if you're in the mood to pray...

then please say one, or two, or a thousand, for my hard working man. He's taking the Patent Bar tomorrow and needs all the help he can get. I figured a few prayers offered on his behalf is bound to get some sort of divine response. It's a six hour test (two 3 hour sections), 100 multiple choice questions. And a lot of those questions are half page to full page questions!!! It took me and my mom a few hours just to make the flash cards... this test also happens to have a lower passage rate than the CA Bar! Hence, his second time taking it. Anyway, he needs this. We need this.

Thanks. *B

happy pinch day!

Thanks for all your sweet comments about my new place. I love it, and I'm glad you do, too :) And happy St. Patrick's Day! Apparently it was moved to last Saturday (?), but I'm not much for parties and booze, so we're celebrating it today, just the same. My family came to town so we're just chilaxin' and enjoying each other's company. I'm thinking we need to pick up some beer, raspberry ginger, that is! How I love a good holiday...

And here's just a little somethin' somethin' (a FREE 8x8 quick page to be exact!!!) to help put some bounce in your Spring!

Good for a good scrappin'... so hop to it! *B
page credits? they're here

welcome

to our new, humble abode :)

Feel free to visit!!! *B

new place: storage

Gotta love it! *B

new place: (yummy) outside

look at what we did:

and look at what I made:

{recipe here}

I'll be back with pictures of the inside later (today?)! *B

old place

I love -- no, check that-- LOVE our new apartment!!! I'll get some photos up of it soon. Very soon. But before I do, I'm going to have to show you some pictures of our old place:

In case you can't tell from the pictures, it was cramped and quirky (the ONLY furniture that we owned in the entire place was the loveseat, coffee table and crib. That's it. And no, those are not my paintings. They just happened to be the ONLY ones that I could not move...). It definitely had its perks, though. It was quaint and quiet. It was our home for a year and a half. Will spent a lot of his life growing up there. But...

I'm glad we're gone. *B

accessories of a happy slob

I'm glad y'all like my purse. Because it makes me smile each time I throw it over my shoulder. I feel cuter when I wear it, even if I'm still wearing my pajamas (sans bra) that consist of my brother's Quicksilver t-shirt with holes along the neckline and armpits, and a pair of sweat bottoms with the word EAGLE splayed across my wide-side --making my way to Walmart at 3:00 in the afternoon. AND still showerless, regardless my failed attempt at running this morning...
Thanks mom for my happy bag.

Sorry, still no lipstick. *B

happy bag tag

Good news everyone! I found my battery charger! Which means this blog may now be graced with pictures again! Huzzah! And to celebrate, I'm crossing off another tag from my list of tags-to-do.

Behold, my purse:

and its stuff:

1. wipes in a baggie, and might I add that diapers usually accompany them...
2. gum
3. chapstick in a tube NOT lipstick. Do I look like I wear lipstick?!
4. mirror (mostly for the kiddies, not me)
5. bobby pins
6. pretzels, and usually a few more other treats for Monk, including his sippy cup
7. PEZ, to hyper the kid up before Nursery. I wonder where the dispenser is...
8. half a sheet of stickers, usually accompanied by a mini notebook and crayons
9. dinosaur finger puppets, minust T-rex. He's being washed.
10. tissues
11. trash (just one piece, surprisingly)
12. fake plant for the now dead fish. Who, by the way, was named after THE Sheldon J. Plankton. Anyway, the cheap greenery is waiting to be returned.
    

And there you have it. It's definitely a mama bag. And there's usually more crap (and some emergency feminine products) shoved in there. I wonder where it all went... and no, I did NOT clean it out before sharing it. You're not supposed to. Thanks to Mary for the fun tag. I tag Lindsey, Lace, Kelly, Stie, Holly and Allie.

And tomorrow, I start sharing pictures of my new apartment!
I know you're all dying of anticipation, right... about... now... *B

the second to the beginning of the end of my tag procrastination

So I still can't find my battery charger, which means I have no camera power, which means I can't take any pictures (see below), which means it's tagging time, thanks to the stinker known as Candra. Actually, I'm sure she smells real nice. And I'm glad we're blog buds (though I wish I could have been the fourth musketeer):

A-Attached or single: I'm no Siamese twin, if that's what you mean. But I am married.
B- Best Friend: the hub, family in general and a fabulous concoction of good friends. However, I'm always looking for my Diana
C-Cake or Pie: Pie, all the way
D-Day of Choice: Friday, because it's the designated Disneyland day!
E- Essential Item: water bottle and deodorant
F- Favorite Color: I don't know anymore. It used to be red and green, but now I love almost any bright and fun color. All those pretty and popular blues out there, orange, pale yellow, etc. But I still love a vibrant red. And almost any hue of green.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears. Grrr.
H- Hometown: I was born in Provo (BYU baby), but mostly grew up in Mesa
I- Indulgence(s): anything I can get away with... I'm a pretty good justifier.
J- January or July: That totally depends where you are. January is perfect if you're in Mesa... or Malibu...
K-Kids: 1 little monkey
L-Life is incomplete without: my family, duh. And my computer. Double duh.
M- Marriage Date: May 1, 2004. Yes, that would be May Day.
N- Number of Siblings: 2 ridiculously sweet, handsome and intelligent brothers. Adam and Kory. Blogging families unite! Both are available.
O- Oranges or Apples: oranges, fresh from the tree. Apples make me sick...
P- Phobias or Fears: roaches (most bugs really) that climb up your bedside table to get to your bed. If you haven't seen it, then I do NOT recommend it. It's beyond creepy. [shudder]
Q- Quote: "Life sucks and then you die" --Mom
R- Reason To Smile: my husband, my Monk, my bangs, Disneyland, and my new apartment (I'm in love with it. Pictures coming soon. That is, IF I find me some batteries...). Oh, and my family is coming out to visit this weekend!!!
S- Season: Fall. Or Autumn.
T- Tag Six: Kory, Adam, Robin, Sarah, Joe, and Blaze (when she's finished with her tests. Good luck!!!)
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I love using exclamatory words/phrases, like: dude, holy moly, holy toledo, jiminy christmas, and (thanks to Oswald) golly tamale
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I eat meat, but I prefer veggies.
W- Worst Habit: cards, writing/sending them
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds. Who enjoys an X-ray?!?!
Y- Your Favorite Food: Sandwich/salad made by someone other than me. Almost anything Italian and sourdough bread.
Z- Zippers or Zebras: Zebras. Unless you're referring to a jacket (no animal patterns, thank you), then the more zippers, snaps, buttons, buckles, etc. the better!

I am sooooooo far behind in fulfilling my tag duties. I'll get to each one, eventually. It's probably as likely as me finding some spare batteries... *B

a day of reccurence

Yesterday, we went here. Again.
just us + spur of the moment = total blast
(and no real pictures). *B

impatiently waiting

for this:

My dear, smarty-pants husband is building me a brand new and screaming fast computer! I love him. And NewEgg.

I can't wait! *B

sad, but true

The fun and talented miss J has decided to hang up her hat of digiscrap and don the new (and dare I say better?) hat of photography. I personally wish her the best of luck in her chosen endeavor(s) of passion.

Now go and get you some! *B

so, we've been thinking...

about doing this. *B

where have we been?

D-land, of course! Most of Brad's family (minus Ashley's trio and Elder Summers) came down last week and we all met up at the theme park. It was sooooooo fun to see everyone. It's been way too long. Will loved meeting and hanging out with his cousins. What a fun group of kids, eh? Too bad Gracie wasn't feeling up to a photo shoot... and aren't my sisters-in-law total babes?! And yes, they always look that good. And if I look tired, it's because I was.

{Will busting a move}

{From left to right: James, Grant, Seth, Scott and Monk}

{Everyone standing in line for Pirates --Father Summers is behind the camera}

{Ellen, me and Christa after a lonnnnnnnnng day in front of Monstropolis}

Notice those passes around our necks? They were instant fast passes for the best rides! It was awesome. Mother Summers thought it was a miracle we got them, haha. It was pretty amazing though. Let's hear it for the wish granter and the year of a million dreams! We also got some pretty sweet Family Reunion pins. Brad only realized they had the Incredibles on them after the end of the day. That's my husband for ya! Annnnnd we got some free Mickey Mouse bread loafs, too. The whole day was just perfect.

That night we crashed at Mom & Dad's hotel. The next morning we enjoyed a nice meal at Coco's in Anaheim where I met Ashley and her cute little family, of all people! Random!!! And then, on Sunday Jon & Christa's gang joined us for a little California action. We're trying to talk them into coming out here. Especially since Jon is toying with the idea of taking the CA bar when Brad does. It would be awesome if they did. [sigh] I just love Brad's family. I really lucked out with some great in-laws...

Good times. I mean, awesome times. *B

one of those days

My husband's making breakfast. Before school. Yes, he's wonderful like that. And this is what he says: "I'm putting peppers in for a little flavor infusion." I love him. And his mad breakfast making skills. Also, Monk decided to go to the bathroom both ways (if you know what I mean) this morning!

It's shaping up to be a good day today. *B

the beginning of the end of my tag procrastination

What were you doing 10 years ago?

I was in 9th grade, hating every minute of it. Junior/High School was lame/a joke. I was ready for college.

5 things on my "to-do" list today...

1. laundry
2. clean bathroom
3. knit my fingers off
4. make yet another baby shower gift
5. make bed
   

...in that order

6 Snacks that I enjoy…

1. My own mix of walnuts, raisins/craisins and dark chocolate chips
2. Trader Joe's chewy nutty chocolate bars
3. does water count?
4. uh, I don't really snack because I don't keep snacks on hand, so that I won't snack!
5. see #4
6. see #5
   

3 Bad habits...

1. staying up late
2. showing up late to almost everything
3. picking my nose (oh come on, who doesn't?!)
   

5 Places I've lived…

1. Mesa, AZ
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Kent, WA
4. Monte Nido, CA
5. Calabasas, CA
   

5 Jobs I've had…

1. babysitting
2. all sorts of stuff for my dad
3. receptionist
4. Sensaria rep
5. tending (because, you know, it's different than babysitting)
   

5 Things people don't know about me...

1. I hate talking on the phone, unless you're my mom, my brother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law (Ellen), Laci, Janelle or Tamara
2. I used to play the trumpet and I was pretty good, too.
3. I'm not and never was a Mitt fan. Please, no hate mail.
4. I really hate oatmeal. It gets the gag reflex going just thinking about it.
   
5. I'm a big, fat, HUGE, closet nerd (and I'm not talking shelving units).
   

One tag down, 50 million to go. *B

just a little FMI (for my information)

Somewhat related to my last post -which was surprisingly popular, despite its length- I took my first final today and got a hundred percent!!! Woot woot! And it was probably the most boring course I'll have: Issues of a Consulting Practice. To tell you the truth, I've been enrolled for an entire year now and I've been procrastinating the entire time. It was taking me forever to get through this text. Don't get me wrong, it was informative and all, but after a while it started sounding the same and it just became a chore. Well finally, a couple of days ago I had decided that I had had enough of my ridiculousness and that it really was time for me to take my degree seriously. So I looked into what was actually required of me in this course, and all I had to do was a final! No projects, no essays, nothing but a 20 question open-book-if-you'd-like final exam! After whacking myself in the head a few times, I sat down and took the test in less than four minutes. Such a "Duh Beth!" moment.

Anyway, so now that that's done and out of the way, I went ahead and ordered my texts for my next course, Cancer: Prevention & Politics. I'm not terribly excited for it, just because I don't like reading up on legal schmegal issues (like with the class before) or politics. It's just daunting, as necessary as it is. Good thing I'm not the one being fitted as a lawyer! Thanks honey.

But I am really looking forward to the rest of my classes:

• Fundamentals of Nutrition
• Nutrition and Disease Prevention
• Nutritional Therapies
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Enzymatic Nutritional Therapies
• Nutrition for Women
• Holistic Human Development I
• Holistic Human Development II
• Antioxidants
• Weight Management
• Plus 2-4 electives, depending on whether or not I want to write a thesis (yuck).

Nice thing is I was able to transfer my previous Biology and Chemistry credits. I probably could have had the Anat. & Phys. waved, too, but I'm really interested to (re)learn about the human body from a more holistic approach. Seriously, this stuff thrills me and I'm off to a good start (finally)!

So yeah. Go me! *B
ETA: I just noticed how much I used the word "really" in this post. Hmm, what does that mean?

on being crafty

I just updated my Mess about being crafty and I thought I might as well post this bit here, too.

Beware: it's a doozy!

Nutrition really is my passion. I may have several hobbies and many projects that bring me joy, but there is nothing that thrills me more than being healthy. I really do feel like it's my calling in life. I may not be a certified nutritionist yet, but I'm working on it! Now I am definitely NOT the epitome of health. It's certainly easier said than done. But I'm working on it! However, I get a lot of questions from family and friends on how to eat healthier. So here's a list of my favorite substitutions, tricks and tips:

• There's a lot that worry that changing your eating habits is too expensive. While this is true in part if you're used to eating Mac & Cheese or Top Ramen, for the most part the increase in price is trivial. I think most people assume that eating healthy means you have to buy everything organic or farm raised. While that may be ideal, for many of us (myself included), it's not realistic. Being healthy means eating consciously. Be aware of what you're putting in your mouth. Read the ingredients. Buy produce in season and get yourself a good fruit and vegetable wash to rid yourself of any harmful pesticides, waxes, toxins, etc. Never cook produce in the microwave if at all possible because it zaps all those good nutrients and you're left with nothing but roughage. The fresher, the better. You can also save money by buying frozen fruits/veggies. They were picked while in their prime and are ready to eat. Canned food can also be good (although fresh/frozen is preferred). Be careful though of super high amounts of sugar/salt. Look for canned fruit that sit in their juices rather than syrup. You can also drain and rinse your canned foods before using them.
• Read the nutrition labels. Ingredients to watch out for: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), High Fructose Corn Syrup (or any corn syrup for that matter) and hydrogenated oils. Also be aware of the order of ingredients. Anything that has sugar or salt within the first three ingredients should be a warning sign. And of course you should take into account the sodium, sugar and fat content. Trans fats are evil. Saturated fats are not so great. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats are preferable.
• Buy food as close to its natural source. For example, pure Maple syrup is much better than butter flavored syrup. Just read the ingredients (do I sound like a broken record yet?) and if you can't pronounce an ingredient, then don't eat it.
• In regards to salads and dressings; beware of fat-free dressings. Like most fat-free items, they make up for the decrease of fat by increasing the flavor, aka. sugar. You'd be better off buying the full fat version and limiting the amount you use. Try mixing your creamier salad dressings, like Ranch, with plain yogurt (up to equal amounts). And always ask for the dressing on the side so you can determine how much to use. I like to dip my fork in it and then stab at my greens. Yes, I'm one of those people.
  
• If you simply can't eat raw veggies without a dip, then try hummus. But don't overdo it either. Hummus may be good for you but it's still high in fat. Good fat is good, but not a lot of it. It's still fat.
• If you're making breads or muffins, try substituting applesauce for oil, equal parts. No joke.
  
• Try substituting plain nonfat yogurt for sour cream. Lowfat cottage cheese is also a good choice. Both are high in protein and low in fat.
• I've had great success in substituting rice milk for cow's milk in many recipes. We're not huge milk fans here...
• Soymilk can be good, but not too much of it. It's overproduced and I tend to question the quality of the soybeans they're using. Soy also has a tendency to have hormone-like effects on the body if used in large amounts.
  
• Ground turkey vs. ground beef. I actually mix the two because my husband prefers the taste of ground beef. So I buy the huge packs of ground meat at Costco and cook it all up that night with some chopped onions and salt/pepper. I then put 1 c. of each mixture into a baggie and pop it into the freezer to save for a later date.
• Mix whole wheat with white. That goes for pasta, flour, or rice (brown with white). It makes it more palatable for the hub, etc. ;) Be aware though that the cooking time varies for different versions of grain.
• I cook my rice in broth. It adds more flavor and I end up doing without added butter.
• When something calls for a lot of butter, I use half the amount it calls for and substitute the rest with olive oil. That way you're balancing fats and taste. And just a little FYI: olive oil does NOT do well at high temperature. So use peanut or coconut oil if you're going to do any kind of frying, etc.
• While you're sauteeing your veggies, you'll find yourself wondering where all the oil went. Don't add more! Simply add a little water or broth (or don't even use oil at all).
• Mix your sugar coated cereal with its plain counterpart. For example, Honey-Nut Cheerios with plain Cheerios, or Frosted Flakes with plain Corn Flakes, etc. You can also add a spoonful of plain yogurt to your bowl (or vanilla yogurt to just plain cereal). Same thing goes for those instant oatmeal packages (I personally HATE oatmeal and can only manage to choke it down in this manner). I also add plain yogurt, slivered almonds, and no-sugar applesauce to my oats. It helps :)
• If you're worried about the sugar content of jams, just chop up your own berries and make a spread; add some honey to taste. Or look for spreads made with juice concentrate rather than gobs of sugar or syrup.
• Don't just balance your meals, balance your entire food intake for the day. If you happen to have cereal for breakfast, then don't have a sandwich for lunch; have a salad with some chicken. Or if you have eggs for breakfast, then go ahead and have a sandwich for lunch. Snacks throughout the day should be nuts, fruit, vegetables, etc. that may be missing from your meals.
• Drink lots of water. Limit your intake of juice --unless it's crafty! And if you are really serious about losing weight, clearing up your skin, having more energy and being generally more healthy, then STOP DRINKING POP! I don't care if it's Diet or not (although that tends to be worse in my book, but I won't expound on any of my personal conspiracy theories right now...). It's a bunch of empty (and nasty) calories that your body DOES NOT NEED. So stop it. Just stop.
• More on water and liquids. Limit your intake during meals. It tends to water down your gastric juices and you won't be able to digest your food as well. So eat first, sip a bit during, and then drink some after you've finished and let it sit for a while. Don't fill up on liquid. Fill up on food.
  
• Limit your salt intake by using garlic/onion powder & herb blends. A little salt is good, like unprocessed sea salt. It helps stimulate the kidneys and detoxify poisons. But a lot is not so good, especially refined salt which contains anti-caking chemicals, potassium iodide and sugar to stabilize the iodine. You'll retain water and find yourself at risk for high blood pressure. So be careful.
  
• While nuts are a good source of protein and fat, most are rancid, and eating a rancid nut is worse than not eating a nut at all. If you can, buy your nuts with their shells still on. And always refrigerate them to keep them longer. This brings me to peanut butter. If you choose to buy natural peanut butter (I'm referring to peanut butter that is made with just peanuts and a little salt and has NOT been hydrogenated), you HAVE to keep it in the fridge. Also, limit your intake of peanuts in general. Peanuts tend to be quite toxic due to the chemicals, fertilizers and the carcinogenic fungus aflatoxin. Eat them sparingly.
• What does sparingly even mean? My good rule of thumb: if you feel like you need it, then eat it. This goes for peanut butter, hamburgers, chocolate, etc. Sometimes you need that iron your body is craving... but moderation is key. And don't eat till you feel sick. Eat until you're satisfied then box everything else up as leftovers.
• If you NEED chocolate every day, then by all means, eat it every day! But don't overdo it. A few chocolate chips or one piece of candy should suffice. Also, choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. It'll satisfy your craving more and it's richer in antioxidants. No joke.
• Enjoy eating. Chew slowly. Take the time to appreciate the flavors and let your salivary fluids do their job (which, combined with mastication, would be the beginning steps of digestion). And if you cave in to a craving, then enjoy it and move on! We tend to be very emotionally tied to food which does effect our bodies, for good and bad. Psychology and physiology are closely related... so eat well and be happy!
  

And after all is said and done, bless your food. We can try our best to pick the best foods, prepare them the best we can, etc. But we're not perfect and the food industry certainly isn't. So pray. It is my personal opinion and testimony that the Atonement of our Lord and Savior goes beyond saving us from our sins. It is a filler. After doing all that we can do, He comes in and does the rest. So pray for your food. And pray to be healthy.

Working out, on the otherhand, is a completely different story... *B
Thanks to Paul Pitchford’s Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition for the knowledge and inspiration that led me to writing this today. Many of his teachings and/or words are sprinkled throughout this post.

feeling crappy?

Just a little FYI: the term "crap" comes from an accidental jumble of the words "craft" and "scrap"

Ok, so here's what I've been working on for the shop. Crappy Kits: {B}uild A Block! Each kit comes with a prepped 2.5" wood block (sanded, filled, primed and otherwise good to go), six matching papers (also prepped) AND a custom made transfer! That last bit is my favorite part! So you can pick which letter(s), number(s) and/or word(s) you want, depending on the kind of block you plan on making. There will be three different fonts to pick from for the letter(s)/number(s). While you may choose what word(s) you would like to have made, the font stays the same (it's used in the fonts' names, underneath the letters). NOTE: paper plate, sand paper, ModPodge and foam brush are not included... So, what do you think? But wait; I am in need of some serious help with kit names! Hence, another contest! Tell me which kit is your favorite and what you would name it if it were up to you. The winner will be chosen randomly and will be awarded their kit of preference AND their submitted name will be forever branded on the respective kit for when it hits the shop! Fun stuff, eh? :)

Speaking of contests, the last one isn't over yet! We haven't finished the unsaid project, so I will not pick a winner today/tonight as I had originally planned. But give us a few days and it will be done AND I will have ANOTHER upcoming shop goodie to bestow upon that lucky (and random) winner! Yes, there are some seriously exciting changes in store for the store! So stay tuned and fling some crap-names my way!!! *B

PS- I forgot to mention that this page here, along with the above announcement is done using Allie Hoopes' custom made fonts. Only five bucks!!! Check it out. I have yet to do my messy handwriting, but I'm dancing in my pants with excitement over the possibility of it being done! Oh, and the doodle is an old W&W freebie.

what i did

All weekend I worked on my knitting skills (sorry mom!). Got myself a[nother] book (thanks mom!!!) and I busted my butt in the car on some stitches. Actually, it's more like busted my eyeballs and hands! And this is all I have to show for it. I guess you could call it a sample scarf. You may notice the different types of stitches, so it's definitely not uniform. I knit(ted) a few rows in one type of stitch and then I start(ed) another set of stitches. It's been fun. Kind of :)

And here's my questionnaire for my swap buddies:

1) What is your favorite yarn? Favorite colors? What is your least favorite?
Don't know yet! But I think I don't like cotton; acrylic is ok. It's soft. But I don't like this 3-plye I'm working with, especially when it starts to separate!; and I'm not a huge fan of eyelash novelty yarn. Too tricky. And I'm sure my favorite yarn would be cashmere, HA! Also, my favorite colors are bright, cheery, hip and funky. Um, think Anthro (my inspiration in all of this!).

2) Knit, crochet, both?
Uh, both? I like both, I guess (although I'm more partial to the look of crochet). I've done both...

3) How long have you been knitting/crocheting? Who taught you? Why did you want to learn?
I learned how to knit/crochet YEARS AGO. Maybe when I was 12. And it is NOT like riding a bike. So I just barely picked it back up and am teaching myself --Continental style. I think I would prefer crocheting over knitting. But for now I'm teaching myself how to knit. I'll work on Granny Squares later... I want to make this afghan in the worst way! I love that movie. It's like someone hit the saturation button AND I would totally decorate my house in that manner, colors and all!

4) What is your favorite snack/sweet?
Hmmm, déjà vu?. Marinated artichoke hearts! And chocolate. Dark chocolate. And chips are a HUGE weakness. Bad chips. But I don't have a huge sweet tooth...

5) What did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor.

6) What names would you NEVER consider for a baby?
Dick for a boy and Bertha for a girl.

7) What things did you, as a child, vow to never to do your children, but have since decided that you will?
I swore my kids would never eat hot dogs (we now have them once a week), would never watch Barney (Monk's seen it a total of two times), and would never wear velcro shoes (which are THE best invention since sliced bread). I also swore that my kids would never have a runny nose. And for the most part, they don't and won't. It totally grosses me out and makes me gag. So I'm sticking to my guns on that one!

8) What is your favorite thing about being a parent/expectant parent?
When I was pregnant I loved feeling the baby move. Elbow drags and somersaults are THE coolest! And now that I'm a parent I love always having a little buddy around. Will's hugs and kisses are the best in the world. His laughter is my most favorite sound. Ever. His smile melts my heart (so much like his father) and he is the master of teasing (wonder where he gets that from?! ;) I just love being with him. And on that note, I'm off to spend some quality time with my boy!

I'll be back later today with some other fun schtuff. *B