A Communication Mishap...

This post is loooong overdue!

Every year I have this internal debate about sending a Christmas card. I hate when the holiday season gets stressful so I try to minimize and be as simplistic as possible. But of course the guilt started to set in as we started receiving Christmas cards from friends and family so I decided to hurry and order some. It ended up being the most simple thing I did this year (especially compared to the Martha Stewart quality snowflake gingerbread cookies I made).

I designed and ordered the cards online. Picked them up the next afternoon. That very same evening had them addressed and half of them stamped (I ran out of stamps) and were mailed off the next morning. I was so proud of myself for getting them done so quickly and pleasantly surprised by how easy and stress free this whole Christmas card thing was turning out to be this year.

Then the other un-stamped cards sat on my desk for a couple of days. Christmas was just days away. Finally, I asked Nic if he would take them to the post office in the morning on his way to work. That way I didn't have to make another outing to the post office with the two boys. He happily took them to the post office.

When Nic came home from work he informed me that the post office wasn't open yet so he just dropped them off in the box thingy.

Me: "Really? They didn't have stamps on them."

Nic: "What? I didn't know that!"

Me: "You didn't look at them?"

Nic: "You just told me to take them to the post office."

Me: "Uh, yeah! Because they didn't have stamps on them otherwise I would have put them outside our house for the mailman to pick up and save ourselves a trip to the post office."

Nic: "Well, you didn't tell me they needed stamps. I thought you wanted me to take them to the post office so they would get sent out sooner."

Lesson learned.

When you want your husband to do something for you, you must s-p-e-l-l-i-t-o-u-t.

Another lesson learned.

Laugh. I laughed so hard! I had to. I could have freaked out and made it a big deal but it was not a big deal. The cards were returned to me. I put stamps on them and mailed them out...again. They probably got their like the day before Christmas or maybe after with an extra really embarrassing stamp on it that shows how stupid we were for not putting a stamp on it the first time. Oh well.

Sometimes you gotta laugh to stay sane. Laugh at your mistakes, at your husbands mistakes. Because life it too short not to.

Once there was a snowman...

It can be difficult to find fun, new activities for your kids sometimes. So instead of thinking of a new activity just think about doing an activity your kids enjoy but in a new environment.

We have a sweet neighbor who loves to bake and Nixon is always begging me to help in the kitchen any time I am making something. So when our neighbor, Patti, told me about these adorable snowmen she used to make with her grand kids I thought it would be fun if she could teach my kids how to make them.

We went over to her house one afternoon and Patti was so fun with the kids. She got all messy with them and taught them step by step how to make a snowman.

I don't know what it is but the elderly love kids and kids love the elderly. So if you are looking for something fun to do with your kids, think of an elderly neighbor that might be able to teach your kids something new!

How to Make a Snowman:
Make cake balls (bake a cake then mash baked cake and frosting together and form balls)
Refrigerate cake balls for 1 hour
Roll cake balls in white frosting, then roll in coconut
Stack 3 cake balls rolled in frosting and coconut on top of each other to make a snowman
Decorate with candy (Shown in picture: Candy corn, red hots, and chocolate Twizzlers)

Holiday Lovin'

Click here to see original blog post.

So I saw this idea on Pinterest and I think it is fantastic. Any husband would love this, right?! I know they will for sure because two Summers ago my hubs and I tried a little something called "Hot August Nights." This is where we have sex every day for the entire month of August. And we alternate each night who's turn it is to initiate the romance. It was so much fun that we have decided to make it a tradition. It is fun, because the more often you have sex, the more creative you get. So if you have never tried anything like this before...I say do it! Start with the "12 Lays of Christmas" then work your way up to "Hot August Nights" then before you know it you will want to have sex with your husband every day because Meg gives five excellent reasons why you should. Click here for more on that. 

Feathers All Around

Wreaths can be so darn expensive! And some can be difficult to make yourself. I want to share with you a simple wreath idea. Seriously. Easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Find a cheap wreath. You can pick one up at your local dollar store or craft store. It doesn't really matter what kind, just find the cheapest one in the size you like. Or make your own wreath out of cardboard or styrofoam.

2. Wrap the wreath with feather boas. Feather boas can also be found at your local dollar store, but not always. Timing is everything with the dollar store. It took 3 feather boas to completely wrap a 16" wreath. So depending on the size of wreath you choose will depend on the number of boas needed.

3. Add your own flair. Once again, search your local dollar store or craft store for cute things to decorate your wreath with. I used wire to attach my "flair" items. I don't recommend hot glue on feathers.

This one I did for Christmas/Winter. I used a creamy white boa, a cute little furry owl, blue and gold ribbon for the bow, and cheap dollar store glitter snowflake ornaments.

I also made one for Halloween using dark brown feather boas, silver glitter skull heads, black gauze from the dollar store, and a variety of ribbon and tulle to add a little more flair around the skull heads. Remember, less is more! The wreath even looks pretty with just the feather boas and a pretty bow on top.

So stay sexy and sane ladies! Put the kids to bed early tonight, make something pretty for your home like this super easy feather boa wreath, and then seduce your husband so he doesn't think you like your new wreath more than him!

Tree Hunting

Saturday morning we went hunting. Hunting? Yes. As a family, in fact. And with some friends. It was cold so we wore snow gear. It was up a curvy road so Nixon got car sick. The snow was up to our knees so we had to carry the small children. Once the hunt was over we had to drag it all the way back to the truck by hand where we could finally rest our tired arms and legs and warm up our fingers and tummies with some hot cocoa.

Sound like fun?!

Our family started a new Christmas tradition last year with some friends. We go tree hunting. We go up into the mountains with our families and we look for the perfect Christmas tree to bring home. The perfect tree that will hold all the festive ornaments, and stand tall over the presents that Santa will soon be bringing. A tree that is full, but not too full, small enough to fit into our humble home, but not too small, and that has the perfect point to place a star at the top.

If you are looking for a fun family tradition to start of your own, I highly recommend this one. It can be a little bit of work (especially with little ones) so I suggest making a fun day out of it. This year we invited our friends over in the morning for a special breakfast. Together we cooked omelets made to order just the way you like it, and waffles with buttermilk syrup and fresh fruit. After breakfast we headed up into the mountains to find our spot where we wanted to hunt. While the adults hiked around looking for that "perfect" tree the kids made slides on the snowy mountain side. They slid down on their bums, their tummies and even upside down on their backs. Then when the hunt was over we had a large thermos of hot water in the car to mix up some hot cocoa so that we could warm up before the drive home.

Family time is special and it is important. It is memories and traditions like these that children do not forget. And what better way than to share it with some of your favorite people. A happy family is what keeps me sane. So stay sane ladies and create your own special memories with your family and loved ones.

Click here for more information on Christmas tree cutting in Utah.