I'm PIN-ning out of control! (Part one)

(This is the first of two posts on the subject of the all encompassing website that is Pinterest.)

Pinterest. 

I don’t even know where to start. 

My mom first introduced me to this site a while back.  I didn’t understand what it was or what it meant so I never signed on.  Then my friend Katy mentioned something to me about something that I knew I had to check out so I went back to the invite my mom sent and signed up.  It’s been downhill since then J 

I could never have imagined how crafty I wanted to be.  Or how much I actually wanted to cook and bake.  I don’t think my favorite thing to make will ever stop being reservations but I can tell you the other day I made something I saw on P and the response I got was so positive I wanted to cook more and more!  And don’t get me started on all the home décor crafts.  Hello, who knew you could make 417 different things with a door or window frame?!  And where on Earth do you find said door or window frame?  And I would have never ever said I was a fashionista but I tell you some of the premade outfits on there make me chanel my inner diva and make me want to pay attention to what I wear every day!  Even the funny sayings have me cracking up and wondering who I can send them to. 

I’ve had the kids peek over my shoulder a few times and even want me to look at this or that or repin this or that.  I do still love Facebook but I just can’t spend as much time there anymore as I can getting lost on P.  Can I just tell you one night (or morning as it may have been, oops) I was on there and there were literally no new pins.  I was crushed and had no choice but to go to bed!  How can that be?  Maybe I don’t quite have it all figured out just yet but I will make it my mission to do so! 

So…. Do you pin?

Why, hello again!

Ok ok so I apologize because I took the summer off and then that became kind of a semi-permanent thing!  I didn’t mean to I promise.  Blogging was and is a great way for me to get out what I have on my mind so I promise to be better at it.  And since FB is such a dud these days I better get it all out on here, right?  Since this is my first post back there’s so much to say!  Where to start?

These past few months we have done lots of fun stuff.  Went to Six Flags...

She won this ball!

... week long Boy Scout camp (that was nothing short of a disaster- over a third of the kids got sent home early because they all shared a bug including J1, there was a fire close to their camp grounds so one night was spent huddled in the mess hall for safety, and I'm pretty sure he didn't get half the badges he was supposed to because of all of that).

Our group before- half of them got sent home sick!

...Target, Hawaiian Falls, Target, slept in, and guess what?  Went to Target J  I also was able to sneak in a trip to California and saw my first surrobabe (the shy guy on the right- how precious is he!?)...

 ... and went to Vegas for the first time. 

My poolside view- it was as fabulous as it looks.

Then the kids went back to school and Jensen and I took the biggest trip of them all- we went to Paris!  That deserves its own post so be on the lookout for that but here's a few amazing pics.

Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Delicious food!

Arc de Triomphe at night!

Truly it was a great summer and last several months.  I am happy that we had the time to be able to just lay low, hang out with each other, and be with friends and family.  I fear that as the kids get older that more and more of their time will be spent away from the house, away from me, away from us a family and I am so thankful we had this time just to ourselves.  Does that make sense?  I’ve been told I’m obsessed with my kids but I don’t think that’s a bad thing!  I mean I know they can’t live with me forever, but surely until they’re at least 35 right? ;)

And now I'm back on the blogging train... I promise!  Also, a special shout out to my dad today because it's his birthday!  Even if we are still emotionally scared from when you scared the crap out of us the other day (dude- at 8:30 at night he banged on my back door and scared us all half to death.... he will get his don't worry!) we still love you and are glad you are in our lives!

How far are you willing to go?

For good ice cream that is.

When we went on our "Epic East Coast Adventure Spring Break 2011" {I still laugh out loud at the title} we had grand plans to visit Carlos Bakery.  The three hour wait did not appeal to us, although looking back now I'm wondering if we should have just sucked it up.  On our way back to the car we passed a Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop and decided to get a consolatory cone for our sorrows.

This is what I had:

It is coconut seven layer bar and it was indescribably good.  Seriously, just thinking about it now is making my mouth water.  Here's the description from their website:  Coconut Ice Cream with Coconut & Fudge Flakes, Walnuts and Swirls of Graham Cracker & Butterscotch

Hello heaven!

Here's the dilemma... there's a Ben and Jerry's in the metroplex.  But it's a good 35 minutes {at least!} away.  *sigh*

So what do you do?  Drive all the way there just for some belly busting but delicious ice cream?  Can that even be justified?  Or just relish in the good memories and settle on some still delicious Marble Slab?

Decisions, decisions...

Boob tube babble time

Let's talk TV folks!

There were some of my usual shows on hiatus starting this week so it was a little sad {I will miss Modern Family!} but some goodies are coming back!  Like for example...

The Little Couple
Love 'em!  I love all people little in stature {hello, primordial dwarfs!} and these guys are just too cute for words.  They are a great couple and I wish they had chosen ME to be their surrogate.  This week documented their continued struggle to create an embryo.  It was heartbreaking to hear him say she ovulated in the last 15 minutes.  I'd be PISSED if I were them, granted that's really unusual but knowing how these things go they were more than likely sitting around for hours and why he couldn't just do the sono in the OR before the egg retrieval is beyond me.  Anyway, I hope this season brings good news for them and I can't wait to see their house as it gets done little by little!

Real Housewives
I mean you didn't think I was going to skip it did you?  The NY ladies are still in Morocco which I must say seems nice yes but I'm sorry I'm not going to travel anywhere where I have to be watched over by security!  What the heck? And after Ramona and Jill got in that huge fight, Ramona looked so fake crying like she was- it was definitely for show. And Cindy does have a big chip on her shoulder- Sonja is wrong for how she has treated her but Cindy is trying to stir something up. And bless Alex's heart for her attempt at fashion.

Real World
Had me laughing out loud at the wedding stuff.  Naomi faking her signature- she really thinks Mike is going to make something of himself and apparently he does too since he wanted her to sign it!  LOL!  I'm interested to see if Dustin and Heather are still together at the reunion show next week.  I don't think this was the best season but it's much better than some of the recent ones!

Shows I'm looking forward to here soon...
The hot mess that is the Duggar family-  I love 'em so I mean that in a nice way :)
Toddlers and Tiaras- yep I watch it.  With my daughter too!
The Challenge- Real World challenges are the best.  Seriously.
Weeds- it got kind of ehh for a few seasons but they are getting back on their game!
Royal Pains- this show randomly came back in February for like 5 episodes. Weird.
The Big C- this was great last year but how can they keep it going? Not sure but I'll be tuning in!

Summer tv watching is going to be great!

Happy National Doughnut Day

If there's a day I'd love it's this one.  What's not to lust after if not a fried ball of dough covered in nothing but sugar? 

This is what I found out as to how this started:
National Doughnut Day started in 1938 as a fund raiser for the Chicago Salvation Army. Their goal was to help the needy during the Great Depression, and to honor the Salvation Army "Lassies" of World War I, who served doughnuts to soldiers. {from Wikipedia}

Well if this doesn't give you a reason to go out and partake in the thousands of calories and empty grams of fat I don't know what will!!  This sums it up....

In search of...

.... a husband!

If you know me you know I'm single and have been for some time.  I'm ok with it so don't feel too sad for me!

Because I have kids I feel the need to have some pretty unrealistic standards in place for any future husband of mine.  I can guarantee you will not read about me in the newspaper as the mother of an abused child who "didn't know".

But as high as my standards are apparently my daughter's are higher.  One day she made this adorable list of requirements and I just came across it recently.  I love it so much it makes me want to cry {mostly from laughing} when I read it. 




click on photo to enlarge


You can definitely tell at what point my sister got involved :)

In case you can't read it that well, here are the requirements {I've copied the words, capitalization, punctuation, etc as she wrote it}:

1# Does not smoke. <---- Please no.  It hurts momma's head.
2# Does not Drink Beer or okahalh. <---- Guessing that's alcohol and that's another no.
3# member of the church. <---- We're Mormon so it would be nice to share that with someone.
4# not alergic to cats. <---- Because we have two, but momma's allergic so I guess it's ok if he is too LOL
5# Does not have a Dog. <---- That's a girl!  Momma hates dogs!
6# Have a good Job. <---- Duh.  No explanation needed.
7# loves to travel. <---- Again, way to go girl!
8# is nice. <---- This should be a given, but apparently not.
9# Does not say Bad words. <---- And should be ok if momma does when she drops something on her foot in the kitchen.  Or gets stuck behind a crazy driver.  Or when she's late.  You get the picture.
10# Dresses niceley on Holiday Pictchures. <---- Most definitely,  because if my future husband were to wear shorts and a tee shirt for our holiday pics that's grounds for immediate divorce!
11# Will take us too school sometimes. <--- You know just to help momma out- maybe I can sleep in?
12# gets along with our Family. <---- Awwww!!  But yes, if I want to go play games at my mom's house for a few hours on a Saturday, it would be nice to know that he would be ok just hanging out with my dad or shoot even better, playing games with us!
13# Handy. <--- This for sure.  Momma is not handy!
14. not a Bad Driver. <--- This for sure also.  My babies are precious cargo. 
15 Pacince. <---- To make up for the lack of mine.
16# not Fat. <--- Actually, momma likes 'em with a little meat on their bones... just sayin'.
17# Has lots of money to spend on sisters-in-law <---- Yep this is where my sisters started having a say. Although if he does in fact have money to spend on them, that's cool.
18# Has money to spend on J2 J1 and Jenn <--- Well now this just goes without saying.
19# Billionar. <---- Let's not get crazy now.  Bill Gates is taken, I don't like Oprah, and I'm pretty sure I won't be marrying a Sultan from an oil rich country.


So if you ladies know of anyone make sure you pass his info on ;)

Not me!

Do you guys have the "not me" ghost in your house?

You know the one who goes around and leaves things on the floor, or uses the last of something and doesn't replace it, or who eats the last of something but can never be found?

I know him {or her} very well.  As a matter of fact, I received a visit from him just yesterday.

Know what these are?  Lipstick- or chapstick- marks on my bedroom door about 4 feet 9 inches tall.  That is amazingly as tall as a sweet adorable little girl that happens to reside here.

But she didn't do it.  Nope.  Not her!

And neither did her older and much taller brother.  Not him!

And I know for sure I didn't do it.  Not me!

I'm not sure if I should be scared by this ghost or excited that he was apparently so excited to be in my house he made out with my door.  Hmmm....