A Mormon mommy blog

The stereotype for blogging is the Mormon mommy blog. I've got the Mormon part down, but I'm neither a woman nor a parent, so that part's not relevant, and I get a little annoyed with the Molly Mormon, picture-perfect posts that are all too common.

But as I thought about the things I would be sharing this week, I realized that this post was really going to turn into a Mormon mommy blog, albeit with a masculine touch. (By "masculine," I mean "ugly.")

Exhibit A:

Last fall, I bought a Cricut machine, so I thought I would use it to make a little heart decoration. I had the idea and designed it all by myself--no Pinterest for me! I'm really pleased with how it turned out, since I'm neither crafty nor a woman. It wasn't as good as I imagined, but it was better than I honestly expected it to turn out. I'm trying to do things to make this time of year fun, because Valentine's Day is my least favorite holiday. (Well, my least favorite of the ones I actually celebrate. Don't get me started on Groundhog Day.)

Exhibit B:

Two weeks ago, my favorite singer-songwriter, Cherie Call, came to my church building to give a fireside to the wards in my building. She, of course, is a Mormon mommy songwriter. After the fireside, I went up to her and told her I was her biggest fan, and I told her that to my knowledge, I had all of the songs she's written and recorded (including some songs on obscure multi-artist albums). But I knew that after her very first album, she released a Christmas EP, One Star, that later became a full album, Gifts. I had heard some of her Christmas songs on the radio, but I could tell they were a little different from how they appear on Gifts. Being a superfan, I asked her if there was a way I could buy the One Star EP. She told me she had some copies at her house, so she would send me one (for free)! When I told her my name, she recognized it, probably because I have contributed to a Kickstarter project or two. It arrived this week. I listened to it to see what it's like (different and a little less polished than the full Christmas album), but then it goes on the shelf until after Thanksgiving.

Exhibit C:

When I was nine and ten (and eleven) years old, I had this obsession with these anthropomorphic vegetable and fruit toys. I can remember asking my neighbors if they had seen them at the store, which probably embarrassed my family. I was never too big into toys, but I totally geeked out over these Veggie Friend Seedies (this was at the time Beanie Babies were wildly popular). Well, the company that made these, Toybox Creations, no longer exists, and there were a few collector's items I never got while they were in business. One such item was the Veggie Friends Calendar. A few years ago, I bought the figurines on Ebay, but the rare times I found the calendar to go with them, it was too expensive. Well, I found it again, so I ordered it! I have to find a place for it to go permanently (I need to organize my room better), but I'm glad I finally have this kitschy decoration. (I don't know how much I'll actually change the dates, because it was poorly designed, so changing the numbers is cumbersome.) From January to December, the figures are Collie Flower, Charles Broccoli, Ollie Onion, Belle Pepper, Beta Carrot, Spuds Potato, Skeeter Squash, Ripe Tomato, Cabby Cabbage, Corny on the Cob, Crunchy Celery, and Moy Mushroom. (And I liked these veggie toys before I even liked vegetables!)

Exhibit D:

OK, I wasn't going to blog about this, but I'm including it to keep with the theme. I made this creamy carrot soup. It's one of my favorite things to make, because it's simple, tasty, and healthy. (Beta Carrot, Ollie Onion, and Spuds Potato are all ingredients.)