Valentine's Day Ideas

Just thought I'd post a few simple and cute ideas for Valentines.

10 Things I Love About You Album

14 Days of Valentines

Homemade Coupon Book

Homemade Valentine Card

Dinner (heart shaped meatloaf)

Heart Shaped Giant Cookie

Valentines Survival Kit

Make a "Love CD"

Scavenger Hunt

Pizza With a Message

14 Days of Valentines

Just a reminder that February 1st is quickly approaching if you want to do the 14 Days of Valentines. If you don't know what I'm talking about you can click here for some ideas. Remember the key is simple and inexpensive. I always start at the dollar store. They have cards 2 for $1 and lots of cheesy heart day items. This year I got most of my items at the dollar store, then found a few other things at the grocery store. The first day I like to start with something that goes on the mirror or another idea from last year was this. So below is just a few items that I already purchased. Remember to have fun with it!

 

Mmm Mmm Good

I don't know what it is about stormy days, but I LOVE to bake! Today is no exception! Phillip requested cookies, and we are out of bread so those are at the top of my list. I figure I might as well do a batch of rolls while I'm at it. My house smells so yummy (who needs a candle)!

• Make chocolate chips cookies
  
• Make bread for the week 
• Flash freeze homemade rolls

Amy The Great

So I worship the ground my friend AMY walks on! She introduced me to reader through gmail and my life has gotten just that much simpler! I am truly loving it! It's like one stop shopping! So I have taken the links off the side of my toolbar because I hated having my friends/family exposed to blog stalkers. Plus I was checking my blog to see if anyone updated, then checking the ones I hadn't added. On top of that blogger is pretty much retarded half the time and people would updated, but it never said they did. Okay, sorry for ranting. Check it out my friends, it saves me precious time to do more important things like clean my house!  Happy Wednesday!

My New Bible

This friends, is my new bible! I am in L-O-V-E! I highly recommend it! If you don't have it, you can purchase it here or run out and buy it today. EVERYTHING in it is so yummy! Yeah for real recipes!

It's Finally Here

The idea has been rolling around in my head for years, and I finally just took the plunge.  Although it isn't anything like I envisioned, and there are million things I'd change {the perfectionist in me}, I just did it!  I made it simple and easy and there's no turning back now!  Enjoy!

{Update: There will be a new recipe added everyday that follows my dinner menu for the month.}

Serious Icicles

Since our next semester starts Monday {and we both are taking roughly 17 credits}, Phillip and I have spent this week cleaning and purging so we can be organized from the get go!  When I suggested he put all the Christmas stuff away he laughed and told me the lights would have to wait because they were kinda sorta buried. I was confused so he pulled me outside and showed me this:

Not 20 minutes later the entire thing came down {luckily Phillip heard it and jumped out of the way in time}!  So he didn't get out of the chore!  One funny thing about the icicles on our house is they are all completely sideways!  The wind blows so much and so hard here that they end up that way.  Anyway, long story short...Christmas is all put away and we are making huge progress on out to-do lists!

I Swore...

I swore to myself that I wouldn't add links to the peoples blogs I stalk, but I finally decided that I was wasting too much time everyday going to each persons blog and seeing if they updated it.  So, I caved.  With school starting in a week and taking 17 credit hours I figure I will save myself time in every way shape and form.  Starting with my internet use.  So if I forgot to add you, or you would like to be taken off, just email me.

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a very MeRry ChRisTmAs!  I am still in shock that it's over, but I am thrilled to share with everyone the most thoughtful and amazing gift my husband made!  He was more excited to give me the gift than anything else this morning.  He even cried when he gave it to me! 

Since starting his new job and doing the graveyard shift I mentioned to him a few times that it's hard to sleep at night when he isn't there to cuddle with.  So apparently he conspired with some wonderful people and came up with an awesome gift!  I had no clue what was going on {other than he was gone hours on end at our neighbors}.  And hello, he is incredibly talented because he sewed it himself {who knew}!  

So without further delay...let me introduce....

Phil-In

He kinda reminds me of Shrek, but my husband was even so thoughtful as to make him match our room {brown, sage, and tan}.  Not only that, he even used the really soft minkee fabric.  And for extra measure, his arms are really long so I can wrap them around me!

On a side note, we made it home to Logan ALIVE!  We were getting a little nervous because the roads were REALLY bad and the snow was coming down so hard.  We even stopped to pull people out of the snow banks {thanks to our 4 wheel drive Land Rover}.  We came home to a TON of snow that hasn't been plowed yet.  In fact there is so much snow that we can basically walk right onto our second step on our porch the snow is that deep.  We love it though!

Move Over Betty Crocker

This year I was bound and determined to make plates of Christmas goodies, and since we have been snowed in all week, I was able to do just that!  I made caramels, andes mints, spritz, almond toffee and, peppermint kiss cookies.  It was so fun!  And check out my cute apron my mom made me!  LOVE IT!

DONE!

I finally got all these bad boys mailed out!  Ahh...what a relief!  I am disappointed because 1} I didn't get them out December 1st, 2} They consumed far too much of my time 3} I didn't get to use my favorite picture from our photo shoot, and 4} They don't look anything like the idea I had in my head.  Oh well, right?!  Merry Christmas!

sNoW!

{To the hymn of "Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime"}

Oh what do you do on a snowy day when all the world is white?!

Do you crawl back in bed,

and pull warm covers over head,

and read the entire book TWILIGHT?!

Is that what you do...so does my husband!

Proof!

Parade

Just a few pictures of us at the  Safford light parade, which was really neat, but very cold!

YO DAWG

So it's no secret, we LOVE boxers.  My dad is lucky enough to have two!  Shelby and Max.  Max is Shelby's dad and let me tell you, he is huge.  This picture makes them look so small.  Max is as tall as me when he jumps up!  Phillip walked the dogs almost everyday while we were there.  He wants a boxer so bad!  Some day babe!

Games

You better believe we busted out the dominoes while in Pima!  We ended up going over to my grandparents one night and they had an entire spread of snacks...which rocked and kept us going 'til the wee hours!  So fun!

Little Jaron

I loved every moment I got to spend with this little guy!  He is so fun to be around.  Aunty Nay taught him how to say Ho Ho Ho {although it only came out as Ho Ho}!

Thanksgiving

We were so very blessed to go down to Arizona for Thanksgiving and spend a week and a half with my dad and his family.  Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, and it was so great to spend the day with everyone!

Bridal Shower

I had the opportunity to throw a shower with my sister in laws for Phillip's sister Machelle who is getting married in January!  It was so fun!  I had about 24 hours notice to get the invites done because we changed the date so I got creative and used what I had and kept it simple!

We played some cute games and had a delicious lunch!  She scored on presents and I think I embarrassed her a little with my gift which was "first night"!  Gotta love a blushing bride!

And then right before we left to go back home to Logan I got to stop off at my aunt and uncles house and see their new baby girl Shawnie Ray Harmon!  They finally got their girl, and she is adorable.  I made her the boppy she is laying on along with some cute bows!

TWILIGHT PARTY!!!

{WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD}

I finally gathered some of the pictures from my little Twilight party!  It was so fun and crazy!  I of course didn't get everything done that I wanted to and when I got there everyone helped with the finishing touches (thanks for doing the apple votives and setting the table ladies)!

Here were the invites {thanks Amy}!

Here are pictures of the table {red & white polka dot and black zebra striped theme}.

We started with a simple peppercorn ranch salad topped with fresh parmesan cheese.  For the main course we had spicy {sorry} spaghetti and strawberry pretzel jello.

Then we played some cheesy fun games, starting with a bubble blowing contest!  This was so hilarious!  The catch was, you had to do it with vampire teeth.  It was ridiculously hard and I think only Heather was able to blow a bubble {you go girl}!  The best part was no one said a word because we were laughing so hard and drooling!

Now I have to preface the next game.  We played this awesome jeopardy game, but I didn't have time to finish it before the party.  Originally I wanted to do it on red fabric with black and white zebra print letters at the top that said TWILIGHT.  I got the letters cut out, but never finished putting it all together.  I also never got the questions put on the back, so we still played the game, just make shift, haha!  Great fun though and Britny knew almost everything!  She amazed us with the trivia she knew!

And each girl had a bag on her chair that included a bookmark, a Twilight cd and a t-shirt that said:

{god grant me the serenity to know that Edward is not real, the courage to live in my own reality, and the wisdom to know the difference}

The front of the shirts had a red polka dot heart and even though I didn't finish all of them, there was a black button at the corner of the heart.

We headed to the theater shortly after the game {which was around 10} and we got great seats {there were people there at noon}.  We took along my good sport of a husband to chaperone us and save our seats while we played card games down on the floor of the theater {eww it was gross}.  We were apparently pretty cool because girls kept wanting to play games with us and we were stopped numerous times to read our shirts and take pictures of us.  

The party was so fun and I'm grateful for friends who were able to be silly with me!

On to my thoughts about the movie...

• I didn't love it, although the second time I saw it, it grew on me.
• Phillip was on chapter 2 when we went and he loved it, and is dying to find time to finish the book!  
  
• It was funny, but annoying how all the girls screamed as each new character came on screen.
  
• It screamed low budget film to me, and I pray they realize the phenomenon when doing the second one.
• I didn't like how they did the meadow scene, but the bedroom scene...enough said!!!
• I hated the tree scene and got pissed when they show him running.  In fact I laughed because it looked so dumb!
• I really didn't prefer any of the characters although James and Emmett were great and I think they fit their parts perfectly.
• What the crap was up with Jasper?!  I hated his stupid look all the time!
• I LOVED the baseball scene, and that's when I kinda liked Alice because she pointed her toe every time she pitched - so funny!
• I know people are going to be upset with me, but I thought Edward wasn't cute at all, and Bella wasn't a good actress because she seemed to stutter and not finish her sentences.

Okay, sorry, I just get really nit picky because I think that this book is an amazing fantasy that just can't be turned into a movie!  Will I own it? Of course, I just pick it apart because Twilight is on a precious pedestal to me!