H A L L O W E E N !

Our Halloween was pretty simple, but we had a lot of fun! We carved pumpkins.
Wes picked the design, and Scarlett just looked cute!
And of course we went Trick-or-Treating. My awesome mom made Wes & Scarlett into Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo!
And I've gotta say that they are two of the cutest puppies on the block! What did you do this Halloween?!

7 Weird Ways To Not Get Sick (...Including Kissing And Hot Drinks)

So Tad came down with the Flu last night and I find myself hoping that it'll stop with him. So I looked up some ways to stop a virus in it's tracks on Planet Green. These aren't the usual answers you'd think you'd get. They even like some fun!

Don't stop dosing yourself with Vitamin C, but don't overlook some of the other more fun ways to stay healthy this sick season.

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You know about antioxidants and you've been religious about your daily dose of Vitamin C, but what else can you do to keep that tickle from creeping up the back of your throat or waking up in sweat-wet sheets and a chill shivering along your spine? Here are some of the weirder, but equally efficient ways to keep those sick bugs at bay:

1. Kiss

Couple exchanging helpful bacteria.
©Stockbyte/Getty Images

Yes, kissing can help you fight off colds and flu! By exchanging bacteria back and forth, you are actually enhancing your body's natural defenses and boosting your immune system. But that's not to say you should go out and give a big smooch to any sicky around you... Up the ante and have sex! Performed once a week, sex has been shown to increase immunoglobulin A (IgA) production, an immune-boosting protein that helps keep pathogens at bay. Get our sustainable sex tips.

2. Listen to Music

George Doyle/Getty Images

Research has shown that those same sex-boosted IgA proteins also rise when listening to music like jazz, bluegrass or soft rock for 30 minutes, particularly during some of the most elevated sick-inducing moments: stress. Even after the beat is turned off, the IgA production goes on for another 30 minutes. Looking for new musical inspiration? We have some free music downloads.

3. Walk Really Fast, But Don't Run!

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Research has revealed that a brisk walk 45 minute walk, four or more days a week can improve your immune system and minimize sick days. But don't run! Overexerting yourself (particularly if you're already feeling slightly under the weather) can do you in and send you straight to bed.

4. Don't Blow Your Nose

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When you're sick you nose tends to get stuffed up with mucus. Instant of fulfilling your urge to do a big hearty blow, take a decongestant or gently blow each nostril individually. Why? Blowing hard can actually push the mucus up into your sinuses, risking getting even more sick!

5. Get Hot

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Studies show that, similar to drinking lots of water when you're sick, sitting in a hot sauna can detox a cold right out of your system.

6. Avoid the Desert (or any hot and dry climate)

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Dry desert air is a breeding ground for colds and flu. The reason? Viruses then to survive longer in moisture-sapped air, making airborne illnesses more readily present. Have a sicky in your house? Get a humidifier.

7. Drink Coffee

George Doyle/Getty Images

Viruses, in particular that gross Swine that's going around, take about 3 days to incubate (in your body) before you know you've come down with the dreaded flu. Drinking hot liquids, including coffee can help wash the virus out of your mouth and down into your stomach where it can't grow due to the acids. Chicken soup, tea, or just hot water have the same effect. Not a coffee drinker, gargling with very salty warm water can also derail a virus. The other place a flu likes to incubate is your nose. Doing a nasal flush or even just swabbing your nostrils with rubbing alcohol can kill the virus before it takes you down.

Good luck with your battle against sickness!

Birthday SOS!

So I realized today that it's less than 2 weeks till my boy's birthday, and I've run into a snag. Trying to pick a theme for a kid's birthday party feels a lot like trying to pick my wedding colors. How on earth am I supposed to choose?! And my almost 3 year old is not much help. He says yes to every single idea I run by him. So where do you turn? Pinterest of course! Here are my top picks so far:

Spy Party
from Chicken Babies


Robot Part
from Project Nursery


Pirate Party
from Hostess (with the mostess)


Cars Party
from The Dragon's Fairy Tail


Ninja Party
from Cakes Likes a Party


Harry Potter Party
from Toad's Treasures

So please help me! Opinion's please!

Childbirth Classes & Awesome Giveaway

One of my awesome sisters is doing something awesome. Big shock, I know. You might remember a post I did on her and the Childbirth Education Classes she teaches. You can check that out here. She is starting a new class soon and is offering a great giveaway and incentive!

You can enter to win a Family Photo Session with Cristi Nelson Photography (who is AWESOME! she's done some work for my family) Plus she's offering a $30 gift card to Target or Amazon if you refer someone who signs up for her class! So if you know anyone in the Salt Lake area who's expecting you should have them check out Danielle's class. They'll be glad you did!

Home Again

Sorry for the long vacation, I took an unexpected trip to SLC. I'm back now and looking forward to the week. Here's a clip from Glee to keep you company until I get back in the swing of things!

Halloween Proof Your House

Want to get your home ready for the big scary day? Well here are a few tips to help you get started! I found them on DIYLife

Halloween Trick or Treat-ers Safety

1. Make the outside of your house a safe place for trick or treaters to roam. Pick up branches, rocks and other debris from your front yard, walkway, and steps. Remove flowerpots, yard ornaments, hoses, and any other outdoor accessories that can easily tip or cause people to trip.

2. Use strings of Christmas lights to illuminate the walkway and front door. Afraid the bulbs will be broken or removed in fits of Halloween mischief ? Try rope lights instead. Just make sure the ropes are secured in place so they don't fall and become a tripping hazard.

3. Decorate the front of house with harmlessly hair-raising props. Refrain from using real household items like shovels, pitchforks, or heavy buckets for authenticity's sake. Obviously fake, rubber-tipped items are the safest way to go. What you lose in authenticity you can make up for in creativity!

4. Put pets in the basement of bedroom before trick or treaters begin to arrive. Even friendly pets can become agitated with all those new visitors.

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Halloween Fire Safety

1. Keep your carved pumpkin from being a fire hazard. Jack o'Lanterns are a Halloween favorite, but an illuminated gourd can cause a house fire if the candle inside tips over. Rather than placing a votive directly inside your pumpkin, place it in a tuna fish can first. The can is short so the light will still radiate, but if the candle tips over, it will fall into the heavy tuna can; the tin will smother the flame before it has a chance to spread.

2. Keep Jack O'Lanterns away from high-traffic areas, dark corners, and flammable materials like curtains and couches. You want to reduce the chances that pets or costumed (and masked) kids will tip or trip over a lit pumpkin. The best, safest spot for Jack to reside? Inside the fireplace, where he can be the focal point of the room.

3. Try skipping real candles altogether and using a string of Christmas lights to illuminate your carved pumpkin. Lay the lights on some tin foil at the bottom of the pumpkin, then make a hole in the back of the gourd, string them lights through, and plug them into a nearby outlet. Another fire-free option: LED votives.

So all you need now is a bowl full of candy and some really cute costumes!

5 of My Favorite Halloween Movies

It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

I don't think you get more classic than this. Love it.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure

This is probably my favorite Halloween Special. Ok, so EVERY Garfield holiday special is my favorite, but who doesn't love that fat cat.


Monster House

So this is Wes's favorite Halloween movie. I've seen it more times than I care to remember, so I can say with complete accuracy it's pretty dang funny. And surprisingly scary.


The Nightmare Before Christmas

So I know this is typically a Christmas movie, but I always think about it at Halloween. It always reminds me of Tad's BFF, Trey. And Trey I know you probably don't read blogs, but I'm sure Jess will forward the message I have for you. And here it is: "What is That?!"


Hocus Pocus

Oh how I love this movie. It's the movie my mom always had us watch at Halloween. It's like watching A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve. No matter how many times you've seen it, you just have to do it.

Apple Pie Caramel Apples

I've shared this recipe as a link before but I actually tried it out today. It is amazing!!!! If you're like me and drool over these apples at Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory then you will LOVE this recipe. It's a lot easier than I anticipated, and just as tasty :) I found it on The Girl Who Ate Everything

Apple Pie Caramel Apples

1 bag Kraft caramels
4-5 large, tart apples (You can use red apples too but I like the contrast of the tart apple with the caramel)

1 bag white chocolate chips or white chocolate candy melts

cinnamon sugar

1. Wash, scrub, and dry apples. This is important or your caramel won't stick because of the coating stores put on apples.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt caramel according to package directions.

3. Put popsicle stick in the apple. Dip in melted caramel making sure to fully coat it.

4. Place on parchment or wax paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

5. Cool in the fridge until caramel is set up. If you want a thick caramel layer, add another layer of caramel here and let it set up again.

6. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals. You can add a little shortening if the mixture is too thick.

7. Coat the apple with the chocolate.

8. Let it set up a little bit before sprinkling it with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

9. Cool completely in the fridge.

10. Cut into slices and serve.

Can be made up to one day ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator.

...Or wrap them in cellophane and give them to your friends.

Try it, love it, make it again

10 Little Ways To Show Your Man You Care

While in search of my next post on HubPages I ran across this article and just had to share it. Sometimes I forget to give Tad the time and attention he needs and deserves because I'm so busy with my 2 little munchkins. So if you're like me and sometimes forget your biggest 'baby' then here are a few ideas :)

This hub is a response to a question asked by a reader in 10 Little Ways To Show Your Wife You Care. He asked if I let my husband relax after a long day at work, or helped him out in any way. This forced me to consider my role and efforts as a wife, from my husband’s point of view.

Here is my list (that I have not mastered, by the way) of things to do (and not do) for your husband to let him know you care. I definitely have some old-fashioned beliefs, but please don’t take the video seriously! I am not pretending to have all the answers regarding men and I do not possess the secrets to a happy marriage, but I do think there are a few things any man will appreciate.

1. Let him know you are his biggest fan. Tell him how great he is, how much you appreciate the little things he does to help you (no matter how small) , and how much he’s loved. I am not suggesting you lie. If you are not his biggest fan, you should be! I REALLY need to get a 'Team Tad' shirt made up. That would be awesome.
2. It is best to avoid asking questions such as “What are you thinking about, honey?” Men hate this because they know they will get themselves into trouble if they tell you what they were really thinking. Or they can't remember. I think I might hate that question more than Tad does.
3. Always speak highly of him to others. Don’t call up your best friend to tell her about his latest stupid mistake. This is so true. Not only does it help YOU like your husband more, it helps your friends to also. There's nothing worse than having your friends hate your man.
4. Don’t cut him down. It may be tempting to tell him exactly what you think of him during an argument, but hold your tongue. Deep down, somewhere , you love this man, and shredding him to bits will only make the situation worse. Don’t remind him of his weaknesses at every opportunity. Most men are fully aware of their weaknesses and do not need reminding. I was surprised to realize how sensitive Tad really is, and how much what I say means to him.
5. Be quick to apologize for snapping at him when you are tired and cranky. While sometimes this feels like trying to swallow a mouthful of dirt it's worth it.
6. Listen to what he has to say. This may include topics that you neither understand nor care to be enlightened about, such as the rules of fantasy football or a comparison of programming codes. If you listen to him, chances are he'll listen to you when you want to chat about hairstyles and nail polish.
7. Although it is widely believed that men are dogs, don’t treat him like one. Don’t attempt to keep him on a short leash, or even long chain. I know the idea of a shock collar (as used in dog training ) is appealing, but really, he’s a big boy now. While they do have many puppy-like qualities (like loving a good scratch or wagging their tail at the sight of food) they are not, in fact, dogs. Don't hit them on the nose with a newspaper when he puts his feet up on the table.
8. Appreciate who he is and don’t try to change him. You knew who he was when you married him. Trying to make him into something different is: A. a waste of your time because it will not work and B. just annoying . He was flawless in your eyes when you first met. Is he really not good enough now? I know, you have grown and changed and expanded. Let him appreciate you, but stay the same. While he may never change, he WILL be more aware of some of the minor annoying things he does if you ask him nicely.
9. Encourage his hobbies, even if you aren’t fond of them. My husband loves motorcycles. People are always saying things like “I can’t believe your wife let you have a bike” and “How could you let him do that?” Let him? That’s not how it is supposed to work. He is my husband, not my child. Yes, I worry. I ask him call to check in. I also love to see the smile on his face when returns safely from a nice long ride. They really do need their hobbies. As much as I hate to give away some of the time he spends with us, giving him an hour here and there will make him a very happy man.
10. Don’t make fun of his team, even if they always lose. It is likely that your husband has been programmed since birth to be a fan of a particular sports team. This rule additionally applies to Star Trek and Star Wars fans. If your husband is still a fan of the band KISS, then you have permission to go wild with abuse. Making fun of his team is like him making fun of your hair. So not cool.
    

A Few Extras

Leave him alone when he is in the bathroom. I have a friend who follows her husband in there when she knows he ‘s going to be awhile just to have his complete attention. If your man doesn’t listen to you, find a more enjoyable alternative.

If you ever find yourself thinking that this man of yours is too difficult to live with, remember that he has to live with you. Are you always a perfectly dreamy mate? I’m not. I commented recently that when we finally have an opportunity to spend time together, I will have grown old and bitter and not be any fun anymore. The implication that I am not yet bitter was very amusing to him. But he puts up with it, along with my complaining (I am quite talented), my constant exhaustion and my frequent refusal to be social, particularly with his friends.

I hope this gave you a few ideas on how to show your man your heart. Good luck!

The Office

I put off watching The Office for a time because it felt a little like you're either a FRIENDS fan or an OFFICE fan. Well I'm here to tell you that you can be both! It's so funny! If you want to get into it I recommend starting it from the beginning and going through it that way. It's more hilarious when you do it like that. :) Meet a few of the characters:

Michael
Branch Manager

I don't think I've made it through an entire episode without cringing at Michael. It's literally painful to watch him struggle with his verbal diarrhea. He usually has good intentions, however things rarely turn out how he's envisioned them.


Angela, Oscar, & Kevin
Accounting Department

Kevin is not the smartest crayon in the box, but he does care about his friends an awful lot! He also has a very large jar of M&M's on his desk. Oscar is probably one of the most normal people in the office. Not to mention the nicest homo-sexual you'll ever meet. And Angela is rude, abrupt, and generally thinks she's better than everyone else. She does seem to have a weakness for Dwight, which I'll never understand.


Stanley & Phyllis
Sales

Stanley is, as Michael says, a hilarious middle-aged black man with sass. He's working as little as he has to for as short a time as he can, and trying to ignore Michael and his craziness in the process. The only day he actually likes to be at work is Pretzel Day. Cause on Pretzel Day, it's alright.
Phyllis is a sweetheart until you she feels threatened. Then she pulls out claws that don't look any duller from the smile she pairs them with. She marries Bob Vance from Vance Refrigeration and isn't afraid to cut loose! Plus she loves girl talk.


Dwight
Sales
Assistant to the Regional Manager
Volunteer Deputy

There are not enough words to describe Dwight. Maybe a good karate chop in the face would do it. He's so ridiculous he's hilarious. The Schrute family has some strange traditions, an example would be that they get married standing in their future graves....yeah. He's taken it upon himself to keep the office safe. He does that by hiding dangerous weapons around the office. He owns his own Beet Farm, also, he lives there & runs it with his cousin Mose. He's intense, a little disgusting, and highly annoying (especially to Jim).
But the show wouldn't be half as good without him. There's nothing funnier than watching Jim prank Dwight.


Jim & Pam
Sales & Receptionist

A love story to make your heart flutter is told here. It goes something like this.
Jim loves Pam.
Pam's engaged to Roy. Although we're pretty sure Pam loves Jim despite the engagement.
Jim kisses Pam and gets shot down.
Pam dumps Roy but it's too late cause Jim's dating Karen.
Pam finally confesses her love.
Jim dumps Karen.
Jim & Pam date!
Jim and Pam are not perfect people, in fact sometimes they are down-right awkward, but we love them anyways. My heart went through a roller-coaster watching them get together and I loved every minute of it.


There are a lot of other great characters on this show, I could go on all night about them all! You can watch The Office on HuluPlus so go get on it! (That's what she said.)