yours, mine & ours.

Pic pick of the week//4

2012-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

I went freepiling a few days back and found a spaghetti strap dress. I thought I'd get more use out of it as a skirt.

Chop chop + some elastic and I think I was right.

I really like it. And I also really like this weather.

Gorgeous with a side of overcast.

Talking to two.

2012-01-25T14:32:00.000-08:00

"Eat your lunch, Bronze. Please."
"Maybe I'll eat my lunch."
"Good idea."
"Maybe I'll watch tv while I eat."
"Maybe not because I'm not turning it on again."
"Maybe you will turn it on."
"No I won't. And stop saying maybe, please."
"Maybe I will stop. You're welcome mom!!"

here & there

2012-01-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

1- How our room looks way too often.

2- Apartment dwelling moms everywhere know this trick. I can't wait to have a washer and a dryer!!! Bucket list.
3- We went to downtown Sac a few weeks ago. SO cool.
4- The fridge is a mess+Bronson keeps putting junk in it. Not helping. But funny.

5- Family pic from downtown Sac trip! Not a great one, but we're all in it and pretty much awake so it's a keeper.

Pic pick of the week//3

2012-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was freezing (for CA) so I when I finally went outside, I brought a blanket with me.

But no jacket. Or shoes.

Taking pics outside BY MYSELF was the highlight of this week.

Turns out potty training is a very hands on activity. For me. Bronson just basically sat there.

What's up with that??

we took pictures. a bunch of them.

2012-01-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break all of my siblings were able to come home so we made sure to take some family pics in the field by my moms house.
I have a million more but these are some of the ones I got with my camera. The last pic is my fave fave: all seven of us so stinking grown up. Crazy. It feels like we were all together forever ago but it's only been like 2 weeks. This month is going really slowly. Or maybe I just want gummy bears. Either way, I love my siblings and wouldn't mind seeing them all again someday. BUT I WOULD NEVER TELL THEM THAT IN PERSON!! Mushy mushy.

he's two AND A HALF. oh my goodness.

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

I just realized this kid made it to 2 and a half a few days ago!

That half is so important when you're little. Or when you're a mom and everything is important.
Anyway, here are some things I want to remember about Bronzo from right now:
- He'll only wear sports themed clothes. Except on Sundays when he gets to wear a tie "like daddy!!!"

- He's obsessed with Topher.
- He loves to dress and undress himself a million times a day. So many b-ball shirts, so little time!

- His favorite song is the alphabet song and he sings it a hundred times a day. Give or take. Usually give.

- Everything he plays with becomes a gun or a sword. Why????

- He just started saying "impressed" "privacy" and he tries to rap when sitting on the potty.

- He's almost potty trained!!! (Fingers crossed I didn't just jinx all the progress in that department by announcing it.)

- He's really sick of me taking pictures of him. As seen above: "Four more pictures mommy, then stop!!"

I'm not sure how so many months have gone by since B made his debut into our fam but seriously, we're so glad they did!
Best 2 and a half years ever. Literally. I hope B thinks so too ...

three down & lots more to go. thank goodness.

2012-01-16T21:41:00.000-08:00

Last week we went on a Toph planned date and this week I played cruise director for our night out.
Well it's no secret that I'm obsessed with Triple D and as such, I have a goal to go to as many Guy sanctioned eateries as possible.
So on Saturday we went to our third one (so far) and it did not disappoint. At all. And then some.

Highlights: OMGosh the best onion rings I've ever had. And special mention to Topher's delish burger and my amazing pizza. After all that, Toph ordered the biggest slice of carrot cake ever and taunted me with it. But I resisted!! Two weeks of no sugar and going strong. (The ketchup you see above was Topher's, I swear! Ketchup being about 1/3 sugar, right?) While we were walking back to the car I saw this gazebo and made Toph take a picture of me in it because hello: Stars Hollow?!! Come to think of it, the restaurant was a lot like Luke's ..... dream.come.true.

Pic pick of the week// 2

2012-01-13T08:38:00.000-08:00

This week the drawing-on-my-face tendencies that I fight every day flared up again.

And it was way too fun.

The picnicking neighbors were certainly intrigued.

My secret to never caring who watches me take pics in our apartment's communal front field?

Leave the glasses/contacts at home. That way I can't tell who's staring, everyone just becomes a blurry mess of onlookers.

I think that was Mr. Roger's trick too.

here & there

2012-01-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

1- A baby picture of Toph. He looks the same today, right?

2//3- Polaroids of toddler me that I just got from my mom.

4- We put a second hoop in the living room (on the front door). Genius.

5- A thrift store find from a while ago that I put above B's bed. My mom had the same quote in her room while we were growing up.

she reads//The Poisonwood Bible

2012-01-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

I got The Poisonwood Bible way back during birthday week and finally got around to reading it a few days ago. I finished yesterday and my brain almost exploded. In a good way. I love when I read a book and know it'll stick with me. Lately, more times than I'd care to admit, I read filler books. Quick but entertaining stories that don't mean anything in the long run (like watching a Lifetime movie. It's all good but not really substantial, you know?), so diving into something like this again was awesome.

____________________

Without going into the plot (most people I know read this one forever ago so I don't want to be too redundant), for me this book was about womanhood, motherhood, independence, faith, and most definitely about Africa. Africa was it's own character. I thought my favorite narrator was going to be Adah hands down, but it turns out I preferred Leah in the end and Congo overall.

There were parts where I laughed out loud, bawled my eyes out, and passages I underlined and made notes next to.

Barbara Kingsolver is an amazing author. Even after all that, I can't say that this is my favorite book or even in my

top 3 (top 5 perhaps), but it for sure made me think. It left me with so many huge+unanswerable questions:

How in the world could 1960's America and 1960's Congo even exist on the same planet as each other?
How can there be so much over abundance here and so much need there? (did anybody catch The Big Waste??!)
Why do women stay with abusive husbands and fathers for so long?
How can women be seen as something to lust after and need but, in the same hour, be treated as sub par and worthless?

And like a million more that I filled the pages of my journal with. Safe to say, I've been Googling Congo history like a mad woman.
ALSO: This book made me want to read Little Women again! I try to re-read it every year (it's my all time fave book) and I guess I'll be getting an early start this time. :)

___________________________

Have you read Poisonwood? What did you think??

Really genius idea, Sir.

2012-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

So I told Toph not to get my anything for Christmas and aside from the letter, he kept his promise. Except for one other thing: "Hey Meredith, I just planned 5 dates for the next few months." Umm. Best present ever? Yes. I usually "plan" our dates (hence the prevalent thai food+froyo theme) so to have him get on Groupon (and thrifty too?? swoooooon.) and make some real plans was impressive.

First up: roller skating+dinner.

Pack up the kid+drive to the sitters.

Kid free!! Happy face.

Stuck in traffic. Sad face.

We arrive, time to skate it up!

After so much physical exertion we need sustenance:

burgers at a local diner+2 player trivia games while we wait for our grub.

Pick up the kid and race home to see who will become the family wizard!!!!!

Disney channel forevah! (/for as long as we get free campus cable.)

I haven't been roller skating since fourth grade (and that time I forgot socks so my mom ran next door to a thrift store and bought me a pair. nice.) and it was so fun to brush up on my skating skillz!! Toph and I might have been the oldest people there and we got a lot of prepubescent eye rolls from other skaters while we danced/skated around the rink. It was awesome! When they turned on the disco ball and played some funk we were in heaven. I had so much fun. Genius idea, Toph. GENIUS.

Pic pick of the week// 1

2012-01-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

I know everybody (and their mom) considers themselves a photographer as soon as they get a DSLR, but for reals:

It's so fun to take pictures!! I can't get enough of Harper and using her has been even more fun since Toph got me a camera remote

as a stocking stuffer. To maximize all of his amaze brigade gifts+get some photog practice /extra me time, I've gonna try to go out each week for a little bit and snap some fun pictures. Then I'll pick my fave and share it here.

This week I had a hard time choosing just one so I went with more than that. I went with five. Oops.

Enjoy!

OK I lied: The last one is officially my fave.

PIC PICK OF THE WEEK!!!

I've been shredded. Like crazy.

2012-01-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hallelujah+jump for joy!!

I finished the 30 Day Shred!!
I brought the DVD with me on Christmas break in the hopes the I might actually do it every day and if you
follow my (all too often used) twitter, you know that I did.
While I was tweeting so much about it, people kept asking if it was "working" as in: "Are you losing weight?"
When I set out to do the full 30 days I wasn't looking to lose weight.
I was just trying to get back into a workout groove (which I did!).
Each segment was fast and fun and I was sweaty by the end. Good enough for me.
Plus: considering the amount of treats I managed to shove into my mouth over break,
I'd like to thank Jillian for the fact that I didn't turn into Gilbert Grape's mom.
(The motherload couch was very conducive to fudge consumption. Yum.)

Anyway, overall I loved this DVD.

BUT: If I could I'd combine the cardio from level one, the abs from level 2 and the weights from level 3.
And here's one more con: Pretty sure my thighs got bigger. Too many squats.
I know it's muscle or whatever but still, I don't really want bigger thighs.
Speed skating is not my hobby.
_________________________________________

Now what??
I'm thinking Insanity.
Anyone tried that one? Good/bad?
How long does it take each day??

Talking to two.

2012-01-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

"Mom, I want you to be my best friend."

"Thanks man! I'd love to be your best friend forevah!"

"I'm not man. I'm BRONSON."

"Ooooh yeah. I forgot. Because you haven't mentioned that in like five minutes."

"I want daddy to be my best friend."

clean eats

2012-01-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

This is how I get us all to eat more veggies. I love this stuff. I dip celery in it just to get more of it in my belly.

Anyway, here's the super simple way I make my salsa:

Ingredients:

2 Jalepeno peppers deseeded+chopped up

One bell pepper (any color) deseeded+chopped up

One 28 oz can of peeled tomatoes (diced or whole)

One small bushel of cilantro

Some chopped red onion

Some chopped garlic

Salt to taste

Throw it all in your blender and blend until it's the consistency you like (we prefer chopped really fine).

If you're fancy you might have a food processor. In which case throw it in your processor and process until delish.

Side note: Sometimes I put in a handful of spinach to add more veggie oomph.

Also, if you want it spicier (I make it really mild) use a different type/more peppers. I'm pretty sure.

We also love it on sandwiches.

Voila, Toph's lunch today. ^

Mine looked pretty similar just hold the turkey and add some avocado.

Sooo good.

Review: More Options for Cheap Glasses Online.

2012-01-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

(doing my best Julian Smith-after-eating-a-jellyfish look)

I've mentioned buying my glasses online a few times before. And I've mentioned where I usually buy them (check my faqs page for that) but I've been looking around lately and I just heard about another site that offers name brand frames for decent prices as well: GlassesUSA.com.

So far I've gathered (I haven't ordered anything from them yet) that they offer comparatively cheap eyeglasses, high quality frames+lenses and some really solid sales. For example: Right now you can take 20% off any pair of eyeglasses and get free US shipping with the code New2012. You can also take 10% off any order of prescription glasses with the code Blog10. Sweet! I think the sales end soonish (like within a few days) so if you need glasses/want to test the site out at a really good time, I would hurry. But even without the sales the prices are very good. For reals.

I also really like their virtual mirror where you can upload a pic of yourself to try on all the different eyeglasses. Super addicting!! I've tried on over 20 pairs (all from the comfort of my living room/pajamas) already.
Overall, I think the layout of the website is awesome, I've seen some frames that I love and with all the sales/deals/refer-a-friend offers you could score a pair of prescription glasses at a really good price.

Huzzah for bargains!

*This is a paid review but the opinions are definitely mine

and I've done my best to point out the awesome things this website offers :)

New Years weekend with two college hotties.

2012-01-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Gooda+Carlos were here over new years weekend and we made sure to show them a real good time.

A real good time included:

Lots and lots of posing for the camera.
It's just too much fun taking pics with Harper. Dang.

Getting outside.
Gooda and Carlos went back to Provo yesterday where it's always winter but never Christmas
so soaking up some CA sun while they were here was imperative.
Pretty sure we all got tans even!!!

FOOD.
Oh my gosh, Carlos ordered cinnamon roll french toast at brunch on Saturday and it was amazing.
PS: That's a picture of Bronson eating butter with a straw. Paula Deen style, I guess?

Church.
At 9AM. Oh how I'm gonna miss 11 o'clock meetings. The good news?
We freepiled two fancy coats to spruce up our Sunday bests with!
PS: Thank you Aline for the tights!!! I.LOVE.THEM.

Not pictured:

-All of us laying on the fold out couch watching movie after movie.

-Going to forever21, Trader Joe's, Target (x2), Walmart and SPCA.

-Each of us eating our own carton of ice cream on new years eve.

-Gooda tooting+burping his brains out. I said it.

-Carol wearing a green face mask and Bronson asking "What happened to your head??" a million times.

-The mess our apartment became with four adults and one toddler living in it for 4 days.

-The freepiling.

-The working out.

-The napping.

We're so glad you guys came! And we're so glad you guys left.
Have fun at college!!
Guard your carnal treasure, return with honor, remember who you are, and don't take candy from strangers.

on (pretty much) not shopping last year.

2012-01-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

I LOVE making one big, huge, crazy, is she nuts?? news years resolution every year. (Hello! no sugar!!) Last year I made the goal to not shop for myself at all. No thrifting, no online shopping, no new makeup; everything was out. And I pretty much did it.
Minus about 45 dollars. I posted every time I fell off the wagon (here+here+here) I think. But maybe not.
Maybe I secretly spent tons and am too ashamed to type about it!!! Nope. I didn't.

Here's what I learned after a year of not shopping:

-I want to move into a thrift store. Staying out of them was the only way I could hold myself back sometimes and I missed them.
I love cheap clothes. And junk shops full of crap that other people have parted with. Come to mama.

-Swaps rock. I went to 6 this year. It was awesome.

-I am not an online shopper. No problem there.

-Toph is a good listener. After buying a few cheap cameras and then selling them back over guilt/disappointment, he surprised me with the one I really wanted. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

-Peer pressure is very real. If other people were spending I really wanted to as well. Good thing there weren't any bridge jumping parties going on. Right??

I bet I learned a lot more but who cares? The point is: I did it! Go me.

[These pictures are from a thrifting trip I took with Gooda and Carlos this past weekend.

I didn't buy anything but I did take pics of some of the things I wanted to buy. ALL shoes. Typical.]

New Years Resolutions: MADE.

2011-12-31T19:08:00.000-08:00

Toph and I took advantage of having ~~slaves~~ my siblings in town this weekend and went out last night to make our news years resolutions. I made the goal to not eat sugar all year. Toph laughed at me. JUST WATCH ME DO IT, BUDDY!! Or watch me fail as the cravings consume my soul by January 2nd. Toph made the goal to pass the bar. I support that one. Big time. Now the boys are hounding me to go buy ice cream so our news years party can get underway (my last night of sugar!!!) so I'd better get on that. Gooda will most likely die if he doesn't get some ice cream in his system ASAP. No joke. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

best of 2011!

2011-12-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

Toph's faves from the past year:

-Finishing his 2L year and starting his 3L year.

-His summer job. Amen to that.

-X-Men First Class. Again: AMEN.

-Buying a marked down HP Tablet. Wayyy marked down.

-Getting a free chrome book to "test" out. For keeps.

Bronson's faves from the year:

-Baseball cupcakes.

-Football cupcakes.

-Basketball nights with dad.

-Real big boy basketball shoes .... sensing a theme.

My faves from the year:

-B's second birthday.

-Getting a new camera for my birthday.
-Making date night a priority again.

-Going to the blogger swap/meet up.

-Gooda coming home!!!

-Taking Gooda out to BYU with my mom+B.

Goodbye 2011. You were good to us.

But 2012 is gonna be HUGE.

This is the first time we've ever bought B presents. Luckyyy!

2011-12-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Guess what? Christmas was on Sunday this year. That's like the craziest thing ever for Mormons because then we have to figure out if we do presents before or after church. Insanity!! I was all about making Monday into Christmas and Sunday into Christmas Eve so nothing conflicted but that plan got majorly vetoed. We ended up going to church and then doing presents later on which was actually perfection. No waking up early and the present part got prolonged (which is what I wanted all along); best of both worlds.

Highlights:

-Watching B open his gifts! Toph and I just got him a few things but he ended up with tons of stuff courtesy of aunts, uncles and grandparents. Pretty much everything was sports related and he was in heaven. The piece de resistance were the real live basketball shoes I ordered for him. The second he opened them, on they went and he's been wearing them ever since. I shoulda got some odor eaters as a little stocking stuffer too.

-My presents!!! Faves included: a potty training DVD that Gooda picked up at the thrift store (very thoughtful), a handed down man watch from Carlos who gave away a lot of her possessions since she's moving to BYU next week and had to clean out her room anyway, and a homemade camera strap cover from my madre.

-A new tradition! We started a new tradition where Toph and I write each other a thank you letter of all the things we're thankful for from the past year (things about each other or just from life in general). I love getting notes from Toph. For reals.

And now Christmas is over and life goes on as usual. Kinda.
School doesn't start until the 11th so we're still on vaycay.
Bronson's soaking in all the cousin time and Toph's reading some new book on his tablet.
Same old, same old.

Christmas Eve was beyond spiritual.

2011-12-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

We stuck to family tradition and acted out the nativity on Christmas eve. It was Bronson's first year to be in it and he got to be a shepherd! It was kinda the cutest thing ever. Thank goodness for dishtowels and freepiled sweaters too.

We went all out for costumes.

The play wrapped with the cast wrestling and rolling around on the "stable" floor.

It was magical.

We also opened new pj's, had homemade Chinese food and pushed the

couches back together because the motherload couch is what it's all about.

Highlights:

B as a little shepherd boy kneeling in front of Rowan as the huge toddler "baby" Jesus.

Mom's Thai sweet potato+shrimp soup.

The fortunes I wrote for everyone.

B's little basketball pajamas. Smooth move gma.

Putting all the presents under the tree. There were so many!!! Because we have like infinity people in our fam.

we went. we saw. we jumped pics.

2011-12-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!! I wish pictures of Christmas lights could do them justice.

This year we went to this house that does this huge light show coordinated to music.

The highlight was when part of it was done to the Angry Birds song.

My nephew went crazy with excitement. And I kinda did too. Truth be told.

Driving around in the dark and staring at other people's yards is genius.

I vote to do it everyday!!!

Christmas tree time machine

2011-12-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of other families, we grew up getting a new tree ornament every year. My mom rocks at finding (or making/finding someone to make) ones that fit each of us and what we've been up to that year. Some of my faves include:

the year we bought our first house as a fam in San Diego (1998)

the year Bronson was born a red eyed devil baby!! (2009)

the year we finally finished building our house in Red Bluff (2001)

Gooda's first Christmas in Russia (2009)

the year the San Diego temple was built (1994)

the year we went to Disneyland for Christmas AKA: the day Toph proposed!!! (2006)

Carlos mastered the guitar in just a few months! (2008)

our last Christmas in San Diego we had a beach themed tree (2000)

I need to get on it and start making B some ornaments! I'm 2 behind which isn't too bad since this is only his third Christmas.

HOLY COW HOW IS THIS ALREADY HIS THIRD CHRISTMAS??!

Christmas break so far

2011-12-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been all about:

setting up the projector my dad got for his birthday (so we can view huge panda movies),

pushing the couches together to form the motherload couch and then lounging on it all day long,

re-reading some of my favorite books,

keeping up with the 30 Day Shred, (B loves to work out with me. So presh.)

and making+eating more graham cracker houses (MAD EYE MOODY door!!!)

Other things we've done that I didn't take pics of BUT I want to remember anyway:

We went to see It's a Wonderful Life as a play. Ummm .... everybody was good except the kid that played George Bailey. Jimmy and Frank Capra were rolling in their graves. Pretty sure.

I finally saw The Help. Oh my word, loved it. Viola Davis was perfection.

Toph's still at home finishing up school stuff and church assignments so we haven't seen him since Sunday. B does not approve.

Annnnd: Time to get back to the couch.