Fun Easter Tradition (The Jelly Bean Trail)

My husband had a tradition in his family when he was little that Easter morning the Easter bunny would always leave a trail of jelly beans, toys, and candy leading to his Easter basket. The story is that the Easter bunny has a hole in the basket and things are dropping out as he goes. So to keep the tradition alive we started to do this last year for our daughter and she loved it. She was excited to see the jelly beans and then thrilled when they led her to her basket. It is just something to make Easter morning a little more fun.

Indian Food and More

A Taste of India

The girls: Vanessa, Ashley, Cali & Kari

My husband loves India cuisine, so in planning this date I really wanted to make it a night all about India. Since I love to do things on a grand scale, I included 3 other couples and conveniently they all love India cuisine as well. You can do this as a couple or a group date. The plus side to doing it as a group is you'll have a wider variety of food and it will help cut the cost all around. The India Invitations - My friend, Vanessa, did up all of the invitations. She used scrapbook paper, embellishments and stamps. We purchased some scrapbooking jewels at a local scrapbooking store and attached a strip of jewels to the front of the invitations. The inside of the invites gave the time and location of the date and told them to come "bejeweled". We left that to their imaginations and my husband ended up putting a big "A" on his forehead to signify his name. In case he forgot it later on. The girls' and I also "bejeweled" our faces before the guys arrived. It was entertaining to say the least and really added to the ambiance. (*Note: I have found the jewels at craft stores, Walmart, and dollar stores for cheaper if you have the time to look around.) The India Decor - India decor is all about bright colors and different textures. Vanessa and I basically found things from around our homes to decorate with. I already had a long portable table (you could use a card table or just a blanket on the floor if you don't have one) and we propped it up on paint cans that I had in my garage. Then we covered it with a table cloth and a cream runner. Vanessa had a beautiful candle holder that we set in the middle so that we could have the lights down low (romantic!). She brought plates that were all different colors and we each had brightly colored pillows from our couches to sit on. *This is where having a group date comes in handy. We basically gathered up what we could use from our homes to create the India themed decor. That way it saves on money and creates a fun atmosphere. The India Food - I wanted to have a lot of different plates of food to make it colorful and fun to eat. We picked several of our favorite recipes and then divided them up between the four of us. There were about 3 recipes each if you include the rice. Here are all the recipes we used. If you have an India cuisine restaurant near your house, you can either pick up a meal to go or even purchase one or two dishes (like samosas or Naan) to add to your meal. Here's the catch: when we set the table we left off utensils and napkins. So we had to eat the food India style with our fingers and lick them instead of using napkins. It was a little messy, but the food was AMAZING! Henna Tattoos - One of the ancient India traditions is Henna Tattooing. It basically stains the skin and lasts for about 1-2 weeks. I ordered a kit off of http://www.hennaking.com/ about a week before our date. For a large kit it was $26 including shipping which breaks down to around $6-$7 a couple. The smaller kits are around $14. Each person picked out their own tattoo and their spouse applied it. These take about an hour to dry, so you'll want to pick a place on your skin that won't get bumped. India Arts and Crafts...well, not really - So I had this idea, which is similar to another post, though I swear I didn't steal it. We did this date several weeks before that one posted - so great minds think alike. :) The idea is your spouse will stand behind you and he will be blindfolded. You will have your hands handcuffed behind your back or just hold your hands behind your back so that you aren't tempted to help him. Your husband loops his arms through yours and will paint a picture of your choice. We used finger paints that we found at the dollar store and 12x12 cardboard pieces that I already hand. If you don't have a blindfold, you can use one of your husband's neck ties. Then the girls took a turn painting. We had to stay in the same position though because it's a little difficult for us ladies to get our arms around our husbands to reach the paints. This was by far the most hilarious part of the evening because we were all on different sides of the table watching how everyone else was doing. This was a really fun, relaxing night. Just remember to have fun with it! Enjoy.

Love Story: Cami & Joseph

Now, how Joseph and I met... Hmmm... depends on what story we want to tell. I'll tell both! We actually first met when my girls and I decided to take a girls trip to AZ for Valentine's weekend. None of us had significant others and we wanted to go to WARM weather! While there, we attended an Institute dance. We walked in and a country song was playing and we immediately RAN to the middle of the dance floor and started to do a line dance. We were soon surrounded by a huge crowd (because NO ONE else knew how to dance to country - HEELLOO). Anyway, a cute guy came up to us after the song ended and said "Wow, I have never seen a group of girls be able to attract such a big crowd before". Well, he had never seen US in action before that night! :) I immediately thought he was really cute, we talked for a few seconds, and then we were on our way.

Later, I saw him again during an activity of breaking a pinata. I was really hyper and so was my friend, who kept trying to push me into the middle to grab the bat! The cute guy was there and just laughed at us, and then I couldn't ever find him again - well, that's what I thought anyway... At the end of the dance, my friends were talking to a group of guys and I was off dancing by myself. The cute guy walked up to one of my girls (Tara) and said we should go hot tubbing or something - BUT she blew him off for a group of 19 yr olds (thanks Tara)! WHAT!!! I immediately tried to intervene and ask why she blew off the only cute guy, older than 20 in the whole place, but she thought that another of the girls in our group was into this other guy (BIG mistake). I left the dance wondering who the cute guy was and I was sad that I never really got to talk to him.

Anyway, 2 months later my parents talked me into going to AZ with them for Easter. While attending church, I saw a cute guy sitting by his mom. I pointed him out to my parents (since my dad had a running joke that whole weekend of finding me a boy) and of course after Sacrament, my mom B-lines it to him to introduce herself. I was mortified! Here I am, 24 years old, and my mom still acts like I can't take care of myself!

Long story short, we talked for a long time, found out his name was Joseph, and after Sunday School he mentioned that if I ever came back in town to call him and his friends (LAME). I took it one step further and mentioned the fireside that night (he caught on) and invited me to go with him and his friends. We went to the fireside and it turned out to be about KISSING! What a way to get to know a guy right? We laughed about it as we left the building. On our way home, we were talking about how often I came to AZ. I mentioned that I hardly ever came, but had just recently taken a trip around Valentine's. He asked if I went to an Institute dance, and I said yes. It turns out my "long lost"cute guy from 2 months before was this cute guy I was now riding in a car with!

We dropped off his friend, went to a park, talked for HOURS, drove to the mountains, talked for more HOURS, and then got dropped off at like 3 in the morning. I was awe struck with how easy our conversation was, how many similar interests we had, and that he was planning on being a physician for kids with disabilities. Hello - I was a teacher for kids with disabilities! Fate, right? So, from then on I was hooked. The rest is history... from meeting him twice, to getting married 8 months later, I have been in love with him ever since!  

Technical Difficulties...

LADIES:
The "Grab A Button" on our sidebar is currently not working...
...give me a day and I will get 'er up and running...so don't "grab" it quite yet! :)

Edited To Say: All fixed! Wahoo! I just learned a TON about Blog Buttons...kinda a crash course!
 Feel free to GRAB it now! :)

Why I LOVE you....a morning just for him

Everyone asks me what is is like to be married to Superman. I simply tell them imagine a world where the garbage disappears, where your husband is so fast and so focused its like he is in two places at once and you never have to worry about simple things like putting gas in your car.

Nathan babe, this post is for YOU! A chance for me to show off how amazing you are and for other woman to show their man what they mean to THEM!

The Simple Steps for "A Morning Just for him!"

* Wake him up early, in any way he would like.

Earlier than normal so there is plenty of time to read all the love cards and enjoy a big breakfast!

* Why I LOVE You cards

Just put on these cards, what is going on in your lives RIGHT NOW and of course why you LOVE him! It will surprise you in a year from now how much of this has changed and how somethings are consistent (like your LOVE). Examples; games he plays with the kids, nicknames, thoughtful things he does just for you. A couple of lines of "your song" or a song that has a special meaning to the both of you. For example when Nate and I were dating he sent me a text asking what I was up to, hinting that he would like to see me. I responded, "Come on over, come on over baby!" and that was something I put on one of our cards.

Put these cards all over the house in places he normally visits to get ready in the morning.

Door knobs, by tooth paste, his closet, his shoes, sock drawer, in his car by his gas mileage and one LONG one in his lunch box or briefcase to read during his long hard day at work! (In this one I repeated some of the things I already said just so he REALLY knows how much it means to me)

Hints for cards; put some out like decorations easy to find. some in drawers and cabinets and this will put a surprised smile on his face!

Nate may dislike that I am posting this... but here we go ANYWAY!!! When I did this for him the first time he cried sincere tears of joy. I truly felt he knew how much he means to me and that my world would be nothing without him.

These cards will be something you keep FOREVER! So, there will be NO pretty paper to print off today! Girls go open up your scrap booking stuff, and if you don't have any come on over and I will send you home with some of mine! I have done this twice for Nathan. The first time was for our first wedding anniversary and we LOVE to go back and reread some of the things I wrote about him and our lives at the time.(kind of like a journal!)
      

TIPs for cards

I used "Simply Scrappin' by Stampin Up for these cards. It's just what I had at my house. It comes with all matching paper and stickers! Stickers make it so classy and easy!

SORRY there are NO pictures of me making the cards! I just didn't think of taking a picture of me pulling a sticker off their sheet and placing them on paper... Seriously THAT EASY!

Also I used "Stampin up," ink pads to add a little extra to the edges of my cards. No worries if you don't want to spend the money on this part... I didn't it is just what I had.

First Step: Type up what you want to say in a FONT you LOVE! Then Print!

Second Step: CUT the LOVE notes you just printed

Third Step: Cut out cards. This can be plain colored paper OR a fancy printed paper!

Fourth Step: Start Placing Stickers on Cards and Love Notes on Cards! Just get Stickers YOU LOVE and you CAN'T MESS this part up! You can look how I did the lay out on my cards to get some idea's!!!

At the bottom of this post I have some pictures from the first time I did this and they are really simple BUT we still tear up every time we read them!!! The words YOU choose to say are so important! The main focus is WHAT YOU WRITE!!!

*HUGE Breakfast

Sausage AND Bacon is a MUST! Men love meat! Girls keep it simple. men are simple.

my amazing breakfast for the day;

Eggs- we LOVE veggies. So I cut up onions, peppers and sprinkled on some cheese.

Muffins- go to a store. Buy a box. Add water and cook!!!(easy remember!)

Fruit- get all his favorite fruit cut them up and put it in a beautiful champagne glass (if your don't have any you can get some at Wal-Mart for super cheap!) Then add a couple of layers of yogurt and granola.

So beautiful..... and yet so simple. Made with ALL his FAVORITES!

Juice- Orange Juice. He needs his daily dose of Vitamin C.(Little fact.... Our bodies can't product or store Vitamin C. So YES this is THAT important!)

I woke up at 5:00am to make SURE I had this READY when Nathan got out of bed at 6:00am... or you can do it after he goes to bed the night before. But seriously the surprise look on his face is well worth the early morning!

*After Breakfast

Clear his plate and replace it with a clean plate that just happens to have a box on top of it(kind of like a second dish). In that box you can put ANYTHING! It just HAS to be something he would LOVE! A ticket to a sports game that he would really like to see, or gift certificate to HIS favorite restaurant. Or a pair of shoes that he has been needing. Just think what does HE LOVE? Or what has he not had that much time to do since we have been married?

Hope you have as much fun as I did putting this date together for MY MAN! He does so much for my family and I! And I am always looking for ways to give him a taste of what he gives us EVERYDAY!

The "Funky Town" Date

If you have a sense of humor and LOVE to laugh...then THIS is the date for you!!

We recently moved to good 'ole Vegas and were worried we wouldn't find friends as COOL as the ones we left back home in Utah...

LUCKILY we had nothing to worry about!  We have made some AWESOME friends who are laid back, tonz of fun, and CrAzY enough to hang out with US!!!

.....and we convinced a few of them to go on this "FUNKY TOWN" date with us....

No invite this time....we just told our hubbies to prepare to have a LOTTA fun...and kept everything a surprise.  We (the girls) planned a potluck meal and everyone brought their assigned food items so we could have a nice meal together...BUT there was a twist...

...instead of silverware....we had to use CRAZY kitchen utensils...

We put everything in a bag and everyone had to stick their hand in (without looking) and choose a utensil to eat with.

(I had to get creative and I ate with the OTHER end!  The whisk is TRICKY!!)

You could make the dinner even more creative and come up with a quirky menu to hand out.  I was going to create a cute menu, but I ran outta time.  If any of YOU make one...I would love to see what it looks like!  We had a delicious crockpot chicken dish...and if I would've made a menu...the chicken would've been: "The Chicken That Didn't Quite Cross The Road" .....  Tee, hee...

THEN - after our yummy dinner, we piled into cars and took our men to the next location:

YEP - a thrift store!!

We each handed our spouse a ten-dollar bill and informed them to go pick out an outfit for their wife and we (each armed with a ten-dollar bill) would then pick out an outfit for our husband.

...We could NOT stop laughing!  It was SOOOO much fun and SOOO dang funny!  We were probably the LOUDEST ones in the whole store and I am sure a few of the customers were probably annoyed....but the employees liked us!  :)

We met up at the front after about a half hour and the clerk was DYING when he saw what we had picked out for each other!  We then went back to one of the couple's houses and changed into our "new" outfits....

...and HERE is yours truly with my husband, Jamie...

Oh, wait....you HAVE to see a close-up of the shirt I got for him...

Tee, hee...it's a breast cancer awareness shirt...

AND - here is the whole group, including adorable baby Cyrus!

Best Finds of The Night:

*"Save The Boobs" shirt

*"Jesus is my Homeboy" hat

*Big Bird shirt

*Shorts made out of TOWELS

*Turquoise beret

We THEN told the men that we were going to go out in PUBLIC dressed like that!  This is WHY I would recommend doing this as a group date.....safety in numbers....LOL...

We headed to the bowling alley and of course, caused a little bit of a scene...we were laughing so hard at everyone's reactions...HI-LA-RI-OUS!!

We got our shoes, bowling balls, and picked out FUNKY names...  

The BOYZ

The GIRLZ

We then told the men that we had a few MORE tricks up our sleeves.  

I handed out "Romantic Score Cards" which I found here...on Love, Actually's blog.  We each wrote down what we thought our final score would be.  There was a spot to put our actual score and then a spot to write the difference.  THEN - on the back of the card we wrote the "reward" our spouse would get if he was closer to his actual score than we were....and vice versus.  Basically, you were bowling against just your spouse but really trying to get as close to the score you wrote down as you possibly could.  

I also found another cute idea in that same post on Love, Actually's blog and I created a mini-poster to display the "FUNKY" rules we would be playing by....  

Before each turn, we would (without looking) chose an M&M and then look at the little chart to see how we were supposed to bowl.  

Example: 

Blue = bowl backwards between your legs

Here is my HOT husband demonstrating that one....

...doncha just LOVE his Gilligan's Island hat!?!

Click HERE to get the M&M Rules!
(As you can see from our FINAL scores posted above...you will NOT be hitting any big numbers if you play this way!!)

One last shot of the GIRLZ:

We then ended the night with YUMMY ice cream sundaes.

Have fun planning YOUR "Funky Town" date!!

"Lucky You....To Be Married To ME!!"

I found this CUTE idea HERE....and decided this was the PERFECT gift to place in my husband's car in the morning...(you could ALSO have this at the end of Kristen's AWESOME "Treasure Hunt"...)

...so I made my sign...

Download sign HERE!

(There's a front & a back....cut them out and glue them back-to-back.)

I found a smaller paint can at Michael's for only $2.99...and filled it with some of Jamie's FAVORITE treats...that were St. Patrick's Day colors, of course!!

A CLOSER look at the YUMMY treats...

I had some scrapbooking paper left over from my "Luck Blocks" and I quickly decorated the top...

....and I am FULLY expecting a HU-MONG-O kiss for this!! {WINK}

Have a WoNdErFuL St. Patrick's Day!!

St. Patty's Scavenger Hunt

My mom used to do this for us when we were little.  So, I am sending my hubby and daughter on a scavenger hunt in the morning.
Here are the clues, just print them out and paste them to your own cut out shamrocks, or use this download. 

This is where I hid the clues, in order: 1-the fridge, 2-cupboard with the glasses, 3-the planting pot that our only tree grows in, 4-I give him a clue, 5- our daughter gives him a clue, 6-laundry room this is where the pot of gold is hidden

*I bought my shamrocks for a couple dollars at Party City.

I got a couple cheap things to put in the Pot O' Gold like pajamas for my daughter and a movie for Jason and something random for me, each item I kept under $5 but Target also has a $1 section right when you walk in the door that always has fun finds. I made sure to fill the pot full of Herseys chocolate GOLD nuggets! Yummy!

*I bought my green pot at Party City but you can always just use a pot from your kitchen. Party City also has gold chocolate coins if you care to pay for them.

Good Luck! I hope you find your Pot of Gold.

Spa Night!

I have to start by telling you about one of Joseph and my favorite dates. We went to a spa to get a couple's massage, but it turned out to be more than I expected! I had never been to a professional spa before and it was amazing! We first got put in a sauna for 45 min, then to a relaxing love seat where we were served fresh fruit and Martinelli's while some romantic/relaxing music was playing in the background. Once we were done with that, we were then taken to do our 1 hour couple's massage in a very romantic room. Needless to say we left feeling refreshed and relaxed and I felt I could face my 2 cute kids again! Aaaahhhh!

So... I wanted to recreate that night (to the best of my abilities) but this time we would be giving the massages to each other! I must say I was VERY excited about this since I am 8 1/2 months prego!

I started by leaving this invitation for him on his bag as he left the house (sorry the invite is not very creative - not one of my strong points).

Click here to view my invite.

For those of you with kids, like me, you have to find a babysitter willing to watch your kiddos at their house, or just wait until they are asleep to start the night.

When we did start our night I recreated as much as possible from our first experience. He walked into our bedroom and I gave him his robe while I slipped into mine.

I had a warm bath waiting us (to signify the sauna) with candles around it (sorry I don't have a picture, I just wasn't thinking!) and nice aroma therapy salts that made the bathroom smell yummy! I also had martinelli's and champagne glasses filled with fresh grapes, pineapple, and strawberries waiting in one of the corners of the tub. We sat in the tub, eating and drinking our food while listening to some relaxing music in the background.

After the bath we toweled off and started with the the pampering. I have some nice foot scrub that we used to give each other mini pedicures and then we went to the hands. I know that there are some cheap hand massage stuff at the store, but I have a sister who is a Mary Kay consultant and gave me their product called Satin Hands (totally recommend it by the way!). Anyway, after the pedicures, we went on to the manicures (both are totally amazing!)

Ok, so next is my VERY favorite part...the massages! I am lucky to have a husband who owns a table to do adjustments on, so I used that for my massage table. I had a nice sheet laid across it with another on top to use as a blanket. We used baby oil for our massage oil, which can get a little messy, so I made sure (and recommend for everyone planning on using any type of oil) that I used a sheet that I didn't mind getting oil on. We still had the relaxation music playing in the background as we gave each other our massages. I can tell you receiving the massage was great, but giving it was awesome too, just because I knew how relaxed and comfortable Joseph was and how much he needed it. It was really romantic. (CHEESY!!!)

Now to end the night you have a couple of options. A: go straight to bed because you both feel so great that going to bed is so inviting, B: cuddle up to a nice romantic movie, C: whatever your heart desires... or D: combine A, B, and C in whatever order you wish! I recommend C first, followed by B, then A.

I hope you all enjoy your in-house spa. It was a very needed and relaxing evening for us. I haven't felt that great in about 8 1/2 months!

P.S. There are no pictures of us personally because of what we were wearing (or not wearing...for those of us who are married...) Sorry if that makes it a little impersonal!