Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice

As the healthy benefits of  pomegranates become more well known to our health-conscious society we've started to see the trendy fruit pop up in everything from cereal to soda. While it will take more than the addition of pomegranate to convince me that soda is good for me, POM Wonderful is the real deal. The pomegranate juice that comes packaged in these adorable little bottles is 100% pomegranate juice from happy "Wonderful" pomegranates grown in California.

The lovely people from Pom Wonderful sent me a box containing eight bottles of their pure Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice last week. I have to admit my immediate infatuation with the bottles. They are too cute and I have a weakness for cuteness. I would have drank the first one right then if I had been able to get it open without the assistance of my strong husband.

While I waited for him to be able to help me, I read the enclosed information. The brochure listed some of the clinical research on the healthy benefits of Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. I read words such as "cardiovascular health", "prostate health", and "erectile function" and decided to make my husband drink it. I would sacrifice for his health.

I did drink one bottle and he drank the other seven--one bottle of Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice each day for a week. Honestly, he didn't immediately love the tartness (I often tease him about his wimpy taste buds) but the taste grew on him and he didn't mind it by the end of the week. I personally enjoyed the taste and would compare it to 100% cranberry juice.

While I believe that it would take more regular and longer consumption to really be able to detect medical changes in his cardiovascular and prostate health, he did claim to have more energy last week and his digestive health seemed improved (we don't really want to discuss that--let's just say any improvement is good). It's also loaded with antioxidants.

Enjoy the healthy benefits of pomegranates the pure way. In Utah, Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice can be purchased at Smith's, Harmon's, Albertsons and Wild Oats.

Carry On!

After he coached Neal's final soccer game of the season (we only had eight players and should have forfeited but the other team wanted to play. The score was 0 to 0. Our best game of the season.) my husband and I rushed to attend the funeral of one of the dearest, wisest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing.

I first met Alice Ruth not long after I met and married my husband. She lived in the same canyon as my in-laws. It was her canyon. And you could not spend any time in the canyon without meeting her. She taught Relief Society then and I loved hearing her lessons. I honestly don't remember most Relief Society lessons. I find it hard to sit still that long (I suppose that's why I'm in the nursery). But I remember her lessons. I can't forget them.

She taught me how to pray unceasingly--to pray for my husband and children while I served them by making their dinner and matching their socks. She taught me to have faith in miracles and the power of the Priesthood. She taught me to enjoy and love my children--to forget about the dirty dishes occasionally and pull my little ones onto my lap for a hug and a story. She taught me to take a moment for myself--a little nap--so that I would be ready to serve my children when they needed me. She taught me to proclaim the gospel. She taught me to study my scriptures more diligently.

When my oldest children were very little, my mother-in-law and I would take the kids over to Alice Ruth's house to visit occasionally. She and Neal worked on a jigsaw puzzle while she told us stories of her adventures as the wife of a mission president in Brazil (twice). She told wonderful stories and she always bore her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You could not doubt that she knew that Jesus Christ was her Savior. She knew it.

Her funeral, yesterday, was amazing. The talks given by her children and friends so perfectly described who she was and what she stood for. But the hymns, more than anything else, seemed a final message from Alice Ruth to those of us left in mortality. The opening hymn was "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today". Her grandchildren (she had many lovely grandchildren) sang "True to the Faith" and the congregation sang "Carry On" for the closing hymn.

Alice Ruth will be missed. Is missed. But she has taught those of us who had a chance to listen to her speak the things that really matter. And now it is up to us to have sunshine in our souls, remain true to the faith, and quite simply, carry on!

The Winner of the "Jump Into Reading" Book

Congratulations! The winner of a copy of the recently published Jump Into Reading is

Tara L.

Tara, send me an email with your mailing address so that you can get your new book. I hope you enjoy it. And thanks for reading Utah Mom's Life Blog.

Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point - Out and About in Utah

We decided to spend our afternoon at Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point yesterday. We took advantage of some coupons (keep your eyes open for them--the kids usually get some from school) to get in for less. So, we met Mamau and Gramps (my husband's parents) as soon as the kids got out of school. The parking lots were empty. The gate was closed. We were an hour early (just so you know--Cornbelly's opens at 4:00 p.m.).

We had some time to wait so we decided to check out the Art Institute. We knew nothing about the Art Institute but we parked near it and saw a sign announcing that they were doing blowing glass inside. Ever since I visited a glass store in Portsmouth, NH and read a Dick Francis novel about a glass blower (I can't remember which one, they're all rather fun though) I've been fascinated by glass blowing. It is an amazing art. Curiousity got the better of me and we wandered inside.

We spent most of the next hour watching two artisans create fantastic pieces of blown-glass art work. The kids were amazed and so was I. Did you know that you can go to the Art Institute and actually create your own piece of blown-glass art work for $20. I am so there!

We also wandered through the gallery and enjoyed looking at the beautiful folk art of Eric Dowdle. My Amberly was in her heaven. She is an artist, after all. We enjoyed looking at the art outside too.

This was our first experience at Cornbelly's and the kids were immediately drawn in every different direction. We gathered them up like little chicks so that we could avoid spending our afternoon looking for lost children. And then the fun began. Seriously, fun. The kids had giant smiles on their faces the entire time with the brief exception of when we wondered if we would ever find our way out of the giant "Larry H. Miller" corn maze. Oh, and Thomas was scared to tears in the belly of the monster. He wasn't the only one. We heard a lot of crying while we were in there.

There are so many fun things to do at Cornbelly's. Some of us blasted pumpkins and corn. Neal got a direct hit on this old car. We rode on the rides. Played on the slides. Jumped. Ran. Climbed. There were pig races to watch. And all the food smelled delicious (we did our best to avoid the concessions). There was even a Pumpkin Princess, who was sweet and gracious to my little princesses. We had a fabulous time and stayed much longer than we had planned.

Good Bye to Soccer Season

Amberly decided that she wanted to play soccer this year. She enjoyed watching Neal play last year and she thought it looked like fun. We signed her up and she lucked out to be on a team with our favorite coach. She played on a team with many other kids from our neighborhood.

Each Tuesday evening at practice, Amberly was excited to go. She kicked the ball around a little, skipped around the field and joked with her friends. Most of the time she appeared to be on another planet from the other soccer players. I'm very sure she wasn't on the same planet as her coach.

That's my Amberly with the pink soccer socks and the pink skirt (fashion is important even during soccer).

During the games she ran with the other kids and sometimes she even seemed to know where the ball was. She always had a positive attitude. Just before every game she'd tell the coach with honest enthusiasm that she'd score a goal for him.

I actually got one picture of Amberly kicking the ball. If the ball happened to come to her, by some miracle, she did do her best to kick it or at least try to kick it. Her dad offered to pay her a dollar if she kicked the ball ten times in one game. He saved his money.

Amberly's final game of the season was on Thursday night. It was cold--as in 44 degrees cold. She wore layers. Stylish, don't you think.

Amberly's coach really wanted her to get a chance to score a goal, so during the final quarter of the game, he sent her to stand by the goal and wait for the ball to come. If it got close to her she was supposed to kick the ball right in the goal. She obeyed her coach and hurried to her position. In fact, she never left it. Even when the goalie from the other team gave her a shove and she fell flat on her back. She just got back up and stood there some more. I wish I had gotten a picture of that shove. I did get some pictures of some of the other goalie/Amberly interaction.

She did a great job of distracting the goalie, that is for sure.

Can you see her in the back ground of this picture? Does it look like she has any idea where the ball is? Do you think that if the ball had gotten any where near her she would have known it? She is very focused on the goal and that darn goalie.

When the game was finally over and the soccer players hurried over to get their treats and their medals, Amberly was still standing by the other team's goal box. She may have been frozen solid. I called her name for a few minutes before she realized that the game had ended and she joined her team on the sidelines.

Amberly's major contribution to her soccer team this season was the beautiful poster she colored for her coach. She made sure to include each one of her teammates in the picture. What can I say? The girl is an artist. A soccer player, not so much--at least not until next year. Because after the game, I asked her if she wanted to play again next year. I was expecting her to say "no" like she did when I asked if she still wanted to take dance classes (she loved the tutu). She surprised me. She got a big smile and said, "yes! I love soccer."

"Jump Into Reading" Book Give-Away

As a mom I'm always looking for new and creative ways to teach my children to read. And more importantly to teach my children to LOVE to read. The new book Jump Into Reading (written and published locally in Utah) is packed with awesome activities for parents to do with their children of all ages to promote literacy.

If you're a mom or a teacher or a home schooler, you are going to want to get a copy of this book. This could be your lucky day because I have one copy of Jump Into Reading to give away to one reader of Utah Mom's Life Blog.

You can get multiple chances to win by doing the following:

1. Check out the Jump Into Reading website (http://www.readingideasforkids.com/), then leave a comment on this post.

2. Become a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog.

3. Add the new Utah Mom's Life Blog Button to your blog.

4. Spread the word on your other social media networking sites.

The winner of the copy of Jump Into Reading will be announced on Friday, October 16th.  And  watch for Jump Into Reading to be featured on Good Things Utah next week.

Halloween Block Winner

The winner of the Halloween Blocks from Vinyl Lettering Decor is . . .

Heather

Heather said...



"I love the Vinyl Lettering, and they have cute ideas and some neat phrases. :) (and of course I am a follower. wink wink ;)"

So, Heather, send me an email with your information so we can get the Halloween Blocks to you so that you can display them during the spooky season.

US Talking Puzzle - Fave Educational Toy

For Neal's second birthday we took him to Toys R Us so he could pick his own birthday present. We had wandered through the entire store and the only thing he wanted was a big red ball. We were already in the check-out line when he spotted the United States of America Talking Puzzle. He got so excited and we were excited too--it was an educational toy. And it was a map. Maps have special importance and significance at our house. My husband LOVES maps. There is always an atlas in our bathroom.

However, the box contained the warning: ages 4 and up. Neal was just turning two. There were really small pieces. He was a pretty careful kid and rarely put things in his mouth. And I was a pretty careful mom (possibly a little too attentive to my first child). So, we bought it.

Within a week, Neal could put it together by himself and knew the names and capitals of all the states (he could already talk very well). He referred to it as "The United States of America--Neal's Map". He carried it around to show everyone that came over to visit. They were all so impressed. We were so proud and positive that we had a genius child on our hands.

Amberly was eighteen months old when she pulled out the US Talking Puzzle. She examined all the pieces in her chubby little toddler fingers and put them carefully in their places. Thomas was not quite two years old when he discovered the puzzle. He too could do it right away and learned the names of the states.

The puzzle spends most of its time on a high shelf in the kids' closet (it does have a lot of little pieces). They can't reach it by themselves. Last week Lilly pointed to it and asked me to get it down for her. She asks for it every day. She puts it together over and over and repeats the names of the states as she places each state in it's spot with her stubby fingers while I watch to make sure she or Molly doesn't swallow West Virginia.

And so, either I have four genius children (which I'm inclined to believe) or nearly every toddler could and would master this toy if given the chance (more likely).

179th Semi-annual General Conference

General Conference weekends are typically some of my favorite times of the year. We usually pack up the kids and spend the weekend at my husband's parents' home in Emigration Canyon. We lounge around in our jammies, eat great food, visit with other members of the family who congregate, and of course watch General Conference on the big screen. This year my children had very runny, gross boogers (seriously, they are sick again!) so we decided that we better stay home. We watched conference on the computer in our loft, snuggling under blankets and wondering what happened to fall. My husband did join his dad, brothers and nephews for the Priesthood session and their traditional ice cream party. And he brought home left over stuff to make our traditional Reuben sandwiches. My mouth was happy.

Even though it didn't go exactly as planned, I still enjoyed conference weekend. Elder Holland has long been one of my favorite speakers and I have enjoyed his book Broken Things to Mend which is a compilation of some of his great talks. I think we all agree that he definitely did not disappoint this year. His testimony of the Book of Mormon was awesome and powerful and I'm anxious to watch it again (hopefully by Thursday).

We're all excited for the announcement of five new temples. My kids are already talking about attending the open house for the temple in Brigham City. Sister Dibb is just so cute. Her delivery was just like her father's and I loved it! My children are anxious to start their own jar of warm fuzzies and if it helps them be kinder to each other, I'm all for it. I'm thankful for all the reminders to love more and serve more. I am grateful for the optimistic messages in a troubling time. The musical numbers by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir were beautiful and moving.

Toward the end of the Sunday afternoon session, I start to feel a little like I do the day after Christmas. I'm sad that it's over and I'm already anxious for the April Conference. We are so so blessed to have living prophets and apostles speak to us and deliver God's message. I am grateful, rejuvenated and anxious to work at becoming a better mother, wife and friend.

The Witches at Gardner Village

Honestly, I've never spent a bad day at Gardner Village. It's just such a great place with fun shops and good food. And don't forget the fudge. October is one of my favorite times to visit Gardner Village because the place is simply haunted with witches.

This morning, I had the privilege to meet three very special miniature witches at Gardner Village for a photo session. These little witches were so adorable and their costumes (created by their fabulous mom) are awesome. You can't go wrong with photos at Gardner Village but we were blessed with especially good light today.

Make sure to include a visit to Gardner Village on your calendar this October and check out more of the little witches at Cindi Braby Photography Blog.

Halloween Blocks Give-away

The temperatures are chilly. The air is crisp. The pumpkins are on my front porch. The kids are finally thinking about what they want to be for Halloween. Yes, it's October.

To celebrate, I am giving away these adorable Halloween Word Blocks from

 Vinyl Lettering Decor.

You can enter to win by:

1. Check out Vinyl Lettering Decor. Then come back to Utah Mom's Life Blog and leave a comment about the awesome products at Vinyl Lettering Decor.

2. Become a follower of Utah Mom's Life Blog.

3. Tell your friends about Utah Mom's Life Blog on your blog or Facebook or Twitter or whatever other ways you use to get the word out. Back in the day, we used the phone but then we really didn't have all the awesome give-aways on blogs, either.

The winner will be announced on Friday, October 9, 2009. Good luck. By the way, this give-away is only open to residents in the US/Canada.

The Cereal Box Book Report

Neal took his finished book report to school this morning, one day early, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I should have taken a picture because I doubt I will ever see it in one piece again. His assignment was to create a cereal based on the book he read and then design a cereal box.

This would have been one of those assignments that I would have LOVED as a kid. I adored projects. Say the word project--science project, art project, history project, service project--man, I was all over it. I could even make projects out of simple assignments. Once in seventh grade the teacher assigned the class to make a timeline of our parents' lives (ours had been too short). I went home and spent the afternoon, evening and into the night working on a poster-sized timeline complete with pictures, artwork and big block letters detailing every event in my parents' lives (theirs hadn't been too long either, in fact my mother would have been younger than I am today. Oh, that makes me a little depressed).

The next morning, I handed in my huge project while the other kids handed in their time lines on lined notebook paper. They, of course, received full credit. They had indeed completed the assignment. I received full credit and a strange look from my teacher. He looked at me with that strange look the rest of the year. Hey, my science project on baldness that year took second place at the State Science Fair, but that's a story for another time.

So, fast forward about . . . um, several years and my son is assigned the cereal box book report. He has no problem reading the book or writing a report but anything involving scissors, glue, and markers completely alludes the kid. Add to that my perfectionist nature and excitement about projects and we have some serious issues. Last year I had to just turn my back, walk away and let him complete all the book report art projects on his own. His handwriting seriously pains me. This year I pulled out the construction paper, scissors, glue, markers and colored pencils and told him to get busy.

When I came to check his progress, I took one look at his drawing of a . . . he said it was a bear, and taught him how to look up clipart on the computer. And the computer is something the kid understands. With a little help from Microsoft Word, Neal soon had a completed (a little messy) book report. **Sigh**

Then I remember that the school year has just started and we must endure many more book reports and even some Utah history panoramas. One day at a time. One day at a time.

Cascade Springs and Alpine Loop - Out and About in Utah

I wanted to go for a drive up Alpine Loop and to Cascade Springs all weekend. For one reason or another (soccer games, lunch with grandparents and home teaching) we didn't make it. I knew the leaves were changing and I did not want to miss it so Neal and I concocted a scheme while I dropped off the other car pool kids.

As soon as we got home, Neal ran upstairs to finish his homework while I got shoes on the other kids and convinced my dear husband that we just had to go for a drive (it wasn't hard). Forty five minutes later (a record for us) we were on our way.

The colors are breathtaking (right now! don't wait too long to go). I loved hearing the "oohs" and "aahs" of my children from the back seat of the minivan.

The canyon road and overlooks were crowded with "mature" seniors in sporty convertibles and Lincoln town cars. As we got closer to our destination of Cascade Springs, I explained to the kids that there were mostly older people and that they needed to behave nicely and not run around the trails and board walks (I had horrible visions of them pushing nice old ladies with walkers into the springs). I continued to tell them that we wanted to hear the people say things like, "oh, what a lovely little family" or "what adorable children" and not things like, "I'm so grateful my children are all grown and have moved far, far away."

We got the very best parking space in the crowded lot, right next to the restrooms and the trail head. While my husband and I used the restroom and then took a few minutes strapping Molly into the Snugli, I was pleasantly surprised that the other kids waited patiently and didn't run on ahead.

It was only a few minutes after we started down the trail together that we passed an older couple returning to their car. With a smile, the sweet white-haired lady commented, "what a sweet family." I returned her smile and nodded my "thanks". Neal hurried to my side, beaming. "You were right, Mom," he said. He continued to be absolutely obedient the rest of the afternoon.

There really were a lot of senior citizens there--cute couples holding hands. When Amberly headed up a different trail with stairs where the stroller could not go, I called her to come back with us. She ignored me and continued up the stairs. An older gentleman had been sitting along the trail with his wife. He commented, "just leave her. She'll come back." Later as the kids all headed off the trail, I scolded, "don't get near the water." Another older gentleman, passing, whispered with a smile, "what's wrong with getting near the water? They'll just get wet."

I was grateful for their sweet words that reminded me to let my kids be kids and I was grateful that my kids were sweet kids.

I packed my camera along (of course) even though I hadn't planned on taking portraits. The kids' hair was messy and their clothes were dirty, but I got some good shots of the kids who would hold still. You can see more photos from our adventures at Cascade Springs at Cindi Braby Photography Blog. And look, some actual proof that I accompanied my family on this adventure. My son Neal, a budding photographer, took this picture of Lilly and me (without a shower and make-up and with my silly sun glasses).

Change

I'm not a big fan of change. I get comfortable with something one way, like my son's shoes or the arrangement of the furniture or the way I cook pork chops, and I stick with it.

So, this weekend I decided to part my hair on the other side (mostly to try to cover the thinning spots because my hair has fallen out like crazy since Molly was born). This is HUGE. I think I like it.

I'm in the mood for change.

P.S. Not the type of "change" that Obama was singing about last year. I could definitely do without that type of change.

Unlucky Number

My husband and I celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary on Sunday. I use the word "celebrated" quite loosely. In fact, he and a few of our children were sick so we cancelled our babysitter and spent Saturday night at home cleaning up after a stomach bug. I'm generally not superstitious and the number "13" hasn't meant much more to me than the number "12" but after this week (so far) I'm starting to wonder if the entire year is going to be like this.

My husband was starting to feel better on Monday and since he really needed/wanted to get out of the house and I needed to grocery shopping, we decided, rather foolishly, to take the entire family on a grocery-shopping-outing. As soon as I got home from driving the car pool after school, we loaded up the kids in the minivan and I grabbed my carefully organized shopping list and coupons, clipped and matched with the sales at the local grocery store.

We live in the boonies and so I try not to go to the grocery store very often. We were nearly to the store when the little tire warning light flashed and simultaneously we heard/felt the tell-tale signs of a flat tire. My husband pulled into the parking lot of a nearby store (just happened to be an auto parts store) and we set about changing the tire.

My husband works from home and he wears pajama pants about 90% of the time. If he has to go somewhere (other than church) or mow the lawn he puts on jeans. For some reason, he was wearing slacks. Isn't that ironic. The men in my husband's family are not known for their ability to 1. stay calm under pressure  2. work with anything mechanical. (I once watched five of his brothers and nephews stand around and watch another non-related guy put a bed together by himself.) and 3. stay calm while attempting to working with something mechanical.

That being said, I was really really proud of my dear husband. He didn't swear as he knelt on the pavement in his slacks removing the very flat tire while the wind blew and the baby screamed. He didn't throw anything or stomp on anything. I was really really proud that we managed to find the illusive spare tire--let's just say the engineers at Chrysler got very very creative. We got the spare tire on and drove the short distance to the Tire Center at Walmart.

While the helpful, cheerful guys at Walmart got busy fixing our tire, we browsed around Walmart. We should have just done my grocery shopping there and saved time and our sanity, but I had a very carefully planned list that maximized the coupons and the sales at Smith's. The car was finally finished (we had to tell the Walmart tire guys where to put the spare--they'd never seen such a strange place to store a spare) and we continued on to the grocery store two hours after we left home. We should have just turned around and gone home, but we had already driven that far and we do live in the boonies.

Even though I had explained to my dear husband and dear children that we were only getting the items on my carefully planned shopping list, my oldest son never left my right hip. He whined and begged and pleaded for every single thing in the store. He totally threw me off my shopping savvy game and reminded me why I usually go grocery shopping at night after he's already in bed. He so annoyed me that I actually refrained from getting some of the things on my list because he was begging for them. Then, in the check-out line he actually had the audacity to argue with me and the cashier when it turned out that one of the boxes of cereal was too big to be considered in the "buy 4 get . . ." sale. I remembered to give the cashier my coupons but I wasn't aware enough to make sure I was actually getting all the discounts and sales. When I got to the car and checked my receipt I was irritated to see that I should have saved at least another five dollars.

We finally got home and my oldest son spent an hour on the bench in the laundry room. The rest of us had a rushed dinner instead of the good meal we were planning followed by an abbreviated Family Home Evening and the kids went to bed. Finally. My husband and I settled down to watch our Netflix movie together. We got about a third of the way through (far enough to be interested) when the movie started skipping and then wouldn't continue. I took it out to clean it and discovered a crack on the edge of the DVD. And we really missed the tortilla chips we had planned to eat with the homemade salsa we had planned to make but didn't get to because I didn't buy the chips because my son was bugging me.

Tuesday morning we woke up to frost on the lawn and ice in the kids' water table. I picked all the red tomatoes and the peppers on Monday afternoon but I had held off on picking all the green tomatoes. They were ruined. Wasted.

Since it was chilly, I decided to dress Molly in the fall outfit that I bought her several months ago. It just barely fit. Surprised and confused, I checked the tags and discovered that I had purchased the outfit in the three month old size. What had I been thinking? She was three months old when I bought it but surely I would have realized that by the time it got cool enough to wear the outfit, she would already be six months old! We did take some cute pictures of her wearing it but she won't be able to fit her chubby little self in it for long. (You can see more at Cindi Braby Photography Blog.)

And then a salesperson knocked on my door this afternoon. I don't know what possessed me to let her in. She was selling meat. Maybe I was hungry. Whatever reason, I bought the meat. I talked her down over 50% from the "original price" but as soon as I signed the check and she left the house, I felt sick to my stomach. (My husband is giving me a hard time, nicely.) Now, I am just annoyed with myself. Irritated.

Well, at least I do have an adorably cute baby and next time my husband and I need to celebrate and the kids get sick, we'll already have steaks in the freezer. Oh, and I wouldn't want to spend this thirteenth year with anyone but my dear husband. I love you, babe.

The Winner

KMJ,

you're the winner of the family four-pack to the Museum of Ancient Life. Send me an email and I'll mail the tickets to you right away. Congratulations and I hope you enjoy the museum.

National Exploratorium Exhibition at Thanksgiving Point (and a Give-away!)

Last week, The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point opened it's first National Exploratorium Exhibition "Motors, Magnets and the Mind". It includes individual exhibits that feature hands-on activities. This traveling exhibition will be at Thanksgiving Point until September 2010 and is part of the regular admission to the museum ($10, adults; $8 children).

It's an exciting time at Thanksgiving Point. They now have an exclusive, five-year agreement with the Exploratorium Network to provide great, hands-on, learning exhibitions. They will be at the Museum of Ancient Life for the next two years until the completion of the Museum of Natural Curiousity.

Also, "Design Squad", a national PBS Kids show will be filming an episode at Thanksgiving Point's Museum of Ancient Life on Saturday, September 26th at 11:30 a.m. The public is invited to come and watch the live taping of the show and meet the cast. It's free. And if you want to stay and see the new "Motors, Magnets and the Mind" exhibit, PBS is offering their club members a two-for-one entrance with your membership card.

And finally, I have a family four-pack for free admission to the Museum of Ancient Life and therefore to the "Motors, Magnets and Mind" exhibit to give-away to one lucky reader of Utah Mom's Life Blog.

The rules are simple (as always):

1. You get one entry for leaving a comment on this post.

2. You get one entry for being a follower of this blog.

3. You can get a third chance to win by spreading the word. Post a link to Utah Mom's Life on your blog or Facebook and let everyone know about this give-away. Come back and tell me about it an additional comment on this post.

Good luck. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, September 18th!

Knowonder!*

I love opening my mailbox and finding a package inside--especially because it's usually the book I've recently ordered. On Wednesday, I received a package, rushed inside to open it and was delighted to find a copy of a new magazine just for parents. It's not a typical parenting magazine that includes articles about potty training and quizzes to find out if your toddler is gifted. It's a delightful little collection of stories to read to your children each night before bed or any other time.

Most nights when I put my kids to bed I'm exhausted too and when they ask me to tell them a story, I'd really rather just lay beside them and sing. They like singing but they really want to hear a story. There are times when I'm feeling creative and can make up a great exciting tale right there on the spot, but those times are increasingly more rare. This little magazine (I love it's small, portable, easy-to-hold size) is a solution. Each month I'll get 30 new stories to read to my kids written by other parents. There's even a place for my children to rate the stories. At the end of the month, I can go to the Knowonder website and pick our favorites who will then be eligible for a prize.This little volume also includes art by children and additional activities for parents and children.

If I am feeling particularly creative and come up with a great story, I can submit it to Knowonder for a chance to be published in a future edition. This is a great opportunity for aspiring authors to get their work published and get feedback from young little readers.

The best part (could it actually get better?) is that this little magazine is free. Yes, FREE (oh, I love that word). You can pick up a copy at many local (it's local to Utah--I love this inovative, family-friendly place) libraries and stores or view the on-line version right on your computer. Or if you are like me and just like having it delivered directly to your mailbox you can also subscribe for a small fee.

Don't miss this new magazine. Parents and kids will love it. I think I'll have to get a second copy to stash in the car or my purse for those "waiting" moments when we all need a little entertainment.

Happy Labor Day!

Four years ago today I was in labor with my third child. Fortunately, the labor only lasted two short hours before I gave birth to the most darling, cuddly little baby boy. He has brought so much joy and amusement to our family. Nearly everyone who meets him falls under the spell of his "sapphire blue eyes".

Today we are celebrating his birthday in our very casual way. He and I and a few of the other members of our family have a cold (yes, it seems that someone is always sick) so we uninvited the guests who would have joined us for dinner and cake. His sister has been wrapping various items from around the house in blankets and presenting them to a very pleased little boy. He always responds with a surprised and excited sense of glee as he unwraps his copy of The Polar Express--"Oh, a book about a train!" or some of his Hot Wheels--"I like cars! Thanks!"

When my husband gets home from the store with more powdered sugar, I will make the frosting for his cake. Hopefully, it will end up the way he wants. THE CAKE is the only thing that he wants and the primary symbol of growing another year older. He marks his age progression by his cakes. Last week when I was so frustrated by our potty training failures, I threatened him that he would not get his birthday cake unless he started going potty ON THE POTTY! Yes, I may have been yelling a little bit. It was mean, I admit it. But it worked (knock on wood). So far, he hasn't had an accident since. Are you starting to understand the importance of the birthday cake?

For weeks before his birthday, he pulls out the "cake book" that his aunt kindly gave us for Christmas several years ago. I always think that I have hidden it well enough and he always manages to find it. He looks through it several times a day carefully studying each one (while I make underhanded and subliminal suggestions about the cakes that look the easiest to recreate). He ignores me. Maybe he would like that dinosaur cake or the UFO cake or maybe the turtle cake. Last year he finally decided on the frog cake.

I do not decorate cakes. I admit that right now. I am the type to bake a cake in a pan and frost it and then eat it quickly. Sometimes I make cupcakes. Normal ones. Nothing fancy. Not a bit like the ones Kara makes. Or better yet, I buy the cake from Costco--like on Saturday when my family got together to celebrate the birthdays of my son and two of my nephews.

So, last Thursday when he had decided that he wanted the "tiger cake", I seriously considered inviting a sweet young woman from my neighborhood who is talented and artistic to come over and recreate the tiger. I went to bed last night thinking: "I've got to go to the store and get Oreos, red licorice strings, chocolate sprinkles, orange food coloring and pretzels and I need to call Kathryn." Then, this morning after we sang a quick Happy birthday song, he announced that he has changed his mind. He no longer wants a tiger cake. He wants an Earth cake (I really hope this is not a result of all the "Green Brainwashing" and maybe just because he likes to watch Planet Earth). And I think I can handle that. We'll see when my husband returns with the powdered sugar. Wish me luck.

And maybe someone can help me with this one: yesterday he was singing a little song and he sang "my family is insane." I asked him where he learned that song and he said it was from the singers that wear the blue dresses and the black suits. We figured out that he meant the Mormon Tabernacle Choir but we still haven't determined which song he is singing. Any ideas?

The Photogenic Winner

The winner of the Photography Package Give-Away is . . .

Heidi BC

Send me an email and we'll schedule a time to take your family pictures. I look forward to working with you.

Introducing Lisa and her Turkey Burgers

I am so excited to introduce one of my very favorite people. Lisa was just a little girl when I married her uncle. We were buddies even then and we always enjoyed her visits to Utah. She was fun, easy-going and had a great sense of humor. We spent hours playing MarioKart; building snowmen; looking for moose and dyeing Easter eggs. Now she's an adult and a student at BYU. Lisa has grown up to be all the things she was as a child as well as considerate, gracious, ambitious and a talented chef.



A few years ago Lisa suffered some severe health problems. She endured much and worked hard to overcome her illness. Part of the cure involves a specific diet. She now carefully follows the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. In her words: "Basically I can't have any carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, vegetables, and nuts. So this means no starch of any kind, and I also can't have lactose or sugar (other than natural sugar found in fruit and honey)." Although this was very limiting, Lisa relied on her background (she spent hours watching the FoodNetwork as a kid) and love of cooking to create tasty and nutritious meals.



Lisa has amazed us all with her delicious and healthy creations. We love having her over to cook for us. I recently invited Lisa to share some of her amazing recipes with the readers of Utah Moms Life. She agreed and today I am excited to offer her first recipe:



Turkey Burgers


Turkey Burgers
1.5 lb (1 package) lean ground turkey
Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1.5 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt
pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together until just blended. Make sure not to over stir or the burgers won’t be as tender.
2. Form the patties into small rounds and flatten until about ½ inch thick. Making them this thin will allow you to cook them quickly and keep in the moisture of the lean turkey.
3. Heat a nonstick pan on the stove at medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the patties making sure not to overcrowd the pan. You may need to do it in patches. Cook about 4-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Top the patties with sliced Monterey Jack cheese.
5. Serve with guacamole, and sautéed red onions (I slice up the remaining ¾ of the red onion used in the turkey burgers and sauté them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.) Enjoy!




Because Lisa faithfully follows her diet, she serves the scrumptious burgers on a bed of lettuce. I'll probably serve them on toasted buns. I wonder if I could hide some zucchini in there. :) Enjoy this recipe and watch for more of Lisa's delicious and nutritious creations.

Photo Package Give-Away

It's almost fall and time to get an updated family portrait to send with the annual Christmas cards. Cindi Braby Photography has new special pricing:

$20 for a family session

$30 for a CD with 10-15 processed images of your choice

I'm also offering a free family sitting and CD (a $50 value) as a give-away this week (if you live in the Wasatch Front or are willing to travel to the Wasatch Front). The rules for this give-away are the same as the others.

1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. Become a follower of Utah Moms Life Blog.

The winner (picked through my very random method) will be announced on Friday, September 4th.

An Abundance

I love this time of the year when the veggies in the garden are ripe and delicious and I can get food for dinner right out of my back yard. Right now we have a lot of zucchini and peppers. I've been trying to work them into our regular meals. I've been pretty creative.

• Last Friday, I added sauteed peppers, onions and zucchini to our chili.
• Saturday, we cranked up the air conditioning and our friends came over to hide from the heat. Using some peppers and onions the husbands whipped up some awesome Ginger Beef.
• On Sunday, my dear husband sauteed chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and artichoke hearts in Zesty Italian dressing. Normally we serve this over pasta but we were in a hurry and ate it without the noodles.
• Monday for dinner, I added sauteed (it's a theme) zucchini, peppers, onions and mushrooms to the spaghetti sauce.
• Wednesday night I made omelets with sauteed zucchini, peppers, onions and jalapenos.
• And tonight, hiding under the cheese on the individual-sized homemade pizza--you guessed it--sauteed zucchini, peppers and onions.

We'll just keep eating it until they're gone or until the kids go on strike. I should probably just make a zucchini cake at this point.

Oh, and if you have ripe tomatoes already (mine are still green), here's a great recipe for easy fresh restaurant-style salsa (courtesy of my dear dear soon-to-be-a-famous-chef niece):

In a blender mix tomatoes (I use a can of tomatoes), some jalapeno (depending on the heat you want), an onion, some garlic, some cilantro, and maybe some cayenne pepper if you want it hotter. Turn on the blender and chop it all up. Enjoy.

For some reason, I have been unable to create a really hot salsa this summer. I added an entire jalapeno pepper and an Anaheim pepper this weekend and it was still mild. Those darn, wimpy peppers.

Giveaway! Today only. Tuesday, August 25th

HI! I am being featured on giveawaytoday.blogspot.com today only. I am giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to my online store :) Go and enter to win. They have a new giveaway every day and the winner is announced the next day! FUN! Thanks :)

Jen from babyblvd.blogspot.com

Talkative Three Year Old

Thomas is closing in on his fourth birthday and this kid has plenty of things to say. Sometimes we have to try so hard not to laugh especially when he's being so serious. Here are a few of our favorites from the last week.

At dinner the other night: "My life is so hard and it just keeps getting harder."

After lightening struck right over head and we ran to the car, he screamed: "Death and dismemberment! Death and dismemberment!"

To me: "Mommy, can I see your farkles?"

When we asked him who had broken the toy he answered, "Lilly did it." His Dad asked, "What would Jesus say?" Thomas replied, "He would say someone else did it."

After church I asked him how Primary was, he said, "In Primary, I have two choices. I can sit and sing or I can sit and be quiet." "What did you choose?" I asked. He said, "I just sat. In my class we have no choices."

"Not Even Once"

Elder Russell M. Nelson, apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife Sister Wendy Watson Nelson were invited to address The World Congress of Families on Wednesday, August 13, 2009 in Amsterdam. Sister Nelson's talk called "Not Even Once" was especially moving and offers great advice for improving our families, neighborhoods, country and world. Elder Nelson's talk also puts forth a strong stance in support of families in the every nation and country. Sister Sheri Dew spoke at the conference as well.