Mombles

Friday Favorite

2010-01-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Wow...it's been a while.
I've gotten myself involved in other projects that have taken my time away from mombling, BUT, I just discovered a really cool site...and it's FREE!
And...to top it all off I figured out how to make my own button for my blog! YIPEE!
So, I thought I would share the knowledge:

First, you've got to check out this site. Picnik is a photo editing site, and it's awesome! I just tried it for the first time today. I've been trying to learn how to do things with Photoshop, but I'm not that technically savvy, so I think Picnik will be a good option until I can really learn how to use Photoshop.

(Had to say that first, because I used Picnik to create the image for my button)

Now, on to button making:
I must admit that I did not figure any of this out on my own...I stumbled some great directions on another blog, so basically, I'll be reiterating what she has said...but I will add a couple of hints that she left out of her post...

1. Create an image for your button (whether in Photoshop, PS Elements, Picnik, etc.) The image should be about 125 pixels x 125 pixels...a little bigger or smaller is fine, but generally speaking 125 pixels is a good size.

To make your button original, try using digi-scrapbook paper. I uploaded some free digi-scrap paper to the Picnik site and then embellished a little bit to create my button. Check out this blog for a little more direction on actually using Picnik to create your button.

2. Once you've created your image, you need to upload it to a photo sharing site like Flickr or Photobucket or something like that so that you can get a URL for the image.

3. Step 1 and 2 done, now you just need to get your button onto your blog (the following directions are taken from A Heart For Home Blog, and will include a text box so that people can copy & paste your button into their blog) SO.....

In Blogger under Layout, choose to add a gadget. Choose HTML/Javascript. In the title box, type something like "Get My Button". Now simply copy and paste the code below into the text box. Replace the colored information with your blog's information and your button's web address (for more information on how to get a web address for your button click here). Save and position the button where you want it. Save your changes and view your blog.

*Sorry everyone...it wouldn't let me post the code properly (see, I told you I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to do code on my own), so go here to get the code!

**The image web address can be found at whatever site you uploaded your image to (Flickr, Photobucket, etc.)

The result should look something like this (with your own image obviously)...

Now, go have fun creating your own button so that everyone can link to your blog!

Giveaway

2009-11-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T06:47:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-10-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-09-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-02T19:19:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-08-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

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??

2009-06-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

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??

2009-06-11T14:25:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

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!!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-06-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

(image, by Kadi Prescott)

Well, we're officially in the second week of our summer break/vacation/holiday?? (not quite sure what to call it anymore...It's not really a holiday, although that's what we used to call it when I was growing up. Maybe it's a vacation for the kids...and the teachers. Not so much for me. I guess that leaves me with "break." But I always associate "break" with something a little bit more short term...like, for example, a week...definitely not 2 1/2 months.)

Anyhoo....

I think summer and I have a love/hate relationship.

I love the sunshine and warmth after months of cold!

I hate the allergies that come along with the warmer weather.

I love looking at the beautiful flowers.

I hate pulling weeds!

I love NOT having to be up early to get the kids off to school.

I hate not having a real schedule/routine. (I suppose I could make up a schedule/routine for us, but hey! it's summer...who wants to do that?? I'll probably just continue lamenting the fact that we need more structure, because I just really don't want to do anything about it. *Big Sigh*)

I love later nights for everyone.

I hate the grumpy morning that result from them.

I love seeing all the kids out playing with each other...riding bikes, water fights, neighborhood football games, laughter, etc.

BUT not at 7 AM.

I love a summer rain storm.

I hate that it cancels our baseball games!

I love that it's warm enough to swim and boat (occasionally).

I hate that it's Kenny's busy season, so we see less of him.

I love fresh peaches in August!

I hate watermelon. (I know, watermelon is quintessential summer! My kids keep telling me to try it and maybe I'll like it. I keep telling them that I try it once a year thinking that maybe something has changed from the previous year, but it doesn't, and I still don't like it...sorry!)

I love short sleeves, capris, shorts, flip-flops.

I hate sunscreen. (I always have...It's just something about how it feels on my hands, and I really don't like putting it on other people. Weird huh??)

I love BBQ's!

I hate mosquitoes!...and flies, and grasshoppers...especially grasshoppers! (Notice I did not say spiders. I don't mind them...as long as they're not in my house!)

As I write this list, I can't help thinking that I really sound like a complainer! Yikes! Not exactly what I was going for in this post. Truly, I love summer. The "hates", in actuality, are just minor annoyances that I'm happy to put up with for summer......ahhhhhhh!!!

So how about you? How's your summer going? What do you love/hate about summer?

Excuses....

2009-06-04T07:35:00.001-07:00

It's been one of those weeks!

Physicals (2 1/2 HOURS at the doctor for 1 kid...does that seem a little ridiculous to anyone besides myself??),

A mountain of laundry (I'm not just talking a little mountain...not even just Mt. Everest...I'm talking the entire Himalayan Mountain Range),

Weeding...and hopefully in the next couple of days planting flowers,

Haircuts,

Basement,

Birthday Party (well technically that's tomorrow, but I'll count it anyhow).

Not to mention...

Just having the kids home 24/7 has thrown me off my game,

And finally...

I downloaded a virus on my computer (dumb computer virus writing geeks!! Rrrrrr!),

BUT...

I'm still here, and one of these days I'll manage to write a post worthy of reading!!

Friday Favorite

2009-05-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

So...this evening I'll be posting about a favorite to beat all favorites (and it's free!!!)

I was catching up on a few friends blogs earlier tonight. One of them happened to be all into coupon shopping (I've tried but I'm not very good at it) and suggested going to the Krazy Coupon Lady to get some hints...so I went. (What else did I have to do???...just make dinner, fold the clothes, write a blog, etc...no biggie.) When I jumped over to the Krazy Coupon Lady the post right at the top of the blog spoke to me, "Real Krazies Need Real Chocolate...For Free!!" Talk about music to my ears. Two of my favorite things: chocolate and free...mixed together! Can't get much better than that, and since it was two of my favorite things combined into one on favorite Friday, I couldn't let the opportunity to share such a sweet deal with all of you pass by!!

Here's how it works:

Every Friday through September Mars is giving away coupons for a FREE chocolate bar! Quantities are limited to 250,000 coupons per Friday...and yes if you're reading this right now the offer is still available TONIGHT, so make sure you go here to fill out the form and get your coupon for the yummy, chocolatey goodness of your choice! Me, personally....I'll be going for the DOVE chocolate. Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmmm. And no, I'm not going to share! (Too bad kids...save up your allowance and you can get your own!!!)

As a sidenote: I think I've just become a Krazy Coupon Lady fan (It must have been destiny...what else would you call it when you stumble upon a blog with such a sweet opening post??)

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-05-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

Here's another installment of...(da da da duh)
Lesson's From My 3 Year Old

Rylen has become our resident comedian over the past several weeks. He has discovered the art of "joke telling" and while he is far from being a comedic genius, he has given me quite a few chuckles (albeit more from his personality than his jokes.) His repetoire consists of a few knock knock jokes:

Knock Knock. Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange ya glad I didn't say banana!! (He hasn't quite grasped the concept of doing the knock knock joke with the banana answer prior to telling this one)

...and a few "why did the chicken" jokes:

Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide!!!

But mostly his jokes consist of things that he makes up and thinks are funny:

Why did daddy mow the lawn? Because it was getting long....hahahahahaha!!! (that sort of funny!!)

More often than not his post joke laughter is funnier than the actual joke...and is what spurs on my own laughter.

So, why in the world am I telling you this? To subject you to the same barrage of lame jokes that I hear on a daily basis??? Maybe. Hope not! But as I was trying to think of something to write today, Rylen's humor kept coming into my head, and I kept thinking why am I thinking of all these silly little jokes that Rylen has told me???

Well, the short answer is that it is something to write about.

The longer answer (although not that much longer) is that my 3 year old is able to see humor in everything. (And I suppose the silly jokes are his way of sharing that humor with me.) I think I could learn a lesson from him. Sometimes I find myself so wrapped up in things that I fail to see the humor in even the most humorous of situations. Kids seem to laugh deeply and easily, but I've noticed that it becomes increasingly difficult to laugh at the jokes like, "Why did Brighton crawl up the stairs?....So he could come back down." I don't find it funny to chase the little monster up and down the stairs all day to make sure that he doesn't get hurt, but I suppose if I looked at it from Rylen's perspective it could look pretty funny to watch mommy hovering protectively over his little brother on one of Bright's many trips up AND down the stairs.

So, I suppose the lesson is this: life is funny. Even the most mundane acts are funny...to someone. It's just up to us to be that "someone" that it is funny to! Take some time to laugh today...even if you have to make up your own UN-funny joke!

Tuesday Tutorial

2009-05-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

The end of school is quickly approaching. I'm not sure if that's good or bad??

This is the time of year I always find myself stressing over teacher gifts. Is it just me??

Kenny would say, "It's their job, why do they need a gift?" (maybe it's a guy thing) but my mom always made sure that we gave something to give our teachers both at Christmas and the end of the year. (Maybe it's a teacher thing.)

Regardless, I think it's nice for the kids to give a small token of appreciation to their teachers at the end of the year, but I have the hardest time trying to figure out something to give. Add that to the fact that it needs to be relatively inexpensive because I have multiple children...which means multiple teachers, and the pocketbook is only so big...

So, I was sitting here stressing about a silly gift again and an idea came into my head....don't remember if I was blog surfing looking for ideas or if I saw something that made me think of it or

what (so I apologize if I'm not giving credit where credit is due) but here's a quick and easy teacher gift that your kiddo's can make themselves:

Supplies:

*Small container (bucket/pail/etc...I got a few at the craft store for about $2.50, then I found the little pail at Target for $1)

*Teacher stickers/ABC stickers/Vinyl Lettering - whatever you'd like to decorate the container with.

*School Supplies - I chose pencils because what teacher couldn't use pencils, but you could use crayons, glue sticks, erasers, markers, pens, stickers...need I go on???

Instructions:

Let the kids decorate the container with whatever stickers/vinyl they want. Fill the container with the school supplies. Attach a nice little thank you note. Voila! Cute, useful teacher gift with minimal effort!

Here are some other ideas via Tip Junkie!!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-05-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

We're at the end of a long weekend! I wish we could have more of them...don't you??? Not that it's been really relaxing, but it's been nice to have Kenny home for a few days in a row!

Well, there's not a whole lot of time to momble because the "to-do" list is about a mile long...thankfully, most of it is Kenny's (heehee), but I suppose it would only be fair to help him out a little!! Can't do all the whip-crackin'!

Like many other's, our tradition on Memorial Day (or at least sometime during the weekend) is to make a visit to the cemetary. It used to be a lot easier...we used to live a lot closer to it than we do now, but hopefully we'll still make it this year. It's important that the kids know that it's important. It's important that we show our gratitude to everyone who has sacrificed for our freedom! It's important that our children know that our freedom is worth that sacrifice!!

Thank you to all of you who have sacrificed for our freedom!

Happy Memorial Day!

Extra Extra

2009-05-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a little deal with ya....

Apparently, tomorrow (Sat. May 23rd) is flip flop day at Old Navy and flip flops will be $1. (At least that's what they said at the check-out register today.) That's ONE DOLLAR!! Now granted, they're not the high end, designer flip flops, but...$1. Can't beat it!

What's the catch you ask?? Solid Colors and select styles only. Limit of 5 per customer.

Hey...speaking of flip flops, back in "the" day, we used to call them thongs. Shhhh. (I suppose this kind of dates me.) Can I just say how GLAD I am that we don't call them that anymore!!! 'Nuff said!

Friday Favorites

2009-05-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Okie Dokie....so it's time for another favorite book post.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a tendency to read a lot of youth fiction books in order to preview them for my kids. I like to think of myself as the rating guide for my children's literature because, let's face it, there's a lot of stuff out there that says it's ok for kids and I wouldn't let my kids near it with a ten foot pole. For example, my 6th grader (and my 4th grader for that matter) both came home from school this year (on separate occasions) and asked to read the Twilight series. Apparently all the 6th graders at school were reading the series. It was all the rage among the pre-teens! Are you kidding me?? I mean, I'll admit, I've read the series, and while it wasn't my most favorite in the world, the storyline grew on me, but SERIOUSLY? let my 4th or 6th grader read them??? I don't think so. Honestly, Jackson (6th grader) would not even enjoy the first book...too much mush!!! I also refused the request to read Brisinger...again, content.

Anyhoo, to make a long post, short, suffice it to say that I'm just a little picky about what my kids can read, and with that in mind I'll share with you some of my favorite youth fiction series that I do allow my kids to read:

1. Fablehaven Series, by Brandon Mull - I'll be the first one to admit that I'm a little skeptical of books that I first find in Deseret Book (the LDS author kind...sorry, don't mean to offend anyone) but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. They are great for kids between 4th and 6th grade. They have monsters, adventure, action, and even some moral lessons. Plus, at the end of the book, there is a Reading Guide that suggests questions for the reader to think about or things for multiple readers (ie. mom to ask kids when they're done with the book) to discuss. I like that! There are currently 4 books in the series. The first one got me hooked, and each successive one has only gotten better (I've read the first 3...the 4th is on my "to-read" list.) The first 3 books can be picked up at Walmart (in their youth fiction aisle) for about $5...and I would definitely say it's worth the money! Book 4 is available at Costco for $11.99 (still a good price.)

Here's a little preview of Book 4

*Just as a note, Brandon Mull also has a book out called "The CandyShop War." I've read this one too, and while I didn't enjoy it as much as the Fablehaven books, I still thought that it was good and it's appropriate for 4th - 6th graders as well! It also has the reading guide at the back of it!

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, by Rick Riordan - I picked up the paperback edition of the first book for Jackson at Christmas time. I learned later, that his class was already reading it at school...oh well! It's been a good addition to OUR library. I started reading the series because my hubby picked it up one day, read straight through it, and loved it! (He loves to read, but normally he doesn't enjoy the whole "youth fiction" genre.) Anyway, that got me started and as I sit here writing, the other thing on my desk is the newly released 5th book in the series...just begging to be read (so if I all of a sudden stop writing you'll know what happened......

Oops...I'm back. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series is great for 4th - 6th grade depending on the reading level of the kids. (I would probably recommend it more for 5th or 6th grade...although my 4th grader might have something to say about that.) This is also a series with monsters, action, and adventure...Greek adventure. It's about a young boy and Greek mythology (that's all I'll give away.) Suffice it to say that if you have a kid (or you) that enjoys Greek mythology, you'll enjoy this series. It's written quite cleverly...and like the Fablehaven series, each book gets better and leaves you (as my kids would say) "dying" to read the next one. Also, like Fablehaven, the first 4 books can be picked up at Walmart for about $5, and the 5th one is available at Costco for under $10. Nice!!

I'll write about some of the other series/authors I enjoy later...but I've got a book to finish!

If you've read any of the series I've mentioned, I'd love to hear your mombles about them. If not, then read them and momble about what you think OR momble to let me know of any other book series/authors you enjoy or would be appropriate for pre-teens to read. Happy Reading!!

Tuesday Tutorial

2009-05-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

Finally!!!

I always feel like I've accomplished something when I have something to show for it...no matter how difficult or easy the project may be. This week (actually for the past several weeks) I was looking at our FHE chart, and I must say it looked pretty pitiful. Seriously! It was too the point where I'd ask, "Who's conducting this week?" and someone would answer, "The invisible monkey!" or "The one eyed tiger."

Now, we all knew who those animals were, but that's not the point...the fact that our chart was so worn out that we had to say something like that just gnawed away at me. It was time for a new FHE chart.

Luckily I got a sale flier for Roberts Craft, and they had a great deal on their magnet boards so...I hit the sale, got everything I needed and more, and went to work.

Here's what you'll need for the board:

*A magnet board (any size will do...whatever works for your fam)

*A 2 oz. bottle of paint (your color choice)

*Modge Podge

*Craft Paper (to coordinate with your paint...opt.)

*Paint brush or sponge

*Letter Stickers (regular or vinyl...I really wanted that cool Crikcut Expressions machine that you can program in what you want, throw the vinyl through, and voila, instant gratification, but at $250+, I settled for the stickers...maybe one day, *Big Sigh*)

*Any crafty embellishment you want to add.

I started by painting the board. You may have to sand the wood a little to get it all prepped for paint, but mine with just MDF and needed no prep. As the paint was drying, I cut the paper to the size and shape that I needed. If you would rather just keep the paint, that's fine too...you can

just stick your letter's or embellishments on top of that. After the paint was dry, I Modge Podged on the paper and left that to dry. Then I grabbed my stickers and went to work on the various FHE jobs that I wanted on the board...Conduct, Prayer, Song, Scripture, Lesson, Activity, Treat. I added Family Council at the bottom because once a month we've decided that instead of having a lesson we'll have a family council. To

finish off the board, I added a few little things to make it more personal...our name, a quote, etc. Voila...board done!

You could use several things to show who's doing what. I chose to use magnets with our picture on it because I thought it would be an easy way for our little kids to know who was doing what, but you could use wooden shape cutouts, wooden initial cutouts (this was my second choice), etc...I'm sure the kids would get a kick out of decorating their own FHE chart magnet. Anyhoo..

Supplies for magnets:

*Decor Accent Marbles

*Glossy Accent Clear Glue

*A picture

*Magnets (make sure they're strong enough for the marbles...I'm gonna have to replace my because my magnets are too weak)

*Glue gun

Here we go...cut the picture so that it is approximately the same shape and size (or just slightly smaller) than the marble. Use your finger to spread a little bit of the clear glue on the backside

of the marble. Place the picture face down in the glue, smooth out any bubbles, and then use your finger to spread a little more glue on the backside of the picture. When the glue is dry, use the glue gun to stick the magnet on the back. Done!! FHE board, complete with personal magnets! Easy Peasy!!

Wouldn't this be a great way to assign chores in your house too! I considered buying a bigger magnet board that I could put both and FHE chart and a job chart on, but I couldn't decide where I'd want such a big board. How about this...if you do a job chart, why not get some of those little magnetic containers (the ones that you can actually put something in), stick the kids names on them, and when they are finished with their chore you could put their reward (money, tickets, stickers, candy, etc.) in the container. How fast would the chores get done when they can actually see an instant reward???

Monday Mom-blings

2009-05-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

So for whatever reason, today it finally sunk in that summer vacation is nearly upon us. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we finally had a hot day. Maybe it's because we've been BBQing every night for the last week. Maybe it's the fact that it doesn't get dark until after 8pm now. Whatever it is...it has now reminded me of the fact that my kiddos are going to be out of school in about a week and a half and I'm going to have to figure out ways to entertain them.

Normally I keep my kids pretty busy. I expect homework, and chores be done. Piano practicing, and other extracurricular activities come next, and playing (or in Jackson's case...hanging out) with friends comes in a distant 5th. I'm sure most of my kids' friends think that I'm just a horrible, mean mom that doesn't ever let her kids out of the house. In actuality, if the kids got their stuff done in a timely fashion, they'd have plenty of time to do whatever they want...but they don't, so they're usually stuck inside. I digress.....

Regardless of how long it takes my kids to do their chores, I don't think it could stretch into everyday, all day long....At some point in time I'm sure they'll figure out that if they get their stuff done quickly, they can get their mom off their case for the rest of the day. There's the crux of the problem right there..."the rest of the day." What am I going to do to entertain the crew 24/7????

Last year I had an excuse...I was preggo the first half of the summer, and then we had a brand new baby for the last half of the summer. This year I don't have an excuse...and despite a floundering economy, Kenny will be working his tail off at work, so I can't count on him to bail me out. What to do??? Hmmmm. I need to figure out something fun/exciting/challenging/etc. to do so the kids can at least have something cool to talk about when school starts again in the fall.

There's the park.

The Library

The pool.

Throw in a few crafty projects.

Jackson's got Scout Camp.

Maybe a BYU camp???

Friends.

Popsicles.

Bike Rides.

Picnics.

A few well timed boating adventures...

Grandma & Grandpa always come in the summer.

Late nights.

Camping??? (maybe in the backyard again)

Movie nights.

That should get me through for a little while. How about you? Are you excited for your kids to be done with school? Do you have any big plans? How about big plans on a little budget? Let me hear 'em. I'm all ears!!!

Friday Favorite

2009-05-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I posted about my horrible luck with giveaways/contests. Isn't the definition of insanity doing something over and over again even though nothing changes?...I suppose that's sort of me with giveaways. I always enter, but never win. I prefer to think of myself as optimistically persistant. Well....

I'm excited to say that my persistance has finally paid off. (How ironic is that???) Yep, that's right...I actually won a giveaway prize. Pretty cool! I'm super excited about it and as such my "favorites" post is about my prize.

Every so often I go back to my favorite blog design sites to see if they have anything new. A couple of weeks ago I was doing just that and when I went to Leelou Blogs they happened to be running a giveaway...so of course I entered.

Fast forward a couple weeks...and keep in mind that with me it's usually outta sight, outta mind.

Well, on Wednesday, I found myself back at Leelou Blogs. I was scrolling through their site, looking at the new designs, when I came across a posting titled, "Winners." Imagine my surprise as I read through the post and came to my name and comment. Even when I read my name and comment I still did a double take (that should tell you how often I win things) and found myself thinking, "Gee, how funny is that...some girl out there with my same name would choose the same blog design that I like and write the comment I would write." Duh!!!

Anyway...lucky me, I won a Leelou Membership. My choice of 5 pre-made layouts that I can choose at any time. That should probably satisfy my need to switch things up...at least for a while!

So, my official favorite blog designers are Leelou & Coley at Leelou Blogs. Check out their site. They've got some really cute free blog designs and buttons to choose from, or if you're ready to put a little bit of cash into the blog they've also got so great options!! The blog designs are easy to install and they come in a variety of 2 or 3 column designs. These ladies are super talented!!

So, whether it's insanity or persistance I don't know...all I can say is that winning this giveaway has given me hope that maybe one day I'll win something else...I'll keep entering at least. Heehee!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this poem. Can you relate??

The Girl in a Whirl

By "Dr. Sue" (a.k.a. Vicke Gunther)

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classroom! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize the names of the General Authorities,
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My check books all balance!
Each week each child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! never late!)
I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But, that is not all! Oh no, That is not all.
I track my bad habits 'till each is abolished;
Our T-shirts are ironed! My toe nails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too, It's easy to do all
the things I have to do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in the stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It's the least I can do for my cherished ward
Sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each "lost lamb" on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write "thank yous" to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids got straight A's! and their bedrooms are
clean.
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautiful groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car's tires! I fix the sink's leak!
I grind my own wheat and bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-year supply
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; 'tis good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It's easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all,

too!

"It's easy!" she said and then she dropped dead

Message for the Day:

You don't have to do it all...not at the same time at least!!

Tuesday Tip

2009-05-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well...this isn't a cool tutorial on anything, but I think it's a pretty cool tip.

I've been trying really hard lately to get our family "prepared" for whatever the future may hold.

Food Storage

72 Hour Kits

Emergency Plans

...All that stuff

Of course I'm not as far along as I want to be, but it's better than nothing.

I was on Giveaway Today (one of my favorite sites) last week and they had a giveaway for a company called Deals to Meals (formerly, "My Food Storage Deals".) Of course I didn't win the cool giveaway...I never do. I'm not that lucky. (I wonder what that says about me...that I keep entering contests that I know I'll never win????) Anyhoo, my little tip for the day is a FREE 2 week trial for Deals to Meals.

As per their website, Deals to Meals works by:

-Comparing prices of the 5 major grocery stores to Costco and Walmart

-Telling you where the best deals are to stock up on your food storage and freezer

-Providing a meal planning service to help incorporate your food storage into your weekly meals

-Designing a weekly grocery list to make meal planning easy

-Sharing recipes

-Giving weekly tips and info on food storage

I've only glanced at it, but it could be pretty helpful. I'm particularly intrigued by their "Free Downloads." I'm planning on using their Food Storage Inventory Sheet to help me keep track of what I have and what I need. (I think that's my biggest problem...hopefully I'll keep better track of my food storage than I do my checkbook!)

Anyway, Deals to Meals offers a free 2 week trial. You could either sign up for your own 2 week trials, or you could get in on the free 2 week trial that is going on with Giveaway Today (technically, it would probably be a week and a half trial now...but who's counting!) If you want to use the Giveaway Today trial simply go to Deals to Meals and sign in as follows:

E-mail: giveaway@dealstomeals.com

Password: Giveaway

Give it a try. See what you think! Maybe it'll save you a little cashola...or at the very least give you plenty of ways to spend MORE cashola!!!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-05-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's Monday again already.

How was your Mother's Day? I hope everyone got the chance to put their feet up, relax, and be spoiled by your kids and hubby. I think I'll make a motion that we have Mother's Day once a month (at least...I would say once a week, but I'm probably pushing my luck!)...wouldn't that be great??? I wouldn't even need the gifts, just a full day devoted to relaxation. Sleep in; Long shower; No chores; Read a book; Take a nap; No fighting kids...shall I go on??? Heaven! *sigh*

Moving on...

So, now, at the risk of becoming like all those retail stores out there that move from one holiday to the next (before the first one is even finished) I'm going to bring up Father's Day. I'm running so far behind that if I start thinking about it now, I might just get to it by the time Father's Day arrives. O.k., I'm joking...kind of. Mostly I was just thinking about it because Kenny was so thoughtful for Mother's Day this year and I'd love to spoil him just a little too. Yesterday in Sacrament meeting our Bishop talked about how much women (mother's) do and how their husbands should try extra hard to help them more. It was a nice sentiment, and I understand what he's saying, but lately, I feel like I'm the one being the slacker...and Kenny is willingly picking up the slack. I suppose that's how good marriages are made...you trade off slacking and picking up the slack...and you do it willingly.

Anyhoo...so I'm looking for some Father's Day suggestions/ideas. Send them my way if you've got any...over-the-top ideas, on-a-budget ideas, romantic, sporty, homemade, store bought, kid stuff, etc. I wanna hear 'em all!

Monday Momblings

2009-05-04T17:41:00.001-07:00

Habits are funny little things...good ones are hard to get into but easy to break...bad ones are easy to get into but hard to break. Go figure! I'm sitting here trying to write this blog, for the second day now...it looks like I got out of the habit of writing daily over spring break, and now I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but it's not coming easily.

I've come to the conclusion that with school winding down, baseball winding up, and everything else going on that I just don't have time to blog on a daily basis. However, blogging is my "outlet" and it's keeps me motivated to do new things so instead of ignoring it I'm going to try posting a few times a week. We'll go for Monday, Wednesday, Friday...and I'll try to mix it up a bit with mombles, tips, tuts, wisdom, and favs, so keep checking. I promise I'll get back into that good habit again!

Friday Favorite

2009-05-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Why do you blog? There are so many reasons: fun, work, time-waster, hobby, journal, etc.

One of the main reasons I do our family blog is for journal purposes. I've never been really good at writing things down on a consistent basis. I originally started our family blog so that our extended family could see pics of the kiddies and keep up to date on our family, but as time went on I realized that it was an easy way for me to keep a family journal. I tried scrapbooking...but I hate getting everything out, and then it takes me forever to think of something to do on each page...blah! I still do it every now and then, but it's not something that I enjoy doing. Blogging on the other hand, for me, is easy...and fast...and convenient...and the pictures are already available...and I don't have to try really hard to be creative...(you get the picture.) Keeping in mind that our family blog is our family journal, I got thinking how devastated I would be if something happened and all of that information was lost (which as we all know, can happen all to often with our advanced technology?!?)

Whatever your reason, I've found a couple of cool sites that might be of some interest to you. As I was blog stalking the other day, and just clicking on different links I found a couple of sites that look like they could be pretty cool. (*Note: I haven't actually used them yet, but I plan to.)

1. Bloggled - This is a site that offers a couple of different services. First and foremost, it is a site where you can BACK UP YOUR BLOG...FOR FREE!!! How can you say "no" to that?? Their goal is simple: To provide you with the best blog tools and features to make sure your blog information is never lost. Think about it...your time is valuable, you don't want to write your blog only to have it lost or deleted by accident. This service in and of itself, could give some valuable peace of mind...and save a lot of heartache if by chance something did happen! They are also working on a way to transfer your blog to a book...which is something I'm SOOOO excited about. It's not ready yet, but hopefully will be soon.

The next site starts where the other leaves off...

2. scrappingsimply.com - You know that blog to book thing...well it's available here! WooHoo! My kids love reading the blog, but I think that they would think it even cooler to see their names, pictures, etc. in a book, so I've decided that I'll continue keeping our family blog/journal and then have it made into a yearly book. (Tangible evidence that I've actually kept a journal.) I know that the kids will love to look through it and read the stories...even though they've already read them on the blog. It's like a whole new adventure when it's in a book in front of you! Anyhoo...I think their prices are pretty reasonable, but if the whole book thing seems to spendy, they have an option to just convert everything to a pdf file for the low low price of....(drumroll please) $2.95!!! Very cool!

Give them a try. See what you think!...and have a great weekend!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is definitely not your "conventional" wisdom, but I thought it was funny...and pretty much how I come up with any of my ideas!

Calvin : You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Hobbes : What mood is that?
Calvin : Last-minute panic.

Does anybody else relate?

Monday Mom-blings

2009-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Life seems to get busier and busier everyday. Either that or I'm getting less and less organized. I'm inclined to think that it's a little bit of both.
Take yesterday for instance. I thought we were prepared to have a nice relaxing Sunday. The first in a while. But we seemed to run from meeting to meeting from about 9 am until 9 pm. Not bad necessarily. In fact, the meetings were all very good. (One of them probably inspired my thoughts for today.) I just had other ideas of how I would have liked the day to play out...church, lunch, snoozes, dinner, maybe play a game with the kids. Didn't happen. *sigh* Maybe next week.
I think I used to be organized. I remember a time when I had a specified cleaning day, errand day, etc. Our family ran like a well oiled machine, but as the kids have gotten older, we've gotten more things to do. I guess it's time for me to get more organized again. Not in the sense that everything is scheduled on a calendar (I'm not that way, and believe me, that could take up an entire wall in my house!) but just in the sense that there is a time for everything.
My point in this is not to complain about everything that we have to do, but simply to point out that life is busy, and getting seemingly busier everyday, and that if we're not careful the most important things may be replaced with things that SEEM important. I think that's where I'm at right now. It's time to declutter...not only the house, but my schedule. Make time for the important things. I'm not very good at that. I tend to take a really practical view of things: Work first...play later (if there's time...which of course there never is!) So my goal for the next little while is to get organized and get to work, so that I can also have fun doing the things that are most important in life...being with my family.
What about you? How do you keep your hectic life organized? Are you a work first, play later gal or have you found a way to mix in the fun? Do tell! I'm up for ideas!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-04-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

"The tendency to focus on the insignificant at the expense of the profound happens...to everyone. We know what is important in life...Our weakness is in failing to align our actions with our conscience.
Pause for a moment and check where your own heart and thoughts are. Are you focused on the things that matter most? How you spend your quiet time may provide a valuable clue. Where do your thoughts go when the pressure of deadlines is gone? Are your thoughts and heart focused on those short-lived fleeting things that matter only in the moment, or on things that matter most?"

-Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf
We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, Apr. 2009 General Conference

Tuesday Tip

2009-04-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here's my tip of the day
(somewhat tongue in cheek...but a tip nonetheless!)

I got out of the shower this morning, wrapped up in a towel, and went over to the mirror to comb my hair. I picked up the brush, started pulling it through my freshly washed hair, and stopped abruptly when I realized that all of a sudden there was white stuff in my black hair...and NO, it was not "gray" coming through. Upon further inspection of the brush, I found that one of my lovely little monsters (who shall remain nameless) thought that it would be wonderful to leave a little toothpaste in mommy's brush. Obviously it would help make my hair smell minty fresh. Mmmmm! So, here's my tip for the day:

*ALWAYS LOOK BEFORE YOU BRUSH*
(Note: This may not only apply to your hairbrush!)

Monday Mom-blings

2009-04-20T08:30:00.001-07:00

As you can see, I took a little vacation from just about everything last week...didn't go anywhere, but didn't do much of anything either, so it was a vacation of my own making! The kids had fun spending spring break being spoiled by grandma and grandpa. I enjoyed catching up on reading and doing a few other little fun things. Now it's back to the grind...and I'm ALMOST regretting (but not quite), ever taking the break in the first place because there's so much to catch up on. Do you ever feel like that?? You need the break, but getting back into the groove of things is soooooo not fun!
I've got the lists of everything that needs to be done going through my head right now and I'm half-heartedly willing myself to get up off this chair and get started. *sigh* The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak! (Maybe I'll move all the fun things to the top of the list, and leave the cleaning for the kids...on second thought, that's probably why I'm in this mess in the first place!)

Tuesday Tutorial/Tip

2009-04-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Good news: I finished Ashlynn's skirt before Easter Sunday, so she was able to wear it to church.
Bad news: I forgot to take pictures.
So....I'll do the skirt post next week!

One of the things that I didn't quite finish before Easter was the little quiet book about Christ that I was making for Rylen and my sister's kids' Easter baskets. Oops! Better late than never though...right?? I figure this book will still be good to use during sacrament meeting while the sacrament is being passed, to help the kids think of the Savior.

I will not claim credit for the idea, because as I've said before...Someone else has to be the creative genius...I'll just piggy back off them. You can find the directions and picture ideas for this book under Picture Book of Christ at www.theideadoor.com. Most of the pictures that I used were the ones that were suggested, but I had to get creative with a couple to avoid infringing on copyright laws. (I think that small prints of all the suggested pictures can be found at Deseret Book and on-line...but I didn't use some of them because of copyright laws. However, if YOU would like to switch the pics, you're welcome to do it!) The pictures were found in the LDS Gospel Art Kit, Gospel Art Book, and the Friend. (I'm not sure if the one of Christ coming out of the tomb is in the gak or gab, but hopefully it's not copyright...yikes! Let me know if you know something I don't know) All of the text comes directly from the gospel art kit or the primary song book.

The idea is to print the pages off, mount them on cardstock, and put them into a small 4X6 photo album book that the kids can look at during church. As always, let me know if you find any mistakes or if you have trouble downloading or printing. Enjoy!

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus Binder

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Fiction Religion & Spiritual quiet book primary children

Monday Mom-blings

2009-04-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sure there are plenty of things that I should be doing today, but I'm taking a mom day. It's spring break. The kids get a break from school, so I'm gonna take a break from "mom work" for a little bit today.
I've decided that I'm only going to do the things that I want to today. So, laundry's probably going to wait for another day. It's a nice day outside, so maybe I'll go and do a little bit of weeding in the yard. I think I'll catch up on my little TOFW webinars that I've missed for the last couple of weeks and who knows...I might even make it to the park with Bright and Rylen today (if I happen to decide to change out of my pj's.)
Some might call it being lazy. That's ok. I prefer to call it a little rejuvination and I'm rather enjoying it. I'd recommend it to anyone. Pres. Monson said (in Oct. 08 conference) that we need to learn to distinguish between what's important and what's not important. In my little TOFW webinar, Sis. Dew said that we need to know when to give things our best effort and when to just get things done. I'm not sure that they were necessarily talking about taking a day off from being a mom/housewife/cook/taxi driver/teacher/etc., but I'd right now I'd say a little R & R is just what's needed! You know the saying, "When mama's happy, everyone's happy!"

Friday Favorites

2009-04-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Is it a problem when I can't think of anything to write...especially on a day that I can write about anything??? I think I'm in a slump.

So what am I going to do?

I think I'll ask you what your favorite things are,

then I'll go sit down on the couch,

eat some double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream,

and veg...(incidentally, two of my favorite things!)

Here's to the ocassional slump!

Thursday - Things to Do

2009-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hopefully good weather will prevail this year so that the kiddies can enjoy all the fun of Easter. Here are some of the things going on over the next few days:

Border's Kid's Fling - Saturday, April 11th @ 2pm (click the link for participating stores and more info) Easter Parade, Storytime, Sing-alongs, Activities...Fun for the whole family.

EMC Easter Egg Hunt - Saturday, April 11th @ 10:30 am. Nolan Park. For kids ages 3-11

Lehi Easter Celebration - Friday, April 10th from 4pm-8pm. Legacy Center, Hutchings Museum, LDS Stake Center. Local Entertainment, Games, Prizes, Activities, Crafts, Photos with the Easter Bunny.

Easter Eggstreme - Saturday, April 11th - Thanksgiving Point Electric Park - $6/child (in advance), $8/child (week of event), $3/adult. Egg Hunt and activities for the kids.

Cabela's Family Geo-Cache Goody Search - Saturday, April 11th - Families will use their own GPS units to find 6 hidden Cabela's cache points. - (2502 West Grand Terrace Parkway, Lehi, UT) Call 801-766-2500 for more info

Kid Time at the Covey Center - Princess Party -Saturday, April 11th from 1pm-2:30. Click the link for more info or call 801 - 852-7007 to get tickets and reserve your spot.

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-04-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Rather than sharing a thought today, I decided to share a couple of pictures to remind us of what Easter truly means....

"It is Finished"

"Why Weepest Thou?"

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the moring, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabou, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen..."
(Luke 24: 1-6)

Artwork by Liz Lemon Swindle

Tuesday Tip

2009-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

With the dollar not stretching quite as far as it used to and also in trying to stay in the spirit of Elder Hales comments regarding wants and needs and staying out of debt, I've decided it's time to get creative with my wants. Easter (and spring) are around the corner...I hope! When I was a kid, we always used to get a new Easter Sunday dress. When I was little, my grandma would make them. As I got older, we usually just bought them. I really WANT a new dress but I probably don't need one and I really don't want to spend a whole lot of money on one. This year I've decided to try and save a little $$ and do it grandma's way.

After a few snags (so to speak) in my plans, I finally finished "my" new skirt.

It was actually very simple and easy to make (once I actually read the directions.) The best part is that I made it for under $10 (pattern and all.) The bad part is...(drumroll please)...it doesn't fit. This problem probably would have been eliminated had I actually read the pattern, but I figured that I would just make the size I thought I was. No go! (I'm a little miffed cause I made it to go with my awesome red shoes...oh well, better luck next time.) Luckily I have a skinny sister, and it just happened to be her birthday so, she ended up being the beneficiary of my new Easter Sunday skirt. I plan on making another one that will actually fit me soon...who knows? Maybe I'll get comfortable with sewing again and set up shop. Any orders? jk....(kind of)

The next items on the to-do list are for Ashlynn. An Easter Sunday twirl skirt and a dress. I found some really good deals on fabric at Walmart and I've inherited several pieces of fabric from my grandma, so these skirts are going to be extremely inexpensive. Skirts...probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $5. The dress...$10. Not to bad! I have a pattern for the dress (and will post pics when it is done), but I'm just flying by the seat of my pants with the skirt. OK...not really. I don't have a pattern, but I have found a couple of blogs with some good tutorials on how to make them AND they really are easy (more math is required than actual sewing) so even you non-sewers out there could do it. Click here to visit the link at 30days. She has plenty of fun dresses and skirt tutorial links for girls and mom's alike. Be sure to scroll down the right sidebar because I haven't linked you up to all the patterns. Have fun!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-04-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

I love conference weekend.

I think I said that on my last post...but it's the truth.

I love everything about conference weekend...family activities, church in my pj's, Sunday morning breakfast, conference talks...everything!

This past weekend was no different. In fact, in some ways I think it was better. We had our same traditions, but this year we also did a couple of different things. I tried a couple of the ideas I posted about a few weeks ago (from the Ensign) to help the kiddies listen through conference, and they worked pretty well. Rylen has a hard time just sitting still and listening at church, so I didn't expect a lot from him, but even he tried to pay attention for one of the games. (It involved candy of course...but I'm not above bribery!) One of our key candy words for the second session just happened to be "temple." The kids definitely hit the jackpot on that word through Elder Bednar's talk and then the next speaker too. They were poppin' gummy bears left and right. My sister was keeping track of the number of times the key words were said, and according to her, Elder Bednar mentioned the word "temple" 61 times...that's a lot of gummy bears for one talk! (Thankfully, I don't think the kids caught all 61 times!)

The workbooks also worked well for the older kids. Ashlynn and Breven enjoyed doing the word search, and I think the space for them to write in 3 things that they learned and make up a question helped them pay better attention. It will be fun to have our little Conference Trivia FHE tonight and see what questions everyone comes up with. I know Jackson is trying to come up with the most obscure questions that he possibly can. He mentioned one yesterday..."What color was the choir director's (Mack Wilberg) tie?" Huh? Who pays attention to something like that? Guess I'll have to pay better attention next time! FHE should be fun!

What did I enjoy the most? I think there were too many good talks to rank them...or even remember them all. I'm looking forward to the next Ensign so that I can read them again. I did really love Elder Hales talk though. (First one out of the box in the Saturday morning session.) I had just been on a little spending spree for Easter and then I heard his talk about debt and distinguishing wants from needs...needless to say, I might be returning a few things. I loved what he said his wife taught him about wants and needs. The 4 little words (just behind, I love you) that mean the most..."We can't afford it" and looking at the things that you want to buy and asking yourself why you want to buy them...to make the person you're buying them for happy, to make yourself happy, to prove you can buy it, to have a status symbol, etc. Loved the talk! For me, I think the pervading message was that there will be tough times ahead, do what you can to prepare and get out of debt, help others, have faith, trust in the Lord, and the most important things in life are not material...they are your family and your faith/testimony.

How was your conference weekend? What did you learn? Enlighten me!

Friday Favorites

2009-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

I must say, this weekend, conference weekend, has to be one of my most favorite weekends of the year. Not only do we get to listen to the words and counsel of prophets and apostles but we get to do it in our pajamas!! WooHoo!

Seriously though, conference weekend is such a great ReSTaRt for me. The inspiring counsel given just gives me the lift that I need to renew my efforts, put the past behind me (as Pumba would say) and keep going. Plus, this year Kenny will get to take Jackson to Priesthood session! (I guess we're getting old!)

At our house we have a little conference morning tradition...although I think it's become less and less of a conference "morning" tradition now and turned into more of a conference "lunch time" tradition. We do conference breakfast (well now it's more like brunch) and get together with any family that's around or friends that want somewhere to go. Kenny becomes the chef for the morning...and he pulls out all the stops: bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, orange juice. (I normally make sweet rolls...so no, I'm not totally lazy!) We're so full by the time breakfast/brunch is over that we don't bother eating again until dinner (a late dinner that is!) It's a lot of fun. The kids are always up for something other than cereal for breakfast (that's what they get every other morning) and it's fun to get together with our family and friends to listen to conference.

I'll leave you with a recipe that I found on allrecipes.com (again.) Normally I just make the Rhodes cinnamon rolls for conference, but I found this recipe and really like it, so in an effort to be save money but still have something yummy I think I'll make these this year! (I've already tried it out on Kenny and the kids and they loved them, so I won't ruin conference morning by making these.) Also, this recipe was designed to use with the bread machine (hate mixing my own dough) but I'm sure it would turn out great doing it the old fashioned way too.

Soft, Moist and Gooey Cinnamon Buns
By: FionasMom

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons water
1/2 (3.5 oz) package instant vnilla pudding mix
4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup butter, softned
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (opt.)
1/4 cup raisins (0pt.)
1 teaspoon milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. In a bread machine pan, place the milk, beaten egg, melted butter, water, vanilla pudding mix, bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Selectthe Dough cycle.
2. When cycle is finished, remove the dough, and knead for3 to 5 minutes. Roll out to a large rectangle.
3. Mix together the softened buter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread over dough. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and raisins, if desired. Starting with the widest end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch to seal seams. Cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch slices, and place in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Place in a draft-free space, and allow to rise until doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 35 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. To make frosting, mix the milk, confectioners sugar, softened butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.

*Just a note by me: To speed up the rising time of the cinnamon rolls, try preheating the oven to 200 degrees F...then TURN THE OVEN OFF...and put the sweet rolls in (covered by a light dish towel). This won't be warm enough to bake the rolls...just warm enough to help them rise faster!! (and enjoy sooner!)

Thursday - Thing to Do

2009-04-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well...it finally happened. I missed posting a day. An uncooperative pattern coupled with poor time management has definitely put me behind! The plan was to do my "real" Tuesday post on Wednesday, but I was tired and just didn't really feel like sewing, so I didn't. I was planning on picking it up again today but when I did I realized that I made another dumb mistake. *Note to self: Read the directions! So yet again, I'm at a stand still.
Maybe I'll try to get something else done with some of the other fun fabric that I found last week. I'll post it for next week's project. In the mean time here are so things to do this weekend:

1. Spring Spectacular - Saturday Apr. 4th from 11:30 am - 1 pm at the Gateway. Fun, games, crafts, music and the annual Radio Disney Egg-O-Pault. The Easter Bunny will be available for photos and will have value-filled eggs with discounts and savings!

2. Provo City Half Marathon - Relay - 5K - Saturday Apr. 4th at Provo Tabernacle Park. Registration ends today, Thursday Apr. 2nd. Click here for details.

3. Deseret Book Conference Events - There are book signings at several of the Deseret Book Stores along the Wasatch Front. Since it's conference Saturday (and all our guys will be a Priesthood session) it's also Ladies Night at several of the stores. Click here for times and locations.

4. Robert's Craft Ladies Night Out - Saturday, Apr. 4th from 5pm - 9 pm. (This is the AF store...check with your local store or go here for details of events at a store near you.) Demo's, drawings, prizes, games, and free Make 'n takes for you and the kids!

Everything here sound a little to structured or STRENUOUS for you? Try having your own little get together with the girls (maybe even the kiddies) while your guy goes to Priesthood session Saturday night. Go out to eat. Go to a movie. Rent a movie. Talk and eat treats! Make a craft with the girls. Color easter eggs with the kids! Have fun!

Tuesday - Switcheroo

2009-03-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

I had good intentions today. I really did.
My plan was to make an easy, cost efficient skirt...and then give you some ideas to do the same.
HOWEVER...my sewing skills are a little rusty. I had everything all cut out ready to sew and as I began to put the skirt together I realized that I had cut the wrong piece out of the wrong fabric and when I went to right the wrong, I didn't have enough of the fabric left. (Rrrrrrr.....I'm a little annoyed with myself right now, but I'll go back to the fabric store tomorrow and hopefully they'll still have some of the fabric left, then I can get back on track.) Hopefully tomorrow I will have the tutorial/tip for you. Keep your fingers crossed!!

In the mean time I thought I would share with you a little project that I stumbled across on another blog. This project is called, "Finding Joy in the Journey" and it is focused on preparedness. We all know we need to be physically/temporally prepared (food storage, etc.)
but we also need to be prepared spiritually for the challenges that lie ahead. Participation in this program entails a small daily task for 31 days.
*Please note that this is not my program (nor did I actually finish all the tasks when I originally started them) so I will using the instructions given from the other blog (with permission) verbatim...and I'll be doing this with you.
Let me know if this would be something of interest to you, and I'll get it started. Tell your friends about it. Talk to your hubby about it. I think the more people we could have join us on our journey the more fun it would be. I'll do a follow up post later in the week if I get any response to this and let you know when we'll start!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-03-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Are you a mean mom?
I am...or at least that's what I'm told.
And do you know what? I'm ok with that.

Take today for example.

By 7:25 AM, both Ashlynn and Breven were grounded for the day because they were fighting over who got to use the bathroom first. Ashlynn was (according to Breven) exerting her "inner girl" and trying to rip Breven's arm off. Breven was (according to Ashlynn) trying to cause a problem. I don't know about you, but I'm not about to be nice at 7:25 AM when two fighting kids are about to wake up my baby who just happens to be sleeping peacefully in the next room. No discussion took place. No explanation was needed. They were just grounded. Period.

I have a tendency to do that...not put up with any, for lack of a better word, crap, from my kids. It's one of the reasons my kids consider me a mean mom.

I expect a lot from my kids....(and just for the record, I think my kids are pretty outstanding!)

My kids are expected to do their chores well...and in a timely fashion. I'm a mean mom!

My kids are required to do homework everyday. I'm a mean mom!

My kids don't get to play video games every day...only on the weekends (after they've completed all their chores ON TIME.) I'm a mean mom!

My kids don't just get to go and play with whoever they want whenever they want. I have to know where they are and who they are with. I'm a mean mom!

(I'm sure there are more reasons that I can't think of right now.)

Ashlynn and I had a conversation last year that went something like this:

(Ashlynn was in trouble for some reason I can't remember now)
Ashlynn: Mom, why can't you be nice like everyone else' mom?
Mom: Because I'm not everyone else' mom.
Ashlynn: Mom, you're suppose to be nice...you're suppose to be my friend!
Mom: No Ashlynn, I'm not suppose to be your friend. I'm your mom...that means it's my responsibility to make sure that you're doing what you're suppose to be doing and if it means that you don't like me, then so be it. Hopefully down the road I'll get to be more than your mom...hopefully I'll get to be your friend too, but for the time being if all I am is your mean mom, I'm o.k. with that.

When I think about my childhood I don't remember my mom as being a mean mom. I remember her telling me that I had to clean my room or do my other chores. I remember her expecting me to get good grades. I remember her wanting to know where I was going, who I was going to be with, and when I was going to be home, but I don't remember her being a mean mom. Hopefully my kids will look back on their childhood in the same way. (It may take a while for them to realize I'm not trying to be mean...I'm just trying to be mom.)

Motherhood...it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

Note

2009-03-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

It was brought to my attention again today that there continues to be some problems printing out the conference journals/workbooks. I've gone into Scribd to try to figure out what is wrong and this is what I have found...

The document was made in landscape page format, however, it seems to default print in portrait format. Obviously this will cut off half of the page. So, if this is the problem you're encountering here's the solution: Whether you're printing the document directly from my blog page or going into Scribd, simply go to the document, click on the "More" button at the top of the document, Click print. When it goes into the printer selection, click "Preferences." Then there are a bunch of things to choose from: Paper Quality, Effects, Finishing, Basics, Color. Choose "Basics." This will allow you to change the page orientation. Change the orientation to "Landscape" and hit okay. Then click print and everything should be okie dokie! (I hope)

FYI...here's the next installment: Conference Journal Older Kids

Conference Journal - Older Child height="500" width="100%" > value="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=13587708&access_key=key-wihcrj3c76fhqu7no2j&page=1&version=1&viewMode=">

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape Books Fiction kids Workbook

Let me know if you've had any other problems and I'll try to solve them for you! Thanks for being patient!

Friday Favorites

2009-03-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's Friday again, which means I get to pick a favorite subject to do a post on. So, let me think for a minute...(hmmmm)...(I know)...FOOD!! I love food. Especially, the kind with lots of sugar and chocolate in it. (I don't know...maybe I was deprived as a growing gymnast so I'm just trying to make up for it now! (probably not, since my grandma was always baking something yummy!)) Fruits and veges have their place too, but since this is a "favorites" post I'm gonna have to give way to the dark side and share a yummy, Yummy, YUMMY, cookie recipe that I just found. Jackee...this should be right up your alley!

I found this recipe at www.allrecipes.com and it was submitted by Debbi Borsick. Don't know who she is, but I could just run up and give her a huge hug for this recipe...LOVE it! I've made the cookies twice now...with a little variation, so I'll give you the original recipe and then share the variations on it afterwards!

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Now I'm not usually one to actually make my cookies from scratch, but I'm trying to make my dollar stretch a little farther so I figured I could cut the budget by ridding myself of the unnecessary cost of pre-made cookie dough. I usually just buy the ready made Nestle Tollhouse dough because normally I hate the way my cookies turn out, BUT, this recipe has given me hope! Hope that I won't need to buy my cookie dough anymore...because I've finally found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that I like! This is a cookie that has a little bit of crunch on the edge, but is nice and soft in the middle...and they stay soft after they cool...even after a couple of days! (if they last that long!)

Anyway...now for a few alterations and variations...

Alterations:
*use more vanilla - I would suggest 2 tablespoons instead of just 2 teaspoons
(this was a suggestion made by one of the people on allrecipes...not me (I'm not that ingenious of a baker/cook) - tried the regular vanilla with one batch of cookies, and then tried increasing it with another batch of cookies and liked the taste much better with more vanilla!)

Variation:
*try it using a different flavor of pudding - I made it once with vanilla pudding and loved it. Then I tried it with chocolate pudding (told ya I can't pass up chocolate)...again very yummy. I bet white chocolate pudding would be yummy...maybe butterscotch pudding?? My favorite of my experiments was combining the vanilla pudding cookie dough with the chocolate pudding cookie dough. I made half 'n half cookies...I called them Ebony and Ivory cookies (look how original I was being!! LOL!)

Quick Notes:
-Do not over bake these cookies! (I dare say...leave them in for 12 min. max!...they may not look completely done, but they are!
-When making the dough, combine the sugar and butter, then slowly add in the pudding mix until it is completely mixed into the sugar/butter combo...then add your eggs and vanilla.
-This recipe makes a lot as it is written (about 6 doz.) so I just made half the recipe...actually half vanilla, half chocolate and then combined them, so I guess I got tons anyhow. Halfing the recipe works just fine though!

Enjoy!!...and come back and tell me what you thought of them after you make and EAT them all!

Quick Contest/Giveaway FYI

2009-03-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I was blog surfing again (the house isn't spotless, but a least dinner is already done) AND....

I found a great little blog called 30 Days.
It's got some really fun ideas for all of you crafty peoples out there and EVEN BETTER...right now she is running a contest to win a swim suit from a company called Lime Ricki.

The company makes cute, modest swimwear for younger girls AND for us "older" girls. I'm not quite ready for swimsuit season yet (I really don't think I ever am) but maybe a new suit would push me over the edge...or into the pool!

Anyway, it's really easy to enter. Just go to her blog, read her post, and follow the instructions. Oh...and if you enter, mention that I sent you and I'll get an extra entry too! Yay! Good Luck!

Oh, and by the way, can I just say...I don't think anyone could pay me enough money to be a swimsuit model! LOL!

Thursday Things to Do

2009-03-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Do you have any plans for the weekend?
I think I'll probably be working down in the basement. Kenny spends most of the day Saturday down there...and I usually end up running errands (without kids) or taking care of kids at home, so it's probably high time that I get my rear end down there and help! BUT if you're lucky, your weekend probably won't include anything involving mudding, taping, and sanding. So what could you do??? Here's a few suggestions...

How about a movie...

Monster's vs. Aliens is opening on Mar. 27th. - My kids can't wait to see this flick. (Don't know that it will happen anytime soon...but they can always hope!) Just be aware that this movie is rated PG for sci-fi action, some crude humor, and mild language. It's getting a pretty decent rating on Rotten Tomatoes (72% Fresh rating) so it may be worth spending some of the hard earned moola to check it out in the theaters.

*Just for beans - If you don't want to spend the cash to go to see the flick but the kiddies want a little monster fun try making your own monster slime.

Ingredients

120ml of water (about 1/2 cup)
120ml of glue (about 1/2 cup)
5ml of Borax
Food Coloring (any color)

Preparation

Mix all the above ingredients together and knead until it forms a soft, gooey slime!
Have FUN!

This slime is not to be eaten!

(Recipe courtesy of Good Things Utah)

Not sure about monsters this weekend...how about superheroes, er...superdogs to be more exact.

Bolt came out on DVD this week. We just rented it last night and the kids enjoyed it. Is it a Disney "must have"? No, probably not, but it's cute and worth spending $1 at the Redbox or even a few $$$ at the local video store.

Wanna skip the movie altogether? How 'bout picking up a book and ploppin' down on the couch!

For a little light reading, why not pick up a copy of one of the books in the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull. This is a young adult series. (I started reading it to preview it for Jackson...but I've really enjoyed it!) If you're into monsters and magic (something akin to Harry Potter) you'll enjoy this series AND for those of you who have already started reading the series, the 4th book, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary, came out on Mar. 24th...look for a copy in your local library or on the store shelves.

Need something more meaty?? Try The 5000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen. This is a book that Glenn Beck has been encouraging people to read and Kenny has been bugging me to find a copy of the book for him. I tried Barnes and Noble last Saturday...all sold out! But, Amazon has copies for about $10.95 (that's almost half price) or of course, you could try the library again.

Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-03-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now....Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."
-Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Finding Joy in the Journey, Oct. 2009 LDS General Conference

Are you finding joy in your journey?

Tuesday Tip

2009-03-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post today...
I realized that conference is coming up pretty quick and I still hadn't finished the workbook/journal for the older kids that I had planned on doing. So, here it is. I made this workbook specifically for my older kiddos. (The link for the workbook for younger children is on my right sidebar under quiet books.) I think it's got enough of a combination of "fun stuff" vs. "learning stuff" to keep them occupied for at least 1 session of conference. FYI: I also designed this little workbook/journal to coincide with one of my favorite ideas from the article in the Mar. Ensign about preparing children for general conference. As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my favorite ideas out of the article was to have each of the kids think of 3 (or however many you want) questions as they watched conference and then make a game of it the next night for FHE...who was paying the best attention??? The questions could be anything from, "What color tie was Pres. Monson wearing?" to "Who spoke about temples in the Sunday morning session?" I know my big kids would get a kick out of this...but I think that even my little ones would too. So...with that in mind, in this workbook the kids have to write down 3 things they heard in each talk and then come up with a question at the end of the talk.

Conference Journal - Older Child

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Newspapers kids Workbook

Monday Mom-blings

2009-03-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today's momble: Budgeting/Saving Money...ugh!

We've been trying to be really good the last little while....spend money only on the necessities; tighten the belt; eat out less, etc. Basically, we've decided that we need to do everything that we can to get out of debt as quickly as possible, save as much as possible, and live on as little as possible, so that we are prepared for any type of emergency...job loss, natural disaster, etc. (you know, all those really pleasant things to think about!) USUALLY,I'm pretty good at controlling my spending habits, and limiting my wants, but there are times....

Sometimes budgeting is just torture! Like this weekend. No, I didn't fall off the money-saving bandwagon, but I was close. It seems like every time the weather changes it feels like I need to spend money. Last week was beautiful! Almost spring! It gave me the "time to buy new spring things" itch. That would be o.k. if I could just buy new spring things for just one person, but there are 7 people in our family now. How do I buy for one and not the other (although, I can make that decision very easily when it's a necessity.)? That means 7 things to buy, and then there's stuff to buy for the house (cause of course the house would feel bad if everyone got something and it didn't) and my neices and nephews, and sisters, and brothers, and...you see where I'm going with this? Compound the "itch" with the fact that a lot of stores are having some great sales....AAAAHHHHHH! Torture! What to do???

I was at the store on Saturday. I was tempted! I think I had something in my hands for pretty much everyone. Woohoo! Then my brain kicked in...my sensible, money-saving side, so I went back through the store (probably for another look, just to make sure I didn't miss anything) and put everything back. Well, mostly everything! You know what the worst part of recklessly spending money is? The guilt that I get afterward. The "did I really need this" feeling. The "I should have used my money to buy food, not clothes" feeling. I probably look pretty crazy wandering around the store putting things back. Oh well...it saves the guilty conscience! And I suppose a clear conscience is worth more than a new pair of shoes (unless they're red patent leather!). I suppose that's what budgeting is...torturing yourself in one way so that you don't torture yourself in others!

Dave Ramsey always says..."Live like no one else today so that you can live like no one else tomorrow!" That's the goal! One day I won't have to budget anymore...by that time it will be so in-grained into my subconscious that I will do it anyhow...but until that day I'll just have to keep my spendng habits under control.

So, what about you? Are you feeling the need to spend money or have you already got that money-saving, budgeting thing down?

Friday Favorites

2009-03-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Since I've started doing this blog I've found tons of fun little projects to put on my to-do list. This next project is not technically a "favorite" yet (because I haven't started...yet,) but I'm sure it will make it onto my favorites list, so I'm sticking it in my "favorites" posts.

My sister-in-law, Camille, got me interested in this little project after posting about it on her blog. (Thanks Camille!) She is a GREAT scrapbooker! I like to try occassionally, but I don't usually get very far. My new interest is in digital scrapbooking or digital photobooks. That's what intrigued me about this idea. It was initially set up for regular scrapbooking, but has been or could be tweaked easily to accomodate digital scrapbooking and photobooks. The project is called Project 365 and is designed by Becky Higgins. Basically, you take a picture EVERY DAY for an entire year and journal whatever you feel is important for the day. ANYTHING!!!

Personally, I think this project sounds fun...and there are a couple of bonuses for me.
1) It helps me keep a journal
2) I have an excuse to use my camera more, and I will be able to learn how to take better pictures and hopefully become better at photography in general.

If this project sounds fun to you, check out the Project 365 link. There is more info about it, some free downloads to do the project digitally, and even some alternative ways to do the project. Have fun!

Thursday - Things to Do

2009-03-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

It's another late day. But I have an good excuse....it was beautiful outside! I figured it was about time to get working in the overgrown flowerbed out in front of our house (although you'd never know what I did if you drove by,) and then I got caught up taking pictures of the kids enjoying the warm weather. Anyhoo....

Here's the happenings this weekend:

For all you scrapbookers out there it's the Scrapbook USA Expo this weekend at the South Town Expo Center. Click here for more details. I'm not really a big scrapbooker anymore. I don't know if I ever was. Although I really liked to pretend. I'm just horrible at getting out all of the stuff...and then putting it away when I'm all done (that's almost worse than having to get it all out. I really need a room to dedicate to crafty things where I can leave all my stuff out. Maybe then I'd be motivated to do more.) Personally I prefer digital scrapbooking...or even better, the digital photobooks that you can do!

If you're looking for a sporting event, the BYU Women's Gymnastics team goes up against Utah on Friday Mar. 20th at 7pm in the Marriott Center. Tickets are $5 at the door. The girls have had a rough go of it this season what with injuries and such so I'm sure the support would be much appreciated.

Saturday, Mar. 21st from 1pm-2pm is the Bunny Hop at the Covey Center in Provo. It's $3 for kids and parents are free. Just a note for anymore mom's out there with a little princess or 2 (or more)...the princess party is coming up on Apr. 11th, 2009.

Lastly, if it's food you're after, it is March Madness Grilling at Sunflower Markets in Orem (1375 South State.) Burgers and bratwurst and all the fixin's for $1. I've actually heard a lot of good things about this farmers market. The prices and produce are supposed to be fantastic. My sister raves about their fruit...so make a grocery trip out of it and kill two birds with one stone.

If none of these sound interesting, how about just a bike ride or a walk. Go play at the park and swing on the swings. Throw the ball around outside with the kids. Just take advantage of the beautiful weather before the next storm comes!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-03-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've posted previously that not all wisdom comes from a quotable source (ie. books, leaders, well known people.) Some of the best wisdom comes from our children, or even from observing our children, and that's exactly where today's wisdom comes from. Here is Lesson #2 from Lesson's From My 3 Year Old...a blog that I have long since abandoned but not forgotten....(and as I've said before, this will be an on-going, occasional indulgence of mine)

Lesson #2
Bandaids Can Fix Everything

Kenny always says that you can fix anything with duct tape. It's a "must have" in every man's garage.

I've come to the conclusion that a bandaid is a kid's duct tape. Bandaids make everything better! Get hit in the shin with a baseball...use a bandaid. Sliver...bandaid! Wipe out on the pavement and skin your knee after attempting a quadruple twisting double back flip on your skateboard...bandaid! FYI, bandaids are good for moms too. Kids being too noisy...bandaids (to close their mouths.) No tape to wrap a present...bandaid. Need some sympathy...bandaid (a well placed bandaid can get you a well earned 15 min. of down time...and a load of hugs and kisses to go along with it) A house without bandaids will, in all likelihood, fall apart at the seams!

Funny how something so simple can make everything all better...but it does. The tears fade, the smile returns, and 2 min. after affixing the bandaid, Rylen is back out on his scooter attempting another stunt with reckless abandon. I guess life is like that. Simple things can solve the biggest problems. We have the right idea as kids. Our bandaids just evolve as we get older.
My bandaids: Chocolate, Kenny, and Prayer.

What are your bandaids???

Tuesday - Tutorial

2009-03-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

So...I'm kind of late posting today because this took me a little longer to make than I anticipated. I've decided to get back to me roots (so to speak.) Now, this may come as a shock to you...but I actually used to be a pretty decent sewer. I don't know if you could go so far as to call me a seamstress, but I could sew. My grandma taught me. I used to sew quite a bit. In fact, at one point in time I even thought I would become a clothing and textiles home economics teacher. When I was in high school I even had my own little business making and selling gymnastics leotards at my gymnastics club. Then I came to BYU...all excited to begin my career. I took my first clothing and textiles class. It was a pattern making class. It was horrible! I hated it, got a terrible grade, and as a result gave up my venture into the clothing and textiles arena. Well, like I said, I've decided it's time to get back to my roots. At one point in time I actually did have a talent in this area, however, you know the parable about the talents....if you hide them away, they get taken away from you...it's true. It's been quite a while since I've sewn anything. In fact...Rylen's never even seen my sewing machine before, and Jackson commented that "...it's been a long time since I've seen you sew anything." as he stood gawking over my shoulder as I sat at the sewing machine. Needless to say, I'm a little rusty. With that in mind, here's the project for the day....

A tote bag.
I'm not going to give you an actual tutorial for this bag because I didn't come up with the pattern. However, you can find an excellent tutorial at Mama's Pocketbook, which is where this FREE pattern came from.
I'll simply tell you what I liked and didn't like about this pattern:

Likes -

It was fairly simple. (Given the fact that I haven't sewn in several years, and I was able to make this in a couple of hours, I'd say it was pretty easy!)
Love the boxed corners. (Sorry...they're hard to see with these pics, but the tutorial shows them well.)
Love that it is reversible. (As my kids would say, "...when it gets dirty on one side, you can use the other.")
Love that it was cheap. (I didn't buy anything to make this tote...I went scrounging through old boxes of fabric, however, if you did need to buy materials, it uses very minimal fabric.)
Love the top-stitching. (Since I didn't actually go out and purchase anything and I didn't have any matching thread, I decided that I would use some top-stitching to accentuate the fact that the thread didn't match...and I like how it turned out.)

Dislikes -

It's not big enough. (I wanted a bigger tote...at least big enough to carry a binder OR multiple coloring books and supplies to church in. This tote would be big enough to carry my scriptures and a small manual in...or about the size of a purse. Next time I make this I will definitely make it bigger. It really wouldn't be that difficult.)
I didn't put in any type of closure at the top...mostly because I just couldn't find the one I wanted, but it would look better with one.
Those are really my only complaints...other than the fact that my stitching looks horrible because I couldn't get the sewing machine to work correctly, but that has nothing to do with the actual construction of the tote itself.

I'll have to give it another try one of these days...tweak a few things, maybe even splurge and buy some cool fabric to do it, but if you're looking for a fun and easy little tote to make this is a good one. Have fun!

FYI

2009-03-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Just a quick FYI...

There have been a few problems with trying to print or download the conference workbook I posted last week and the quiet book I posted a few weeks ago. I have gone back into Scribd and uploaded the documents again, but I made them public instead of keeping them private. I'm not sure if that will make a difference or not, but we'll keep our fingers crossed. If you're not able to print it directly, you should at least be able to download it to you computer and print it from there. (I made the switch on the original post or you can also find a link on the right sidebar.)

Also, please note for future reference, I will post any links to the quiet books or workbooks that I make on my right sidebar. I will most likely do a post about them to let you know about them, but occasionally they might just end up on the sidebar without any notice. If there is something specific you would like me to try to do a quiet book about let me know and I'll work on it. Thanks!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-03-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ok...there are seriously so many things to post about today I don't know where to start.

I suppose I'll start with the obvious...it's St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. WooHoo! I hate to admit it, but I'm not really one of those cool moms that does really fun things for her kids for the little holidays (Is St. Paddy's day considered a holiday??) Our box of Lucky Charms is about as festive as I get with this one...oh, except that I do LOVE to make sure that each of my kiddo's (and Kenny of course) get a little love pinch, even if they're wearing green. Wearing green is fun (and who couldn't use a wee bit o' luck) but that silly little excuse, "...it's on my underwear..," to avoid the pinch is WEAK! Maybe I'll be ambitious this year and make some green shamrock cookies...shamrock's are pretty cool. What about you? Do you do anything to celebrate St. Paddy's day or are you a grinch like me...come to think of it, the grinch is green, so at least I'm on the right track.

#2 - (I guess I've started numbering now) Is anyone tired of their kids being sick??? Luckily we only had a small bout of the flu this year but we've had that lingering cold and cough thing on and off since Christmas. It must have been a rough weekend, cause the kids are all coughing AGAIN...even Bright. I can handle it when the older kids get sick, but when the baby is sick, life is miserable. He just wants to be held all day long so I don't accomplish anything. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll at least avoid the ear infection this time around.

#3 - Did you happen to catch Glenn Beck's program last Friday...We Surround Them? I didn't get to watch it live, but we recorded it on the DVR (cause Kenny loves Glenn Beck) and watched it last night. I'll admit, he's probably not my favorite (I'm a Hannity kind of girl,) but he is passionate about our country and I think he's got the right idea. He's starting a project called the 912 project and is encouraging everyone to join in. Basically, he says it's our responsibility to take back our country so he is encouraging us to meet with our family and friends and discuss what is going on in the country and what we can do to make it better. If you missed the program, go to the link to read about the 9 principles and 12 values that Glenn thinks we should get back to. I like it! I think it could be interesting meeting together and having discusions about the state of our country and what we can do to improve it. Is anyone interested? Let me know...we'll arrange it, and of course treats will be provided!!

#4 - (This is the lst thing...I promise!) I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm taking an on-line seminar by Time Out for Women. The focus this month is The Divine Gift of Influence and last week's topic was the first half of Sixteen principles of Leadership. I've really been enjoying the classes and I thought I would just share a couple of things that I found interesting. One of the 16 principles of leadership is Less is More. What I loved about this principle is that Sis. Dew made a point of saying that not everything we do deserves our best effort...sometimes it just has to be done...on the other hand, some things demand our best effort. Does this mean anything to you? I've always been one who says that if you're going to do anything you might as well do your best, but I think Sis. Dew is right. There are some things we need to do just to get done (ie. the laundry) but there are other things that require our best effort (ie. our families.) Another principle of leadership she mentioned was Leaders Communicate But They Do More than Just Talk...specifically (for me at least) that leaders speak the language of those they lead. She's right. People respond more to yoiu if they feel like you are speaking their language. I tend to take the authoritative position with my kids (which, I suppose as a mother I should do) but I think that if I learned their language I would be able to talk to them more and be more of an influence in their lives because they would see that I understood them. I guess I'll be taking a few languages courses over the next little while. How about you? The final point I wanted to share with you was a kind of cool story that Sis. Dew told. It had to do with the principle, Leaders See Opportunities Where Others Don't. She shared a story about Tiger Wood. In the 1999 Phoenix Open Tiger hit a shot that landed behind a rock (more like a boulder.) The rules, at the time, stated that if something was blocking your shot and you could move that "something" you could do so without any penalty. If you couldn't move whatever was blocking your shot then you could take a penalty and move your ball. When Tiger's ball ended up behind the boulder, knowing the rules, he turned to the crowd and jokingly said, "...so what do you think? Can we move it?" A bunch of people watching in the gallery came out of the crowd and moved the boulder. Who else besides Tiger would have thought to involve the crowd? Who else besides Tiger could have even asked and then had people willingly volunteer to move the boulder? The point of the story was three fold. Leaders see things differently than others. Leaders seize opportunities where others overlook them, and Leading is usually not about doing more, it's about doing something differently. (I mention this last point because I think it fits in well with the whole Glenn Beck 912 project.) I will just mention that although you may not consider yourself a "leader" remember you are a parent and that is probably the most important kind of leader there is.

Well. that's it. I'm one. Sorry...that was a lot of mombling about a lot of different things, but if you made it to the end of this post, congratulations! Hopefully the baby will be feeling better soon so that I can get to the rest of my posts this week. If he's not then I'm sure you'll understand the lack of posts as I will be speaking Bright's language and holding him until he does feel better!

Friday Favorites

2009-03-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Last night at our RS enrichment meeting we had a seminary teacher come do a presentation on centering our lives on Christ. He did a great job! Along with speaking he showed a slideshow of a song that I have never heard before. This is not his slideshow (I really liked the slideshow he did a lot better) but I wanted to share the song with you. The song is, "I Am" sung by Nichole Nordeman, and it has jumped up there on my list of favorites!

Pencil marks on a wall, I wasn't always this tall
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed
You watched my team win
You watched my team lose
Watched when my bicycle went down again
And when I was weak, unable to speak
Still I could call You by name
And I said, Elbow Healer, Superhero
Come if You can
You said, I Am

Only sixteen, life is so mean
What kind of curfew is at 10pm?
You saw my mistakes
And watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I'd never love again
And when I was weak, unable to speak
Still I could call You by name
And I said Heartache Healer, Secret Keeper
Be my best friend
And you said, I Am

You saw me wear white by pale candlelight
I said forever to what lies ahead
Two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
Too much it might seem when it is 2am
And when I am weak, unable to speak
Still I will call You by name
Shepherd, Savior, Pasture Maker
Hold onto my hand
You say, I Am

The winds of change and circumstance blow in and all around us
So we find a foothold that's familiar
And bless the moments that we feel You nearer

When life had begun, I was woven and spun
You let the angels dance around the throne
And who can say when, but they'll dance again
When I am free and finally headed home
I will be weak, unable to speak
Still I will call You by name
Creator, Maker, Life Sustainer
Comforter, Healer, my Redeemer
Lord and King, Beginning and the End

I Am
Yes, I Am

Thursday Things to Do

2009-03-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

What are you doing this weekend? I'd like to say we'll be doing something really fun, BUT, I'm pretty sure we'll be sanding the basement. Hopefully your weekend will be more fun. There are a lot of things going on this weekend...something for everyone I'm sure. Here's the scoop: (Click on the links for more info)

MUSIC

BYU Men's and Women's Chorus Concert - Mar. 13-14th -de Jong Concert Hall

The Osmonds - Second Generation Concert - Mar. 14th - Scera Theater

Light of the World - Mar. 15th - Scera Theater - FREE Admission

SPORTS

BYU Baseball vs. Utah - Mar. 13-14th - Miller Park

Utah Flash Basketball - Mar. 13-14th - McKay Events Center

FAMILY

Kids Time at the Covey Center - Mar. 14th 1pm - 2 pm - $3/child, parents are free

Museum Monday - (at Thanksgiving Point) - Mar.15th, 5-7pm -$10/adult, $8/child

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-03-11T07:31:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a clip by a comedian on Youtube making fun of people because they/we complain about everything. Unfortunately, he was more right than wrong. It made me wonder if I was like one of the complainers? Hope not! Anyhow, then I read this quote on a friend's blog. It immediately reminded me of the Youtube clip, but it also reminded me that all I need to do to NOT be one of the complainers is to count my blessings!

Excerpt from "How to Be Totally Miserable" by John Bytheway

Lots of people complain. Most people complain about their problems, but miserable people are different-they complain about their blessings. If their car breaks down, they complain that it isn't new. If their waitress is slow, they complain and withhold a tip. If their cell phone drops a call, they complain about their service. They're like the people in the Old Testament who got free food from heaven and said, "What? Manna again?" By contrast, happy people are grateful to have a car, thankful they can afford to eat at a restaurant, and stoked that they have a cell phone. Most people in the world don't have cars, can't afford restaurants, and have never sent a text message. Happy people count their blessings, while the miserable complain about theirs.

Count your blessings today. It will do wonders and, more than likely, put a smile on your face!

Tuesday

2009-03-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wow...today has been a busy day. It's almost dinner time and I'm just now getting to this post. Better late than never I suppose!

Well, once again I don't really have a great tutorial for you, but I've been working on a conference worksheet/journal for younger children since conference is coming up so I thought I would share it with you. One of my previous posts talked about some of the ideas mentioned in the Mar.2009 Ensign to prepare children for conference. I really liked the idea of having each of the children come up with questions for a family night conference quiz on the Monday after conference, but I didn't know if that would be possible with a 3 year old. I tried to design this little workbook so that it would entertain my 3 year old but also so that, given a little direction I could help him come up with 3 questions about things he remembered for conference for our FHE quiz. (I'm also going to do a workbook for older kids...just check back later.) The pictures are mostly from the gospel art kit and the Friend. Hope it's useful to you...

Conference Journal - Young Child

Publish at Scribd or explore others: kids Workbook

Word of Warning: I didn't really do a great proof-read job on it so hopefully there are no major mistakes. Let me know if you find any and I'll fix them and then re-post it. Again this can be downloaded through Scribd. Sorry for the inconvenience but I'm not super computer literate and this is the easiest and most convenient way for me to do this at this time and registering is free so it's not too big of a deal!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-03-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

I think I'm a change kinda gal...easy, minor changes anyhow. I wouldn't go so far to say that I would love a major change like moving to a new country or maybe even state for that matter...I mean, I definitely have a comfort zone...but I definitely like to change things up.
Take hair for example. I love to try new hairstyles. I probably wouldn't go for the green spiky mohawk, but I can go from long to short without a second thought. I'm sure it drives my stylist nuts because every time I go in I want something different.
Here's another one...furniture. I love to rearrange my furniture (much to the dismay of my husband since he's always the muscle involved.) This ones a little harder though. Furniture is kind of heavy sometimes and it takes me a few tries moving things to different places before I get what I want and more often than not it involves moving furniture to and from several different rooms, but it's a change and it keeps things interesting.

Why am I talking about change??? I don't know. I just felt like a change this morning and since "the muscle" is not home to rearrange the furniture and my stylist is booked 3 weeks out I went with the next best thing...the blog. Do you like it?? I've been looking for a good 3 column (love the 3 column!) layout FOREVER! Well, maybe not forever, but for a long time and I just found a bunch. So, I'm excited. I can't say that this will be the end to my blog changing because
#1-I like change (I think I already mentioned that)
#2-I'd still like to learn how to write HTML and figure out how to custom make my own layouts so that I can get just what I want (although that's no guarantee that I still wouldn't change things up all the time...in fact it's probably a catalyst to my change addiction)...and
#3 - I'm just beginning to develop this blog.

So what about you? Are you a change kinda gal? What are you in the process of changing?

Friday Favorites

2009-03-06T08:24:00.001-08:00

Kid's love books. I love books. In fact, in what's left of my spare time you can usually find me reading a book...and guess what, it's usually a kids' book or a young adult book (I like to preview them for my older kids.) Today, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite children's authors with you.

Tedd Arnold - He is both author and illustrator for his books. This particular book is one of my favorites of his. Love the rhyming and repetition, and of course the illustrations are great. My kids also like his books about Huggly (the little green monster.) Admittedly, I have not read all of his books, but my kids and I have both enjoyed the ones that we have read.

Audrey Wood - Kenny's grandma introduced us to these books and she has been one of my favorite children's authors since. She and her husband work together...she writes, he illustrates. Some of her books are funny. Some are serious. Some teach lessons. Elbert's Bad Word is one of my favorites...but King Bidgood's In the Bathtub is right up there too.

Doreen Cronin - I don't know if my kids have enjoyed these books as much as i have, but I think these are hilarious. I love the duck!

Robert Munsch - This post wouldn't be complete without mentioning Robert Munsch. Thomas' Snowsuit is one of my all-time favorites (I laugh just thinking about it,) but there are so many more good ones...The Paper Bag Princess (I had this book when I was a kid!) Love You Forever, Makeup Mess...to mention a few.

So there ya go...plenty of books to keep you and your kids entertained for a few days! Take a trip to the local library and check something out. You won't be disappointed!

Thursday Things To Do

2009-03-05T09:34:00.001-08:00

The annual Spring Home and Garden Festival is going on over the next few days. I've never gone before so I couldn't tell you what to expect, but spring is on it's way which means it's almost time to plant flowers and start gardens. I'm sure this event could offer some good suggestions to that end. It would also probably offer some good suggestions towards any home improvement or renovation...even if you just need an idea for a small change. Here's a link if you'd like more info. You can buy discounted tickets with this link.

Here's a couple more ideas for a date night:

Vocal Point - Performing at the Covey Center in Provo Mar. 6-7. (One of my personal favorites!)
Jericho Road - Performing at the Scera in Orem Mar. 7.

Hope you have a fun weekend!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-03-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a "Time Out For Women" seminar. Sheri Dew is the instructor for the next couple of weeks. The lessons this month are focusing on "The Divine Gift of Influence" with a specific focus each week. This week the topic is "Righteous Women Can Change the World." Sis. Dew spoke about our focus and influence this week and asked us to think about:
1. What our focus is on
2. How a life focused on Christ compares to ours
3. What we can do to improve our focus
4. What influence we have as a result of our focus.

The following are 2 quotes from the lesson that I found particularly poignant. The first reminds me of where my focus should be. The second leaves me feeling hopeful, in spite of trying times, for a brighter future.

"What you're focused on determines what you see and what you don't see.....If we focus on the world, we don't see the Lord or the adversary. If we focus on the Lord, we not only see Him with clearer vision, but we are also better able to detect the presence of the adversary." -Sheri Dew

"These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life...that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues."
-Abigail Adams (David McCullough, John Adams, Simon & Schuster, 226.)

*Just a quick note. If you're interested in the Time Out for Women Seminars, they are available on-line now. Click here for more info.

Tuesday Tip

2009-03-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

I'd like to say that I have a fabulous tutorial or totally awesome tip for today...but I don't (aside from making sure that your kids never use regular dish soap in the dishwasher.) I'm working on a lot of things and have a bunch of different ideas that I would like to try out but I have nothing to show for it...YET! Stay tuned....

Monday Mom-blings

2009-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Random Blessings
Today's momblings will truly be momblings because I've been thinking about a lot of things, but each of my thoughts always bring me back to the blessings in my life.

Blessing #1 - We went to the BYU vs. Utah basketball game on Saturday with some friends. It's always nice to get together with friends and talk and reminisce. We dropped the kids off at my sister's house (thank you! Kir) and her husband asked us how we got tickets. Kenny replied that his friend always gets a couple extra tickets for this game and it's become kind of tradition for both of us to go together. What a tradition...someone else buys the tickets and we get to go along!! LOL! Anyway, I was thinking what a blessing it is to have good friends. We've known these particular friends for quite a while...in fact, Kenny grew up with them. I always think of what a blessing it was for Kenny to have such good friends while he was growing up, and of the blessing that we still enjoy now because they have been able to maintain that friendship over several years and many miles.

Blessing #2 - I went to make dinner yesterday and remembered that I didn't have any rolls to make to go along with dinner, SO, I did what I haven't done in a long time...I made them FROM SCRATCH!! Yikes! (Technically I made the dough in the breadmaker but it still counts!) Anyway, it gave me the opportunity to teach Ashlynn how to make rolls...just like my grandma used to teach me. That (to teach Ashlynn how to do something) was a blessing in and of itself but it go me thinking about what a blessing my grandma was in my life. She taught me a lot of skills that really aren't used very often anymore, and although I don't use them very often, I can still do them which will be another blessing if hard times continue.

Blessing #3 - We've been trying to get our family on a budget and work towards getting out of debt as quickly as we can. Thankfully, we've never had a huge amount of debt, but with a house payment and a car payment and a credit card payment (we broke down and used the credit card to help us finish the basement so that we wouldn't take too much out of our savings) on top of all the other bills things always seem tight. I was counting my blessings last night for several reasons. Kenny was preparing our taxes and it looks like our return will cover most of our credit card costs. Blessing! As Kenny was doing our taxes he commented that we made significantly less money this year than last. Not a blessing in and of itself, but what a blessing to still have a job in such a difficult economy AND what a blessing to be able to live on less and still be ok! Blessing!

Are things perfect right now? No, but things are good and if you think about it I bet you can come up with a few random blessings that you haven't thought of in a while. So, what are some of your random blessings? Think about it!

Friday Favorites

2009-02-27T07:36:00.001-08:00

When I was a little kid I used to listen to music as I went to sleep. I listened to the "Let's Sing Together" cassette tape (I'm getting old) every night for a long time. It got to the point where I could sing every song in the right order with all of the different voices. Funny enough, I can still remember many of the songs, the order, and the voices today...even funnier, Kenny used to listen to the same cassette and he can do the same thing. (I guess that means we were meant for each other!) My beloved cassette tape lasted through my first child (who I must say, loved it too) but then some mischevious little hands destroyed it. Since that fateful day I've searched high and low for something even comparable to my "Let's Sing Together" music...something fun, something churchy (so we can listen to it on Sunday), and something that the kids actually want to listen to. I've finally found it (well, technically I found it about a year ago) and because it is "Let's Sing Together" good, it goes on my favorite's list!

I guess times have changed. The kids would probably make fun of my favorite tape (if they could even figure out how to use it) but they LOVE to listen to these CD's. There was a point in time that Rylen would ask for them to be turned on every time we got into the car. I suppose you could say this is my "Let's Sing Together" tape made current! The kids' favorites include the Snowman Song and Peanut Butter and Jelly. Anyhow, if you don't have these already, put them on your list. The kids will love them!

Thursday - Things to Do

2009-02-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

Here's something fun...thanks to Mindy for bringing it to my attention.

Walter Wick is the author of the I Spy and Can You See What I See? series. His photographs and models are on display at the BYU Museum of Art from Feb. 26th thru Aug. 1. Admission is FREE and there are also FREE family games. (Could it get any better than that?) You can find more information on the website.

If you're not able to take advantage of the museum this weekend, wouldn't it be a great weekend to make cookies with the kiddies??? Just a quick and easy (not to mention yummy) family fun time. Pull out your favorite recipe and have at it! The kids will have a ball and everyone's happy when there are cookies in the house! We made sugar cookies last night...but don't chocolate chip cookies sound yummy! Mmmmmm...

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-02-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks...maybe since the beginning of the year...I've felt the need to learn. Learn what? I'm not sure if there is anything specific, and since I don't have the option of going back to school at the moment, most of my learning will be done through my own reading and experiences. I love this quote by M. Russell Ballard given in his April 2008 conference talk entitled, "Daughters of God."

"...sisters, find some time to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to other, even your children. Avoid any kind of substance abuse, mistakenly thinking that it will help you accomplish more. And don't allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

Just an FYI for anyone that might be interested: I received an e-mail for a new Time Out For Women Class. (Time Out For Women is a learning seminar designed for women. There are classes all over the country.) They are now offering an on-line seminar. The cost for a limited time is $39.99 for 3 classes, which is actually 3 months worth of classes. The instructors include Sheri Dew, Wendy Watson Nelson, and S. Michael Wilcox. Here's a link for more info if you're interested.

Tuesday Tutorial

2009-02-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

Today's tutorial is on how to make an upholstered headboard. (I know I've posted pictures about it on my personal blog, but I don't remember ever posting any instructions on how to do it. A few people have asked how to do it, so here it is.)

Things you'll need:
*A piece of wood (MDF, hardwood, anything...) sized for your bed. Height and width depend on your preference.
*A drill
*A staple gun
*Fabric (enough to cover the wood with extra to wrap around the edges)
*High Density Foam (1" or 2" whichever you prefer)
*Batting (enough to cover the piece of wood)
*Adhesive Spray
*Buttons (optional)
*Washers (only needed if you use buttons)
*Needle and Upholstery Thread (again, only needed if you use buttons)

Instructions:
1. Cut the wood to the desired height and width (the store will do this if you ask)
2. If you're going to use buttons (for a tufted look,) decide where you are going to place them. Mark it on the wood and drill a small hole (large enough for your upholstery needle to fit through.)
3. Spray the adhesive on the front of the wood and carefully lay your high density foam on top. (I say carefully because with most brands of adhesive you'll only get one chance...it's super sticky!)
4. Once the foam is secured, place the batting down on top of the foam. Wrap it around the edges of the wood. Use a staple gun to secure the batting down on the backside of the wood.
5. Place your fabric down, right side up, on the foam (the front side of your board.) TIP: I actually laid my fabric right side down on the floor and placed my board with the batting and foam directly on top of it. It made wrapping the fabric around the board a lot easier!!
6. Wrap the fabric around to the backside of the headboard on 1 side. Start stapling from the middle of the headboard. Pull fabric TIGHT for the best look. Staple 1 entire side before moving on to the next side. Repeat for all sides. Wrap the corners like you would wrap a present. The key is to make sure that the fabric is always being pulled tight.
7. Once the fabric has been stapled down on all sides, you're pretty much finished...unless you would like to add buttons for decoration to the headboard. If you're using buttons, thread your needle, start on the backside of the headboard, poke the needle through the wood, foam, batting and fabric (leave a long thread on the backside.) Attach your button and bring the needle and thread back through to the backside of your headboard. Pull the button tight. Tie a knot around a washer (with both ends of thread) to secure the button. Don't worry...the washer won't be seen. It's on the backside of the headboard. Repeat this procedure for each button.

Ta-Da...you have your very own upholstered, custom-made headboard. I mounted mine directly on the wall (like a floating shelf) however, there are several ways to mount it. I like it, but it's kind of permanent and I like to move furniture around quite a bit. I could still move it, but it would take a lot of work...and some patch work on the wall. (My husband got a little drill happy when putting the headboard up.) I've heard of people mounting the headboard on the wall with heavy duty picture hooks. Not sure how that would work?? My personal preference...and what I will do next time; buy enough wood to stand the headboard on the floor behind the bed (all the wood could be upholstered or else it could just be left as wood) or put some sort of legs on the headboard and attach it to the bed frame.

Cost: I was trying to see how cheaply I could make the headboard...therefore, I used MDF, 1" foam, batting that I already had, made my own buttons, and I got a great deal on the fabric...SO, the grand total was right around $100. Obviously the cost would go up depending on the materials that you use, but I'm really happy with our cheap headboard.

Idea: You might find an old headboard on craigslist or at a garage sale. What a perfect project to upholster...you could cut a piece out of the headboard to upholster and then stick it back in. Easy! I think I might try this next time!

*Sorry for the lack of pictures. I made the headboard before I ever thought of blogging about it! If you have any questions or if my directions are not clear, leave a comment and your e-mail address and I'll answer them as best I can.

Monday Mombles

2009-02-23T07:38:00.000-08:00

So, I just read an article in the March 2009 Ensign that had to do with preparing your children for general conference. I love conference. I love staying home and watching conference in my pj's. I love having our family over for our traditional Sunday morning conference breakfast, but more often than not our conference morning turns into a chorus of: "Do I have to watch the whole thing?" or "move over, you're in my space," or "stop hitting me" or "he took my marker." Does this sound familiar?

Anyway, I loved some of the ideas that were in the ensign and I think that I'll try to incorporate some of them into our conference viewing. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites:
1. Put a bowl of treats on the table. Designate a word to listen for (either in all of the talks or change the word for each talk.) If the kids hear the word as they listen to the talk, they can take a treat. (This would be perfect since I have a ton of left-over m&m's from bribing Rylen when he was potty-training.)
2. Conference Quiz. Have everyone in the family watch and listen to conference and come up with 3-5 questions about it (ie. Anything from "What color was Pres. Monson's tie?" to "What did Elder Bednar teach us about families?") Obviously, the younger the children, the more simple the question. The for FHE the following Monday break out your conference quiz and talk about what was learned during conference this year. (My kids would LOVE this one...and actually, my quiz questions would probably be the easy ones because they would ask ones that would try to stump everyone.)
3. Buy each child a copy of of the conference Ensign (when it comes out) and a highlighter, and discuss the talks for FHE. (Obviously this one is for after conference but I thought it was a good idea and something I might try.)

Typically we do the standard coloring page or conference activity book at our house. (I may even make my own little conference activity book while I'm messing around with photoshop...I'll post it if I do.) Most of the kids still enjoy it, but we might mix it up a little. These ideas could be kind of fun. What do you do with your kids to help them listen to and sit through conference?

Friday Favorites

2009-02-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

Favorites.
Favorites!
Hmmmm...so many to choose from.
What will it be??
Ok, I've got it....
2 favorites...a long time fave, and a newly discovered fave!

1. Magleby's OR Magleby's Fresh (the take out version of Magleby's.)
Valentine's Day gave me a small taste of one of my favorite restaurants again...or at least a taste of their dessert! YUMMY!! I consider myself a chocolate connoisseur (ie. I've had my fair share of desserts, most of them chocolaty, over the years.) Anyhoo...for Valentine's day I got Kenny some of my (oops..HIS) favorite chocolate cake. It wasn't planned, but I happened to have to pick something up right around the corner from the restaurant that serves said cake and I couldn't pass it up. In truth, Magleby's is just one of those "special occassion" restaurants for us. It's kind of and indulgence, and definitely a little spendy (although Fresh is a little nicer on the pocketbook) but, oh, so worth it...for the chocolate cake alone. I would actually recommend Fresh more than Magleby's, but that's just me. There you have it. If you're ever out and need a bite to eat, give it a try. And don't forget the dessert. (Our cake is long gone but my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I'm tempted to go buy another serving of it for my daily chocolate dose!)
2. A blog was brought to my attention by a good friend of mine. (An aspiring author, who has a pretty fun blog herself. Winded Words...check it out when you have a minute or two. She's always got a new project or two going on and loves feedback on her ideas.)
Chocolate on my Cranium is a fun little blog with all sorts of ideas. I, specifically love the weekly FHE ideas...they're fast, fun, creative, and best of all, downloadable. Perfect for those of us who need a little help with family night. Go to her blog; click the FHE button at the top; choose which lesson you'd like to see/use/download, and voila...FHE in a pinch!

Addition

2009-02-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Just as a quick little note:

Rise and shout the Cougars are out...

If the temple open house is not going to work for you this weekend there are also a bunch of BYU sporting events going on that might be up your alley. (I'm giving a shout out to the gymnastics team...since that's my own alma mater, but there are a few other sporting events going on as well)

Women's Gymnastics vs. Boise State, Utah State & San Jose State - Fri. Feb. 20th, 7pm in the Marriott Center ($15/family, or $5/adult, $4/child)

Go Cougars!!

Thursday - Things To Do

2009-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

I'm sure many of you have already done this, but on the off chance that you haven't (and you would like to and are able to) please take advantage of this opportunity before it passes.

The LDS church is doing open house sessions for the new temple in Draper, UT. The sessions are free but require a ticket. All information regarding the open house sessions may be obtained through this link. This activity would be great as a date night or an activity with the kids.

We're going tomorrow night with the kids and some friends. The kids are really excited, so it should be a fun evening.

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-02-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

*I had an idea a while ago to write down all of the things that I learned from my kids. I called it, "Lesson's From My 3 Year Old" although I've learned things from each of my children. I tried to write diligently each week, but kind of fizzled out after a little while. One of my thoughts in starting this blog was to give me an opportunity to restart writing excerpts for "Lesson's From My 3 Year Old"...occasionally. So, indulge me. Every so often Wednesday Wisdom will not necessarily be wisdom from a quotable source but wisdom learned from my observations of my kiddies.

Lesson #1 - I Belong...

I've noticed that each of my kids likes to look at pictures of themselves and our family. This has never really struck me as unique until I noticed Bright (our 7 mo. old) doing the same thing. I would hold him as I worked at the computer and he would wiggle and squirm until I brought up pictures of our family from our blog. Then he would get a big smile on his face. He would get all excited and start to babble. I also noticed this same reaction every time Kenny's picture came up on my phone. Bright's reaction was the same every time he recognized the people in the pictures, but he was very indifferent to pictures of people that he did not recognize....and I started wondering "why?" I know that babies enjoy looking at faces, so it shouldn't have really mattered which faces he saw, but Bright's strong response came only when he saw our faces. Why? Obviously he sees us all the time. He recognizes us. He knows us. We are familiar to him. He feels like he belongs with us.

My lesson learned:
We are each born with the light of Christ. Some of us are fortunate enough to have families where that knowledge is cultivated. Other's have to search for it. When found, I think that we experience that same sort of reaction that Bright had. The excitement. The recognition. The feeling like, "this is where we belong." We recognize our divine heritage,are drawn to it, and are drawn to other people that radiate that same light....just like Bright recognized and was drawn to the pictures of our family. It is where we "belong."

Tuesday Tip

2009-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

Today's post isn't so much a tip or tutorial (for you at least.) I've been trying to teach myself a little bit about photoshop, so I've been doing a lot of playing around. While I was playing around I decided to make a little quiet book for church for Rylen. (I'm always looking for something to hold his interest for a minute and keep him quiet through sacrament.) Anyway, I love the new song the kids are learning in primary this year, "The Family is of God" by Matthew Neeley and I thought I would make a little book out of that so...

GGUF Binder

(GGUF stands for God Gave Us Families.) I think I made this in a 4x6 size...to be put into one of those little photo books that you can buy at the dollar store, but if you're printing it off in Acrobat, then you can also print multiple pages on the sheet (making it smaller.) I would print the pages off on cardstock (or regular paper and then mount on cardstock for stability) then you could put them in the photo book OR you could just laminate the pages and hook them together with a binder clip or something and voila a quick little quiet book for your small kiddies that will also help them learn the words to the song for primary. Enjoy! Oh, and if you happen to want a bigger size leave me a comment and I'll try to figure out how to resize it.

The Family is of God - Quiet Book height="500" width="100%" > value="http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=13327343&access_key=key-2fpa7rfu16add41kln0i&page=1&version=1&viewMode=">

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu Books Fiction kids Primary

*Also, I had to upload the book to scribd. Not the most convenient place to put it because you have to register on the site to get the book, but registration is free. I'm also hoping that you might be able to print it directly from the view in this post. Click on the iPaper button and it should give you an option to print, but if you want to download it you'll probably have to go to scribd. Let me know how it works. Thanks!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

Chores.

I have mine. Kenny has his. The kids have theirs. Everyone does their job. The home runs smoothly. Everyone is happy. Isn't that how it's suppose to work???

At our house, it's like pulling teeth to get the kids to do their chores. I'm sure that's not very different from every home in America, but I wonder how you balance the whole work/responsibility thing with the "they're kids, let them have fun" thing. Ive read a ton of the parenting books, but what works in theory is a lot different from what works in reality. I've come to the conclusion that either I'm a really mean mom (this is what my kids would vote for) or else I just expect to much from my kids.

Here's the deal, my kids have both daily chores and weekly chores. Daily chores include straightening up their bedrooms and doing a quick clean of one of the rooms in the house (ie. pick up towels in the bathroom, put away toys/blankets/whatever in the living room, do the dishes and sweep the floor.) Weekly jobs include doing a deep clean of the bedroom and one of the rooms in the house (bathroom, living room, kitchen.) Literally all their work could be done in less than 30 minutes. Add on homework for 30 minutes after school and the kids could be out the door, playing with their friends an hour after they're home from school. Weekly jobs take a little longer...maybe 30 - 45 min. each (just to ensure that a good job is done.) This is how it's supposed to be. This is how it really is...On a daily basis, the kids come home from school, mess around for however long they can get away with it, pretend to do their jobs for as long as think it should take them, do the minimal requirements of their homework and ask to go play with friends. Now, I'm not dumb...it just takes one look at the various rooms of the house to know that nothing was done, so I then get upset and make them do it again. Of course by the time everything is REALLY done, the time frame to go out and play with friends is also done and that's when the weeping,wailing, and gnashing of teeth starts. Saturday is pretty much the same...just on a grander scale. The thing is...with minimal effort, I could do all of their jobs while they're at school...and I do occasionally, but I've found that if I do their work for them, instead of being appreciative of a nice act performed on their behalf, they come to expect that it should be done for them or they think that it's my job anyhow so it's not a big deal. Plus they're not learning any of those important life lessons that are learned just by having to do chores (ie. families that work together, stay together sort of thing, work ethic, responsibility, consequences, etc.) There is a delicate balance. As a mom it's my job to teach them how to work, be responsible and prepare them for life, so quite often I have to take the tough stand, but I also want them to have the opportunity to be kids and have fun.

So...what happens at your house? How do you get your kids to do their chores? How do you balance responsibility and fun and how do you stay happy and sane amidst it all? Do tell.....

Friday Favorites

2009-02-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

So, in keeping with the festivities of the week I've decided to post two favorite Valentine's Day things: A Chocolaty Treat and An Idea!

This yummy treat has been a family favorite for quite a while now, and no, we don't just use it for Valentine's Day, but Valentine's Day and chocolate are inseparable, so here you go...

Brownie Pudding Cake
(this is a Pampered Chef recipe...however, I'm sure there are other recipes just like it out there)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/12 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 table spoon powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk,melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla; stir until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in 9x13 pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup coca; gradually stir in boiling water and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Carefully pour mixture evenly over batter in pan.
3. Bake 30 - 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Spoon into dishes.

Let me just say...this dessert is HEAVEN on earth served with a scoop (or 2) of vanilla ice cream!!

The next idea is brand new...for me (and although I wish I could claim credit for this one, I can't. All credit goes to Andy at Poppies at Play. She is incredibly talented and has some amazing ideas. Go visit her blog to see more of her ideas, and for those of us who are craft-impaired, she also sells many of her creations at PoppyGinger.)

5 Senses Basket
-Fill a basket with an item from each sense. For example:

Touch: A coupon for a back or foot massage.
Taste: Sparkling cider, chocolates, or make him his favorite dinner or dessert.
Sight: Something sexy for you to wear later:) or a photo album of just the two of you.
Smell: A nice smelling candle or lotion that you can use for the massage.
Sound: Put together a mix of his favorite music, an iTunes gift card or a cd.

For a card you could say something like " I love you with all of my senses". There are lots of fun possibilities and you could really do it pretty inexpensively.

There you have it...some immediate Valentine favorites. Have fun! Enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

Thursday...Things To Do

2009-02-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

So, you would think this post might be about a romantic restaurant or date idea for the big day, but you couldn't be more wrong! (haha) My suggestion this week is for a family activity.

One of my family's favorite activities (especially the younger ones) is Kangaroo Zoo. It is a "...unique indoor active play and celebration environment which caters to the needs of children and parents alike..." (Their description.) Basically it's a big building full of those big blow-up jump houses where the kids can run wild for hours on end and get really, really, really tired!!! (my description...I think mine's better, don't you??)

The kids go in looking like this (well not exactly):

They do a little bit of this:

and come out looking like this:

How can you beat that? The kids have fun and get all tired out, leaving (what could turn out to be) a nice quiet...dare I say, romantic, evening for mom and dad. (Hey, who needs a babysitter...just tire out the kids, put them to bed, and let your Valentine's night begin.)

*Just a quick note: Kangaroo Zoo is open Monday thru Saturday from 10am-8pm (approx). Once you're in, you can stay as long as you like so it's a pretty good value. Cost is between $5 and $8 and there is no charge for watching.

Sorry to anyone not in our area. Better luck next time, but I'm sure there is something similar in your area. Now go out, have fun with the kids...and then have fun with your valentine!

Wednesday Wisdom

2009-02-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."
-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I think about this line of the poem around Valentine's Day for a couple of different reasons. It reminds me that "love" is a verb. "Saying" I love you through our actions is just as important as actually voicing the words. It helps to remind me of the small everyday actions of my family that show (even though I might not think about it that way at the time) that they love me. Bright growls in my ear when he is comfortable. Rylen shares his songs on his iPod because he thinks they're my favorite. Breven tidies up the loft every morning before we read scriptures and pray. Ashlynn changes Bright's diaper...willingly. Jackson takes the garbage out when it is full. Kenny answers my calls while he's work and takes time to talk to me. It also helps me to remember that I also need to show others that I love them. Sometimes actions go further than words. The words are the initial act and the actions are the follow through. Love requires both our hearts and our hands.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
-Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse

Tuesday Tutorial

2009-02-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

So, today's tutorial is easy enough for even craft-impaired people such as myself.
In my blog surfing, I came across a few blogs (if I could remember which ones they were, I'd give them a shout out) that suggested to go to a specific web-site and try it out...that's what this is.

Wordle is a toy for generating "word clouds" from text that you provide (that's taken directly from their web-site)...and the cool thing is that it is totally free! Good news for all of us watching our budgets these days. So, here's what you do:
1. Head on over to the Wordle web-site (linked above)
2. Hit create
3. Start typing in your words. *Note: The greater number of times you type in a specific word, the larger it will appear in your word cloud. In my example provided, the word "family" was typed in 10x, but the word "work" was only typed in 1x
4. When you're finished typing in your words, hit "Go" and wordle will create the word cloud for you.
5. Once your word cloud is created you can edit the text color, layout, font, and language by just clicking on a few buttons.
6. Hit print and voila...your own personalized art! Easy, Peasy!!!

Here's my attempt. I used my family's names and wording from "The Family, A Proclamation To The World." Talk about easy...and what a fun and personal gift to give someone. (That's a hint to my sister's...don't do this, it's your Christmas present this year...LOL.)

Just think of the other things you could do with it. Create cute, personalized art for your kids room, print the wordle off on transfer paper and use it to create a fun headboard, t-shirt, etc. Just one disclaimer: use of the site is free for personal use, not for commercial use. Respect the creator's terms so that all of us can continue to create fun stuff for free!!!
Give it a try and let me know what you've created! It's pretty fun!

Monday Mom-blings

2009-02-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

I was trying to think of something to write today and realized that I haven't done a post at all (ever) about Valentine's Day. I'm not really a huge proponent of the Day...not that I oppose it, but it's just not that big a deal to me. It's fun for the kids and I wouldn't complain if my hubby brought home some flowers, but saying "I love you" is not a 'one special day' thing. Love is not saved for a special day and neither are the kind acts that show it. With that said here's my tribute to Valentine's Day.

The Things I Love

*Bright's pouty lip
*A long hot shower!! (I'm not a bath-taker)
*A QUIET day at home (These are few and far between)
*To curl up on the couch with a good book
*A good idea
*To see an idea come to fruition (harder than you would think since I tend to see an idea and not do anything about it)
*A good back rub
*Warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of ice cold milk
*Snuggling up to Kenny on the couch
*Pizza & movie night with the family
*Sister's willing to babysit
The gospel
*Tulips blooming in the spring
*Sleeping in
*Eating out
*Playing the piano

and of course....my hubby and kids!

Now...this is not an all-inclusive list, but definitely the things I love...not like or heart or whatever...LOVE! What's on your list? Think about it. Write about it. Blog about it. Tell me about it. Do something about it! Happy Valentine's Day!

The Beginning

2009-02-07T19:32:00.001-08:00

So this blog has come about for a couple of different reasons:

1. I've been trying to set some goals for this year. I'm horrible at it. I don't want to make them too vague because then I won't do them, but I don't want to make them too specific because then I'll feel like a failure if I don't do them (you can see I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.) Anyway, I finally came up with a two fold goal: Improve myself and Improve my family. I know what you're saying...so much for not being vague, but here is where the second reason for the blog comes into play.
2. Quite occasionally I find myself randomly blog surfing. (I'm sure I have things to do, but I consider my time doing my blog "me" time.) I digress...as I was saying, "blog surfing"...and in my surfing I found myself making comments like, "oh that's cute" or "oh I should try that" or something along those lines and then these 2 ideas collided. Why don't I use a form (ie. blogging) that I enjoy to help improve both myself and my family?

Which now brings me to this blog. My hope is that I can use this blog to help inspire me to learn new things and enrich my families lives. Maybe in my quest for self improvement and family improvement you'll find something that might interest and inspire you...or at the very least, make you laugh and brighten your day a little. So, here's to my new endeavor...and just as a little disclaimer, I actually do have 5 kids and all the responsibilities that come with caring for a family of 7, so be forgiving of me. If I don't get a post up daily, chalk it up to one of those days. If I say something you don't like, just remember it's only my opinion, and if my project attempts aren't perfect...well, remember, I never professed to be perfect.

Please feel free to leave me comments. I'd love to hear what you have to say, and I'd love to get ideas or suggestions on what you'd like to hear.
Happy mombling!