unbirthday wishes

I was doing a little online window shopping for my birthday last night. You know, all of the fun of shopping with none of that pesky walking around at the mall. I found this fun site at Sundance with three fun things that I would love to see window shopping but probably wouldn't actually buy.


First, this fun sham that would really work in either my bedroom or my living room. I'm having decorating issues around my whole house lately, but both of those rooms have green themes in them and I think the stripes in this pillow would add some needed whimsy.


Now this is just adorable. How could you possibly pass this without wanting to try it on? (One of the obvious disadvantages to window shopping on the web.)


Oooh, I saved the best for last. If you are a jewelry hound I recommend visiting their jewelry section. I just looked at their alluring banded rings (like the fun, simple brushed metal number above) but there is quite a bit more to look at if you're looking to update your accessories. The earrings were tempting me too, but I decided it was time to go to bed. But I have some time now, maybe I'll head over there again. Or find another window to look in. A girl's gotta' do something while her kids are watching "Mary Poppins" for the 28th time.
(On a completely unrelated note, has anyone heard that there will be a Sephora store coming to Utah soon??? I read that wickedly wonderful news somewhere but can't find any confirmation of it. If anyone has any news I would appreciate you sharing it. In the meantime I might die of anticipation. Talk about a FUN place to window shop!) Also if anyone has some favorite online window shopping spots, please share. I have a few weeks until my birthday so I need to get in all the looking I can. Thank you.

a little taste of awesome

Found a fabulous website tonight that I had to share. We have been craving food we came to love in Malaysia so tonight for dinner I whipped up this CHICKEN SATAY with some store-bought peanut sauce which wasn't a keeper, so next time I will make her PEANUT SAUCE as well.

If you're in the mood for something different I recommend checking out rasamalysia.com. Personally I am literally giddy to the core about making me some ROTI CANAI (pronounced "cha-nigh"). If you've never experienced its wonderful buttery/oily goodness (due to the abundance of ghee used in its making) you are seriously missing out. It's kind of a tricky stretching/folding/wrapping process to make them but I'm determined to learn. My world is not the same without this roti. Do yourself a favor and learn how to make this immediately. You will not be sorry. And then invite me over cause it's rude not to share.

april fools!

Actually, these "eggs" wouldn't fool anyone, but since it was April Fools Day we decided to make a treat that sort of looks like eggs but is actually full of chocolatey goodness.



My talented 4 year old took the above picture. As you can see I do NOT excel at crafts that require a delicate touch, such as dipping things in chocolate. But they're colorful and fun so I guess that's all that matters.




Oh, and the fact that they're filled with crushed Oreos doesn't hurt anything.

I found the recipe HERE. (I don't think you can even call this a recipe, since it consists of a total of 3 ingredients, one of which is the dipping chocolate on the outside. So if you'd like an easy - albeit messy - snack, give these a try this weekend.) Oh, and Happy Easter!

spring cleaning!

Thanks to my bro. for tipping me off to the new templates at blogger drafts. I love changing things up and regularly getting new designs. It reminds me of college and how we changed the furniture around every 3 weeks. You've got to keep things interesting somehow. I can't wait to play more with my new design! Speaking of which, I think it's time we rearranged some furniture...

march madness

Mad props have to go out to my sis-in-law Anj, who is insanely awesome about decorating. Her house looks like this year-round and I also have to admit I am a little insanely jealous. She has more creativity in her little finger than I do in my whole body, no joke. You just have to take a look over there and you'll be sure to get some ideas of your own. And then maybe I won't be alone in my jealousy.

snowybliss.blogspot.com

snowing

We took some extended Snow Family pictures around Thanksgiving and I forgot to post some. There weren't a lot of keepers, but at least this shows how our family looked at the time. Aren't they adorable??? I love these guys!

Random Thoughts on a Sunday Afternoon

-That big, handsome boy on the left just turned 4 last month. He absolutely ADORES his little brother.


-I made him this cake for his birthday. It's supposed to be a ship.

-Two kids are sleeping, one is at church with his dad. I love quietness.

-But I also miss church. It's such an uplift for my week. Does that make me odd?

-I'm having a hard time remembering the last NEW book I read for fun. (Wait! Collection of short stories from SIL Cathy-- that was it. It was such a great gift.)

-I would love to read a new book every week.

-Maybe after my newborn baby isn't quite so newborn.

-And maybe someday I could actually go to the library to look for books for myself and not spend my entire time corralling and shushing little goobers.

-I can't remember the last time I looked at books for big people. (Wait! Seattle trip with the posse, visited the bookstore. That was it! Good times. Good times.)

-I'm having a hard time motivating myself to blog. Can't think straight and/or stay awake long enough to compose a single cognitive thought.

-On the other hand, babies make me happy.


-Other things that make me happy: this little girl. She is 2 and drives me insane sometimes. But she's also my best bud.

-I'm listening to the sound of silence. It sounds like plugged-in electrical appliances. And short, shallow baby breaths.

-I wonder if nursing babies seems weird to someone who has never done it before. I don't even think twice about it anymore,

-I'm now writing this while I nurse. It's surprising how fast I can type with one hand.

-When thought of in terms of breastfeeding, the term "nursing a beer" seems downright crude. And Freudian.

-But did I mention babies make me happy?

-Sometimes I wish I had a ton of money to spend making other people happy. Then I realize that a can at the food bank would probably make someone happy. I don't need a ton of money for that.


-This is my mom. She makes me happy.

-My husband makes me blissfully happy. But he doesn't like to be photographed much. I can't find a picture of him.

-That is enough thinking for one afternoon. I'm going to go wrap my head around a 10 minute nap.

For Your Consideration

My amazing sister-in-law, Aimee, posted this article on her blog and I was so touched by it that I wanted to link to it.
Foyer de Sion Orphanage

She has been working with the group collecting donations (mostly food & medical) to send to the kids there, so if anyone wants to help (or if you'd like any information about adopting children from Haiti) you can talk to her. She has recently become something of an expert.

stuff in my purse.

i know, what an exciting blog title. but i was sitting in a car sales office recently (where i ended up being for 2 HOURS) and during that boring, stare-at-the-walls down time i thought about how random a mom's diaper bag can be. what sort of treasures do i have in there that i don't even think about? how long has some of that stuff been floating around in there? so i decided to make a list. exciting, huh? but, if you want a glimpse into the day in the life of a stay-at-home mom, here it is.

small side pocket:
chapstick
victoria's secret minty lip shine
babies-r-us gift card with remaining balance of $3.49
costco receipt (holding onto it so i can return something)
appointment card for OB
baby hair comb
blue pen
mail key

large main compartment:
Swaddle-Me blanket for wrapping baby (AWESOME gift from friend Nichole)
nursing cover
3 newborn diapers
one almost-empty pack of baby wipes
wallet (don't even get me started on what's in there)
small superman figurine (gift from John's friend, Zach!), complete with cape
ziploc bag of almonds
checkbook
onesie, size 0-3 months
newborn socks
ziploc bag of dum-dum suckers
small horse figurine
garage door opener
teething toy shaped like a duck
antiseptic hand sanitizer from nu skin
fridge magnet with instacare phone numbers
compact mirror

...aaaaaaand there you have it. i know, like i said, pretty exciting stuff. it makes me wonder what do you carry around in your purse? if you're a mom, is it similar to mine? if you're not, obviously you won't have diapers and baby socks in yours, but what things do you need on a regular basis? if you were stuck in a car sales office for 2 hours with nothing to read (note: i often have a book in there...figures the one time i need it...) what would you do? if you had an i-phone i'm sure it wouldn't be a problem, but for the rest of us little people... i had to content myself by munching on almonds and reading company mission statements on the walls. yawn. so be prepared! you never know when you'll need some good literature on hand. pack your favorite austen novel, just in case.

sibling rivalry

The only fighting going on here...


is over whose turn it is to hold Dew.


These are some seriously proud siblings. Just wait until he learns to do something exciting, like eat solids. They'll probably make me throw him a party.


Welcome to the family, baby Dew.

Winter in Review

I was going to post pictures from the last 2 months of our comings and goings, but our internet has been SOOOOOO slow the last few days so there is no way in Hades I'll even be able to get pictures up here. (I can't even get the "Add Image" page to load.) Not if I want to go to bed before 2am. Which I do. Because I'm sick. Cough, cough.
But trust me, they are great pictures. Christmas parties. Christmas presents. A trip to St. George with cousins. Funny dress-ups. Their first snow. John's first haircut at a barbershop. A bridal shower trip. Dancing, dancing, and more dancing. Did I mention my kids like to dance? Oh, how they love to dance.
I'm sure I would think of more witty things to say, but I'm sick. Cough, cough. And Michael is working late so I have no one to cuddle me to sleep. I've been threatening for years to replace him with a body pillow (oh, especially when i'm pregnant...how i want a body pillow!) but I'm afraid it will be too cozy & cuddly & snuggly & sleep-inducing and I'll never be able to leave home without it. So instead I'll cuddle with a book and dream about not coughing again (which is ironic because the coughing is probably what will wake me up in a few hours-- that and the fire searing through my throat). Happy end of 2009!

Bitter Sweet

As a book lover, I was incredibly saddened to read this piece of news in a Publishers Weekly article. Kirkus Reviews is one of my most trusted resources in recommending books. They have nearly always been spot-on in their descriptions and reviews and if they give something the green light I know that I have to put it on my must-read list. Obviously with the advent of computers things have been changing for the last few decades in the publishing industry--including the upsetting trend of library and bookstore closures--but this one seemed to hit particularly close to home simply because it is a personal preference of mine among book resources. Please take a moment of silence to honor our world changing at a frighteningly rapid pace. Thank you.

On to other more happy moments, I had particularly memorable one today. While attempting to encourage John to take a nap on our couch, I sat on the floor next to him and lay my head on the couch cushions next to his head. After about two minutes I think he decided that I was asleep and he threw part of his blanket over my entire head and whispered, "Here, mom, you can sleep with me." I tried to murmur quietly, "Thanks buddy, I love you," to which he replied, "I love you, too, mom" and kissed me on the forehead. Life seriously doesn't get much better than that.
Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season so far and taking time to enjoy the small moments.

happy november!

in honor of this wonderful month wherein i am allowed to start putting up christmas decorations next week, we decided it was time for new family pictures. okay, that's not why we had them taken but that doesn't change the fact that i am still ridiculously excited. michael can usually only stand having things put up the day after thanksgiving, but i think i might cheat and just get the lights out a few days early. there's nothing quite so wonderful as christmas lights inside at night while snow is falling outside. (mostly because it is WARM inside. it's not as fun looking at christmas lights while standing OUTSIDE. i am most assuredly NOT a fan of cold this year.)

anyhoo, that was a long way of saying that november seems to be a good time to post new family pictures. here's our photo from last year:



and here's the new one from this year:



and next year we'll have another bambino with us! (ok, technically he's already there in the bulge protruding from my abdomen, but he's hiding behind my clothes in this particular picture. anyway he'll be cuter when we can actually see his face and fingers and toes in the picture. for now you'll just have to use your imagination.)

party of 5

Yesterday I was glancing at a registration card Michael had filled out for a computer product he had bought, and one of the questions it asked for demographic purposes was about the number of people in his household. Next to that question he had written the number "5"...my initial reaction was something like, "Five?? Why would he put five? Is he trying to mess with their statistical data or something?" Until it finally dawned on me that, although the child in my womb doesn't technically count under that statistic, for all intents and purposes we do have 5 people living in our house. It was lucky I was standing next to a chair because I had to sit down. Just a few years ago (5, actually) we were getting married and it was just the 2 of us. And just barely before that I was a party of one, living a missionary life. And before that I was part of a large household, but no one I was related to because they were roommates in college. And just a few years before that I was living in my own household with my parents and we were a family of seven. SEVEN. That was a full-fledged, full-of-bodies, sometimes-too-many-people household, from my point of view as a child. And suddenly within 5 years of marriage I find myself TWO PEOPLE AWAY from that demographic!

I think I need to go lie down with a cold rag on my head. Please wake me in 30 years when they're all grown up.

*(Although I've learned more in the last few months that a parent's work is NEVER done, you don't ever stop worrying about or doing things for your children, and sometimes you find the need to sacrifice things for them, even when they are adults. Sorry, mom & dad, if you didn't know what you were getting yourselves into when you started having kids 40 years ago. Thanks for sticking with all of us anyway. We love you.)

But I'm afraid that before I know it, my family will have gone from something like this: (the Snows, circa 20 years ago)


To something like this: (the Snows, 3 years ago)


Yikes..................

Bring it on.

out this week

I have plans this week. Big plans. I need to go buy this book.



And then I'm going to...*squeal*...have it signed. I'm so excited to be a groupie.
(This is a snapshot of part of PioneerWoman's BOOK TOUR. Be there or be square.)

some perspectives on snow

-The last time we experienced temperatures close to 25 degrees, it was in Celsius.

-Three year old boy response to playing in snow for the first time: I am so happy! I am so happy!

-One year old girl response to seeing fat flakes of snow for the first time in her life: (In terrified voice) Pick up please! Pick up please!

-Mom (a Utah native) response after seeing snow for the first time after 3 years: How soon can I fly to the beach?

-Least favorite thing: cold, wet clothes.

-Favorite thing: the quiet.

-Saddest thing: putting away sandals.

-Funniest thing: kids will play outside by themselves because they think dogs don't like snow (they're terrified of dogs).

This is going to be an interesting winter.

no description necessary

more to come...

A neighbor of ours is trying to build up her photography portfolio so we went out with her this week and took some pics of the kids outside. They turned out GREAT! Here are just a few, but I'll post more soon.




(it was BEAUTIFUL outside and the sky made for the most perfect blue backdrop)

Fun stuff around the web

We have come across some fun finds on the internet lately and, since I currently can think of nothing original to say, thought I'd share the wealth.
First, this is probably best for Utah-dwellers, but I am fascinated by the "vinyl decorating" industry boom from a few years ago and the fact that it still alive and well. However, most of the producers seem to WAAAAAYY overcharge, in my humble opinion. But I stumbled upon this gem of a place with a sizable collection and reasonable prices.

SCRIBBLEIT

Personally my favorite feature is the "Create Your Own" center that is awfully fun to play with. I sent a request for an additional design on something I created and, even though it was about 8pm, got a reply immediately and felt so good about the exchange and service I received that I'm happy to refer them to anybody. Plus, check out those Christmas countdown blocks and tell me you don't want one.

OK, next is a youtube video that has become a staple as basic as water around our house. In fact, it is REQUIRED that we watch it every morning before anyone has eaten or changed clothes or gone to the bathroom, or Emily will have a serious fit. We're usually happy to comply--it keeps them occupied while I make breakfast. My friend Lisa introduced me to it and if you have young kids you've probably seen it (it's had 1.2 million views, after all) but I'm posting it anyway. If your little kids have NOT seen it...you're welcome. Also, I'm sorry.



Finally, since I spend all of my time with tiny ankle-biters, here are two more kids' sites that my children love and I highly recommend.

STARFALL.COM -- this is absolutely what taught John his ABC's (also taught him how to navigate on the computer with a finger/track pad when we was barely 2 years old...what is the world coming to???)

UP TO TEN -- this has stuff for kids of all ages, but the balloon labelled "Boowa & Kwala" has the most resources for activities for my children. Just under that one option are literally HUNDREDS of pages of activities, games, music, etc. The character accents can be a little strange at first but other than that I have no complaints and haven't tired of doing these pages yet with my little goobers.

There are a few more online gems we've found (like the "Glee" videos of the mash-ups from last weeks episodes) that have been playing non-stop at our house, but I should save some for later. Being pregnant is killing my brains cells and I am quite sure as the months go by that I'll continue to be devoid of inspiration and need fodder for the blog.

It's a...

BOY!!!!!! (New blog background changed in honor of the little squirt.)



I guess a mother's intuition IS right. I've been expecting a boy for months already. Time to get out all of John's old baby clothes and start washing. This momma bird is ready to nest.