Caramel & White Chocolate Pretzels Recipe

Ok, I'd love to take credit for this recipe, or even be able to tell you how marvelous it is - but truthfully I haven't tried it yet. My friend Fayette (one of "The Ettes") posted it on their blog and it sounds DELICIOUS! And not only does it sound amazing - but the recipe she typed up is so cute, I couldn't help posting it here. So head over to their blog and let her know if you try them - I'm sure they are going to be tasty.

Man I love those boys!

Man I love my little boys. I'll be honest, there are days when I hide in my closet for a minute of quiet, or pray for naptime to last a little longer.....but then there are days like today when I am overwhelmed with feeling blessed to be called Mom.Today we just had a few sweet moments, a few silly, and a few tender and sweet. I wish there were ways to take you all along for some of those moments. I don't write it all down quite like I used to....and sadly I'm not remembering the moments as well as I used to either....but I really want to try harder. The sweet moments are what life are about - right? Here are a few random thoughts about the boys:

• Hunter has been working really hard at talking lately. We've had a couple of meetings with a local Speech Therapist. She comes and gives us some tips on things we can work on with increasing his vocabulary and helping him speak clearly. He is also going to a Toodler preschool class one day a week for a couple hours. He LOVES it. He loves getting ready for school, loves his friends, teachers and telling us (or trying to tell us) about his fun when we pick him up. It makes him seem just that much more grown up....and when he took his Christmas treat to his teachers last week it was just like taking a glimpse into a few years from now when he'll be taking his 3rd grade teacher a present. Man, life goes by way too fast.

• Today after Gabe got home from school I was talking with him in the couch and Gabe gave me a big hug. Hunter came over, tried hugging me and then looked totally hurt. He said, "No, Hunter Mom's favorite". In his sweet little language and his pouty lip sticking out. So sweet. So I hugged and snuggled both of them extra tight. They're both my favorites - right?

• I was teasing the boys and asked if either of them had a girlfriend. Gabe quickly said "NO!" (which is not the answer he gives his friends - he tells everyone else about his girlfriend Naia) but Hunter called out "YES!" He told us a name over and over again but sadly we didn't understand who it was.....so apparently Hunter has a girlfriend...her name? Not quite sure.

• Gabe had his preschool Christmas program today at school. They sang some really cute songs, made me a sweet ornament with a picture of him for a gift, and made me smile. His teacher made a really cool crayon keeper for them and he was so impressed by it. He LOVES it. He was so cute to hear through the whole day saying sweetly, "Mom, I just love my crayon case." We're so lucky to have a great teacher who clearly cares about the kids in her class, and who Gabe has a great time with. So lucky!

• Today we were driving and listening to Christmas music. Clay Aiken's voice came over the radio singing one of my favorite Christmas carols, "The First Noel". Gabe said thoughtfully, "Mom - did that guy just say 'No elves?'" He's repeated it many times tonight, including singing his version as we sang together tonight.

• The boys were both thrilled to have "Family Game Night" tonight. Apparently the television ads that have been on the last few years about "Family Game Night" have gotten to Gabe because he was beyond excited to play games together tonight. It was fun to all laugh together like that. I look forward to a time when the boys will be ready to play some of our favorites (Rumikub and Uno to name a few). And for the record - I totally smoked all 3 of them at Candyland the first round!

• "Grandma Tammy" (Cory's mom) sent the boys home with a little candle with a list of scriptures to read each night as a family. We're supposed to light the candle and read together. Can I just say that this has worked better than any other efforts we've made at reading the scriptures together as a family? The boys are thrilled to get our candle out and can't wait to help blow it out at the end. I have LOVED the sweet moments we've had together as a family as we've read the scriptures and explained the stories to them. They have seemed to just get it these last several nights. Tonight we read about how the Savior calmed the storming seas (Mark 4:35-41 I think) and had a very sweet talk about it afterwards. I ended up with tears (as I often do when I feel the spirit like that) and Hunter kept telling me to be "happy!". I explained to the kids that I was happy, super happy and that sometimes when I am that happy I cry. A few minutes later we were finishing bedtime preparations and getting ready for bed. I looked at Gabe and his eyes were full of tears. He came over and wrapped his arms around my legs. He said, "Mom, sometimes I cry when I'm really happy too. Like right now." The moments when gospel lessons hit home and it "clicks" are precious.

I love them - a lot!

Dollar Days @ Elemental Scraps

Today is Dollar Day @ Elemental Scraps website - so head over and pick up some digi-scrap goodies. Here are a couple of layouts with some of the fun products released today.

My Boys

Template: A Very Girlish Christmas (coming soon)
Kit: Homemade Holidays by Bella Gypsy

Silly Kids

Template: Liftin Kellie by ChrissyW
Kit: Homemade Holidays by Bella Gypsy

Storybook Parade

Template: Freebie Template #35
Kit: Right Jolly Old Elf by Bella Gypsy

FREEBIE CALENDAR - all 12 months available today only!

Hey guys - I've been telling you the last few days about the calendar freebies "The Ettes" had been offering on their blog. They were offering a page of the 4x6 calendar each day for the last 12 days. Several people had emailed me, or contacted The Ettes about wanting to download some of the pages you may have missed over the course of the last week and 1/2. Well here's your chance! As they said on their blog:

By the last day of our countdown,
The "Ettes" had heard from many of you.
You missed out on some of our freebies,
and cried "boo hoo", it's true!

So we're taking pity upon you.
Download the whole calendar for FREE today.
But, you'd better do it quickly,
'Coz to get it tomorrow, you'll have to pay!

Today only you can download the entire 2010 calendar from their website for FREE! So check out their FREEBIES section TODAY.

As of Sunday you can purchase the calendar on the website too - and it will be 1/2 price till after Christmas. So grab it for FREE on Saturday, or if you miss it - you can catch up by purchasing it.

Also if you spend 10$ in the store you can get the "Celebrate" kit FREE!!! Totally worth it!

This month is such a special one....

....it's birthday time for The Ettes!

So excited to say a great big "Happy Birthday" to some of my favorite digi scrapbook designers with The Ettes & Company. Fayette & Annette are amazing - seriously amazing designers (not to mention the sweetest gals!) I'm excited to be able to work with their designs and create with their beautiful work.

So head over to their blog today for lots of fun goodies. There are new kits, new fun stuff - LOTS to check out - including FREEBIES all day long!! You won't want to miss out on all they have going on - and keep checking back as there will be updates.

Here are a couple of my favorites (although I love all of them!) - Celebrate & Barnyard Friends.

Scrapbooking and a FREEBIE!

Just a reminder to check out the FREEBIES @ http://www.theettesandcompany.com/ through the 12th. Each day you'll get a FREE calendar quick page to help create a 4X6 calendar. Check them out and get ready for The Ette's 1st birthday celebration - starting on the 13th.

All of these other layouts are created using Bella Gypsy and ChrissyW products and templates.

Scrapping layouts

Kits:

• Christmas Carols by The Ettes
• Hard Candy Christmas by Bella Gypsy
• Trim the Tree by Bella Gypsy
• Every little thing by Bella Gypsy
• John Dough by Libby Weifenbach

And remember to check out The Ettes blog for the daily freebies. Check back daily and by the end of the 12 days you'll have a whole calendar! PLUS - every day there will be discounts as well - so it's definetly worth checking out!

Birthday Celebration

I am so excited for one of my favorite digi-scrapping companies "The Ettes & Company" - they are getting ready to celebrate their 1st birthday!!! In addition to the fun stuff they'll have in honor of their birthday later in the moth - I've teamed up with them for a great gift for YOU!

Every day from December 1st-December 12th there will be a gift available for you on their website. You won't want to miss out any of the days because when you add all of them together you'll have a perfect Christmas gift to give to others!

Enjoy!

Catching up on posting layouts....

(Edited to add links to kits/templates)

Template (FREE!): http://www.elementalscraps.com/shoppe/product.php?productid=23420&cat=0&page=

Kit: http://www.elementalscraps.com/shoppe/product.php?productid=23413&cat=0&page=

Template: http://www.elementalscraps.com/shoppe/product.php?productid=23428&cat=0&page=1

Kit: http://www.elementalscraps.com/shoppe/product.php?productid=23431&cat=0&page=1

Solstice kit: http://www.gottapixel.net/store/product.php?productid=25338&cat=0&page=1 and http://www.gottapixel.net/store/product.php?productid=25337&cat=0&page=1 and http://www.gottapixel.net/store/product.php?productid=25336&cat=0&page=1

Template: http://www.gottapixel.net/store/product.php?productid=25339&cat=0&page=1

Template: http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=19362&cat=0&page=1

Kit: http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=18228&cat=0&page=1

Wavy templates (it's not a layout template - it's just a template for the swirls): http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=19278&cat=0&page=1

Kit: http://sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/product.php?productid=19416&cat=0&page=1

Just catching up on some layouts I haven't posted. I've been scrapping still - but it seems I end up too tired once I'm done and don't end up getting them to the blog. But here ya go :)

Halloween 2009

I must admit it, I have a secret wish - I want to have an all-out coordinating family Halloween costume some year. You know, one with a theme where we all coordinate. I could be Dorothy, Cory could be the Wizard of Oz, Hunter dress as a flying monkey and Gabe could be the cowardly lion or the tin man.....or we could go with a theme from music - like The Beatles, or maybe a nursery rhyme....A girl can dream, right?

(In fact, I saw the CUTEST family costume last week - "No More Monkey's Jumping on the Bed" - the 2 kids were dressed as monkeys, the dad was a doctor and the mom was dressed in an apron holding a phone. You know - "Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!")

Anyway, Gabe was totally determined for months and months to be the "Red Power Ranger". So I gave in and let his dream of being a silly super hero win over my need for coordinating celebration....I was a bit sad, but he was THRILLED. He loved his costume and I got to avoid forcing Cory to dress up.

Hunter wore Gabe's old "Buzz Lightyear" costume and felt pretty cool to get to wear his brother's costume. It was a little big, but he's getting used to hand-me-downs, and he enjoyed it.

And then for the first time since we've had the boys I dressed up. The boys picked out a witch hat and wig for me and I pulled together a few black items of clothing, a fantastic witch cackle (if I do say so myself) and a wicked witch was born. I enjoyed it and I'm pretty sure I'll need to dress up again next year.

Happy Halloween!

Project 365

Since we got home late on Halloween and didn't have time to carve our pumpkins before trick-or-treating we decided to carve them for FHE Monday night. The boys actually used Mr. Potato Head pieces for their pumpkins and then Cory and I used actual knives. I was SO impressed with Cory's. He doesn't normally join us in our carving - and he attempted a pattern and everything. I was impressed! Gabe asked several times what Cory was carving and he told him "The Grim Reaper". The last time Gabe asked he said, "Oh yeah - you already told me - it's 'The Grim-Shaw". (To those who are local this is funny with so many "Grimshaws" that live in our ward/neighborhood.)

I haven't had roasted pumpkin seeds in YEARS - since I was probably 4 or 5 years old. Gabe asked about pmpkin seeds after seeing them in a magazine article and so we gave them a shot. YUM! I have been snacking on them now and LOVE them. So far they haven't made me sick either, which is awesome.

The boys and I had to run to Walmart and saw all of the Halloween stuff on clearance. They were THRILLED that there were some Star Wars costumes on clearance for just $3.00. Sadly they are HUGE on the boys, but they'll have some fun in them I'm sure.

We weren't home when the pest control guys came and sprayed our house/yard. I asked the technician to just leave the bill on the counter. Well he did - but he left a little "friend" with it. It startled me and completly freaked poor Gabe out. We sure laughed about it later and hid the plastic bug toy around the house for others to see.

This was a BIG day at our house. Hunter's first day at preschool! Brings a bit of a tear to my eye....but it's just a 1 day a week and he is going to LOVE it!

Our good friends the Smiths blessed their little baby Cade in their home. It was great to share that time with them and some other friends. And the food they served after - YUMMO! So glad to have great friends close by.

Another BIG day for our family. Uncle Coby's mission farewell. We headed up to Logan to hear Coby speak and spend time with extended family while we celebrated Coby's big decision. We're SO proud of him and all he will be doing these next 2 years to share the gospel with the people of California!

Digital Scrapbook Day - FREEBIE template

HAPPY Digital Scrapbook Day! All over the world people are celebrating the fantastic hobby of Digital Scrapbooking. It's even known as "INTERNATIONAL" Digi-scrapping day. As you can see from my last several posts, I've been busy scrapping away this weekend. I decided to put together a little digi-template for anyone who is interested. I created this based on a layout in the current Creating Keepsakes magazine (which I can't seem to find right now to give exact credit to the creator....sorry about that). I used Crystal Wilkerson's October products in this layout.

DOWNLOAD FREEBIE HERE.

Hope you all have a great Digi-Scrapping Day and get lots of fun scrapping done. All of your favorite digi scrapping sites are (most likely) celebrating with contests, freebies, give-aways andfantastic sale prices. So enjoy!

Bella Gypsy layouts - AWESOME new collection!

One of my last scrapbooking posts....

My buddies at Bella Gypsy have been designing up a storm. Their Digital Scrapbook Day products are so awesome! Check out the (GIANT) Plenty of Personality collection . It's so great!

Here are a couple of layouts I did with some of the boy collections. You can buy the kits in a boy collection, girl collection - or all together. (I'd go with all together - they are all great!!!)

Libby Weifenbach's NEW products

Libby Weifenbach has a couple of cute new kits releasing today too (it's quite the scrapping weekend!)

Fra-Gee-Lay - fun, bright colors for Christmas time. (I heard several places that this lime green is HOT for Christmas decor this year)

All In A Day's Work - great graphics for chore charts!

Fab-u-less - This kit was released last week, but has super cute images for a weight-loss journal, or for things about eating healthy/loosing weight. This layout is using the freebie template by ChrissyW @ Elemental Scraps.