How many more days until Halloween mom?

With Halloween just around the corner how about some advent calendar ideas. If your kids are anything like mine, from October 1 on it's "How many more sleeps until Halloween?" Hopefully one of these will help!

I love this one!

This one is from Pottery Barn

Go here and learn how to make this one at home!

This one is from Pottery Barn as well (remember: I'm trying to convince the hubs that I NEED it :) Anything you guys can do to help would be great! i.e. comments directed to him, his email and cell phone are......lol just kidding. He would kill me!

9 years...time flies

Happy Anniversary hon! Can you believe it's been 9 years?!

I love you :)

Bad styrofoam pumpkin!

Feeling a little bored like I was today? I headed on over to Hobby Lobby and got these (forgot to take a picture of my actual ones.....bad blogger) extremely attractive pumpkins and thought they could use some tlc.


I bought some bronzeish spray paint and had at it! I first removed the stems and leaves then reattached them with hot glue after spraying them. Found some fall ribbon and whala....

Super cheap too!
Large pumpkin - 8.00
Medium - 4.00
Small - 2.00

Had the spray paint and ribbon already!

FYI

Tomorrow is National Public Lands Day! Hundereds of venues are participating and it's free admission! How great is that! Go here to see if there is a museum near you and then go here to print off your 2 free admission tickets. If you would like to visit a park go here to see what's available!

Get your swag on!

In the not so distant past I introduced this....people, there has never been anything easier than swagbucks. Everything is absolutely free. This is a website that is a search engine and by searching through them you receive swagbucks which can then be redeem for things in their store. Gift cards, sports equipment, perfumes etc. You can also earn swagbucks by redeeming codes that you find on their blog, facebook, twitter and many other places! Another important note....you NEVER get spam mail...EVER! If you would like to give it a go click below :) Look at me rhyming.
You earn 3 swagbucks just for registering!

Smart snacks

I am on a mission to change the way my kids eat. Especially the way they snack. Everyday after school its chocolate chip cookies or fruit roll ups or some other junk. So while searching on Parents.com I found these great ideas and thought I would share...

I actually think my kids would get a kick out of these! And if I let them help make them all the better! I'll let you know how these go down with the little ones....wish me luck :)

All recipies can be found here at www.parents.com

My Halloween decor...

I thought I would share my Halloween decoration ideas and get you motivated to decorate! I still haven't done these candles (which I really, really want to do) because I've been down and out with some sort of flu.....regular flu, oink flu, I don't know :) Hope you enjoy!

My adorable Scetsy candle and this cute box I found at Swiss Days!
By far these two things are my most expensive Halloween decorations.
candle - $27
box - $29

I love this witch! $12.95 at TaiPan (if you don't have a TaiPan near you, I am so sorry. )

Trick or Treat block set - $14.95 TaiPan
Boo pumpkin - $9.95 Quilted Bear
Spider - $3.95 Quilted Bear

These were flying out the door and me and my mom were determined to get our hands on these!
I think all together they were around $50 at TaiPan. You can also use these on Halloween with candles inside on your doorstep!

I think I got this at Gardner Village. Can't remember how much?

My table centerpiece is my kids favorite! Boston even took a bite out of one of the pumpkins thinking it might possibly be candy....
Happy Haunting sign - made it!
Halloween garland - $11.95 Some cute boutique in the Fashion Place mall

My front door pumpkins (one of my favs)
$11.95 TaiPan

Oh my ladder! Fall decor was $35 at Quilted Bear
Leaves - $1.50 JoAnn's

Maybe this will give some of you ideas or encourage you to get on over to Tai Pan or fly to were there is a Tai Pan :) I would love to see your fall and Halloween decor!!

Giveaway, giveaway!

Wanna get in on a super fab giveaway? I thought you might...head on over here and enter for a chance to win this!!! Soooo cute! She made me 4th of July ones and I just love them! Good luck to those that enter :)

Horrible no good very bad day...

You know those days were you just feel gloomy, sad and you just don't know why? Yep, having one of them today so I thought how can I get me out of this depressing state I'm in. So I am going to tell you all (don't know how many of you are out there that really read this) SOME of what makes me smile...and I would love to know what makes you smile when you are having a horrible no good very bad day :)

Tim Gunn (project runway) - the guy is always trying to find a way to give constructive criticism and I love his motto "Make it work" and I really want him as my best friend :)

and yes, I am having this for lunch just as soon as I finish this post...


Don't get this often anymore. In my hubby's defense, I got a foot rub almost daily when preggo......hmmmmmmm? NOPE - not happening :) I don't want one (a foot rub) that bad.


Here is a picture us sibs gave my parents for their anniversary. I just love my brothers and am so thankful I didn't have a sister :) I am really close to them and they are just so stinkin funny! You get them and my dad together and watch out.

Your probably thinking....she didn't say her husband or her kids! Of course they make me smile, I just thought that's obvious. So lastly is this song by Josh Groban. He could sing the phone book and I would be happy.

Halloween

I'm so ready for Halloween...ok not quite ready, ready. I just wish it was here, like tomorrow :) Here are some fun ideas I found while searching for some new things to do around my house. Later on in the week I will show you my abode all dolled up!

I just love when I see pumpkins like these....I just don't think I would have the patience for it.

Love, love, love these....how simple and adorable! I'm doing them...

If your like me you have some of those decorating twine balls, I plan or replacing those with these for the holidays!

Not a fan of the candles, but I like the spider webs on the mirror. I found this idea on Martha and this is how it was done. Grab some glow in the dark glue and make your web on some parchment paper. Let it dry completely, peel off and it will stick to your mirror!

How cute is this? If only I had $70 to splurge on this....still trying to find a way to convince the hubs :) I'll let you know when (or if) that happens.

9-9-09

I'm in SWEET heaven...

What took them so long? :)

Sweet yumness...

I went up to my parents on Saturday with the girls (Brad and Boston stay home and watched the game.....GO BYU!) and they taught me how to make and can homemade salsa! I had a great time and learned a lot. I did not realize the amount of work it takes! My dad was there too...he got the final "right recipe" and we chopped and boiled and spiced for about 5 1/2 hours! My hands and fingers still smell like garlic. Look at me go....homemade salsa, laundry soap...I'm trying to be all domesticated :) Key word, trying. Can't share this recipe though, my parents would kill me :) Have a great Labor Day all!

Oh my yumness!

"Back to Basics"

At Enrichment last night we had a "Back to Basics" class. So very interesting and motivating. I got my cute little butt out of bed and headed over to Smith's to get my ingredients for homemade: bread, laundry soap, dishwasher detergent and Windex! And guess what I've been doing all morning....not bread quite yet (I do have kiddos to get off to school) I've been making the detergent. This is soooo easy and works GREAT and super cost effective. I've added a picture of the ingredients so you don't spend 20 minutes in the detergent aisle like I did.....Aren't I nice? :) Do ya want the recipe? Do ya?


Liquid Laundry Detergent

-1/3 bar grated Fels Naptha soap
-1/2 C. Washing Soda
-1/2 C. Borax

You will need a small bucket or huge pot.
Put grated Fels Naptha into a large sauce pan.
Add 6 cups water and heat, until soap melts.
Add Washing Soda and Borax.
Stir until dissolved and remove from heat.
Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.
Add soap mixture and stir.
Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours. It will gel.
Pour into whatever container. Gently shake before using.
Use 1/2 cup per load.
(you can add essential oils if you would like)

Powdered Laundry Detergent

-1 C. grated Fels Naptha soap
-1/2 C. Washing Soda
-1/2 C. Borax

Mix and store in an airtight container or bag.
For normal loads, use 2 tablespoons
For heavy use 3 tablespoons


Dish washing Detergent

1 1/2 C. Borax
1 1/2 C. baking soda
1 C. table salt

Shake together in a container.
Use the normal amount you would normally.


Isn't this great? It makes a ton and they even suggested measuring out your ingredients so they are ready to go and keep them in your food storage!!! If you try it, let me know what you think :) Have fun....

Sweet sayings

How cute are these lunch mail cards?! Just ordered some for
Hannah, since she refused to eat school lunch, lucky me.
They have about five or six different sets to choose from.....so cute!

The time has come

The time has come. Time to get off the booteh and get some good deals. Wish me luck tomorrow.....I'm kinda scared, it's been a while. I'll post my deals tomorrow night....that is if I do good :)
p.s you may notice MAKEOVER! what do you think? I also have a grab button too on the side of my blog.....what else was I going to do on the second peaceful day of school?
p.s.s If you haven't headed over to Livielou Boutique to enter the giveaway, go now. What are you waiting for? Contest ends on Sept 3rd!