This Is The Year

I am so super excited for our first edition of Mod Podge Mania! I love this stuff, and I LOVE getting new ideas for how to use it...so hopefully this will be a great place for "inspiration" where we can all get some fun new ideas! So here's how it will work. Post about a project on your blog, along with instructions on how you created your mod podge masterpiece! OR you can do a post featuring a project you have seen someone else do, just to pass the idea along. Just make sure you give credit where credit is due! Also, make sure to include a link back to my blog in your post! Next, link up by entering your name and copying the URL to your post into Mr. Linky - he's waiting at the bottom of this post. It would be helpful if you put the name of your project along with your name so people will know what they are coming to look at! (example: Xazmin - decorative eggs) Last, go check out everyone's fabulous projects and let the inspiration begin! You can link up as

It's time to make some friends! Each week Kasey hosts Friend Makin' Monday ...an awesome way to meet new people and make new friends! If you want to play, go here to find out how! This week's task is all about sharing. We're sharing 10 things we can't live without ! So here goes: 1. My mascara ...right now it's this kind (with the collogen in it! love it!): But I really want to try that new kind with the "tips" I can't remember what it's called. It's like $11.00 though, so I might just stick with this! 2. My Camera . I love my camera! It's nice enough to take decent pictures, but simple enought that an amature like me can use it. 3. Itunes . I sooo love the convenience of getting my music anytime, day or night with the click of a button! And making playlists is sooo much easier than trying to make a mixed tape! And I can burn a cd for my car, listen to my workout playlist while exercising outside... It just rocks. My current obsessio

Have I ever told you that I LOOOOOOVE cute shoes? Especially cute heels? Well, I do. So here's the deal...my baby brother's getting married on Thursday. I had to get a new dress, so OBVIOUSLY I have to get some new shoes, right? Actually, I really did need a new pair. All my black heels are looking pretty beat up and that's not okay for a wedding, ya know? Soooo I was on the hunt! I always go look at Forever Young whenever I'm at the mall (which isn't very often these days!), because I think they have the stinkin' cutest shoes. But it's never at a time when I have new shoes in the budget, so I just look and admire. I don't really have new shoes in the budget now, but it's a wedding, right? So today I eagerly went in knowing I would be able to buy something. I was immediately greeted by a bubbly size 0 18-year-old. I swear you have to be size 0 to work there, because I have never seen any normal size person in there. Anyway, she says "Do you kno

Just wanted to give you a little preview for next week's 1st monthly Mod Podge Mania! The project that inspired this fun feature was this Mod Podge egg project. Go here to see the details of how to turn these: into this: I also have been working on these fabulous coasters for my Spring Fling winners - I'll be finished today friends...I promise! These take time, but are NOT hard. I learned how to make them here . There are soooo many fun things you can do with Mod Podge . I made a shower gift for my soon to be little sis-in-law, and am making another one for Saturday. Here's a "tease" of what I will be sharing for Mod Podge Mania. I'll share my second gift in an upcoming edition! So this upcoming Tuesday, March 31st will be our first edition of Mod Podge Mania ...I'm reminding you now so you can use the weekend to get your projects finished! Or maybe you already have something done that you want to share! Or maybe you just saw an idea online that you wan

Today I need to award my Hubby. I think he's pretty dang cute. However, that's not why he's hot. Let me tell you why my husband's hot. The last couple of days I've abused my body just a little. My back is aching because I moved a bunch of cases of food storage in order to get them out of the way. Then last night when I was exercising, I did something a little foolish. You see, I usually go for an hour on the treadmill, then I take a few minutes to cool down at a slower pace. Well last night I went to change the pace after my hour was up,and I hit the wrong button and it messed everything up on my pace/time, etc. Well, instead of taking the time to reset everything and do my cool down, I thought "ah, forget it" and just got off the treadmill without cooling down. I sat on the couch next to hubby and caught up on some blogs while he watched the basketball game. When I stood up to get cleaned up (I don't smell fantastic after and hour on the treadmill!) b

I've joined up with Amber to do a weekly linky fest for those of us who are trying to make ourselves over! If you are in the same boat, and want some bloggy support, go over and link up! This week has been good for me. After a few slow weeks, my weight loss has really kicked into gear. I've been better at my exercise - something I actually LOVE, but seem to run out of time for. I know, I know - you're supposed to exercise first thing - but that just won't fly for me...believe me, I've tried! Evenings are when I seem to be able to really get it done. I hop on the treadmill, turn on a show I enjoy, and only allow myself to check "how much longer" during commercial breaks. Also, I'm always trying to make food choices that are on the lower calorie end of the scale. I don't eat "light" or "fat free" of anything though. I feel like it is so synthetic - I question the actual health benefits of something so unnatural. This week Amber a

Just wanted to do a quick post before I'm off for the morning. Sassytimes has posted a request for support at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the family of a young boy who lost his mother and unborn baby sibling in a car accident. I don't live in the Toledo area - but if you do and you want to help, you can read the details here . Let's keep this little boy in our prayers.

Is it my birthday? Nope. Anniversary? uh-uh How 'bout hubby's birthday, or one of the kiddos? Nah. On April 3 there is NOTHING going on! Isn't that awesome? This past several weeks has been CaRAZY! You see my baby bro is getting married. You might remember my mom and I, with the help of my aunt Darla, and her daughter Stephanie recently threw a bridal shower for the soon to be little sis-in-law. We have a HUGE family, and it was a luncheon. We had mahogany chicken wings (they're fab. I will post the recipe sometime), sweet and sour meatballs, salads, rolls, desserts and goodies. Oh, and can't forget the Jello! We had lots of baking, making and cooking to do. We divided it up - but it still kept us hoppin'! I had the idiot idea of trying a new cut out cookie recipe that is chocolate heart cookies, then dipped in white chocolate, then drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate. Why, oh why do I not know how to do anything simple? It took FOREVER! They looked super cute,

I'm a little late today, but better late than never...right? Today for FMM we are to list 10 things we are super thankful for. Here goes: 1 - I'm thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful gift! 2 - I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who works so hard to provide for our family, and makes it possible for me to stay home with our children. (still won't let me post his pic.) This brings me to... 3 - Bookworm. He is bright and talented and oh so inventive! I am so proud of him! 4 - Cowgirl. She is kind and good. But at the same time she is witty and slightly obnoxious! 5 - Pixie. She will be the death of me! But her strong spirit will serve her well! She's a diva! 6 - Monkey. She cracks everyone up! Her antics are about to crack me up all the way to the nut house! But she is growing up so fast. Each day she learns something new, and my baby slips further away to be replaced by this smart, "big girl". 7 - I'm thankful for a home that

My heart is full tonight. Today I had the opportunity, along with my husband, to take our two oldest children and attend a session of the dedication of the newest LDS temple. A few weeks ago we were able to take the entire family to tour the inside of the temple during the public open house. During this time, before the temple is dedicated to the Lord, the temple is open to the public for anyone to come walk through and tour the inside. My kids were so excited - they have always asked me what it was like inside the temple. I've tried to explain it to them. There is nothing in this world that can compare to the beauty, the serenity, the absolute peace that can be found within the walls of these holy buildings. Today as we attended the dedication, I was overcome with emotion as I sat with my husband, and two of my children, sharing with them this special experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. As I was waiting for the meeting to start, listening to the beautiful m

I really didn't mean to save these all up and do them at once! But I haven't had a chance to pass them along, because I really like to take the time to put thought into who I want to pass them to. And it's been an INSANE couple of weeks with our family UNvacation, and planning for a boutique AND a bridal shower. I'm not complaining - I love the boutiques (although it was a small relief that this one got postponed) - and I love my future little sis-in-law. I just don't want anyone to think I don't appreciate them thinking of me for these awards! First up: Amy at Keeping Up With The Shultzes gave me the Love Ya Award. I can't believe how sweet she is for thinking of me! I love reading her posts, and "keeping up" with all the fun she and her family have. Thank you Amy! The LOVE YA award:“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribb

Do you want to know why today is FANTASTIC ? Well, I'll tell you...I've finally hit the 20 lb mark! WOO HOO!!! I have lost 20.4 lbs. I still have a ways to go, but the last few weeks have been sloooooow losing - so this week I'm pleased to say the weight loss has picked up!! Another FANTASTIC something?.... Shawn at Seriously is having a fantastic giveaway to celebrate her 100th post. Go check it out! GO! Right Now! Last - I've been honored with awards from some FANTASTIC ladies. I will be back before the day is over to tell you about them and pass them along! I'm sorry I haven't been by to visit many of you recently - I have been seriously lacking in computer time. I've had my hands full preparing for a boutique AND a bridal shower I'm throwing with my mom. Well, the boutique was cancelled due to a booking conflict at the venue, so a little sigh of relief there. And the shower is tomorrow, sooo by tomorrow night I will have the freedom to visit you a

So the first week and a half of March was supposed to be spent together as a family in sunny California. We have been planning this vacation for over a year. We had estimated the amount the trip would cost, and planned for Disneyland, Seaworld, Universal Studios, and San Diego Zoo. We were all so excited. We've never been to Disneyland as a family. Here's what happened during the couple of months preceeding our trip. First our carpet cleaning equipment broke down. We own a carpet cleaning company, and this is our livelyhood. We had a major repair and multiple minor repairs that resulted in a couple thousand dollars price tag. We still thought we could swing the trip. Then our family car got sick. Another several hundred dollars in repairs. The best part was the Sunday afternoon that we came home from church to find that both our company vans had been broken into. We had one of our portable cleaning machines stolen, as well as some other small equipment, my husband's stereo,