As some of you may already be aware, it’s that time of year again… Movember. I’ve joined the growing club of gentlemen who believe in the virtues of fine moustachery and have grown a moustache during the month of November for charity. Last year, over 450,000 individuals worldwide joined the Movember Foundation’s cause and raised over $80M for cancer research. The funds raised in the US support prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. The funds raised are directed to programs run directly by Movember and their men’s health partners, Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG).

I’ve learned a few important lessons during the time I’ve spent with my lip sweater over the last several weeks:

1. Small children tend to be very untrusting of people with moustaches. I believe this to be less about blatant moustache discrimination, but more about some critical survival instinct they’re born with.
2. Law enforcement tends to be a bit more forgiving with traffic violation citations for moustached Americans.
3. Lastly, moustache grooming is akin to Bonsai. It requires patience, precision, & dedication, but the fruits of your labors produce a work of art.

My kids have even joined the cause:

The devastating impacts of cancer are near and dear to my heart. My dad, Stephen, passed away April 1st, 1982, at the age of 30 from a rare form of testicular cancer. I was only 4 years old. Here’s a picture of him with, ironically, a moustache:

~ Join me in supporting this cause. Visit http://mobro.co/jordanl/d to donate ~

Looking for the perfect gift to give the creative child in your life? Well, Total Class Creative, a Make and Takes sponsor, is here to help. They are ready to dish out the discounts for this shopping weekend! For 2 days only, TCC is giving you 50% off their kits to celebrate Black Friday! November 26 & 27, you will get 50% off their Christmas and kid craft kits.

Here are just a few of the fun and simple kits they have to offer. These are great to buy for your kids to make and give to their friends and classmates for the holidays. Felt Stocking Kits, Frame Kits, and Gift Box Kits – perfect crafts for kids to assemble, the no mess, no fuss kind of crafts. And all under $10 (even less with your 2 day 50% discount). I plan to put all our children’s Christmas books into our green box kit, and place it right near our tree.

Here’s Anna from TCC sharing some of their quick crafty countdown trees and snowmen. These come as kits, pre-made, ready for you to embellish.

Total Class Creative also has really great craft kits for kids. There are trucks to assemble, doll house furniture to decorate, and dress up kits to inspire imagination.

So hurry fast and take advantage of this 2 day discount. And have fun being creative this holiday season.

I love to help promote Mom based companies, especially those who are helping other moms, and Heather of Luvin’ Life From Home, is just that kind of mom. She’s a wife to 1 and proud mom of 2 who’s running a business right from her own home. She’s able to stay at home with her kids while earning an income. Maybe that’s something you would love to be able to do too.

Here’s what Heather has to say about her company Luvin’ Life From Home – Internet CEO Moms:

“I get to work with an awesome team of 1500 enthusiastic women who all come together to help others work from home!  Very simple, no pressure, no start up fees, 100% guaranteed, so there is no risk!”

Fill out this form and you’ll be able to receive free information about this mom run business, seeing if it’s the right fit for you. Maybe you too could be happy at home working to help earn a living for your family.

Hey all you die-cutting crafters! You’ll love this amazing 2 day sale going on over at QuicKutz. If you live in Utah, hit up the warehouse sale. If you live everywhere else, visit QuicKutz online for the same great steals and deals going on April 1st – 2nd. Happy crafting!

Make and Takes received a few crafty goodies from QuicKutz for sharing this crafty announcement!

You’ve seen the fun caricature drawings people get at carnivals and festivals. I love them. They find the silliest features your face might have and bring it to life. Gabriel Olsen is one of those amazing illustrators and is a master at caricatures. He was kind enough to give me the two drawings below. I sent in a photo of my daughter and below is what I got back. I love it! Those cheeks!

Here’s one he did of my son. He really made his big brown eyes POP!

Gabriel’s blog showcases more of his art and illustrations. Anyone getting excited for LOST?!!

If you’d like to have your photo turned into a caricature, email: Gabriel {at} gabrielolson.com

I just finished reading the book Hunger Games and Catching Fire (it’s sequel), and January is not even over yet, exceeding my New Year’s Resolution expectations! Now that I’m finished, I have a few thoughts. Then I want to hear what you think!

SPOILER ALERT – Read the books and come back!

I absolutely loved this book. I’m a bit of a Sci-Fi nerd, so this book was right up my alley. And yet, it’s not really a science fiction book. It’s set in the future, but it’s more about the characters and the will to survive.

I’ve broken Hunger Games into parts, comparing it to other similar books, all worth reading:

• Ender’s Game: For the games. It’s kids fighting kids, although the games are only simulations in this book. Ender is a lot like Katniss: they always win, are really good at it, and know who the real enemy is! Ender’s Game is my all time favorite book, but Hunger Games is coming in a close second.

• The Giver: For the timing. They’re both set in a time when people don’t really know any better. They let despicable things happen because they don’t think they have a choice. It’s just how things are for them and they live their lives. They’ve been told what to do and don’t resist. Their children are put into classes and people who don’t make the cut, die. That’s why I love both main characters, because they see things differently, wanting to make a difference. Although, I wish Katniss would have been a little more rebellious. I know she has her family to think about, but come on already! I am frustrated she let it go as far as she did.

• Lord of the Flies: For the survival. There’s a jungle, there’s alliances, there’s killing. Yuck. I don’t love this part, but I do love to see how Katniss’s mind works, she’s very smart. And unlike Lord of the Flies, there’s no adults coming to the rescue. In Hunger Games, it’s the adults who are making it happen!

• Twilight: For the love. There’s a bit of a Twilight love triangle going on! I think Peeta reminds me of Jacob, someone Katniss (Bella) loves but doesn’t love enough. She only sees him as a comfort. Where as Gale (Edward) is her real love, the one who understand and knows her best! Awwwwww. Are you team Peeta or team Gale?

What do you think about it? Please comment and let me know you’re thoughts, as I know some love it and some hate it. So let’s discuss!

It’s Day 4 of my son’s StartNOW ski program, sponsored by Park City Mountain Resort. I’ve put together a fun Whrrl story, sharing what we’ve been enjoying with this program. So check it out and have fun whrrling down the mountain with us!

If your household is anything like ours during the winter, then you’re in need of some Zarbees cough syrup too. Zarbees, a Make and Takes sponsor, has happily been soothing my kids coughs one spoonful at a time!

Zarbees is an all natural cough syrup that comes in a lemon or cherry flavor and contains your daily dose of Vitamin C. It’s made with a blend of dark honey, helping make it easier to swallow for any unwilling mouths!

My son doesn’t lick it off the spoon like my daughter does, it’s still just cough syrup to him. But it doesn’t burn as it goes down and helps sooth those dry scratchy throats. Zarbees has been a great “go to” this winter season.

*** For any Utah locals, Harmon’s Grocery Stores are running a 1 week long ad starting today, December 28-January 3rd, where anyone can print off an online coupon for $2 off a bottle of ZarBee’s.  Coupons can be printed here: http://harmonslocal.com/ ***

As I’ve written in an introduction post here, Park City Mountain Resort is sponsoring my son through their new program StartNOW. He’s had his first lesson and well on his way to calling himself a skier! Below I’m sharing a few of the things we learned on our first day at ski school.

Snow Clothes: It gets pretty cold up on the mountain, especially riding the lift. I highly suggest a hoodie like this (aka balaclava). It’s perfect for keeping the wind off your cheeks and chin. And yes, those are red death skeleton heads that Dad chose, thanks Jordan!

Renting Skis: The staff at park city are awesome, especially the ski rental employees. They are quick and informative and even help you put on your boots! But you do have to walk up the stairs by yourself with your boots on. It takes a few times to get used to that.

Ski Instructor: His instructor was great. Very friendly and approachable. My son’s instructor told him that he knows if it’s cold when there’s ice on his mustache, and there was! There were just a few kids his age in his class, small enough that I felt like he was getting enough attention.

Riding the Lift: Their class talked all about going on a lift, how to get on, how not to move, how not to look back, how to get off. After his lesson we went with him on the lift and he knew just what to do: tips up, bar down, and face forward!

Ready for More: We’ve still got bounce-back passes to use, all 4 of them, and my son can’t wait. Can you tell?!

Utah is one of the BEST Ski destinations on earth. And happily, I live here! I’m teaming up with Park City Mountain Resort for a winter wonderland campaign. They’ve just introduced a new program called StartNOW, an opportunity for Utah locals to start skiing NOW!

Here’s how the program works, all for just $25:

• You must be a Utah resident
• You must be a first time skier or rider
• Ages 6 and up
• Afternoon ski or snowboard lesson and lift access (1:00 – 4:00 pm)
• Ski or Snowboard equipment rental
• Bounce back option: 4 more times for $25 each, including all day lift ticket, equipment rental, and a 2 hour lesson.

Park City Mountain Resort is sponsoring my little 6 year old guy to go through the StartNOW program. He’s over the moon at the opportunity to start skiing. I’ll be sharing our experience with him in the coming weeks, showing how it works and how he improves. They say it takes a person 5 times at doing something to let it stick, so we’ll be showing if it’s true!

Really, this is the best deal around. If you’ve never been on the slopes before, this is the year to go for it. We’re too close to these beautiful Utah mountains and need to take advantage of its recreational capabilities. And this program is all too affordable to pass up. Check the StartNOW website for more details and scheduling.