Man, I need to plan ahead or Why I'm not dressing up

I thought I had too much to do. I thought I wouldn't want to dress up. I was really just too lazy.

And so, I looked at my awesome costume list too late. I'm wishing Matt and I had done yin and yang. Oh, well, maybe next year.

I am pleased with Dawn's costume this year. She is a birthday party. She has a wrapped box around her waist held on with ribbon suspenders. She has a birthday cake hat with light up candles. She has curly ribbon hair and balloons floating around her. My other kids are cute too, witch, knight, Power Ranger, Unicorn. But I do have a soft spot for a unique and clever costume. I'll post pictures soon.

Christmas Choir Music

Sunday our church choir started practicing our Christmas music. I love love love Christmas music and can't wait for it full time. Here are two of the beautiful songs we are singing. I guess one is technically for Thanksgiving.

Maps as wallpaper

I like this image. I've always like using maps for wallpaper. Once I wanted to cover a large bulletin board with maps in my boys room, but after I tacked up just one, my boys objected since there wouldn't be room for all their papers. Maybe someday.



Via Swish and Swanky

Pumpkin Muffins

It's time for the pumpkin recipes to start flowing. Here's my first one of the season. Very easy and tasty!

Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from the American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin via Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil*
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar**
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

From Smitten Kitchen

Grinding and other "lovely" dances

I recently was sucked into the show Glee. The first episode was cute. I like shows about underdogs making it big, who doesn't? With a cute teacher, fun music, I thought, let's give it a go.

That thought ended abruptly when I watched the second show online. Are you kidding me? There was such raunch that I was sick the whole day. And I wondered how most of the county was taking it. It seems without reservation.

I was reminded about this when my hubby pointed me to a blog entry about "grinding" at high school dances here at Mormanity. My worst suspicions were correct.

And I wondered, will I be able to encourage my kids to go to school dances? I'm not sure.

Charity Loves Purses

If only she'd use a bag instead of a pair of underwear.

MaLM - Salt Lake City Connect Passes

Last week we went on our Salt Lake City "Staycation" using our Conncet Passes. It was so fun! I highly recommend it and will definitely do it again.

On Monday we went to:
1. Discovery Gateway Children's Museum (cost $51)




2. Clark Planetarium with tickets to one IMAX AND one dome theater show (cost $76)



3. Lunch at the Lion House Pantry valued at $10 ($60)
4. Living Planet Aquarium (cost $40)



Then on Tuesday we saw
5. Hogle Zoo including lots of adorable baby animals right now which were so so cute(cost $46)




6. Ride the tram at Snowbird (cost $45)



Total cost without passes $318. Our cost $120!!! or $20 each.
And then we collapsed in a giddy stupor. We didn't have time for the Thanksgiving Point activities, Red Butte Garden, Tracy Aviary, This is the Place Heritage Park, Olympic Park, Utah Museum of Fine Arts and many more!

It looks like the passes have gone up in price to $24. We also got ours on sale for buy one day and get one for free which was a way better deal. Maybe next summer that deal will kick in again. Let's hope so.