Sunday, February 28, 2010

Busted

Last week the two little kids and I were driving around town. Anna sits right behind me in her booster so we often carry on entire conversations without me being able to ever really see her. We were just talking when a Rob Thomas song came on the radio. She didn't miss a beat and nonchalantly says,

Anna: "Oh, Mom, it's your boyfriend on the radio."

Wow, I hope she doesn't tell Tony...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

While the Cat's Away...

...the mouse will shop.


Thank goodness I didn't decide to Lent shoes...

Monday, February 22, 2010

February Visiting Teaching Love

Thank you for all your well wishes for Josh. We narrowly escaped a night in the hospital and he is well on his way to a complete recovery. HOWEVER, he has been so spoiled over the past week that he is almost impossible to live with. I just can't win. Geesh.

On an entirely different note, here are our visiting teaching gifts for February. I found these darling little plates at Target. I whipped up some of these yummy bon-bon treats (one recipe is from Gooseberry Patch and the other is from a friend in Nebraska),put them on the plates and wrapped them with cellophane. Because we all know things look better in cellophane.

Peanut Butter Snowballs

2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups crispy rice cereal
16 oz. pkg. white melting chocolate, chopped

Blend peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. Add cereal; mix well. Shape into balls by teaspoonfuls. Set balls on wax paper; freeze for several hours to overnight. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium-high heat; stir until smooth. Dip balls into melted chocolate; return to wax paper until set.

Peanut Butter Balls

Beat until creamy with an electric mixer:
2 lbs. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 lb. butter, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla

Add:
8 ounces of peanut butter

Put mixture into refrigerator to harden. Roll into balls and freeze. Melt 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler and dip balls.


Yummers!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Pneumonia

Ask what kind of day we had today.


On second thought...don't.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Lent, 2010

I've given a lot of thought this year to what I'd like to give up for Lent. For all intents and purposes, because Tony is deployed and won't be back until after Easter, in essence I'm Lenting my husband. And because I'm Lenting my husband (not by choice, mind you) chocolate and Dr. Pepper aren't even an option this year. I mean, on rare occasions they are the high point of my day.

So considering they are two of my three real vices, I guess I will be confessing a horrible secret AND then giving it up for Lent. I am wickedly addicted to People magazine. Tony calls it "smut." If I need a fix and I've already read People that week, I'll stoop to US Weekly. But no more, my friends. For Lent this year, I will be giving up smut. And french fries. Just because.

And because it went so well last year, I'm adding a commitment to write one handmade card a week to an unsuspecting friend or family member. I even made a set of cards last night so I'm all ready to go.

What have you decided to Lent this year??

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Happy Fat Tuesday!

And to celebrate Mardi Gras, click here to take a fun quiz. I only got about half right...probably because I was delirious after being up all night with a puking 2-year-old. Never fun.

And are you giving up something for Lent again with me this year?? Or are you going to add something meaningful to yor life?? I've been giving it lots of thought and am just about ready to make that plunge tomorrow. If you are, stop by tomorrow and let me know what you've decided to give up of add...

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Corrugated Cardboard Rose Stamps

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day...and I have just one more cool idea to share before Valentine's Day is over. I found this really cool idea in the February issue of Martha Stewart Living and have been dying to try it out. You simply take a length of corrugated cardboard, roll it up and secure it, brush a little paint on it, and use it to stamp roses! since I don't have any wine corks lying around, I improvised another length of cardboard into a broad leaf. I think these would look cool on a card or even stamped on plain brown wrapping paper.

Have a wonderful week!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Air Force Widows, UNITE!

I have a few friends here that, like me, are spending this Valentine's Day without their husbands. So I came up with a little something for them to share the love this Valentine's season.

I found this tutorial to make the darling paper roses and added a little rhinestone and leaf to the tag and attached it to Ghirardelli chocolate and gluten-free hot chocolate.

But...on the happy side of things, we are over halfway through this 6-month deployment, are into the triple digit days past and looking forward to being together again soon.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Josh's Nursery Drama

Josh hates the church nursery. Let me clarify...he hates getting left in the church nursery. So every Sunday we have the same drama that begins the minute the "amen" is said on the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting.

Yesterday's drama started no differently. On the way to the nursery room, Josh is sobbing, "No, mommy, no!" When I walk in the door with him and calmly and rationally explain that mommy will be back very soon, he assumes the "monkey." Meaning he wraps both arms around my neck and both legs around my waist and squeezes as tightly as he can screeching, "No, mommy, stay HERE!" over and over again.

That's all fine and good. I can resist that level of cuteness, rip him from my body, set me down, and make a mad rush for the door.

But he took it to a whole new level yesterday. As I'm trying to calm him down, he starts saying over and over, "Mommy, I love you, mommy, I love you, mommy, I love you, mommy."

I still managed to extract myself from his baby clutches and make a run for it.

But I did it with a lump in my throat.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Love Is In the Air...

...or more accurately on my sideboard.


I've been reorganizing my craft area downstairs (more to come on that later) and have come across some treasures that I have forgotten I had. We are sadly lacking in craft/scrapbook type stores here so I've been limited to projects that I can make with supplies I had on hand. When I found this Basic Grey alphabet, the colors screamed Valentines to me so I whipped up this little sign with a section of poplar, some paint and a little Mod Podge. Added an easel and voila! I love the way it turned out.

I also love the Raspberry Kisses in the little heart bowl next to the love sign.

Have mercy.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A Perfect End

Today was a really good day. It was busy, but everything seemed to go my way. Got lots of stuff done. Got good mail, including a letter from Tony. The kids were well-behaved and cuter than usual. Got good news from my mom. I spent some time working on some fun projects. Got some things checked off my to-do list.

But the very best part of my day just happened. Sam walked in the door a minute ago from Scouts with a big smile on his face and this in his hand.

He picked it for his reward for memorizing another Article of Faith because he knew Dr. Pepper was my favorite, managed to not eat it on the way home, and then gave it with me.

What a wonderful kid. And a perfect way to end a pretty fab day.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Kids' Valentines, 2010

I've spent the last few evenings finishing up the kids' Valentines for their school friends. They told me what they wanted down to the cats on Sam's card (it's the closest we could come to a tiger) and the New Moon candy for Anna. I'm proud of myself because I used only the supplies I had on hand to make them. The cat is an old Snip-It pattern and the bird is a Quickutz 2x2 die.

Have a wonderful Tuesday...I'm hoping to get Valentine's decorations up today!