T-Day 2011

{a} Table settings were ready the day before Thanksgiving. Soo me. I love being on top of everything.

{b} A full yummy table. Everything was home-made, except the turkey. There is NO way I could have made a turkey in our one oven along with the rolls, stuffing, and sweet potatoes. Thank you Boston Market for helping me out this year.

{c} Later that night we went downtown and experienced "Glendale Glitters". They turn on all the lights, have tons of food vendors, and activities for kids.

{d} This carmel apple was divine. We couldn't eat it fast enough. It went along well watching and laughing at the kiddos on the bungee jump and moon bounce.

{e} It was fun getting "bundled" up & seeing all the Arizonans wear winter coats, gloves, hats and sip hot chocolate in the mid-60 degree weather.

It was a fun and eventful Thanksgiving weekend. It was exactly what we needed! Now, our house is decorated for Christmas and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate the holidays!

Stuff(ing)

Just some stuff on my mind....

• 
• Christmas decor is already up in our house, and I love it. Twinkling fairy lights, bright & cheery ornaments, and my pretty nativity make me happy. [pictures and post soon to come]
• Derek & I are having our "first" Thanksgiving alone. Yep. This means I will be cooking.
• Okay, okay. I'm not cooking everything. Boston Market is providing the turkey, Pillsbury is helping the rolls, and good old Marie Calendar is doing the pie. This leaves me with stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, & maybe a jello salad the man has requested.
• It's in the 60's & 50's at night and Derek is still requesting that the A/C be on. He is a polar bear and needs an ice cave to live in.
• Derek is doing rounds at the hospital Thursday-Sunday morning. We might go visit and see some of his patients later in the day since they might be alone over the holiday. Kinda makes me sad :(
• We found some really fun things to do over the long weekend! I don't know who is more excited about Zoo lights, a picnic in the park, seeing a movie, and Christmas shopping.
• My sissy is presenting a case in front of a "moot court" [a "fake" court of judges and lawyers] and is helping represent BYU-Idaho. She is one of four students in the whole school! We are super proud!
• Aside from our regular DVR shows [New Girl, Raising Hope, Always Sunny, Modern Family], I have added The Chew & Ellen- every.day. Obsessed? Yes. Ashamed? Heck no.
• My baby brother [and by "baby" I mean 16-year-old, 6'4, football star] was moved up to Varsity last week. His team is in the semi-finals and hoping to get far so they can play in Qualcomm Stadium. Needless to say, Dad is beaming ear to ear.
• Our daily "Thankful" board is getting full with great things. Yesterday was carpet. Today was machines of all kind- washing, drying, vacuuming. Basically, thankful I was born in 1988 rather then 1888.

What are you looking forward to this week? Family? Friends? Food?

Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY Thanksgiving Decor

Yesterday, I was featured on Ashley's blog. If you didn't get a chance to check it out, I have posted it on here as well!

Since I may be hosting Thanksgiving at our small apartment this year, I took some time after Halloween to cherish the season before jumping into Christmas. Here are 6 easy & cheap ways you can do to make your home beautiful for the Fall season.

1. Leaf Garland

This is something almost ANYONE can do. I live in Arizona, and although these are fake, you could easily do them with real leaves. All you need is some twine, leaves, and mini- clothes pins, or any other "fastening" device. It's really that easy! I hung one here on my seasonal shelves, and another above our kitchen window.

2. DIY Pointalism Tree Art & Free Printables

Okay, I feel like this tree needs a major introduction. No, one of my students did not do this. It was all me baby. Art has always been challenging for me, but when I saw this tutorial on Pinterest, I had to give a a whirl. It is so simple, fun, and easy. All you need is paint & q-tips! If you have children, this is a great way for them to help with your decor. Also, take advantage of free printables on other blogs! I get tons of cute sayings, pictures, and subway art & use those in your home.

3. Mix & Match

This might seem really simple and obvious, but it's important to know that you don't need to be 100%matchy, matchy. I scored this lantern at a rummage sale and paired it with all types of seasonal decor. These metal stars were actually a Target $1 bin find. I dug them out for the fall & winter months. The old frame was actually found in the trash-score! Now, none of this really screams "FALL", but tied together with some pumpkins, it works. Never doubt your gut instinct, just go with it!

4. Thankful Board

This is something I pulled together last weekend. I took an old frame & hot glued some ribbon to the back. I then made a small burlap banner that reads "thankful", and strung it to the top. We have this hanging in our dining area, and every night at dinner, we write down something we are thankful for and put it up o the board. It's fun to see what we come up with everyday! This is also something kids can help out with.

5. Oatmeal Canister Vase

Early this week we finished off some oatmeal and I just couldn't toss it out. I covered it with some scrapbook paper, stuck some twigs inside, and called it good. Seriously, the easiest project ever!

6. Burlap Banner

We actually made & used these banner for our Ward Halloween party. They were so simple to make. We just cut a ton of triangles, and then painted on some cute little orange polka dots. When they dried, we glued it on some twine, and ta-da! A simple banner that would make any home look just a little more festive.

Well, there you have it! Hopefully these ideas are all something you are willing to try out. Trust me, none of these projects cost more than a couple dollars. When you are on a med school budget DIY & cheap is the only way to go!

Golden Ticket

This months VT message is special. We are able to choose a conference talk from the recent October 2011 General Conference and present it to our sisters. I decided to choose President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk entitled "Forget Me Not". In his talk, he focuses on ways to help the sisters of the church focus on themselves and what is truly important in life. He uses the classic {and somewhat creepy} childhood story of Willy Wanka & The Chocolate Factory. Instead of focusing on finding our "golden ticket"- which can be anything from a perfect birthday party for a child, impressive Christmas decor/gifts, or even cramming our days full of un-important tasks- we need to focus on the "....beauty and sweetness of everyday moments." For the month of November, Derek and I are writing things we are thankful for down and putting them up on a Thankful Board. It's a great way to think and cherish the moments that we take for granted everyday. I challenge you all to think about the moments in your life that you are grateful for this holiday season and see what happiness and joy it can bring into your life.

{To find out more about General Conference, Visiting Teaching, or President Dieter F. Uctdorf, click the "I'm a Mormon" button on my page}