Finish Carpentry Ideas ~ Courtesy of My Husband!
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Finish Carpentry Ideas ~ Courtesy of My Husband!

ByMariel

It’s been a while since I bragged about my husband, so I figured it’s time. Plus, maybe you need some finish carpentry ideas? Maybe, maybe?? So, every year in Utah, there are home shows called The Parade of Homes where general contractors will showcase homes they build, with their best work. Dan just recently did the finish carpentry inside five of the Parade of Homes houses, so of course I had to go check them all out. I brought my camera along and thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite things that he built with his crew.

I won’t go through and blab about each one, so enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
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Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

ByMariel

One of my favorite things about summer is when the ripe strawberries come to Costco. I love buying those big containers and munching on fresh strawberries all day long. Mmmmm! I just love those darn things. So, while the husband was away at Scout camp, this past week, I had my little sister over to keep me company. We medicated my loneliness by painting our nails, going out to eat every day, dancing in the driveway (did you see our Instagram pics?), and scarfing Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting at midnight. Good times. We obsess over these cupcakes and they’re perfect for using up some of your Costco strawberries. They’re also perfect for loneliness.

10 summer recipes

10 Fantastic Summer Recipes & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #43

ByMariel

Hello, weekend!  With so many fantastic links shared last week, I felt it would be fun to feature lots of you!  So, I pulled together 10 summer recipes that you shared and even picked a couple more favorites!  PLUS, I’ve got a couple more goodies for you…  First, this link party just got bigger and…

Stripes & Dots Birthday Banner Free Printable!
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Stripes & Dots Birthday Banner Free Printable!

ByMariel

It’s the 10th of the month and you know what that means… time for a new theme! This month, my blogger buds and I are sharing 10 ideas that all have to do with STRIPES. And, there’s some fun stuff! Food, crafts, printables, art, home decor, gifts…these gals are so clever! Come check out the ideas we have for you, and see what ‘Or so she says…’ contributed to the bunch, as well. I think you’ll love it. It’s super cute, easy, created by a rock-star graphic designer, and it’s FREE. Hello.

Our Beautiful Earth

Our Beautiful Earth

ByMariel

One of my favorite things about Utah is being able to experience all four seasons. Every August, I’m completely burned out on summer craziness and just want to chill. Welcome, Fall. It makes me want to stay home, cook yummy food, and just relax. Then I start getting a little overly anxious for Christmas and using the fireplace. Utah is usually pretty happy to dump a pile of beautiful fluffy snow on the ground. For me, Christmas needs snow. But soon enough, the snow starts to turn to slush and everything looks dead, dirty, and depressing… UNTIL the leaves start popping up on the trees, our creek runs higher with the snow run-off, and the birds return to build their nests. I love it! Everything feels fresh and happy in the spring. With the new life all around us, the kids and I start itching to wrap up the school year and play, play, play! And, we do. All. Summer. Long. …and, then I’m tired, longing for structure, and some cooler weather. Repeat, every year. It’s fun. Every season excites me.

More from Marriage (& Giveaway!) ~ Amber Creek Family Counseling
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More from Marriage (& Giveaway!) ~ Amber Creek Family Counseling

ByMariel

Who here has been to marriage counseling?? When I was first contacted by Amber Creek Family Counseling about attending one of their marriage classes with Dan, I was like, ‘Eh, I don’t know. I think we’re doing good.’ And, I knew Dan would never go for it. But, then I heard it was catered by Costa Vida (who has this sweet pork that I dream about regularly), and I was like, ‘Now, what is this again??’ It’s a marriage class. You know, a refresher on communicating, meeting each others needs, etc. Remarkably, Dan was perfectly fine about going… which immediately conjured up my suspicions.

Snap Photos. Win Prizes. Love Life. (Instagram July 2013)
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Snap Photos. Win Prizes. Love Life. (Instagram July 2013)

ByMariel

Hello, lovers of life and Instagram! Today, myself and some fellow bloggers, are kicking off something super-duper cool. You know how you’re always snapping pictures for Instagram?? Well, now you can actually win prizes for doing it! If you haven’t joined the Instagram world yet, it’s time! To read about why it’s so great and some Instagram tips, check out this post: All About Instagram.

Now, without further ado, let’s get this party started! Let me introduce you to… ‘Loving Life…’.

Cinnamon Bear Popcorn
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Cinnamon Bear Popcorn

ByMariel

I’ve been on a snack kick lately. It teeters back and forth between unhealthy and healthy. Right now, I’m leaning towards… um, something healthier than an ice cream brownie sundae, with every topping in the world. Every topping. Oh, and whipped cream. So, I actually think I’m doing pretty darn good. Cinnamon Bear Popcorn, definitely the better choice.

Anyway, the ladies at church put together and a cookbook. I love it! It’s been my favorite book because there are so many fabulous cooks in my ward, it’s fun to try out their recipes. You’ll probably be seeing a lot more recipes from there.

Hello, Weekend: Snapshots & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #38

Hello, Weekend: Snapshots & ‘Your Great Idea’ Link Party #38

ByMariel

Who’s on Instagram?? I’ve been putting a little somethin-somethin together…can’t tell you about it yet. But, in a couple weeks, I’ve got something fun for you. Stay tuned (and be sure to follow on Instagram! @orsoshesays) In the mean time, here’s some of my favorite Instagram pics, from the past week:

So, I love this picture. We were at my son’s ballgame last week. I had all six kids by myself, and my two year old was having an absolute tantrum. He had just fallen asleep in the car, right as we pulled up to the field. So, he was a wreck. Deliriously tired, grouchy, and crying really loud. While his madness was clearly drawing all sorts of attention to myself, and I was juggling all my other kids, I just stopped, took a deep breath, and looked around… this is what I saw.

‘Happy Birthday, dear family…’ ~ Celebrating Your Anniversary With The Kids!
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‘Happy Birthday, dear family…’ ~ Celebrating Your Anniversary With The Kids!

ByMariel

Dan and I just celebrated our 13 year anniversary, on June 2nd. Yay!!! It happened to fall on a Sunday, the day we go to church, don’t shop, eat out, etc. So, we celebrated on Friday. It was super fun. We decided to get an overnight babsitter and do a little stay-cation in Ogden, just 10 minutes from our house. We found a great hotel, walked the historic streets, saw a flick, and ate way too much food. I loved it!

Anyway, so since we ended up being home on our actual anniversary, I started to think about how it’s sorta-like our family’s birthday…so, why not celebrate with the kids?? It was a last minute decision, so I didn’t have all the fixins I would have liked, but it still ended up being a wonderful night with the fam.