Get it Together

Aren't these beautiful? For those of us with more prints than patience, the Together Book will bind photos into a hardcover album. Prices start at just $30. How stunning would these look on your bookshelf, or mine?

-amr

Funky Sponges

I know I know, a post about sponges? Seriously, can you tell I've been scrubbing this house since I've been home? I just thought I would share these funky little "designer" sponges I found at Target. No, they don't magically make kitchen duty sexy or exciting - but they're worth the $2.99 pop of color they add to my kitchen sink.

-amr

My little Ham

Irresistible Face from bryc3 on Vimeo.

"I defy you to watch this video and not make that face back at her. You can’t do it. And, if you can, you have ice water pumping through your veins!"

*via bryc3.com

-amr

p.s. forgive the runny nose...she's a teething faucet

Sandwich Showdown

I've been brewing up an idea for a little friendly competition dinner party for sometime now...so during our travels we had to stop in 'wichcraft to do some research development. 'wichcraft is a gourmet sandwich shop by none other than our favorite Top Chef, Tom Collichio. Grilled cheddar smoked ham, pear and mustard on cranberry-pecan bread was a favorite. So now onto the party: A Sandwich Showdown. If I could gather together a few panini presses, some electric skillets, and of course full use of all burners, I would have all the guests bring their own ingredients they think would make the the most delicious and most memorable sandwich. We would cook them up (or a cold sandwich would be good too) and then judge them and come up with a winner. The perfect prize would be a gift certificate to Great Harvest or a panini press. Doesn't that sound fun?

-amr

Bass Lake in June

Part of our Californian adventures included an afternoon of boating on Bass Lake. What a beautiful spot right in the middle of the forest. The setting could not have been more spectacular. We especially enjoyed the "bored" tricks Kalli and Ella were pulling on the tube (like over-exaggerated yawning) when they wanted the boat to go faster. What a bunch of hams...of course, we have no idea who they got that from.

-amr

A Favorite

I couldn't believe this photo actually turned out somewhat as I planned. I was playing around with the shutter speed of my camera to create one of those ethereal shots similar to what the Anthropologie catalogs have done. I have been utterly fascinated with the reintroduction many photographers and bloggers are doing with vintage photos and polaroids (find one of my favorite little pola collections here.) This shot of Justin and Merci is my humble little contribution to the vintage photo phenomenon. (You know the internet is purely genius when a mama in SLC can participate in an actual phenomenon. At least, that's what I like to think. :)

-amr

A Rare Speciman

A photo with every member of the fam...I just had to include for proof we actually do travel as a pack. Thanks, Pam.

-amr

They Do

For my personal record, I'm going to do my best to chronologically post the events of the summer so far ... please oblige me and share in my memories if you wish. First up, Justin and Merci's wedding at the Bonnie B Ranch near Yosemite National Park in California. Justin and Merci Hall are both founders of one of Bryce's OATV investments, GameLayers. We were so fortunate to be a part of such a beautiful and unique ceremony. All the guests and family were so welcoming to our not-so-little entourage also known as my family. By the end of the evening, I was known as the mom to all those children! :) We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon under the sun and pines of the Californian woods and couldn't be happier for the newlyweds.

-amr

To do list

1. Orthodontist appointments
2. Catch up on laundry from trip
3. Stay on top of carpools for soccer camp and swim team
4. Get Comcast here because phone and internet haven't worked since we've been home (so if you've tried to call, now you know why I haven't answered - sorry :()
5. Listen to those 24 messages waiting to be responded to once the phone works again
6. Send Lyric her birthday necklace that I finally had time to make
7. Sort through the pile of mail delivered today from vacation hold
8. Have dinner with Bryce's parents tonight
9. Clean the house - yuck!
10. GET MY BLOG UP TO DATE. MY POOR BLOGGITY BLOG IS FEELING SO NEGLECTED AND I'M GOING THROUGH SEVERE WITHDRAWALS MYSELF! (COMCAST FINALLY CAME TO THE RESCUE LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO!) I HAVE LOADS TO POST AND CAN'T WAIT TO CATCH UP ON ALL MY BLOGGING FRIENDS TOO! HOPING TO POST SOME PICTURES SOON...

-amr

Bear Lake

We spent a fabulous weekend with some friends up at Bear Lake this June. We did a little golfing, swimming, 4-wheeling, tubing and loads of beach time. The weather was absolutely perfect and we couldn't have dreamed up a better way to spend these summer days.

-amr

p.s. The picture of Max was his first official "shoulda been stitches" moment (smacked in the head by a golf club by we won't say who ;) But since we were so far away from any medical facility, he was doctored up by a couple of the dads with some super glue and steri-strips. It healed up just fabulously.

Current Crush

*Image via castsugar.blogspot.com

Exotic candy bars by Vosges Chocolate. These little hummers are pricey for a candy bar ($6-8) but so worth the dip into the extraordinary. This one is fantastic. Goji berries, pink Himalayan salt (tasted like sea salt to me) and deep milk chocolate. Sounds crazy, tastes amazing.

-amr

Lazy Days of Summer?

My posting frequency has significantly fallen since summer started...time is at a premium with all four little R's roaming around the house. Not to mention, baby J has decided it's time to have some freedom of movement and the crawling has begun. (I am hoping to post a great little video we got of her first crawls.) Between our summer trips, swim team each morning, day camps, and daily jobs I am ever curious as to who coined the term "the lazy days of summer." It most certainly wasn't a mama. Watch for pictures to be posted of California, Bear Lake, and our neighborhood ice cream social within the next couple of days. I have some great shots to share. In the mean time, I hope someone out there is enjoying a lazy summer day.

-amr

Hip and Humble

*Image via Sunset Magazine

A couple of days ago I was on my way to Trolley Square and had a couple of extra minutes so I stopped in Hip and Humble, a local shop in the 9th and 9th district of Salt Lake. Wow! What a great stop. If you haven't been in lately, take the time to do so. They have really transformed their inventory from "shabby chic" to bright, eclectic, and very unique home and gift items. One of my favorite new items were the new in-house bath and body products. There were six different varieties and they all smelled so fresh yet subtle, I had a hard time choosing which one to buy (and I am picky about my fragrances). This is one of those stores I can tell Bryce to go in and he could come out with anything and I'd be happy. I came out with a few items in my bag but loved many more. I'll definitely be stopping in more frequently.

-amr

p.s. I found a great article on the 9th and 9th Distict from Sunset Magazine here. We used to live on 9th about ten streets up from this great little corner of SLC, so I have big love for little neighborhood nooks like this one.

Tunes

One evening last weekend at Mark and Pam's house, we spent an hour or so listening to some great songs on Mark's Apple TV from a compiled list of his Top 34 (he couldn't narrow it down to 20). It got me thinking that I need to do some adding to my own playlist that isn't the Jonas Brothers :) Here's my list so far of some oldies and newbies that are going on the pod...

• Viva La Vida - Coldplay
• Save Me - Aimee Mann
• Mr. Jones - Counting Crows
• Ain't No Reason - Brett Dennen
• Island in the Sun - Wheezer
• Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglov
• Goodbye Stranger - Supertramp
• Two Princes - Spin Doctors
• Strong Enough - Sheryl Crow
  
• Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

-amr

Tip of the Day

Don't forget to sign the kids up for the local library's summer reading program. Our public library has two fun options this summer. The first is "Catch the Reading Bug" and the second is "Read down your Fines". The library is such a great resource for motivation to keep the kids reading all summer long. We're hoping to log hundreds of pages over the next couple of months.

-amr

Voss Darling

My water bottle always generates a lot of buzz wherever it goes. It's sleek, simple and holds a perfect 12 oz. For those of you who've asked, here's the Voss scoop. My favorite thing about the bottle is of course its sleek design, the fact that it is glass (and reuseable and won't leak any plastic chemicals into my H2O), and it seems to keep water at a much cooler temperature than plastic bottles. B tends to bring them home from bistros/cafes for me, but I've also seen them at World Market. Happy hydration.

-amr

And on the Tenth Day, She Rests.

Ohh it feels so good to sleep in my own bed. The only good thing about sleeping in hotel beds across Northern California is the yummy bedding - comforters, throws, duvets...that good hotels pile on their mattresses. My sister Kim custom made my last set of bedding nearly ten years ago and it has held up wonderfully, but the time has come to invest in some new. I can't get this Eileen Fisher bedding I first spotted in Garnet Hill out of my mind. I love the neutral palette paired with loads of texture that can interchange to match the season. I'm not sure this is the exact set. If you know me well, you know I like to take my time on decisions, weigh every possible option, and then purchase with no hesitation or regret. It might help if only I could test drive one sleepy night in each bed of my choice, especially this one on a gorgeous porch looking out at the ocean.

-amr

To All My Men

Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers in my life. If I had the time I'd write you all an essay, but today is travel-home day and time is limited. I hope you all know how much I love you.

-amr

Well done

I experienced my first ever oyster in the half shell today at the OATV portfolio party. WOW! It was so surprisingly good. The catering was done by this local company and everything was so amazing. Another favorite: grilled nectarines wrapped in prosciutto with a thin shave of fresh parmesean on top. I love enjoying something so fresh and totally do-able at one of my own dinner parties. Much of the produce and ingredients were local which made everything that much more flavorful. Good food + beautiful location + interesting people = Great party

-amr

Current Crush

Wow...can I just say I'm in love? The W hotel has stocked their blissful spa and all the rooms with this heavenly potion: Bliss Lemon and Sage. Somehow it makes living in a hotel room for the 7th night in a row with all 6 family members not seem like quite lions den it feels like right now. (That may be because I've locked myself in the bathroom with nothing but these luscious products, but that's another story.) I will definitely add one or more of these to my bath and body repertoire. Now, onto surviving 3 more days :)

-amr

Monterey Bay Aquarium

The kids are over at the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the third time during our short stay here in Monterey. Bryce took them over (right next door from here at the Clement) to see if they could catch another feeding at the Outer Bay Exhibit while I pack up and Josie grabs a quick nap before we head up to Santa Cruz. It has quickly become their favorite thing to see the sharks, stingrays, tuna, and other amazing sea life gobble up the 90 pounds of food that the feeders drop in. The aquarium is supposed to be one of the premier aquariums in the country and wow! has it been an incredible experience for the kids. Sea life of all varieties, tons of interactive displays, amazing views of the bay, and of course getting a chance to handle sea cucumbers, crabs, sea urchins, sea stars etc... I definitely recommend a day here at the aquarium if you find yourself near the central coast of California.

-amr

On to Monterey

It has been fun to be among some of the first guests of the Clement Hotel on Cannery Row in Monterey. It is our first time to Monterey and the Clement was the perfect place to stay. The decor and atmosphere of the hotel are unbeatable. Ultra chic beach cottage sums it up...there aren't very many actual pictures of it available since it doesn't technically open until Jun 14th so I've been snapping some up and I hope to share later. Every detail down to the grass cloth wallpaper, modern spherical light fixtures, and painted moldings are integrated with such sophistication and ease. I'm taking some serious notes because these designers didn't mess around. Now, if only I had a similar budget to work with...

-amr

Summertime!

Summer has begun! We took off the very day after school started to head out to California. We flew into Oakland and have since been on a major Californian road trip in our rented van. We've been to Yosemite and seen amazing waterfalls and of course, El Capitan. We went to a wedding at the Bonnie B Ranch, (congratulations to Justin and Merci!), did some tubing on Bass Lake with Mark and Pam, and then drove through fields and groves and orchards full of pistachios, olives, garlic, and even cabbage! It's been quite the adventure so far. The kids have had a ball and Josie has hung in there surprisingly well. More adventures and hopefully my own pictures to come.

-amr

p.s. the photo above is from our resort: The Pines

The Last Day of School!

Wow! Can it be that yet another year has flown by us? The girls had a great day at school signing yearbooks, saying goodbyes, and finding out who next years' teachers are. They got out early so we took them for a quick celebratory lunch at one of our neighborhood favorites, "Eggs in the City." We're now hoping the weather starts to actually feel like summer in the coming weeks. Happy Summer everyone!

-amr

What is my Fortune?

I have a local college girl who comes once a week for half a day to let me run errands, take appointments, have lunch with friends etc...all without the distractions of my lovely children. Today I was able to enjoy actually perusing the bookstore. If any of you have ever gone to the bookstore with children in tow, you know it is nothing close to perusing. While there, I picked up this mini book called the "Fortune-Telling Birthday Book." It is a 1930s replica full of fortunes, traditions, and folklore regarding each day of the year - and the vintage illustrations are absolutely charming. Here is what it said about my day:

October 17
"You are domestic, reliable, competent, and generally satisfied with yourself. You have definite likes and dislikes, and you are bright, witty, good-natured, and popular in your own circle. You should marry young."

Well, they were right about the marrying young part :)

-amr

p.s. If you want to know yours, leave me a comment or e-mail and I'll try and get it to you

Her First Word

The love affair going on between these two is darn near enviable. Last week, because of my little getaway, they spent the week falling hard for one another without any mama distraction. Now, the icing on the cake is her first word at nearly 10 months. DADA. Not only does she say it whenever prompted, she looks right at him. I have to admit - it hurts just a little. Yet my hearts still manages to find a way to melt right along with the two of them.

-amr

A Poem by Kalli

Kalli

Funny, friendly, hyper
Child of Bryce and Anna Marie
Lover of fat elephants, good Thai food, and nature
Who feels jumpy, affectionate, and nice
Who needs cool pens, strawberry ice cream, monkeys, and chocolate pie
Who gives energy, fun times, and food
Who fears aliens, brothers, and knives
Who would like to see a dancing banana, Elvis, the Arches, and the World's Tallest Woman

Roberts

Jane Iredale Cosmetics

I tried some Jane Iredale mineral make-up at the Sage Stone Spa at Red Mountain and completely fell in love. I have been wanting to try the mineral make-up craze for a while now, but really worried about the dry powder factor because I live in the high desert where the air is already so dry. This make-up was dewy and fresh and best of all not super sparkly (Have you noticed how many powder make-ups include sparkles? I'm not 18 anymore folks!) Best of all, I like the coverage. I don't need a heavy coverage product, but I could use something to hide those bags under my eyes from all nighters with Josie! I am including the link here because there are several articles that have featured the products, and now I can add my own testimonial. My favorite so far? Moonglow Bronzer.

-amr

From One Adventure to the Next...

This week I cashed in my Mother's Day gift and went to the Red Mountain Spa in St. George. I could go on and on about how incredible the experience was; but I'll try my best to limit myself. My most thoughtful B surprised me with the getaway and I was able to go by myself. I was nervous at first to be alone for the week because I am such a social person and generally love to do these sorts of getaways with my girlfriends; but the time I spent with myself was absolutely invaluable. I was able to do a lot of contemplating, studying, relaxing, reading, exercising...all on my own timetable with no one else to worry about. How long its been since I've been able to live such a self-indulged existence! (I did meet a ton of great people from all across the country in my classes.) I logged over 10 miles in hikes, took meditation classes, read my book in a hammock, did tai chi and yoga on the red rocks in Snow Canyon...the list goes on and on. I hope to share some of the wonderful things I learned in future posts. The resort/adventure/experience earned *****/***** stars from me. I would recommend it 100% with no hesitation for everyone. The bottom line is, it was one of the greatest things I've ever done for myself and would have never done it without B's thoughtful gift and preparation. (He stayed home for the week to be Mr. Mom.) If you want to see little bits of my adventure, I kept a flickr journal of the week with my iPhone.

-amr

Amazing Survivor

This weekend my sister Kim planned an amazing adventure for our family: The Amazing Survivor. It was a perfect blend of the Amazing Race and Survivor tweaked just enough for a large family adventure. We left our house on Friday morning not knowing where the weekend was going to take us. After following several clues, we ended up in the beautiful Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. We had a great weekend of challenging hikes, fun games for the kids, smores galore, and cousins, cousins everywhere. Our only hiccups were Josie's ear infections and unpredictable weather - but it wasn't enough to stop us from having a good time. Thanks Smiley family for a terrific weekend.

-amr

p.s. I had so much fun with my camera. Life has been at such a hectic pace lately I've neglected my little Rebel friend more than I should. These are some of my favorite shots from our little adventure.

Old Time Rock and Roll

I apologize. I just had to do it for the kids. They are OBSESSED with this commerical. Buggie says, "I'd love to rock out with this guy." Meanwhile the girls are oogling, "He's sooo cute!"

-amr

American Idol Finale

We're re-watching the A.I. finale on the DVR for the third time. As expected, we're a household of sad girls that David Archuleta didn't win, but it was still a great show. My favorite part was Jack Black auditioning as a "Pip"; Kalli's favorite part was the Guitar Hero commercial with David Archuleta (which we have rewound at least a hundred times); Ella's was the Jonas Brothers' performance. Here's how our conversation went on that one:

Ella: Mom, the Jonas Brothers are rockers, so why do they always wear suits when they perform?
Mom: So they look handsome for all the girls who love watching them like you.
Ella: Well, it works.
(and then she proceeds to run around the room screaming..."I LOVE THE JONAS BROTHERS!")

-amr

Sailing in the City by the Bay

OATV is sailing the San Francisco Bay today...I SO wish I was there. Can we please do this again sometime when I can come along?

-amr

Charlie and Lola...and Ella

Ella has the most stubborn front tooth that will not budge. Unfortunately for her (and our future orthodontic bills) her new tooth is growing in right behind it and now it has absolutely no motivation to move. She's quite freaked out about the entire matter and is reminding me of Lola in this darling book by Lauren Child - "My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out".

-amr

Delicious Cupcakes

I had a birthday lunch with a few friends today and here is what I gave all four of them. Beyond the cupcake aspect (which I love of course, and hope they do too) I adored the packaging. Part of me didn't even care what was on the inside - that brown and pink box had me at hello.

-amr

More Spring Cleaning

I am excited. (No, not excited - that makes me sound really pathetic.) Let's try again - I am curious to try this sole plate cleaner for my iron. Supposedly it restores an iron coated with goo, to a shiny, goo-free, good as new iron. It can be purchased here.

-amr

Making me Happy

(Indulge me in my list-making obsession, won't you please?)

• kids having fun at the Bonneville Bash
• placing my red and white flowering pots on the front step
• dreaming about the porch that will replace that silly stooped step (try saying that 10 times fast)
  
• this bird and her sisters that I purchased at the Beehive Bazaar
• Ikea
• lunch dates
• Josie's peach fuzzy hair
• blogging
• my marriage
• all the fabulous reactions to my "I saved a dog's life" story

-amr