USS BIRTHDAY ENTERPRISE

I do NOT like Star Trek.

However, I do enjoy birthday parties and love my friend Nate.

So when I was invited to his surprise themed party I was there with bells...err communicator and big hair on.

What's a Star Trek party without Counselor Deanna Troi and Captain James Tiberius Kirk?!

Throw in some Star Trek scene it, delicious food, the new Star Trek movie, and you've got an awesome ride aboard the USS Birthday Enterprise!

Live long and prosper, Nate.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2011

Today is the last official day of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT.
I have grown to love this event and all of the people who attend it

from making new friends on the various shuttle buses


to having your dreams interpreted before eating at Main Street Pizza & Noodle

to the crazy people in costumes each year


to the LA people who have to buy a new winter wardrobe just for this event


to private screening swagg


to sneeking into parties with celebrities


to seeing old friends and making new ones


oh...and I almost forgot they show films there too!


Stanley Tucci, John Salley, James Franco, 50 Cent, Oprah, Justin Beiber...see you again next year...same time, same place!

90% OFF

I think next year I'm going to celebrate Christmas on January 15th. Gosh I thought I was getting good deals on "sales" before the holiday, but just a few weeks later everything is anywhere from 50-75-90% off. Good golly. I guess you've got to make your money somehow, Mr. Economy. (But you, little Miss Victoria's Secret, will not trick me again this year!)

$50 EDENFANTASYS GC GIVEAWAY

**CLOSED**
This might sound a little funny, but I am a real sucker for the commercialness of holidays. I know, I know...most people hate that part about them and despise walking by the seasonal aisle in most supermarkets or drug stores. However, I LOVE heart shaped pizzas for Valentine's Day, pastel sprinkles on my donut for Easter, putting green dye in food for St. Patrick's Day, decorating bikes with streamers and flags for the 4th of July, cashiers in costumes at the mall on Halloween, tacky Christmas sweater parties in December, and so on. It all just makes me smile.

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I have the opportunity to host a giveaway at a place where you can find lots of hearts for that someone special, yourself, or to give as a present - You choose because you can win a $50 gift card!

There are so many things to choose from starting with heart shaped hand warmers for these cold winter mornings lots of us are having now, cute lingerie with heart prints, heart shaped ice cube trays (pictured above), or many different heart candles.

CAUTION: Be careful about clicking on the links in front of impressionable eyes. Of course, you don't have to limit your search on this site to things with hearts on them. Shop around for whatever you like...I promise I won't judge you and your items will be delivered in a discreet package so nosy neighbors won't either.

TO ENTER:

(Do any or all options. Each option is good for 1 entry unless otherwise stated)

1. Follow my blog on Google Friend Connect (push the follow button on right side of blog).

2. List the name of an item you like or post a link.

3. Follow @EdenFantasys on Twitter

4. Tweet about the giveaway (unlimited entry as long as tweets are at least 1 hour apart)

#EdenFantasys $50 GC giveaway! visit

http://deannalw.blogspot.com/2011/01/50-edenfantasys-gc-giveaway.html to enter. #giveaway

5. Like EdenFantasys on Facebook

6. Subscribe to my blog posts by clicking here

Please don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Enter now because the giveaway ends on 2/7/11 at 11:59pm MST! Winner will be selected at random.

AMAZON SHOPPERS

For those of ya'll who shop at amazon, Livingsocial is having a sweet deal today.

You can get a $20 Amazon gift card for only $10! So that's ten bucks free!

If you can't think of anything to buy at amazon.com, then you can always buy me something.

Only one per person. To make the deal sweeter, if 3 people buy from this linky, I get one for free. We all like to share, don't we?! Happy shopping.

RESOLUTION LIST

It is half way through the first month of the new year.

My new year's resolution: to be on time.

Oops...I kinda blew that one.

Oh well, I will soon get my parking spot back at the rec center from all the resolution-ers dying out and everything will be fine.

I have a confession: New Year's Eve is not my most favorite holiday to celebrate and I don't think I am the best at setting goals. I have never said, "THIS is gonna be my year!"

I know I have things to improve on, I just don't get the new year start over thing. I mean, I want to be smart, healthy, and loving all the time.

But I am willing to test it out. SO number one on my list is to actually make a list.

A small list.

Number two is to stop making lists.

Oh wait...just kidding.

I'm not sure yet what else will be on list, but I know for sure I won't ask to be more patient because the last time I asked for that people started driving slow in front of me on the roads, the girl at Subway barely put any cucumbers on my sandwich she was taking forever to make, and it took days to get email responses I needed fast. Yeah...note to self: don't ask God for tough lessons because He WILL answer your prayers.

Win a $50 gift card to Amazon from My Baby Clothes. For your own chance to win see the baby clothes blog for more information. This post was written for an entry.

DEATH OF A SNOWMAN

He was a jolly, happy soul

whenever he put that hat on his head

Always running here and there.

He seemed like he was alive as he could be.

But I guess he said "Catch me if you can" one too many times to Mother Nature.

Last thing I remember, he was outside smoking his corncob pipe

when I heard a loud thumpetty thump thump

and his last request saying, "Don't you cry! I'll be back again someday."

Oh look at Frosty go...

FATTY

I was handed a yummy bag of Dove promises today. I know I have posted something similar to this before, but every time I get these (which isn't very often) I get giddy as if it's the first time I've ever had them and thought of this idea.

Today, I have officially decided that after reading each one I will add the term of endearment FATTY. It's like adding the phrase "in bed" after reading your fortune cookie. For example:

Savor the now, Fatty!

Live your life with an attitude of gratitude, Fatty.

And my personal favorite...
Learn to let go, Fatty.

No offense to Roberta, Carmella, and Erin who submitted these wonderful sayings. I just feel it would be better if they called me fatty and inspired me NOT to eat so many.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT

I'm just posting this for Jacq to remember who her favorite is...maybe the Hello Kitty gift pack influenced her a little bit, but I'll take it.

TRUE GRIT

I am not much one for westerns, however, I watched the film True Grit the other night. To my astonishment, I found that I quite enjoyed it. I believe the way the characters innocently spoke the obvious/truth and how they pronounced every syllable is what kept me interested.

Example from LaBoeuf: You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements. While I sat there watching I gave some thought to stealing a kiss... though you are very young, and sick... and unattractive to boot. But now I have a mind to give you five or six good licks with my belt.

After exiting the theater, and reviewing the film with my friend, I tried to speak as they did in the movie and found it rather difficult. I had to concentrate on not using contractions (we are so lazy in our speech these days) and frankly felt I sounded a little slow talking that way. But I'm gonna try it...a full day of using my True Grit speech. Starting....NOW...

ONCE A YEAR

Why is it that I only see these friends once a year for our family dinner?!





Love them all so much!

SHOP ONLINE

I recently went to a bridal shower and what is the best thing about going to one of these parties? Watching the bride-to-be open kitchen gadget gifts, playing paper games printed off the web, or eating the mini eclairs? None of those (even though I do love mini eclairs).

It's listening to the 70 year old grandmas talk dirty and give presents full of sexy lingerie and chocolate body fondue. Maybe it's because they have been married for 50 years and have rights to give advice or just because the younger kids are embarrassed to go to the store and purchase these items, but these ladies just crack me up!

Quick solution: shop online and loosen up a bit. I'm not saying you have to sit around and talk dirty...just don't freak out when your house slippers pressie gets placed under a candy bra or something. Here's a place where you can do just that:



**PS don't open any of these links at work, in front of your parents, or on your iphone at church to avoid some potentially awkward situations**

CHRISTMAS VISIT

In December 2006, I was able to go with a wonderful bunch of college-aged people with the group Kaiizen to the El Sauzal Orphanage in Mexico. I had gone several times before just for weekend trips to play with the children living there and work on various service projects. This trip was special though. It was our Christmas visit. Many of us worked to fundraise money, went shopping for items we gathered from the children's wish lists, and wrapped the gifts. There were even a few brave guys who dressed as Santa and his elves.

After playing/working all day, it was time for Santa to bring presents! Volunteers stood in two lines facing each other and held hands to create a tunnel and after each gift was handed to the child whose name was on the tag, they went through the tunnel.

I am sure each child loved the present he/she received, however, I am more certain the look on their faces as they individually went through and received attention was priceless. The tunnel of love soon became a tradition in visits to come.

This experience helped me realize that because I have been given much, I too must give. I learned Christmas isn't just about singing carols, seeing lights, putting up decorations, making cookies, attending parties, and getting presents. Rather it is a time of reflection on the birth of the Savior, a time of celebration and generosity.

"The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings. If we do the same, we can, with the Grinch, proclaim: “Maybe Christmas . . . doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!” (DIETER F. UCHTDORF, "Seeing Christmas through New Eyes," 2010 First Presidency Christmas Devotional)

Since that Christmas visit, I have learned to be a little more kind, a little more generous, and lot more grateful for the little things I have and the opportunity to share with others.

MAN, WE'RE PRETTY

My family just doesn't get together to take family portraits. I don't know why. The last time we were all together was in 2007 on a cruise for my parent's 100th wedding anniversary. Other than that...I think I took one with my brothers and parents when I was about..... 4 years old.

Being the best child my parent's were lucky enough to raise, I decided it would be a good Christmas present to get a shot of everyone together and put it on canvas for them (shh don't ruin the Christmas surprise).

This is what we came up with:

the whole gang

the original Watson clan

the Watson clan kids

grandkids

individual brother families

and baby Lola

Man, we're pretty.

Thanks to Torsten, Rudy, and Taylor for snapping the shots.

MR. PLOW

I want one of these when I grow up...


No, not the riding tractor, but a neighbor with one who will plow my yard.
Thank you so much, Mr. Plow...I was getting tired from shoveling.

HOLIDAY THINGS

These are a few of my favorite holiday things this year:

Santa knows...but it's always nice to put in a good word.

Nothing says Merry Christmas like a kindergarten karate program.

Her name is Lola and she's a...shopper.

Habitat for candy-manity.

TIS THE SEASON

...for really long lines at the post office.
God bless everyone (especially the really old lady I stepped up to help because people were getting angry at her for holding up the line at the self post-it machine)!

FLOWER DELIVERY MAN

I heard a knock on the door and when I answered it I saw a man holding a vase of flowers.
'I don't think I deserve flowers today, but what a special surprise for me!' was my thought.
The guy asked if I knew (insert neighbor girl's name) and if he could possibly leave her flowers at my house with a note at hers to come pick them up. Cruel cruel joke, Mr. flower delivery man.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Some nieces and nephews slept over so we decided to decorate the Christmas tree at my parent's house that was sitting so bare in the front room. Still in our pajamas, itunes set to holiday music, two boxes of ornaments, and it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas.