A Few of My Favorite Things

In honor of this joyous time of year, and the fact that I don't write a lot about me, I decided to write down just a "few of my favorite things." Can't you just hear Julie Andrews singing along with me while we twirl around on flower-topped hills?

• My family
• Goodnight kisses
• Hairspray - (not the movie or play). The more the better!
• Chocolate-covered strawberries
• Hot showers
• Reading a good book
• Autumn
• Target - I can always find something I "need" there
• Mineral Foundation
• A clean house
• Movies - I love watching movies - mostly at the theater but I'll take cuddling up on the couch with popcorn and a blanket too. There are some movies that no matter how many times I have seen them I can still watch them over and over: Back to the Future, You've Got Mail, French Kiss, Christmas Story, The Notebook
• Summer rain
• Spending time with great friends

San Francisco

Aaron and I decided this year for Christmas we wanted a get-away with just the two of us. The place? 4 fun-filled days in San Francisco. We had so much fun together. For four days it was a non-stop sight-seeing, picture taking, eating, football cheering, trolley riding, shopping, fun time. The first night in San Francisco we bought tickets to see "Wicked" for the second time. I absolutely love this play and could see it again and again - well, I guess this year we actually did! But it was fabulous! We also got to go to a 49ers game while we were there. That was a blast. We boarded the Candlestick express bus and off we went. The bus was packed full of 49ers fans- I mean standing room only. On the way to Candlestick Park, the bus stopped suddenly and I, in my panic, grabbed the thigh of the teenage boy sitting next to me and squeezed for quite some time until my mind caught up with my actions and I realized what I was doing. I was soooo embarrassed and I think he was too. I told Aaron what I did and we couldn't stop laughing - I think Aaron was a little jealous! The game was so much fun. Nothing like 49er fans. We had fun high-fiving the fans around us and watching the team win the Arizona Cardinals 24-3. Go 9ers!

The rest of the time was spent catching trolley's to take us around town. We went to Pier 39 and walked through the shops, ate lots of yummy seafood - clam chowder in a soup bowl - YUMMY! and watched the Sea lions lounge around. The time went by so quick but Aaron and I had a great time being together. We can't wait to do it again.

Enjoying our Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate while we waited for the trolley.

Mmmm.... Clam chowder in a bread bowl.

Fred's Diner. Aaron got the "Hot Mama" burger

After all the walking we did in 4 days, this picture is about how we felt when we were done.

"All I want for Christmas is the Earth and Sky"

Friday was Abbi's Christmas dance recital and she did AWESOME! I love watching her up on stage and always get a little teary-eyed because I am so proud of her. She did a great job and all her hard work paid off. They were also able to perform their dance at the Festival of Trees. Way to go Abbi - You looked great!

Christmas Craft

While reading one of the many blogs I follow, I came across this fun and easy craft and decided I needed to try it out. So off to the dollar store to get my ornaments and then to my mom's house where I met up with my mom and sisters. After about an hour of laughing, talking, and crafting this is how mine turned out.

I really liked how it turned out but the one thing I would change is to buy better ornaments. The ones from the dollar store are pretty flimsy in that the tops of them break easily which means they fall off the hanger. I think I'll wait for some great after Christmas sales to score on some better ornaments. But, in the meantime, I will enjoy my ornament wreath.

"I want some Mamma Mia."

Today I asked Alex what he wanted for lunch. He replied: "I want some Mamma Mia." I see you have the same reaction I did so I asked him: "What is Mamma Mia?" He then went to the fridge, opened it up and took out a package of edamame. "I want some Mamma Mia."

The Travelocity Gnome costume

Adam is funny when it comes to Halloween costumes. He never wants to be what I want him to be which this year, was a soccer goalie ghost. I got him to dress up as the ghost for his friend's halloween party last week, due to lack of having anything else, but I could tell he was not happy with it. A few days after the party he came to me and told me he wanted to be the Travelocity Gnome. Okaaaay! (note sarcasm). So, on to the internet I went trying to see if they even have those costumes. The answer to that was Yes - for $39.99. No way am I spending $40 on a costume for Halloween. So, I gave Adam two choices: 1. Be the goalie ghost (which I thought turned out awesome) or 2. I will make you a Travelocity Gnome costume. He begrudgingly chose the second option. So, I went to Target and purchased an oversized mens blue shirt and then went to Roberts and got stiff felt, red posterboard, and ribbon and came up with this (all for around $10):

Pretty good if I do say so myself. Adam was even impressed and that is hard to do.

Alex and Abbi were much easier to dress. Abbi decided she wanted to be a 50's girl and we found this cute costume at Walmart:

Alex changed his mind several times. Throughout Halloween day he went from being a Lego Knight to a pirate to Elmo. For Trick-or-treating he was this:

Carving pumpkins

We bought a fat orange pumpkin

The plumpest sort they sell.
We neatly scooped the inside out
And only left the shell.

We carved a funny funny-face

Of silly shape and size,
A pointy nose, a jagged mouth
And two enormous eyes.

We set it in a window

And we put a candle in,

Then lit it up for all to see

Our jack-o'lantern grin.

Happy Halloween!

My fabulous girls weekend in Disneyland

What can I say about 4 fun-filled days with my friends in the Happiest Place on Earth? It was a fabulous, entertaining, rejuvenating, happy, laughable, stay-up-all-night, laugh-till-you-hurt, free-fallin', good time. It was so nice to get away with Lori, Shelly, and Debbie and what a better place to go than Disneyland. We left our families Thursday morning with a kiss and jump in our step and made our way to the airport. After a short 2 hour flight, we skipped off the plane and headed straight towards Disneyland. From that moment on it was non-stop laughter and fun as we rode screamin', Tower of Terror, Madderhorn, Peter Pan, teacups (well I watched on that one), The haunted house, Midway Mania, Splash Mountain... well you get the idea. We hardly slept and by the end of our trip our stomachs hurt from laughing so hard everyday... Poor Armand (but that is a whole other story.) By the end of our 4 day vacation, we had ridden every ride (sometimes two or three times) and eaten our way through every churro stand. We were so sad to see it come to end but have vowed to make it an annual event. Thanks Ladies for being a kid with me again and for making our trip to Disneyland so much fun!

MMM, Churros!

Being Brave on the Tower of Terror

(Notice the death grip Shelly has on Lori and Debbie. She wasn't going to let them chicken out.)

Me, Shelly, Lori, and Debbie

General Conference Weekend

I haven't always loved General Conference - especially as a child but as I have grown "wiser" I have come to love and look forward to General Conference. To hear the testimonies and the counsel of our leaders is so motivating and uplifting and the spirit it brings into our home is amazing and peaceful. This past weekend was no different. I loved listening to the many talks and it never fails that one or two of the talks seem to have been written specifically for me. I can't wait to receive the Conference talk edition of the Ensign so I can re-read the talks.

One of my favorite things about General Conference is that it gives me a chance to get with my family and do some crafting. While the men went to Priesthood session, here is what my mom, my sister, and I did. It was so easy and so much fun. The idea and the kit for these cute pumpkins can be found here on my sister's blog. She is so creative!

During Sunday's session, Alex and I made yummy chocolate chip pumpkin bread while Adam and Abbi made scrapbook pages. It made for an enjoyable afternoon.

Have a Nice Day

Sometimes Alex says the funniest things and just gets everyone in our family laughing. The other day, we were strolling through Maverik and Alex heard the cashier say to another customer "Have a Nice day!" We continued walking through the store and I could hear him say that phrase over and over a few times. I didn't pay much attention to what he was saying until he came to me and said:

"Have a nice day! That don't make sense." I bust up laughing and realized he had been playing it over and over in his head trying to figure it out.

Another funny moment was when I sat down with Alex and asked him what color something was. Usually when I do this his first answer is always "pink" and then he proceeds to shout out colors until he either gets it right and I say "Yep!" or I tell him what color it is. After doing this a few times, he stopped me, pointed to a color and said "What color is this?" When I replied "It's blue", He said "Yep!" (As if he knew that was the color the whole time.)

I had to add one more thing to this post that I remembered yesterday. Alex has a funny way of putting things. Instead of saying "Are we going to Grandma's house?" He will say "Are we going to your mom's house?" or "Did your mom give you that?" or "Is your mom coming over?" He is so funny! Sometimes I wish I could be inside his head and hear the thoughts going around in there.

Finishing up a few crafts

I found a great idea for a family message center here. I loved it but needed to tweak it to my needs. I wanted something I could take with me easily (in case we ever move - and no, I am not saying we are moving.) I just wanted to have the option. So, I went to The Wood Connection and found this magnet frame. It was unfinished so I painted it black, sanded the edges, and stained it. I already had the coat rack. I purchased this from At Home America a few years ago. It was hung up but it was too high for my little ones to reach. So, I moved it down. After hanging everything up, I really liked the way it turned out. Now there is one place to put all school papers for the kids. I am still going to add pictures of my children in the frames but need to go to visit Gardner Village to get those really cool shots!

The next project I completed was a necklace hanger for my jewelry. For this I simply went to The Wood Connection again. They had these simple boards for $1.99 (I think). I then went to Roberts and bought the cup hooks ($2). I simply added the hooks to the board, spray painted the entire thing black, then sanded and stained the edges. I then took small pieces of scrap book paper and applied those with spray adhesive. So cheap and easy and now my necklaces are organized instead of sitting in a pile on my dresser.

I love easy solutions!

Grandma and Abbi's Girls Day Out

Yesterday, Abbi was in for a real treat. Grandma came and picked her up for a special day of one on one time. They had a great afternoon! They went to lunch, went and got pedicures and manicures at the nail salon, and even got in some shopping. Abbi had so much fun. She came home with new earrings, pretty hands and feet, and a big box of bendaroos. (She has been wanting Bendaroos forever!) What a great afternoon! I guess there are some perks to being the only girl in the family. (Next time, though, I think I'll hide in the trunk so I can go too!) Thanks to Grandma for making her feel so special!

The Domestic Goddess - Ha!

Today, for the very first time ever, I canned peaches! My mom came over and we spent the afternoon peeling, cutting, mixing this and that, boiling water, and this is what we got:

Out of 1 box of big yummy peaches we got 13 quarts of peaches. I can't wait to hear the little "popping" sounds of the jars sealing, and, of course, to open these lovely jars and enjoy the "fruits" of our labors!

Now on to dehydrating these:

I love Fall!

Countdown to girls weekend in DisneyLand

I am so excited! In just under a month I, along with 3 very close friends, am hopping a plane to DisneyLand for some non-stop fun. I can't wait. Isn't my husband the best? Although, he couldn't really say "no" what with his shopping habits and all. I guess his DisneyLand is the deer hunts.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication

Adam and I had a very special opportunity to attend the temple dedication yesterday. We received tickets to go to the temple and attend one of 9 dedicatory sessions. It was such a spiritual experience. I started crying as soon as I got in the temple and didn't stop until well after the session was over. The spirit was so strong inside the temple and re-affirmed my testimony of the importance of the temples. I was so glad I was able to share this experience with Adam. Truly, once in a lifetime.

As Adam and I were walking up the stairs to the 2nd floor, one of the ushers pulled us aside and said he was going to sit us in a special place. He took us into the Chapel and had us sit on the first pew closest to the door. He explained to us that we would be able to see Pres. Monson walk past the door and he said that during the morning session, Pres. Monson stepped into the room and shook the hand of the boy who was sitting where Adam was. Wow! I was excited just thinking I would see Pres. Monson. Adam and I sat in the peace of the temple and when it was time, we stood for Pres. Monson.

Pres. Monson stood in the doorway to wave at all of us in the room and then he saw Adam. He walked right in and up to Adam saying "Here is a future missionary." He took Adam's hand and shook it while telling him he used have the same color hair when he was younger. He also asked Adam if he could wiggle his ears - this while wiggling his own. He then tousled his hair and pulled him in for a hug. It was so neat! I, of course, was in awe of being so close to the prophet. I still get teary-eyed as I sit here typing. It was an awesome moment - one I'll never forget.

Pres. Monson, before he gave the dedicatory prayer, was talking about his various positions in the church. He talked of going behind the "Iron Curtain" and bringing the church to those people. He said "Man's impossibility is but God's Blessing." The dedication was fabulous. The spirit was so strong and after it was over, I told Adam I didn't want to leave. My testimony has been strengthened by this experience. I hope Adam never forgets the feeling he felt while in the temple and the special experience he had with Pres. Monson.

Alex's first day of preschool

It's official.... my baby boy is now a "big boy" or so he tells me. Alex started preschool this week and he absolutely loves it! He goes two days a week and gets so disappointed on the days he doesn't go. He always asks, "Mom, I go to school today?" When I tell him "No" he gets sad and asks when he gets to go again. I am glad he loves it! He puts on his little Spiderman backpack, asks for a mohawk in his hair, puts his shoes on, and away he goes. I can't believe he is old enough to go. To me he is still too little. Now the only thing to figure out is how to spend four hours a week of alone time. Hmmm.....

Seattle ASP course

Can I just say that I love staging! I am so excited to get our business up and running so I can stage more homes. I love helping people get more money on the sale of their home and help them to move on to their next.

In order to stay up on the latest and greatest, I went with my mom to the Seattle ASP stager course taught by Barb Schwarz herself. Barb is the original stager. She came up with the concept of staging and firmly believes in staging as do I. She had such great information to share and I am so glad my mom and I were able to go to the classes. We had a blast!

I love "staging day" the best and this time was no different. It is so much fun to go into a home not knowing what's there, rearrange furniture, change out pictures and accessories, get rid of clutter, and leave the home looking 100% better and ready for sale. The home we went into had started out vacant and the agent had tried to stage it herself. She did an okay job but after we left, the home made sense and looked like a model home. So much fun!

Bedroom #1 Before


Bedroom #1 After


Half Bath Before

Half Bath After

Hall Bath Before


Hall Bath After

Living Room Before

Living Room After

Office Before


Office After


Master Bedroom Before

Master Bedroom After

Master Bath Before

Master Bath After

Which home would you rather buy and live in? Staging Works! Quick Staging tip: Clutter Eats Equity. Pack up all collections, trinkets, out of season clothes, etc. now - you'll be doing it eventually anyway!