According to random.org, the winner of the Old El Paso Giveaway with $10 Gift card is commenter #13.
Congratulations siilenti!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Winner, Winner, Taco Dinner!
According to random.org, the winner of the Old El Paso Giveaway with $10 Gift card is commenter #13.
Congratulations siilenti!
Decorating for Baby
We have been doing quite a bit of home remodeling lately. First we decided that if we were going to move the boys into the same room before the baby comes, then we should paint the wall I wanted blue before putting the bunk beds together.
Of course my husband never does anything half way! Not only did he paint the wall blue, he also decided to paint the ceiling and make the corner by the boys' closet rounded instead of square. I think their room turned out fantastic!
Then we decided that we should probably paint the baby's room before she is born as well. So I picked out a pretty green for an accent wall. Then my husband painted the ceiling and all the walls... not to mention the door frames and everything!
This picture was taken in the evening so it is hard to see the actual color of green, but it is going to look great with the baby's bedding! Isn't my husband a hard worker? He has done a great job with the kids' rooms.
Now I just need to decorate! I was thinking the baby's room and the boys' room need some fun modern rugs. Maybe something like this for the boys room?
Or something like this for the baby's room?
The possibilities are endless! I also already have some things planned for the walls of the kids rooms. Hopefully they come together nicely. I will have to post pictures later! Decorating for our little girl is turning out to be so much fun!
Of course my husband never does anything half way! Not only did he paint the wall blue, he also decided to paint the ceiling and make the corner by the boys' closet rounded instead of square. I think their room turned out fantastic!
Then we decided that we should probably paint the baby's room before she is born as well. So I picked out a pretty green for an accent wall. Then my husband painted the ceiling and all the walls... not to mention the door frames and everything!
This picture was taken in the evening so it is hard to see the actual color of green, but it is going to look great with the baby's bedding! Isn't my husband a hard worker? He has done a great job with the kids' rooms.
Now I just need to decorate! I was thinking the baby's room and the boys' room need some fun modern rugs. Maybe something like this for the boys room?
Or something like this for the baby's room?
The possibilities are endless! I also already have some things planned for the walls of the kids rooms. Hopefully they come together nicely. I will have to post pictures later! Decorating for our little girl is turning out to be so much fun!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friends and Books are for Sharing
I have two wildly social boys. They are not content to stay home with Mommy when they could be out playing with their friends. Nearly every day we go to various activities like Jonah's preschool and Eli's playgroup so my boys can spend time with friends. I love that they are learning to make friends and be good friends.
The last time I hosted Eli's playgroup, I found Eli and his friend Clara "reading" books to each other. It was the cutest thing ever!
I love that my boys get along well with other kids. Being the librarian-mommy that I am, I especially love that they enjoy sharing books and stories.
But that's not the best part. My absolute favorite thing is how my boys love each other and enjoy playing together. It is not always smooth sailing, and the inevitable fights and misunderstandings crop up. However lately it seems there are more times when they cooperate with each other and have so much fun together. It makes my heart happy. I hope my boys will always be friends.
The other day I walked into the living room to find the boys quietly reading together with the "wall of books" they built on the coffee table. How cute is that?! I love these boys!
The last time I hosted Eli's playgroup, I found Eli and his friend Clara "reading" books to each other. It was the cutest thing ever!
I love that my boys get along well with other kids. Being the librarian-mommy that I am, I especially love that they enjoy sharing books and stories.
But that's not the best part. My absolute favorite thing is how my boys love each other and enjoy playing together. It is not always smooth sailing, and the inevitable fights and misunderstandings crop up. However lately it seems there are more times when they cooperate with each other and have so much fun together. It makes my heart happy. I hope my boys will always be friends.
The other day I walked into the living room to find the boys quietly reading together with the "wall of books" they built on the coffee table. How cute is that?! I love these boys!
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Sprinkle that became a Downpour!
One of my dearest friends was kind enough to throw me a "Baby Sprinkle" over the weekend. Since I already have two boys I don't need ALL the baby supplies, but I definitely don't have anything girly for a baby! So we had a sprinkle instead of a shower.
It was fun to get together with my closest friends and have a party-- a pink and girly party! First we had brunch with yummy breakfast breads and juice. Yum-o!
Then I got to open all the wonderful presents my friends brought. I have to say that despite it being a sprinkle, I definitely got showered with gifts! I got the cutest clothes, blankets and accessories- oh the accessories! Hair bows, hats, headbands, socks, tutus, you name it! Having a girl is going to be so much fun!
Since I am not a big fan of silly shower games, my awesome friend did a craft instead. We used cute fabric and templates to applique a whole bunch of onesies. They turned out absolutely adorable and I can't wait to put them on my little girl.
I even got a picture of each guest with her onesie so I know who made which one! It was such a wonderful party and I feel so blessed to have so many fabulous friends and family. I truly felt loved and it was spectacular. Thanks so much for the sprinkle Melinda!
In other great news, I had my OB appointment today and everything looks great! I could not be more thrilled! Usually by this point (32 weeks) my blood pressure has started to creep up and I get sent to the hospital to do non-stress tests and 48-hour urine tests. Plus I usually have to start going to the OB every week. All of the testing and appointments only made my blood pressure increase to the point that I was induced early with both my boys.
Today my doctor actually asked me if I intended to let the baby come when she wanted to or if I wanted to be induced. I told him that I would have to think about it because I have never had that choice before! Wahoo!
Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
It was fun to get together with my closest friends and have a party-- a pink and girly party! First we had brunch with yummy breakfast breads and juice. Yum-o!
Then I got to open all the wonderful presents my friends brought. I have to say that despite it being a sprinkle, I definitely got showered with gifts! I got the cutest clothes, blankets and accessories- oh the accessories! Hair bows, hats, headbands, socks, tutus, you name it! Having a girl is going to be so much fun!
Since I am not a big fan of silly shower games, my awesome friend did a craft instead. We used cute fabric and templates to applique a whole bunch of onesies. They turned out absolutely adorable and I can't wait to put them on my little girl.
I even got a picture of each guest with her onesie so I know who made which one! It was such a wonderful party and I feel so blessed to have so many fabulous friends and family. I truly felt loved and it was spectacular. Thanks so much for the sprinkle Melinda!
In other great news, I had my OB appointment today and everything looks great! I could not be more thrilled! Usually by this point (32 weeks) my blood pressure has started to creep up and I get sent to the hospital to do non-stress tests and 48-hour urine tests. Plus I usually have to start going to the OB every week. All of the testing and appointments only made my blood pressure increase to the point that I was induced early with both my boys.
Today my doctor actually asked me if I intended to let the baby come when she wanted to or if I wanted to be induced. I told him that I would have to think about it because I have never had that choice before! Wahoo!
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Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Circles Without End -You Capture
When I saw that the theme for You Capture this week was circles, I knew immediately what I needed to photograph... something that I was pretty sure no one else would come up with.
Unfortunately I didn't make it out to take the photos until sunset last night when the wind was blowing and it was so cold that my fingers were nearly frozen by the time I walked home. Oh well! At least the location was not too far from my house. We drive by it nearly every day... the pipe factory.
For a while we thought the pipe factory was going out of business, but then these big white pipes started multiplying all over the lot. Every time we drive by the pipes I love to look at the way they make circles within circles if you look at them just right.
I am pretty impressed with how my pictures turned out, especially given the lack of light and the fact that I had to take them through a fence (with barbed wire on the top, no less!).
Unfortunately I didn't make it out to take the photos until sunset last night when the wind was blowing and it was so cold that my fingers were nearly frozen by the time I walked home. Oh well! At least the location was not too far from my house. We drive by it nearly every day... the pipe factory.
For a while we thought the pipe factory was going out of business, but then these big white pipes started multiplying all over the lot. Every time we drive by the pipes I love to look at the way they make circles within circles if you look at them just right.
I am pretty impressed with how my pictures turned out, especially given the lack of light and the fact that I had to take them through a fence (with barbed wire on the top, no less!).
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Bunk Bed Boys
As my due date creeps ever closer, we have been making changes at the Honey household to get ready for our new arrival. The baby will be moving into the smallest of our three upstairs bedrooms, which means that it is time for Jonah and Eli to share a room.
Actually, we have had the beds ever since Jonah was out of his crib... they were just set up in separate rooms. So recently we put the beds together, which the boys thought was cool. Jonah was pretty excited to get to sleep on the top bunk.
Eli was not as excited about sleeping on the bottom... until we showed him that he could turn his bed into a tent! Now he has a cool bed too!
So far the boys have done really well with sharing a room. I think it helps that Honey Daddy made their room more exciting by painting the blue wall. The boys love it!
We have also moved all the furniture out of the baby's room and are in the process of getting it painted as well. I didn't think I could convince Honey Daddy to paint a pink accent wall, so we went with a nice light green color, which will go great with all the cute pink bedding we have for the crib. It is so much fun to get ready for our little daughter, and she will be here before you know it!
Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
So now we have bunk beds!
Eli was not as excited about sleeping on the bottom... until we showed him that he could turn his bed into a tent! Now he has a cool bed too!
So far the boys have done really well with sharing a room. I think it helps that Honey Daddy made their room more exciting by painting the blue wall. The boys love it!
We have also moved all the furniture out of the baby's room and are in the process of getting it painted as well. I didn't think I could convince Honey Daddy to paint a pink accent wall, so we went with a nice light green color, which will go great with all the cute pink bedding we have for the crib. It is so much fun to get ready for our little daughter, and she will be here before you know it!
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Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My Favorite Doorways- You Capture
This week I decided to participate in You Capture. When I saw that the theme was "doorways" I knew exactly what I wanted to photograph!
Near an old house not too far from where I live is an outbuilding with the most gorgeous wooden doors on the front. I find these doors somewhat intriguing because they have locks on them, though no one appears to live in the house or actually use this shed.
This is actually the location I used for my last photo shoot of my boys. I was so happy with the pictures I got that day! (so click on the link and go look at them!). The rustic doors make a wonderful backdrop for two rough and tumble boys!
Not far from the shed is an old dilapidated house that has no stairs, but it's doorway is gaping open.
It's funny how sometimes the strangest locations make for the best pictures. I got my best ever picture of Eli standing in this doorway. Inside the house the floor has caved in, and since there are no stairs Eli just had to stand there until I got the smile I wanted! I also sat both boys on the doorstep and got some great shots of them together.
Am I the only one that finds old buildings like this fascinating? For some reason they appeal to me, and make me wonder about the life they have lived. Besides, I think they make lovely photo backdrops!
Near an old house not too far from where I live is an outbuilding with the most gorgeous wooden doors on the front. I find these doors somewhat intriguing because they have locks on them, though no one appears to live in the house or actually use this shed.
This is actually the location I used for my last photo shoot of my boys. I was so happy with the pictures I got that day! (so click on the link and go look at them!). The rustic doors make a wonderful backdrop for two rough and tumble boys!
Not far from the shed is an old dilapidated house that has no stairs, but it's doorway is gaping open.
It's funny how sometimes the strangest locations make for the best pictures. I got my best ever picture of Eli standing in this doorway. Inside the house the floor has caved in, and since there are no stairs Eli just had to stand there until I got the smile I wanted! I also sat both boys on the doorstep and got some great shots of them together.
Am I the only one that finds old buildings like this fascinating? For some reason they appeal to me, and make me wonder about the life they have lived. Besides, I think they make lovely photo backdrops!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Shoveling Shenanigans (and Happy 1/11/11!)
When you drive down my street in the winter, it is obvious to anyone who knows us which house is mine. It would be the one with the immaculately shoveled driveway. Whether we just got a storm that dumped 6 inches or just a light skiff of snow, you will not find a speck of it on my driveway, even though we have the biggest driveway on the block!
How does my driveway end up so clean? You see, Honey Daddy is a bit obsessive about having a nice, clean driveway. Maybe it has to do with being raised in AZ where the driveways are never icy, or maybe it's just a safety issue. Since I am a beneficiary (and there are far worse things to be obsessed with), I don't really mind the time my Honey spends outside shoveling.
Honey Daddy is even gaining his own little shoveling crew. The boys can't wait for it to snow so they can go outside and shovel. They even have shovels their own size! Earlier this week Honey Daddy refrained from shoveling the skiff of snow before he left for work so the boys could have some "fun".
Ok, so maybe the shovels are a little big for Eli, but he'll grow into them! The shovels are just right for Jonah, who is becoming a great helper when it comes to shoveling.
Both my boys know the idea is to get the snow off the driveway and onto the snowbanks. However they are not quite as meticulous about it as Honey Daddy.
Eli is especially likely to stop mid shovel and carry his snow off to another location. That makes for some pretty interesting patterns on my driveway....
I know that Honey Daddy would not appreciate the aesthetic value of this kind of driveway art, so I follow after the boys, cleaning up the last bits of snow. That way I will get to spend more time with my Honey when he gets home (because he will not be outside shoveling!).
p.s. Speaking of things my Honey would appreciate, Happy 1/11/11! We like to call it a Binary Day, but if you are feeling less technologically inclined then you can call it Happy Number One Day!
Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
How does my driveway end up so clean? You see, Honey Daddy is a bit obsessive about having a nice, clean driveway. Maybe it has to do with being raised in AZ where the driveways are never icy, or maybe it's just a safety issue. Since I am a beneficiary (and there are far worse things to be obsessed with), I don't really mind the time my Honey spends outside shoveling.
Honey Daddy is even gaining his own little shoveling crew. The boys can't wait for it to snow so they can go outside and shovel. They even have shovels their own size! Earlier this week Honey Daddy refrained from shoveling the skiff of snow before he left for work so the boys could have some "fun".
Ok, so maybe the shovels are a little big for Eli, but he'll grow into them! The shovels are just right for Jonah, who is becoming a great helper when it comes to shoveling.
Eli is especially likely to stop mid shovel and carry his snow off to another location. That makes for some pretty interesting patterns on my driveway....
almost like driveway art!
I know that Honey Daddy would not appreciate the aesthetic value of this kind of driveway art, so I follow after the boys, cleaning up the last bits of snow. That way I will get to spend more time with my Honey when he gets home (because he will not be outside shoveling!).
p.s. Speaking of things my Honey would appreciate, Happy 1/11/11! We like to call it a Binary Day, but if you are feeling less technologically inclined then you can call it Happy Number One Day!
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Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, Seven Clown Circus, and Parenting by Dummies.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Old El Paso Giveaway w/$10 Gift Card!
W have a taco night at my house at least once every two weeks. We love making soft tacos, but occasionally we go for hard shell tacos as well. I love that taco's are a hit with everyone in the family, including the boys.
If your family already loves tacos, why not put a taco night on your calendar at least once a month? With a variety of seasonings and other complementary products, Old El Paso offers everything you need for fun nights with the family.
To satisfy your Mexican style cravings, the Old El Paso® line up of products includes chilies, dinner kits, dips and sides, enchilada sauce, refried beans, seasoning mixes, shells, taco sauce and salsa. The Old El Paso taco seasoning mix selection includes flavors like Burrito, Cheesy Taco, Chili, Fajita, Taco, and Mild Taco.
Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark would like to give one lucky reader a prize pack like the one they gave me which includes: a packet of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, a Cactus Chip & Dip Serving dish, a set of 3 Fiesta Chili Pepper serving dishes and a $10 gift card to purchase your taco fixings.
To enter: Leave a comment with your favorite taco fixings.
Bonus Entries:
- Blog about this giveaway (Please leave a link to your post)
- Grab my button and post it on your blog.
- Follow my blog (or tell me you are a follower)
- Spread the word about the giveaway using whichever social networking method you prefer (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) One comment per method used.
This giveaway will end at midnight on January 22nd. The winner will be picked via random.org. Open to US residents only. Good Luck!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A Walk in the Desert
This year while we were in Tucson for Christmas we decided to go for a short hike in Sabino Canyon. I know it may seem crazy to go for a hike when you are 6 months pregnant, but it turned out to be just perfect! The weather was gorgeous, and so was the scenery.
It was fun to show the boys how different the plants are in the desert as opposed to the ones at home in northern Utah. The boys loved to look at the saguaros and count how many arms they had and see how tall they were. They also liked to watch for new arm buds growing on the saguaros.
We also got to show the boys several types of cacti up close (this one is a barrel cactus).
When I first moved to Tucson for graduate school, I thought the desert was dry, barren and kind of ugly. After living there for over a year and then going back to visit every year, I find myself enjoying the beauty of the desert... because it IS beautiful in it's own unique way.
We had a great hike. We went uphill and down, on paved trails and over dirt and rocks. We ended up going a little further than I expected, but we were not going too fast since the boys were walking and so was their pregnant mommy.
The boys did great on our hike. They both walked... most of the the time.
Their baby sister on the other hand, definitely got a free ride the entire time!
It was fun to show the boys how different the plants are in the desert as opposed to the ones at home in northern Utah. The boys loved to look at the saguaros and count how many arms they had and see how tall they were. They also liked to watch for new arm buds growing on the saguaros.
We also got to show the boys several types of cacti up close (this one is a barrel cactus).
Don't worry. We didn't let the boys get TOO close.
We had a great hike. We went uphill and down, on paved trails and over dirt and rocks. We ended up going a little further than I expected, but we were not going too fast since the boys were walking and so was their pregnant mommy.
The boys did great on our hike. They both walked... most of the the time.
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Monday, January 3, 2011
Christmas in Arizona: New Year in Utah
Can you believe I haven't posted anything on my blog for the past two weeks?!?! I know!
We just got back from our vacation to Tucson for Christmas, and somehow I didn't manage to post even once while we were there. I think this was in part because I didn't really want to mess with uploading my pictures, and partially because... well, I was on vacation!
So of course I have a billion photos and tons of fun stories to tell... but for now I will give you the brief rundown.
First of all, we had to spend a lot of time in the car to get to Tucson.
The boys did really great on our 14+ hour drive. It probably helped that we found an incredibly awesome deal on a dual-screen portable DVD player to make the drive more pleasant for everyone. Hooray!
I do have to say that after being in the car that long with a baby in my belly, I was exhausted. Luckily I didn't really have much to do while I was on vacation besides relax, which was nice!
Our vacation was awesome! The boys loved played with Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Em. They played hop scotch...
made yummy gingerbread cookies for Santa....
and of course opened lots of really fun presents!
The best part for Honey Daddy and I was that the boys stayed at Grandpa and Grandma's house while we stayed at Great Grandpa's house. This means that my honey and I slept in and got up whenever we wanted to. We could take our time getting ready to go, and by the time we got to Grandpa and Grandma's house the boys were already up, dressed, and fed breakfast. It was fabulous! Like a real mini-vacation from parenthood!
The boys didn't mind either. They had SO much fun!
The boys got to play with Play-Doh, build villages out of Legos, play with puzzles, go to the park, drive remote control trucks, go on flashlight walks to look at Christmas lights, and watch tons of movies! Could it get more fun than that?
The fun didn't stop after Christmas either. We went for walks in the desert...
and checked out all the friendly local flora.
We enjoyed the sunshine and warm, gorgeous weather.
We went out to eat, did a little shopping, and enjoyed time with family. It was a really enjoyable Christmas vacation.
Of course all good things must come to an end. So after an equally long drive, we made it home and crashed.
The New Year has already been pretty productive for us. We unpacked all our clothes and Christmas presents and packed up the tree and Christmas decorations at our house. I have even put most of it away already!
So how was your Christmas/ New Years? I have missed all of my bloggy friends while I was gone and will try to stop by and see what you've been up to.
Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, and Parenting by Dummies.
We just got back from our vacation to Tucson for Christmas, and somehow I didn't manage to post even once while we were there. I think this was in part because I didn't really want to mess with uploading my pictures, and partially because... well, I was on vacation!
So of course I have a billion photos and tons of fun stories to tell... but for now I will give you the brief rundown.
First of all, we had to spend a lot of time in the car to get to Tucson.
I do have to say that after being in the car that long with a baby in my belly, I was exhausted. Luckily I didn't really have much to do while I was on vacation besides relax, which was nice!
Our vacation was awesome! The boys loved played with Grandpa, Grandma, and Auntie Em. They played hop scotch...
made yummy gingerbread cookies for Santa....
and of course opened lots of really fun presents!
The boys didn't mind either. They had SO much fun!
The boys got to play with Play-Doh, build villages out of Legos, play with puzzles, go to the park, drive remote control trucks, go on flashlight walks to look at Christmas lights, and watch tons of movies! Could it get more fun than that?
The fun didn't stop after Christmas either. We went for walks in the desert...
and checked out all the friendly local flora.
We enjoyed the sunshine and warm, gorgeous weather.
We went out to eat, did a little shopping, and enjoyed time with family. It was a really enjoyable Christmas vacation.
Of course all good things must come to an end. So after an equally long drive, we made it home and crashed.
So how was your Christmas/ New Years? I have missed all of my bloggy friends while I was gone and will try to stop by and see what you've been up to.
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Looking for some fabulous blogs to link up with? Visit A Beautiful Mess, Supermom, and Parenting by Dummies.
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