Downloadable Butter Beer Labels

Have I mentioned, I love Harry Potter? Mandee, not so much. She fell asleep during the Half Blood Prince. It's amazing, I tell ya that were such good friends!! :)... She knows I love her, even if our taste in movies differs. Anyway...

Here is a great list of ideas for a great Harry Potter themed party. She had downloadable Butter Beer! How cute! I made Butter Beer once, from a recipe off of mugglenet, and it was really sweet. So sweet we couldn't drink it, but I love the idea of just using Cream Soda.

Here is a link for tons of Harry Potter crafts. This is a cool sight with recipes and lot's of fun easy crafts. I think we might do a Halloween Party this year and center it around Harry Potter. Who knows? Anyway, I thought it was cute. Had to share! Have a FABULOUS day!

Your LIfe Story (the condensed verion, anyway)

How cute is this? A little mini life story, if you will. I love this idea. I found it at Becky's Blog. There is a pdf for an adult life story and a teenage life story. I love the covers, it goes back to my girls camp binders, that we did this year. It looks like the same process to make them.

Anyway, a great idea for a youth activity or it would be great for a little keepsake to give your children.

Parade Loot

So imagine sitting at the side of the road for the Pioneer Day parade. The sky is blue and there is enough wind to cool you off. There are people lining Main Street in Cedar City watching the Parade. There are horses, floats, bikes, bands, dancers, police officers, fire fighters, and vendors trying to get you to buy balloons, food, and water.Well, here in Utah it is a big thing for little town parades to throw candy from the floats to the people watching the parade. It is usually a huge brawl for kids getting the candy. Well, this year I watched it with my parents and Mia because Logan and BayLee were up with family in Northern Utah. We were just watching other kids fight for candy when all of a sudden a can of SPAM comes flying towards me! A single random can......not another one in sight. My mom and I just look at eachother with a quite confused expression. Noone fought me for this can of SPAM and now it will sit in my food storage and never be touched.A part of me wonders if there is a prize inside of it.........

I Heart Craigslist

I am a huge fan of finding a great deal these days. I think finding a great deal is like a chocolate bar, it is sweet and satisfying. I have become a great fan of craigslist. I used to be really cautious about it and afraid after the whole "craigslist killer" thing. But lately I have been selling things like crazy on Craigslist. It happens so fast and before you know it, you have made some easy money.

One of my favorite things to check out is the "wanted" ads on Craigslist. People want the most random things and we have been able to get rid of a lot of our junk that way. That is how we downsized our bed. We had been wanting to go from a king to a queen and I just happened to go the "wanted" section and saw that someone wanted to pay $300.00 for a king bed. Woohoo!!! It was that easy!

It is free and you can even add pictures to your ad. So, the next time that you need to clear out your house and make a few bucks off of it go to craigslist.com and you may be lucky!!!

Cute Recipe Cards

I made some darling recipe cards for a favorite things swap that Mandee and I are both doing. I got them here! These are too cute! They are Free! And you can copy your recipes off your blog and paste them onto the pdf!! No Typing!!!! Super easy and super cute! Thanks Messy Vegetarian Cook!!

Yellowstone National Park

Hello! I am back! I have been out of town away from blogging world at my family reunion in Yellowstone. It was such a great time and it was great to see a lot of family members that I don't ever get to really see. How often can you walk away from a family reunion and feel so blessed to have the family you do.
We had so much fun in Yellowstone national Park. We actually rented a lodge in Island Park Idaho and I must say it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. We spent a day in the actual park and saw a bald eagle, cool unique bugs, buffalo, moose, elk, deer, wolves, and to end off the nearly perfect day....we saw a bear! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to see a bear. That was my quest....that was my mission....that was my one desire.. and it happened.
My kids did so good on the long ride there and back. They just played their DVDS and DS'. We sang, we talked, and we slept(ok, I slept).
The second day we were there we took an awesome river floating trip down the river in Island Park. Oh my goodness, was that fun! It was actually a crazy kind of fun. We had twins that were one year old, a two year old, and two three year olds, a 11 year old, and a 7 year old. It was AWESOME. Those little ones were amazing and great sports.
Usually after a vacation people say they are glad to be home. I was not ready to come home. It was such a great weekend with great family members. I am so blessed to have them as my relatives.
I strongly reccomend Yellowstone as a family vacation. We live in the desert so it was great for my kids to see other landscapes and meet different types of people. It was awesome and can't wait to go back!!!

Free Printable Greeting

I love freebies! I am so glad that there are talented people who are willing to share! Click here to be directed to free printable greeting cards. She has free cards in the following catagories.

Adult Birthday Party Invitations

Bridal Shower Invitations

Girl Birthday Party Invitations

Boy Birthday Party Invitations

Thank You Notes

Personal Notes

Holiday Greetings for Christmas and Hanukkah

These are so cute! Go check them out.

I. Must. Have. One.

So the other morning at 7:00 am, I was playing on my blog and clicked on my friend, Kims blog and she had a picture of this beautiful, camp chef posted in all it's glory!!! I knew right away that I HAD to have one. I called my husband right away, and the first thing he asked was, "Why are you on the computer at 7:00 in the morning looking at camp chefs?"

All day long I thought about it and when he got home, I dragged him into the office so I could show him. The dang thing can make muffins and lasagna. How cool is that??? So while I haven't yet had the chance to buy one, because there is no Cabela's here, I am planning on getting one soon. I am going to Salt Lake in September, maybe then. Maybe, my husband will buy it for me for Christmas!!! HINT, HINT! I am a strange girl, I know. I want a camp chef for Christmas, go figure.

To Paint or Not to Paint??

I picked these awesome DVD cases up at D.I. today. They hold DVD's 2 deep and the coolest part is they swivel, so you can see what movies you have withouth moving every case. I am debating on painting them black. I am leaning that direction. The only thing stopping me is that they are going next to my entertainment center which is a dark wood color. What do you think?? Paint them or let them be?

I need advice

This girl is unbearable cute!! However, she is causing me a lot of grief. She's a BITER. Now, my boys have bitten other people, but usually a bite back or a flick on the lips and they learned their lesson. NOT THIS GIRL! She will bite you and clamp on and break the skin. MEAN, MEAN, MEAN! I have tried biting her back, time out, flicking her mouth and of course explaining that biting hurts to a 2-year-old is like talking to the wall.

My poor 4-year-old seems to be the recipient of most of her bites. Why she has targeted him, I don't know, but poor little guy. Last week he was screaming bloody murder because she had gotten ahold of his toe's (not sure how) and she bit them hard.

Any advice??? It would be greatly appreciated. I am at my end with this and don't know what to do?????????

HCG Update

So, I've noticed that alot of traffic has come to our blog from Google, and people looking up the HCG diet. I have also had several of you, my faithful friends and readers contact me about my experience and ask questions. I have posted about my experience with the HCG diet before, click here to check out those posts.

I just recently came off of it agian. This was my second round. I did the shots for 40 days the first time, and drops for 14 days the second time. I liked the drops much better. My energy was much higher on the drops and I wasn't hungry like I was on the shots.

I have lost a total of 40 lbs and I have gone down from a size 20 to a 14. IT'S AN AMAZING FEELING! My self confidence is up and my energy is out of control! I think I may do it agian, but I am going to take a break for a few months. I'm thinking maybe agian in October. The most amazing thing is that I have been able to maintain the weight loss. It's defiently a change of lifestyle and eating habits. I am going to have to really watch what I eat for the rest of my life, because it could be very easy to slip.

Lot's of people have asked me where I got the shots, and I got those online. My friend who also did it actually did the ordering. I'm not exactly sure where she got them. The drops are being sold locally in my town, by one of my friends. I know lots of you are looking to purchase HCG from a reliable source. The biggest question that people have asked me is, where can you purchase it and know it's safe? If your interested in doing the drops, you can contact Karen. She is willing to ship them. If your interested, contact her at campkar@yahoo.com , she and her husband have both done this diet and lost a ton of weight. Karen knows lots about it and she is a great resource for those who are interested. She can fill you in on the price and all the details when she contacts you. Just tell her Brandy sent ya and she'll take care of you. She's great!!

Good luck to all of you who are thinking of doing it!! It's a hard decision and one that it took me almost 9 months to make, but I am happy that I did it. It was the right decision for me.

Harry Potter was........

Amazing, fabulous, and exceptionally well done!

I am a die hard Harry Potter fan! I love the series and I have really enjoyed the movie franchise. I was to TICKED when Warner Brothers changed the release date last year. But I must admit, I got over the moment I heard the familiar theme music!! I honestly think this was the best movie yet. I mean sure there were some changes that I didn't like, but for the most part it followed the book.

I also think that the actors have come into their own. I was so happy to see Rupert Grint get some more screen time. He did a phenomenal job!!! Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliff did an excellent job, as always. The whole movie was really well done. One of the things that I have most enjoyed about the movies, is that the characters have for the most part stayed the same. I HATE when you love a series and the actors change right in the middle of it.

The only thing I missed was the final battle scene at Hogwarts. That should have been in there. There was a certain scene in the middle of the movie (I don't want to spoil it for anyone) that was AMAZINGLY DONE, but didn't happen in the book. They could have replaced it with the battle scene and the movie would have been perfect. Jim Broadbent also did a wonderful rendition of Horace Slughorn. He was perfectly cast for that part.

Go see it this weekend. And if you don't want to brave all the crazy fans, go see it next week. It is DEFIANTLY one you won't want to miss. And if your one of those people who wait and rent the video, don't because it won't do it any justice at all.

I am also curious what others thought? Any die hard fans want to share their thoughts and opinions???

The Hundred Dresses

The Hundred Dresses is a great book! I think its a book that every little child should read it. Every child at one time or another has been teased other children. If you have ever witnessed it, suffered it, or been a part of it in any way, you will remember how painful it is.

This is a beautifully written story. It deals wonderfully with the dilemmas of childhood both from the teased and the tormentors points of few. It teaches the importance of kindness and compassion for others. It teaches of forgiveness and it teaches that it's important to stand up for what's right even when no one else will.

In the story you meet Wanda, a quite little girl with no friends. Every day she wears the same faded dress to school, which wouldn't be a problem, but she tells the girls in her class that she has a hundred dresses at home. Beautiful dresses made of silk and velvet. The poor girl is tormented and teased and eventually her family moves away to the city.

Another little girl in the story, Maddie stood by and watched Wanda be teased and she feels quite sick about it. The story is told from Maddies point of view. She feels like a coward for not standing up for Wanda. Even after Wanda moves away, Maddie cannot forget, that she was part of the reason Wanda's family moved away.

This is an easy read. It's only 96 pages. I originally read this, because I wanted to do something with it for Young Women's and we may still do something based around this book. It is such a great story of values and morals and is well worth sharing with your child.

Need to Say Thank You

Do it in style! Go print these little beauties and makes some yummy cookies. Your special someone will defiently feel appreciated!

We've all had those moments.....

Moments when those we love are sick, hurt or have been involved in a tragic accident. I know that I have felt those same feelings, when I have seen the suffering of others. Empathy, human nature, call it what you will. We feel that empathy because we can relate. We are all important to someone. We are all brothers, sisters, sons & daughters. Husbands, wives, fathers & mothers. Friends and family. How could we look at this family and not feel empathy for them? How would we feel if this was one of our own???

I have faith in the blogging community. I have seen it work miracles. Look at what it did for Nie Nie and her family in their time of need. This world is filled with kind and compassionate people. People like you and me who want to help. Be it in a big or small way, we want to serve if we can.

Let me introduce you Bryce Jenkins and his family.

Some of you may have noticed this picture on our blog. It's in the upper right hand corner. I don't know Bryce that well. He is a few years older than me. He has a younger brother and some cousins that were my age.We all lived in the same county and attended the same small high school. A small county, full of small towns and where everyone knows everyone. It doesn't matter how far away you go, it's still home.

Bryce is currently fighting colon cancer. It's aggressive and unfortunately Bryce has had a life threatening reaction to chemotherapy. Miraculously, Bryce has recently been given an opportunity to participate in a new, experimental cancer treatment in Germany.

To complete the treatment Bryce must return to Germany twice each month for 8 more months; and while the Doctors are donating their time and the formula, Bryce must pay the costs of airfare, hotel, and hospital fees, which are running about $8,000 each visit.

Can you imagine??? Even in less trying economic times this would be a staggering amount. I know that not all of us are in a position to donate. But can't we all at least spread the word about Bryce and his family? It's free to do and could help tremendously. You never know who might stumble across this and what they can do.

If you had the hope of being cured and of possibly finding a cure for others who have been diagnosed with this disease, wouldn't you take it? What wouldn't you do for your family? How deeply grateful would you be for any help that you might receive?

If your interested in learning more about Bryce or in donating, go here.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, repost this on your blog and help spread the word.

Could They Be Any Better????

That's a smore in all it's yummy goodness, but it's made with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. How much better could life be? Well check out this article for 5 more great way's to yummy up your smores! Were going camping in a few weeks!! I'm gonna have to try some of these out!

Measurement Equivalents

I have a confession: I love Martha! Thought this was a fun little treasure. To print, click here and enjoy! I'm excited to stick this on my fridge!

Chunky Paper Flowers

Aren't these cute? I made these to put as toppers on a visiting teaching gift I did. You can get the template here. Hers turned out way cuter than mine and I love the pixty stick idea. That was what I originally planned, but I forgot to grab them so I just stuck these on boxes of cookies.

Didn't have quite the same effect, but it was cute.

P.S. please ignore the date of the pictures, I just realized my kids must have been playing with the camera.

Have a beautiful day!

I Have a Confession to Make......

I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO IKEA! Sad, isn't it? Sadly, there is no Ikea where I live and the closest one is in Las Vegas and when I go to Las Vegas, I try to leave it as quicly as I can. However, I am on my way to California today and I need to find an Ikea somewhere along the way, so I can go and browse their baking section. If I have to stop at every Ikea between here and San Diego to find that cookie cutter set, I will. I. MUST. HAVE. IT. It's not a want, it's a need. Check out some of these great finds.

Red baking dishes. I love them. This one is only $6.99.

My hubby hunts. He's into everything outdoors and so are my boys. I think these are darling!

This is my very favorite of all the little beauties I saw. I must have this simply for the flower shaped cookie cutter in the middle. I'm envisioning my sweet daughter and her friends decorating cookies in my kitchen.

Cakes and I do not tend to get along, but for $1.49 I may try this fun stencil set. I can just see a fun baby shower cake with polka dots. Yep, going to have to try it.

To see all this and lot's more, click here. The best thing is that they are extremely affordable!

Easy Crockpot Chick'n Dumplings

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
10 refrigerated biscuits, quartered

Combine the first three ingredients in the slow cooker. Add the chicken; cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. During the last hour of cooking, remove chicken and shred using 2 forks; return to the crock-pot. Add biscuit pieces to chicken mixture; stir to coat. Cover and cook on high for one hour.

I served it with bread and butter and fried zucchini.

Quick and Fun Experiment

This was super cool and a super easy "I am Bored" solution. I just filled a baggie half full of water and we each guessed how many pencils we could poke through before it broke. It took 11 and my guess was 10. Way fun and it entertained my 2nd grader for quite awhile.

It's Winner Time

We've got winner, we've got a winner, we've got a winner, hey, hey, hey.....

Random Integer was consulted and after much deliberation......

#30 Cheryl is our lucky lady!!!

Thanks to everyone for entering. Cheryl, shoot us your mailing info to mandeeandbrandy@yahoo.com and we will get Shelf Reliance to get this out to you in the mail.

Thanks to everyone for playing!

My Sisters Keeper

Ever since we save the previews for this movie, Mandee and I have been dying to go see it. Well we went on Saturday and I have to say, it wasn't quite what I expected.

The story is about Kate, who was diagnosed with Leukemia at a very young age. Her parents decide to conceive a baby who can be a donor for her older sister. After 11 years and countless surgeries, the daughter has had enough and sues her parents for medical emancipation. You watch this poor family go through trials and each bares their own individual pain in regards to Kate and her illness. Kate is an amazing girl who has such a beautiful spirit and they did a wonderful job portraying that in the movie.

It is truly a touching and poignant story. I haven't yet had the chance to read the book, but plan on reading it soon. The movie truly was fabulous and I bet the book is even better.

As much as I liked it, I don't know that I would be able to watch it again. Mandee and I both sobbed our way through the movies. I'm sure the crying began about 20 minutes into it and lasted the entire time. Mandee said after the movie, that they should just let us watch that movie over and over and we wouldn't have a drought! It was truly a tear jerker. I haven't cried like that in years. Out of the 7 of us who went, Mandee and I were the only ones who came out of the theater looking like this..........

You have been warned! This movie will cause red puffy eyes and dehydration!

We do recommend seeing this. Just plan on taking an entire box of tissues. It's one of those movies where you will absolutely fall in love with the characters. There are moments when you will hate some of them. There is lot's of laughter but also tears. It's a movie that will make you appreciate your children and make you want to go home and hold them and never let them go.

And you know what? I probably will buy it. It is such a great story. It will just be one of those movies I only watch when I need to have a good cry. Well worth seeing!!

Garage Sale Tips

Brandy and I have an......addiction. Each and every Saturday one of us, if not both of us are out and about garage selling our way to heaven. We find deal after deal and it is what feeds this frenzy. Our main goal is to find good deals on great clothes. But once you get out there, things just call to you and say "Take me home", "You know you want me....even though you don't need me". It is theraputic, it is fun, and it is what I look forward to each and every Saturday.

On my way home today while I was tuning out the chitter chattering and screaming of children in the backseat, I was trying to think of a great post for our blog. I thought "Aha! I will share my tips on Garage selling techniques.

Tip #1

Go on Craigslist the night before and click on the "garage sale" button. This will then show you all of the garage sales for the weekend. It will then actually map out a route for you to follow. Along the way you may or may not find other garage sales along the way that weren't on Craigslist.

Tip #2

Check out the garage sales for friday. These days "with the economy" people are having sales on any day of the week.

Tip #3

Don't be afraid to swindle a deal. Usually people mark up their items so you will be able to talk them down. Most people that do garage sales are just trying to get rid of their things more than making money.

Tip #4

Go EARLY! Most of the good stuff is gone by 9. Brandy and I usually go at 7 and YES things are busy.

Tip #5

If you have to bring your kids with you, bring plenty of snacks and portable dvd players. I also give my kids 2.00 each to spend and when their money is gone it is gone. It teaches them to hold out for something good.

Tip #6

Go with a friend. I love going with Brandy. We help each other look for great deals and even when we aren't together we are still on the prowl for things for each other.

On the whole this is a great way to shop. It is better than thrift store prices and walmart prices. I did a garage sale this past weekend at my house and we brought in some good money! So with that, HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!