Saturday Shot

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming...

...to bring you this special report:

ZAK'S Top Ten Reads of 2010

10. Harry Potter Series (JK Rowling) - Always a book of choice if you have the last name Vermillion. I reread the entire series to prepare for the 7th movie. I may have to do the same thing before the last movie comes out this summer.

9. Dune (Frank Herbert) - A classic sci-fi novel that I finally got around to reading.

8. Percy Jackson Series (Rick Riordan) - I read the final book this year where Percy faces off with the Kronos. It was entertaining, and a great book for teenage boys (or immature men like myself).

7. No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy) - I don't recommend this book for everyone, a little graphic and some language throughout, but it was a great dark novel.

6. Hunger Games Series (Suzanne Collins) - I would have put this higher on my list, but I was just let down with how things came together at the end.

5. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Seth Grahame-Smith) - Maybe not the greatest of books, and a little predictable to see the vampire-slavery tie in, but it got me excited to read some historical non-fiction books about Honest Abe this year. And any time you can take one of the greatest people in American history and successfully make him a vampire hunter, I only wish he was around now to take care of Edward and Bella!

4. Freakonomics & Blink (Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner/Malcolm Gladwell) - It's a tie. Both books are good at looking at things from a different perspective that gets one thinking. Every once in a while I need a good think!

3. A Prisoner of Birth (Jeffrey Archer) - A great modern take on The Count of Monte Cristo. I have never been disappointed in a Jeffrey Archer book yet. Of course I don't read as much as OTHER people, so I have plenty of time to feel disappointment.

2. Anything But Typical (Nora Raleigh Baskin) - A possible look into what the future of our dear boy may hold? It was great to look at the world through the eyes of a child with autism. This would have been my top book of the year if not for...

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Seth Grahame-Smith) - At first I was skeptical about reading this. Not because it was Jane Austen (I'm not a crazy Austenian like Beth), but because of the whole zombie thing. I am not that big into the whole zombie/vampire craze. This book had me laughing out loud as coworkers gave me the stink eye for disturbing their peaceful day.

...And now back to your regularly schedule program

Project 31 Continues

It's amazing the effect a few little acts of kindness can have. I certainly was not the first person to have a service oriented birthday like Project 31, but since writing about it I have received a number of amazing emails and comments from people (many of you I've never even met) inspired and ready to carry out your own birthday projects. Let's just say that there will probably be a whole lot of dollars randomly left in the Dollar Store's toy section in the next few months.

It's so exciting to see the ripple effect. I would love for all of you to send me links of your acts of kindness (I'm always looking for ideas to copy--my 32 birthday is in less than 365 days!). Thank you for making my birthday even more special. I'm really amazed by all of you.

And just in case you want to get started with your service early, please go to Matt's site and donate (even $5) to help him get to the Special Olympic World Games in Athens.

That time again

I'm excited to be doing another review for CSN--and this time I know exactly what I'm getting. Something Jakson has needed for a long, long time! Hoping it will solve all my problems and at the same time achieve world peace. Probably not, but I'm pretty sure it will help keep my sanity intact for a few more days. In the meantime, go ahead and buy yourself a laptop messenger bag, or a Steelers recliner (for the big game)!

Project 31--One Week, 31 Random Acts of Kindness

I had a fantastic birthday week. Probably the best ever. It was amazing what a difference changing my focus and continuously looking for ways to serve made on my attitude and outlook. This was a challenging week in many ways-Zak was turned down for a job, we learned that we were going to have to shell out $2500 to get our car fixed (we got a first and second opinion and both confirmed that we needed a new transmission), and I could have felt pretty miserable that things still don't seem to be going our way. But instead I was consumed with wondering who around me could use a kind gesture. It was truly a spiritual experience.

And then we experienced a modern day miracle.

Thursday afternoon, I noticed that the check engine light had turned off. We were set to get a new transmission on Friday morning, but I decided to take it to our regular mechanic just to have him check the car really quick and see why the light went off. He hooked it up to a machine and ran a few tests. When he turned to me and told me that there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the transmission anymore, I could have kissed him (but I didn't-I try to avoid scandal as often as possible).

Truly, when God closes a door, he always opens a window .

A complete list of all of the random acts of kindness for Project 31.

1. I don't know many of my neighbors, but I do have one that has been really friendly to us since we moved in. I dropped treats off to her.


2. Our bedroom had become the place to dump stuff we didn't know what to do with. I cleaned it all up, made the bed, and hung pictures that had been sitting on the floor for six months while Zak was at work.


3. I love getting blog comments-so I gave away an envelope of fabric to a blog commenter.


4. Our church's childrens' class was asking for toy donations. We purged unused toys right before Christmas, but I asked the kids to each pick another toy to donate.


5. I taped a coupon for free Excedrin Migraine to the package in the store for someone to find.


6. I went into the grocery store with the intention of buying a $10 gift card to give away. As I was walking through the store to get the kids a free cookie, I saw the mom I knew I should give it to. I decided I'd just buy one in the bakery and find her. Unfortunately, the bakery couldn't create a gift card. By the time I got in line at the front of the store, she was standing in line three lanes over. Even the regular grocery line couldn't help me, so I headed up to customer service. At this point, I was pretty sure I was going to miss my opportunity. As soon as I turned around with my card from customer service, she was checking out (while wrestling three kids-I think this is what drew me to her). I handed the bagger the gift card and asked her to make sure it was used for the girl's groceries, then walked away. It was one of the most fun things I did this week.


7. I made a donation to our friend Matt (a young man with autism) who has been selected to compete at the Special Olympics in Athens this year!! He needs to raise enough money to cover his trip ($5,000). You can help him reach his goal too by donating here.


8. After hearing about the flooding in Australia, I decided to host an auction as part of the Queensland Flood Relief Appeal Auctions. If you feel so inclined, you are welcome to bid on the custom baby clothes quilt here.


9. Zak wears a suit at least once or twice a week and normally he is in charge of getting his own suits cleaned, but I noticed that there were spit up stains on his pants from when Storey was an infant. Gross. So, I took two of them to be dry cleaned.


10. I made mini-loaves and took them to the kids teachers.
    
11. I gave away 31 free patterns on the Make Along blog.


12. I sent a fun package to two unsuspecting friends. They probably still haven't received, so SURPRISE! It's always so fun to get mail.


13. A good friend was having a sucky day. I sent her a little iTunes card to dance her cares away. I just hope she looked as awesome as these silouhettes while cutting a rug.
    
14. I offered a friend whose husband is deployed a free photo shoot so that she can send some pictures to him.
    


15. I joined the Pound for Pound Challenge and pledged to lose 20lbs, which means 20lbs of food will be donated to the Utah Food Bank.


16. I left flowers anonymously at the door of another mom in my neighborhood who has a son with autism. *And I got to thinking-the flowers cost me all of $5. Wouldn't it be wonderful to leave flowers at a random person's doorstep a couple of times a month?!? Only $10/month for something so wonderful. Flowers brighten anyone's day.
17. At the Dollar Store, we hid dollar bills among the toys with little notes on them that said "Surprise!!" for other children to find. The kids are still talking about how fun it was.
    
18. I stuck a gift card for the mail carrier in the mailbox with a note that said, "Have lunch on us!" P.S.-My mail lady wrote me and expressed how happy she was to know she was appreciated. I wonder if mail carriers get thanked very often-I certainly have never done it before...
    
19. Gave away a couple of gift vouchers to people on the Screamin' Deals page.
    


20. Sent a card to the troops via this site.


21. Took myself out for a morning parfait at McDonald's (have you had one? So good!) and paid for the order of the car behind me in the drive through.


22. I bought a stroller for really cheap last week knowing that I would be doing Project 31 and could find an organization to donate it to. I ended up at LDS Family Services, the agency that I was adopted through 31 years ago. The stroller will be given to an adoptive family (many times placements are unexpected and parents aren't ready with all of the baby supplies they need). This was such a wonderful experience-I was able to talk to the women there and tell them my adoption story. It reminded me how grateful I am to an unselfish birth mother and for my eternal family.


23. Zak and the kids went with me to the nearby hospital to tape exact change on the vending machines. I figured of all places, people there need a pick-me-up. Unless they are having a baby. But then, I am buying them a celebratory Sprite!! This was a great family activity--right up until we were leaving and Jakson freaked out-running through the hospital screaming, I don't want a shot!! over and over. At least the doctors walking past us thought it was funny.


24. I got my sister tickets to a So You Think You Can Dance taping in Salt Lake. I really liked doing anonymous acts of kindness this week, but her reaction to the tickets was priceless.


25. Last year, the ladies in my congregation made blankets to donate to Project Linus, but I could never get in contact with the representative in our area to drop them off. I made an extra effort this week to get her email and phone number and was able to get them to the right people.
    
26. I went through my closet and donated a bunch of clothes to D.I. (the local charity thrift shop).


27. Don't you hate it when your kid has a messy diaper and you realize that you don't have an extra diaper or wipes? Maybe that only happens to me.... So that someone else can possibly avoid that misery, I left a diaper and wipes on a public bathroom changing table.


28. I got a very thoughtful, unexpected birthday gift from a friend in the mail on Thursday. It made me feel really special. With that in mind, I left anonymous flowers on the front doorstep of a girl with the same birthday. So nice to be remembered-thank you Kit!!


29. Jakson and I took cupcakes to Erin, his therapist.


30. My beloved children were extra awful yesterday. C'mon kids, it's my birthday!! They wouldn't stop fighting, Storey threw herself on the ground every time I asked her to do something, and Jakson was all over the place. My good deed? I didn't exile them to their rooms for the entire day.


31. Zak and I love Indian food. And definitely the best place for Indian food in Utah is India Palace in Provo. They have awesome food and incredible service. A couple of months ago, our date started later than we had intended and by the time we got out of our movie, most of the restaurants in the area were closed. We drove over to India Palace and, even though they had technically closed, the owner still let us sit down and eat a delicious meal. Last night, we had India Palace again and left a (very) generous tip to thank them for another fabulous experience.
    

I plan on making this a yearly birthday tradition. I cannot say enough good things about this experience. It was uplifting, amazing, and humbling. It made me pause and slow down long enough to see the people around me. So often I get caught up in the craziness of life and focus inward on my challenges. Project 31 reminded me again what David O. McKay meant when he said, "Man’s greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others."

I read this talk about service during the week and was very touched by its message.

Saturday Shot

This is how I gauge whether or not I am raising my children correctly-do they like to read?
So far, so good.

She's freakin' ornery but I love this kid.

Project 31 Update

Still working on getting my 31 random acts of kindness in by the end of this week. So far, I'm up to #20.

Today the kids and I went on a little adventure at the Dollar Store. I'm trying to get them involved in the service as much as possible. We hid dollar bills among the toys with little notes on them that said "Surprise!!" for other children to find.It was such fun. Well, until Storey decided she wanted some random Pooh Bear toy and I said "no". Two year olds and their meltdowns....

Project 31-Custom Baby Clothes Quilt Auction

Read more about Project 31 here.

Project 31-UAOK #8

Last year I was selected to test an entire book of patterns for Make It Perfect and I met Toni, a fabulous pattern writer and a now good friend. Recently Toni started blogging about the horrible flooding in Australia (where she lives). The numbers are devastating: 26,000 homes are flooded and uninhabitable, over 100,000 people are without electricity, and 90 people are missing, not to mention those that have lost their lives. To help, Toni put together the Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions-hundreds of bloggers are hosting auctions to raise money for the people effected by the flooding. And since this fell into my lap the exact week that I am trying to do 31 unexpected acts of kindness, I decided it must be fate.

Up for auction is a custom, one-of-a-kind quilt made of your favorite child's baby clothes!! The quilt layout will follow the patchwork pattern in the photo, but will feature squares made from YOUR memories. The finished quilt measures about 40 inch square and will be backed in your choice of coordinating fabric. All proceeds will go directly to the Queensland Flood Appeal.

I don't have lots of money, but I do have nap times that I can spend making an adorable heirloom quilt....so I am donating a week of nap times to the cause.Here's how it will work:

1. Place your bid by leaving a comment with your bid amount in the comments section of this post and a way to contact you.
   
2. The bidding will start at $50. All bids must be in one dollar increments (in other words, don't bid $51.50, rather bid $52 even)
3. This auction is open to everyone, though $20 will be charged for International addresses. Postage is FREE for United States residents.
4. The highest bid/comment as of Monday (1/24) at midnight MST is the winner.
5. Your entire bid goes straight to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal. The winner will pay for their item and then send me a copy of the receipt email.
   
6. Remember that this is all about raising money for the Queensland Flood Appeal, the quilt is just a bonus!! Bidding starts at $50 USD!!
7. If you have any questions about the quilt, please feel free to email me at bethanycr{at}gmail{dot}com.

Project 31 - UAOK No. 3

Cerise-how about a Priority Mail envelope full of fabric?
Thanks for commenting Cerise. I love comments.

UAOK=Unexpected Act of Kindness

Project 31

Friday is my birthday. I won't tell you how old I'm going to be, but I'm sure you can guess by the title. This year I'm going to do something a little different--as in it's not going to be all about me. We have been so blessed by others the past couple of years and I want to pay it forward. So, I commit to do 31 acts of unexpected kindness during this week-Project 31. As Gandhi said, The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

The idea isn't new by any means, some people I've read about have done all of the service in one day, some have spread it out over a month, but the week time line works out best for our circumstances. I'm also going to be doing some of the random acts through this blog, the Make Along blog and the Screamin' Deals Facebook page, just to mix it up a little and keep people on their toes. Next Saturday, after finishing 31, I'll be posting a list for record's sake.

I'm so excited-I have a feeling this is going to be the best birthday week ever.

Saturday Shot

This year I really want to capture those everyday moments in photos-the things that I want to remember when Jakson and Storey are bigger. There's a lot of weird crap that goes on at our house and I want it documented for posterity (a.k.a public embarrassment/ wedding videos). I'm going to try and post my favorite from the week each Saturday, mainly because it's my blog and I do what I want.

A great representation of Jakson and his sensory issues. If anyone sits, kneels, or lays on the ground at our house, they run the risk of becoming Jakson's personal jungle gym. A couple of days ago, the boys were playing with Jakson's new Tag map (an awesome toy!) and Jakson spent the whole time climbing all over Zak. You can tell that Zak is thrilled.

Chef Zak

My husband fancies himself an amateur chef and who am I to argue? I don't have to cook, he looks hot in an apron, and I get to eat good food. Win win win.

Everyone knows a chef needs a good knife (for practicing those knife skills) and sadly Zak only had the Walmart Special knives available to him (the kind you use to literally SAW through food). So, after evaluating the gifts that I had gotten for him and realizing that they were pretty lame, I decided that a new, more chef-like slicing & dicing device was in order. CSN has an amazing selection of knives-and after reading reviews from a few different sites, I settled on the Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife.People in the reviews warned that the knife is VERY sharp and after owning it for just a couple of weeks, both Zak and I can definitely attest to that. We have injuries to prove it. Thank goodness we've learned from our children that Band-Aids can cure anything. But we are also no longer sawing through the cucumbers to make a salad.

I also ordered a new saucepan because the "non stick" had started flaking off the one we had gotten as a wedding present. Non stick is great on pans, but not so great in food. Our new Farberware saucepan is quality-it even has a pour spout on the side so I don't have to use a colander when making Mac and Cheese for the kids anymore!!Hooray for new kitchen stuffs!

Disclosure: CSN Stores provided me with the knife and saucepan to review. All portions of this review are 100% my opinion.

Unrelated

1. My friend Kaity recently opened an Etsy shop that you MUST visit. Slips that are supposed to show! There are 15 styles to choose from (including the lace trimmed slip below) , see them all from A Slip Shop here.
   
2. I just started reading this. Hoping it will give me some insight to my out of sync child.
3. One of my other goals for 2011 is to keep my Make Along blog updated with great tutorials and recipes from all over the internet. So far, I'm doing a pretty good job-check it out here. New links added daily.
4. Speaking of the Make Along blog, for a limited time I'm offering free advertising on the site. If you have a shop, photography business, or craft blog and a button that you'd like me to post, email me at bethanycr(AT)gmail(dot)com. There's limited space and it's first email, first serve!
5. My son is adorable. Even if he is missing the majority of his front teeth.
6. I have a huge list of books that I want to read this year, but always looking for others to add. Any suggestions?
7. It has been so cold here-the kids ask everyday if their snowman has melted and the answer is always a resounding "no". Can't wait to move somewhere warmer, but until then I've been daydreaming about cruises and Disneyland. So warm.
   

read 2011

memoirs of a geisha-arthur golden ****
the independence of miss mary bennet-colleen mccullough ***
just one look-harlan coben ****
the favored child-philippa gregory ****1/2
revolution-jennifer donnelly ****
infidel-ayaan hirsi ali ******
the other woman-jane green ***
meridon-philippa gregory *****
dawn of the dreadfuls-steve hockingsmith ****
those who save us-jenna blum ****
the maze runner-dashner james ****
three quarters dead-richard peck **
and thereby hangs a tale-jeffrey archer ****
bright young things-anna godbersen *****
forge-laurie halse anderson ****
sarah's key-tatiana de rosnay ****
winter's end-jeane-claude mourlevat ****
elixir-hillary duff ****
adios, nirvana-conrad wesselhoeft ***
the grimm legacy-polly shulman ***
the short second life of bree tanner-stephenie meyer ***
out of my mind-sharon draper *****
stolen-lucy christopher *****
the remarkable life and times of eliza rose-mary hoffman ****
vixen-jillian larkin ****
kiki strike-kristen miller ***



to read 2011
scale of 1-5 stars

Time will Tell

The last time my mom was in town, she brought me a dress she'd held on to for almost 30 years! Storey wore it to church today and looked adorable.
I just wish I could find the photo of me wearing it, but it's in an album at my parent's house. You can use your imagination. I was dang cute. I'm hoping someday Storey will pass it down to her daughter. Assuming that someone wants to marry a really, really bossy girl and have children.

Only time will tell.

In unrelated news: I read a "Dear Abby" type of column in the newspaper where a parent asked the question (in summary) "My daughter is 17 and won't accept me as a Facebook friend. How do I know what she is writing?" I spent 1/2 hour after that lecturing Jakson and Storey about their internet privileges. I let them know in no uncertain terms that they would not have any if they refuse to not only accept me as a friend, but give me their passwords. Jakson informed me that he hates Facebook (can I get that in writing?) and Storey just said, "Mom, you're silly." Well, that went well.

Some 2011 Goals

Zak and I sat down a couple of nights ago and wrote out a few goals/things that we'd like to accomplish this year. Top of the list is, of course, move to a state where insurance will pay for more of Jakson's therapy, but at this point we are doing all we can and leaving the rest up to the Lord.

I really love to write out goals and steps to reaching them. I think the more often you write things down, the more often they actually happen. Especially when you leave the list in a prominent place in your home.

I won't list them all out here, but a few of our 2011 goals:

1. Take more pictures of the kids. I started out last year with a Photo a Day blog, but have really slacked off. I don't necessarily want to do that again (it's harder than it sounds!), but I would like to take more photos of daily family fun. Especially since I got a fabulous new lens for Christmas!
2. Learn how to use Walgreens, Riteaid, and CVS coupon deals. Due to lack of time, I've never really learned how to fully utilize these stores' sales, but this is the year. I'm going to go coupon crazy.
3. Put together a working 72 hour kit. We have a 72 hour kit, it's just spread out all over the house. If we ever really needed it, we'd have a hard time gathering everything up in time to actually utilize it.
4. Bake a treat only once a week. This is by far my least favorite goal, but a necessary evil. I love to bake.
5. Once a month date with the kids. We haven't hammered all the details out on this one, but the idea is that Zak takes Storey and I take Jakson out once a month for some one on one time. We think this is especially important for Storey because I feel like she is starting to notice the extra attention Jak inevitably gets due to his special needs.
6. Pay for all food with cash. We've always had a written budget that changes according to the pay period and our current bills, but we have noticed that what is budgeted and what was really spent on food tends to differ a little. Darn Chick-Fil-A. Cash will eliminate this problem.
7. Take a creative writing class or novel writing class-this is for me. Something I've been wanting to do for awhile. If anyone has any great class suggestions, I'd love them.
8. Add tips and tricks posts to the Beth V Photography blog. I've actually already started this!! See my first photo basic post here.
9. Plan another trip to Disneyland. The kids are working on earning a trip by doing chores and such, so we just need to finish saving up and plan a date. I can't wait.
10. Make Zak's quilt. Well, I guess that should say, Zak needs to make his quilt. It may take him an entire year, especially at this rate. He expressed an interest in making a quilt last spring, so he got fabric for it (wrapped in a Victoria's Secret bag...best joke ever) for his birthday, but life got crazy. Real men sew. Remember that.
11. Do something kind and unexpected at least once a month.
    

Can only go up from here.

I have spent the last 5 days either asleep or wishing I was asleep. Happy freakin' New Year.

It all began with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I think I must be allergic to exercise or something. Zak and I started early on our New Year's resolution to get in shape and the next day I came down with the flu. So, I'm sure how you see that I would blame the one on the other. The flu turned into bronchitis which came complete with the most awful, racking cough I've ever had.

After much coercion from Zak, I dragged myself to urgent care (I refuse to do all the research to find a family doctor and I do NOT want to have two kids tag along, especially since Jakson has decided to mortally fear all doctors and screams the entire time he is in the doctor's office regardless of who the appointment is for. After hours urgent care is worth the 10 extra dollars). I have to admit, waiting alone in the office for the doctor to arrive was probably one of the quietest, most restful half hours I've experienced in a year or more. Well, waking half hours. The doctor informed me that my bronchitis may or may not have turned into walking pneumonia and prescribed a narcotic that he said would make me (and I quote) "not tired, but really, really mellow."

Great. A mother of two small children who is stoned due to doctor's orders. Just what I need.

I took it only once-I swear that stuff made my illness worse. After taking it, I still had a cough, but was also nauseous for a day and a half. I will not be taking it again. Fortunately, my cough has lessened significantly, but I'm still exhausted. If nothing else, I may have actually lost weight as the result of not being able to taste food for almost a week.

I guess that's one way to keep a New Year's resolution if all other methods fail.