5 Things

1. Scotty, Alyssa, and I got to spend Spring break in Colorado with family and we had a wonderful time relaxing, playing video games, going to bed really late, and seeing cousins.
2. Alyssa is finally getting new teeth! Two more on the bottom, for a grand total of 12.
3. Eric spent several weeks working out of town in the boonies. His hours are pretty much just as bad, minus the Saturdays. He's not a very happy camper and I can't blame him!
4. My parents are cruising Hawaii and Eric's parents are cruising the Bahamas. Thanks for the great pictures, hope you're having a wonderful time, next time bring the grandkids! ;o)
5. I'm still sick but less so (I think) and we'll find out whether this water baby is a boy or a girl in just a few weeks. Scotty has made a request for a brother so I'm doing what I can....

I have taken a grand total of 2 pictures in the past month on my camera, so if you have pictures of me or my kids (preferably looking cute and/or happy) send them my way!

Life Like This

So, it's busy season. Eric is on day 12 of working 19 days straight, Saturday and Sunday included, so that about sums it up around here. The kids have been great and well behaved despite suddenly losing their dad to the work abyss. Because Eric had to work last Sunday, he wasn't able to come to church. Of course, it was Stake Conference and I just wasn't feeling up to chasing two kids around the wood floor for two hours by myself, so we had mini primary at home. A few days later, I was reading Scotty a story from the friend about a girl who discovers that her new friend doesn't go to church. After a little tension, the story resolves by the girl deciding that she can be friends with people even if they don't go to church. I asked Scotty what he thought about the story and about being friends with all kinds of people, and he thought for a minute before replying, "I think that's a good idea. I will still be friends with daddy, and he can still be my daddy, even though he doesn't go to church."

You miss one day and you're out around here, apparently!

Fortunately, Eric had two weeks off for Christmas before busy season kicked in so we had time to do lots of fun things.  Like the train park (complete with 2 different playgrounds, a carousel, a train museum, and a train ride).

And the zoo, where the bear was actually moving around. And then trying to break the door down....

And of course, Eric and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary in best way we know how: college football. The Insight Bowl (Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners) was played in Tempe on the 30th so we took it as a sign.

ASU stadium

We ended up sitting on the Oklahoma side. Up in the boonies :)

Cadets from the Air Force Academy did pregame jumps

Some of the few who stayed till the end! It wasn't a very even game....

Thanks to mom and dad for watching our kids overnight, Grandpa Woodhouse for the giftcard for dinner, and Grandpa and Grandma Gould for the extra Christmas cash to help with the tickets :) I'd also like the thank the Iowa Hawkeyes for finally scoring in the fourth quarter to make it more resemble a bowl game. we had a great time!

SwagBucks - the tutorial

Swagbucks = google that pays you. A swagbuck (sb) is a point system that you redeem for prizes, the most coveted being the $5 amazon.com giftcard. Using the following steps I earn about 1 giftcard a month, which I put toward diaper delivery (that post is up next). So here it is, step by step, with pictures :)

the homepage (my swagname is MegMagic and I'm an awesome chemist chick)

1. Sign up by clicking here!. It's free, and they give you sb to get you started. Each person picks a "swagname" which is your username and will also be part of your referral code. Like pyramid marketing, the more people who sign up under you, the most sb you earn, so help a girl out ;o) Still, up until this point I had ZERO referrals and was happily earning a giftcard a month all on my own.

2. The dailies. These are things you can do once per day through swagbucks site to earn sb. There are lots of options, but I prefer the quick and easy kind--I want the payoff to be worth my time.

• The Daily Poll (third row down on the left hand column): click here for a quick, one question poll of the day. Doesn't matter which answer you choose, and sometimes they are even entertaining. Worth 1sb. Time commitment = 10 seconds.

the calendar at the bottom right shows which days you have participated, but you can't go back and earn sb for days missed!

• NOSO (No Obligation Special Offers - 6th item down on the left hand column): There are about 5 screens to click through. If something interests you, you can click for more info or to sign up, which will usually earn you more sb. 99% of the time I just click "next" or "skip" until I get to the final screen. Worth 2sb. Time commitment = 30 seconds, depending on how fast things load.

NOSO start page

 3. Search wins. I try to get at least 1 search win per day, but it depends on how much I'm using my computer. Basically, it's like google. The results aren't quite as good, so if I have something tricky or specific, I use google. For a basic query, swagbucks pays me so I'm happier :o) Just start typing in the search bar at the top of the homepage, or click the search tab in the lefthand column. Search wins can be any value, but are generally between 5-15 sb. Time commitment = less than 2 minutes. I'm not that patient. By 2 minutes I've either found what I'm looking for, have tweaked my search query a few times, or get bored. If I don't win now, I might try again later. Fridays are the best days for search wins because they are "Mega Swagbucks Fridays" - meaning, search wins can be a lot more rewarding. I routinely win 17, 24, or once I even got 50 sb from a single Friday search. Good luck!

i won while i was waiting for these pictures to load to my blog

4. But what do I DO with my swagbucks? This is the best part. Check out the swagstore (located under the "redeem" drop down menu across the top of the homepage). There are tons of prizes, which usually don't impress me much, but I'm a big fan of the $5 amazon.com gift card. Earn 450 sb, click to redeem it, confirm your order (you'll get a confirmation email) and the code will appear in your swagbucks account with 2 weeks.

my favorite prize. Don't have enough to redeem it because I just ordered one yesterday...

 

5. Swagcodes: these are unpredictable but a great bonus. Some days the site puts of 10 codes, sometimes a week will pass with nothing. The best way to find codes is to like swagbucks on facebook, have a swidget on your blog (scroll all the way down and you'll see what I'm talking about!) or know where to find one, and try a swagcode friendly site like swagbuckstricks. These places will notify you either on your facebook feed, when you click a button, or even send you texts when a new code is posted. Sometimes they give you the code straight up, sometimes it's a link to where to find it in a blogpost, and sometimes it's a scavenger hunt. Generally, if it takes more than 2 steps it's not worth my time, but feel free :) For more info on finding swagcodes or what to do with them, click here.

see the swagcode box under my nice little picture? swagcodes are always one long word

6. But I want more! I have more time on my hands than I know what to do with - how can I earn more? There are plenty of other ways, and I've tried most of them at one point in time, so if you are wondering feel free to ask. 

• SURVEYS give you anywhere from 5-150 sb at a time and they'll tell you upfront how much its worth, BUT you have to qualify. I usually spend at least 5 minutes answering questions just to be told I DON'T qualify. Out of pity they give you 1 sb for trying (up to 5 per day) but that's not very useful. It is probably worth it to complete sections of your survey profile.

the "trusted surveys" homepage tells you what is available for you

• COUPONS if you are a couponer, you can find some decent coupons through the swagbucks site, both printable and electronic (they load to your shopper's card) and each coupon you save or print and then use is worth 10sb. There is quite a delay (like 2 months) before coupon sb show up in your account, but there are usually bonuses for using a certain amount of coupons per month.

coupons for printing or electronic use, usually the same as coupons.com or kroger

• SWAGBUCKS TV you can click to watch videos and as your time accrues you earn sb, usually in 3sb increments. Occasionally I'll pull up a video or two while I'm waiting for something to load.

your "swagbuck meter" in the upper right hand corner tells you how close you are to earning sb. It saves from previous times so you don't have to watch consecutively.

• TASKS change from time to time in complexity and point value. Sometimes they are interesting but often they are more complicated than they appear and can take a lot of time. Swagbucks has changed their system so you can earn a few sb for each page of the task, instead of having to make it through 10 pages for a big payout.  If I am close to a reward and really hoping to earn it before my next diaper shipment is headed out, I'll do a task to make up the difference.

• INVITE FRIENDS: like I said, it works just fine by yourself, but the more people you refer who actually use the site, the more you earn. You can refer friends through your referral link, through a button like this, or through the invite friends tab on the homepage. When you do it that way, you can connect through facebook, and you can earn an extra sb a day (just once) for inviting someone whether they join or not. Easy bucks, but I try not to bug people so I rarely use it ;o)

Well, if that's not information overload, I don't know what is. Good luck, and happy swagbucking!
Have any tricks of your own? I'd love to hear them!

Cabin Time!

 

 

 

The real reason we headed back out to Colorado for Christmas was for a family party at a gorgeous cabin. We had all five Larsen kids with their spouses and kids in one place for three whole days! It was fabulous. We ate tons of good food, raided the junk food drawer, played tons of games, got in fights over games, and made up again over games and Rock Band. We had a snowball fight and played outside (and by we I mean, the kids and Carlissa. And a random dog that attacked Carlissa while she bravely defended our kids. Parenting fail!) We also had fabulous family devotionals and a testimony meeting.

Intense games of Settlers. I think Grant wins the wizard trophy in this one...

Grandma and the grandboys made an awesome house

Our was AZ style, complete with cactus, grass, a swimming pool, and gravel

Bekah and Grant creating a porch and tubing area

Showing off our stylish headbands. This fun little project kept me occupied between holidays.

I caught some of my favorite people napping by the Christmas tree...

Every time he saw snow he made me stop and feel it. Yup, cold and wet, kid.

A rousing game of "Go Fish"

Monopoly Larsen style--with an excel spreadsheet to count the dough.

Happy Father's Day!

When I first met Eric, we were 18 and just starting college. There were so many things to love about him but I remember thinking to myself, "this guy is the kind of dad I want for my kids." I dreamed of marrying a guy who would be as into the adventure of child-raising as I was--not afraid to jump in and play.

When we were newlyweds we worked at a safe haven house that worked to prevent neglect and abuse situations, and what an experience that was! We learned so much about parenting by working side by side. Because of our time there he truly knows what it's like to be a stay at home mom and all the work that goes into just keeping it together.

Besides being a great dad, he's also a brilliant accountant who just passed his fourth and final CPA exam. Congratulations, Eric! May you never have to take those tests again.

Happy Father's Day, from your beautiful wife, your very best little buddy, and the tiny girl that already has you wrapped around her little fetal finger.

Funny Boys

My boys say the funniest things. Scotty loved my singing when he was a baby, but for about the last 6 months anything more than 2 consecutive notes--even singing along to the radio--gets an immediate command of "Stop singing, mama!" Who knows how he'll survive adolescence when I'm sure to embarrass him just by existing...

Because music is important to me and I like singing, I've tried a variety of ways to get him to accept it. For about a week I got him to say "thank you for singing, mama" instead of commanding me to stop but he wised up.

A few days ago I tried a new tactic. "I like singing," I told him. "It makes mama happy."

He thought for a second and then looked me straight in the eye.

"Your singing makes me sad, mama."

Ouch! I couldn't help but laugh. And keep singing.

Eric is much more tactful when it comes to expressing his opinions. Unless he's asleep. I can always tell when he's exhausted because we get to have interesting conversations in the middle of the night. This past month he's been using every spare minute to study for the last of his four CPA exams. Last night I nudged him to turn over, as his snoring was keeping me awake. Instead of grunting and rolling a fraction of an inch like he normally does (or arguing that 'he wasn't snoring'), he reached over to pick something off the nightstand.

Meg: "What are you doing?"
Eric: "I just need to get this documentation."
Meg: "Documentation?"
Eric: "Yeah, for one of the entities at Freeport [the main client he audits]"
Meg: "Eric, it's midnight, and I just woke you up because you were snoring..."
Eric: "No, the documentation is right here...I just have to get it"
[random fumbling on the nightstand]

Meg: "Eric, that's the book you've been reading on the Constitution of the United States of America."

Eric: [confused silence] "Dang."

At least if I'm going to be awake in the middle of the night I have something to keep me entertained.

Goodwill

I feel like it's time to pay tribute. In Provo, I loved sneaking trips to the DI to buy shoes for Scotty and was rarely disappointed. I've known my entire life that the Ross closest to my parents' house is a new level of shopping mecca. I can almost always find a good deal on a kid or maternity essential at Kid to Kid. Since moving back down to AZ, I've found a new shopping haunt: Goodwill. Let it be stated that not all Goodwills are equal, but the one by my parents house (and conveniently close to where I pick up Eric from the bus) is well-organized, generally clean, and full of surprisingly nice treasures.

(front room rug in near perfect condition - $14)

(nicely framed print of Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, where I spent my 16th birthday)

(shower curtain for the hall bathroom)

I also love the color tag system they use. All donations are labeled when they arrive with the week of the year they arrive and tagged with the color for that week. After a few weeks, things of that color that are still out on the floor are half price. The best finds usually don't last long enough to go on sale, but there are always things in each section that are 50% off. If they make it to Thursday of their 50% off week, they get sold for $1. It's brilliant, I tell you! Also, every time you donate something you receive a coupon for 20% off a purchase of $10 or more (sale stuff not included) so any of my "big buys" cost me even less...

(Scotty's bookshelf, which only needed to be cleaned and not repainted)

(colorful drawers for more storage - $4)

I know some of you are weirded out by second hand clothes, and I can respect that. I find that the clothes here are in great condition and I always wash them before putting them on anyone. I haven't been brave enough to check out my own section, but so far I've had great luck with kids clothes and even found a great maternity skirt.

(I got two shirts, red Crocs, and this adorable dress for $8)


(Love that color tag--this dress was new with the tag and only cost me $1)

(this was a total impulse buy--normally I'm a girl on a mission to avoid coming home with bags of stuff, but I had just been thinking how nice it would be to have something that tied the sage green bedding we already had to the purple walls we just painted...and then I found this. Much cheaper than making a quilt myself!)

And yes, that's a hint of purple wall behind the changing table...pictures to come soon, I promise.

(I posted the same pic yesterday but it's all I've got--this skirt is actually Motherhood Maternity brand and should last me all summer. Glad I only had to pay $6 though...)

Anyone else have a favorite place to shop for great deals? Anyone local want to join me on my Goodwill adventures? I'm always up for bargain shopping...

A week in review

It has been a full week here in Larsenland!

Meg spent her whole week here,

reliving her high school experience (Go Thunder!)

and trying to look like a teacher instead of a student. For the most part the students can tell I'm not one of them, the teachers are surprised that I'm old enough to have a 2-year old without being a teenage mom, and the security guards are starting to recognize my face and stop eyeing me suspiciously in the hallways.

I've also done a little bit of this:

My favorite part :o) I'm lucky to have a great mentor teacher who gives me lots of freedom mixed with helpful feedback. I have 2 AP Chemistry classes and 3 Honors classes.

Eric is busting these out just about every spare minute:

He's taking the financial section of the CPA exam next Thursday and is feeling the pressure,
so I see a lot of this:

In other news, our testimonies of revelation and consistency in the church have been strengthened. It's amazing that anywhere you go you learn the same values,
hear the same lessons....

...and have pretty much the same callings. I am the official Relief Society pianist and Eric is the Elder's Quorum secretary.

Scotty turned 2 on Wednesday! We're celebrating with cake and a BBQ swim party with friends next weekend (hopefully we can find some friends by then) but we gave him a few things to open.
Unlike previous birthdays, he was actually able to open his own presents.

He is so into anything that moves right now, including trucks, trains, firetrucks, airplanes, helicopters, motorcycles, the movie Cars... Thanks Mom and Dad Larsen for the books!
(He's grumpy in this picture because Eric took the book away to hold it up)

We've all had the honor to read them at least 10 times already.

You are welcome to come read them to him anytime.

Nana and Papa got him this cool "bite" for him to learn to pedal.
He sleeps with it next to his bed.

There's also this:

Anyone want to give our talks on Sunday? We're speaking on charity and virtue.
Now we just have to decide which one of us is charitable and which one is virtuous.