6.23.2011

thirty days: day twenty-six.

(day twenty-six): your week, in great detail.
follow along here.

i don't imagine that you even care about my week in detail, so i am abandoning the prompt and writing about what i want to write about. and what i want to right about is a new product sold via a tv infomercial commercial thingy. and i want one.

i'm sure you are just dying to know what it is...so, without further ado...my new favorite "as seen on tv" product...eggies system for hard boiled eggs.



be honest...isn't cracking an egg, pouring an egg into a little hole and then doing dishes so much easier than peeling an egg. peeling eggs is so hard (read with a ridiculous amount of sarcasm).

i can't even believe this is a viable product. but i want one. just so i can make fun of myself while boiling eggs.

to be honest, my favorite part of hard boiled eggs is peeling the egg. i don't think i would completely convert to the eggies system...yes, it is a system...but it still want it.

just thought you should know.

what is your favorite infomercial commercial?
do you have a desired "as seen on tv" product?


that's all.

6.22.2011

thirty days: day twenty-five.

(day twenty-five): your day, in great detail.
follow along here.

i have zero desire to jot down the minute details of my boring, boring life. especially when i just hang out at home. i didn't work today. it was just an average day off of work and because i'm still nursing a dumb-ass sunburn, i am nervous to spend time outside. i could just use some sunscreen, but i'm just being safe.

besides that, i have been reading today. and i watched some soccer. i played words with friends. texted some peeps. i talked to my grandma on the phone. i went to k-mart to buy stuff i hate buying...but i have to.

and don't worry...i did watch an episode of criminal minds.

and now i'm writing this. my life is to die for exciting. don't be jealous.

i was thinking about working on wreaths, but that might take too much energy. and i'd probably have to go to the store to get some things i don't have...and i don't want to. because i'm lazy.

yeah. my day rocked.

what did you do today?
was it more exciting than my day?


that's all.

6.21.2011

thirty days: day twenty-four.

(day twenty-four): whatever tickles your fancy.
follow along here.

sorry about the lapse of time, again. i am still using the "i was on vacation" excuse. it's been rough trying to adjust to being home. yes, i realize i wasn't gone long, but any interruption in my monotonous schedule always throws me off. i should be adjusted by the time this week is over. in the meantime, deal with it.

as mentioned previously, i got a toasty-fried-sunburn on my legs. it was so stupid and i am kicking myself now. it is starting to peel and it's going to be crazy. right now, just the tops of my legs are peeling. the bottom half of my right leg is still healing. i mean, i fried them. and the right one is worse than the left. i guess we'll see how it goes...but people, we are a week and a day into this and it just barely has stopped stinging. yep...that bad.

recently, i have become obsessed with criminal minds. i have no idea why. i tried getting into it when it first started airing back in 2005, but i just couldn't. but now, it's like i can't get enough of it. i have even set my dvr to record every episode of the show that airs...ever. and i added the dvds to my netflix. yep...that obsessed.

i'm considering adopting a gluten-free diet. i have two friends that have chosen to go gluten-free for personal reasons and they both kinda swear by it. at least that is what i am picking up from them...i guess they can correct me if i am wrong. i just have no idea where to start. yes, i realize what going gluten-free means, but i have bread in my house now...and crackers...i'm torn between throwing them out and just binge-ing and eating all the gluten. but the downside to that is that i'm currently in a weight-loss contest...not a good move. if anyone has any awesome recipes or gluten-free ideas...send them my way.

i am loving the show, the voice. i love blake shelton, so that is why i started watching it, but now i am in love with most of the contestants. i want so many of them to win. i hope that they all get deals and put out albums cause i would for sure buy them. you know me and music. hahaha.

it might be time for me to look for a second job for the summer. i didn't work today and i got bored. maybe i need some ritalin or something, but i couldn't focus on anything and was jumping from activity to activity. so annoying. if anyone has any good part-time job ideas, i'm open to ideas.

i have two concerts coming up in the next few weeks and i'm super stoked for both of them. one is the civil wars and the other is the avett brothers. both shows will be absolutely amazing...but i'm sad i don't have anymore lined up. i'm not sure how that happened. if anyone knows of any good shows coming to utah or the surrounding areas, let me know. i feel like i might be missing something.

i had so many things i wanted to blog about today, but when i sat down to write this...i completely went blank. so stupid. anyway...

what's going on in your world?
anything exciting?


that's all.

6.18.2011

thirty days: day twenty-three.

sorry about the lack of thirty day posts this week...i was on vacation, so i have a good excuse. we will just pick up where we left off.

(day twenty-three): a youtube video.
follow along here.

i love youtube. because of youtube, i am granted the privilege of watching some of my favorite musicians perform live when i cannot. it also provides hours of entertainment at work. the kids i work with know the most obscure and random videos, but they are pretty funny. there are videos that are so stupid they are silly. and there are some real doozies. and then there are videos that inspire. i really like a lot of videos. a lot. but i really love videos that inspire.

i don't know how or when i was first introduced to the playing for change videos, but i almost always shed a tear. the videos are pretty powerful. and this video is probably my favorite of the series. roger ridley is my favorite. he is fantastic. and i love at 2:03 when the little girl puts some cash in his bag and she skips away. so stinking cute.


and just for your information...here is a clip of what playing for change is...


another video that is super inspiring and it makes me bawl every time is the team hoyt video. you can watch it here. but i warned you.

and this video is hysterical...but in a really quirky way. i love it.

do you have a favorite youtube video?
any that you watch over and over?


that's all.

the vacation is over.

it is always sad to go back to work after a vacation. yes, the family vacation is over. and it was fantastic. i always love spending time with my family. but spending time together in southern california is kinda awesome.

the week was a success. the kids loved it and so did the adults. we all are definitely hoping to go back. maybe not next year, but the year after. here is a run down of events...including the mishap i had with the sun. enjoy.
  • sunday was road trip day. jaime and i headed out early and made it to cali before dinner. minus the ridiculous traffic from vegas to l.a., it was not a bad little drive. besides, jaime is pretty funny. we did laugh quite a bit.
  • monday was beach day. this is when the mishap with the sun happened. i fried my legs. obnoxiously. they were fried so bad that it affected the rest of the trip. but it was still a good time.
  • i have a good friend that i met when i lived in boston that lives in southern california. i've only seen her a couple of times since i left boston. i figured since i was in her neck of the woods i would let her know i was there and see where it went. jaime (who also knows this friend) and i ended up going to dinner with her. it was so fun. we had a pretty interesting conversation about being lds and dating. and an even more interesting conversation about a bachelor on this season of the bachelorette. good times, i say...good times.
  • at some point, my nieces and nephews adopted jaime and started being their crazy little selves with her. i always find it funny when they warm up to strangers. it's a glimpse into their real personalities which is always delightful.
  • tuesday was low-key day...due to the burn, i spent a lot of time laying around. the rest of the fam hit up a private beach...like they are fancy or something...but i was perfectly content watching more than one episode of law & order: svu...and by more than one, i think i mean three or four. don't judge.
  • my mom thought it would be fun to surprise the grand-kids with a trip to knott's berry farm. the kids had originally wanted to go to lego land, but when it was determined that was going to be too pricey, the plan to go to any amusement park was out the window. and to be honest, the adults were okay with that. but grandma wanted to be "cool" so she bought everyone tickets to knott's berry farm. the best is that the kids didn't know. when we got up on wednesday we told them all we were going to a farm. they were so annoyed and over it.they all wanted to go to the beach instead. my oldest nephew did mention on the car ride there that we were probably just going to the "idiot farm." i laughed pretty hard. the kids all mostly wanted to still be annoyed at the adults even after we got there...but as the day progressed, they were pretty psyched they were there. they rode all the roller-coasters they could while we were there...the dads were all about it. i, on the other hand, avoided all rides because my legs were killing me. i'm such a baby. i hung out with the little kids and watched them ride the kiddie rides. it was a good time. at the end of the day, they were glad we went. they even said they would go back.
  • jaime departed this day and after the day at the park, all of the kids were worried about where jaime was and why she left and is she coming back. seriously, they adopted her. jaime...you are apparently a part of the fam now. just sayin'.
  • thursday was raining and so it was a lazy day. the dads took the kids to the movie. the moms and i laid around and watched tv. too much bravo. it's all good, though. it was a perfect down day after a day at the "farm."
  • we found out that our other mother and her husband were in orange county for business. they ended up coming for dinner. it was really fun. and funny. it took us all going to california to get together. really, what are the odds...
  • friday, we packed it up and headed home. i rode to vegas with my parents and on to salt lake with my sister and fam. we were going to spend the night in vegas and get up early on saturday to drive, but i talked my sister into making the full drive in one day. i'm glad we did. it meant we got to sleep in this morning and i wasn't mad rushing to get back to logan for work.
so...that was the vay-cay. i'm sad i didn't have my camera. i did have my phone and i got a few good pictures on the last day. but they are on my phone. and i am at work...i'll have to post the pictures later.

where are you going for vacation?
any fun plans?


that's all.

6.12.2011

thirty days: day twenty-two.

(day twenty-two): a website.
follow along here.

really? i have to pick just one. i am not sure that i can do that. i'll give you my top five, most visited websites.

one: google. duh. i mean, how have we survived as a civilization without google. obviously, i'm kidding. but man...i love google. and all products google. gmail. google reader. google maps. google earth. google chrome. google documents. uhh...blogger. i mean, the list is endless. love google. and it's world dominance.

two: facebook. isn't it weird that only a few, short years ago facebook was just a blip? and now it is everything. it is kinda crazy. and isn't even crazier that myspace came first and it is almost obsolete? i think that's the craziest part.

three: twitter. very few people in my immediate circle use twitter. but i love twitter. more than facebook. i love the simplicity. i know that some people think it's complicated...but it's not. one hundred forty character status updates. it's just that simple. i follow a lot of comedians on twitter and so i end up laughing a lot. and musicians...that's who i mostly like to follow. you know me and music.

four: the pioneer woman. i started reading this blog way, way before she became famous. i don't know why i have to tell you that...but i do. i love everything about her site. i love the photography. i love the recipes (she is the one that developed tasty kitchen, which i previously mentioned). and i love that she is living my dream life. i really did want to live on a ranch in the middle of no where when i was a teenager. clearly, i outgrew that...but i love being an invited voyeur.

five: blogs. i love my friend's blogs. and their friend's blogs. and crafty blogs. and photo blogs. i love blogs and so i can't narrow it down.

obviously, this list doesn't even begin to touch upon the numerous websites i visit on a regular, if not daily basis. i mean, there are the news sites. and my bank. and netflix. and doesn't itunes count? seriously, i have to stop now. the world wide web...i tell ya. it'll suck you right in.

are you like me?
too many websites to name?
or am i crazy?


that's all.

6.11.2011

thirty days: day twenty-one.

(day twenty-one): a recipe.
follow along here.

this coming week, i am going on a family vacation to southern california. two of my sisters and my parents will be there. it's not an extremely large group of people, but it's a significant amount. because there are so many of us, it makes going out difficult and expensive. so we end up making all our food. and we usually split the responsibilities.

this year, i am planning on doing a bbq pulled chicken. i was just going to do sandwiches, but i've been considering doing a bbq chicken salad. it's a salad that we used to get when i lived in boston. it was to die for. we'll see what the consensus is when i get to cali. maybe we can do both.

i have never made pulled chicken, so this will be an adventure for me. i found a recipe on tasty kitchen...it's my go to recipe site...seriously great stuff there. i found this hawaiian bbq pulled chicken recipe and so i am going to try that. it sounds different enough and easy enough. i'll let you know how it turns out.

hawaiian bbq pulled chicken

3 pounds boneless chicken
1 whole onion, sliced into chunks
1 can (20 oz. size) pineapple nibblets or crushed, drained (can reserve juice to make sauce sweeter)
1 bottle (18 to 20 oz. size) bbq sauce of your choice
hamburger buns or kaiser rolls

place thawed chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. top with onion and then pineapple. pour entire bottle of bbq sauce over the top. at this point, you could add up to a half cup of pineapple juice depending on how sweet you want it.

turn your crock pot on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours. (or on high for 4 to 6)

an hour or two before it is finished cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it using two forks. use caution as the chicken is hot. place chicken back into the crock pot and stir well to combine. finish cooking an addition hour or two.

serve on buns or rolls. you can top with coleslaw if desired.


again, i'll keep you posted on how it goes.
and i'll let you know if we make salads or sandwiches or both.

are you going to try anything new soon?
do you have a favorite go-to recipe?


that's all.

6.10.2011

thirty days: day twenty.

(day twenty): a hobby of yours.
follow along here.

is listening to music a hobby? surfing the internet? watching tv? i hope so. these are things i like to do. i also like to cook. and read. and sleep. but maybe those don't count as hobbies.

lately, i have been very into making wreaths. i currently have four sitting on my desk that are only half way done. i need to get those finished. i do like crafting when i have time, but i wouldn't necessarily consider that a hobby, though.

i really like to take pictures. and i like to digital scrapbook. but i haven't thought of that as a hobby either.

is it weird that i don't consider the things i like to do as hobbies? i guess i don't know what constitutes a hobby. when i think of hobby, i think that it is just one thing that you spend all of your time and energy and such doing. and by that definition, i don't have just one thing.

i suppose i consider myself well-rounded. and i'm okay with it. maybe that's not normal, but since when have i ever been "normal"?

do you have a hobby?
more than one hobby?


that's all.

6.09.2011

thirty days: day nineteen.

(day nineteen): a talent of yours.
follow along here.

i don't necessarily think that i am very talented. i mean, i have the ability to do a lot of things, but i don't think that i do anything extraordinarily well. i can play the piano, kind of. i pretend to be able to sew. i craft like an amateur. sometimes i think i am an okay writer. i don't draw or dance or anything like that. i'm average, i guess. and i don't mean that negatively. it's all good.

but there is one thing that i have come to believe is a talent. it's random and sometimes creepy. but over the years, i have realized my ability to do this certain thing is unique.

wanna know what it is?

i'll tell you.

i can remember names. if you tell me your name, it is locked away in some part of my brain and can be recalled in an instant. i only have to hear it once. or see it once. i remember names so well, sometimes i pretend that i don't know names because i think it would be creepy for me to readily recall certain people's names.

i can't remember song lyrics to save my life, but i can remember names.

so useful.

do you have any talents?
any unique talents?


that's all.

6.08.2011

thirty days: day eighteen.

(day eighteen): whatever tickles your fancy.
follow along here.

today my sister came to logan to get a haircut. sometimes when she comes, she brings her kids. sometimes she doesn't. today, she brought two of her kids and a family friend. i met her at the salon and then i took the kids to the park.

watching kids on playground equipment is probably one of my favorite things. at this particular park, there are climbing walls. two of them are the typical climbing walls with the things to grab onto and to step on. another wall is more like a big boulder with shelf like steps. the boys thought they were so funny and would slide down the boulder, kind of like you would slide down stairs. i don't know why i thought it was so funny, too, but i laughed pretty hard. kids are hilarious.

and then i made them smile for a photo.


and then they got to pull faces.
man, i love these kids.


lillie and malcolm headed to the water fountain.


after the park, we took them to mcdonald's for lunch. during lunch, noah, our family friend, started telling us something about his parents and i was laughing so hard because i was sure that his mom probably didn't want him to tell us. he kept adding on to the story and so then it seemed like maybe he was mixing several stories together. i spoke to his mom later in the day and she did confirm the story. i had texted her to tell her that i had something funny to tell her about something noah had said. when i finished telling her, she said that she wondered what it could be that noah could have said or done...like she was worried that he was going to tell the story that he did. she laughed pretty hard when i told her he did tell the story...i just wasn't going to say anything...but since she brought it up...out of the mouths of babes.

this is noah. so stinkin' cute.


i got a pedicure for my vacation today, too. i am super excited to spend time with my family. i am also super stoked that it is going to be a super low-key vacation. lots of beach time mingled with uno tournaments, a checkers tournament that my dad has arranged for, some real life scrabble, some other games and lots and lots trash talking. i seriously can't wait.

after my pedi, i took a little afternoon snoozer under my favorite blanket. my mom made it. it's called lucky charms. i stole it from her. and then told her i had it...cause my sister told her.


anyway, it was a perfect day.

what did you do today?
do you have any trips planned?


that's all.

6.07.2011

thirty days: day seventeen.

(day seventeen): an art piece.
follow along here.

{image found here.}
i talked about my love of monet here (mumber seven). and this is my favorite monet painting. i had a print of it hanging in my room growing up. and it's where my sunflower phase came from. i think my mom bought it for me, and i'm glad she did. she knows good art when she sees it.

what piece of art is your favorite?
do you have a favorite artist?


that's all.

i'm funny.

sometimes i think i am funny. actually, i know i am funny sometimes. but most of the time i think i am funnier than i really am. i don't know why i wanted to share that...i just did.

i'll give you an example of what i mean by this...a friend and i recently had a conversation about using certain profane words. she mentioned that if she started using a certain word she wouldn't be able to stop herself. i know what she means, but because i like to play devil's advocate, i keep insisting that she use that word. it's not an ongoing topic of conversation, but it does come up semi-often.

anyway, today while i was browsing the internets, i happened upon a poster that had the specific profane word...and i laughed pretty hard. then i immediately emailed the link to her. and i laughed again. because i think i'm funny.

chances are, she will get the email, maybe giggle and think nothing more of it. but in my heart, she will laugh twice as hard as i did and then start using the word. because it's fancy.

that's all.

6.06.2011

thirty days: day sixteen.

(day sixteen): a song that makes you cry (or nearly).
follow along here.

if i would have been paying attention, i would have used the song i posted yesterday for this prompt. i nearly shed tears when i heard the head and the heart perform it on friday. the second verse of the song really hits home with me:

been talkin' 'bout the way things change
and my family lives in a different state
if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate
so if you don't know what to make of this
then we will not relate


i get a little verklempt every time i hear it.

but since i already posted about that song...i'll choose another. there are so many songs that really hit me, especially country songs. i can think of a couple right off the top of my head. but when i really thought about it, this song struck me. if i let it, it will make me cry every single time.


what song makes you cry?
is there more than one?


that's all.

6.05.2011

thirty days: day fifteen.

(day fifteen): a fanfic.
follow along here.

i don't even know what fanfic is...so i can't even begin to pretend to write something about it. i'm just posting the prompt anyway.

and for your reading pleasure, you can go find out what fanfic is here.

have you heard of this before?

that's all.

a song to share.

on friday i went to a concert (surprise, surprise) with boots, ade and bob. the headliner was iron and wine, but the opener was the head and the heart. overall the show was eh, but the head and the heart killed it. seriously.

this was my second time seeing the head and the heart. they headlined their own tour at the beginning of may. it was amazing. i don't think i wrote about it at the time, but it was one of my very favorite shows ever. (minus the numb-skull that kept crowding everyone out...a downside to general admission shows.)

well, on friday, the head and the heart closed their set with their song, rivers and roads. i liked the song. but after that performance, i love it. i seriously got chills when the band's only female member, charity, belted out her part of the song (starting at 3:20). i can't get it out of my head.

and so, since i am at work today and have a plethora of time to find similar performances on youtube, i am sharing with you. i hope you enjoy it as much as i did/do.


btw...the drummer, tyler williams, is on my short list of favorite drummers. watch him...he rocks it hard.

fill in the blank.

yes, i am aware it is sunday. but i wasn't around a computer on friday, so i didn't have the chance to fill in the blanks. and it's sunday morning and i am at work and the kids are sleeping and i have nothing better to do. so here it is...friday blanks on a sunday. enjoy.

{photo from here via here.}
1. i love  music  because  it always makes me happy. or it can help me feel justified in being angry. or it can soothe me when i am sad. it does so much for me. seriously, try it. you will soon agree.  

2. a time that mama knew best was  was all the time. my mom always knows best...and it is surprising sometimes. i just don't know how she knows. it's like magic.  

3. my first kiss went a little like this  ...not great. not great at all. i mean, i was i middle school. it was during lunch. and i didn't even really like the kid. oh well. so it goes.  

4. my celebrity crush is  gerard butler. or maksim chmerkovskiy. or zachary levi.  

5. my splurge of choice is  ...uhh...music...duh.  

6. my biggest accomplishment is  not punching a delinquent in the face. i have worked with them for just over five years. let's be honest...i have had to refrain. mostly because i didn't want to go to jail. there have been many a kid that probably deserved it...trust. or better yet, i haven't punched a parent in the face either. just sayin'. (clearly, this is not my biggest accomplishment, but i am at work and so it is on the brain...and i just wanted to spice up the blanks.)  

7. my dance jam of choice is  let's get it started by the black eyed peas. so many memories attached to that song. plus, i do really like it.  

what is your dance jam of choice?
and what about your first kiss?


that's all.

6.04.2011

it's june?

i really can't believe it is june. the snow capped mountains are totally messing with my mind. how are we supposed to believe it is summer with so much snow? it's nut-so.


these are the lovely wellsvilles...taken yesterday on my way out of the valley. yes...almost half-way covered with snow. it's kind of gross, don't you think? i think.

that's all.

thirty days: day fourteen.

(day fourteen): a non-fictional book.
follow along here.


i was introduced to "the last lecture" by a co-worker. she used it as the basis for a behaviors group with the youth that we work with. she had the kids watch the lecture and then used the book to lead a discussion. i had to borrow the book from her because it was so amazing. i highly, highly recommend at least watching the lecture (you can watch it here) and if you have some extra time to read, you should definitely read the book. it's super short and really easy to read, but totally and completely worth it. it's one of those books that will truly change you and/or your views about life. so, so good.

have you read this book?
seen the lecture?
what non-fiction book have you read lately?


that's all.

6.03.2011

thirty days: day thirteen.

(day thirteen): a fictional book.
follow along here.


i read this book a few years back when i lived in boston. i loved it when i read it. (i love laura zigman.) but then i read a whole bunch of books after that and lent my copy of this book to someone (and i still haven't gotten it back) and so i haven't given it any thought for a long time. a few weeks ago, i found a copy at a used book store and decided that i needed to read it again. and i love it even more now than i did then. but my life has changed and so the meaning of the book has changed. it is definitely now on my top ten list. for sure.

what books have you been reading?
anything interesting?
have you revisited any previously read books recently?

that's all.

6.02.2011

thirty days: day twelve.

(day twelve): whatever tickles your fancy.
follow along here.

sorry for the slow posting on the last three days. it is technically not my fault. blogger has not been working. stupid blogger. i'm not sure why, but now it is working. i guess.

so, now that my part-time job is over for the summer, i'm not sure what i should be doing. the last two days were my days off at my full-time job. and since i didn't have to get up and go to the part-time, i spent both days trying to figure out what i should have been doing. i'm gonna need to work out a game plan for that. any suggestions?

i have an idea...i can read more. i have been dying to be able to do that. i guess this is my chance. me, a blanket, a book and the park. sounds like a stinking plan. it's on.

or i could get serious about sewing. i still haven't used my new sewing machine (sshhhh...don't tell my mother). that is definitely on the list of things i am going to do.

but first and foremost, i am going on vacation. in just over a week, i get to spend a significant amount of time in a vehicle with one of the funniest people i know. then i get to spend an even more significant amount of time with the people i love most in this world (minus eleven...but we'll forgive them this time). it's gonna be a blasty-blast.

i'm guess that in a few months i will be complaining that i haven't had enough of a break from the two jobs...that is, if i even have the second job come next school year. so just ignore me. now and then.

what are your plans for the summer?
any fun vacations planned?


that's all.

6.01.2011

thirty days: day eleven.

(day eleven): a photo of you taken recently.
follow along here.


my real camera is broken. i can't even talk about it. i am going on vacation without a camera. it makes me feel panicky. besides the fact i can't talk about having another broken camera. i must be doing something wrong. or it might be my chosen brand of cameras. i am going to have to do some investigating. in the meantime, i have a camera on my phone. it's not bad. it's not great, either. i guess it will do.

am i the only one with so many camera troubles?
what is your chosen camera brand?


that's all.