Looking for Advice. . .

Hey Girlies,

I have a quick question for all of you, which I will eventually get to. But I'll preface it by saying that it's a little meatier than most subjects tackled here. I'm just looking for your collective perspective. So here's the background to the upcoming question:

Lately I have found myself having a harder time than usual being a stay-at-home mom. There have been a lot of things that have all contributed to this at once. Firstly, my social network completely imploded after the move. Also, I am reallly pregnant. Huge. Very whale-like, which has contributed to my fatigue and over-all orneriness. Third, I know you all thought she was cute, but Nora, also known as The Mistress of Destruction, is really taking the stars out of my eyes about being the mother of a toddler lately. At lastly (and I hesitate to even mention this) there was the mixed blessing of being R.S. President. Even though it was hectic and crazy, there was a great reward in knowing that what I did daily made a difference.

Now, dudes, clarification: I'm fine and doing well. I'm still very much happy with my life, I don't need to be put on the temple prayer roll, and don't send out sympathy cards yet. I have a testimony of staying at home with my kiddies. I am thrilled to have a house, and am really liking Ohio. I am just searching for ways to find more satisfaction in doing the laundry and sweeping for the tenth time today and constantly breaking up bickering, oooo and cooking dinner. I struggle with liking that.

So my question is this: Do you ever experience feelings like this? What makes being a stay-at-home mom hard for you? What makes it worth it to you? What gives you daily satisfaction? Where does your inspiration come from?

Thanks, feel free to share.

Miss you guys.

New Recipe Blog

Alright girls... I seem to be all over the country this summer (and out of the country soon) and I didn't want to pack all my favorite recipes around with me, so I started a recipe blog. Now remember, I am NOT A CHEF. All my recipes are easy, and honestly, a lot of them have come from you! So I am sharing it with you, and I am still trying to decide whether to make this a shared blog. I mean, would anyone else want to write on it, or do we not need another blog?:) Anyway, check it out if you need something new. I'll update it again soon, I only threw on my favorites before I left.

If Pam Can Cook

my new favorite shorts

K, remember the H & M shorts we all bought? I haven't found any I like as well until now:

http://www.charlotterusse.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3454702

LOVE these. Super long, slim fit, they have the teenager odd sizing, I went up a size (I'm an 8 so got a 9) and they're perfect.

beauty tip

Alright I know nobody wants beauty tips from me of all people but I've hit on something absolutely genius, which makes me think everybody else has probably been doing this since 7th grade, but I'm throwing it out there for any other late bloomers like myself. What do YOU shave your legs with? For years I was a soap and water girl, occassionally treating myself to actual shaving cream, but lately I've been using up my old hair conditioners that I'm sick of and DANG that stuff is amazing! Smoothest shave ever, no razor burn, I don't even have to do lotion after. Try it, you'll like it.

Kid Books

Just a couple great books for kids: "Trout, Trout, Trout: A Fish Chant" and "Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant". "Bird, Bird, Bird: A Chirping Chant" has a different illustrator which doesn't make the book quite as appealing.

Here they are on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=trout+trout+trout&x=0&y=0&sprefix=trout%2C+trout+

Zoo Pass

This may be cheating a little, but . . . here is a great deal on a zoo membership. A friend in my ward here told me about it. It's called Happy Hollow Zoo, in San Jose, CA. Most zoos have the same reciprocation program so with a membership to one, you can get into other zoos across the country. But the great thing about this one is that you also get into a whole list of other museums/science centers/discovery centers. Here's their reciprocation list. Scroll past the list of zoos to see the list of science centers you can also get into - looks like there are lots in WI.
Plus, its cheap.
Right now they have a "2 years for the price of 1" deal. They are closed for renovation, but still selling memberships. So I believe we paid $70 for a 2-year membership. (A membership to Seattle's zoo is $95 for 1 year).
(This is a way better sales pitch than the one I just sent out to our RS email for a free old high chair with no straps so your kid can fall out onto his head).
Also, it says on there somewhere that some of the reciprocation places listed may offer a discount instead of free admission, but we've used it at a few other places and all have been free - you may just want to check with your zoo first. There's my disclaimer.

Binding Help

Abby, thanks for letting me do this.

For those of you who want to make cute blankets, but need a little help with the binding, here it is.

Cutting the Binding into strips


How to piece and sew them together


How to sew the corners


How to finish it up