Wouldn't It Be... "Udder"ly?

Every year about this time, my hands become very dry and cracked. It is extremely painful as the skin on the backs of my hands, between my fingers, and on my knuckles crack and bleed. This continues until the spring. For several years I have used udder ointment on my hands before I go to bed, sometimes covering them with gloves to keep the moisture in. I only use it at bedtime because it is extremely greasy and it would be difficult to do my tasks during the day with so much grease on my hands. The purpose of udder ointment is exactly what you are thinking it is... it's for cows. Recently, my friend Morgan told me a about a lotion called udder delight, it serves the same purpose as udder ointment for cows, but works better for us because it is not greasy and can be used more often.

I had a funny experience last night when I went to HCT with my friends Char and Kimmy. The musical was My Fair Lady and it was excellent; I loved the stage sets, the singing, and especially the costumes. I was really excited when I discovered that our seats were on the second row. I mentioned to Char that we were sitting so close, we would be able to see the sweat fly off of the actors. Sure enough, the first time I saw spit spewing from Henry Higgins mouth, Char and I turned and looked at each other with big smiles on our faces. After the intermission, and just as the show resumed, I realized that I needed some lotion on my hands. I reached into my purse and found my lotion and squeezed some onto my hand. Just as I started to rub it in a big glob of lotion flew out of my hand and landed on the shoulder of the lady sitting in front of me. I was mortified. What should I do? She hadn't noticed, but I couldn't stop staring at it. She was wearing a coat and I was trying to decide if it looked expensive or not, I wasn't sure if the lotion would leave a stain. I continued to watch the show, but my eyes kept returning to look at the big-pink-glob. I thought about just reaching down and flicking it from her shoulder, but I knew the person sitting next to her would see me do it, and... what if I flicked it right into Henry Higgins spit-spewing mouth. Ohhhh, what to do, what to do? When the show ended I decided I had to say something to the lady; as she stood and turned around I leaned towards her and said (so that hopefully only she could hear), "I dropped a little lotion on your coat." She was an older lady with white curly hair, her smile couldn't have been any brighter as she said, "it's okay... my coat will smell really nice." I smiled and told her thank-you, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell her... your coat smells like udder delight!

Has anyone else had a similar or mortifying story like this? I'd love to know about it.

You Are Invited!!!

Paparazzi Jewelry Party
Thursday, November 3
6:30-8:00 (open house)
At my home
If you don't know where I live, leave your e-mail
address in the comment section and I will
e-mail my address to you, or contact me through facebook.

Everything is $5.50 (that includes tax)
There are necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings,
hair accessories, etc.
You buy it and take it home that night, no waiting for an order to be delivered.

I hope to see you there!!

6th Semi-Annual Favorites Party

I have been a little party animal lately. Last week I had two YSA gatherings at my house, and this week I hosted a bridal shower for my nephew's fiance as well as me and my friend Tiffany's semi-annual favorites party the very next night. Since I have never posted about the favorites party before, I decided that I need to share what it's all about.

Here is how it works: you invite some of your favorite people to come to the party and ask them to bring a favorite treat to share (the food is very important). Each person thinks of something that is a favorite of theirs that they could purchase for about $5.00. Each of the guests bring three duplicates of that item to the party. The guests then write their names on three slips of paper and put them in a bowl. Each person takes a turn to get up and tell why the items they brought are a favorite. They then pick 3 three names out of the bowl, and those three people get the items. Each person brings three things, and goes home with three new things. IT.IS.FUN!!! We missed some of our regulars last night due to scheduling conflicts... but we enjoyed some "new favorites" that came for the first time.

The hostesses with the mostesses.

These are the items I brought. Why did I choose them? I love Bath and Body Works, I love fall, and I love sales. I got a great deal on these little cuties!!

Tiffany explaining her favorites to us... she had us in stitches with her "special" instructions.

Handing out favorites.

Always anticipation to see if your name is picked.

Cute Lori was so excited about the party... she woke at at 4:30 am that morning and couldn't go back to sleep just thinking about it!!

There is a lot of laughter at the party.

Ramona is telling us about the awesome deal that she got on these bags... so awesome that she added a couple of goodies inside. I really wanted her to pick my name, and she did!!!

Cute Kimmy also picked my name out of the bowl, she brought ingredients for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Yum!!

The kitchen is a great gathering place.

These are the things that I brought home; oh wait... I was at home. My cute bag (and goodies) from Ramona, a fun key fob from Alacia, and my cookie ingredients from Kimmy.

The favorites party is so much fun!!! You should have one with your friends (please invite me). We missed those that couldn't come, we were excited to welcome the newcomers, and next time we're inviting more newcomers. I'm looking forward the the spring when the party is at Tiffany's... I'm already thinking about what favorites I will be bringing.

And FYI my partying days aren't quite over... next Thursday, November 3, I am hosting a Paparazzi Jewelry party. It is an open house from 6:30-8:00. You're invited!!!

It's About Time

This post is a prequel of sorts to my new hobby #2 which I doubt anyone remembers me writing about, because I have yet to reveal it (click here for a reminder).

When I moved into my house... two years, one month, and 24 days ago, I decided that I wanted a wall dedicated to my grandchildrens pictures. I had the perfect wall and an idea of what I wanted to do. I purchased five black frames at Rod Works (I only had 5 grandchildren then) and a rod to (fake) hang the frames from, as well as some ribbon for the fake hanging (that sounds a bit violent). I came home and put the stuff in my craft room... where it has been ever since.

Here I am; three, almost four more grandchildren later, and I finally put my "wall" together. I had to buy more frames of course, and I have a spot, front and center, all ready for our newest little guy who isn't due for four more weeks (but is trying to come sooner). I don't think I'm pleased with my ribbon choice... but I can change that. What do you think about my grandchildren wall? If you don't like the wall... what do you think of my grandchildren?

The Letter of the Law

Two weeks ago at our Weight Watchers meeting our leader challenged us to not eat any Halloween candy until Halloween. This meant not eating any candy that came from the Halloween aisle at the grocery store, or candy corn, or Halloween colored m&m's, etc.... of course, she explained, we could still eat candy from the "regular" candy aisle (and I must insert here, if you choose to eat candy you do have to count points). I am always ready to take on a challenge such as this, so I committed myself to not eat any Halloween candy, until Halloween.

I have a jar full of candy corn (decorative purposes only... they don't appeal to me) and I have a jar full of Halloween wrapped Hershey Kisses (decorative purposes only... and they totally appeal to me), but I am determined to achieve my goal. I found it coincidental that our leader mentioned Halloween peanut m&m's during her challenge to our group because peanut m&m's (my favs) have become my Saturday treat; I especially love them poured over hot, buttered popcorn. On this particular Saturday, when my WW leader had mentioned m&m's, I had to fore go my previously-opened-and-still-half-full-bag-of-Halloween-m&m's to go to the store and buy a bag that are not Halloween colors... hence, the letter of the law.

I have plenty of candy on hand, ready for the trick-or-treaters. I have Hershey Kisses and candy corn that haven't been touched. I still have a bag of Halloween peanut m&m's sitting in the pantry; untouched, but in a moment I will go downstairs and open a brand new bag of original colored peanut m&m's, because where m&m's are concerned... I'm living the letter of the law.

What are your favorite Halloween-candies-that-aren't-in-Halloween-bags-or-wrappers-so-you-can-follow-the-letter-of-the-law-too?

These Shoes Were Made For... Tossin'?

I have this little ritual, or... rite of passage that occurs every couple of years. I get a new pair of walking shoes. This year Michael gave me my new walking shoes for Mother's Day. The shoes in the picture above were my last pair of walking shoes (click here if you'd like to read about me and "them" in a 5-K race). When I get new walking shoes, my old shoes take on a new role... they become my "wait-at-the-back-door-shoes" which means, that they are always there waiting for me when I'm leaving for work, or, when I have to run a quick errand to the grocery store, or if someone comes over and I have to quickly hide my bare feet (sorry, that's another story... and you're never going to read it). They actually become very useful shoes for me.

Last Saturday Mike and I went on a drive with our friends Steve and Becky. It was a beautiful day. We listened to conference as we drove, Steve had a little snooze... or two; Mike drove, and me and Becky visited (while we listened attentively to the first session of conference).
We stopped at a campground in the mountains to enjoy a picnic lunch consisting of Leger's sandwiches (have you tried that deli? A.MA.ZING).

After lunch we walked along a designated trail (and I emphasize DESIGNATED) to the restroom; which was closed. So we headed back down the trail and got into the car to go home. Even as we were just starting to drive through the campground to the exit, I detected an offensive, really offensive smell... and it was ME!! Well, not really me, but on me. Nobody else seemed to have noticed it. "I think it's on my shoe!" I said, as I lifted first one foot and then the other. Sure enough, there it was on the sole of my left foot. Ooooohhhh, aaarrrggghhhhh, sick, gross!!!! times a ga-zillion!!!! "I'm throwing these shoes away, where's the garbage!?!" I proclaimed without any hesitation. Now everyone was noticing the smell (smell is a generous word here), I mean STINK!!!! There were no trash receptacles in this campground, so Mike pulled the car over and threw the offensive shoes into the shrubs, and I was left with nothing but socks to cover my feet (click here to read Becky's blog post and see photographic proof).

Now you might ask, why didn't you just clean your shoes off? well... I didn't want to. They are my old shoes, they've done their time, paid their dues... but on Monday morning when I was leaving for work and went to put my shoes on... they weren't there. Oh dear, I forgot; now I was going to have to wear my new walking shoes to work, and if you know me very well at all, you know that I didn't want to do that, 'cause... they are for walking in, not working in.

So here's a little advice if you are going to the mountains and you don't want to end up wearing your walking shoes to work: wear your oldest shoes and stay off the trails... 'cause apparently they are only for dogs; and always, always wear your socks, especially if you don't want to go bare foot when your shoes are in the shrubs... and that's still the story that you're never going to read.

It's Autumn Time

It's Fall. My favorite season of the year. There are so many things to love about fall... the cooler temperatures, the crisp air, the smells, the changing colors, keeping the windows open, wanting my blankets over me when I go to bed, Hershey kisses in autumn colors, Halloween, Thanksgiving, decorating the house, hot chocolate, season premieres of my favorite TV shows, the primary program, general conference, putting away the summer clothes, the favorites party, bread bowls at Leger's Deli, drives in the mountains, turning the fire on, the family coming over after the priesthood session for pizza and a movie, watching Summer Magic and Watcher in the Woods, Charlie Brown and Ichabod Crane, buying my hubby a carmel apple from Cavenaugh's, rain (with a little thunder and lightening), apple scented candles, door busters at Rod Works, seasonal soap fragrances from Bath & Body Works, my grandchildren coming over to trick-or-treat, fall cleaning (seriously... love it!!), musical at BHS, the DHS marching band, going on my walk, slightly overcast days, will my list ever end? No... 'cause I LOVE fall. What do you love about fall?