One Week More

So next week is my last week to work at the studio- that means I have officially been working there 2 years!

Every 6 months we have this big festival- themed parties with lots of decorations and food and costumes and games and, of course, dancing; it goes on for 6 weeks, each week a different theme (that coordinates into an overall theme, naturally). Our festival starts on Monday and we are traveling through time to various periods in history.

Well, my boss thought it would be a great idea for me to throw the first party (i.e. be in charge of all decor and food and such) which could double as my farewell. No problem...I was in charge of the Asian themed party last festival and the Horror themed party the festival before that. This time my theme is Ancient Greece/Rome/Golden Age...think togas.

So today I have been cutting out 7 ft columns out of a big roll of paper, because quite frankly the budget only allows for a couple "real" 4 ft columns and I did not think that would transform the studio nearly enough. And I have been cutting out big, greek-looking letters to spell our name on the wall. And I have been working on our menu...pitas, grapes, feta cheese, olives, baklava (if I can find it), dates (but who would eat them?), etc. Anywho, so when I get it all pulled together I will post pictures- but just know that this is the main reason why I haven't been blogging that much this week.

I am excited to be done with work- I will miss dancing and interacting with the students and the income of course, however I am excited to be at home in the evenings with Nicholas. Plus this ole' gray mare ain't what she used to be! :) My body is getting a bit achey after dancing into the wee hours of the night and so I will be happy to just take it a bit easier for these last few months...and by easy I mean just jogging 5 miles in the mornings! I have been pretty lucky to feel great so far and keep up a lot of my regular activities, like running. Those extra twenty pounds are starting to weigh on me now though and I am ready to slow down just a bit; I am grateful that I have the opportunity to! :)

(On a side note: baby V is doing just great...moving a bunch now, even though it isn't super consistent yet. His heart rate is always around 140 beats/minute, which they tell me is good. I passed the gestational diabetes test and have maintained great blood pressure. It is no secret that I am expecting- my belly is definitely showing off now, but it at least makes getting dressed a bit easier since I can really wear maternity clothes. I am seeing the doctor every 2 weeks now and we have another ultrasound scheduled in a few weeks; we still don't have a name picked out and welcome any suggestions...)

Recommendations???

Here is the deal- Nicholas and I are starting to buy things for the baby. More than just cute clothes and such...real gear. And the more I look at things, the more confused I get. What is really necessary? Which of these items or features are just frivolous?

So I am following Nick's advice and asking people who would know- you! What are items or features about items that you wouldn't live without? What are things that you wouldn't waste money on if you could do it again? Any recommendations on things to make sure we have or things to stay away from? We want to hear your thoughts and opinions on all things baby!

Lets hear it!!!

Caramel Corn

What a great treat to ring in the autumn holiday season! And since I have to bring a treat to an activity tonight, I decided to make some this afternoon. I realized while making this delicous treat that not everyone knows the secret to great caramel corn; thus I am going to share the recipe with you :) Actually it is my mom's recipe...

The Great Jeanene's Microwave Caramel Corn

4 qts popped popcorn

1/2 c margarine

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c white corn syrup

1/4 -1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

In a glass bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir; cook 2 minutes more. Stir; add soda and vanilla. Stir until foamy. Put the popped popcorn into a large brown paper bag...like you get at the grocery store. Pour the caramel over the popcorn in the bag. Fold the top of the bag down a few times and shake well. Put the bag, fold side down, in the microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Shake well; cook 1 1/2 minutes more. Shake well; cook 30 seconds more. Spread on cookie sheets to cool- then enjoy!

This recipe is so simple and makes clean up a breeze....try it!

Where were we two years ago today?

Oh yes, that's right.

Happy Anniversary Nicholas!

Two years ago today...

...we were setting up in the Provo library...
...and having a celebration...
...for our wedding :)

I wanted to blog today...

...but I have been busy.

Busy taking a nap and watching this.

Busy cleaning the house and doing this.

Busy being an online shopper and buying this.

And busy creating this for work...if you are in the Houston area on November 13th, you should come check it out!

Maybe tomorrow!!!

Product Review: Wallflowers & Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

I love my Wallflowers from Bath & Body Works...I actually have two in my tiny apartment because I love them so much. One looks like the picture above and the other is black and looks more like a flower. For anyone that is unfamiliar with Wallflowers, let me fill you in: they are these amazing things that you plug into a regular outlet and then they make your home smell great.

They always seem to have the right amount of scent...nothing that knocks you over, but it definitely smells pleasant. We keep one right above the litter box :) The bulbs are replaceable and so you can change the scent as often as you like...just remember that for some odd reason these bulbs are lefty-tighty and righty-loosey which doesn't sound like something worth mentioning until you are trying to unscrew one of the bulbs and realize that you have just in fact been tightening it instead of loosening it!
I am also crazy about this scent, also from Bath & Body Works- Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. Mostly I am in love with it because it is the scent of the bulbs in my Wallflowers right now, but I love it in any form...we currently have it as our hand soap as well.

This scent is perfect for fall- each time I catch a whiff of it I can't help but smile and be in a good mood that we are entering my favorite season. It isn't too girly either which is perfect since Nick uses the hand soap too! (He is not a fan of when I have Twilight Woods or some other girly fragrance for our hand soap so I try to keep it neutral...at least in the bathroom.)

Anywho, if you are looking for a great and easy option to make your home smell like autumn, grab a Wallflower with a Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin bulb at Bath & Body Works today! (Well, not today actually...they are regularly about $12 but they go on sale all the time. I rarely pay more than $5/$6 for mine. This week they are only 2 for $20 so wait a few days for a better deal!)

Public Restrooms

I just want to publicly say how grateful I am for public restrooms. If you haven't noticed, they are available more places than not in America. I know this is not the case in all countries. Plus there are only a few (at least around my parts...I know it is a bit different in some big cities) that actually require you to be a customer to use the restroom.

Now I know they aren't always so clean or smell so great, but next time you are using one think about what you would be doing if they weren't available!

(And doesn't that makes places with really nice public restrooms even more amazing??? That they go through all that trouble when they really don't have to? Gotta love 'em!)

Working like a dog

I feel so badly. Yes, badly. Not bad. It is an adverb- describing how I do something, in this case how I feel. Not that I am completely guiltless, but I hate that we always forget our -ly endings on adverbs. Anywho, now that you will be paranoid to speak around me, I will proceed.

I feel so badly for Nicholas. He works all the time. ALL the time. It is not unusual for him to go to work in the morning and not return until 7pm...these are regular days. Good days are days I get to see him during the 6pm hour...they are not so common.

However, this last week has been quarter end at work and he hasn't been coming home until 9pm or so. Now that sounds terrible, right? But if it only happened every once and awhile it wouldn't be that bad...we all have those days, right? Poor Nicholas has those days all the time and I feel terribly about it! Yes, terribly.

And even when he isn't actually at work, he is working! He is working on his lesson for his Sunday school class or studying for the GMAT or working on grad school applications or something. At the off chance he has a free moment it is quickly snatched up by our cat who loves him dearly and wants to play...and if he doesn't "play" (which is really just another word for work in this case) she bites him. Aye aye aye!

I don't know what to do to help. I went in to the office with him on Saturday and helped for a few hours, but he is still there tonight and it is 9:30pm. I try to make sure he doesn't have to worry about many household chores or any of his meals, but still I just don't feel like he ever really gets a break!

And then there is me...I get to sleep in, exercise at my leisure in the mornings, take long showers, run any errands I want, read, snack, even take naps...I am so spoiled! Instead of feeling glad that I have such an enjoyable life, I feel guilty that I am not more overwhelmed and busy...not to say that I don't have anything to do, but I just have so much more freedom with my time than he does. And my guilt only multiplies because I want him to spend his free time with me instead of doing other things that he may want to do...like checking ESPN and such.

There isn't really a point to this post- just somewhere for me to whine and dream of the day when I could actually make Nick's life easier and more fun. Not that that day is going to come anytime soon...he is looking at going back to school for his MBA and will soon be supporting another hungry mouth to feed and naked back to clothe.

I think Nick needs a vacation...the only problem is that it is harder to be gone for a day or two and have work pile up for him. Maybe we could share his job and I could just fill in for him for a few days...accounting can't be that hard, could it?

On a lighter note, it has been absolutely gorgeous weather here the last couple of days and we have even started sleeping with the windows open...pure heaven! Well, at least until 4:45 am when the buses start rolling by...