Rob & Julie Snow Family Blog

Perhaps you understand what that means and perhaps you are looking it up on Google.  It is one of Julianna's many names.  Of course when I say, write, type, or think "Ma Cocotte," a flood of powerful emotions inundate my thoughts.  To describe these emotions is very difficult as my thoughtful prose becomes powerless to convey how much I love my dear Julianna.  So I'll take another approach; the addition of my favorite photographs of Julie taken over the last few years to some of my thoughts just might give you a vague idea of my feelings for Ma Cocotte.

In the "Ma Cocotte" set I have prepared captions for each of the photographs of Julie.  These are just some of the thoughts I had about Julie as I reminisced about each moment and how Julie makes me happy. Click here to see a grid view of the photos and click on each photo to see a large view and read the captions.  Click here to view the slideshow.  To see the captions in the slideshow hover over the photo and click on the i that magically appears.  I hope you enjoy my favorite photos and my thoughts about my sweet wife Julianna. 

Julie, thank you for being everything I could ever want in a best friend, eternal companion, lover, wife, woman, and partner in crime!  Thanks for being the dynamic, fun, playful, intelligent, and sexy woman that you are!  You are appreciated every moment of every day.

My brothers band Poetica has been chosen by popular vote to play at the Vans Warped Tour this Saturday on the Ernie Ball Stage between 11 and 2.  Is that freaking sweet or what!  Here is the deal, 20 local band competed in the Salt Lake City area (and similarly in other areas) on the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands web site.  The top four were chosen to play at the Warped Tour and the band that grabs the 1st place spot (judged at the Warped Tour I think) will continue on to compete at the national level.

This is an entry I wrote a few weeks ago, but am just getting around to posting...



We have found ourselves in Glenwood Springs, Colorado for a couple days while Rob is doing some work here. It's a quaint place somewhat like Park City. I decided to be brave and join him with the kids. My reasons were 1) I could use a change of scenery after spending all day, every day in the same place doing the same things; and 2) Rob's work was footing the bill, so this is as good a time as any to see if we can all make it in one hotel room together.

Weelllll, let's just say it's a good thing we didn't pay for this trip. The town was nice enough, but not very stroller friendly. Most of the areas we wanted to go were uphill from the hotel and besides pushing the stroller, I had Madeleine in the bjorn carrier. Plus, all the stores and cafe's (no kid-friendly fast-food joints) had stairs and unautomated doors.

Besides not having too many places to go or see, none of us slept very well. Since we were all in one room, trying to get the kids to bed at their normal time was not an option, since that's at 7:30pm. It took Nathan until 10:30 or 11:00 to fall asleep, after an average of an hour and a half of trying. As soon as he'd start drifting off, Madeleine would start crying. As soon as Madeleine would start drifting off, Nate would start yelling. It was a vicious cycle. So in order to keep her quiet, I had her in bed with me, which means I didn't sleep well at all. Of course, naps were nonexistent also. Ugh.

When we finally left for home 3 days later, it was late in the day. We hoped this would be a good option so that both kids would sleep the whole time. I won't get into details, but it was a stressful drive. Nate would scream every 30 seconds after falling asleep because his head kept flopping around as we were driving around the curves. Finally, after over an hour of this, I hopped in the back seat, held Nate's head up with one hand, and fed Madeleine her bottle with my other hand. Fun. We finally arrived home at 1:30am.

Needless to say, we won't be trying an over-nighter sharing a hotel room anytime soon.

I'm turning my thesis in to the graduate school thesis editor right now for final format approval. This is one of the last steps before I'm official. Yeah!

You'll either enjoy this or be very grossed out.

• Treehouse Museum Toddler Time: Mondays from 10am-noon. Only $3 per kid and free for adults (at other times of the day, it's twice as much AND adults have to pay). We LOVED this place!! It was totally kid-proof and he could run around at will playing with whatever he wanted to.


• Castle Heights Playground: A really fun giant castle playground.


• The Tracy Aviary Pelican Feedings: We're planning on doing this soon. We get to throw fish to the birds! We've already done the parrot feedings and our son had SUCH a great time with the birds landing on him and eating from his hands.

Now, I HATE "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but I LOVE the online store Oompa Toys.

Today's "Julie Pages" featured site is called eHow. The title pretty much explains what it is, but here's a synopsis:

Say you have a question on how to boil and egg (the actual question I had that led me to this website...don't laugh). How about the best way to find a good Christmas tree? Or how to test, buy, and wear store perfumes in order to get the best results? Well, look no further! The answer to all the questions and more are on this site.

This is a really fun webpage. Sometimes I just like to browse the millions of subjects listed because it can be quite entertaining, along with informative.

Here are examples of some funny questions that are answered here:

• How to hide from your kids (I assume every parent has a moment they need to hide)
• How to fashion a makeshift tattoo gun (Ouch! Don't try this at home!)
• How to trim toenails (For men, obviously)
• How to annoy a Trekkie (I don't really get it at all, but I'm sure trekkies do)

Anyway, you really should browse. It's fascinating!

Typical scenario:

"Hey, I really need some new jeans. I'll go shopping and have fun spending money and making my wardrobe cuter!"

2 hours later.........

"ARRRGH!!! I hate this! Why can't I find ONE pair of jeans out of the THIRTY that I tried on that fits well and makes me look cute???!!! I must be a freak."

Sound familiar? (Please say yes, I don't want to be the only one out there that this happens to, thus confirming my "freakness".)

Here's a webpage http://www.zafu.com/ that is soooo fun because you can shop for jeans using your exact measurements, fit style, and fashion sense. You go through a series of questions and then get results personalized for you! It tells you exactly what brand, style, and size you need, how much they are, and where to get them. Make sure to click on the results links for additional information. PERFECTO!

Now I haven't actually gone to buy any of the jeans yet. It's been a long time since I've needed any, but I will as soon as I get out of maternity and post-maternity sizes. So if any of you end up trying on or buying a recommended pair, let me know how it goes!

The same webpage does dress pants and bras (I'm not EVEN going to go THERE)!!!

Nerd Warning - I you don't care about quantum mechanics and encryption then you probably don't want to waste your time on this.  Otherwise, this article is freaking awesome!  I've only included some excerpts so follow the link for the entire article. Enjoy!

Quantum entanglement is weird. And I mean weird even for quantum mechanics, which sets a whole new level for weird.

Why is Dick York’s picture here?
Is it entangled with this post? Spooky.

In the world we live in, the macroscopic world, if you flip a coin, it can either land heads or tails (ignore it landing on its side, the results of which have been thoroughly discussed in The Twilight Zone). That’s it. But in the quantum world, that coin could be both heads and tails, with an equal probability of both. Until you actually examine the coin and see which way it landed, it exists in that weird in-between state.

I’m not making this stuff up. This is very real, as real as atomic bombs, computer chips, and solar cells. In fact, all three of those depend on quantum effects, so we know, which absolute certainty, that quantum mechanics works.

Spooky action at the Space Station
The Bad Astronomer
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:53:10 GMT

I came upon an article this evening that has really broken my heart. I, along with most Americans, love Italian food; at least, we love the Americanized version of Italian food. But after reading this, I may think twice before indulging in some of my favorite dishes. You can get the entire article at http://www.cspinet.org/new/200710311.html or just read the main points here.


“If you wanted to enjoy the health benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet, you’d eat mostly fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and fish,” said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie F. Liebman. “But the heaping portions of meat, cheese, pasta, and cream sauces served up at Italian-style American chain restaurants are about as far from the ideal Mediterranean diet as you can get.”

OLIVE GARDEN
• Lasagna Classico. 1,060 calories and 28 grams of bad fat. It’s like eating a BK Quad Stacker from Burger King, which has four beef patties, four slices of cheese, and eight strips of bacon.

ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL
• Spaghetti & Meatballs with meat sauce. The following nutrition numbers are not typos: Romano’s rendition of this classic dish provides more than an entire day’s calories (2,430) and nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat—an astonishing 57 grams. Or you could eat six Quarter Pounders for the same effect on your waistline.

“Keep in mind that these numbers don’t include any of Macaroni Grill’s peasant bread or Olive Garden’s unlimited breadsticks and salad,” said Liebman. “Nor do they include 1,000-calorie appetizers like fried calamari.

“You’d have to walk briskly for 11 hours or jog an entire marathon to burn off 2,800 calories.”


Now these are just two examples. Most of the other menu items are similar in nutritional value. Isn't that disgusting??!! I'm not saying I won't ever go to these restaurants anymore and order my Penne with Creamy Tomato Sauce or Chicken Marsala, but it sure won't be as fun anymore knowing what I'm eating!! Sorry for possibly ruining it for the rest of you, but I thought it was important information to pass on.

So you know that annoying asterisk that is always placed in front of any product or service claim? For example: "*33% More Free!" Have you ever followed the asterisk to find out what it's for? Using the above example, the fine print usually says something like "When using a 1/4 cup of detergent rather than a 1/3 cup." Duh! The fine print is often referred to "mouseprint" because it's so small that no one but a mouse can read it.



There is a weekly blog post at http://www.mouseprint.org/ which uncovers the hidden terms and conditions in popular marketing campaigns. It even translates them, which is badly needed since only a lawyer can decipher half of the jargon.



Here's one of my biggest personal pet peeves but isn't on the mouseprint blog. What's up with all the meals with chicken at the supermarket and fast food chains that say "with white meat chicken" when it's hardly even chicken? Have you ever looked at the ingredients that are in parenthesis after chicken? It's something like water, chicken POWDER (gross!), salt, chemical, chemical, chemical. I mean, that's just wrong!! I seriously refuse to eat any fake chicken. Chicken comes from a bird, not a lab!

Well, shockingly, I've had two people tell me they miss my blog! Whoa! Here we are, almost a year after my last entry. So I thought I'd make it an important topic--health.

There have been many times when I've looked up a health question online (I'll keep specific questions private, thank you!) and find about a BILLION entries, mostly from the layperson or wannabe expert. There are a few credible websites like WebMD and the like but I have oftentimes wanted more information than the summary they give. That's where http://medlineplus.gov/ comes in.

This site is pretty exhaustive. They have the usual Medical Encyclopedia and Drug & Supplements pages, but there's a difference. This site doesn't actually post it's own information. It gives you access to the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. So whenever you click on a topic to research, it takes you straight to the experts of any particular field...the ACTUAL experts. Nice, huh? No more two paragraphs on Gestational Diabetes from some random doctor. It takes you to the source, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, for all the info you need.

Of course, it'd be nice if we never needed to look up any health-related issues, but we do. So we may as well get the best information out there.

Here's something really cool. If you go to http://www.mymms.com/customprint/ you can customize your own batch of M&Ms!! You can choose 2 colors, 4 lines of text, and your packaging (bag, tin, etc.). The only catch is that it's expensive (min $46.00 order for four 7.5 oz packages), but it's a fabulous idea for weddings, parties, or gifts. How cool is that?!

This post is for all the moms, dads, caretakers, etc out there who are bored and want to go to a movie with the kids. Megaplex Theatres features "Movies for Moms" on Mondays. What a great idea! The movie is kid-friendly within a kid-friendly environment. Plus, kids under 5 are free!! Even better! I've done this before with a group of friends and their kids and it was a lot of fun. Go to http://www.megaplextheatres.com/momsclub.php for more information.

For my birthday a couple weeks ago, my sister gave me a gift card to a day spa. I decided to get a massage and it was totally wonderful. I actually haven't been feeling too bad since I'm no longer at a computer all day long, but the masseuse told me that she never feels shoulders that were as tight as mine unless it's someone who cuts hair for a living! I told her that I just have a son that likes to be held. But the best part of the massage was getting my neck done. That's where I tend to hold all of my stress and it was such a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. I think as a mom, I tend to forget that it's nice to be the one being taken care of, instead of always being the one to take care of other things. So if you feel like you need a pampering, visit www.segolilydayspa.com and see what they have to offer.

My favorite webpage for this week is one I've used a lot. If you're ever bored or are looking for something to do, this is a great resource. The page is http://www.downtownslc.org/. This site has a list of all the upcoming events and activities in Salt Lake City. You can search by day, week, weekend, or month and you'll be surprised at how many fun things there are to do. For example, one thing that I found here that I'm looking forward to doing is the Salt Lake Gallery Stroll. You can print off a map and walk to all the downtown art galleries. They're all free that night and some of them serve refreshments. It sounds like a great date! The page also lists all the free and non-free concerts, places of interest, exhibits, etc. So if you're looking to get out of the house one of these warm summer evenings, go downtown!!

I found a webpage today called "AAA Fuel Cost Calculator" at www.fuelcostcalculator.com. Just enter your starting city, destination, vehicle year, make, and model and it will calculate how many miles your trip is, how many gallons of gas it'll take, and the fuel cost (gasoline prices for each region of the country are updated daily). Kind of handy!

I've had some annoying experiences trying to buy things online. The most annoying to me is when I find something I like for a price I like, I go to order it, and the shipping costs are horrendous...up to an extra 25% on top of the purchase price. For example: one day I was trying to order some maternity clothes that were for sale on Target's webpage...then I noticed that it was going to cost me an extra $16.00 just to ship 3 shirts!! Insane! And don't even think about ordering furniture online....those shipping costs will kill you. That's one reason why I like to shop at http://www.overstock.com/ where the shipping on your entire order (including furniture!) is $2.95!! Is that amazing or what?? The deal with Overstock is that they don't necessarily sell the cheapest stuff out there, they sell higher quality stuff for the price that you would pay for normal quality or cheap stuff. Yesterday I bought a rainfall showerhead for $15.00 that retails for $40.00 plus only $2.95 shipping. Great deal. They also have really good deals on sheets and faucets and other things for the home. Have fun shopping!

I'm sure we've all had it happen. There we are, just watching or reading the news, when we suddenly feel our spirits getting depressed. Why is it that the only news that gets reported is the bad news? I suppose the tv execs assume that if they scare us enough, we'll feel like we need to keep watching in order to prepare ourselves for the inevitable end of the world.
Well, if you ever feel like you want to be uplifted by hearing some of the great and inspiring news going on around the world, visit www.happynews.com. You'll be surprised how much better you feel about life and the world around us after reading its stories.
Have a happy day!!

Hello, everyone!

The pick this week is for all those girls who are constantly wanting a change of hairstyle. I don't know about you, but I like to look at pictures of hairstyles so I can get an idea of what I want to do with mine. Come on, admit it, you've flipped through those totally lame hairstyle guide magazines at the store. It's embarrassing, I know. I always feel like a 15 year old when I do it. So I've tried looking online for pictures. First of all, you get a bagazillion results. Second of all, most of those hairdos are from the '80s (big bangs, anyone?) And third, even if you get an updated webpage, you are literally bombarded with pop up ads. I got so frustrated just trying to get some decent ideas...until I found the page and http://www.bosshairstyles.com/. This page is free of ads, has tons of tips and information on styling tools and techniques, and actually has some really cute, original hairstyles. Yay! Make sure to check out the "updos" and "alternative" pictures. They're killer.

Gosh, it's been a long time since I've posted a favorite web page...I better get to it!

I can't remember how I got introduced to the magazine REAL SIMPLE a couple of years ago, but I'm soooo glad I did!! I'm addicted! This magazine is geared towards women, but Rob also finds it pretty useful sometimes. It's focus is on making life more simple for the overworked, sometimes underappreciated, hectic lifestyle of a women. I know many, many gals who can relate to that. There's just so much packed into this thing, I can't cover it all, but some of the articles include:

Best things (spaghetti sauce, high heels, floor cleaner, hair dye, etc.)
Feel-good stories (about totally normal women who make a difference in this world.)
Organizational/How-to tips (framing pictures, the newest technology in cell phones, the best ways to organize your files on your computer, etc.)

You get the picture. When I know it's about the time for REAL SIMPLE to arrive in the mail, I practically wait outside for the mailman every day until it comes (Rob can attest to that!). So my favorite web page this time around is www.realsimple.com. It's updated monthly and there's so much there, you'll probably never get through it all. It's a fantastic resource!!

I'm hoping at least some of you know what my title is a reference to. For those unfortunate souls who don't, it's what the Chairman says to get the Iron Chef America competition under way. I totally dig this show! I highly recommend it (Sunday nights at 7 or reruns during the week).

So, growing up, I was known as the terrible cook in my family. No matter how hard I tried or how many times I read a recipe, I always messed something up. And boy did I hear about...actually, I still do. But after I got married, I decided that I'd practice cooking and I started getting a little better at it. Then, I started watching the Food Network and my skills have just taken off (if I do say so myself). That is, except for the occasional disaster. Hey, we all have them. But, anyway, I have learned SO MUCH just from watching this silly channel. A big shout-out to Alton Brown!

So for my web pick of the week, http://www.foodnetwork.com/. You can watch videos of cooking demonstrations, see what's coming up on tv, it is a wonderful resource for cooking tips and suggestions, and, of course, it has a gazillion recipes!! I've had quite a bit of luck with Giada De Laurentiiss' Everyday Italian recipes.

Rob and I would like to someday put together our own little Iron Chef competition if anyone else is interested.

Good eats, everyone!!

I've decided for my second post to blog about a good, user-friendly, movie review page, http://deseretnews.com/movies/main/1,1258,,00.html. I've tried looking for movie reviews on all sorts of web sites, but I've found that there is just way too much garbage I have to sort through to find what I'm looking for. I'm talking about annoying, busy pages with crazy pop-ups and all the works. Plus, the movies are usually reviewed by weird critics whose taste is so far removed from mine, that their opinions are not even worth hearing. The guy that reviews movies for the Deseret News is a down-home Utah boy who knows what we Utahns appreciate (and what we definitely don't). Of course, I don't always agree with him, but for the most part I trust his critique. There is also a link to reader reviews and an easy way to find movies in the area.

Like I said previously, I'm moving over my posts from Julie Pages. There are 19 blog entries, so sorry for the inundation and just ignore them if you've already read them. Thanks for being patient while I do this.

Hey, everyone! Thanks for checking out my new blog. As you read in my profile, I just thought it'd be fun to share some of my favorite web pages with everyone.

This time I'm profiling CraigsList at http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/. This site is really cool. Think browsing the classifieds, but with pictures and email addresses. You can search the Salt Lake area (or any other area) for anything from used furniture (my personal favorite) to pets to event tickets. For fun, I thought I'd show some of the great deals...some cool, some totally wacky. For example (these are actual posts, minus the pictures):

"This couch was purchased at RC Willey for $875.00 and we are selling of for $215.00. It is in great condition, scotch-guarded, extremely comfortable, appealing to the eye, and all pillows and blanket accessories included. I love this couch, but unfortunatley it has to go."

"NEW TABLE AND CHAIRS. NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD! SIX CHAIRS, GLASS TABLE. GREAT CONDITION. PAID 600$. WILLING TO EXCEPT ANY OFFERS."

"I have a hardly used, in great condition Lasonic Surround Sound System for your TV. It has 5 speakers, sub-woofer, control panel, and a box that allows you to switch between your tv, vcr, and dvd player. Also plays MP3s. Asking $45 OBO."

Some of the wacky things I've seen: Sombreros, pizzeria equipment, a 1950's refrigerator, and

"Soviet Union uniform unit identification epaulets. These are great conversational items and can be attached to any clothing item. Get one or both packages for 4.50 each. I personally purchased these items in the former Soviet Union not long after its break up. I also have Soviet Uniform buttons take your pick at $0.50 each. How about a Soviet Military Cap badge only $5.00."

Check out Craigslist!! One thing to keep in mind, okay, two...most of the good stuff goes fast, so reply to the seller asap and new things are constantly being posted, so check back often.

Let me know what you think of one of my favorite web pages!!

This is a picture of my dad building a new ship model, The Mayflower. He does it all by hand and it'll take him a year from this point to finish. Wow! What dedication and talent! For those who don't know, this is his second large-scale model. The first was the 9 ft long Enoch Train on display in the Museum of Church History and Art. Because of his interest in this sort of thing, he and my mom started a ship modeling magazine called "Seaways: Ships and Scale" many years ago and they still run the business. It is the premier ship modeling magazine in the United States. Pretty cool stuff.