Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the "ACADEMY" for all of their support and advise during my creative process. Special Thanks goes to my roommate from Ricks: Leslie Mingo who posted a blog in my honor: http://mingofamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/pottery-barn-knock-off.html
Also a special thanks to Natalie who told me to throw some silver or gold into the mix. I'm still not sure about the tall flowers, but that's all I got to work with this year....I'll perfect it next year. Also...stocking are in the works...I'm making new ones.

Better?

I tried.

Moving On

Is everyone done there Christmas Decorating? I am just getting going. Decorating is not one of my strong points. I wish I could just open a Pottery Barn Catalog, twitchle my nose, blink my eyes, and POOF my house would look like designer Christmas wonderland.

This is my first year I have a fireplace. I was very excited to have a "Christmas" mantle. I like the rustic-country Christmas look. I do not think I have succeeded...any suggestions? What am I missing? It looks so bare. In person the red in the candles is a deeper, closer to burgundy color. And there is a super cute pine cone garland wrapped around the candles. Are the tall flowers stupid? Help!

Heritage Makers 411

So what is Heritage Makers exactly you ask?

Check out this website:
http://www.hmstories.com/home.html

What I am most excited about is how much this is going to benefit me and my family. Family history is very important to me. However, I have never been diligent about journaling or scrapbooking. Most of my pictures are taking up memory on my hard drive or are in a box shoved up on a shelf. Digital Scrapbooking and Storybooking is exactly what I need! I cannot wait to get a book together about my family! So...that's the main reason I am doing this, to put my memories in a place that is safe, creative, and where I can share it with family for years to come.

I have been thinking I will probably set up a separate blog for posts about Heritage Makers. I'll post a link when I get it set up.

This is something I have thought long and hard about. I knew I needed to do something to contribute. How perfect is it that I will get to have fun at the same time? Since it is not plausible to work a regular job with five kids at home this is definitely the best alternative for me!

Going For It.

Desperation? Maybe....
Excitement? Perhaps....
Extra Money? Hopefully....
Change Of Pace? Definitely!


I decided to become a Heritage Makers Consultant. Details forth coming.

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

Can you smell Thanksgiving in the air? I can. I am pretty sure that the neighbors are baking pies and my tummy is rumbling.

We are going to Ben and Cyndi's for Thanksgiving this year. My mom and Dad, Kym, Marshall and Dana are all coming too! It will be the first time we have all been together for Thanksgiving in forever! And I am super excited.

Cyndi and Ben are making their famous Alton Brown turkey that they brine in a bucket of salt water, and spices over night. I haven't had it yet, and I cannot wait. It is supposed to be the juiciest, tastiest, most tender turkey ever! Cyndi is also making her homemade rolls, which are absolutely divine. Kym is in charge of pies: Pumpkin, Apple, Frozen Chocolate, and a Turtle Pumpkin (can you say yum?). My mom, of course is in charge of the best part of Thanksgiving...her glorious stuffing. I mean it, it's glorious. I could eat it by the bucket full.
I am doing potatoes, veggies, and one of our new favorites...cranberry mousse. (Light, airy, fluffiness that is to die for!)

I am salivating just thinking of all the ways I get to stuff myself tomorrow. Does anyone have special recipes they are looking forward to?

Side note: Jeff told me this morning if I want to work off all the calories that I will ingest on Thanksgiving I would need to run for 20 miles, without stopping.

Ha!

Calories, shmalories. I am certainly not going to worry about it. Eating is what I do best, I would not want to disappoint anyone.

Starting Over

For the last six months I have been walking every morning. I get up at 5:00am and walk with my friend...we do about 3 miles. It was good to get out and get some kind of exercise but lately I have really been wanting to get back to the gym. I have missed doing a work out that really gets my heart rate going. Yesterday was my first day back. I probably should have started out with something a little bit less intense. I did a kickboxing class. OH MY! I cannot move this morning. Every muscle in my body is ON FIRE! I have to say though, it felt awesome to work hard, and push my body. So, hopefully by 9:00am I will have convinced myself that the pain is worth it and I am excited to be back at the gym!

Does anyone remember Tretorn shoes? They were WAY cool when I was in high school, and apparently they still are. I want a pair!
Check em' out!
http://store.tretorn.com/US/details.asp?catalog_name=tretorn&category_name=WomensFootwear&product_id=47111908&mainCategory=Women

BTW

I should have mentioned that the white substance in the pictures below is baking soda (for laundry) and that Kym and I were literally only five feet away from the girls...how did we miss this disaster in the works? Kym was alerted by weird swishing sounds (girls swimming in baking soda). Oh! And the pictures are a little blurry because there was a cloud of baking soda hanging in the air. Kym and I will probably be tasting baking soda for the next couple of days!

Goes With The Terriritory!

I've come to accept that Two Year Old's are mischievous. But, a couple of Two Year Old Cousins...TOGETHER.... are down right
DIRTY!

It's Been a Bit

Here are some long-over-due Halloween pictures. Dallin, Elizabeth, and Anna used costumes from previous years, and Audrey was a butterfly fairy-princess.

Merry Christmas

Oops....Wrong Holiday.

But seriously does this statement stress anyone else?

55 more days to go....

Yummy Baby

This might...quite possibly....be the cutest thing I have ever seen!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16178069

Fall News

I had to turn on the heat today. I had vowed to wait until after Thanksgiving to do this, but alas, 28 degrees outside makes for goose-bumpy kids, and icy toes so I had no choice but to bow to the energy gods. Putting aside the terrorizing thoughts of bigger electric bills, the chill in the air makes me very happy. I just love fall.

The kids had their fall break this past weekend so Jeff took off and we took the kids to Busch Gardens. (It was the last time we were going to be able to use our season passes that we got last year, and we won't be able to afford them this year.) It was a great weekend. During October the whole park becomes a Halloween dream land. Costumes, shows, decorations...it was fall-a-liscious! My absolute favorite part was being able to spend time with Jeff. I've missed him lately. With him working two jobs, we hardly see him any more. It was a lot of fun.

I cannot believe Halloween is just a little over a week away. I decided to be lazy this year with costumes. Whatever is in our costume box is what they will have to choose from. I cannot afford new ones for all five kids, and I do not have the energy to make them this year. What do ya do? What are your kids going to be?

So, it looks like we are going to have to put our other house on the market again. (the one my parents are renting) My mom has yet to find a job and I have a feeling they are going to have no choice but to move....so, we obviously cannot pay for two homes. It feels pretty hopeless at this point...I mean come on, who are we kidding, it is not going to sell. I am trying to stay positive...really I am. What is the worst thing that can happen? As much as I love fall, I wish I could just skip winter. Once Halloween is over I think I am going to get under a blanket and cuddle up until the spring. Humans should hibernate.

I'm No Expert

But....I found a few at this website.... allexperts.com

Very Cool, and Helpful.

Emily, Emily, Emily...The Explorer!

Emily is crawling and exploring and pulling herself up on everything in sight. She has even convinced herself that she can climb stairs...AND She isn't even eight months old yet!

Love At Home

Don't ya just love it when they actually get along?

Silver Lining

I think I have heard the saying "When it Rains it Pours" from at least ten different people over the last couple of days. I am kinda sick of hearing it...but, I suppose it is true. Why is it when one thing goes wrong in life it feels like EVERYTHING goes wrong? I do not want to bore you with all the stormy details but I have to say life has been less than sun-shiny around our home this week.

This unstable "weather" has resulted in Nicole Grump Fest-2008! I have not been a very nice person lately. Not to my husband or my kids. I woke up Monday morning VERY grumpy and as of this morning I am batting grumpy 100%....

But ya know what??? It's hard to stay grumpy when you are so blessed, and I am blessed, I know I am. So, starting right this minute I denounce grumpiness! Being grumpy is ridiculous, child like behavior and completely unaccetable! If I were my mommy, I would tell me: "Come-on, Nicole, snap out of it, being a crotchety-grumpy, old-mommy is not how you want to end the week. You need to turn that frown upside down!"

So true! I am officially throwing off the worry cloak and saying goodbye to the chip I have on my shoulder. Grumpiness takes too much effort, too much emotion. I am going to focus on happiness. Ahhhh....Relief. Can you feel it??? Happiness.

Circumstances may have brought in some dark clouds....but as for me and my house I am going to let the SUNSHINE in!



P.S. I am sorry Jeffy, for being a poop! Please forgive me!

Something New

I discovered this blog today...Today Is Fun. It has great posts and ideas on how to keep a kid happy. So creative!

Tips For Nuts

Cyndi sent me this blog link for Tip Nut some time ago and I LOVE IT! This newest entry has to be the tippiest tip by far, though. I am always, ALWAYS desperate for organizing ideas.

http://tipnut.com/projects-organize-home/

The first organizing idea is my favorite. You could make covers for the bins to match your decor in any bedroom, living room, laundry room, etc. And I know you can get those plastic bins at dollar stores. So...voila--tres cheap decorating and storage idea!