Girls Weekend

This past weekend, I flew to Oregon with my mom, my sister Jenna and baby Tyler. We stayed at my aunt and uncle's beautiful home in Portalnd (thanks Nathan and Rachel). Portland is a beautiful city and Oregon has the most amazing landscape. We went to see my uncle's play Prometheus that was finally produced by a small playhouse there. It was so excited to see what my uncle Dave has worked on for the past fourteen years actually on a stage with real performers, live music, and great costumes. His play is called Prometheus (click on the word and hear clips from the original CD) and about his journey as he creates man and tries to give them fire and help them survive from Zeus. It is a beautiful musical and I am glad I got to see it. Hopefully it will be on Broadway one day soon....

It was great to get a break from home life and get away with my mom and sister. Tyler was awesome and didn't hardly make a peep all weekend! I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful husband who let me go and great family support that helped him out.

Sweet Tomatoes Anyone?

So, another place to add to your free birthday list. It's great though, because once we signed up, we've been getting coupons every few weeks. Click here and you can BUY 1 Get 1 at Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation tonight or next week and then go to their website and sign up under Club Veg and you'll get your own coupons. Sounds great on such a hot day and everyone can get what they want. (This is not mu husband's favorite place to eat....but the girls and I love it!) Enjoy!

What's On Sale?

Every day I check out www.slickdeals.com, to see what others have posted that's on sale. Most of the times it's for online stuff, but occasionally it for deals in the stores. Right now, there is a great Old Navy baby clearance for 4.99 and under. If you use coupon code BFF, you get free shipping. Also, both www.layersclothing.com and www.modbeclothing.com are having great clearance prices on their modest swimsuits. Check it out and have a great day.

Family Weddings

My brother Cory with Jocelyn
My mom Joy with Victoria (and no I didn't have to play the harp...my aunt did!)
My cousin Jake, and his new wife Lindsey
Tyler just waking up in the stroller
Tyler and I at the beach for the ring ceremony

This summer David and I were part of four family weddings. David's sister Carolee, his niece Alexis, my cousin Jesseca and, yesterday my cousin Jacob. It was so neat to be in the temple with many of my family members for the special event. His new wife Lindsey is beautiful, kind, generous and they are a great match. Every time I am in the San Diego temple for a wedding, I am reminded of the day that David and I got married, almost nine years ago. Be brought all our kids down and my sister, Jenna watched them outside. It is neat for the girls to be at the temple. They loved seeing all the brides in their beautiful dresses. I didn't take any pictures outside the temple, but here are a few pictures from the ring ceremony and reception, which was right on the edge of the sand in Oceanside. I feel really lucky to live so close to the beach.

Cookies!

I don't know what it is about this cookie recipe, but it is the only one that I make now for my family. David loves it when I make these.....he really just eats the dough. It is that Neiman Marcus recipe that many of you have...or maybe you don't. I would love to know how many of you out there really make this recipe. After I make the cookies, we do something different with them. We freeze them in little sandwich bags....three or four per bag. David, the girls, and I (on occasion of course) eat these cookies but frozen. There is something wonderful about these cookies, when you make them and take them out of the oven slightly undercooked and then freeze them. We wait like a minute or two after they are out of the freezer and then eat them! This recipe reminds me of great times with my family. These cookies bring out the best of my husband and my girls! For those of you that don't have the recipe, here it is. Let me know what you think:

1 C. white sugar 1 t. baking powder
1 C. brown sugar 1 t. baking soda
1 C. soft butter ½ t. salt
2 eggs 2 C. flour
1 T. vanilla 2 C. chocolate chips
2 ½ C. whole oats
Heat oven to 375. Cream sugars and butter. Add one egg at a time. When blended, add vanilla. In blender, mix oats and baking powder, soda and salt until a fine powder consistency. Mix in mixer and then add flour, one cup at a time. Blend in chocolate chips. Bake 8-10 minutes on cookie sheet. Enjoy!!!!

Shout!

I decided to try to be more dedicated to writing "ramblings" down on my blog. I've had a few people tell me recently that I am a great source for information...whatever that means. A lot of it comes from people asking help with planning wedding stuff (which is easy since I'm at them all the time). But I'm taking that as a little challenge. I'm going to try to share somthing everyday (or every other day) that I think is a good find, a great deal, or something that just helped me get through the day. It will probably be something that I am greatful for....which when I write about, will hopefully help me remember all the things I should be greatful for, in turn, helping me be happier, even when I am exhausted with three kids (WOW! that's a mouthful).

So anyway, today I want to tell you about Shout Advanced Gel!( that sounds like an intro for a home shopping network infomercial). I love this stuff. It is the first stain product that really helps me get out all of Tyler's poop stains, Jocelyn's lipstick stains, and Tori's play stains from school. The best part is, it works better when you spray it and let it sit on the fabric for a few days, even a week....which works out great for me because I don't do laundry more than once a week. So, if you get a chance, try it and let me know what you think.

Life's Good When There's Lipstick

I am such a bad blogger. I get to the end of the day (finally) and I get so tired, instead of doing everything I want to do, like blogging, scrapbooking, cleaning and organizing, I end up sitting on the couch and vegging! Three kids has been fun, but drains me, especially because Tyler is getting up again at night, at least two times. I feel like I run on empty so many days.

Today was a day just like every other day, so I thought I'd post a few pictures of the kids and what's been going on. Victoria has to do her homeworks packet now everyday (and practice piano), so we are getting used to having quiet time. So Tori ends up at the table doing homework with me, Tyler sits in his Bumbo watching us, and of course Jocelyn is bored and has to do something I don't want her to do so I will notice her....today it was lipstick again. She is so obsessed with my make-up and feels that the world is going to end if she doesn't have dark lipstick on. She knows what colors she likes to mix together on her lips. She always gets it on her clothes and skin and gets mad when Tori and I start to laugh at her. I really don't know what else to do....let her do it whenever she wants or lock up my makeup bag? Not enough energy today to get mad......