For the Black Sisters :-)

I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this - posted as a sidebar ad in Facebook, no less.  What do you think, Sarah?  Will Thor need one of these?  (Hey Julie and Meredith - you could potentially cement the whole "favorite aunt" thing...)  :-)  I'll include the link in case there are any serious buyers out there.

http://www.varsitybaby.com/order.html

The Best Valentine's Gift EVER

Random, and kind of gross, but VERY USEFUL

Odd tidbit #1

A missionary companion once informed me that your saliva has the enzymes necessary to break down your blood. This is useful to know in case you ever cut yourself and bleed on your clothes. Maybe I'm exceptionally weird, but YES, I've tried this (spitting on a blood spot on a shirt), and was able to completely remove the mark. I know it's a bit gross, but it's strangely fascinating, too.

Odd tidbit #2

If you can't sleep because you're coughing, put Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of your feet, put on some socks, and voila! Snooze away! Seriously - got this from my mom's friend who is Hawaiian, and had it corroborated by a friend of mine from Mauritius - plus personal experience. I don't know how it works, but I can tell you that it does!

Odd tidbit #3

WD 40 is REALLY useful when cleaning the bathroom. It works great on metal trim, glass shower doors, and even tile. And it keeps everything looking good for a month or two. Sweeeeet.

What??? No scissors???

Christmas break was great. We visited family, ate LOTS of holiday treats, spent some time at Joshua Tree, and even managed to make an Advent calendar. (More on that later. Perhaps.) Then school started again.

My class has been really good, actually, and I've been enjoying work. But now I have to attend a Professional Development. Not just any PD, but one that lasts FIVE DAYS. And they didn't put any scissors in our table boxes. How am I supposed to entertain myself? So far I've been pretty good and only made a post-it countdown of 10 minute intervals. Hopefully I won't get as crazy as I did last time. Only time will tell, right? (And maybe me. On here. In a few days...) :-)

Inspired by Carrie

Yup, it's her fault...I mean, inspiration behind the festive color change.  That, and maybe a bit too much free time on my hands.  Happy Holidays!!! :-)

Newlywed Bliss? aka Shaine, this one's for you

Oh yes, it happened. Today at church a sister touched my stomach and asked me when I'm due.

Now, I realize I've gained 6 pounds over the last 4 1/2 months, but that's not enough to make me look pregnant, SURELY?!? She was incredibly apologetic when I told her "I'm not.", and commented that so many of the young couples in our ward are expecting.....sure. I'm blaming it on my insulin pump. I clip it to the inside of my waistband, but it still pooches out. And yes, the return to the exercise regime has commenced (2 weeks ago, actually - but apparently it wasn't soon enough!!!)

The Magic of Holidays

It's not that people are kinder or more thoughtful, it's that children go on break for a few days and magically lose all of their ability to follow directions.  Which makes my job SO much more fun.  Really.

In other news, the first married Thanksgiving went well.  It definitely didn't feel like a normal TG to me - I mean, it was in the wrong state, with different people and different foods, but it was fun! We spent a lot of time with Robb's mom, sister, and brother in law.  And we spent an equal amount of time in the train coming and going.  That's another story, but my advice in the meantime:  Get a sleeper!!!  :-)