Winner Announced!

Congrats Heather Linares!! You won!!

But don't feel bad if you didn't win because Laura is offering everyone 35% off all the cuteness in her shop! Use promocode GIVEAWAY2012.

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Back in the Saddle: A GIVEAWAY!!!

Well, hello strangers! 

It's been months since I was last on here!! 

But I am back in the saddle and here to tell you all about my sister's new etsy shop!

Hi Laura!

After having her baby girl, Penelope in June, Laura started making adorable hair bows and head bands. Now little-miss-Penelope (or Penny-boo-boo as she is referred to by some) is the most decked out baby girl ever, with a bow for every outfit! And I mean every, single outfit!

Laura wants to share the wealth and is offering a giveaway to promote her new head-dress adventures. 

The grand-prize winner will get all of these bows!!

Which is valued at $40!! Whoa! Generous!!! 

These are not only adorable on tiny babes, my little 4-and-a-half-going-on-15 year old loves rockin' them too! And although, you might not believe me, both my sisters and myself were sporting some darn cute headbands on a little trip we were on this summer! 

OH, wait, here's proof! 

No big deal.
We're hip like that.

But really, Laura is so darn cute when she throws a little clip in her hair almost every day!

So there you have it, these bows are super cute, super trendy and would be perfect for any girl I know!

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!

We will even ship them to you by Christmas!!! 

Yes, we are the best, thank you very much!

Here's the low down, to enter the giveaway you must do the following:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway closes on Wednesday at midnight, winner announced Thursday morning!

Good Luck everyone!

Pallet Shelfs FOR SALE

In the following pictures you can see some of the pallet shelfs I have for sale.

Small- $15

Large- $20

They are great in a kitchen or dining room.

Or in a bathroom with toiletries.

Pallet shelfs are ideal for storing books for adults or children.

I love how versatile they are. 

Each shelf is different. So, come pick out the one you want!

Bookcase with Pallet Backing: Tutorial

So, one morning I got a call from a family friend letting me know that there was some free furniture on the side of the road near her house. So, when I was headed to the store later that day, I swung by to take a look.

 There was a gem of a book shelf, it had cute detailing along the top and was in good condition except that there was no back. 

But that was okay, since I had seen this idea on pinterest awhile back.

So, I loaded it into the back of my vehicle, by myself, which I am getting rather good at doing!

It was just one of those cheapy bookcases with the movable shelfs, like from Ikea.

When I finally got around to doing it, it didn't take too long and was well worth the work to turn something plain and boring into something way cute!

First, you want to prime and paint the bookcase. 

Next, I had a bunch of pallets sitting around so (I see those things on the side of the road daily and can't hardly pass them up!) using a jigsaw I started cutting the boards off. 

The jigsaw will go right through the nails. 

It's a bit scary, but when you have your sister there holding the pallet steady for you while snapping pictures it really sets your mind at ease. 

 It's kind of hard to see where I am making the cuts here, since you don't have a shot of the full pallet, but you will understand where to saw in order to get the full size boards off your pallets. 

Then, using a circular saw, I cut the boards to the fit the back of the case.

I did start taking the nails that I had cut through (they were level with the board, not sharp sticking out) out of the boards, but my sister and I agreed that it looked better with the nails left it.

 Then nail the boards to the back. 

Use a nail gun, it is way faster then hammering. 

There you have it, a plain, cheap old bookcase turned into something better.

Plus the pallets really make the case more sturdy.

I loved the way it looks! 

Dear Moms,

I needed to be reminded of some things. 

Maybe you do too. 

“Some mothers in today's world feel "cumbered" by home duties and are thus attracted by other more "romantic" challenges. Such women could make the same error of perspective that Martha made. The woman, for instance, who deserts the cradle in order to help defend civilization against the barbarians may well later meet, among the barbarians, her own neglected child.”

― Neal A. Maxwell, Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward




You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms.

When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlastingfamily will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.

-The Women Of God, April 1978 

Banana-Rama

I am so inspired by Mavis, over at onehundreddollarsamonth.com! 

I've learned about reclaimed food (food that is saved from the dumpster usually by asking at the grocery store to pick their scraps weekly, but also dumpster diving too) find out more here.

My mom asked about the scraps at a produce wholesaler near her work and ta-da 40 lbs. of bananas (for free!!!!!) later 

The wholesaler couldn't sell these cause they were too spotty. 

But they were still perfect on the inside!

We did frozen chunks, for smoothies.

 (Flash freeze them first on a cookie sheet and then throw them in a ziplock baggie, that way, they won't be one big banana popsicle.)

We mashed some and pre measured them out into ziplock bags for banana bread.

We also dehydrated a few for snacking!

My kids love dehydrated fruit!

So, the lesson for today is, it doesn't ever hurt to ask about grocery scraps cause, really, what is better then free food?!

20-something before the end of my 20's

I am so jumping on the 30 before 30 bandwagon... only I could only come up with 20ish.

*Note: I reserve the right to add to my list whenever I want and to not think of a new clever name. 

I don't feel any anxiety (yet) about turning 30 (it's still so young!!) and I still have quite a while, but I figure it's a good reason to set and reach some goals.

So here is my list:

1. ATTEND THE RIO DE JANEIRO OLYMPICS GAMES

2. VISIT EUROPE

3. LEARN TO DO A CART WHEEL

4. FINISH A QUILT

5. EAT FOOD FROM MY OWN GARDEN

6. CAMP OUT IN MY OWN EUROVAN

7. HAVE LASIK SURGERY

8. GO TO DISNEYLAND

9. DO MORE GENEALOGY

10. LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO

11. LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

12. HIKE MT. RAINER

13. PLAY IN A WARM OCEAN WITH MY KIDS

14. DECORATE MY OWN HOME

15. BECOME A COUPON QUEEN

16. TAKE A BIKRAM YOGA CLASS

17. RUN A MARATHON

18. SPLURGE ON A FULL SPA DAY (THE WORKS)

19. START THAT NOVEL

20. SEE A SHOW ON BROADWAY IN NEW YORK
21. RIDE ON A HELICOPTER
22. RIDE ON A HOTAIR BALLOON
23. YWR

24. ATTEND ZOOBILEE

25. BE ON DAVE RAMSEY BABY STEP #4 BY 30TH B-DAY

26. HAVE A MICRO-FARM WITH ANIMALS

27. OVERCOME MY TEMPER

28. READ 100 BOOKS IN 2013
29. Become a Master Gardner (WSU)

Day 17: Something I am looking forward to....

I can't wait for Labor Day weekend!

Both my sisters will be in town, and we are going up to the Packwood Flea Market so I can sell my painted furniture that I've been working on. 

If you've never heard of Packwood before, it is this tiny town that turns into the largest flea market/swap meet in the state during Memorial and Labor day weekends.

Oh, the treasures you can find! 

I am really nervous that I won't sell anything, but I also have huge dreams of selling out! 

Ha! It could happen... 

It's my first time ever selling somewhere and I am really anxious about people looking at my stuff and judging whether they like it or not, while I am right there. : /

Kinda silly, I know.

But I've decided on all the colors/styles of the pieces based on what I would like in my house, so if I don't sell anything then at least my house will be fully furnished. 

I'm okay with that.

Did I mention both my sisters will be in town!!!! I am pretty dang excited!!

Happiness for $4

If you ever want to make your kids really happy and entertain them for 2 whole days, just buy them some face-paint.

At Fred Meyer, D. saw some face paint crayon things. She wanted them and I told her no.

She wouldn't stop talking about them, so Jordan gave her some chores to do and then we went and picked them up for her.

D. became a butterfly.

P. became a tiger.

Then D. took her turn on me and Jordan.

Jordan, obviously, is a clown.

And me, well, she was in the middle of making me into a cat when she said 

"I don't know how to do a cat, so you'll be an old man with whiskers and a box on his head."

Okay.

$4, can't beat it.

Outdoor Movie Night

So, we had an outdoor movie party.

I couldn't find any movie themed invitations for free online.

That was frustrating. So I tried my hand at making them. I was pretty happy with how they turned out.

So, here you go, a gift from me to you- free printable invitations.  

For when you decide to have an outdoor movie party.

I made two different options.

I ended up using this invitation 

 This one is pretty big to print, you can only get one invitation per page. 

I made this fun sign, found here.

 It was a labor of love, and it took forever. But it was fun to have it and I hope to able to get more use out of it. 

My in-laws have a really hard to find, long driveway so the sign helped guide people in.

The tutorial doesn't give a whole lot of information as far as supplies go. I used the following:

2 1/2 cans Krylon spray paint in Banner Red

4 foam boards (20x30 I think, they are the only size available at both Walmart and Fred Meyer)

6 poster boards (roughly the same size as the foam boards).

For snacks we provided a concession stand 

(yes, it was free. My nephew was shocked!) 

 My dad owns a fun popcorn machine. I found the bags at the Dollar Tree.

And Walmart was the cheapest place to buy theatre candy, which made it more authentic.  

Everyone there had a great time.

We will do it again for sure. 

Slacker

I've been slackin' on this whole blog thang. But I haven't been slacking in real life. So that's good! I've been busy lately, now that the weather is good, working on some pieces of furniture for a big flea market I am selling at over Labor Day weekend. I am pretty nervous about it since it will be my first time selling my stuff not over craigslist. So if you see me covered in paint you know why. This week is girls camp and I got to drive some of the girls up to Enaign Ranch. I wish I could go back and be a young woman again. Those were the days. For me, girls camp was better then Christmas. I've been doing pretty good at sticking with Zumba the past few weeks, so I'm proud of myself about that, cause I am not really great at sticking with things. My mind has also been really full of a couple of upcoming events that I want to participate in. They are still up in the air so I will let you know if they go through. Exciting times around here! Today, P. randomly brought D. a flower in from the yard. Then D said "I'm gonna marry P. when I grow up cause he's the nicest boy in the whole world." I love my babies. The end.

Day 15: My Motto

“Life is good, if we live in such a way to make it so.”

-BENJAMÍN DE HOYOS Oct. 2005 General Conference

Simple.
If we live God's ways (as found in the scriptures and modern day prophets) we will be happy.

Best Summer Ever...extended version.

"In every girls life there's a boy she'll never forget and a summer where it all began."

So, theres this girl. Her name is Isabelle. She likes to hang out with her sisters and her friends.

She went to the YSA Green & Gold Ball in Seattle at Pier 66.

She and her sisters got all dressed up.

She got ready at work and rode up with her boss, Thomas. 

 She met up with friends.
Her friend, Joel, brought his friend, Jordan, with him.

Turns out, Jordan knows her brothers. Small world. 

Later, on Memorial Day weekend, she went camping with her friends. 

Jordan came too, cause by then he was just part of the gang. 

Isabelle loves to dance. She went to lots of YSA dances with her friends. 

Jordan brought his new friend, Kyle, with him to the dance.

Her sisters love to dance too!

Then, in June, her brother, Joe, came home from his mission in Brazil!

Yay! Friends are reunited!

They went to Seattle one night to eat at Dicks and hangout at the lookout. 

A really drunk man even took their picture for them!

Did I mention that Isabelle had braces and like to make weird faces in pictures?

The group of friends did tons together. They hungout pretty much everyday.

They enjoyed going to 7-11 to get Slurpees.

and Rap Snacks.

Then they went and jumped on a trampoline. It was fun.

The friends decided to go skating one day.

They did the hokey-pokey.

Jordan & Heather had tons of fun!

They liked to go to Jordan's parents house after Institute and make cookies!

On the 4th of July they went to Gas Works in Seattle and watched the fireworks. 

It was crowded.

They found a box and carried it all the way back to the car. It didn't fit in the car.

This one time Joe, Isabelle and Jordan went to Goodwill.

Isabelle bought an awesome sweater. She really loved that sweater. 

Then they went and walked across the Narrows Bridge at night. It was scary, and cold. 

The friends liked going out to eat.

They would go eat Mexican food after FHE or Institute.

From time to time, Isabelle and Jordan would do things without their group of friends. 

They would have lots of fun together.

Sometimes, they would go to American Lake.

Isabelle really liked Jordan because he had a picture of the Savior and the brethren next to his bed.

For Jordan's 23rd Birthday at the end of July they went out to dinner.

Then they went to the top of the Space Needle.

Once, Jordan and John took Isabelle to shoot guns.

 Then Jordan took Isabelle back to Pier 66 in Seattle, where they first met at the Green and Gold Ball, and he asked her to marry him.

She said Yes!

They went to the fair together that September.

On Halloween,Jordan and Isabelle went to their last YSA dance with their friends.

Rachel dressed up like a Princess, Isabelle like an Asian lady, and Jordan like a Mexican man.
(we are really politically correct around here.)

Turns out, some of their friends liked each other too!

Isabelle married Jordan in November.

 They still like each other. And they still have lots of fun.