Simple Pleasures...

It's way too easy for me sit here and list off all the things that annoy me or have been bothering me lately... That's what being home with sick kids will do to 'ya!!! But Yesterday while soaking in the tub ( one of my favorite things to do!) I was really aware at that moment of the wonderful blessing i have been giving and the small things that bring a smile to my face or a restful moment to my soul!

These are my simple pleasures I am grateful for lately...

- A pair of warm socks on cold tile! Need I say more!!!

- Finding Yoplait Yogurt on sale and reminding yourself that it really does taste better then the generic brand!


- My favorite recent find the Neutrogena Advanced Solutions At Home MicroDermabrasion System!!!! ( cue the singing angles and heavenly choir!) This was the best $33 bucks I have spent in months!I love love love this little guy! My skin feels amazing and I can tell my texture and look of my pores and skin tone have improved! It's like my own little spa get away each time I use it!!! But the hidden Simple Pleasure in this find is the fact that I gave in to a personal want and allowed myself to spend the money on myself. I rarely do that for pleasure items!

- Finding good shows on Demand!!! I love On Demand! I recently discovered that they have CBS shows like Survivor and Kid Nation... yes I like Kid Nation, on Demand!!!Whoo hoo... I always forget to set a recording and I have yet to master the set a series to record! Do you know how many Americas Next Top Models I have missed!!!! I love siting down for 40 min when the kids are asleep and watching a guilty pleasure with no commercials!


- Watching snow fall! One night we sat and ate dinner with all the shutters opened and just watched it snow! It was so beautiful and so relaxing! I forget about the pure beauty of fallen snow when I have to scrape it from my windshield!!! Seeing it fall and appreciating it's purpose is a reminder of Heavenly Fathers abilities to make beautiful things!

- A long phone call with a friend! I love almost more then anything my relationships with my girlfriends! I cherish friendships so much. I can rarely get off the phone with my SIL in under 45 min. And my sister and I talk multiple times a week and talk about nothing! That's the best!!! I recently talked to an old roommate from college for over an hour! Time stands still when I reunite with some one I love like that! Memories rush back and events are recalled that ignite happiness and nostalgia! If I can't be with my closest friends every day I'll gladly take a phone call as a plan B substitution!!!!

- Finishing a project! I seem to be neck deep in projects! I have things to do all over the house and yet I lack the motivation to just get it done! But on that special occasion I do find the desire to get started I sure do love the feeling of checking it off my list and getting a project completed!!!!

My life is a constant balancing act! Trying to balance the good with the bad, the enjoyable with the mundane! It's all what we signed up for! I just have to remind myself to not dwell on the bad and appreciate the good more! Life is a beautiful thing! We are so incredible blessed if we just take the time to realize the good that has been placed in our paths!

Christina is the Winner!!!!

Yeah for Christina!!!She was the only one who picked out "The what's not Becca here" item!!! It was the metal bird!!!! Many of you may know but some may not that I am so scared of feathered friends! I hate hate hate birds. I get frozen with fear at times over it! I can barely feed an aggressive group of ducks without tensing up and wanting fly the coop!!!

So hats off to Christina!!! In my defense..I love metal and this bird was too cute not to buy and it was so a bargain at $2.50! I do love distressed things and it fit three out of four criteria!!! Now if it was a metal distressed Double Double... now that would have been perfect!!!!

This ought to tide you over...

This preview will hopefully help the hate mail I'm getting!!!! he he he!!!! Here is a sneak peak of a few rooms progress!

Living room! This room is my favorite so far! I LOVE my red piano and have been able to sit down and play! The pictures on top still need to be hung but i love them. I change the Scrapbook paper out seasonally to display Holiday prints and then i have a few to compliment the room! It's a great way to swap out some decor... you all know I get really board with decor and have to change it often! BINGO!!!!



This frame will house my Heritage Photos! I have a beautiful collection of old black and white photos of Ancestors ! I can't wait to get this done!



Scale was a big deal in this room because it so small so I totally scored when I found these amazing chairs in the perfect color and perfect size!!! The lamp is my modern/ retro throw back. I love rooms that combined different styles and elements!




Here is the entry table that greets you when you first come in! It's from my all time favorite store I've found out here "Home Again!" I just had to have it and it works great right here! We take our shoes off in our house so this houses them perfectly so you don't trip all over them...If I need the storage at some point I'll add a shoe basket.




Moving on to the upstairs family room... here are the wall irons my dad helped me hang while he was in town. This is a large vaulted wall so it needed some weight on it and something substantial. The Apothecary Jars get changed out seasonally too!






And lastly the Basement...a.k.a. Mikes Domain!!!This is going to be a fun room once it's done. It will have vintage advertisements, tin colorful wall mounts and some original art done by yours truly. So far we've only been successful at getting the entertainment center filled with treasures. I love how this display turned out! It has all my favorite things! I LOVE Books! I love vintage things, That Urn was Mikes grandparents wedding gift, and I adore clocks!!!!! Can any of you pick out the one funny odd thing on display that isn't in character for me???? I still loved it when I saw it so I just had to buy it!






Ok... that's it for now! Don't get depressed!There is more to come in the next little while! Bedrooms, kitchen and more are still to come!

Gettin' the job done... Finally!

So we had a painter lined up that quoted us an awesome deal on painting 5 rooms in our house! He said he was really busy during the Holidays and we understood. It's been weeks since we last talked and he doesn't return my calls! Thankfully we never gave him any deposits. He came with great references and everything but I just can't wait any longer! Finally Mike and I just decided to start painting ourselves! We just finished the girls room this weekend and we love how it all turned out! I'll finish decorating it this week and post pictures.It went so fast and was so easy! We only had to do one coat... that's the advantages of buying good paint!!!! Boo, you'd be proud!... I know I am cheap when it comes to a lot of things! I have been using "oops" paint that usually takes coat after coat but we want to do it right inside the home so we spent the money!!!

We'll next tackle our bedroom, a guest room and maybe the kitchen! But finally I feel like the house, one room at time, is becoming a home! It's been so fun finding a piece here and there to add to a room that pulls it all together! I have fallen in love with decorating! It's fun to have items in our home reflect our personality and add charm to a space! Everything we add to our space means something to me. Be it a favorite color, a memory reminder or a style of furniture, it all means something to me! We have a very eclectic taste but the underlying theme should always reflect our personality and I think we are achieving that!

I'll have plenty to show off in the next week or so! I am busy with project after project and feel like I am under the gun to get it done before Christmas!!!! It's taken long enough!!!!!!

Here is the recipe for the creamed corn I'll be making... it's a favorite! One more reson why I love Kraft Food free magazine. There website also has the same incredible recipes as well!



2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. milk
1 can (14-3/4 oz.) cream-style corn
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup sliced green onions

COOK cream cheese and milk in medium saucepan on medium heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently.

ADD cream-style and thawed frozen corn; stir. Cook 4 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

SPOON into serving dish; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and onions.



Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy all the wonderful time together with family and friends and food!!!! I am so grateful for all of you and the friendships we share! Hugs!

Monday Monday....

My morning started off with a sour toddler! All I am hearing is " Mommy mommy!!" in a whinny voice! She follows me around just miserable for no reason! It's most likely the aftermath of visitors! My kids are always at their worst behavior when we have company! they ignore rules, our instruction and just get crazy! The few days after are a recovery session for the kids and I HATE it!!!!

So are you guys looking forward to Thanksgiving! I am!!! I love this Holiday! WE are having Tiff and Josh and my Mom over for dinner! I can hardly wait! I am making my first Thanksgiving dinner. Here's the menu...

Turkey ( cross your fingers I know can figure this out!)
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Creamed Corn ( not what you think!)
Jello salad
Rolls
Salad


I'm hungry already! I just hope it all goes ok. I love Thanksgiving day. We sit around looking at ads for Black Friday!!! Any of you planning on venturing out to go shopping the day after?

Cleaning Day...

I have family coming into town this evening so today is cleaning day!!!! I have to be honest and tell you I really enjoy cleaning! I love spending an entire day on it and seeing the magnificent results! I am really good at keeping my home tidy so when it comes down to the nitty griddy it's just a huge deep clean and that's my favorite. I get tired of the daily pick up but I love a deep clean!

My favorite room to clean is the kitchen! I love having perfect counter tops and clear surfaces. My least favorite is cleaning the girls room basically because that's the room that will get destroyed the fastest the moment it's done!

I love to mop! And I hate putting away laundry! So I guess you can say me and my house have a love hate relationship!!!

What do you love and hate about cleaning? Do you have a schedule you follow when it comes to cleaning? I love to hear what others do!

My new love affair...

Don't you love it when you find a new yummy treat!!! These would make awesome Rice Crispy Treats I'm sure!!!!

What's your latest snack must have!?

I was right!!!!

Now I never , NEVER get this excited when I find out I was really RIGHT!!!! But last night I could barely control my excitement because those who were there tried so hard to disprove me ... and they did originally!!!

Let's rewind a month and I'll set the stage! We had just enjoyed a great weekend down in Prove hanging out with Josh and Tiffany and we ended up at their house just watching foot ball games. As we flipped back and forth from game to game I SWEAR I saw a one armed Player!I kept telling them for sure I saw one! They so didn't believe me! Mike kept saying " how can a guy play with one arm? Your nuts!!" No one believed me. Tiffany, trying to be supportive jumped on line to do some research and came up empty! We all left it at that!

THEN!!!!! last night BYU played TCU and there appears, clear as day, a one armed kicker!!!!!! I about jumped out of my skin I was so thrilled!!!! I was Right!!!!! I got on the phone right away and Tiff answers " The one armed kicker right!!!!" I was overly happy I admit but it was just too funny!!!!!

Thanks #58 Drew Combs from TCU!!!!! By the way you did a great job!!!

Good Morning!

How long does it take you to feel awake? I swear! I wake up nearly every day wishing I could sleep longer! I don't stay up too late but still I am such a horrible sleeper I toss and turn and wake up so often I never feel like I have a restful nights sleep! I don't feel right ( meaning happy, awake and pleasant to be around!) till well after I am up and have made the girls breakfast! Sad I know! Mike and I butt heads the most in the morning! I wish I knew how to fix that!

Yesterday, I am happy to report was a great potty day!Blue used the bathroom about 7 times! She as so adorable in her plastic training pants and we even made it out to the doctor and WalMart in panties with no accidents!!! Half the time she told me she had to go potty! So I feel like I am doing something right!

Tonight I have Bunko! I can't wait! I love this time for myself!

Here's a question for you.... What are you most looking forward to over the next two holidays?

I am most looking forward to having family visit! I miss Steph and Rob and the kids and can't wait to pull "Most nighters" with Steph and craft and gab and eat!

Can you believe there are already playing Christmas music!!!! Yikes!

Tagged by Shireen

First of all a little shout out love to Shireen!!!!! Miss you and love ya!!!!

Here are the rules:
A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog, for these rules.

1. I love straws! I keep straws in my house and use them 90% of the time. I just love them. I have a box of multi colored bendy straws right now that I am about half way through. I think I drink faster with a straw and I like not having to get my teeth cold when I drink ice water! I also think they remind me of my Grandmother. She always had, and still to this day, a straw dispenser that as kids we always thought was the coolest!

2. I am addicted to paper! I love love love pads of paper. All shapes and sizes. I love making lists and writing where ever I go so I usually have paper on hand! I get excited when I get free advertising pads of paper from realitors, banks and insurance companies! I am not sure what I am addicted to more. Do I love paper because I love making lists or do I love making lists because I have so much paper? It's the " what came first? The Chicken or the egg" question!!!

3. I love this seasons Bachelor! No really I do... I think he is the best one yet! I secretly would love to go on that show to see how far I could get because I think we would make a great pair... minus the me being married part and the fact that he owns bars and I don't drink and never will...oh and there's the thing about me having kids... well you know what I mean! I think he is A. yummy!!! B. so genuine! and C. so fine to look at!!! It's my secret fantasy crush!!!! Come on... we all have one!

4. I love make up! I love the way it can make me feel! If I am ever feeling a little under the weather or a little gloomy make up can quickly help change my mood. I feel put together and alive when I wear it! Thankfully I feel blessed to have great eyelashes and fuller lips for my family so I just love enhancing them. I would love to learn how to wear it differently. I feel like I always look the same when I apply it! I would love to learn how to do a smoky eye and other fun date night looks. I'm not that kind of girl who can't go out with out make up. I am as average as the rest of us and can go shopping "naked" and not be embarrassed. I just love to put it on and feel put together. As a mom I use it as my reminder that I am not just mom. I can still be a fresh, together and up to date woman!

5. Books books books! I can get a sort of high when I walk into a book store! There is something about brand new shiny books all together that makes my mouth water almost! I am an avid reader! I set a goal last year to read between 25-40 books by the end of this year and I am so close to meeting my goal! I simply adore a good book. It's not just the reading part I love, it's the romantic notion that I can escape my day and become connected to a different place and time! I love words! I love characters and I love endings! I could spend hours in a book store. I love book covers and admit to picking up a book based on it's cover. I read books based on few things. They have to either make me laugh, think or teach me. My favorite book is "The greatest Salesman on earth" by Og Mandino. He is a favorite author. For comedic draw I adore Janet Evonovitch. I love WWII topics and church novels as well. I have a list of great reads if you ever want any recommendations!

6. I don't often wear perfume! I have yet to find a signature sent. I don't oppose perfume... I just haven't found something I can handle for a long time! I get headaches from smells and that always seems to be the black ball that counts scents out! I once bit the bullet, while single, and spent $90 on a bottle of perfume from Nordstrom's that I fell in love with at the store. When I wore it one night this guy asked the group who had b.o.? I was horrified that my it might have been my perfume and I stopped wearing it! I think I sold it at a garage sale for $5. So I don't have a good history with fragrances!


ok.. I tag Ranay, Jessica, Megan, Annie, Julie, and Boo!!!!

What a bust!

And I'm not talking about mine... because we all know that's disappointing! But speaking of disappointing... The post Halloween sales sucked so hard today! I came up empty and all I got out of it was crabby kids and a ticked off mom!!!!

What happened to all the 50-75% off sales I am used to? I went to Roberts-crap! Old Navy- ziltch! Walmart- junk and only 50% off a small selection. Tia Pan had 50% but no inventory. Children's Place had nothing but a princess wand. What's the deal? I swear I live for the day after sales and now I feel empty!

Don't they know I live for this sort of thing!!!!

Did you guys find any deals? I was hoping to get my kids costumes for next year!