#1: 30 Days of Thanksgiving

Totally stoked that Halloween is over. Zoë spent 48-plus hours (on and off) puking and with the Big D. It definitely looks like she's on the mend--but happy to be past the worst of it.

In other news, for Hallow's Eve we handed out local apples purchased from the Farmer's Market, mini compostable pumpkins, fruit leather and play-dough (from China).

The takers in apples and play-dough were split evenly - a few fruit leather partakers and some pumpkin snatchers. The apples I understand - a lot just seem to start noshing as soon as they grab them. But I imagine the great pumpkin choosers get home and think: "what the hades was I thinking? It seemed so novel at the time."

A Green Halloween?

Looking for your help on this very important question:

What to give the Trick-or-Treaters this year that is still cool but won't send me into a guilt/shame spiral for killing the planet/contributing to tooth decay?

I'm guest blogging about Greener Options for Halloween at Make and Takes today... You should check it out, and of course, leave a comment. (Insert Cheeky Emoticon Here.)

*Image from Green Halloween.

Holden the Goose Whisperer

Holden and I belong to this awesome neighborhood playgroup. Each mom takes a month a plans an activities for a month, just one day a week.

Last month Little Bits, (Baby Z - still in utero at 34 weeks today) and I hosted: we did a day at the park, one day at Discovery Gateway (Children's Museum), an event at the downtown Library hosted by Lego and then I taught a 30 minute yoga session for kids with a potluck luncheon after at our place.

While at any given month we seldom can make all the activities (except when we were hosting because I strategically planned it around our schedules), we do try to participate as much as possible. The mantra for this group pretty much seems to be "Come When You Can!" Which fits in perfectly to our lifestyle.

Last week's activity was a harvest splendor of sorts at Wheeler Farm: tractor-trailer ride, a hay maze, picking a pumpkin and animals galore. I had never taken Holden there before so he was pretty stoked to play with the ducks and geese (I mean, at the Sun Valley Lodge there's only 2 or 3)... here there were hoards!

In the video you can see him showing me how he gets close and personal with Mother Earth and "eats like a duck" (super sanitary, I'm sure). He'd also chase after them with open arms, and I kept thinking my two year old was going to be the next contestant on "When Animals Attack."

Good thing he finally crossed his arms to make sure the ferocious fowl knew he was harmless. Oh wait...

The good news is, after he told me "that duck eat me" he wanted to stay and play some more with them. I on the other hand was ready to move on before this YouTube video suddenly took a turn for the worse became competition for Shark Week. Let's not temp fate, eh?

30 Days of Thanksgiving

Happy 'Official" Halloween all.

Holden's First Halloween - October 2009

Just so we're clear. I live in Utah, so unless the holiday is Christmas or Easter, it's not getting celebrated on a Sunday...and certainly not a pagan orgy-fest like the 31st of October.

Besides, we passed out most of the good candy last night. Though in a shocking twist, along with the full-size candy bars, etc we gave out I had also added some organic Annie's Chocolate Graham Cracker Bunnies and Vegan "No preservatives" Fruit/Nut Bars. The punchy pink and green packaging was so alluring, a bunch of kids grabbed them before they could think to opt for a Snickers or Bag of skittles! Ha! I am so tricky.

Anyway, once we run out of Snickers tonight, we're giving toothbrushes to the heathens that have the audacity to come to our door on the Sabbath. :)

But moving on:

So it's a fact that I blog more in the Winter. Something about shutting one's self indoors when the weather is cold and slushy. I love being curled up on the couch with my thoughts, a warm beverage, a computer and just have a chance to free-write. Since I'm no longer a 'professional writer' (if my moonlighting as a magazine writer could ever really be called that), sometimes it really is nice to just be in the habit of writing.

You know what's another great habit? Gratitude.

That's right people...being thankful.

Not that I'm a glass half-empty type of gal; but there really is nothing to boost your spirits like finding the little things in life you're grateful for (and because I have a lot of random pictures of Holden that don't really merit an entire post), I'm going to work on micro-blogging in November.

During the month of Thanksgiving, I'm going to post every day...something I'm thankful for. It could be something grand and meaningful like my family, or something just freaking fabulous... like toe socks. Who knows? Guess you'll just have to come see to find out.

Let the attitude of gratitude begin!

Oh the Blog Drama!

Danny told me politics would catch up with me.. and they did. A super Tuesday and the Utes beating TCU on Thursday night (ok, taking home a win is more like it) with a busy Saturday (and 17 comments on one entry) later... has made this mommy a bit tired.

So I thought I would take a break from the soap box, and share some promised pics... I know, I hardly ever post them... ENJOY!

Danny and I passed out Halloween candy on the 31st and then hit up a swingin' singles party... (well, not that there were swingers there... you got what I was saying, yes?)  We didn't stay long as the party started after we are usually going to bed. But before we get into that....

This is a pic from earlier last month... I know I posted the black dress pics already... but I think my little sister Celeste looks really cute in this picture.  And my mom is such a little hottie... I think it's awesome how my belly reflects this light like a giant silver balloon... that's so delicious.

Here's a great picture of me practicing hypno-birthing. ;)  Just kidding, Danny was just taking random pictures of me; also I enjoy looking at my chin before I broke out with 3rd trimester acne... My face does not look like this anymore... 

I have always said I hope our girls get the Mangum legs... Holden can have my Mack-truck thighs as long as he gets some length from his Daddy... doesn't Danny-boy make an AWESOME Bleaker?  Complete with orange tic-tacks!

This next one basically showcases how I am not as cool as my husband or Juno... I'm not quite as thin as Ellen Page... but I think the best part of my costume is that the belly is legit (Danny's friend Renn asked if it was real... apparently it's been a while since we've been around his old crew in public.) 

More belly pics... THis is also from that night out on the town... the other day at the office this guy told me I looked "miserable."  I said thanks. And this pic was like 4 weeks ago... ahhhh-some.  I even try to wear stilettos so I'm not frumpy and I still get comments like that?!?!? Sheesh!
The happy couple... ready for a night on the town Halloween style. 

Tuesdays with Sabrena -- Part II; Because I couldn't think of a catchier title

Picture of the Day. . . me and my Tatum at the reflection pond at El Tempo. Just as a side note, when I asked her and her little brother Max what they liked better. . . the temple or Costco? Good News, they both responded the temple. :)

Random Thoughts I probably shouldn't share with the masses:

* My feet have smelled a lot like apple cidear vinegar lately

* I really enjoy my job (that's a weird thing to say, right?) Seriously, I kicked-ace and took names at my meeting today. . . I shouldn't brag, but it felt great to be so prepared!

* Sometimes I wonder if I'm a figment of someone else's imagination

* I've already started listening to Christmas Music in my car (and I sang Christmas Carols to Danny Sunday night in bed)

* There's this girl in my Monday yoga class that I "compete" with in my head. Like who has the lowest Warrior I or who does the most chatarunga (I know I spelled that wrong). Anyway, that COMPLETELY defeats the purpose of yoga . . . I need to "stay on my mat"

*I taped the number "135" on my scale in the bathroom, because I was tired of seeing 150+ pounds on the scale (this has actually done wonders for my self esteem too!)

Have an uber fabulous Tuesday.
For Halloween I think I'll dress up as someone who's mentally sound... costume ideas?

P.S. And a special hello to my friends in cyber-space from Parsons...I'm sending you fabulous little law ladies an extra dose of Suite-Chi. ;) Danny says you're out there, but there's no way to really know . . .

"Best Of" Volume II: Really Frightening: What could be scarier than reality?

Just in time for Halloween, a little ditty from the pre "Suite-Mangum" days. . . when I was running solo in this dreary world. A few years ago, I did this little piece on the horrors of life as a singleton for my Saint George Mag column (October 2005).

And while I am EVER so gratful I don't have to deal with the challenges of dating anymore, I don't want my single friends out there in cyberspace and beyond to ever think I have forgotten the plight of a single gal (or guy) putting it out on the line day in and day out. . .

Just know, I've been there. . . so without further ado, I give you, THE HORRORS OF MY (former) ONLINE DATING LIFE. . .


I think it’s fair to make a case for being afraid of things that are supposed to scare you. I cut myself a little slack with the standards – heights, clowns, swimsuit shopping in February. I’ve never been one for scary movies (Disney’s Watcher in the Woods is about where I draw the line), and I absolutely loathe haunted houses and forests. All through my adolescence, my friends would try to explain that because the people responsible for “scaring” us were actually just teenagers like ourselves, if I just gave them a hard time or acted like they didn’t affect me, I wouldn’t have a problem.

But there was a problem. I was afraid, very afraid. For some reason, my body cannot make a psychological distinction between fact and fiction, and thus the physiological response follows – panic stricken conscience, sweaty palms, short breaths and a pit in my stomach resembling a black infinite abyss.

So for those of you celebrating the Autumnal Equinox and Hallow’s Eve with visits to these types of dastardly places, I’m just saying I’m glad it’s you and not me. I have plenty to fear without Jason/Freddy chasing me with a chainsaw or some equally threatening yard appliance. Besides, just being alive is scary enough. Andy Warhol once said, “Being born is like being kidnapped. And then sold into slavery.” I can relate just from being set up on blind dates.

Let’s be honest, the predicament of the single life is more than a conundrum. It’s a fearful angst-ridden place to be. How else do you explain the hoards of relatives, associates, colleagues and random acquaintances shell shocked and horrified to discover you’re over 25 and (gasp!) not married?

It hadn’t occurred to me that my singleton status should be cause for such terror until I ventured into the frightening world of online dating. Some have heard my diatribe about the woes of a text messaging courtship – believe me it can lead to more than cyber tears – but I thought romance on the information superhighway would be a safe place where I’d meet a plethora of liberal minded scholars with character like George Washington and a penchant for world religions, Led Zeppelin and The O.C. (not necessarily in that order).

“Sabrena, you should try eHarmony.com,” a former college boyfriend explained to me over a year ago. “It will really help you see what type of person you’re compatible with.” Ah, so that’s my problem, I thought. I just haven’t understood what type of person I’m truly compatible with. I thought my quest for an independently wealthy artist with Death Cab for Cutie on his iPod that shares my dislike for Fox News was a great place to start.

While the questionnaire for the eHarmony personal profile doesn’t ask how annoying you think Bill O’Riley is, questions do run the gamut from religion and politics to the importance of sexual relations in a (ahem) relationship. The site also instructs you to be as honest as possible. . .And so I was, even against my better judgment.

The final question of the survey asks about geographical logistics. I mean really, just how far was I willing to search for true love? Well, St. George and Salt Lake City were obvious choices. Plus, my day job does allow me to travel pretty easily, so it seemed that the West Coast was a natural fit. But why limit myself to just a couple of time zones, right?

It was like I had some sort of tick, checking the radar buttons. By the time I clicked “Submit,” I had included all of the U.S., part of Canada, plus the UK and most of Western Europe. Where’s the harm? I thought. At best, I’ll find my true love. At worst, I’ll get some really great pen pals from across the globe.

The anticipation was killing me. How many responses would I get? Twenty, thirty? Would there literally be hundreds of “matches” since I was open to whatever the universe had to present me and my social life? I was willing to take a risk. I began to imagine the Webmaster for Yahoo! emailing to tell me I’d need to purchase more space as my inbox would be constantly overloaded with requests from beaus across the world. Where would I find the time to court so many men? The anticipation was really overwhelming.

And as I sat there imagining my results, I realized that the database had been searching for quite some time. What if I set some record for “most compatible female on the Internet”? I mean, I’ve always thought of myself as pretty amicable. Maybe I’d be crowned Miss eHarmony or perhaps they’d make me something like the official mascot. Wow – how long would this thing search? It’s not like I was on an AOL dial-up connection or something.

And then it came, the answer to the question that would be the closest gauge of my dating reality, indeed one of the scariest moments in my 28 years of existence. Out of a database with literally thousands of names, came this message: “eHarmony has found 0 matches.” Zero matches for moi! I stared at the screen absolutely dumbfounded and then laughed from so deep in my gut that I think it was heard across cyberspace.

So, yes I am afraid, very afraid. But come to think of it, right now a haunted house might be the perfect thing to ease my nerves.