Aca-Love

Noteworthy has a new music video, tra la la!!  Proud alumni right here!  Aca-mazing!

PS--Pretty much loved watching "Pitch Perfect", a movie about an all-female acappella group winning ICCA, because that was totally US!  And I am completely convinced they created the movie after our 2007 win.

Dandiness

I must sound like a broken record to you when I say how much I enjoy doing product reviews on Dandy Giveaway.  I'm going to brag a little and report that the website's pageviews have increased by 400% since I joined the team in September!  The two other LDS women, Tara and Heather Ann, are such a pleasure to with, and though we've never met, we are such good friends! 

We've jumped to over 2,000 followers in just a few months, and its so exciting to be able to review better and more expensive products as our stats improve.  (We're talking $135 carseat sets and $140 pajamas) and I like to think companies like working with me because of all the fun pictures I include!  SO glad to have a nice camera and two cute models around the house! 

Not to mention being able to receive some beautiful clothes!!  (That lace skirt is sold for $92, and the chambray dress $105! What?!)  Jason gets a big pat on the back for being my photographer!  I love you for all your help, lovie!

I think the boys are having fun with it too :) They get to try out all sorts of fun toys and I love that we've been able to make Christmas and birthdays practically expense-free!  Add to that, being able to review functional household items like laundry detergent, vitamins, shower curtains, cleaning products, etc. and I've really been able to cut back on our everyday purchases.

As a contributor on Tara's site, I send out inquiries and emails to companies asking to review their products and offer giveaway items.  My response rate started out something like 1 in 40, and now, almost 1 in 8 companies I email will respond, willing and excited to work with me and I'm even getting requests from companies I didn't email at all.  I only hope our success continues!  Do me a favor and go enter to win something!

  

 

The Great Gatsby

Meet Gatsby.  Our newest addition to the family!

Just kidding.  You know I would never get a dog.  I'm dog-sitting for a friend, and this goes to show how I'll do practically anything for a side job these days.   I'm in a penny-pinching, dime-saving frenzy!  I even did a "mystery shop" this week, and went to Best Buy to complain about my "defective 55-inch TV", ha!

I think the boys like having another friend around to eat their veggies, and I must admit I'm enjoying a clean swept licked floor.

I try to put some dog into Jason's life every now and then, because we both know we will never own a dog in this house as long as I am his wife. 

V Day

We sent each other flowers for Valentine's Day this year.  Guess who got the bonsai?  I hear its a big hit at the office :)

Bacon hearts!

Happy Valentine's Day to us! 

Smooched

I Lava You

Since EVERYONE except us seems to be going on cruises lately, we've been getting chocolate melting cake fever.  Since our 6-month-anniversary cruise together almost four years ago (and remember how we paid for it by donating plasma?), we've been trying countless recipes trying to recreate the goodness that is Molten Lava Cake.  Ladies and gentleman, I think we have found a winner.

Tried and true, and made twice this week to make sure, may I present to you the only chocolate melting cake recipe you'll ever need:

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp butter
• 3.5 oz dark chocolate (this is one standard chocolate bar)
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 extra large egg yolk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• powdered sugar as needed

Preparation:

Melt the butter and chocolate together over a double-boiler, or microwave for a short time. Stir to combine. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light yellow in color, and the sugar is dissolved. About 3 minutes.

Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa, and salt. Fold in with a spatula until combined. Spoon into 4 buttered 5-oz ramekins, and tap on the table to settle any air bubbles. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place ramekins in a baking dish and add water until it is halfway up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. The cakes can be turned out, or served in the ramekins.

You're welcome :)

Lincoln Lately

Oh my little man-child.  Sometimes I wonder where you come up with the things you do.  Like how you will beg for a sheet of stickers and put every single one on yourself, then proceed to leave them around the house for me to find. 

Or how 75% of your waking hours, you can be found wearing someone else's shoes, usually mine.  Several times a day, Lincoln puts on boots, a bag, and his hat, then yells "See ya!" and heads to the (childproofed) door to "go to work" like Daddy.

My sweetheart of a boy was kicked out of nursery for "pushing the girls", and recently walked up to Parley and bit his arm so hard it look likes Bella's vampire scar.  Probably 2 out of 3 preschool days, he comes home with an "injury report form" about how another student pushed him, but I'm fairly positive Lincoln's the class bully.  He's a feisty one!  He yells, "CHEESE" as soon as I pull out the camera, and a few more words are showing up here and there!  "Me-me" is probably my favorite, meaning "monkey meat", meaning bologna :)

Enjoy some of Linker's mystery words.  Your guess is as good as mine.

Blizzard Nemo

 We're ok, Mom!

22 inches last night, baby!  And its still snowing!  This storm didn't even make it into Boston's top 5 winter storms, lame.  

L in front of our house.  As you can see, all our windows are completely snowed-caked, even up on the 2nd and 3rd floor.  We still have power (obviously, because I'm blogging :), and good thing, because we couldn't leave town if we wanted to!  There is a driving ban with a penalty of 1 year in jail plus fines!

A New Year's Bowl

 I forgot how we went bowling on New Years while we were playing in Idaho with Mom, Marc, & Diana!  

Isn't it fun watching your kids experience things for the first time?  We recently watched "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", and among other things, it made us so grateful for our BOYS, and got us excited for all the things we get to re-experience as they grow!

This video is a month old, and only 26 seconds, but its better than nothin.  

This one's for you, Uncle Braden!

eShakti Shoot

Well, I hesitate to admit to anyone how much fun I'm really having with Dandy.  

 

I've had my eye on eShakti since a friend of mine showed me their website YEARS ago (thanks Megan!), and I've been hounding them for months, begging to do a review for them.  They finally answered my emails and I got to customize this $105 dress, who hoo! 

 You can read my full review HERE.

And sweet Diana was in town to take these pictures!  Thank you!

 Of course, I love it, and I sure love doing product reviews :) I also made it onto eShakti's pinterest board of other blog reviewers!  See all of us showing off our dresses HERE.

And my yellow coat?!  Found it at my glorified dump heap, Dollar-a-Pound!  I love my life!

A Ring for a Love Story

Everyone!  Help my little brother win a ring for his bride!!  You can vote for their love story by liking it HERE!

Wouldn't it be adorable if they won on Valentine's Day?!  Just in time for their wedding next month!  A like for them and a virtual hug from me!  Thanks friends!
***I'm offering $50 HERE to someone who likes their story!  I'm serious!***

9 Month Monkey

 Pedey is 9 months old!  He is still the squirmiest, happiest baby I know!

 I made him this sock monkey yesterday, and I think the two of them are a great match!

Parley is sure proud of his one tooth!  This boy is an adventurous little ham with the funniest forced chortle-laugh.  He wants to do everything Lincoln is doing, and I spend the majority of the day protecting him from being smashed or run over by big brother. 

 He can walk behind a scooter, pushing it along, and I expect him to be walking on his own any day now.  

Happy 9 months old, you little monkey!