a quote

that i came across and liked. in an article about being happy. here if you'd like to read it, #2 is the best i think.

"Herein lies the key to a good life--not rules to follow, nor problems to avoid-- but an engaged humility, an earnest acceptance of life’s pains and promises."

some dresses

i came across a blog awhile back, in the midst of a daily schedule obsession. its called passionate homemaking. she is a really sweet christian girl who has written on tonnnns of subjects. look at the right sidebar to browse any category you find interesting. anyhow, from there i found a clothing line that is oh so cute: christa taylor.

i looooove the red one. and then 2nd best is the light blue one. ok, i think i put them in order :)

a poem for the rest of us

the girl in a whirl

by victoria gunther

look at me, look at me, look at me now!

you could do what i do if you only knew how.

i study the scriptures one hour each day

i bake and i garden. i scrub and i pray.

i always keep all the commandments completely.

i speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

i help in their classrooms! i sew all they wear!

i drive them to practice! i cut all their hair!

i memorize talks by the general authorities.

i focus on things to be done by priorities.

i keep our home organized, clean and attractive.

i drop by with goodies and see the less-active.

i play the piano! i bless with my talents!

my toilets all sparkle! my checkbooks all balance!

each week every child gets a one-on-one date.

i attend all my meetings (on time! never late!)

i'm taking a class on the teachings of paul,

but that is not all! oh, no. that is not all...

i track my bad habits 'til each is abolished.

i floss everyday! and my toenails are polished!

our family home evenings are always delightful.

the lessons i give are both fun and insightful.

i do genealogy faithfully, too.

it's easy to do all the things that i do!

i rise each day early, refreshed and awake.

i know all the names of each youth in my stake!

i read to my children! i help all my neighbors!

i bless the community, too, with my labors.

i write in my journal! i sing in the choir!

each day, i write "thank you's" to those i admire.

i exercise and i cook menus gourmet.

my visiting teaching is done the first day!

(i also go do it for someone who missed hers.

i love filling in for my cherished ward sisters.)

i chart resolutions and check off each goal.

i seek each "lost lamb" on my primary roll.

i bottle our produce each summer and fall.

but that is not all! oh, no. that is not all...

i went back to school to update my degree.

my studying earned me a new PhD

i split with the sisters who cover our ward

to spread the glad truth that the gospel's restored.

i go to the temple at least once a week.

i make my girls' prom dresses- modest, yet chic.

my sons were all eagles when they were fourteen!

my kids get straight a's! and their bedrooms are clean!

i have my own business to help earn some money.

i always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

i grind my own wheat and i bake all our bread.

i plan our nutritious meals six months ahead.

i make sure i rotate our two-year's supply.

my shopping for Christmas is done by july!

(it's out of the way early on for a reason.

i then can prepare for the real Christmas season.)

these things are not hard. it's good if you do them.

you can if you try! just set goals and pursue them!

it's easy to do all the things that i do!

if you plan and work smart, you can do them all too!

"it's easy!" she said...

and then...

she dropped dead.

best cookbook!

i get so excited when i see pretty cookbooks, but usually i start flipping through it and i find all these weird foods that i umm wouldn't touch. the food nanny rescues dinner is full of recipes that are actually normal, and good! i love it, i love that i can trust it. my mom mentioned the other day that she may get rid of all of her other chocolate chip cookie recipes because the food nanny's recipe is so reliable (always lumpy!).

the food nanny suggests a simple way to plan meals that i really like as well. she assigns each day of the week with a cuisine type, like italian tuesdays, fish and meatless wednesdays. you can read about it at her webpage, http://www.thefoodnanny.com/

snuggies

this is for amber... the other day when i was talking to my sister amber, she brought up snuggies. i don't know if you've seen these, but the infomercial is awesome. while perusing the online costco deals (a favorite pasttime) i came across this little sweetheart:




a two pack of snuggies with 2 bonus booklights for only $14.99, and that even includes shipping/handling! be quick amber, this deal won't last long. i would buy it but its so hot here already that winnie and i ran through the sprinklers on friday. i'd suffocate in a snuggie.

on another note, they are also selling the cricut expression at costco for $279. does anyone have this? do i need this? because i watched an infomercial for it as well (does anyone else occasionally watch infomercials for entertainment? if you don't, you should. the world is full of great products, such as the chia obama head.) and they convinced me pretty well, but it looks kind of complicated so i'm wondering if anyone uses it and can assure me it won't be another machine that makes me feel like an idiota.

frozen custard

have you ever had frozen custard? it is oh so good. we have a favorite place that we go to for "butterburgers" and custard (i always always get mint oreo, it is my favorite), CULVER's. frozen custard is way more creamy than ice cream, and the butterburger has become The Burger for me.

well, a new place opened up awhile back, off 1604. it is called freddy's frozen custard. and we finally got around to trying it this past weekend, to see how it compared to culver's. it Did Not (compare, that is). at all! i mean, it was alright, not horrible, but i don't feel the need to ever go again. the burger just wasn't right. and, MINT WASN'T EVEN AN OPTION. disappointment. so we shared a banana peanut butter cup concrete, and it was ok except for that p.b. currently makes me think: salmonella. yikes.

moral of the story, don't mess with the best:

toothpaste warning

i really like to read product reviews. sometimes it makes me uncomfortable to purchase anything without reading some solid reviews on it. even little things like deodorant or bar soap. anyhow... i've been using this toothpaste...

and it kinda bugged that it is pretty much impossible to keep the weird little flip top lid clean for more than a few days at a time, because the paste goops all over (eww!). and i thought, hmm i wonder if other people hate the lid too. so i checked out some reviews, what i found out was far WORSE! this toothpaste uses a kind of fluoride that is KNOWN to cause stains and brown your teeth. what the?!?! i'm bummed with crest, i always thought they were the best tasting brand. btw, their pro health rinse mouthwash supposedly stains even worse than the paste, so i don't recommend either!

ooh i just found out i've been missing martha's holidy cookie countdown. yum+fun. these look oh so cute. i've never actually made meringues, i'm worried that they are temperamental. anyone know any tricks?

on a happier dress note...

i have a babygap giftcard calling my name. which do you think i should i get for winnie?

shabby is right

i have been adoring shabby apple's dresses for months, and i finally gave into the Christmas sale and bought two classic looking dresses that i thought could be my new church wardrobe. i was shocked by the quality of their products (ahem, lack thereof) when they arrived. their customer service was equally disappointing.

it looks cute from afar though doesn't it?