Pinterest projects report and ugly sweater day

Perhaps I'll start with it was ugly sweater day at the high school today. Hannah and Glen wore sweaters and Ryan chose to go with his Christmas vest.

I've been busy getting ready for Christmas, but I've also been busy trying out some things that I found on Pinterest.com. Pinterest is an online database where you can "pin" things you like from the internet onto different "bulletin boards" (files) you make so you can find them again when you want to. You can pin anything...beautiful photographs, recipes, crafts, quotes.... Better than bookmarking because you can see a picture that goes with the item. You can "follow" what your friends and others pin and repin them to your boards if you like them.

So in case you were wondering about how some of the items I've pinned actually work (yea, I know, no one was really wondering):

Magic shell:
As reported on last time, the magic shell ice cream topping got a mixed review. It tasted too much of coconut (ingredients are 1 1/4 c chocolate chips and 1/2 c coconut oil) for me, but others in my family like it. The site did say you could use butter instead of coconut oil. If I try it again, I might try that version. You can find it at:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/07/08/diy-magic-shell/


Cleaning microfiber couches:
My couch doesn't look as clean as hers did after the rubbing alcohol treatment, but it is certainly better than it was. You put straight rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and spray and scrub your couch with a sponge. Simple as that. The link to the pin's site:
http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2011/11/how-to-clean-microfiber-sofa.html

Homemade tub and shower cleaner:
The dawn and white vinegar solution for cleaning tubs, showers, and sinks was excellent. You heat up 1 cup of white vinegar and then add 1 cup dawn dishwashing soap and put it in a spray bottle. Spray in the tub, shower, or sink, wait a few minutes (even over night if you want) then scrub and rinse.You still have to scrub just a little and put up with the vinegar smell, but it works great and beats the chemical smells that hurt my lungs. I think the vinegar helps keep the sudsing down, though it is tough to rinse the soap out the sponge afterwards.
http://www.food.com/recipe/tub-and-shower-magic-434275


Weekly to-do list:
You take a picture frame that has 8 individual frames attached together. You put pretty paper in the frames and use it to write your daily things to do. I bought the frame at Walmart for $10. Here is my version:

I will change the paper out after Christmas, of course. But I love the idea. This idea came from:
http://fey-next2heaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-launch-pad-new-weekly-calendar.html

There are a few projects I plan on trying soon...like the yellow underarm stain treatment found here:
http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2011/11/goodbye-to-yellow-armpit-stains.html (why is dawn in so many homemade recipes???)

an amazing week

people who take my camera and then take funny faced pictures deserve to have them posted

Sometimes I look at the photos on my memory card and I find surprises. Sometimes they can be quite amusing. The kids don't seem too amused that a new street sign was put up on our corner. I guess they don't mind the sign as much as they mind that our last name was misspelled on it. Wonder if they'll fix it.

So, Wednesday was my 50th birthday. Once again (just like on Hannah's birthday) we were home together in the morning and then not again until 9:30 at night. I opened my gifts in the morning, a family tradition we have. Then I wasn't served my cake and ice cream until I was ready for bed. In between opening my gifts and my cake and ice cream, my friends treated me to breakfast.

Hannah had a little accident with the birthday cake she was making me. Still tasted good, though.

Hannah made me some crayon art. Love it.

 

 The above gift was from my sister Denise. It has a funny story that goes along with it. Deni and I were at BYU's Ed Week this past August. I showed her this plaque and said how much I loved it and then debated whether to get it or not. I finally wrote down the quote and said I would try making a plaque of my own. Deni filled me in on the rest of the story on Wednesday. It was near the bookstore's closing time when I had shown her the plaque. When I wasn't looking she bought one for me and then, since she wasn't carrying a purse, had to stuff it down the back of her pants so I wouldn't see it. Meanwhile they had just locked the doors, so when Deni and I left, a cashier had to unlock the door and let us out. The bag made the plaque slippery and Denise had to keep adjusting it. Meanwhile she was afraid the clerk would notice the square bulge in the waistband of her pants and accuse her of stealing something. We made it out the door safely, but then walking back to the dorms she had to keep shifting the package and try and keep it a secret from me. It was uncomfortable for her, but she managed to do it. I was thrilled when I opened my gift. I really love it. Thanks Denise.

My parents also sent a package. It was full of fun things like candles (a "5" and a "0"), balloons, a cake mix and some frosting (I think we'll have to have that when they are here for Christmas), a decision-making spinner for people who are over the hill (things like "go golfing" and "take a nap" are on it...I really like the "take a nap" space), dove chocolates, tootsie pops...it was quite fun.

Here I am ready for bed when they bring me my cake. Eric seems to find the cake amusing...just because it was missing most of its frosting, perhaps? Or perhaps it was the number of candles that perplexed him...

I don't have any pictures for it but Glen's students put on the play Three Murders and It's Only Monday this past weekend. Nephew Michael was the lead (Harry Monday). Quite a funny play.

Friday night was the ward Christmas party. I have a new go-to holiday recipe--reindeer cookies. The tough part is sawing the pretzels gently enough so that you can make the antlers without breaking them.

I was on the decorating committee. Eric helped out.

Saturday the 10th was the best. Our friends, Jiaxin (Jason) and Eric, were baptized. Ryan baptized Jason and Travis, another friend, baptized Eric. Our nephew Michael spoke at the baptism. It was a very special experience. Jason is from China (and I remember subbing for him when he first came to America a few years back and didn't speak a lot of English) and Eric is of Filipino descent. (someone thought they were brothers...nope, and it sounds like they weren't really even friends until they started coming to church)

Back in September Hannah had given Eric a mini Book of Mormon for his birthday and somehow that led to him attending early morning seminary. Ryan and Jason had a mutual friend, Bryan (who, though not a member, came to church with us occasionally). So Ryan, Bryan, and Jason would wind up eating lunch together and somehow that led to Jason going to seminary. Then they came to church. The day the Elders were coming over to dinner, we invited Jason and Eric to come too. They had their first discussion at our dining room table. Such a wonderful experience.

Ryan and Jason dressed in white and ready to go

Bishop Wadsworth, Elder Andrews, Ryan, Jason, Eric, Travis, Elder Chamberlain

some of the attendees

the picture doesn't do it justice, but the moon rise last night was phenomenal

Al, Kerry, Alex, Hannah, and PC (the dog)

 The girls in the ward are doing the Twelve Days of Christmas for Kerry. Hannah and Al shared their 2 days with each other, so last night Hannah and Al brought over a plate of goodies. Tonight Hannah played my favorite Christmas hymn "O Come Emmanuel" on her violin and Al, who had drawn an anime version of Kerry that is on Kerry's lap in this photo, also read a Christmas poem.

After the mini-program, Alex played tug-of-war with Korndog and Chiva. It was quite a riot to watch them. Alex's arm's just might be sore in the morning.

And to end the evening we tried out a homemade version of magic shell that I found on pinterest: 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips and 1/2 cup coconut oil heated till liquidy will harden nicely when spooned onto ice cream. It was pretty good...the coconut flavor was a little too strong for my liking but Alex was mesmerized by the whole "magic" of it all and really loved it.