I can finally stop talking about myself so much! Many special thanks to my fabulous friends who were able to come to my BIG BIRTHDAY BASH at Stoke's on Tuesday and for the presents! I didn't expect that and really loved them.
I've got some of the world's best friends and by far the world's best husband...well, at least this week he is :)
My Hubbie, Bart..
Have you ever tried to decorate a birthday cake for your little one, having great intentions, and wound up at some crummy grocery store with mere seconds to spare, shopping the "bakery" for something, anything, that will work instead?
Well, I have got THE GIVEAWAY for you.
My mom is Linda McClure, and she is a cake decorator. She's created a fantastic way to decorate cakes using a Cricut or any paper cutting system, and she's also marketing a "Start to Finish" DVD, outlining EVERYTHING you need to know to bake the PERFECT cake. Seriously folks. No previous talent or experience is needed. My cakes looked awful before my mom started teaching me, and every single thing she's taught me (plus more I don't even know) is found on this DVD.
She also includes recipe cards for her great cakes. My mom's recipes are simple and some of the BEST I've ever tasted. It's almost worth buying it just for the recipe cards for cake and frosting.
Retails: $34.95 + $3 shipping...think of how much money you've wasted on crappy cakes that taste like cardboard and shortening. For less then $40, you can learn secrets to a great cake, wowing family and friends when they see a cute cake that also tastes great.
Want one for free? Enter my giveaway. There are tons of ways to win...but only one winner.
Mandatory Entry: Visit either of my mom's sites(Deseret Designs and Creative Cakes) and tell me something about a cake you loved, or something about my mom or her DVD's.
BONUS ENTRIES:
And of course, leave a separate comment for each...all are worth one entry unless otherwise stated...
It's my birthday this week. Usually my birthdays are pretty lame. I mean, everyone is burned out on partying, saving their last few ounces of party energy for the New Year's Bashes they are going to. Or, everyone is out of town, has family in town, or I am out of town...see, it's just not a good time for yet another party.
My birthday is New Year's Eve, and my birthday often gets overlooked. Sometimes it's my fault, sometimes it is not. It could be worse...it could be Christmas Day. (Which is when I was due, by the way...thank goodness I was late) I mean, talk about overshadowed birthdays!
I usually just make Bart take me to dinner or bake me a cake...see, lame. It's not his fault, it's mine. I try to limit the budget by the time New Year's rolls around. We've already stretched it so thin that it might just break if it were to stretch any more. It's kind of sad, really, when you think of how excited and overplanned I get for my children's birthdays.
This year, though, he told me he was inviting a few friends to dinner at a restaurant that has a private room, raided my email address book, and sent out an email. He did this unprompted and all by himself...
Awww, how sweet.
Here are last year's birthday posts: Here and here.
As long as no chocolate Jesus hands appear during my birthday week, 
I will count it as a success...the joke has gone on long enough Bart...and all those chocolate hands of Jesus WILL come back to haunt you.
This year, I am going to embrace turning thirty. I am going to have a great year, full of clutter free kitchen counters, freshly washed diapers, perfectly behaved children, and healthy home cooked meals. I am going to try a little harder to be the kind of person I want my children to be. I am going to...that goal is a little bit more realistic.
So, I am wondering, what do YOU do to celebrate YOUR birthday? Do you go all out and throw yourself a party? Force your husband to see a chick flick kid free? Maybe nothing, just sit at home feeling sorry for yourself. I'd love to know. Also, what do you want to do differently for this first birthday of the new decade? Just an FYI: My "golden" birthday is next year...I think I might just throw myself a party at my house for that one, but plan it for November or January, when people are a little less busy and more settled. :)
Stay tuned because tomorrow I have a giveaway in honor of my birthday...it's from this site and is something any of you that can turn on an oven or crack an egg can use...I promise!
This morning, before Bart would let the boys go open their presents, he gave them a "Christmas Quiz", asking why we celebrate Christmas and things like that. It was very funny to hear the answers, and heartwarming, too.
Now that the wrapping paper is balled up, cinnamon rolls eaten, and pictures taken, it is time to PLAY! Sponge Bob bowling, foosball, LEGOS galore, science experiments, and playdoh must ALL be played with today.
Sending thoughts of happiness and love on this day of celebration your way!
The Remington's
Last night, Bart and I built the 14-n-1 Foosball ball table Jackson has been BEGGING for for months. It is from good Old St. Nick and we wanted it ready to go for Christmas morning.
We built it on the 23rd, thinking we'd have an extra night in case it took a long time to build. Also, lately we've had to force the kids to go down to the basement to play, so we were safe building it in the basement and just covering it with blankets.
This morning, all was quiet...Ethan was napping, Brennan was reading, Jackson was...
Well, Jackson was missing! (Those who know me know that Jackson is pretty good at disappearing.)
We looked all over, then found him UNDER the foosh ball table, playing Batman. I calmly escorted him (and Batman) upstairs, thinking, "Maybe, just maybe, he didn't notice anything "new" down there."
Then, he turns to me, and really quietly says, "Mama, I saw my Foosball table. Can I play?"
Crap!
Thinking quick is something I sometimes rock at (and other times bomb at) and I said, "Jackson, Santa brought your table last night b/c it is too large to go on his sleigh and he drives a big truck all over to drop off the big presents the night before Christmas Eve. We can't play with it or it will disappear. We don't want to make Santa sad that you found his present to you early."
Well, my explanation seems to have worked as Jackson saw a big truck with Santa on t.v. and said, "Hey, that was at my house!"
Whew...barely avoided disaster.
Brennan has recently been learning about sarcasm. When Bart first started to teach him (and Bart was talking a lot to explain) Brennan said, "Could you talk any more?" and laughed hysterically to himself.
So, in honor of Brennan learning about sarcasm, and to showcase how *smart* he can be at times and what a *good* listener he is (he threw a snow chunk at Jack's face and hurt Jack, even after I told him numerous times to NOT throw the snow above the jacket), I present a snapshot from playing outside in the snow after it was done raining:
This year I did a lot of Christmas shopping online.
Yes, Bart did most the shopping, but I bought my brother's gift from there, some of Bart's gifts, and books and such for the boys from Amazon.com (all with free super saver shipping of course)
I do NOT recall ordering a winter storm for Christmas. Not even on cyber Monday or for 75% off.
Yes, I am lucky...Bart is off of work from this evening until next Monday, so we don't have to get out in it, I have a full pantry and freezer, and we've got no travel plans so we can stay inside for days and be fine.
It's just that, well, the snow from the LAST winter blizzard didn't melt yet. And, my friends and I have plans to go ice skating tonight. And tomorrow morning I want to go to boot camp and do the Santa play date with my MOM friends. A big ice storm does NOT fit into that equation. Nope.
So, Old Man Winter, take your winter storm and blow it out the other end.
Thanks!
Last week, I printed off four invitations from a website I found, filled in by hand the "blanks" and sent them to four of Brennan's school friends. His teacher placed them in the students mailboxes, thus ensuring "Mom and Dad" would get them.
On the invitations for a "Polar Express Playdate" it says, "Please call Jessica at XXX-XXXX to let us know if you can come and play!"
Now, I know parents are busy. Heck, I am so busy I've had to X some things I've really wanted to do. BUT...a phone call to another mother who is waiting to know if your child can participate or not A) takes 30 seconds B) is courteous C) allows for the hostess to plan properly D) helps prevent your child from being very disappointed if no friends show up to play.
Luckily, I did not have to do any advanced prep, nor did I purchase anything special for this event. However, when Brennan woke up late last night with a stomach virus, it would have been nice for the other parents to have RSVPed so I'd have their phone numbers to call and post pone or cancel.
So, instead, we had to make sure that if a parent came, we could send their child home. Unfortunately (and a blessing at the same time), no one came. I called Brennan's one friend who I knew was coming, to let her mom know it was off. Lucky for me there was a reason to cancel, otherwise I'd have a pretty sad Brennan...now he can just think his friends didn't come because he was sick last night (and of course feels fine today...why does this keep happening?).
I am hosting a Premier Jewelry Party Jan. 9. I sent out an evite to just about everybody under the sun...out of the 70 evites sent out, only 18 have responded. I know not all 70 (not even half) will be able to attend, but simply clicking "No" on the evite sure would be nice so I could think of a few more people if it looks like there will be less then ten people coming.
It's the same song, different verse, every time a party is held. People just don't respond back...even if the answer is no, I don't care...I just want to know so I can plan properly. If you are a big planner like me, this is key to a successful event.
The moral of the story: Next time you are invited to an activity by someone, please be prompt in letting the hostess know if you can make it or not, even if the answer is no...the hostess won't mind, she will probably just be happy you acknowledged the event she is working so hard to create.
The entire First Grade at LDE
I miss the good old days.
You know, when sitting outside was an option...cause now, I'd get ARRESTED for child endangerment if Jack went outside shirtless.
From the boys:
Dear Grandma Cupcake,
We want to wish you a Merry and happy Christmas and Birthday.
I hope you have a good day and get a good cake.
Love,
Brennan
Dear Grandma Cupcake,
I love you. Merry Christmas Gandma. What, it her birthday? Happy birthday Gama Cupcake.
Love,
Jackson
Ethan just says, "Cupcakes? Where?"
We love you!!!! And trust me, I've got all the parts of your present, just need the time to sew it all together for a one of a kind, totally special and personal BIRTHDAY PRESENT!!!!
Today is the ten year anniversary to the day I said "I do" to the man I love.
We met at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Institute class/singles ward in the fall of 1998.
He saw me wear a sexy skirt (giggles) and give a talk in sacrament meeting with my shoes off, I saw him wearing a bright yellow Adidas shirt and having fun after institute class one day.
Then, I got a crush on someone else, he was hooked on another girl, blah, blah, blah.
Finally, I figured out I liked him.
Then, a little bit after that, HE figured out he liked ME. (Took him longer to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but he saw it!)
It took us One Reel Big Fish concert, $135 worth of Godiva chocolate, and planning a luau to get it all together, but once we knew we were destined to be together, we knew.
Being 19, I might not have went about springing this on my parents just the right way.
Instead of maybe having them meet the "pierced tattooed freak" (my dad saw him once or twice before) a few times in casual settings, we went straight for dinner with an appetizer of "Ma'am, Sir, I have only dated your daughter for a few months but I love her and we are getting married." Talk about a lot to digest!
Plans were made, marriage licenses for Dallas, TX were purchased, finals were shifted around (and some even waived because the professors knew I really cared less being that my wedding was on the last day of finals and I had to drive eight hours to get to the temple), and cars were borrowed (that's right, we got married CARLESS...we did get one right after getting married, but we said "I Do" without a way to get home.). The dress was lovingly crafted by my amazing mom, each pearl sewn into place. The cake was also created by her...thus pushing her into the world of cake decorating...a place where she has learned and grown and thrived, now having her name be as common as Browen and Duff.
The rest, as they say, is history...
I'd love to include some super fantastic pictures of our wedding day or reception the following week, but alas, the pictures were taken with a 1 megapixel digital camera (cool beans back in '99) and are too fuzzy to share. If I can find my favorite taken by Bart's aunt, I will take a picture (cause I'm so cool, I don't need a scanner) and post it here.
So, now you know.
And Bart, thanks for picking me. I love you and can't imagine spending eternity with anyone else...we've made some cute babies and had a lot of fun along the way. In good times and in bad...we've stuck it out and I am so grateful for all you do for me and our family.
Love you forever!
I have cute kids. I do. I also have boys that do what boys do...get dirty. And with dirt, comes baths, and with baths comes lots of towels.
I use so many towels. I feel like 1/2 of all laundry is towels. My favorite are the hoodie towels for babies. Unfortunately, Ethan has outgrown my favorite type of towels. I love to have them all wrapped up as we go from bathroom to bedroom to get dressed for the night.
Enter Babe au Lait.
Okay, first off, adorable hooter hiders. Seriously folks...the fabric selections are fabulous. It really helps to have a trendy cover (just my opinion as one who was very stand offish to nurse the first two in public) to feed a baby in public...but that is just me. The nursing covers (same concept, slightly different design) have an even bigger selection of fabrics. LOVE THEM!
And finally, the hooded towels.
Oh, my heck. Ethan and I reviewed the toddler sized shrine aqua towel. (This is my personal opinion...I was not paid to write this, though I did receive a towel for free) LOVE IT! It is so cute, looks fabulous both wrapped on my son and hanging in my bathroom, and is large enough to cover Captain Fatty Pants (weighed in at 29.7 lbs tonight folks...Jack is only 36.6 lbs and he's 3.5), something the baby towels can no longer claim.
If I were to shop at Babe au Lait for a shower gift, I'd order a toddler sized towel (because everyone will be buying the mom-to-be baby ones and your gift will be around WAY after baby is a mover and shaker) or a gift set. I love a themed gift, and I think one of the towels (I'd get hot dots for a girl) and baby soaps/a tub (maybe a PUJ?) and a few baby bath toys would rock the baby shower. OR maybe a burp cloth, bib, and family jewel bracelet...so many great choices.
Being a mother does not mean you have to resign yourself to trucks, princesses, and animated characters...I think that is the number one thing I love about Babe au Lait...it's adult take on children items.
Go ahead and check them out...I bet you find at least one thing you or a mommy near you NEEDS today :)
Guess what movie inspired a part of this song and win a prize (First person to correctly guess)...FYI, there is one curse word that I noticed...
No clue on the total inches dropped, but shoveled off my driveway, at least fifteen. The snow drifts on each side of my drive way are about 2 1/2 feet tall...taller in some places.
A recipe to try:
Snow Ice Cream
8 cups snow (yep, real snow)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
mix all ingredients but snow, pour on top of snow and mix well..makes a delicious slushy ice cream. we added cherry snow cone syrup to ours...oh, my goodness...we ate ALL of the ice cream.
***This post has two boring videos in it.***
It is snowing today.
I know, I know...I live in NE...that happens.
But this time, I mean it is REALLY snowing.
Like, the Little Tykes car in the backyard has just about disappeared and there is no sign of the snow slowing down. Like, I hope and pray that our neighbors snow throw our driveway again. Like, I put blankets over our super old windows to help keep us warm without causing our gas bill to spike even more. Like, Bart is about to drive home from work and if I were Catholic I'd have a rosary and be saying Hail Mary's the whole time for safety.
#21, Nicole!
Since I will be seeing you Wednesday, I'll just bring them with me.
Thanks for playing!
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
Megan and I started boot camp, as I mentioned earlier...so did a BUNCH of MOM friends.
Go here to read all about it. It's pretty whiny right now but I am very cautiously optimsitic that by the end we will all go get a big huge triple thick milk shake from McDonald's, super size fries, and a Big Mac and say, "Yep, Totally worth it."
Don't forget my giveaways...one for a snowman and reindeer iron on set, one for an adorable bib from 3 Little Monkeys! Low entries right now...and you can get a TON from the iron on one...Oh, speaking of that...congrats to KIMBERLY who has 400 extra entries for purchasing 2 snowmen iron ons the other day! She will just take 2 reindeer if she wins.
And staying still...day 2 of bootcamp was much more brutal then day 1...so I will stay still here on the couch, blog hopping and sharing comment love.
Don't you want to give me some comment love???
