find joy in the journey

favorite things party

The first time I heard about a "favorite things party" was during my early days on Pinterest.  (Just do a search and you'll get lots of results).

This idea totally clicked with me and I knew that I had to throw my own Favorite Things Party someday.

After we accepted the new job last fall I decided that would be the perfect chance to throw one last party.  So last September I invited a small group of friends to my home for a evening of favorites.

This is the only photo I have of the invites -- the side is cut off for whatever reason.  (The little specks you see are glitter from Anna's pajama party invitations that I was making at the same time. These parties were back to back -- friday and saturday.  I know how to pack it in.)

It reads:

Please join us for an evening of favorite things

Please bring four of your favorite things (under $6) to share with the group.  
You will also go home with four new favorite things.

So that's the basic idea.  Gather friends.  Everyone brings their favorite thing (in a multiple of 4 or 5, whatever you choose).  Set a spending limit.  And then you do a swap.

For decor I started with "brown paper packages tied up string" and carried that feeling into the burlap runner, white tablecoth, yellow flowers and pretty glass dishes (picked up from the thrift store).  Simple and classic.

When everyone arrived we munched on appetizers . . . chips and a favorite dip, spreads, veggies, and little cups of fruit.  I also fired up the blender and made Lava Flow drinks.  My favorite drink from Hawaii!  Find the recipe HERE.

We started things out with a little game.  I handed out a slip of paper with 10 questions and asked everyone to fill it in.

Then we went around the room, one question at a time, and listened to everyone's answers.  If somebody else wrote the same answer as you (they had the same favorite flower, or book, or color, etc.) you had to cross out your answer.  Does that make sense?  Kind of like Scattegories, you might say.  At the end, everyone tallied their remaining answers -- the ones that were not crossed out.  And the 2 people with the most points (i.e. the people with the most unique tastes) got a prize.  

It was a lot of fun!  But it was really important to not share the purpose and judging criteria at the beginning of the game, or else people would have tried to be more specific and out-there with their responses.  The prize was a copy of "A Mother's Book of Secrets" by one of my favorite bloggers and her mother.

The game was such a great activity -- we got to learn more about each other and we also got some great book and website suggestions.  I know I was scribbling down notes!

You can download the game HERE:  Download Favorites game.

Now onto the swap portion of the evening . . . 

For our swap, everyone wrote their name on 4 pieces of paper and dropped it into a dish.  I mixed up the names and then went around the room and allowing everyone to choose 4 slips of paper (making sure not to choose their own name).  The 4 names that you selected became the recipients of the gifts that you brought.

Each person took a minute to talk about their favorite thing and then distribute the gifts to the ladies that they chose.

It was really so much fun!  Lots of anticipation on both the giving and receiving ends.  Just like Christmas!  But in September!  And with cool girly stuff!

I gave 2 mini latte bowls (in seafoam and ivory) from Anthropologie.  I just love them.  Other favorite things included:  chocolate truffles, face wash, a meal planning system, s'mores kit, a family dinner-time conversation game, soap, and more.

I handed out the brown paper bags above for collecting your new favorite things.  Inside I also included a can of Cream of Coconut and a recipe to make your own Hawaiian Lava Flow drinks at home.  (You can also download the recipe card HERE:  Download Lava flow recipe)

Of course I couldn't leave them without dessert before going home.  So I made my favorite . . . . pizookies!

Talk about a great evening . . . . games, gifts, visiting with great women, yummy drinks, dessert . . . 

I definitely want to do it again!

changed for good

When I moved away to college it was no big deal.  I knew I had my family and we would talk all the time and I would see them often over breaks and such.

When we graduated from BYU and moved to Oregon it was no big deal.  All of my friends had married and were moving in different directions.  Now I was with my best friend and we were going on an adventure together.

When we moved from a big Oregon town to a small Oregon town it was no big deal.  I hadn't made any connections/friendships during our 2 years in that apartment so I wasn't leaving anything behind.

When we moved from Oregon to Nevada it was a big deal.  Because I had made 4 of the sweetest friendships of my life and I had to say good-bye, or rather, see you later.

We took these photos back in September, a month after my moving announcement.  Over the next 6 months we lived it up, made time to be together, and enjoyed every single "one last time" as if it really was our last.

I love our group.  We are each so different, and yet we gel so well.

I love that we have endured all this time together drama-free . . . . setting an example for our daughters of how women can be together and support each other in healthy relationships.

We laugh.  We have our inside jokes.  We poke fun at one another.  Yes, I am slightly terrified of driving in the snow.  And no, I don't need to stop at the golf course for an emergency potty break!

These ladies were there for me during the move and beyond.  I felt so supported as little kindnesses and surprises kept popping up.  

• Thoughtful gifts in my guest bedroom . . . . 
• A touching canvas with the lyrics to "For Good" - just so perfect because I had just used the song in a photo slide show of our years together . . . . 
• A "welcome home" package waiting for me in the apartment the evening that I arrived . . .
• Text messages throughout the packing & travel days . . .  

I'm pretty lucky.

Since the move we've kept in touch through e-mails, phone calls, and a few birthday FaceTime sessions.  So fun.

But, today my heart is all a flutter and the anticipation is building because I get to reunite with these wonderful women this weekend.

{ Shannon, Sheila, Jenn, Nicole, Paige }

I can hardly stand the wait.  There will be hugs, laughs, maybe some tears (happy & sad), memories made, sharing, and fun.

On our moving day another friend shared this analogy with me . . . .   She was tearing out some shrubs in her front yard and noticed that no matter what you do, a few roots always get left behind.  The roots go deeper the longer you live somewhere and I have definitely left behind some roots in Oregon.  I am thankful for that.  And I am thankful for those who grew right alongside me.

this week

monday

I volunteered in Anna's class.  She says that my visit turned a horrible day into a good day.  Hooray!

tuesday

I got to see our house in person for the first time.  Yes, the first time.  I love it and I want to be in it!

wednesday

Normal day.  Workout, clean the apartment, school runs, oil change, swim at the pool.

thursday

I spent the morning at the school making cotton candy with other PTA moms for the spring carnival.  It felt good to get out and DO something and talk to people.  I also took the opportunity to get the scoop on teachers for next year . . . 2012-13 registration is due in one week.

friday

We attended the spring carnival as a family and came home with 3 goldfish, 2 earthworms, green hair, cotton candy, and lots of cheap prizes. We had a great time.

saturday

Great day.  While the kids were still in their pajamas, Scott and I went on a short date (more on that later).  Then shopping at the outlets as a family -- I found a great summer hat, the kids got sandals, and Scott picked up a navy suit.  We spent the afternoon swimming & lounging at the pool.  

Later I was able to finish a scrapbook project (yes!).  And we rounded out the day with a family walk to 7-eleven for a Redbox movie and slurpee's. 

sunday

We received callings in church -- we are both teaching Primary classes.  I have Anna's class (6-7 year olds) and Scott teaches Payton's group (8-9 year olds).  My class was really great today.

this month

April has been a good month as we have settled in a little more.  The temperatures are rising (100 today!) so we visit the pool as often as we can, until someone poops in the pool and they close it for 2 days.  We are looking forward to the end of Scott's schooling (just 2 more months!).  Before then we have to get through his upcoming trip to Rome, Paris, London, Munich, & Vienna.  So awesome!  I'm excited for him.

Luckily, I have a trip coming up of my own . . . so hopefully that will re-charge me enough to make it through 16 days alone with the kids in a new town.

As we live here I am more and more pleased with the area, specifically the area that our house is in.  It just feels so . . . nice.  I can't wait until I can show it off someday.

embrace the camera: april 19th

I love the embrace the camera concept.  Get in front of the camera more.  You need to be a part of the family photo album too.  Your kids want to see you.

But this is what happens when I ask Conner to take a photo of me during our outing to the cactus garden,

And then I get bunny ears,

Swatting Payton away is no use because he jumps back into the shot for more bunny ears,

And then someone is running around, nearly knocking over the old people . . . someone else is hopping in and out of the cactus bed . . . my photographer laughs as he takes rapid-fire photos when all I wanted was a nice quick photo . . . .

I have no other choice but to unleash the mom glare

*snap*  Get your butts back over here and stop acting like monkeys!

This is me most a lot of the time.  

That is why I need a nice, smiling photo once in a while so the kids can remember that mom.  We all know that childhood memories fade & blur, but photos last forever.  :)

Does anyone else play the parts of Jekyll & Hyde?

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link: get in my belly

Just a few things that I have put in my belly that are more than welcome to return again.

Sobe Lifewater with coconut water -- I was already a fan of Lifewater, but the coconut . . . . I am addicted!  Thanks to Paige for introducing me to this.  Each time I go to Target I clean them out.  It is just so refreshingly delicious.

Slow cooker shredded beef tacos -- Mexican dinner success!  I even got a thumbs up from my non-Mexican-food-loving husband.

Chocolate Banana Spring Rolls -- So easy to make and so delicious.  Of course, everything tastes better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  (I used semi-sweet Baker's chocolate squares instead of dark chocolate)

Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato salad at BJ's -- Love.

Oven cooked bacon -- Have you tried this?  I did and I am forever changed.

The "get in my belly" wishlist:

Crepe Cake -- I may need to hire someone to make this for me for Mother's Day.  Or any day.  

Source: creampuffsinvenice.ca via Shannon on Pinterest

eat chocolate, not preservatives.

A few months ago I shared my love of Ethel M chocolates on this blog.  So so so good.  Pure & delicious.

When I discovered that there was a factory here, with free tours, I had to go.

These kids are so weird.  I love them.

Oh, hey there's me.

The tour is short and simple.  It's basically a walk down a hallway that gives you a peek into their kitchen and production line, with signs that describe the process and share interesting facts.

Again, we took our time . . . reading everything, observing, and talking about each piece of machinery.  Not so lucky for us, they weren't actually making chocolate the day we visited.  :(

But we did get to see this guy pour a bucket of chocolate into a melting tank!

And these workers were sorting and packing finished chocolates.  Don't you love my pack of paparazzi?

And at the end of the tour (hallway) you get a free chocolate!

I think I like their slogan.  Eat Chocolate.  And no preservatives equals the freshest, most delicious, pure flavors you have ever tasted.  Mmmm.

Of course we had to pick up some chocolates in the shop.  Each of the kids got to pick out just one small piece from the chocolate counter.  Because, seriously, each piece is $1.75 to $2.  Each!

I chose the milk chocolate raspberry ganache truffle egg.  Or something like that.

It was delicious.

embracing the cactus

Day one of Spring Break I decided to take the kids to a cactus garden.  Since we're living in the desert we might as well embrace the cactus!  (But not literally, because that would hurt.)

This place claims to have over 300 species of plants.  And it was next to a chocolate factory.  Score!  You can be sure that we took advantage of that.  But first, the cactus garden . . . 

It was a beautiful day (as always), just a bit windy.  We took the paths slowly, observing & talking about each new cactus, taking photos, and learning about this desert vegetation.  Every few minutes a large airplane would flly directly overhead (on approach to the airport), so that was pretty fun too.

Prepare yourself for a whole lot of cactus pictures.  But I promise there is beauty even in these pokey desert plants.  You just have to look closely.

First off, we had to get a "pretend you're falling into the cactus!" picture.

Aren't these amazing?  I love them!  I told the kids they should pose just like the stick cactus/trees.

Ahhh, the Beaver . . . the state animal of Oregon.

And here we come to the end of our walk around the cactus gardens.

Next up, a tour of the chocolate factory.

visiting grandpa blain

Over spring break I had the opportunity to take a quick trip to visit my Grandpa Blain.

6 hours to drive there, a stay overnight, 5 hours drive back.  And no speeding tickets. :)

It has been 1 1/2 years since we last saw him.  And that visit was really the kids' first visit with their great-grandpa Blain.  They instantly fell in love with him!  It was so cute to watch them follow him around, ask questions, hug him, share stories, and just be so interested in everything in and around his home.  It really struck me as something amazingly special, the way they grew so attached to him so quickly.

Ever since then the kids have asked over and over again, "when can we visit Grandpa Blain?"

Well, this was our chance!

Grandpa lives in small town, Utah.  Farm and grazing land as far as the eye can see and teeny tiny towns dotted here and there.  He was born & raised in the general area and spent his childhood working on the family farm (from the age of 3 or 4 - they dropped him off in the fields with food and said, "get to work, we'll pick you up in a week").  He eventually developed a career as a dairyman.  As I grew up, visiting grandma & grandpa's house (in California) meant going to the dairy, checking out the cows/chickens/pigs/rabbits, smelling the cows, eating grandma's waffles & gravy, swatting flies, getting dirty, and going home smelling like a puppy dog.

I always loved that I had this piece of country in my childhood.  (Never-mind I grew up in a town of 4,000 that was populated by farmers & dairy workers.)

Here are some shots around his Utah home

Conner pulled out my mom's scrapbook.  "Hey Grammer . . . I'm looking at your deep dark secrets!" 

Anna sat on Grandpa's lap, told him stories, and gave him hugs and kisses.

Conner showed Grandpa his Nintendo DS and shared plenty of Pokemon tips.

We took a few walks around the neighborhood to get energy out and to play at the park.  (Here is my mom -- we stayed for one night and she stayed for 3).

But the biggest activity was checking on Grandpa's chickens.  The kids spent so much time out at the chicken coop . . . watching the chickens, feeding weeds to the chickens, clucking with the chickens, singing to the chickens, dancing for the chickens.  They wanted some fresh eggs so badly, but the chickens were always too wound up to go into the hen house and take care of business!  We tried to keep the kids in the house for periods of time, but it didn't work.  Someone would always sneak out to the chicken coop.

It was just about time for us to go home and still . . . no eggs.  At one point my mom walked into the house to find Conner in the family room, on his knees and praying for eggs!  

We gathered the kids in the front yard to give the chickens a break while my Uncle discretely went in the back to "check on the chickens."  After a minute we told the kids to check the hen house one more time.

Three eggs!  And one of them was even warm -- a super fresh one!

I'm so glad we were able to make this quick trip happen.  I know that my grandpa loves having visitors.  My grandma passed away in 2006 and he lives alone.  My uncle & his family live next door and there are a lot of people who check on grandpa and help him out in so many ways.  But even still, I'm sure he gets lonely.  His health is struggling too and he recently started hospice care.  

It makes me happy that the kids get such joy from looking through his rock collection, playing with the assortment of 25 year old toys in the basement, and talking to cows through the fence.  I'm sure it makes grandpa happy too.

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I've set a goal to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days.  This is number 31.

chicks & doilies

Living in an apartment with all of your possessions in storage has it's pros and cons

pro: living with less stuff is actually liberating.  Less stuff to clean, organize, and worry about.

con: when you need something it is buried 15 feet deep in a storage unit.  Like, Easter decorations.

But really, I am embracing this new-found life of simplicity and just forgetting about all that other stuff.  Out of sight, out of mind.  If it's not in the apartment already I don't need it!

And to maintain our simple lifestyle I have made a commitment to refrain from purchasing new stuff -- decor, knick knacks, etc.  We are comfortable with what we have, the basics, and I really really do not want to bring anything else into our space.

So back to the Easter decorations.  And every other holiday going forward.

My plan is to go homemade, on the cheap, disposable.  Perfect.

I pinned a few Easter craft ideas and chose this one to do with the kids -- Spring Chicks

A bath sponge for painting the body

Markers for beak & legs

And googly eyes for . . . eyes.

Conner got a little creative with his chicks.

This is "Robin Egg".  He steals eggs from the rich chickens to give to the poor chickens.

The second chick he made is holding a stick of dynamite.

Later I punched holes to the cards and strung them on yarn, stapled a few doilies, and wah-la!

A spring chick banner to adorn our dining area for Easter weekend.

The tablecloth came here with us.  Do you recognize it from here?  I trimmed the fabric and hemmed it (the sewing machine is not in storage) so it would fit our 40" square table.  I think the remnants will be turned into a pennant banner.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  And the kids loved seeing their artwork displayed this way.

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I had my heart set on picking up some yellow daffodils at the grocery store for our Easter table.  This time of year I can usually get 3 bunches for $5 at our local Safeway back in Oregon.

But sadly, there are no daffodils at the grocery store here.

The mums and daisies worked out beautifully (and cost a pretty penny)

But they just aren't daffodils.  {sigh}  

I guess we traded color on the ground (tulips, daffodils, peonies, hydrangeas, roses, rhododendrons, giant hanging flower baskets) . . . . for color in the sky (blue!).

bunny day: in photos

No, Anna does not wear glasses.  These are fake glasses from Claire's.  There was an abundance of sweetness & batting of eyelashes & hugs & persistance and Papa said yes.  She wears them all. the. time.  And loves them.  She tells us that they help her see better.  I think that they aged her about 2 years.  And I think that she looks pretty adorable.  (Note: the glasses will not go to school with her.)

See how all that sunlight is already making his hair lighter?

Bunny Day 2012:

the Easter Bunny filled the kids' buckets -- new swimsuits, candy, and one small toy

mom spent a few hours shopping

dad & kids went swimming.  Twice.

we dyed 18 hard-boiled eggs

watched The Ten Commandments

Easter Beauty

Anna has recounted her Easter experience with much excitement to nearly everyone she talked to this weekend.

"I actually heard the Easter Bunny hopping in the night! Well, I wasn't sure if it was a monster or the Easter Bunny so I stayed in my bed. But he brought treats so I know it is the Easter Bunny!"

My parents were here for a quick visit last week (we were the pit stop on either end of their trip), and Papa took the opportunity to take Anna shopping for an Easter dress. And accessories.

These photos are for him.

Doesn't she look just beautiful?

 

He is Risen

We sang the song He is Risen twice in church today, and the ward choir sang it as well.  It is a great song with powerful words & music.

He is risen! He is risen!  Tell it out with joyful voice.
He has burst his three days' prison; Let the whole wide earth rejoice.
Death is conquered; man is free.
Christ has won the victory.

 He is risen! He is risen!  He hath opened heaven's gate.
We are free from sin's dark prison, Risen to a holier state.
And a brighter Easter beam
On our longing eyes shall stream. 

We have had a good Easter weekend.  The easter bunny came yesterday, we dyed eggs, did an Easter craft, ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast, the girls got new dresses . . . .

And now today is for remembering our Savior, Jesus Christ -- His life, the lessons he taught, all that he did for us, his sacrifice, and most importantly that he lives again.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter from our family

I would have had a picture of Scott but he was rushing us out the door to church.  We were still 20 minutes early.  :) 

ETA:  Here's a photo of Scott that I snapped on our way to church.

The Hover Fan

For Conner, part of adjusting to this new school has been getting used to having homework and lots of it!  3 hours a day spent on homework has been the norm around here.  And on many days it stretches out even longer.

Sheesh.

We have been looking forward to spring break, mostly for a break from the homework.  In Conner's words last week, "I just have to make it through one more day and then I can be at peace!"

Now in the middle of spring break, we have indeed found peace.

For the last 2 weeks, on top of his regular homework, Conner also had a project in writing class.  An invention.  He had to create a model, write a letter to the government to request a patent, write a descriptive essay, and make a video or live presentation of a commercial that would entice others to buy his product.

It was a race to get everything done . . . he had 2 weeks to complete the project, whereas the rest of the class had been working on it for a month . . . but we did it.

Here is his commercial.  We had fun making it and Conner was thrilled with the way his model turned out.  I give you . . . The Hover Fan!

 

 

march photo a day

Another month playing along with the photo a day prompts from Fat Mum Slim.

1 - up - snow on my bathroom skylight
2 - fruit
3 - your neighborhood
4 - bedside 
5 - a smile
6 - 5pm - the movers are just finishing up
7 - something you wore - cleaning clothes & going to lunch clothes
8 - window - from 10,000 feet in the air above Portland
9 - red - waking up in pajamas from Sheila
10 - loud - running errands with these turkeys
11 - someone you talked to today - instant messaging with Paige
12 - fork - in my japanese cabbage salad
13 - a sign - moving truck has arrived
14 - clouds
15 - car
16 - sunglasses - so glam
17 - green
18 - a corner of your home - papers on the fridge
19 - funny - Payton laughing at a joke that Scott made
20 - before / after - setting up a command central in the dining room
21 - delicious - LOVE the Sobe Lifewater with coconut water.  Seriously addicted.
22 - kitchen sink - our kamikaze dishwasher spits water into the sink
23 - moon - hmm, how about the sun instead
24 - an animal - Payton's beloved Beary
25 - breakfast - none for me today.  It is fast Sunday.
26 - key
27 - your name - on notes from friends
28 - trash
29 - feet - and peanuts from 5 Guys, and watching Hook on Netflix
30 - toy - time to fill the Easter baskets
31 - where you relax - today, at the windy park 

let's go on a date: april link-up

Okay, I have to admit that making a date happen in March (the month of moving) was a bit of a challenge.  And throw in the fact that we are in a new area and have to start from scratch when it comes to finding a good baby-sitter . . . . and you can see that the odds were against us.  (Conner's almost there, but not quite ready to watch the other two for hours in the evening.  This is also the reason why I haven't seen the Hunger Games movie yet, dag-nabbit!)

But,

I pulled something together this weekend.  

I think the most important part of this date-your-husband thing is just that you set aside time for each other.  No distractions.  Where you can focus on each other.  It doesn't have to be fancy.  This month's date is a testament to that!

It's a British theme night.  In a round-a-bout way.  Because themes are fun.

First, we hopped in the truck and ran to Red Robin to pick up some fish & chips.  (We were only gone for 30 minutes - totally doable).  

And I just have to say that hopping into the date truck, just the two of us, felt sooo good.  It's been quite a while and I'm ready to make this a regular occurrence again.

We brought the food home and gave the kids one more hug & kiss goodnight (Scott thought it would be funny to bang on the patio sliding door before entering the apartment, which scared the boys out of their whits -- haha).

We spread out the food on our bachelor pad coffee table . . . .

And turned on Netflix to watch . . . 

Oh yes.  I have finally arrived.  Episodes 1 and 2 of season one were great and I can't wait to watch more.

Now, you're probably wondering what Scott thought about this date . . . . Well, several weeks ago when I shared my desire to join the Downton Abbey club he said that he would watch it with me.  So I took him up on his offer.  He liked it too.  We both agreed that the show is really interesting.  It's eye-opening to see how people in differing social classes lived in this period of time.

Now do you see how the British theme came together?   Fish and chips . . . . Downton Abbey.  It's a pretty loose interpretation of the theme, but in a pinch it works.

I had everything read to make scones as well, but we were too full.  So I made them for breakfast the next day.

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Okay now it's your turn!

Here's how it goes:

1.  Go on a date with your husband.  Easy, right?  And post a wrap-up on your blog.  This is for anyone . . . whether you put together a Year of Dates gift or not.

2.  On the first of the month, come here and submit a link to your blog post.  Not your blog

3.  In your blog post include a text link back to me.  You're also welcome to use the image below.

4.  Lastly, have fun and visit each other!