Second Happiest People

We really liked this article Second Happiest People. Utah is a great place to be!

C Jane's Guide to Provo

We really enjoy THIS blog with the best where to's and tips of Provo, Utah.

That town has more stuff going on than one might guess...

Valentine's Decor for Kids

We found this heart bunting on sew mama sew and really liked it. Its perfect for dressing up your house on Valentine's day.

And, if you still haven't made your child's valentine box, check out Tiffany's amazing mailboxes complete with a downloadable template. They are awesome!

How are you preparing to celebrate love?

Valentine Dinner Dance

Every year Thanksgiving Point hosts a Valentine Dinner Dance. And, every year the event sells out. Yep, its that good.

Plus, it makes it easy to plan something special for that special someone.

For more information, go HERE.

(the page says 2009, but don't worry, its just a misprint.)

Texts to Help Haiti

The situation in Haiti is truly horrendous. We feel incredible sadness and love for the people who were and continue to be effected by the recent earthquake.

Here is a quick article showing some ways to help.

"It was noted that $5 million had be raised in donations for Haiti though text messaging in the U.S. alone. Today, that number surpassed $10 million, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced. Perhaps more importantly, some of the big players involved in the donations are making moves to make sure the money gets to Haiti faster.

As some people noted in the comments yesterday, there had been talk of 90 day delays for this money donated via text to be released to the various organizations helping out in Haiti. Since then, a number of the companies have committed to giving the money immediately. Verizon, for example, is giving its share (of the then $9 million), $2.98 million, immediately to the American Red Cross. Sprint, meanwhile, is giving 80% of the $1.2 million it has raised so far immediately. AT&T has apparently raised the most so far with $4.2 million (of the larger $10 million) and is also thinking about ways to get the money to Haiti faster.

All of this money has been raised with the help of mGive simply by people using their cellphones to text HAITI to the number 90999. Doing so will automatically donate $10 to the Red Cross, which will be added on to your bill at the end of the month. But that’s not the only way to give over text message."

Here’s a list of many of the ways to text to help Haiti:

*Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross
*Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to International Rescue Committee
*Text HAITI to 45678 to donate $5 to the Salvation Army in Canada
*Text YELE to 501501 to donation $5 to Yele
*Text RELIEF to 30644 to get automatically connected to Catholic Relief Services and donate money with your credit card
*Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to The United Way
*Text CERF to 90999 to donate $5 to The United Nations Foundation
*Text DISASTER to 90999 to donate $10 to Compassion International

Decorating Ideas for Girls Rooms

Sugar and Spice

Every little girl I know loves pretty colors! For a room she'll cherish, select fabrics with flowers, trellises, cute animals, or butterflies. You might stencil flowers, vines, and butterflies on walls as a colorful accent, using paint colors matched to your fabric or wallpaper choices. Don't forget soft, airy curtains for the windows.

Ocean

If you live near the beach, or just wish you did, create an ocean theme using watery blues for the wall, sand colors on the floor, and clouds in the sky (ceiling). Take color cues from a beachy border wallpaper, art print, or piece of furniture like this colorful stool. You 'll almost be able to hear the waves!

Moon and Stars

Starlight is a great theme, and you'll find many fabrics, wallpapers, and bedding with star patterns. This theme appeals to both boys and girls, and is available in many colors both bright and pastel. Wonderful theme pieces can be the "star" in a room. You might get star-shaped rubber stamps (or sponges) and dip into wall paint to create your own star border, decorate furniture, or make random stars all over the walls or ceiling. A star quilt or rug will complete the theme.

Moonlight is another great one.Create a wonderful, soft look with by the light of the moon. The ceiling might be midnight blue, with painted moon and stars, or use some of the stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars. Embellish a colorful painted bookshelf with crisp white stars, or liven up a plain white chest with a rainbow of star shapes. Find a moon and star quilt or fabric to use for window treatments. Then add a moon cutout headboard.

Angels, Fairies, and Elves

This universal theme will be adored by girls of any age. Angel themes could use faux painted skies and clouds, fluffy canopy beds, and soft icy pinks, blues, and lavendars. Fairy shapes are appealing with transparent wings, sparkling wands, and silvery magic dust. Try to incorporate some sparkles with glittering accents, silver paint, and magical designs.

Flower Power

Bright and bold oranges, sun yellows, lime greens, and watermelon pinks are the basis of this retro-60's look. Find colorful borders and fabrics featuring stylized simple flower shapes in hot colors, and match these with some plain fabrics for ruffles, valances, and window seat pillows. These flower shapes would be easy to enlarge on a copy machine and trace onto the walls in random patterns, then paint with wild colors matched to the fabrics.

Sunshine

Paint a mural of hills, with the sunrise peeking over the top. Use sunny yellow checked bedding and quilts, green rugs for grass, and paint the ceiling a soft sky blue. Waking up will be easy and fun using this summery look which is sure to please many a young child.

Cottage Style

This is a great theme if your child will be using hand-me-down furniture for her room. Think lots of white and paint all the furniture for creating a cottage style room. Then use either light colors (pink, sky blue, pale green) or set the white off against bright clear colors like grass green or marine blue. You can also use fabric patterns such as tea-stained cotton florals, or use brighter florals, ginghams, or stripes. Find more tips on cottage style.

Color Themes

This theme is easy. Just pick the color that your little one LOVES, and go with it--everywhere. Paint the walls in her favorite color, then go for it in borders, fabrics, pillows, and accessories. Whether it is pink, purple, blue, or primary crayon colors -- your little one is sure to feel right at home in a colorful room done just for her.

Butterflies, Bees, and Dragonflies

Anyone who has purchased gifts for girls in the last few years knows that butterflies are big! If your little one loves this look, there are many ways to incorporate it into a room. A mural of garden and butterflies is a natural, or go with a butterfly fabric for the comforter. Small painted designs can be added to chair backs, picture frames, headboards, and flit around a colorful chest of drawers as well. Use butterfly hair clips to perch on a lampshade, bulletin board, or along one edge of a curtain.

Mary Engelbreit

You'll find lots of cute ideas for decorating a girl's room in the "Mary Engelbreit's Childrens Companion" book. Just find a photo you like and follow this whimsical artist's lead. Colorful walls, painted furniture, and stencil designs will give the room a smile. Then "don't look back," as Mary likes to say.

Cats, Dogs, and More

Cats, dogs, horses, bunnies, or other darling animals may be the perfect choice for an up-to-date girl's room. Certainly your little one has a favorite--or make it a menagerie if she can't decide. Choose from color themes in pastels, medium tones, brights, or primary colors, and use these happy designs on furniture, borders, and accessories.

Princesses and Castles

Your Princess can have a room befitting her high status if you use sheer fabrics and fanciful details. Embellish the walls with faux painted castle walls, murals, and blue skies for a truly memorable girl's room. Contrast the weighty look of faux stone walls with trails of stenciled ivy or flowers and swaths of pretty netting used as a bed canopy.

Tea Party

Pretty hats can adorn a room with a tea party theme. She can arrange her toy pals in chairs around a tea table and play until supper time. Be sure to include a pretty tea set and other tea themed accessories throughout the room. Cheerio!

Sports

Young girls who avidly participate in any sport -- whether it's riding, skating, softball, swimming, or soccer -- can readily identify with this decorating theme. Wallies or a wallpaper border is a perfect place to start for a color scheme and in a search for coordinating curtains and bedding. Look for innovative touches to support the theme and be sure to include display shelves to house awards, game photos, and medals.

Storybook Characters

Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit, the Little Mermaid, or Barbie might be the starting point for a wonderful theme room. Search the net for specialty character sheets and bedding, then take your color cues from there. Frame book illustrations as wall art or use cutouts of book pages for decoupage on furniture.

Toiles

The toile look has made a huge comeback in recent years and can help create a more sophisticated look for an older girl. Find this timeless design in fabrics and wallpapers, in colors that range from blue, red, green, black, and beige patterns on a white background, to newer iterations that incorporate multi-colors such as yellow and blue on white or ivory.

French Rooms

Black and white checks, vintage-look accessories, and any type of French poster or decoration can be just right for a fabulous Parisian bedroom. Learn more about creating a French room here.

Shabby Elegant

Tea-stained florals, comfortable slipcovered chairs, vintage accessories, and painted white furniture is the look that's all the rage. Explore the elements of a shabby elegant room here.

By now your decorating enthusiasm should up and running! You'll find more great ideas everywhere you look. Remember to include your child in this process of choosing a theme. Children have wonderful, innovative ideas, and seeing their wishes take shape in a wonderful room, created just for them, will give them confidence and a memory they will never forget.

The information for this article was found on about.com, the picture is from artstudio.com.

Decorating Ideas for Boys Rooms

A decorating theme is a great way to begin decorating a room for a child. If you're like most parents, you've probably spent lots of time thinking about decorating your new child's room even before he joined your family. While bunnies are cute and teddy bears are darling, you might want something different for the bedroom or playroom.

There are lots of great themes for boys' rooms. A special theme will provide both the focus and the inspiration for a special one-of-a-kind room and can be adapted as your child grows. Time to get started!

Bug's Life
From bees and ants to frogs and reptiles, creatures of nature often capture a child's attention. Browse theme ideas at Posh Tots including a Bug Off Table and Chair Set, Bug bed linens, and or frog lamp. Maybe using this theme in the bedroom will encourage your son to leave the real thing outside!

Favorite Animals
What boy wouldn't love a room focusing on his favorite pet? Whether it's a dog or cat, bird or snake, using this theme will make your son (and his pet) feel particularly at home. Be sure to put up lots of pictures with your son and his best friend around the room and make sure you have stuffed animals scattered everywhere.

Playhouse / Playtown
This theme will provide a wonderful scheme for decorating your son's room and provide lots of wonderful playtime possibilities as well. A whimsical or the cute playtown chest can be your starting point. Or, do a border in kids designs or paint a mural of a street scene on one or more walls. Name the storefronts for family members ("Katie's Groceries", "Ted's Puppet Theatre", "Todd's Bike Shop", "Anne's Pet Heaven", "Sara's Video Den", or Dennis' Book Nook").

Safari
For a safari look, find wonderful, colorful animal wallpaper borders and fabrics at any wallpaper store. Paint the walls blue, tan, ivory, or any of the colors in your wallpaper border. Make pillows and valances from coordinating leopard-print fabrics, and find some stuffed lions and tigers for the corner. Mount a butterfly net, binoculars, or straw hat on the walls. Use colorful mat board and frame some of your child's artwork to display. Maybe he'll draw some lions!

Rustic Cabin
Most every child loves spending time at camp or in the mountains. And what parent doesn't have happy childhood memories of hiking, boating, fishing, or just enjoying the outdoors. Birdhouses, bears, moose, and fish might show up in wallpaper borders, in fabrics, bedding, and accessories. For a rustic room you might also choose comfy plaid patterns, flannel fabrics, and log or pine beds. Accessories might use forest themes of animals, mountain scenes, or natural materials such as pine cones, leaves, and sticks. Take another cue from camp and use a sturdy trunk to store toys. With a room this nice, who needs a vacation?

Rain Forest
Choose a colorful jungle border, or try a jungle area rug. Soft fabric snakes and colorful stuffed birds or butterfly cutouts can add to the decor. Make pillows of animal or jungle prints and use themed accessories. Grrr!

Race Cars
With car racing, you think black and white checkered flags, and a finish line. Find an area rug with a car track design. A car bed might be fun, or decorate the walls with a car wall appliques. Add some framed calendar photos or posters of race cars, and put up narrow shelving to display car collections. Zoom!

Outer Space
Take a trip to the stars using a space theme. An Apollo bed set, outer space border, or star-studded rocking chair might be just the items that inspires your child to reach for the stars. Paint reflective planets or stars on the ceiling in arrangements of the constellations.

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines
If Dad is in the service, you might let your boy feel patriotic with a room painted in camouflage and outfitted with tanks and desert colors. But leave the guns out!

Sports
From soccer to baseball to football, sports is a theme that spans the generations. To use a baseball theme for example, use a headboard made from bats, hang curtains from bats used as curtain rods, make a baseball lamp, or hang shelving to display gloves, pennants, and trophies. Paint the room in the colors of your son's favorite team. Sports themed rugs, furniture, and beds are another possibility. Create similar looks for other sports, and you'll have a room that is a big "hit" with sports fans. Play ball!

Wild Colors
Go wild by starting with a lively area rug designed in fun colors for a child. Take your cue from the rug for colors and designs for the rest of the room. Use color everywhere! Paint every surface of a bookcase a different color, and do the same with headboard slats, drawer fronts, and chair legs. This is a great way to help your little one learn his colors! Find a fabric to compliment the rug and use it to tie the room together with window valances or floor pillows.

Movie or Cartoon Characters
There's something for everyone in this theme! Whether your son has been captivated by Mickey Mouse, Alladin, Lion King, Toy Story, or Scooby Doo -- you'll probably be able to find bedding, lamps, and other decorative items that use these themes. Towels for the bathroom and toys will be easy to add.

Pirates
The story of Peter Pan can inspire creative parents to design a wonderful room. Boys intrigued by the notion of pirates will love a room using blue ocean themes, ship masts, portholes, netting, treasure boxes, and secret play hideaways.

Knights and Castles
Artistic parents can faux paint castle walls, murals, and blue skies for a truly memorable room. Use the theme of "A Sword in the Stone" or "Camelot" for inspiration. Find another take on this theme offered by for Mercy's Sake in their Galahad collection.

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles
There are lots of colorful choices in bedding, fabrics, and wallpaper that feature transportation themes. Most use bright primary colors and offer eye-catching designs. Make a train track border around the room, hang airplanes from the ceiling, or go wild with a car-shaped bed.

Cowboy Kids
This is a fun theme where you can let your imagination run wild. Think bandanna valances, chaps wall hangings, tin stars, horses, rope borders, and more. The baby dude designs offered by for Mercy's Sake offer some fun possibilities. Or check out OliveKids.com Camp Wilderness or the Wild West theme designs from PoshTots.com for more creative examples of this theme and products to add to your decor.

Dinosaurs
From cute and stylized to realistic and ferocious -- dinosaurs themes are still popular. If you suspect this is a passing phase for your little one, then opt for solid color bedding and walls, using theme elements in borders, sheets, valances, and posters.

The information from this post was found at about.com. Photo from vanessakeatinginteriors.com.

Recovery Act Programs Help Small Business In Tough Economic Times

Good to know...

If the video isn't working go HERE.

Concert And Cookies

This week there are two note worthy events happening in good ol' Utah County.

First is the American Fork Symphony's Christmas Concert. It begins at 7:30 p.m at American Fork High School. $3 dollars for individuals and $10 dollars for families. If you would like more information visit http://www.americanforksymphony.org/

Second, you can enjoy Cookies with Santa. 10 a.m. at the Dear Lizzie Boutique and Bistro. reservations are required so please call 801-492-0022.


And, don't forget to enjoy your week!

100 Things To Do In Provo

C Jane's Guide to Provo is compiling a list of 100 things you can do while in Provo. It should be a treat. There will be a post of 20 things each day this week.

Check it out HERE. Its always nice to have a few extra activity choices on the menu.

Homemade Gift Guide

There are some wonderful homemade gift ideas produced by local Utah companies. The best part about these homemade gems, is that they come in a kit. So, if you are feeling crafty, but don't necessarily know where to start, visit the link below. You won't be disappointed.

Gift Guide: Stories by Me - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Christmas Ideas For The Family

1. First of all go HERE to print off a cute little calendar for the month of December created by m.writes.

Print one to schedule holiday events and print another for your little one(s) as a daily projects advent to hang on the fridge, at kid level. Who doesn't love counting down the days with a big red X in each box?

2. And, since tomorrow is December 1st and the countdown to Christmas will begin make sure to try out Melissa's wonderful idea of wrapping 25 Christmas stories.

Go HERE to read about opening one a day until the big day.

3. Check out THIS website to find hundreds of fun ideas for celebrating Christmas with your children. Creative crafts, tasty treats, and great gift ideas. Plan a fun Christmas party and decorate your home for the holidays.

You can also locate fun Christmas activities in your area, including Christmas Parades, Santa's Villages, and Holiday Celebrations!

4. Christmas Around the World December 4-5 by the BYU Folk Dance Ensemble

5. Festival of Trees December 2-5

6. Here Comes Santa Claus! December 19. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, take a break from the seasonal rush and warm your vocal chords while your family sings along with Santa Claus and the rest of the Utah Symphony.

7. The Polar Express by the Heber Valley Railroad November 27-28, December 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 21-23. Join real-life elves and Cocoa Chefs for hot drinks and treats, while sharing favorite carols and a Christmas story. You're sure to feel the holiday spirit when your child's eyes light up as Santa climbs aboard.

8. A Christmas Carol by the Hale Center Theatre November 28-December 23

For more ideas try THIS website. And be sure to enjoy this wonderful Christmas season!

Thanksgiving Garland by Simply Modern Mom

There is a great post on how to make your own Thanksgiving Garland by Simply Modern Mom. Its a cute decoration that allows you to express what you are most thankful for.

Go HERE to learn the step by step details.

Free Printable Chore Chart For Kids

ModEco Kids has an adorable, and better yet FREE, printable chore chart.

Go HERE to download and print it off.