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Today the teenie koala turned three! She celebrated by choosing her outfit (she was a lady bug),
receiving lots of snuggles from Mom and Dad,
getting totally awesome presents,
sleeping in a brand new big girl bed,
and, her favorite part of all, carrying around balloons, all day!
My you are loved, sweet girl! Happy birthday!
I fell in love with this 3D Solar System from Pottery Barn Kids. It would be perfect for the cub, who loves all things science. Unfortunately, the product was discontinued, and let's face it, who would pay $70 for a few balls of plastic any way? Pshah!
So I made, yes made, this. Myself.
Granted, it looks like a junior high science project, but may I mention that it is HUGE? Twice the size of the Pottery Barn business. AND it was made with love.
After I was finished, I had Ryan hang it up. Doug thanked HIM for making the wonderful Solar System Whaaa!?Was your Thanksgiving as lovely as mine? I hope so! This year I hosted the holiday at my house. If anything will make you feel like a bona fide adult, pulling a steaming turkey from the over would be it.
And if anything will make you feel like a bona fide Mormon, sewing your own table runner and napkins would be it.
Humor me as I show off my cute Thanksgiving table:
My parties may not be the most exciting, but I'll be darned if they don't look great. Designing the look, feel, and taste of the party brings me so much pleasure!
Here's the tablescape for this year's annual Lee Halloween Party.
And the traditional caramel apples (thanks for the labels, Tic!). I admit, these apples weren't all that tasty, but they made darling party favors.
I made almost all of the decorations myself. Spending money for Halloween decorations (of all holidays!) is downright ludicrous.
Outside we had more headstones with sayings like "Jeremy Blake...stepped on the gas instead of the brake" or "I may be dead, but you're ugly."
And here's some of our fabulous party guests.
Ryan is an I-pod touch. Keep your hands off his apps, ladies, they're all mine!
And here's the cutest trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood.
Here's my proud little cub on his first day of preschool.
Boy, he was excited!
And in the spirit of Nie (do you love her as much as I love her?), we had a back-to-school feast! This included crowns, pizza, cupcakes, and a father's blessing.
This Mama Bear loves her big preschool boy!
S'pose it's time for a new post. If anything, just to get that pesky swear out of view every time you enter my blog (not that I mind an occasional pesky swear. But you might).
This desk was passed down to me from my aunt. My dad refinished it for her years ago--lovingly scraping off layers of paint and staining the solid oak a warm brown...
... only to have the desk doused in more layers of paint once I got my crafty little hands on it. But as you'd agree, this desk needed a little pick-me-up. It was time.
Ta da! So cute in the cub's room, is it not?
I laugh a little bit every time paint furniture, make it look lovely, and then pull out the sandpaper to distress the crap out of it. It feels so wrong, but looks so right!
And just because he's a great kid, here's also a picture of the cub: 
Smith's, my favorite place ever, has a monthly promotion where they round your coupons up to a dollar. This is a big deal because, if you play your cards right, you can get tons of free, or nearly free, items.
Here's what I got for FREE today:
8 Yoplait Greek Yogurts
4 toothbrushes
4 toothpastes
4 Weber Seasoning Packets
1 Dial Handsoap
Everything else pictured was $.25-$1.00, except for the milk and cheeses (which were still on sale for well under $2). Plus I got some gourmet pita bread which, at $3.50, truly felt like a splurge.
All of these items rang up at $186 but after my coupons and fvc, the total came to $86. Not bad, eh?
Now most of this stuff I'll either freeze or run downstairs to food storage. I know our food storage doesn't look like much now, but I was able to get all this stuff without paying more than my usual grocery bill.
I just started this collection six month ago. I put it off forever because I never felt like we had enough money to spare (with babies, houses, and surprise expenses). Food storage is one EXPENSIVE commandment. I love couponing because I can still be obedient without breaking the bank.
Plus, there's that added benefit of having a supply in case there's an emergency. Oh, that too.
I have a confession to make. I hope you still like me afterwards. I hope I don’t totally repulse you. But here it is: until today, I had not visited the dentist is seven years.
You are resting your head between your knees, blowing out rhythmic puffs of air to keep yourself from vomiting, aren’t you?
Even though you are totally grossed out, I feel much better now that it’s out in the open. Phew!
Why, you may ask, did you put it off so long? Well, I’ll tell you: I have tooth enamel of steel. Seriously. I have a contract with a local jeweler that when I croak, I’ll bequeath him my teeth so that he can more efficiently cut his diamonds. Rocket ships are built with materials less durable than my friendly chompers. I have had only one fluke cavity my entire life, and I swear that it wasn’t really a cavity, but a desperate attempt by my mouth to fit in with the mouths of my peers.
But even if one does have incredibly talented teeth, one still must pay their dues in the dental chair, right? At least that’s what society would deem “hygienic.”
After much haranguing from my social conscience, I finally set up a family dentist day in which I received my first dental cleaning since I got married, Ryan’s first dental appointment since before his mission, and the cubs’ first dental appointment since, like, ever.
And it was fun. I forgot how much I like the dentist. I liked listening to the hygienists swoon over my teeth and marvel at how they practically repel bacteria. I liked hearing the gasps as I told them how long it’d been since my last visit (they proclaimed my mouth looked like one that had just returned for its six month cleaning). I liked how slippery-smooth my teeth feel as I slide off the chair. And I loved the goodie bag I received, which contained my very first tongue-scraper. A good tool, that.
And yep. I was cavity-free.
But the best part of the family dentist day was watching my kiddles also enjoy their experience. They were not scared, not one bit, and especially enjoyed getting their spit suctioned from their mouth. I always liked that part, too.
I was informed that they also have teeth of steel. Good cubs.
