In the desert????

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Ella DOES have ICE SKATES on her feet. Yes, she is in Havasu. No hell did not freeze over. Someone actually has brought in a portable ice skating rink!!! It didn't start off to well....minor problem with getting the water to freeze...DUH this is the desert, one of the hottest places on earth (next to Death Valley and 1 spot in the Sahara Desert)! They did finally get it frozen and the kids have been busy skating around. Uncle Nate took Ella the other night and she had a blast. I am not 100% sure it was just because of the skating. She pretty much LOVES her Uncle Natey Pants! Nate said she caught on very fast and this video proves it. Thanks Natey for taking Ella on a date to the ice skating rink.

Shhh...I am a cheater!

A few weeks ago while I was sitting on the couch I signed all of the Christmas cards, put return address labels on, and forever stamps. I know...you are thinking, "Why is this on the blog???" Well....these are my cards for Christmas 2012...yes, you read that right! I have my cards already for next year and they are now being packed away in my decorations. So when it comes time to decorate next year, I will just have to put mailing address labels on the cards and put a new picture inside. I know it is cheating....but oh well!

Tamale How To!

Ok, this post is mostly for Anne. However, I am sure Amy and Mom will get a good laugh at Ella and my video debut. Good luck Anne. Call me if you need any help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r16L29fX7ms

Should I or Shouldn't I????

Well, that is the question.

I am started P90X again today, and I WILL finish it before i go to Vegas with Anne for our birthdays.

So, now my question....should I post the picture i just took of myself on day 1. My plan was to take a picture every Wednesday to show my progress. I think it will motivate me to keep up with it.

Well, I guess I will take another picture next week and make a decision.

Royal Knights

Tonight was Ella's first game of the soccer season. She has been doing so well at practice these last couple of weeks. I think she is finally "getting it"!!!!! As she was getting ready I realized 2 things....1. CRAP her socks are white. How am I going to keep those clean all season???? 2. CRAP I forgot that she has softball cleats and not soccer cleats. Just in case you don't know...the only different between the two is that softball cleats have an extra cleat right in the front. So what does this cheap creative mom do???? I sawed off the front cleat!!! Oh yes, I did! I changed into my matching uniform top (yes, I am that soccer mom) and out the door we went. Now, we live in the desert and most of the time I will not complain about the temperature, but it is FREAKING cold outside...50s and I don't like it one bit. Ella on the other hand seems to be oblivious to the fact that it is cold outside. I had to fight with her to wear a long sleeved shirt under her uniform. Anyway, I digress. I had to bundle up in a blanket in order to watch her play. And BOY DID SHE PLAY WELL...like I said she is "getting it". She played about half of the game and SCORED 1 of her team's 2 scores!!! Yippee, she was super excited and had to call Papa, Daddy, and Nany/Nate...and text her Auntie Anne. The Royal Knights didn't win, but did a fabulous job. Next game is on Saturday.

An Awesome No Cost gift

I love birthdays and love to give presents to my friends and family...but with the budget being tight, I have had to be creative.

I have seen a lot of subway signs in different stores and on different blogs, so I decided that I would try and make one for Amy's birthday.

I found a scrap piece of wood in the garage and spray painted it black.



Then it was time to use my scrapbooking stickers to put the saying down. When Ella and I were in Texas this summer, I found a subway sign down in Glenrose that I knew was my sister. Only problem was that they wanted $40 dollars for a distressed piece of painted wood. So I snapped a picture of it with my phone and forgot about it. The original saying said marshmallows, but Ella decided it NEEDED to be guacamole. I agree guac was a better choice!



After I got the saying where I wanted it on the board, I found some paint in Ella's arts and crafts drawers. Time to roll on the paint.


It took about 3 layers of paint...I did not try to make it perfect (this is suppose to be distressed).



Once the last layer of paint was dry it was time to start peeling off the letters. Each time I pulled off a letter I got more and more excited. I was SOOOO happy it was turning out how I imagined it to turn it!!! After I pulled off the letters I decided it needed just a little embellishment for the corners...so back to my scrapbooking stickers I went!

I loved the final product and so did my sister. In fact I loved it so much I made a different one with a slightly different saying for a girlfriend for her birthday that same week. I already have plans for no cost or little cost Christmas gifts for the family!!! I love gifts.

Happy Halloween!

The last couple of years, Halloween has become my favorite holiday. We have bought lots of decorations and have had Ella's birthday party as a Halloween party too. This year, I was not sure if I was going to be able to pull it off...with Kevin being in Texas, I was going to have to do all the decorating and preparing on my own. A few weeks ago, I go up really early and started decorating right away...of course decorating also meant I needed to trim some trees and do some yard work...but I got it all done, and have to say i did a GOSH DARN GOOD JOB! Then it was time to start thinking about a party. No haunted house this year, but it did not matter. I let everyone I knew know I was planning a good ol' traditional Halloween with trick or treating and bobbing for apples. NO MAIN STREET CHAOS for Ella or me. Lots of our friends were excited about the party and a traditional Halloween. Everyone had a TON of fun and are already excited about next years party!!!

Koala and Gypsy...Oma made Ella's Koala costume, just like she use to make Amy and mine. And just like we use to...she fell asleep in her new pajama outfit! Me...well I literally started searching my costumes 20 minutes before the party. Since I was not feeling any love for any of the costumes I had, I threw on a bunch of stuff from my closet. YES...all of this was from my own closet..just refashioned into a gypsy costume!




A week ago Ella and I went around and put little letters in ALL of our neighbors that we would be having a party and would have 15 to 20 kids who would be trick or treating. We let them know if they left their lights on we would stop and if they turned off their lights we would just pass right on by their house. We ended up with 10-12 neighbors who helped us with our trick or treating. The kids loved running up to the houses and yelling trick or treat. I think the neighbors were just as excited as the kids. It was super fun to watch all the kids. They were so excited. Of course all of the moms and dads walked along with us...instead of bags we had solo cups!


After trick or treating we headed back to the house for the pinata and bobbing for apples. The kids love this as much as the trick or treating. It is always funny when the girls are bobbing for apples, because of their make-up and hair. This year, Zoey was the first one to ask Rylinn to hold her hair back. A few of us moms were laughing because we are already imagining them asking each other this after a night out (of course that will be when they turn 21!!!)

Halloween is done and now it is time to start thinking about the Christmas Cookie Decorating Party! Another fun and traditional time for the kids and the parents!!