This is what happens...

When Nate helps me make treats for daddy :)

The Craft Bug

I LOVE doing crafts and lately I cant get enough of them! I have found so many I want to do and now its just trying to find the time (and money) to do them ALL! They are all budget friendly crafts, but with all the crafts I want to do even budget friendly crafts can add up fast :) I have made it a goal to try and make at least one a week. Some will hardly take anytime to make and some could take me awhile! I have a definite lack of decorations for all the holidays coming up so thats what most of my crafts will be focused on for the next couple months. The last two weeks I made these 2 crafts...

#1 Halloween Wreath

I found this wreath at the DI for $5 and spray painted it black

Got the skeleton, trick or treat sign, spider, spider web and bag of spiders and bats at the dollar store for $1 each

Total cost to make wreath and do the spider web outside my house--$6!

#2 Fall Topiary (I actually made 2 of them)

Bought fall leaf bushes at Michaels on sale for 99 cents! Cut them up and stuck them into a styrofoam ball from the dollar store

Got the flower pot at the DI for $1

Final Product...a $7 topiary!

These are some crafts I found on blogs that I like that I will use as inspiration for upcoming crafts!!

Rodeo

This was Skyler and I's 4th year to go to the Lion's Dixie Round-up (aka Rodeo). The Rodeo was one of our very first dates. Skyler probably doesnt remember this, but the first picture we ever took together was at the Rodeo. It has been a fun tradition for us to go every year! This year Skyler's Grandma bought us tickets to go and we thank her so much! We had a great time! Nate was so excited all day to go to the rodeo. He loves seeing horses and cows and when we told him that we were going to see them at the rodeo thats all he could talk about all day! Although he got antsy at times he really loved being there! Unfortunately Nate has outgrown his cowboy boots and he was sad he couldn't wear them! He loved his boots and we are going to have to get him some new ones so he can be a cowboy just like his daddy!

Nate loved waving to all the rodeo princesses as the rode by on their horses!




As we were leaving they had this race car sitting out on display and nate immediately ran over to it! He loves race cars! He was mad when we told him he could get in it!

Long time coming!

So its been just about a month since my last post and so much has happened! I wish I was updating my blog throughout this past month like I should have been! For now I am only going to post pictures of our new valances skyler and his mom made. We have been desparetly needing blinds for our living room window that is 94 1/2" long! We got a few quotes awhile back and the cheapest one we were given was $250 for just that window. We also needed one for our back sliding door because the sun comes right through our back windows in the afternoon/evening and it makes those rooms so hot! You will are also blinded by the sun if you sit in these rooms during those times! This makes dinner time miserable since the sun is beaming in on us. A few weeks ago we were at home depot getting stuff for our drip line (we got some bushes from a friend...i will post about that later!) and we happened to pass down the blind section and notice some long blinds! Well sure enough they were 96" long so they were a little longer then our window, but they were only $18!! So since they were a little longer we decided to make window valances to hang them under. We figured it couldnt be that hard and it would probably add a lot of character to the house. We went and looked at wood and crown molding and before we knew it we purchased it all and it was time to build it! I was hosting bunco at my house in less than a week and was dreading it because we were all going to be blinded by the sun and everyone would be miserable! This was the perfect solution and I was so excited! Skyler being the amazing husband he is promised me he would build the valances and have them and the blinds hanging by bunco! That was a huge relief! Well wednesday came and nothing had been built so I was getting a little nervous! How were we going to pull off building them and staining them and getting them all hung up in 24 hrs? Well a big thanks go to my mother in law for helping my husband fulfill his promise! They stayed up until midnight building them and then worked on them again in the morning finishing staining them! They dried all day thursday and skyler and i hung them up an hour before bunco started! Finishing about 5 minutes before everyone walked in the door :) I love them so much! They make such a huge difference in our house not only heat wise, but look and feel! I couldnt have asked for anything more perfect!! Thanks skyler and tammy!!!

My new find!

Are you earning swagbucks?

I found out about this site on one of the coupon blogs I follow. Swagbucks is one of my favorite sites to win free stuff! I just signed up a week ago and I already have a lot of Swagbucks! Whats Swagbucks you ask? Its a site where you earn points (aka swagbucks) and once you have so many swagbucks you redeem them for prizes (gift cards, electronics, etc)! Its so easy and I dont spend anymore time on the computer then I usually do! In the few days I have been a member I have already earned over 300 swagbucks! You should be able to easily earn 900 swagbucks per month and there are lots of people who earn thousands of swagbucks a month! 900 swagbucks can get you 2 $5 Amazon gift cards! So how do you earn swagbucks? Its simple! Here are some of the ways:

Search on Swagbucks (just like searching on google) throughout the day and earn swagbucks (I usually win swagbucks once in the morning, once in the afternoon and once at night). Amount of swagbucks earned per search varies (in my experience its anywhere from 8-11 swagbucks per time) but you can easily win 600 a month from searches. (honestly if i dont have anything to search, I just type in random things into the search box until it rewards me with swagbucks...things like im tired, swagbucks please...stuff like that and it usually rewards me after 2 or 3 searches :) So it really takes no effort!

Take the Daily Poll each day and earn 1 swagbuck = 30 swagbucks a month

Check to see if you have any Trusted Surveys each day and earn 1 swagbuck just for checking. Do surveys to earn even more (I did 2 surveys yesterday and earned 250 swagbucks total) = 30 swagbucks a month plus any from surveys you do

Click through the Swagvucks Special Offers each day (you don't need to do any of them) and earn 1 swagbuck = 30 swagbucks a month

Install the toolbar, each day you will wake up to 1 swagbuck for having the toolbar = 30 swagbucks a month

Enter bonus codes which can be found on their blog, facebook page, twitter page, and widget. I would say you can get at least 50 swagbucks a week from codes = 200 swagbucks a month

You can also send in random pics or videos to the swag guy and he may reward you with swagbucks.

If you are new to swagbucks, they are offering a bonus of 40 swagbucks when you sign up! You enter codeBackToSchool (bonus code exp 11:59 pm PDT on 8/15). Normally you get 30 swagbucks when you sign up, but now you will get 70 right off the bat just for signing up!!!

Check out Swagbucks here:

And that makes 3!

This past week we said our goodbyes and see ya laters to Skyler's brother Justin. He is serving his mission in Brazil and was suppose leave straight to Brazil July 13th and go to the Brazil MTC. His VISA did not come in time so they pushed his departure date back to July 28th and he went to the Provo MTC instead. I had already planned a trip with my mom and sisters to go to California July 27th so I was pretty bummed his date got moved back and I wasnt able to be there for his setting apart. Thank goodness they didnt move his farewell date back so we were able to go to his farewell and hear him speak. He did such a good job!! Nate and I went and said our goodbyes Monday night before we left out of town. It was so sad to watch nate say goodbye! Nate really doesnt understand that he wont see him for 2 years, so it is going to be hard to explain that to him when he asks "wheres jussin go?"They have become such good buds over the last few months and I know Nate is really going to miss his Uncle Justin! Sunday dinners are not going to be the same without him! Even though we are going to miss him like crazy, we are so proud of Justin and the decision he has made to serve a mission. He is going to be such a good missionary! He has such a good heart and is so willing to help and serve people! I know the people of Brazil are going to love him! This makes 3 siblings Skyler and I have out on a mission! Our family has already been so blessed! Reading the letters you get from them brings such a great spirit into our home! Nate sure does miss his Aunt and 2 Uncles, but they are setting such a great example for him! Thank you Amanda, Ty, and now Justin for your willingness to serve! We love you all and pray for you every night!! Never forget you have a family here that loves and supports you, but most importantly you have your Heavenly Father that loves and supports you! He will ALWAYS be there for you even, no ESPECIALLY, in your time of struggles, loneliness and hardships! Turn to him always and during this time while you are gone away from your family and friends is the time you can and will draw the closest to your Father in Heaven. Make him your new best friend! I promise you he wants to be it and he will make the best friend you ever have! Work hard and we will see yall before you know it!!

Nate and his cars saying goodbye to Justin: