Flowering cacti

Another sign that spring is here! The cactus in my front yard have started flowering. Aren't they pretty?

As I was taking a photo of these cacti, I thought I'd go around the back and photo my own cacti. The ones I have planted and nurtured. These are the true miracles! Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a confessed plant killer. I did not inherit the green fingered gene that both my parents possessed. Give me a plant, any plant, and I will kill it! Not purposefully, mind you, but plants that have hardy, or drought resistant on their labels, have still been known to succumb to my nefarious talents!

Anyhoo, this is an aloe vera plant that Heather gave me as some little seedlings (???) from her Dad's yard. They're growing, right?

This cactus looks healthy too. I've had it a number of years and it's still alive!

I must admit though. This plant is my piece de resistance. At my last house, this was by my front door and I admit, it was neglected. When I moved in here about 16 months ago, it was almost dead. Honestly, I wanted to throw it out. But, I put it outside near the water hose and watered it whenever I remembered, and look at it now. It's glorious!!! It's my favorite plant ever. It loves me, I think. It wants to grow for me!

Forty years in the making!!!

When I was a young girl of, oh, about 10, I suppose, I tried my hand at embroidery. It was a traditional Ukrainian pattern and I did it in a thin wool. I had no clue what it was going to be when it was finished, I just started embroidering it on some canvas and carried on until I was fed up with doing it. I can't remember exactly when that took place, but I do remember doing some more on it as a young adult, enough to make it an even six columns by four rows. I must have left it at my Mom's house when we moved to the States, but last year or so, she sent it to me.
I had no idea what to do with it. It seemed such a shame for it not to become something after all the work that had gone into it. Finally, I decided that it would become a little purse. I lined it with black felt, sewed up the bottom and sides, attached two D rings and added a leather strap that I bought at Joanns.

Here it is!!! Testament that perseverance and patience finally pay off. It's not very big, but its enjoying being hung in my closet next to my scarves rather than being tucked at the back of a drawer being ignored.

Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Palm Tree

One of the palm trees in my back yard has decided that it's springtime. As you can see from the photo, it has shot out three large, well, I'm not sure what you call them. "Appendages" spring to mind, but at any rate, its where the palm fronds eventually emerge from.One of them was sticking right out over the path at about head height, so along came my very own Indiana Jones...

...and hacked it off!!!

Just in case you're looking at the yucky grass, he then went on to cut it. Who knew Indiana Jones could be so industrious all in one morning?

Engagement Photos

How time flies!
It doesn't seem two minutes since the baby of my babies was born and here he is all engaged to be married! Jordan and Britney have actually been engaged a few months now, but due to their busy schedules, its taken them this long to actually get some photos taken to commemorate the event.
Next stop...January 5th 2013 and a wedding day!!!

I Love To See The Temple

It is so exciting to see the Gilbert Temple being built. It's so prominent all around the area and is going to look magnificent. I took these pics from the park across the street. I was in the same spot, but zoomed a little closer for the second two shots.

These ones I took from the car while we were at the lights. 

Work It!

Michael cutting the grass!

Blogging on the go!

So I downloaded an application for my phone that lets me Blog on the go. Thought I'd try it out by posting this picture of Sophie that I took the other day.

Being Frugal Part 2

I thought I'd try being frugal with skin care too. Actually, when I was in my 20s with small babies, I was pretty frugal then too. I used baby lotion for a cleanser, witch hazel (really cheap) as a toner for my then oily skin and then baby lotion again for a moisturizer.

Here are some of my wonderful ingredients. 

First, I made a toner out of glycerin, fresh lemon juice and water. I LOVE IT!!!!! Thank you Pinterest! I thought the lemon juice in it would maybe make the toner "go off" but it doesn't. It makes my skin feel lovely and fresh with a little tightness, which I like. 

Being stoked that this worked so well, I thought I'd move on and make an oil based cleanser. It called for castor oil and extra virgin olive oil which I decided to mix in equal quantities, although this can be tweaked according to your skin type. I've never used an oil based cleanser before so it felt a little weird, and to be honest, I didn't like the smell. The only extra virgin olive oil I had in the house was Spanish and maybe it was just a little too strong smelling. Too much like a frying pan! Then I found sweet almond oil in Wal-Mart and my problems were solved. It smells wonderful!

Here is my cleanser on the left and toner on the right in some travel bottles that are ideal sizes for what I need.

After rubbing the cleanser into my face, I wondered about the best way of getting it off without it leaving my face oily. Then I remembered when I went for my fancy free facial last month at the Desert Ridge Marriott, they used lots of wash cloths soaked in hot water on my face (at least I think that's what they were, I had my eyes closed). Wal-Mart came to the rescue again. 18 washcloths for $4, neatly rolled into a wicker basket and my spa experience can continue. It really does take all the oil off and leave your face feeling super clean.

I feel so FRUGAL right now! Not cheap, remember! FRUGAL!!!!!

Being Frugal Part 1

I'm not one for making New Years Resolutions because, lets face it, I will probably never exercise or lose weight and I've never smoked so I don't need to quit. They seem a bit of a waste of time to me. This year though, I did make one...I decided that in 2012 I wanted to look for ways of being more frugal. I said FRUGAL, not CHEAP. Cheap is passe, frugal is the latest in word. 

Thanks to Pinterest (wonderful invention) I thought I'd start the new year out by making my own laundry detergent. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was doing laundry for seven people so laundry detergent prices were adding up and this method looked like it was going to save me a lot of money.

Here are my ingredients, all found in the laundry aisle at Wal-Mart for the grand cost of $7.59 and they can be used over and over (well, 4 times for the soap). I have also used just regular soap instead of the Fels Naptha and it works just as well. In fact, I used those little hotel soaps that you get for free.

 Here's my detergent "cooking" in the bucket I snagged from hubby. I leave it overnight with the lid on and by morning it's all gelified like this.

 And ready to put in these Rubbermaid containers which are great as they have big mouths which makes it easier to get the detergent into the bottles and pouring spouts. 

Actually, I use other containers too...empty water containers, empty laundry containers, anything really, or I just leave what I don't want in the bucket for another time. 

Christmas Randoms

It's a little blurry, but here's me and Brent starting to get the turkey carved with Olivia looking on.

 An early morning Katelynn in her Christmas Tinkerbell pj's. My little embarrassment is that I was folding the kids laundry and it's right there in plain view! Aaargh!

 Uncle Jordan with Katelynn and Christopher.

Jordan and Britney caught kissing under the mistletoe.