An afternoon in BEAN TOWN

A quick morning trip to Boston, Mass, brought us this fun in Beacon Hill:

A stop at the Cheers bar. Where nobody really knew my name (except the people I walked in with).

Really old statues

History

(Paul) Revere bells

surviving brick walkways in heels (how'd the pioneers do this?!) at the Faneuil Hall marketplace. 

to see New England's largest holiday tree

and dine on tasty treats.

(cannoli from Mike's Pastry, Celtic carmel hot chocolate, and Bruegger's Bagels)

Perfection.

THANKFUL

This thanksgiving I'm thankful for my family in New Hampshire.

And for heated blankets and slippers...it sure is cold on this side of the country!

*Oh, and for you...because you read my blog.

BLACK FRIDAY CAMP OUT

Remember when it seemed ridiculous for people to wake up at 4am to get the doorbuster deal at stores the day after Thanksgiving?

Next, when it seemed ridiculous for the lines to start at 2am?

Then, when camping out overnight was ridiculous?

But many of us did it.

Well, I have a new ridiculous: this photo was taken last night...5 nights before the "Black Friday" sale doors open. Seriously?!

What is in that ad that could be more important than being with your family for a week and enjoying a Thanksgiving day feast?

PARAGLIDING

Want something fun to do if you're not at the theater this weekend battling lines to see the latest sparkly vampire movie? Try paragliding.

There was a hawk flying with us. How many times have you looked down on a hawk?! It was incredible!

Hello Draper Valley

Coming in for a landing

Thank you Cloud 9 Toys for fun-filled, incredibly windy morning with a new perspective.

(UT LOCAL) GOOD EATS

Once in awhile, I like a good eat. Here are a few delicious items I have recently found and want to share with my Utah pals.

1. Charlie's Hotdog King - Orem, UT

For those of ya'll who like a good hotdog, I recommend the Panini dog (not pictured).

2. Beyond Glaze - Draper, UT

I like bacon. I like donuts. Why not combine them with some maple frosting?! If that doesn't sound like it's your bag, there are plenty of other pretty and yummy tasting donuts to choose from.

3. Ridley's family market bakery - your local grocer, UT

Three words: coconut pecan cookies. Best I've ever had.

EBATES

If you're going to do your shopping online anyway, why not get rewarded for doing it?!
On top of using your rewards credit cards, you can sign up with ebates.  All you have to do is choose your favorite store (GAP, Victoria's Secret, Sports Authority, Apple store, Toys R Us, Walmart, etc - there are over 1,200) and you will be directed to a page with coupons and links to that store. Click a link and you will be directed to your store where you can shop away like normal! As long as you go to the store through a link from this page, you will be eligible for cash back (and right now is the season for double cash back!) So hurry and join. Click the logo below or this link here.


There are no rebate forms to fill out, no points or miles to redeem, and you get paid in cash.
You get access to over 5,000 online coupons and free shipping offers which are updated daily.
Cash back on clothing & accessories, electronics, travel, books, games & toys, baby supplies, appliances, and more.

Join for free today and you'll get a bonus $10 gift card!

**I've honestly used this site and have received 2 checks already. It's not like winning the lottery, but any money earned by getting my normal purchases is worth the savings!

LOVE TO EAT

Ever since high school, I have loved holidays and reasons to party. My friends and I would plan the party from decorations to entertainment, and most importantly...FOOD.

Celebrating fun times with yummy treats is what I'm all about! My sister-in-law is super fun this way too. We have had gingerbread house making competitions, decorated caramel apples a few weeks ago for Halloween, and green eggs and ham for St. Patrick's day. We don't have to feel bad about our treats because they look cute and are pretty healthy!

I found this cool book called Real Moms Love to Eat. It's written by SocialMom and certified health counselor Beth Aldrich. The book  is written with an easy-to-follow 10-part plan for moms (and cooks alike) to implement to make gradual, life-long changes in their approach to food. I've spoken with so many friends who want to cut their kids from fast food "happy meals" or give healthy snacks instead of candy as treats to their young ones.

Eating healthy isn't just a phase, it should be a lifestyle change. You can learn how the food you eat affects your body. Don't worry...you won't have to start eating cardboard and water! I believe there is no reason to not eat foods you like. It is possible to do that and still look fabulous...and this book offers teaches you how to do that by providing tips, recipes, and 21 days of meal suggestions!  I have to say the recipes look delicious. 


I have looked over the tips and they are simple and useful for both those who have hours to cook or need something fast because they have 1 billion other things to do (like soccer practice, violin, laundry, cleaning, etc etc etc.)  So the Watsons can still have gangs of fun celebrating every holiday and trying out new festive foods and not feel guilty!


For fellow bloggers, Beth has a unique Food Affairiate program. For more information and ways to win prizes go here.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate,click here.

POTTY TIME

I'm not sure, but I think they just called me fat.

Seriously. why is the ladies so much bigger?

ZOMBIE LAND

It's been awhile since I've been to a Provo Meetup photo shoot. Lots of dead people at the salt flats just in time for Halloween.

SPELL CHECK

North Orem needs to spell check themselves before they wreck themselves. Yikes.

Interchangeable Beaded Watch GIVEAWAY (ChunkyBling.com) - CLOSED

Remember when I wrote this post about buying a watch while in the Czech Republic because I wanted to exercise my brain? Well, I loved that watch while I was traveling, but now I have found a new place to get a watch that will also allow me to match it to my wardrobe (when I'm not living out of a suitcase and have a few more options to wear).

It's an online shop called ChunkyBling.com. Chunky Bling started out in northern California and recently relocated to Utah (shout out for my local readers). 

What I'm saying is instead of wearing the same boring watch each day, you can shop here for an interchangeable watch and change your style as often as you like.  

Let me explain it a little:

The first step is to choose an interchangeable watch band. You can choose from pretty much any color and 3 styles (casual, funky, or elegant). 

The Second step allows you to choose an interchangeable watch face. Again you have lots of color options and the faces range in size small, medium, or large.

Easy peasy.

They also offer cute Swarovski rings, charm cluster necklaces, and mother's birthstone bracelets (perfect gift just in time for Christmas).

COUPON CODE:

The nice people at ChunkyBling.com have offered to giveaway an interchangeable beaded watch to one of my readers. The winner may choose any combination of band and face!

If you can't wait for the giveaway to end, you can use the coupon code DEANN286 to get any watch set for just $24.95 until November 14, 2011. This is a really good deal!

IDAHOsers

I took a quick little vacation with the parental unit to McCall, Idaho.

Cool finds on the drive

Hanging out with the locals

Took a scenic drive though Hells Canyon

Crossing the last dam in Hells Canyon

Visited Gold Fork hot springs

 4th annual McCall Pumpkin lighting festival

 Shoshone Falls

 Evel Knievel Snake River Gorge jump site

Nearly didn't make the hike...

Creepy friends found on the path (I almost peed my pants trying to get close enough to take this photo.

WallQuotes.com by Belvedere Designs

These are the walls of my dear friend. No, he did not just move in. Boring, isn't it?!

I suggested to add some Vinyl Wall Art or Wall Decals. The only question now is where to find them. I discovered WallQuotes.com by Belvedre Designs.

They have super cute designs that are totally affordable, easy to apply (tool included), and customizable (color/size). They have Vinyl Wall Quotes (for every room of your house) and Wall Art that are pre-designed or you can create your own custom Vinyl Lettering. How cool is that?! 

Here are some examples of my favorites:

I know what you're asking because we had the same thoughts...

Will vinyl wall quotes damage the paint or texture on my walls? No.

Can I put vinyl wall words on textured walls? Yes.

Does the company have a guarantee? Yes.

Does Belvedere Designs ship internationally or to a PO Box? Double yes.

Are these totally fun to have on your walls? Of course!

Side note: They even have the ever-so-popular Custom Vinyl Family Stickers available for your car. Check em out.

If you love these Wall Quotes, you can also check them out on facebook and their blog for special discounts and fun contests. Another bonus: you have a chance to win a $50 gift certificate in their monthly contest by submitting photos of your wall quotes.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.