Trials of Faith

I found this quote today in 1Peter 1:6-7:

"6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

 7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ..."

Remember that our trials are what makes us stronger...  Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Flexible Spending

If you haven't heard of flexible spending, now is the time to learn!  Flexible spending is a plan that takes pre-tax dollars from your paycheck and puts them into an account (or accounts) for medical/dental/childcare expenses.  This is done directly through your employer once a year.

Now, let me begin by saying that I am by no means an expert, and you should consult your human resources and/or a tax advisor.

So, if your employer offers it, flexible spending can save you EXTRA money on your taxes.  Who doesn't want that?!  You may put up to an employer determined dollar amount (usually between $2500 and $5000) per year into each account (medical and childcare).  At the beginning of the pre-determined year (varies depending on the employer), ALL of these funds are available to you immediately.  Then, you will pay them back with an automatic withdrawl from your paycheck with pre-tax dollars.

What does this mean to you?  This means that your co-pays, dental bills and eye exams/glasses AND childcare (or preschool!) is now 100% tax deductible.  If you do not have a flexible spending account, most medical expenses are only deductible if you spend over 6% of your annual income on them (if your insurance is taken out pre-tax that doesn't count).  Childcare expenses are deductible at a percentage based on your tax bracket.  So, to make it simple, say I spend $1000/year on childcare.  Without flexible spending, if I am in the 15% tax bracket, I may deduct only $150.  However, if I use the flexible spending, that entire $1000 is now deducted pre-tax!  That also effectively lowers your taxable income - so you will actually see less taxes come out of your paycheck. 

Now, one more benefit:  they will often supply you with a debit card!  This may cost you a few extra dollars per year - but it's well worth it.  With the debit card, you no longer have to worry about coming up with that co-pay or deductible.  If no debit card is offered, don't stress.  You will simply pay the bill, then turn in your receipt for a quick reimbursement.

Like I said before, I am not an expert.  I do strongly recommend you speak with your human resources department and/or a tax advisor.  Here is a link to help you learn a little more:  gotta love Wikipedia!

Mess Kits

When I was a Girl Scout, we made mess kits to bring to camp.  A couple of years ago, I decided these would be a perfect addition to our food storage.  The concept is simple: each person needs to have plates, utensils and cups to eat with.  They need to be able to be washed and dried easily, and all without getting dirty again (in the event that you are "camping out."

So, how do you make one?  

1. Take a larger kitchen towel of your choosing (we got ours at the 99 cents store and let each person pick his/her own), and fold each of the shorter ends down about 1.5 to 2 inches.  Sew in place, leaving open the ends. Hint: if you use a thinner kitchen towel, it will allow the dishes to air dry faster. 
2. Then fold your towel in half, so the two new seams are together.  Sew up the sides.  
3. Next, take several feet of ribbon or string and put it through the seams which are now at the open end of your "bag" to make a drawstring.  
4. Now pick out and inexpensive plate, bowl, cup and utensils for each member of the family.  We had fun with this and let the kids each pick out a melamine plate, bowl and cup, since they will not easily break.  

If you put these in your food storage (or 72 hr kit), all you need to do is wash the items and place them in the bag.  If you hang the bag by its drawstring, the dishes will drain and be ready to use for the next meal - plus they will stay free of dust and dirt!

Easter message

Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The message of Easter is that the Savior lives! And because He lives all shall indeed live again. This knowledge provides the peace for loved ones of those who have passed on: "Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: 'I know that my Redeemer lives!' "This precious Son, our Lord and Savior, atoned for the sins of all mankind. That memorable night in Gethsemane His suffering was so great, His anguish so consuming that He pleaded, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Later, on the cruel cross, He died that we might live, and live everlastingly. Resurrection morning was preceded by pain, by suffering in accordance with the divine plan of God. Before Easter, there had to be a cross. The world has witnessed no greater gift, nor has it known more lasting love.

Thomas S. MonsonHenry B. EyringDieter F. Uchtdorf

Perfectly delicious healthy blueberry muffins

These are the best muffins. It's hard to believe they are healthy.

2 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1/3 cup RAW sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
grease or line 12 cup muffin pan

Mix all the wet ingredients including the bananas in mixer. In separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and add to wet all at once. Mix only until blended. Do not over-mix. Fill prepared pan and bake for 15-20 min.

Morning Routines

Do you or your husband usually walk out the door in the morning and come back in because you/he forgot his wallet/lunch/etc?  How about the kids, do they usually run to the bus stop carrying their jackets and with untied shoes?  Get out the door on time and organized with a few simple tips:

1.  Prepare lunches the night before.  I know it only takes 5 minutes to make a quick sandwich and throw in some snacks, but that's 5 minutes less for the morning routine!  Place lunches in their respective bags in the fridge so they are completely ready in the morning. To go along with this idea, make sure backpacks are packed too.  I set reminders on my cell phone to remember library day, etc so we don't forget to pack those extras too.

2.  Pick out clothes the night before.  Give your child 2 or 3 choices to pick from, and they will still feel like they are making a choice - and you have now eliminated the daily argument about what they are wearing to school.  If you have room in the closet,  get one of those weekly clothes organizers that hang.  Place their 7 outfits inside and tell them they can pick any cubby of clothes they want each day. 

3.  Always place backpacks, wallets, purses, keys, cell phones, etc. in the same place.  That's right - no more crazed search on the way out the door.  You may want to try a nice shelf with hooks near the door.  Keys, coats and purses go on the hooks - wallets and cell phones on the shelf.

4.  Have a morning routine.  We get up an hour before the kids need to leave.  First, they get dressed complete with socks and tied shoes.  Then, it's breakfast time followed by teeth brushing.  We then make doubly sure backpacks and coats are packed (see #1 and 3), and read our scriptures.  None of these things take  more than a few minutes, but because we have allowed extra time, we are generally not rushing out the door.

Anyone have ideas to add?  Comment below!

Orange Beef Stirfry

OK. I have been a lurker but i will contribute today with one of my favorite recipes! Oranges are very inexpensive right now and I have successfully frozen this meal in stages. {I will explain that later}

I snagged some super sweet and juicy oranges at Henry's for 4lbs for $1! We even had orange shakes for breakfast. Yum.

Recipe:

• 3 oranges
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless sirloin or rib eye cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 6 scallions green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions

1. Into a small bowl, finely grate zest and squeeze juice from 1 orange. Add garlic and soy sauce.
2. With a sharp paring knife, peel remaining 2 oranges. Slice oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve slices; push out, and discard any seeds. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, toss meat with cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed), brown beef on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
4. Pour juice mixture into skillet, and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to skillet; add orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve hot

To freeze, you can cook the beef, and combine the liquid ingredients (uncooked) and then store the meat and sauce in separate baggies having to add the fresh oranges and scallions when you're ready to eat. saves a lot of prep work when you don;t have to juice and zest oranges and cut meat, etc.

Super easy and heathy fish tacos

Many of you know that I am not an advocate for pre-made or processed meals however this was made from Gorton's Beer Battered fish fillets.You can make the fillets yourself, of course. However, 1 fillet from Gorton's has only 180 calories. And trust me, Ladies, you only need one on this fish taco. They are very filling. My kids love these too.

Corn tortillas- I just warmed them in the oven.
Gorton's Beer Battered Fish Fillet-cooked it in the oven using directions on bag.

Veggies- make sure you add plenty
tomatoes
baby spinach
chopped cabbage

Sauce- add about 1 tablespoon or so to each fish taco
white sauce
salsa (optional)

White sauce for fish (taste like Rubios)

equal parts- plain organic non-fat yogurt and

light mayonnaise

Add a little lemon or lime juice to taste.

Mix all ingredients and serve over fish tacos.

Chronic Dehydration and Weight Gain

You may not know this but it is estimated that 75% of all Americans are Chronically Dehydrated. Most don’t even know it! This means that most of us are not drinking enough water in a day. Our bodies are 75% water. The brain alone is made up with 80%. We cannot function properly if we are not giving our body this core nutrient it needs to survive. I’m not talking soda or juice or caffeine, I’m talking pure and simple water. Caffeine actually acts as a diuretic and causes the body to lose water.
So are you chronically dehydrated? Some common symptoms are fatigue, constipation, heartburn, bloating, hunger and you guessed it, weight gain. One for sure sign to tell if you’re getting enough water is the color of your urine. Yes people, it should be clear! If it’s not, you are not getting enough water, plain and simple.

You may be asking yourself how water has anything to do with weight loss. Everyone knows someone who has dieted. It is estimated that over 45 million people in the US diet every year, yet most of them struggle and remain overweight or obese. Many of these people are overweight due to many factors relating to weight loss, such as unhealthy eating or lack of exercise, hereditary or stress. What most people don’t realize is how important water consumption is to a person’s overall health and well being.

When your body is chronically dehydrated your body stores water, usually around your middle because it doesn’t know when it will get more. This not only causes bloating but it causes water weight to build up. But that is not all! When you are thirsty (BTW, if you are ever thirsty, you are well past the dehydration stage) your mind often times relays that as hunger, causing you to consume more food. Most people cannot tell the difference between hungry and thirsty. Your body will take water from the foods you eat but it is not enough so you crave more food.

How much water do we need? That is also simple! The old 8 glasses a day idea just doesn’t work for everyone. So here’s an idea that just might. In order for a person to replenish and metabolize fully a person needs to drink half his/her body weight in ounces. This means that if a person weighs 160 lbs he/she need to consume 80 ounces of water each day. Keep in mind that if you are exercising or sweating, in higher temps, or taking medications you will need an increased amount of water.

Consuming this much water may seem like a tedious task especially if you are not used to drinking water regularly. Here are a few tips:

1. Start early. The earlier you start the more likely you are to finish your daily amount.

2. Keep a log. Record how much water you are consuming so you can keep track.

3. Carry a water bottle around. If it’s always there you are more likely to drink it.

4. Drink a full glass of water before meals. This will also keep you from eating too much at dinner.

5. Add a lemon slice.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Good luck! Your body will thank you in so many ways. –Melissa Stengel

Fifteen Minutes At A Time...

Do you ever have a mess that just seem like it's absolutely insurmountable?  I love this technique:  Set an alarm for 15 minutes and work as hard as you can.  When the timer goes off, take a break.  Repeat every hour or two until the job is done.  This works great and you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish in those 15 minutes.  Besides, every time you come back, it looks easier than it did before;)

Organized Clean Up

I don't remember when or where I saw this tip, but it's a great one!  Take a large basket (think medium sized laundry basket) and carry it from room to room as you clean.  Place anything that does not belong in that room into your basket.  Then carry your basket into the next room to be cleaned and remove the items that belong in that room.  Again, as you clean place items that don't belong in the room into your basket.  Repeat as you go from room to room.

I'm not sure about everyone else here, but that should save me a ton of time -- and help keep me focused.  How many times do you grab that pencil off the table and walk it into the kitchen (or office, or wherever it belongs) only to get distracted and start doing something else in the new room?  The process just keeps repeating itself until none of the rooms you planned on cleaning ever get finished (or it takes you hours to clean the house)! 

This way, you stay in the room and complete it before moving on to the next.  By the end of your cleaning, all that should be left in your basket are the items from the last room that you picked up.  Simply bring them to their respective "homes" and you're finished!  Now, I'm going to go buy myself a little laundry basket...

Food Storage Tips

Buying food and storing it for emergencies doesn't have to take years and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Many people also think that they have to rotate everything. This is not true! Here are some tips to get you started without the headache of rotation or a hole in your pocketbook.

1. DO NOT STORE ANYTHING WITH LIQUID.  liquid canned items or anything soaked in a liquid spoils fast. Usually within 2-3 years. However in your pantry you can store a three month supply of things you actually eat. If you do not eat canned fruit then DO NOT STORE THEM! They will go bad and be useless when you need them.

2. HAVE A THREE MONTH SUPPLY OF FOOD IN YOUR PANTRY THAT YOU DO ROTATE. Only store what you eat! Some examples are: Peanut butter, jams, tuna or other canned meat, canned fruit, canned soups, cereals, pasta sauces, etc. These should be foods that you eat all the time so rotating is easy and a no brainer.

3. BUILD UP A 30+ YEAR STORAGE. Here is a list of items that store well for 30+ years if stored correctly.
1. Powdered milk
2. Wheat
3. Rolled oats
4. Rice
5. Freeze dried fruit
6. Dried eggs or butter
7. Sugars including honey
8. Beans
9. Pasta
10. Many more!

4. DO NOT STORE YOUR FOOD STORAGE IN YOUR GARAGE OR SHED. This is a very bad idea because your food will go bad very quickly in the heat.

5. STORE SEEDS. This is a great idea. Having fresh fruits and veggies are essential for good health even in times of crisis.

6. COLLECT FOOD STORAGE BASIC RECIPES. If you store recipes with your food storage you will know what to do with it when you need it.

7 BUY EXTRA. When filling up your pantry 3 month supply just buy extra at the store. The cost will be minimal and your pantry will soon fill up.

8. HAVE A PLAN. When filling up your 30+ year food storage make a food storage calendar. Every payday allot a certain amount to food storage and plan what to buy.

9. BUY IN BULK. This is especially important when building up your 30+ year supply. And will save loads of money.

These are just a few tips out of hundreds! More tips next week.

72 hr kits

Our family has been working on our food storage for awhile now, and I think we have that idea pretty ingrained in our minds.  Each time we go to the grocery store, we pick out something to add to the food storage.  Our 72 hr kits are a different story: we don't have them!

I think that I am going to try and purchase something each week to go into a 72 hr kit for each member of our family - starting with a backpack for each of us.  OK, well I guess I will have to buy one backpack each paycheck.  They can be costly!  The backpacks will contain a change of clothes, money, books, flashlights, and things to occupy our time (books, crayons, pencils, paper), and food.

I also want to add one medium sized bin for the family that we can put toiletries, first aid kits, batteries, etc. that we will all use as a family.

Anyone have their 72hr kits finished and in your regular food rotation?  Food in the 72 hr kit should be rotated every 6 months...

Eternity is NOW

Found this quote on LDS.org this morning.  I love it!

“How well are we feeding, nurturing, training, and exercising the spirits of our children? . . . Remember, eternity is now, not a vague, distant future. We prepare each day, right now, for eternal life.”
—Elder M. Russell Ballard

Apricot Chicken Sauce

This is a family favorite! makes 16-18 servings.

Place all ingredients evenly into three freezer bags.

2 cups Apricot jam
2 16 bottles Catalina salad dressing
2 pkg onion soup mix
2 large cans chopped pineapple with juice
10 chicken breast cut into tenders

Thaw in fridge. Place contents of bag into crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice. Enjoy

My yarn ball experience

I got this idea from www.addictedtohomes.blogspot.com. They got there's from a Home and Gardens magazine. I loved it and wanted to try it for myself. Couple of things I learned while making this.

1. Use different size Styrofoam balls.
2. Use a thick yarn.
3. Don't think that a simple knot will hold the yarn on the ball. Dab a little hot glue on the knot for added support.

 I used an old but still nice Christmas wreath. I just cut off the holly berries so it could be used year round. This project was fun to do and I think I will even add more yarn balls one of these days. Thanks Melanie for the idea!

Chores

I have so many friends who wonder how I get my kids to do chores at ages 5 and 7.  It's easy - well some of the time.  The key is to start as early as possible!

As soon as your toddler learns to walk, they can start to help clean up.  Have them pick things up off the floor and bring it to you or show them where the items belong.  Teach your kids to pick up their messes when they are finished playing, or have a set clean up time during the day.  Gradually, make the chores more difficult, or complicated.  Transition your toddler from cleaning up with assistance, to picking up small groups alone.  I used to tell my daughter to just pick up the dirty clothes and tell me when she was finished.  Then, we would move onto the next group (baby dolls, ponies, trash, etc) until the whole room was finished.  By the time they are 2 or 3, the child should be able to pick up most of their room on their own. 

Make clean up fun.  Little kids love to help.  Give them a rag and have them wipe the table or kitchen sink.  Let them put away the clean dishes that they can reach.  Gradually work them up by adding a little at a time.  Eventually, they will be doing those dishes and wiping off that table all by themselves!

Be prepared to modify your cleaning routines to fit them.  For the older kids, instead of carrying around a big bucket and rag mop, get a spray bottle filled with your favorite cleaner (we use Pine Sol), and teach the kids to spray the floor and mop with a pre-dampened mop.  My kids have a really hard time with a broom.  We have purchased a Shark vaccuum/steam mop.  This way, they can vaccuum the hard floors and mop them.  I go through with the broom every couple of days to make sure we get anything they missed.

Provide incentives.  We have used multiple systems over the years, from pom-pom jars to sticker charts to smart phone apps.  Whatever motivates your kids is worth it.  Whatever you decide works for your family is great (even a Friday night movie night, or something simple).

Anyone have other suggestions?

BAD BUTTER, BAD!!

We all know that butter is bad for us. Buying a butter substitute may be a good option but with so many choices out there it may be difficult to find one that works well for our family. You can go to the grocery store and buy lots of options to butter. Some better than others. Personally I like to stay away from all butters and margarine. Many of the spreads claim to be healthier than butter but with so many chemicals in them how can they be?

My favorite substitutes are:

#3 Coconut oil

Coconut oil is the healthiest oil you can eat. So its no wonder that it made my top three. You use it in place of butter in equal amounts. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup then you use 1 cup of coconut oil. It also melts like butter. It turns liquid above 77 degrees and becomes solid below 76 degrees. Great alternative!

#2 Apple sauce

All natural, no sugar added apple sauce is my number two fav. It is easy to find and it is very inexpensive. You may do this in equal amounts to butter also but just be aware that it will make your dough runny so extra flour is needed. You may reduce the sugar to compensate for the sweetness of the apple sauce but if you buy the all natural apple sauce I don't find this necessary. You will need to spray your pans with non stick cooking spray because without the butter in the ingredients they will stick.

#1 Pulp from the juice extractor

This may sound strange but it is an ingenuous idea! I juice for my family every morning and I save the pulp in freezer containers. When making apples make sure you remove the seeds before juicing. I use a plastic grocery bag to catch the apple bits and I get a new bag for the carrots and so on. Because it has no liquid in it the added step of adding more flour is eliminated. What a great way to eliminate the fat while adding healthy fruits and veggies. The best part is that you cant even taste it!

5 easy steps

Creating a budget is the first step for those of you who don't want to be in debt anymore. Being a stay at home mom means that I have the ability to keep the home cost down. Here are some tips I have learned:
1. find out which bills you can eliminate or cut down. Such as phone bill, cable, electricity and etc.
2. Don't eat out! This can cost hundreds of dollars every month. Cook at home instead.
3. Pick recipes that are cheep to make and double it. Freeze the other meal for another day. See our freezer meal section for ideas.
4. Make a plan to get out of debt and stick to it.
5. Make sure you have a starter emergency fund of $1000 before you get out of debt. That way when Murphy comes knocking (and he will) you'll be ready.

GOOD LUCK!

Great deal!

Lees Marketplace is having a HUGE sale to jumpstart your food storage. If you live in Northern Utah you should take advantage of the low prices on your basic food storage needs.
36 rolls of toiletpaper $6.99
Brown Sugar 4for$5
25lbs flour $7.99
Complete 72 hour kit $49
5 gallon pail 2for$9
4lb sugar $1.79
24pk water 2for$5
and many many more!
Hurry in the sale ends on 3/8/11

Augason Farms

Since we have moved here to Utah, purchasing food storage has become a priority for our family.  After all, it's so much more readily available here!  We have discovered a brand Augason Farms, that is reasonably priced and has a 15 to 30 year shelf life.  They have everthing including dairy, fruits, veggies, breads, meats, grains, drinks, etc, etc, etc.  I love that they have a little space on each can where you can put the open date.  Once opened, each item is good for one year.  Plus, several of the containers have recipes on them using other food storage items, so you can have an easy variety!  Perfect for the food storage beginner.  We have been purchasing ours at Winco, but they are also available online at augusonfarms.com.  Price and shipping are very reasonable!

Amazing Marinara Sauce- you will never buy store-bought sauce again.

This recipe makes 6 jars of sauce with 6 servings per jar/freezer bag. Each jar/freezer bag (I like the the ziploc 4 cup jars or bags) is filled with about 3 cups of sauce. 36 servings total.

8 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes with italian herbs

2 (6oz) can tomato paste

2 chopped onions

16 garlic cloves chopped

2 TBS olive or veggie oil

4 tsp sugar

3 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours on low. When cool place in jars/bags. If using bags place flat in freezer.

Freezer meal tip

If you plan on storing your freezer meals in bags. DON'T BUY GENERIC! They leak. Try the double zip bags from Ziploc. You will pay a little more but it is worth it to save your meals. If any of you guys have had a good experience with another brand let us know.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn (or approx 3 cups frozen)
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
4 cans chicken broth
2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilis

Combine all ingredients in two separate ziploc bags (1/2 in each) and freeze flat in the freezer.

To serve, heat through and serve over crushed tortilla chips.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. 

Dave Ramsey

For those of you who don't know me I am a BIG Dave Ramsey fan. His book The Total Money Makeover has made such a difference in our life. For those of you who have never heard of him he sets up "baby steps" for becoming independently wealthy. The cool thing is that it is understandable and attainable. The first step being to save $1000 in a starter emergency fund. This may seem easy to some and more difficult to others. What a relief is is to know that $1000 is available for me to use in case of an emergency. Example: care repairs, hospital bills or other unknown event. The peace of mind feel good.
The next "baby step" is to get out of debt. Dave recommends The smallest debt (not the highest interest rate) first because most people need to see the results fast. By paying off all little debt first it is a quicker saturation when you start seeing the bills go away. However, if you are not one of those people who need instant gratification, I don't think it matters if you do the highest interest first. This will certainly save you money! Either way, having no debt is the goal! To learn more about The Total Money Makeover click on this link Dave Ramsey.
Dave also has a radio show that I listen to regularly. When you become debt free you have the opportunity to scream "I'M DEBT FREE!" on his show. We are looking forward to doing this ourselves soon. We would highly recommend this program!

Quote of the day

If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. -Henry Ford

Creating a Budget

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a budget.  This has saved our family on numerous occasions - nothing comes necessarily unexpected.  When something does come up, there should be money set aside for it already.  How? 

Well, you can start here and get an Excel template to create your budget.  When you are puting in the numbers, be sure to account for little unexpected crisis, such as a car repair or vet bill.  In other words, when you are computing numbers for a monthly car budget, add an extra $50 or so just in case you need some kind of major repair (or heaven forbid, you have an insurance deductible).  Also, take things that come up annually and divide them by 12 to set aside money each month for when that one is due (i.e. DMV fees).

Now, how do you make sure that this money stays where it should?  I know that when I have money in the bank, or when it's in my wallet - it is so easy to tell myself that I'm going to replace it - but I really need that one thing at the store!  What has worked best for our family is the envelope system.  Take several envelopes and label them with your budget needs (car, pets, entertainment, clothing, etc) and simply put the budgeted amount in every month.  The key is to only spend what's in the envelope - or less!  So, if its time to go back to school shopping for the kids, and there's only $150 in the envelope, then that's all you spend. 

Do you have another way that works for your family?  Please share!

Kid Friendly Music Players

Do your kids love to steal your iPod or cell phone to listen to music?  Mine do!  That's why I love this Fisher Price Kid-Tough Music Player.  It's perfect for preschoolers and beyond - very rugged and durable.  It comes in either blue or pink, and you can download music from your personal library!  It's compatible with numerous libraries (we have both iTunes and Zune), so it's super versatile.  Plus, it has a built in microphone for the kids to sing along.  Our 4 year old received this for Christmas, but I was just recently able to put all of her favorites on it, so she can sing and dance in her room anytime she wants.  Retail price is around $50.

Rag Wreaths

 Last week I made two rag wreaths.

Flower rag wreath

Start with an old picture frame. I used a 8x10 wooden frame. Wrap a long strip of fabric around the frame until all the frame is covered and glue to secure. Next glue the flowers on. At this point you need to cut strips of fabric to the size you want. I used thin cream fabric. Tie each strip around the frame in-between the flowers. Knot to secure. Last you add a ribbon to the top for it to hang. I was short one flower on the bottom and will have to glue that one on whenever I make my way to the Hobby Lobby.

 Rag wreath

I made this one for my daughter. Again I used a wooden 8x10 frame. I cut out two different fabrics in strips. one was a light pink corduroy and the other was a dark pink thin fabric. I alternated the fabrics to form a pattern, tying each one with a knot. Do this until all the frame is covered. Next I glued a bow and flower to the bottom front and attached a thick ribbon to the top to hang. I hung it from her curtain rod.

Bedtime Book of the Week

 Spencers adventures series- DON'T BAKE THAT SNAKE! By Gary Hogg. For those of you who still like to read books to your kids as they get older this is the book for you. It is an early reader chapter book with some pictures. All 73 pages will leave you rolling with laughter.

Both Hubby and I took turns reading this to our four kids and we couldn't stop at just one chapter! The kids begged for more. My 8 year old had the privilege of meeting the author at school during a book signing.  This is only one of the books from the series. We intend to buy more.
What a great way to spend the evening with your kids. We highly recomend!

Blueberry muffins

These are so simple and yummy!

Preheat oven to 400
Makes 12

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup heaping packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp oil
1 grated lemon rind

Stir the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients plus the lemon rind. Mix the wet ingredients in the dry until just mixed (do not over mix). Then fold in the blueberries. Pour into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 min.


If you would like to add a crumble topping:

1/4 flour
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp firm butter

Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of muffins before baking.

Quote of the day

America cannot continue to lead the family of nations around the world if we suffer the collapse of the family here at home. -Mitt Romney

ORGANIZE THAT PANTRY!

 Lets talk labels. Making labels has got to be one of the easiest ways to organize your kitchen cupboards or pantries. I used Print Shop to make mine but you can just buy the labels and use a marker to identify your items. Containers are very inexpensive and can be purchased at many home, discount or warehouse stores.

Getting the kids "stuff" out of the "junk drawer" maybe a lifesaver for you moms when homework time rolls around. It is so much nicer when the kids know where their things are!

Tuesday- get organized

"Organize yourselves; Prepare every needful thing." -D&C 109:8