Happy Holidays

No holiday season would be complete without an ugly Christmas sweater or two. Luckily for us, we have the Butler’s Annual Christmas Party to look forward to each year. This year did not disappoint! I did not win the ugly sweater contest, but I did retain my title of “Queen of Christmas Trivia.” I won the trivia game last year, but this year I just killed it. Apparently listening to Christmas music for six weeks straight each year is truly paying off. 

Here are some pictures of everyone in their “beautiful” sweaters. (Click to enlarge.)

However, my favorite photo of the night goes to Sean and Curtis, who just happened to show up in the exact same ugly turtleneck. Fate? I think so! The Bobbsey Twins made a beautiful couple that night. It’s like they were reading each other’s ugly sweater minds. A perfect holiday treat!

Disneyland + Christmas = Magic

It’s the most wonderful time of year, and the best place to spend that time is in the happiest place on earth. We decided to hit the road again and visit Disneyland with our dear friends, the Jacobs. We went to Disneyland with the Jacobs two years ago and each trip just gets better and better! We had an absolute blast. The parks were crowded, but since we are Fast Pass and planning experts, we were able to pack in all our favorites and more.

The holiday decorations were delightful!

Vanessa and I drank mint juleps by the gallon. More refills please!!!!

The fireworks and “snow” on Main St. were magical.

New Orleans Square is my favorite place to be. Can I live there?

Thank you Disneyland and Jacobs for an unforgettable time. 

All I Want For Christmas Is You

This week I heard some very disturbing news. Apparently Bulgaria has voted two of my favorite Christmas songs as the two most annoying Christmas songs of all time. Rude! Wham’s Last Christmas and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You topped the list of Bulgaria’s hated tunes. My jaw dropped in horror as I read these disgusting results. 

First of all, nothing says happy holidays quite like a synthesizer and George Michael. Second, I can’t be friends with anyone who doesn’t absolutely love Mariah’s cheerful song. All I Want for Christmas is You is my most favorite Christmas song EVER. It makes me happy. It makes me pretend to sing like Mariah, and it makes me want to dance. I blast it in the car, on my iPod, I may have even downloaded it as a ringtone on my phone. Bulgaria, the moral of the story is that you and me, we are through. I’m taking you off of my travel list and we are over.  

In the meantime…I’m going to get back to my Christmas list…

I don't want a lot for Christmas.

There is just one thing I need.

I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.

I just want you for my own…more than you could ever know.

Make my wish come true…all I want for Christmas is you.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Have you ever wondered where to find America’s tallest Christmas tree? Well…look no further! Could it be the tree at Rockefeller Center? The White House? No…it’s at an outlet mall in Anthem, Arizona! Who knew, right?

We went to the Christmas tree lighting last weekend to enjoy the festivities. There’s nothing like a 110-foot tall fresh-cut white fir to get you in the Christmas spirit. Take that Rockefeller!

Someday My Prince Will Come

Okay…I admit it…I have royalty fever! I can’t get enough of Will and Kate! I was so excited to hear about their engagement. They are just darling and she will make a most perfect princess. I just love it! Apparently their engagement has conjured up all of these childhood obsessions of mine of princesses, Cinderella, and crown jewels. Who knew?

Unfortunately, I learned  that not everyone shares my love for royalty. Last night I excitedly announced to my husband, “Did you hear that Prince William gave Kate Princess Diana’s 18 karat blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring?”

As I said this, I was thinking things like… 

• Isn’t that adorable?
• He’s so romantic!
• Why don’t we have royalty in America? Remind me again?
• I wish I was a princess!

But my husband said things like…

• If I was a taxpayer in Great Britain I’d be furious!
• Those royalty are such a waste. 
• They should earn their own money.

Not the response I had anticipated. I guess it’s safe to say I will NOT be receiving a sapphire ring for Christmas this year. Oh well. Cheers to Will and Kate!

How to get to Sesame Street

Halloween is a big deal in my department at work. Everyone dresses up and gets in the holiday spirit. I didn't dress up last year, and I felt like a bad sport, so this year I made sure I participated. I got together with my friend Ashley and we decided to revisit a childhood classic…

Sunny day

Sweepin' the clouds away

On my way to where the air is sweet

The costumes ended up being pretty funny, if I do say so myself. We may not be as cute and cuddly as the original Elmo and Big Bird, but we had lots of fun. Our costumes were a big hit with our coworkers. Sadly, we lost the costume contest by only one vote (sad face). I guess we'll just have to try again next year.

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street...

Murder on the Grill

What do you get when you combine hilarious friends, delicious food, fabulous costumes, a limbo contest, and a murder? Only the best murder mystery dinner ever!

Last weekend we participated in a 1950s style murder mystery dinner. It was tons and tons of fun. We each dressed up and acted the part of a funny character such as a beauty queen, a hula hoop champ, a greaser, or a Russian scientist. We had lots of laughs trying to speak with funny accents and stay in character throughout the night. I actually ended up being the murderer of the evening (a beauty queen who would stop at nothing to win!), but luckily I redeemed myself by winning the limbo contest. A pretty impressive accomplishment, considering I was wearing a floor length evening gown.

It was our first murder mystery dinner, and I’m sure it won’t be our last. It was just too much fun! Thanks to our friends for a fantastic evening. Happy Halloween!

Click collage to enlarge.

Octopus Oracle

I hate it when my psychic octopus dies. Now who will we get to predict the winnner of the World Series? Rest in peace Paul, and go Giants!

Your destination you have reached.

I am so getting this for our TomTom.

To Infinity and Beyond

A few weeks ago I went to the gym and they had upgraded their entry process. Instead of showing my membership card, now they just scan for my fingerprint. Whoa! Talk about high tech! I felt like I was going into the CIA headquarters for my top secret job…but no, I was just going to my Turbo Kick class. Still very important, but not a matter of national security.

I think it’s pretty fabulous that all of those high tech and futuristic things we saw in movies growing up are now a reality. I love it! Next thing you know, Tom Cruise will be arresting criminals before they commit crimes and we’ll all be wearing matching futuristic clothing. I just want to know, when I can start riding a Hoverboard to work? Here’s to the future!

Rachel Getting Married

This post is incredibly tardy, but I would be remiss if I failed to post a few pictures of Rachel’s wedding. As I mentioned before, I headed up to Salt Lake this summer for Rachel’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, and a fabulous weekend with the girls.

I was so happy to be able to be there for the wedding. Rachel was a beautiful bride, and I am so happy for her and Ryan. We attended all of the fun wedding events, and Kristan and I stayed up every night catching up on our girl talk. It was so much fun--I can’t wait for another White House lady wedding!

Rehearsal Dinner—looking sooooo good ladies!

Waiting outside the Draper Temple for the bride and groom.

The Fab Four!

Reception at Snowbird. Can you say beautiful view?!? The scenery and the girls, of course. 

Thanks for the spectacular weekend girls! I miss your guts and can’t wait to see you again soon!

Baconomic Indicator

I’m currently designing an educational video about key economic indicators—for work that is, because heaven knows I certainly wouldn’t do that just for fun. Anyway, as a result I’ve been doing a lot of research on economic indicators. My husband found this article about bacon as an economic indicator and it pretty much made my day.

Did you know we are currently in peak-bacon consumption season? Well, we are—with all of those ripe tomatoes, we need some major amounts of bacon to make the deliciousness that is the BLT. As a devoted BLT lover, I can totally wrap my head around the current pork belly shortage we are experiencing.

So the moral of the story is we are loving our bacon right now, and as a result, the price of bacon is on the rise. Economists tell us that this is a great sign for our economy! Score one point for bacon! According to this article, bacon is one “luxury” item that we American’s just aren’t willing to give up. And I say good for us. Bacon lovers of the world unite! Bring us out of the depths of recession and start making our economy sizzle. Bacon—be our beacon!

Sweet Baby James

Last month I headed up to Salt Lake for my dear friend’s wedding. Rachel had a most wonderful wedding, and consequently, I had a fabulous wedding weekend with the girls. I came up a few days before the wedding, so we decided that we needed a Bachelorette-ish night. What better way to celebrate love and marriage than with a serenade from the love of our lives, James Taylor? We went to the James Taylor and Carol King reunion concert and it was spectacular! We may have been the youngest people in the crowd, but we were singing and jamming with the best of them. Good music knows no age boundaries.
 

It couldn’t have been a better evening. We’ve all been obsessed with James for many years now, but the concert solidified our love and convinced me that I must name my first child James so I can sing him a lullaby of Sweet Baby James.

Thank you JT and Carol! It was the perfect start to a perfect weekend!

Priorities

I’ve decided that moving the worst thing in the world. There are approximately a million and five things to take care of when you move. There are so many things to do, it’s important to prioritize. And prioritize I did!

I took care of the most important thing first…and that would be updating the address on my Us Weekly subscription. My house may still be full of boxes, I haven’t updated my driver’s license, or found some of my shoes yet, but I will definitely be able to keep up on Brangelina and the secrets behind the Bachelorette finale. Celebrity gossip stops for no one! Good thing I have my priorities straight!

You Can Learn a Lot of Things from the Flowers

Sean and I always seem to visit San Francisco during the winter, and I always seem to freeze to death. It’s too cold for my Arizona blood. This year we decided to take a trip in the summer and enjoy some fun outdoor activities. Unfortunately…I was still freezing to death. Mark Twain’s quote, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” has new meaning to me. Despite the cold weather, we still had a great time!

I really enjoyed our visit to a historic country estate called Filoli. It was beautiful! The house was gorgeous, but the gardens were especially impressive. I have a small obsession with flower gardens, possibly stemming from my love of the movie, Alice in Wonderland as a child, so I was in heaven! I could have stayed there all day taking pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.

A Pirate's Life For Me

Aren’t dreams fascinating? I’ve always been captivated by them. I like to think they are our mind’s way of passing us secret notes. The other day I had a very vivid dream about Disneyland. In this dream, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride played a very significant role. It was a great dream and I woke up wishing it was true!

I couldn’t stop thinking about this dream for days, but then, as I was smelling candles in Bath and Body Works, it hit me!

Number one, I’m pretty sure this dream should come true, so therefore I need to go to Disneyland ASAP. Number two, why isn’t there a candle that smells like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride? It’s pretty much the best smell on earth. Hmmm…I might need to devote my time and efforts to capturing the smell of the ride – a combination of water, fog, pirates, and childhood wonderment.

I’m almost positive my dream was telling me to quit my job, go to Disneyland, and make all my dreams come true. What do you think?

Low Pressure to the Rescue!

You know you live on the surface of the sun when…
 

95 degrees is a break from the heat.

Thank you low pressure system. You are my hero.

Ode to the Donut

Did you know that today is National Donut Day? National Donut Day was started in 1938, as a tribute to the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I. As a history buff, I love this…and as a donut lover, I love it even more!

The donut really is a national treasure, so I think it’s perfectly fitting to honor it with its own special day. I love donuts big and small, chocolate covered and glazed, and especially donuts with sprinkles.

In honor of donut day, I have written the following haiku:

Fried goodness of dough

Oh donut I love you dear

Donut Day hooray!

You can celebrate today with a free donut at the following stores: 

• Krispy Kreme: All customers receive a free doughnut. No purchase necessary.
• Dunkin’ Donuts: Free doughnut with the purchase of a beverage.
• LaMar's: All customers receive a free Ray's Original Glazed doughnut. No purchase necessary.

 Happy Donut Day!

It's a Mineral Miracle!

Does your eye shadow seem to disappear by the end of the day? Are you tired of those pesky eye shadow creases? Are you searching for a product that will keep your eye shadow vibrant and bright all day long? Well, if you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then I have just the thing for you!

bareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer

Many of you know that I love all things bareMinerals, but this product takes the cake. It works like a charm! Take my word for it, you need this! I’ve tried it, loved it, and now I can’t live without it. It’s a make-up miracle I just had to share!

Lost Without You

Thank you Lost. You were perfectly perfect in every way. And Jack, you will always be my hero.

Ain’t Nothing Gonna Hold Me Down

A few weeks ago I had Lasik surgery performed on my eyes. It was a very scary, weird, and fascinating procedure, but everything went swimmingly. I am happy to report that I am now seeing 20/20 without the assistance of glasses or contact. Amazing! Goodbye glasses and contacts. I don’t need you anymore. You can’t hold me back now!

I have always said that I couldn’t be on Survivor until I had Lasik done. For some reason, the thought of trying to put contacts on in the middle of the jungle did not sit well with me. Check. Lasik is done. Now the only other thing I have to fix before I can be on Survivor is the whole, “I love NOT camping thing.”

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

A few weeks ago I headed up to Salt Lake for a girls weekend with my college roommates. We squealed with joy as we reunited as White House Ladies. We had the time of our lives, and our 2010 reunion was definitely one to remember.

This year we stayed in a fabulous town home at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, Utah. Can you say fun?!? We had such a blast! We went shopping, watched movies, went to the spa, stayed up till 3 a.m. talking, and ate tons and tons of junk food. It was heaven, and totally the break I needed.

Here are a few pictures from our trip.

We took a stroll around our old stomping grounds on BYU campus. We also had to make a stop at our former home, the White House. Oh, the memories we had here!

Getting ready for a night on the town.

Game night!

Slumber party in the loft. This adorable loft had four beds, perfectly in a row. It’s almost like this room was made for a White House Reunion! We lovingly called it the orphanage and asked Kristan to sing the Ms. Hannigan song from Annie. It was a hard knock life…

At the resort!

  I sure do love these girls, and I can’t wait for our next reunion!

Spring has Sprung

I love spring! The weather has been absolutely perfect the past few weeks, and as a result I’ve tried to spend as much time outside as possible. Sean and I have gone on several hikes to enjoy this fabulous springtime weather. My favorite hike so far has been at the Lost Dutchman State Park. The wildflowers were in bloom, and the desert was just beautiful. Here are a few pics from our hike. Who says the desert is boring? I love it! Happy Spring!

Happiness is...

Happiness is a good book. And when I find an amazingly good book, I just have to share it. As many of you know, I am a lover of books, but especially nonfiction books. A few months ago our Book Club read a book titled, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World. I immediately fell in love with this nonfiction book. It is one of the best books I have read in quite sometime!

The author, Eric Weiner, who is also a former NPR foreign correspondent, scoured the globe to find the world’s happy places. When I first read the premise of the book I assumed that the happiest places on earth must be places like Bora Bora, Aruba, St. Lucia, etc., but much to my surprise, these countries were not on the list of the “happiest countries.” Instead, Weiner traveled to Iceland, Bhutan, Qatar, Holland, Switzerland, Thailand and India to find out why, statistically speaking, these places are some of the happiest in the world. The book is fascinating, and the writing is superb. It is filled with fun facts, a dash of sociology, and a large helping of psychology. I laughed out loud and loved every minute of this book. You may not currently live in the happiest place on earth, but reading this book is sure to bring you a dose of happiness. Enjoy and be happy!