Cookie Cutters GIVEAWAY

It happens every 5 weeks. An outing with me and my boys.
They start to look like monkeys, cause their hair is SO long ... so we head to our favorite kids salon to get haircuts! (featured in Creating Keepsakes Feb 2011 Issue. Posted with permission)

I used to cut Bryson's hair, until I became blind in one eye. The day that I nicked his ear with the buzzers, is the day I decided to try out Cookie Cutters.
You walk in, and there is a slide in the waiting room, plus a little computer that the kids can play games on. Next they choose a movie to watch. Then they pick where they want to sit. They have a choice to sit in an airplane, on a motorcycle, or in a car. If all that doesn't work, there is even Bubbles to blow! After their hair cut they get a balloon, attached to a cookie cutter and a sucker. It seriously is the BEST! My boys just LOVE to get their haircut. Not only do they do a good job, but the experience is just as great!

Today when I went in, I brought them a extra Feb. issue of CK so they could enjoy the page done about their salon, and gave me a FREE HAIRCUT certificate for a lucky blog reader. (Aren't they amazing?) You can only use your certificate in Utah :( sorry non local readers!

Bountiful
535 W 400 N
West Bountiful, UT 84010

Cottonwood Heights
1875 Fort Union Blvd
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121

Draper
1223 East Draper Pkwy # B
Draper, UT 84020

Lehi
1438 Main Street Suite 11
Lehi, UT 84043
(This is the one I go to)

Providence Utah
555 W 100 N Suite E
Providence, UT 84332

Salt Lake City
1295 E. Miller Avenue
Salt Lake City , UT 84106

South Jordan
11587 S. District Main Drive
South Jordan, UT 84095

Be sure to leave a comment of why you need a free haircut! I will be choosing a lucky winner in the next few days!
GOOD LUCK

OH and fun posts are coming soon. I am enjoying a break from stress ;)

Photobooks

Today is the day I am on Studio 5! Last Thursday Darin Adams (one of the hosts) called me and asked me if I wanted to come on the show. He wanted me to come on Tuesday, however it was my 30th birthday! {I'll do another post about that in a day or so} So we agreed to do the segment on Thursday instead.

It was funny that they should ask me to do this segment, and especially this week. Here is the reasoning:
First, I have been researching photobooks for 3 weeks, trying to determine which company best suits my interest.
Next, I have had my mind set on doing photobooks for a project for the past 5 years, however haven't gotten to it.
Last, It was a great opportunity to get my buns in gear and actually do this project.

I can't wait to tell you about it. Enjoy the clip for now, and then come back in a day or so, and I can give you more details about the MANDY DOUGLASS library of memories. My journal was a sneak peek ... and I will soon reveal my personal philosophy on scrapbooking. You can cut the suspense with a knife, can't ya!
M

Giveaway winners!

I am SO inspired by all of you and your motivation to record your lives. I am so blessed to have you all in my life. So I figured tonight would be a great night to choose the winners for the giveaway! Don't ya think?

Random Counter here you go!

Suzi said...
This looks like a lot of fun. I would love to create one. Thanks for the opportunity!

Suzi


smileynann said...
I am a mom to 4 1/2 kids, and I HAVE to be more organized this year - I'd love one!

Natalie, Springville, UT


Amanda said...
Wow how wonderful! I could really use this to organize my scrapbooking. I typically get around to scrapping pictures once every 2-3 months. I love the idea of recording thoughts in one book to then transfer to completed pages. Thanks for the giveaway!~

and last but not least

Tracy said...
This looks like a perfect opportunity to do something for my dad. I would love to have one Thanks for the giveaway!

Be sure to email me your address so I can get these to you fast! I wish that I could just send one to all of you! I have really enjoyed this activity the past couple of years and can't wait to start this next one. I had a lot of people show interest in getting one of these journals for yourself if you didn't win. Here is the link:
First click here for the planner
or click here for the journal

Just FYI, I use the 6" x 8". It is worth EVERY penny!

Tomorrow is Studio 5, so be sure to check back for the video. It is all about Photobooks!
Mandy

Out with the Old ... in with the New & a giveaway

I have always felt like keeping a journal has been important. However, other than scrapbooking, I haven't been the best at keeping an actual journal, until about 2009. For those of you that are somewhat new to my blog, click here to get the lo-down of what happened that year.

I have had so many feelings I needed to write down, so many appointments I needed to keep track of, and I was given this awesome product to use for a project for CK.It has a monthly calendar, and also breaks down each day with lines to record events. I started to record a few things here and there, Dr. Appointments, etc. then I started to write on the following empty sheets of journaling space details about things that month. It has been an awesome exercise for me! I just finished 2010 ... here is how it turned out (or at least a few of the pages):First is the cover. Each book comes with see-through covers and archival pockets at the front of each month. I chose to make a little list to tell the main events in my life from that month for the title page of each month. Each are exactly the same. I use the opposite side of the sheet protector to display a picture of me in that month. (It has been difficult, seeing that I take most of the pictures in our family. Last, each night I take a minute and record with bullets the happenings of each day. Following that, you have either the dates with lines, or in the journal you have a few pages of blank lines to record in better detail, some of the main events, or happenings from this month. (I have done both and like them both) In 2010 I used the Journal
I have loved this so much, that I decided to see if the makers of this AWESOME planner / journal would be willing to do a giveaway! They have been so generous, and I will be giving a few away!

Be sure to leave me a comment of how you think this would benefit you! I will be picking a few winners in a few days! Good luck!
M

Potty Training

Yes ... it is time ...

Santa brought the CHOO CHOO train underwear, and a turtle toilet seat! CHECK

Lots of treats and licorice for when Bryce goes on the potty! CHECK

Giving lots of juice and asking every five minutes if he needs to go. CHECK

Bought some pull ups ... no more diapers. CHECK

So why in the world is it not working? Now I can sympathize with every mommy who has ever potty trained! This is a NIGHTMARE!

Any great ideas or books to reference? Need some serious help!

In the meantime, Studio 5 called again. Going on the Thursday. Can't wait to tell you about it! Stay tuned!
M

Cooking with Camille: Studio 5 TV Appearance- Moist Chocolate Deluxe

I have to tell you, I have the most TALENTED friends anyone could ask for! I told a lot of you about my awesome friend Camille who wrote This cookbooka few months back. Well I thought it was so amazing and I LOVE to cook out of it, and so I told the producers at Studio 5 about her ... AND ... they called her ask her to come on the show to tell about her book and share a recipe!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Today Adam went back to school and I have to say I have been in a little bit of a slump all day long! It's not fun not really seeing your husband much. SO in honor of Camille's TV Debut, and needing a little cheering up, I made her recipe, Moist Chocolate Deluxe (aka the one person portion of "Better than sex cake") that she showed on today's show! Click here for the recipe!

CAN I SAY EVEN BETTER THAN YUM! I was thinking I would save a little portion of it for Adam to try ... not a chance. I BLINKED and it was gone! Glad it only made one ramekin ... otherwise I would have eaten WAY too much! Great portion for your new years diet! :)

Club CK

So I know I just announced that I am resigning my position at CK, however I did say that I would be included on special projects, and so I will involved in the "Style Swapp Week" on Club CK!

In the January 2011 Issue of CK I decided to try a different style to match Maggie Holmes:How do you think I did?

It was SUCH a fun exercise, so I thought I would invite you to come join in the fun! First click here to go to CLUB CK! Next click on the Style Swapp Week link.

* Take a quiz to discover which style of scrapbooker you are. But remember, just because you might naturally be a one type of scrapbooker doesn't mean you can't give another style a try. Be brave and mix it up for the new year!

* Learn more about groups on Club CK, and then join a style group. We have groups for each style listed in the "New Scrap Beginnings: A New Scrap Style for a New Year" article in the January 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.

* Post your layouts and join in the fun! Contributing Writers and Dream Team members (including me) will be ready to give you style coaching and constructive criticism on your scrapbook pages. Get ready to create your new favorite layout!

* Enter to win one of eight prizes by participating!

Sounds like fun right? SO if you have ever wanted some feedback from me on one of your layouts, now is the time to post it. I am following all of the groups, but will be focusing on the "cutesy" group!
Have a great Style Swapp Week!

A New Year ... Some New Information!

So I'm only about a week late on posting my New Year post ... but what matters is that it is a new year, and I am still contributing to this blog.

First, A HUGE thank you to all of my readers! 2010 was an amazing year, and I feel like I have been so blessed to have interacted with all of you.

Next ... a big announcement
As of December 31 my contract with Creating Keepsakes ended. As I contemplated resigning, my mind kept going back to my sweet boys and the husband I don't get to see much lately, and I have decided to decline the offer to resign. It has been a hard decision for me to make, but it has been the RIGHT decision for me.

So where does this leave me with Scrapbooking? with CK? with other design work? Well, I have some great design offers in the works! I am still going to be scrapbooking, and hopefully will have more time to post projects that I will get to do. You will still be seeing my work in CK through the majority of the 2011 year (because we work in advance to the month of course), and I will still be available to special projects and they are presented to me ... SO you'll still be seeing a little bit of me around CK. As for the other projects, freelance design, etc. You will just have to stay tuned to my blog to see the fun things that are coming!

THANK you to ALL of the CK team, to the many incredible people I have had the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with and working with. Thank you for the most amazing, creative, learning, and excitement for the past 2 1/2 years. Thank you for choosing me as the Scrapbooker of the Year. It has been a dream come true! CK sent this darling cookie bouquet on the ending day of my contract. I have always wanted one of these and it was SO very fun to receive! THANK YOU CK! And thank you to everyone for supporting this wonderful journey of mine!

Lets finish up 2010 shall we?

Christmas was such a crazy season for me. What I needed was a good week or two, recuperating with my husband! Thanks for your patience with me as I get my life in order. I have lots of fun things to tell you, however I didn't feel like it was fair to leave you hanging on the rest of my 25 days until Christmas Countdown. Sorry for the long wait!

On day 23 ... we headed to Thanksgiving Point to look at the lights, and the car line was CRAZY long. It would have taken us 2 hours ... so we headed and got an Ice Cream Cone at JCW's. Not the most incredible holiday activity, however we were together as a family, and that is what made it a great holiday evening!

For Christmas Eve ... We started out the day sledding. It has been a Christmas tradition in my family for years. I forgot my camera for the evening events ... but sledding is always followed by a dinner with soup and scones, decorating sugar cookies for Santa, and this year we did a scavenger hunt for the kids to find great things that symbolize Christmas, and then tell the children what they mean! (Candy Cane, Star, etc). It was awesome.

Last was opening Christmas Jammies!
This year I couldn't find jammy pants that were all matching for the boys. So I bought a pair of pants for Adam at Target, then I got another pair that were the same but that were XXXL. I cut two pair of pants out for the boys ... and WALA! For $4 each, I had pants for my boys!

Christmas Morning was awesome and it was SO much fun that the boys were able to open their own presents and LOVED playing with all their new toys!!

Adam had an ENTIRE week off of School and work, so rather than spending time on my computer ... I enjoyed being with my little family.

We enjoyed a day skiing with Adam's brother, nephew and niece.
Watching movies, watching football, drinking hot cocoa ... trying to stay warm (it was CRAZY cold here in Utah) ... doing our annual one puzzle a year, {Mug from my cute friend Becky ... LOVE IT! Thanks Becks! (from anthropology}
...and taking down Christmas. I have to say, it was a relief after looking at my poor little Christmas tree ... those of you who have ever had a 2 year old and or 18 month old will understand why my decor looks so sad!

It was a wonderful season, a great week, and now reality of life is back. I have more updates for you about the new year ... but I think I will leave that for another post tomorrow! Hope your Christmas was amazing!
Merry Christmas AND Happy NEW YEAR!!

HappyNewYear

I am still here, just spending a few days with my husband. He had a full week off of work and doesn't go back to school for another week. I am spending as much time as I can with him. Thanks for understanding! I will be back soon!
M