Pumpkin Carving

Carving our pumpkins! Just a few pics.

Feel free to laugh at this knuckle head...this is one of his many smiles! This is his squinty closed mouth smile that makes us laugh every time he whips it out! He is truly a comedian.

Jack making his pumpkin face, he is so talented!!


Cleaning out his pumpkin!



The finished pumpkins before cleaning the marker off!! Obviously Daddy doesnt know how to properly clean out a pumpkin! haha its ok, we still love him!

Kellie Pickler

Did anyone else catch Kellie Pickler on Ellen Degeneres today? I was about to put on my TIVO'd Greys Anatomy and I saw her come out and already was freakin hilarious! So I watched it, that girl is beyond funny and she doesnt even mean to be. Let me know if anyone saw that!!! Do ya'll like her? Shes funny and my hubs likes her!! haha

Cold Weather = Dry Skin

And Im suffering from it badly!!! I need help! Today we went to Fashion Show and I got some stuff to hopefully help. I exfoliate 2x a week and use this Burke Williams night cream thats really good but it doesnt do the whole trick especially during the day because that is where I need the most help. So I went to Saks today to redeem my gift cards (yay) and hopefully bought the answers!

First I bought the Laura Mercier One Step Cream Cleanser (its supposed to take off make up and all) and then I bought the Laura Mercier Mega Moisture Cream with SPF 15. So I will check back and let you know how that goes!!! Ill keep my fingers crossed.

Laura Mercier One-Step Cleanser is so quick & easy to use - it's a cleanser, toner, & eye makeup remover in one.

Gentle & pH balanced
Glides over the skin with no drag or pull
Leaves your skin soft and hydrated

Laura Mercier Mega Moisutre Cream with SPF 15
Protects the skin from UVA/UVB rays
Absorbed instantly into the skin
Vitamins C and E act as powerful antioxidants
Allantoin soothes, calms, heals and protects skin
Provides anti-aging benefits
Glycerin conditions the skin acts as a humectant to draw in moisture
Keeps skin pH balanced
Appropriate for everyday use
For normal to dry skin types, including sensitive skin
Use if your skin is dry, live in a cold climate, travel frequently or are more mature
If any of you have any home remedies that you know of that work please let me in on them!

Caramel Brownies

While carving pumpkins I had made carmel brownies to eat!!! They are so good, so good that I will give you the recipe. If you make nothing else on this blog you need to make these, but make sure you have plenty of people to share with, they are super rich!

Here are THE BROWNIES...these things are heaven, you need to make them if you love dessert.
What you need:
1 box of Devils Food Cake
3/4 cup melted butter
Evaporated milk
13x9 cake pan
one whole bag of individual wrapped soft caramels

First you mix the 3/4 cup melted butter with the dry cake mix (do not follow cake mix instructions on box) and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk. It will be a semi thick batter, poor half the batter in the cake pan and cook for 7 minutes at 375 degrees.

Normally while this is baking, I unwrap ALL caramels and throw them in a sauce pan with 1/3 cup of evaporated milk stir to melt, make sure you watch carefully because you dont want to burn the caramel. Once it is all melted and your 7 minutes are up you will pour the caramel on to the baked cake you just took out. This is what it will look like.
**ps the cake will be thin so dont worry.



After you pour the caramel over you will use the remaining cake batter mixture and just drop spoonfuls on to the caramel, it will look like this. If you have less than I do, that is perfectly fine. Dont worry about it not covering the caramel, the batter will spread and caramel is supposed to peek through. Put in oven for another 10-13 minutes.


Here is the finished product! I couldnt get a picture before hubs started digging in to it.

** Oh and make sure you let sit at least an hour before you dig in other wise you will have brownie soup!

Do You Believe?

Disclaimer: This story is about the Ouija Board, if that offends you in any way, you may not want to read.

So I watch my favorite soap opera The Young and The Restless (does anyone else watch?), lately a few of the characters were using the ouija board and it got me to thinking about my first and last experience with one. This is a freaky/scary story, fitting for Halloween I guess but it is weird. My memory of certain details on this event is blurry but I do remember the main stuff.

So I was 17 years old and was at my boyfriends apartment. At the time, me and one of my best friends were dating best friends who lived together. I think I was the only one there, not my friend, so it was me, bf, his friend, the other room mate and his gf and another of their friends. We decided to play the Ouija Board, I have no clue what inspired this decision but it was just me, room mate, other friend while roommates gf was in her mans room, 2 guys were on the balcony smoking. The roommate with the gf in the room, was called snoopy (I dont know why), he was the first to ask a question and he was trying to get ahold of his dad. The board kept saying NO and was saying something about a little girl, no one really knew what was happening, then we asked if it was a good spirit and it said NO.....we were kind of all a little shocked, then all of a sudden the balcony door shatters and yes the 2 guys were out there and were ok but were more than a little freaked out. They said that it looked like something flew over the balcony but they didnt see any one outside with them and we couldnt find anything that could have hit the glass to make it shatter all that was out there was water bottles and cigarette butts. While we were all trying to find what and who could have done this, snoopy went to go check on his gf because she didnt come out with all the commotion. His door was locked. He kept banging and she wouldnt open it. After a bit of banging and yelling for her they finally broke the door down to find her pretty much lifeless on the bed next to a bottle of pills. She wouldnt budge and so the ambulence was called.

Thankfully in the end she came out ok but had no clue what happened. She wasnt depressed, nothing bad was going on in her life, she said she was lying on the bed reading and all of a sudden got the urge/idea to take the pills, she said it wasnt a conscious feeling, that it felt like someone was making her but she couldnt really explain it. We were all confused and then finally put 2 and 2 together that maybe the little girl spirit we encountered went to her because we really didnt want to talk to her we were trying to get someone else and then maybe broke the door. We really dont know, needless to say we all went back to the apartment another day and made sure we were all there to burn the board and then our friends moved.

Has anyone else had a real Ouija Board story, freaky or good?

Is it just me?

Or would this have happened to you too?

So yesterday Im driving home from the mall, with kids knocked out in the back!(yay)! and on the radio comes this.....this is what I see:


My first thought was..."wow this guys name is much like John Mayers". Then, "I wonder if its his Asian twin?"...Im listening to the song and now Im thinking "This song is totally stupid, talking about getting stoned", "John Mayer would never approve this", "I wonder if he even knows how this guys using his name, is it even legal?"

Then the song goes on a little longer and I say "Wait, this IS John Mayer, its his voice and everything, XM radio just made a typo, ay yi yi".

HA HA HA HA.....kids....

This was too funny....for a snack I gave the boys a bowl of dry Fruit Loops....a few minutes ago Jack comes to me and asks "Mom can I have some more Fruit Poops?"....I just about fell over laughing.

At least it was funny to me.

Hand Me Downs

So I read this blog, cant think of the name off the top of my head, with motherhood comes short term memory loss. I say short term only because I would be lying if I said just plain ol' memory loss, thats not the case. Last night, hubs was going through all our movies to find this one movie we are missing, Boondocks Saints (greatest movie)! He was going through the movies saying I've never even seen most of these movies, Im saying, Ya, you have. As hes naming titles, Im telling him what its about, and that we saw it one day after dinner after we ate this and then we had ice cream and it spilt in the middle of the movie!? Yes, I remember those details and another we didnt finish watching it because it was late and the movie was kind of boring and we had had a long day and we both fell asleep (of course this was before kids), things like this I was recalling all while folding laundry and ironing! Sheesh, off subject again, so I read this blog......

Shes a country/southern girl and VERY old fashion but young, she has great stories to tell that keep you coming back for more! She has the cutest little baby and loves dressing him like a "Country Gentlemen" she calls it, its really just the cutest thing ever. Lately shes been talking about handing things down, collecting great pieces of whatever to hand down to children/grandchildren. Her latest find was copper cookie cutters, she bought tons, ok 16 to be exact. She wants to be able to hand them down. She was/is, Im not sure she hasnt really updated, in search for the perfect cookie jar, she wants her children/grandchildren to always have that memory of moms/grandmas cookie jar and look back at it with fond memories.

I think those are great ideas and since has started looking for a great cookie jar! No such luck quite yet, although Im not really on the hunt. If I see one, I give it the once over,needless to say, none have made the cut. But Im thinking about hand me downs, especially the cookie cutters. If I hand down my cookie cutters, what will I make cookies with. All of a sudden that cookie jar I've searched so hard for is no longer full and people will complain. Do I go buy new cookie cutters? What if my cookies dont turn out right, Ive been using the same ones for decades and gave them away and now Im stuck with mediocre cookies. So do I just squash it now and say forget the cookie jar, I wont be able to fill it up anyways once I give my cutters away or do I say heck with hand me downs, once I hit the dirt they can take what they want OR when I give my cookie cutters away do I also give my cookie jar and just retire from the cookie making business?

Something to think about....forget about my two small children, forget bills I have a cookie cutter/jar problem to figure out.

***Obviously kidding about forgetting my children.......dont go calling Social Services on me....although I can hear that phone call, "excuse me, theres this blogger, shes not thinking about her kids and thinking about cookie cutters, I just thought you should know"

I actually just found a cute cookie jar! At Target..$34.99!

Miss Suri

Apparently there is a big uproar on Suri Cruise wear "high heels", Im a little disgusted at some of the things people are saying about her parents. People are going as far as to say that her parents are hurting her well being, health, body by making her wear those shoes and being worried about her appearance. Really? I find it hard to believe that Katie Holmes is making her daughter do anything she doesnt want to do besides, being a good little respectable girl.

Dont any of these people remember being a little girl? I DO!!! I remember crying for days for this dress that I just had to have and this was around 1st grade (I guess this dress was that great that I still remember it). I look back on all my pictures when I was little and I was ALWAYS in dresses. In my kindergarden book, it was all dresses and if it wasnt dresses it was dressy type of clothing! I WAS that kid. I needed to let my inner girlie out and not to mention my mom loved dresses as well. Thats just who I was and who I am, a girl. Some are tomboys and some are girlie girls, get over it!

I think that little Suri, wants to dress the way she does or doesnt mind it at all. I think she loves to wear her high heels out and probably takes them off when she gets home because her parents make her. I dont think its a big deal to let a girl be a girl even if its a little girl. I think that actual shoes bought for wear are better than the plastic toy ones, that people are ok with little girls wearing, are probably better for her feet. Weird, people would rather a little girl play and wear those cheap plastic ones but not ones that are made for actual wearing. I will draw the line at high lights and facials and all that jazz that Ive seen on tv, but trying to take away and criticize what makes a little girl feel like a princess is obsured, its just shoes and clothing. Im pretty sure no one makes hooker heels for little girls so, relax.

Cuteness.....

Heres just a few pictures of some cuteness for your day!

Brotherly Love....

Please help me!!! I woke up this morning definitely under the weather, the hubs is gone at work, he has his work audit all week and will be there open to close since he is the terminal manager and has to over see everything! Luckily he turned the heater for me on this morning before he left (very grateful). Ok, so Im under the weather, boooo.

The last thing I want to deal with is this, Oliver climbing on the ottomans, coffee table, ect and attempting to jump off them on to the the bean bag. He started this last night and wouldn't stop, I got a headache, then put his baby bum to sleep, hoping he would forget about it. Nope, no such luck, first thing this morning he was a sky diving machine. He got this from Jack you know. Right now they also hold hands run and throw themselves on to the bean bag, another one of my not so favorite past times of theirs. (this pic was taken this morning with my phone)


Why are brothers so rough with eachother....and they love it!! They are one and two years old, you mean to tell me, it starts this young and doesnt end...EVER? I always knew it would be this way but figured it started at about 6 or 7 years old but, I guess I was wrong. They remind me of that movie, Family Stone when the brothers are running around the table/house trying to beat each other up over a girl, of course that part right now is not an issue. (I love that movie, time to watch it again now that the holidays are here!!!) These kids are that wild, and to think the brood is growing! haha as frustrating as they can get, they are so much fun. Im just thankful they get along so well and love each other to death! If they arent wrestling or jumping off things they are hugging (serioius, its all day long) or giving each other rides on their little quad. (Thank goodness Christmas is coming so they can upgrade)

Its a long hard road........

POTTY TRAINING! But its going slowly but surely, Jack has been the most stubborn of all, he just refuses to do it! He is the smartest ever, he even goes as far as to tell me where to wipe his buns when he poops, saying "dont forget right there mom" and points. I think hes just a lazy bum. But yesterday, we did a first poo in the potty!!! Yay!!!! Is it wrong that I actually took a picture of the poo?

Pumpkin Patch

The other day, we finally made our way to the pumpkin patch. Oliver was ecstatic to be there but Jack was not too happy! Finally after a brief talk with daddy, Jack got his stuff together and had a great time feeding the animals and picking out pumpkins. Oliver was all over the place, hard to keep in still! They both picked out the perfect pumpkins for themselves and one for their sister!


Jack clinging to daddy!

Very happy to be here!
Jack and Daddy feeding the animals!


Trying to pick a pumpkin.....silly momma and Jack


I found a pumpkin!


I found mine!

Brother, help me with this pumpkin! Ughhh....Jack I dont think I can!!!

Look at all our pumpkins!

I got it dad, where to next?


Whew, that was hard work, thanks dad!

Happy Happy Birthday

So Saturday was my birthday....I knew what to expect, I knew that the hubs was going to work and was still bummed when I woke up to a text from him because he left early that morning. Luckily my brother had come to visit and be here for my birthday, he gave me $100, I laughed, I didnt expect that! But it was definitely appreciated and used! He ended up leaving Saturday afternoon because the friend he came with had to work.....but it was a great visit!

I was bummed, Ill say it again bummed. I honestly didnt think that the day was going to be a great day. I knew how busy the hubs had been and knew if any thing he'd probably stop and buy me a card on the way home but thats it!

So he gets home around 1pm and he came baring gifts! He must have kept an eager ear for months because he got me things I really really longed for but never thought about getting, well because I always end up asking for things I need! He got me this bowl set from Williams Sonoma (I love them), the champagne chiller from Potter Barn (Im a BIG bubbly girl minus baby in belly) and some other glass thing that I thought was way cute at Pottery Barn. The girl at Williams Sonoma asked him if I was a baker and he said yes and recommended this pumpkin butter with a recipe (my 3rd Thanksgiving dessert). Then he got me a gift card for Saks! Way more then I ever asked for, but I was ecstatic!


What I had wanted to do was to catch up on our Saw movies. We've seen all of them except for V, so we went to go buy it and good thing it was nap time for the boys because they went to sleep and we popped the movie in and was scared!! Just kidding, but it WAS good! I cant wait to see SAW VI!!!

Then afterwards we went to the pumpkin patch (post above). After that we went to dinner at a place we've never been call the Roadrunner! It was pretty good!!! Oliver looks like hes seen a ghost, maybe he was afraid of the waitress!! haha


After dinner we went to go have ice cream, my fav!!! Then the day was done and we went home and everyone was pooped and went to bed!!

Sunday morning, I heard a knock at the door and who was it?? My mommy and daddy!!! Yay...they came to visit for the day!! And they came baring a gift! Macys gift card!!! Yippee, shopping time, with all my gift cards!!! We just all hung out and watched football and talked and talked!!! I made a scrumptious dinner that everyone went nuts for!

I guess Ill call it Chicken and Potatoe Chowder....its just a little something I threw together! I only took one picture because, well, I feel a little weird taking pictures of my food. Ha. Ya its in the pan and you cant see it much, but its just chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, with spices and such, not your typical chicken soup which Im guessing because it was the way I prepared it. I made it with homemade honey biscuts and honey butter.


For dessert I made that Pumpkin square thingie that hubs got from Williams Sonoma....holy moly that dessert was heavenly!!!


ps....Im not putting up recipes unless anyone wants them...so let me know!

1 Year

On top of my birthday (I will write about that later) today marks the one year mark that we have been in Las Vegas! Whoooo...ok thats a little too much enthusiasm. Dont get me wrong I love it here, I love my house, the community I live in and all....I just do miss my family and friends. The good thing is that everyone has made efforts to come visit and I love it! My parents especially have come to see us more than I could have asked.

For the first few months here we lived in a small town house and then were fortunate enough to find a house we loved and be able to purchase it. The kids love it here because there are parks everywhere and I always take them to play! Now there is a park walking distance! We live in a community of Vegas called Summerlin, every one called it the OC or Bev Hills of Vegas, being from Cali I dont know that I would go quite that far but it is considerably nicer than the rest of Las Vegas! In Summerlin there are mansions and such and so initially we thought, we would never be able to live in that community because, well, thats normally how it goes, you just have to end up settling. Actually it was a nice surprise that we found quite a few houses in our range but only one that had EVERYTHING we were looking for and what do you know, I guess the stars were aligned and the house was ours!

I used to go to Fashion Show Mall alot because thats all I knew, I hated having to go to the strip,especially near the holidays, then I learned of the Galleria in Henderson, I love it! Unless I need a Saks, Neimans, or Nordstroms visit then I just go there! Ive learned a lot about living here and now that we are settle and talking with our neighbors and the kids are getting to know us and the boys, there are talks about another move!

San Francisco or Denver is what the talks are, either way I really dont care! I have family in Denver, so that would be easier but we have friends near San Fran with children the ages of the boys so that would be great too! Its just talk right now! We shall see! I love my house though!

So a year has come and passed and we shall see what the next year has in store for us! Yay!

ps...Im waiting for the hubs to get home, he had to work this morning with the other big bosses, its an important time of year for FedEx right now. Those are the breaks of living with the BOSS.

The "Here and now" Quiz

I saw this and it looked fun, so here we go....

1. 5 minutes before filling this quiz out, what were you doing? I was putting the sheets in the washer and laughing at Jack yelling for me.

2. What time did you wake up this morning? 6am

3 Has anything made you happy today? Oh yes, actually right now, the boys are sitting on the chair together and Jack just kissed Olis head. =)

4. What kind of shampoo did you use today? Um..I think its the Fructis shampoo, I really dont know what its called, Im trying different ones out. Its in a green bottle.

5. What are you wearing today, be as specific as possible? Ok, I am wearing a pair of mimi maternity jeans and a juicy couture white tshirt that says FROM JUICY, WITH LOVE, and no shoes at the moment.

6. Are you having a good hair day? Haha NOPE! Its never a good hair day lately, I need a hair cut, my hair is growing so fast!

7. What jewelry are you wearing today? Just my wedding set (never comes off) and my black diamond ring that I got for mothers day....(never comes off either), thats it!

8. What color are your nails? They are a chippy nude! haha I need to do them ASAP!

9. What have you done today so far, list everything? Got up took a shower with Jack (he prefers showers now), got dressed, got Jack dressed, gave Oliver a bath, went downstairs to eat breakfast, put some clothes in the wash, check my daily blogs, do a little bloggin of my own, clean up from breakfast, continue with laundry, give kids late morning snack, change poopy diapers, play puzzles, talk to my sister inlaw, talk to my daddy, clean a little, put Oliver to sleep, watch soap opera and clean floors, clean downstairs bathroom, put jack down in his bed (he fell asleep), welcome my brother and his girl in, fold laundry, and now this.....whew! that was a lot!

10. What are you doing later? Maybe going to Target, make the guest bed when the sheets finish, make the boys food when they wake up, go to park (maybe), start dinner, clean kitchen, the usual end of day stuff.

p.s. this quiz was finished in about 2 hours, I started.....had things to do and then finished it!