Life is getting Simpler Still.

#1 Homemade laundry bag the size of a small adult woman
We have gone through so many hampers and laundry type bags the last few years. I don't know what the architect genius who designed our home was thinking when he decided to put the laundry room on the main floor, and all the bedrooms on the 2nd floor. This decision leaves me hauling loads and loads of laundry up and down the stairs every day. My life is so rough huh? I am complaining about moving laundry. After another worn through bag I decided enough was enough. I took a sheet sewed it into a long rectangular bag and used some scraps for handles. Not only did it cost me nothing it is actually big enough to fit a day or two of laundry in it.... which is somehow like seven loads of laundry. Remember when we didn't have a washer or dryer for the first four years of our marriage. What were we thinking?
All I know is- Laundry Bag I can fit in = a few less trips up and down the stairs.

#2 1 TB of external memory.
If you asked me what the most valuable material possession I owned was I would answer you in under one second flat that my pictures are what I prize above any other THING in my house. Jake and I headed to Best Buy on Saturday to pick him up a new netbook and we found this on sale for $99. That may seem like a lot for something I may never use- but it helps free up just one more ounce of energy I spend stressing out every time my computer seems to be on the edge of malfunction. I loaded every picture I have since 2002 which was around 6,000, every home video, my journal (which I have been keeping in a word file since 2002 which I highly recommend), digital copies of the scrapbooks I have created for the children, and anything else that seemed mildly important to me onto it in one simply hour. Then whisked it away to my fire safe and locked it up for safe keeping. I also went ahead and loaded the 6000 + pictures to shutterly.com for a back up to my backup. Now I will surely never have to rely on my own memory to remember the last wonderful eight years.
This 1TB of memory looks like a beautiful bar of minted silver but I would say it is worth it's weight in gold.


#3 A Garlic Press
This may seem like such a simple thing. And it is. The rest of the universe likely received one as a wedding gift and didn't think twice about it. I cook quite a bit, especially since I quit working and became a full time wife. I use to spend the time dicing and pressing my garlic for recipes by hand. Likely once a week. A few months ago, I purchase a garlic press for myself. Yup- I caved and spent all of $6.00 or so on a simple kitchen utensil. It has changed dinner prep in a minor way- but one minute a week for a year is almost an hour a year doing something as pointless as prepping garlic. I think I will be browsing the kitchen utensil selection at Smith's on a more regular basis for more normal modern kitchen conveniences.

What is new in your life making it that much simpler?

There are a few....

of my favorite things as of late.
1. Easter candy.
I could easily refuse candy the rest of the year (well that is a bit of an exaggeration) as long as I could eat Easter candy. More specifically Cadbury creme eggs and mini eggs. It is almost a tradition that Jake buys me my season supply for Valentines Day- when they are usually first out and then hides them in the house so when I am having a bad day later on in the year they exists to bring some cheer. Often times they disappear before Easter arrives and I buy a second supply. I have even attempted to buy these online in the summer. These are single handedly ruining my attemps to loose the baby weight from Sam.... I should just know better than to try before Easter is over.


2. Adam Lambert.
I have been a fan of his from the start despite AI producer's early attemepts for me to prefer the taste of widower Gokey. My unsympathetic palett told me the unexpected and pure tenor voice of Lambert was a sure bet for success. Glad that the judges are more on board now. Even his more dark version of Walk the Line had me singing his praises (and song choice) all week. I don't vote, but if those that do are casting their votes on the college dorm looks of Kris or the never ending eyewear of Gokey, I hope they come around and vote for this theatrical sexually confused genius instead. I can't wait to see what kind of albulm he will put out and hope it is not too loud for my listenting enjoyment.

3. P90 X.
I am sure many of you have heard of this hardcore workout. Tony Horton and his band of merry muscle men are all the rage right now .Jake and I had seen the informercial, and like every infomercial, were sold by "how to orders" end. We looked online and found that it retails for between 90-110 dollars normally. We found it new from some Chinese manufacture for 40. Almost certain we were going to get a pirater pointing his video camera at a television while his girlfriend talks in the background version, we decided it was worth the risk. We were pleasantly suprised when it arrived new, real and not a knockoff in just days. Yesterday we attempted the Core Synergy disc. It was a hardcore workout as promised, one reason we loved it. Reason 2- We found ourselves rolling on the floor in laugher as we attempted some of the unusal push-ups and situps impossible to such out of shapers as ourselves.

A Grocery Store of Treasures

It is not that often when I find one new thing that makes my life easier or better, let alone three in one week. They are just little things I found I really liked while grocery shopping this week and I thought I would share my finds. All three in fact have to do with making this second trimester a little bit more comfortable. Since I am still very miserably throwing up several times a day I would say every little bit counts.
The first is this Aveeno Ultra Calming Night Cream. I have been getting that hideous pregnancy mask of blotching skin and found that this cream gets rid of it mostly, at least enough that I can easily cover the rest with makeup. Not only that it is pretty cheap and I just found it at Smith's.
The second is this Mega Shower Foamer from Scrubbing Bubbles. It makes cleaning the shower and tub so easy it is hardly any work at all. I have used it on toilet bowls and sinks as well. Less time cleaning the shower means more time to take a nap- just what I need! Plus I like the way it smells- sometimes I spray it in the tub just so it smells good.
The third is Tostitos Medium Queso. What have I been craving this pregnancy?- orange juice and what I call "Hot Nachos", which are the kind of nachos you buy at gas stations or sporting events. I know gross right- even Jake has questioned me if I know how long that cheese has been sitting in the convenient store before I beg him a second time to run a get me some "Hot Nachos". When I was making a grocery list this week, I asked Jake if he needed anything, his response "nacho cheese". He is either beyond grossed out that I eat them from gas stations, sick of me saying at 9:00 at night that I sure could go for some, or never wants to go to the gas stations for the sole purpose of bringing me back my hearts desire again. Either way buying this Tostistos cheese was a great idea, and it is maybe even more delicious, especially with a side of orange juice.
Do you have any great new finds lately? All I know is if it was my birthday nobody would have a good excuse for not knowing what to get me now. Aveeno, Shower Cleaner and Nacho Cheese is sure to put a smile on my face- well at least for this week.

Something to Smile About

It was a very long day. Our fridge is dead. It actually died about a month ago, magically resurrected itself, but is now again dead. I spent the whole day driving around Utah, Wasatch and Summit Counties with a screaming child trying to purchase a fridge, but only found over price refrigerators being sold by seedy and somewhat never helpful individuals. I came home with no fridge, one screaming and covered in Reece's Pnut Butter Cup (because that is all that would make her stop screaming) child. I am exhausted and frustrated. Thankfully the UPS man didn't let me down and I found this waiting on my door when I arrived home.
The blurb book I have been making of Kate's first year. These blurb books are so great. They are so easy to make and super cheap. This one for Kate is 8" x 10" and with 80 pages around 200 pictures plus text on each page and was 31 bucks. The picture quality is not the best.... of course I am really picky when it comes to prints, but it is good enough for the cheapest and easiest scrapbook ever. Check out their website, you'll be sure to want one. I also made one of our wedding and loved it as well. It was a mini book, 7" by 7" or something and really cute. Here is their web site www.blurb.com.

So go and make a blurb book. You can make it about anything, it doesnt have to be a scrapbook. You can slurp you blog, or you can write a children's story. I want to do this with Kate's stuffed animals, have them go on an adventure in the backyard or something and take pictures. Surely it will arrive at your doorstep when your day could just not get any worse. With this advice you will surely owe me..... perhaps a refridgerator... or at least a tip on where I can get one.

Design Mom is a great blog for anyone mother of not who likes cute things and great finds. You should check it out if you never have, particularly today because she has four giveaways of some great stuff. Dresses, necklaces, baskets, and stationary. Usually around 700 people enter to win her contests and I am yet to win one....shocking I know, but you should try anyway. I mean who doesn't want great stuff for free! So Click Here and scroll down to find all four giveaways.

So Kate is completely obsessed with the Officer Gus Heartworm Protection Commercial. If the TV is on, and this commercial comes on- which it seems like it comes on every commercial break, Kate will stop what she is doing to go and watch. She is just mesmerized by it. It is like she becomes a zombie. I'm not so sure what it is that appeals to her about it. It is a dog dressed like a police officer talking about heartworm- but it has stolen her heart. You can see the commercial at www.officergus.com

This post is a little different than my usual, but I am branching out. Bringing you something other than post made for grandparents. On Saturday I ventured with my sis Amy to Ikea (a favorite place to shop for the both of us) while the boys went golfing at Thanksgiving Point. Amy made fun of me because I was like a kid at a candy store. Hey I don't get out much. The walking around was good for her too, but I am sure she will post about why on her own blog soon. One of the things i saw was so simple but surely on the wish list. These mini casserole dishes. Wouldn't it be fun to have a dinner party and serve each guest there very own lasagna. Of course one of the best parts of making a casserole is that you don't have to cook the next day. But there are so cute and little I am not sure I will be able to pass them up next time I go.

I am, I am, the Luckiest

So I have never been that lucky, in fact I would say I was unlucky. I never win anything. I enter contests and drawings not even minding that I will probably get a lot of spam, but I don't win, I don't even get the spam. When I was in high school I got hundreds of free raffle tickets at an event because I got bit by the python they had at the "petting zoo " and still didn't win anything at the raffle. I entered a blog contest just the other day, just for a cake pan that only like 53 people entered and didn't win. Anything that can go wrong often does, and once one thing goes wrong, everything goes down hill. I am not really pessimistic, I just am not very lucky. Well all that changes today folks! 101.9 The End had a text in and win contest this weekend. On the way to the Terry's on Friday I text in a few times to win. I am not good at texting and it took me a long time to get it to work. Jake thought I was wasting my time. But somehow out of 18,600 entries, 3 people won Ben Folds Tickets and one of them was me!!! Can You believe it. I hardly can!!! I am so excited! Jake and I love the Ben! I am sure you will hear all about it on after April 23 when the concert takes place!!! If I was smart and wasn't so excited I would have saved them as a birthday suprise for Jake, but I was too excited and already called to tell him. I am not sure what is more exciting, the tickets, or the fact that I actually won something!

Another of my favorite things

I make a lot of treats with dipping chocoloate. People always ask me how I do my chocolate so well, and it is another one of my favorite things not because it tastes good- it is not the best tasting chocolate, but because your goodies come out gorgeous. I'm talking about Chocolate Coating (called Almond Bark at our house because most the packages don't say the product name but say in big lettering "Great for Making Almond Bark"). It comes in white, dark and regular in big bricks and sometimes can be hard to find at a normal grocery store. My favorite kind is Log House, they make a chocolate coating that is darker than most of the regular chocolate coating and it can be found at Super Target for about $2.50/ lb. To use it for dipping I like to put it over the stove on Med heat with a 1/2 teas or so of veg oil. It will melt smoothly, dip what you want, then set it on parchment paper to dry. Here is a dipping chocolate favorite- Portable S'mores. These were created when Jake had a campout with his boys scouts and they couldn't have a fire. You can't have a campout without smores. So I dipped marshmellows on toothpicks in dipping chocolate, then rolled in crushed graham crackers. Try making some today, I know you won't be able to stop with just one.

Favorite Thing #3- and not suprising

LOST

ABC's Lost started up again last week, this is the 4th season of the 6. All I can say is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....! Seriously. We watched last night and were on the edge of our seats then throwing ourselves on the ground when more questions came and few answers. Normally when a television show is never ending i despise it, but not here. Watching is like solving a puzzle, and although I feel I am not quick enough to catch all the symbolizm and references to legend shows like the Wizard of OZ and Star Wars, I still find it facinating. When I was pregnant we watched the first two seasons on DVD in a matter of days. Traditionally our fav. show has been Fox- "24" but Lost now takes the Cake. Adding Sci-Fi to Suspence. If you aren't a follower check out this link http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index and become converted.

Favorite Thing #2

Just another funny thing that I enjoy.... shoveling snow. Some of neighbors most likely think I have a lazy husband because his wife always does the shoveling- even when I was 8 months pregnant. Why? Well it is quiet, I can see progress when I finish, it is an easy way to burn a few more calories and a great way to become better friends with your neighbors as everyone is always out shoveling around the same time. This week though has tested my love for this chore, as the snow in Heber is record breaking. I took this picture and as you can see the snow is taller than I am now. We had about 8 inches just last night. This pictures is our driveway... seriously.

I changed my mind.... today is Sunday, and although many wards in the valley canceled church because of the snow, we ventured out at 9:00 am. I would guess nine inches fell last night, and the snow was still and is still coming. Jake got our Rodeo (4 wheel drive mind you) stuck at a neighbors while doing fast offerings, when the neighbor tried to pull him out with her 4 wheel drive Explorer, they got stuck, and the Bishop had to come with his tractor to pull them both out. Meanwhile, I shoveled, and shoveled and shoveled. There is just nowhere to put the snow anymore so I started pilling it on where the sidewalks used to be, the snow piled up on the side of our driveway is now taller than our car! UGGGG. My arms are sooooo tired. I think it may be time to invest in a snow blower.

Favorite Thing #1

I thought I would start a new feature on my blog (and I won't mind if anyone decides to copy) where I feature funny things I just can't get enough of.

To kick off this new feature... I give you Pico de Gallo. I am not sure why it is named after the beak of a rooster, but I do know it is one thing i can't get enough of. For New Years I bought some Pico de Gallo from the store. It had been a while since I had eaten this deliciousness and had forgotten my obsession with it. I had some again when Jake and I went out to eat last weekend, and thus decided I would try my hand at making my own. For those of you who have some how reached adulthood and not discovered the difference between salsa and pico de gallo, let me clue you in.... Pico is not as spicy, much chunkier and very fresh, I don't like salsa on chips, but I can eat Pico with a spoon. I just kind of winged it after looking at a recipe on-line. I thought it was going to be very labor intensive, but it only took about 30 minutes. Some people try to do theirs in a magic bullet or blender but I would advise against this, it makes it too runny.
2-4 tomatoes depending on size
3/4 white onion
4 springs cilantro
2 green onions
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/3 fresh jalapeno seeded
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 fresh squeezed lime
Just dice and slice everything up and stir it all together.