21 days of crafting.

While Jason was in China for 3 weeks I got busy making LOTS and LOTS of crafts!! Then my friend had a craft boutique at her house, so I decided to make even MORE crafts. The pricing is from the boutique.

Christmas watch band

$10.00

Patriotic band

$10.00

Pink zebra band

$10.00

Zebra band

$10.00

Crystal and white band

$10.00

Valentine's Watch band w/heart lock & key charm

$10.00

Brown flower headband

$8.00

Hot pink flower w/black rhinestone headband.

$8.00

Black flower w/green rhinestone headband.

$8.00

Kitchen Aid Decal

Flourish in Silver

$7.00

Cookies for Santa etched plate

$5.00

Kitchen Aid Decal

Subway tile in Lime Green

$10.00

Christmas Countdown blocks

kit $10.00

completed white or brown $19.95

Give Thanks decorative plate

$15.00

Give Thanks blocks

$15.00

Thanksgiving stacker blocks

$10.00

Glass blocks

$15.00 each

Sacrament activity bags

Gobble till you wobble decorative plate

$5.00

Halloween watchband

The kiddos are growing up!!!

Lorenzo age 8...getting ready to be baptized!!

Claire is already SIX years old!!

Miss Delia is turning TWO on Wednesday!!

One YEAR oLDer and WiseR tOo!!

So EIGHT years ago today at 10:37am Lorenzo Abbot was born! Boy have the years flown by ever since. He is a great little man that really does try to do his best in all he does. He is very curious and busy...but that is what keeps me on my toes! :o)

He just finished up the 2nd grade yesterday and is moving on up to 3rd grade next year. He is also so excited to be baptized in July and join cub scouts next week.

We LOVE you buddy!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Teacher gifts...

So I found a cute idea that I added to for Teacher gifts this year...

Popcorn bucket was found by the microwave pop corn at Walmart. I bought 2 boxes of theater candy and threw in some small bags of Twizzlers. I added a "Things To Do" checklist, and a little money for pizza and a movie. It all goes along nicely with the A&W with the note.

Dry Erase Things To Do list

I bought one of those 5x7 frameless picture holders with the little stand in back. Cut out some cute scrapbook paper to be 5x7. Made a "Things To Do" checklist and printed it on cardstock and attached to the scrapbook paper. Slip the checklist into the picture holder. Using glue dots I attached some ribbon and a flower w/rhinestone center.

Little Caesars man I printed from online cut a slit in his mouth, glued to a piece of cardstock leaving a pocket for the money to slip into and cut out around him.

I LOVE my cricut and SCAL software...the sky is the limit with them. I re-created the redbox logo and cut it out of white vinyl. I attached it to a 2.5"x3.5" piece of red cardstock. I cut a little curve into the red cardstock, glued around the edges and added it to some white cardstock with a curved out end and made sure to leave a pocket for the $1.

Confessions of a DORK!!

So I guess sometime last year when I was blogging more faithfully I changed my comments to have to be approved by me before publishing (don't remember doing that, but I guess i did.). So I kinda stopped blogging because I didn't think anyone was even checking it anymore since I never saw comments on my posts...sniff, sniff. So today I decided to blog, and discovered there were almost 60 comments awaiting approval for publishing from over the year, some from March of 2009! YOU ALL DO LOVE ME :o) So alas I will start blogging more religiously...I hate to disappoint!

Miss Fancy Nancy!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, with GREAT pleasure (that is a fancy word for happiness) I present to you Miss FANCY NANCY!!!

Professor Quirrel

So the kids school is not doing Halloween costumes, which is fine by me. Instead they are have Character Day where the kids dress up like a character from one of their favorite books. Lorenzo really wanted to be Harry Potter but we couldn't come up with an easy to make costume...so Jason suggested Professor Quirrel. With that said, may I introduce to you....PROFESSOR QUIRREL!

Frozen breakfast ideas!

Breakfast burritos:

(makes 14 or you can stuff them more and get 12)

12 ct large eggs ($.99)

1 lb sausage bits (I use Honeysuckle White turkey breakfast links, and squeeze the meat out of their casing) ($2.42)

1/2 lb bacon bits (I use Lois Rich turkey bacon and cut into bit size pieces before cooking) ($1.25 for 1/2 lb)

8 oz shredded cheese ($1.25)

12-14 flour tortillas ($1.25)

Only $0.50 a piece if you make 14!!!

Cook sausage and chopped bacon in a hot skillet, can use a TB of butter/margarine to help prevent sticking. When sausage and bacon are cooked all the way through add in the 12 eggs cook all ingredients together until eggs are done stirring/scrambling often. Add shredded cheese in and mix through. When assembling burritos, microwave tortillas 2 at a time for 10-20 secs to help with flexibility while folding. Place some egg mixture into center of tortilla, fold up bottom 1/3 of tortilla over mixture, then fold in both ends and fold up final 1/3. Place burrito onto a square of foil and fold foil around burrito using same folding method. Freeze. Pull burritos out the night before un-wrap the foil and then re-wrap it loosely, this should prevent burrito from sticking to foil when it is cooked. Place in fridge to allow it to thaw a bit. Cook in preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until warmed through.

First day of SCHOOL!!

I think the kids look so cute in their little uniforms!! Claire is trying to patiently wait for PM kindergarten to start...she is watching Ice Age right now...Delia wanted to join in all the first day of school fun so I gave her Lorenzo's backpack from last year...it is as big as she is!!

Lorenzo is in the 2nd grade and has Mr. Lennox...he is so excited to have a "BOY" teacher!! He says he loves his name, his hair color and his glasses!!!

Claire is starting kindergarten with Mrs. Soto...she is so excited for school to start!

What will mommy do with 3 hours to herself? (hopefully Delia will nap!!) The possibilities are endless!!!

All the projects I've been working on...

Pardon my absense for the last little while. Summer is always crazy with kids and projects!! So here is a glimps of what I have been up to...

Claire's Room

This is the lovely paint job done by previous owners...the triangles were never finished on the fourth wall.

I painted the top of her room a really pale lavedar color and then the bottom half is an off white.
Jason did the baseboards, my dad came and helped figure out how to do the chair rail on the reall bowed wall we have...and then I did the rest...yes the miter saw, nail gun and I are really good friends now. The miter saw was even so kind as to let me keep ALL my fingers!! :o)

Another angle of Claire's room. My dad had built her shelf a few years back. He and I also cut out the letters in her name.

You can't really tell it this picture but I put up trim around her windows and a window sill. Completes the look!

Delia's Room

I didn't get any before pictures of Delia's room because I wasn't planning on doing it so soon. But my mother-in-law was so brave to take all three kids over Pioneer Day weekend, so I hurried and got her room painted while she was away. It is a very, very pale green color...doesn't translate too well on the computer...but is it very soothing. Best of all it was FREE, my mom and dad had an extra can from when they painted my dad's office...makes the color that much more awesome!!

1970's dresser my oldest sister had growing up...

same dresser with a fresh coat of semi-gloss swiss coffee and some new hardware!! VIOLA!

Now to finish her room I am making a cute little bow organizer out of an old frame, white paint, cardboard, fabric and ribbon...pictures to follow!

Miss Delia is the big O-N-E!!

Our little girl just turned ONE today. I can not believe how fast this past year has gone. She is such a joy and little doll to have. She is just such a happy little girl, yet is quite feisty and can hold her own when it comes to her big brother and big sister.

Delia has been sleeping through the night since late August...which made for one happy mama. She learned how to roll and scoot right on que and did the CUTEST little tiptoe crawl at 6 1/2 months. She would often look like she was doing a full blown push up. Once she started crawling there was no stopping her...she was fast and determined to get where she was going!

Delia is now trying her hand at walking. She discovered the art of standing herself up a couple weeks ago and LOVES to stand and either take a few steps or happily falls on her little diaper protected tushy!

She is just a delight to get up from her naps and bedtimes...always greets you with a SMILE. She loves to laugh and has the most adorable squeel and yet can do a mean scary monster impersonation too!!

We are so glad that she is our little energetic bundle of joy...and are super lucky that she is so darn kissable!

We love you Missy Deelers!!

Should I be scared or proud???

So now that the weather is nice, it is almost time for gardening! We are trying to get and keep our garden area in the back yard free from weed...aren't we all?!? The kids get to help with this responsibility. We give them a plastic bag and they have the choice of $.10 a pound or 10 minutes of video games a pound. We're not out to make them RICH!! :o) So today, Lorenzo chose to get 10 minutes of video games per pound. After about 15 minutes (weed picking done in-between playing) he shows me how much he had done...eyeballing I guessed about 1 lb or 10 minutes. He decided to keep going...more playing with a bit more weed picking, 10 minutes later, the bag is still about the same. Impatient, he rolled his eyes, said "this will take FOREVER!" Suddenly all happy-go-lucky he comes back inside and proclaims..."I think this heavy bag will be like 100 minutes!" Wow, that was fast! He wanted to get down the scale and do it himself, but I took his grubby, muddy hands off my clean cabinets and got the scale myself. I took his bag that hadn't changed much in size since the first round and noticed it was abnormally HEAVY! I hesitantly say "to my surprise" because nothing that boy does surprises me, I found at the bottom of his bag a few descent sized rocks and a few handfuls of dirt. I'm not sure if I should be scared that he is so deceitful or proud of his intuitiveness! Needless to say...no video game privileges were earned today!

Cute little clip I found in the newspaper!

Diaper deals

I found an AWESOME site for discounted diapers...pampers, huggies, luvs etc. It is www.diapers.com. You can save $10 on your first purchase by using me as a reference! Just use JULI4115 as a promotional code!

I bought luvs at Walmart for $.20 per diaper. The same luvs at diapers.com were only $.15 per diaper (with promo code.) And they get shipped right to me!!!

I want my $3.47...give me my $3.47!

Totally long I know, but don't you want to feel my pain?!?

So with Missy D now on the move, it became very necessary to accessorize our stairs with a little bling in the form of a gate. Not so hard...WRONG!!!

My sil Stacey had the perfect baby gate, and bonus...she has the same house that we have. I called her up, got the maker of the gate, Regalo, and the model number #1160. Next I ordered the gate via, Tooele's only shopping choice, Wal*mart.com. The gate came, whawhoo!! I put it up super fast, go me!! And it was too small...the pressure screws were fully extended and the gate would buckle if the kids leaned into it...I'm thinking that is NOT a feature we want. I tried to add the 6" extension piece, but that made it 2" too big. UGH!! So I left it up, better than nothin, and went back to the coutore store of Wal*mart and ordered the other gate that had 2 different sizes of extension pieces.

I waited 2 weeks and then voila, it came! Same problem...apparently even though the manufacturer swears no changes have been made to the gate in many, many, many years it is 2" bigger than Stacey's, hello I know how to use a tape measurer.

The solution? Get the #1165 model, apparently that is the only way to get the desperately needed 4" extension piece. I searched high and low and then the gate gods smiled upon me and there it was at Overstock.com for $52.99 plus $2.95 shipping and the icing I had a 10% coupon. (Insert angelic Ahhhhs here!) I ordered it on a Friday afternoon and thought all my wows were in the past.

Saturday morning my brother David called and said that they were no longer going to use the gate anymore and wanted to know if I wanted it. Heck ya!!! I "chatted" with Overstock, no phone numbers for them, I was told it was too late to cancel, but I could return the item once received. DO NOT refuse the delivery, it will mess up the return. Okay, got it. Put up the gate from my brother and it fit like a glove!! Gates from Wal*mart were going back!

I got the gate the following Wednesday, placed the UNOPENED box inside by the front door. Got online tried to start a return, had a glich and had to "chat" with customer service again. Yada, yada, yada I got a prepaid UPS shipping label, taped it on the UNOPENED box. Jason then took it to work with him (Go UPS!) the next day.

Fast forward to today... I see that the gate was delivered on March 12th. I went to Overstock.com to check the status...CLOSED, No tracking info available...WHAT?!? I got on the "chat" and this is what unfolded:

Danny: Thanks for contacting Overstock.com, this is Danny, how may I help you today?
you: hello, i was checking on the return status of 74193845
Danny: Hi, I will be happy to check and help you with that.
Danny: Thank you for the order number.
Danny: For security purposes, could you please verify the name and complete billing address ( with the zip code ) on the account?
you: julie ward
you: address divulged here
Danny: Thank you for verifying the details on the account, Julie.
Danny: Just to confirm, are you referring to 'Easy Step Extra Wide Metal Walk-Thru Gate'?
you: yes, that is correct
Danny: Thank you for confirming the item.
Danny: Would you mind holding online for 3 to 5 minutes while I check on this for you?
you: that is fine
Danny: Thank you for staying online, I really appreciate your patience.
you: yes
Danny: Julie, I see that your return has been completed on 03/12/2009.
you: okay and how much was credited back to my discover card
you: are you there??
Danny: Yes, I'm here.
you: can you tell me how much is going back on my discover card please
Danny: Julie, our trained specialists at our returns warehouse will evaluate the returned items, since our specialists found that the item is Not Restockable and Excessive Signs or Wear.
Danny: That's the reason we not issued you the refund.
you: THE BOX WAS NEVER OPENED!!!

It when on back and forth for an HOUR with me YELLING through CHAT that the gate was in BRAND NEW, UNUSED condition!!! He offered me $30 in-store credit! WHATEVER!!! Then he offered $35 in-store credit...YEAH RIGHT! I told him something unethical was going on in their return depart and threatened to get our local tv's Consumer Investigator to look into this. Then finally he wanted to know why I returned the gate, so I gave him the rundown. Then this is what happened:

Danny: Thank you for staying online, I really appreciate your patience.
you: yes. and looking back at my chat it was Malcolm that gave me the return label
Danny: Julie, since we value your business with us I'll go ahead and issue you the full refund back to your card.
Danny: That sounds good?
you: not that you just value our business, but because the item was never opened in the first place
you: but yes i will accept a full refund to my discover card
Danny: I do understand your concern.
Danny: Thank you.
Danny: I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused in this regard.
Danny: I am happy to help. Do you have any further questions for me?
you: how long will it take to process this credit to my card
Danny: Refund will be issued to your account right away by Overstock.com , however it depends on your financial institution as when the refund is issued to your card.
Danny: The chat conversation reference number is 090304-007132.
you: thank you

Then 3 hours later, I get an email from some Derek guy saying that Danny "miscommunicated" the refund amount. I would not be getting back my $2.95 shipping, fine, but then he said they were unable to refund my $3.47 in sales tax because state sales taxes are not refundable....WHAT? I always get them back elsewhere...plus no where in their refund policy is this stated!!! They are very shady...which brings me to my title! I want my $3.47!

***UPDATE*** They just emailed and said that they would issue a refund of $3.27 for the sales tax.....I want my 20 cents, give me my 20 cents! J/K They can keep my 2 lousy dimes!

What do Renzo and Ralphie have in common??

Here's a hint: It has nothing to do with a Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time.

Apparently it is very typical for boys around 7 years age to give a bunch of attitude, but this mom is done with all the SASSIN' going on here and has turned to the assistance of a trusty assistant...It...it 'twas SOAP poisoning!

Lorenzo will soon be able to commiserate over the following adage "Over the years I got to be quite a connoisseur of soap. My personal preference was for Lux, but I found Palmolive had a nice, piquant after-dinner flavor - heady, but with just a touch of mellow smoothness. Life Buoy, on the other hand...” Only he will just have to settle for the fresh flavor of Irish Springs!

He is resisting to bow to the soap. After having a few licks of it last night he foolishly said, "That did nothing to me!" Which in turn got him a few more licks for good measure. Oh boy, we have our hands full...good thing we have a YEAR supply of the lathery goodness! :o)

You are no longer welcome in my home!

Dear Misters Influenza, Sinus infection and Ear infection:

I would truly appreciate it if the three of you would pack up your belongings and exit my home IMMEDIATELY! We have accommodated some or all of you for the better part of a week now and as a sleep deprived MOM, I am commanding that you cut your stay short and leave. You have left me with no energy and here I am at 11:30 at night listening to my 4 year old daughter crying with an owie throat and a painful ear. Thanks a heap for the gifts, but really you could have kept these ones to yourselves! Tomorrow, with all the strength I can muster up, I will be cleaning, deep cleaning as to remove all signs of your unpleasant visit. So please, please, please leave us in peace!

Yours truly,
Tired, exhausted, delirious MOM

PS Please close the door quietly behind you as the 4 yr old FINALLY fell asleep.

Merry Christmas!

Daylight savings...

How bout this for a bumper sticker; "I turned my clocks back and all I got were these bags under my eyes!" I know the saying goes that you are supposed to gain an hour of sleep when you "fall" back, try telling that to a 4 month old. Delia now thinks that 5:00 am is the new 6:00 am!! Ahh, that makes for a grouchy, cranky, sleepy mommy! :o) She wakes up for the day, ain't no feeding her and putting her back to bed. Then like clock work at about 6:00 am she gets sleepy, just in time for the two other to munchkins to be getting up. We are a Happy Family (as Claire starts throwing a hissy fit)!

Brilliant!!

So last night was our long awaited, well kept secret from March, little rendezvous to Hale Center Theater's Into the Woods. Oh my goodness, it was AMAZING! I was told by all who have attended there in the past that because it was a theater in the round, there were no bad seats. Well that my be true, but obviously there are some seats that are bound to be better than others. With that said, I dare say that we had some of the BEST seats in the house!! Curtain 2, Row 1 seats C&D! Yes that is right, this early March ticket purchasing bird, had bought FRONT row seats...and had forgotten that she did until Jason mentioned it upon picking up the tickets at will call. (go ME!!)

The set was awesome! I had no idea how amazing they could dress a stage/theater. Leaves, vines, trees surrounding you. The center stage rotated in two directions giving the illusion that the caracters were walking miles into the woods. The stage also raised and lowered, hiding and revealing the casts. A tower rose over on one side to house Repunzel, and a beanstalk grew on the other for Jack's adventure. AWESOME, truly it was! The cast was fantastic. Well played, amazing voices. Repunzel's prince was HILL-AR-IOUS!!!! A true actor whose facial expressions could have told his part without the use of his incredible voice. The witch was so spookily dressed, quite creepy, complete with the crooked nose and pronounced chin. Red riding hood, played the part so well and had the facial expressions that tied the prince for 1st place. I used all the power within to contain myself to my seat and resist the incredible urge to join them on stage and sing with them. Very fun and thariputic for me, but quite scary for the other paying theater goers. You see I am no "closet" fan of Into the Woods. I saw the VHS (hee hee) recording of the broadway preformance back in 7th grade English with Miss...oh her name just left me. I loved it, LOVED it, LOVED IT!! When I was at Ricks, now known as BYU Idaho, I wisely joind BMG (a cd purchasing club). I happened upon the orginal broadway soundtrack of it and could not resist the temptation, I had to have it for my own listening pleasure.

Over the years I would BLARE the cd throughout the house, singing with all restraints let loose, actions included. A true performance enjoyed by all...Lorenzo, Claire and of course Me playing the parts of narator, Cinderella, the baker, his wife, Jack etc...I must admit that over the last 17 years since first watching the musical at school, I have unknowingly ommitted a good part of the performance. You see, the dialogue was not a part of the soundtrack. When I secured the tickets, I was basing the 7:30 pm showing on a 1 1/2 hour performance (the run time of the cd) and thought we would be out at 9:00 pm and home between 9:30 - 10:00pm. Oops, my bad. We got out at 10:30 pm and home by 11:15 pm (including the 15 minutes it took to just get out of the parking lot!) Our babysitter Sadie was a trooper! Luckily all three kids were angels (cup hands together and insert ahhhhh here!)

I seriously could go on and on about the night and the performance, but I won't. Just if you do happen upon the chance to see this show, take the opportunity. If you happen to walk by my home and witness me skipping and singing off key through my home, please resist the urge to stare and laugh, just walk away...I'm simply starring in my own production of Into the Woods, and tickets are NOT available at the door! :o)