the mother bag...and a whole lot of other stuff about me!

I love Mondays! You never thought you'd hear me say that, did you??

Kasey at All That is Good helps me love Mondays just a little bit better by hosting Friend Makin' Mondays each week. This is such a fun way to get to know fellow bloggers!!

This week's task is the THIS OR THAT game. For each line, I have two choices, and I have to choose which I would prefer. So, here goes...

1. jog or walk: walk
2. coffee or tea: umm, can I say neither?
3. Pepsi or Coca Cola: Pepsi (diet)
4. flats or heels: flats are a must!
5. fries or onion rings: fries
6. cats or dogs: dogs
7. skim or whole: skim
8. small purses or large: large
9. van or SUV: van
10. winter or summer: summer
11. 1 piece bathing suit or 2: ONE...no question!
12. sit down restaurant or fast food: sit down, but definitely kid-friendly
13. McDonalds or Burger King: BK
14. white gold or yellow: white
15. fish or chicken: chicken
16. Edward or Jacob: never seen it!
17. pizza or burger: can I say both?
18. apple or orange: apple
19. spend or save: save
20. 1 story or 2 story house: 1 story

Head on over to Kasey's and make some new blogging buddies!

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And, since it's all about getting to know me (each other) today, I thought I would share a little more...

My "tried & true" friend, Kim at Caldwell Cuties, tagged me last Friday in a fun game called "What's in Your Bag?" She always knows I'm up for these kinds of things.

Because I play fair, when she tagged me, I took a picture right away of my purse and the contents, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to get to my post until later. And, so, here is later...

Here are the rules...

1. Post a picture of whatever bag you are using today - not last weekend when you and your hubby went out to that fabulous restaurant. No cheating!!!

2. Tell us how much it cost. This is a no-judgment zone -- there will be no ridiculing or eye rolling here. And, if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I'd love to hear it.

3. Now tag some fellow bloggers and link back to this post so people know why you are posting pictures of your bag.

This mother of a bag came straight to me as a birthday gift from the hubby a couple years ago. I had my eye on this beauty at Target for a good couple of months, and thankfully he snagged it in time before it left the shelves. It's actually a diaper bag/purse. I knew I needed something that would hold a whole lotta stuff, since I like to be as prepared as one can get, and at the time when I got it, I had a newborn and toddler. As the kids have gotten older, the contents have gotten less (believe it or not!). I do have an "out and about without kids" purse, but when Kim tagged me, this mother was the one I had been using that day.

this is what it looked like inside...
I clean it out often because I can't stand a mess!

here are the contents...
I told you it holds a whole lotta stuff

*my wallet
*booklet that holds gift cards, business cards, misc. shopping cards, etc.
*name tag for my Bible study
*mechanical pencil
*small container of Purell
*lip gloss
*Mikayla's chapstick with a missing lid (nothing new)
*small bottle of diaper rash cream
*small bottle of baby lotion
*cell phone
*container of goldfish crackers/cheerios
*container with toddler forks & spoons
*Austin's hat
*fabric case of diapers for Austin
*fabric case of one Pull-Up for Mikayla (with an extra pair of panties & pants inside)
*wipes container (stocked with wipes, of course!)
*3 packages of extra "one-sheet" wipes (samples...just in case I'm caught without my wipes!)
*scented dirty diaper sacks
*Curves bar for me
*snacks for the kids (today I happened to be quite prepared...2 baggies raisins, 2 bags Yogos, bag of fruit snacks, granola bar, baggie of goldfish crackers)
*clear zippered organizer full of "be prepared" items, such as calculator, notepad, pen, sample thing of floss, shout wipe, JoAnns flyer, baby coupons, eating out coupons, misc. non-grocery related coupons, gum, Tylenol, 2 things of lipstick...I don't even wear lipstick!

And, if you haven't gotten to know enough about me yet today, check out the 10 Things I Like that start with the letter G. Let me know if you want to play!

bye, bye, papa!

My daddy left this morning to fly back to Alaska. My mom and dad come "home" to Oregon for 3 months out of the year to visit through the holidays. My mom gets to stay for about another month (yay!), but my dad had to get back up to snowy country in order to work.

We will definitely miss him and we hope that 9 months fly by quickly, only for the fact that the kids will get to see their papa again. In the meantime, we'll be keeping it real through the wonderful world of Webcam. I don't know what I would do without that thing!

LOVE YOU, PAPA!

goodness gracious, it's finally done!

The always funny Heidi over at Sacred & Profane offered up a challenge to all of her readers (about a month ago). So, I decided to take her up on the challenge (um, about a month ago), and thought it would be fun.

That is, until she gave me the letter...

G!

I guess that's why I have taken about a month to figure out what I wanted to share (could it have something to do with my perfectionist ways...possibly). But when I finally thought about it, it wasn't as bad as I had made myself believe. I'm happy with my list. I guess you could say I'm just not a star Scattegories player who, when the dice rolls G, I beg for a re-roll. I suppose it could have been something worse like X, Y, or Z.

The challenge is simple (really, it is!). You leave a comment at the bottom of this post (leave your e-mail if you'd like). I will then give you a letter from the alphabet in which you are to post ten things you like that start with this letter and why.

And, in no particular order, except of course, the first one:

10 Things I Like...

God - it's rather a LOVE thing, more than just a like; He is my Rock, my Savior, and my Friend; without Him I have no purpose in this life He's blessed me with

Girlfriends - man, I have some great girlfriends, some that have stood the test of time, and some that are new and exciting, and both are amazing; I can definitely say I am truly blessed to have some incredible ladies in my life who have only made me a stronger friend, mom, wife, daughter, sister, and woman

Grandparents - not only all FOUR of my own who are no doubt leaving a legacy, but my children have some amazing grandparents of their own...I'm so lucky!

Gardening - oh wait, that's not really something I like necessarily, other than I envy those who have a love of gardening. I can barely keep my ONE house plant alive let alone a whole garden, but a girl can dream...

Gerbera Daisies - no, seriously. I got lucky on this one because they are my favorite flowers...so simple, so beautiful

Grapes - my favorite fruit (well, second to strawberries); such an easy, healthy snack to take along with me!

Guacamole - more specifically, Baja Fresh guacamole...enough said, in my opinion

Grey's Anatomy - I wasn't an avid watcher from the start until a co-worker of Ryan's loaned us the first 2 or 3 seasons while I was pregnant with Mikayla (almost 3 years ago). I think I watched them all in one week! And, I was hooked, so I still watch it...thank goodness for DVR

Glue - otherwise known as Modge Podge...I realize this might be stretching it a little, but I have really been into crafty projects lately that use Modge Podge, and Modge Podge is glue...come on, give me a little grace! I'm running out of options!!

Gifts - I love giving gifts, way more than getting gifts! Actually, I love wrapping gifts almost as much as I love giving the gifts. There's something about honoring someone with the way you wrap their present...it's just something I really enjoy doing

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And, there my friends, are my top 10 things I like that start with G!

Don't worry, Heidi, I forgive you for challenging (torturing) me and will continue to come to your blog for some stress and comedic relief. You're awesome!

Are you up for the challenge? Leave me a comment and I'll give you a letter. Simple as that. And, trust me, you'll actually have fun doing it. But, no re-rolls, you hear?

valentine scavenger hunt

I wanted to do something a little extra special for the kids on Valentine's Day. I had already gotten them a little surprise for the special day, but I decided last minute (like the night before at 9:00 PM last minute) that I would create a scavenger hunt for them and at the end would be their valentine surprise! I thought I might come up with rhyming clues (which I have done before for Ryan, and I love to write short poems), but at 10:00 PM my mind was blank. And, because of my perfectionist ways, I tend to not do something if I can't do it exactly the way I want to. But I am trying really hard to do away with that mind set, so I created the clues anyway (hand-written and no rhymes...you'd be proud!) and I'm glad I did! The kids (especially Mikayla) loved it! She was so excited to go find one clue after another.

Let's go on a scavenger hunt!

Clue #1: Good morning my valentine babes!
Go look where mommy dries the clothes...

Clue #2: Your surprise isn't here, so go take a look
where you play with blocks to build a tower.

Clue #3: You have to keep going, but where do you go?
Look in the play kitchen...where is the food?

Clue #4: No surprise here! How about where the Kleenex goes?
Clue #5: You're almost there!
Take a peek where you give your cousins a kiss!

Clue #6: Only one more to go to find your surprise.
Go find mommy's diaper bag...there might be something inside.
Clue #7: OK, I won't tease you any longer.
Do you want to know where your valentine surprise is?
Go look under mommy and daddy's dresser!
SURPRISE!!
This is what was under the dresser for the kids...
And after the scavenger hunt was over,
we all sat down to a yummy breakfast!

French Toast & Smoothies

I will definitely be making this scavenger hunt a tradition for Valentine's Day. It was just too much fun watching the kids get so excited to find the next heart and their final surprise. Maybe next year, I'll try to rhyme because I'll have more time (sorry, I had to say it).

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Later in the evening, Ryan and I dropped off the kids at my parents' house and we went out for some dinner. We started out at Olive Garden (even calling ahead), but when we got there, the wait was still a good 40 minutes. We didn't necessarily need to eat Italian, so we decided to head over to somewhere we knew wouldn't have a wait. We (I) love Baja Fresh!

After dinner we went to Joe's and then to Target. We just enjoyed walking down the aisles and enjoying being together. It was a fun night...nothing big, nothing special, but we don't need all the candlelight and gourmet dinners to keep loving each other.

Here's to many more Valentine's!! Love you, Babe!

sweet wishes to you!

{pictures by Annie's Photography}


Wishing you a day filled with family and love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

honored

I need to start out by saying that these fun, little awards that I am so honored to receive could not have come at a better time!

The last few weeks, I have felt rather inadequate as a mom, wife, friend, sister, and daughter. It's hard to explain why, I just don't feel like I am giving my all to the people that deserve it the most. It's a sad place to be, but it's real for me...more often than I care to admit.

I feel really silly even sharing this because I know there are so many who are going through such rough times in their lives, and here I am crying and stressing out about the little things in my life. I do remember a friend encouraging me once after me making a comment about why I was stressing over these little things. She said, "they may seem like little things, but for you they are things that matter."

Well, I suppose this post is headed into a depressing mood, so let me get on with something fun and little (but that feels SO BIG) before it's too late!

I want to say thank you to some wonderful bloggers whom I have never met before in person, but who have inspired me to keep blogging! They have honored me with some awards, which, as small as it seems, means SO MUCH!

The lemonade award celebrates great attitude and gratitude!
I received this award from Missy at Simply Red AND Kasey at All That is Good. Both of these ladies have so much to offer with their blogging. Missy is an inspiration to me for creating things that are fun and beautiful. And, Kasey is so sweet to leave me comments often and she just has that spunk about her that is so fun! Thank you ladies for honoring me with this award.





The Lovey Award honors blogs that are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.
I received the Lovey Award from Lynz at The Miles Family. I "met" Lynz pretty early on to the start of me blogging. She has always been faithful to leave comments and I adore her qualities as a mom...it's all about family for her! And, although I do not feel like my blog is even close to charming, I do appreciate the award and feel like I have found a friend through this little hobby of mine! Thank you so much, Lynz!




Lastly, I received the Kreativ Blogger award from Sandy at Just For Fun. Sandy is an inspiration to me! She has some of the most amazing kid creations and craftiness. I wish I could do more of what she does with her children with my own children. I've got a list of "fun things" that I can't wait to try out with my kids. Sandy, I'm honored.


Thank you, ladies, for sharing your stories, creativity, family, and heart to me in this blogging world. I am truly honored to be "loved on" through these awards. I know you probably didn't think I would react like I was winning a Golden Globe, but at this moment, it's what I needed to keep me going. Please go visit these ladies and let them know I sent you!

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Why do I blog? I've answered this before in short detail, but let me add to it just a bit: I love to create! And blogging for me is about inspiring myself and others to create. As a stay at home mom, it's really easy to give up on your passions that you once had before having kids. To blog about the creativity that seems to flow through me, is a way for me to stay passionate about the things I love to do. And, although my number one priority in life is to be a loving and caring mom and wife (daughter, sister, and friend), I can't let my passions slip through my hands. Blogging is a way for me to inspire and be inspired! And, while I'm at it...what mommy doesn't love showing off her little blessings?

a date to the dentist

Mikayla had her first official trip to the dentist on Thursday. It was a little mommy-daughter date since I had an appointment at the same time. Well, mommy-daughter-Dolly date. Dolly had to come, too...for a sense of security, of course.

Here's my sweet girl in pictures...


It was a success other than the brief moment where she cried a little when the dentist said that he wanted to look in her mouth. Luckily, it was short-lived and she went through with the cleaning anyway. The dental hygienist had her stand at the sink to avoid the nervousness of having to lay down in the chair. And, of course, she got a special prize at the end...and what little 3-year old doesn't like that? She also brought home a toothbrush for her little brother. She thought of that all on her own! My little girl...so thoughtful.

i {heart} family fun!

Yay! It's Thursday! This is the day I get to share the things I love. (Well, I suppose I could do this any day I want, but I save it mostly for Thursdays!)

And, for this week, I'm raving about Family Fun! Not only the magazine that I get monthly (I love getting things in the mail!), but even more so I love the Family Fun website. These two places share the most creative things and just recently I have put these ideas into action. (see our snowman treats and sweet heart krispy treats)


In the February issue of Family Fun, they had pages and pages of unique valentines to give to the people that you care about. One of these ideas caught my eye and I just had to do this for Mikayla & Austin's little friends. Of course, as always I made it my own as best I could! (You can also see the idea here...that's the great thing about the internet. I suppose you don't even need the magazine!)


Well, that's what I love...what do you love?

Head on over to The Diaper Diaries to find out what others love and you might as well join us...

let's wrap it up!

I love giving gifts!! I love wrapping gifts and making them extra special is something I enjoy doing. It's a weakness of mine when I see wrapping paper, baggies, ribbons, bows, tissue paper, gift bags, etc. on clearance or on sale because I always think that one day I will use this, so I usually buy it, which means I usually need even more room for these little goodies I've found (it's a never ending cycle isn't it?) I will say I have gotten better at really stopping and thinking about whether or not this is a good purchase that I will actually use. Really, I'm working on "my problem".

I'm a gift giving person...I always have been. I'm also an old-fashioned thank you note gal. I would love to be able to instill these little tidbits of who I am onto my children. However, I do want to be sure they understand that you don't have to give a gift for someone to like you in return, and you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it. It's the thought and the genuineness of the gift giving that I would like to pass along, so they will know how it makes them feel to see someone smile!

But, to be honest, part of the reason that I love giving gifts is because I get to wrap them! And, that's why I wanted to share something that works for me. Over the years as we have filled up every last inch of our home (lately I have felt like we are bulging at the seams...does that mean move or have a garage sale?), I've been needing to get a little more creative on where I can store things.

When we were getting our son's room ready for him about 2 years ago, I knew I was going to have to find ways to put all of my "stuff" that had been filling our extra room somewhere else. I decided that we could probably squeeze a few more things into our "walk-in" (kind of) closet, and so we put a bookshelf in there and I claimed it as my gift wrapping storage area.

Of course, if you're familiar with my personality or you have read through my blog before, you know how I love to be organized (and that I love my label maker, too), so these next few pictures shouldn't surprise you too much.

these little storage drawers are perfect for the small things...
everything is so easy to find!
i love these nesting boxes! this was probably the best gift I have ever been given (well, not really, but I did LOVE it a lot!)
I loved them so much that the next time I saw them at Costco,
I picked up another set of them...I use them everywhere!
this great little storage goodie holds all of my gift bags
and it hangs right on the closet rod

Keeping order in a house that seems like it's always being taken over by toys, papers, and stacks of odds and ends is a challenge. But I *try* to stay sane by keeping organized spaces in our home. I have a place for everything and everything has its place.

I love my little gift wrapping center...it's nothing big, nothing special, but it definitely works for me!

To see other tips and tricks head on over to Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer.

sweetheart muffin tin

top row: juice (a rare treat!), mini-heart shaped pb & j, Jello,
and red peppers (worth a try, but it was a "no go" for my two-year old's taste)
bottom row: strawberry yogurt, Craisins, and mini heart shaped cheese slices

Head on over to Her Cup Overfloweth for more Valentine's-inspired muffin tins...

And, if you're looking for a fun, simple Valentine's treat for your kids, neighbors, friends, or family, check out these heart-shaped rice krispie treats.

sweet and simple

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to give a little treat to say "I love you" for Valentine's Day?

Over the weekend, I made a batch of these yummy little treats. Of course, we all know how simple it is to make some rice krispie treats, so to make these more festive, I added a few drops of red food coloring to the marshmallow mixture and spread it in a large cookie sheet. I added some red sprinkles on top to make the red pop out a little more. Then I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to create almost a dozen hearts.


I placed each heart in a clear baggie and tied it off with a cute little pink gingham ribbon.


I ended up giving these to my family for a sweet and simple way to say Happy Valentine's Day!

And, because I usually don't create many things without seeing the idea first, I found this idea on the Family Fun website. (I love this site!)

just a little glimpse of me...

Kasey, over at All That is Good, is ready to get to know her blogging friends some more! After skipping last week because of an ice storm, she's back sharing some getting to know you questions, and here I am ready to share!

1. My favorite book is anything written by Karen Kingsbury. I wouldn't be able to narrow it down.


2. I drive a 2007 Honda Odyssey mini van.


3. My favorite type of food to eat is Chinese, particularly sweet & sour chicken with pork fried rice, and barbecued pork.


4. My favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

5. My favorite movie is The Notebook. I'm a big fan of chick flicks, so I could make a pretty long list of favorites... My poor husband!


6. When I go to Starbucks I get a strawberry frappucinno, hot cocoa, or ice water. I don't drink coffee and therefore, I don't go to Starbucks.


7. My favorite vegetable is carrots.


8. My favorite thing to wear is jeans and a sweatshirt.


9. My favorite color is PURPLE.

10. I decorate my house in this style: a mix of everything, maybe? - slightly contemporary, somewhat classic, but pretty simplistic, and who knows what else...kind of my own style?

11. Right now I am reading Summer by Karen Kingsbury.


12. If I could vacation anywhere I would go to Nashville, Tennessee. I'm a big fan of country music!


Now, it's your turn! If you'd like to participate, head on over to Kasey's blog to check out Friend Makin' Mondays.