Day 25

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

wallet
cell phone
keys
diapers
wipes
toys
headbands and bows
granola bars
sippy cup
crumbs
crumpled up receipts
the usual...

Day 24

Day 24- A letter to your parents


Dear Mom and Dad,

I hope you're having an amazing time on your Mediterranean cruise. You deserve it! You have both worked so hard and sacrificed so much for our family over the last 30+ years. I finally recognize those sacrifices now that I'm a parent. You both always set righteous examples for us to follow, and I am so thankful that I was raised in the gospel. I know I was a beast of a teenager, but I have a feeling that justice will be served as I raise my own teenage daughters. I love you both and I feel so blessed to have been raised by such wonderful parents.

Love,
Ashley

Day 23

Day 23 - Something you crave for a lot

I'm always craving a vacation. To pretty much anywhere at all.

I also crave donuts all the time.

Days 21 & 22

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

About Paige's forehead: On Thanksgiving Day she was spinning around and ran into the corner of the wall really hard. She split her head open pretty bad, and we thought it might need stitches, but we just taped it closed and it is healing pretty quickly.
I just love these girls. It's so fun to see them interact. Paige loves Kate so much. She is always trying to make her happy, and making sure she is safe. I can't wait to watch them grow up together. I hope they are great friends.

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

I'm the only person I know who doesn't like the sun very much. I kind of avoid it. Weird, I know.

Days 19 & 20

Day 19- Nicknames you have and why you have them

I don't really have any nicknames. But when I was younger my siblings would call me Aslan sometimes. Remember the lion from "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? That's where it came from.

According to Nate, my name is "Babe." He rarely calls me Ashley. Nate's nephew actually thought my name was Babe for a while. :)

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future

I think I'll stick with this guy.

Day 18

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have


1. Run my very own business someday, even if it's something pretty simple. I have lots of ideas, but none have been good enough yet.

2. Live in a home with a view of the ocean.

3. Retire on a small farm. I want to grow tons of fruits and vegetables, and have chickens and maybe some sheep. I would love to feel self-sufficient like that.

4. Learn how to not care what people think of me (I wish Nate could teach me how- he's a pro).

5. Raise righteous, happy, confident children.

6. Find a hobby that I am passionate about.

Day 17

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

I guess I'd say Colbie Caillat. I love her. Well, not like that. You know what I mean. I love her music, she seems so chill and care-free, she's super talented, she gets to perform and has lots of fans, and she's rich and all that great stuff. I'd give her life a try for a day, no prob. But then I'd switch back cuz my life is pretty great too.

P.S. The mastitis is gone. I'm feeling good. Phew!

Day 15 and 16

Day 15- Put your ipod or shuffle on-first 10 songs that play

I don't have an ipod. I use Nate's sometimes, but it has lots of songs that I'm not a fan of, so that wouldn't represent me very well.

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

This was taken in 2004 when I worked at Synergy Worldwide in Provo. My co-worker kept a pet tarantula at his desk and I decided to hold it one day. It was a lot more disgusting than I thought it would be.

P.S. I have a bad case of Mastitis, and it's not getting better. Have you ever had it? Any tips? Poor me. :(

Day 14

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

Christmas 2009

Day 13

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

I've been thinking all day and I've got nothin'. That's a good thing I guess.

Day 12

Day 12- How you found out about blogger and why you have one

I've had this blog for almost 3 years, but I have no idea where I first heard about blogger. I can't remember who's blog I was stalking when I decided to get my own. I thought it would be a great way to keep in contact with my friends and family. And since my family is all spread out, I wanted them to see pictures of what we are up to. I love blogging. It's fun.

Paige is in ballet and tap now. It's adorable. She actually does really well in class and listens to her teacher. I'm surprised how much she has learned.

Day 11

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends


Me and my sisters. They also happen to be my friends.

Fitness blog

has been updated.

Day 10

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you're bored, happy, sad, mad, hyped

Wow, this 30-day challenge is more work than I thought it would be.


Bored: Save Tonight- Eagle Eye Cherry

Happy: Jason Mraz or Colbie Caillat (I love them both.)

Sad: Fix You- Coldplay

Mad: Sarah McLachlan

Hyped: Evacuate the dancefloor- Cascada

Day 9

Day 9- Something you're proud of in the past few days

I already mentioned this, but I've lost 6-7 lbs in the last 2 weeks and I'm pretty proud of that. Nate and I have been doing a weight loss competition for the last 2 months or so. My weight has gone up and down a lot, but I finally got serious and won the competition! I lost the weight by eating around 1,200 calories a day of mostly clean foods. I've talked about eating clean on my weight loss blog. It's basically eating non-processed foods- mostly fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbs. So yeah, I'm proud of that. I'm hoping to lose a few more pounds, and I will be super proud if I can get back into weight training and firm up.

Day 8

Day 8- Short term goals for this month and when you'll accomplish them


1. Start cooking good, hearty dinners for my family more often. I wish I liked cooking as much as I like baking.


2. Continue losing weight by watching portions and eating healthy foods (I've lost 6 pounds in the past 2 weeks. Yay!!) This might conflict with goal #1.


3. Spend more one-on-one time with Paige (playing, coloring, reading, etc.).


4. Start weight training at the gym again ASAP.

Day 7

Day 7- Picture of the person or thing that has the biggest impact on you

Photos from facebook

I can't say this was the biggest impact, but this definitely had a huge impact on the course of my life.

Moving to Gig Harbor, Washington

I lived in Kent, WA until I was 9 years old, when we moved to Utah. We lived in Utah for almost 4 years. For some reason, during that time I managed to join a group of friends who were not a good influence on me at all. Looking back now, I'm shocked at the things they said and did at just 12 years old, and the things that went on their homes. At the time, I just thought they were fun girls, and I didn't recognize the fact that I was heading down a bad path.

We moved to Gig Harbor when I was 13. It took me quite a while to make friends and the first year was rough. But eventually, I made some really good friends who were great examples to me. I feel really lucky that I had such a strong group of friends for my teenage years. I had a great high school experience because of them. Moving to Gig Harbor was one of the best things that has happened to me.

P.S. Does anyone else feel like they just read an essay?

Day 6

Day 6- Favorite super hero and why

This is so fitting for Veteran's Day. My favorite super heroes are the men and women in this video.

Please watch this!! And grab a tissue. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, at least watch the little girl at 1:30. Sweetest thing ever.



CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT, IN CASE THIS DOESNT WORK

Day 5

Day 5- A picture of somewhere you've been to

MAUI

Road to Hana

Black Sand Beach

Day 4

Day 4- A habit that you wish you didn't have

I wish I didn't stay up way too late every night. When Paige wakes me up in the morning I'm like, "Whyyyyyyy??!! Why do I do this to myself?"

It's so hard to go to bed when you treasure that quiet, relaxing time.

Day 3

Day 3- A picture of you and your friends

Well, I don't have any recent pictures of me and my friends, so I'm just going to post the old ones that I have. That's more fun anyway, right? Can you find me in all these?


Gig Harbor Friends

2001

2003

Rexburg Friends

2002

Hawaii Friends

2006-ish

Ahh, the good old days. I miss all of my friends!

Food Matters

Have you seen this documentary? It looks really good. You are what you eat.

Flower clips and headbands

I made some cute stuff for Paige's hair last week. I thought I'd post these ideas because they are really easy and pretty fun to make.

Frayed Rosette (click for tutorial)

picture from the tutorial

Here's mine:

Satin Flowers (click for tutorial)

picture from the tutorial

Yeah, I made this one too big. You get the idea though.

Day 2

Day 2-The meaning behind your blog name

Ok, are you ready? Our last name is Carter and we are a family. I combined those two words and came up with the blog name... The Carter Family. I know you're jealous of my creativity. Tomorrow's blog post should be more fun, I promise.

Day 1

Day 1: Recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

1. I'm lactose intolerant.

2. I hate shopping for clothes. I always just get sick of it and end up grabbing whatever is on sale. I kinda wish I cared more about dressing nicely.

3. I used to want 8 kids. Then I had Paige and changed it to 6. Then I had Kate and changed it to 4. But now I'm back to wanting 5 or 6.

4. I cry often. About all kinds of things.

5. I don't like hot weather. Anything over 80 degrees is too hot for me.

6. I am always trying to think of a business to start. Haven't come up with a good one yet.

7. I love the Pacific Northwest.

8. I would describe myself as socially awkward. Maybe everyone feels that way about themselves.

9. I loved living in Hawaii, but I don't miss it as much as I thought I would.

10. I love my husband. He definitely balances out our marriage.

11. I bake cookies way too often and always eat way too many.

12. I got married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Not proud of it, but it's definitely "interesting."

13. I've probably taken about 30 pregnancy tests throughout my 6 year marriage, always hoping for a positive. Most were from the Dollar Store, so don't be too horrified by the waste of money.

14. I met Nate about 2 hours after I arrived at BYU-Hawaii and we had an instant connection.

15. I would love to lose about 10 pounds. Unfortunately, I would also love to continue eating cookies.

10 Habits of Happy Moms

I just read this article on Yahoo News and I liked it. I could definitely work on being a happier mom.

10 Habits of Happy Moms

1. Find time for yourself

Happy moms know they deserve a little time to themselves. When you know you're going to have a little room to breathe later on in the day, it's easier to take on everything that's in front of you. Our formula? Take 2 hours out for yourself every 3 days.

2. Don't make a happy baby, happier!

We all do it...you see your baby's head at what you're sure is an unnatural angle snoozing in their car seat. You just know they'll be happier if their head was straight. So you move them. And they wake up. Then they scream. Or, you see them playing happily in the sand. You just know they'll be happier if they played on the slide. So you interrupt them and move them to the slide. And they're angry. And they let you know they're REALLY angry. Here's the thing, they were happy. It can be hard to do, but if your kid's not complaining, leave them be! Happy baby = Happy Mommy.

3. Embrace the mess

So your house doesn’t look like something out of a magazine. That just means it’s cozy! Your children have hands coated in dirt from the playground and faces coated in spaghetti from dinner. It’s not gross—it’s an adorable photo op! Life is about how you look at things. Next time that pile of laundry that’s been sitting on the chair for three days starts to get you down, just remember… it’s probably feng shui.

4. Make time for your friends

Your family can survive without you while you make time to see friends. You are a woman with your own identity and its imperative that you and that identity go out for some margaritas once in awhile!

5. Stop blowing yourself off

While you may be the one taking care of everyone, it doesn't mean you can't also get what you want. Help your family realize your needs are as important as theirs and when mom is happy, everyone is happy, but when mom is not....

6. Get in the zone

Take 10 minutes to do absolutely nothing but rest. Take a break from your day, close your eyes, breath in slowly and deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times. Think about a place you love that is relaxing, spend 10 minutes there in your mind.

7. Remember your dreams and goals

Everyday we are encouraging our children to reach their full potential. But sometimes in the midst of being a parent we forget about our own dreams and goals. The best thing you can do to encourage a child is to lead by example –happy moms hold on to their dreams and goals and don’t let go.

8. Be lighthearted

Don't be the uptight mom. Be silly and dance with your kids to their music or tv show tunes. Be romantic and pull your partner into a waltz. Dance in slippery socks in your kitchen while making dinner.

9. Bend the Rules

One of the best parts of making the rules is occasionally breaking them. Maybe it’s taking your child out of school for half a day on their birthday, or waking them up in the middle of the night to see a sky of shooting stars. Happy moms know how to turn the mundane into fun.

10. Mind your own business

Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Stop seeking the validation of others and be confident in yourself.

30 Day Blogging Challenge

This sounds like fun. I'm gonna do it!

30 Day Challenge

Each day of the month, write a blog post according to these guidelines below:

Day 1-Recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
Day 2-The meaning behind your Blog name
Day 3-A picture of you and your friends
Day 4-A habit that you wish you didn't have
Day 5-A picture of somewhere you've been to
Day 6-Favorite super hero and why
Day 7-A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 8-Short term goals for this month and when you'll accomplish them
Day 9-Something you're proud of in the past few days
Day 10-Songs you listen to when you're bored, happy, sad, mad, hyped
Day 11-Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12-How you found out about blogger and why you have one
Day 13-A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14-'A picture of you and your family
Day 15-Put your ipod or shuffle on-first 10 songs that play
Day 16-Another picture of yourself
Day 17-Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18-Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19-Nicknames you have and why you have them
Day 20-Someone you see yourself marrying or being with in the future
Day 21-A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22-What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23-Something you crave for a lot
Day 24-A letter to your parents
Day 25-What I would find in your bag
Day 26-What do you think about your friends
Day 27-Why you are doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28-A picture of you from last year and now-how have you changed?
Day 29-In this past month, what have you learned?
Day 30-Your favorite song

Halloween and stuff

On Saturday night, I made some delicious donuts. My mom used to make donuts around Halloween, so I just got the urge to try making some. I used this recipe from allrecipes.com. They turned out really good! I was pretty proud of myself. Yet, ashamed of the fact that I actually fried something. Eek.

On Saturday night we did trick-or-treating with some families in our ward. Paige had fun, but she liked handing out candy at our door even more. I wish I took some pictures of that.

I love fall around here. It's just beautiful.