It has been such a busy weekend for our family and I spent a good portion of the day today at the University of Utah with my son for an autism research project. We have participated in a few studies related to autism research and today was a follow up to some tests he went through a few years ago. It was mostly IQ and memory type testing today and he did a great job. We are lucky that he is a very smart guy!
So before June progresses any further, I better get May all "rounded up"!
What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I spent most of the month just trying to keep up with homeschool assignments and reading to my kids. My son and I also started listening to Book 1 of Harry Potter on DVD (again). We are going through the entire series between now and July 21st to prepare for the release of Book 7!
What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
Hubby and I started watching "Alias" on DVD, thanks to suggestions from my blog readers. So far we have really enjoyed it!
I took the kids to see Shrek 3 which was a cute movie but not quite as good as the first 2 Shrek movies.
The main event for me was the 3rd Pirates movie!
Hottie of the Caribbean!
and if you are a regular reader, you know how I feel about Captain Jack! LOL! Such a fun movie, but I was a little more than miffed to find out that I should have stayed long after the credits rolled to see the actual ending to the show! What a lousy trick, why couldn't they have just showed us the scene at the end of the movie. I guess now I need to go back and see it again. At least that is my official excuse!
What special days did I celebrate and how?
Mother's Day was the big one for me. My mother-in-law, nephew, and brother all celebrated birthdays in the month of May. I hosted a family party for my Mother-in-law. My nephew's birthday party was actually today (June 2) and my brother spent his birthday in Korea with my Dad. The first time he ever has gone back to Korea since he left the country at 4 months old to be adopted by my family. He is 19 years old now. And the same brother also graduated from high school in May so that was a big deal also.
What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Gave my MIL a book "When Fish Fly". We gave my nephew a transformer that turns into a jeep. Sent my brother some money for graduation and a small gift for his birthday. I got flowers for Mother's Day and a herb garden handbuilt by my daughter.
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
2 sore wrists after tearing a zillion fabric strips to teach 16 girls how to make fun flip flops. My mouse using wrist was extra sore since I probably really overdid the computer thing in the month of May!
Doctor said I need to get my blood sugar under control since I'm heading down a certain path to diabetes if I don't.
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
Hosted a party for 16 girls and their Mom's with a Hawaiin theme.
Saw Mythbusters live at Kingsbury Hall with kids and hubby
Went miniature golfing with kids and hubby
My brother Mike came to visit from Texas and stayed with us for 5 days. It was so nice to have some time with him. We went out to lunch a few times, went on a hike, played some games and mostly just hung out.
I went to IKEA for the first time! Utah finally has an IKEA!
My son had state testing for 2 days. While this wasn't exactly "fun", I am proud of how well he did and we made it fun by celebrating his success!
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
I bought a bunch of Swedish goodies at IKEA and we had a little Sweden theme night dinner. I love to do stuff like this and it is a great way to get the kids exciting about geography and other cultures. We had Swedish meatballs and elk shaped pasta with meatball sauce. And we tried Swedish crackers with a variety of cheeses; Prastost, Vasterbottnesost, and Falbygdens. Ok, so the kids didn't really like any of that stuff (except my son liked the pasta) but at least we tried. I loved the cheeses and thought the rest was pretty tasty as well. Everyone liked the Swedish cookies though!
yummy!
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Well we didn't purchase this little bunny, but this "gift" led to a lot of purchases! LOL
can you believe I'm letting a bunny live in my daughter's bedroom?
I also bought a new shower curtain and towels for our bathroom.
My son got new bedroom furniture but I didn't get a picture of it yet, will have to do that soon. It was a big deal (and a little hard for him) because he hasn't let us change his furniture since he was 4 years old. He doesn't deal well with change and even now he was insistent that he keep his same old red sheets even though they don't technically match his new bedding. I love to match, but I was willing to compromise if he would at least agree to a new bedspread - LOL! Anyway, I'm proud of him for accepting this change. Will have to scrap about this one.
Started working on some ideas for my daughter's room. She would love to have her room redone every month. Funny how different they are that way! We have never had a headboard or anything for her so I'm excited to give her a more put together looking room.
I can't think of any other exciting purchases right now other than I did buy a lot of digi stuff!
What were this month's disappointments?
Really not too many disappointments. Even stuff that seemed stressful at first (my son's testing accomodations) turned out just fine in the end so I can't complain. I found out today that I didn't make it into the finals for the Queen of the Crop contest but I really can't feel to bad about that. I feel like the 4 layouts I created were among the best I have ever done (paper or digi) so if that wasn't enough to get me in the final round, well that is ok with me. All along I have known that I would be happy whether or not I moved on with this contest and I truly am. Glad I participated.
What were my accomplishments this month?
I lost a few pounds which is just my estimation based on how I feel. I've decided to not weigh myself so I don't get discouraged. I'm just trying to be healthier. Cutting down on sugar, adding exercise (walking and yoga) and trying to eat better stuff.
I would have to list the Queen of the Crop contest as an accomplishment, even though I didn't make the finals. I created 4 layouts on that had tough theme assignments and deadlines. I am proud of my participation in this.
I'm very excited about 3 BIG accomplishments this month:
1- I became a digital designer at The Digi Shoppe! I love being a part of the team of designers there. Everyone is so nice and supportive and I really feel inspired by the other designers. The site has such a great feeling of community and I'm very happy about being able to run a weekly journaling challenge on The Digi Shoppe blog called "Wordy Wednesday".
2- I had a great month of sales at A Cherry on Top as well. I wasn't sure how my new store at The Digi Shoppe would effect that, but I am pleased the results from both of my stores.
3- I was invited by the Shabby Princess herself to be on the Shabby Artists creative team! I can't tell you how thrilled I am about this and what an exciting opportunity it is!
I'm also pleased that I created 22 digital layouts during the month of May and also created 8 brand new kits/digital designs. Here's one of my favorite layouts I did this month using one of my favorite new products:
Well, May was quite a month! And June looks like it will be busy and fun as well. Hope you get a chance to do a roundup. It doesn't have to be long, just take a few minutes to answer the basic questions. Or you can use them to inspire a month-end layout!
