Last second miracles

Well, we Cougars were hoping for a last second miracle on Saturday, but it wasn't in the cards this time.

But....check out my sister's post for how we started our fun day of football:

Last second miracles

SO thankful

Grateful for so many things:

my family

my health

my faith

my freedom

my heat

my car

my mind

my home

my books

my kitchen

my music

my crafts

my flag

my town

and

my many, many examples of righteous women and families that I learn from and emulate.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Rivalry week

Here it is, blue vs. red week. 

I love it!  Love the teasing, love the tension, love the game!

And I even love the guy wearing the red.

Arrow of Light

Bugs got his Arrow of Light last week, the highest award in cub scouting.  His 11th birthday is in two days!  Boy, does time fly or what?  I'm excited for him and for what the future holds for him.

We don't have a cat

We made a THANKFUL tree this year and the family members are all encouraged to add to it as they think of their blessings.

We added a gratitude quote:

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable;

to enact gratitude is generous and noble;

but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven"

~ President Monson

I love seeing the things the kids have written

This one from Princess is a bit puzzling, though.  Uh, we don't have a cat.

Christmas planner

So I was reading on eighteen25 about their cute Christmas planners and I just had to have one.

I did a quickie version with what I had on hand.  Mine isn't a full size composition book like they used.  It's smaller and I think will fit in my purse nicely.

They provide a download for the labels.

I made tabs for the lists I make this time of year:

family - gift ideas for family, sizes of the kids, prices to comparison shop
friends - mainly neighbor gifts
fun - all the places we'd like to go during the Christmas season
food - lists of the party food I need to make, grocery lists for baking, food assignments

On the back cover I glued a pocket for receipts.  The only drawback to using this smaller format is that I don't think I'll be able to keep all my receipts in there.  But for now it's good.

I instantly feel more organized!  I'm excited to use it as I shop this year.

New tabs

Just wanted to call your attention to the navigation tabs below the header. It's a work in progress, but it will hopefully be a tool for me to use to help me organize. I especially love the Idea Board, where I'll store links to things I love and don't want to get lost in the shuffle (is anyone else's file of "Favorites" in IE just bursting? mine is).

Naptime project - cardigan

Ok, I have been squandering too much toddler naptime on surfing the internet. Time to change that today.

I saw this idea last week and I of course can't find it now to give credit. So sorry! (Please tell me if you know and I will update)  But I literally read the idea on the same day I was gathering items to donate. Bingo! I hadn't worn this sweater in a long time. It clings too much in the, AHEM, wrong areas.

But the idea is to take a sweater you don't like or haven't worn for a while and update it with ruffles from scraps. Trust me, it's more fun that it sounds.

I forgot to take a pic till halfway through, but here is the before on the left side, and the right side with ruffle added.

Step 1 - Cut up the middle of the front of the sweater. Mine had a center design, but the original poster used a grey cable knit which was gorgeous!

Step 2 - Cut up an old tee shirt in a color matching your sweater. I made strips about 2 inches wide. Didn't measure. Wasn't careful. I just cut.

Step 3 - Sew a strip of the tee shirt to each raw edge of the sweater front. This gives you a way to keep the yarn from unraveling while also providing a base for the ruffle to be sewn on.

Step 4 - Make your ruffles out of long strips of tee shirt. Just put the stitch setting on the longest length and stitch down the center of the strip. Pull gently on the strings on either end and it will gather.

Step 5 - Pin the ruffles along the front edges evenly.

Step 5 - Sew the ruffles on!



You could even add another layer of ruffles if you want it jazzier.  Some of us don't need any extra bulk, though. I like it simple anyway.

The baby has been asleep for 45 min and I already did this project and uploaded pics. See how easy?


Cute, hip, and FREE!!

Linking to: http://www.houseofhepworths.com/ 

and

http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/

and

Menu plan

On the docket this week:

Tuesday: Spaghetti, green salad
Wednesday: Sloppy joes, baked fries, jello
Thursday: Chicken Fiesta soup
Friday: Pasta ham hot dish
Saturday: Beef taco skillet
Sunday:  Chicken tetrazzini, peas

Monday musings

Some thoughts running through my head today.




1. Three sick boys today. All varying symptoms; weird.

2. I splurged last week and bought a pair of jeans and a couple tops for myself.  New clothes feel fantastic.   I haven't bought jeans in years! Of course I need to hem them, but they were a great price, even if that meant they didn't have my exact inseam.

3.  So thrilled that BYU and the Utah Jazz are both clicking and their seasons are looking much better.  If you know me, you know good sports bring me MUCH happiness.

4.  Hubby and I went on a real date over the weekend.  Oh, I miss those!  It was fun to head downtown, just the two of us.

5.  Don't you hate it when you decide it's time to get your haircut because it's totally bugging you, and then it starts to have a few great hair days and you second guess your decision?  Or maybe it's just my hair.

6.  Stop reading if you don't want the cheesy stuff.  I seriously have the best husband in the world.  My heart positively sings when he comes to me in the kitchen and says "What can I help you with?" or pokes his head in the primary room (where I spend all my time in church) just to blow me a kiss.  I love, love, love him and I never thought marriage could be so grand.  We are M.F.E.O. (Sleepless in Seattle reference)

7.  I have a real problem with all the Christmas lights on already.  Stuff in the stores? fine.  Shopping early? fine.  But two weeks after Halloween I am not comfortable driving home from Grandma's and looking at twinkle lights in the neighborhoods.  I just barely tossed the pumpkins in today's trash.

8.  I have rediscovered my reading passion in the last two or three months.  I have read more books since summer than I have in the last two years.  Love the escape it gives me.  I had a great imagination as a kid, but that easily gets lost in the day in and day out practicality that life requires.  Reading reminds me to think and dream and imagine.

9.  I don't like stuff.  I have been paring down, decluttering, donating.  The thought of Christmas and all it's associated mess right around the corner makes me feel nauseous.  I love the holidays -I just hate a lot of what we have made them into.


10.  I don't have a #10.  It just seemed strange to end at 9.

Potter has been stellar in the school musical (especially for a 7th grader).  He is livin' it up as Jester and I'm totally smitten with him.  Tonight is closing night and I'm sad to see it come to an end.  Here are some great shots with my s-i-l Stacee's fancy camera.

Soggy Halloween

We had a rainy trick-or-treat but the kids still went out and had a terrific time! They had a ball.

Love the sights of FALL around here