Just Our Style

4 Tips to Simplify Your Life

2012-01-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Since my goal this year is to simplify I decided it might be nice to share a few tips I've collected over the past few months. From your head to your shoes, all of these suggestions are simple and require no extra expense.

TIP #1: VOLUMIZE YOUR HAIR
Get full hair without using expensive hair products or back-combing by sleeping in a half ponytail. Before bed, run your fingers along the crown of your hair (where you want the extra lift). Place the hair in a very loose ponytail on the top of your hair (think Bam-Bam from the Flintstones). When you wake up the next morning, remove the ponytail, style as normal, and enjoy your naturally lifted hair. For me, this lasts most the day. For my other hair essential check this out.

TIP #2: HAIRSPRAY YOUR EYEBROWS
I haven't colored my hair or brows for years (which is why I have this problem). I'm naturally this dark. So no matter how much I tweeze and trim, you can always tell if my eyebrows decide to go rogue. If you have the same problem, comb your eyebrows into your desired shape. Spritz your hairspray directly onto your fingertip and rub it over your brows. This extra step will save you from stressing every time you walk past a mirror.

TIP #3: WIGGLE YOUR MASCARA
When applying your mascara, start at the base of your lash and gently wiggle the wand up to the ends. This spreads out your lashes, makes your make-up more even, and saves you the time you'd spend trying to separate your clumped lashes with the back of an earring or the tiny tip of your tweezers (you know you've done it!). I've heard make-up artists share this tip for years, but I just recently tried it and it totally works.

TIP #4: MAXIMIZE YOUR WARDROBE
Organizational experts say most people wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. Guilty! So I challenged myself to wear a different outfit each day for an entire month. I couldn't buy anything new and I could repeat the same combination. I put together half a month's worth of outfits in about 20 minutes (I layered pants, tops, and accessories on wooden hangers in my closet). When my first 15 outfits were starting to run low I repeated the process. This made getting dressed super simple (and crazy fast) and I discovered that my closet has a ton of potential. I'm on day 27 and I'm thinking I might even be able to stretch my challenge through February.

Happy beautifying and simplifying!

Full hair, well-behaving brows, and the cutest accessory on the planet!

A New Year

2012-01-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

Since Dave and I are big fans of accountability we're sharing our New Year's resolutions on ye olde blog once again. Just as a reminder, we each pick a one word goal to work towards. Then we report back at the end of the year to discuss how we did.

Cooper's goal for the new year is to learn how to speak. It's a simple, yet necessary life skill we know he'll master.

I've been thinking about simplifying for a while. I even read Peter Walsh's book Lighten Up in hopes of getting more ideas for organizing and simplifying our house (Peter is an organizational expert who was on TLC's Clean Sweep and is Oprah's organizational go-to guy). While much of the book didn't really apply to our situation it did have several commonsense-ical, but oft forgot lessons. The more stuff you have the more you have to maintain, clean, and worry about. Consequently, the less stuff you have the less you have to take care of, keep tidy, and stress over. Basically, less IS more. More time with your family. More energy to do the things you really enjoy. More awareness of service opportunities.

This year I want to live a simple, happy life. I want to keep a simple, clutter-free house. I want to prepare simple, healthy meals for my family. I want to simplify wherever possible so that I might find even greater joy in the blessings around me.

Dave's decided to join the millions of other health conscious American's and resolve to muscle up this year. After losing over 20 ponds last year he'd like to add a little bulk in 2012. Note: This goal was decided upon while walking through the fitness section of Wal-Mart. One wonders what his resolution might have been if we'd been walking through the home improvement or grocery aisles.

While I have you, I have some exciting news to share. I was just invited to be a guest blogger on the Wood Connection blog. If you have any projects that you're dying to see let me know and I'll see what I can do!

Only a Boy

2012-01-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Cooper woke up and wanted his daddy. We walked all around the house to assure him Dave had already left for work. Then I noticed Cooper grabbing his diaper. The poor kid had a leaky diaper and needed a complete wardrobe change. He was all about the new diaper, but when it came to taking off his pjs he freaked out.

After a brief wrestling match I got the new jammies on. But by the time I was done Cooper was in complete freak out mode. All he wanted was his wet pajamas. After trying to keep them out of arms length, Cooper just kept getting more and more worked up. I finally gave in.

He cried uncontrollably while holding his soggy pjs. I just let him work it out on his own. After a 5 minute cry fest he seemed to calm down so I suggested reading a book. You would have thought I'd suggested he cut off his pinky toe. He got all worked up again and I decided to keep my mothering mouth closed.

The crying continued for several minutes during which time Cooper decided cuddling the old diaper would also help soothe his sad soul. He finally stopped crying, but I wasn't about offer another suggestion. I stroked his hair while he stroked the diaper. It was a lovely mother/son moment.

Finally Cooper broke the silence. He tooted. He laughed. All was magically better in the world.

Cooper, 22 months

Sleepless Nights + Surfing the Net

2012-01-11T07:48:00.002-07:00

I haven't been able to sleep very well the past few nights. I'm exhausted by 9:30, 10:00 PM only to find myself wide awake by 1:30 or 2:00 AM. I wouldn't say I'm particularly stressed over any one thing. I just can't get my mind to turn off. Been thinking about...

Little boy bedrooms. Cooper is nearing the age where he needs a bigger bed. I think I want something fresh, white, and full of travel and adventure mementos (globes, maps, etc.) for his room. I've had lots of middle-of-the-night searches for twin comforters and bedroom inspiration. I'm still on the hunt but I love this general look:

via

Barney cakes. The Coopster will turn two in February. I want to get him/make him a Barney cake, but nothing exists. Cooper is a little unique in his Barney addiction. If he wanted a Dora, Yo Gabba Gabba, or Elmo cake we wouldn't have a problem. Cakes like the one below only exist in my late night dreams and 1995. If you have any tips for making my own, I'm all ears.

via

1. Make card from cardstock; adhere patterned paper. I've been working on a writing assignment this week. So between my sleepless nights and random internet searches I've also been somewhat produtcive. Paper Crafts magazine has its newest issue on sale right now. Check out Cool Tools. It's cool and you'll like it.

via

Counting sheep. Instead of being relaxing, my counting experience feels more like this.

via

Wish me luck tonight!

Christmas in January

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dave and I were lucky enough to spend much of December with family and friends. We reconnected with our favorite people over delicious meals and exchanged lots of gifts and well wishes. Christmas Eve was spent with Dave's family. Oscar read the Christmas story from the scriptures, we ate some yummy treats, and headed home (gotta get to bed before Santa gets there).

Our Christmas morning looked like this:

After a little toy time we headed to church. My parents joined us for our ward's choir program. The meeting was perfect: spiritual, sweet, and short. :) We headed home after the meeting and my dad made us his traditional Christmas morning breakfast (homemade egg McMuffins). A few hours later we headed to my parents' house for the spoiling of the century!

I've had a red KitchenAid mixer on my gift list since Dave and I've been married. This Christmas just proves that good things come to those who wait.

Cooper got a car he car drive (or we can control via remote control), a drum set, and a Barney...and that was just from Santa!

As you can see, we had a wonderful Christmas season. We are so grateful for all we have been given this past year and acknowledge our Lord and Savior's hand in all our blessings.

2011 Goal Follow Up

2011-12-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Earlier this year our family selected simple one word goals to work towards throughout 2011. I'm pleased to announce that we've each met our goal for the year and are grateful for all we've learned in the process.

COOPER: GROW
In the past year Cooper has gained weight and inches. He's gone from a crawling little baby to a running little boy. He understands everything we say, is slowly beginning to speak, and is a fantastic helper.

Baby no more! Cooper, 21 months.

BRANDY: NURTURE
I wanted to spend 2011 being more nurturing. I made the nurturing of my son my full time job and I'm pleased to announce that the Coop-ster is still breathing and appears to be quite happy. Dave and I are closer than ever thanks to late night cuddles on the couch and a few dates scattered here and there. I've been able to nurture my creativity on this blog by sharing crafts, home decor projects, and recipes. Seeing my family change and my blessings abound has also nurtured my soul and helped me grow closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Loving life as a wife and mom.

DAVE: DE-FAT & MONEY UP
Despite all temptations, Dave managed to lose 20+ pounds this year. He's still fit as a fiddle and helps remind me the importance of healthy eating.

Over the course of this year Dave has really helped our family "money up." He started a new job in February and quickly climbed the ranks. Thanks to Dave, our retirement savings has grown significantly as has our college savings plan and kids savings account (for the missions and weddings that will come all too quickly). We increased our life insurance and have continued to live without any debt (with the exception of our mortgage but we've even managed to pay several extra payments throughout the year). We live within our means, save as much as possible, and plan for all major expenses. Working towards these goals have helped our family grow closer and were much easier and pleasant than we ever would have thought.

Two of the coolest guys ever!

If you can't tell, I'm very proud of my little family. We are a team. We're grateful for the blessings we've had this year and are equally excited for the adventures that lay ahead. Happy 2011 (while it's still here)!

Waiting for Santa...

2011-12-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Ho, Ho, Halloween

2011-12-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's nearly Christmas and we're just blogging about Halloween. Oh well, it is what it is so here we go! Dave's office had a Halloween carnival for all the kids so we got to visit daddy at work.

Mr. Orem Tiger and Mini Orem Tiger.

We carved a pumpkin.

Gotta love cute seasonal skeleton pjs.

We threw a costume party.

Wanna play name that costume?

We went to a neighborhood pre-trick or treat party followed by Cooper's first adventures in trick or treating.

Cooper didn't understand why we were going to people's doors without going inside their houses.

We tried and failed to get a decent picture of Cooper in his costume.

Not exactly what we had in mind, but cute nonetheless.

All in all, it was a big success!

Cooper at 22 Months

2011-12-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sleeps in a toddler bed (see below).
Loves eggs.
Claps his hands when he likes an idea.
Refuses to wear coats (only his puffy vest will do).
Knows the actions to If You're Happy & You Know It.
Loves wearing shoes.
Knows how to put on deodorant.
Wants to be a garbage man or drummer when he grows up.

Our Little drummer boy.

CAUTION: Lots of details about one specific boy ahead. If you don't like baby book-style dissertations please leave and return for another day's post.

The 22 month mark (and the weeks leading up to it) have resulted in lots of changes in our house. Cooper discovered how to climb out of his crib. Consequently, Dave changed the crib into a toddler bed that night in an effort to avoid any broken bones from Cooper lunging his body over the side. Cooper transitioned beautifully and only took a few days to learn that he has to stay in his bed until someone comes and gets him.

We moved Cooper's bottles and bibs downstairs. He hasn't used them in months. We also removed the changing pad from his room since he just lays down wherever we are to change his diaper. On the agenda for 2012: potty training! Our house is getting less baby-ish by the day and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.

With all his accomplishments, Cooper is still slow to speak. Our doctor (and every other parent out there) has assured us that everything is fine. We've heard this is often the case with boys and first born children. Cooper babbles constantly and if you ask him to tell you a story he can talk for a solid minute. He knows exactly what he's saying, but unfortunately the rest of us don't speak Cooper-ese. He also knows exactly what we are saying and follows very specific instructions.

To date Cooper can say Mom, Dad, please, no, yeah, juice, cheese, there, Bar Bar (for Barney), meow like a cat, bark like a dog, and snort like a pig. He can also say ho, ho, ho, uh-oh, and vroom like a car. He's said lots of other words, but not consistently. We've started trying sign language to help eliminate some frustration and he picked up the sign for milk over night.

This is a picture of our baby monitor. The second night in his toddler bed, Cooper rolled out and fell asleep on his knees while trying to crawl back in. The poor kid slept like this for hours.

Cooper at 21 Months

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

We're almost to 22 months and I'm sure you're all devastated that we missed the 20 month update. Without further ado...

Loves playing with cars and sword fighting.
Has become an awesome cuddler at bedtime.
Thinks "please" will get him anything.
Would play in our basement all day long if we'd let him.
Has very ticklish ribs.
Instead of crying when he wakes up, he actually calls for mom or dad.
Loves reading and watching his kid shows.
Hands you his shoes when he wants to leave the house (no matter what time of day it might be).
Had his first dentist appointment.
Tests limits and definitely has a stubborn streak.
Believes a kiss makes every boo-boo magically better.
Is still just as cute as ever!

Cooper loves climbing up on the tub to get to the sink.

Our crazy boy refused to take off his shirt so he took a bath with it on!

Life According to My iPhone

2011-12-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Our family took two big steps towards joining the 21st century this year. This Spring we finally bought a laptop and last month Dave got me an iPhone. I hadn't paid for a new phone in over 5 years. Luckily, this new toy cost next to nothing thanks to various credits and a nice long history with AT&T. Yep, I'm finally joining the times...albeit a decade late!

Now that I actually have a camera on my phone I've been snapping pictures like crazy. Here's life in our house (unedited) for your viewing pleasure.

Killed some time while waiting for Cooper's doctor's appointment.

Helped TamTam and Poppa move into their new house.

Went to a Halloween Party at Dave's work.

Cooper's trying to start a new fashion trend...we're not sure if it's going to catch on.

We spent the week of Thanksgiving doing lots of this...

...and this. Cooper was super sick all week. Dave brought us back a plate of yummy food on turkey day since we were in quarantine.

Cooper started picking out his own outfits. This one is called Death By Argyle.

Made a fort in the family room.

Cooper has recently decided he doesn't want to eat dinner at the table. We told him he had to sit in a chair to eat and this is what he came up with.

Sharing milk with teddy.

Recipe #7: Chicken Marbella

2011-12-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe actually came from a Woman's Day cookbook. Each serving has less than 300 calories...not too shabby. Don't be weirded out by the odd combination of ingredients. They combine for a sweet and savory Mediterranean dish that totally reminds me of the fabulous food we had in Greece.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
3 tbs. red wine vinegar
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbs. capers
1/2 cup prunes
1/3 cup pitted green olives
4 chicken breasts
White or brown rice
Parsley

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together first 4 ingredients in crock pot. Add garlic, capers, prunes, and olives; mix. Add chicken to crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve with cooked rice mixed with parsley.

TIP: If the prunes aren't your thing, try substituting dried apricots or nectarines.

Thanks for joining me for this week of crock pot recipes. Hopefully you've found a few that work well for you and your family.

Recipe #6: Sarah's Chicken Tacos

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from Sarah and it's a new fav in our house. It is simple, yummy, and has just the right amount of spice.

Sarah's Chicken Tacos

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken breasts

4 oz. chopped chilies

1 cup water

1 tsp. chicken bullion

1/2 cup salsa

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 can pinto beans, drained

Serves 6

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot and serve on tortillas with tomatoes, green onions, and cheese.

TIPS: This would also be great with lettuce and crispy corn chips for a simple slow cooker taco salad. I've used pinto beans and black beans in this recipe. Both are equally tasty.

Check back tomorrow for the finale of Crock Pot week. I've got a Mediterranean dish that will surprise you with its unique, but delicious ingredients.

Recipe #5: Mashed Potatoes & Meat Loaf

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't figured out how to make meat loaf in the crock pot, but I have mastered the art of making mashed potatoes, slow cooker style.

Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
8 medium red potatoes
4 tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Skim milk
Salt
Pepper

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS:
Wash and quarter potatoes. Place in crock pot with cubed butter. Cook on low for 4 hours. Once your potatoes are tender turn off the crock pot. Add a splash of milk and onion powder directly into the crock pot. Mash with a potato masher or fork until you reach your preferred consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

TIPS: Cooking the potatoes in the crock pot creates extra water so just add a little bit of milk to help add some creaminess. I like using red potatoes because the skins are thinner and they taste good all mashed up. But most of all, I like that I save a step by not having to peel potatoes.

You can obviously serve these spuds with anything, but I love a good meat loaf in the winter. For kicks, here is my recipe:

Meat Loaf

INGREDIENTS:
2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup skim milk
2 cups whole oats
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tbs. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
Sweet Baby Rays's BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Combine everything but the BBQ sauce in a large bowl. Lightly pat mixture in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven, spoon off fat, and cover top with BBQ sauce. Bake for 10 more minutes.

TIP: Add a final drizzle of BBQ sauce before serving! Replacing the bread crumbs with oats is a great way to add nutrition without changing the taste or texture.

Come back tomorrow for a taco recipe that is sure to make your taste buds say "Ole!"

Recipe #4: Mongolian Beef

2011-12-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe has lots of yummy Asian flavors running through it...enjoy!

Mongolian Beef

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. beef flank steak, slicedthinly across the grain

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tbs. minced garlic

2 tbs. hoisin sauce

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tbs. fresh ginger

Red pepperflakes, to taste

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup fruity white wine

Greenonions for garnish

Serves4

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the onion, soysauce, sherry, broth, garlic, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and pepperflakes in your crock pot. Putthe cornstarch in a large Ziploc bag. Addthe sliced beef and toss well to coat. Add the coated beef into the crock pot,gently pushing it into the liquid to cover. Pour the white wine over yourmixture, but do NOT stir. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over brown rice andgarnish with thickly cut green onions.

TIPS:

Several months ago I cooked a beefroast in the crock pot. I shredded it and froze small portions in Ziplocbaggies. I added one small frozen bagfull of shredded beef to the crock pot when there was an hour left cooking. This made it meatier andthickened the sauce even more.

I developed this recipe after usingthis version as my inspiration. Check back tomorrow when our recipe is full of All American goodness that any man (or woman) is sure to love.

Recipe #3: Lemon Chicken Pasta

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Get a jump start on your Christmas shopping without stressing over dinner. Take your time at the mall...dinner is taken care of!

Lemon Chicken Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. spicy mustard

1 tsp. garlic powder

4 carrots, thickly sliced

2 chicken breasts

Whole wheat pasta

Capers for garnish

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS:

Combine everything except for the pasta and capers in crock pot. Cook on high for 8 hours if chicken is frozen. Cook on low for 4-6 hours if chicken is thawed. Shred cooked chicken in crock put while your pasta is cooking. Pour drained pasta directly into crock pot and mix.

One hearty and healthy dinner.

TIP: Properly garnishing your crock pot dinners can make a big difference. Serve your pasta with capers for a savory touch.

Check back tomorrow for an Asian inspired dinner that is full of flavor.

Recipe #2: Speedy Southwestern Chili

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Add some tang to Tuesday's dinner with this fun crock pot chili. My mom found this recipe and it's been a family favorite ever since.

Speedy Southwestern Chili

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts
2 cans tomatoes (garlic and onion flavor)
1 small jar of salsa
1 can corn (liquid included)
2 cans black beans, rinsed
2 cans diced green chilies
1 package ranch seasoning
1 package taco seasoning

For garnish:
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Lime wedges

Serves 8

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 8 hours if chicken is frozen. Cook on low for 4-6 hours if chicken is thawed.

Dinner is served.

TIPS: Once again, I shredded the chicken in the crock pot before serving. This is also delicious served over a bowl of crushed lime flavored tortilla chips or with a creamy tomatillio dressing.

Tomorrow's recipe comes to you from Italy. Make sure you check back to get all the savory details.

Recipe #1: Herb Chicken & Potatoes

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

If I could figure out a way to use a crock pot in all my recipes for the entire Winter I totally would. I like the comfort of crock pot food and I LOVE how easy it is to prepare. While I haven't mastered multiple months worth of recipes I have put together 7 little ditties (yep, an entire week's worth) that I think you'll enjoy.

Herb Chicken & Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
4 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
8 small red potatoes, halved
2 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup white cooking while
Fresh basil for garnish

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 8 hours if chicken is frozen. Cook on low for 4-6 hours if chicken is thawed.

I made sure my vegetables where thoroughly coated with the herbs before adding the chicken and wine.

An uber simple one pot dinner.

TIPS: I simply shredded the cooked chicken in the crock pot before serving (this meant less mess and effort up front). Garnish with ribbons of fresh basil to help brighten the slow cooked flavors. This dinner is also good with a drizzle of sweet honey mustard sauce over the top.

Make sure you check back tomorrow for a crock pot chill that's packed with flavor!

Shop 'til You Drop

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's Black Friday which means it's a day to shop for killer bargains. I'm staying at home because I snatched up my bagrains a few weeks ago.

I fell in love with H&M when I first visited their Chicago store. What's not to love? They have stylish clothes for bargain prices. So obviously, I was thrilled to learn Utah was finally getting this trendy haunt. Luckily, I'm fortunate enough to have some connections in the "press." I joined P. Kelly and a few other Paper Crafts peeps at the H&M pre-Grand Opening VIP event earlier this month. Sarah and her sisters were my +1 (and 1 and 1).

We had lots of fun shopping before the store opened to the public. We sipped sodas while we shopped, tasted hor' dourves, and even managed to bring a few treasures home with us (all at 25% off). Thanks ladies for a fun night and thanks to my parents for watching Cooper while I was out!

Alma

2011-11-20T07:34:00.001-07:00

Alma was one of the biggest people I've ever known. He was tall, broad, and solid as a tree. Fifty years of manual labor will do that to a person. At first sight, he was intimidating. But anyone who knew him would agree that he was really a teddy bear. I still remember the first time I called Alma's house to talk to his wife. I asked for Carole and he told me she'd run off with a truck driver. I was in junior high and thoroughly confused. My mom told me he was joking and prompted me to tell Alma to hand the phone over to Carole. Alma always had a joke or a nickname for everyone.

Alma was my "adopted" grandpa for my adolescent and adult years. Once he learned that I loved Chick-Fil-A he invited me and his wife to the mall food court for a date (and to learn what all the fuss was about). Alma, who was never a religious man, even prayed and fasted for me when I was in the ICU with Pneumonia. For that, I'm sincerely grateful.

Alma was there when I graduated from college and when I married my handsome husband. For the past few years he's suffered from Alzheimer and Diabetes which have prevented him from doing a lot outside the home. So we came to him. He met Cooper days after he was born and talked about him often.

Alma passed away on Thursday night with his sweetheart of 60 years by his side. He will be missed, but we are comforted by our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We know we will see Alma again and he is in heaven right now reunited with his family who had already passed on and even giving a few words of advice to my brother's little boy who will be born in February.

At this time of thanksgiving I'm grateful for my relationship with Alma and for my testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alma's obituary and viewing/funeral details can be found here.

2008. Celebrating Alma's birthday at one of his favorite restaurants, Ho-Hos.

2010. Alma and the Cooper Boy.

Men at Work

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I went to a church meeting one night and came home to this:

Cooper and Dave were busy little bees while I was away. Luckily for Dave, I think Fort Building 2.0 was more of a success than the first version. Cooper's almost a year older and is finally starting to grasp the coolness of blanket tunnels.

Fake Eyelashes Required

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

This year's Witches Night Out was the warmest to date. The weather was perfect for cackling, shopping, and wiggling our way through swarms of pointy hats. Cassidy was the witch with child this year and she pulled it off with flying colors. We're all so excited to meet baby O. in a few months!

Happy Halloween (just a little late)!

The Hocus Pocus witches are the coolest!

Sarah didn't play along...such a party pooper!!!

Mother and daughter.

Pumpkin Pickers

2011-11-07T06:00:00.001-07:00

Ever since I found out we were having a baby, I knew I wanted to take him/her to the pumpkin patch. Last year we were all sick around Halloween so we didn't make it. This year we loaded up the Coopster and headed over to a darling local farm down the street. When Cooper got out of the car we told him he could walk in the dirt and pick out whatever pumpkin he wanted. I figured pumpkins kind of look like balls so he should be in heaven.

Sadly, Cooper spotted a tractor at the entrance to the patch and he was gone. He had no interest in the pumpkins whatsoever. He was happy as a clam to play on the tractor and he really wanted to get to a backhoe he spotted but it was off limits.

Even though our first pumpkin patch adventure didn't go quite like I had envisioned (no cute picture of the little boy giddily hugging his prized gourde) we still got some good pictures and Dave picked a fine pumpkin for the front porch. :)

Not giddily hugging a pumpkin, but pretty dang cute, nonetheless.

My handsome gourde getter.

"Cooper, indulge your mother by smiling with this pumpkin."

Birthday Time

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Once again, I'm blogging about my birthday a month late. I'm officially 29. I've been told I will be this age for at least another decade. Afterall, my mom only surpassed 29 a few years ago when she determined it would be weird to be younger than her son-on-law.

My day was spent at a primary program practice, busily running errands, and working around the house. A pretty average day except for that night when I was showered with gifts at my birthday dinner.

I got lots of cute clothes.

Cooper modeled my new scarf from Sarah.

My little man even helped me read my birthday card.

Dave gave me an awesome entertainment center for our family room and Cooper gave me a great pair of Cheetah print shoes (with a little help from TamTam and Poppa). These guys have good taste! Thanks to everyone for all the fabulous gifts and birthday wishes. Until next year...

Recipe: Super Simple Chocolate Cake

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

As the name suggests, this cake is super simple. It's chocolate-y and sure to be a new family fav.

Chocolate Cake...mmm

INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate cake mix
Cook & serve chocolate pudding
Chocolate chips
Chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pudding following directions on package. Mix in dry cake mix and pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips and nuts. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (or until a knife comes out clean).

Keep all the ingredients for this yummy treat in your pantry and when you get a hankering for chocolate cake you won't have to run to the store to buy eggs. You'll already have everything you need!

Here's wishing you pumpkins full of candy and just the right amount of Hallow's Eve tricks. And for even more fantastic recipes and projects check out these links.

Up-cycled Fall Wreath

2011-10-27T05:40:00.000-06:00

My mom has been teasing me because I've had the same wreath on my front door since May. So I decided now might be a good time to add a little dose of Fall to my front door.

I decided to freshen up a wreath a got for free. It's a nice enough grapevine wreath covered with dried leaves, pomegranates, and twigs. However, it looks faded and didn't really pop against my black front door.

My FREE wreath.

I dressed up my wreath with a few Fall garlands that used to grace the balcony of our condo. Yep, that means they haven't seen the light of day for over four years. I figured it was time to take them out of retirement.

Raffia rope garland.

Classic Fall leaves garland.

I wrapped the leaf garland around the wreath, securing the ends with a little hot glue. Then I pulled the raffia sprigs off of the rope garland and glued them in sporadically.

This project took me about 10 minutes (from beginning to end) to complete. Not too shabby in my book!

Close up time! I like that you can still see the dried pomegranates sticking out in a few places.

There you have it! My up-cycled wreath...from drab to fab. Not only is a festive, but it was 100% FREE TO ME. Happy Fall y'all (sorry, I had to do it!!).

As always, check out these links for even more fun ideas.

Perfectly Painted Pumpkins

2011-10-24T05:46:00.000-06:00

It's not too late to bust out another Fall-time craft which is why I'm sharing a super simple pumpkin project a la The Wood Connection) with y'all today.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Wooden rectangle block, wooden stem, brown paint, and orange paint. NOT PICTURED: Embellishments of choice, peat moss, ribbon, and glue gun.

Paint rectangle and stem; let dry. Dip paintbrush in brown paint and water; lightly paint edges. Sand pieces and adhere together.

Adhere peat moss around stem and embellish as desired. OPTION #1

OPTION # 2

For more fun Fall-ish projects check out these fun sites. Also, if you're looking for a killer Christmas present for your favorite full-time mom, check out this link. This FREE printable says it all!

All His Idea

2011-10-20T06:12:00.000-06:00

We're good parents...really.
Cooper only sleeps in his cage upon request.

19 months

And he really is the one who loves laundry.

16 months

Blurry, but just too cute not to post.

Remember this? Here's double the scary face for double the fun!

Dracula Craft Project

2011-10-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

This project is cute, simple, and perfect for Halloween. The idea and supplies came from The Wood Connection, but I modified it a little.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Wooden elements, wood glue, white paint, and black paint. NOT PICTURED: Black permanent markers and red rhinestones.

WHAT YOU DO:

Paint wooden pieces; let dry.

Adhere pieces together with wood glue.

Draw on eyebrows, mouth, and fangs with marker. Adhere rhinestones.

GIVE DRACULA A BUDDY:

I also made this cute Frankenstein. I used black wire for his mouth and covered his hair with iridescent glitter to give him a little extra sparkle.

I have a feeling these little cuties just might make their way to the homes of some of the women I visit each month for church. Happy Halloween all!

A Farmer's Life for Me?

2011-10-13T06:18:00.000-06:00

Since I thought I had lost all of our cute pictures of the Coop-ster at the zoo I felt compelled to take oodles of pictures at Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country. Animals are animals...right?

Cooper rode on his very first pony:

Fortunately (or unfortunately) this picture makes him look like he's enjoying himself more than he really was. The first rotation he sat hesitantly, the second rotation he tried to get off, and by the third rotation I was holding him and walking beside the pony.

Honestly, he would have been happiest if we had just let him do this the entire time:

Drink juice with Emerson.

Play with the hose.

Shake the jail bars violently as if to say, "Let me outta here!"

Cooper liked to keep his distance from the animals, refused the feed the tiny goats, and was much more interested in playing in the air conditioned farm zone. Yep, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and it's looking like Cooper is a city boy just like his parents.

Even though he can't read, Cooper followed this sign to the letter.

"Mom, you feed the goats. I'm just gong to watch from back here."

The kids kept a good distance from the non-existent animals in the empty stalls.

Playing in the air conditioned farm zone dirt tunnels. Just call him Cooper, King of the Ants.

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Confession: I've been given this recipe by lots of people and I fouled it up multiple times. In addition to this simple recipe, I've also included my tips for a successful Fall-time treat.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 SMALL CAN of pumpkin or 1/2 of a large can...like the one in the picture
1 spice cake mix
1 bag chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Combine pumpkin, cake mix, and chocolate chips in a bowl; mix well. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

TIPS:

People used to tell me how simple this recipe was, but they left out what size of pumpkin to buy. I've never seen the small cans of pumpkin at my grocery store so I cut the contents of the larger can in half.
Use a ice cream scoop to place your dough on the cookie tray. This dough is very sticky and a scoop will help keep you cleaner and make your cookies more uniform.
Your cookies will set up more after they are out of the oven. If you keep them in the oven until they look done, the bottoms will be burned.
Check your grocery store coupons for sales on cake mixes. I recently stocked up on brownie and cake mixes when they were on sale for only 75 cents each!

Baby No More

2011-10-06T06:26:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure Cooper is taking Big Boy pills after we put him to bed. I swear he went from this:

Cooper, 1 week

to this over night.

Cooper, 19 months

We are officially the parents of a little boy and NOT a baby [sigh].

Recipe: 3 Crock Pot Delights for the Price of 1

2011-10-03T06:17:00.000-06:00

This is my go-to recipe whenever I want something easy and filling. I also love this recipe because you can switch your meat and your starch to create totally different, but equally delightful meals.

SUPER Easy Crock Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans french onion soup
1 bag baby carrots
1 medium beef roast

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in a large crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes. The soups combine to create a fantastic gravy!

Mouth Watering Pasta with Chickens & Carrots

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans french onion soup
1 bag baby carrots
2-4 chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in a large crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Toss with whole wheat pasta.

Dinner in a Pot...Crock Pot, that is

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans french onion soup
1 bag baby carrots
2-4 chicken breasts
4 small potatoes, cubed

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients in a large crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Dish and serve!

I don't have a picture for the last version, but trust me...it is good.

For more great ideas check out these sites.

Go Utes

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

This was my parent's idea of a quality family photo when my brother and I were younger. Try to look past the enormous hair and look at our sweatshirts: Brigham Young University.

We threw together a quick BYU v. Utah party a few weeks ago (the biggest college rivalry in these parts). We watched the game with my parents (who both gradutaed from BYU, but 20 years later gave all their money to the University of Utah :) ). While one might think this would leave them conflicted, your thought process would be...incorrect.

My parents were obviously outnumbered. My mom dressed Cooper that day. The poor little boy was all kinds of confused. He was wearing a green Cougars shirt with red socks (the socks were courtesy of mom and dad).

Luckily, the Utes won (by A LOT) leaving Dave and I very proud of our alma mater. My parents chose not to talk about the game the next morning.

P.S.
I found this photo on our computer. From a young age, Dave side's of the family has also tried to turn Cooper into a BYU fan.

Cooper, 4 1/2 months old with his cousin Ben.

Cooper at 19 Months

2011-09-26T06:20:00.000-06:00

Had his first temper tantrum in a store.
Shows off his muscles.
Reminds us to pray by folding his arms before meals.
Puts his hands up for a touchdown.
Puckers his lips when he's concentrating.
Cries when we leave him in nursery at church.
Is gradually getting a larger attention span.
Loves being with daddy and Poppa most of all.
Climbs up on the tall bar stools.
Smiles and says "cheese."
Enjoys reading, running, coloring, playing with balls, and dragging anything large and bulky around the house.
Is an excellent plant water-er.
Can "ruff" like a dog.
Groups similar toys and snacks together.
Loves pulling rolling suitcases around.
Doesn't like shopping carts.
Says "vroom, vroom" when he wants to go fast.

Cooper, covered in freezing cold water, watering the plants and loving every second of it.

Saying "cheese."

For the record, Cooper does own shirts. Occasionally, we let him wear them. :)

Eight is Great

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

On September 17 Dave and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. Dave is my best friend and the perfect partner in crime. This year Dave took a day off work so Cooper and I could show him the joys of the Discovery Gateway.

Fish and cheese, breakfast of champions.

I would totally watch the news more often if it looked like this.

After our adventures in play land we dropped off the Coop-ster, grabbed some dinner, and checked into our hotel downtown. We decided to take advantage of our temporary built-in babysitters and our accumulating Marriott points and spend the night away from home.

We enjoyed our free babysitters, our free hotel room, and our free dinner (yep, we had a gift card to a downtown restaurant too) and reflected on all we've been through together. We've celebrated all 8 anniversaries slightly differently and they've all be equally perfect. Today, we're even more in love and grateful that the little family we've created will be together forever.

The next morning we strolled over to this famous Salt Lake hot spot for breakfast.

After breakfast we walked to the Farmer's Market, bought some honey, and determined that 20 hours away from our little boy was far too much (we also determined we aren't really the eat organic/bring your own grocery bag Farmer's Market type...but I digress). Shortly thereafter we checked out of our hotel, homeward bound.

I love you handsome, thanks for marrying me (and for being brave enough to eat vegetables treated with pesticides ;) ).

Thank You Kisses & Zoo Days

2011-09-16T06:01:00.000-06:00

Raise your hand if you have the best husband in the world.

After two weeks of experimentation and research, Dave was able to recover everything from our external hard drive! He went to multiple stores, bought gadgets from Best Buy and Wal-Mart, but nothing worked. Luckily, a simple little cord thingy (don't ask me the details) he purchased online for $12 did the trick. So, I had to re-write 1/2 my assignment -- big whoop. I have all my pictures back and that's all that matters now.

Since everything is back where it belongs, I want to share a few pictures of Cooper's first trip to the zoo. Just last week, I thought these little gems were lost forever.

Cooper and momma in front of the elephants.

4 little monkeys.

Cooper's first carousel ride. He liked it once it started.

Anyone who's ever been to the Hogle Zoo knows you have to take a drink from the lion fountain.

Thank to Sarah for letting us use yet another one of her season passes and thanks to my mom for being the official photographer. And finally, thanks again to my super duper handsome husband for retrieving all my pictures. I love you handsome!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Park City. This is the third year in a row that we've stayed in the same condo just minutes away from Main Street and the Park City Mountain Ski Resort.

Cooper, 3 months old, at our favorite Park City spot.

Our handsome boy, 18 months old, giving us his best Blue Steel impersonation.

Our digs were the perfect size for 6 1/2 people (we went with my family), had ample seating, the perfect movie-watching TV, and was across the street from a park with tennis courts (for Dave and Jared) and a playground (for Cooper).

I'm ready to sink back into those comfy chairs right now. Anyone want to join me?

While there we did a little craft project, shopped, and watched this kiddo play with his newest ~~indulgence~~ toy from Tam Tam and Poppa.

Yep, an ATV for our little mountain man.

We also took a few naps.

Some of us napped better than others.

And enjoyed the mountain air.

Jared and Cass sayin' cheese.

We spent Labor Day afternoon and evening with Dave's family. Not only did we enjoy great company and food, but we were privileged enough to enjoy this lovely medley a la Grandpa J.

Sticky Fingers

2011-09-07T06:20:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago my mom and I took Cooper out for breakfast. The kid loves French Toast so we knew he'd be up for the outing. After Cooper did lots of this:

He decided to play with this:

A few days later I noticed this in the diaper bag:

Yep, Sticky Fingers McCoy managed to put a pepper shaker into our bag. Naturally, we needed to show Cooper he couldn't keep such a treasure. So we returned to the scene for the crime:

and Cooper returned his contraband.

I don't know how much good it did, but I think these pictures will be invaluable in a few years. Luckily, Jim's Family Restaurant decided not to press charges.

P.S. Special thanks to Reannah at {Shaped By Grace} for the Versatile Blogger Award!

Boo Boos

2011-09-02T06:17:00.000-06:00

Brandy's Boo Boo
Last week I was finishing up my writing assignment when we had a tiny power outage (seriously, it shut the computer off but didn't even re-set the clocks). After I re-started the computer I discovered our external hard drive (where I saved ALL OUR PICTURES and ALL OF MY PAPER CRAFTS ARTICLES) was dead!

After a mild panic attack I realized I had saved 99% of our Cooper pictures on the computer's desktop (for our screen saver), we had backed up our files in March of 2010, and I had already attached half of my writing assignment to an email. So, I only had to re-write 40 projects instead of 80 and most of my Cooper pictures were safe. The other pictures of family events and parties were also close by. Yep, right here on ye olde blog. Relief!

We lost the cute pictures I took of Cooper's first trip to the zoo and are now signing up for an online back-up service. Dave had set everything up to save on the computer and then automatically back-up on the external hard drive, but I hadn't been saving things correctly. Lesson learned on many levels! Thanks to my handsome husband for being so patient, understanding, and eager to try every way possible to retrieve the lost information (he would've paid the $1,000+ for the data retrieval, but I just couldn't stomach the price tag).

Dave's Boo Boo
In early August Dave had sinus surgery. He had a similar surgery 10 years ago that didn't work. After meeting with a new ENT he decided to take the plunge again. He's still healing, but definitely feels better this time than he did in 2001. We're optimistic that his constant sinus infections will be a thing of the past and grateful for a skilled surgeon.

That's the story morning glory. Two boo boos that neither of us want to repeat again. Luckily, nothing seems too horrible when you have this cute mug looking back at you.

So studious! Cooper, 18 months.

Gettin' Crafty with Wooden Photo Plaques

2011-08-30T08:46:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've shared a craft project with y'all. This summer has been full of work, outings with the kiddo and Tam Tam, and lots of un-blog-worthy household activities. That is until...

Taryn gave me a darling photo plaque and regenerated my creative mojo.
My mom went to The Wood Connection and bought all the supplies.
Krista helped turn our supplies into something lovely.
All the while, I helped here and there and offered the worker bees beverages as needed. :) I'm only partially kidding. I did in fact create a photo plaque for myself.

Here's what you'll need for this project:

Paint, wood glue, a wood plaque and knob, sandpaper, a photo, and clear texture paint.

Paint your wood block and knob.

Sand the edges.

Adhere your photo. You can use a family picture or anything that tickles your fancy.

Once the photo is well adhered and dry, apply a coat of clear texture paint over the entire front surface.

This is Krista's final project. She added the fun teal ribbon to match her room.

This is my final project next to Taryn's lovely gift.

This project is super simple and a great way to show off your favorite photos. The texture paint adds a fun extra layer and as you can see, you can embellish your plaque in a variety of ways. This little ditty only cost $5 and we have oodles of paint and glue left.

For more crafty ideas check out these fab sites!

Cooper at 18 Months

2011-08-22T08:02:00.000-06:00

Loves climbing up and over things and standing on laundry baskets, toy bikes, etc.
Will actually sit on our laps and watch TV (a.k.a. Barney) for a few minutes.
Reads several times a day (his fav is Mom Says I Can).
Adores anything with a cord.
Completely understands what we're saying and is usually pretty good at retrieving and following directions.
Rubs paper towels, tissues, and/or wash cloths on the floor like he's cleaning (gee, I wonder where he's seen that).
Opens doors!
Walks up and down stairs by himself.
Puts items in the trash, laundry in the hamper, and dirty diapers in his diaper pail all on his own.
Turns everything into a cell phone by putting it to his ear and jabbering away.
Eats French Toast every time, without fail.
Loves having cold water splashed or poured on him after taking a warm bath -- cute little weird-o!
Effectively communicates by pointing, showing, or squealing (with delight and frustration).

Eating grapes while wearing his sunglasses and Hawaiian lei. That pretty much sums up our Cooper Boy!

What's Old is New Again

2011-08-17T07:58:00.000-06:00

This is the same table I used to have in my room when I was a wee one. We brought it up from the basement the other day and Cooper loves it. It's the perfect place for coloring...

Thank goodness for Color Wonder markers and paper.

...and playing with toys.

You thought when I called this blog a Cooper gush fest I was kidding...'fraid not!

A Face Only a Mother Can Love

2011-08-08T06:10:00.003-06:00

Cooper recently started making what we call the Scary Face. We have no idea where it came from. It's a Cooper original.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Recipe: Sweet Chicken & Pasta Salad

2011-08-03T07:18:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite summer salad recipes. Dave and I eat it with hot crescent rolls for dinner. Trust me, it's super filling and makes enough to feed a family of four (at least).

Sweet Chicken & Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:
Salad
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (yet another recipe where I use THIS time-saving tip)
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large can pineapple tidbits (save the juice)
3 cups red seedless grapes, halved
2 large apples, diced
13.25 oz (1 box) whole wheat pasta (any short pasta will work)
1 can salted cashew halves
Salt
Pepper

Dressing
3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta following directions on box. Combine fruit, chicken, and pasta in a large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Add pineapple juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over pasta and mix well. Stir in cashews right before serving.

I love the saltiness of the cashews and the crunchiness of the celery -- delish.

I've often doubled and tripled this recipe and served it at bridal or baby showers. It's great for a party because it has your protein and your carbohydrate all in one pretty bowl.

Meet Our Martian

2011-07-26T06:54:00.001-06:00

We were recently visited by a martian from Coop-topia. This planet is similar to Mars (a.k.a. the red planet) in that its inhabitants love red. However, it's closer to the sun...hence the sunglasses. The Coop-topians love eating Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills would be thrilled to learn they've finally gone galactic). Coop-topia seems like a pretty great place. Our martian friend suggests you come for a visit any time.

ksadjghkjdshgfnbljkljkl. Sorry, our little martian wanted to sign off and Blogger doesn't offer a translator for his language. I think he said, "Bye bye."

Recipe: Crock Pot BBQ Chicken with Roasted Carrots

2011-07-22T06:01:00.000-06:00

I love food that is easy to make, delicious tasting, inexpensive, and healthy. This little ditty scores four out of four.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
4 frozen chicken breasts
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 can cranberry sauce
Barbecue sauce (we prefer Sweet Baby Ray's)

DIRECTIONS:
Pour your celery and cranberry sauce in the cock pot. Add your chicken and enough barbecue sauce to cover everything. Cook on high for 5 hours.

Roasted Carrots

INGREDIENTS:
Peeled carrot sticks, cut in half

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ingredients on a cookie sheet (make sure the carrots are coated with the oil and seasonings -- just eyeball it). Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They come out sweet and delicious. Read HERE to find out even more reasons why I love cooking with carrots!

There you have it! A super simple supper that only uses two containers (the crock pot and a cookie sheet) to create. The food is yummy and the clean up is simple. Happy eating.

Cooper at 17 Months

2011-07-19T06:24:00.012-06:00

Loves drinking from an adult cup and using a straw.
Can blow kisses and fist bump.
Is mesmerized by Barney and Friends and Super Why!
Enjoys toys he can push or pull.
Still loves playing with balls (especially basketball).
Is getting close to climbing out of his crib -- yikes!
Blow his own nose.
Understands almost everything we say, but is still a hesitant talker.
Likes tumbling and flipping on the bed.
Walks on the treadmill (when it's actually on).
Loves drinking fruit nectar.
Has created some crazy contraptions for climbing.
Runs to the fridge when he's hungry or thirsty.
Is a total daddy's boy!
Has all his teeth (except his 2 year molars).
Is starting to squeal when he doesn't get his way.
Brushes his own teeth.

Despite his age, Cooper is still a super drooler.

He was so pleased with his ingenuity.

Do I Need a 12 Step Program?

2011-07-15T06:56:00.006-06:00

It's official. I'm completely obsessed with throw pillows. Sarah and Heidi came over earlier this week to help feed my addiction. Meet my cuddly, new friend.

Gray + Birds = Love. Yes, this is about as mathematical as I get!

I love my pillows (and the fact that my outfit totally matches the room!).

The fabric for my pillow was given to me by my fabulous neighbor Taryn. Sarah sewed everything together, Heidi offered moral support, and I stuffed it. So, it should really be the communal pillow but I like it so much I'm not sharing. The best part (other than its FREE price tag) is that it perfectly matches THIS and THIS.

I suppose I justify my addition because Cooper loves stacking, hiding, and playing with all the pillows. So really, I'm doing this all for him.

Thanks ladies for all the help!

This Birthday Was a Hoot

2011-07-12T10:09:00.001-06:00

Ms. Emerson turned two last week and we celebrated with an Owl themed birthday party planned by Sarah the Super Mom. In addition to darling invitations and a yummy smores bar (featuring smores cupcakes that looked like owls), Sarah also MADE owl pillows for ALL the kids. She even matched the colors to their rooms.

Since I've decided my second part time job is bragging about Sarah's talents I thought I'd show off Cooper's little hoot hoot.

Each owl had a name and description. The Cooper Owl said, "He's busy as a bee and handsome as can be." That about sums it up!

Thanks Sarah for the great party and happy birthday Emerson. If you're in the market for your own custom owl take a look at this fab pattern by my friend Celeste. Not only is this a custom owl pattern created by Celeste and her mom, but it's also made using fabric she designed (and named after her little one, Eva).

Okay, that's it for this addition of show off other people's talents while making no effort to increase my own. :) Until next time...

The Color of Summer

2011-07-08T06:00:00.005-06:00

Our neighbor called it the color of summer. You know...the dirty toes, knees, and faces of happy little kiddos who play outside on long summer days. Luckily, this hot color suits the Cooper Boy pretty well. We recently played in the back yard, ate a little dirt, and collected rocks. Basically, a little boy's dream day, right?

Anyone interested in a gritty, sloppy kiss?

Cooper's favorite place to play is under the deck. Peek-a-boo!

Just so you know, the Coopster also cleans up pretty well. Hiya blue eyes!

For someone who can only say a few words, he was very good at communicating his request. He wanted cereal in a red cup just like his daddy.

Happy summer from our house to yours.

Our Latest Room Re-Design

2011-07-05T06:54:00.002-06:00

We've lived in our house for 4 years and over that time it feels as though our front rooms have been playing a game of musical chairs. I'm not complaining. I love playing with new furniture configurations and re-decorating rooms. Our most recent switch was to convert our current office (which has also been a craft room and a craft/sitting room) into a guest room for my parents. Remember this? Since their new house will be built in a few short months, Dave and I invited them to stay with us until they move into their new digs.

Creating a guest room meant we had to move our office. I know there are lots of people who function just fine without an office but we are not these people. We need a separate space to work, file papers, and print stuff. We decided to move our living room furniture to the basement and convert our one-time living room into a den. In three words: I love it!

Our front room feels bigger, I love looking out over our front porch while typing on the computer, and I was finally given an excuse to use a fun furry rug that once graced the floor of my nursery as a wee babe.

Living room before:

Our living room, featuring a cute Crepe Paper Wreath. Tutorial HERE.

Den after:

We didn't spend any money converting this room into an office. We used the same furniture and just switched up the display on our black shelf. I tried to cluster white and silver items to create a more monochromatic look. I didn't want the busyness of the computer monitor and other electronics to compete with an equally busy shelf display. The lateral shelf is perfect for storing our photo paper and other office essentials.

I added a few green pops to help highlight the green accent wall. The yellow rug is a fairly neutral piece that Cooper loves to lay on.

It's a simple and clean room because we wanted it to be easy to tidy up at a moments notice (since it's one of the first rooms people see when they come in our house). My writing also involves stacks of 3-ring binders so we wanted the desk top to stay clear so I have room to spread out my work.

All the goodies that once lived in my craft room/office closet (featured in the pages of Creating Keepsakes magazine HERE) are now housed on three big bookshelves in the basement.

There you have it. Our latest room re-do that didn't cost us a dime and is totally functional (and maybe a little fabulous). :) I like our den so much that I think we'll leave it as is when my parents move out this Fall. Then you know what that means...I'll have another spare bedroom to play with. I have a giant red floral canvas that used to live in my Paper Crafts office that's just dying for a spot in our house. We'll have to see if it makes its way into our next project. :) Don't tell Dave, but I'm thinking it would make an awesome headboard.

Pictures & Words

2011-06-30T06:09:00.000-06:00

A few more pictures of Hawaii...short and sweet.

On Memorial Day the city had a lantern ceremony to honor veterans and victims of the Tsunami in Japan. It was like Tangled, but more crowded and sweaty.

When you ask Cooper for a kiss he leans forward as if to say, "A kiss on the forehead is acceptable."

A fairly decent family photo. I'm wearing the shirt I made HERE.

Sometimes Cooper is our little peanut and other days he's our little pineapple.

This might not look like a long jump, but trust me...it is! The signs lining the cliff that say "DO NOT JUMP" are there for a reason. Apparently for Dave and Jared, that reason is to be ignored.

Kids Call It Like They See It

2011-06-27T08:08:00.000-06:00

Allow me to set the scene. I was sitting in my primary class when one little girl jumped up from her chair and said, "You did it! You got glitter extensions." She excitedly ran over and started combing her fingers through my hair. Then she quickly said, "Oh, never mind."

Yep, kids call it like they see it and this little eight-year-old saw my glittery gray hair from ACROSS THE ROOM! I suppose I could be happy that I have super trendy hair and it didn't cost me a dime. Yes....., that's definitely how I'm going to look at it. Nothing but rose colored glasses and silver hair over here.

Combine awesome gray-loving genes with super dark brown hair and add a pinch of I'm-too-cheap-to-pay-to-color-my-hair-every-few-months for the most dramatic early-graying results.

Cooper at 16 Months

2011-06-23T06:03:00.004-06:00

Despite our attempts to stop time, Cooper continues to get bigger, smarter, and cuter every day.

Cooper at the International Market Place in Hawaii.

Holds your hand as he walks you to his desired destination.

Loves playing outside and in the basement.

Is totally content hanging out in the parked car and pushing all the fun buttons.

Matches lids with containers.

Feeds himself using a big boy fork.

Helps dress and undress himself (he's better at the latter).

Recognizes the names of all his toys and most household items. He's becoming quite the little retriever too.

Drags his plastic golf bag all over the house.

Finally started to realize how awesome cuddling can be.

Went to his first movie in a theater, Mega Mind. He just ate snacks and walked back and forth in the aisle the entire time. He had very little interest in the flick.

Dances.

Makes a "Vroom" sound when playing with his cars.

Everyone who hangs out with Cooper for any period of time describes him as "busy". He's not one to sit in your lap, chill in front of the TV, or rest at a table to draw. He needs to be on the go all the time.

Love you, buddy!

Father's Day Frocks

2011-06-20T06:23:00.002-06:00

Cooper and I discovered these fun t-shirts for the favorite men in our lives. Too bad we discovered them a little late. Heck, I missed Father's Day so maybe they'll get 'em for Christmas instead! Happy Father's Day guys, we love you.

Cooper and Dave at a Luau in Hawaii.

Buy your own version here.

Cooper and Poppa at Pearl Harbor.

Another fab Etsy shop here.

Granpda Oscar knows how to satisfy Cooper's sweet tooth.

Love this for Grandpa.

Adventures in Hawaii

2011-06-16T10:10:00.001-06:00

We had lots of fun in Hawaii.

We played with peacocks at Wiamea Falls.

We lit incense for Buddha at the Valley of the Temples.

We went to the LDS temple.

We tried (and failed miserably) to get Cooper in the water. This was not the norm.

We had a week's supply of sugar in one sitting at Motsomoto's Shaved Ice.

We ate sand for the first time.

We TOTALLY broke the "Don't walk on the grass" rule at the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

We hiked to the top of Diamond Head to see this amazing view.

We paddled a canoe. We'll, everyone else paddled while I went along for the ride.

While we did lots of fun things, this little boy was still the best part.

Boy in a Bottle

2011-06-10T06:20:00.001-06:00

Click your heels together and say, "Never grown up, never grow up, never grow up." All together now.

Cooper, 15 months, at the LDS Hawaii Temple.

If I could bottle him up right now I totally would!

Recipe: Guacamole Burgers & Bacon Potato Salad

2011-06-06T06:48:00.000-06:00

Since Memorial Day has come and gone it is officially BBQ season in our neck of the woods. Here's a little something I whipped up the other night that I think you might enjoy!

Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

2 avocados

2 green onions

2 roma tomatoes

2/3 c frozen peas

1 package guacamole seasoning

DIRECTIONS:

Chop avocados, green onions, and tomatoes. Place chopped veggies in a food processor and blend. Slowly mix in frozen peas. Remove from food processor and stir in seasoning. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Hamburgers

INGREDIENTS:
Extra lean ground beef
A1 sauce
Shredded cheddar jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ground beef (1/4 lb. per serving) with A1 sauce (1 T per serving). Create patties and place on hot grill. Cover with shredded cheese right before the center of your meat is at it's desired done-ness.

Bacon Potato Salad
(adapted from a recipe found in the Remedies for the "I Don't Cook" Syndrome cookbook)

INGREDIENTS:
5-6 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 green onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 c mayo
1/4 c white vinegar
2 t sugar
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard
1/2 t ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Mix potatoes, bacon, onions, and celery in large bowl. Add mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper. Toss thoroughly. Transfer to 9" x 13" baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

TIPS:
The peas in the guacamole make it healthier without changing the taste. Try it -- you'll be amazed by the results. This potato salad can be grilled in a aluminum foil pocket or baked in the over. Either way, it's a great alternative to its high calorie, mayo-drenched cousin and is great served hot or cold.

We added some sweet baked beans to balance the spicy guacamole -- delish!

I need to send a special shout out to a few fabulous blog friends. I've been given the Versatile Blogger award by the talented Vintage Gwen, Thrifty Like Me, From Gardners to Bergers, and Blissful and Domestic blogs. Make sure you take some time to check out these fun sites. Thanks ladies for the shout-out!

For more recipes and projects, check out these links.

Two Hunky Beach Boys

2011-06-03T16:17:00.000-06:00

We arrived home yesterday morning around 7 AM after spending nine fantastic days in Hawaii. The laundry is done, the stroller and car seat have been washed, and my sweet little boy's internal clock is all out of whack. We have lots more pictures to share, but for now here's one of my two favorite surfer dudes.

Aloha and happy weekend all!

Recipe: Apple Pie Pockets

2011-05-27T06:17:00.000-06:00

This little ditty is a 100% Brandy original. I hope you like it!

Apple Pie Pockets

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups apples, peeled and cubed (I used Gala and Golden Delicious)
2 T butter, cut into small cubes
2 T brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 cans of crescent rolls
Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine apples, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Mix.
3. Pat crescent rolls flat on counter. Add spoonful of apple mixture and roll up ends to create a pocket. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Bake for 11-18 minutes (until brown).

These are good just like this, but I decided I needed to take them one step further so I added a little...

Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
1 stick margarine, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blend margarine and cream cheese.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar until well mixed.

I drizzled my pockets with this frosting right when they came out of the oven (does that sentence sound weird to anyone else?).

I'm no food stylist, but I do know a yummy treat when I taste it. This little pocket is delish!

Cooper sat with his high chair pushed up to the counter and watched me cook the entire time. He was content to rest his foot on the counter, hold his little spatula, and eat apples. I definitely want to make these with Cooper when he gets a little older. This would be a fun recipe for a mom and tot baking session (and it's a great way to use up mushy apples).

For more apple recipes check out this.

Pretty, Shiny Things

2011-05-23T07:16:00.002-06:00

The last two weeks have felt more like months.

WEEK #1:
During my week-long writing marathon/shower boycott my mom and dad sold their house for their asking price in a record eight days -- unbelievable in a good real estate market, unheard of in this buyer's market. The papers were signed while my mom was in Alabama. She left days after the for sale sign went up in her yard and returned to a sale pending banner. Thank goodness the weeks we spent pre-packing and staging before the for sale sign went up were worth all the hard work.

WEEK #2:
My parents have been looking at existing homes for a few months and haven't found anything they can't live without. So they decided to meet with a new home builder. They found a floor plan they love, within a price range they love, in a neighborhood they love (three minutes from us and one minute from my brother and sister-in-law).

Since they're going to be homeless soon it was important to act fast. Their builder usually gives people a month to select all their outside and inside finishes. We did it in one day. Yep, you read that correctly!!

After a full day driving around model homes, looking for ideas, my mom and I spent the next day selecting door styles, paint colors, cabinet fronts, wall placements, counter top edges, street number styles, and on and on and on..... Their builder said this has only happened once before and it was rushed because the family was living out of state while their house was being built.

RECAP:
This is why ye olde blog has been so quiet. Also during this time Cooper celebrated his 15 month birthday!! At his appointment he weighed 21.6 pounds (11 percentile) and was 32 inches long (80 percentile). He's strong and healthy.

A few of Cooper's favorites include:
Playing with remote controls, cell phones, and cordless phones.
Stacking and climbing on toys.
Saying "juice", "tickle", and "Gigi" (my parents have a dog name Gigi but Cooper uses this for all dogs).
Pointing to let you know exactly where he wants to go.
Playing in his tent.
Babbling like crazy.
Doing his version of a jump (trust me, it's adorable).
Playing chase.

One rooster-haired little boy hanging out in the doctor's office with his toy cheetah.

As you can see, blessings abound. We are healthy. My parents are overwhelmed, but I'm pretty sure they're happy (picking out lots of pretty, shiny things can do that to a person). I'm thrilled to have them closer and Cooper is excited that he'll be able to swim in their neighborhood pool. The Lord has definitely blessed our family and for that, we are supremely grateful.

Hygiene is Overrated

2011-05-13T06:58:00.004-06:00

I've only showered twice in the past 5 days. Cooper and I have both been in our pjs until at least 4 PM each afternoon, my legs haven't met a razor in the past week, and I've only left the house once since Monday. Sickness at home? Nope. Just busy working on my latest writing assignment for Paper Crafts magazine. I can't say much other than it's a mountain of work packed into a very short amount of time and the final product is going to be awesome (like you'd expect anything less)!

Wanna know the best part about all this madness? I actually have a job where I can go to work in my pajamas and no one will care. I also have the world's best assistant in the form of one cute and cuddly little boy! I didn't post a Mother's Day blog this year so just let me say that I love being a mom! I love staying home with my little man and I love my mom and mother-in-law.

Happy Friday all! Here's wishing you (and me) a weekend full of bubble baths, lungs full of fresh air, and silky smooth gams. As a parting gift, two cute pictures of my favorite little boy in all the land.

How quickly their moods can change. Cooper didn't love his tie at first, but it grew on him quickly.

Thanks to my mom and dad for the cute Easter clothes. Cooper was finally healthy enough to go to church this past Sunday and show off his new duds.

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

2011-05-11T06:22:00.004-06:00

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons peanut butter
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9x13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2.Melt together brown sugar, peanut butter, honey, butter, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until well combined; remove from heat.
3.Combine oats, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the brown sugar mixture into bowl; stir well to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and pecans. Spoon into prepared pan; pat down and spread evenly.
4. Bake in preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe started here. I tweaked it a little and think it turned out great. It's yummy by itself and would be great with vanilla yogurt or milk. I also thought it would make a nice snack for a few of my favorite travelers. I gave little baggies of this treat to the Paper Crafts Editorial Board ladies the last night of their visit. Thanks for letting me join you for a few hours!

For more recipes and ideas check out these blogs.

Royal Wedding Watching Party

2011-05-09T06:20:00.000-06:00

In all honesty, I was starting to get sick of all the royal wedding mumbo jumbo on every major news show. Just give me the real news, people! That is until my mom suggested having a wedding watching party (she can distinctly remember watching Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981). Apparently all one has to do is promise food, friends, and fashion and I'll get behind almost anything!

Our party included princesses from ages 2 to nearly 82 (with a few handsome princes thrown in the mix for good measure). The dress code required hats and the menu was miniature. We watched the wedding at 1 PM which was much more reasonable than waking up at 1 AM to watch it live. I hosted and provided the beverages (a lovely selection of flavored hot cocoas and spiced cider) served in tiny tea cups. Carole made a wide variety of finger sandwiches, my mom made strawberry muffins, eclairs, and wedding cookies, and Sarah brought strawberry shortcake.

Is your mouth watering yet?

The guest list included:

Princess Sarah and her loyal subjects, Dawson and Emerson

Queens Carole and Melba

Lady Rachel Mega of Kamas and Lady Minnie Lee Mega of Needmore

Sarah taught us how to determine our own princess names:
1. Start with your grandmother's name.
2. Then add the name of your first pet.
3. Finally end with the name of the street you first lived on.
Having a dog named Mega Byte sort of ruins my name and my mom's. I hope your name is cooler.

Watching the wedding on the DVR was awesome. We were able to skip through all the boring stuff and enjoy the highlights (the dress, the church, the carriages, and all the crazy hats). During one of our fast forward sessions we let Cooper and Emmy play dress up. While Emerson held on to her hat for dear life, Cooper "worked" his prop a little more.

HOW TO WEAR A HAT BY COOPER J.

Cooper's suspenders were made by Sarah -- so cute!

We kind of threw this party together in a few days. However, if I would have had time I totally would have made a hat like this one from the Henry Happened... blog. I love it!

Oh feathery hat, how I love thee! Tutorial HERE.

Here's to the newly married couple, delicious cream-filled pastries, and finally getting back to the real news at 5 PM.

Ruffle Shirt Tutorial

2011-05-06T07:08:00.000-06:00

Last week Cooper and I got together with my mom and the talented Sewing Sarah clan to make ruffle t-shirts. Sarah is the genius behind this idea and the workhorse too. I basically just cut the fabric and offered moral support.

SUPPLIES:
1. Two t-shirts (I used a tank top I no longer wore for the ruffles and purchased a t-shirt from Down East Outfitters for $10.99)
2. 1 inch ribbon
3. White buttons

So without further ado, a ruffle shirt tutorial:

Trim bottom seam from shirt.

Using a rotary cutter, cut lengths from shirt (see next photo).

Cut three strips following these measurements.

Sew a lettuce hem in each length. Then stitch together like so.

Pin and stitch to shirt. Doesn't Sarah make a great hand model?

Cut satin ribbon twice as long as ruffle. Fold in half and gather-stitch.

Stitch gathered ribbon to shirt. Note: Make sure you heat set the ends of your ribbon to prevent fraying.

This part was actually my idea!! Sew on cute little buttons by hand. :)

My ruffle shirt in all its textured and creamy glory.

I only had to buy my t-shirt so this project cost me less than $11! We applied the same design to a shirt for my mom. She purchased her shirt from Wal-Mart for $5 so she paid even less. Speaking of my mom, she played the biggest role in this entire project. Yep, she did this while Sarah and I worked:

Entertaining the kiddos is a busy job.

Thanks mom and Sarah! I literally couldn't have done this without you both. I'm linking up to these parties; check 'em out!

A Handmade Mother's Day

2011-05-04T06:32:00.007-06:00

I've already shared my Mother's Day gift idea with y'all, but I thought it'd be fun to share a few more projects that would be easy to make and are sure to cause any mother to swoon.

FIRST TIME MOM

We have some friends who just welcomed their first little baby into the world last week. Right now their lives are filled with burp cloths and blankets, but their lives (and their home) will be taken over by balls and blocks in a matter of months. I love this drawstring bag from the Lolly Jane blog. While the gift looks like something for a child it really IS for the mom since she's the one doing all the cleaning. :)

Tutorial HERE

SWEET TOOTH MOM

They're called Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies. Really, need I say more? I have a feeling your mom might completely forget about the time you broke her favorite crystal goblet after one bite of these tasty treats. Thanks for the recipe BruCrew Life.

Recipe HERE

FASHIONISTA MOM
My parents are in the process of cleaning and organizing their home so naturally I've been lending a hand. I was cleaning my mom's closet and discovered mountains of awesome jewelry. She had stacks of necklaces, earrings, and bracelets that I totally wanted to steal for my personal stash (don't worry, I resisted the urge). So when I saw this stunning bracelet on the Vintage Gwen blog I knew any bling-loving mom (mine included) would adore having this sparkler on her wrist.

Tutorial HERE

THRIFTY MOM
If your mom appreciates a bargain then she'll love the fact that you created a killer lamp for her and only spent $10. I love this lamp from the Okla-HOME-a blog. I'll take two please!

Tutorial HERE

Happy Mother's Day crafting. For more fab ideas check out these blogs.

A Lover's Quarrel

2011-05-02T06:37:00.004-06:00

Remember this? Apparently the honeymoon is over. We witnessed a bit of a tiff between these two while playing at the Discovery Gateway.

Emerson: Cooper, you know what they say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Cooper: Who's "they"? Can't you see I'm far too busy drooling to stop and eat an apple?

Emerson: Fine, suit yourself. But I'm not driving you to the doctor when you get sick!

Luckily, Cooper's parents taught him the importance of making up after a little spat with your betrothed. So he did a few chores in the yard...

...and then he hired a driver to take him and Emerson on a hot date. It looks like she forgave him.

On a seperate note, I found this picture on my camera. Perhaps this is why the little toad frog got the flu over Easter. GROSE!

Stuff I Like

2011-04-28T10:56:00.003-06:00

By now most of you should know that I like a good deal, chicken, and getting crafty. I also ~~like~~ love my boys and sharing fun stuff on this blog. I had lots of people talk to me about this blog post. They wanted to smell my hair and get the specs for the Swivel Sweeper. I even showed off the waistband of my jeggings to a few people who were on the fence about my must-have pantaloons (for the record, I think they were convinced that jeggings are amazing!).

Today I thought I'd share a few more items that, well... I like!

1. Pedipeds. My mom heard on TV that these shoes are perfect for little feet learning to walk. And since she's the doting TamTam that she is, she went out that very day and bought two pairs for the Coop-ster. I'll admit, he seems to walk really well in them but just as important as the health benefits...they are SO CUTE!! They come in lots of styles that are all miniature versions of adults shoes, which I love.

Cooper has some Pedipeds similar to these and they go with practically everything!

2. Carrie Bears. After reading my blog about Cooper's room re-do several people commented on his cute red gingham teddy bear. This is no ordinary toy. This bear was made from one of Dave's mom's shirts. Carrie specializes in making bears from the clothes of loved ones who have passed away. My mom actually discovered this sentimental shop and was kind enough to have bears made for Dave, Dave's dad, and Cooper to commemorate Dorine. I love this idea because unlike keeping their clothes tucked away in a closet, this is a great way to truly enjoy and celebrate you loved ones. And Carrie personalized the back of each bear. Cooper's bear says "Bear hugs. Love, Grandma Jesperson."

Photo courtesy of Carrie Owens Photography. Dave hand-picked this shirt from his mom's closet because he had many fond memories of her wearing it.

3. FREE Menu Planner. I found this free download and fell in love immediately. I printed it out, slapped it in a frame, and put my weekly menu planner to use. I've always planned my meals before heading to the grocery store, but now with the help of this little planner and a dry erase marker I have a cute way to organize everything.

No, we will not be eating Stir Fry twice in one week. This overly excited chef didn't catch that little misprint before snapping away. :)

4. Etsy. Not only do I like shopping on Etsy, but I like creating things for my Etsy shop. I recently had an order to create bracelets and earrings for one sweet bride's wedding party. I had so much fun creating with her playful pink and orange wedding colors and loved being a very small part of her special day.

Congratulations Jenn and Joe!

This concludes my Stuff I Like post for today. Now I'm off to prepare for tomorrow's English Wedding Watching party. The dress code requires a hat which means I'll need to get creative. And I need to find a recipe for a yummy finger sandwich. Pictures to follow...I'm sure.

I'm posting to these blogs so make sure you give them a look-see.

Easter Re-Cap, Ruffle Shirt, & FREE Printable

2011-04-25T08:38:00.002-06:00

I had grand plans of making elaborate Easter treats for our families and friends, but the little bean of a boy came down with the flu and my plans quickly changed. As to not arrive to our Easter shin-dig empty handed I scoured this awesome site for a free last minute Easter bag topper while Dave cuddled Cooper. I found this gem and knew I had my winner.

Add peeps, plastic baggies, and a few well-placed staples and your creations are complete.

I know Easter's over, but I'd highly recommend saving this free printable to your computer for next year. It's super sweet and I love the unexpected burst of gray!

Speaking of well laid plans, I wore one of my new craft projects to our Easter party hoping to snap a few pictures of my family of three searching for eggs in our Easter finest. Unfortunately, Cooper (who we thought was getting better or we wouldn't have taken him out) vomited all over his clothes, my parent's hardwood floor (which had recently been professionally cleaned), and my shirt. Therefore, there's no picture of said shirt.

We ended up spending our Easter evening at InstaCare (our Easter is sounding more and more like our Thanksgiving!). Luckily, the doctor said Cooper just has a bad virus that's presenting itself in a rash and a number of other un-blogworthy symptoms. We're crossing our fingers he gets better soon. He's had a fever since Wednesday and my heart breaks each time I look into his melancholy little eyes!

Let's just say I few weeks ago Sarah, my mom, and I got together and transformed boring white t-shirts into these awesome creations. From this:

You have to buy two t-shirts for this project, but luckily Old Navy was having a sale so my finished shirt cost less than $9!!

To this:

Tutorial HERE.

While our Easter didn't turn out the way we had expected we still enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. Dave narrated the Easter program at our church and my mom was nice enough to stay with Cooper so I could hear Dave. While I hated being away from the Coop-meister it was nice to sit quietly at church and really think about our Savior and the tremendous sacrifice he made for all of us. For that sacrifice, and countless other things, I am very grateful.

So there you have it: Easter bunnies, vomit, a ruffly shirt, and the true meaning of Easter all wrapped into one lovely little blog post. Happy Monday all!

Springtime Napkin Rings

2011-04-22T07:06:00.001-06:00

Looking for a quick and easy way to dress up your Easter table? If the answer is "yes" then I have the project for you. I merged a few different projects I saw online to create these sweet and springy napkin rings for my parents' kitchen table.

Supplies needed: coffee filters, jute twine, napkin ring, cloth napkin.

First, begin by adhering your twine around your napkin ring using a hot glue gun.

The first half of your project is complete. Heck, these look cute and beach-y just like this!

Cut a spiral shape into your coffee filter. TIP: You can layer and cut several coffee filters at once to make your project go even faster.

Begin rolling and gluing your filter starting at the center and moving outward. Roll and glue until your flower is complete.

Glue your flowers onto your napkin ring.

Insert your napkin and your're ready to party!

I re-purposed my mom's old napkin rings for this project, but if you don't have napkin rings you could easily trim a paper towel tube and cover it with twine. No one would ever be the wiser! I purchased 160 coffee filters from the dollar store for...you guessed it... a dollar. The twine was also "borrowed" from my mom so this project cost me, literally, fractions of a cent.

Lately I've had a lot of fun playing with coffee filters. They're white, ruffly, and inexpensive (three things I love!!). My mom was put in charge of making posters for a church activity. Translation: She'll play with Cooper while I dream up an idea and actually create the posters. Since we had to make a lot of posters and our budget was $0 I decided to make big, full, attention-grabbing borders from these filters.

They turned out pretty cool, right? And if your're in the area on May 19, stop on by. :)

I simply gathered the bottom of each filter and hot glued it on the poster board. I think this same technique would also be a fun way to dress up school posters. Teachers have small budgets just like we did, but that doesn't mean they have to sacrifice style.

I wanted these posters to be very white, but you can add instant glam by keeping all your coffee filters in one big stack and rolling the edges in liquid glue. Then roll the edges in loose glitter. Once everything is dry you can peel them a part and you have lightly glittered little ruffles just begging to be played with.

Dave's narrating the Easter program on Sunday and Cooper will be wearing a khaki suit to church. I hope you all have an equally wonderful Easter weekend. As always, check out these links for more fun ideas.

Lollipop, Lollipop (& Some Cake)

2011-04-20T07:12:00.002-06:00

The past few months have been remarkable. Cooper has transformed from a baby into a little boy right before our eyes. He's gone from crawling to walking to running. If you tell him to put the ball in the hoop, house, etc. he does it (unless of course your're visiting our home and then he'll refuse to perform -- sheesh!). If he sees a sock on the bedroom floor he'll carry it into the closet and put it in the hamper. He even tries to put his feet in Dave's shoes. He's understanding more and more every day and I love being able to stay home with him so I can experience those light bulb moments.

A few nights ago Dave was playing with Cooper and saying "Bran, he totally understands!" I acknowledged his comment and continued working on my writing assignment. Then he said "Why aren't you more excited about this?" I explained that I had gone through my excited phase already as I'd been watching these tricks first-hand for the past week. I suppose having both parents undergo the same aha moment at different times makes it twice as exciting... like celebrating Christmas twice.

Another Christmas-like experience: Cooper's first lollipop. Last week I joined my mom and Sarah et al at Gardner Village for an afternoon of window shopping, duck feeding, and chatting. Before we left Sarah bought her kiddos a treat and surprised Cooper with his own sweet. He knew immediately what to do with it.

Open mouth, insert sucker.

Remove said sucker from mouth, inspect.

Return sucker to mouth and enjoy!

Discover you can enjoy sucker without the use of hands, smile like crazy.

We tried to capture a cute picture of Cooper and momma. This was as good as it got. He's not looking at the camera, but at least he's smiling.

It took some rib tickling, but we got him to laugh.

P.S. I made this recipe on Sunday when we had some friends over for dessert. It was quick and easy to make and pretty tasty. Next time I'll add a little melted chocolate to the top (since it's just begging for a few extra calories), but even without the chocolate I'd give it my seal of approval. And as an added bonus Chelsea also has a cute downloadable recipe card for FREE!

Photo from Two Twenty One Blog

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

2011-04-18T07:38:00.000-06:00

The calendar might say it's Spring, but we've had snow flurries fall in the past few weeks so I don't think it's too late for a warm and yummy Chicken Pot Pie. I tweaked the Bisquick recipe and came up with this. It was super yummy and Cooper loved it!

Chicken Pot Pie

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 green pepper
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (for money saving chicken tips check this out)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup Bisquick Mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
2 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:
Puree green pepper in food processor. Pour puree over carrots, peas, and broccoli in a 3 qt. baking dish. Mix in chicken, and soup. In a separate bowl combine Bisquick Mix, milk, and egg. Mix until well blended and pour over mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with cheese and green onions, and let cool for 5 minutes.

I don't like green peppers, but I hate throwing away perfectly good food even more. My mom gave us a few grocery items that were going to go bad while she was on vacation. I decided to puree the green pepper to add a little zing to the dish without adding a super strong pepper flavor and it totally worked (plus I was able to sneak in another veggie)! It was super yummy. The cheese also melted perfectly while the pie was cooling.

There you have it. Another chicken dish a la Brandy. I hope you like it as much as we did! For more recipes and fun check out this link.

Chevron & Monogram Plate

2011-04-13T06:50:00.005-06:00

This week the girls and I got together at Sarah's house to create some super cute decorative plates. Sarah was inspired by the fab chevron plates on the Taylor Made blog and decided all of us needed our own copy. Sarah cut out all the vinyl using her Silhouette. The total project (vinyl + plate) cost $5.

First we adhered our chevron stripes to the plate.

Next we stuck on our monograms.

Naturally, I picked yellow and gray.

Myrna's brown and orange creation.

Mi madre's black and white with read all over plate.

I showed up late to the craft part-ay because the Coop-ster is coming down with a little cold. Luckily, this project took no time at all and even with my tardiness I was done in record time.

The newest addition to the mantel.

For this project and many more, check out these links.

P.S. I want to send a special thanks to Chiara at the Calico and Cupcakes blog for picking this plate as one of her Friday Favorites. For even more fun ideas make sure you visit her bloggy blog!

Cooper at 12 & 13 Months

2011-04-12T08:30:00.002-06:00

Since today is Cooper's 14 month birthday I figured it was about time to document his milestones at 12 and 13 months. And since I know you've all been dying to know...

12 Months
Took his first steps at 12 months, 1 week, and 1 day.
Learned how to get off the couch and bed by himself.
Can recognize family members' names.
Got his first really bad cold. :(
Became attached to his blue fleece blanket.
Stopped using a pacifier.
Loved peek-a-boo.
Mastered crawling up and down stairs.

13 Months
Knows the words clap, wave, ear, head, juice, ball, and shake (he knows more, but that's all I can think of right now).
LOVES playing basketball and can dunk like a pro.
Runs. He'd play "I'm gonna get you" all day long if you'd let him.
Has 10 teeth with 2 more on the way.
Waves at everyone in the store.
Can drink from a straw.
Clicks his tongue.
Kissed a girl.

Hi there little lady!

Look away, Mom. We're having a moment!

For the record, Emerson was the one who went in for the kill!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2011-04-08T20:45:00.003-06:00

It's time to announce the winner of the Vineyard Vinyl giveaway. I'd like to send a special thanks to Kristy for creating this beautiful custom Easter wall art for the Just Our Style readers.

I decided to pick the winner old school style! Names in a bowl and the winner is:

Jodie from Love, Laughter, & Decor is the lucky winner!

Kristy will contact you to get your shipping details. Thanks to all who entered this giveaway and happy Friday!

A Little Change

2011-04-08T06:51:00.003-06:00

To begin, I'm picking the winner of this vinyl giveaway tonight so make sure you enter before it's too late!

I get sick of my home decor quickly. But while I like to freshen up my surroundings, I like saving money even more. So after a year I was ready to tweak Cooper's nursery, but I had to do it on the cheap. Here was Cooper's room before. Cute, right?

For more BEFORE nursery photos go here.

I decided to play off of his vintage fire truck and add a few pops of red into his room. Remember this? Well, I figured I made it so I might as well use it as much as I can. So the Dave-ster helped me hang this cute red banner over Cooper's crib.

Then I took a red fleece throw from the family room (purchased several years ago from IKEA for this low, low price) and tucked it around Cooper's glider chair. This makes his chair even softer and comfy to sit in. I moved a brown leather bolster pillow from the office into his room and added a red sock monkey toy. Finally, I tied red ribbon from my stash around the tie-backs for his curtains.

I found this FREE print here and added a sweet sentiment to it using my Picasa photo editing software (the software is also totally free online). I still need to repurpose one of my unused frames and get this hung on one of his walls and I need to decide which version I like best. Votes?

The changes are simple, but I really notice them as I'm cruising in and out of Cooper's room. And from the looks of things, I think he likes his newly refreshed room too!

For more fun ideas go here, and here, and here!

P.S. My copy cat burlap wreath was featured on the Itsy Bity Paper blog. Thanks Lindy!

4 Money-Saving & Time-Saving Tips

2011-04-06T06:13:00.004-06:00

There are only three days left to enter this fabulously fun Easter giveaway so make sure you enter today! Click here to get the dets (thats's blog for details). :)

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. One lucky person will win this fab Easter wall decor.

I'm feeling a little tipsy today. Lately, I've come across a few tips that have saved me loads of time and/or money and I thought I'd share them with ya'll today.

TIP #1: GROW YOUR OWN BASIL

I love cooking with fresh herbs, but a package of basil can cost upwards of $4 and I often only use a portion of it while the remainder goes bad in the fridge. This leads me to my money-saving solution. My grocery store (Harmons) sells small basil plants in the produce section for less than $4.

I DO NOT have a green thumb so I decided this would be an experiment. Heck, if the plant died I'd at least be able to use what had already grown and it isn't like I'd be out any money. I planted the little fella in a yellow pot I had on hand (to match my new curtains) and watered it ever so slightly, once a day. Low and behold, it's still alive! I've plucked off lots of leaves for various meals and new ones have grown back time and time again.

One of the few plants I've actually kept alive! Since this pot wasn't designed to be inside, I adhered a circle of felt to the bottom with hot glue. Now I don't have to worry about scratching my counter tops when I slide it back and forth.

This little plant makes my kitchen smell nice, adds A LOT of flavor to my cooking, and brings a little of the outdoors in. If you love fresh basil, but hate the expensive price tag and waste, I'd highly recommend growing your own at home.

TIP #2: SHRED YOUR CHICKEN

Once a week I toss several (around 6) frozen chicken breasts into the crock pot. I add a little water and let them cook on low for several hours. After the chicken is cooked I shred it with a fork and portion it out for our upcoming meals. This literally takes no time at all since the crock pot is doing all the work and it saves loads of time when it comes to preparing meals later in the week.

Let the records show that Dave and I are carnivores. We like meat. But getting a little taste of shredded chicken in each bite seems to be just as satisfying (and filling) as cutting into a big chicken breast. By cooking with filling whole wheat pasta and adding lots of fiber-rich veggies we've been able to stretch two chicken breasts into 4 meals (dinner for two with enough left over so we can both have lunch the next day) and save money!! For a family-favorite recipe using shredded chicken check out this link.

TIP #3: TOILET BOWL YOUR SHOWER

Okay, let me explain. We have a walk-in shower with lots of seams which means lots of hard-to-clean corners. Save time by running your toilet bowl cleaner along all the seams. Let it sit for a few minutes and rinse it off. The design of this bottle makes it easy to get the cleaner right where you need it without scrubbing or spraying. I even squeeze some right on the glass surround. It works great there too!

These are on sale at Costco right now. Check your coupons!

TIP #4: BABY POWDER YOUR GREASE STAINS

Last summer I was melting butter. I wasn't wearing my June Cleaver apron and I ended up spilling melted butter all over my khaki capri pants. If these had been Old Navy clearance section pants I might have been okay, but these were J. Crew pants. The only item of clothing I own from J. Crew. Even though I bought them at the outlet I still paid a pretty penny. They had to be saved!

I washed and hung them to dry. The stain was still there. Then I covered the spot with liquid dish soap and got them nice and sudsy. Next I COVERED the sudsy spot with baby powder. Seriously, I loaded on the baby powder and made a paste. I let them sit overnight. The next morning I washed them on cold, hung them to dry, and BAM! The stain was gone. I've used this technique on a few things since then and it works every time.

Four generations enjoying the benefits of clean clothes!

For more tips, recipes, and projects please check out these fab links.

Embellished Frames: What's Your Take?

2011-04-05T06:47:00.004-06:00

First off, please make sure you enter this awesome giveaway. I'm accepting entries until Friday night.

One lucky person will win this darling Easter wall decor.

Okay, now to the crafty fun. My mom and I decided to invite a few of our friends to meet once a month to get our craft on. For our first official meeting of what I've affectionately called The Coolest Craft Group Ever we met at my house to embellish frames. We printed images found on the It Works for Me blog (Bobbi-Jo's printables and craft ideas are FABULOUS) then we dressed them up with ribbon, fabric, and silk flowers.

This was our inspiration (found on Bobbi-Jo's blog):

Here's everyone's interpretation. I love seeing how everyone adds their own twist to a project.

more than just jill and the always awesome alanna

little logan and mommy megan

jersey's own katie and bama belle tammy

the suspender-clad emerson, sarah, and dawson

your hostess with the mostest and her happy helper

After this picture with the uber cute kiddo was taken I decided I preferred my frame with the flowers on top so I popped out my picture, flipped it around, and ta-da!

Once again, this project didn't cost me a thing. I already had the frame, buttons, brads, and ribbon. The fabric for the rosettes came from old t-shirts I didn't wear any more (is that fabulously frugal or what?!). I trimmed them into strips, twisted the lengths, and glued everything in place with a hot glue gun.

These frames were really easy to make (our rule is the project has to be completed in an afternoon), and a great canvas for everyone to show off their creativity. I'd say our first craft group was a success. Everyone brought yummy treats to share (I made my version of these little nuggets o' joy) and we had a great time visiting over the jibber jabber of 4 kids under the age of 5!

While I know it's pretty hard to top these gems, there are even more exciting projects to be found on these blogs. Check 'em out!

Easter GIVEAWAY & a Burlap Wreath

2011-04-04T05:29:00.007-06:00

I'm not kidding myself, I know lots of you are here because of the giveaway so I'll start by giving you what you want. Kristy from Vineyard Vinyl has been nice enough to offer this darling vinyl Easter wall decor for one lucky Just Our Style reader.

Enter to win THIS custom designed wall art (a $30 value)!

Chicks not included, but they sure are cute!

Kristy has an amazing eye for design. My parents converted one of their bedrooms into a nursery when Cooper was born and Kristy helped create an amazing quote to go above the crib. She was fabulous to work with and her prices are fantastic! If that isn't enough, Kristy has three adorable little boys, is a great cook, and married to one of Dave's close childhood friends so that means she has to be awesome right? After all, only cool girls marry Orem boys!

You can enter to win FOUR times. Here's how:
1. Become a follower of this blog. The link is right here ------->
2. Like Vineyard Vinyl on Facebook.
3. Visit the Vineyard Vinyl etsy shop. Then come back and tell me what item is your fav!
4. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway (please include a link to your mention when you comment on this blog).

I'll announce the winner in the EVENING on Friday, April 8. So tell your friends...there are basically 5 full days to enter. Kristy is also offering a 15% discount for all Just Our Style readers. Simply enter the code JOSEASTER (for Just Our Style Easter, of course) to get your discount. Thanks Kristy!

Now, onto the crafty fun. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. So first, this project is a direct copy of a wreath shown on the That's So Cuegly blog. Second, Sarah is the one who found this wreath online and she even helped me glue on the flowers. Thirdly, it was my mom's idea to embellish the wreath with strips of burlap. As you can see, it was definitely a group effort, but in the end I'm the lucky one with this little gal decorating my front door!

Ta-da. Pretty cute, right?

Since I know y'all love a close up!

For step-by-step instructions for creating this wreath check out Linds's instructions here. And as always, you can find more awesome ideas here.

Best Baby Food Find So Far!

2011-04-01T06:52:00.000-06:00

For the past several months Cooper has been at the stage where we basically give him whatever we're eating. I haven't made any elaborate baby purees for him in a while. I still make a big portion of applesauce every few weeks but that's mainly because it's super easy, makes my house smell good, and uses up apples that Dave and I would otherwise throw out (not crisp = not eaten).

Back in the Fall, my mom suggested I make grits for Cooper. Grits are a staple in the South, but I'm surprised by how many Westerners 1) have never heard of them or 2) have heard of them but refuse to try them. Grits are basically ground corn (hominy). They're typically served with salt, pepper, and butter and as a child raised by a southern belle, these were a regular on our breakfast AND dinner plates.

I purchased a canister of quick grits from Wal-Mart for $1.16. This canister yields 18 portions. So that means each portion comes to a little less than $0.07! I cook them up in the microwave, add a small handful of grated cheddar cheese, and let them cool for a few minutes. For the record, I don't add any salt, pepper, or butter.

Cooper LOVES these and I love their price tag, easy preparation, and health benefits (they're loaded with folic acid and have no cholesterol or sodium). You can also make them with milk instead of water to add even more calcium.

Okay, that's my tip for the day. You can buy these in the cereal aisle by the oatmeal and Cream of Wheat. Just a warning, if you child sneezes while eating grits be prepared to give you both a good scrub down. These little balls of corn fly everywhere and dry fast!

Oh, and just because I want to, an iphone pic of our little man munching away!

Cooper, 12 months old.

32 Years Ago the World Became Awesome

2011-03-31T06:08:00.029-06:00

This little boy was born:

Dave, 9 months old. See any Cooper in there?

He went through his Utah County required BYU/red sports car phase:

Go Cougs!

Years later, he managed to woo this equally awesome young lassie:

Yes, apparently it's legal for children to marry in the state of Utah.

And eventually he became the world's best dad to this super cut kiddo:

Cooper and his daddy-o.

All the while, the world has never been the same. Happy birthday Dave! We love you SO MUCH.

Super Cool Bliggity Blogs

2011-03-30T06:56:00.011-06:00

Several weeks ago I was awarded the Versatile Blogger award by Lindy at Itsy Bitsy Paper. I was immensely flattered and am now super pumped to being sharing a little blog love with all of you today.

RULES OF THE AWARD

1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.

2. Tell 7 random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers (okay, I only have so many hours in the day so I've limited myself to 5 new found bloggers).

4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of your award know you accept it.

7 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT BRANDY

1. I love game shows, especially Family Feud.

2. I was born in Hawaii (no, my parents weren't there on vacation).

3. I'm notorious for clogging the kitchen drain with potato peels.

4. I not-so-secretly would love to be a professional organizer and/or own a flower shop.

5. If I could only eat one food for a year it would be eggs because they're cheap, yummy, and easy to prepare.

6. I've been swimming with sharks.

7. I started noticing gray hairs growing out of MY head when I was 26 years old. :( If Stacy London can pull off gray hair so can I!

5 NEW (TO ME) BLOGGERS

I saw Tausha on TV here in Utah and loved her fun style and creative ideas for avoiding sewing.

I love Kiki's fabulous eye for design and her free printables.

Aimee has great quotes, awesome graphic design skills, and sweet posts.

It Works for Me is an awesome blog full of crafts, freebies, and photography tips. Bobbi Jo is fab!

Charlie has tons of ideas and is full of inspiration. PLUS, she lives Hawaii so that makes her pretty cool too (see random fact #2)!

I really do love all these blogs and highly suggest you check them out when you have a little time. Happy blog hopping.