My Winter Must Haves

Winter in Utah is soooo sooooo looooong! Like painfully and depressingly long.  I remember it snowed on Lorin and my graduation day....April 24th! And it also snowed that Halloween.  So, here are some of my winter must haves to make my (and my kids') winter bearable.
1. For chapped lips with a pretty tint  (get the scrub, too!) 2. To keep us warm and toasty similar  3. To remind me of my heritage (and the best hot chocolate we have ever had 4. To keep my cheeks nice, rosey and pretty 5. I know I am naturally tan but this makes me feel a little tanner and reminds me of my summer "glow" 6. To keep us moisturized (my kids have really sensitive skin) or you can use this- (I use it to cook, too!)  7. To help with the dryness of this state 8. To keep us entertained and in shape....and to laugh at each other's moves

Yummies: Salad Savoy Chips (kinda like kale)

I have a child that eats everything (sweet baby hah), a child that eats mostly everything and a child that eats nothing.  I have a minor freak out at least 3 times a week that my middle child is going to starve. After about 2 weeks of making him green smoothies (which he loves!), I just wanted him to eat something NOT blended.  My friend told me about these kale chips she makes her boys and they love them.  This past week I got salad savoy, which looks like kale, so I gave it a go.  All I had to say was "chips" and they dug their chubby little hands right in.  I really don't give my kids junk so they 

saw this as a sweet treat! Muahah- silly children. I actually loved them. I couldn't stop munching. And better yet, the kids ate them. Point for me.

Most kale-ish chips have the same recipe so I remembered one that I saw somewhere on the internet.  And it is so easy that any kiddies can help.  I had mine pour the oil and stir.  I put them in and took them out of the oven because I am a safe mom- and my child is 4.

Salad Savoy Chips:
1. Wash leaves and tear stems.
2. Once leaves are dry, put in a bowl and mix in about 1 tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle salt.  I used sea salt.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Line cookie sheet with tin foil and spread leaves so that they form a cup.
5. Bake for about 16 minutes.  I took them out at 15 minutes but should have kept them in longer as I like crispier chips. 
6. Eat and eat as many as you can before you have to share! Just kidding.....this snack was for the kids....

DIY: Valentine Ribbon Bunting Garland & A Revelation

I love crafts. I haven't crafted in quite a while because whenever I tried, a little child would wake up or need me or just mess it up.  So...I stopped.  My house has been looking a little bare since Christmas was put away, so I decided I should make a little something.  THEN I realized that I should just involve my kids in the crafts I make.  I can get my creativeness out whilst playing with and teaching the little ones.  Why oh why hadn't I thought of this before? I mean we've made crafts before but they've all been kind of kitschy and childish.  Of course, I still want to make those sorts of projects because little kids can only do so much, but I want them more involved in my forte. Does that make sense to anyone else? Anyway, by the time I gathered my supplies and set up, my youngest 2 were out.  Just me and Ashton were left to take on the easiest project ever.....and it was free.  You guys can try and tackle it:

Cut some string. Cut some ribbon. Tie them on in whatever random order you choose. Hang up. And voila.

Yummm. I love the different textures!

Look at this face!! He is so proud- as am I! He did this one on his own!

I organized them for those of you with OCD.

 

 For more detailed instructions, here ya go:
1. Cut string to your desired length. I cut about 9 ft.
2. Cut enough ribbon to spread out through string (I cut 37 total using 7 different materials: ribbon and fabric about 4" long).  I spaced them out about 1.5".
3. Tie them on- a single knot will do. At this point I taught Ashton how to tie so if you are doing this project solo it should take you about a million years faster....but you won't get that proud grin from your lovely (and stubborn) little one!
4. Hang wherever you please.

Breakfast with Santa

Does anyone absolutely LOVE Christmastime?  We love everything about Christmastime and try to do something fun everyday with our family.  One of our favorite traditions is Breakfast with Santa.  We've been to several Breakfast with Santas- even when Ashton was a few months old.  This is our 6th one and was our favorite by far! We went to the Gardens at Dry Creek in Lehi.  We were welcomed into this quaint reception area. It was so pretty- like a winter wonderland. They had a really nice buffet (the french toast was AMAZING!) and you didn't have to stand in a long line!  They called each table by name and while you waited you could color and make a little Santa craft.  Our whole family (8 adults, 2 children and 4 lap babies) was able to sit at one table! There was also a North Pole room where Santa was sitting waiting for the kiddos to tell him what they would like for Christmas.  They called each table up at a time and we were able to decorate cookies and get our face painted while we waited.  The North Pole was just like what the North Pole would be like: white, cozy and chilly.  Santa was the real deal.  The kids were so happy and most were ok with Mr. Claus-  no major meltdowns.  Ashton was all business- he gave him a picture he drew and told him all the things he wanted.  He was very specific. Oliver was very stoic, only uttering a few words but no crying.  And Adelle was just a perfect little princess.  She had been getting a little separation anxiety lately but she was just perfect. I seriously loved this place.  We felt welcome and not just one of the crowd and our kids had such a wonderful time.  We will for sure be back next year!

Blessings in Disguise

As most of you know, we (Lorin) has gone back to school to get his MBA.  That means a lot of changes for us- the biggest one being financial.  Every little dollar counts. The transactions were pretty small but were occurring every month.  I thought Lorin was doing it and he thought I was.  When we finally decided to talk about how we shouldn't continue those anymore, we realized neither of us was actually doing it!  So when we looked back on past statements and saw some unauthorized transactions that had been happening for over a year, we called right away to get it cleared. In fact, 2 other people in my neighborhood had the same thing happen to them with the same company!  We felt surprisingly calm and the company was very helpful.  In the end, we were to get back about $400.  $400!! Can you believe that? I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason.  It was like a forced savings- and now we are able to pay for our plane tickets back East. 

I would like to share a few other blessings in disguise:
- My beloved Subaru's transmission died.  We were able to trade it in for a car that had room to grow in.  A few weeks later we found out that I was pregnant with sweet baby A (surprise!) so we really needed the room! There was no way we could fit 3 car seats in that car.
- My first car's, a cute little Honda, transmission also died.....we were able to trade that for a car with 4 wheel drive.  My husband has a 40 minute commute each way and with the snow it makes it a safer commute.  And I don't have to worry as much with him driving so much.
- In our church we pay tithes.  Well, in January we "overpaid" for some reason.  Well after reviewing our tithes with our Bishop we realized we did back then which means we are all caught up this year.  There was no way we could have paid what we supposedly "owed"- not now at least.
- As we were reviewing our budget for Christmas gifts this year (my heart hurt for my kids) we got an email.  We were able to collect our rewards for our bank card.  It was just a few dollars short of what we had set the kids' budget. 
- I went to 2 boutiques. I spent days preparing.  I sold 0, ZERO, zilch of my products.  I did sell a bottle of water.  Needless to say, I was ready to quit pretty much everything.  I was a bit dramatic.  After talking to my rational husband, we made some decisions.  Boutiques are not my thing.  I can't do them.  I met a lot of wonderful people and I enjoy that aspect.  But for all that work and no reward it is just not plausible.  I don't have the time.  So after feeling like a failure, I realized I do OK online and will just focus on that. 
- We applied for a loan to help us through grad school since Lorin is not working.  For some reason they still think we are making what Lorin made last year.  We only have enough money for the next few months.  Because of that extra money we are getting from the bank we are able to save more this month.  At first I thought having such a frugal husband was hard, but it has come in pretty handy! I don't know how the rest will play out but that's ok.  I think it will be fine.
-My last one is very personal and probably very controversial.  I will be as vague as I can :) I was working hard at achieving something when something else happened.  I was not ready for that to happen.  I had a very hard time with it.  It was something that would affect all of us, not just me.  After a few weeks I learned to accept it and now I know that it was supposed to happen at that time.  I could not be happier.

Dear Santa+ Freebie

If you are behind the ball, like me, here is a little treat for you!  I made these for my littles to fill out.  Daddy wrote out what the kiddies said.  Ashton was very specific while Ollie was a little quieter.  I added the last line because I think it is important to think about others.  Ashton really thinks Ollie needs clothes- maybe because Ollie never wears pants!  Now we know exactly what our kids want and Santa will now know, too!  Feel free to print these out for your kids.

 

Download Here

Days are long....years are short

I had a friend request a custom print for Christmas.  I wanted to make something simple as the message is pretty powerful.  As I was working on it, it made me think about how many times I long for naptime and then bedtime.  I've wished the days away and now I cannot believe that my little baby is 4! Where did the time go.  So, go and kiss those owies, hold that sticky hand and smile at the crumbs all over the floor.  I know I will want them back once they are gone.

*This is in my shop! (With or without the itty bitty footprints)