Follow The Neon Signs

I have been doing my Bunz O' Steel exercises all winter long preparing for Summer time. Not because I want to look good in a swimsuit (for that I would have to do Body O' Steel) but because I want to look good while assuming the rummage-and-find position: Yes folks, it is summer, and summer means YARD SALES or GARAGE SALES. Oh how I loves me a good yard sale. I like to think that when I shop at yard sales I am contributing to the recycling process and keeping our landfills clean (ok, not really, I just love cheap junk). The best is when I find stuff new, or things I have been wanting to buy but couldn't afford. I'll never forget finding the leapfrog toy. As a new, and rather poor, mom I had been browsing a children's toy catalogue wishing I had the money to buy from it. Then I saw it. A Leap Frog Phonics Writing Desk. At the time it cost $30 and that was an impossible amount for me. I wanted Cookie to have it, though, and decided to save up for it. I clipped its picture from the catalogue and stuck it to my fridge as a reminder to count my pennies. It sat on that fridge for 3 months. One sunny Saturday I was out running errands and happened on a yard sale. I stopped to look around and while rummaging through a big box of toys I saw it. It looked brand new! The amazing toy that was going to make my daughter a child prodigy was just sitting there in someone's front yard. There was no price tag. I cringed. They would probably want more than I could afford. I calmed myself down and tried to remember all the yard saling tactics my mother had taught me as a child. I lifted it up and lazily called to the lady sitting in a lawn chair, "Hi, this one doesn't have a price tag. How much do you want for it?"

"Oh, how 'bout a buck?" I almost choked. Stay calm, stay calm.

"Ok, I think I'll take it then."

That $1 toy lasted through 3 children. And that, dear friends, is why I like to yard sale.

Tips for yard saling:

1. In the summer time plan all your errands for early mornings on Fri and Sat. That way you are already out and about and can get the most for your gas. Do grocery shopping at the very end.

2. Keep your eyes alert and slow down at all intersections. You never know when you'll see some neon or an arrow. Make sure the signs you follow look fresh and new. You don't want to drive around looking for last week's sale.

3. You can yard sale with kids. Mine are always willing to sit in the car because they know when I come back I will usually have a new little toy for them. (most yard sales have a little 10 cent toy bucket)

4. If you see something you really like but the price is too high just ask yourself, "At what price would I be willing to buy this?" Then offer them just a little bit less than that. That way you have a little wiggle room to go up. If they don't meet your price then just say, "hmmm, I'd love to buy it, but I just can't at that price. Thanks anyway" They will understand.

5. If there is an item that you REALLY want but they wouldn't come down on the price then get their phone number or give them yours and say "If you don't happen to sell it and you are willing to go down to my price later, please call and let me know"

6. When buying kids clothes I usually go through the stack and find what I want. Then I wait till there is no one else near and I quietly approach the salesperson and say, "Hi, I know that you want $1.00 a piece but I usually only pay 50 cents each for kids clothes. Would you be willing to sell to me at that price?" I am very fair about the prices I offer. And I set my offering prices based on what I see at other yard sales. If they say no I know I can wait and find things at that price elsewhere. I will pay more depending on the quality and newness.

7. Don't hesitate to rummage and dig. Often times people just toss a bunch of small stuff in a box (like my Leap Frog toy) and you never know when you will find a treasure underneath a bunch of junk.

8. Before you start yard saling think about the things you need or want. If you truly have a need say a prayer before you go. I know this may sound hokey but I have too often found things that I really needed in answer to prayers. I'll never forget my sister in law's lamps. She was pregnant, newly married, and very poor at the time and was trying to furnish a new apartment. We went out and at one sale she found a lovely green lamp for $3. 2 yard sales later she found its exact match for $2. They would have cost her at least $50 if she had bought them at Wal Mart and they would not have been as nice. She was so happy she almost cried. When I was expecting Cookie I was able to get everything I needed for her (crib, highchair, clothes, books, walker, strollers, etc) for $100 and all in one weekend.

9. When in doubt walk away. We can all use less junk in our lives, so if you are sitting there thinking, "I don't know.... should I buy it?" then the answer is probably, "NO".

Now get out there and find yourself some neon signs and follow those arrows till all your cheap junk dreams come true!

Gots Ta Earn Me Some Ice Cream

Tuesday's To Do List worked so well for me that I'm going to do it again today. It makes a big difference when I know that others will see how much I get done or don't. I finished the picture frames and I must say they are C. U. T. E. I can't wait for DSSH to get home with my camera so I can finish them and get them up on the wall. I will post a pic when they are finished. If I get today's list done I am going to reward myself with this little baby:

4 people have now told me that I simply have to try Ben & Jerry's "Everything But The...". I haven't tried it because it sounds like over kill with all those things in it, but my mom finally convinced me. She said it this way, "It is like a different ice cream flavor with every bite. You never know what your going to get". Thanks Forest Gump.

THURSDAY'S TO DO LIST

aa3 Loads of laundry folded and put away (all the way away)

aClean Family Room Hooey, that made me work up a sweat. While cleaning I found a lost rental movie that I had almost given up on finding.

aPut boys dresser back in their room Now DSSH can stop asking me why their dresser is in the Family Room. I had moved it out last Christmas to give our guests more room for their air mattress in the boys' room and just enver got around to putting it back.

aEat healthy breakfast

aPack healthy lunch Mmmmm. Cream cheese, turkey meat, cranberry mustard, dried cranberries, cashews, sharp cheddar, and some lettuce rolled up in a tortilla with veggie sticks. SO good.

aTake kids to the children's museum

aMake a car appointment for oil change and tire check

aHave kids do math (aCookie, aPablo, and aMonster Man)

aWipe down and sweep master bathroom

Clean laundry room

Pack camping gear

aBuy fruit, veggies, and chicken breasts

aMake a big salad for dinner

aMake healthy dinner (ok, the kids are eating pizza, but i'm eating salad and a veggie sandwich)

Gotta Stay Busy

TUESDAY'S TO DO LIST

aMake my bed
aMow the lawn
aVacuum the upstairs carpets
aEat a healthy breakfast
aBathe Sweet Terror
aMake cookies
aMake and pack a healthy lunch
aTake kids to the wading park pool
Photograph the kids for bathroom pictures. (I am going to take head shots of the kids separately, then give them different hue saturations, like a Warhol effect, then frame them and hang them in the kids' bathroom) No can do. Forgot that I made DSSH take the camera with him on his trip to Chicago. Oops.
aPaint Picture frames for the bathroom pics. Still in the process of doing. This is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I've had to stop every 10 minutes to pull out slivers, give baths, take kids places, answer the phone, yada yada. This is why I have had the frames sitting in a drawer for 2 years waiting to be painted. I only have to do the detail work on the last 3 and I'm done.
aTake kids to a McDonalds with playland for all the hard work they did today.
aPack, take, and eat a salad at McD's I still ate the kids leftovers, but at least that wasn't on top of another big burger and fries of my own.
Answer another Little Miss Knowitall question I will wait till tomorrow. By the time I finish painting the frames I will be in no condition to be giving advice.

I will keep checking them off as I go. Hopefully the thought that you can all see how much I accomplish will motivate me to get it all done.

The Faith Of Monster Man

Monster Man has always been very impressed by the power of prayer. Whenever I am unable to find something important I gather the family for a prayer to help us find it. After praying we always find the object within mere minutes. Then we gather again to offer a prayer of gratitude for the found object. Monster Man used to think this was a Magic Trick performed for us by Heavenly Father. He loved telling people that, "Heavenly Father does magic and mommy finds her keys!" We have always taught our children to pray any time they need special help with something and Monster Man has definitely taken us up on this. Today he was especially upset about having to go to church. He disappeared for a few minutes and then approached me in a very serious manner. He placed his tiny hand on my knee, leaned against my shoulder, looked soberly into my eyes and said,

"Mom, I said a prayer to Heavenly Father asking him to make it not be Sunday and to be Saturday, instead, so we don't have to go to church."

It took all my self control not to laugh at the sweet innocent faith that my son had just exercised. It likewise broke my heart to have to tell him that his faith had been a bit misused. Is it wrong of me to assume that my son's faith can't change the day of the week? After all, we are told that faith can move mountains... I LOVE YOU, MONSTER MAN!!!!

S.M.A.R.T. Habits Saturday

S.M.A.R.T. Habit Saturday on a Sunday. I'm just trying to prove that it is never too late to start another good habit. Actually I didn't want to post my habits until I had fulfilled my last week's habit and got all my letters in the mail. For this week's habit I want to spend at least 15 minutes of alone, awesome, quality, 'building memories' time with each of my children every week. I have the scary feeling that my children have many fond memories of times with their daddy, but nary a one with me. how sad is that when I definitely spend more time with them through the day? I am starting out only expecting 15 minutes of myself because I want this to work. Babystepping is the best way for me to do things and trust me, 15 minutes is WAY more than they are getting right now.



Jumping is a habit now and I love it! Even my hubby has noticed and appreciates going to sleep in a pre-made bed every night.





Wrote 4 letters. Easy. The hard part was getting them in the mailbox because I didn't have current addresses or 41 cent stamps. I didn't let that stop me, though, and put 3 letters in the mail yesterday.





I also answered another question this last week. Check it out.

LOST

I have been lost, lost and wandering these past few weeks. My butt hurts and my eyes are weary. Today has been spent searching through the jungle of my home in search of survivors. The children have been foraging for themselves and have somehow survived on a wild diet of cereal and Go-Gurts. I keep signaling for rescue, but it has been days now and I'm starting to loose hope. All I can do is try to stay alive and hope my family doesn't give me up for dead before I can get back to them. I have kept a tally. Nine. I've been here through the first nine. Heaven knows how much longer I will have to go through this. I was nearing what I thought was the end, but then the mysterious smiling man in the blue shirt told me it was supposed to last for seven seasons. Seven. Not seven disks, seven seasons. I don't think I can do this anymore. I need to get back to my family, to my children. If anyone tells you that you just HAVE to watch the television series, LOST, even if they are someone you trust, even if it sounds like a good idea because there are no commercials when they are on DVD, under NO circumstances should you try watching this show. Walk away. RUN. Do not start the madness that is LOST.

MEATLOAF

Luscious, thick, robust, I can never seem to get enough. Some people call me sick, but I can't help it. I am one of the few people in this life who will openly admit an unashamed love for MEATLOAF. Ummmm, but not this Meatloaf. Don't get me wrong, I still lip sync to a few of this man's songs, and he does look a little bit like a meatloaf... but no, he doesn't hold the same power over me. I'm talking about my mom's meatloaf. I'm talking about the big ol' slab of spicy beef covered in a candied tomato glaze with a side of buttery peas sticking to the soft mashed potatoes on my fork. Ooooooh yeah! I grew up with this heavenly meal and I always wondered at the jokes I would hear about bad meatloaf. There is the famous line from A Christmas Story, "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf, I HATE meatloaf." I never understood the disdain or the mockery. That is, until I actually tasted a meatloaf that was not my mom's meatloaf. What was this person thinking? There were actually whole oats sticking out of this fatty, rubbery, tasteless mass of 'meat' that had ketchup slipping off the top of it. I wanted to shed tears for the children of the world who were lied to when told they were eating meatloaf. I have, since that first bad experience, come to taste many other meatloaves. Some were not as bad, some were worse, but none were better or even as good as my mom's rockinly awesome meatloaf. Now, I may be wrong, I'd be the first one to admit that I may be a bit biased in this judgement, but you will have to be the judge of that. All I know is that I do not believe in eating the food that my children have left on their plates, but I will eat the tasty morsels of meatloaf that they have foolishly left behind because it is that good to me. So, without any more of my silly dramatic attempts at persuasion, here is that lovely meatloaf recipe:

Momma’s Meatloaf
*Don’t laugh, meatloaf really can be yummy. The only way you can make this turn yucky is by putting a hard boiled egg in the middle of it (its o.k. mom, we all know you were just trying to be creative). But the real treasure is the topping. It can be used on any meatloaf recipe. I even use it when I make meatloaf from a quick powder mix.

Ingredients
1 egg
1 C. bread crumbs (I use whole wheat)

1 c. milk
1 lb ground beef
¼ C. minced onion (I like to use ½ C. of fresh very finely diced onion)
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp sage
1/8 tsp garlic powder (optional and you can also use 1 tsp. garlic salt instead of this and the other salt)
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions
Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat egg slightly; mix in remaining ingredients thoroughly (you can use your hands, or use a handheld mixer to keep your hands clean). Spread or press into an 8x8 pan. Bake one hour until done

Meatloaf Topping
3 Tblsp. brown sugar
¼ c. ketchup
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Mix and spread over meatloaf after it has been baking for 15 minutes.

Please let me know if you find this as heavenly as I do.

*Recipe can easily be doubled for a big crowd but as is it can feed a young family of 6. For a bit of variety you can add small cubes of extra sharp cheddar to the loaf mix before baking. It is yummy that way too.

Jumping For Joy

What, me? Moi?

No, no, no, it couldn't be. Didn't my secretary inform you that I never win anything? Oh, really, you are too kind. Thank you, thank you. I just don't know what to say. I didn't prepare a speech because I honestly didn't think it would be me up here, accepting this lovely winners button. Um... oh gosh.... Okay, first I'd like to thank Scribbit for holding and putting together such a fun and creative contest. I'd like to thank The Lazy Organizer for picking my entry. I'd like to thank my family, without them I wouldn't have had anything to write about. I'd like to thank my wonderful husband for tolerating a very silly and excited wife who was jumping up and down in her bathrobe shouting, "I won, I won! The Pooping wooden Moose is mine. I won."

Seriously, I feel like the father from A Christmas Story when he wins the leg lamp. It's a pooping moose, for silly sake, but I won it and THAT is what matters right now. So, "Not a finger!"

Happy Father's Day

THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT MY DAD:

1. Climbing on his back. He would lay down on his stomach to read the newspaper. We little girls would start on the back of his knees, arms out stretched for balance, and walk up to his shoulders and jump over the newspaper. Every now and then he would pretend to sneeze and we would all fall off in a pile of giggles.

2. Sleeping princesses. when it was time for bed we would all scatter and hide. Dad would walk through the room and loudly proclaim, "Well, no one is here, I guess I will just go to bed. Goodnight, Momma," and walk out of the room. Then, one of us would run out and lie in the middle of the room, pretending to be asleep. All the others would yell, "Check agaaaaaain!". Dad would come back in and gasp, "A Sleeping Princess. I'd better rescue her before the Eeeevil Loon Dragon comes to get her." He would gather our feet in his massive hand, and our wrists in the other, then he would swing us. "A one, and a two, and a one-two-THREE", he would swing us back and forth, then he would let go of our hands as the momentum carried us up and over his shoulder. then he would carry us off to bed singing, "Sack-a potatoes, sack-a potatoes". It was terribly sad whenever one of us became too big to be a sleeping princess.

3. His laugh. My dad was a very tall, very large man. He had silvery blue eyes and curly hair with silver threads running through it. When he would laugh, and I mean really laugh, it was an unexpectedly high pitched, whistley laugh. Put your tongue up against your top back molars, smile, try to whistle, and sing a high B note. Yup, that is what his laugh sounded like when he was laughing too hard to control it.

4. His jokes. "Dad, guess what!" "Ummm, your won a million dollars." "No, I..." "Don't tell me, I'm still guessing"

"Pull my finger"

"Hey, Dad, know what?" "Yeah, I met him years ago"

"Anybody want to go to Dairy Queen?" "Yeah!!!! WE do, we do!!" "That's nice." (Then he'd drive right past it. About once or twice a year he would actually take us.)

5. Making mom laugh. If mom was in bed crying from post partum blues, or from other unexplained reasons, dad would get all us little kids to line up in front of her. Then he would loudly say, "Come on kids, lets give something to cry about!" Then we would all make faces and silly sounds until she would start laughing.

6. Throwing pizza. My dad was the neighborhood pizza maker. We used to have pizza making parties at church and my dad would teach who ever wanted to learn how to throw the pizza dough in the air to make a big flat crust.

7. His love of food. My dad was a big man for a reason. He loved a well made BLT with extra mayo. He could put a big potato chip in his mouth without breaking it. He like sardines. One of my sisters and I tried our hardest to like sardines, I just couldn't like them, not even for Dad. He did NOT like onions, or anything even tasting of onions. If dad ever asked one of us to make him a particular food it was considered an honor to be jealous of because he very rarely trusted anyone but mom, or himself, to make his food the way he liked it.

8. Hiya-Sokki-HAH. As little girls we would rush into a corner of the living room, all a-giggles. Dad would get down on one knee in the middle of the room. He would shout, "Hya-Sokki-HAH!" and one of use would run at him full speed. He would catch us around the waist and flip us upside down and over his knee.

9. His love of knowledge. Dad loved to help us learn. We knew if we just wanted some quick homework help, to go and ask mom. But if we were really interested about something we would ask dad. He would never give anyone a simple answer. In fact he never gave any answer at all. He would have us research it and he would discuss it with us and even give us little debates about what we would think was the answer. I still remember many of the things he taught me.

10. His joy. My dad was a happy, fun, jolly man. We never had much money, but he never acted poor, or sad for his lack of money. He wasn't skinny, but he never acted self conscious and was always fun to be around. He didn't have a fancy house, or even a large one, but he filled it with people and made them all happy. He didn't have all the things that he wanted, but he always made us feel like he had the best of everything in life. I will always love my dad for teasing us till we laughed, for his smiling blue eyes, for his silly flirtations with mom in the kitchen, and for showing me why "Men are that they might have joy" (2Nephi 2:25).

Happy Fathers Day!!!

SICK

Calling in sick today. You know you are sick when it feels like a mac truck is sitting on your shoulders and your eyebrows ache. Yeeeah, I'm sick. Oh, and I am also enduring the first hay fever sneezes of the year too. So, I'm going to go cuddle up in bed with a roll of toilet paper. See you all later.

Flag Day

I have always looked up to my father. He was a tall man, so I had to look up to him. He was a smart, kind, funny, and responsible man so I wanted to look up to him. On days like today (Flag Day) my thoughts turn to him. My father served in the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer aboard submarines. He was also a dedicated Boy Scout Leader and participated in the program up until he was too sick to carry on. My father loved America. I'll never forget the lessons he gave me about our flag as I watched him or helped him fold it before putting it away. He said that the way we treat and use our flag is a sign and expression of our gratitude for our freedoms. It makes me wonder at the level of gratitude in our country as I look down my street and notice the absence of American flags. I know that many people are grateful, many people have just forgotten that today is flag day (I almost forgot), many people don't feel they need to fly a flag to show gratitude, etc. I just wonder at the differences between the flag filled streets of my childhood and the flag-less streets of today.

Flying Our Flag:
It is proper to display the flag from sunrise to sunset on all days the weather permits. The flag may also be displayed at night if illuminated by a light. But it is even more important to display the flag on national holidays and days of importance.

When lowering the flag, make certain that no part of it touches the ground. It should be received by waiting hands and arms.

And Now, Let Me Introduce To You...

For today's blog post I really feel inspired to introduce you to one of my favorite blogs: NY Girl Eats World created by Nicole Cotroneo. I don't know her personally but I am addicted to her writing. Nicole writes about the food, places, and people that she experiences as she travels around her parts of the world. I can't explain why, but when I read about these experiences I get the feeling that I have to have that same experience too or I'll just die. Suddenly I don't want to touch another french fry, unless mine too can be drizzled with truffle oil. And I find myself morning the idea of dead kitchens as I lick my lips with the thought of jam on bread. I've never even given a thought to a city named Toronto until I read her latest post, and now I feel that Toronto must be one of the loveliest places on earth (I will be pondering the layered meanings in that photo of an old, red, gabled building reflected in the modern sleekness of glass walls for the rest of the day). So, if you get some free, relaxed, daydreaming time today I suggest you spend it traveling and eating with the brilliant Nicole Controneo.

Come On Everybody, It's Family Night!

Tonight for Family Home Evening we are going to play this new game I found at D.I. the other day. It is called Chatter Matters and it looks really fun. I tried to find a site where you could purchase it but I didn't have any luck; it must be discontinued. It is a fun game that helps family members get to know more about each other. In the end you try to win wishes (and these are real prizes). You get to earn things like "Select the menu for a favorite home meal with your family," or "Get out of doing chores for one day," or "Stay up an hour after bedtime," etc...

Now, in order for this to be a fun evening I am going to have to get busy today. DSSH gets home from work rather late and if we are going to have enough time to play a relaxed game I am going to have to have dinner on the table by the time he walks in the door, the chores all done, and I will have to have everything set up and ready to go for the game time. So, I am getting off my duff to clean, fold and put away laundry, prep veggies and meat for dinner tacos, and read the instructions on this game so I know how to play it =).

We will also be munching on veggie sticks and Party Popcorn so I need to get that all ready too.

Party Popcorn
*The reason this is called “party” popcorn is because it’s quick, yummy, you usually have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s really at its best that night. It starts to sugar after 12 hours so it’s not good for gifts or long-term commitments.

Ingredients
2/3 C. unpopped popcorn kernels
1/2 C. light brown sugar
1/2 C. margarine
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Air pop the kernels and remove the ones that won’t pop (this is easy if you transport the newly popped kernels into a bigger bowl with your hands, fingers spread while scooping, all the heavy, unpopped kernels will slip through your fingers)
Melt butter and sugar together and cook till it is well combined and just starts to boil. Then stir into popcorn with the salt until well coated. Bake 10 min at 350, stirring once or twice. Cool before serving.

~ Adults really love having a cup or 2 of toasted pecans or peanuts stirred in, Kids like anything from marshmallows to M&Ms stirred in.

SHS Update: Fresh sheets are on my freshly made bed and I moved for about 5 minutes. Wrote a letter to my Grandpa, now I just need to get it in the mailbox (that is usually the hardest part for me).

I also answered another question today. It is a new hot topic and I suggest you check it out if you have teens.

Sunday Notes

The Nourishing Power of Hymns
Elder Jay E. Jensen

Hymns are "an essential part of our church meetings. [They] invite the Spirit of the Lord." They often do this quicker than anything else we may do. President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said, "We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer."

..."some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns." My testimony and conversion to the restored gospel were strongly influenced by singing the hymns of Zion as a young boy. I grew up in the small town of Mapleton, Utah, and attended meetings in what is known today as the "old white church." My 95-year-old mother still lives in Mapleton. When I visit her, I drive past the "old white church," and a flood of sweet memories fills my mind. Among them is the converting power of the hymns we sang in priesthood, Sunday School, and sacrament meetings. My experiences were similar to that of President Hinckley when, as a deacon, he attended a stake priesthood meeting with his father. They sang "Praise to the Man." Later he would say, "I had an impression that has never left that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God." I believe that many of our Saints experience this again and again. Hymns play an essential role in spirituality, revelation, and conversion...

...Sacred among all hymns are those that capture the sacrifice and the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement.
My earliest memories of the healing power of the Savior are associated with sacrament hymns. This sentence is real to me: "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me."
My understanding of the doctrines of the Atonement is connected to the hymns. This verse is illustrative:
How great, how glorious, how complete, Redemption's grand design,Where justice, love, and mercy meet In harmony divine!...

..."Teach your children to love the hymns. Sing them on the Sabbath, in [family] home evening, during scripture study, at prayer time. Sing as you work, as you play, and as you travel together. Sing hymns as lullabies to build faith and testimony in your young ones."...

...I pray that we may eliminate any inappropriate music from our lives and follow the counsel of the First Presidency: "Brothers and sisters, let us use the hymns to invite the Spirit of the Lord into our congregations, our homes, and our personal lives. Let us memorize and ponder them, recite and sing them, and partake of their spiritual nourishment. Know that the song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father in Heaven, 'and it shall be answered with a blessing upon [your] heads.' " Of these truths I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I have always loved the hymns. On Sunday we turn on the BYU instrumental radio stream online and listen to all the variously styled hymnal music. It definitely adds peace to our Sabbath day.

S.M.A.R.T. Habits

It is funny to me how much one good habit can affect my behavior and apparent abilities. It reminds me of the overly used metaphor of ripples in the water, or jiggles in the jello. Last Saturday I jumped on the bandwagon and joined Lara Gallagher's S.M.A.R.T. Habit Saturday (Basically we make new years Resolutions every Saturday, instead of just once a year. Are we gluttons for punishment, or what?). My first goal was to jump out of bed when DSSH gets up for work, to hurry and make the bed, and then to move my body while he is in the shower. It has been interesting to say the least. I did it faithfully every morning and here are some of the side effects I experienced as a result:

Now it seems like DSSH showers take longer (when I stayed in bed until they were done I thought they were never long enough).

My body is sore from moving my hibernating muscles.

I have taken more showers this week than I am used to getting AND they have been before I even take Cookie to school.

Because I am up and ready on time I have walked Cookie to school every morning instead of taking the car (more exercise).

My room has been clean (not just the bed, the FLOOR)

I have been more on top of my laundry because I bring my dirty laundry down with me when I wake up the kids (Before this habit my dirty laundry was still mixed with other things on my bed).

I have been eating breakfast.

And all this comes from one little good habit. I wonder what treasures this week's goal will bring me?

My new goal is to write a personal, handwritten letter once a week to someone I care about. First one goes to my Grandpa, and it is long overdue.

Growing Your Own Pets

Ha ha ha ha....BWAH Ha ha ha ha....BWAHWHAHAHAHA!

Ok, I think you get the point. I am feeling sneaky, rebellious, and rather pathetic now. For years I have wanted a Golden Lab Retriever, my dream pet. I was raised with one and a part of me feels that my children need to have one in order to have as perfect a childhood as I had. Alas, we have always rented rather small places and Labs are not meant for small places. I still want my kids to have the "pet experience". I am even willing to suffer stinky snake cages, lost hamsters in my couch, tipped over aquariums, almost anything for the sake of giving my kids that "experience", but I have something else, besides small rentals, that has stopped me from getting any of these pets. This other thing is my very awesome husband. He HATES the thought of pets. He loves animals, and he will get on the floor and play with your pet for hours on end, he just doesn't want animal hair or animal smell where we live (sniff sniff). To be fair, that man has survived some rather gruesome pet hair, and pet pee experiences while on a mission in PA. I've promised him that I will respect this as long as we live in rentals, but as soon as we buy a house there will magically appear a stray, full blooded, Golden Lab Retriever in our back yard. I can't be held responsible if the kids see this stray mutt sitting in our back yard, or if they happen to feed it, or even if they happen to fall in love with it and give it a name before he comes home from work. Until that day comes, though, I am sadly pet-less. Well, no longer! If I can't buy myself a pet then I will grow one. And that is just what I have done, and I've grown quite a lot of them, too. They don't take up much space, just a jar in my fridge. They eat very cheap pet food, just flour and water. No need to potty train them because they defecate right in their little jar. And we get to eat them too. Oh, and I've named them all Herman.

You've either guessed my dirty little pet secret, or you are thinking I'm mad. What I've done is grow my very own sourdough starter. I mixed equal parts flour and water in a glass bowl, covered it with a tea towel, and let it sit on my counter for 5 days. I fed it 1/2 C. flour and 1/2 C. water every 24 hours and gave it a stir. It filled itself with lovely little bubbles and gave of the most deliciously sour smell after about the 3rd day. On the 5th day I put half of the sourdough start in a jar in my fridge, where I will only have to feed it once a week. The other half I used to make 3 delicious, round, crusty loaves of tomato sourdough bread. I was raised on sourdough and I love the stuff. So, now I have my pet, my sourdough bread, a full tummy, and a smile on my face =)

Oh, and if any of you know of someone who is just giving away golden lab retrievers, would you mysteriously drop one off in my backyard early in the morning? Thanks!

SHS Update: Still going strong. I am loving this clean room stuff.

BOOK CLUB BLOGGING

FINALLY, a book club that is possible for me. Lucy, from The Doctor Is In is starting a book club on her blog. I've always had time to blog, but I've never had time to get a babysitter and sit in someone elses living room, eating yummy treats, discussing the current reading selection. Here is the best of both those worlds. And I can do it in my jammies, while I eat big bowls of ice cream without sharing!!! Lucy is also holding a fun little contest. She needs a name for her book club. If you can give her a winning book club title you could win one of the first two books we will be reading. Go check it out.

SHS update: Still jumping, I have a nicely made bed, which somehow leads to a clean room everyday too. I exercised and even used my new 5 pound weights.

Scribbit's Write Away Contest Entry

Every month Michelle of Scribbit holds a writing contest where she gives you a word and you have to come up with some glorious piece of writing based on that one word. Here is my attempt at gloriousness.

"Traditions"

One of my favorite traditions is the summer gathering of siblings, grandbabies, and in-laws in my mother’s very small, 1970’s ranch style house out in small town Rexburg, Idaho. Between us eight children there are 19, soon to be 20, grandkids. They run around half naked and semi-wet from playing with the hose and splashing in the collection of kiddy pools that grandma buys to keep the kids outside. Nothing says summer to me like sitting on the worn out couches on mom’s back porch, laughing at the antics of our children as we eat, talk, and play silly card games into the sunset. And what a sunset it is. Mom’s little house is like a deserted island surrounded by rippling wheat fields, covered by an open sky that makes one understand the possibilities of the word “forever.” As kids, we would jump on our big trampoline till the sun went down, then we would name the sunset. Sometimes it was a bold Hawaiian sunset. Other times it was a muted English sunset. The ones I liked best were the ones that could only be described as Heaven sunsets, with subtle gold lacing billowy clouds as sunbeams streamed down to give the horizon one last touch. No one minds the mosquito bites when watching a sunset like that go down.

Part of this summer gathering is the making of big meals. Of course we practice the usual American Summer Food traditions such as covering our chins with sticky watermelon juice, eating Grandpa’s beer basted chicken BBQ, sucking on popsicles till we bloat, and burning marshmallows for the sake of creating the perfect s’more. There are certain meals, however, that only happen when the whole family is present. These are meals that are really only worth putting together when you have an army, such as our family, to feed at one time. We eat Hawaiian Goulash, and mercilessly tease those who are not brave, or crazy, enough to use all the toppings offered. One should be ashamed if they haven’t the courage to combine pineapple, green olives and raw peanuts on a bed of chicken gravy covered rice. Next comes egg-roll-night. We set up an assembly line of choppers, wrappers, and stove workers as we make a delicious mess of the kitchen. The end result being pyramids of crispy, fried egg rolls, variously filled fried wontons, and pots of sweet and sour sauce. The piles don’t last long and everyone knows to take their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd helpings all at once, because there won’t be anything left when you come back but a soggy greasy wonton that fell on the floor. After eating we all sit around moaning and groaning about how stuffed we are, and how sick we feel. Still, we beg mom to make us her layered pudding dessert, and in three different flavors too. And every meal must end with our traditional form of gratitude to the matriarch. One person starts by shouting above the noise, “Thanks for the delicious dinner, mom,” after which the rest of us pick up on the chorus of, “Mmmmm Hmmmm.” This tradition was started when we were small children and my mother became tired of saying “You are welcome” to every single one of us in turn. Now, we save her the time and let her respond to us once in full.

The native languages spoken at this family gathering are shouting and loud laughter. We have also developed an intricate linguistic art, best described as cross-conversation. It requires the ability to follow 2-8 different conversations at the same time while being able to insert your opinion on every single one of these conversations before the topic is changed. We always warn new in-laws to study and observe this technique before attempting to join in. Without proper preparation the injuries can be severe. Older grandchildren have been known to bring in sandy, poopy babies to deposit on parents’ laps because they can never get their voices loud enough to be heard. Interrupting isn’t considered rude, just necessary. Certain members of the family are counted upon for their unique contribution to the conversations. Jenni corrects bad English, Patti entertains with anecdotes and physical humor, Lizzy reprimands others for things that she does all the time, Anna tells others to “Shut up,” Ben is quiet and then surprises with a sudden outburst, Joseph talks like a baboon, and “little” Fred will try to start a ridiculously deep conversation or debate. All others in the family are still trying to get a word in edge wise, or are waiting for a quiet moment to say something. When the crowd dissipates and quietude is possible you always find Mom, sitting in the front room reading, ready to have a heart-to-heart chat with anyone in need.

Without these set traditions I’m not sure how our family would function. They are our means of survival. I’m sure our children are currently building their own summer traditions while we carry on these high octane frivolities, though we are too busy to notice them. After all, it is also tradition to allow the children to become naked heathens, foraging for themselves in the summer sun and dirt, while we carry on like clothed heathens under the shade of mom’s back porch.

NO BREAD??!!!???

How do you pack a cold lunch for a kid to take to school when there are no bread products in the house? No butt ends of a loaf sitting in the bag, no spare hotdog buns left dogless, no leftover pancakes waiting for a purpose in life, not even a wayward tortilla was to be found. What to do? That is why I was up a little early this morning whipping up some mini corn muffins in my bathrobe. I tell ya, the whole lunch box drama that goes on in this house... Ok, it's not that bad. I just don't like thinking about lunch before I've even had my breakfast. I'm all for throwing together a stack of PB&J's, or boiling a big pot o' the Yellow Death (Mac N' Cheese), toss a few apples at the kids and I consider myself to be a good mom. But when my daughter comes home from school with an untouched lunch box and says, "I didn't eat my lunch because the kids were making fun of me for what I brought", and I'm the one who packed the offending victuals, I have to rethink my usual lunch standards.

I have, since then, tried to be fun and creative, while still healthy, with the lunches I pack for my daughter. Some of her favorites, which have also been approved by her classmates, are:

Nutella and Peanut butter tortilla rollups

German Pancake Cubes rolled in powdered sugar

Trail Mix (Cranberries, banana chips, choco chips, pretzels, and almonds)

Cheese and ham cubes with toothpicks to spear them with

Cold Tortilla Pizzas

Cold Whole Wheat French Toast strips with small Tupperware of syrup to dip them in

Breakfast Chocolate Cake (It is very cool to be a mom who gives cake for lunch as well as breakfast)

And veggies cut in all sorts of different ways

Alas, this morning I failed once again. She opened her lunch box and proclaimed, "Mom, I don't eat corn muffins, remember?" ARRRGH! I would have had her make her own lunch at this point, except there was nothing else to make it with. So, being the good mom I am, I said, "Just take them anyway and try trading them for something else". Hopefully some other mom out there packed something cool for their kid, and hopefully that kid will like corn muffins better than their cool food and take pity on my poor starving daughter.

SHS update: Jumped, made bed, started moving and was surprised to find that I was sore from the piddly 7 minutes of moving from yesterday. I must be way out of shape. Moved for a good 13 minutes because DSSH was taking his sweet time in the shower. Feelin' good.

There is also a new answer over at Little Miss Knowitall's

HEY, Everybody, It's Family Night!

Usually I know exactly what subject I want to cover every Monday for our Family Home Evening lesson, but this week I was feeling mighty stumped. Luckily I remembered that my friend Cellista (that is pronounced 'Chellista', because she plays the cello, and that is pronounced 'chello') had put together a great list of FHE sites on her blog. After scanning several dozen different lesson ideas I finally found one that we need, and need in a BIG way. My sweet kiddies are a good bunch and they are very obedient. The problem I have is getting them to be obedient quickly. I usually have to say something three times, threaten them in some way, or yell at them in my exorcistic-mommy-means-business voice before they "hop to it". So, this is the lesson I have planned for tonight:
Opening Song: The Family (CSB #194)

Prayer

Discuss: "Did you hear in the opening song how much fun a family can have together? What did they have to do before they could have all that fun?" Reread the song if needed. The answer is they had to get all the work done first. "To get all of our family work done I need you to all be willing to obey when I ask for your help, don't I?"

Read: I Believe in Being Obedient By Karen Lofgreen

Activity: Play Hangman using the pictures at the bottom of the story.

Discuss and Challenge: Talk with the kids about how obeying quickly helped President Hunter to be a prophet of God. Talk about how obeying quickly will improve the peace in our family and will help each child be the best they can be. I'm going to ask them to play a game. They like to race eachother in everything just to say "I win!", so I'm going to ask them to try winning with obedience. If I ask them to do something and they do it the first time i tell them I will say "YOU WIN!". I'm hoping htis will encourage Monster Man and Pablo, who are very competitive and the ones who don't obey quickly. I'll let you know how it goes.

Closing Song: Quickly I'll Obey (CSB #197)

Closing Prayer

Treat: Creme Brulee for the kids, yogurt and fruit for DSSH and me (I'll whine about why this is tomorrow)

FHE REPORT: I am happy to report that since the Mom My Ride FHE our car has been emptied everytime we get out of it. It is currently in need of a good vaccuming, but there is no garbage, book bags, toys, etc... littering the floor, and that feels good.

SHS Update: Jumped out of bed, changed my sheets, made my bed, did 7 minutes of morning stretches. Feel really good about it.

S.M.A.R.T. Habits Saturday

Lara Gallagher, creatoress of The Lazy Organizer, has a great weekly feature entitled S.M.A.R.T. Habit Saturday. It is all about building better habits a Saturday at a time. I need this very badly right now because I have been letting so many of my good habits slip. I started the year out exercising four hours a week, loosing weight, having morning exercises with my children before walking Cookie to school, reading my scriptures every time my hubby read his, etc... All that has stopped. SO, I am going to take the S.M.A.R.T. challenge and rebuild those good habits. To start with I am going to JUMP out of bed when DSSH gets up for work. I am going to make my bed before I take one step, and then I am going to move my body around (exercise) just until he gets out of the shower (that should be about 7 minutes of moving, and that is 7 more minutes than I'm doing now). This is a Mon-Fri goal, and on Mondays my movement will include changing the sheets.

I will report my success and a new goal every Saturday. Oh, and I should thank No Ordinary Mom for setting a good example and helping me find the S.M.A.R.T. habits idea.

Cute Little Gossip Story

GOSSIP

Have you ever heard of Gossip Town, on the shores of Falsehood Bay,

Where Old Dame Rumor with rustling gown, is going the live long day?

It isn't far to Gossip Town, for the people who want to go.

The Idleness Train will take you down in just an hour or so.

The Thoughtless Road is a popular route, and most folks start out that way.

But it is a steep downgrade; if you don't look out, you'll land in Falsehood Bay.

You glide through the Valley of Vicious Folk, and into the Tunnel of Hate.

Then crossing the Attitude Bridge, you walk right into the city gate.

The principle street is called 'They Say', ans 'I've Heard' is the public well.

And the breezes that blow from Falsehood Bay are laden with 'Don't You Tell'.

In the midst of the town is Telltale Park. You're never quite safe while there;

For it's owner is Madame Suspicious Remark, who lives on the street, 'Don't Care'..

Just back of the park is Slanderer's Row. 'Twas there that Good Name died;

Pierced by a dart from Jealousy's Bow, in the hands of Envious Pride.

From Gossip Town, Peace long has fled, but Trouble, Grief, and Woe,

Sorrow, and Care you'll meet instead, if ever you chance to go.

~Anon.