today i'm wishing

you wouldn't think that i'd be so out of touch after a long weekend, but i am definitely off my game today! not every day as a nanny goes smoothly, and it's only noon, so things definitely have time to turn around. hoping a trip to the aquarium is in the cards for us, just to get out of the house for awhile and let the kids be a little crazy. but man. what a day so far. 

i keep daydreaming about what i wish i was doing. it involves lunch at communal, and a quick evening getaway to a cabin with a fireplace and hot tub, mint truffle hot chocolate, and a good new movie. and my husband. and some (a lot) of snow. and nobody else. and quiet. and no cell service or wi-fi. 

i think that if we get to a point where we could afford a grown up toy, it would probably be a time share for a cabin, or maybe a condo in st. george. i love the idea of always having a place to go to when you need to get away. maybe in.. oh, 15 years? 20? never...? haha.

i can dream though, right?

and the countdown officially begins

we finished off our Thanksgiving weekend with my family. Since we all had so much going on with so many other people (devin and I had stuff with his family, kelli and sean spent thanksgiving in brigham city with the morris', kayla had to work, and the only dinner we had was with my mom's extended family). So we wanted to make sure we all got together. We also invited my dad's dad to join us, but he had to cancel at the last minute because he has a terrible eye infection. Nonetheless, it was so great to all be together.

i hate that kelli and sean live in layton. it's really not that far, only an hour away, but it's just far enough that we can't see them whenever we want. kelli and i have become so close the older we get, and getting married 2 weeks apart kind of put that bonding speed in full gear. we talk all the time about the similarities and differences in our lives, while we are experiencing the exact same phases. it has been the biggest blessing. (i say that so much on here). it was great to see them. they are also probably the most hilarious people ever. literally.

my dad had soaked the turkey over night in some kind of brine something.... stuffed it with onions, applies and oranges, and then seasoned the outside with all kinds of spices and rubs. and then? he smoked it in our trager grill. i want one! holy cow. it was seriously the most delicious turkey i have ever had! most turkey gets overcooked and a little dried out, but it was so juicy and flavored and i was literally picking at it until everything else was ready like a vulture!

also? we had stuffing from a box. which i love! my aunt made some amazing stuffing for the family dinner that i loved, but i love the box kind, and i can always count on my mom to make it! haha (she's a "cook from a can or a box, or don't cook at all" kind of mom. which i find hilarious. and hey, it worked! i have decent cooking skills, so i think it was just fine.)

we spent the rest of the night sitting around the table eating pumpkin pie sharing hilarious stories, mostly coming from Sean's crazy mission in Peru. electrocution, tear gas, you name it, it probably happened on his mission! i haven't laughed that hard in a long time. i love my family. when we all get together, we get a little crazy. we share the funniest stories, make hilarious jokes, and laugh for hours. i love that as we've all gotten older, we've just grown closer, and family get togethers have become so much fun.

when we left, my mom gave us my box of my christmas ornaments. they've always been sentimental to me, just because i've grown up with them meaning something, so i have a box of about 40 ornaments, all with a story or a meaning to me. my grandparents give all of us an ornament every year, and i've kept all the ones i ever got as gifts (mostly from young women's), and the ones i made in elementary school as a child! although i don't plan on putting any of them (except for one that is it's own story) on our tree this year, it was fun to look through the box and remember them.

speaking of our tree this year, it's been up for 2 weeks now. i just couldn't wait! i love christmas, and it is the most happy, loving season, so why wouldn't i want it to last as long as possible? nationally, yes, christmas music should wait until after thanksgiving, but personally? i'm going to listen to it whenever i feel like it! which isn't really often. i haven't found a lot of great christmas music that i love, but when i do, i listen to it pretty regularly.

this time of year, the time leading up to thanksgiving, and lasting all the way until christmas seems to be all about words like: give, cozy, love, warm, calm, wonder, gratitude, share... i don't think there is anything in particular about this time of year that any person could pin point and say "that's why". i think it's just a feeling. and it gets into us all. like a very fortunate plague, that seems to affect every single person. the world is a little bit of a better place in december.

anyway, our tree. i haven't posted about it yet because it wasn't finished until this weekend. and it's still probably not finished. i think i'll make a few more ornaments for it. but i have put all my efforts into making sure this christmas is a little extra special since it's our first christmas together. i'm making our stockings (which i will finish next week) and i made all the ornaments, except for a box of 24 small gold balls that i bought to just fill it out and make it look less like a little kid's art project. i used a lot of pearls. a lot of book pages. and a lot of scrabble tiles, and it worked out perfectly. now that we have the tree topper (which could be better. but i'm over it), i think my work is done.

here are some of the ornaments on the tree, and a few other things:

the "merry christmas" banner found a home.

the reason i no longer have finger prints. gluing these pearl beads onto stryofoam individually was well worth the trouble caused.

silky ribbon stuffed in clear ornament balls. i was running out of ideas, and it actually worked out!

the book page spheres are my favorite.

pearl garland. i love it.

yes. my wonderful husband has written all the tags like that. (it says "for my wife!") oh i love him. 

the whole tree! i realized i didn't have one, so i just barely took this really quickly. i didn't try very hard, so it doesn't look too good. but i promise it's a cute tree! now we just need the perfect burlap tree skirt!

i cannot wait for christmas!

today

we've been married for 6 months today. 

not sure why he's not sick of me yet. mostly amazed. 

we slept in, but got right up and headed out for some shopping. even though it was only 11:00 a.m., we stopped at The Pizza Factory for lunch, which was surprisingly delicious, seeing as how I'm never usually very impressed (but today i was). 

then we headed to salt lake. first to the pier 1 imports at south towne. only to find NO TREE TOPPERS. well, at least none that we liked. or weren't giant. 

then we went to REI. and didn't find anything worth buying. it was fun to look around though. i love that store.

next we headed to Ikea. I don't think we've ever left Ikea without spending at least $50. it's a little addictive. you don't realize how much you're spending, but you just keep grabbing things that are under 10 dollars. 

we got some awesome glasses (i have thing for cups and glasses. we already have plenty. but they were cute. and cheap... sigh), some funnels (99 cents? for a 2-pack? don't mind if i do), a tall lamp that we actually went for, a steamer insert for a pot that we actually went for, a cute red blanket, light bulbs, and.... a $2 TREE TOPPER.

sure it's plastic. looks a little funny on the tree, but we finally got it to stay up, it matches the ornaments. and i'm satisfied. it will do for now. maybe i'll have better luck next year. 

we came home just late enough into the oregon/oregon state game to fast forward through all the commercials and half time, and plan on hunkering down inside for the rest of the night. ideal. 

black friday.

I swore I wouldn't go shopping on Black Friday... but when you go at 5p.m. it doesn't really count. 

Devin and I mostly just wanted to get out of the house.

First, we went to Kohl's. Saw Devin's mom, working like a mad woman! Scored major on a memory foam pillow for me. Devin has one and he loves it. He can't sleep without it, and the past few weeks I've been having some serious neck pain. One night, he very selflessly lent me his pillow, and I slept so much better, so we finally got me one. 50% off.

Next, we braved the mall. It wasn't that bad! The parking lot was packed, but it didn't seem too crowded. We browsed around for awhile, and then Devin said he wanted to walk through Macy's since he never had. He didn't know that there were 3 floors. He didn't know they had the kitchen ware and furniture on the top floor. He was amazed! He is also beginning to talk me into getting a Kitchen Aid (and by that I mean that he's talking about it enough that I'm almost to the point of saying "fine. let's get one.") There are a few things about them that I have some quips with, and I know everyone that has them loves them, but I'm not entirely sold yet. But then I saw the Tiffany Blue one. And the Mint Green one. And I got a little closer.

We ended up getting a 10 piece set of serving dishes. They're super nice and we've wanted them for awhile. We had seen them at Kohl's on sale for $80. We got them for $30!

After that, we stopped in the food court and shared some Hibatchi San (best noodles ever). And went into Sports Authority. We got Scott ski goggles, buy one get one free, for $55! 

I was surprised at how good the sales were. Every store had awesome deals, and I love the mall at christmas time. I don't know why. It was so fun though. Not to mention the people watching! haha

So I guess I've learned the trick. Shop on black friday... just wait until later in the afternoon! It was definitely worth it. We spent all day looking for a tree topper though, and have yet to find the perfect gold star! Any suggestions? 

myself

I have today off of work, I think it's to recuperate from yesterday, and I've decided to take that recuperation to the next level and pamper myself today. 

I spent awhile online comparing different recipes for hair and face treatments. 

I massaged about 2 tablespoons (it was probably less) of E.V.O.O. into my dry hair. It kind of felt and looked gross... but I was assured by multiple sites that it was good for your hair. (Because the internet is never wrong... right?...) Then, I wrapped my hair up in a damp, hot towel, turban style. 

Leaving it in for about 30-45 minutes. 

Next I made a face mask. I mixed brown sugar, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, milk and a little olive oil until it was a pasty consistency and applied it generously all over my face. It smells delicious. I'm leaving it on as long as the hair treatment.

I also had a C.O. Bigelow lip treatment (it's discontinued, sorry!) so I put some of that on while I was at it. 

When I get in the shower to rinse out my hair, I will also use a body scrub. Similar to the face mask, but make sure it is more course and not as pasty. Lots of brown sugar, equal parts honey, some olive oil, and a little lemon juice. 

If you have an hour to yourself, this is all definitely worth it! 

A lot of the sites I looked at recommended to moisturize your face with coconut oil after you wash the mask off, but I don't have any. If you happen to, rub it all into your skin generously, and then rinse it out and apply your actual moisturizer. It will leave your skin really soft and glow-y. 

Happy Friday! 

Snickerdoodle sandwiches with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanksgiving. 


When you're first married, this means at LEAST 2 dinners. Well, I guess only if your entire family lives around, like mine and Devin's. What else does this mean? At least 2 food assignments. Because as soon as you get married, you are now eligible to bring a dish. 


Do I mind? nah.


More baking!


And the best thing about being an avid baker, married to an avid cook? We've got it all covered.


Lucky for me, we were assigned 2 desserts and 1 side dish. 


SO. Devin is going to tackle cooked carrots. It sounded lame when we got assigned to bring a vegetable to my mom's side's (yes. my extended family still celebrates all major holidays together. hence the recent addition on grandma's house.) party, but once we decided on a vegetable, it was easy to get creative. I came to Devin with the idea of baking the carrots with olive oil, some spices (like thyme and italian seasoning) and then dousing them with a little more oil, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Sounds delicious, right? Devin's idea is way better. He plans on boiling them and then baking them with onions in a brown sugar glaze. Mmm! Genius.


My extended family is also a little weird. And I say this because... we have thanksgiving DINNER at 2:00 p.m. Maybe that's normal. But I always thought it was called dinner for a reason. Whatev. 


It turned out okay though, because later than night (after a convenient gap between parties that just happens to be the perfect amount of time for a food-coma nap), we are headed to Devin's parent's house for desserts. There is just too much going on with the Ashby's to try and mix in a huge thanksgiving meal in there! Desserts was the perfect compromise. I love it! I'm just hoping Vicki will make some of her delicious wassail! 


And finally... my mom is doing her own thanksgiving dinner with our own Johnson family (plus my grandpa (dad's dad)). And I was put in charge of dessert again. 


I knew that if I didn't involve some kind of fall/thanksgiving themed dessert, it would be a major fail. I couldn't show up to Thanksgiving dinner with my parents with a chocolate pie (as good as that sounds right now. no seriously...). If anything, it would have to at least be pumpkin pie!


But I found a perfect solution. Snickerdoodle sandwiches with Pumpkin Cream Cheese frosting! The frosting has all the normal thanksgiving tastes in it, and the cinnamon in the cookies counts (to me). Bingo!


I just finished making 60 cookies. All from ONE BATCH of dough. That's right. That has never happened IN MY LIFE. I made them pretty small. Like... I actually made the balls 1 inch. Instead of... 2 1/2... 


Also? The batches came out in even numbers! I made 4 batches of 15 cookies! THAT happens even LESS often! I feel complete. 


Anyway. The frosting has been a challenge for me so far. I think it's because I didn't let the cream cheese soften enough. But that is an easy enough fix, and i'm sure my lumpy frosting will be perfectly smooth in time to frost the cookies tomorrow morning. 


SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES:


1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon sugar for rolling


Cream sugar and butter until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
Stir together dry ingredients in separate bowl.
Add to creamed mixture.
Chill for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll 1 inch balls in cinnamon sugar until coated evenly
Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light brown and soft.


so simple.


PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:


8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup white sugar
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp vanilla


Beat until smooth.
Chill at least 1 hour.


also very simple. 


My cookies, as with all snickerdoodles I've ever made, get a little dry and crunchy fast, so I'm going to keep them in a tupperware over night with a couple slices of bread to soften them up. Then in the morning, I'll let the frosting come down to almost room temperature and sandwich a big heap of it between 2 cookies. And it will be delicious. 


Happy Thanksgiving! 

in the news

SO. I've been on the look-out lately for some awesome new blogs to follow, and I have found a handful that have benefited me for sure.


FOR EXAMPLE, rockstar diaries. ever heard of it? this lady is amazing. she lives on capitol hill, has a beautiful baby girl, and an awesome life. last Sunday, she was featured in the Washington Examiner, talking about her faith in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the impact her religion has on her marriage and motherhood. You can read the Q&A here. (I recommend it! It's short.)


I really loved this article. It's awesome to see members speak openly about what we believe, and have it viewed in a positive light. I think she did a great job of representing the group of us that is "Mormon mom/wife bloggers". It was done so tastefully, on both Naomi's end, and the reporter's. I'm impressed!


With everything going on in the political campaigns with the members who are running, and the negative light that has shed on the church and it's members in some cases, it's nice to see that it's not all bad. There is some good out there, and it's really good!