“I don’t get no respect”. 

Automatically, you may think it was Rodney Dangerfield that coined that phrase… when in reality, it was actually Punxsutawney Phil.  Every year, on the second day of February, without fail, Phil emerges from his burrow in the old oak stump on Gobbler’s Knob to forecast the length of the year’s winter while only a handful of people are present to recognize the event.  In contrast, at other times throughout the year, the entire world throws parties celebrating a bunny with colored eggs, a leprechaun with a pot of gold, and an old man with a magic sleigh.

Well, Phil, we hear ya!  It’s time you deserve your due respect!   And since one day of the year is dedicated to you, we will celebrate it with vim and vigor… even though you predicted 6 more weeks of winter… boo!

Side note: I didn’t realize my husband’s affinity and passion for the holiday until the celebration got under way.  And from what I understand, every year will be outdone by the next!

First of all, your wardrobe must represent the holiday.

As our guests arrived, they were greeted with a paw print painted on their face (you know, like at a Hawaiian party, the guests get “lei-ed”?  Work with me here, people).

Then we had a craft set up for the kids to work on – a pop-up groundhog.  Once they colored a printout of a groundhog, they cut it out and glued it to the tip of a popsicle stick.  The other end of the stick was slid through a hole on the inside of a paper cup (which was also decorated, with their choice of stickers, and crayons).  With the stick in the hole, they could maneuver the groundhog up and down… simulating Phil emerging from his burrow. 

The food also had a Groundhog Day flair.   After the grill was fired up, “hog dogs” were grilled for the kids, and “Ground” beef burgers (shaped into the form of groundhogs of course) were cooked and covered with cheese…ALSO shaped as groundhogs. 

We had groundhog shaped cookies…

…”Whack-A-Hog” (or what some other cultures would refer to as a “pinata”… ok, so we couldn’t find an actual groundhog pinata, but we found a fellow forest friend of his).

…and the “Groundhog Day” movie was available for guests to watch.

And, of course, a Groundhog Day party isn’t complete without a little visit from the guest of honor – Punxsutawney Phil – in all his heroic glory. 

Hear ye, Hear ye! Punxsutawney Phil, the seer of seers, the prognosticator of all prognosticators…  Happy Groundhog’s Day to you.  Thank you for giving us another day as an excuse to celebrate with our friends and families.  (and truthfully, I hope you’re wrong about the shadow bit.)

Growing up in a family of 8 kids, we lived a life short of the “luxuries” all my friends had experienced (according to my elementary-school-aged perspective at the time).   No store-bought wardrobes (Mom sewed the majority of our clothes), cereal was a delicacy (but only the bagged generic brand), and all food was homemade from scratch and food storage items.  It wasn’t until I grew older and started living on a budget myself that I realized how much money this was saving my parents. (although every once in a while, my dad would splurge at the grocery store and come home with Oreos and Grape-Nuts!)

However, the one thing my selfish 8-year-old brain was always grateful for was mom’s homemade wheat bread – fresh from the oven as soon as we got home from school! I could smell it all the way from the horse field as we walked home.  There was mom, apron-clad in the kitchen, a steaming hot slab of bread on a napkin with butter already melting away on the sponge-like texture, and a bottle of homemade raspberry jam waiting to be slathered on top.  I couldn’t contain myself.  On special occasions, Mom would spare baking a loaf and use the dough to make scones!  OH, SWEET LAYER OF HONEYBUTTER!!!

I’ve always been too fearful to re-create the experience myself - ”homemade bread” always sounds so daunting to me!  But my blessed husband decided to try and convince me otherwise.  (Seriously, how many men do you know that make homemade bread?!?!?)  Here is what we learned:

A) Hand-ground wheat flour is what it’s all about

B) Feats of Strength must be involved

C) Aprons are a must (notice that beautiful sunset through the window?? Every night, people! EVERY night!)

E) A group effort lightens the load

F) Always partake of the finished result!

G) Be versatile and treat yourself to some french toast the next morning! (with raspberry syrup and whipped cream of course)

Want to experience the same wholesome goodness and melt-in-your-mouth homemadeness that we experience in these parts?

Follow this recipe – and make sure to add some cranberries! They make all the difference! I’m tellin ya

7-Grain Whole Wheat Bread

In a glass 4 cup measuring bottle, put the following in the microwave for about 4 minutes (until butter is melted):
* 3 cups milk
* 1 cup water
* 1.5 cubes butter

In Mixer:
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup honey (oil measuring cup first. Honey comes out easier)
* 4 tsp salt
* 1 cup 7-grain cereal
* 3 cups wheat flour
* 1 cup other (i.e. flax seed, sunflower seed, wheat bran, etc.)\
Mix together. Add half of the liquid in glass measuring cup.
Add 3 cups white flour.
Mix.
Add remaining liquid and 5+ cups of white flour (enough until the dough is not sticking to the side of bowl).

Place all the dough in a greased large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour.
Split dough into 4 loaves and knead each on oiled surface. Form 4 loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Turn over once so top is greased. Cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise approx. 30 mins (until dough is just bigger than sides of pan).
Remove plastic wrap and place each pan into preheated over (350 degrees). Bake for 30 mins (bake with a small pan of water in over to help the crust stay soft and prevent cracking).

If you think about it, we are intrigued by stories – whether real or fictional.  We flock to the theaters to be entertained, we pick up a novel to pass our free time, and how do we spend our time with friends and family?  …. telling stories!

Our lives are stories – just some are a little more entertaining than some.  Is it because of the story?  Or is it in the way the person relates the story?  Usually in my case, it’s the STORY.  And because my children are witnesses to the “story”, they are stories that will forever be brought up in conversations with visitors.  “Mom, remember when you couldn’t find Caitlyn?” or “Mom, remember when you got that ticket?”   And the most recent request of storytelling is “Mom, tell your friend about my birthday cake.”

It really isn’t that big of a story to tell, and I don’t know why my 7-year-old finds such pleasure in watching me back pedal, and altogether shudder, at the sound of the incident of two weeks ago.  I mean, I was just baking a special birthday cake for my oldest on her 7th birthday.   Her only request was that it be chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  A simple request from her, but with me visualizing amazing results.  Of course it would be chocolate.  But it would be so much better than any grocery story cake – especially since I would see to it that the frosting ratio to cake would be 100:1… at least.

Little did I know that the more frosting one spreads in between the layers of cake…

….the more it tends to slide…

…In separate directions.

Apparently, the princesses reached the weight capacity of the chocolate birthday cake.  I’m sure it had nothing to do with my ”over-zealousness” to apply the homemade frosting!

So, if you’re one who loves to hear, tell, or write stories, you won’t want to miss out on a local Conference taking place March 8-10, 2012! (in SLC, UT)  Workshops and performances by award-winning storytellers, performers and speakers, will help you explore ways to use the power of story in your home. You’ll be able to record your own story, start on some research to learn more about your family’s history, get started on a blog and learn how to tell your story through social media.  Sponsored by FamilySearch and CherishBound, this event will prove to be not only entertaining, but inspiring as well!

You’ll want to register for your tickets soon to be secured a spot, but before you do that, try your luck here at winning a 

FULL EVENT TICKET FREE!

**To enter this giveaway, you must leave a comment here telling me your most embarrassing moment. hee hee (I won’t tell anyone…)

For extra entries,

* “Like” the Story@Home Facebook page
* Tweet about this Conference and/or this giveaway
* Update your Facebook status about the Conference/giveaway
* Blog about the Story@Home Conference and/or this giveaway

Giveaway will end Saturday, January 21st at Midnight MST, at which time the winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email.

This giveaway is closed – random.org chose # 3 as the lucky winner.

Once upon a time, there was a young lady who was “somewhat happy” with the way she looked but wasn’t pleased with how her clothes fit. 

It may have had something to do with an overdose of cupcake intake, or it could have had something to do with her upcoming nuptials. Or maybe it was the inspiration received from weekly phone calls by her fiancee reporting an additional 2, 5, or 10 lbs that he had lost that week! Either way, she wanted to do something about her figure and “do something about it” she did!

She committed to the same healthy lifestyle program as her fiancee (and thousands of other Americans) and started eating 6 times a day and staying on top of her water intake.  In a month’s time, this young lady saw the scale lift 12 pounds and was able to fit into her designer jeans that hung in her closet as a weight loss motivator. 

But what happened directly after the wedding celebration was something that could not have been avoided.  A honeymoon to a tropical island, where she was confronted with a myriad of exotic foods and logical reasoning of taking advantage of  ”once-in-a-lifetime opportunities”, proved to reverse the habits learned through her weight loss program.  And, tragically, just as quickly as the weight came off, those poor eating decisions resulted in :

Needless to say, I’m she’s going back on the program!!  And what better time than at the beginning of the new year to resolve to lose weight and stick to healthy eating habits.  This particular program has proven to work… with multiple people.  On a personal level, my husband has lost over 60 pounds (and he has kept HIS off!).   We have friends whose regular health medications have been dropped due to results with this program.  It is the quickest, easiest, and healthiest way to lose weight and experience an improvement of your overall health.  (No, it is not the HCG diet….and yes, it does require sacrificing cupcakes on a regular basis!)  All it requires is to eat 6 times, and drink your required 8 glasses of water (at least) every day. 

I’m anxious to burn off this honeymoon weight and fit back into my pre-wedding clothes once again!

If you’re interested in learning more about decreasing your weight while improving your overall health, email me for details about this program.   makeitworkmom at gmail dot com.  I’d be happy to share my secrets!

Disclaimer: Some of these pictures may have been snagged from Google Images.

Remember when I used to blog?  Remember when you used to come visit and read what I posted?  Ya, those were good times. 

I’ve decided to give it another go.  Anyone else on board with me?

I’ve just been taking advantage of …. new schedules, colder weather patterns, upcoming holiday seasons, elementary school involvement, snuggly daughters, and doting husbands (singular). 

We’ve been incorporating new family traditions:

And the silliness has increased.

We’ve been spinning “cookies” (rather than doughnuts), going “snowmachining” (aka snowmobiling), and have been drinking “pop” (other than “soda”). 

We take pride in our potatoes, snow drifts, and especially…

I’ve been told that THIS is “God’s Country”!!  With all the time we’ve been spending out here, I’m beginning to believe it (EVEN despite the fact I only have access to ONE cupcakery!… which is the really the best so it’s a wash)

Side note: I’ve also been helping out an amazing mom blogging community on something pretty exciting, which will be revealed at the beginning of next year (2012)!  Stay tuned!!!

Ever feel like time goes past so quickly that it’s almost non-existent? That’s exactly how November has felt to me this year. One day, we’re donning costumes and begging neighbors for candy, and the next, we’re lighting a pine tree and wrapping books to put underneath. However, although it filtered through my fingertips so quickly, it created an amount of memories and milestones that deem November worthy to be my favorite month of 2011.

Why? Well it has something to do with birds of paradise, getting the meat sweats with my entire family, 2 little girls in purple dresses, 85 degree weather, rain forest shelters, mofongo, a snorkeling mask that got away, a baby grand piano performance, Shirley Temples and pina coladas, the radio station 106.1, salsa lessons from Osoty,  free breakfasts (but eating as if to get my money’s worth), star-gazing under palm trees, unreserved bali-beds by the pool, waters that glow in the dark, personal butlers and cabana boys, feeding Dunkin Donuts to a homeless guy, no alarm clocks/schedules/restrictions, freestyle dancing to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker,  peanut M&M’s, male-chauvinisticiguanas, 8 different means of transportation, and panaderias (to name a few).  

The focus of all the attention, glory, and spotlight actually was directed at a creation masterminded by two ingenious minds (208 and Ryley), and brought to reality by the talented Ryley.  (I HIGHLY recommend her for any cake occasion!)

But for me, the focus and attention went to a 6′6″ tall, dark, and handsome man I found about a year ago who created and shared all of these experiences with me… including the varying climates:

In just three weeks, we went from this:

To 10 days of this:

And then got settled back in to this:

I have a lot for which to be grateful this Thanksgiving season (now moving into Christmas).  How was YOUR Thanksgiving (and month of November)??

P.S. More pictures of the wedding and honeymoon will be on my Facebook page, where I can control who sees pictures of me in a bikini…or not.

Are you the type of person who stays on top of the holidays?  Someone who coordinates well in advance your neighbor gifts, Christmas shopping, and family activities? I’d like to think I am as well, but this year has been an exception.  For some reason, Christmas and Thanksgiving have been the LAST events on my mind.  I’ve had other things to plan for (as in 5 days!)….and would like to think I’m justified in that.

However, there is one thing I’ve been able to cross off my list…Family Christmas Cards, thanks to Photo Cards Direct.  Amid all the coordinating, researching, and scheduling of details for my impending nuptials (this weekend!), Photo Cards Direct made my Christmas card ordering a piece of (wedding) cake!  The part that took the longest was browsing their large inventory of cards and trying to narrow down what I liked!  But they even made THAT part simple, with their advanced searching capabilities, allowing me to filter my search based on color, size, amount of photos, theme of design, etc.

Once I made my selection, it was just a matter of clicking buttons – uploading my photo, personalizing the names, then checking out.  Within 2 weeks, my order arrived on my doorstep, ready for envelopes to be addressed.  The picture was clear, colors vibrant, and quality of paper was great.  I will be sending Christmas cards with pride this year for the look of these great cards….but especially since it will be including an additional, very handsome, face!

Do you have your Christmas cards ordered yet?  Well, get on it! 

And Photo Cards Direct is offering a one-time Promo Code of $15 off your order of 25 cards. 

To enter, leave a comment here.

Extra entries:

• “Like” the Facebook Page of Photo Cards Direct
• “Follow” PCD on Twitter
• “Like” MIWM on Facebook

Giveaway will end Friday, November 11 at which point a winner will be selected and notified. 

Disclaimer: Photo Cards Direct offered me a package of 25 personalized Christmas cards in order to have the experience with their website in exchange for a review.  All opinions are solely mine and were not influenced by the product offer.

Every family seems to have the clown. Growing up, out of our 8 siblings, our “clown” was my brother Dave, who would walk around the house in a wrestling singlet playing a ukele, or do backflips off the roof of the house onto manmade drifts of snow 12 feet below. In my family now, although we’re small in number, we are already seeing the signs of our family “clown”!

And it is exposed once the camera comes out of the bag and the lens cap is removed:

I’ve taken the day off of work and Im putting her in charge of the day. Downstairs, there is a kitchen decorated in pink and purple, and we and she has requested french toast for breakfast, pancakes, for lunch, and waffles for dinner.

She has been the center of entertainment ever since she learned how to make sounds with her mouth, mimicking what we said, and trying to sing. She’s a relentless tease to her older sister, but within 20 seconds, she’ll be the most loving, forgiving, tender-hearted softy, wrapping her arms around her tease victim then wrestling them down to the ground.

Today we’re celebrating 4 years of red-haired craziness, cuddliness, and luckiness to have her expressing her emotions as well as she does.

Happy Birthay my sweet C8! Oh how I love your tight embraces around my neck, your drawings you make of my stick figured body wearing nothing but a triangle skirt, and your “secrets” in my ear that turn into a zerbert instead. And I fall for it every time. And do you know what? It’s worth every wet inner ear, just to hear you laugh.