The Office

We're huge fans of:
around here. Easton loves the theme song- fortunately or unfortunately I hear it over, and over, and over.........

please leave a comment for Easton- he would love it. Oh then I can actually prove to my sister that people really do read this. :)

Elf Yourself!

I have never in my life seen the kids laugh so hard at something. Hope you get a giggle also!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Strange man in a beard

I feel semi-guilty I haven't taken the kids to the mall and waited for 45 minutes to see Santa. At our Ward Christmas party Santa was there and it didn't go over very well with Jane:Jane with her deer-in-the-headlights who IS this guy look...

She cried her eyes out when I put her on his lap. Brandon was happy however to tell Santa how badly he wants a Bakugan stadium (puh-lease Santa...bring one. Because Brandon's mom can't find one)

Neighbor Gifts = Reindeer Food (really)

This year our neighbors with kids are getting Reindeer Food:Basically Oatmeal and Glitter. I used baby food jars I saved, painted the lids with silver acrylic paint and used a holiday rub-on. The tag says:

Magic Reindeer Dust
Come December 24th, as Santa flies here from the North
Here's what you do, it isn't hard~
Just sprinkle this stuff in your yard...
The sparkles draw old Santa near
and oats attract his 8 reindeer...
Then just you wait~they're on their way
P.S. Happy Holiday!

I made this for Brandon last year and he was so excited to sprinkle it in the snow on Christmas Eve.

I'll save the words Eric used in the spring from the glitter still on the grass..LOL

Christmas Wishes

All credit for the fab pics to Mom

Vintage Sesame Street

Today I fell down the stairs. Bad. I fell what I called falling baker-style-on-Sesame-Street but further (visit 1:04 of the video below for an example):


I was telling Emily this online, and we started reminiscing vintage 1970-something Sesame Street clips. Here are some of our favs that totally brought back some serious childhood TV watching memories:





AND MY PERSONAL FAV:


And a few more:
The Yo-Yo master!
The Ladybugs Picnic!
PINBALL!

Enjoy. You'll have the songs stuck in your head for days. Thank me later.

Spaghetti Squash with Super-Thick Bolognese

Made this for Dinner with one of the 8 Spaghetti Squash from our garden....the boys loved it. Aahhh, the magic of daytime television.

Spaghetti Squash with Super-Thick Bolognese

Easton's New Idol

I took Easton to Southtowne Mall to see a mini-Christmas Concert of Jon Schmidt! I even pulled him out of school for it (bad mommy). He loved that but loved more seeing Jon play live up close. We missed the beginning but got to see some of it and Easton loved it. He would play the piano 24/7 if I didn't have to concentrate at the computer on BabySteals so much. I was able to get Easton in line to meet him and we bought him some of his music books. I'm SO lucky that these are the types of things my teenager is excited about. Of course there is plenty of texting and video games and growling at his brother but Easton is an amazing kid.

Jane looked SO cute in her Christmas outfit! Heart the BabyLegs...

Enrichment Super Saturday

I am the Enrichment leader in our ward and I am breathing a sigh of relief that the biggest event of the year is now over- the Super Saturday! We had a nice breakfast, Christmas music and 3 crafts. We made the "stackers" that you see above, the "Cookie Cutter treats" below and "Cookie mix in a jar". Everyone seemed to have a nice time, I was too busy to really enjoy it and I actually did my projects myself tonight instead of then. Thank goodnees I have an awesome committee to help put it together!

Cookie Cutter treats

Cookie Mix in a Jar

Below are the ones that I made tonight- I made one for a gift to someone that helps me with BabySteals at local pickup a lot! So little miss Emily Smith yours is Mistletoe, Candy Canes and Sugar Plums! I hope you love it! (I still need to add the ribbons)

best. salad. ever

all credit for the recipe given to one of my new fav blogs: One more MooreAsian Chicken Salad

1 head green cabbage (sliced thinly/shredded)

3 green onions, chopped

1 can mandarin oranges (you can use a small or large can, depending on how much you want)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1 pkg Oriental Ramen Soup

1 pkg frozen peas, thawed

1/2 C slivered almonds (optional)

Dressing (add just before serving)

1/2 C Sugar

2/3 C Oil

6 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

1 packet Oriental Soup Seasoning

Directions: Combine all items for salad & toss. Just before serving, whisk together ingredients for dressing. Toss together & serve. If you want to save some of the salad for another day, don't add all the dressing as the salad will get soggy (and you don't want that!) Also, if you want to add some crunch to the salad, top with some of the ramen noodles.

I've made it 3 times in the last couple weeks and even Easton hogs it down. We leave out the almonds (the boys are "d'allergic" according to Brandon) and we leave out the cilantro (eric hates even the sight of it).

The only thing I don't like about it is I despise MSG that is found in every type of top ramen imaginable. But it's fairly diluted considering it is spread into the whole salad.

Enjoy!

Imitation is the highest form of flattery....

....but it really REALLY annoys me. For the most part I keep the hard core business stuff to myself, but I have been LMAO at the un-originality and complete lack of business skills that yet another brand new copycat of my website has. So I figured, why not share with my friends & fam? By the time this blog is posted the copycat will have changed their website, the evidence will be gone, and the ability to make them look like the copycats they are will be over. I'm not going to post the business name because of search engines, so for the sake of this blog post I'm going to call them BabyPoop (and because it's fitting and rhymes).

Oh and just in case the culprits read this, allow me start with business tip #1.

Here it is: When you are copying someone and creating a website with the identical business model as theirs....

DON'T COPY AND PASTE WORDS FROM THE WEBSITE YOU ARE COPYING AND PUBLISH THEM ON YOUR WEBSITE AS IF YOU WROTE THEM YOURSELF, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SEE A LITTLE COPYWRIGHT SYMBOL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

And the real reason this rubs me wrong? What you see below is stuff I wrote one night at about 2am as I dreamed of what my website would be. And as we’ve worked the business model for the last 7 months, we’ve added a few along the way. For someone to copy the idea is one thing, but then to copy the identical words is just, well...I'll let you make your own conclusion on that one.

For the fun of this post, the words on my website will be Purple and the words on their website will be green:

ME:
Why can I only find one product for sale?
Babysteals.com is a deal-of-the-day website, we sell one quality baby product per day 50-80% off MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) until it sells out. Weekdays at 9am MST another amazing 'steal' starts at a price so good that it's not just a deal, it's a steal! If you don't like what you see now, check back tomorrow it will be something completely different!
THEM:
Why is there only one item for sale?
BabyPoop.com is a deal-of-the-day site. The deal is that we have a limited quantity of a single item for kids or moms, but we offer it to you at substantially less than the manufacturers suggested retail price. When it sells out, it's gone—so order quickly and visit us every day to see what deals we're offering.

Everything on your page is Sold Out. I really wanted the item, can I still order it?
Unfortunately, it sounds like you missed out on the steal. Quick fingers are the key at babysteals.com! Things sell out quickly and once the item is gone, it's gone. However, check back often because we consider bringing certain items back based on customer demand. Email us, and let us know you want us to bring it back!

The product is sold out. Is there any way I can still order it?
Unfortunately, you've missed out on the Poop of the day. Things sell out quickly and once the item is gone, it's gone. However, check back often because we consider bringing certain items back based on customer demand. Email us, and let us know you want us to bring it back!

I keep thinking about yesterday's steal and I really wish I had gotten it. Can I order it from you still?
Maybe. If we didn't sell out, it's possible we may feature the item again on Second Chance Saturday or Second Chance Sunday! Again, Email us.

If I really liked something you had on BabyPoop, but missed it, is there any way I can still get it through you?
Possibly! Send us an email to let us know you're interested in that product. We often bring back popular items, so if we know folks are interested in something, we're more likely to run it again.

Do you accept returns?
We back our products 100%, but unless the item is somehow defective, we do not accept returns. If you've just changed your mind, it doesn't fit, or you have buyers remorse save it for a baby shower! Exchanges? Remember, we're a deal-of-the-day website so that means we won't have another size or color to exchange it with!

Do you accept returns?
We gladly accept returns for broken or defective merchandise—simply visit our shipping page to see our return policy. Because of the highly discounted sales and the rapid turnarounds, BabyPoop doesn't have the capability to manage returns when buyers merely change their minds. We also can't exchange sizes or colors—when we run out, we really run out. Also, some items are simply not returnable because we can't re-sell them. A service charge of $1.00 may apply on returns.

I want to talk to someone live, can I call you?
We are really busy searching for the next 'steal' for you, and shipping you your stuff! We're also knee deep in changing our own babies diapers and cleaning up soggy cheerios off the floor. However, Please email us, we respond to all messages the same day and most often within minutes! If you'd like us to call you, leave us your phone number and we would be delighted to speak with you.

I want to talk to someone live. Can I call you?
We get really busy working on the site, and real world issues such as potty training and picking up the food our kids threw, so we just can't have someone dedicated to a phone. Please do email us with any question, comments, or concerns, and we will answer you as quickly as possible.

I still have two items in my shopping cart but your site says it is sold out. Are you holding those for me even though I haven't purchased yet?
Nope. We only know you want one once you've completed the checkout process and purchased the item. Having an item in your shopping cart does NOT guarantee you will receive the item.

I put an item in my shopping cart but your site says it is sold out. What happened? I wanted to buy that!
We're very sorry about that, but since this site involves fast turnaround of a single product, it's not possible to hold an item just by putting it in your cart. We only know you want something once you've completed the checkout process and purchased the item. Having an item in your shopping cart does not guarantee you will receive the item.


Can I store items in my shopping cart from previous days and buy them all at once to save on shipping?
We wish! We ship purchases every day and most days we sell out. So if you didn't make the purchase, odds are we don't have the item anymore. Email us to find out. But we can't combine shipping on multiple days purchases because of packaging and shipping estimates.

Can I store items in my shopping cart from previous days and buy them all at once to save on shipping?
No, keeping something in your cart doesn't guarantee you'll be able to purchase it, and if it sells out, it's gone. We ship purchases every day and most days we sell out. So if you didn't make the purchase, odds are we don't have the item anymore.

Ummmmmm....yeah. Do your own thing, BabyPoopers.

I wanna nann-anna!

Just in case Jane says, "I wanna nann-anna"...........she wants a Banana.

Just in case Jane says, "Buh-Buh Kaaa Pass"....she is talking about Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Noo-Noo's = noodles

i-keems = ice cream

Hmmmm, sink, sink, sink (finger pointing to brain) = Hmmmmm, think, think, think.

cough cough cough

It's bad enough that my boys in blue lost, but all of us except Easton have been sick this past week. Monster head colds and up-all-night-coughing kinda stuff. Although I felt good enough to go to Church today my #1 pet peeve is when people go sick and cough all through Sacrament and let their kids go to Primary and Nursery with big greenies running down their face as they cough in my kids' face. So needless to say I went to Church before it started long enough to set up a table to promote the Enrichment Super Saturday and then coughed my way home. Meanwhile I felt it necessary to rid the house of every single sick germ possible. So I've been steam cleaning everything. Everything! My walls now look freshly painted, the floors sparkle and there isn't a fingerprint on any doorknob. Jane's highchair(s) and car seat look brand new. All without one chemical (ew). How? My Sargent Steam. There isn't much of anything in my house that doesn't get cleaned by this. Blinds, windows, microwave, oven, fridge, floors, countertops, cabinets, mirrors, phones, toothbrushes, on and on! Without one smelly chemical and you won't believe how great everything looks when you're done. Sparkly fresh! If you've considered a steamer and you're on the fence, do it. It's so worth it. If I remember right, they give you $50 off just by saying who referred you. So tell 'em Jana talked you into it. I even humidified and cleaned my houseplants (from a distance, of course). Pretty cool watching stuck-on yogurt evaporate and wipe off in seconds. It's total cleaning nirvana. Geez, I'm easily entertained....

One of my favorite blogs

Here is a picture of one of the latest posts from one of my fav blogs, Bakerella. Love it!

My Grandma is a Great, Great Grandmother

For real! Not only is she a great grandma but she is a Great, Great Grandmother! Pictured (sitting) is my grandma, Janet Eldredge Hansen. She's the 5th Janet (my mom is the 6th, I'm the 7th and Jane was the 8th...who am I to break the generational chain!). My aunt Marilynn (mom's sister) is the top right, her daughter-in law Dawna on the left, her daughter Kristen in the middle and her sweet baby Olivia. Not many people even have pictures of themselves with their grandparents, not to mention their Great, Great Grandma. How cool is that?
All credit to this awesome picture goes to Mom!

Easton's 9th Grade Picture

Did I seriously just say 9th grade?

Brandon's 3rd Grade School Picture

My sweet Brandon. He really does have lips, he just smiles like he doesn't sometimes.

the dumbest question i've ever been asked

unidentified person: "hey i like your website a lot and me and my mother-in-law want to do the same thing. can you email me some tips on how i can get one just like it started?"

me: "um....(awkward pause wondering if they seriously asked that, and if the seriously think i would not be concerned with a conflict of interest)...... no."

unidentified person: "well can you give me the name of maybe some contacts you work with that can help me get started?"

me: "um, no."

unidentified person: "well can you maybe just give me one name of maybe your webmaster or something?"

me: "um, you mean my partner emily? no."

unidentified person: "well can you give me some info then on like how you at least started off?"

me: "um, no. and unless you're willing to sit at a computer almost non-stop and be awake until 2-3am for the next year and walk around like a zombie 80% of the time, i don't really recommend it."

unidentified person: "well it can't be that hard, right? i mean, it's only one thing a day!"

me: "you know what, you're the perfect person to join the ranks of my newfound competitors. "

people, that's like being male and telling a woman who is 9cm dilated with no pain meds that it looks easy and it really doesn't hurt that bad. honestly.

halloween fun at gardner village

jane was VERY afraid of the wizard but luckily she didn't know he was behind her...

what my toddler can do in 30 seconds or less

and below, what happens to a fudgecicle on the way home from moab! (moab pics soon)

pretty princess jane

My Studio 5 Appearance

Here is a link to watch the video of me on Studio 5 this morning!

some seriously fun online reading

for a good time, take a minute and read the comments on this blog post on BabySteals. it's certainly entertaining to read. we asked the question, "what have you done to make sure you're at a computer at 9am MST for next BabySteal?" here are a few of the answers:

"I have your website and emails sent to my blackberry so I can check the daily steal no matter where I am! Including waiting in line for rides at Disneyland!"

"I'm a resident physician. I set my pager for 8:59am and make sure I can log in to the computer to get the deals asap before they run out!"

"Love the site. Great stuff! I one day sat at my mother in laws computer while my kids sat in the kitchen annoying grandma while I ignored them and waited for 9AM, then called my sister in law to see if she wanted one of what I was buying before I submitted it. can we say OBSESSION!"

"I have been checking the deals daily since about May. I love babysteals! The craziest thing I've done to check the deal at 9am? My family was ready to go and in the car when I noticed it was 9am, I told my husband I had to run inside and go to the bathroom (It was a good excuse, I was pregnant at the time), but instead I came in to check the deal of the day. "

"When it came time to get a new cell phone I picked one with internet access so I could log into BabySteals if I was out of the house or in my bedroom without the computer!"

AND, this one is in our Facebook fan page. It's classic and one of the funniest things I've ever read. I can't believe she shared this with the world, but bless her for it. Here goes:

"i held my poop! i normally have to go to the bathroom around that time and i actually crossed my legs and waited HAH"

Speechless. WINNER!

shout out to betty crocker

i'd like to thank betty crocker and the new fruit snacks face stickers commercial for making jane think that her chicken should stick to her face just like the new fruit stacker stickers do.

i really DO watch my child....

...what would today be if i couldn't post yet another set of pics from my wonderful toddler's mischievous messy moments. my mom was here and in just two minutes of talking, jane decided to clean the tub with a half a tube of brand new toothpaste............

........she wouldn't even look at me because she knew she was SO busted!

just a few minutes later when dinner was ready, she proceeded to give her hair a big smear of chicken-n-dumplings, too. proof that this was all in 20 minutes time: same outfit.

c'mon mom, it's just a little chicken-n-dumplings. i already smeared the bath with toothpaste, what's a little chicken-n-dumplings in my hair?

silence is dangerous when toddlers are involved...

...check out the piles and piles of sugar. "mmm yummy mama!"

it took me all morning to clean up the sugar, that spread all over the house in seconds.

why not lick it off your feet, too?

...and what she was doing while I was cleaning up the sugar!

Anyone Who Calls Me A Genius

...gets mad props from me!

I don't know this person but in a quick Google Search she popped up. Awwww, thanks!

http://millertime0016.blogspot.com

Twitter and Facebook

My name is Jana and I have an addiction. To Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile I figured I'd support addiction by adding live feeds of both to my blog. That way if I don't have much time to add to my blog (which I still have catching up to do all the way back to April) then you can see what's up by looking at the Twitter or Facebook feeds in the bottom right of my blog. I have gotten email questions today on "what's that on your blog?" so I figured I'd bring it up. In the twitter section if you see an @ sign and someone's name, that's me replying to one of thier 'tweets'. Yeah, sort of out there in the open, isn't it. We started it for BabySteals first (at the bottom right of babysteals.com/blog so have fun checking it out! And if you're reading this and you're a part of either, add me! And remember to become a fan of BabySteals.com on Facebook!

'Dream Big' Feature

Todays Mama just did a 'Dream Big' feature on me and Emily. Take a look!

Baby Signing Time!

We're really excited for Baby Signing Time volumes 3 and 4 to be released! Not just because we love Signing Time around our house, but because Jane is in them! Here is a video that Signing Time created for the cast, Jane is at about 1:42~!

Busted

"Jane, did you climb up on the Piano?"



"No Mommy"

jane's crazy hair mornings!

i absolutely LOVE when jane first wakes up in the morning (assuming she's happy). i never take for granted the times i am with her when she wakes up! she is so snuggly and yummy and her hair is the craziest and cutest thing ever. she will be really upset at me for taking these when she's 16. come ON mother, not now.

jane and brandon trying to hide when it was time to

get ready for church!

right after church i was making lunch and noticed jane was taking her blanket (oh boy) and making a saddle for the dog. we are lucky to have the most patient (and huge) dog Comanche. jane loves to abuse him!