Happiness is...

Having this thing rented!!!

After a year and a half on the market for sale, we finally gave in and turned to a renting option. Lucky for us our property managers found someone in just over a week! The funny part is they apologized for it taking so long.. Really? Are you kidding, after having to make mortgage payments on it for nothing over the last year and a half, an extra week is nothing! What a temporary relief! We would still have preferred a sale, but this is sooooo wonderful for now!

Loving a Bargain!

Several months ago I started couponing and I pretty much love it! I even have Adam in on it, he takes care of all the freebies you can get online and I clip all the Sunday coupons. I don't have too much time to be ultra obsessed and go to every different store with the best deals, so I really just focus on two: Fry's for groceries since its the one thats closest and where we always go anyway and Walgreens for all our hygiene and household products. Right off the bat I took the advice of friends and set up my couponing binder and its made it so much easier to know all the coupons I have and to match to the adds. So far I know we've saved a ton of money and got to try some fun products we normally wouldn't buy, but hey when they are free why not!

I was so proud of my last shopping adventure to Frys. Now I know some of you who coupon will probably say I could have done it for less, but I was very proud of my savings. OK, are you ready? This whole table of food:

Would have cost me $134.40 if I would have bought everything at normal price but without cuopons.... HOWEVER, I am smarter than that so are you ready for the final price????? $39.53! !!! Can I tell you how thrilling it is to hear a cashier tell you you saved $94.87. Thats a savings of 70%!!!! Hello! Here's a closer look at the goods:

Notice all the fresh produce and also there is a $10 pork roast. Considering that coupons are rare for fruit and veggies (although I did have a coupon for the Cuties and a $3 off produce coupon) I think I did pretty fab with all my purchases!

And this picture shows all of my FREE stuff! Thats right all of that stuff was FREE after my coupons matched with the store sales! How sweet!

If you don't currently coupon, well you should! There's deals to be made!

SUNS!

Last Friday night we got a surprise phone call from a member of our Stake Presidency offering us tickets to the Suns game that night. Of course we said YES!!!! We were in the middle of dinner and had to eat pretty quick to make it out the door in time, but it was so worth it!

We were in the upper level, but who is going to complain when they are free? Plus they were second row on the top, so still pretty decent seats!

We had soo much fun and it was a great game! Amare was unstoppable that night and we even saw the Jazz Coach, Jerry Sloan get ejected from the game for shoving the ref. It was hilarious!

Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails!

Again, almost titled this one "It's a Boy", but again thought that would be very deceiving! Last weekend I got to host a baby shower for a lovely sister in our ward. And since I've recently become, well obsessed, with party planning blogs I had to have a theme and go all out! (Seriously, dream job alert! Anyone want to hire me full time?) Being my first attempt to create a dessert table, I don't think it turned out half bad!

The theme was Snips, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails and I chose to have lots of primary type colors; blue, red, orange, yellow and green.

Cake stands look familiar? Yep more homemade creations! The backdrop was simply 12x12 scrapbook paper and ribbons. I loved how it turned out and allowed us to open the window but not show just a big tree trunk outside.

I wanted most of the desserts to follow the theme, so first:

Here are the "Snips"

I wanted to get the "Nibs" brand of licorice pieces, but couldn't find any, so I cut up my own! Plus they are red so they work perfectly!

And the Snails:

These little guys were made out of peppermint candies, which by mistake I made the day before and their little red stripes "melted". They were housed on a bed of green coconut grass.

More snails, this time Sugar Cookie Snails!

Don't you just want to bite this little guys head off?

And of course the Puppy Dog!

Chex mix puppy chow (seriously google puppy chow and see if the first thing that comes up is not delicious chex mix!)

Followed by a sweet puppy cupcake.

These little buggers looked easy, but those darned ears had the toughest time staying on! Out of 1 dozen only 4 came out with both ears - all the rest lost exactly 1 ear, none lost both. How strange.

More close up views of the table.

We also had homemade lemonade (thanks again Adam!) and it was also the guest of honors birthday so I made the main cake a little girly, while still keeping in the color scheme.

Isn't that homemade cake stand awesome! And it supported that big heavy cake so well!

The shower was definitely a lot of fun to plan and I loved how it all turned out!

Baby shower cupcakes

I almost titled this post "its a girl" but then realized I would be making an announcement that is not mine and perhaps getting up hopes for many of you.

I made these birthday shower cupcakes for a coworker. I chose brown and pink because, well its a girl, but also because the shower was for a male coworker so I had to throw in some manly colors!

Oh and the "cupcake" stand, yeah, homemade by Adam! Recycled candle holders and plate from goodwill, some paint and strong glue and wallah, cake stand!