Peppermint Oreo Truffles

These are seriously my new favorite treat!  They are going to be perfect for our neighbor gifts this year!!  My kids would eat them as fast as I made them if I let them! 


It's a perfect mix of Oreos and mint and chocolate.  I am not an Oreo fan, but mixed with cream cheese and chocolate...YUMMY!  They aren't that much work and they would make a great last minute gift!


Here is the recipe  (adapted from Kraft Oreo Truffles)
Servings
About 30


Ingredients
1 pkg Mint Crème Filled Oreos 15.25 oz
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese-room temperature (Be sure this is room temperature...it's really hard when the cream cheese isn't pliable enough to incorporate the cookie crumbs)
2 cups dark chocolate melting wafers (You could also use chocolate chips)
Crushed peppermint candy.  (I used about 4-5 regular sized candy canes, but it will depend on how much you want to sprinkle on each truffle.  I crushed them first by using the food processor, but they were more like a dust so I tried just putting them in a Ziploc bag & then hitting them with a small rolling pin, which I liked better.  More peppermint taste & looks cuter to sprinkle on top!!)




Instructions
1. Using a food processor (I used our Ninja blender...or you could do this by hand by putting the cookies in a Ziploc bag and then use a rolling pin to crush them...you will just need to be sure they are crushed very finely).


2. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and stir it until well creamed (or you could you an electric mixer or a KitchenAid).


3. Stir in the cookie crumbs, stirring until well combined.  (Use a spatula to scrape the cream cheese and cookie crumbs from the side of the bowl too!!)


4. Using a cookie scoop (or you could roll them by hand to about a tablespoon size) and place on a cookie sheet that is lined with wax paper.


5. Put the rolled truffles into the freezer for about 20 minutes.


6. After the truffles are chilled, melt your wafers (or chocolate chips) in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir well and then return to the microwave for 15 seconds and stir again.  Repeat the 15 second heating and stirring in between until the chocolate is completely melted.


7. Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate.  I put the truffle in the bowl of chocolate and then using a small spoon, cover the truffle in chocolate.  Then I use a knife to lift it up & the spoon to steady it and then put in back on the tray with wax paper.  Immediately after dipping each truffle, sprinkle with the crushed peppermint.


8. Put them back in the fridge or freezer so the chocolate can harden before serving or putting them in any kind of container.


You are going to LOVE these!  Perfect for a Christmas party or just cozying up for a Hallmark movie and enjoying your Christmas season!  Enjoy!!


💗💗💗💗💗💗
Heather

Festival of Trees

It's that time of year again!!  It's time for the Festival of Trees.  I love this event.  I love the meaning behind it!  I love the family time we spend there!

Here is a little history of the festival...
The Festival of Trees was inspired 46 years ago by a group of 15 women from along the Wasatch Front.  These women were challenged by Lewis M. Jones, Chairman of the hospital's Men's Endowment Board, to identify a way to raise funds for Primary Children's Hospital.  Organized as the Women's Endowment Committee and led by Betty Wells, the group sold tickets to the Ice Capades and dabbled in other projects in an attempt to raise funds.  They soon determined they had spent too much time and energy for too little return.  They searched for one project they could devote all their efforts on.
That project was inspired when Co-Chair Ruth Flint vacationed in Hawaii and attended a Christmas boutique featuring small, decorated Christmas trees, centerpieces, and Christmas decorations.  The Women's Endowment Committee expanded the concept to include full-sized decorated Christmas trees, a gift boutique, and sweet shop.  At that time, Primary Children's Hospital was owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and much of the support would come from church members.
That first year, there were approximately 60 trees for display and sale in the gymnasium of the old Armory off Sunnyside Avenue.  To everyone's surprise and delight, $47,000 was raised!


Today, the Festival of Trees is held at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah.  Over the years, this beautiful event has blossomed into a festival that spans over 220,000 square feet of display space.
Perhaps the greatest phenomenon of all is that everything is donated.  The trees are decorated and purchased by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and church groups.  In addition, others generously donate items to fill the shops.  Businesses provide the paper and printing of posters and tickets.  Corporations offer their covered trucks and drivers to help deliver the trees, and so much more!  Thousands of people contribute countless hours and means to give "A Gift of Love" to children.  In 2016. the Festival raised $2,622,903.88 for children at Primary Children's Hospital.
Over the years, Festival of Trees has been copied many times throughout the United States and Canada.  However, the Salt Lake City Festival of Trees remains the "granddaddy" of them all.


My daughter Kaylie is a talented dancer and her studio would perform every year at the Festival.  We would then spend time walking through the aisles looking at all of the beautiful trees, wreaths and gingerbread houses, etc...and who can resist all of the YUMMY food and treats you can purchase!!  BUT....our favorite part is the Kids' Corner where you can talk to an Elf at the North Pole or make awesome crafts or ornaments or even stand in a booth and be surrounded in a big giant soap bubble!!  Such a magical, fun place to be.  The feeling of joy and good wishes to all abound there.


Now we have a new reason to visit the Festival!!  Lucy and Cole, our 2 oldest, with the help of a family friend donate a tree every year in honor of their sweet mother.  They come up with a theme, shop for ornaments and then decorate the tree.  They LOVE delivery day!  They always seem so excited and really enjoy setting up their tree and honoring their mom.  I am so thankful they have this event every year to honor her and I know they love that all of the proceeds go to help children who are in need of special care too.  They get to go before the rest of our family and they usually have a tree or two that they love and want to show us in addition to their own!!


The theme they chose this year was 'dancing all night'....here are Lucy's words explaining it!!  "One of my favorite memories of my mom is her dance parties.  even when she was sick and in pain from her cancer treatments, she would turn on some music and we'd all dance it out.  these dance parties were the inspiration for this year's tree-dancing all night."
Many people remember these dance parties and talk about them fondly.  It was a blessing to them all and a sweet reminder of the woman who meant so much to so many.

It turned out beautifully!  This event is such a great reminder to me that despite all of the bad things in the world, there are also so many good things.  We must seek out the good things and share them with others.  We must be kind, happy and share our goodness with those around us and help those in need.  "As we follow the example of the Savior and live as He lived and as He taught, that light will burn within us and will light the way for others," President Thomas S. Monson


Go check out the Festival if you are able!  You'll love it and want to go back every year!


💗💗💗💗💗💗
Heather

Christmas Crack

It's that time of year again.  Yummy treats smelling up the kitchen, snuggling up on the couch to watch Hallmark movies!  Its the best time of the year for me!  Another couple of weeks and my tree with will be up and my house all decked out with Christmas gear, maybe a Christmas craft or two.  The best time of the year!  I know its not quite here, but I couldn't help myself this year...I had to start the treats a little early!!  This seriously has to be my FAVORITE Christmas treat...really, it's probably one of my very most favorite treats period!  And I might eat it throughout the year, not just at Christmastime.  Its so simple and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish!!   

Hope you will try it and enjoy it with your families this year!!  What is your favorite treat to share with your family?? 




The recipe is below or click HERE for a printable version!

Christmas Crack

Ingredients

6 cups Chex Corn Cereal

6 cups Golden Grahams Cereal

2 cups shredded coconut

2 cups sliced almonds

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

¾ cup butter

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the Chex Corn cereal, Golden Grahams Cereal, shredded coconut, ans sliced almonds.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the corn syrup, sugar and butter.  Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes.

Pour over the cereal mix and mix well until the cereal is coated.  Spread on a cookie sheet to cool.  Store in an airtight container to keep from drying out.

Daily InstaGrams

Hey everyone!!  I have started an instagram account called heatherbspage where I have been posting daily general conference talks to enlighten my days...and hopefully yours!  It all started when I was looking for some daily motivation, something to get me thinking, something to bring me closer to the Savior, something to learn from.  I have followed a few accounts on Instagram myself for these talks...@gen365conf and @trekthruconference.  They are great accounts.  I even found myself sharing the talks with my family & friends.  They wanted me to text them the links to those talks.  So, instead of texting them each individually, I thought I would add them to my instagram...that way, as many as want to read them can!  The links to the talks change daily, but I have included the link in each post so you can find it if you miss a day. 

Its been fun sharing these words of wisdom with my friends and family and I'm excited to share with anyone who needs a little pick me up for the day!  Hearing the words of the prophets daily makes me feel happy, peaceful and have hope that I can continue to grow spiritually and become a better person!  I know hearing these words daily will strengthen my testimony and help me to see the positive in my life every day!

I hope you follow along with me and leave comments on your thoughts and feelings too!

💗💗💗💗💗💗
Heather

An Attitude of Gratitude

I've been looking for something to help bring a positive feeling into our home and to get everyone in the spirit of Thanksgiving this year.  So of course I turned to Pinterest!  There are so many great ideas out there.  I decided that I would make it really simple in hopes that we would all follow through and it would be meaningful in some way to each of us!


I decided to make a Gratitude Jar and leave little note size papers next to the jar so we could write down what we are thankful for each day.  I kept it REALLY simple and just made a little tag and tied a piece of ribbon around the jar and put it on our counter where we will see it every day! I told the kids to write down something they are thankful for each day.  They were asking how many they could do a day...I think they might be writing some crazy things down, but I'm glad they are still getting involved and hopefully by the time Thanksgiving rolls around we can have enough to read and remember over the month that we are very blessed.  Love those kids!! 💛


Super easy right!!!??  I've included a free printable, but I kinda changed mine up...so it looks a little different than the picture of my jar! 
What are your traditions for bringing an attitude of gratitude into your homes??

"A grateful heart … comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives."   --President Thomas S. Monson

Free Printable Here

Update: Blending Families

I've been thinking a lot about how blending our family is going.  Its been 2 years since we began this journey.  We've had our ups and downs.  Learning from and with each other.  But, overall, I think we are doing a pretty great job!  The picture below is us on the 4th of July...we're all smiling right...so things must be good!!

In the beginning, parenting was difficult.  Learning how to parent other kids and them learning our different styles of parenting took some time.  But we were consistent in our expectations and made it the same for each of them.   Teaching them why they were given certain learning opportunities (our kids like to see them as punishments however) in different circumstances was also a learning curve. Each child is different and one way of doing something doesn't always work for every child however.....am I right??  😉 So we've had to adapt to that.  We also showed them that we stood together as a team and that no matter what we were going to support each other as parents and spouses.  I think that helped them to understand that they couldn't put us at odds as a couple and play us against each other. If we had a difference of opinion on how to handle something we would talk together and then make a decision together.  We also let our kids voice their opinions or reasons they disagreed with us and then consider their thoughts.  Sometimes we changed their 'punishment' and sometimes we didn't and we would explain why.  I think that helped them know that we value their input even if the outcome was the same.  We gave them a chance to speak. 

We have made an effort to do things together as a family.  We have been on a few family vacations and travelled for baseball and dance competitions.  We play games together, eat dinner together each night, we do nightly family scripture reading and prayers together, and our family home evening once a week.  We give the kids opportunities to work together on projects.  We have finally gotten into a groove with those things and I feel like we are on the right track.

I think it was a great idea to move into a new house.  Everyone had the opportunity to make their own space and place in the house.  No one had claims to any place previously and we all adapted to a new life in a new place.  We all lived upstairs while our basement was being finished and it was a little cramped, but I hope it helped grow the bonds of our new blended family.  We haven't displayed pictures of the deceased parents in the common areas of the house, but we have given each child the choice to have those things in their rooms.  The balance between moving on, but still remembering those good times and people is a funny thing.  Some of the kids tell us when they need support in those areas and other kids handle their emotions on there own.  I hope they know they can share feelings and memories they have!  We have taken some old furniture for comfort and some new things to define our style together as a family.  That has worked well.

Our children are wonderful.  They have taken this blending families thing in stride and have each made an effort to make everyone feel loved and cared for.  There are definitely times when each of them feel picked on or that they don't fit in the family.  We have had to talk through some of that and have had counseling sessions for them and continue to try to be as open as we can about things.  I think our choice to make decisions together and parent like a normal 2 parent household has really helped the strength and unity of our family, and really we are the only 2 parents our kids have now (see my previous post about helping your child grieve).  The kids have been great with one another.  If they recognize someone is going through a hard time they try to be nicer in their own ways or help out if they are asked.  I try to give them little notes of encouragement or let them know when I appreciate something they have done or noticed their efforts in trying to help another sibling.  I hope they can see my love for them through those small acts.

We are still working on our relationships every day.  We aren't finished and we know that this will be a lifetime work in progress, but we wouldn't change it.  We are loving watching our kids grow up and experience things.  Its hard to believe that our oldest will graduate high school in the spring and will leave our home, but we are confident that she will succeed and we will be there for her every step of the way.  That's what families do right?  They encourage and support both in times of trials and in times of joy.  I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father who has been there every step of the way.  He has strengthened us, buoyed us up when we felt like quitting and has provided so many answers and little every day miracles that have assisted us in building our family.  This blended family of ours is the source of our greatest happiness.  

Family Picures 2017

I don't know about you, but there is something about Family pictures that I LOVE!!  I love to see the changes in our family from year to year.  I love the memories we make when we are taking them and the fun they seem to be...mostly!  What session wouldn't be complete without the shedding of a few tears right!  😉  I am really lucky to have one of the best cousins in the world, who just happens to take amazing pictures!  I mean...check them out!

When I'm thinking of what I want the theme to be for the year, I spend LOTS of time on Pinterest or other friends photos.  I'm looking at color schemes and poses and locations.  This year I wanted a more rustic feel.  So we chose more muted colors like navy, black and jeans.  My cousin picked the location with these cool rustic barns and an old silo.  And for fun, my mom wanted to do something with Santa hats and ugly sweaters...I added the lights and we barely had time to snap a few quick ones with the kids before it got dark! 


Whatever your family photos are, do them!  Make memories and capture the changes in your family for years to  come.  Family pictures are a MUST for me!  I don't want to miss a chance to watch our family grow up!! 

A Dancer's Life

I am a dance mom!!  I love watching our middle daughter express herself through dance.  She is on a competitive team and she is really challenging herself this year doing some harder classes and competing with a higher level team for ballet.  I am proud of her hard work and dedication in a genre she hasn't yet mastered! 


As part of team building this year, they do what is called a motivational.  They are little treats with words of encouragement or inspired quotes.  They each take turns doing these little gifts throughout the year!  This time around my daughter wanted to do something with bath bombs!  She is OBSESSED with them!!!  So she came up with this idea!!

"You are the BOMB...Let's DISSOLVE the Competition"    We attached this cute little note to a bath bomb that we wrapped in red tissue paper and tied with white curling ribbon.  It was simple and fun.  The girls loved the bath bombs too...but who doesn't like some relaxing any way right!!!  Here's what the final project looked like!

I love that they are uplifting each other and encouraging everyone to keep going and I hope that this brings them closer as a team.  I love that they can each put their own personality into it!  Can't wait for the next one!!!




Get the free printable HERE!

In the Details

I have been blessed with some tiny miracles, some tender mercies, some little experiences that show me that God is in the details of our lives.  That He wants to be in the details of our lives.  He knows us and loves us individually.


As I have said in the recent past, I am a newly called 2nd counselor in our Young Women's presidency and I have the privilege of working with the 12-13 yr old girls in my church.  I love them!  They are full of life and energy.  They are funny and caring and kind.  It's such a joy to be able to share experiences with them.


As a challenge to them and to help them complete their personal progress, (Click on the link to find out more about that program) I have issued them a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days.  I have reading schedules and a book where they can write down their thoughts, feelings and favorite scriptures as they are reading, treats to be earned, a group text to share our thoughts with each other or to share on social media and other fun things to get them motivated to read!  (If  you are looking for some great ideas on this, check out The Red Headed Hostess!  She has some great stuff)  When I was preparing this, I kept looking for talks by our church leaders about the Book of Mormon and the blessings we receive from reading it.  I prayed for experiences outside of what I was going to do for the girls so that they would see how important it really is to study the Book of Mormon.  Each time my prayers were answered in little small ways...ways I couldn't have imagined.  Of course...because the Lord knows what each of us need to hear and how it will impact us the most!  Time after time they came....people bearing their testimonies in church about the strength the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, gave to them.  At a fireside our bishop's closing statement was almost an exact copy of what one leader taught the girls in our Sunday school class about how they needed to not only know the scriptures in their minds, but they needed to feel it in their hearts by witness of the Holy Ghost that they are true. 


Then there were messages in our group text about what the scriptures meant to them and why that particular verse stood out to them.  I love hearing their thoughts and feelings.  Then one girl shared her favorite verse for the day...1 Nephi 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." She then said that we should follow the spirit the first time it prompts us to do something.  It reminded me of the blessing I received when I was set apart for this calling..that I needed to act on my first impression.  Then again at a fireside I attended last night, where the incredible Josie Solomon spoke.  She too quoted that same scripture.  We need to trust in the Lord and follow Him and serve Him and our fellow man.  We never know whose live we need to touch.  We may be the only person who can touch that person in a way that will change their lives for the better.  But if we ignore that first prompting, we may miss our chance.


By the way...if you haven't read or heard Josie's story...you should!  Here is a link to her blog.  She is inspiring.  The things that she has done with her life are incredible.  She is truly amazing...a light to people.  I can't say I would fight back as hard as she does if I was in her situation.  She is a true disciple of Jesus Christ.  Just BEAUTIFUL inside and out!


I guess in short...I am saying that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father love us.  They want to help us and they are there for us always.  Even if we can't see it at the time.  They are woven into the details of our daily lives.  I'm so thankful for this knowledge, for this inspired help and for the opportunity I have daily to make a difference in the world around me.

DIY Garage Floor Sealer

So here is another DIY project for you!  Last winter we noticed a leak in the ceiling of our bonus family space in the basement.  It is underneath our suspended garage.  After some investigation we noticed a LARGE crack in the cement.  The water from melting snow on the tires of our vehicles was leaking down into the crack and into the ceiling of our bonus room!!  NOOOOOOO!!!  So we knew we were going to have to fix that this year!  Well...spring and summer came & went.  The kids keep us running and we could never find the time to get it fixed.  So here it was the end of September and we finally started to research and carry out our DIY!  We decided to go with a Rustoleum epoxy product.

Before we could finish our floor we had some prep work to get done!  First we had to either pressure wash, acid wash or grind the existing sealant off.  Since we had a leak already we decided to go the grinding route.  Mostly you want to rough up the concrete enough that the epoxy will stick to it.  We rented a grinder from Home Depot and went to work.  It took us about 12 hours to complete our 3 car garage.  It was a longer process than we had hoped, but we finally accomplished our task.

And it does get DUSTY while you are using the grinder so be sure to use a mask.  There is a place to plug in a shop vac to the grinder and I would definitely do that!!

We filled the cracks with Sika Crack Fix.  It took a couple of tubes to get this sealed.   It works best if you clean out all of the loose cement from the crack and then vacuum up the dust BEFORE you apply the crack fix.  After that, you will need to let it dry for 24 hours.

Once that is dry you will need to mop the entire surface you are going to apply the epoxy to and wait for it to dry.  Next, tape off the edges and then you are ready to start applying the epoxy.  You are going to want to start on all of the outer edges first with a paint brush and then roll the rest with a roller.  We went over each section twice to be sure we got it covered well. 

Once you are satisfied with the coverage of the section you are working on then throw the paint chips down.  This makes the finish stronger and holds together the epoxy better!  We chose a blue, gray, black & white mix.  My husband rolled the epoxy on while I scattered the paint chips.  This part took us about 2 hours to complete.   This is what it looks like close up....

 

It takes 24-48 hours to dry.  You cannot park a vehicle on it for that long.  And the recommended temperature is no lower than 55 degrees.  It got a little cooler than that on the first night we did it so we let it dry for at least 48 hours.  They also recommend no direct sunlight to be on the epoxy while it dries so we closed our garage door!  Overall we are happy with the way it turned out.  Here's hoping it will bring us many years of dry ceilings!!  It was a weekend project, but we are doing ours in sections due to the amount of stuff we have in our garage.  So we did the 2 car side first and we are now tackling the 1 car side.


This is for sure a project you can do yourself and save yourself thousands of dollars, but be prepared to spend some time getting it done!  Happy sealing!!










Caramel Apple Snickerdoodles

You guys!!!!  These are the BEST cookies ever!  My sweet friend, Ashley, let me in on this little secret.  CARAMEL APPLE SNICKERDOODLES!!!  For those of you who know me, Snickerdoodles are my FAVORITE cookie.  My grandma used to make these for me.  I loved them.  I love her!  She passed away a few years ago, but every time I have a snickerdoodle it brings back all of the good memories shared with her, including eating warm snickerdoodles fresh from her oven!


This particular recipe can be found at thefirstyearblog.com.  She nails this recipe!  My only suggestion would be to double the amount of caramel bits....but I really love caramel!  And a little tip...these Kraft caramel bits are not easy to find so look for them in advance of making the cookies.  I went to 4 different stores to find them!  I finally found them at Walmart!  Oh and the recipe doesn't call for sugar free apple cider, but that was the only box of powder apple cider mix I could find, but they turned out really good!


These were a fun take on snickerdoodles and perfect for fall! 


Enjoy!!

Love you to Pieces

I was recently called to serve as 2nd counselor in our young women's presidency in my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I had a really cool experience with this.  I knew that our current leaders were being released, because I was an advisor within the Beehive class.  I had only been in a few months so I wasn't surprised when I didn't get a message that I was also going to be released.  NEVER did I think I would be called to the presidency.  One of the other advisors was teasing me that I would be the new "Beehive President", which is the 2nd counsel of  the presidency...right I thought...but then I had  gentle reminder that Heavenly Father calls who he knows is the right fit at the right time.  I remember thinking...Ok Heavenly Father, if you want me to have this calling and work with these amazing young women, I will gladly do it.  There was this warm, peaceful, burning feeling and I knew it was the Holy Ghost.  I still brushed it off and went about my day.  Later that evening, I was visited by a member of our bishopric and was extended the calling.  I knew for a surety that Heavenly Father was preparing me earlier in the day for the call that would later come.

As preparation for changing leaders and in an effort to reach out to each girl, I found this cute little handout from Pumpkin and a Princess.  I laminated them and put the names of the advisors who now would be working with the girls.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to get to work with such great women and to hopefully influence the lives of the girls I'm working with!!

"If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different from the world"
          -Elaine S. Dalton

China Cabinet Refinish

I'm refinishing my 2nd piece of furniture with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I just love using it!  It is so easy and fun to use and it covers so well!!  So the piece I am doing now is an old china cabinet that needed some extra attention.

Here it is...see what I mean...it needs a little love!  First things first...I removed the wooden knobs since I am going to replace them with new hardware.  Next, I washed it down with soap and water to get all of the dust and debris off of it.  Let it dry overnight and then, I sealed it with Zissner clear shellac which I got from Home Depot.


For this piece I decided I was going to try to mix some different chalk paint colors.  I wanted to do something dark gray, but my husband wanted a lighter gray.  So I compromised....I mixed a dark gray color called Graphite and a lighter gray color called Paris Gray.  I mixed 1 part Graphite to 2 parts Paris Gray.  You can click on the Annie Sloan link above to see all of the colors!  Once I decided on the colors, I went to my local retailer, Drab 2 Fab to get the paint.  When I was there I saw a piece where they had a solid color on the top of the cabinet and then another lighter color on the rest of the cabinet.  That was perfect!  Dark for me and light for my husband!  Here is what it looked like after letting the shellac dry for about an hour and using 1 and a half coats of paint  (I did let the paint dry overnight between coats) and a little sanding....



So I sanded the edges of the doors and the trim on the doors.  I also sanded on the doors and the bottom lip to help it look a little more distressed.  I did not do any sanding to the top of the cabinet where the Graphite paint was.  I applied 2 coats of chalk paint to it and no sanding.  When I sanded the doors, some of the old paint from before showed through.  I liked the distressed look and didn't want a completely smooth finish on this piece so I decided to try washing it with just the Paris Gray.  To "wash" it I took 1 part of water to 1 part of paint and mixed it together really well.  I applied it with some painters cheesecloth.  I used vertical strokes when applying it and then went back over it with some more cloth rubbing off the excess until I was happy with the application.  I did darker in some spots and lighter in others so it didn't look uniform.  This was the look after I washed it....

After letting it dry overnight I applied some Annie Sloan clear wax to it.  I used circular motion and worked it into the piece and then wiped the excess off with the painters cheesecloth.  The cabinet looked really flat before, but once I added the wax it really shined up nice.  To the touch it was smooth but not tacky, so I knew I had gotten all of the extra wax off of it.  I let it sit overnight and then I applied the hardware I had picked out for it.  I got these knobs from Hobby Lobby.  I didn't know they had so many pieces of hardware!  Definitely check it out!!  And here's the final product.....

I am really happy with the way it turned out.  Now to fill it and decorate!  Chalk paint is a great way to refinish furniture.  It's so easy and helps the amateur painter finish with ease!  On to the next piece...


Happy Painting!!!

DIY Fall Wreath

This DIY fall wreath is so simple!  I have used store bought wreaths in the past, but I wanted something new and to change up my décor a bit, so I decided to MAKE a new one!  I knew I wanted something with more earth tones and simplistic...this so super easy and totally doable!


You will need:

• 1 grapevine wreath
• some flower sprigs and/or greenery (its really up to you on how full you want it)
• floral wire cutters
• floral wire (optional)
• 1 burlap bow (or ribbon if you want to tie your own bow)

Everything to make my wreath came from Michaels!  I have some coupons and was able to get 60% off of most of the items. 


Take your grapevine and put it on a flat surface.  Next, poke your sprigs and greenery through the grapevine in the places you want them, bending back the wires to keep the sprigs in place.  You may want to thin out the sprigs, if you do, use your wire cutters to break them apart....if you use other scissors, the chances of you breaking them is VERY high!  I've gone through a couple pairs of them because I was in a hurry and just tried to use them.  If you don't have any, you can bend the wire in a circular motion until you can get it to break off, but that isn't an exact science and they sometimes break in places you didn't intend.  Wire cutters are the way to go!


 Once you have them in place, flip the wreath over and either bend the wires back around the grapevine and poke them back down into the wreath.  Or you can use floral wire to tie them in, but I like to poke them back into the wreath..its easier!


After you have your floral pieces secure, turn your wreath back over and attach the burlap bow.  You can attach it with the floral wire and tuck the ends back into the wreath.  And you're DONE!!


See how easy that was?  Anyone can do it!  It took me about 20 minutes from start to finish!  This type of wreath can work for any occasion.  It's simple and looks great!  So what do you think?  Do you think you could make a wreath like this??  Of course you can!


Happy Wreathing!!

Back to School

Its back to school time!  Yay for all of us moms out there & dread for most of our kids (well, I have teenagers, sooooo...yeah!).  I teach the young women at my church.  The girls are 12-13 years old.  So as a good luck this year I put together a little treat for them!

Its just Orange Crush soda and some Hostess cupcakes.  I made a tag that said, "This year might not be a piece of cake  BUT  we know you will find a way to Crush it!  Have a great school year."  I put them in brown paper sacks like they would have taken their lunch in, you know, to keep with the theme of school, and attached the note to the outside.  Then we delivered the treats to the girls!

  They LOVED them!!!  They also loved the fact that we took time to remember them before going back to school.  I love doing little things like this!  I think they know how much we love them too when we show our interest in the things they are going through! 

Get the free Printable Here!








Today is their Anniversary

My husband is a widower.  I married him fully knowing this.  I put all of the feelings of him and his first wife aside when I decided to marry him.  I wasn't sure if I could handle them all, but I knew I loved him and I knew marrying him was right and what I wanted to do.  Sometimes her memory is hard for me.  I feel like I am the other woman.  I feel like I only got a second chance because she died.  I am afraid that I will be alone in the next life, because in my personal beliefs, this life is only part of our eternal existence.  Let me be clear, these are my feelings, not my husband's.  He NEVER compares me to Jeni.  He never makes me feel that he loves me any less than he loves her.  These are my own personal feelings that sometimes get the best of me...especially on days like today. 


Today is their wedding anniversary.  It would have been their 19th wedding anniversary.  In some ways it makes me sad and brings up all of my insecurities.  However, in some ways, it brings me joy.  She helped influence this man that I love so much.  She helped him become who he is in so many ways.  I'm sure he is more compassionate and loving because of his experiences with her.  He is so giving of himself and his time.  He understands what it means to truly love someone.  He never wants to fight or argue over things.  He is understanding and forgiving.  He is ALWAYS trying to make me happy.  He gives all he has to his family.  I know that because of her, he is this amazing person.  I also know that whatever comes in the next life, I will be happier than I ever imagined.  I know God loves me more than I know and He will make everything right so we can all be happy. 


So while I sometimes have these negative feelings eating at my heart, I am thankful for her and her influence...her goodness.  Happy Anniversary!!  I hope you are dancing with the angels in celebration and wishing you nothing but happiness and peace. ❤❤❤

Bear Lake for the Day

This year for our end of the summer family vacation we all decided to go to Bear Lake.  The kids have never been there and I haven't been since I was a kid!  So we packed them up and took a trip!  We actually stayed in Paradise, UT because we have a family home there and also because I didn't realize it was Raspberry Days in Garden City and there were no hotel rooms available at a reasonable price!  But it was only an hour drive from Paradise to Garden City, so you can't beat free!  Even if there is a little more of a drive!!


We started our day off at Minnetonka Cave.  We had heard so many great things about this stop.

It did not disappoint!  3 out of our 4 kids had never been to a cave before and they didn't know what to expect.  They loved the rock formations and the history of the cave.  Our tour guide, Kinzi, was awesome!  She answered questions and gave us a great understanding of the cave.  Their favorite part was being able to touch the 1 rock that you're allowed to touch in the whole cave!  Their least favorite part???...They all forgot jackets and it was a toasty 40 degrees in the cave!!  And 888 stairs!  And they are slick!  We all took our share of almost falling on our bottoms!!  Overall, what a great time spent at Minnetonka Cave!


The next stop on our trip was actually on the way down from the cave on the Minnetonka Cave Road, Blue Pond Springs.  Its just a little turn off on the main road...if you blink you might miss it!!

It was a fun little shallow pond.  It was literally 2 mins off of the road and beautiful.  It was clear and clean.  Very easy to see the bottom of the pond and fun to skip rock across.  We only stayed for a short time.  We had heard there was a moose that likes to frequent this pond and bask in the sunshine.  Unfortunately for us, there were no moose sightings!  But still a nice place to visit.


Next stop...Paris Ice Cave!!  We have been told so much about this place too!  Some of our friends told us about this quaint little place when we told them we were going to Bear Lake.  They told us how much their kids enjoyed it and how cool (literally) it was when they entered the cave.  Another friend told me that her Grandfather used to go to that cave back in the day and actually carve ice out of it to take home for his freezer.





I honestly wasn't expecting that there would still be snow there, BUT there was!  And it was definitely cooler in the cave.  There are 2 parts to this cave...the first one is the room you walk into from the outside, which has a big opening in the rock so its only a partial "cave".  You can then make your way around some other rocks to a small opening where it then opens up to another room with more ice and snow.  Keep in mind if you are going to do that, be sure to wear clothes you don't care if they get a little dirty and wet.  And its slick!  There is still a lot of ice covering the unsteady rocks ( and this is August people!!) so BE CAREFUL!  I loved this place and knowing a little bit of history of the cave.  It isn't a guided tour cave so it made it a little more fun to be able to see it at our leisure!  The drive to it took about 45 mins up Paris Canyon and not right off of the main road, but it was worth the drive.  The top of the cave was covered in wildflowers and grasses.  Very pretty!


Next on our list, and my favorite part of the day, was Bloomington Lake.  This fun place is about 12 miles up Bloomington Canyon.  The road is very rough and is dirt the entire way.  It is a popular spot to go so there was a lot of traffic & the roads are narrow.  It took us about an hour to get up to the trailhead, but it was Raspberry Days so I am sure there were many more people than normal.  It was about a half mile hike into the lake.  The trail is fairly easy though & our 7 year old made it with ease!  But check out this view.....

It was so beautiful...this picture does not do it justice!  The rock cliffs behind it..the clear water...all of the green grass and wildflowers.  And snow!!  It was so amazing!  This is quite the place for kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, cliff diving...and there is even a rope swing.  Although there were many people there, it didn't feel over crowded to me.  There was plenty of space to enjoy some time with your family.  I could have spent all day there.  It was really fun!!


Last stop of the day was Garden City.  We took advantage of being in the place with the world famous Bear Lake strawberries and ate at the Quick N Tasty and of course had the raspberry shake!  Then we walked around the town days booths and stopped at the beach to take in some of the lake!  Because, that is what we came for!!

It was beautiful, peaceful and relaxing!  The kids had a blast just playing in the water & sitting around talking after a long day of exploring!  I had forgotten how blue the lake is.  And I seem to remember it being very cold...but not so much this time!  It was perfect!




This was the perfect getaway for a quick trip!  I definitely want to come back to Bear Lake!  Its so close and well worth the time to take in all of the beautiful scenery and fun small town feel.  I have so much fun with this family of mine and I can't wait to plan the next trip!  He's having fun...I promise!!

Here is a video of our trip!