Grocery List

When I do my grocery Shopping I like to be organized, if not I impulse buy. I have found ways to make it easier for me to plan. I get out a set of cookbooks and I write out my menu from breakfast to dinner for 2 weeks at a time. I can usually get most items for the two weeks all at once, but occasionally I will need to go to the store the next week for items that won't stay fresh.

I like to get ads to see what items are on sale, and then I end up doing going to various stores. Usually it constists of Sams Club, Walmart, Fred Meyer and Safe Way. I know...it's a lot of trouble going through all this to find a good deal, but it's worth it to me.

I found a free website that helps with the grocery list. It is called Grocery Wiz and you can find it HERE. It also has coupons that you can print out that might apply to what you are buying. I also use a print out similar to THIS to write down my menu.

Happy Grocery Shopping

Journaling Jars

What is a journaling jar you ask? A journal jar is a canning jar filled with strips of questions to help inspire ideas on what to write about in your journal. Simply put each idea on a strip of paper, pull one out and start reminiscing. Typically, you pull one out each day and record the question in your journal and then answer it in your own words.
These also make great gifts or its a good way to get you started journaling without getting overwhelmed. I feel it's almost like answering your own "tags" (in blogging terms).

Here are some poems that you attach with the jar with twine or raffia. I found these poems on Homemaking Cottage. They Read:

Poem #1

Preserve your memories,

Seal them up well.

What you forget,

You can never retell.

But a journal that's kept fresh on the shelf,

Will help someone through rough times

Maybe even yourself.

Poem #2

On the top it said "The story only you can tell"

attached by a ribbon that says

YOUR LIFE STORY

Writing it all at once is a lot to ask...

But bit by bit you can complete the task!

An example of directions:

This little jar celebrates something

very important - YOU!

All you need to do is take out

one slip of paper each week.

Glue the question at the top

of a blank page in your journal

and begin to tell all about it.

Just tell your story about YOU!

Here are a few journaling topics to help get you going!

Whom do you admire most?
Who reminds you of yourself?
Are you most like your mother or your father?
Whom do you idolize?
What makes you roll your eyes?
What do you wish you could take back?
What scares you?
What is the most vivid memory from your childhood?
When do you tell little white lies?
When are you the most satisfied with yourself?
When are your feelings of love for your significant other strongest?
Where do you keep your purse, bag or briefcase at night?
Where would you love to live?
Where do you go to cheer yourself up?
How much sleep do you need (and how much do you get)?
How have you changed over the past five years?
How would the world be different if you didn’t exist?
Why do you want to turn back the clock (or push it forward)?
Why are you a night (or morning) person?
Name three things you want to be remembered for.
Give three reasons ___ (fill in the blank) is your favorite holiday.
Name five foods you crave.
Describe the sound of your mother’s voice.
Give three reasons you’ve never ___ (fill in the blank).
List five sounds that make you cringe.

Links of Journal Questions or prompts:
Lot's of Journaling prompts HERE click on her links, Ex. Adults, Youth, children
Cooking Journal Jars

Journaling Prompt Questions

More Journaling Prompts

Scrap Your Stories Links

Yummy Playdough

I thought Addi's face was so funny when the flour got in her face!

***This is called yummy playdough because of the smell, NOT the taste!***

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. salt

1 Tbsp. powdered alum (white powder substance, found in the spice section. Almost like Cream of tartar)

3 Tbsp. Oil

1 c. boiling water

2 pkgs. flavored Kool-Aid

Mix dry ingredients together. Add water, oil, and kool-Aid to pan to boil. Mix all ingredients together. Remember that the mixture will be hot. Once it cools a little let your kids help knead the dough. Store in a tightly covered container or in a plastic bag.

Addi made this all by herself with the exception of the boiling water. Her favorite part was deciding what flavor to have her playdough. I have to admit, the smell almost makes you want to EAT it! But don't okay?

We mixed the playdough in our kitchen aid and it did a awesome job!

Have you wondered what REALLY happens to your socks in the dryer?

O.k., I have always pondered this question, and I still can't answer it! However, I decided not to feed the sock monster anymore and take charge of the situation.

When we were little my mom had a brilliant plan of not loosing any more socks. She bought a large package of wooden clothes pins and pinned the top of the socks together, so she couldn't loose anymore socks. Brilliant I say...Brilliant!

I taught my kids to do the same thing. As soon as they dirtied a pair of socks, they either needed to roll the socks together (so I could add the pin, just before washing them) or they could find a pin themselves. Believe me, this plan has worked wonderfully! Now we all have mated socks!

(We just need to find a cure for the holes in our socks (just kidding). Actually, we buy new socks every time conference rolls round (every 6 months)).

Bunny Poop Poem

The Easter bunny came last night

So listen here's the scoop

He left a special treat for you

A bit of bunny poop!

(I always do little funny things like this for my kids....they just think I'm crazy)

Scripture Easter Egg Carton

Our ward did this for the primary kids this year. I thought it was a creative idea, I hope they don't mind me using it! I am always looking for somthing spiritual to use during holidays.

Basically, they had a carton full of plastic easter eggs for each child. The eggs were numbered 1-12 with permanent marker. The kids walked around the table finding the items to put in their eggs.

They were given a couple of papers one with scriptures on it, and one that read this:

Make sure that each egg corresponds with the correlating scripture:

1. Sacrament Cup

2. 30 Dimes

3. Piece of rope

4. Piece of soap

5. red Fabric

6. Toothpick Cross

7. Dice

8. Small pebbles

9. White Gauze

10. Rock

11. Spices

12. Nothing!

Cut out each scripture and put it in each corresponding egg as well.

(The scriptures were all typed out for the kids, however, I am just going to write where you can find the scripture!)

1. Matthew 26: 39

2. Matthew 26: 14-15

3. Matthew 27: 1-2

4. Matthew 27: 24-26

5. Matthew 27: 28-30

6. Matthew 27: 31-32

7. Matthew 27: 35-36

8. Matthew 27: 50-51, 54

9. Matthew 27: 58-60

10. Matthew 27: 60, 65-66; 28:2,5

11. Mark 16:1

12. Matthew 28:6

Ways to use the eggs:

Family Home Evening Lesson

Easter Egg Hunt-reading them as a family

Open one a day starting 12 days before Easter

Easter Traditions?

I want to know what your Easter traditions are. Please share!

We hide the kids easter baskets in the house. We count down from 10 and then it is a mad dash to find their baskets. If they have a hard time finding them, we play "hot and cold" to help them.

The tradition in my family growing up was finding the precious "Golden Egg". Mom and Dad made the golden egg worth x amount of money. Some years it was worth a lot of money. Blood was almost shed trying to find the golden egg, especially during my poor college and early married years! Many great memories were made!

Easter Egg Garland

Here's what you need!

16 wooden football/egg shapes (Can get from Michael's)
4-5 sheets of scrapbook paper (Can use scraps in spring colors from random companies)
9 yards of spring ribbon
Alphabet stickers or stamps (to spell Happy Easter)
Sandpaper & Ink square or antiqued Ink pad
Purple gel pen (to outline the alphabet stickers)
Crop-a-Dile (to punch holes in the wooden eggs) or small drill bit
Modge Podge Matte
Cross Metal Accent
Adhesive

First adhere your egg onto a sheet of paper, placed upside down. This way you can cut the egg out of the paper, rather than trace & cut. This saves tons of time! Cut out all of your eggs (don't worry about being perfect - you will be sanding the edges next).
Next sand & ink all the edges of your eggs.
After you ink the edges, allow them to dry a few minutes before handling them.
Next, line up your garland in the order you would like to see the patterns so that you do not end up with any matching papers next to one another.
Add the alphabet stickers or stamps or other embellishments. Outline stickers with gel pen in contrasting color to make them stand out.
Paint eggs with Modge Podge to seal & protect.
Punch holes into the sides of each egg with the Crop-a-Dile tool or another heavy duty hole punch, or drill with a small drill bit
Cut ribbons into 4" lengths and tie eggs together.
Hang & enjoy this beautiful Easter season!

Once a month cooking

Have you heard of once a month cooking? Basically the menus are pre-planned. You will use one cooking day, and freeze and vacuume seal the meals. Little preparation will need to be done on the day serving (depends on the recipe). I bought the cook book, but you can also go HERE for the recipes. You'll need a good vacuume sealer and lots of freezer space. I'll let you know my personal reviews once I get started. If you would like to know more about it click HERE.

Covered Corkboard

I made this for my craft room

scissors
corkboard (with or without a border or frame)
(Can find at walmart for about $5)
fabric (enough to cover your board)
ribbon the matches the fabric, about 3-4yards
thumbtacks
upholstry tacks (can get from JoAnn's for about $2,)

Take the corkboard out of the frame if it came in one.(Sometimes you need to pull apart part of the frame)
Iron the fabric before it is put on the board
Lay the fabric on a flat surface, lay the board on top of it.
Take the sides of the fabric pulling tightly on all sides,secure to the board with the tacks. Fold the edges neatly like a present.
Flip over when it is secured to add the ribbon. Take the ribbon ,cut the lengths needed to make a diamond like pattern,making sure the ribbon will go to the back to be secured down.
Once you have it cut wrap it around the board diagonaly to make your pattern,tack it to the back with thumbtacks.
Using tacks lets you be able to change out the fabric and ribbon when you want to.You can also use decorative trim instead of ribbon.
Put the frame back together (use a heavy duty staple gun on the back of frame)
You're Finished!
*Optional- You can also buy a picture frame to put the corkboard in, just make sure the coark board will fit in the frame!

Throw It Out!

I seem to have a problem with hording. For some strage reason I have a hard time throwing things away.But because of technology I am learning to overcome that. I use the scanner to scan my kids art and school papers. I also take a picture of things we throw away that meant something to us. Such as we have been making our kids throw away a LOT of toys. The only way they are o.k. with it, is if I tell them we can take a picture of it to make it last.

I love all the many pictures and drawings my children come home with. I keep a few of their best art pictures in a file box. I have divided the file box into years. I make sure I write the date of their drawing on the back of the picture. Any other drawings or school papers they have worked hard on, I scan and then keep a copy on my external hard drive. Although I think I am going to start uploading my files to a online storage site such as www.carbonite.com. You pay a yearly fee of $50. and you have unlimited storage. I have had more computer crashes then I can count. I scanned pictures that my kids have drawn since they were little, and I lost them all about a year ago. So I am turning to an online storage site to help with that.

Getting Organized

Have you read the fly lady before? I am a wanna-be organized mom. I try my hardest. However there is always room for improvement. This book helps you take "baby steps" to help organize your home. You can find it on amazon for about $7.00. There are also some ideas and hints on her website here. I'm not sure if you'll understand some of the lingo she uses, unless you've read the book.

Right now I am in a spring cleaning/get organized mood. However, I still have a lot of unpacking to do!