Happy New Year! On this last day of 2011 our dear 'Papa' was in a horrible accident. After spending all day in the ER with my Mom and being in pain it seems like he will be okay. We, his children, are counting our blessings. 2011 was an emotional year with ups and downs. We lost a beloved Grandmother, I had a perfect baby boy and my sister is pregnant after many patient days of waiting. It has been an unforgettable year and today has reminded me of the countless blessings our family has received. I have been thinking of New Year resolutions and have gone through the usual "...loose weight, travel, cook more..." but in addition to the usual, I have resolved to live this wonderful life with a heart of gratitude. I resolve to love my side of the grass and relish each day I get to spend with my babies. Ring in the new year! Here we come 2012!

Can I get an AMEN?

I read a fabulous blip in the Jan/Feb edition of Elle Decor.  Five designers comment on 'things that must go'.  Although I was thrilled to read all of them, I will highlight just a couple here.

Richard Shapiro calls the midcentury craze:
"...the monotony of one midcentury room after another, all with predictable, gratuitous, gimmicky accessories."

Mary McDonald:
"I think we all have seen enough garage-sale junk sprayed in high-gloss Skittles colors to last through the next century."

And Sheila Bridges:
Has seen her share of "earthy, handmade concoctions.  Just because it can be reclaimed doesn't mean it should be."

Can I get an AMEN??

Now back to wrapping presents!

Whew! We made it to the weekend!

This has been a long week around here. Much was accomplished, but I think we're all glad to see it come to an end! I spent most of the week at GIRL'S CAMP. Enough said. BRING ON THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

Quotes

Lately, I've been stumbling upon several quotes that have really stuck with me.  They don't have any cohesion, necessarily, but I wanted to share them together anyways.  Sometimes you just need someone else to say things for you. 

First, from one of my new favorite blogs:

"To define a tomboy requires searching far beyond the simple notion of wearing boys' clothing.  Tomboys have influenced the expanses of popular culture including fashion, film, music, and literature.  And although the tomboy is often identified by clothing, what makes her wholly so is an inherent sense of confidence, rebelliousness, and adventure."  Tomboy Style Blog

At the end of a very inspiring TED talk about empathy by Sam Richards this quote from Fyodor Dostoevsky was displayed on the screen:

"While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him."  Fyodor Dostoevsky

Along the same lines as what my grandpa used to say,

"You don't know someone's situation until you've walked in their moccasins."

And from a motivating speech by Gary Vaynerchuk:

“You need to care about everything, and it starts with yourself. Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, What do I want to do every day for the rest of my life? DO THAT…whatever you need to do, DO IT.” Gary Vaynerchuk

“Legacy is greater than currency.” Gary Vaynerchuk

We all need a little motivational speech every once in a while.



Happy Fourth of JULY!! It's been so fun to see the different interpretations of our banner project and to see them hanging in all our homes!

One of my favorite ways to try a new trend is with nail polish. As our family has started to grow, I have tried to save money by not getting a pedicure at a salon and instead doing it at home. And this coming from a girl who used to get a mani-pedi every 2 - 4 weeks. How times have changed.

With the at-home pedicures, I am all about fast and easy. To keep my feet smooth I use a foot scrub and foot lotion everyday. Everyday. If you are prone to cracks and dry heals, then this is my best advice. One of the main reasons I get pedicures is to smooth my feet and this regimen has surpassed any care I received professionally.



Another must to the at-home pedi is to make sure toes are clipped and clean and polished. Wearing no nail polish to me is like not wearing a bra. I try not to leave home without it. I have tried blue, green and every shade of pink and red under the sun. Year-round, these are my favorite shades:

OPI Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI Dulce de Leche

Essie Really Red

I have another perfect summer pink that I use but the label has been ripped off by my 2 year old. And speaking of my darling 2 year old, the best time, I have found, to polish my nails is at about 10:00 PM right before I go to bed. No distractions, a little down time and I sleep with my feet out of the sheets to wake up with a perfect pedicure. Sounds a little crazy, I know, but it works and allows me to keep my toes lovely while on a budget. 

I have given up drinking.... and it my case that means Diet Coke. I can't promise that this will be permanent, but I was due for a change up. I feel good and so that makes it worth it. I have gained a greater appreciation for water, however sometimes you just need some flavor! So I have been infusing water! My favorite right now is lemon, lime and cucumber. If nothing else, throwing a lemon slice into my water makes it that much better. Other good ones are mint and cucumber, orange and mint and pretty much anything that sounds good. I want to try strawberry and mint next! The flavor will stay good for several hours, but don't leave it over night or try and refresh it the next day... the fruit will become mushy and should just be replaced. Enjoy!

Maps

Doesn't a map just make you want to travel and explore the world? Maps and globes have always fascinated me. I used to, and still do, love spinning a globe and letting my finger land on my next destination. There is something to looking at a map and planning a trip or seeing where the roads will take you. In my experience nothing is better than having a physical map in your hand. GPS just doesn't cut it for me. I've gotten more lost using a GPS than I ever have using a physical map. Not only are they practical, but they look great on a wall, too. I'm looking for a large school map for my living room and can't wait to find the right one.

Tip: Topographical maps are great and very useful for backcountry exploration, however, they can be very confusing. REI provides free map and compass classes for members, and will leave you more confident in your map reading skills.

Starr discovered a darling 'pennant' garland and knew we could make it even cuter. So off we went to the craft store to gather supplies. She text all her siblings and our craft night was coming together. This is just a peek at the banners that we are creating. Stay tuned for the final unveiling!

I struggle with saving face all summer long. As in, trying to look like my makeup is not melting off. I am a face sweater and it is a battle to look effortless and lovely. Add a third trimester of top of it all and I am a real hot mess. Luckily, I have found a few products that make the face sweats and summer months totally doable.

Smashbox Anti-Shine is amazing. It is a clay-like primer that is one of the only products that gets rid of shine without covering up, which can sometimes leave a face a little cakey. Once my face is nice and clean, this is the first thing I use before starting my makeup routine, and it lasts throughout the day.

I am a foundation lover. But, on those really hot summer days, skip foundation and go right to your powder for a sheer cover-up. I am kind of on the fence right now about foundation and loose powder as a whole, but I just read about one from M.A.C., Magically Cool Liquid Powder, that sounds amazing.



Finally, when all else fails and you are left with a little mid-day shine, Instead of re-powdering and risk looking like a cake face, use blotting papers. I love Sephora's Matte Blotting Papers with added Vitamins C and E. Just store them in your purse and blot as needed.

One of the most important things about having a shiny or sweaty face? Just get outside, enjoy the sun (don't forget sunscreen) and put a smile on your face!

I have been hearing a lot lately about the dirty dozen and clean dozen of produce. Apparently by avoiding conventional produce that appears on the dirty list and paying extra for the organic variety, you can potentially cut your intake of pesticides by nearly 90%! Hello. That is worth it to me. I have also read that buying local produce helps reduce pesticides as well since they are not shipped from across the county or South America. On the other end, the clean list includes produce that is not heavily sprayed with pesticides in general, thus making the conventional produce an OK choice.


Dirty Dozen: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, pears.

Clean Dozen: onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomatoes, sweet potatoes.


I made a small list of the dirty dozen and tucked it in my wallet so that when I am grocery shopping I can reference that. Three cheers for health!

Camo Tote Bag

 

I'm not one for purses.  Never have been, never will be.  I've always had some sort of messenger bag or backpack to carry my things, but the L.L.Bean Hunter's Tote Bag is the closest thing I've had to a purse, if you can even call it that.  I like to think of it as something to haul my lunch, wallet, phone, keys, notebooks, camera...to work and around.  It's the perfect size for a lot or a little, but the camouflage is my favorite part.  It seriously goes with everything and adds that little bit of cool to an otherwise simple outfit.  Most everyone has owned or borrowed an L.L.Bean tote bag at one point in their life, and for good reason.  These bags are durable, simple and timeless. 

If you live locally you know that Holladay is going through a transformation. Someday we will have a mall. And someday the little downtown restoration will be complete. But for now just east of the vast void that was a mall is a the charming bakery Cafe Normandie. It's almost impossible to pick just one goodie from their array of pastries, brownies, scones and cookies. Their salads are delish, I am hooked on their beet salad with Gorgonzola. Yum! We had an intimate shower last week at a Salt Lake restaurant for a dear friend having her first baby. I wanted a favor for each place setting and ran right to Cafe Normandie. I explained what I was looking for and trusted the cute gal behind the counter to come up with something wonderful and I was not disappointed!

Each new season I get giddy about trying to find a new sent. It can be as small as a new soap or hand lotion. Summertime, in my opinion, is a time for less. Less makeup, less clothing and less perfume. I want to smell fresh with a hint of something delicious. I have found three fragrances in three different price categories that achieve just that.

First, let's talk about the basic cleansing tool - soap. I love bars of soap. I always try to branch out to body washes but always come back to soap. I don't buy into the scent 'layering' effect because really, if you start out clean and fresh, it will only enhance your lotion and/or perfume. One of my favorite summertime soaps is Irish Spring. It's a little manly and kind of harsh on my sensitive skin (thus perfect for 3 - 4 months) but if I could sleep with a bar of soap by my pillow I would. I love the smell so much. And let's be honest, if I get a whiff of my deodorized pit and it smells like Irish Spring, it's a good day.

One of my favorite finds this summer has been Dove's Rebalance Go Fresh Body Mist. All the other smells in Dove's Body Mist collection smell a bit like alcohol, but Rebalance is wonderful for a $4 find. I love to re-spritz mid-day without an overpowering scent.

At The Store in Midway, Utah they had a display of some of J.R. Watkin's products and let me tell you, not only was I hooked with the fun packaging, but the smells were natural and wonderfully rich. I have had dreams about the Peach lotion that I may just have to go back and purchase. Right of the bat I was drawn in by the Aloe and Green Tea smell. It is definitely fresh, smells like summer and has a hint of warmth from the Green Tea, which I love. Added bonus, they only use natural ingredients in their products and they range from $5 - $15.

If I was feeling really rich this summer, I would run out and purchase this perfume. It is divine. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh. I love the Marc Jacobs Daisy because it is a perfume that can go year round, but the Eau So Fresh is just so lovely. It is light and flowery and doesn't smell to perfumey. It is perfect.

Next Thursday I will discuss the Face, followed by Feet. Fragrance, Face, Feet and you are ready for summer!

The very first thing was I was allowed to cook on the stove without assistance was scrambled eggs. This is probably the same for most of us. This opened a window for me and made me excited about cooking and baking. I have been making my way through Julia Child's book My Life in France and have to say that I enjoy her frank and honest writing. I have yet to finish it, but am fond of what I have read so far. In the section I just finished, Julia talks about her time at Le Cordon Bleu. Each morning she and her fellow classmates (all GIs) would prepare breakfast with their instructor. While making scrambled eggs one morning Julia "whipped some eggs and cream into a froth, got the frying pan very hot, and slipped in a pat of butter, which hissed and browned in the pan". Her instructor stopped her in horror and showed her the proper procedure. He cracked two eggs and gently blended them together. He lightly greased the pan with butter and kept the heat low. He poured in the eggs and waited until an egg custard began to form. Then he gently pulled them together, "keep them a little loose; this is very important," he instructed". When the eggs are nearly done add your cream or butter. I followed these instructions and was pleased with the outcome. Even my taste tester of a husband said they were really good. I love the idea of making something as simple as scrambled eggs better and more delectable.

Music: Sia

My lovely sister Starr first introduced me to the singer Sia as the lead singer of Zero 7.  Most recently I've been into her solo work (which was also revealed to me by my sister) and right now I can't get enough of it.  I can listen to her live version of "Breathe Me" on the Lady Croissant album for days straight and not get sick of it.  The album I have on the rotation as of late is titled, Some People Have Real Problems.  There are too many good songs to list, but some of my favorites are, "Day Too Soon" "Soon We'll Be Found" and "I Go to Sleep".  But really, listening to the whole album is the only way to appreciate Sia's work.  Lyrics are great, sound is great and Sia's voice is so calming and easy to listen to you'll be begging for more.