Giveaway

I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing my very first giveaway on my other blog:

featuringfamily.blogspot.com

Head on over to win a 6x6 Christmas tile!

A Beautiful New Book

Just thought I'd share with you all a beautiful new book from the photographer of "Reflections of Christ", Mark Mabry. Don't know if it's out in stores yet, but it looks just as beautiful as the first. It is titled, "Another Testament of Christ" and apparently if you read Mark Mabry's introduction to the book it makes it even better.

Enjoy!

So I'm saying this for the umpteenth time now, but.....it's been FOREVER!!!

Life has just been hectic, and crazy, and chaotic for the last few weeks, and since I'm just a glutton for punishment I've decided to try my hand at yet another blog. I've actually started this one in conjunction with my latest venture...Heritage Makers. It will be a blog where you (if you'd like to come visit me there...please!) and my clients can see what I've been creating with Heritage Makers products, as well as get ideas for fun...sometimes crafty...definitely easy...projects for you to do. I'm still in the process of figuring out exactly how I want to do everything, but I'm also planning on posting my own storybooking ideas...or notes for storybooks for my kiddies, just in case they might be of some benefit to someone else. Of course a lot of the stuff will have to do with Heritage Makers, but please don't feel like you can't visit me if you don't want to do anything with Heritage Makers. (Of course, if you do think that you might be interested in something with HM that's just bonus hockey for me....but definitely not a requirement to check out the blog.) As I was trying to say before: this is an idea blog...very similar to my ideas (or lack thereof) that have been on this blog. Hopefully you'll find something fun or useful or both on the blog....so, please follow me over to (drumroll please...) The Featuring Family Blog.

Just as a note: Although I haven't been very good at it lately, I will still continue to post on mombles. Just be patient with me!

Monday Mom-blings

Just a few random questions today. Feel free to enlighten me if you so choose!

Why is it that....

...your children wait until you're on the phone to ask you for something???

...the flowers in the yard finally start looking good only days before it's supposed to freeze??

...you can go without food any other day but fast Sunday???

...and speaking of fast Sunday, why can't it be more like it's name...FAST??

...you never notice that hole or stain on your clothes until you get out in public???

...children can't possibly keep a room clean for more than 5 min.??

...the kiddies always have to wait until you have a cart full of groceries at the store to decide they need to pee???

Joy In the Journey Week 7

Read and mark Exodus 25:8. Our homes can be like the temple. Today do one thing to make your home feel more like the temple. Examples: listen only to appropriate music, speak in a soft voice, express your love to your family, study the scriptures. As you fast tomorrow, consider asking the Lord to guide you this month on your spiritual journey.

I got this little story in the mail today, and it made me stop and think....

Too Busy

By Ron Mehel

I'll never forget the day I looked out of our living room and saw Mark, our youngest, walking home from school in the driving rain. Mark was in third grade and was allowed to ride his bike to grade school located right within our subdivision. I happened to be home early that day, and I was sitting in an easy chair by the window. I looked outside at the pouring rain and saw my boy in the distance, trudging his way through the downpour. His clothing was absolutely drenched and his hair was platered against his head. I opened the door for him, and he looked up at me with a little smile, his face red from the cold.

"Hi Dad!" he said. "You're home early."

"Hi son" I replied. "You're soaked to the skin."

"Yeah, I know."

"Umm, Mark, you know, if you'd ride your bike you'd get home faster. You wouldn't get so wet."

He looked at me rather sheepishly as rivulets of rain streamed from his hair down across his face. "I know, Dad."

I was puzzled. "Well, son, if you know, why in the world didn't you do it?"

Then he hung his head just a bit, and it hit me. Boy, did I feel like crawling under a table and hiding for a while. He had told me several times before that his bike had a flat tire. He had asked me, "Dad, could you please fix it for me?"

"Sure son," I'd promised him. "Don't worry. I'll get after it right awa." But I never did. I'd forgotten all about it.

As he stood there in the entryway, dripping and shivering, he could have said, "I couldn't ride my bike today because someone promised me he'd fix it and never did." he would have had every right to say that. But he didn't. What he did say remains printed indelibly on this dad's hear.

"Aw Dad, I know how busy you are and everything, and - I just didn't want to bother you with it again."

I thought, "Son, your dad isn't too busy; he's just too selfish."

For me, the bike tire was no big deal; just one more thing on a long "to do" list. But for Mark, it meant more than transportation. It meant more than a long walk home in the rain. It meant trusting his father to keep his promises.

Monday Mom-blings

My-oh-my, where does the time go?

Days seem to fly by at the speed of light, and I am perpetually playing catch-up. Most days I'm just trying to remember what day it is, let alone figure out who has what going on where. Craziness! Anybody else feeling the same way?

So...Jackee brought up a good point on her FB page the other day, and being me, I figured I would just reiterate it here because: 1. I really don't have anything else on my mind, and 2. It makes me laugh just thinking about it. Jackee's pet peeve...spelling. Spell it right or it means something totally different. Now, you've got to keep in mind that she is a writer, and as such, spelling is kind of a big thing to her, however, she makes a good point. Spelling and grammatical errors drive me nuts two. (Did you catch that? Ha! I did it on purpose... just to make a point.) TOO...not two. Same word, different meaning...can't use it in the same context. O.K., so that's a pretty obvious error, but it illustrates the point.

Oh yeah...one more thing. We went to one of the Direct Buy open house things over the weekend. I just wanted to see what it was...plus it was a good excuse to leave the kids at home and go on a date with Kenny. (Sad, I know...but you do what you've got to do.) So, we sat there and listened to their whole presentation and were really impressed. They almost had us...UNTIL they put the stipulation in that one of their rules is that you will only be given one chance to buy their membership. Basically you had to fork over all your money right then and there or you would never be given the opportunity again. Hello??? They wanted us to fork over $6500 bucks (well technically they had a few different payment plan options) in order to become a member of their business. Maybe I'm just a money horde, but who makes a decision to spend that much money in the span of an hour? I take forever to think about the little purchases let alone the big purchases. Needless to say, we passed on our opportunity to become members...and then I wrote them a pleasant little e-mail telling them that because of their business plan/philosophy, they missed out on the opportunity to do business with me. Oh well!

Lastly:

Joy in the Journey Week 6

President Monson admits he is a "show-a-holic." In his talk, he shares a quote from "The Music Man:" "You pile enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays." Plan to attend a worthwhile musical (too short of notice), or rent one to watch.

Monday Mom-blings

Have I ever mentioned how out of shape I am???

I don't have a scale in my house because I just don't like that reminder of yet another thing I'm not doing. Oops...I guess I lied. I do have a scale. It's just hidden away in a corner where I can't see it. In fact I think all of our dirty clothes get piled on it each week. Regardless, I just don't like the notion of scales, and weight. It brings back memories of anxiety on weigh-in day at the gym each month. Anyhoo...

Now I'm back to being in shape. Well, not being in shape personally...because unfortunately, I'm not...just "being in shape" the topic. So, this morning was the morning. (I originally intended a few months ago to be the morning that I began a new routine, but that never happened...so for the sake of patting myself on the back, I'll say, this morning was the morning.) The basement is mostly finished. The TV is finally up and running. So, I decided it's time. I pulled my hair back, put my running shoes on, and climbed onto the dusty eliptical. Now, as far as workouts go, I'm not sure that I could actually claim what I did as a workout just yet, but at least I did something for a good 30 minutes. I've used boredom as my excuse in the past. I hated going down and staring at the wall as I elipticized. I always said that once the basement was done and I could watch something on TV for entertainment it would be so much easier to commit to doing it on a regular basis. I think I was wrong. Yes, it was boredom that originally kept me from doing it, but now that I've done it, I must admit, boredom was not the only reason. Honestly, I just don't like doing it. It's not my favorite thing to do...although given the alternative of running, or biking, I would definitely take the eliptical. Maybe it's just exercise in general that I don't like to do. I'm getting lazy in my old age. BUT since I don't want to give up my chocolate chip cookies (or any sweet treat for that matter) I'll suck it up and keep my promise to myself to get back into shape...something other than round that is!

Joy in the Journey

Week 5 Assignment:

Read and mark John 13:34. Hug your family members and express love to them. Use a note card and paper hearts to write "love-notes" to your loved ones.

Happy Monday everyone!

Friday Favorites...or not so favorites

Where has the week gone?

As much as loved having a long labor day weekend, having Monday off has really thrown me out of whack. I think I'm a day behind. Oh well...it's Friday, and once again there are many things to post about. A Day of Remembrance, a very UN-favorite, and a question...

First and foremost. 9/11/09. Eight years ago I remember sitting and watching the TV in stunned silence. I woke up, just like every morning, sent Kenny off to work, and went upstairs to work on the computer. The kids were still asleep, so I turned on the TV just to see what was on, only to see live coverage of the Twin Towers. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I never would have believed it. I called Kenny at work to see if he had heard about what was happening. They were watching coverage of it at work as well. In the days and weeks that past I was extremely proud of what Americans were doing to pull together as a country. As the years have past, it seems like that love of country, that love of our fellow countrymen has dwindled. People say we should move on, try to forget. I for one, will never forget. It's too important to forget. Not necessarily the terror involved in that day, but more the heroics of the day. The tragedy brought out the best in people, and that tragedy helped to show what a real American is. That is what we still need today. We need people who stand up for what is right; People who strengthen one another; People who work together because it's what they should do, not because it's what they're required to do. A big thank you to all the service men and women protecting our freedoms. May we as Americans do our part to preserve our freedoms here at home! God bless America!

Secondly...the UN-favorite. Is there anything worse than a sick kid? Yep...a sick kid that can't make it to the toilet! My Un-favorite of the day is PUKE. Yuck! Looks gross...smells worse...and it just keeps coming! And I thought I was finished with all of the laundry for the week!

Lastly, the question...I need some opinions on a domain name for my website. Keep in mind that it's a company that specializes in helping you create your own storybooks to preserve your most important memories and relationships. It also does photo storage, cards, calendars...all that stuff. With that in mind, which do you prefer:

A) just4youstories.com

B) mystorybookmom.com

C) herzandhizstories.com (It's supposed to kind of be a play on words...histories/his stories...do you get that??)

I can't make up my mind. Which one do you vote for? Which one would you remember???

Have a great weekend!

Monday Mom-blings

It's Labor Day....and our day definitely be full of labors since we neglected all of our jobs over the weekend.

So, my kids have been bugging me lately...fighting, neglecting chores, not taking responsibility for themselves, just being lazy, etc. It's been driving me crazy, and I'm hoarse from constantly nagging them to get their acts together. What's a mom to do??

Well...I've decided to take action on the matter. I had some credits for a project with Heritage Makers, so I decided to use my credits to make a little family mission statement (so to speak). It included the same logo/saying as is on our wall down in the basement, "Be true to who you are and the family name you bear" because it's one of my favorite sayings, and then it went on to tell what a "Balser" is.

B - Brave - As a Balser, I will stand up for what I believe in.

A - Achiever - As a Balser, I will strive to do my best in everything that I do.

L - Loving - As a Balser, I will be kind and loving in word and deed to everyone that I associate with.

S - Serve - As a Balser, I will give my time, talents, and energies to make things better at home, at school, and in my community.

E - Example - As a Balser, I will set a good example for my family, friends, and all who see me.

R - Responsible - As a Balser, I will be a responsible family member, friend, and citizen. I will take responsibility for my own actions!

(You can see the actual finished product here)

Once we get our mission statement in the mail, we'll have a little FHE on it, then we'll put it on a shelf in the living room to see as we walk by it each day. Hopefully it will help remind us all what it means to be a Balser, and maybe (just maybe) be a benefit to our kids. We'll see....

Next item on the agenda...

The Joy in the Journey program.

Week 4 Assignment:

The story about the airman, Jay Hess is taken from the "Finding Joy in the Journey" talk by Pres. Monson (refer to Day One). Read the story below. In 25 words or less, write what you would say to your family if you weren't sure you would see them again. Keep this letter in your journal.

Pres. Monson shares, "In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”"

Hope you're having a great long weekend!

Friday Favorites

Ok.....so it's "Favorites" Friday today, and I think there are probably a gazillion things that I could post about today...

My growing knowledge of texting terms :p (hehe...I had to ask Kenny what the colon and bracket was supposed to mean)

The start of BYU football (laugh all you want, but I love football season!)

Warm days and cooler nights.

The fact that I have 4 kids in school. (ok...technically, Rylen is only in preschool 3x a week but it's for 2 1/2 hours at a time....Do you know what I can do in 2 hours with only 1 child at home??? Well, neither do I cause the first time it happened was today, and I was in such bliss that I just sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet for way to long!) Speaking of returning to school, I'm sure I've posted my favorite "Return to School Commercial" at some point in time...but I'm gonna do it again because I just can't help myself!! I'm laughing just thinking about it...

I could post about all of those things...but I'm not going to.

Instead I'll post about something that might could (how'd ya like that english?) come in handy one day. I've been on a photography/photoshop/digital scrapbooking fetish lately, and my sis-in-law directed my attention to a website that combines all three. There are on-line classes, digital products, projects, galleries (for ideas), and even FREE (my favorite thing) tutorials and downloads for digital scrapbooking and photoshop. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. I go to it when I have some free time and use the tutorials to help me play around with the pictures that I've taken during the week. I'm still horrible at it, but I have high hopes. If you're interested in learning about that sort of thing, I'd highly recommend www.JessicaSprague.com to give you a few pointers.

Wednesday Wisdom

Just a little humor for the day....

The Definition of Stress

(Pic from www.top20fun.com)

Ever felt like this poor little doggy...yeah, me too!

Hope your day is not too stressful!

I'm Back....Really!

Ok...so last time I said that it must have been just a little teaser. Now, hopefully, I'm really back, and will be able to post on a more regular basis. I'm laughing as I write this, because I'm saying I'm back, but life is just so busy these days.

I thought that once school started again chaos would not reign supreme...or at least it would have the courtesy of taking a backseat for a while. We're now a week and a half into the school year, and I think things just continue to get crazier. Life is hectic with everything from school, to doctor's/dentists/eye doctor appointment, to football practice and games. Remind me again, why I do this to myself???

Anyhoo...

It's time to start posting again....gotta get back in the habit.

With that said, I'll update you on a couple of things:

1. First and foremost: the basement is now done...mostly :) There are a few minor things that need finishing, but we've officially kicked the oldest kid down to the basement (he didn't put up much of a fight.) and managed to stick the TV, couches, and TOYS downstairs. Guess what that means?? I now have an official living room...or as Kenny would say, a sitting room. A place to visit with guests that doesn't have a gigantic TV or a truckload of toys in it. It's heaven! That also means I get to go into decorator mode...very fun! Here's what I started with....

2. Secondly, I went to a workshop/show/party a few weeks ago, and after careful consideration, I decided to become a consultant for the company. It's called Heritage Makers. It's got some fun products. Basically it's an a company that helps you preserve your stories and create family heritage. They sell products like storybooks (that you create yourself), cards, posters, prints, etc., and are also a place to digitally store all of your photos. (Since I just started, I don't know a whole lot about everything yet.) I know what you're thinking...why, why, why??? Sometimes I ask myself the same question, but the answer that I keep coming up with is, because I love photobooks, and photography. I've always enjoyed scrapbooking, but I've never been good at it because I'm to lazy to get all the stuff out and think about what I want to do, blah, blah, blah. Then I discovered photobooks and digital scrapbooking, and as it turns out, it's just my thing. No mess, just playing around on the computer. So the answer to the why? is that hopefully I'll be able to help other people enjoy creating family memories digitally. If you're interested, check out my website to see more of what I'll be doing. http://www.heritagemakers.com/381373 (one of these days I'll figure out a better name for the site, but until then we'll go with this)

Yes, I know this was a shameless ploy to do a little self advertising, but hey!, it's my blog, so I figured why not? I promise I won't bug you about it too much!

3. Lastly, before my long blogging break I had started a weekly Joy in the Journey program. I think we got to week 2...and then I fizzled out. So, just in case you're still interested I'm going to continue on with the program. Here are the assignments for the first 2 weeks again, and I'll add in the 3rd week assignment as well.

Week 1: Read "Finding Joy in the Journey" by President Monson. Ponder and highlight points that inspire you (if you are doing this with your spouse, share these points with each other). Enjoy an Almond Joy candy bar.

Week 2: President Monson states, "Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings." Read and mark 1 Thess. 5:18. Make a list of 100 things you are grateful for.

Week 3: Crossword Puzzle

Well, I think I've mombled enough for one day. Have a great week!

I'm Back

Did you miss me??

(This is the part where you say..."Oh my goodness, life was just not the same without you! I'm so glad you're back...yadayadayada"...and you make me feel missed!)

Ok...I know I'm not that interesting, but I just had to ask! (so just humor me!)

Well, I know it's Favorite Friday again, so for all you Utah mom's I just thought I'd post about favorite utah activity and a giveaway that goes in conjunction with it!

I'll admit it. I don't take advantage of Thanksgiving Point as often as I probably should. What with the Country Farm, The Gardens, The Museum of Ancient Life (Rylen's personal favorite), The Restaurants, The Golf Course, and the Theaters....not to mention the educational classes and activities for the kids...I should probably go more often. But with 5 kids, a hectic schedule, and a minimal budget, fun activities (that require money) are few and far between! If this situation sound all to familiar to you...I've got a solution for you. Two actually!

Two-Buck Tuesdays are Back!! Yep, that's right....$2 per guest per venue will get you a fun filled day at the Farm, The Gardens, or the Museum of Ancient Life throughout August. That's probably even cheap enough for me to gather up my gaggle of kids and head out for a fun filled afternoon!

And if that's not quite cheap enough....

Go visit Cindi at Utah Mom's Life! She's got a fun blog with entertaining stories, fun ideas, great tips, AND... she's hosting a great giveaway: Tickets for a family of 4 to enjoy all the venues at Thanksgiving Point!

Monday Mom-blings

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks....

Family visiting.

Birthday celebrations!

Vacation

Holiday

There is a lot going on, so I'm not sure how much posting is going to get done. (Not that I've been very good over the past couple of weeks anyhow!)

Hope everyone is having a fun summer!

Wednesday Wisdom

Please forgive the lack of posts...

We're making a final push to get the basement finished!

Plumbing, electrical, drywall, doors, mudding, sanding, and texturing are all done, so I've been holed up in the basement for the last few days slaving away with a paint brush, roller, and gallons of paint. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is finally getting bright enough to see...WooHoo!

In lieu of more painting to be done, I'll leave you with this little tidbit of wisdom...

Stressed is DESSERT...

spelled backwards!

Have you ever noticed that all my treats involve chocolate of some sort???

Monday Mom-blings

Time seems to be getting away from me lately.

I thought that with the summer, and fewer places to be at specific times, I would be able to get a lot done. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

Simply keeping the kids on task, keeping track of where they are, who they're with, and when they're going to be home, and keeping them from killing each other has become a full time job. Not to mention the fact that occasionally we like to try to get out to do something fun! (Although one could argue that doing anything with 5 kids in tow is anything but fun.) Regardless, summer seems to be flying by...and as I watch it fly by, I find myself thinking about all of the things that I should have done (including my posts) which haven't been done yet, and wondering when I'm ever going to do it.

I've put myself on a new schedule for the summer. I used to try to wake up, do a post first thing in the morning and then try to get everything else done during the day, but it didn't work very well. Occasionally I would get the post done, but for whatever reason, nothing else would be accomplished during the day. So I'm starting a new routine (actually the whole family is starting a whole routine.) We'll get up, and we'll have until 10 am to get done all of our WORK. After that will come all of the other stuff...in order of importance. Hopefully this will ensure that at least we do some kind of work for the day and then give us time to play/relax/learn/whatever during the day too. I'm sure it won't work like that everyday. I'm sure there will be days when we'll have to work much longer, and then there will be days when we'll just want to play, but hopefully this new little schedule will at least give us some degree of organization to our chaos!

Anyhoo...

Did anyone have a chance to do the week one assignment from last week? How did it go? What did you like about Pres. Monson's talk?

Here's the Week 2 Assignment

President Monson states: "Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings." Read and mark 1 Thess. 5:18. Make a list of 100 things you are grateful for.

This should be a fun assignment, but you may be glad that you have the entire week to complete it. It may take the entire week to fill the list! Good luck everyone! Feel free to leave a comment when you've completed the assignment and let me know if you made it to 100...that's a lot!!

Wednesday Wisdom

A friend of mine shared a site where you can create all sorts of fun stuff like those inspirational posters, etc. Suffice it to say that I had to much fun playing with all of the gadgets...but I thought one of my creations was appropriate for the wisdom of the day....

I love this saying! (I found it the other day...and thought it went perfectly with the pic, so I had to create a poster of it!!) It's one of those sayings that I might just have to have done in vinyl so that I can put it up on the wall in one of my kids rooms! FYI...I think it was Christopher Robin saying this to....Winnie the Pooh! Who else?? Love it!!

Monday Mom-blings

I consider my blog to be my journal; A record of what I've done; Somewhere to record my feelings, so imagine my surprise the other day to find myself contemplating starting a "real" journal. Actually, I've done it on and off ever since I was a teenager. I worked in spurts. I would write in it consistently for a while, and then just stop. Well, I'm on a "stop." I think I have been for about (get ready to gasp)....ummmmm, 10 years now! Yikes!!

So, I'm thinking about starting a written journal to record my progress on personal goals that I'm working on. Ways that I'm trying to be a better me; be a better wife; be a better mom. The things that I have a tendency to fall short on quite often that I don't want the world (or maybe my minions of readers...hehe!) to read. I'll let you know how it goes...but just in case you're wondering, I've been THINKING of starting now for about 2 weeks. Thinking is about as far as I've gotten thus far.

Here's a little program to help me out with my journal writing. I'd love to have you join in if you'd like. The program is based around Pres. Monson's conference talk from Oct. 2008, Joy in the Journey. (I've mentioned it before.) The program is a 31 day program, but I think I'm going to do it a little differently. Originally it was one of those "daily assignment" programs, but life is busy, and after starting it, I quickly found that I didn't have time to do a daily assignment. As such, I think I will make it into a weekly assignment...obviously, this will really stretch the program out, but I think it will work. Here's the general idea: Each Monday I will post the assignment for the week on this blog along with links for any articles, etc. that you will need to accomplish the assignment. You'll then have the entire week to work on the project, so if you don't have time right then and there, or if you want to think about it a little, or if life happens, don't worry, you'll have 7 days to do it before I post another assignment. You can do this project on your own, with your spouse, or with your friends.

That said, here's the general purpose of the program, and the first assignment.

Finding Joy in the Journey Program - This is a program focussed on preparedness. We all know we need to be physically/temporally prepared (food storage, etc.) but we also need to be spiritually prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Week 1 Assignment:

Read Finding Joy in the Journey by Pres. Monson. Ponder and highlight points that inspire you. (If you are doing this with your spouse, or friends, share these points with each other.)

Opt. - Enjoy an Almond Joy candy bar!

Teach Me Tuesday

Today's "teaching moment," while it may not necessarily be a great tute for you, was literally a "teaching moment" for me.

I decided today that I would make some little bean bags for a class that I am going to start teaching, so I got out the fabric, the beans, the scissors, and the sewing machine and started to work when other smaller, less-experienced hands decided that they wanted to help. Ashlynn was too enthusiastic about learning how to sew to say no, so what probably could have taken me 30 minutes to do turned into a 2 hour project...but I think we had fun.

We decided how big we wanted the bean bags to be. I did a little demo for Ashlynn. I showed her where to put the presser foot, how to guide the fabric through the machine, how to do a regular stitch and backstitch, and then how to clip corners and turn the bag, and then set her loose to make 9 more bean bags. I cut out new bean bags as she sewed. There were a few snags along the way, but for the most part, since she was just sewing straight lines, once she got the hang of the machine she did pretty good.

I can remember my grandma teaching me everything about sewing when I was younger...and I'll just say, "She was a better woman than I am!" I definitely like to work at my own speed and do my own thing, so trying to teach Ashlynn to do what I wanted just about drove me nuts! BUT...I'm glad we did it. She had fun, and learned a little (I think.) It's probably an important skill for her to learn. Maybe next time we'll try something a little more complex.

Anyhoo...

For those of you looking for a simple project to do with the kiddos, here's Ashlynn's instructions for making bean bags:

1. Cut out the fabric to the desired size and shape. (We made our 5.5 inches square) Cut 2

2. Pin right sides together.

3. Straight stitch (and backstitch) 3 and a half sides of the bag.

4. Clip the corners.

5. Turn the bag right side out.

6. Fill with beans.

7. Top stitch closed the opening left for the beans.

DONE!!

Good job Ashy!

Monday Mom-blings

With Father's Day fresh on my mind, I thought I would do a quick post on...father's!

Memories of my dad...

I remember sneaking out of my bed late one night, when I was a little girl, trying to catch a glimpse of who dad was talking to at the back door.

I remember dad teaching me how to throw and catch in the back yard. I remember dad trying to hide in the corner of the gym during one of my competitions so that I wouldn't know he was there.

I remember a record that dad got me for my birthday. It was just what I wanted, but because he had to work late I didn't get it until after I had already opened my other gifts and his record was a duplicate. I can still feel how horrible I felt thanking him for the gift, but telling him that I already got it.

I remember my dad trying to teach us kids how to play tennis....I also remember trying to find a good hiding spot when we knew he wanted to take us to play tennis.

I remember dad standing up on the hill watching me run in my track meets.

I remember returning home after a weekend gymnastics trip to dad's oven baked BBQ chicken. I remember sitting with my dad after he and mom were in an arguement.

I remember the disappointment he expressed in himself, and I remember telling him that I loved him.

I remember the pages and pages of math homework corrections that I would wake up to each morning cause dad would stay up after he got home from work and check my homework.

I remember my dad helping with the construction of our new gymnastics facility. Specifically, I remember my coach commenting on how dad "just came" and "worked hard" without question or direction. He just did it.

I remember dad stoically sitting beside me in the car as he was teaching me how to drive.

I know my dad is disappointed in "the father" he thinks he was...but I'm not. He's my dad. He has always done everything he could to provide for our family and give us (as children) every opportunity to grow and excel. Dad's quiet example has taught me many things. He has taught me how to work...and do it without complaint. He has instilled in me the importance of always doing my best and he has shown me how to do what needs to be done simply because it needs to be done...without need for direction or praise. I'm grateful for everything that dad has done for me, and what he continues to do for our family.

In the same respect, I am grateful that I married a man who, in his own way, instills those same values in our children. A man who loves his family, works hard to provide for his family, gives his children as many opportunities to learn and grow as possible, and who loves the Lord.

I suppose that's the difference between a boy and a man. You've heard the saying, "Any man can have a child, but it takes a real man to be a father." It's true. A father is a teacher; a mentor; an example. A father is someone willing to sacrifice his own needs for the needs of his family.

What a lucky girl I am to have such wonderful men in my life!

Wednesday Wisdom

Even Superman Needs A Dad

(Liz Lemon Swindle)

This is one of my favorite pictures, and I think a perfect piece of wisdom for Father's Day. And while I think the picture in and of itself speaks volumes, I think Liz Lemon Swindle's "Story Behind the Art" absolutely says it all....

Driving through a parking lot, I saw a boy and his father coming out of a store. The boy was imagining himself as a mighty hero, but he looked at his father with more admiration than any hero is likely to receive. Right then, I knew I had to paint "Even Superman Needs A Dad."

This father took an interest in everything his son had to say. Every moment seemed magical. While this little boy looked a bit out of place dressed in a Superman cape and red cowboy boots, his father could not have looked prouder. Who was the real Hero? Who was more in awe of whom?

When I look around at the thousands of Supermen who play alone each day it breaks my heart. Looking at these two I remember a wonderful father who took the time to be there for me, who taught me by example what a father should be. -Liz Lemon Swindle

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful Dad's out there!

Extra

Here's a little extra for you....

So, you know me and my addiction to giveaways...well, I've got another one for you! (Although, if you don't enter then I just have a better chance of winning. LOL!!)

I'm pretty sure there's only a handful of people left in the world that haven't heard of Shelf Reliance, but just in case you're in that handful, Shelf Reliance is a company that specializes in food storage. They have those cool storage shelves for cans...you know the first in, first out storage shelf. They also have a food line where they sell food for food storage (what else??).

Anyhow, somewhere along the line, I got myself signed up to receive their newsletter. I don't recall doing it, but it magically appeared in my inbox one day, so I guess I did. Which...as it turns out, is a good thing.

Today my inbox had a message from Shelf Reliance. Imagine my delight when I opened my mail and saw they were having a giveaway...actually several give aways. They have a new feature on their blog called, "Free on Friday," where they will be offering new giveaways every 2 weeks. The lucky winner's will be announced on...Fridays!

Their first giveaway is for this little beauty....(imagine me doing my best Vanna White impression)

The Harvest 72" is one of their favorite products...and for good reason. It's just so cool! Kenny got me one a couple of years ago for my birthday (Yes, I know what you're thinking..."oh, how romantic," but honestly it's one of my favorite things that he's given me. I'm such a practical person!) and I love it. Let me say that again...I LOVE IT!! It's my goal to fill it up one day. It seems our family eats everything faster than I can fill it up. I could go on...instead, I'll just direct you over to the Shelf Reliance Blog to enter the giveaway yourself. Good Luck!

Oh...and if you win, I'm quite partial to Dove chocolate !! jk!

Tuesday...trial and error??

So, I was trying to think of something to do today.

Last week I made the tote bag out of the fused plastic...this week I thought I'd try out a little scripture bag or something like that with the fused plastic. I've been looking for a pattern to make the bag cause I'm just not that talented of a seamstress to cut out pieces I think should go together and then actually make it look like what I want it to look like. Before I went to BYU, I had grand dreams of becoming a home ec. teacher (go ahead and laugh now.) I went to BYU, took my first pre-req. home ec. class (pattern design), failed miserably, and never took another home ec. class again...too painful! Needless to say, I like patterns!!

Anyhoo...I finally found a pattern. (Yay, me!) But, as I was searching for a pattern, a little idea (probably not incredibly original/unique...but I thought it would be fun to do anyway) popped into my head. You know when you go to church and you bring the BIG BAG full of stuff to keep your kids entertained throughout the meeting, and then you end up lugging the big bag around with you through the rest of the meetings....well, we need a bag especially for kids. We've tried the "every kid bring your own backpack" thing...that just makes more bags for me to carry. (And let me just say that carrying around 5 backpacks full of stuff is not so fun.) So, I was thinking that it needs to be a small, scripture bag size bag, and it should be filled with things that could keep the kids occupied, but also help them think more about the gospel. Kenny, of course, said that there would have to be some sort of snack container in it. Of course! I was thinking, a book about temples, or Christ, or the prophets, or maybe favorite primary songs. Customize it, I guess! It would need a little crayon/marker holder...pens/pencils for the older kids, and a notepad to draw in.

What would you put in it? What would your kids like?
Give me some of your ideas. I'll see what I can come up with, and post it next week.

Oh, and just so that you know that I haven't been completely lazy this past week, Ashlynn and I made some cute little clippies yesterday. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while but kept putting off. Well, yesterday was my neice's b-day, and Ashlynn wanted to make something for her, so we pulled out the ribbon, the alligator clips, some cute little plastic flowers, and the handy-dandy glue gun and went to work. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics...sorry! But the clippies did turn out really cute. I'm almost positive we'll make some more...and maybe try a few different kinds. Then I'll post a tute on them. Honestly, they're so easy, you probably won't need a tute...just a pic, but I'll post a tute anyhow. I promise!

So...send me your ideas. I'll be waiting!

Friday Favorites

Another week gone by...another Friday favorite coming up:

Today, I'm borrowing a blog idea from a friend...

What is one of the things the kids (grown up kids too) love the most about summer???

The Ice Cream Man!

My poor kids...I'm probably depriving them because they don't get to buy from the ice cream man; they're stuck raiding our freezer, which of course does not have the variety or the yummy goodness of the ice cream man's truck but it has the price that they can afford...Free! LOL!

Well, we're going to limit our conversation to popsicles rather than debate all of the other yummies available out there so....(although, I could do a whole paragraph on those rocket pops (the red white and blue popsicles) alone. Mmmm Mmmm Good...oops, now I'm getting my slogans mixed up!)

So, here's the million dollar question:

What three flavors of classic popsicles would you combine in a bag to make the perfect trio?? (And don't worry about including those nasty banana flavored pops....ewww!)

Me?? Green (love the LIME green ones), Purple (once you go grape, you never go back), Red (cherry-licious!!)

Thursday...Wisdom??

I wasn't able to post any wisdom yesterday because I was at Girl Scout Day Camp doing the girl scout thing! So,today I want to share a couple of thoughts:

1. Yesterday they talked to the girls about kids that are "different." Specifically, kids with disabilities, and I just have to say how impressed I was by one little girl in particular who, after this lesson was given, proceeded to take great care in guiding another young girl with Down's Syndrome through the rest of the days activities. She was so sweet to this other girl. During volleyball, she went and got the ball, gave it to her friend, and cheered as her friend threw the ball over the net. She made sure that she and her "new" friend were on the same team during the tug-o-war even though she knew that team would probably lose. She took her by the hand to each and every activity, not minding the fact that they got to the activity last each time. What a sweet girl! In a world where people are quite often out for themselves, it makes my heart smile to know that there are people like this sweet little girl who are willing to help others!

2. Today, while I was putting off all of the housework that I didn't do yesterday, I found a little blinkie that I thought, had a great saying on it:

Appropriate, since it rained buckets here today, but also because it reminds us that sometimes we just have to keep going in spite of everything!

Tuesday Tute

I'll admit it....

Ashlynn showed me how to do this.

So, if you're looking for an easy peasy lemon squeezy, artsy, craftsy, environmentally friendly, thing-a-ma-bob that even the kids can do...

You've found it!

Background:

Ashlynn went over to a friend's house the other day, and came back with this little project. (Is it sad that my kids have to go over to other people's homes to learn how to do things?) Now, this friend's mom is much, much more creative, and talented than I am in the craft department so her stuff looks a whole lot cuter, but I thought this was a pretty good first try (or 5th or 6th try.) Ashlynn was so smitten by the project that she opted to do them at her birthday party...where, of course, they received rave reviews! So, I'm passing this little gem of a project on to you because, 1. It's easy, and 2. It's cheap.  Can't get much better than that.

Fused Plastic Tote Bags:

You will need:

Several plastic bags (they can be trash bags, grocery bags, etc....anything plastic)

Iron

Parchment Paper/Wax Paper

Sewing Machine (although it's really very minimal sewing!)

Embellishments (flowers, ribbon, buttons, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Take your plastics bags.  Cut the handles (grocery bag) or pull ties (trash bag) off of the bag.  Don't worry about making things even.

2.  You want several layers of plastic to fuse together, so if you're using grocery bags, just layer several bags on top of one another.  If you're using trash bags, you could fold the bags until you have the desired size you want.  I would recommend 6 to 8 layers.

3.  Turn your iron onto a low setting (start on low, but you may have to increase the temp.)

4.  Place a layer of parchment paper on your ironing board.  

5.  Place all the layers of your plastic bag on top of the parchment paper, and then cover it with another layer of parchment paper.

6.  Move the iron over all of the plastic until it is completely fused together.

Bad Fuse:  If you can still separate the layers of plastic (like when you open a trash bag) then the plastic is not completely fused together.  You probably need to turn up the heat on the iron a little bit.

Good Fuse:  None of the layers can be separated.  The plastic will be all crinkly, and have a look similar to wrinkled patent leather.

7.  Once the plastic is completely fused together, it can be cut to the size and shape you want.  For my purposes (and to make it really easy) mine was just a large rectangle.

8.  Fold over and stitch the top edges of your plastic to create a clean edge.

9.  To make things easier, I sewed the decorative ribbon, and ribbon handles on prior to sewing up the sides of my bag.

10.  With right sides together, sew up the sides of the bag.

11.  Trim the seams and clip the corners.

12.  Turn the bag right side out.

13.  Add embellisments.  I used a glue gun to glue on the bow and flowers, but they could also be stitched on.

FYI:

A.  If the iron is too hot, or you don't have enough layers in your plastics, then you will just end up will holes in the plastic bag SO....turn down the iron or add more plastic layers.  

B.  If the the sewing machine stitches don't seem to be holding, then the bag probably isn't completely fused...try sticking in back under the iron to fuse it more.  Just make sure you use your parchment to separate the sides of the bag if it's already sewn together.

C.   Try using different color plastic bags (cut in different shapes, sizes, etc.) to add decoration to your tote...just continue fusing different layers of plastic on until you have the desired look!

There you go.  Have some fun.  Do a little experimenting...and wind up with a cute little tote bag.  I keep thinking that it would be fun to do a little scripture bag with the fused plastic.  Maybe next time!!