Disappointing Christmas Program

It was our ward's Christmas program yesterday. Usually I love this day. All music. It's just wonderful, BUT yesterday I was a little annoyed. The choir spent the whole meeting singing other Christmas themed songs.

Here is where I am a traditionalist. I want to hear The First Noel, Away in a Manger, Hark the Herold Angels Sing, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and ALL the other long time favorite, CLASSIC Christmas Hymns. Nothing. It was completely disappointing.

Rice Crispy Christmas Tree's

These completely Dairy Free Rice Crispy Tree's are fantabulous. You should make some:

3 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
1 Bag of Marshmallows (usually I love Kraft, but the generic were WAY better)
5 cups of Rice Krispies (use generic, also WAY better)
4 drops of food coloring
spinkles


Melt the butter and marshmallows.

As soon as everything is melted, remove from heat and add food coloring. Mix.

Add Rice Krispies.

After it's completely mixed, shape a clump (yes, this is the official measurement) of the mixture into a cone shape.

Roll the cone in Sprinkles.

Look at them for 5 whole seconds, then devour them. (They just might not last that long)




These were a HUGE success according to Sweet Pea. She loves them. And now even after they are gone (they didn't last very long), she still asks for them. I just might have to do them again ASAP.

You Know Your Week Has Been Hectic When. . .

• You move to a new house
• You have to clean both places
• You set up Christmas decorations
• You have to run to Primary Children's Hospital
• You panic for the rest of the week
• You still have to make 3 meals a day for your little family
• You have to get your Christmas cards sent out
• AND you have to do some Christmas shopping.

Hope this next week is a little lower key.

Cleaning for Move Out

It's official. We are completely moved. We turned in our keys to the management office and are no longer tenants of Lindon Colonial. We are back in the closet-less apartment, but we have more space than at our previous apartment. There has to be a trade, doesn't there?

Yesterday, while cleaning the apartment before we turned in our keys, I thought that I would test out a cleaner recipe that I found on Pinterest. Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide. I mixed the two to make a paste and then smeared it all over my HORRIFIC drip pans on the stove. (usually I cover them with aluminum foil and don't have to worry about the cleaning, but I just never got around to it.) Now, when I say horrific, I mean caked on blackness that makes you want to go out and buy replacement drip pans instead of trying to clean them. I was skeptical about this formula, but figured it was worth the $1 to try it out.

OH MY GOSH!! It worked fantastically. I have never seen my drip pans sparkle like this. I only wish that I had my camera with us. You would be shocked. I would recommend trying it out. I'm going to try it out on my cookie sheets and maybe the stove. It's way cheaper than buying the expensive chemical-smelling stuff.

You should try it.


I am about half way through unpacking and am DYING to put up our Christmas decorations. I think that will be the plan for tonight. Maybe some pictures for tomorrow.

BOXES. . . boxes. . . BoXeS.

You fill my life right now.

You are small.

You are HUGE.

You are labeled and taped.

You are being filled.

You are being emptied.

You reside in two different locations.

You carry all I own.

BOXES.

Glass Packing Question

It's been another busy day of packing. I am almost finished. The kitchen is my last big hurdle. I have the pantry packed up, but I'm not quite sure how to pack up the rest of the kitchen without arriving at the new place with everything broken. I know everything can be packed with paper, but I'm not quite sure where to get it.

Any suggestions on where to get paper?

OR any other ways you know of to safely pack glass kitchenware?

Employment Changes

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I'm thinking that I'm in denial about the situation. Or maybe I really am just fine with everything. Maybe I just knew it was time for a change.

I am, of course, talking about our recent increase in bills (thanks to another vehicle, and the new baby bills), the Hubby being laid off, and our moving back into my parents basement. So, between looking for a new job and packing for the move I haven't had time to panic. Maybe that's a good thing. I think it helped me stay out of my Hubby's way while he searched for new employment.

Of which, we are truly blessed to have him be offered a job. It will definitely be an adjustment, but I think it will all be okay. I hope it will all be okay.

Pillow Talk

Last night I was lying in bed thinking to myself:

As teens, we spend ALL of our growing up years wishing we were given more responsibility, that we were trusted more, that we could stay out as long as we wanted, and that we didn't have to report to anyone. Well, at 16, little did we know that it really turns out that we spend our time answering to the screams of little children, pulling pieces sucker out of our hair, and going to bed at 9:30pm.

Oh, to be young again.

Coupon Savings: Babies R Us

I am just getting into the coupon scene and am very proud of my buy today. So, I just had to share. I went to Babies R Us with:

$25 off of 3 boxes of Pampers diapers (babie R us coupon)
$3 off Tide (babies R us coupon)
$.50 off Tide (manufacturer coupon)
$2 off Pampers (manufacturer coupon)
$20 back for purchase of two value boxes (babies R us)

This made my purchase of 654 Pampers diapers and one 150 oz. Tide: $121.49! I know that $121 sounds/looks like a whole lot, but it's actually way cheaper than I ever get any other time. It makes my diapers 16 CENTS each!! Basically I got that box of Pampers Cruisers for FREE!! Yeah!

First Snow of the Year

I love the winter. I just love the snow and everything that comes with it. Christmas, decorations, great smells, and everything else. I took my Sweet Pea out into the snow for her first time ever. She was a little unsure about it all. I'm sure she will like it later.

Halloween Rice Krispies

So, I was going to make those cute rice crispy pumpkins this year, but I got a little impatient. I just wanted to eat the rice krispies. What really happened was Orange Rice Krispies with mini Chocolate Chips spread out ontop. Oh so yummy anyway.

Hee Haw Farms Utah

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Hee Haw Farms in Utah County. I thought that my little Sweet Pea would think it was so much fun. I was wrong. That day was just NOT her day. She didn't want to walk around anywhere. And it took us 10 minutes to get her to go over to the animals. (she normally LOVES animals) After a while, we did get her to walk around, but we didn't stay very long. So sad.

I tried to get her to go on the animal train ride. She would have none of that.
crying to get off

A straw Teepee. I'm not exactly sure what this was for.

A really big slide. We did get Sweet Pea to go down it. The slide ended up being the only thing she wanted to do more than once.


Here are some of the animals:
Cows

A Goat. It would climb up onto this tower and eat.




Pigs

This was the little tikes Maze. Mini hay bales so the little kids could maneuver themselves through easily. Sweet Pea didn't want to do that alone either.

Hee Haw Farms overall was okay. I didn't LOVE it. There were sections of the farm where we were meant to walk through that were filthy. For example, they had dead Sunflowers and smashed pumpkins, rotting gourds and squash. I know it's a farm, but it is still an attraction they have created and they should keep it cleared and clean. I left wishing we had spent the extra money going to Cornbelly's up at Thanksgiving Point. I guess next year we will go to Cornbelly's

What Happens When Mom Is On The Phone. . .

I turned around to find this. Really this was partly my fault, I had left the felt pens out in the living room. At least it wasn't all over the carpet and walls. My Sweet Pea yelled, "on paper! on paper!" when I caught her. Then tried running over to the paper to make the situation better. Silly Girl.

Play Time Spaghetti

I found this fun activity for toddlers on Pinterest at this website. Such a fantastic idea. Great for practicing some hand-eye coordination.

After a while, it turned into this:

I mean, who doesn't like spaghetti?

Then, it turned into this:

My Sweet Pea thought it was so funny to put the "spaghetti" on top of mom's head. I even forgot that it was there and left it until my Hubby came home. He had a good laugh.

Now, when my Sweet Pea sees the colander she wants to do this activity.

Be Safe When By Yourself

This past Saturday night I was out shopping by myself. A blissful time without the kids and Hubby, right? Well, I was at Harmon's Grocery Store. I had gone in, found all of my needed groceries, paid for them, and walked out having had my normal wonderful experience at my favorite grocery store. But while I was putting my groceries into my trunk this man I didn't know was walking towards me. Noticing this, I picked up my keys and wallet (I had placed them in front of me in the back of my car so I could unload) and stepped around to the other side of my cart. Putting it between myself and this man.

When he got to me he asked, "I locked my keys in my car and my wife is down the street at our storage unit and I was wondering if you were headed in that direction?"

(By the way there are NO storage units near this Harmon's location) I told him, "You know you can go inside to the customer information desk and they will let you use their phone to call a locksmith or someone else to come and get you."

He said, "Well, I don't have any money and wasn't sure if they would let me. . ."

I cut him off and said, "The people here at Harmon's are great and I'm sure they will help you out."

He just turned and walked away. I never saw him enter the store. I went home and called to let Harmon's know what had happened so they could watch out for him in case he tried with someone else.

I thought that this guy was pretty ballsy because I was parked 4 cars from the door, under a light, and there were at least 6 people outside within 50 ft of us. Please, please please be careful when out alone at night. Remember to:

1. Be aware of what is going on around you.
2. Park close to the doors of the store or building you are going into.
3. Park in a well lit area.
4. Never take a stranger anywhere, NO MATTER WHAT
5. If you feel the need, ask the manager to have someone walk you to your vehicle.
6. Lock your doors immediately after you are in your vehicle.
7. Report what happened to the store and if needed, to the police.

Be cautious, even if you think you are in the safest place. You just never know.

Cleared To Do The Fun Stuff!

I never thought that I would say it, but

"I get to do housework again!!"

Yesterday, I was cleared to exercise, lift my little ones, and DO HOUSEWORK. I am definitely not one that likes to do housework. (I don't know many who do) But when I haven't been able to do anything and I have had to watch my house dissolve under filth, I am ready to embark on my Fall Deep Cleaning. Now my Hubby was helping out, but it's just not as thorough as when I do it. Or as quick. (you can probably relate, right?)

So far I have had a wonderful time hugging and carrying my Sweet Pea, I got to do Winsor Pilates AND Walk Away the Pounds-2 Miles, and I vacuumed the whole house. It feels fantastic to be moving again. No more couch potatoe!

Yippeee!!

Courtesy VS Convenience

The hustle and bustle of life swirls around us and there seems to be no clearing in the storm. The storm of kids, work, sports, meals, cleaning and so much more seem to blur our vision in many ways. But at what point in life did it become acceptable to let the storm blur our vision of courtesy?

We wonder why kids these days don’t respect their parents, their teachers, their peers or even themselves. The lack of caring for others is a concern I have seen many have for their kids and their kids friends, but should we really be surprised by their actions?

As adults, with our many forms of communication, we have let courtesy and respect pass us by as well. We have cell phones that let us be in contact with everyone at ALL times. We have iPods that keep us plugged out of the world and into our movies and music. We have iPads, computers, and our “smart” phones that keep us updated and connected to everything. Fifty years ago our parents and grandparents had none of these things, yet they managed to remember the courtesy of calling when they couldn’t make an appointment, or when needing to RSVP, or stopping by when someone needed something. Life was PERSONAL. It was intimate.

Now our lives have been overtaken. We don’t call when we are going to be late, or aren’t going to show up, or to see how someone is doing. We spend our time “posting” or “tweeting” our own lives to everyone. As if we are the most important things in the universe. We SHOULD be in our own homes, but our whole world cannot thrive without those outside our front door. We affect others and others affect us.

We can no longer afford to be the friend that doesn’t show up to help with something without a phone call. Or one of the many people who don’t show up to the party without calling, leaving only 1-2 guests. Or the church leader who makes an appointment and doesn’t keep it and never calls. Or the family member that doesn’t know the struggles of the rest of the family. We can’t afford to be this person.

We are adults. We expect courtesy and respect out of our children. Often these are demanded, but do we demand them out of ourselves?

How have you kept yourself grounded and involved with your neighbors, friends, and family?

Day #5: Going To Bed Alone

It sounds so horrible when said like that. . . "going to bed alone." So isolated, so sad. Maybe that's why little kids hate it so much. I think I will stick to saying it's bed time.

My little Sweet Pea is wonderfully cute and smart. She has decided in the past two days that she wants to sleep on "mamma-dad's bed." I think she figures that if she sleeps on our bed, then we will lay next to her. I have held strong to her going to sleep in her own bed, though. She doesn't like that idea. She knows she has to go down by herself. However, bed time is getting faster with less crying. She is finished wimpering by the time she is on the bed. Yeah!!

October= Bed Times Alone
November= Toilet Training?? maybe.

We'll see how everything goes this month.

Day #3 of a Fabulous Parenting Stepping Stone

I am one of those parents that really likes to cuddle my kids to sleep instead of helping them learn to go down peacefully on their own. Because of this practice, I have had a toddler who would NOT go to sleep without me or my Hubby lying next to her. This was okay in the beginning but developed into 1-1.5 hour put down times. It took SOOO long.

On Sunday, I was completely fed up with Sweet Pea. She was being very difficult and I had my Green Bean needing to be fed. So, I tucked her in, gave her sippy cup to her, and told my Sweet Pea that I was going to sit in the doorway while she went to sleep. She didn't like this idea, but after only a few minutes of me in the doorway, she calmed down and went right to sleep. Since then, I have been doing it every nap time and bed time. It's fantastic. She tells me I have to sit in the doorway now. I hope it continues to work. Wish me luck.

10 Thing You Don't Have To Do After Having A Baby. . .

1. shower every day
2. keep your house spotless
3. feed the rest of your family
4. entertain your kids with something other than movies
5. put your make up on
6. do your hair
7. put your folded laundry away
8. get your other kids dressed
9. remember to change your other diapered children
10. snuggle with your Hubby. (too tired)
    

Watching My Own Surgery

I am excited to say that last week we welcomed Green Bean to our little family. He is wonderfully fantastic. So adorable and I just love the softness of baby skin. Babies are so precious.

The delivery was a scheduled c-section. So, we walked into the hospital at 6 am in the morning and had my little Green Bean by 7:30 am. So quick.

We went in, got me all hooked up to everything (I HATE IV's-they pull), and signed my life away with consent forms. Then another woman came in that was scheduled later, but was laboring really hard. My nurse didn't want me to have to wait until that evening to have my baby so she was really pushing that I go NOW. So, we rushed in before the other lady got all hooked up to everything.

I walked into the Operating Room. That was weird. I climbed up onto the table and then they finished hooking me to everything. Then Anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted to watch. I was surprised, last time I didn't have the option. (they didn't have a mirror) But this time I could watch everything. I definitely chose to watch. I got to see it ALL. The incision, the yanking and pulling, my Green Bean being pulled out, the tying of my tubes, and the stitching up of my belly. It was awesome. I would highly recommend watching. I also think that I didn't get motion sickness because I was watching this time. So much better. I'm so glad that I got to see it.

Anyone else every seen their delivery? Did you like it?

Wavering from the Relief Society Lesson Manual

The #1 reason the First Presidency advises teachers to teach from the Manual:


You get handouts (for a lesson on Eternal Marriage) that say things like this:


The Irresistible Woman

1. Sexual Fulfillment. She meets this need by becoming a terrific sexual partner. She studies her own sexual response to recognize and understand which brings out the best in her; then she shares this information with him, and together they learn to have a sexual relationship that both find repeatedly satisfying and enjoyable.

2. Recreational Companionship. She develops and interest in the recreational activities he enjoys most and tries to become proficient at them. If she finds she cannot enjoy them, she encourages him to consider other activities that they can enjoy together. She becomes his favorite recreational companion, and he associates her with his most enjoyable moments of relaxation.

3. Physical Attractiveness. She keeps herself physically fit with diet and exercise, and she wears her hair, makeup, and clothes in a way that he finds attractive and tasteful. he is attracted to her in private and proud o her in public.

4. Domestic Support. She creates a home that offers him a refuge from the stresses of life. She manages the household responsibilities in a way that encourages him to spend time at home enjoying his family.

5. Admiration. She understands and appreciates him more than anyone else. She reminds him of his value and achievements and helps him maintain self-confidence. She avoids criticizing him. She is proud of him, not out of duty, but from a profound respect for the man she chose to marry.


The Irresistible Man

1. Affection. He tells his wife that he loves her with words, cards, flowers, gifts, and common courtesies. He hugs and kisses her many times each day, creating an environment of affection that clearly and repeatedly expresses his love or her.

2. Conversation. He sets aside time every day to talk to her. They may talk about events in their lives, their children, their feelings or their plans. But whatever the topic, she enjoys the conversation because it is never judgmental, always informative and constructive. She talks to him as much as she would like, and responds with interest. He is never too busy to just talk.

3. Honesty and Openness. He tells her everything about himself, leaving nothing out that might later surprise her. He describes his positive and negative feelings, events of his past, his daily schedule, and his plans for the future. He never leaves her with a false impression and is truthful about his thoughts, feelings intentions and behavior.

4. Financial Support. He assumes the responsibility to house, feed, and clothe the family. If his income is insufficient to provide essential support, he resolves the problem by upgrading his skills to increase his salary. He does not work long hours, keeping himself from his wife and family, but is able to provide necessary support by working a forty to forty-five hour week. while he encourages his wife to pursue a career, he does not depend on her salary for family living.

5. Family Commitment. he commits sufficient time and energy to the moral and educational development of the children. He reads to them, engages in sports with them, takes them on frequent outings. He reads books and attends lectures with his wife on the subject of child development so that they will do a good job training the children. He and she discuss training methods and objectives until they agree. He does not proceed with any plan of training discipline without her approval. He recognizes that his care of the children is critically important to her.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

For the record, this handout is in NO WAY supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It did NOT come from any source to be found as doctrine.

This was NOT my wards Relief Society Lesson. I was technically not there to actually hear this lesson, but I'm kind of sad I missed it. I can only imagine the discussion in class, not to mention the looks on the sisters faces. I heard all about it afterwards. I couldn't believe the handout. I laughed and couldn't resist the urge to share.

We had a great discussion while making Sunday Dinner about it. I mean, who wouldn't? Just a reminder of why we stick to the lesson manual at church.

Going Green Confessions

I'm all about going green. I would rather pay my bills online. I would rather get all my coupons online. I obviously like to keep up with friends and family online. However, when it comes to shopping, I don't really like to do it online. My sweet Hubby thinks I'm a little funny because he would rather do it online.

I want to go to the store, touch, feel, and smell what I'm buying. And then I want the instant gratification of bringing whatever I just spent money on home. I want it right now! (This is the brat in me) Then to add to it. I would rather spend hours looking at catalogs than staring at my computer screen.

So, here is my Going Green Confession. I get catalogs and LOVE them. I LOVE junk mail too. (my advertising Hubby thinks this is crazy too) I want to read the adds. See the specials and I want it in my hands. Not on my computer screen. It's just not the same joy when it's glowing at me.

I guess, if anyone knows of an easy, cheap way to recycle my catalogs here in Utah, that information would be greatly appreciated. Then maybe I won't feel too terrible about my obsession.

My Adorable Baby Shower

My wonderful friend put on a baby shower for me this past Saturday. I promised you pictures. Here are the treats:
She did Carmel Popcorn, Chocolate Popcorn with M&Ms, Cake Pops, a wonderful salad, Pretzel Pop things, and a Dum dum Flower(on the other side of the table).

So cute!

The table from when you walk in with the balloon decorations:


And our drinks. Water and soda Pop.
The theme was Phannie is about to POP! I'm so sad I didn't get a picture of the wreath on the front door. She had made it out of 360 balloons. So adorable. Sorry there are no pictures of people, but those pics are on my mothers camera. I'll have to get them another time.

Thanks for the fabulous shower.

Updates

Oh, it's been a very long week. Monday was a hospital night. I was there for 4 hours because I couldn't breath, had upper back pain, and a really bad headache. Long night with my Sweet Pea being very good while at the hospital. She wouldn't go back to sleep. Poor little one. But after a while, everything calmed down and I came home.

So, going into the hospital makes everything seem like it should be here already and almost painful that it hasn't arrived yet. Tuesday dragged on. Wednesday was my regular appointment. Everything looking okay. My blood pressure is a little high, but still in okay territory. It will be nice when I don't have moments of my heart all-of-a-sudden racing.

Thursday was just that, Thursday. Friday I was at my parents house and got to at least get out of my own cave. It was nice that night to see family that I hadn't seen for a long time. BBQ's are always fantastic right?

Saturday was fantastic. One of my fantabulous friends put on a baby shower for me. She is amazing. She had everything just perfect. All decorated and lovely. (I will be posting pictures later. I haven't downloaded them yet) It was beautiful. Thanks so much.

Sunday was a blissfully relaxing day. Who doesn't like to just sit and read Harry Potter with the Hubby all afternoon? I mean, really? I can't wait until he is home for Paternity Leave and we get to finish the whole series together. We're almost done and it doesn't even matter that we've each read it 3 other times. WE LOVE IT!

It's a new week. Maybe there will be some action this week? If not, hopefully I can get everything ready for next weeks scheduled delivery. 10 days. It's feeling pretty wonderful to see the end of the tunnel.

Brick Oven Pizza: Allergy Disappointment

This past weekend we were in Provo. I have been craving their toasted bread for weeks now and thought that since we were down there we should go. So, we headed with our large group of family and friends down to the usually enjoyable restaurant.

When we got there I thought, to speed up the ordering process, I would ask for their allergy list/menu. They weren't very nice about my asking, like it was putting them out or something. They do NOT have an allergy list. I was shocked. I thought that it was law that everywhere had to have one. (maybe I'm wrong) I mean, Wendy's has one.

So, I was shocked and apparently looked it because they had their manager come over. (Like I was causing a disturbance or something) I had him check their chicken fingers for milk. He was also very put out that he had to go check. He told me they don't batter the chicken themselves. Like that would make a difference. I still wanted him to check the ingredients. He was not very nice OR helpful so I just waited to ask the waitress to check on the pasta ingredients.

She was very nice, and checked immediately. Not one of the pastas can be digested by someone allergic to dairy. Which means there was nothing on the menu I could order for my little Sweet Pea. They are the FIRST restaurant I have been to in a year that has not had ONE thing for my Sweet Pea to eat. NOT ONE! I couldn't believe it.

Their solution was that she is so little they don't usually charge if someone goes to the salad bar and gives the little one something they can eat from there. Now really, have you ever seen a salad bar? I eat from them, but they are not exactly mix free. How many times have you seen someone or yourself drop food from one of the bowls into another. I can't just give someone with a food allergy something from a contaminated space. Not to mention this salad bar was NOT well kept that night. One of the worst I've seen in a long time.

So, even though I really like Brick Oven to eat myself, I will probably never be able to go back. It's too much work to pack dinner for half my family just so that I can eat out.

Good bye Brick Oven.

Oh the Pain!

No one ever talks about how much MORE pain it is to have another kid. And apparently it gets worse the more you have. Who Knew?! No wanted to share that piece of information. This surprises me because when pregnant, especially the first time, everyone wants to tell you the most horrific labor and delivery stories. (I think there is a competition for the worst one) But no-one wants to tell you about the pain your body goes through before Labor and Delivery. Just the everyday life that becomes painful life. Yuck.

This little Green Bean is killing me. He is seriously a pain in the back, my right hip, my pelvis, and my abdomen ALL over. AND OH the nausea! Last night I couldn't move and all I wanted to do was throw up. I felt horrible.

So, in case no one told you that the pains get worse the more children you have, I am here to tell you. THEY DO! Be prepared.

Toilet Paper and Tampons

Sometimes it is the simplest of things that entertain them for hours. Today it was toilet paper and tampons. Such a funny girl.

Didn't You Know?

Ribbons are the Best Toys EVER!

Family Stay-ca-tion Day 3: Discovery Gateway & The Lion House

Day#3 of our Family Stay-ca-tion was filled with the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. We arrived at 9:30 am. They don't open until 10 am. So we walked to the north end of the Gateway Mall and watched the water spray out of the ground. Sweet Pea wasn't sure what to think of it. At first I thought that she wanted to go play in it, but then she decided that she just wanted to watch. Then we walked back to the Children's Museum.

Once they opened, we walked back to what is called The Garden. This area from the outside kind of looks like a bee hive, but on the inside is what we called The Ball Room. My Sweet Pea LOVEs balls. She could have sat in this room the whole time. And she didn't want anyone else to touch her BLUE balls. It was funny.

There are buckets to pick up the balls and carry to the tubes that you put them down. These tubes go all over. They suck the balls up, play notes when the balls are dropped down them or just roll all over the place.

This wall had a couple of lights that would light up if the ball touched the right pegs. Sweet Pea kept coming back to the balls. I think we came to this room at least 5 times.

After The Garden, we walked into the Kid's Eye View. In this area everything is kid size. First you walk past a mail box. (I'm not sure what it was for) And to your left is a construction zone. Sweet Pea liked to play with the tools, trucks, and huge blocks here.

She made sure that Mamma and Daddy had their hats on:


She really liked to send the blocks down the slide, but was disappointed that she couldn't go down as well.

There was a house in this area. Sweet Pea really didn't care. She walked in opened the fridge, No food. Shut the fridge walked through the living room, sat on the chair, climbed into the crib, then immediately got out. Nothing much in the house for her. She did really like the lawn mower outside the house though.

Then came the water area. There wasn't a whole lot of water. (I'm sure I should be thankful for this, but there wasn't even enough for the boats to float) Most of this area was a little high for my Sweet Pea. But there is one section of it that is low enough that she could stand and play.

Then we went into the Farmer section. There were bowls of veggies next to the garden so you could sort them. Sweet Pea liked to throw them all over the floor.

There was also some chickens where you could gather their eggs. A horse that you could get on and pretend to ride. Some tractors to play with. Oh, and a couple of cars that the kids could get into and pretend to ride.

There was a conveyer belt for kids to learn that their food comes from the Farmer, is packaged and delivered to the grocery store.

The grocery store was pretty cool. They had carts and baskets that were kid size. They could do all their own shopping. Gathering all the food possible into her little cart was fun.



We took a little trip upstairs to see what else there was. Right at the top of the stairs is a Story Factory. Here you can record sounds for a story. And I'm sure some other things, but this is definitely a Big Kid area.

Then we walked around to The Studio. The studio had a bunch of magnetic things to play with. Lots of puzzles, a doll house, some extra large legos, some block things. It was a pretty cool room, but still a little old for my Sweet Pea. She loves magnets, but there was almost too many things in this room. A little overwhelming I think.




We took a little jaunt into The Media Zone. Here (obviously sponsered by KSL 5) you can practice your reporting skills.

And outside on The Terrace is the helicopter. Sweet Pea really didn't like that it actually made sounds. It scared her. It was hard to get her into the helicopter. Funny little girl.


We didn't go into the New exhibit. We had a very hungry little girl. But overall, the museum was fun. It did keep my one-year-old's attention for 2 hours. Definitely NOT mine, but that's why it's a children's museum. I will probably wait until Sweet Pea is a little older before we go back to Discovery Gateway. But we will go back.

I was sorely disappointed with the people who worked there. They wandered around in packs of 3-4 people talking about whatever drama is going on in their 17 year old lives. They didn't do anything. They would play with the toys, sit in the kitchen of the house, or near the balls. There is a rule about no food or drinks in the museum and these workers could have cared less. There was a couple there with their little boy (not older than my Sweet Pea) and they were feeding him a chocolate bar. Which he was getting all over. They were sitting in the ball section. The parents wiped his hands off, but when soap and water is not used we all know there is a little bit of yucky left on their hands. And when you have a child that is allergic to food, this is SO NO GOOD. What about the kids that are allergic to foods just when they touch it? The workers said nothing. I was annoyed.

But we left soon after and went for a ride on the Trax train. Downtown Salt Lake is free, so we rode from The Gateway Mall to the 100 South stop. Where we got off and walked the rest of the way to The Lion House Pantry.

Although my little Sweet Pea couldn't eat anything here. I had planned for that and packed her a lunch that she could eat while we enjoyed our meal. The Lion House Pantry was also included in our Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass. So wonderful. Their food is always good and it was easy. I really liked the Chocolate cake.

(pic from stanwalks.com)

Family Stay-ca-tion Day 2: This Is The Place Heritage Park

Our stay-ca-tion Day #2 started out with us driving up to This is The Place. We got up there by 9:30 am. The park hours are 9-5; however, you do NOT need to be there by 9 am. None of the building tours or activities open until 10 am. (They do not mention this on the website)

Monument just outside the visitor center.
We got there and immediately rode the train around the whole park. Sweet Pea LOVED the train. It was nice to see everything in the park so we could figure out what we wanted to do first. We got off the train back at the front gate and walked up main street. We stopped at one of the houses to take a look and noticed that in the backyard they were doing some chores and playing some games.
Sweet Pea got to scrub some laundry and then go hang it up. She thought it was pretty fun.
She also got to race these wooden bears up the wall with string. (I didn't get a picture) And my pregnant self decided that I could do the stilts.

See, this fat Mamma can get up on stilts WITH a backpack on.

We walked farther up the road and found the craft center. Sweet Pea got to color a boat, a paddle to match, a pin-wheel, and got a coloring book. They only had felt pens, so she learned all about how easy they write and all about the lids. Her favorite part was putting the lids back on the felt pens. (I love that she holds her pen correctly. She is so observant.)
We walked up the street and saw the Mountain Man. He was kind of funny and a lot interesting, but could talk your ear off. The ONLY person in the park who could. NO ONE else seemed to want to tell us anything. They just spent their time talking to the other workers at their station. It was pretty annoying.

We saw the Barber Shop. Maybe would have been cooler if he told us anything. Everywhere we went they would say, "let us know if you have any questions." How am I supposed to have any questions when it just looks like old stuff to me. I don't know if there is anything cool about it. JUST TELL ME!

We went around the corner to the Leather Shop (?). They gave us a piece of leather that we could take outside and pound little prints into. It was fun for Sweet Pea to pretend to use the hammer and she LOVED telling us what the prints were. I did all the pounding. It's harder than it looks. Here they gave us the leather like we should know what to do with it. I just looked at the guy strangely and said, "what am I supposed to do with it?" I was really disappointed with the workers at the park.


There was a little skit they put on later in the morning. They arrested the man selling his fake tonics. It was fun. Sweet Pea kept her attention on what was going on really well. But the gun shots were NOT fun for her.

There was a mini town that we didn't have time to go to. (walking around this park took longer than I thought it would) We also didn't get to see the tour of the cabins. I would really like to do both of those. OH, and the quilt exhibit. I didn't get to see that. Sad day. But it didn't open until the afternoon. (nap time)

The most information we received about pioneers and other things about the park was from the tour of Brigham Young's Farm House and the train ride at the beginning of the day. Brigham Young's house tour is interesting, but NOT for kids. The older couple doing the tour tended to talk a whole lot and the kids don't care. A little too long. We had to cut our tour short and leave the group. Make sure that you ride the train more than once. Make sure you have a different conductor than the first time. You will get different information. That was nice.

You need a whole day to go through the park with kids. We will have to go back to see some of the things we missed.

We finished our stay-ca-tion day #2 with my Hubby's soccer game. It was blasted hot, but we went out to cheer for Daddy anyway. Sweet Pea with her books:
And snacks, bubbles, toys, water, and not enough to keep her entertained for 2 hours. I will have to come up with some other ideas before the next game.

My wonderful Hubby:

Family Stay-ca-tion Day 1: Utah's Hogle Zoo

This summer, because of my pregnancy, we planned our family vacation for our home town. Our first ever Family Stay-ca-tion. For our stay-ca-tion I bought the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass. You can buy a 1, 2, 3, or 365 day pass. It gets you in to 13 different places in Salt Lake. Some have little extras that are included. I bought it for 1/2 price from Groupon.com. Most of the places I had never been and thought it would be a good deal.

With a little one and myself being VERY very pregnant, I figured we couldn't do everything. So, I picked some big attractions that I wanted to go to and planned those around nap times. Here is what we did:

On our first day we went to Utah's Hogle Zoo. My Sweet Pea had never been to the zoo, so she was really excited.


Right when we walked in there is one of those huge balls that spin on water. I didn't get a picture, but it was my Sweet Pea's favorite part of the zoo. There is a train ride right when you walk in as well. ($1.50/person) I believe it goes around the whole zoo, but I don't really know. We didn't go on it.

We saw all sorts of animals. The giraffe.

The Tiger.

Some other cat that I don't remember the name.


A Gorilla.

We also saw lots of snakes, turtles, lizards, birds, squirrels, and so many others. It was fun to walk around and have Sweet Pea make all of the animal sounds.

Near the middle of the zoo there is a carousel. ($2/person) Sweet Pea liked to watch it, but didn't seem interested in riding. Which is fine because the line was FOREVER long. We sat at one of the tables near by and watched while we ate lunch.

We took in our own lunch. No one even asked about the food and drink we took in. There were tons of people that took there lunches in. That was really helpful because of dairy allergy. AND I didn't have to spend the $7/person on lunch. That includes the little kiddies. Ouch!

There is a park for the kids to play at, but we didn't go into it. We wanted to make sure we saw ALL of the animals. And we can go to the park anytime. But it did look really fun. We will have to stop there next time.

There are some "shows" that they put on with the animals throughout the day. I was a little disappointed. Maybe that's because I go to Disneyland and Sea World and places like that. I wanted a bit more of a show. I thought it would be fun for Sweet Pea to see the Elephants spray water or do something fun, but they don't. They just tell about how they take care of the Elephants. This is fine, but not for a one-year-old. Then I thought the animal presentation would be better. I thought there would be more animals and the website even said you get to pet them after.

Again, disappointed. The presenters talked a little too much. Not enough animals. You DO get to touch them afterwards though. That's a good thing. I wouldn't take a kid under 2 to any of the presentations. It's a waste of time for them.

Overall, we had a great time at the zoo. I'm really glad that we took her.

That afternoon, we napped and then planned on going out to eat before we headed to Red Butte Gardens. When we got to the gardens we found it closed. I had checked their website to make sure there wasn't a concert or something planned that night and it said there wasn't. But there absolutely was. So sad. If you go there, make sure you call. Don't just rely on their website. So I've still never been there. Maybe someday.

We played at Sugarhouse Park instead. Sweet Pea LOVEs LoVeS loves the park. So it was a good alternative.

Very fun first day.