Finally getting into the Christmas spirit

So I am FINALLY starting to get some Christmas spirit this year! I put up my tree yesterday, which is way later than I normally do. Im usually begging Brian to let me put it up anytime after Halloween. I just haven't been in a holiday mood I guess. This year has been so stressful, and is just getting worse. I wonder if there will ever be a time when we can just breathe. But I made up my mind to at least get the Christmas tree out and set it up. It's a pretty lame tree, only 3 feet tall and pre-lit with colored Christmas lights (yuck :)). It kind of reminds me of the sad little Charlie Brown Christmas tree. But I had alot of decorations from last year and I think it looks pretty good! I had forgotten about these ornaments I made last year and was so excited to see them. I love homemade ornaments, and think they add a cute touch to the tree. Here are some pictures of our lovely little tree:I Love this star, I got it right before Brian and I got married!So anyway's since I havent blogged in a little while I'll briefly talk about what's been going on around here:

• Brian is currently in the middle of finals week! He is so stressed out, trying to cram as much studying as he can in. Please remember him in your prayers, at least until Thursday! hehe
• Ayden apparantly has been teething again, we found 2 new teeth today! That explains alot!
• Ayden's been babbling alot and likes to imitate things that Brian and I do. Today I told caught him by the Christmas tree with an ornament and got after him. I waved my finger and said no, no, no. So now he goes up to the Christmas tree and waves his little finger and babbles no, no, no :)
• I just did my first mystery shopping job on Saturday! I did it at Aeropostale in the mall. However, I signed up for it about 2 months ago and didn't even think about scheduling it for a Saturday this close to Christmas. The mall was HORRIBLE! It took me 20 minutes just to find a parking spot, ANY parking spot. There was not ONE empty spot in the entire mall parking lot. I ended up getting one at the very end of the parking lot after someone left. It was crazy! I have no plans on going back there until after December! Yuck!

Great Movies

So we recently got back into netflix just in time for thier live-streaming straight to your TV feature. I LOVE this! There are a bunch of movies that we can watch instantly on our TV for free (included in our netflix price). I have watched all the seasons of Heroes, Father of the Bride, That Thing you DO (LOVE that movie!), and a bunch of other's. I was browsing threw thier selection last night and saw The Way We Were. I had never seen it (which apparently is unforgivable if you are a girl!) so I watched it. I love when you watch a great movie for the first time, it's just so fun. And this is a good movie! I love Robert Redford, I mean hello he's Brad Pitt in the 70's! So cute! So sorry every post lately seems to be about movies, but I have seen some really great one's lately! If you haven't seen the Way We Were, watch it! :)

P.S. I Love You

Tonight I watched P.S. I Love You. Why? Im not sure! I had seen it a long time ago and cried the entire movie. I have been wanting to watch it again lately and thought since I have already seen it there is no way I can cry again. WRONG! This is the saddest, best movie I have ever seen. I have NEVER cried so much during a movie. Especially the second time! If you haven't seen it, and your a girl, you HAVE to see it! Maybe I am just a wierd emotional mess, but it really is a good movie. So if you haven't seen it you go rent it, TODAY! :)

Baby Hungry

Okay, Brian would have a heart attack if he read this, but since he never reads my blog I think it's safe to say that I am baby hungry! Katie had her baby yesterday and he is so cute. Seeing her in the hospital with the baby brought back memories of having Ayden. It was such an amazing time in my life. I have been looking at baby pictures of Ayden and I can't believe how much he has changed the last 18 months. He was just so darn cute when he was born! I love this picture my sister took of him in the hospital, it just brings back all those feelings I had back then. Why oh why is EVERYONE having a baby right now. I mean of course Im gonna get baby hungry when every girl that I know is having a baby. I blame all of you and your cute baby's for making this way! hehe, okay just kidding! But I guess I should end this by saying that I have no plans in the immediate future to get pregnant (breath mommy :)). Im really happy with just Ayden right now, he is such a great kid and I am really enjoying this time alone that I have with him. I cant even say how much I love him, and am MORE than happy to have my alone time with him right now!

I found this great picture of him from when he was a newborn. He always reminded me of an old, bald headed man with those crusty, serious little faces he would make. I miss those!!

Tax Frustration

Okay, so I am going a little crazy! This boutique that I was planning on doing December 13th requires you to get a temporary tax license. Cost for that: $35!!! For ONE day! Now seeing as how at the last boutique I only sold one tutu for $33, Im not exactly sure what to do. I would like to try again, but I don't think I want to pay that much and risk making hardly anything again. I just am so annoyed about how much this license costs. And that's not even including the tax that you have to pay on all the items you sell. I just dont think you should have to get a tax license for a boutique. I mean, do people get tax licenses for garage sales and stuff like that. Cause that's pretty much what it is, a big garage sale. I dont know, maybe I'm wrong but it just seems SO crazy to me.

Okay, I am going to stop venting now! But I really would like to know what everyone thinks. Is this crazy, or is it just me?

Twilight and ANOTHER Boutique!

Okay, I can't believe I haven't talked about the Twilight movie yet! I saw it Friday night with Katie and it was SO good! There were a few things in it that I wish were different, but I pretty much expected that. I was also kind of sad because we had to sit in the front part of the theater, despite waiting in line befor hand. Lets just say Im not too happy with all the seat savers that were there. I mean it was ridiculous, people were saving so many seats for thier groups that by the time Katie and I got in there everything was gone. It was like 40 people saving seats for 200! So unfair! I want to see it again now, in a really good seat! :) It was really bittersweet though. I have been looking forward to it for so long, that it's kind of sad now that it's over. I did hear that they are going ahead and starting New Moon! So I guess I'll have that to look forward to next!

Okay, now on to the boutique. It was pretty bad. It was from 8:30-4 and I only sold 1 tutu! It was awful, it was just WAY slow for everyone. It was by far, the longest most depressing day I have ever had in my life. I guess with these things it's really just a hit or miss, and it was definitly a miss! The girl next to me said that she was in a boutique 2 weeks ago and it was non-stop busy! Too bad I wasn't at that one! But, Im not gonna give up on my stuff and am trying again in a few weeks! Here is some info on it:

But even thoug it was kind of a flop, I did learn alot from it and am going to do somethings differently next time. Like I think alot of people were put off by the fact that there wasn't anything that you could just buy (everything was custom made and shipped), so I think Im gonna try some smaller things that I can make a bunch of and sell there. Anyways, I am excited to try again!

Christmas Boutique!!!

The time for the Christmas Boutique Im selling in is finally here! This thing is going to be BIG, there are 43 venders and I have seen some of what other people are selling and all of it is way cute! Im going all out and have a good selection of really cute fabric that people can mix and match for thier slings! I will also be selling tutu's! I am so excited and really hope to be able to sell some things. Please spread the word, and tell everyone you know about this. Come and spend a fun Saturday morning looking at all the great crafts they will have!

My son, the nudist

So lately Ayden has been really into being naked. He takes his diaper off any time he can. We have been finding him naked quite a bit lately. It's pretty funny to go in and check on him while he is taking a nap and find a naked bum staring at you! Anyways, I took some pictures of him taking a nap the other day. Maybe I can use them as blackmail someday! :)He caught me taking pictures of him, he doesnt look too happy :)

Nose Picker and Hide and Seek Player

Well not much is going on here. Ayden is becoming a VERY hyper toddler and has a few new little things he does.
He has been picking his nose ALL the time, and has even started trying to pick our noses! Im not sure how to stop this habit but I feel like I should soon! It's kind of funny to me when he does it, but I think it's because he has a baby look to him. But it's gonna get notcute real soon!
He has also learned to play hide and seek, and he plays it ALL the time. It's so cute! He takes his chubby little hands and puts them over his eyes. He thinks it is like the funiest thing ever! He does it all day long, just randomly playing peek a boo.
Well, like I said not much going on around here :)

New President

Well, I guess we have a new president. It's not the outcome I had wanted or hoped for but I must say I am not surprised. I didn't feel the election was very fair this time around with all the outspoken celebrity supporters and money spent on things like his prime time special. Ever since the stock market crashed it seemed like John McCain didn't really stand a chance. I felt so bad for McCain giving his speech last night, you could just hear the dissapointment in his voice :( But I thought he did a great job, and there really was no more he could have done. I thought Barack Obama did well on his speech too, and I am glad that finally we are going to have an African American president. I just hope the his change he talks about makes America better and not worse. But he is going to be the president and I will support him, not that I'll always agree with him. I think that we should respect our president and not tear him down and disrespect him (something that's been done way too much the last 8 years). So I guess we'll see what "changes" are yet to come!

Halloween and a Walk

So for Halloween Ayden was a penguin! He was SOOO cute in his little penguin costume, I wish I could have gotten better pictures because they dont show just how cute he was in person. We went trick or treating with Brendan and Katie and some of thier family. He was so cute waddling up to the doors!:) It was a lot of fun and Im glad we went out and did something!The other day we decided to go on a walk to Target. We got everything together, got all ready, got outside and it was over 90 degrees. It was so darn hot, and I had dressed Ayden really warm because I thought it would be cold. I mean its November now, whats with the weather!?!I just cant wait for it to cool down and feel more like fall! Anyways, I got this shirt at CVS for Ayden and I thought it was pretty cute!

**Update** New Twilight clip

So there is absolutly nothing new going on, but I did find a new Twilight clip that I haven't seen before. If you go to msn.com, on the left-hand side of the page there is a little movie screen that say's exclusive Twilight clip. I dont know how much longer they will keep it there, so check it out quick!

**Update- Okay so I guess the clip is already gone, but if you go here there are a bunch of movie clips and you have to look around a bit but it should be in there! Check it out!**

Gamer Boys

So I guess a love for video games can be passed down from father to son. Ayden loves watching Brian play! However, he is always pulling on Brians controller and trying to push the buttons so we found this old controller for him to play with. He just loves being by his daddy, no matter what he is doing. What a daddy's boy! Sheesh!

New Etsy Stuff

So I thought I'd share what I have been up to lately. I added some new things to my etsy store! I was also asked to be a part of a boutique next month where I can sell my slings! Im way excited with every new thing I add and cant wait until next month! I will let everyone know the time and place of the boutique when it gets closer!

Here is the sling and nursing cover I made for Michelle's baby shower. This fabric is way too cute! (I love Ayden's smile in the pic!)

Im doing tutu's now! I had my adorable niece Sydney model it for me, she is such a cutie!
These are so cute, diaper and wipes clutch purses

Park

So today I thought it would be nice to take Ayden to the park, and apparently I wan't the only one with this idea. There were about 5 birthday parties going on and it was pretty crazy. But I didn't want to waste gas going straight home so we made the best of it and had a pretty good time. Ayden is so funny at the park, he just LOVES it! He loves just wandering around by himself and doesn't want anything to do with me helping him or controlling him in any way. Which makes it hard to keep track of him and make sure he doesn't get hurt. It will be so nice when he is older and he can just run around and play by himself. He does know how to go down the slide by himself (which he absolutely LOVES), and can even manage to climb up it. So we had a really fun trip to the park and Ayden is now pooped out asleep in his room :)

Here are some pictures

I tried to get a picture of the both of us, this is the only one that actually has the both of us in it :)

This one's funny, it looks like he is sizing up the slide

Here he is climbing up. Im actually really impressed that he could do it in those sandals, they were really slippery

Pumpkin Roll

Today was GREAT! It was just one of those really nice easy going days. The weather outside was so nice, the house is clean, and Ayden was in a really good mood. And the best part was we didnt turn our air conditioner on all day! I cant wait to see our electric bill for this month! Yay! I just love this time of year, when it gets cold and I see all the holiday stuff out. I even felt like making a fall treat, a pumpkin roll. Now a pumpkin roll is one of those things that I thought were too hard, and only old relief society ladies could know how to make them. But my friend Tiffany made one this weekend and gave me the recipe. It really wasn't hard at all. It does take some time, but it is pretty easy. For anyone who wants to try and make it, it's really not hard and its REALLY yummy! Here is the recipe:

Cake-
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour

Mix ingredients together. Spray cookie sheet and line with wax paper (leave a little hanging over the edge of cookie sheet). Spray wax paper also. Pour mixture onto wax paper. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle powdered sugar on a dish towel. Hold onto sides of wax paper and flip the pumpkin bread onto the dish towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling-
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Unroll cake. Spread topping and roll back up (not with towel :)) Wrap in foil and freeze. I let it sit in the freezer for a while and then precut slices, that way we dont have to dirty a knife every time we want a piece.

A Few Good Deals

Here are some good deals I found lately:

Culvers is having a deal tomorrow on their hamburgers. You get a regular hamburger (Its not the hamburger pictured, unfourtunatly) for only $1! I haven't ever eaten there but I hear its REALLy good. So I will be heading down there tomorrow, and maybe even try to talk Brian into buying some frozen custard, yum!
Another deal I found on Katie's Blog. Go here and enter to win a FREE HANDBAG from handbag planet that they are giving away every hour! They have some really cute ones and I hope I win! :D

being a daddy's boy isnt always a bad thing ;)

So lately Ayden has been especially attached to Brian. He has always been a daddy's boy but lately he is showing it more. He just always wants to be around Brian, and if it comes to choosing between Me and Brian he always wants Brian. It is really a hard thing for a mom to feel like your baby doesn't want you. I dont think Brian really understands how much it hurts my feelings. But to look at the brighter side sometimes it can be nice. He wants Brian all the time, standing by his computer chair wanting to be held only to knock things over and push all the buttons on the computer and then cry hysterically when he gets put down. Or, and I am not sure why, Ayden pees on Brian! He has never done it to me, but multiple times Ayden has peed and leaked all over Brian. Here are some pictures of the other day when he did it, Brian was not so happy :)Poor Ayden was so tired

Anyways, I'll end my sad little post

Vice Presidential Debates

So Im not one to really get into ANYTHING political, but I watched the Debates tonight (at first because it was the only thing on, Greys Anatomy was cancelled because of it :(). But it was really interesting, I have never watched one before and it was nice to be able to hear what both people had to say in a calm, organized manner. I felt like Sarah Palin really held her own and I hope that she proved to everyone that she CAN do this. I am so sick of hearing everyone bash her, and I think she really is making them eat their words. She was great, never hesitated and always had a great answer for all those tough questions. I thought that Joe Biden did well too, although there was one thing that bothered me. The mediators name was Gwen and he would say her name all the time like, well Gwen, let me tell you Gwen, Thats a good question Gwen, wanna get a drink after this Gwen (JK :))!? It was a little weird to me because he is supposed to be talking to us, not the question lady but oh well. I thought it was a great debate and I thought Sarah Palin did really well!

Day at the Zoo

So we debated all day about whether to go to the zoo all morning, and finally decided to go. I am SO glad we did! We thought it would be crowded because of the free admission, but it wasn't at all. It WAS hot but that is to be expected here in Arizona. Family outings like this are few and far between with us and I was so glad that we decided to go. I thought it was a really nice zoo, the only thing I would do differently next time is pay the $3 for the little tram ride so we dont have to walk. It is a very hilly path and there was a lot of uphill times, and pushing a stroller uphill in the 100 degree heat is not so fun. But it wasn't too bad. Ayden I think had a really good time. I was worried about him because we didn't get there till about 2 and he hadn't taken a nap at all. I thought he would probably get grumpy part way through, but he was so good! He would check out the animals with his serious face on, it was so cute! His favorite part was when we cam across this little water park that had little fountains of water coming out to play in. We thought, why not the poor baby looked like he was going to pass out from the heat, so we took him in. I wasn't sure how he'd react, but he loved it! Brian and I just kind sat back on the benches and watched him play for a long while. We then let him walk along the path with us (which he loved), he would always veer off and go the wrong way though :) But all in all I think it was a great family day!

Me and AydenAyden at his favorite part of the zoo, the water playground!Finally we have an up to date family photo, even if there are flamingos in the background!Here are my favorite animals, the otters and the orangutansHere is Ayden, about 2 seconds after we put him into the car! Poor baby was exhausted!

GREAT family day deal

So we have been wanting to take Ayden to the Zoo ALL summer, but it was just too expensive to go. I found this deal on Money Saving Mom, its called Museum Day. Its hosted by the Smithsonian Magazine and you get free Admission to a ton of Museums all over the country. I really didn't think that the zoo would be included so I was so excited to see it. Go here to find out where you can go in your area. It is TOMORROW only, so take advantage of this great deal and have a fun family outing too! The coupon is for up to 2 people and you just have to fill out some basic info. and print the coupon here! I hope you are all able to take advantage of this great deal!

Candy Monster

So after a few minutes of quiet, I realized HEY! Why is it so quiet? Here is my answer:

I had just bought this bag of candy from CVS and left it on the couch, he sure was fast in finding it :) If anyone is interested I got this bag of candy at CVS for only $1.49! It is marked at $5.99 (?) but it is ringing up at most CVS's for $1.49. The bag is called Hershey's Chocolate Mix and has Kit Kats, Hershey's Bars, Take 5's, and Milk Duds. It is a 16.44 oz bag. It is in the normal candy aisle also, not with the Halloween stuff in most stores. Make sure to scan the bag to make sure it's the right one (price) before you buy it! This is a great deal if you need some trick or treating candy or just want some for yourself :) Good Luck, and head out fast before it's all gone!

I was tagged... blame Casey :)

Likes

• This time of year! Once October hits I am so happy till March....then boring!
• One Tree Hill (stupid guilty pleasure), Grey's Anatomy, Lost, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and many many more!
• Twilight
• Edward from twilight :)
• Putting makeup on (dont ask why, it's just fun)
• Doing people's hair!
• Watching movies
• Visiting family
• Naps (oh that sounds so good right now)
• Seeing Ayden when he first wakes up (he is just SO happy.... I am NOT that happy when I first wake up)
• Going on dates (with Brian ;)), it's very rare anymore :(
• Getting great deals with coupons, or going CVSing (did I just say CVSing?!? Yikes)
• Shopping (I like it more when I have money, which isn't very often)
• Of course I LOVE my family more than anything

Dislikes

• Mean cashiers who wont take my coupons
• Being hot when Im sleeping
• Driving
• Weight Loss Ads on TV (like I need anymore reminding)
• Cleaning (I like our house to be clean, I just HATE doing it)
• Waking up in the morning

Fears

• SPIDERS! AH!
• Snakes
• Driving
• Money, I think money is a big fear... as in not having enough.
• Im alway's nervous every time I get to the cash register when I am using coupon's. You never know what's going to happen (depends what mood the cashiers in), plus you have a line of people behind you that give dirty looks and sigh if there is any kind of problem.
• Im always afraid of making too much noise for the apartment below me. I think about it ALL the time, I want to be on the first story so bad!

Interesting Facts About Me

• Im Marie and I am a Diet Dr. Pepper addict!
• I used to work as a crossing guard
• Ever since being pregnant I cry over everything. Sad parts in movies, when Ayden does something for the first time, random commercials on TV. I have become so emotional and have NO control over it.
• When I go bowling I make secret, funny names for everyone that can only be revealed if you get a strike.
• At least once a week I tell Brian my plan for exercising and eating better... this has yet to happen :)

Well, none of these are really very interesting, so sorry everyone. I'll be sure to make up for it by posting some cute Ayden pictures soon!

Day at the Park

Today I decided to get out of the house for a while and I took Ayden to the park. That boy LOVES being outside! Even if it's outside on the patio, he just loves it! Which kinda of stinks cause he has a city girl for a mommy :) I need to be better at taking him to the park more, he has so much fun. I tried to get some pictures taken, which is almost impossible because to be a step ahead of this kid you gotta be FAST! Anyway's here are some of the best, which aren't really too good but oh well!

Smiley!

He liked the swings
I LOVE watching him stand up, he sticks his little bum in the air, SO CUTE!
We have been seeing alot of this face lately, just a weird face he makes alot :) Finally got him to look at the camera!