friday favorites: chocolate covered cinnamon bears

oh it is a happy day when i can order myself a bag of these sweet, delicious chocolatey bears.

i had been craving these a while back (i might have even posted about them, not sure) i could not find them anywhere in florida. i started searching online, found them and was willing to pay the extra for shipping.

then i remembered the place that made me fall in love with them for the first time... byu. naturally, i checked out byubookstore.com and sure enough- jackpot.

not only did they have the yumminess, they had it for a cheaper price. i could by myself 2 pounds and ship them to me for cheaper than anywhere else i could buy just 1 pound.

i was so sad, almost wanted to cry, the day i clicked here and there were no bears to be purchased. i immediately called up customer service and was told they don't ship them out in the summer.... they would melt. the nice lady on the other line said they should be available mid september.

right- heat and chocolate not such a good combo. i was still sad, but understood and was so happy to know it was only temporary!

come mid september i was checkin the store like crazy, no luck. imagine my happiness when i searched today and found them!

oh yeah baby, we're back in business!!!

buy yourself a treat, you wont regret it.

friday favorites: auntie amy adventures

i love my nieces. absolutely adore them to pieces. (haha i rhymed.)

i took each of them on an "auntie amy adventure" this week. they chose the journey, i just provided.

kirra wanted to go to the park, so to the park we went. we didn't last too long because it was so hot! but, it was fun and she enjoyed pulling silly faces for the camera. then she chose to go to chic-fil-a to play in their little play area and eat ice cream. which by the way, if you haven't had their soft serve, it is pretty darn tasty.

i picked kena up from school and she chose to go to McDonald's for chicken nuggets. she was so excited to eat them! i had so much fun just watching her be happy and trying to figure out the shapes of each nugget. then she too chose to go to the park. once we were there we hopped on the squirrel and the horse and took a journey to nicaragua- it was a long one!

we had lots of fun on our adventures. these girls make me so happy! they are two of the cutest and best friends a girl could ask for and i'm lucky enough to be their aunt- wow, seriously- lucky me!

friday favorites: tutorials

I love learning new things and being inspired to create.

This blog world and internet land are full of inspiring, creative, talented folks.

One thing I love most, is when these talented folk are kind enough to lend a little assistance to us who are admiring their masterpieces. I love finding tutorials.... finding something I would love to create and seeing some information on how to make that possible, so nice!

So, I thought I'd share with you a few of the tutorials I've come across. The minds behind these creations amaze me. Take a look at a few of these beauties...

{modern mural}

{pillow with rosette clusters}

{decorative balls}

{composition book art journal}

{adorable pillowcase apron}

{glass etching}

{modern bird baby mobile}

{envelope gift bags}

{messenger bag}

{entertainment center turned kitchen}

is there something you're dying to create?

friday favorites: picasa

I love collages. always have.

Some of you have asked about the collages I've been posting. I've used some different programs to create them, but then emily told me about picasa. and now I'm hooked. thank you emily.

Picasa is great. You can edit, download, share and create fun things with your photos. and it's FREE. which is one of my favorite parts! To be completely honest, I haven't played around with it much... other than making collages.

Two qualities I look for in programs I enjoy using:

*easy to use

*FREE

To make your own collage once you have Picasa on your computer, make a new folder and add each picture you would like to be included in the collage. Click on the folder you want, above the pictures there is a toolbar of options. The first icon is a green arrow and if you put your cursor over it, it says "Play Fullscreen Slideshow". The second icon is the one you want, it should say "Create Photo Collage". Once you click the icon, it will take you to a window that looks like this:

On the left of your pictures there will be a "Settings" tab and underneath that is a pull down menu:

From here you choose the type of collage you would like to make.

Picture Pile:

Picasa basically throws your pictures down on the table. You can change the layout of the picture by clicking and dragging the pictures to the desired location. You can change the size and angle by clicking on the picture and rotating or enlarging the circle:

The next option is "Mosaic":

I usually like to add a border around my photos. To do that you go to "Grid Spacing" and slide the bar until the spacing is how you like it.

Then you have the "Frame Mosaic" option:

To set the sunset picture to "be framed" by the others I clicked on it first and then clicked on the button that says "Set as frame center". Picasa will automatically put that photo in the middle and fill the others around it.

The next option is "Grid":

Picasa will automatically fit the photos to a grid. To change the set up of the collage above to portrait instead of landscape I clicked on the "head" icon. When you want landscape, you click the "mountain" icon.

Then you have the option of "Contact Sheet":

The "Contact Sheet" creates thumbnail versions of your photos. In the collage above I edited the background color and added a border to each photo. You can add a border to all the photos or click on an individual photo and then click on the "Picture Border" option you would like. To change the background color to black I simply clicked on "solid color" and then chose black from the color square. You could also set an image to be the background.

If you're not happy with the layout of your pictures, simply click "Shuffle Pictures" and Picasa will rearrange them for you.

And then, when you are done playing and creating your masterpiece click "Create Collage" and you are all set!

(...because I can't get enough of nicaragua)

Do you have a program you love using??

friday's favorites: pandora

Not only do I love finding new artists, but I hate listening to commercials on the radio... so Pandora is the perfect answer for a gal like me.

I've been typing up a book of memories my grandma sent me to share with the rest of the family, Pandora keeps me company while my fingers are busy clicking away.

I've been pretty much homebound this week because Mr. Blue is still "at the doctor", Pandora makes my house not so lonely.

I've been workin extra hard to clean and organize around the house this week, Pandora gives me extra elbow grease for those tricky little corners.

and for those times I feel like being goofy, and pretend like I can dance, Pandora gives me a beat.

Just thought I'd share a few of the songs I am currently enjoying:

Gravity- Sara Bareilles

Angel- Jack Johnson

Secret Heart- Feist

I'd Rather Be With You- Joshua Radin

The Call- Regina Spektor

Warm Whispers- Missy Higgins

Be Ok- Ingrid Michaelson

Bottle it Up- Sara Bareilles

OK- Holly Conlan

My Time With You- Kina Grannis & David Choi

Throw Me a Rope- KT Tunstall

Bitter Heart- Zee Avi

My Love- The Bird and the Bee

go take a listen and come back and let me know a few of your favorite tunes.

friday's favorites: fluffy friend

the ziggster.

isn't he cute? never mind the fact you can't see his eyes. only one of them is good anyway.

i looked at him the other day and realized he's a mini version of the shaggy dog.

i don't care if he's too shaggy or too stinky. he loves me. he follows me around the house all day from room to room. he's a good buddy to me.

he knows when i'm having a bad day. he sits at my feet, or hops up on my lap and just gives me a face that says "it's ok friend, tomorrow's a new day."

he's silly, always making me laugh. sometimes i laugh because he runs into the wall (remember, only one good eye...) and then i feel bad because he can't help it. but he doesn't get mad at me for laughing.

he's fun. he loves to play fetch. he loves to run and jump and chase.

he can sometimes read my mind. if i'm about to leave the house for errands and i'm done brushing my teeth, he hears the light switch click off in the bathroom and he runs straight to his kennel. because he knows that's what i'm going to tell him.

he's sweet. and obedient. and he's my favorite fluffy friend.

friday's favorites: ice cream

(yes, I'm aware of the fact that I look like a major cheese ball... it's okay, because I am. And truth is, that's honest to goodness pure joy on my face.)

It's no secret that I love sweets. Especially ice cream.

The picture above is at Leatherby's in Salt Lake City, featuring the black and tan- oh, so delicious. Also delicious at Fenton's in Oakland. Ben and Jerry are two of my favorite people. I love their "Neapolitan Dynamite", that's probably one of my very favorites.

But then again, I'm never good at choosing favorites.

When I was little my favorite was to hop on the dime-a-ride with my sisters and ride to "Thrifty's" (a local grocery store) and get a giant square (ok, not really square. But their scoop was a cylinder shape- flat top, round sides... i swear the shape itself made it taste better.) scoop of rocky road or mint chocolate chip.

I love home made ice cream too. and ice cream bars. and ice cream sandwiches.

I love all forms of that cold, creamy goodness.

What's your flavor of choice?

friday's favorites: products

I love Origins.

I haven't tried something of theirs I didn't like. The products are clean, fresh and natural. My new favorite:

you can purchase it here. It's totally worth the $25.00

Supposedly, it works so well you can't test it in the store because they can't be liable if you fall asleep on your way home. All I know, is that when I use it I fall asleep and sleep great... and that is a big treat for me! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

friday's favorites: R.G.P. junior

9 months old- wow.

he is growing so fast. so fast.

and he:

is getting teeth.

crawls super fast, and loves to play chase.

kicks back like a big boy.

dances to music.

loves Little Einstein.

admires his big sisters.

enjoys snack time.

growls like a bear.

still loves naps.

and- still thinks his Auntie Amy is crazy....

... he loves me anyways! ♥

friday's favorites

One of my new favorites:

What's your favorite flower?

Friday's Favorites: easy recipes

Today over at nannygoat they are sharing fast and easy recipes to help make dinner time a little easier for all of us. These are a few recipes that are yummy, quick and easy that I wanted to share with you.

Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

4-6 chicken breasts

4-6 swiss cheese slices

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup chicken broth

Peppridge Farm corn bread stuffing mix

1/4 - 1/2 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 350.

Place chicken in oven baking dish.

Place one slice of swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast.

Mix cream of chicken soup with chicken broth and pour over chicken.

Cover with stuffing mix.

Pour melted butter over the top.

Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes.

Aloha Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 bottle of barbeque sauce

1 can of pineapple chunks

1 chopped onion

Mix barbeque sauce, pineapple and onion and pour over chicken.

Cook in crockpot for 4-6 hours on low.

Green Beans with Hamburger

(or ground turkey)

1 pound ground hamburger or turkey (I use turkey)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups water

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. dark molasses

1 can cut green beans

3 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

3-4 cups hot cooked rice

Durkees French fried onion rings

Cook and stir ground beef and onion in large skillet until meat is brown and onion is tender.

Stir in garlic, 1 1/2 cups water, soy sauce and molasses; heat to boiling.

Add green beans and heat to boiling.

Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Blend cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water, stir gradually into meat mixture.

Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.

Boil and stir 1 minute.

Serve over rice; garnish with onion rings.

If desired, pass additional soy sauce.

Sweet Pork

1 pork butt roast

2 cans black beans (do not drain)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Place roast in crockpot, top with sweetened condensed milk and beans.

Cook on low 8 hours.

Serve with your favorite burrito or salad fixins' and enjoy!

(and if you buy 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk you can try a sweet treat for dessert.)

friday's favorites

ice cream.

cute stories.

So- here's a combo, a cute story with ice cream that my nana emailed me today. I thought it was really cute so I wanted to share it!

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and Justice for all! Amen."

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart" the man replied.

Then in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asked God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae, and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."

{Sometimes I can't help but think the world would be a better place if we were all a little more child like and if we all ate more ice cream! What's your favorite ice cream flavor?}

friday's favorites: etsy treasures

one of my all time favorite things: etsy

it's like a big giant treasure chest full of artsy goodness.

it'd be even more of my favorite thing if I actually owned a few of these beauties, but until then...

a girl can dream, right?

art to stare at:
flower pic

so very happy

utopia

art to wear:

aqua and peach necklace

flirty bird earrings

Lucy's love headband

art for your furniture:

black and white flower pillow

black and white funky pillow

orange swirl pillow

white pillow with yellow bird

art to hold your goodies:

flower tote

laptop bag

floral clutch

{What are your favorite etsy finds? Do you have a favorite seller?}

friday's favorites

plain and simple:

falling asleep listening to my favorite music.

and then cuddling with the music man.

friday's favorites

the Florida state fair

I love the fair, it's definitely one of my favorite things. ever. I always feel like a kid again when I'm at the fair, and I love to feel that little girl in me come alive.

I was able to go be a little girl with two of my favorite little girls and the rest of the family. It was a fun day full of rides, games, and food... lots of food. (although, I didn't eat too much. I was worried about the combination of fried food to its max and my missing gallbladder... it didn't add up to me so I figured I'd play it safe.)

I was able to go on my favorite ride with M & K. We had a lot of fun.

Well, for the majority of the ride we did. We all got a few butterflies as we went higher and higher.

♥Kirra got up close and personal with Jeffrey the giraffe, the smallest horse (who was smaller than a dog), a creepy slithery snake friend, her cute mommy, and the puddles.

♥Mekena was a champ and braved out the "White Water" ride and "The Tomb of Doom", and won all by herself in the game where you have to pop the balloons with the darts- all by herself!

♥Reef was adorable and sweet- as usual! He is such a good baby! (I can't believe he's 6 months old already!)

Tiff paid $1.00 to "see the strange thing", as you can seen, it really is a strange thing- I have no idea what it is- but it's pretty creepy looking. I paid $1.00 to see a spider woman. I've never paid for those things before, but I was so curious- I had to see. I'm not sure how they did it, but it was a woman's head (she was alive and talking to me, answering my questions) and a spider body. It's all a mystery when it comes to the fair and the circus.

We ended the night with a marathon of slide rides. I know I said earlier that the Ferris wheel was my favorite, but I think it ties with the jumbo slide.

(Jeff's parents are coming to visit! I get to go pick them up at the airport, I'm so excited! That is another one of my ultimate favorite things!!!)