$50 Gift Card to Uncommon Goods


i was really excited when the online company Uncommon Goods joined my Holiday Gift Guide
they have some really awesome & unique gifts for everyone in the family 
as well as some of the best selection of stocking stuffers.

here are some of my favorite things:
{not counting my other favorites listed in the Holiday Gift Guide}

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

today, Uncommon Goods is giving away a $50 Gift Certificate to one lucky reader! 

-enter to win below- 

GOOD LUCK! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Elijah's big bonk

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the most horrible sound in the world is of your child screaming in fear & pain, crying out your name, and there is nothing you can do about it.

it is a sound that is hard to describe unless you were hearing it in person.
and could see the horror in their face as they try to comprehend what happened to them.

out of everything that happened, that is the part that almost made me cry.

backing up....

i was sitting in Young Women's, getting ready to read my scripture in the last ten minutes of church, when i see Elijah's nursery teacher's face in the door window. he points to me and motions me to come outside.

my first thought is, "what kid did Elijah push down now?" but instead he begins by saying,
"Elijah needs you. he needs to go to the emergency room. he's going to need stitches." 

all of a sudden i realize i hear screaming coming from the hall.
the wailing i had only barely registered when walking out of the room, thinking it was the cries of another kid who Elijah had hit or something, i suddenly understood that those harsh cries are from my own son.

i look up to where the teacher was leading me to see Adam pressing a bloody paper towel against a tear-stricken, uncontrollably screaming Elijah. as soon as i realized what was going on, i ran over to Adam to ask what happened and tried in vain to calm down my little boy. Adam calmly confirmed that we will needed to take Elijah to the hospital. i ran, shaking, back into the classroom to get my bags and i can only imagine how frazzled and dazed i looked as i quickly picked up my things so i could race my hysterical son to the nearest emergency room.

from what we understood for how it happened, Elijah was running around in nursery when someone opened the door and Elijah accidentally hit it. my really good friend happened to be there {which we were so so grateful for! if we couldn't be there at least someone Elijah trusted was there to comfort him} and she described the hit as "wood on wood," just a hard bang. she picked him up and saw that his head had a deep gash and they put pressure on it immediately. she also said he didn't cry at first and didn't even seem to register what had happened to him until a little bit later. tough guy! :)

another small blessing was the fact that we live in a ward that has a large number of student doctors so a few of them, including the nursery teacher, was able to look at Elijah and tell us exactly what to do.

Elijah finally started to let up his crying as we got to the hospital and got in line {a line!!} to check him.
he was still obviously very upset and whining, pushing Adam's hand away if he tried to wipe the blood away. he did NOT want to be touched anymore.

but then Elijah asked for his mama,
me,
and reached his arms out to me.

he stopped crying, put his head on my shoulder, and rubbed my back.
as if to say, "it's okay now, mama. i'm okay. i'm with you." 
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after that, we both calmed down.

2.5 hours [most of that just waiting around... waiting!!! my kid's head was gashed open!],
9 Elijah breakdowns including a stern "scolding" and a few cries out for mama,
7 nurses,
12 "how did he get hurt/what exact time did it happen" questions,
4 good belly laughs,
1 queasy mama,
1 toddler burrito/swaddle,
2 steri-strips,
1 tube of glue [because his cut was in a straight line he didn't have to get stitches and had it glued instead],
and 2 toys later we had a happy, energetic little boy again.
he actually started running around the hospital walls while we were waiting to get discharged and Adam and i were freaking out he was going to bust his head open again right there in the hospital.
{that would be just our luck!}
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Elijah was back to his normal, crazy self in no time besides the fact that he's terrified of doors & the church building now.
he also keep pointing to his head, especially when he catches his reflection, and will whine and say,
"Zaza boink his head. on da doors. wid da kids. don't tuhsh it. waaahhhh!"
{interpretation: "Elijah bonked his head on the doors with the kids. don't touch it. waaahhhh!"}

it would be the cutest thing to hear him recall the story if it wasn't so sad.

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i think i'm truly inducted into the "parenting boys" club now.

Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway #2

time for another giveaway from some of the Holiday Gift Guide contributors! 


{remember to check out the Holiday Gift Guide & all the contributors before entering}



infinity cowl from City Girl Creations 

Datevitation gift book from Datevitation 

heartfelt holiday wickless memory melt from Eclipse Candle Co.


Christmas print from Elise's Pieces
blog / shop / facebook / twitter 


surprise goodie bag from Fawn & Flora  




$10 shop credit from Hayley's World 
shop / facebook / twitter / instagram


two bracelets of customer's choice Hello Sunshine
 shop / facebook / twitter / instagram



six vegan lip balms from The Gnarly Whale 


-enter below-

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Butterbeer Recipe

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it is no secret that me and Adam love Harry Potter
but what was even better than Harry Potter was having amazing neighbors that shared our love for Harry Potter and then some.

when we lived in Utah we had some of the best neighbors.
we loved them,
Elijah was absolutely obsessed with them,
and they were always there for some good, late-night conversation & laughs.

the night before we moved, they came over to visit one last time and brought the most desirable drink in the world:
BUTTERBEER!

it.was.heavenly.
and not to mention the company was extraordinary :)
as a parting gift, they gave us the secret recipe.
quite literally the best gift we could have ever received!
when we made this the other night we both got a little emotional thinking about our last night in Provo with our dear neighbors.
we seriously miss that place sometimes!

with their permission, i am going to share the delicious recipe with you guys!
cause seriously, it will rock.your.world.

ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar
-2 Tbs. water
- 2 Tbs. butter
- 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/2 tsp. rum extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- vanilla cream soda

directions:
1. bring sugar & water to a gentle boil

2. add butter, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of the whipping.
cool to room temperature

3. add salt and rum extract

4. mix 2 Tbs. of mixture with remaining whipping cream and whip until thick

5. with the remaining mixture, cool in the refrigerator*

6. once the mixture is cooled, divide mix into frosty mugs and fill with vanilla cream soda

7. top with whipped topping to serve as head.
{add additional whip cream if desired. i desired :)}

8. enjoy with a Harry Potter marathon!

*this part is pretty important. i didn't let it cool enough the first time and it was too thick & frothy. but once we put our cups back in the freezer/fridge to cool longer it was perfect :)

guys this is so good!!
promise.
it's basically pure sugar so why wouldn't it be wonderful??

if you make it, let me know what you think!

thank you Cyndi & Mark for blessing our lives with not only your life-changing friendship, but also with this life-changing recipe! 
:)





Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway #1

hope you are all enjoying looking around at all the shops over on the Holiday Gift Guide so far! 
to help everyone with their Christmas shopping and celebrate all the great shops in the Holiday Gift Guide, i will be holding giveaways every Tuesday & Thursday on both my blog and the gift guide website.

there will be one winner per prize.
(10 prizes each week!)

{be sure to check out the Holiday Gift Guide & all the contributors before entering}

here is the first of many great giveaways this month!


your choice of Cuddly Cat from A Cat-Like Curiosity 


two 8x10 prints of winner's choice from After Nine to Five 


headband from Agape Stop Boutique 
shop / facebook  


bow ear warmer from Alyssa Dawson Design



pair of children's boots from Boots by Becca 


crocheted boot cuffs from Burlap & Tulle 
blog / shop 


-enter below-

GOOD LUCK!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

scenes from our weekend


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our weekend was rather eventful... 
we drank Butterbeer & had a Lord of the Rings AND Harry Potter marathon 
[i know, we're nerds]
ate lots of yummy food {if i do say so myself :)} 
ventured into the Black Friday sales for sheer entertainment
explored Ikea
saw the Mesa temple lights with our good friends

and ended the weekend with this little number:

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Elijah's first ER experience.
[it deserves another post on it's own]

so yeah,
crazy weekend! 

hope your Thanksgiving weekends ended on a better note! 


and don't forget to check out the Holiday Gift Guide!
there's lots of great discounts through the whole month of December
[found on the sidebar]
+
some really great deals for Cyber Monday


November Favorite Post Link-Up


Be sure to check out the hosts to find out their favorite posts this month + other blog posts from the link-up!

Permanent Hosts:
Becky from Beauty for Ashes | Jessa from Life of a Sports Wife

My favorite post of the month is:

Link-up below !

Thanksgiving Inspiration

Mrs. Robinson's Holiday Gift Guide Launch!

Happy Black Friday!! 
hopefully you all survived the crowds & got some great gifts for your loved ones. 

now that holiday shopping is kicked off, i know it can be easy to get stumped when thinking about gifts and i wish i had some easy guide to look through for the harder ones on my list. 


i have teamed up with some awesome shops to share with you some great gift ideas all in one place so it makes shopping that much easier. 
we also have some great giveaways coming up in the next couple of weeks that will be held on both the Holiday Gift Guide blog & on this blog. 

today, you should go check out the great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals that some of the shops have going on this weekend. 
and take a look around at all the different categories & shops!

HAPPY SHOPPING!!



::: and on a related note that will sound like begging..... please take a gander at the gift guide! it took a lots of hours to put it together and i would hate for it to go to waste :) thank you!!

Livy Love Black Friday Sale!

Since today is Black Friday, I wanted to let you know of a great print shop called Livy Love Designs that is offering 50% off ALL orders!  Diana is the owner of the shop and she is letting you use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY50 at checkout to take half off.  These prints would make great Christmas presents! This sale is going on until Monday, November 26th until Midnight PST.  You can customize any print with colors from her provided color chart to match the colors of your room or for a gift.  To go to the sale, click here and enter BLACKFRIDAY50 at checkout to receive your discount. 
Please note that all orders during this sale will be shipped no later than December 3rd to ensure delivery by Christmas.  If you are wanting it sooner please contact Diana via Etsy Conversations.


Happy Thanksgiving!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! 

i hope you are all enjoying the holiday with good food, loving family, and grateful hearts.



boom. DIYed it: THANKFUL banner


i was determined to make a banner for each holiday this year
[well, from Halloween on]
and last night at 1am when i realized Thanksgiving was only a day away i decided i better make a banner real quick, even if it's only up for a day or two. 

this was the first time i ever used burlap so i was excited and nervous.
but i think it turned out rather well!
{if you don't look closely at the triangle edges or the ribbon sewn across...}

here's what you will need: 


:: a yard of burlap [though i didn't use it al]
:: a rotary cutter & mat 
:: scissors 
:: stencils [i got mine in the school section of Joann's cause they were cheaper than in the paint section]
:: paint color of your choice 
:: sponge brushes to blot the paint on 
:: ribbon 
:: pennant pattern [i had to make a new one after this pictures cause it was too small, ha] 
{not pictured}
:: sewing machine 
:: mod podge 

steps:

1. trace your pennant pattern onto the burlap & cut out with the rotary cutter (what i found easier). 
i used this tutorial to help me cut in straight lines and minimizing the risk of fraying. 


2. once your pennants are all cut out, it's time to paint on the letters
make sure you have something under the burlap since the paint will seep through. 



gently blot the paint onto the burlap with the sponge brushes. 


once you are done painting the letter on, gently lift the stencil off.

for some reason the paint looks light yellow but it's really a cream color.

3. once the paint is dry, you can start to sew the ribbon on. 
i chose to do a creamy white ribbon because i wanted to keep it simple & neutral.
but now i wish i chose a different color. 
i think eventually i will fix it with a different ribbon or fabric when i have more time. 

to sew the ribbon, i first pinned it to the burlap pennants so that they would all be even. 


i then just sewed across the ribbon i the middle with my sewing machine. 


i originally meant to kind of fold the ribbon around the top edges like a sandwich
but i didn't have thick enough or long enough ribbon from my stashes.
and sine i am cheap & was doing this all last minute i didn't want to go out and buy more.
so like i said, i'll probably fix it a little next year or something. 

in the end it will look like this! 

again i don't know why it's looking yellow.... camera phone problems i guess 
 i'm pretty proud of being able to whip it up quickly before festivities tomorrow. 

now we're able to have the reminder of the true meaning of Thanksgiving as we stuff our faces.
:)


HAPPY THANKSGIVING (tomorrow)!!!

thankful thursday {on Wednesday}




since tomorrow is THANKSGIVING i wanted to share my thankful list early :)

this week i am thankful for: 
1 :: my mom who knows exactly when i need to talk to someone & understands my feelings,
no matter how ridiculous they may sound 
2 :: my dad who takes the time to remind me he loves me even when he is busy
3 :: my siblings who are always there when i need a friend
{and don't treat me like the little baby anymore :)}
4 :: our cozy little home 
5 :: running water & the way any bad day can be washed away with a morning shower
6 :: personal revelation
7 :: good books & literature

what are you thankful for this week?? 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! 
and HAPPY THANKSGIVING tomorrow!


"show me your happy smile!!"


even though Elijah said he was "all done!" after the first five minutes, 
and all of the sugary bribes we brought failed, 
and Eli was being too stubborn to look at the camera towards the end, 
and we had our fair share of tantrums in an hour to last us a lifetime, 
and we felt like we were constantly chasing Elijah around, 
and all he wanted to do was throw dirt at us...

despite aaaalllllllllll of that 
our photographer Alisha was able to get some really great pictures of our little family!
i'm seriously so in love with them! 
[and if you follow me on twitter & facebook you know how nervous i was about it all...]

we are incredibly thankful for her time, energy, kindness, & above all patience with putting up with our crazy little family and taking our pictures. 
she's a miracle worker i tell you! 
she actually made us look somewhat cute & normal. 
not an easy task ;)

thank you thank you so much, Alisha!! 

[check out her website & facebook page]