What's a party without music?

When there's a party, I need upbeat, festive music. I like classics, but I like fun new songs too. Here's a little list of what will be playing in my apartamente all day today:

I know, I know. But I heard this EVERY year growing up.

It's a bit nostalgic hearing it now.

This is fun to watch. Seriously. Stop scrolling and look.

Lookit! Lookit! LOOKIT!

And this is just pretty.

What are your faves this time of year?

Finger Food

When it comes to holiday food, I lean toward that which can be elegantly eaten with the phalanges. Unless it's an actual sit-down formal dinner, I like to have pieces guests can grab and walk around with. Mingle. You can't exactly do that with a slab of ham, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Am I right?


So, here is a list of my absolute favorites, from the heavenly deviled egg to those fluffy cream puffs.


Did I mention that these are simple too? If I can grab a can of crescent rolls and a pound of deli ham, I will. I. So. Will.


*Ahem.*
On with the list.


Mini sandwiches - Rhodes frozen rolls, Swiss cheese slices, butter, and a few pounds of deli turkey or ham. (See previous statement about simple.) You can serve them cold or pop them in the oven for a few minutes. Cut the sandwiches in half and stick festive toothpicks through the top. See? Easy.


Veggie tray - I just had to fix that. The first time I wrote it, it said vaggie tray. Mhmm. Yeah. Classy.
Anyway, throwing veggies on a tray is kind of boring. This idea makes it easier to keep your carrots from rolling off the plate, and if you're finicky, the ranch doesn't touch anything else.

Deviled Eggs - My mother makes these with just a few ingredients, but they are always amazing. And they're usually the first thing to go.


6 hard-boiled eggs (can be doubled, depends on how big your crowd is)
1 large spoonful of mayonnaise
1 tiny squirt of mustard
A few shakes of salt
A few more shakes of pepper


Scoop out the yolks and mash them with the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper. Scoop them back into the whites and sprinkle with paprika.


This is literally my mother's recipe. She doesn't write it down or measure anything. She just adds what she feels like that day. And of course, she shakes a bit of paprika on the top to make them pretty.


Loaded baked potato soup - This can be made in a crock pot and thrown in cups at the last minute. Yummy, warm, and with a few chives and bacon pieces on top, it looks festive too!

Tangy Bean Dip - There's just something about a party that chips and dip have to be involved. This is a tangy twist on the same ol' dip we've loved forever. Add some corn chips or even pita chips and this party is on.


Cowboy Sushi - She. Is. A. Genius. I LOVE dill pickles, and her use for them here is just... Tasty. Observe. Pickle, Buddig ham, and cream cheese. You may be slightly ill from reading that last sentence, but my mouth is watering.

Click here for info.

And now, for the sweets!


Sweet strawberries - I'm not sure who did this first because we've always done it. Either way, it's lovely.
Cut the stem off the berries. From the bottom, cut twice, making a sort of x. Open them slightly and pipe some frosting (your choice) inside. Try to save some for the party. For me, that is the hardest part.


Fruit dip - This is amazing with almost any fruit, and there are two ingredients.
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
Fold together. Eat. It's that simple. And it's sooooo addicting. You may never eat grapes plain again. Sorry.


Cream puffs - RasaMalaysia has one of the best recipes for the custard-y filling. The best cream puff recipe I've found is at AllRecipes.com. They turn out just right, and the filling is finger-lick-in-public worthy. Can I get an amen?
I like to melt a little chocolate and dip them in it. It adds to my waistline the beauty of Le Puff.








Chocolate Crinkle cookies - These are my favorite cookies. Ever. I love these anytime, anywhere. I love the deep chocolate taste surrounded by the light powdered sweetness. To me, they are perfection.


Cake bites - Using your favorite cake mix cake recipe, bake a large sheet cake. Using a small cookie cutter (any shape will do) cut them out and set each piece in a cupcake paper. Pour on some warm sweetened condensed milk, throw on a dollop of whipped cream, and shake on some sprinkles. (Or broken Skor or Heath bars if you've the time.) Delish, cute, and ... Oh, I already said delish.




And that, my friends, is my perfect menu for my dream holiday party.
What would you like on your menu?

Holiday Party

You are cordially invited to

The (non)Working Girl's

Holiday Party.

Starting now as a week-long event,

I'll be posting my favorite food recipes,

guests I'd LOVE to have at my home,

and the decor I'd use if, you know, I were a millionaire.

Bring a friend.
And a plate of cookies...

While the invitation is extremely fancy *snort* this will be just a fun get together. We will not be eating anything that I cannot pronounce myself, and while I will be wearing an LBD every day, dress is casually formal. Or formally casual. Whatevs.

Secret Santa can Suck It - My Gift

My drawee is creative knitter, Janice, over at the Prodigal Sock.


The first part of my gift to her would be annual, two-way plane tickets. Each year she'll be able to choose any destination. I'm giving her two tickets in case she'd like to travel with a friend. Or she can travel herself twice a year. Your choice, Janice.

The second part of my gift is a Life Membership to WorldCon. Every year, no matter where it is, she's got a pass. These are not just tickets in, but all-access passes for anyone and anything.
That means if she wants to have dinner with Neil Gaiman dressed up as Cthulu, she can. 
If she'd like to have a quiet brunch whilst wearing the original C-3PO costume, they'll ask, "How would you like your eggs?" 
If she wants Cory Doctorow to read to her while she takes a bubble bath and eats Bon Bons... Well, you get the picture.

(Do you know how hard it is to find a clean picture of a bubble bath?)

And the last part of my gift, which is probably the least exciting, a lifetime supply of yarn and knitting needles. Hand-spun by an 87 year-old woman on the Alps or the stuff from WalMart, it's her choice.

That said, I sincerely hope your holidays are enjoyable.

Merry Christmas, Lady!

Giveaways!

Alright, I've been slacking on the posts. I know. It's just who I am.
However, here are some more of my favorite giveaways that are going on now and ending soon:


Tanga
12 Days of Christmas Giveaway
1 or 2 prizes every day!


Mommies with Cents
Celebrate Christmas with Hershey's
You don't have to enter this. You know. If you don't want to...


Frugal Mommie of 2

Crayola Innovative Holiday Prize Pack Giveaway

Tons of great Crayola stuff!


Taste of Home
Like their Facebook and you can enter to win a KitchenAid Mixer!
*drool*


Just Married with Coupons
Enter to win one of 2 $50 gift cards to Target
You can also enter to win a $50 card from GiGi's Petals if you sign up for their daily e-mail!


And for the geek in me...


Geek Chic Daily
Win the Best Stuff from their 2011 Holiday Guide.
You're going to have to just go over and look at all of it.


Which giveaways are you anticipating? Any others you're stoked about?

Wait a Minute Mr. Postman

Since I have discovered sites like Hip2Save and Freebies2Deal I get a TON of freebies and stuff in the mail. At least once a week I have a package. And while the mailman doesn't have to bring it to my door, he does. Every time he does ring the doorbell, it never fails that my kids and I are knee-deep in a project. Whether it's cleaning up a mess or a dirty diaper, it takes me a minute to get to the door. He's nice and patient and waits for me though. Which I appreciate very much.
Ever since I saw PostSecret's post about what he left for his mailwoman, I wanted to have a mailbox so that I could do that for someone. This year, I'm doin' it.


I hope he likes caramel popcorn, because that's what we made. But let me tell you, I'm cheap and easy. I found this receipe and lazied simplified it.


Here it is:


Caramel Corn


1 C brown sugar (I didn't pack it too tight, just gently pressed.)
1/2 C butter
1/4 C corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 regular bags of microwave popped popcorn


Pop your bags of popcorn. Remove the kernels and put the popcorn in a LARGE bowl. Set aside. Melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup and stir well. Microwave for 2 minutes without stopping. Take out of the microwave and stir again. It should be grainy at all. If it still is, throw it back in at 30 second increments.
Add the vanilla and baking soda. She said hers bubbled and stuff. Mine didn't. So there.
Pour over popcorn and toss and stir until it's pretty evenly coated. I don't like mine crunchy, so voila! I was done. I have to find a some cute bags so we can give it as gifts. If we don't eat it all first...


To make it festive, you could add red and green M&Ms or sprinkles or whatever.
If you like it crunchy, bake in a preheated oven at 275°F for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

I didn't eat it with the fork. 

I stirred it. Into my mouth...

My 5 year-old stealing some of the good stuff.

Okay, fine. This picture was staged.

Do you make homemade gifts for friends and neighbors?
If not, how do you find that perfect something at the store?

FREE Secret Santa Gift Swap... Kind of....

Head over to the Shadow Manor blog to check out this virtual fake gift swap. There are more details, such as dates and things, over in her post. You can e-mail her or leave a comment to enter. Then, a few days before Christmas, you post your gift and a story of why you got it for your person. It's fun because you can go as extravagant as you'd like, and since you probably won't know the person, you can make up whatever you want.
Ask me if I'm excited...

(Image credit)

Christmas Cards

So, these are just a preview of the Christmas cards we'll be sending.

I may be the worst mom ever, but I find this hilarious.

I'm glad my kids (and husband) are such good sports.

Power

Today has been a long day. Not a bad day necessarily. Just long. And exhausting.
I don't know if you've seen the news or anything, but the wind started up last night. 80-100 mph gusts from about 3-10 this morning. The power has been out since three and they don't see it coming back on for another 48 hours. Let me tell you, this wind is cold. Bone-chilling, cut-through-the-puffy-coat, spine-tingling cold. Brrrrr!


As of right now, my nice father-in-law is paying for our motel stay. I was excited because these beds are super soft, there are blankets upon blankets, and a WORKING HEATER. Which is nice to have in weather like this.


The scariest part about today was driving around and looking at the damage. There were large branches in roads and yards, huge pine trees uprooted that had fallen on homes. I broke down and cried when a semi almost tipped over on the freeway in front of us. Scary, scary stuff.


Here are just two of the many trees:

There used to be a car there. We think it's under the tree! It hit the house to the right and damaged some of the roof.

This tree didn't fall on any homes, thank goodness.

I heard California had that bad wind too, and that the Nevada desert got some snow!

Any crazy weather where you are?

30 Days

Can you believe I have actually blogged every day for 30 days? I cannot. I'm usually a week between posts, but it's been great grand fun. And I feel like I accomplished... something.


Anywho, to celebrate my achievement, I'll be sending you to a couple of other sites for my favorite giveaways. I know, I should be hosting one myself, but I am not on the ball. Or, whatever it is they say.


Burt's Bees - You'll have to 'Like' them and click on Unwrap a Gift. Then you have to allow the app. 

• 19,640 will win a Holiday Beeswax Lip Balm
• 8,800 will win a 1 oz Body Lotion sample
• and 8,800 will win a Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream Mini

I won the body lotion!


Savvy Sister Christmas Package Giveaway (valued at $554) - Um, need I say more? I don't, but I will. This ends SOON so you have to enter NOW.
In the giveaway there is:

• Digital Camera with LCD display
• 7-inch LCD Digital Photo Frame
• $30 worth of toys, games, and more
• $30 Gift certificate to the Rose Stitch Etsy Shop
• $60 worth of designer fragrances
• $50 voucher for a Crafty Kid Playhouse
• set of 3 felt trees
• $100 Target gift card

Is that insane or what? I'm going with insanely awesome.

12 Days of Christmas Cash Giveaway - There are Facebook 'Likes' and Twitter follows and some other mandatory things, but you can earn up to 320 entries. There will be 12 winners (one per day) and the cash is through PayPal. Open worldwide.

Good luck if you enter! What giveaways are you excited about right now?

Advent Calendar

I've seen some really cute countdown calendars for December. I'm making my own, but this is the BEST list I've found so far: (Here's her blog)


Deck the halls! - Decorate, put up a tree, hang some tinsel. Get decking!

Take photos for Christmas cards - Good thing it's at the top of the list, am I right? Eh? EH?

Buy a new Christmas album and listen to it - Or, for us, YouTube the She & Him Christmas album and put it on a play list...

Make the house smell like Christmas - I have a candle that smells like apples, and another that smells like cinnamon. I think that's Christmas-y enough.

Make Christmas Cards - My girls LOVE making cards. Good thing I do too.

Read a Christmas Story Book - Or something about snow. Or polar bears!

Wrap Christmas Gifts - My girls love wrapping presents too. We wrap with newspaper and then they get to decorate the paper themselves. It's pretty cute, actually.

Make a new Christmas Decoration - Snowflakes, paper poinsettias, pinecones with glitter... Whatever it takes. Check these bad boys out: Fett Flake

Color a Christmas picture - Free printables online. Or draw your own!


Build a snowman or hang up paper snowflakes - If you don't have snow, I'm sorry. But ice cream snowmen would be just as fun. Vanilla ice cream, three scoops stacked. Use round candies for the buttons, cookies and Reese's for his hat, a chocolate-covered sunflower seed for his nose, pretzels for his arms, and chocolate syrup for his scarf. Nerds work for his face. Bam. Edible snow man.


Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes - I love doing this with the Hershey's chocolate mint candy canes or a spoon dipped in melted chocolate and covered with sprinkles. Isn't that just fun to say? SPRINKLES!


Make a treat and take it to a friend - Rice Krispie treats with red and green sprinkles are easiest. We made some last year and used cookie cutters for fun shapes.

Watch a christmas movie and eat popcorn - Good snuggle time with your kids. If you're lucky, they'll zonk out early. {:

Go out for a Christmas treat - You could go to that local place with the amazing cupcakes, or scoop up some clean snow and add some slushie syrup.

Do something nice for someone - Shovel someone's walk way, take some blankets to a local shelter, donate gently used toys or clothes, sing carols at the old folk's home... Possibilities are endless.

Drive around and look for Christmas lights - Go to where the rich people live. Seriously. {:

Go visit Santa Clause - He's got to be somewhere, whether it's the Macy's, the mall, or your nearby WalMart. Keep your eyes peeled.

Do service for someone in need - Service is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see what you've done, but you are the only one with the warm feeling.

Have a campout in front of the Christmas tree - My husband's family used to do this every year. We did it last year. I refuse to do it again. Well, just not on Christmas eve...

Call grandma and grandpa and sing a Christmas song - We call family members on their birthdays and sing to them, so I'm sure my girls will love this.


Take gifts to teachers and friends - Homemade gifts are so fun. It keeps everyone busy, and then kids get to learn how great it feels to give.


Read a story or watch a movie about the birth of Baby Jesus - Matthew 1 and Luke 2


Make cookies and write letters for Santa Clause - I may have this be two different days, just in case I decide to make the cookies on my own...


Read "The Night Before Christmas" - We actually read Luke 2 after this, but you get the picture.

Isn't that a great list? I LOVE it. And I'm so excited to do these things with my kids.

Are you making an advent calendar? What other things would you put on your list?

Elated

elated: adj


marked by high spirits, exultant


Yes. I am elated. Excited. All out happy. Want to know why? I lost weight. And while that may not be a big thing for you, it is for me. After three kids and little time to pee by myself, let alone workout, this. Is. Big. Mhmm.


Not only did I lose weight, I lost enough weight that my jeans were pretty baggy. They looked terrible, but I knew this would be an excuse for a new wardrobe.
The problem with that is that we can't exactly afford a new wardrobe. However, thanks to Pinterest I found this awesome tutorial over at Lucky Design (Devon is amaaaaaaazing!) and fell in love.


They look pretty good, but my camera is pretty craptastic so the pictures we took  are terrible.
Anyway, when we have better lighting and everything, I'll take and upload good ones.


Any good news on your end?

Christmas

Does anyone else have Christmas on the brain the day after Thanksgiving? I guess it's some sort of unwritten law that you cannot decorate until that Friday after. I am one of those people that as soon as that turkey is down, I ask the hubs to bring up the tree. 

Last year, we had a Christmas on a very small, very tight budget. We have a tradition of getting a new ornament every year, but with said budget, we just couldn't afford to go and buy them.

So, we made our own.

Do you have any traditions around the holidays?

Which ones are your favorite?

Today I am Grateful for...

My siblings. And guess what... I have 11. Yes. You read that correctly. Eleven. When I was little I used to have a hard time remembering them all. But who can blame me, really? Technically, I am an only child. All of my siblings are half. Some are from my mom's side, some from my dad's. But I love them all.


Here they all are, and why I'm grateful for them:


Tonia: I spent a lot of time at her house because her daughter was close to my age. When I was older, we hung out at the Old Folks Party. We were awesome, let me tell you.


Troy: He's been through a ton, but every time I see him he's got a smile on his face. He's just that type of guy.


Tina: She. Is. Gorgeous. I was always jealous of her. Still am. I don't see her often, but when I do I get so excited. I still remember the first time I saw her curling her eyelashes. I thought she was cutting them, and I was so worried for her. Silly little me...


Tracy: He reminds me the most of my dad. He looks very much like him, and some of the things he'll say and do sound just like my dad. He's very quiet and serious, but he's also very fun to be around. 


Terrin: He was there for me a lot when I was younger. And when it was time for the daddy-daughter dance at prom, he danced with me. Thank you Terrin. For holding dad's place for me.


Tammy: When I think of Tammy, I think of Footloose and Cher. I think of laughing so hard my stomach would hurt. And fun times in her little bug. And cats.


Priscilla: Priscilla is probably the one I look up to the most. She actually helped raise me. She is such a good mom. And in her little community, she's a part of everything. Everyone likes her and wants to be her friend. I cried when we left her house after Thanksgiving.


Morgan: He is the sibling just older than me. He is the brother I grew up with. The rest were either out of the house or living with their other parents. We fought, we laughed, we played. It was just him and me some days. And I loved it.


Jason: He's a few years younger than me, but probably a good foot taller than me. I can't believe how big he's grown, and how great of a guy he is. He's working so hard in school and even though he's had some hard times too, he's pushing forward. I am so proud of him.


AJ: We aren't very close, but he's grown up a lot too. It's crazy to look at pictures of us from when we were younger, and to see us now.


Jaleessa: She is so gorgeous. She has a job and she's taking care of herself practically. I just hope she knows how amazing she is.


Plus, a shout out to the husbands and wives. I LOVE my in-laws too.


(In case you didn't notice, the first six were all from my dad's first marriage. See how their names all start with T?)

Shut Up and Be Grateful

"The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth" (1914) Jennie A. Brownscombe

source

Here are a few ideas to make your Thanksgiving really festive:

1. Don't use a fork. The "first" Thanksgiving dinner was eaten with a spoon, a knife, and fingers. Your kids will love it.

2. Shoot the bird yourself. I think just taking your cooked turkey outside and shooting it with an air soft gun counts. But that's just me.

3. Make the feast a week long event. I'm pretty sure everyone does this. They're called leftovers, and they NEVER go away...

4. Have your guests build their own shelter. The pilgrims had just finished building their own houses, so if guests arrived they had to build THEIR own. How do you like that Aunt Sourpuss?

5. Instead of bringing your hostess a bottle of cider or a candle, bring them fresh venison in tradition of the Native Americans. It says so much when you killed it, gutted it, skinned it, and boned it yourself. Doesn't it?

Now that you're shirtless and roasting the bird over an open fire, I think it's time to eat. Don't you?

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the food, the family, and the football.

Just not in that order...

{:

Last Day

Are you ready?


Here's a last minute checklist, just in case...


Turkey - It's hard to forget the main dish, but some people do.


Side dishes - Mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole... The usuals.


Drinks - Cider, water, milk, cranberry juice, whatever floats your ice.


Tablecloth - The one you have is fine, but do you really want to celebrate Thanksgiving with an Easter tablecloth? Do you?


Dishes - Are you going for the nice china or the even nicer paper and plastic? (Chinet has LOVELY options)


Desserts - Chocolate cream, banana cream, pumpkin, pecan, cherry, apple... And don't forget the ice cream!


Clean - Do a quick vacuum over the floors and a wipe down in the bathroom. Anywhere else, don't allow guests to go.


Decoration - A few leaves from outside strewn on the table and counter in the bathroom adds a quick touch without having to run to the store.


Temperature - Some guests run a little warm, some a little cool. I keep my temperature on the cool side because my home heats up when the oven is on.


Got everything? Good. You're awesome.
Now relax and put your feet up, because tomorrow is going to be a looooong day.


As for me, I'm so ready for football.

Thanksgiving Prayer

Pilgrim Hats

Growing up, my mom and grandma helped us make those little cookie/candy turkeys. I never even thought about these. They're so cute, and I have a few guys in my family that LOVE Reese's.

Just Perfect.

Go here to see the complete how-to.

Today I am Grateful for...

Koosharem. My hometown. Love it. Love the people, love the location, and I love being a part of it.

I love that when I come home, people smile and give me hugs. They ask me how I am, where we're living. They tell me I have beautiful children. I just love it.

And if you need anything in Koosharem, go out the door, walk a few steps, and ask your neighbor. Seriously. Whether it's a ride up north or a cup of milk, they're glad to help.

I love seeing people that were friends with my dad. They "can't believe" how big I've grown and that I already have three kids. "I'll bet your dad would just love these guys." "You look so much like your dad." The last one kills me.


The one thing I'm not sure I like about Koosharem, is the kids are just not kids anymore. The older ones I used to babysit are seniors in high school this year. They're 18 years old! When I heard people say, "They get younger every year," I never understood it. Until now.


Anyway, they say you can never go home again. And really, they're right. Things won't always be the same. But you can visit once in a while. And it's just as nice.

Food, Glorious Food

Okay, I'm not a huge fan of... turkey. *cue gasp* I hope it's not really a big deal. The hubs (yeah, he's with me on this one) and I just don't like it. I mean, we'll eat it with lots of gravy and mashed potatoes piled on. 

But we prefer ham. 

It comes in bright shiny foil wrapping. And it smells soooo yummy. Then, when you have the brown sugar sauce on it... Just too good.

So I'm grateful for food. All food. Even the kinds I don't like. Because diversity is what makes this world great. And while we're not all celebrating Thanksgiving, we CAN celebrate our love of food. Glorious food...

Today I am Grateful for...

Music. Good, heartbreaking, music. I don't know why, but I love the longing looks, the sad goodbyes, and the lost loves. They reach me more than the "Walkin' on sunshine" tunes.

A friend once dubbed me Grey. And in so many ways, I am. I'm not dark. I'm not depressed. I'm not bubbly, or yellow. I enjoy Halloween just a little too much, and I only own one pink shirt.
I'm not crazy.
I'm just Grey.
And that is probably why I like my music that way.

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
Dedicated to an unnamed person. I had such high hopes for the music video, but it's pretty plain. I also have big ideas for said music video, but no one wants my opinion. *sigh*

The Killers - A Dustland Fairytale
Just listen to it. Even better, watch the music vid. I've probably seen it at least one hundred times. No joke.

Vega4 - Life is Beautiful
No. This song is beautiful in a way that makes me a little sad.



A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover
I listened to this song nonstop after a breakup of sorts. It didn't help it played all the time on MTV either.
Lyric tidbits:
"You sang me Spanish lullabies,The sweetest sadness in your eyes.
Clever tricks.
I never wanna see you unhappy.
I thought you'd want the same for me.

I cannot go to the ocean,
I cannot drive the streets at night.
I cannot wake up in the morning
without you on my mind.
So your gone and I'm haunted
And I'll bet you are just fine.
Did I make it that easy to walk right in and out
of my life?

Goodbye my almost lover.
Goodbye my hopeless dream.
I'm trying not to think about you.
Can't you just let me be?
So long my luckless romance.
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache.
Almost lovers always do."




This last song is a Glee Cast mashup, but holy crud if they didn't do an amazing job.

She looks a bit angry, but I promise it's great. 

Hair, costume, choreography, voices... I can't stop watching it.

Do you have music you listen to when you're down? Or up? Or just need to cry?
Sometimes an episode of Grey's Anatomy works for the cry...


P.S. In case you didn't notice, yesterday's post was posted today. Yeah. Had it written, but didn't publish it. I'm a wee bit slow lately, but the sickness ebbs. So while I have a sane moment, I blog.

Turkey Tees

First I saw this. Then I saw this. And I thought, I could make that. Pictures to come. 

In the meantime, enjoy this:
Completely unrelated to Thanksgiving. And I may have cried.
Yep. It's a Harry Potter vid.

P.S.

I'm also grateful for baby milestones. My baby boy's first tooth broke through yesterday. Bottom, in the front on the left side.

He's growing so fast!

Today I'm Grateful For...

Before I tell you what I'm grateful for, I just have to say I'm sorry. I didn't post yesterday. I was so sick my mother took care of my three kids the entire day. While I slept. Yeah. It was bad. I thought I was going to die. Still do once in a while.
I'm still not up to 100%, but I'm back.

So, I'm grateful for the fact that my mother cannot smell. This is a true fact. She can't smell anything. And when I'm sick, my sense of smell causes certain reflexes to work that just aren't that great. 
Her lack of this sense has been extremely helpful today and yesterday. Dirty diapers? Not a problem. 
I hope she regains it soon, because she said her food doesn't have as much taste. But while I'm sick, it's great.

Today I am Grateful for...

Books. I seriously don't know where I'd be without them. I don't have a favorite, either. There are many that I love and will NEVER get sick of, but no favorite. 

I remember when I ordered a book through those Scholastic papers that we got at school. It came with a little mini flashlight. I could cover myself with my thick comforter, prop myself up on my elbows, and read.

My mom would send me to clean my room, practice my piano, do my homework, and she'd get so mad at me when she'd find me reading. My teacher, Mrs. Stapley, always told me, "You can never read too much." My mom wasn't a huge fan of it, but I couldn't help it.

I loved reading because I could be anyone, anywhere. I was pretty chubby in elementary. There were girls that made fun of me, girls that made me feel awful. And after my dad died, I was the kid that would eat my feelings. A few candy bars after school, and a good book. That was me.


But thanks to those books, I wasn't always sad. I wasn't always thinking about the horrible time I had at recess. It was just me and some spy, or prince, or Ella Enchanted.


Do you want to know the best part about books? Used books. Ones that people have written in or highlighted. I love it when they make notes off to the side. Circled a passage, drew a line to the side, and wrote how it made them feel or a memory from their childhood. Do you know how awesome it is to find a book like that?


At Deseret Industries, I have found two signed copies of books that only cost a dollar. Do you know how awesome it is to find a book like that?


Some of my favorites:

Ella Enchanted

The Hunger Games

ANY Calvin and Hobbes

The Water Wars

Iron House

The Percy Jackson series


East


The Book Thief


Skin Hunger


Rogue


What books have saved you from boredom, fear, or loneliness?

Today I'm Grateful For...

People that weren't afraid to try something new.

Specifically, my husband...

 source

Today I'm Grateful For...

Dreams. Yep. I know, kind of weird and slightly delusional once in a while, (the worst ones are scary) but I love them. The other night Clay Matthews got in my car and protected us until the hubs returned. We even arm wrestled. (He was letting me win when Jon came back. P.S. His hair is gorgeous. {:)

I have been a spy, a widow, a runaway, and even the love of Vin Diesel's life. (The latter was in my high school years. No judging.)

Not all of my dreams are great. I have frequent nightmares, and once in a great while, night terrors.

In college, I dreamt that my cousin Karl and my husband (at the time I just had a HUGE crush on him) were working on a car. Something went wrong and Karl was about to get shocked from the battery, but Jon looked at me like he loved me and moved Karl out of the way, dying himself. 
We weren't even dating yet, but I cried myself awake. I had to go to his apartment to make sure he was alright. It was then that I realized I needed to dump my current boyfriend and get to know the hottie next door.

My very favorite dream, I will never forget. I had cried myself to sleep that night. My dad when I was eight, and even though I was in high school I was still having a hard time without him. Before I fell asleep, I whispered, "Daddy, where are you?"

In my dream, I was standing at our kitchen sink looking out the window at our front yard. I felt a presence behind me and turned around. There was my dad, standing by the stove, dressed in white. I immediately started to sob and reached out for him. He took a step back and put his hands up.
 
"No," he said. "You can't touch me. But I'm here. I'm still here."

That was the only other time I've ever cried myself awake.

I know dreams are subjective and are caused by numerous different things.  I know for a fact I didn't have that dream because of what I ate before bed. It wasn't because of a movie I had watched or a book I had read.

I know Heavenly Father allowed my dad to visit me that night, to let me know he wasn't gone forever. He was still around.


Do you have a favorite dream?

Today I'm Grateful For...

My hair. This may sound vain or self-obsessive, but I am. It's always been my comfort blanket, I guess. I am much more comfortable and confident when it's long, and if my hair is off, my whole day is off.

You've probably seen this blog already, but I LOVE her tutorials. I love her whole blog really. She's easy to relate to, she posts gorgeous hair tuts, and yummy recipes... There's so much more, but I'll let you find out for yourself.

Anyway, go check out The Small Things Blog.
In the meantime, here's a few snippets of her posts:

November Birchbox Goodies (They look SO fun!)
Homemade Potato Soup (Ahmagads, YUM!)
Homemade Mac and Cheese (This look good too. And it's easy.)

And one of her lovely hair tutorials:
How to Trim Your Own Bangs
(I would show you pictures of me, with the bangs I cut myself from elementary or high school, but once those suckers are on the internet, there is no bringing them back. So, no.)