So...ya...

Obviously I've been away for awhile.
I feel like I should have a whole lot to say, but as I now sit here with a free moment, I am having some serious bloggers block.
Not much to say.

So here's a list of recent events that I guess have been keeping us busy:
- Mom came to visit
- Husband had swine flu
- Freezer Meals Group
- Beauty & the Beast at Scera Shell with First Daughter & friend
- family reunion in Gearhart, OR
- 13 hour drive home from Gearhart with 3 little ones
- Mom-inlaw, Bro-inlaw & wife, Sis-inlaw & fam stayed at our house
- Cousin wedding reception
- family BBQ (so fun!)
- sewed 17 Jedi robes for Friend's sons' birthday party
- went to Friend's sons' Star Wars birthday party

It has been an eventful few weeks, but it has been great. Being busy is what I know how to do. Now finding some sort of balance in the business...that's what I'm still working on!

Hope you all are having a great summer so far and keeping yourself busy with fun things too!

So...To-Dos

To-Do-Before-Trip:
- PACK CLOTHES(**note: get First Daughter to help)
- food list done
- food shopping done
- pack coolers full of food/drinks
- laundry done (I'm SURE there will be more)
- get oil changed done
- pack books/DVDs/entertainment
- clean out fridge
- make dog sitter instructions
- make cookies for YW carwash/bake sale
- find inexpensive place to stay in Boise for Friday night
- finish Daughters' neck pillows
- cleanup around here
(am I forgetting anything???)


What I am ACTUALLY going to do tomorrow:
- go to the zoo
- go out to dinner with Brother & Mother
- watch So You Think You Can Dance

I can't wait.

So...Firefly

Have you seen these?!

Whoever thought of this is a GENIUS!

After our week of yucky sick germs at our house, we headed to Walmart yesterday to get new toothbrushes, which we were due for anyway. First Daughter picked out a pack of two Firefly toothbrushes - one pink (of course) and the other red - and I thought, great! they're cheap! so we bought them and took them home. Little did we know...they light up! How fun?! There is a 1-minute timer in these little babies, that lights up the toothbrush while the kiddos brush. Like I said, GENIUS! Now, my two Little Ms. Independents, know exactly how long to keep brushing those pearly whites. They were so excited about them that I think they brushed their teeth 5 times between lunch and dinner yesterday, and then of course, again before bed.

Yay! Another thing to make Mom's life just a little bit easier.

And a double yay for cheap!

So...let there be lists!

I can't even tell you HOW BADLY we need a vacation.
Thank heavens we have one right around the corner.
Assuming that we are all healthy.

But you know what always goes hand-in-hand with vacations? Especially road trips??? That's right, you guessed it - LISTS. Packing lists. Grocery lists. Cleaning lists. To-Do-Before-We-Go Lists. All sorts of lists to try and keep my head together and keep the stress level under control. I always feel productive the week before vacation because of my lists.

I will definitely be referring to this lovely resource while planning and packing for this road-trip. I am also a big fan of the Ziploc bags for storage. Tips I will be using this trip: 1) pack a bag full of bags for trash. Genius! Why didn't I think of that?! 2) the cooler full of drinks. Drinks are must for me on long road trips and I never plan the drinks ahead. I always think "we'll just get one when we stop," but aren't we all trying to save where we can these days? I think I just got a coupon in the mail for soda at Costco. I will definitley be using that this week.

Other things I want to plan for this trip:
- bag of books for each Daughter
- clipboards for coloring
- books on CD (HP 6 for Husband & I during nap time)
- possible in the car art project
- new "girl song" mix or two
- something special for Fathers' Day on the road (any ideas?)

We normally rely on the DVD player, snacks, and naps for road trips. Our kids are getting old enough now that they do less sleeping and need more entertaining. 13 hours is a long time to be watching DVDs the whole time, so I'm thinking if I can prepare well enough, I can probably hold them off for a few hours before the DVD player needs to be on. We'll see how that plans works out...

Anyway...
I'm off to make my lists!

WSMGS Pick of the Week

"Coming Clean" by Hilary Duff
I know I know...Hilary Duff.

So...my garbage can is barking at me

I try to teach the Daughters to take care of their things.
I really try.
Especially when it is a gift from someone else.
Especially when it's a toy.
They have so many, I really worry about them being spoiled and never being satisfied with what they have...yada yada yada....
I want them to appreciate what they have and take care of their things.

Part of that is taking toys back inside when they are done playing with them outside. We have a dog. A big, young, lab who chews everything. Seen Marley & Me? Well, he's not THAT bad, but if you leave ANYTHING in the backyard (his territory) he will eat it, or at least demolish it. No matter what it is. He has eaten quite a few plastic bottles, cups, utensils, pencils, baskets, balls, wood, all of his toys, stuffed animals, flipflops...you get the idea. For some reason, thought, he won't chew bones.

Well, we have the conversation DAILY about bringing toys in from outside. In fact, I warn them everytime they bring a toy in the backyard that if they leave it there, Dog will probably eat it.

This morning I found one of First Daughter's stuffed dogs shredded and spread across our back lawn. Sad - I know. But this was not just any stuffed dog. It was one of those dogs that makes noises. One the growls if you step on it, makes drinking noises if you give it a bottle, licks a bone if you give him one, pants if you pet him. One of those.

I picked up all the stuffing and shreds this morning and put them in our garbage. I made sure to show First Daughter before getting rid of the evidence hoping she would be sad enough (wihtout rubbing it in too much) that she would take better care of her toys next time. She told me, without skipping a beat "It's ok Mom, I can just play with something else." Good...? I think...? Shouldn't she at least be a little sad?

Anyway, that's not the point. The point is -
I'm sitting here eating lunch, checking me email, all the kids are asleep, the house is quiet...
and my garbage can is growling and barking at me.

So...correspondence

Friends are important.
I didn't realize how important until I grew up.
The more independent I became, the more reliant I became upon friends.
Friends make all the difference.

I love reconnecting with an old friend. Last night I emailed a best friend of mine from home and we have been emailing back and forth all day. It has been great. It has made my day! I LOVE connecting with people. Sometimes email is the best way because you immediately get past the possible awkward small talk and silent pauses. You can just get down to business catching up, reminiscing, and expressing your appreciation for their friendship.

I'm going to be better at connecting with friends on a regular basis. I'm going to be better at keeping up on my correspondence. There really are few things better than catching up with an old friend. Why not do it more often?

So...twue wove

I believe in true love.
Totally - completely - and most definitely.
You can find true love, or it can find you.
Either way it's real and it's true.
I also believe true love is a choice.
Once it enters your life, you choose for it to stay or leave.
You always have the choice who you are going to love.
True love can find you.
True love is a noun.
But LOVE -
LOVE is an action.
To truly love, and to be loved is a gift
and it's a choice.

So...more smoothies

I couldn't resist sharing this delicious and refreshing smoothie recipe:

1 c. strawberries, cut up
3/4 c. vanilla yogurt (strawberry works well too!)
1/2 c. sugar (it's still yummy with less)
1 c. milk
1 banana, sliced
1 c. orange juice
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. crushed ice
YUM!!!

I went for a long bike ride the other night with some girls and then came home to these. Perfect summer treat to go along with outdoor summer activities!

And of course, I bought in bulk, cut up, and froze strawberries for future smoothies!

So...say YES to hoboken

I read many blogs daily.

Probably too many.

I am finding, though not surprising, that there are so many incredible people out there sharing their ideas, tips, recipes, projects, thoughts, etc. etc. and I LOVE it. I am inspired daily by all of these wonderful people that take the time to share and I'm so glad that they do take the time.

That is what my INSPIRATIONS series is all about. Taking a moment to feature and honor some of the people that inspire me for different reasons whether by their blog design, content, their fashion sense, craft ideas, etc. Sometimes they inspire me just for being who they are! Regardless of the reason, INSPIRATIONS is dedicate to those people who inspire me!

I am THRILLED about my first INSPIRATION:

say YES to hoboken

I met Liz about 8 years ago at BYU. We played lacrosse together for that one year, and coached high lacrosse together for a bit. I was so excited a couple months ago when I found her blog from a friend of mine who shared a bagel recipe that Liz posted on her blog. What a small blogging world it is! I have been following Liz's blog ever since. say YES to hoboken is full of fabulous DIY projects, sales, and many many pretty things.
It is definitely one to add to your list of subscriptions!

> How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start?
I've been blogging for three years. I was inspired by my sister in law, Jordan Ferney, of Oh Happy Day (www.jordanferney.blogspot.com). There are so many beautiful things to find on the internet (both productsand projects) and I wanted to collect them in some way. It also started as a great way to connect with friends and family (this was before facebook of course!)

> Talk a little about Baby Hank Vintage. How long have you been selling on etsy? Do you have any advice for those thinking about starting an etsy business?
Baby Hank Vintage is a brand new venture. I started it in March and have been really pleased with its success. Plus, it is SO MUCH FUN. I love shopping. I love thrifting. I love vintage baby clothes. I'm doing all these things anyway, why not start to make a little money from it? I honestly have to stop myself from going out searching everyday. I love it! My advice for those wanting to sell is, be genuine. Do something you already are doing and love right now. It means you're good at it and you enjoy it. So it'll be a success.

> Do you make the clothes for Baby Hank Vintage yourself or are they all fabulous finds? Where do all those adorable items come from?
I don't make the clothes, but I often find items that are handmade by someone else. Without revealing my secret spots, they are all at different thrift stores in Utah.

> You always are working on amazing DIY projects. What is your best resource for DIY ideas? Do you come up with them on your own?
I'm someone that loves and needs to be busy. After I had my son a year and a half ago it was hard trying to feel productive and creative and projects were the logical answer. My best resource is the internet.There are so many amazingly creative people out there, I have a huge blogroll and read a number of inspirational blogs on a regular basis. I find a lot of inspiration thrifting. I see something and immediately start thinking of possibilities for reinventing it. I also find a lot of inspiration from things I see in some of my favorite clothing shops (like a flower belt at J.Crew that inspired me to create my own:http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2009/06/diy-flower-belt.html) and on etsy. Etsy is a goldmine for all things crafty and creative.

> What is your latest and greatest DIY project?
I made a magnetic chalkboard a couple months ago from a beautiful mirror that I found thrifting. It was really rewarding and I love decorating it on a regular basis. http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2009/02/magnetic-chalkboard-done.html
I also recently completely redid our dining room in a more modern style for under $400 which was such a rewarding project (I'm sad toleave it!)http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2009/04/dining-room-makeover-under-400.html

> You have a very distinct, very classic, elegant style. Where is your favorite place to shop?! (I’ve been dying to ask you this one)
What a nice compliment, thank you! I would say J.Crew is my favorite but it often feels too stuffy and sophisticated for me and I like mixing in some edgier/hip items too from stores like Urban Outfitters. Surprisingly though, I don't have a lot of clothing from either of these stores. I get inspiration from them and then shop around at less expensive stores (like TJ Maxx or Forever21 or thrift stores) to create a similar looking outfit. More expensive stores like J.Crew are perfect for getting inspiration for putting together outfits and how to wear accessories like this post about belts:http://www.sayyestohoboken.com/2008/10/belting-inspiration.html . They spend so much money on styling, that's what you're paying for when you buy a $89 cardigan. I often look through designer clothing lines just to get inspiration.

> What are you looking forward to the most about your move to San Francisco?
Oh my goodness. Everything. I'll be so excited to be back in a big city. So much going on and so much to discover plus the best of everything is there. I've only been there like three times, but when I have gone I end up walking around thinking “Now, WHY don't I live here?”. It's the perfect city in my 'i've only been there three times'opinion. We love the outdoors but my husband also wants a really competitive job market in advertising and San Francisco is the perfect combination. We've lived in Manhattan but you literally have to drive two hours to get away from a congested city. I'm from New York and was used to the lifestyle there but it was really hard for my husband. Jared's sister lives in SF and it'll be great to have her around to show us the ropes.

> What is a daily “must read” blog of yours?
I don't know if I can list just one. Some newer ones to me are www.loveitalot.com, www.youaremyfav.com and www.inchmark.squarespace.com. My two sister in laws have huge blogs that are always awesome www.designmom.com and Oh Happy Day www.jordanferney.blogspot.com.

> Do you have anything new and/or exciting coming up on your blog that you want us to know about?
Well we are 'this close' (it's not officialy yet) to renting a really cool loft space in downtown San Francisco that I'm super excited aboutand I'll probably have some fun projects in decorating it.

> And I have to ask…do you miss lacrosse?
Yes! I coached out in NJ when we lived out there and have helped out a couple friends here that have teams. I hope to keep it up here and there. It's so much fun :)

Thanks LIZ!!! It was so fun to reconnect and learn a little more about you. And thanks for inspiring me with your blog!

(Stay tuned for some other great bloggers on INSPIRATIONS)

So...figuring it out

Everyone loves getting a compliment.
Especially when it's unexpected.
It just makes me feel good and like I can be even better.

I had a really great compliment given to me the other day from my cousin. We were talking about parenting and the struggles of having young kids. We are on similar tracks with our kids. We both had our first two a little under 2 years apart and we both have only girls. So, of course we always have a lot to exchange and talk about when we get together.

It is no secret to anyone that knows me that the transition from one to two kids was really hard for me. I really struggled for almost the first whole year of Second Daughter's life. It all is somewhat of a blur. It makes me sad to think of all the time I wasted not being happy. I'm still not exactly sure why I had such a hard time dealing with life, but things seemed difficult for various reasons. The transition into toddlerhood was difficult for me to handle. Being tired was at a whole new level with two kids that wouldn't sleep through the night. For some reason after having my second kid I had some kind of identity crisis (not sure what that was about). Needless to say, things have been quite a bit different this time around - thank goodness!

My cousin, after having her second daughter last December, was asking me some questions the other night about why things are different for me after the third. We were talking about various parenting techniques, organizational skills, tips and tricks, etc. etc. I gave her what little advice I have from my experience and admitted that I still don't really know anything about being a mom and I have a lot to figure out still. (Here comes the great compliment) She told me that's what I was good at - figuring things out.

I know it may be silly that I took this as such a great compliment, but I did! I care more about my ability to change my situation and figure things out, than my actual ability to know things or do things in the first place. That's what life is all about! Learning, growing, and figuring things out. Now, I repeat - I have A LOT to figure out still about life and being a mom - but boy do I have more confidence now knowing that I might be pretty good at figuring things out. I might acutally have some hope! :)

Thank you Allison!

So...if I could change one thing about my life...

...I wouldn't.

Today was not my best day as a mom. It wasn't my worst - thank heavens for that - but it wasn't my best. The Daughters were bothering me. They were bothering each other. I wasn't doing anything about it. We watch more TV than we should've. I was having a hard time being excited or enthusiastic about anything. It was one of those days that I was just waiting to end. Sad, I know. But that's how it was.

My family went to bed very early tonight. Daughters went to bed at around the normal time, 8:30, but then Husband immediately went to bed too. Early night. I should have gone to bed too, but of course I didn't. Nightime is my time to regroup, reflect, and recharge for tomorrow. Even though I'm incredibly tired myself, this time awake and alone will be better than any extra hour of sleep I could've gotten. This time helps me remember why I do it. This time is when I can remember how much First Daughter grows up everyday and how I don't want to miss it. This time is when aI can remember all the funny things Second Daughter said today and maybe even write down a few of them. This is the time that I can actually sit down and see how sweet, cuddly, and perfect Third Daughter is - especially when she's sleeping in my arms. This is my time.

And so even after this day that dragged on and on and on and seemed to never end...
after my quiet time alone to reflect...
I can honestly say, that if I could change one thing about my life -

I wouldn't.

So...smiles

After you go there, go here and watch.

(Thanks Amy & Arthur!)

So...move your boogie body

PLEASE go here and watch this.
I promise you will not regret it!