Favorite things...

So, much to my husbands dismay: I am an Oprah fan. I think she is awesome; a philanthropist, humanitarian, teacher, innovator, leader, strong woman, advocate of teachers, honors motherhood, & just an overall inspiration. She really tries to be a good person, help others & contribute to society. What she has been able to accomplish in her life is pretty extraordinary. Although I must admit that I haven't been super impressed with her shows this season, too many have been about gays, lesbian, transvestites, open marriages & the like. But one of her shows that I love is the Oprah's Favorite Things episodes. She said something like how it's not that they get free 'stuff', it's that they get a renewed hope in mankind-that someone else would do this for them. I really liked that. It's not the 'stuff' but the act or service. Anyway, I digress...I thought it would be fun for all of us to share our favorite things. I'll go first... If you know me very well, you know that I am a bit of an organization fanatic. Proud of it! I come by it honest-thanks mom! I like a place for everything & everything in it's place. I love anything to do with organizing & organization; especially my life. I feel like if I am organized I have tons more time & freedom to do what I want, when I want. I love being able to take the kids to park or library & not feel guilty because so much in UNdone. A great book that has helped me with this is Celebration! The 10 principles to more Joyous Living by Jaroldeen Aplund Edwards. Go read it if you haven't already! Anyway-that book wasn't the 'favorite thing' that I wanted to share today, it is this... I found this little goody at The Container Store.com. It is called the WhoMi notepad & I LOVE it! It is basically a little spiral bound notebook that has 3 sections: to do, call & shop. All in one! AWESOME-why didn't I think of that! I used to have a separate sticky note for each of those lists, but now they are all together in one cute little notepad. Then you can rip off the SHOP list when you head to the store, or take the CALL list with you in the car so you can make the calls while you run your errands. Yes, I admit-I am one of those people who talk on my cell while I am driving. Sorry! But it's the most convenient place cuz the kids are contained & occupied! Anyway-just wanted to share this super little product & hope it makes your life easier, happier, or at least less stressful! Now, start racking your brain cuz I tag all of you to share one of your 'Favorite Things'...can't wait to see what you love!

You leave the room for just a sec...

I was looking through some pictures today & realized that I have pictures of all three kiddos asleep at the wheel...I mean plate. How funny! Averee is a little over 2 in her picture, Adee is only 1 in hers & Owen is about 18 months in his mug shot. Of course, being the picky eater she was-Averee's food is untouched. :0) Adee almost ate it all (notice the noodles in her hair), but Owen might have even licked his tray clean! :0) Or he fed it all to the dog-which is the most likely scenario. I can also see how relaxed I have gotten as a mother. Averee's food is on a plate & she is wearing a full body bib. he he he! Adee & Owen have no plate & no bib. Silly how uptight we are with our first born huh? Or maybe that was just me? Anyway-I just love looking thru past pictures of my kids-it brings back some great memories. Hope you enjoyed this walk down my memory lane...now go enjoy your own.

Four things...

I got this email from my sis-in-law Shannon (who I adore!) & thought it would be more fun to answer on my blog & tag all of you! :0) So here it goes:

*Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Stock girl at Dutchman's

2. Salad girl at Lin's Deli

3. Interior Design Consultant at Westwood Carpet

4. 'Executive Assistant' (Secretary) :0) at Capital Energy

*Four places I have lived:

1. Oak Harbor WA

2. Fallon NV

3. Santa Clara UT

4. Ivins UT

*Four TV Shows that I watch:

1. The Office

2. Rules of Engagement

3. Oprah

4. Anything on HGTV

*Four places I have been (other than where I lived):

1. Hawaii

2. Mexico

3. Wyoming

4. New York

*Four of my favorite foods: only 4?

1. raspberry yogurt with granola

2. Italian CrockPot Chicken (Thanks Kristie!)

3. Chicken Squares (Thanks Jess!)

4. Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes

P.S. I guess it's obvious I'm a chicken lover!

*Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Disneyland with kids

2. anywhere with Danny alone ;0)

3. Church History Tour

4. Humanitarian Expedition

*Four friends that I think will respond:

1. you all better!

*Four favorite books: again, only 4?

1. Twilight Series- DUH! by Stephenie Meyer

2. Kingdom & the Crown Series by Gerald Lund

3. Harry Potter (#4-the Goblet of Fire was my favorite)

4. Celebration! The 10 principles to more joyous living by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

*Four things I look forward to in the next year:

1. Caribbean Cruise (2 weeks from today!)

2. Camping this summer

3. Disneyland this fall

4. Maybe another baby? (I gotta talk Danny into it first) :0)

Okay, now I tag all of my fellow bloggers: Christan, Jessica, Tiffany, Errin, Andrea & anyone else reading this & if you don't blog-you can email!

The Difference between Boys & Girls...according to me:

Do you ever feel like all you do all day is clean up one mess after another?! Owen is into EVERYTHING! I feel like I am going crazy! He learned how to open our doors recently, so now everything is in lock down mode! :0) And boy does he get mad when he finds the doors locked! he he he! Having a boy is so much different than girls! Everyone warns you of that, but you don't appreciate the difference till you can experience it yourself. He is so much more physical than the girls are. He loves to wrestle & body slam everyone-including our dog Sammy. Owen likes to throw anything he gets his hands on & what is the fascination with carrying around rocks? He has been climbing our stairs & up onto the kitchen bar since he was 1! The pictures above are from the first (but not last!) time I caught him climbing our fountain in the backyard-it was last August when he was only 13 months old! My girls never did stuff like that-especially that young. He is such a cutie though-how can you get mad at that grin?! Plus, he is such a ham & thinks he is being so big, that it makes it hard to get upset at him. I just love him to pieces-& he is such a momma's boy sometimes-I love it! It's weird cuz before I had kids I pictured myself with all boys. I really look forward to soccer, T-Ball, flag football-you name it! Bring it on!

Girls on the other hand-OH MY DRAMA! Sometimes I wonder if they have PMS?! Seriously! They can be so emotional & dramatic-it get's a little crazy sometimes. Averee can cry & throw a fit at the drop of a hat! But they can also be so sweet, & you can't beat the dress-ups, dolls & love for dance! But my two girls are so different from each other! Averee is all girl. She loves ballet, dress-ups, & of course anything princess. She gets her feelings hurt really easy, but half the time we don't even realize what happened, then she says 'you hurt my feelings mom'. ...Cringe...It is usually some little thing that wasn't even meant to be mean that happened 3 hours ago! She is just super sensitive sometimes, so we have had to get used to that. Averee is getting so smart & learning new stuff all the time. She usually surprises me with how much she understands & remembers. Adelyn loves the all the princess stuff too, but is much more of a tomboy. She loves making people laugh & being funny. She is such a ham & loves to shake her booty to get a laugh. Should we be worried? :0) Lately she is having a hard time listening & obeying-(mostly she ignores me till I start counting to 3) which tells me we are entering the "Terrible 3's"! AAAHHHH! Whoever said it was the "Terrible 2's" must not have made it to 3! :0)

Like all you moms out there-I just love my kids to death. They make everything else worth it, ya know? Is there anything better than your kid saying 'Mom, I love you. Now come read my book'. Which I am lucky enough to get to do all day if we want! Hooray for Motherhood!

Close to my Heart January Newsletter

Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2008 is already here! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & New Years. We sure did-the kids made it so magical! I can't wait to scrap it all!

Here is the scoop for January:

1. Color of the Month (COM): Buttercup

2. Stamp of the Month (SOM): D1259 Eastertime

3. Kit of the Month (KOM): X7092B Good Times

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity

5. Scrapbook Clubs

6. Monthly Contest

7. Opportunity

8. Private Workshops

9. Upcoming Workshop-Birthday Cards (sign-up deadline:Tuesday Jan. 8th)

1. Color of the Month: Buttercup. For only $15.00 you get 12 sheets of cardstock, an ink pad, the marker, 25 eyelets in a craft jar, & a TruFit Folio. This is a soft & beautiful yellow color. It is a very versatile color that will go with almost anything. We will be using it on the layouts this month at the clubs, so come check it out! The Color of the Month is a great way to slowly stock up on a variety of colors. Let me know if you would like to place an order for this monthly special.

2. Stamp of the Month: D1259 Eastertime. Match the softness of spring by adorning your artwork with this tranquil set of Easter images. Imagine these delightful stippled designs in blossoming colors. Available January 1-31, 2008 only.

You can purchase the SOM for $22.95, or get it discounted depending on your order amount. Spend $25 & get it 25% off, spend $50 & get it 50% off, spend $75 & get it 75% off, or spend $100 & get it FREE! See attachment called 'January SOM' to see this awesome stamp set! Contact me today to place an order for this monthly special.

3. Kit of the Month: X7092B Good Times. Each month I offer a Kit of the Month for a special discounted price of only $10! The regular price is $12.95. Good Times is a fun & funky paper packet that is perfect for boys, birthdays, New Years, or any kind of celebration. This is my favorite kit from the new catalog. I just love it! We are using it for the layouts at scrapbook club this month, so come check it out! I have attached a picture of the January Layout so you can take a peek. FYI-it is missing the #2 so it will say "time 2 celebrate"

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity- Close To My Heart’s Heart of Winter campaign features an incredible, specially designed Serendipity paper collection, complete with darling die-cuts in fl oral and accent designs, textured cardstock, B&T Duos™ paper, and a brand new, coordinating D-size stamp set! You will be crafting to your heart’s content, discovering new ways to layer and embellish the floral and accent die-cuts, adding stamping pizzazz to your layouts, and creating the perfect cards and projects. See attachment called 'Heart of Winter Flyer 07' for more details.

5. Scrapbook Clubs: I have 2 monthly scrapbook clubs. The first group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. The other club is a Mother/Daughter group that meets on a TBA basis. We meet from 7-10pm, the "hostess" brings refreshments & then gets the FREE stuff! If you are not part of one of these groups & want to know more-just ask!

-Scrapbook Club: Tuesday-January 8th Hostess: Kathy Hall

-Mother/Daughter Club: Date & Time TBA Hostess: Greenalls

At the start of the nite I have a 2-page layout ready for you to stamp & assemble (this project costs $5.00) I generally try to teach a new tip or technique. The rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you want: layouts, cards, 3-D projects, or whatever! All you have to do is bring pictures & supplies you want to work on & I am there to help give ideas & guidance. Plus, you can use all my stamps & ink pads. I also have individual papers & embellishments there to buy if you wish.

The other advantages are that you will have a set day every month to get some scrapbooking done, get ideas from the other members, have access to my stash of goodies, & just have a fun relaxing night! If you aren't a member but want to know more-please call me. Bring a friend-if they join the club, you get $10 FREE product!

6. Monthly Contest: We have a little contest going on at the club that meets on the 2nd tuesday. The members can bring something to club nite like a layout, card, small album, or anything scrappy! Everyone votes on their favorite entry & the winner gets to pick something from my goodie drawer!

7. Opportunity: I attached a flyer called 'Consultant Kit Flyer Spring 08' with info about the NEW Consultant Kit-it is worth $400, but only costs $150! It is overflowing with products-so FUN! Plus, a flyer called 'Opportunity Knocks Flyer Spring 08' which gives details about this awesome money making opportunity. If you or anyone you know is interested I would be happy to give you more information & get you started in this wonderful career-just ask!

8. Private Workshops: I am so excited to start offering Private Workshops! These would be perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, reunions, girls nite out, birthdays, or any excuse to get together with your friends & family! All you do is pick a project you want to do, the date, invite your friends & I do the rest. Obviously, the price would depend on the project you choose. The projects could be anything you can think of, but here are a few ideas:

* Sets of themed cards (thank you, birthday, wedding, etc)

* Recipe Tins

* Gift Albums (baby, wedding, anniversary)

* Event Calendars

* Decorated Paint Cans or Lunch Boxes

* 2-page Scrapbook Layouts

* Family Activity Cans

* Tradition Albums

* Magnet Boards

* Brag Book Albums (brown paper bags or white CD folders)

* Journals

* Checkbook Covers

As a thank you for putting together the Private Workshop, you can choose $25 worth of FREE product from the catalog. Plus, if your guests place orders then you could also get the hostess rewards! This is a win-win for everyone! So, talk to your friends & family to decide what kind of project you want to do. Give me a call & I will get the fun started!

9. Upcoming Workshops: Birthday Card Workshop- We can never have too many birthday cards right? Well, this is the perfect workshop to make sure you have plenty of birthday cards for the whole year. I have designed one male birthday card & one female birthday card, then you decide how many of each one you want to do. As always, I will have everything cut out & ready to stamp & assemble. Could it be any easier?! So start looking through your birthday calendars & figure out how many male & female birthday cards you will need to last the whole year. They are versatile enough to be used for little kids or adults. I have attached pictures of the two different birthday cards so you can have a look for yourself.

Date: Saturday January 19th

Time: 1-4pm

Place: my house

Cost: $1.25 per card (you must specify how many of each style you want)

Sign-up deadline: Tuesday January 8th

Contact me today to sign-up for this workshop!

*Last, but not least, make sure you check out the Close to my Heart website. If you go to http://www.closetomyheart.com/ you can look at the stamps of the month & some fun projects using them, & also get tons of other fun ideas & learn some new techniques as well. Go check it out today!

That about does it for this month. I hope you are all doing great & let me know if you need anything or have any questions. See ya soon...

P.S. This is the newsletter that I send out to my club members- so obviously there are no attachements on this blog, those were in the email.

Happy New Year!

Wow, I can't believe it is 2008! How time flies! This year Danny turns 30, I turn 29, we will have our 9 year anniversary, but we have known each other for 12 years! Seems like only yesterday he swept me off my feet- he he he! We had a blast last night ringing in the New Year. It was the usual game night with friends while the kids play & stay up WAY too late. We played a new game called 'In a Pickle' which was pretty fun-it made you think outside the box. Then we played 'Loaded Question'-it was hilarious! My brother-in-law Ryan is one of the funniest people I know & lets just say that thanks to him I will never look at Hitler the same! :0) We laughed a lot, ate too much & since we are old married farts-we had a hard time staying awake for the ball to drop. But we made it-Hooray for 2008! I am actually one of those people who like to make New Years resolutions, & I figure if I write them down & say them out loud I will be more likely to stick with it. So here are my resolutions (in no particular order):

1- Patience is a virture. The best lesson my children can teach me.

2- Temple attendence. I guess we better go get our bar codes!

3- Scripture study. If I read the scriptures HALF as much as I read everything else-I would be so much better off!

4- Judge not, lest ye be judged. Too bad everyone can't be 'perfect' like me (of course I am being sarcastic here!) :0)

I think that about does it for this year. Obviously there are about a million other things that I really need to work on, but these are the major highlights. My list looks about the same every year-how sad! Well, I better go get the kids some breakfast. How come they never sleep in even when they stay up till midnight?! (they get that from their dad!)