I can also be a "Muffia Mom" too.

As much as I'd like to think I am always a White Trash Mom (WTM), I DO have my "Muffia" moments. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, and want to know more, check out The White Trash Mom Handbook by Michelle Lamar and Molly Wendland or The White Trash Mom blog.) This week is my son's last week of Kindergarten. The last few months have been a little rough, but with the help of some great teacher's aides, front office secretaries, and an awesome Principal, we have gotten through it. I wanted to make sure I thank them with a little more than just a card. I searched the Internet and found a few cool ideas that I thought would work for me. (Of course I adapted some of the ideas to fit my creative skill level and WTMness). The first gifts I put together are movie night packets. I think we've all seen the cute movie night bowls/buckets/bags/baskets that are usually given at Christmas time, this is just a smaller version. I took two packets of microwave popcorn, taped them together with packing tape, and tied a ribbon and a $5 Blockbuster gift card to them. They aren't as cute as these, and not as cute as I wanted to make them (I used ribbon I already had instead of buying new ribbon) but I think they are cute, and get my point across. The second gift I made, I've been gathering items over the last few months. One item here, two items there. OK...so there are only 4 items in the gift, but if you can get stuff a little at a time the impact on your budget might not be so harsh! I bought an extra long beach towel ,a pair of flip flips to match it, a stick of sunscreen and a magazine. All I had to do was put the magazine and slip flops around the already rolled towel, and tie it with a cute ribbon (I tied the sunscreen, still in package, in the bow). I should say something like "Have a relaxing summer" or "Thanks for a great year, you deserve some relaxation" or something witty, but I think I am just going to write a nice Thank You note, and have Colin sign it. There are so many cute ideas you could do with this gift, instead of a magazine give a gift card to a book store, or add a cute spray bottle to help her keep cool. I found the idea on a blog somewhere (can't find it now, but if I do I'll let you know), and kinda made it my own (I added the flip flops because Old Navy had them on sale!) AND next I made cute tags for suckers (Charms Blow Pops to be exact) to give to the kids in Colin's class. He was allowed to chew gum for the last few months and they were really, really great at accepting the fact that they didn't get to chew gum, but he did. They didn't get mad, they didn't try to take the gum, they didn't treat him any differently. My friend Traci had the idea to give them Double Bubble, but I couldn't find any, so I thought the Blow Pops would be cute . So that is my "Muffia" moment for probably the rest of the year. If it helps, I was wearing my WTM uniform while putting the gifts together, tank top, capri's, flip flops and my favorite hat (horrible hair day), all while drinking my quad shot iced latte' (extra caffeine to keep me going).

I'm excited for another concert, maybe.

Since it IS Turntable Thursday...I thought I'd share some concert news I just found out. I don't normally look at the Utah Symphony/Deer Valley concert series schedule. It just isn't a practical thing since we'd have to get a babysitter and stay in Park City and trek up the hill and, well, you get the picture. But this year, I took a look at the schedule during the time we have already booked a "romantic" getaway and I was so excited to see who was playing that weekend. Are you ready?

Elvis Costello. ELVIS COSTELLO and the Utah Symphony. In Deer Valley. The same weekend in August we are already staying in the area.

I'm not sure if we are going to get tickets, but it would cap off an already awesome weekend we have planned. Hopefully it will work out!!

I'm a Mom not very interested in Post Secret this week.

It's not that I haven't read the secrets. I have. Three Times And it's not that I mind Frank doing secrets specific to Fathers on Father's Day. Totally his perrogative. It is just that I can't relate to any of them. I mean, who in their right minds would lie to someone about using birth crontrol and then have sex with them? No one I know (I hope). Maybe that is why it is a secret? But still check out the secrets on Post Secret this week. Maybe one will speak to you.

I also support some charities (and my sister!)

So this week is a great fundraiser for the March of Dimes. My sister is trying to raise money for the March of Dimes by being "jailed" at a local steakhouse (mmmm!) until she reaches her fundraising goal. My husband and I donated a little to this great cause. Our son was born prematurely, 5 1/2 weeks early. Even though we were very, very lucky that he was only in the hospital for 10 days, with no complications (other than the normal, learning to eat, and keeping his body temp regulated) we still thank heaven the March of Dimes is out there helping parents and babies that need it. I've included the link to her donation page....please donate if you can. I don't normally do things like this, but it is a charity I firmly believe worth every penny. http://jailandbail.marchofdimes.com/JannellHughes

I love reading Tip Junkie every day.

I know I've had the Tip Junkie button over there on the right of my blog for awhile now, but I don't remember if I've shared with you the reasons I read the Tip Junkie blog website every day. 1-It features some of the cutest items made by Moms (Mom-preneur Shop). And they aren't ALL items for babies/kids. 2-It features some great, great ideas for gifts for a multitude of occasions. Father's Day, Teacher Appreciation, Birthday's, Just Because Day (is that a real day?). And the tips are ones she has either found on the internet herself (Laurie rocks) or ones that have been sumitted by Tip Junkie readers. 3-It features an awesome Giveaway directory, where bloggers having a giveaway can put them on one central page and if I want to enter one, I can just click on the link, instead of scrolling through multiple websites. 4-Laurie updates the blog website every weekday. Even on a day that was very important to her family (last day of school) she posted a cute pic of her boys and let her readers know why she'd be out for a bit. All week long Laurie has been giving away a ton of awesome prizes to celebrate the birthday of her blog, that has now become it's own website (hence the strikeouts above). This is the first day that something has interested me enough to enter...so I wrote my requisite blog post, and now will enter to win some fun stuff! Check out Tip Junkie if you have the time!

I'm looking forward to some summer concerts too.

WOW! I just took a look at the Gallivan Center's Twilight Concert Series line up and I'm excited!!! I don't' know how many concerts I'll be able to attend...you know, kids and all...but I am hoping we can drag them down for a few. (TRAX goes right to the Gallivan Plaza!!!) Here are a few of the ones I want to try to attend: July 9th: Bon Iver and Jenny Lewis (Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley fame..whoo hoo!) July 16th: The Black Keys (do you remember me talking about them? You can listen to some of their stuff over to the right...I think they are a little down the play list) July 30th: Sonic Youth: SONIC YOUTH! I think they have been here a few times, but that would be a great concert. So that is only 3 of them...I don't know much about some of the other artists that are going to be here, but hopefully I'll be able to make it to at least one concert. ANOTHER Summer Concert I am excited about is this year's Regeneration Tour! I have my tickets and I'm dragging my husband, and we are going with a few friends. Well, at least 4 other friends and quite possibly even more than that. It will be an unusual* Wednesday night out, and it will be a great time! (*Unusual since we rarely go out on a weeknight) So, take the time to see a concert this summer. The Twilight Concert Series is free...with a "food alley" and you can bring your own picnic too...they even have a Lunch Bunch Concert Series...bring a lunch and eat on the plaza listen to some tunes, and let the kids run through the fountain, totally GOOD TIMES! AND I promised my review of the Strawberry Cake from yesterday. It was yummy! The top was the best part with the raw sugar sprinkled on top. Just a couple of tips....I used salted butter instead of unsalted and omitted the salt in the recipe, it worked out fine! AND don't press the strawberries into the batter to much, or they will sink. My middle strawberries sunk, and it didn't look at pretty as it should have. We topped ours with cool whip, but vanilla bean ice cream would be way better! Maybe next time!

I'm a Mom still trying out new recipes!

I know I haven't posted a new recipe on here in a while, but even though I'm devoting more time to my family, I've still been searching for new recipes, and enjoying cooking! I've found a few new websites that have some pretty good recipes. One I LOVE to look at the pictures of her dishes (think "food porn"*), and read how she has come up with them, but I rarely make anything, since her stuff is mostly healthy and stuff my family most likely won't eat (That, and some of the ingredients are hard to find, and I'd have to go to Sugarhouse to get them). But, the other day, or week, or whatever, she posted a recipe she got from Martha Stewart. I normally don't make "Martha" recipes, since they are anything but simple. This one remarkable is! Take a look at The Kitchen Sink Recipes (thanks Shannon!) and the recipe Strawberry Cake. I haven't made it yet (that's tonight) but it seems simple enough, and it can be baking while we eat dinner. I'll let you know how it turns out, tomorrow (I promise) because I have a Music Post up my sleeve! (WOW 3 posts in one week...what is WRONG with me!) *I think I first heard the phrase "Food Porn" from Shannon, when she Tweeted the link to a PW blog post about Sushi....or was it Italian? I don't remember what food it was, but it was indeed "Food Porn" and so I am stealing the phrase (or at least borrowing it!)