Monday Moments - Today...

I've spent the morning throwing up...baby related, attempting to potty train...I may be crazy, and reading this book....

Are you a fan? I just finished. I won't give anything away, but I'm a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I like the book, but I was hoping for a little more powerful ending.

Thoughts?

Monday Moments - THE BIG REVEAL!

I gave you a sneak peak of my "big project" a couple weeks ago. I've been working on little r's "big girl" room for some time now; thinking about the colors, finding the perfect bedding, the right color chair, a perfect organization system, picking a paint color, making curtains and pillows etc... It has been quite the project. But I'm excited to announce that it's finally complete! And as I'm typing at 10 p.m. on Sunday night...r has been peacefully asleep in her big girl room for the first night, for over an hour, with no incidences...so far.

The best part about this room is that Reese is absolutely in love with it. We can't keep her out of it. And that makes me so happy!

I posted these pictures on my family blog and on my personal facebook last week and I've been inundated with emails and comments about where I got certain things or how I made other things. So I thought I'd address a few of the questions here, for anyone who may be interested.

Chair - It's from Pottery Barn Kids, but we purchased it at Down East, a local store that carries discontinued or seconds from high end retailers. We have yet to find a single thing wrong with it, and I couldn't believe that they had the exact color I was looking for...it was fate!

Curtains - I made them, and I wanted to kill myself about half way through the project. I didn't have a pattern, just and idea and vision in my head. I think it could have been much easier if I'd taken a different approach, but I was already half way done and 6 yards in when I figured out an easier way. Live and learn...live and learn!

Mirror - Stainless steel, beveled edge from Walmart for $12.99. What a steal!

Lamps - Found at Target on sale. I paid less than $20 for the pair. I then used the left over ribbon from the throw pillows and trimmed the edges.

Name - I made these for Reese's nursery before she was born, by decoupaging scrap book paper onto wooden letters purchased at our local craft store. For her new room I had to rip off the old paper and start over with paper that matched. A little bit of work, but worth the effort.

Bedding - Again from Target! I love Target. I bought this bedding months ago, then a few weeks after I bought it, I went into the store and found it on sale. I of course got a price adjustment, so I was even more excited with how much I saved!

Throw Pillows - Made these in less than 2 hours. That's one thing I'm good at making...throw pillows.

Bookcase - First of all...please excuse Reese's disheveled look. I took these pictures at 8:30 in the morning and she insisted on being in them. Anyway, this is the one item I've had the most questions about. It is from Ikea, along with all the bins. I can't say enough good things about this item. It's been up for a week and it's the single greatest thing I've ever purchased from Ikea!!

As you can tell, Reese really does love her new room. That is my greatest reward! And I'm not going to lie...I'm a little jealous! I'm kind of wishing I were 2 again...kind of...just a little!

...and just for fun...some night time shots. OK, ok...I'm just a little in love with this room myself!

Monday Moments - Friends!

A true friend is someone who allows you to stretch both inside and outside yourself, and loves every shape of you through the journey.

I wrote this years ago for a college essay. I don't think I realized at that time in my life the full impact of that statement. The truth behind my random spark of enlightenment.

The other day while waiting in the doctors office I read an article about woman and friendship. It talked about a woman's hard wire for female friendship. How woman instinctively seek out close female bonds to cope with life. It sighted an interesting study where they had women stand at the bottom of a steep hill. They asked the woman to gauge how difficult it would be to climb the hill. The woman who were standing by one of their female friends didn't gauge the hill as difficult as the woman who were standing alone or by a complete stranger. They also noted that the longer the woman had been friends the easier they gauged the hill to be.

The article also sighted a study that shows woman with close female friendships cope with stress better, are generally happier and live longer! Sounds good to me...right?

For some reason I found myself thinking a lot about friendship this weekend. Yesterday I was lucky to be sitting in church next to one of my best friends while we watched another best friend's first baby be blessed. These two women are an inspiration to me. We have stood by each other through many ups and downs over the years. Just knowing that I was going to see them yesterday, put a smile on my face all morning.

As we were leaving for the baby blessing we were pulling out of our garage and my neighbor and dear friend was pulling up. She's been gone for the last couple weeks and I've missed her. I've missed talking to her and hanging out with the kids in our front yard together. When she saw me, she jumped out of her car and came to give me a hug before I pulled away. It made me smile!

I am a lucky woman, because I have many many friends like that. Through out my life I have been blessed with good friends! Woman who I love. Woman who inspire, uplift, comfort, guide, support, teach, and share their lives with me. I have friends from high school that I still love and speak with often. I have college roommates and old mission companions that while months may go between contact, when we get on the phone it's like no time has passed. I have old work friends, and church friends and neighbor friends! There are friends I call when I need a shoulder to cry on, others I call when I need a good laugh, some I call when I need a spiritual up lift, the ones I call when I need a good vent session, and those unique and amazing friends I call for anything and everything! But no matter the case...they are always there for me. Words can not express the thoughts of my heart when it comes to my friends!

To all of you, old and new...and you all know who you are...Thank You!! Thank you for loving every shape of me along the journey. I love you and couldn't live with out you! I just hope, in return, that I am and will continue to be the kind of friend you all deserve!

Monday Moments - The gift!

Sorry for a late Monday Moments...I've spent the day recovering from our weekend camping trip! We had a blast playing with friends at Jordanelle Reservoir. It's nice to know that I'm still young enough to sleep in a tent!

I've also been playing with my awesome birthday gift! This little beauty is my new favorite Toy! Thanks to my wonderful husband for spoiling me!

Canon Rebel T1i EOS 500D

Monday Moments - Back to reality!

Do you ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? It's not that we didn't have a great time in Moab...quite the contrary. We had a blast! But coming home, cleaning up, putting away and getting back on schedule...well it's just plain exhausting.

Here's a few highlights from our trip...

The beautiful rainbow we saw coming off the mountain one night in Castle Valley.

The view from our Hotel room. We stayed at the Red Cliff's Lodge at the base of Castle Valley. It was so beautiful. I would definitely recommend it, if you ever find yourself in Moab, Utah.

If you can't tell, little r was all about the 4 wheeling. All we heard for 4 days was, "go fo wide, go fo wide?"

Although we stayed in a hotel, most of our family camped up in the La Sal Mountains in a big clearing down from my Aunt and Uncles cabin. We just drove up to the camp site every day to hang out with everyone.

Little r and her cousin K trying to get a good look at the cute little deer that visited the camp every day.

I think I've mentioned that I come from a family of cooks...it really is in my DNA. This is the camp kitchen. When the Nordfelts camp, they don't mess around with cooking. We had gourmet food for every meal. This particular night we enjoyed a traditional Southern Shrimp, Clam, Brat Boil.

This is my dad, one of the master chef's!

Thanks to my Uncle Kirtley and Aunt Gay for organizing and doing most the work for our fun reunion! We really had a great time!

Now back to reality...I have some yummy recipes for this week, so stay tuned. Also, I have a studio 5 appearance on Thursday, July 15th. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to demo. Busy Busy Busy! I guess that's life...right?

Monday Moments - SICK!!!

I'm sorry there's not much to post today. I was up all last night with the stomach flu...and so was my little r. Unfortunately, we didn't know she was throwing up all night until this morning. Little r is such a good sleeper, she doesn't wake up for anything. We walked into quite the mess in her room. She just gave me puppy dog eyes, tilted her head and said, "Yucky Mommy". My heart broke. I was up all night, why didn't I just check on her. I could have saved her from a very messy disgusting nights sleep.

Well, she seemed to recover quite well and although she did take a 4 1/2 hour nap today, she's jumping around and acting like she's all better. I on the other hand still feel like death warmed over. I haven't had the flu in over 5 years and I forgot how treacherous it can be. I can usually power through most any sickness...cold, sinus etc... but the flu, it's takes me out and renders me helpless.

Thanks to my amazingly wonderful husband who took the day off to nurse his two girls back to health. To bad I didn't quite make it...we'll see how the night goes...

On another note...I'm a little ticked...every year of my life that I've gotten a flu shot...I've gotten the flu! Please someone explain that to me. I was talked into it this year with all the H1N1 hype, so I got vaccinated for both the regular flu and H1N1. Now I realize that this stain is probably not either of those...but this was the first time in 5 years that I've gotten a flu shot, and walla! It's a mystery!

Monday Moments - Invictus

Last night my husband and I watched 'Invictus'. It was thought provoking and inspirational. I highly recommend it.

'Invictus' tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country.

The word Invictus is Latin for unconquered. The movie is titled 'Invictus' after a poem written by William Ernest Henley. A poem that gave Nelson Mandela strength and hope during his 30 year unjust incarceration.

As a writer and lover of poetry, I think this is one of my new favorites. I give thanks to God daily, for my own unconquerable soul!

INVICTUS

By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Monday Moments - DAVES KILLER BREAD!

Today I thought I'd share with you my latest obsession!

A few weeks ago I sampled Dave's Killer Powerseed Bread at Costco. I sample a lot of things at Costco, very few compel me to turn around and purchase the product. However, this bread not only compelled me to buy it...my family downed two loaves in a matter of days. This bread is down right amazing.

It's 100% whole grain, organic, and each serving has 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 500 mg Omega-3's. It's my dream bread. I also love that little r gobbles it up. I think we've found our new bread!

I've only tried the Powerseed bread, because that's the only one they sell at my Costco. But this week I discovered that Winco carries several other variety's. I can't wait to try them.

One last thing about Dave's Killer Bread...the amazing story of Dave himself. Dave is an ex-con who's turned his life around, doing non other than making bread. You can learn more about his very cool story by clicking HERE.

Then go out and buy some of this bread! It's Killer for sure!!

(As a side note, I was not compensated in any way for this plug. We just really love this bread and I wanted to share the love with all of you!)

Monday Moments - Rubio's I love you!!

A few weeks ago I got the most exciting email. I was invited to a cooking demo and lunch with the owner and founder of Rubio's. I was soooo excited. Rubio's just happens to be one of my favorite restaurants. When I moved to Utah County from Salt Lake 6 years ago, I was devastated that Rubio's was so far away. I would make special trips just for a fish taco. But not any more...there are now 2 Rubio locations in Utah County.

Anyway, I digress. I was so excited to get a first hand demo of how Rubio's makes their food so amazingly delicious. Unfortunately the night before the big event, my little r was up all night with a fever, coughing, running nose, and throwing up. By that morning I hadn't slept and I just couldn't bare leaving my little monkey when she so desperately needed me. So, I had to make the sad call and tell Rubio's that I just couldn't make it.

But that's really ok, as great as it would have been to have a free lunch and get some insider info on Rubio's goodness, I didn't really need to attend to know how awesome Rubio's is. Seriously, if you have not tried Rubio's, you need to go immediately. I personally recommend the fish taco's with corn tortilla's. But honestly I've never eaten anything that I didn't like. I could not give it a higher recommendation! And if you're thinking to yourself...I don't like fish taco's, you need to talk to my brother who said the same thing until I dragged him to Rubio's and made him try one. Now he's just as big a fan as me...maybe bigger.

Click HERE to find a location near you! Then GO!!

Take time today...and remember...

"I’m proud to be an American where as least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A."

by: Lee Greenwood

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope everyone is out enjoying time with family and friends!

I'll be back tomorrow with more great recipes!

Mindika Moments - Have you ever won anything...I mean anything really big?

We woke up this morning to about 2 inches of snow on the ground and it just keeps coming down. I was afraid of this...remember? A warm long extended fall always means snow in late spring. But I'm even more upset about my little garden. I'm hoping the weather.com is right and today's high really will be in the 50's. But I'm not going to let the delinquent misgivings of spring sour my mood. I'm still riding the high of our big win last week.

Have you ever won anything...anything really big. Something you never imagined you'd win? I've won things in my life. I've won awards in my professional life, I've won cooking contests, and even a writing contest once. But the prizes were usually plaques that I'd never hang on my wall, small amounts of money or little nick knacks. I even won a power drill once. My husband was thrilled. But until now I'd never really won something big. Actually I can't really take credit for this win. My husband actually won, but since I get to partake of the grand prize...I'm going to count it as a win for me too.

A couple months ago my husband entered us in a contest to win a free vacation... At the time I rolled my eyes and thought he was just wishful thinking. I told him it was a waste of time. People like us don't win stuff like that. But last week I had to eat my words when we got a phone call telling us that we had actually won! And after a million questions from the sceptical "marketing director" in me. I realized it was the real deal. I'm still in shock! I've spent my whole life as the giver of prizes, not the receiver. I still can't believe it and I've never seem my husband so giddy with excitement.

So this September we will be headed to beautiful Orlando Florida for 4 days, 3 nights; all expenses paid; including air fair, hotel, rental car, and.....

Tickets of our choice to Disney World, Sea World, or Universal Studio's.

As of right now we're leaning towards this place...

To visit these guys....

We figure that might be the most fun for little r.

We are so grateful to the wonderful people at the CVB in Orlando for picking us as a winner!! And of course, little r and I are incredibly grateful that daddy took the time to enter this contest. He had to write in 120 characters or less, why Orlando makes you smile. He wrote:

“S is for Sun,

M is for Mickey,

I is for Its the best place to dine and shop,

L is for Laughter and

E is for Everything else!”

Well we're all smiling now! We can't wait until September!

Monday Moments - Can you spare a square?

Ok...anyone who gets the pun in my post title, leave me a comment about it and, well, I'll think you're pretty cool.

This weekend we decided to plant our garden. I know it's not much, but we're working with what we've got! If anyone has an excuse not to have a garden, it me. Ok, so maybe if you live in a large city with a high-rise apartment and no balcony, then you have a better excuse than me. But still, we live in a townhouse with no more than a few feet of patio and a few square feet between shrubs in our flower beds.

The last few years we've done pots with tomatoes, herbs, green beans and some zucchini. This year however, we've added the square foot boxes. This will be my first attempt at square foot gardening. Luckily I have my amazing neighbors and friends, Emily and Iliana, to walk me through it. They've had great success with theirs the last couple of years.

This is my hard working, wonderful husband, getting the boxes ready. We purchased some 2x6's and my husband built them. At the bottom of the boxes is a piece of cardboard. Once the boxes were built and in place, we drenched the cardboard with water then filled each box with a special "square foot gardening" mix of soil. We purchased our soil from Cooks Green House here in Orem. The wonderful employees at Cooks also helped us pick out our plants and gave us some good tips for the particular veggies we are growing.

We are growing zucchini and yellow squash in one box, and cucumbers and red peppers in the other.

We kept our pots this year as well. We have tomatoes in one. And basil, chives, and cilantro in the other.

Little r has already been a big help with the watering process.

I will keep you posted on our progress and harvest. I'm sure I'll be coming up with lots of fun recipe for our crop.

If you're interested in starting your very own square foot or pot garden I'm sure there's a local green house that would be happy to walk you through the process. Don't be afraid to walk in and just start asking questions. It's what they do...and they love it!

There are also some great online resources for square foot gardening. They include...

The Official Square Foot Gardening Website:
http://www.squarefootgardening.com

Step-by-step instructions on building your square foot garden, garden plans, companion plants, plus much more about gardening in general:
http://organicgarden.org.uk/?page_id=1648

Information on designing, building, planting, and growing your garden:
http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/

Also if you have any questions for me, feel free to ask. I'm no expert and I'm learning as I go, but I'm happy to share what ever knowledge I've gained. I can also pick the brains of my friends for you. They're pretty cool and they know a lot more than me.

Monday Moments - The Spice of life!

Some time ago, my sweet cousin Rachel asked me for some help. She was leaving for college and wanted to know what spices and herbs I recommend she keep stocked in her small kitchen shared with roommates. Then last week my other cousin, Julie, also asked me for a recommended list of herbs and spices to always have on hand. So, I figured it was time put a list together. After all, I have such wonderful cousins and family members who have been incredibly supportive of me and my blog, I can't let them down.

I'm going to admit though, I've really been struggling with this...because I pretty much keep every herb and spice on hand. As much as I cook, I go through a lot of herbs and spices. But I've put together a few lists, depending on your circumstances and cooking level. Now keep in mind, these are the herbs and spices I would use based on my cooking style and recipes. So if you follow my blog and use a lot of my recipes, these will be the most used herbs and spices.

On a side note, the new Winco just opened less than a mile from my house. There are some things I love and some things I don't love about Winco...but the best thing is their bulk section. You can buy herbs and spices by the pound. This is great for those times you may be trying a new recipe that calls for a unfamiliar herb/spice. You can purchase just the amount you need before committing to an entire jar.

(Photo credit: Google Images)

The beginner or limited space Cook:

Kosher Salt/Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Dill

Oregano

Basil

Rosemary

Thyme

Chili Powder

Cumin

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

The average everyday "cook for my family" king of Cook:

Kosher Salt/Pepper

Lemon Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Celery Salt

Dill

Oregano

Basil

Rosemary

Thyme

Sage

Bay Leaves

Marjoram

Ground Mustard

Ground Ginger

Curry Powder

Turmeric

Chili Powder

Paprika

Cumin

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cloves

Allspice

The advanced "absolutely love to cook" kind of cook:

Kosher Salt/Pepper

Whole Pepper Corns

Lemon Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Garlic Powder

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Celery Salt

Dill

Oregano

Basil

Rosemary

Thyme

Sage

Chives

Bay Leaves

Marjoram

Lavender

Fennel Seed

Ground Mustard

Ground Ginger

Curry Powder

Turmeric

Coriander Seed

Chili Powder

Paprika

Cumin

Dried Cilantro

Chinese Five-Spice

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Cloves

Allspice

Bon Appetit Seasoning salt

Fajita Seasoning

Mexican Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Poultry Seasoning

Spike

Sesame Seeds

Poppy Seeds

As for the baking items I always have on hand:

Baking Powder

Baking Soda

Coco Powder

Brown Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Flour/Sugar

Molasses

Honey

Karo Syrup

Chocolate Chips

A variety of cake mixes

Powdered Buttermilk

Powdered Milk

Butter

Vanilla

Almond Extract

Lemon Extract

Orange Extract

Food Coloring

Cupcake Liners

And for my "must have" pantry/refrigerator items:

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic Glaze

Apple Cider Vinegar

White Vinegar

Rice Vinegar

Panko Bread Crumbs

Variety of Rice

Variety of Pasta

Mustard

Ketchup

Mayo

Worcestershire Sauce

Hot Sauce

Olive Oil

Canola Oil

I think I've covered the basics. I know it seems like a lot, especially if you're a beginner cook or just starting your kitchen collection. If you really love to cook, I recommend you just buy items as you need them and over time your collection will grow. This is where meal planning and groceries lists really come in handy. As you plan your meals for the week, you'll know the items you'll need and will be able to purchase them ahead of time. Good luck and please don't hesitate to ask any questions. Also, if any of you pro-cooks out there notice something I've left off the list or an item you really feel is a "must have" in the kitchen. I'd love to hear about it!

Monday Moments - I'm a little bias...

My brother is so talented! Both of my brothers are incredibly talented, for that matter, but I have a hard time convincing them of just how talented they are!

My baby brother Brady will be graduating in a couple of weeks with his Masters in Literature from Colorado State University. I am really proud of him. He is a wonderful writer, but he's also an amazing photographer. He's had a love of photography since high school and through the years he's been perfecting his skill.

I think his love of the outdoors has driven his art towards capturing the beauty of nature in it's simplest form. Some of my favorite shots include images we pass every day, but we often fail to "really" see. Like the grain in a piece of wood, water droplets after a rain storm, a fallen leaf, or the formation of a cloud. Brady has an eye for the wonder in creation. Every picture sparks emotion in me. You may remember that I used one of his photo's in a post shortly after I had my last miscarriage. I received several emails telling me how cool the photo was, especially the symbolism it represented. That is how I feel about all my brothers work. It is a gift.

This month my baby brother tuned 29...hard to believe! As a commemoration of his last year before the big 30, (he doesn't know the secret yet...that life really begins at 30) he started a website where he will be posting a picture from every day of his 29th year, along with some of his writing. He will also be posting quite a bit of his photography and some of the other projects he's been working on.

You can check out his daily posts by clicking HERE, or check out all his photography by clicking HERE! I'd love to know what you think.

I asked him yesterday to send me 3 of his favorite shots. He couldn't decide and ended up sending me more, but these are the 3 I choose.

Monday Moments - The best cleaning tool...that really sucks!

They come in all shapes, sizes, power levels, and colors. But it doesn't really matter...you just need to get one...or two...or three!

I love my hand vac or vac's! It's my absolute, can't do without, cleaning tool. I have 2, wishing I had 3. I keep one in my kitchen and one up stairs in the hallway. I use it every day after I blow-dry my hair to clean up all the "hair-shed". I use it after breakfast, lunch and dinner...well...because I have a toddler. I clean up crushed cracker, crumbled cookies, dropped raisins, spilled cereal...the list goes on. If I had to pull out my giant Dyson and haul it up and down all three levels of my house every time I needed sucking power, I'd have a soar back and about an hour less time in my day. Now that would really suck :)

Bottom line...if you don't have one, you should put it on your "must have" list immediately! If it's any incentive, one of my friends purchased one last year after a conversation we had. A few weeks later she thanked me. Not only did she love the convenience of a hand vac, she said her kids all loved it as well. They now fight over who gets to clean up any mess that occurs. That sounds like reason enough to me!

As for my hand vac recommendations:

My newest hand vac is the Black & Decker 18-Volt Pivoting-nose Cordless Hand Vac. It's definitely a more expensive one. My husband bought it for me last year as a Mother's Day gift. (I did ask for it...otherwise he wouldn't have given me a cleaning item as a gift. I'm crazy like that.) Anyway, before he bought it he did a ton of consumer research and found it to be rated one of the best hand vacs on the market. It has amazing sucking power, it's easy to clean, and it's still going strong after a year...my cheaper ones have usually needed to be replaced each year. I use my hand vacs to death...

This vac usually runs anywhere from $50 - $80 ish. But I went to Froogle.com and found it HERE for only $35.

My other hand vac is a Dirt Devil Scorpion 6 volt Cordless Hand Vac. I got this one to replace my upstairs vac when it died on me a few months ago. We had actually paid about $55 for our Back & Decker so I wanted something cheap and found this on clearance at Target for $12.99. My upstairs one isn't used quite as much and mostly just for hair and dirt when I clean the bathrooms etc... so I wasn't concerned with having "the best". But I must say, even though it isn't quite as powerful, it works great and I haven't had any problems. It's also a lot smaller than my Black & Decker, so Reese loves to use it. At 19 months old, I already have her vacuuming.

I couldn't find this one on line for the same price I paid, but I'm sure if you shopped around you could find something similar. Bed Bath & Beyond and Target have always been where I purchase my hand vacs. You can usually find a good selection at Bed Bath & Beyond and then use one of those 20% off coupons that come every other week in the mail.

If you are only planning on purchasing one hand vac, I would go with a more expensive, high volt vacuum. They will have the best sucking power and last the longest. Then if you want to purchase a couple more, for other area's in your house, you can buy the cheap smaller models. Those can also be the ones that you let the "kids" clean with.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions.