I'm embarrassed to show you this, but it's a must

A couple weeks ago I saw a pin on Pinterest (If you haven't checked it out yet, you should! its awesome, but addicting) on a miracle carpet stain remover.

For those of you that know, our carpet has a couple of nice big stains. I had just tried to not think or notice them too much, thinking "eventually we'll get a new carpet, so I'll ignore the stains and hope no one notices them (Yeah, right!)". Anyway, so I saw this pin that was super easy, and seemed too good to be true, but I figured I would only really need to buy two things, versus about a million random ingredients to mix together for other "miracle" carpet stain removers.

Excuse the terrible photos, I haven't exactly mastered Mitch's big ol' special professional camera.
Here is the horribly embarrassing part: 

The Before

Yikes! Those were the stains that I put our coffee table over. haha.

 And..

Here is The After!  

 That's right folks, that is the exact same spot on my carpet as the first photo! Amazing, right?!

Here's what you need:

• Water
• Ammonia
• spray bottle
• towel
• a clothes iron

In the spray bottle, do a 50/50 mix of hot water (the hottest your tap will go worked fine for me), and ammonia. I found a jug of it at my local dollar store. (gotta love dollar stores!) 

After making your bottle, get your iron and towel. 

Then pick your stain and spray away. I just about soaked my stains, and then put down the towel and then ironed away right at the spot. Immediately the stains started lifting. I did go over the stains a couple of times, to make sure it was totally gone. 

Here is what my towel looked like after I was all done

 Pretty crazy right?

I thought it was pretty fun too, seeing the stains lift up so quickly and effectively. I had ALMOST wished I had more stains to take out, I loved the immediate gratification. I am so happy that I won't cringe when my coffee table is moved and we have company over, as well as hoping they don't notice the other stains in the living room.

My Bday

This year my birthday was good, I spent it with friends and family. Both Mitch and I felt the same way on our birthdays, being that we missed each other more on those days than we did on Christmas. Weird, right?
Anyway, so that morning I met up with my Bestie Rina, and we went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D at the theaters. Which was fun! I hadn't seen it in so long, and I had almost forgotten bits and pieces of the movie. Seeing it in better quality than a VHS tape was pretty awesome too.
We had already decided previously that we would get some Greek food for lunch, because I had been craving it for weeks! Mitch and I go pretty frequently when he is home, and I hadn't been since he left, because I didn't want to go alone, plus I hadn't ever gone without him either, I guess it's kind of our thing. Anyway, as I was getting into the car to get from the theater to the Big Fat Greek restaurant, Mitch had called me, so I sat in the car to talk to him, before getting on the road.  So, naturally Rina beat me to the restaurant.

Once I got there we ordered and ate, and I wondered, "did she tell them it was my birthday, since she got here before me?". but then we finished eating, and our waitress said she was going to get the check, and I though, "I guess not, otherwise Rina would have already spilled the beans". She is the worst at keeping secret surprises like that. Then from behind me, I hear Happy Birthday! and the crew coming out with dessert, and singing. They lit the plate on fire, sang and I made a wish and blew out the entire plate, lol.  I went on to tell Rina, that I was surprised that she kept a secret! She goes, "I know! I almost did when the waitress said she was going to 'get the check'". haha, She cracks me up.

Anyhow, this was the baklava that they gave us for dessert, which I had to share with Rina it was so rich, and I was already so full! haha, but the plate underneath, with the chocolate syrup and liquid is what they had on fire.  It was really good, very nutty. I wasn't sure if I would like it, because I thought I had had baklava before, and didn't like it, but I really liked this super nutty baklava. So yummy!

After lunch, I said bye to Rina, and went home. I took the dogs on a shorter walk, they were being not so good that day. Then off to my dad's house, where he grilled some chicken, and invited Janice, Mike, the kids, and Jo. We had more dessert there naturally, a cold stone creamery cake that Janice had ordered and customized. The rest of the evening was spent at Dad's, mostly running around and playing with Kaden, he really is so much fun! I love to talk to him, or at least listen and nod. lol, he has so much to say.

Thank you everyone for the Birthday cards and gifts sent in the mail! I was not expecting so many cards!

Mitch's Birthday!

This year, neither Mitch nor I have a lot we want for our birthdays. But of course, I still had to send him a package. So I went a little birthday crazy!

 I wrapped the entire inside of the package with some awesome birthday wrapping paper, then taped a birthday banner on the flaps so that it opened when he opened the package up!

 I made some mini funfetti (his favorite!) cupcakes and sent it along with some frosting. Also in the package, a card, and 80 birthday candles. (Because he's just that old! :P Just kidding of course)

The outside of the package.  I put down some streamer, then laid packing tape right over it, made it look like birthday packing tape. haha. I thought it looked really cool!

Happy Birthday Mitch!
I love and miss you!
♥

Grandma

My grandma's birthday is coming up this month and I've been thinking about her.
She is truly the sweetest, and most kind lady I know. She is always so grateful for any small gesture of kindness, even just a phone call and she is so excited and grateful.

Growing up I remember asking my mom to go to Grandma's house, with my made up signs, and my grandma always had sweet tea and cookies and treats. Yum!
Anyway, I then was looking through pictures, and came across these.

I have always loved her wedding dress!
I would have loved to have a similar dress to hers, but with having an indoor wedding reception I thought, a short wedding dress probably wouldn't go the best with the venue.
Not to mention, look at Grandpa! :P he looks so cute in his formal blues.

I hope my grandchildren will think I was as pretty as she was on her wedding day. ♥

12 days of Christmas

Mitch really outdid himself this year for Christmas. One day I walked out the door, and there was a little present by the door. On it was a little note saying something along the lines of "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a partridge in a pear tree...Speaking of pairs, I hope you like these". Inside, a pair of earrings shaped as the Arizona state and a little heart where Tucson would be. So cute.
Day 1: AZ earrings

Day 2: Custom photo mug

Day 3:
A photo frame with a poem in it. That I'll keep to myself ♥



Day 4: Kuwaiti jewelry and scarves/pashminas
            I love this set. Not sure yet where I'll wear it to. It's also missing a piece that matches the earrings but hangs off the forehead.

Day 5: a Jewelry mirror

            Picture is obviously not of mine, but it is the same model, and I love it!  

Day 6: Juicer

    I had been telling Mitch that I wanted a juicer. He said, really? why? and basically said he didn't really want one. I told him. "Fine! Ill just buy it when you're out of the country!" :P No need, he did the research and got the best one :) 

Day 7: A swimsuit, black one piece with sequins along the top. It's cuter than I make it sound. :P

Day 8:A Dirt Devil! I've wanted one for a while for places that I want to vacuum, but can't get my vacuum there, like inside the light bowls. 

Day 9: Another jewelry set from Kuwait. A necklace, bracelet, earrings and ring set, with white and purple stones.

Day 10: a ring that I had seen online

Day 11: a pack of cards with different memories, reasons he loves me, etc. 

Day 12: A gift card to Gadabout spa 

It was so much fun to wake up each day to a new present! 

I have the best husband 

♥

December

This is my first official Christmas alone, its a weird feeling not having anyone around (besides the dogs of course!) during the season. Last year, I had Mitch and we went up to visit his family. The year before that I was still living at home with my dad. This year it's me in the house, doing my own shopping, deciding what and how to decorate.
Not to mention having to fend for myself. Making my own meals, picking my own bedtime, my own shows, when to do my homework, doing only one set of laundry. Its a weird feeling, I have never been quite on my own before.
Its easy for me to live alone..when someone else is paying the bills though! lol. Its nice not to have to worry about when that paycheck is coming in and what it is going towards. It's all taken care of, I just have to budget for myself. So, its not as stressful as living alone would be. At least I have that going for me.

Its been just over a month since Mitch has been in Kuwait, and it's been a different experience than I expected, that's for sure! I was expecting not being able to keep in touch, besides a once a week phone call, and the occasional skype session. But, the base Mitch is at has wifi! So he has been able to use facebook messenger on the wifi and we are able to talk everyday. Typically one of us is tired when we are talking, with the 10 hour difference. It is either my night and his morning or afternoon, or my morning, and his evening. So we usually only talk for a while, but it is nice to run out of things to talk about, versus not having enough time to talk about what we really want to. I feel really blessed to be able to keep in touch with him at most times.
The time has gone by pretty quick, but when I think about what we have left to go, it seems like only a small time.

Well, onto more fun stuff!

    I hung some ornaments from the archway

 The yard lights. Janice and Kaden supervised :P

 Janice and I made those Jingle all the way wood blocks. We want to add some curly wiring and hang bells on it arched across the top, so it's not quite done. I decided since I don't have a tree up yet, that this would be a good way to display our special ornaments. I love ornaments!

I am pretty proud of the house decorating I've done. I still don't have a tree, or put stockings up but I still am enjoying just the decorating I've done.

Dad's 50th surprise " 'Stache Bash"

My dad turned 50 this year and Janice thought it would be fun to throw a surprise party for him.

We went through a couple of themes before deciding on a "Mustache" theme.

Which turned out to be really fun! 

We made felt mustaches for those who couldn't grow their own, or couldn't find one to use. Along with Mustache glasses and had several party games.

It was really fun to see everyone participate in the mustache theme! Even grandma wore one!!

Our dad was so surprised, we had the party at our house, and to lure my dad over here I had invited him over for 'dinner'. We had everyone arrive about half an hour before he did. and obviously having a bunch of cars around the cul-de-sac was a bit of a giveaway, but he was still super surprised. He was walking up to the door when we opened it up. He turned to Laura, asking "What's going on? do you know?" All the while everyone is wearing (or holding up mustaches on a stick) on their faces! He was pretty confused, until we all started saying , "Happy Birthday!".

Everyone ate, and we put on a slide show of pictures of my dad, from when he was young to more recent pictures (a good amount of which he DID actually have a mustache!). We had put together a few games including matching mustache's to their names and then matching mustaches to their star's face. As well as awards for best mustache and best miss'stache, etc. 

 Grandma's 'stache and Uncle Mike's double 'stache :P

 Kelsey had a pretty great looking one, and Tim used one of the mustache on a stick that we made!

 Aunt Mercy definitely had a neat handlebar mustache, very Photo-worthy!

As you can see, some of the mustache's got traded around, everyone wanted a piece of everyone else's!

We even added mustaches on mirrors and mini 'staches on pictures around the house. Including our wedding pictures and pictures of the dogs!

Big shout out to Janice with her fantastic party planning skills and ideas! It's always so much fun to put parties together with her. Can't wait until our next bash!