Table for Eight

Beautiful fall colors.    Hikes with our kids. (which happens A LOT since Survivor) Halloween on the horizon.    Sidenote: When it comes to Halloween, Utah is frozen in the 1950s: SO. Many. Trick-or-Treaters. And donuts!     Roadside fruit and vegetable stands. Reasons to eat a lot of pie. (Well, that could be a Mormon thing, too. We like our pie.)   There's really just so much to love about Utah in the fall. Everything just seems right. Now, remind me to read this post in January when I'm asking "why in the heck we live in a place where it's 22 degrees for a lot of days in a row."   ***    And, before I "leave," I'd like to share a few photos from my summer vacation! These are taken after 8-9 days in the game of Survivor South Pacific. (And no, I didn't bring a camera. These photos are taken by Survivor's photographer, Monty Bri

Congratulations to the winner of the Jeff Probst Bobblehead: "mle" Please email me @ deserethousewife@gmail.com : we need your address for shipping. (PS: We had 81 comments, I rank order those--and then use Random.org to generate a winning "number.") ************ Now, onto today's post. Last night was Episode 3 of Survivor South Pacific--and I lived to see another day in the game! (Can I get a woop woop!) Here's a deleted scene from last night's episode that explains how I'm feeling at this point in the game: http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/12466044/survivor-south-pacific-don-t-want-to-say-goodbye And here's a photo taken during this stage of the game (see, we had some down-time): Me, Elyse Umemoto, and Whitney Duncan. CBS copyright, Monty Brinton, 2011. PS: This is taken during Episode 3 time-period. For today's post I thought  I'd answer some of the questions I rece

Well, it's that time again! Survivor South Pacific is ON tonight (CBS, 8pm ET/7pm CT). In preparation for tonight's episode, I wanted to share the cast's "Most Embarrassing Moments." These interviews/clips were filmed prior to the start of the game by Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross: http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/09/28/survivor-south-pacific-exposed-boobs-dead-bunnies/ PS: Today's the last day to enter the Giveaway for a Jeff Probst Bobblehead. Want to enter? Leave a comment anywhere on the blog today. (Continental US only, sorry!)

Our daughter, Papaya, getting ready for her first sumo match. (At a friend's bday party.) Here's a  question for the grown-ups in the room: Do you make time in your life for play? And if so, why? And if not, why? I have my own thoughts about this . . . but I want to hear from you first. Comment away, my friends! PS: The Jeff Probst Bobblehead Giveaway ends Wednesday at midnight! (See Giveaway tab.) PPS: Episode 3 of Survivor South Pacific airs tomorrow, Wednesday! Click the link below for a preview of the challenge: http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/2144915810/survivor-south-pacific-challenge-preview-hitching-a-ride

With all of the Survivor fun happening in our family right now, I thought it would be fun to share the fun with YOU. This week's giveaway: One Jeff Probst Bobble Head! Giveaway TERMS: 1. Leave a comment on the blog--under any post between NOW and Wedneday, 9/28 @ midnight (the day Episode 3 of Survivor South Pacific airs). 2. ONE Winner will be selected using RANDOM.ORG. 3. Entries will be accepted until midnight on Wednesday, September 28th. 4. Previous winners may enter. Family and friends may enter (they are my only readers, for real!). 5. Winning items will be shipped to continental US only. (Sorry, international readers.) 6. No personal information will be shared on the blog--aside from a first name to notify the winner. 7. We don't use your information or provide it to third-parties . . . ever. 8. Odds are really good . . . so enter! (Usually less than 50 people enter.) PS: I don't have any sponsors on this blog, so the giveawa

 First of all, Jeff Probst is right: last night's episode of Survivor South Pacific was no picnic! BUT, I lived to see another day! Woo hoo! (PS: Episode 2 is now online at CBS.com. And there are extra scenes online, too. Here's one of me : http://tinyurl.com/3n8jcdd  ) PS: Thanks to everyone for watching and sending support. My family, friends, the people I run into at Walmart, BYU, and church peeps. I so appreciate it. PSS: And yes, I know I need to work on my posture. [Wink wink.] ****** And now, off to today's post! Okay, obviously I love Survivor. BUT, before I played the game I was actually a long-time fan of the show. Why? Because I think Survivor is an incredible social experiment: --seeing how complete strangers create a community. --seeing how they learn to work together OR not. --seeing how they manage their relationships when success/money is on the line (a million dollars). --seeing how they resp

  Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc.  Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Wednesdays can't come soon enough! I don't know about you, but I'm DYING to see how this whole thing turns out for the Savaii tribe! Talk more tomorrow! PS: The above photos are from Day 5 episodic coverage of SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Photos: Monty Brinton/CBS© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. LOOKS FUN!

1. Is it just me OR are Halloween decorations getting more and more frightening? 2. Is it just me OR are 1/2 gallon ice cream containers NO LONGER 1/2 gallon? Aha! They're 1.5 quarts!

No, this isn't me. LOL! Last week I was thinking a lot. About my life. That's common thing with me. I think (ha ha ha) it's something I do  part out of habit  (reviewing life is like chasing a tennis ball for my brain--just something to do) and  part because I want to improve  my life (and ultimately be a better version of myself). Anyway, for some reason, this particular string of thinking had me down. I think I'd started out making "The Inventory of My Assets" that Christopher Reeves discussed, but somewhere in the middle, that list turned into "The Inventory of All The Stupid and Ridiculous Things I've Done Over The Years." You know, things that someone my age shouldn't do. (Get a spray-on-tan.) Things that someone with my experience/education/support/training shouldn't do. (Forget to balance their bank account.) Those kind of things. Now, this is something I do from time-to-time--inventory my mistakes. BUT som

BYU, Provo, Utah. Today is a big day for college football . . . especially in Utah. Brigham Young University ( BYU ) is playing homestate rivals, University of Utah ( U of U ). I love BYU, but a lot of my friends are major U of U fans. It's kind of funny when you think about it: how many different TRIBES we form in real life. On Survivor, the tribes were  Savaii and Upolu. In my "real" life it's BYU and the U of U . Which makes me wonder, how important are our tribe assignments? And is our placement on one tribe or another is sometimes random/arbitrary? Because when it comes right down to it, we humans are all pretty similar. Well, at least more similar than we are different. B) SIDENOTE: I realize I sound like I'm 80 AND a LifeCoach with this post. Sorry! ( But if you've read this blog before, you know that I always sound this way. Those are the ABCs of me, baby. It's some kinda existential thing I was born with. A

NOTE: I promise not to talk about Survivor everyday here on The Deseret Housewife [smile], BUT, since a lot of people have been asking me about the show this week--I thought I'd share a little of what it's like to go from "Average Joe" to "Average Joe on Survivor 23." Okay, I know you know . . . I spent the summer in the South Pacific (Samoa, specifically) playing the game of Survivor. ( http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/ ) But until this Wednesday's premiere of the show, most everyone in my life did NOT know I'd been on this adventure. So for a good chunk of the summer, I just went about my life just as I usually do--doing typical family stuff (park trips, campouts, cooking, driving, laundry, preparing for school, etc.). In reality, it was really difficult to do the "family stuff" on the heels of such an incredible experience. And I confided in my husband more than a few times about how hard it was to "go to the

I honestly don't have words to express what the last 24 hours have been like. I am so thankful for the opportunity to play the game of Survivor . . . and to see it again, and share it with my friends and family, it's just INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much for the love and support (DCC, fam, friends, online friends!). What did you all think? Do you have a favorite? I have so many! Wanna know what else happened in the game? CBS has extra footage online today. Just scroll down and you'll find several clips: http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video PS: Here's the link to my extra footage from the first episode: http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/2129669386/survivor-south-pacific-survivor-has-transformed-me

Well, it's finally here : THE Premiere of Survivor South Pacific TONIGHT! And while I can't talk about the details of the show (at all, darnit), I thought it would be fun to write some FAKE captions to these photos taken during the first few days of the game. Dawn, lost in thought: "Why am I in a dress? AND, why are YOU in your choanies, Mark Anthony (aka "Papa Bear") And Ozzy, how do I go about getting myself a machete?" (CBS Photography, Monty Brinton, 2011) Dawn: "Running in a dress. Lovely. I have tons of practice doing that. PS: Did I mention I never liked cross-country running." (CBS Photography, Monty Brinton, 2011) Upolu Tribe/Blue: "Woah, 8 feet is kind of a big jump." Savaii Tribe/Red: "It's okay, just hop over, I think we're neck and neck." (CBS Photography, Monty Brinton, 2011) Dawn: "People in the South Pacific LIVE on movie sets! This. Is. Incredible. I

Photo courtesy of Monty Brinton, CBS, 2011. Photo courtesy of Monty Brinton, CBS 2011. A decade ago I had a dream. A kind of fun and funny dream: I wanted to be a castaway/cast member on the CBS show Survivor . Well, after 10 years, 4 or 5 close calls, and lots of kids in between that dream became a reality ! Now, I realize for some people, it's a kind of silly thing--to have a goal to be in a competition like Survivor. (But, it wasn't the only goal I had over the last decade, just one of 'em. LOL.) And as I sit here typing--the day before the premiere of the first episode--I am just really overwhelmed with gratitude for having accomplished this goal. And I don't mean the just end result: being on Survivor or playing the game. I mean ALL OF IT: --The failed auditions. The rejection. --The close calls. --The doubt. The disappointment. The questioning. --The belief and support my family and friends gave me. --The multiple videos D

Saturday was a pretty fun day for our fam. First, we had Spaghetti Tacos (see Page/Tab "Recipe of the Week"). And then . . . we "got Pinked!" What's that? I like to think of it as the kindler, gentler sister of TP'ing someone's house (toliet-papering). You see, here's how ya do it: 1. Purchase plastic pink flamingos. Lots. (Sometimes at Dollar Stores.) 2. Assemble them on a friend's lawn at night. Attach a cute sign to their door. 3. Run like the wind, Bullseye! *** Oh, and then mysteriously remove the pink flamingos in 3 days time. And repeat the PINK gesture for another sweet friend later in the week. Get it: they're a traveling troupe of PINK FLAMINGOS. Isn't that fun?! Way more fun than TP'ing. (And so much easier to clean up!) Thank you to our mystery "Pinkers"! You made our weekend so smiley! Our front yard Sunday morning. (Love this idea so much. I'm seriously getting m

Sunday will be the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. When I think back to that day, it really does leave me speechless. Nothing I say or write seems to capture the real pain and loss that came as a result of those attacks. So, rather than write today, I think I will take a few minutes to just remember. And then, I'm going to  consider the ways that I can show more love and kindness in my life on a daily basis. (Because I've got work to do, for sure.) God Bless America--and all of the people who suffered loss as a result of 9/11.