Dollar Store Decorative Pallet

I recently noticed that wood pallets are really popular for decorations right now. So I decided to do a wood pallet made of styrofoam from my local Dollar Tree. You can find the styrofoam board usually near the school and office supplies with the poster boards. 

You'll also need: 

Paint (acrylic from Walmart, 50 cents a bottle)

Hot Glue Gun

Paint brush 

An Exacto knife or very sharp knife 

Total cost: $2-5. (I had most things already on hand) 

I have used this board for a previous pallet project but this is pretty much what it looks like. 

First, decide your size and cut it out. I make mine 10x15. Next, cut your board into long strips. I only do four but you can do as many as you want. Then, cut two pieces that are about the height of your pallet. I think they look more wood like if they are a bit uneven but if you are OCD you can use a ruler to help you cut perfectly straight and even strips.

Then, peel off the paper layer on both sides of your board strips. 

Ok, at this point you have two options. You can be a little lazy and glue your board together right now. I have done this with two of my pallets and they still turned out great. But for this tutorial I am painting the boards first before gluing because I think it gives it more detail and looks more wood-like. I will give an example of each option though.  If you want to just glue it now, this is what it should look like. 

Arrange the boards into the shape of your pallet. I like to stagger my boards just a little bit.

The side you are going to paint needs to be facing down. Then run your glue gun vertically a few inches from the edge on both sides and put your two smaller boards on the glue. 

(This is what the BACK of your pallet should look like after gluing. The two back boards and glue hold your boards together.) 

Then you're ready to paint! Unless you're doing it very detailed like I am for this piece. Then you need to paint before gluing. 

For a more wood-like appearance, this is my secret weapon. A brush that has stiff bristles instead of soft. (No idea what it is called, so if you know leave it in the comments!)

Paint your first color going the same direction the whole way. 

You don't really need to paint the smaller pieces since they aren't seen but I did anyway. 

Next I highly recommend painting the edges. Preferably a color that compliments your base color. It makes the whole pieces look more professional. If you chose to glue your pallet before painting be sure to paint the outside edges of your pallet as well. I also like to do a small rough edging around my boards. 

Once it is dry, I always use a TINY amount of brown paint to to make it look like wood. Just random small and light strokes. Not too many. If it looks too harsh, take the original color and blend it in. I recommend blending a lot because it looks more natural. 

When I paint my whole pallets brown I use black and a little cream to make a more wood-like appearance like in my thanksgiving pallet. 

Once that fully dries you can glue it all together just like I showed above! 

(Back after glued together) 

(Front after glued together)

This next picture is to show you the difference when you glue the pallet together before painting and when you glue after painting. 

Top is painting first, bottom is gluing first. 

Next is the lettering and decorating! You can do this in a few different ways. You can use stencils and get it perfect, or you can hand write/draw what you want on a regular piece of paper and then arrange it on the board where you want them. Take a ball point pen and trace it onto the styrofoam pushing just hard enough to leave an imprint of where to paint. Take a thin paintbrush and follow the imprints. That's how I did my lemonade pallet. 

Or you can pick a font on your computer and print it out and trace it on to your pallet the same way. That is what I'm doing for this pallet. 

Then you can leave as is or decorate! 

I'm not much of an artist so I apologize for my funny snowflakes! But I hope this inspires you to make your own pallet and get your crafty on! Enjoy! 

A Prairie Girl's Guide to Old Fasioned Popcorn Balls

I made these delicious old fashioned popcorn balls for Pioneer Day. I got the recipe from this darling book. 

Popcorn and popcorn balls were a very old fashioned treat, and quite popular on the prairie. As a little girl (and even now as a big girl) I loved reading the Little House on the Prairie books that painted a lovely picture of Almanzo's family snacking on popcorn and apples around the fireplace.

 When I served these on Pioneer Day, my mom was reminded of her grandmother, who kept a bowl of popcorn balls individually wrapped in plastic wrap near the door around Christmas time to give to carollers, neighbors and anyone else who popped by. I think that is a charming idea and plan to do it too. 

I got the popcorn kernels from a local farm. It was given to me as a gift so I'm not sure on the price. 

Before you start, preheat your oven to 200 degrees or to the lowest setting. This is to keep the popcorn warm while you make the syrup. 

The first time I made this I wanted to go as old fashioned as I could and popped the popcorn on the stove. To do this, I put two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pot, spread 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels evenly over the bottom of the pot, covered with a lid, and heated to medium high. When it started to pop I turned the heat to high. I gave the pot a good shake here and there to make sure all the kernels had a chance to pop. When the popping slowed to one pop at a time I removed the lid and poured the popcorn into a large pan and place in your oven to warm. 

This time, however, I justed used a popcorn machine. :) It was a lot faster! 

Place the popcorn into a large pan and pop it in the oven! 

Now for the syrup. 

1/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water 

Put it all in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir. When the mixture starts to boil, stop stirring and let it cook. 

If you have a candy thermometer handy, let it cook until it reaches 200 degrees F. 

If you do not have one, no worries! We can do it the old fashioned way! Get a cup of cold water. Preferably one that you can see clearly into. Every few minutes or so, scoop a spoonful of the syrup into the cold water. If it mixes with the water and just makes it misty, it is not ready yet. Dump it and fill with clean water. If it turns harder and stringy looking, that settles on the bottom of the cup, it's time to have a ball! I have a gas stove and mine was ready in about 8 minutes. 

The cup shown above was not ready. 

The gooey stuff on the spoon above is ready! It's hard to get a picture because the syrup is almost clear. 

Remove the syrup from heat and pull popcorn out of the oven. 

I moved the popcorn to the biggest mixing bowl I had. I also suggest picking out any unpopped kernels at this point! 

Pour the syrup over the popcorn and stir until the popcorn is evenly covered. 

You may have to wait a minute until it's cool enough to touch. When it is, butter your hands up and grab a handful of the gooey popcorn and gently press into a ball. Keep more butter nearby for your hands because you will need to butter up more than once. 

Place on wax paper or parchment paper to cool. Enjoy! 

Dear Mom with Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Dear Mom with Hyperemesis Gravidarum,

Congrats! You are going to have a baby! That is exciting! You better hang on to that exciting piece of news, because for most of us with HG it is the only highlight of the pregnancy.

You are about to endure the longest 40 weeks of your life (if you make it that far). You will be tired, malnourished, dizzy, achy, constipated (thanks to the love-hate relationship with Zofran), and sicker than you have ever been or ever will be in your entire life. You will reach a point when you think that you cannot make it any longer. You will reach a point when you want to quit. You will reach a point when you simply cannot be strong anymore.

You will look at other pregnant women with a deep jealousy. I know I would have loved to have just been hot, tired, sore and swollen. 

You will hear survivors say, "Once you hold that baby in your arms, you forget all the pain and suffering of the last nine months!" And they mean it. And you will want to punch them.

You will encounter people who do not understand.

"She is faking it. No one gets THAT sick when you are pregnant." (I don't care who you are, you can't fake being so sick that you need to be hospitalized.)

"Oh it's normal! It will pass!" (Sorry, but there is nothing normal about throwing up blood and Hulk-green stomach acid 20+ times a day.)


"Can't you just TRY to get better? Like, really try. I don't think you are trying hard enough. Just WILL yourself to get better."

"It's all in your head." (My husband said this to me once during my first pregnancy in an attempt to comfort me when we had to pull over so I could puke on a tree because we were all out of barf bags... Let's just say he never said it again.) 

You will encounter one of "those" people. You know the ones.

 "Have you tried crackers? What about ginger? What about those sickness bands? Did you rub the ginger on your belly? Did you rub it on your toes? Did you try eating every two hours?" (I can't tell you how many times I threw up crackers, peppermint, ginger, etc. If it really worked I would not have needed a PICC line. And honestly, the best natural remedy for HG is giving birth!)

You'll meet a lot of people like that. Be kind. They do not understand and they have every intention of trying to help. HG is not something you fully understand until you have been through it yourself. My mom and all five of her sisters suffered mild to near death cases of HG and even though I watched it all I never fully understood what they went through until I was the one in the hospital bed while three different nurses tried to put an IV in me.

You will dream about all the fatty foods you can get your hands on. You will dream about drinking buckets and buckets of water and wake up crying because you're throwing up before you even fully sit up. You'll long to be "normal." You will give anything just to feel well enough to go outside to get the mail. You'll miss your old self.


You will reach a point when you wonder if it is worth it.


I asked for some REAL responses from women who have been in your shoes. These amazing survivors come from all walks of life. They know what it is like to feel alone. They know what it is like to feel so helpless.

They know the stress of dealing with clueless doctors, mean nurses, unsupportive family and friends, worrying about your other children that need you, tracking fluid intake and output, vitamins, ER visits, hospital stays, hospital bills, IVs, PICC lines, feeding tubes, pumps, calorie counting, weight loss, and the impact HG has on your personal relationships.

I asked these moms if there was anything they wish they could go back and tell themselves when they were sick with HG. These are just a few of the amazing responses!

Dear Mom with HG,

"Don't forget your significant other. It's hard on him too. You can't forget that he also has emotional needs.  Sometimes he will need to cry or complain or just vent. And even though you feel like death, you need to show him that he is still important to you. When you feel this sick it is hard to show any sympathy to anyone else. HG is not worth fighting over. It's hard enough as it is. Don't let it ruin your relationships too."

"Don't be afraid to ask for help or to admit you need help. Asking for help is a sign of STRENGTH, not a sign of weakness."

"You are a lot more likely to get help when you remain pleasant and not bitter. Don't wait so long to ask for help that you are already bitter about the situation."

"It DOES end. I know you feel like it never will and that nine months is just too long. But it WILL end. It is worth making it to the end. Wring your heart out. Stay strong. The little person inside you will grow up to become someone amazing and every time you look at him/her you will know true strength."

"These nine months are only a small fraction of your parenting journey. You have many wonderful adventures ahead. It is worth it. Try to look at it from an eternal perspective."

"Try (we know it's hard) to not be so angry when people say ignorant things. They don't know what you are facing. Keep the people who support you close."

"There are a lot of "ups" (example: finally having a bowel movement after two weeks, holding down 1/4 of a milkshake, gaining a pound or two) and there are a lot of "downs" (more downs than anything. I'm sure you don't need an example). But the biggest "up" will come in the form of a precious baby."

"The toughest challenges in life are worth the most."

"Don't worry about vitamins and what you should try to eat. You have HG. Just eat what you can whenever you can."

"Don't be stubborn. Go to the hospital when you need to. Even if you just THINK you might need an IV. It's better to go and get it than to let yourself suffer more." (When I read this one my husband gave me the "I told you so" look.)

"Push for better treatment. Be an advocate for yourself. Switch doctors if you need to. This is your life and your baby's life. You need the best treatment you can get." (For advice or help finding a better doctor in your area, visit helpher.org)

"Don't be afraid to 'fire' bad nurses. If they aren't treating you well or aren't washing their hands or something. You need to remember that YOU are paying THEM to help you. You have every right to ask for a different nurse. Don't let them intimidate you." (This one came from my dear mother, who suffered HG FIVE times. She is my hero.)

"Invest in paper/plastic plates, bowls, cups, etc. It will save your energy from doing dishes and you wont have to deal with a smelly sink."

"It is normal for someone with HG to feel guilty. And I think I felt too much guilt. I don't know if I have any advice for that because I don't think you can prevent it. But know that it is not your fault."

"Don't lie to yourself or to your doctor about how awful you feel."

"You may not be able to feel it or visualize it, but one day you will be happy again. I used to hate hearing people say it will be worth it... But it truly is."

"You will feel guilty asking for help, especially with your other children. You may feel like a bad mother for not being able to do normal mommy things or cook and clean. But as an HG child myself, I watched my mom suffer with HG four times after me and I hardly remember it. I remember bits and pieces but it didn't have such a big impact on my life. It didn't shake our relationship or scar me. I knew she loved me. And I understood that when my sibling came that she would get better again."

(This last one is my favorite.)

"This suffering is terrible, but it will utterly change who you are and how you respond to others' suffering. It will help you understand why Christ carried that cross. Hang in there. You can do this."


No one knows the cause of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. There is no cure (except delivery... and that first meal after delivering is pure heaven!) Please know that you are not alone. There are women and doctors who understand. It WILL end. It is nine months of pure agony for a life time of joy. And I promise you that you will not regret one second that you spend hunched over the toilet seat with a towel at your knees, just in case you puke so hard that you can't control your bladder.  Good luck, Momma!

(If you think you might be suffering from HG, you can visit helpher.org to look up symptoms and get help with treatment.)

Change is always good

Big changes are coming to Maybrooke. 

And I mean BIG. 

(Speaking of BIG, look at how big this slugger is!)

Change gives me anxiety. It makes my stomach twist and turn and I feel sick. My hands get painfully cold (I have Raynauds Syndrome) and my face gets hot and I can't focus on anything. 

My mom used to always say, "Change is always good." 

And she is right. It is what you make it to be. But If I could, I would stay in my cozy little comfort zone and never leave. But this change is good. It will be hard and it might be stressful, but it will be good.

Say hello to my two new managers!!! 

I have put in my two weeks notice at my work. I'll still be working a couple of days a week at another location but we are doing it so I can be home with my sweet little heroes more. 

No more stressful, rushed and often miserable mornings. No more stressing because one boy is sick and I can't be there. No more crying my heart out when my mom texts me to tell me Drew learned a new word or Ben rolled over and I missed it. No more messes sitting around the house, patiently waiting for Saturday to come. No more afternoon traffic or going to work looking like a truck hit me because I was up all night with a baby. No more waiting until 3PM to eat because that is literally the only chance I get to eat something. 

I'm looking forward to spending my days barefoot, in an apron and working hard to make this work. There will be a lot of budgeting and meal planning, but I'm REALLY looking forward to running Maybrooke more and doing more fun things with my little heroes. And I plan on blogging it the whole way. 

P.S. Did you notice the blog makeover? Not sure if I like it just yet... It may or may not change again. 

Happy Wednesdee! 

The Bully

Bully: A person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate someone weaker. 

Everyone knows a bully. Everyone has been bullied or maybe even been the bully themselves. 

I wasn't too popular in school. I knew it. I was different. Even a little weird. Sometimes I was ok with it and sometimes I wasn't. But I wish I had confidence then like I do now. 

I am going to share a few of my personal bully experiences but I'm not doing it for a pity party. I promise there is a point to it. :) 

I can distinctly remember the night after cheerleader try outs my 8th grade year. I made the squad. I had celebrated with my family, I called my grandparents, and texted my friends all night. Before I went to shower I plugged my phone in to charge. When I came back I had a miss call and a voicemail. I can still hear the voice on the message so clearly. 

"U-G-L-Y! U-G-L-Y! You ugly!" 

I remember looking at myself in my bedroom floor length mirror as I listened. My scrawny 13 year old self. And I burst into tears. Because I believed it. And I believed it for a long time. I never told anyone about the message. I was so embarrassed about it. But I let it control my thoughts for too long. 

Another time was the summer before my senior year. I was in the choir presidency and we were having a meeting at a park. I was waiting for a ride from a dear friend in my ward. 

I heard her pull up and knock on the door. 

I opened the door ready to go. And then I noticed her nervous expression. 

"I didn't do it," she said. 

"I don't know who did. But you need to come see this." 

And there, on my very own driveway, in permanent marker, someone wrote, "Avery is a.... (Long list of profanities)." 

Thankfully my mom is a master as getting stains out so she immediately scrubbed it off. I went to the meeting (that didn't last long because no one else showed up) and then I went home. I remember staring at the spot where the message was and wondering what I did to make someone hate me so much. This bullying incident is probably the closest I ever came to experiencing depression before I had children. 

Now, here I am. Just a few months away from my 21st birthday. I'm a little more confident in myself and I've learned to shake off rude comments and ignore bullies like everyone says to. 

Except one. 

There is a bully who just won't leave me alone. She is cruel. She is unforgiving. And she is hard to ignore because she is me. 

Some of the symptoms of PPD are feelings of helplessness, guilt and inadequacy. This second round of PPD wasn't as obvious as the first. It started with little thoughts here and there. 

"I snapped at Tyler. That was bad. I'm ashamed and sorry. I need to do better." 

"I can't keep up with the house work. I am just not cut out to be a good wife and mother." 

"I just sounded like an idiot in front of a customer. I just need to keep my dumb mouth shut. No wonder no one wants to hang out with me."

I am the bully. 

A fellow PPD survivor recently said, "Be kind to yourself." 

And every time one of those mean thoughts comes into my head I can hear those words. 

Be kind to yourself. 

I can't run from this bully. 

But I can stand up for myself.

And I'm ready for this bully to be gone for good. 

Then vs Now

When I wrote up my Post-Birth Plan I had a section that was specifically for doing things that I loved. Things that made me happy. 

The list included things like: 

• learn a new song to sing to the boys

• go to see a movie in theatre (which is a rare treat when you have small children and are poor!) 

• go on walks 

• go somewhere new 

(We went to the dinosaur park.) 

• create something big and fun for our house 

We made this. And we love it but now we have strangers that stand in front of our yard or people that pull over to look at it. 

I didn't do those things the first time around. I was lucky to even write a journal entry. And when I did, it was of things not worth remembering. Those entries are full of anxiety. Thoughts of not being good enough for Andrew or Tyler. 

At one point I wrote, "I'm trapped. I'm being held prisoner in my own mind. And I have no idea how to get out. It's so dark. My thoughts are not my own. HELP ME!" 

I don't feel that darkness now. Not like before. I can tell something is not quite right though. 

For example: A dear friend was looking at my pictures on my phone and said, "You take great pictures! You should be a photographer! I'd pay you!" 

I got excited about the idea. I started to day dream about it and looked into cameras and classes. And then it hit me. Completely out of no where. I burst into tears and had a terrible crying spell. I cried so hard that I puked. It was one of the worst anxiety attacks I have ever had. I hardly ate the next couple of days and I didn't want to take a picture at all. After a few days I was fine. 

A few days later I had another bad anxiety attack, but this time it was because I felt like I wasn't a good mom. Andrew was sick and was calling for Nana and I just lost it. I thought I had lost him for good and that my mom might as well just keep him because I clearly wasn't good enough. That hit me HARD. 

After a priesthood blessing from Tyler and  a reminder that I would probably want to go to my mom too if she'd let me eat all the Oreos I want, I felt a bit better. But that pain stayed with me. I carried it like a weight on my heart. 

It was at that point that Tyler noticed I had lost "the spark in my eyes" as he put it. I didn't want to write, read, craft, sing or go for a walk anymore. We argue more. I now cry over the simplest little things. Even while sticking to my plan for my low days, (like making that sign for our yard- we finished it a week early, hoping that crafting would help boost my spirits.) I can't seem to get back up. It's kind of like feeling yourself lose your mind, but being completely helpless to it. The walls are closing in.

But I think I caught it early enough that it won't turn into that dark, cold place like before. I never want to be in that dark state again. Ever. 

A lot of my dear friends and even strangers have reached out to me after my last post. And it means SO much to me that I'm not alone in this. Even with different problems, any mental disorder is like a cancer of the mind. It is just as serious as any other physical disorder. Mental health is SO important. And I wish it was more normal to speak of instead of being this painful secret. 

Thank you for all the support! I know I can beat it this time. :) 

Andrew and Benjamin

As a baby, Andrew hated to be hot. His toes had to stick out of the blanket and he had to stay cool or he would become sweaty and uncomfortable. 

But Benjamin LOVES to be wrapped up all snug and warm. He doesn't sweat easily and he loves to cuddle.

Andrew was serious about his food. If the bottle wasn't ready the moment he opened his eyes, you'd seriously regret it. 

Benjamin is pretty cool about waiting to nurse while I change a diaper or clean up an overturned bowl of cocoa puffs. 

Andrew wasn't a very fussy baby. As long as the basics were taken care of, he was pretty chill. 

Benjamin is the boss and he knows it. 

Andrew loved stories and playing at an early age. 

Benjamin did too.

Andrew pulled some hilarious faces. 

Benjamin does too.

I love these boys!