Tag, $15 and Halloween Treats!

Okay Tiff... Here's my response to your tag.
Here's my kitchen sink...
the fridge...here's my bathroom...

here's my self portrait (my friend Sarah from High School painted this from a photo of me. She's amazing)...favorite room (my room 'cause it's where I get sleep! I also love the chaise long my mom's friend recently donated to us (it's in the back left corner). It's so comfy and I would sleep in it every night if I could)...here's my closet...shoes ($0.25 at Target. Can't beat that!)...my messy kids (I included the picture of Lilly because you can see her goofy smile. She has her two bottom teeth and one of her top side teeth. She's currently working on getting the other side one and both of her top middle teeth right now. The poor girl is dying!)...Laundry room. It's pretty boring and full of Doug's ironing that I need to get done! It's only been sitting on the ironing board for 2 weeks now...

Dream vacation...
I tag any of my sista's or cuz's who thinks this looks like fun.

Here's proof that I am still continuing with my thrifty ways. A friend in our ward was getting rid of this and I snagged it for $15! Mattress and all. I thought it was quite the deal. It's one of those converter ones too and I totally love it! Lilly loves having the room to stretch too!

Here's some bonus Halloween fun things. We made these paper cats from this Halloween activity book I got a Seagull Book. Let me know if you want the instructions. They were fun to make.

And here's a Halloween bonus treat recipe. These are seriously the best pumpkin cookies I've ever tasted. They're really light, moist, flaky (I think it's the shortening) and sooooo yummy! IT uses a whole big can of pumpkin so it makes about 1 million cookies. Feel free to half the recipe. I did and still got about 4 dozen out of it!Yummiest Pumpkin Cookies Ever!
1 can (29 oz.) pumpkin
2 1/4 c. shortening
3 c. sugar

Mix together and add:
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Mix together and add:
6 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon

Mix together and add:
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Drop by spoonfuls onto cookies sheets. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes or until fingertip doesn't indent.

FPU

Okay, first off, please disregard the irony of this post.

Now that that's out of the way, Doug and I recently signed up for this 13-week course that his company is offering called "Financial Peace University" (FPU). It's a course designed by Dave Ramsey and we pretty much go to Squire every Wednesday night and watch a video of him lecturing. In case you haven't heard of him he was a millionaire by age 26 through real estate in TN and then lost it all and went completely bankrupt. It's a pretty fascinating story. Needless to say, he's recovered and is doing well for himself by offering financial advice and through founding FPU. His whole concept is based on the following baby steps:
1. $1,000 emergency fund
2. Pay off all debt with the debt snowball
3. 3-6 months of expenses in savings
4. Invest 15% of income for retirement
5. College funding
6. Pay off your home early
7. Build wealth and give!
Nothing new but good advice.

Anyway, here's where the irony comes in. Last week, the day after our first class, I already had some errands to run and knew that I would be spending money and was feeling guilty about it. I came away with some pretty awesome deals though so I felt justified. My first stop was the Provo Craft Outlet in Lindon. If you haven't been, you much go. It's just off of State Street past Kneaders. Anyway, I got a big ceramic Easter candy dish, a weird bunny in a cage (that Sophia just had to have), cute wooden eggs to hang on the wall, 4 plates, 2 bowl, 1 scented oil thing, 1 1' Christmas Tree, 1 6' Christmas tree, 4 boxes of mini lights 2 6' pine garlands, 3 sets of velvet Christmas bows, and 1 bag of cinnamon pinecones for $22 - total! No joke! The 6' tree was only $8 and I'm pretty sure I'm going to sell it on Craigs list. Anyway, I was quite proud of myself.

My next stop was Target to pick up the girls pictures. I perused the awesome $1 bins for some cute Halloween stuff. One section of the $ bins was 75% off - therefore, everything was 25 cents! I got a bunch of photo albums, note pads, a pizza cutter and a giant plastic football platter
all for 25 cents each. I was truly amazed.

So anyway, that was one of my last shopping sprees for awhile now that we're building our emergency fund to make Dave happy. I just love a good deal (or two)!

Turbine Yukon Palin

What would your name be if you were Sarah Palin's child?

Happy First Day of Fall

The first signs of fall actually showed up at our house a few weeks ago. Acorns anyone?
I don't know if you remember this from last year but I will definitely be making another one of this wreaths and will be taking orders (or you can come get your own acorns and make your own creation. Anyway, we raked piles and piles of acorns on two different days last week and our garbage can is filled to the brim with them (we can barely roll it down the sidewalk).
After all of that our yard once again looks like this. Will it ever stop raining acorns!?
Here's one of my sweet Lilly Bean. Thanks for the cute poncho Cakes! We hope you love your squeaky shoes!
Here's what Sophia did while we raked. She's got to practice up for her driver's test. Think she'll pass? Finally, thank you again to my fabulous sis. You are too kind and the flowers are too lovely. I can't believe how big their blooming. They remind me of you - just bursting with joy and happiness! Thanks again.