Favorite Things 2013

From time to time I enjoy posting about some of the things {food, gadgets, design elements, etc.} that I'm currently into. I always like hearing about those kinds of things from other people, and it's a fun record of my likes and interests at any given time. I think it's important for my kids and posterity to realize I'm a real person with real likes and hobbies, so here's some of what I've been enjoying as of late:

Grilled pizza!! Our Best Bites has some great recipes and how-to info in their books/blog (this is their photo). I've been curious about trying this for a long time, but didn't believe it would work. But, with a little practice, we've become pros this summer, and now it's one of our favorite ways of eating pizza, especially in the summer. My tips: keep 'em small (easier to manage on the grill), have all your toppings/sauces handy so you can work fast, use an upper rack if possible to let cheese melt but not overcook your crust, and buy pre-made dough!

Cookie butter ... if you haven't tried this, you need to! I might even like it more than Nutella (I know, gasp!). Try it spread on the chocolate-dipped Biscoff cookies, and you might be in heaven (or sugar shock).

And to offset the pizza and cookie spread, I've gotten hooked on not-so-green (but still green!) smoothies. We get a TON of blackberries off our vines, but they're tart and only good for jam, pies, and ... smoothies!  My favorite blend right now is blackberries, banana, orange, and spinach. I know I'm slow on the green smoothie trend, but I'm always surprised by how refreshed and good I feel after drinking one! Lately I've been having one every day at lunch or breakfast. And the best part is the boys knock them down! Eliot even requests the spinach ... nice!

This color toenail polish. Most days I struggle to feel anywhere near pretty. If I manage to get showered and out of workout clothes, it's a great day! But having a bright pop of feminine color on my toes always helps me feel like more than a perma-ponytail mommy!

I've been using the MyFitnessPal website off and on for almost a year now as I've been participating in some health and fitness challenges. A friend of mine teaches online college Nutrition classes, and this is the site she recommends. The database is amazing, and it's really informative to see the breakdown of calories and nutrition facts of what you're eating. My weight has still fluctuated and I'm actually in a bit of a weight slump right now, but I think I'm learning a lot about my eating habits and counting calories. I think I'm definitely better about getting more fruits and veggies in my diet. If you're working on weight loss or just improving or monitoring your nutrition, I definitely recommend this program!

Speaking of nifty technology tools ... I LOVE the improvements the Church has made to the Gospel Library app!! I love being able to toggle back and forth among several references at once during lessons and look things up right on the spot! One of my favorite things about Gospel Library is being able to listen to the scriptures and lessons. I've slacked in my scripture study, and recently confided the fact at a visiting teaching appointment. My VT companion mentioned she listens to the scriptures every morning when putting on her makeup, and I took her suggestion and have been so much more successful ever since!

And I just love these bluetooth headphones Grant got me for my birthday. I love maximizing my time by listening to audio books while I clean the house, and it is so nice to not have cords from my headphones getting in my way! (I also love them for running and exercise, too.)

And now on to the dreaming portion ....

One of my favorite HGTV shows right now is Property Brothers, and on a recent episode, I found myself coveting the couple's retro appliances! They were the answer to my appliance dilemma ... I like shiny and sleek but after owning a stainless steel fridge, I don't love the upkeep! Tada!! The retro appliances the couple had were perfect and beautiful and unique!  I had a hard time finding anything exactly like they had, but these kind of give the idea ...

This fridge is a lot like what they had, and with the finished kitchen, it looked so awesome! 

And I love the creamy, buttery look of this range!

Topped off with a gorgeous, character-filled, functional butcher block island, you've got my dream kitchen!

If only, right?!

There you have it, some of my favorites and wish list items ... for this year, at least! I'd love to hear your comments on your favorite products and/or wish list items!

JH

My parents have a time share in Jackson Hole, and this was our first year getting to go up with them! I had been there a number of times when I was at Ricks, but never in the summer and only to go downtown to shop, go out to dinner, etc. I was blown away by the beauty of the area and by how much there is to do and see! We're looking forward to spending more time up there in the future, but during our quick weekend trip, this is some of what we saw ... 

The Tetons were as gorgeous as ever.

And I fell in love with Jenny Lake. The water was crystal clear, and there were mounds of rocks that were just right for ...

 

rock skipping (do you see the two splashes I caught on camera?!), ...

 

for little boys to throw, ...

 

... and make rock "creations" with.

It was a peaceful, laid-back morning at the lake. Next time we want to take the boat across and hike to Inspiration Point.

 

We got a picture of our Moose with a moose! (And saw three real ones, along with a bear swimming in the river, a couple of beaver dams, and plenty of chipmunks.)

And of course had to take touristy pictures at the elk horn arches in the main square!

 

 

The boys!

 

Eliot even earned a Junior Sheriff badge from a mounted volunteer officer!

And he found a moose hat and a "Darth Moose" T-shirt ... perfect!

And we caught the wild west show ...

 

The story line and acting was okay.

 

And the gunshots were REALLY loud!

 

They scared poor Zachers to death!

 

Eliot with "Jackson Jessie" after the show.

And we had some acting of our own after the show ...

 

My dad and Grant -- the two attorney "outlaws!"

 

You've heard of "hung" juries -- why not hung attorneys?!

And the scenery on the drive home was picture perfect. These are taken from the car window and still turned out lovely.

 

 

We had a rainy drive home ...

 

... And some very tired boys.

 

Sure sign of a great trip. Already looking forward to the next time we get to go!

Return to Rexburg

On our way to Jackson Hole, we made a stop in Rexburg to pay tribute to my Alma Mater, Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). I haven't been back since all the changes that came with Ricks becoming a university, so the temple, conference center, and all the other big changes (including the rebuilt Spori Building, which burned down when I was on my mission) that have happened since my college years were quite a surprise! I was worried that with all the growth, the "Spirit of Ricks" would fade away and the school would be different, but just walking on campus, I felt that same powerful feeling that I felt there as a student and as I reflect on my Ricks experience. I honestly teared up just walking around and trying to explain to Grant how special that place is and how much I treasure the opportunities I had there. Happy to see that the Ricks Spirit is still there and that even more students now have the opportunity to experience it.

At the Taylor Building with my kiddos. This was the newest building on campus when I was there. It's the religion building and where I attended church.

Here I am in front of a BYU-Idaho sign in front of the amazing new conference center. It is seriously a not-so-mini version of the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. I was blown away by the auditorium. A building the campus and students can truly be proud of, for sure! BYU-Provo has nothing like this!

At the rebuilt Spori Building. The old one was where I spent most of my time while I was at Ricks, since it housed the Communications Department and the Ricks College Scroll offices. I was an editor on the newspaper staff and proud to be a "Scrollie." I visited the Scroll offices (where my friend Melissa is now one of the advisors -- so awesome!) and of course picked up a copy of the latest edition!

My homes away from home. Left -- Dorm 5, where I lived my freshman year (now boys dorms ... glad I didn't go waltzing through the gate!), and #304 of Birch Plaza my second year. The door was open, and I was tempted to go up and ask to walk through (but I got too shy ...)!

And, in honor of the place where I learned to run (and like it!), we of course had to stop at the water tower up on the hill (where I used to run and feel my lungs burn from the frigid air!) and the track at the football stadium, right across from Birch Plaza, where my roommates Corie, Brooke, and I used to jog laps at night (and often, when I was running stairs, got passed up by President Bednar!).

One of the highlights of our stops in Idaho was seeing my mission companion, Jill Ryner (now Loera). She and I were companions for almost 8 months. She was a rockstar, and I loved serving with her! Over 12 years and six babes later (including her angel, Noah, who died in a tragic accident a few years ago), here we are, meeting up again in Idaho Falls! It was such a treat to visit with her and reminisce about mission memories.

The Idaho Falls Visitors Center was so neat and had a beautiful display of artwork. The boys were less than reverent the majority of our visit, so this picture is a little deceiving ...

The Idaho Falls Temple. Grant had never been here before, and he and the boys especially loved seeing the breathtaking falls on the west side (sorry, no pics!).

That night we ate at Fong's, my favorite Chinese place in Rexburg, since I learned that my #1 choice, Craigo's pizza, no longer serves up the mouth-watering cheesy breadsticks I used to adore (sigh). On a happy note, I was giddy to discover that Rexburg has acquired a Nielsen's Frozen Custard (I worked at the old one in Orem in high school). I met up with my friend Melissa from Church Magazines (now teaching at BYU-I) and definitely ordered a coconut cookie dough concrete! 

 And, ugh, were the boys naughty in the hotel!! It was a sleeping farce!  Zach really hasn't traveled since he was a newborn and has never slept anywhere by hospitals and Grandma's house, so he was the biggest stinker about sleeping and would only "sleep" if Grant or I slept in the bed with him. Even then, he would play with Grant's face and make sounds across the room to Eliot. They played a "shh!" echo game that I swear lasted an hour, despite our whispered threats. Oy, yoy, yoy.

The next morning, we visited the Rexburg temple. It is so gorgeous, surrounded by wheat fields, which were all golden and ready to harvest when we were there. A unique beauty that suits the farming community perfectly. I wasn't able to get any good photos that showed the details up close, but the "wheat" theme is depicted in the windows (and apparently in the interior decor, I'm told).

 

What a beautiful temple and huge blessing to the area!

 

I'm so happy we made the effort to stop in Idaho! It was such a meaningful addition to our family vacation. I was able to catch up with dear friends and visit places that hold a special place in my heart. It was a collision of many worlds, which was strange but sweet. It was so neat to share my memories with my family and tell Grant and the boys about "the good old days!" I really think that Ricks College played a key role in making me who I am and putting me on the path to so many of the good choices I've made in life. I thrived in my niche as a journalist, made wonderful friends with roommates and colleagues, and I treasure the blessing I had of being taught by Elder Bednar in his first two years there as College President. I love Rexburg and am so thrilled to see it growing and blessing lives while at the same time feeling and looking so much the same!

Tracy Aviary

The boys and I went adventuring today to the Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. I've lived in Utah most of my life, and this was the first time I've ever been!  I think it's kind of a hidden gem and can't wait to see when all the updates in progress are finished next year. We will definitely go back. Here's what we saw:

 Flamingos! Including a baby one (look closely at the picture below and see if you can spot the little gray fuzzball on the shore -- so cute!)

  

And I loved the Scarlet Ibises. Their color was so amazing!

 

The toucans were also very pretty and fun to watch. I couldn't get a good photo. It was indoors and my flash was acting up, and they were constantly in motion. Here they are "kissing!"

The golden eagles were huge and impressive.

And the Peruvian Condor was enormous!

Other highlights of the day included seeing a big group of kids gathered around a somewhat agitated peacock, who was squawking incessantly (understandably). Upon hearing its call, more than one child called to their mom, "It's a snipe!" or "Mom, it's Kevin!" My boys found a peacock feather and loved tickling each other with it. My other favorite memory was when we were feeding the ducks, Zach would chuck a handful and say, "Here!" (and he has a pretty good throwing arm -- watch out, ducks!).