He's 34

I wasn't the best photographer on his birthday, but my hubby got spoiled! Lots of books, new mountain bike + accessories (after his other was stolen), a new cell phone, money from family, and art supplies (the only thing I did get pictures of him opening). He has begged me forever to buy a canvas and paint to just see what he could create, so I indulged him! I love this guy, even if he rocks bed head like nobodies business (in his defense he had just woken up)!

Now That's A Hamburger!

Scrumptious Sundays

Butterfinger Balls

1 lb candy corn

1 (16 oz) jar of peanut butter

1 bag of Hershey's milk chocolate chips

Melt candy corn in the microwave stirring every 20-30 seconds. Add peanut butter and mix thoroughly. Let cool in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper and place a cooling rack on top. Form balls from the candy corn and peanut butter mixture. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 15 second increments. Dip balls in chocolate and let set on the cooling rack allowing the excess chocolate to drip through onto the paper. Place in the fridge until hardened. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

1 Year Ago

1 year ago today...

Miss Shelby gave us a dozen beautiful puppies!

Which means 1 year ago today, Liberty joined our family!

Happy Birthday Liberty!

We can't imagine life without your spunk!

We love you!

St. George

We ran away to St. George last weekend for roughly 36 hours! It was short and sweet, but the weather was oh so worth it! It was overcast and about 80 degrees the entire time (sure beats 110). We were able to see my cousin and his family, go to a little swap meet where my hubby bought me 2 cute necklaces and earrings, see Grease at Tuacahn, and spend time with Phil's parents and one of his brothers and his family swimming, playing games, and relaxing. We had a great time!

We Remember...

Friday Favorites

Gel Booties

by Earth Therapeutics®

I am a flop flop lovin' gal and cracks are just inevitable...until I was introduced to these booties! I can't believe the difference one night makes! I lather my feet with lotion, slip these booties on (not gonna lie, it feels weird), and the next morning my feet are practically doing a happy dance! Soft and no cracks!

Price:

$20

Where Can You Buy It:

Bed Bath & Beyond

Camping = Success

We found a little hidden treasure this past weekend!

My Thoughts on 30

Once upon a time I had this ambitious idea. I knew I was struggling with the thought of turning 30. It not only sounds old to say I am out of my 20's, but some days I feel like I have nothing to show for it {i.e. no kids, no home, no career}. I figured if I thought of 30 things that I wanted to do and accomplish before I turned 30, then I'd be all right with my inevitable birthday. So I started with an enthusiastic banner for myself! 30 before 30 was my catchphrase!

Then the obvious happened. I was super excited, but the list became more of a chore than something I wanted to accomplish. Then I felt guilty, then I wanted to give up. I laid awake one night {annoyed at myself} when all of a sudden I had an "ah ha" moment! Why in the world do I have to do it before my 30th birthday?! I am going about this list like I am about to die. Instead I decided to CELEBRATE my 30th year by doing 30 things while I am 30 to prove to myself that 30 can be great. So I jumped out of bed at 2:27 am and fixed my inspirational banner to reflect my new catchphrase. 30 while 30!

I am happy to report that this does make me look forward to being 30! I know all you nosey people want to know what's on my list...but I won't be sharing it until my birthday because in an odd way, it is a gift to myself! So stay tuned because October 1st the list will be up! I will use my blog to journal items as they happen so you can see them get crossed off {plus it makes me accountable}!

Scrumptious Sundays

Cabbage Stew

2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, diced

1 cup carrots, peeled and diced

3 beef bullion cubes

Cover with water and boil until vegetables are tender.

Add:

1 pkg smoked sausage link, sliced

1 head of cabbage, chopped

Continue to simmer until cabbage leaves soft.

*Serve with warm cornbread.

Friday Favorites

Painterly Paint Pots

by MAC

This stuff is rad! It creates a perfect base on your eyelid before applying eyeshadow.

Price:

$18 {but it lasts forever}

Where Can You Buy It:

Dillards, Macys maccosmetics.com

I'm Gettin' Sneaky!

I ran into the library today to get a book I had on hold and return a movie. I decided to quickly browse through the cookbook section in my efforts to eat better. I saw an intriguing book that I figured I understood the concept of, so I grabbed it. When I got home I started looking through the book and an hour later I am in LOVE! It was exactly what I thought it was about...and so much more!

I am totally trying these awesome recipes because making anything healthier, whether I am being "sneaky" or not, is better than what I'm {not} doing right now!

Scrumptious Sundays

Pretzel Hugs

1 bag square pretzels

1 bag Hershey Hugs

1 bag plain M&M's

Spread (unbroken) pretzels out onto a cookie sheet (do NOT line with foil). Unwrap Hugs and place one on top of each pretzel. Bake at 200 degrees for 8-10 minutes (or until Hugs are melted). Quickly place 2 M&M's on each Hug. Stick the pan into your freezer for about 30 minutes to harden. Keep refrigerated.

This was photographed in February, hence the Valentine colors. My favorite is at Christmas time when Hershey's has their peppermint kisses! They are so yummy, and topped with red and green M&M's it looks so festive. P.S. I've tried the mini M&M's and I think I like the regular ones better.

Friday Favorites

Spray Wax

by Lanza

This stuff rocks hard core because it adds texture to my hair and it smells super yummy too!

Price:

$15 - $20

Where Can You Buy It:

Amazon

Keepin' It Real

I'm not going to lie...today was a hard day.

I don't talk about my miscarriage from 2005 {like ever} on my blog {although I have opened up to people in conversation}. Take this with a grain of salt because really, it's just a {5 minute} pity party I'm throwing myself.

If I had have carried that baby to full term, that child would have started kindergarten today. It's bitter sweet of course. I had quite a few friends who had children around the time I was supposed to be due {June 10th}. It's fun to see their milestones and today was no exception with all the cute "first day of school" pictures.

I ended up going to lunch and shopping with my mom this afternoon because I just needed to be off the internet {you know Facebook and Blogger}. I am okay, really. No tears, I promise!

Someday I may have the courage to share my {short but sweet} story. For now, thanks for letting me throw my pity party.

Friday Favorites

Purity {Made Simple}

by Philosophy

I am in LOVE with this facial cleanser! It makes my skin feel soft and completely moisturized.

Price:

$20

Where Can You Buy It:

Ulta, Sephora, Amazon

Scrumptious Sundays

Fajitas

This meal originated because I was out of my usual Costco/Sams Club uncooked tortillas. We loved it so much, that now it is how we serve our fajitas!

1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 green bell pepper, julienned

1/2 onion, sliced

2 tbls oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)

1/2 bag fajita meet (see picture below)

1 can Original Rotel

angel hair pasta

Cook pasta according to directions. Saute bell peppers and onions in oil. Add meat for the last 5 minutes. Add Rotel. Drain water from pasta and add to fajitas. Mix well.

This meat can be found at your local grocery store but you get more bang for your buck at Costco/Sams Club.

Ruffled Clutch

I snagged this fabric a while back because it totally reminded me of my cousin Dakin and how much I miss her (she lives in England now). I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it. I followed THIS cool tutorial that I've been dying to try and although my first attempt isn't perfect (sorry Dakin), I am glad I made it!

(The inside has a divider and 2 card holders)

Spreading Hope

I've mentioned a few times how I LOVE getting involved with Craft Hope! Well for family night (FHE) a few weeks ago, I used one of their projects to teach a lesson about charity. We sang "Love One Another" and read the definition of charity in the bible dictionary. Then we found Russia on the map and we played a numbers guessing game about the statistics Craft Hope had on their website. Then we made these bracelets for the orphans. It was a simple activity, but a fun way to make a small difference.

Coolin' Off

50 Miles

My hubby and the girls went with the scouts on a {crazy} 50 mile hike! Here are a few pictures from the week, including ones from the terrible fire that forced them to come home a day early {but don't worry, they still got their miles in}.

Kindle Sleeve

Last time I was at my friend Molly's house, I noticed that she didn't have anything to protect her Kindle. Naturally I just HAD to whip her up this fun sleeve for her birthday! I made sure to use minkee fabric on the inside to protect the Kindle, but I was super excited when I found this fun fabric line for the outside! I didn't really know what I was doing, but she liked it haha! Happy Birthday Molly!

164 More Days...

The Bapron

A few weeks ago my sister in law asked me to make a bib for my nephew, who is an adorable, but messy eater! Ironically, THIS post came out about that time and I finally got around to making her two (because lets face it, these are adorable). I followed THIS tutorial for making my own bias tape and I was pleased with how quick these came together! Wouldn't these make such a fun baby shower gift?!

Couponing

Once upon a time I was an instructor for Coupon$ense. It was pretty cool to get all those crazy deals and I LOVED my stock pile (and so did many of our friends and the missionaries). I fizzled out when we moved to Colorado. Well, one night me and my hubby watched the new TLC show Extreme Couponing, and a seed was planted again. He teased that he would get all the coupons if I would do all the shopping. To my surprise, he came home from a 2 hour walk the other night, with all the neighbors coupons! I guess it was his subtle way of saying let's get started!

So, today I ran into Target real quick and saw an end cap with clearance twin packs of Old Spice body wash for $3.40. Well I just so happened to have a Target coupon for $1.00 off Old Spice body wash, and since Target is cool and will accept a manufacturers coupon on top of one of theirs, I used a buy 1 body wash get 1 free. That's right...4 body washes for $2.40...or 60 cents a piece! I grabbed 2 more to stock up. Then I found 2 clearance deodorants (which had a free body spray included) for $3.40 a piece, which I used $1.00 off Target coupon and a $1.00 off manufacturers coupon (I had to buy 2 Old Spice items to fulfill the coupon). That's $4.80. My grand total today was $9.60. That's pretty good considering I got 8 body washes, 2 deodorants, and 2 body sprays!

Scrumptious Sundays

Creamy Cheese Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
12 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish. Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bacon and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately with Ritz crackers or baguette bread.

Scrumptious Sundays

Gouda Burger

This was one of those throw it together type meals and it has become a favorite!

1 lb hamburger

1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (Bacon Made Easy)

1 cup smoked gouda cheese, shredded

1 egg

1 tsp montreal steak seasoning

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly (gloves are worth it). Form into 4 - 5 large (not thick) patties (remember they shrink). Grill.

Bacon Made Easy

Thank you to my dear friend Amy, who showed me the light when it comes to making bacon! I absolutely HATE the pop, sizzle, and mess that comes with making bacon. Wanna know a secret?! Bake it! You can still keep the grease too (for other recipes)! This is so easy friends! Preheat your oven to 400°, line a cookie sheet with foil, put a wire rack on top of the foil, place desired amount of bacon on rack (it can overlap), cook for 15 minutes, turn, then cook for another 10-15 minutes. Easy! Try it with tomorrows Scrumptious Sunday!

Scrumptious Sundays

Banana Bread

I'm not gonna lie, I think I have the best banana bread recipe ever! That is until about 3:54 pm on 4-26-11.

So I "blog stalk" a lot of websites. One of them being THIS fabulous .com! Well, she did THIS post about her banana bread recipe and I had some buttermilk that was about to be thrown out (and I was kinda inspired by her amazing oven). So, I decided I could just give her recipe a try...why not, right?! Umm...HELLO perfection! You guys don't know what you're missing! You need to get in your car, drive quickly (but safely) to the grocery store, and purchase the items to make this recipe. You won't regret it! I may have tweaked the recipe a little bit, but I needed a chocolate fix so I added 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also didn't have any of the tiny bread pans, so I used my regular bread pans to make 3 loafs and I cooked them for 35 minutes. What are you waiting for?! Hurry and click over to her blog and print off her cute recipe card!

ATTENTION!!!

Hey you!

Yeah you!

Do you take pictures with your cell phone?

Please watch THIS quick video.

You won't regret it.

It might just keep you safe!

Not The Best Helper

Sometimes it's hard to get work done around the house because Liberty isn't a fan of the vacuum...

Imagine My Surprise...

I had a coupon for these new Wheat Thin Sticks. Imagine my surprise when they were on sale and I purchased this box for a whoppin $.28! Now imagine my surprise when I tasted them, then realized something didn't taste quite right. I read over the ingredients and realized the "kick" at the end is jalapeno juice! So I read the front of the box again and the flavor is "Cinnamon Kick" not Cinnamon Stick! They are good still, but even better dipped in cream cheese!

Monster

I found a fun way to use my fabric scraps! A while back I saw someone post a monster baby toy that combined the idea of a ribbon rag and plush toy. I loved it and stole the idea for a baby boy gift. The mouth was super hard to do but I ended up doing a crazy stitch and zig zag stitch all the while telling myself that it made it look like a crazy monster mouth. The perfectionist in me had to just let go and say yeah, it kinda looks monsterish! For a made up pattern it eventually came out ok.