it was the only thing I asked for this past Christmas. I ended up getting two--lucky girl!--because they were having such great sales at the new store in our area. This little Coach Pebbled Leather Front Pocket Swing Pack CrossBody Bag 45012 Black was one of them and I've used it probably as much--if not more--than the larger one I purchased.

I started looking for a cross body purse after the same girlfriends' trip I talked about earlier. We did a lot of shopping and I got tired of carrying around my big old bag. This one holds my wallet, phone, a pair of glasses, and some lip gloss comfortably. It allows for hands-free shopping, which is great when rifling through clothing racks or carrying bolts of fabric. And because it's right on me, I never have to set it down or in a cart, which is safer. I'm loving it.

a sweet little sentiment

2013-02-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

valentine's in a box

2013-02-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love, love, love everything about Valentine's Day--the colors pink & red together, chocolate, ribbon, flowers, chocolate, smooches, and having the opportunity to let my awesome hubs and family know how much I love and adore them. And chocolate. :)

This year, I really wanted to put together something sweet and simple for my daughter Kate, daughters-in-law Ashlee, Daniela, and Tayler, and a couple of my favorite girlfriends.

I gathered all things red, pink, girly, and Valentine-y.

Altoids for fresh breath
grapefruit lip balm for kissable lips
sparkly glitter for crafting
mini candy/cupcake wrappers for gifting
a chocolate truffle for ~~sharing~~ enjoying
yummy polka dot and grosgrain ribbon for giving and wrapping and everything pretty

I arranged the items in little glossy, white boxes.

(Try to let a little of each item peek out when you arrange them--far more delightful when the package is opened. :))

I cut 3-4 layers of tissue paper to fit the box and used my pinking sheers to trim the edge. I love little details like that.

A girl can never have too much ribbon--grosgrain and sheers, polka dots and solids--love them all.

How about a hot pink animal print? Ella's favorite by far. That one's going to my daughter, Kate, because she's kind of a wild one and quite sassy (wink, wink!).

Choose your favorite, and tie up the box with a pretty little bow. So simple and sweet.

Here's a list of my supplies:

All the ribbon I used is from Paper Mart. I've been ordering from them for years. They have the best prices I've found (you'll be amazed), and it's good quality stuff.
My 4 x 4 x 2 high gloss tuck top boxes are also from Paper Mart. They come in a quantity of 100 in a million different sizes, but this size will be perfect for so many things. I wanted one that would hold a treat or little something, along with a gift card. They come out to be only .14 each. If you don't think you'll ever use that many, go in with a friend. I also ordered some red high glass tuck top boxes in a slightly different size. Can't wait to use them too. I'll share when I do. :)
The tubes of sparkly iridescent glitter are here. It comes in 12 different colors for .99 each.
The mini candy/cupcake liners are from Wilton. (Found them at Walmart.)
Burt's Bees grapefruit lip balm, Altoids, and Lindt truffles are from Target.

*The shipping charges at Paper Mart are great for ribbon and smaller items, but be warned, when you start adding the boxes, the shipping goes up substantially. I would suggest you place one big order for yourself, or order with a group of friends. They always ship super fast. I placed my order Thursday night and it arrived Saturday afternoon. Love that!

Go check it out. Give yourself plenty of time, there's a lot of fun stuff on the site.

Ribbon:

1 1/2" x 25 yds. shimmer sheer organza (white and hot pink)

1 1/2" x 25 yds. red sheer polka dot

1 1/2" x 10 yds. pink party dot grosgrain (this is a bright pink)

7/8" x 50 yds. red grosgrain

5/8" x 20 yds. pink/white zebra grosgrain

xox

Sharing this post at:
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Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

simple tip: choose a theme for gift giving

2013-01-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Our little grandson turns two today. Happy Birthday, Karson! He is a very active little guy and one hundred percent boy. Lynn calls him "Tank." :)

I have three granddaughters--Madilyn, Piper, and Lilah Jane. Karson is my only grandson.

I think boys are harder to shop for. But choosing a theme to his gifts, made it so much simpler! Karson is in a cars/dinosaurs phase, so I searched on Amazon. Momma suggested books and puzzles. We are the grandma and grandpa who always give a book as part of a gift, so it was perfect. To make things even simpler, I had everything shipped directly to our "Tank."

I Am A Dump Truck

Cars (Disney/Pixar Cars) (Read-Aloud Board Book)

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (tons of great reviews on this book)

Melissa & Doug Construction Site Peg Puzzle

Fun stuff. I think he'll enjoy them.

{IRL} in real life

2013-01-22T18:41:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, Lynn insisted I "get with it" and buy a smart phone. As an IT Supervisor, I think he was a little embarrassed his wife was still using a Blackberry--with no internet capabilities. :) Seriously, he's not that kind of guy. He just thought I'd have fun with it. He is that kind of guy. :)

It took me a few months to decide between an iPhone and an Android. Finally decided on the Samsung Galaxy III--bigger screen, better photos. I am lacking the coolness factor of an iPhone though.

I have a love/hate relationship with my SG3. I love that I can do so much more--take photos and keep in touch with my sister in Iceland and my other family members around the US through Facebook on a daily basis. I hate that it can suck up my time so quickly--way too much fun. I limit my time now and leave my phone in the kitchen when I'm in the office, etc. We're getting along much better now. :)

I am loving Instagram. It's great to be able to catch little glimpses of our everyday life to hold on to, treasure, and share so easily. Here are just a few of my favorite photos I took recently.

1. Look Mom! I love you.
2. Upped my workout to one hour. These shoes remind me of Cheetos. :)
3. Outside my office window. We've had so much snow and it's been SO cold--record lows.
4. I bought a box of dinosaurs for grandson, Karson, at the Children's Museum in SLC. He carried them everywhere. I miss him.
5. Madi Mail: a letter from granddaughter, Madilyn. It was all glued together and crumpled up. Best mail ever. I love it.
6. Our newest granddaughter, Lilah Jane. She's an absolute delight and so, so sweet and content. The best baby I've ever seen. Bonus: she loves to cuddle. Kate is coming for her birthday this week and leaving Lilah home. Lynn teased her and said if she wasn't bringing Lilah, she shouldn't bother coming. :)
7. My granddaughter Piper, on the day she was sealed to my stepson, Josh and his wife, Tayler. She stayed with us while Mommy and Daddy got ready, then we took her to the temple with us. Oh, how we love her.
8. Mount Timpanogos Temple. Another McCrary family sealed together forever. I can't put into words how special it was to witness such a wonderful ordinance and how grateful we were to be there. Love them so much.
9. My fave earrings (Brighton), and I still love gray and mustard/yellow together.

Yep, the overriding theme this month is grandkids. I'm sure they'll show up every other month too. :)

valentine's printable: sharing the love

2013-01-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

digital papers and clip art from Cocoa Mint

Remember these darling matchbook valentines I made for Madi and Ella last year? I still love them. Apparently Ella Bella does too. When she saw them on the computer, she said she wants to use them again this year, only change the photo to a more current one. Is that allowed? Sure would be simple. :)

I changed them up a bit, so I could share with my friends--yes, that's you! Instead of a photo, your sweet girlies can just fill in the blanks. If you simply must add a photo and have Photoshop Elements, drop me a quick e-mail and I'll send you the psd. file.

Valentine's Matchbooks

xox

Shared at: Whipperberry

valentine's day: 10+ reasons I love you!

2013-01-15T23:17:00.002-07:00

Last year I decided to do something silly and fun for Lynn for Valentine's Day. I jumped on the "open at ___ o'clock" band wagon and put together a package of gifts for him to unwrap each hour throughout the day. Each gift was related to a reason I love him.

The hardest part was coming up with items to go with each reason, because I didn't want it to be all soda and candy. Maybe my ideas will help spark some of your own.

Here's my list of reasons. (It was much simpler to create one big list than a bunch of individual cards.) I attached it to a large red bag with handles and put all the gifts inside, so it would be easy to carry into work. Lynn said he caught some guy trying to read it on the bus. :)

Each gift was wrapped up and had a corresponding time tag attached. Can you match up the items in the photo with each reason? Here you go:

1. Chips Ahoy!--Lynn's favorite store-bought cookies.
2. A Chili's gift card for our next date night.
3. Planter's mixed nuts.
4. Dentyne Fire gum--we have to hid ours from Ella! :)
5. Air Freshener for his car.
6. iTunes gift card.
7. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. (I know, but what would you have done? Besides, we love those things. :))
8. Photo of daughter Ella, and granddaughter Madi, for his desk.
9. Heart-shaped box of candy. (This never made it back home...hmmmm.)
10. The lastest Pirates of the Carribean DVD. (Admit it, that's a good one. :))

{Bonus} A sweet card that reads, "I love my life with you."

I think Lynn really enjoyed it and it made him feel special.

Shared at: Whipperberry

celebrate: meeting Ella's birth parents

2013-01-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've shared just a small portion of our adoption story in past posts. I am so grateful to those who have responded. Your comments have given us such hope and encouragement. Thank you!

Our story continues.

About six months ago, we realized that Ella was "stuck" in her play therapy. I remember telling her therapist, Erin, "If I have to play out that story one more time I'm going to freak!" (At that time I was also in the playroom with Ella during therapy.)

Erin just laughed. She asked if I was really ready for a change. I knew what that meant. With change comes emotion. Not just a little emotion, A LOT of emotion from our Ella--spewing everywhere, especially in my face.

Erin could see that Ella had parts of her story that were missing, and suggested we fill in the blanks. We all met together and with a stack of pictures and photos, unfolded Ella's story before her eyes. Erin explained each part so Ella could understand. It was hard to listen to all she had been through when she was so little. Ella was pretty quiet--and then hyper--as she took it all in.

Yes, there was a fall-out--as expected--but it was also very helpful. Ella had very strong, painful emotions associated with her mother, but I was the only mother she remembered. Now she could see, that it wasn't me who hurt her so deeply.

Fast forward, and Ella starts asking more questions about her birth parents. Why did they make bad choices? Do they still make bad choices? She wondered if she wasn't with them because "she wasn't born right." That seriously broke my heart. I could see the little wheels turning in her head and her self-worth being impaired.

We thought perhaps it was time for Ella to "meet" her birth parents. I say meet, only because she didn't remember them. She had pictures and had actually talked to her birth father, Sean, a couple of times, but was still struggling with whether they were "real".

The big day.

For days, Ella shared her feelings as excited, but also nervous. I'd tell her, "Me too!" and we'd giggle. We explained to Ella that she could change her mind at any time and cancel the meeting.

Ella chose to meet at the Family Support and Treatment Center. I was hesitant, but Erin explained it was a very understandable choice, because she feels safe there and it's where she deals with hard things. (Yep, my issue again. :))

Boy, I was pretty serious about getting this right! :)

Lynn, Ella and I arrived early and kept ourselves busy with projects. Erin met with Ella's birth parents, Sean and Daniela, to let them know what to expect.

Soon the door opened, and there they were. Ella ran to me and buried her face in my side. She would sneak little peeks and quickly hide again. Sean and Daniela walked in with huge smiles on their faces. Daniela was trying not to cry, which made me tear up. They talked to Ella quietly and were very patient. Sean gave her a small bouquet of pink roses which kind of broke the ice.

Ella with Erin.

Erin had let Ella choose some activities beforehand, so she knew exactly what would be happening when we were together. We played Ella's favorite game--Chutes and Ladders (I won for once!)--and made a snowflake craft.

Erin is amazing in action. I see it all the time, but couldn't help being even more impressed and grateful as she tracked and validated and guided and directed the entire time. This was all just second hand to her and she was in her element. She is such a gift and blessing to our family.

Ella's favorite part was opening Christmas gifts from Sean and Daniela. She loved her jewelry box, bracelet, pink Uggs, and Merida doll.

Before we left, Ella wanted a picture of her birth parents. (Those red eyes are from tears of joy. :))

The ride home was pretty quiet. Ella was taking it all in and processing. At home it was pretty much the same. She showed Madi and Lilah her things and told Kate what we did and that she liked it.

Lynn and I had been looking forward to this day for a very long time. I'm sure that might seem strange to many, but Sean and Daniela are not only Ella's birth parents, they are also our son and daughter-in-law.

It had been a very long time since we were all able to be together. This was an answer to years of prayer on their behalf. To us, it is a miracle. Our children were both once in a very, very bad place and as difficult as it was, we reported their substance abuse to CPS. Ella was placed with us and because Sean and Daniela were unable to meet the requirements of the service plan that was set up with DCFS, we adopted our granddaughter.

It feels so good to have our kids back in our lives. We had talked to them often, but when they came into town, we met somewhere else for lunch or dinner. We spent time almost every day of the week and a half they were here this time visiting together--playing and laughing and dancing (Sean LOVES Just Dance Disney. Okay, not really. :)). And we were able to spend time with our grandson, Karson. Lynn calls him "Tank." He's a wonderful handful.

One of the things we always told our kids was to make good choices. But we also knew they would make mistakes. They quickly learned that if they expected us to enable them, they were big time wrong. Was it difficult to watch them deal with consequences? Unbearable at times. We even met with the city's prosecuting attorney once to say, "Sean needs help, can you please not let him off easily, and require him to go into rehab?" The attorney just looked at us and replied, "Wow...this never happens. Most parents are in here wanting me to be more lenient." My experience has been, that enabling simply prolongs the pain and makes change and healing impossible. I also believe our being "hard-liners" as we were once described, saved our son's life.

But our children have always also known, that if you truly want to change, I will be your biggest support ever. And when you are successful, I will be first in line to celebrate with you. Because I love you, and there's not a thing you can do about it.

This was a day of celebration for us all. Our tears of pain and anguish have turned to tears of joy. Sean and Daniela have been clean for almost four years now, and we are so proud of them. If this were not the case, they would not have been able to see Ella. We want her to be safe and to have healthy relationships.

I could not imagine not thanking my Heavenly Father for this miracle, because I know all blessings come from Him. We are here to build and strengthen our families, and He wants us to be successful.

simple tip: christmas books

2013-01-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Jumping in for just a minute to share a little tip.

I've been packing up our Christmas decorations. I know many of you count down the days until Christmas with a special story each night. We do too. (Looks like a few of the "grown up" books made it into the pile in the photo.)

I had some leftover wrapping paper and decided to wrap up our books before tucking them away. I did it while I was watching TV. I can check that off my list for next year and we'll all be surprised when the packages are opened.

Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story

Mortimer's Christmas Manger

P.S. We added these two books to our collection this year and love them both.

welcome 2013!

2013-01-02T21:29:00.001-07:00

I love the fresh start of a new year. It's like opening the pages of a new book you've been wanting to read, or writing the first words on the pristine pages of a newly-purchased notebook, or opening a beautifully wrapped gift.

We had the most wonderful Christmas ever. I can't wait to share.

So many sweet memories.

I put away the last of the decorations today, so now I can focus on my new resolution for twenty thirteen. I usually only choose goals I know I can accomplish and make me feel successful. They've been things I want to do, like read more books for pleasure, practice photography, or eat more veggies. Nothing super-essential, but they make me happy.

This year, it's a little different. I'm feeling the need to challenge myself--stretch and grow and change things.

I'm excited about my goal to eliminate the excess--excess "stuff" in my home, those seven pounds I've been trying to lose, and activities that are time-wasters. I'm excited. I'll keep you posted on my progress throughout the year.