I'd love your vote!

I thought I would try the contest at Spoonflower - Project Selvage. A fabric design contest for baby boys. I made it past the first cut and am one of the 75 semi-finalists. It's now open to the public for voting, to narrow it down to the 10 finalists who ill then go on and design 5 more coordinating fabrics. From there the winner is chosen to have their line of fabric printed through Michael Miller Fabrics. I thought it might be fun to at least try. If you like it enough that you feel it's worthy of your vote, I'd love to have it! I think it would be fun to try and come up with 5 more coordinating fabrics.

Surprise, Surprise!

Yesterday we found out that another girl will be joining our family in August. We were all hoping for a little boy... we're a little out numbered in that direction. Even more so now. :) We weren't sure how disappointed the kids would be when we told them. When I told Mirian she replied "Another Girl?! Really?" And then started laughing. They weren't too disappointed. They're pretty excited. I'm glad that I have children that really enjoy having brothers and sisters, and get so excited about having another one join our family.

A couple of weeks a go, I started drawing up some little animals in Illustrator to start learning the program, and it evolved this new "JIF 6 Plus: Lil' One." A way for me to get excited and celebrate a new addition to the family and a healthy pregnancy.

These digital stickers felt like such an accomplishment. I've been trying to learn how to draw in illustrator for a long time, and I think it has finally clicked in my brain how these vectors work. Yeah... so it's been addicting drawing with it. I still have lots to learn, and skills to perfect but it was a breakthrough!

layout by Laurel Lakey

Here's to more pink, dresses, princesses, emotions, and little mothers.

No TV: Day One

We are trying to get out of the winter blahs, and trying really hard to not turn on a movie during the day what so ever.... pretty tough some days when you resorted to it too often during the winter cold months.

So with cabin fever, only random beautiful days to be outside, and the desire to have my kids be creative and get away from the tv, we having been trying to come up with alternatives. So we thought we'd share a couple things we've done that has helped us make it through the whole day with NO Movies.

Printables.... I ran into these through some link to familyfun. They had a variety of fun craft printables to cut out and put together. I let the kids each pick one, and we spent the day building and playing with them. Caitlyn chose the farm.

I bet you can't pick which one of my children chose the swamp monster that took his turn scaring the tiny fairies and woodland creatures.

This set is a fun one, it has a tree and mushroom house that you can build and then it also has a whole bunch of mythical creatures to play with. Mirian had fun with this for hours. We also found out later that they work perfect for replacing any game pieces you don't have. Now we have elves and fairies journeying through candy land and up and down ladders.

This kept them entertained for the day, especially those times when they were in the habit of turning on the tv instead. It seems if we can make it past those key moments, they are good for the day. They were excited for me to post the pictures on the blog so that they could show other kids what they could do instead of watch TV. So now we have a NO TV mission to share with others... so stay tuned for other episodes.

My Own Leathers

This was a Designers Life for the ScrapGirls newsletter yesterday. Thought I'd share it here too.

I had never been on a motorbike until a month after I was engaged. My father-in-law declared that if I was going to marry into the family, I needed to know how to ride a bike. He had me climb on the front of a dirt bike, then he sat down behind me and told me to give it some gas. I drove him straight into a fence. He's never had me try to learn again.

Instead, I've enjoyed the thrill and view behind my husband as we've ridden dirt bikes in the mountains and road bikes down the freeway. Years ago when I was dating someone else seriously, I thought horses were the best thing around. Boy, was I wrong. There is nothing like the wind whipping through your hair, weaving around beautiful canyon roads, or gunning it for the speed. Yes, my husband has sold me on bikes.

We never knew that when we purchased our house that the garage would be our best investment. Winter comes to Wyoming (where my father-in-law currently resides) two-to-three months earlier than Utah, and then stays two-to-three months longer. Because of this timely seasonal happening, for the last couple of years, I have started to count down the days till winter chills start hitting Wyoming. As soon as they do, I can count on a beautiful red road bike being dropped off and stored in my garage for the winter. The only thing is, when it's dropped off, it's not winter here. It's beautiful, and the scenery calls for as many rides as possible on this new love of mine, at least until it's so cold that it's impossible to ride any more.

We plan date nights and excitedly drop the kids off so the two of us can climb on and speed away for a night together. One day recently, in the middle of winter, we actually had a beautiful day in the 50s. It was warm, it felt like spring, and it was all I could do to not call up my husband, tell him to come home early, bundle up, and go for a mid-winter ride.

The last couple of summers we've been able to take a two-to-three day road trip on his bike for our anniversary. It's been so much fun. The first year we were caught in a downpour of rain for the two-hour ride home. I was frozen, but what a thrill. The second year, we took long drives in the Idaho countryside, saw beautiful farmlands, gorgeous mountains, and geocached when we needed breaks. I came back with dry swollen lips, saddle sore, and a wind-burned, sunburned face. I never had so much fun. We hope to make it a continuing tradition.

I joke with my husband that when we finally graduate from school we're going to forgo that second car we'll need when he gets a real job. We'll just go straight for the bike. When the day comes that we have a bike for keeps, if he knows me well, he'll hand me a large gift at Christmas of my own leathers. Yes... that's right. This girl wants her very own leathers.

This collection has to be the most fun collection I have ever designed. Maybe because I felt like I was creating it for my husband and my father-in-law. Really though, I was creating it for me, all those things I love about the biker "attitude" and the ride. All those things I have started to love. Most people don't realize that the collection can be used in so many other ways besides the obvious biker theme. There are aspects and embellishments that can be used for Cowboy (old west), teens, masculine, road trips, truckers, first car or bike, Americana, mid-life crisis, silver wedding anniversaries, proms or elegant evenings, and more.

The Sabbath Day

With 4 very small children it can be difficult to try and keep the Sabbath Day Holy, and to find other more appropriate activities to do on Sunday to help us remember the Savior, and his gospel. I thought I'd share a few favorites that we've been using lately that our kids really love.

The Friend magazine is a magazine that is put out monthly by our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. It is made for children and my children LOVE it. The minute it arrives in the mail the grab it, and sit down and devour the whole thing. There are stories, songs, activities, and opportunities to learn about other kids like them that are trying to live the gospel and be like Jesus.

The beginning of April the new one will be put up with the emphasis on Easter. I love the fact too that for a years subscription it is really cheap only $8.00 the last time I renewed. They also have online games, stories, and activities that correlate with the magazine.

It is also available in many languages through the Liahona, which is our world wide publication that has excerpts from the Ensign (the adult magazine), the New Era (which is for the teenage youth) and the Friend (for children.)

This is a great resource for us on Sundays. We're able to sit down with the kids, read some stories from the Friend and discuss them. They absolutely love reading it.

Mormon Messages... My kids LOVE to watch these, and I love for them to watch them. They are usually a short gospel messages which are perfect for their attention span. It helps them feel the spirit, learn about other members and their lives and learn gospel principles.

Some of them give us great things to discuss afterwards and my kid can usually always remember the messages later.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

This has become regular breakfast for our family. Personally it's my absolute favorite. It's healthy and I love it with vanilla yogurt and banana's cut up on top. My grandma and mother came to visit and they loved them this way too. It's a bit more healthier for you than all that sugary syrup. (I have also used whole wheat flour for both cups and it has turned out fine, a bit more grainy but they were still good, and I usually dump into all in one bowl and mix it rather than two.)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. white flour or Hi-Maize Resistant Starch

3 TBS honey

1 TBS baking Powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. milk

3 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tps. ground cloves

3 TBS canola oil

1. In a large bowl, combine flours, honey, baking powder and salt. Ina second bowl, combine milk, eggs, pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and oil. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until slightly lumpy.

2. Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle. Cook until golden; turn when tops are bubbly and edges are slightly dry.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes per batch

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Each serving:

Glycemic index: low

Glycemic load: 14

Calories: 204

Protein: 7 grams

Carbohydrates: 26 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Fat: 8 grams

Saturated Fat: 2 grams

School Notes Printable

Tomorrow is teacher appreciation day at our elementary school. Need a little something to tell those teachers thank you? Here is a free school note card printable for you. There are two sizes included in the pdf download. Small miniature ones for quick notes or a 3x5 size for longer notes.

You can use them in a variety of ways.

• print out a couple of sheets and bundle them together as a thank you gift.
• write love notes to your kids and leave them in their lunch or backpack.
• use them to send notes to your teachers from home.

If you would like to pass on the word or share them with others, please direct them straight here to my blog to download them. (They may look grainy in the preview, but will print in better resolution when downloaded.)

Somehow let the teachers in your life know how much we appreciate everything they do for our children.

I'm Lucky to have you.

Tonight I'm getting a few of these ready for the morning. You can find the printable topper and instructions at eighteen 25. I really detest sugar packed cereal. There is nothing healthy about it. My kids never get full on it and want breakfast all over again in an hour, and then they're also on a sugar high. They are lucky kids indeed when I will buy it for them, especially Lucky Charms. It's the biggest waste of money for me, since my kids only pick out the marshmallows and leave the rest of the cereal. Can you blame them? I always ate the rest of the cereal so the last thing in my bowl to enjoy was a whole bunch of marshmallows. So I'm leaving the scrooge behind and decided it might be a fun treat for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow when they wake up.

A Little of Everything

It's been a while... and it's literally impossible to catch up with it all. So I'm not going to even try. Instead here's a few glimpses of thoughts, happenings, news.... anything random. :)

My kids have enjoyed the puppet theater grandma made them for Christmas. Here we are enjoying a rendition of How to Tame Your Dragon while having popcorn. Nothing gets better than this.

I'm excited about going to the BYU Basketball game tonight with my husband. Our 2nd in 9 years of attending BYU. Pathetic huh.....

I enjoyed the morning with the three kiddo's feeding ducks, playing at the park and having a picnic. It was a bit nippy, but boy did it feel good to be outdoors.

Really hoping this "new baby" joining us in August is going to be boy. I'm glad to be over the sickness, and feeling pretty decent. Everything has gone well with this pregnancy and we'll find out whether it will be that boy Isaac and I are hoping for in a couple of weeks. (Yes this is an announcement. So if you had no idea, you aren't the only one.)

I'm really excited for this contest with spoonflower and Michael Miller Fabrics. It never hurts to try right! :)

After years of getting up early and having my time in the morning to myself, I'm about to go nuts with the habit our children have gotten into of also getting up at 5:30 in the morning ready to go. All of them awake by 6:00. Where have my quiet mornings gone! (I've always wanted to have my kids get in the habit of arising early, and to bed early.... but now my selfish wants are really fighting this.) So either I have to get up earlier, or figure out how to deal with this issue.....

Since we were up early, and everyone was ready way before school today we enjoy a little bit of competition between the kids having a tug of war, leg wrestling and stick pulling. It was great!

Just a small taste of life right now.