simple celebrations: hello kitty party + printables

We kinda have a crush on Hello Kitty around here.

Ella turned seven this month, and at the last minute decided she wanted a "friends" party with a Hello Kitty theme. She must have caught me on a good day, because I gave the okay. Not one to usually do something like this so late in the game, I figured I could throw something together quickly if I kept things super simple.

celebration ice cream cake

We recently returned from a ten day trip to California. Before we left, we had a little birthday celebration for Ella with some of her giggly, silly, darling schoolmates. I hadn't planned on a "friends" party, but Ella must have caught me on a good day and I agreed, even though it was quite late in the game.

a simple treat: rice krispie pops

My Ella Bella turned SEVEN years old this week. I'm amazed at how quickly she's growing up. She's certainly grown-up enough to make the big decisions in life, like what she wants for a classroom treat on her birthday.

a simple tip: price matching made simpler

Ella's birthday is in a few day. We always have a family party the Sunday before the big day. Ella decided she wanted ice cream for her special treat, so we'll be setting up a hot fudge sundae bar with my amazing homemade hot fudge sauce. I recently found a great big ice cream dish, and she's pretty excited she'll be the first to use it.

Breyers is by far our family's favorite store-bought ice cream. At $4 a half gallon, it can be a little pricey to feed my crew. I price matched at Walmart today and got if for Ream's price, $2.49 a half gallon instead. Love that! At that price, I stocked up.

easter basket fillers: all things girly 2

Obviously, we're loving all things Hello Kitty around here. And sparkly and rainbow-y. Yep, all things girly.

tulle pom-poms + garland tutorial

I promised a tutorial after my last post. It took a little longer than anticipated. I ended up having my granddaughter, Madi, spend two whole days with me. I like to give her my full attention when she visits. She's also a talker, so getting anything done is a little difficult. :) She is seriously one of the most hilarious little people I know.

Then I was called to a new position at church. I know. I did not see that coming. I loved my calling as RS Meeting Coordinator and I will miss working with so many wonderful women. More on that later.

a simple surprise: Easter decor

While Ella was at school the other day, I spread some Easter love around her room. She was so surprised and thought it was wonderful! 

St. Patrick's day fun: a leprechaun trap + celebrate simply

Ella had a homework assignment this week to create a leprechaun trap.

RS birthday celebration 2013

Our annual Relief Society birthday celebration was last week and I would chock it up as a great success. Our theme was "Small and Simple Things."

{IRL} in real life

Happy Monday. Did setting your clock forward for daylight savings time--and losing an hour of sleep--kick your hiney like it did ours? I really think daylight savings is ridiculous. Arizona has it right.

I'm loving capturing little bits and pieces of our life with my Galaxy 3 phone/Instagram. February was a busy month for us. So busy, I created a separate collage for Ella to put in her own scrapbook.

1. I read both Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Divergent Series Box Set. Both Lynn and I LOVED them both. Looking forward to book number three and the movies. 2. I had a milestone birthday this month. My talented daughter-in-law Tayler, made cupcakes for our family dinner. Not only were they beautiful, but so yummy! 3. My sweet little (granddaughter) Madi showing me her new haircut. She wants to show grandma everything. Makes me happy. :) 4. Birthday lunch with my friend, Jechelle. She introduced me to a new restaurant, Tortilla Bar in Orem, and I LOVE it! (Going again this week.) 5. I adore little people drawn by little people. (Artwork by: Madi) 6. Making lunch for Ella with our favorite bread. 7. Quiet Saturday mornings are the best. 8. Date night, dinner and Les Mis. We both thought it was wonderful, in a very different way than the live version. Yes, I cried. 9. My man sportin' his new Vans, a birthday gift from Kate. I don't know many grandpas who wear them. :) FEBRUARY 2013

simple recipe: brushetta with roasted garlic and a gift idea.

I'm pretty sure, when we arrive in heaven, Brushetta will be served as the appetizer at our "welcome home" dinner. The combination of ripe tomatoes, garlic, and basil, must truly be a gift from God. :)

simple solution: teaching kids to set the table

Question: If the silverware had a fight, who would win?

"Bite" silverware designed by Mark Reigelman.

Each Sunday after church, our married kids and their families (and Annabelle the dog) come over for dinner. It's pretty casual, but we always sit down at the table to eat together. We also have horrible special traditions like making a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough after dinner, and devouring the entire thing. And Ella always challenges her big brothers to a game of Mario Cart. (And usually wins--seriously. Luckily, they're good sports.) It's a day I look forward to each week because it means I get to see my grandlittles and catch up with my bigs.

Recently Ella has become more interested in helping out with the prep before everyone arrives. I think she believes they'll get here faster if everything is done. So, I've been teaching her to set the table.

out and about: BYB 2013 Conference

Wondering what to expect at a blog conference? Here's a bit of my personal experience.

I attended the Build Your Blog 2103 Conference last weekend in Salt Lake City. The darling girls at Six Sisters Stuff blog (yes, they are actually sisters) hosted and did a beautiful job.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST?
When I was deciding whether or not to go to the conference, I saw that Brooke Walker, host of KSL's Studio 5, was the keynote speaker. I watch Studio 5 almost every day while I'm on the treadmill, and think Brooke is darling, so that was the little push I needed. In real life, she's even more funny and inspiring.

I loved that the conference was just one Saturday, which made it very doable, less overwhelming, and cost-effective for so many attendees. And, I love, love, love that all the classes were recorded, and will be available for viewing soon (free for attendees and a small cost to non-attendees). That means I (and you!) can actually attend ALL the classes. I think that is a huge perk to attending this conference.

one simple recipe: heavenly hot chocolate

Here in beautiful Utah, we've had a far more extreme winter than usual. There have been record breaking low temps and snow accumulation totals. Brrr! That's led to far too little socializing among neighbors and friends.We decided to warm things up a bit with a good old-fashioned Relief Society social.

helen's quilt

I have a friend, Helen, who is sweet and caring and can always make me laugh. Seriously, she's hilarious. She's also authentic to the core and very knowledgeable of the gospel--all things I very much admire about her. One thing she apparently is not, is graceful. :)

While painting a room in her home a few weeks ago, she took a major dive off of or onto (?) a chair and got a spiral fracture in her leg. I'd describe what that is, but it's super gross and would make you cringe. I just did--eck. Following her surgery, she's been at a rehab center for physical therapy. As much as I'm sure everyone there is enjoying her humor and antics, I know she's going nuts without her family and friends.

To give Helen a little comfort and remind her we're thinking of her, some friends got together and made her a quilt. Actually, Jen Ostler did most of the work, the rest of us got to help. The whole thing came together in three days. I know...amazing!

three things Thursday: a kitchen tool, cukes, and my Coach cross body

It's been awhile since I wrote a three things Thursday post. Here are three things I'm loving right now.

On a girlfriends' getaway last fall, the condo we stayed at had this cool OXO Good Grips 2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup. We were most likely using it to make another batch of chocolate chip cookie dough cookies. :) What I love, is that it allows you to read the measurements right from the top, instead of the side--so cool. I also love the super pointy spout, so I bought a second one for filling my iron with water. I found mine at Target and have also seen them at Kohl's.

a sweet little sentiment

 

valentine's in a box

I love, love, love everything about Valentine's Day--the colors pink & red together, chocolate, ribbon, flowers, chocolate, smooches, and having the opportunity to let my awesome hubs and family know how much I love and adore them. And chocolate. :)

This year, I really wanted to put together something sweet and simple for my daughter Kate, daughters-in-law Ashlee, Daniela, and Tayler, and a couple of my favorite girlfriends.

simple tip: choose a theme for gift giving

Our little grandson turns two today. Happy Birthday, Karson! He is a very active little guy and one hundred percent boy. Lynn calls him "Tank." :)

I have three granddaughters--Madilyn, Piper, and Lilah Jane. Karson is my only grandson. 

I think boys are harder to shop for. But choosing a theme to his gifts, made it so much simpler! Karson is in a cars/dinosaurs phase, so I searched on Amazon. Momma suggested books and puzzles. We are the grandma and grandpa who always give a book as part of a gift, so it was perfect. To make things even simpler, I had everything shipped directly to our "Tank." 

{IRL} in real life

A few months ago, Lynn insisted I "get with it" and buy a smart phone. As an IT Supervisor, I think he was a little embarrassed his wife was still using a Blackberry--with no internet capabilities. :) Seriously, he's not that kind of guy. He just thought I'd have fun with it. He is that kind of guy. :)

It took me a few months to decide between an iPhone and an Android. Finally decided on the Samsung Galaxy III--bigger screen, better photos. I am lacking the coolness factor of an iPhone though.

I have a love/hate relationship with my SG3. I love that I can do so much more--take photos and keep in touch with my sister in Iceland and my other family members around the US through Facebook on a daily basis. I hate that it can suck up my time so quickly--way too much fun. I limit my time now and leave my phone in the kitchen when I'm in the office, etc. We're getting along much better now. :)

I am loving Instagram. It's great to be able to catch little glimpses of our everyday life to hold on to, treasure, and share so easily. Here are just a few of my favorite photos I took recently.

1. Look Mom! I love you.  
2. Upped my workout to one hour. These shoes remind me of Cheetos. :)  
3. Outside my office window. We've had so much snow and it's been SO cold--record lows.
4. I bought a box of dinosaurs for grandson, Karson, at the Children's Museum in SLC. He carried them everywhere. I miss him.  
5. Madi Mail: a letter from granddaughter, Madilyn. It was all glued together and crumpled up. Best mail ever. I love it.
6. Our newest granddaughter, Lilah Jane. She's an absolute delight and so, so sweet and content. The best baby I've ever seen. Bonus: she loves to cuddle. Kate is coming for her birthday this week and leaving Lilah home. Lynn teased her and said if she wasn't bringing Lilah, she shouldn't bother coming. :)  
7. My granddaughter Piper, on the day she was sealed to my stepson, Josh and his wife, Tayler. She stayed with us while Mommy and Daddy got ready, then we took her to the temple with us. Oh, how we love her.  
8. Mount Timpanogos Temple. Another McCrary family sealed together forever. I can't put into words how special it was to witness such a wonderful ordinance and how grateful we were to be there. Love them so much.
9. My fave earrings (Brighton), and I still love gray and mustard/yellow together. 

Yep, the overriding theme this month is grandkids. I'm sure they'll show up every other month too. :)