Simply Hil

After watching these two shows I have made a resolution to change my family's eating habits.  Cage free, organics for us and no more processed junk!  It is going to be more expensive, but we will just have to sacrifice elsewhere so that we can do it. It is so important to remember that we vote each time we go grocery shopping.  We vote not only about how animals are treated, but about how long we are going to live due to the foods we eat.  It's time to make these ginormous food companies have integrity and accountability. As the movie says, we are going to "buy from companies who treat their workers, animals and the environment with respect."  Wish us luck, and please consider to joining us. p.s. If you haven't seen either of these shows, watch them.  You can find Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution here  and Food, Inc. is here if you are a Netflix member. They really will change your eating habits (and your life). p.s.s. Be forewarned. ...

Somedays it's okay to have a cupcake at 9:30am. Not necessarily because you are mad or glad or sad, but because you can. It may, however, have something to do with the fact that you have been up since 7:00am and your child is still snoozing away and you can't help but wonder why you aren't still cozied up in your bed. It may also have something to do with the lack of sleep you are living with due to said child falling out of bed last night around 1:00am and then waking up once more at 5:30am. But probably not. You probably just ate the cupcake because you can. p.s. Cake mix from the box and frosting out of the can alert!  Go ahead, judge me but Funfetti is my favorite. Post Update: Just found out that I won this book from cute Kathia over at Pink Little Cake .  No more boxed cakes for me!  Check out her site if you haven't already.. she is incredibly talented.  My Little Guy would wet his pants if he saw the Elmo cookies she posted today.

I got an email from my sweet aunt last night.  In the email, she informed me that she had just completed 40 crocheted beanie hats for newborns in Michael's honor.  Aren't they beautiful?  It truly brought tears to my eyes.  What a beautiful way to honor our sweet little Michael. Thank you again Aunt Jody, I sure love you. p.s. I guess I found my mentor for crocheting.  I completed my first project last night...a bookmark.  It was a very pathetic attempt.  I may just have to steal some lessons from her!

{Image via Retail Me Not.com} This tip actually came from my brother a couple years ago, but I have used it ever since.  The tip today is about using coupon and promotion codes for online shopping. Tip :: When shopping online ALWAYS pull up google's search bar and type in " store's name promotion codes (or coupon codes)". I have found 30% off codes, free shipping codes and even buy one get one free codes just from doing a simple search before checking out.  I never push the "submit order button" before searching for a promotion code first.   Retail Me Not has a really great layout that is easy to read.  Most of my searches pull up this site and it is where I have found a lot of my deals. Give it a try the next time you go to buy something online, you'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the deals you can find!

{image via google images} It's child baring time in these parts.  I know I have already mentioned that tons of women I know are either pregnant or have a newborn, but it's true! Spring is such a fun time for babies to arrive.  This time of year is a rebirth of sorts.  Browns and grays are replaced with yellow sunshine, red berries, green grass, purple flowers, and blue skies.  It is totally fitting to have new babies come in the spring time. Today I will be making meals for friends who recently had babies and putting the finishing touches on a few baby announcements.  Tomorrow my friend - who shared the same due date with me - will be having her baby boy.  (Her due date was moved closer half way through her pregnancy.)  I am so excited for her. Speaking of my former due date, I'm trying to think of something special to do on that day.  It is coming up soon and I want to be armed and ready for it.  Any ideas would be welcomed!

When I was younger I never did know the difference between the two.  I just knew that I always called croquet, crochet and visa versa. I got this cute little kit from the Books-a-Million bargain section.  It comes with everything you need to get started and was only $8!  It has some fun patterns (and some that I will probably never use... but at least it put their number of patterns included up to 25!).  I can't wait to get started. Now to just find some time...

Yesterday I received an email asking me to register at  One Day Without Shoes .com.  I did and pledged to go barefoot on April 8th.  It also entered me in the contest to win a spot on a TOMS shoe drop.  How life changing would that be?  I think you should register too. I received my first pair of TOMS shoes for Christmas from my brother . He gave me a gift card so that I was able to pick out my favorite pair. I was giddy over my shoes and couldn't wait for them to arrive in the mail. They are the most comfortable shoes I own.  I already have plans for a second and third pair, just in time for summer! I absolutely admire TOMS One for One movement .  For every pair of TOMS that you purchase, they donate a pair to a child in need.  It's truly an amazing thing what these people do.  I can't help but feel good inside as I think of that child somewhere around the world who has a brand new pair of shoes because of my purchase. ...

{pictures taken with my cell phone... hence the poor quality} Yesterday was filled with all sorts of unexpected events.  Little Guy and I had some time to kill in the car before we had to drop off a delivery at the church so we decided to go visit Michael's grave.  When we got there, we had some unexpected, but fun visitors.  Little Guy went crazy mooing and saying hi to the cows who were roaming just feet away from the cemetery.  He made sure to keep his distance while delighting in the fact that they were right there in front of us.  I'm sure he didn't realize just how big cows are in real life. After we got done saying hi to the cows (and accidentally spooking one of them) we rounded the corner to Michael's grave.  I wasn't prepared for what we would see next.  We could see exactly where the ground had been dug up just 3 1/2 months before.  I don't know why I expected to see a seamless plot of ground, I suppose because it had been cove...

I received this letter in the mail yesterday.  It is a thank you from Arden, a young girl with Ebstein's Anomaly.  I believe her father is the president of the Ebstein's Anomaly Foundation .   I wanted to pass it along to you.  Thank you, thank you to all who made it possible during the month of February to make a donation to the EAF .  It was such a special thing that we were able to do in little Michael's honor.   I am continuing to make donations to the foundation each month with every purchase of the Michael's Big Heart template .  Please feel free to spread the word. p.s. I made this bread today in preparation for all things green tomorrow.  Can't wait to leave little Leprechaun surprises for Little Guy.

Hello Spring.  We have missed you. Little Guy and I spent as much time as possible soaking up the rays and getting a nice dose of vitamin D today.  It was absolutely gorgeous outside. We found our shadows!  They had been missing for far too long. We drew with sidewalk chalk.  Well, it was "we" until Little Guy decided to be stingy. So then I decided to read my new magazine instead. I'll tell you something, it was a fun read... but not as fun as my Little Guy was having with his sidewalk chalk! When we were done playing outside, we headed inside to make pizza .  (It was absolutely delicious! CPK has always been a personal favorite.)  During the process, poor Little Guy kept knocking over the water with the yeast which made for an irritable mom.  So much for being patient and cherishing every moment I have with my adorable son.  Shortly after, I felt awful, gave him a huge hug with extra kisses and told him I was very sor...

Tonight we watched a movie about a woman of tremendous strength.  In her lifetime, she bore nine children and adopted two. Her first child died shortly after birth, as did her twins just three years later. She then adopted twins whose mother had died, leaving the husband unable to care for the infants. A year later one of the twins died. Eight months after the death of the twin, she gave birth to a healthy son. She went on to have three more healthy children. One of which she lost when he as just 14 months old. She then gave birth to a stillborn. Her husband was killed . Four months after her husband's death, she gave birth to one final healthy son. During all of this she suffered additional tribulations and hardships. As we watched this movie I couldn't help but wonder how she did it.  Of the eleven children she had, she lost six.  I have experienced the loss of a child.  It was the hardest, most heart wrenching expe...

...especially when it is a bribe for me and it includes brownies. The story goes like this: Last Sunday in church, our sunday school teacher (who is also the choir director) was teaching the lesson just like every sunday before.  This man tries to recruit me to the ward choir every.single.sunday.  I usually politely decline and tell him that if choir practice weren't during my nap time and if I could sing, then I would be there. During his lesson he told a story about the "perfect bribing brownies".  He told us that anytime he wanted someone to do something for him, all he had to do was show up with a bag of these brownies from a bakery down town and they would do it. It was rather rude of him to continue on like he did about them.  His description of the brownies had my mouth watering.  They were cream cheese brownies and I wanted one (or ten...).  I made a mental note to take a trip down town that next week and pick some up from the lit...

I took a few days away from the computer.  This wasn't necessarily voluntary, and probably would have been nice had I not been stressing.  We had our big Relief Society Birthday party last night.  Planning and prep for the party pretty much took up my whole week.  I am SO happy to have it over with... at least until next month. I have planned a day spent in my sweats with no where to go and no obligations.  I can't wait. Now, on to more important matters.  Have you seen this? I can't even tell you what a life saver it has been in this household.  It is the perfect solution for buttering your toast in the morning while avoiding the rancid gross butter in the cupboard or the rock hard, tear your toast to pieces butter from the fridge.  AND, it's delicious to boot. My mom first introduced spreadable butter to me when we were visiting there last.  I fell in love as I spread the buttery goodness on my dinner roll with ease.  It's tr...

At long last, they are here.  I find myself waiting for this time each year to come so that I can replenish my stash of Thin Mints.  My husband's cookie of choice is the Samoas and Little Guy likes the Tagalongs.  We got two boxes of each this last weekend and will probably have to go back for more by the time this next weekend comes around. I do love me some Girl Scout Cookies. In other news we had our first baby blessing  yesterday, since losing Michael.  Ouch.  That one hurt the heart.  Luckily (and I never thought I would say this) Little Guy was acting up so I had to take him out in the hall during the blessing.  Otherwise, I'm sure I would have lost it right then and there with the sobs. We went out for a little visit to Michael's grave yesterday after church.  The sun has been shining and we were curious as to whether the snow had melted around where he was.  It hadn't.  There is still a foot of snow on that hill! ...

I am a somewhat young mother.  I married young and had Little Guy when I was still young.  Some people have wondered if I feel like I have missed out on life.  I haven't ever felt that way.  I suppose it is because I always wanted to be a mom when I grew up.  Motherhood  is  my life and without it I would feel like I was missing out. I wanted to document a little bit about me as a mother on a day to day basis, for the benefit of my Little Guy and (hopefully someday) his siblings. To my Little Guy- -- I let you watch cartoons every morning while I shower and get ready for the day.  A lot of mommy's would shun this, but it's the only way I can sneak away for 15 minutes unnoticed. -- I love watching you eat.  I also love when you say "Mmmm!  Good!" when you eat whatever it is that I have made for meal time.  It makes me feel like I have succeeded in something that day. -- Your daddy and I sneak in to your room before we hea...

photo courtesy of my macs photobooth. A while back I tweeted this  to which my brother re-tweeted this .  There were some unbelievers, so this post is for nothing else but to provide proof. Allow me give you an explanation. I come from a long line of family members whose hair is naturally curly.  Even my brother has curly locks if he grows his hair out.  I think the only two exceptions are my dad and littlest sister... they are the lucky ones.  The rest of us, when we don't straighten our locks, have what I like to call Total 80's Butt Rock Hair. It is out of control people.  No amount of de-frizz product can help and the longer it is, the harder is it to manage. My only hope is that the style featured below will come back in fashion... and QUICK! p.s. I'm loving this video posted by shepizzle .  Maybe I'll use my butt rock hair to my advantage by rocking out to this song today.

It was in... ...cuddles from my little guy while watching our morning cartoons. ...my little guy playing with his toy airplanes outside in the sunshine.  He ran as fast as he could making sure I was watching how fast his airplanes were flying.  Then he would giggle and stop to catch his breath only to do it all over again. ...this picture that I found while organizing my iPhoto files.  It made me laugh right out loud.  I can still remember the how excited/shocked Little Guy was about that dog trotting along so close. ...brown paper sack lunches shared with my husband who forgot to bring his today.  Little Guy and I packed up some lunches and met JC at work.  We ate pb&j in the car and shared stories about our day. ...Charade .  Seriously such a cute movie.  It had me laughing and smiling the whole way through. ...the chocolate covered cinnamon bears that I splurged on at the local craft store this weekend.  Yum.  (Sorry...

:: I bought a new bedspread at Target this weekend.  One that won't make us sweat our brains out once summer arrives, seeing how we have yet to get A/C in this sauna of an apartment.  (We keep telling ourselves that this place is only temporary... right .)  I am really loving  Dwell Studio's new line up at Target.  Everything is so beautiful! :: The hubs and I played Phase 10 last night and ate ice cream straight out of the carton.  I won the game (as with every other game we have played in the last 4 1/2 years of marriage) but JC controlled the spoon for the ice cream the whole game.   You tell me who won? :: Seriously trying to decide if it is really worth forking out $175 to go to the Casual Blogger Conference .  Thinking it would probably be worth it if a) I was even qualified for the event and b) I hadn't already spent the money on a new bedspread.  The blogging world sure is all a-buzz about this fun conference. :: My dea...