Saturday quotes-ah, summer

"Ah, summer...what power you have to make us suffer and like it."  Russell Baker

Now that summer is winding down, I know I need to savor those warm bright days and try not to wish them away with longing for Fall and cooler temperatures.  Fall will come soon enough and never seems to last long.  Then winter is here suddenly and I long for summer again.  So I will spend some time soaking up what is left of it hopefully without getting sunburned.

Friday Favorites-Pretty Darn Funny parodies

These 2 parodies are so funny and cute and are my 2 favorites.

Thursday Tips & Tricks-designated places

Designated Places

Have a certain place where commonly misplaced items always are put.
Shoes-closet, mudroom or a basket by the front door.
Keys-hook, drawer or bowl on entry table
Mail-drawer, hanging cubby or hard file holder
Stuff from school-clean out backpack before snacks put flyers, papers to be signed or artwork on counter or in specific file. Put lunchboxes by the sink.
Backpacks-any certain place that isn't right by the door, hooks in the mudroom or front closet are ideal.

Try making a Family Message Board-here's a link for one made out of an oil-drip pan:
Oil drip pan into message board

Wacky Wednesday-what babies are saying...

Tuesday miTunes-Sunshine On My Shoulders

Ok, this song is maybe too corny for some people, but I have always liked it.  When he sings "if I had a day that I could give to you, I'd give to you a day just like today," I think about days that I can give to myself.  I can make a memory.  Imprint that day in my mind and draw from it later.  I used to think I had SAD (seasonal affective disorder) because I get sort of down and melancholy if the weather is gloomy.  And about the end of February and first of March, I am so done with winter and snow that I am watching and yearning for signs of spring.  But I have learned that I can reach into my memory and draw from the warm sunny summer days and it does help perk up my spirits.

Monday Messages-Charity

We know that Charity is the greatest of all the gifts of God.
The prophet Mormon tells us, “Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever” (Moroni 7:46–47; see also 1 Corinthians 13
The Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which I belong, has as their motto:  Charity Never Faileth.  So I asked myself how it is that it NEVER fails.  There are times when our love and kindness is not reciprocated or our kind deeds go unnoticed, or perhaps we go about doing things anonymously.  We may say our good deeds are always noticed by God, which is true.  But I realized that Charity is something WE possess, an attribute or a virtue, not those acts that we perform.  When we stand before God and Christ, we will either have charity in our heart or we won't.  It will not be about the number of kind deeds we have done or a list of monetary donations given.  It will be about the person we have become.  So charity never fails because if it is true charity, it will change us and make US more charitable.  So how do we develop true charity?  Moroni gives us the list of what charity is:  "And ^acharity suffereth long, and is ^bkind, and ^cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily ^dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

Moroni 7:45

Sunday Blessings-songs

I am grateful for songs that uplift me and that touch my spirit.  I love music in general, but something about the songs of the gospel really get me.  It's not uncommon for me to cry in church, but more often than not, it's the songs that affect me most.  Songs speak to me in a way that nothing else can.  The best songs are those sung by children.  They are the ones that always make me cry-and I don't even consider myself a "cryer."  I guess I'm getting sentimental.  The 2 songs that always seem to get to me are "We'll Bring the World His Truth" and "Holding Hands Around the World."  But if the right person sings any song from their heart, it can bring me to tears.  I am grateful to be able to hear and enjoy beautiful music.

Saturday Quotes-The soul would have no rainbows...

"The soul would have no rainbows if the eyes had no tears"

Hard times and sorrow make room in our heart for greater joy.  This is an interesting concept to ponder.  Some seem to escape sorrows and hardship, but often those are the ones who have learned to smile through their tears.  We never know what another's heartache has been or what challenges they are working through.

Friday Favorites-Group games

 

1.  Phase 10 can be purchased at most stores carrying games.  We like the "Twist" version.




2.  Capitalist (also called Scum, or President) is a card game that works great for any size group that fit around your table-Rules for playing Scum

3.  Loaded Questions can be played with the purchased cards or think up your own questions.  Basically, you give everyone a paper with their name at the top and they all answer a question by the person who is "it" and then that person guesses who wrote which answer.  One person reads all the answers for "it" to guess, so they don't see who wrote what.  Questions examples are:  What was your favorite cartoon character as a kid? or What is the scariest thing for you?  or Which famous person would you like to spend the day with?

4.  Person, Place and Thing is a game my son-in-law introduced to our family.  Everyone gets 3 pieces of paper and writes down a person on one, place on one and thing on the third.  It has to be things everyone has heard of.  The papers are folded and put in a bowl.  There are 2 teams, being every other person.  There are 3 rounds in which the bowl is passed around and one paper at a time is chosen and they have 30 seconds to get their team to guess what is on as many papers as they can get through.  The first round is all words-like Taboo, you can't say any part of the answer.  The second round is no sound-like charades.  The third round is one word only-like password.  By the third round, you usually remember some of the answers, but it is still hard.

5.  10,000 or Farkle is a dice game where you keep rolling as long as you roll the right numbers.  I think Greed would also work as an appropriate name: Rules for Farkle

Thursday Tips & Tricks- Keep bookshelves from getting dusty

Linen Dust Shields

• 
  

Martha Stewart Living, September 1999

To protect books from dust, crisp lengths of linen can be hung from shelves. The technique, used in old Swedish libraries, also gives a neat appearance to uneven volumes. To make, measure the length of the shelf, and the distance from the shelf above to the top of the shortest book. Add 1 inch to all sides; cut prewashed linen to this size. Hem bottom and sides by 1 inch. Sew 1-inch-wide twill tape to top edge. Fasten to underside of shelf every 6 inches with upholsterers' tacks or a strip of Velcro.

Wacky Wednesday-Why english is hard to learn...

Tuesday miTunes-Edelweiss

Like many, I fell in love with this song watching The Sound of Music.  It's a very simple song but it reminds me of simple beauty.  I like that the songwriter seems to find joy in seeing this "small and bright, clean and white" flower.  My favorite version is by Paul Jacobsen.  I like the guitar and again the simplicity of the song.  Here's a link to hear a snipit of it: Edelweiss-Paul Jacobsen.  And it's track number 8.
Also, here's the old Sound of Music version with Christopher Plummer:

Monday Messages-Lindsey Sterling

This violinist is amazing, but what struck me most was her story about learning to be happy.  Even though her story is about overcoming an eating disorder, we can all learn from her example.  She says she had to retrain her brain to focus on the positive and also to remember that God loves her and she is a child of God.  I think retraining our brain to focus on the positive and remembering always that we are children of God and He loves us and will help us is the key to finding happiness.

Sunday Blessings-a happy home

No... my home is not perfect.  But it is peaceful and there is love here.  I am so grateful for my family who each individually help to make our house a home in the way they are kind, loving and forgiving.  At times a voice is raised or a bit of contention creeps in but we all try to minimize those kinds of things.  Together, we can achieve the kind of home that is more like a temple.  I am grateful to live in a house big enough for me to find a place to be alone and small enough to never feel alone.

Saturday Quotes-Pick yourself up..

Friday favorites-Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars I

Rated: Submitted By: Nancy Photo By: mominml Prep Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes Servings: 12

"These peanut butter bars taste just like peanut butter cups."

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup peanut butter 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 4 tablespoons peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:

1.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

2.

In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares. This recipe is from allrecipes.com.   But it matches the one in my recipe box.  I make it often but not too often because I could eat the whole thing myself in one sitting and that would not be good for me.  But I definitely recommend using butter instead of margarine and I always just melt the chocolate and PB in the microwave-it's so much easier.  If I want it to be ready quick, I put it in the freezer.  I usually line the pan with foil so I can just pop out the whole thing to cut into squares.

Thursday Tips &Tricks-A quiet game for the kids

Jenga or Tumbling Tower is a great game for all ages.  But for a quiet version, cut up some dollar store sponges and you could use them dry or wet.  I think dry works better if you want a quiet game and wet works better for a summer outside game.  Try both ways!

Wacky Wednesday-Three Old Sisters Joke

Three sisters aged 90, 93 and 98, live together in a small house.

The 98 year old sister was about to take a bath.
She put one foot in and stopped.
She called out to her other sisters,
"Was I getting IN the tub or OUT?"

The sister aged 93 said,
"Hold on, I'll come up and check on you."
She started climbing the stairs and stopped, looking down then back up the stairs.
She called out to her sisters,
"Was I going UP the stairs, or coming DOWN?"

The sister aged 90 said,
"You two are getting very old! You forget everything! 
I hope I never become as forgetful as the two of you."
She then knocks on the wood table for good measure.
"The both of you stay put. I'll check on you right after I see who's at the door."

Tuesday miTunes-Little Wonders

So this song is from the movie "Meet the Robinsons," but when I hear the song I don't think about the movie, I think about my own life.  When I'm having a hard time, the lyrics remind me to "let it go... the hardest part is over...let your troubles fall behind you... it's the heart that really matters in the end."  It talks about "these small hours" and it makes me realize that even as time passes, it's each of the smallest moments that make up our entire life.  We will hold those small moments most dear to us and hopefully the many happy moments will carry us through the harder times.  

Little Wonders by Rob Thomas

Monday Messages-Moments that Matter Most

I love this visual of families and children and the reminder that our time is a precious commodity and is best spent building relationships with those we love.  Many things we do just pass the time, but sweet memories will always be treasured up.  We cannot turn back time, but if we spent it well, we will have no regrets.

Sunday Blessings- Our beautiful world

I have been struck lately by the beauty in the world around us.  I am so grateful for all the glorious colors.  Nature provides every hue of every color we can imagine.  And to have such diversity of texture and design in leaves, flowers, plants and everything makes each a wonder.  Then adding each and every animal with it's unique characteristics.  I love water and waterfalls and especially the ocean.  Even though it is rhythmical and cyclical, I could sit and watch the waves ebb and flow for hours.  Fire is also fascinating to watch.  Then when you look into the night sky and see all the millions of stars and planets, you can feel the majesty of all God's creations.  For everything to just fall into place through some kind of big bang is like blowing up a dictionary factory and having it form into a book--IMPOSSIBLE.  To my mind, it is much more likely that a very creative and loving Father made all these things for us to enjoy.  

Saturday Quotes-Live in such a way.....

This is just good advice to live by.  

Friday Favorites-My favorite baseball joke

A teacher asks her students if they're Yankees Fans. All of the hands go up except for one student.  "Why didn't you raise your hand?  Don't you like the Yankees?" she asks. "No," replies the girl.  "I like the Red Sox." "Why do you like the Red Sox?"  "Well, my parents both like the Red Sox." "Alright, if your parents were both morons, then what would you be?" "A Yankees fan." Apologies to all the Yankees fans out there.  I could have altered it to be any other team and the  Rockies (that's my team) but this was how I originally heard it.  I think the same joke has also been used with democrats and republicans.  It's kind of funny whatever way it's told.

Thursday Tips & Tricks- clear contact paper on windows

Do you have a closet or bathroom window that needs some privacy?

Buy some clear contact paper and cut to window measurements.

Line up one edge, then carefully pull paper back to adhere sticky side to window.  A ruler or credit card may help get small air bubbles.

Quick and easy.  If you're not very tall, you may only need to do the lower window.

Wacky Wednesday-Homemade Play Dough

My favorite home made play dough is this cook top recipe.  It is so much smoother than store bought and doesn't make such a crumbly mess.

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1 TBS cream of tarter

1/2 cup salt

1/2 TBS vegetable oil

food coloring

Instructions

1. Mix together all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in a medium saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it begins to thicken, add the food coloring.

3. Continue stirring until the mixture is much thicker and begins to gather around the spoon.

4. Once the dough is not wet, remove and put onto wax paper or a plate to cool.

5. After cooling (30 minutes) knead play dough a few more seconds.

Tuesday miTunes-Walking on Sunshine

This is an older song, but still in my playlist because it's so upbeat.  I like to listen to this when I'm walking or jogging.  This youtube video reminds me of growing up in Southern California in the 80's.  It was such a fun time in my life and I still miss walking on the beach and I think back fondly of going to amusement parks, shopping centers and sporting events I went to back then.  Fun Times.

Monday Messages-Lessons I Learned as a Boy

I love this video and have never watched it without shedding a tear because of the profound lesson learned by the boys in it.  If kids could catch the inspiration of charity and feel the joy of giving to those less fortunate than themselves, they will find that there is no other feeling on earth like that kind of joy.

Sunday Blessings-health

Health is one of those things that we cannot truly appreciate until we lose it.  But if it's possible, I hope to have so much gratitude for it that maybe I don't have to go through the challenges I see others deal with in this area.  Just to be able to walk is a blessing that a girl of 16 I know will have to relearn to do after an extensive and painful surgery and rehabilitation.  And just to be able to breathe without thinking about it, unlike a very dear friend who is on oxygen and gets out of breath at the slightest exertion.  And to have my mental health, which is a growing trial for women of my age who struggle with mild to severe depression.  For all these things I am profoundly grateful and realize that my health can be challenged in a heartbeat.

Saturday Quotes-Your Happily Ever After

Friday Favorites-book-Heaven is Here

I recently finished reading this autobiography that my daughter read for school.  Typically, when they have to pick a biography for school, my kids have picked someone famous like Clara Barton or Roald Dahl (he wrote Matilda and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory).  But this needed to be at her reading level, so we found this one.  It's called Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielsen.  She is an LDS mom who was in a plane crash and had around 80% of her body burned.  It's a great story and makes you appreciate all the little things we take for granted.  One part that illustrated that is when they sewed her eyes shut to help heal from a surgery on the skin in the eye area.  Another part is when her children are afraid of her and the baby cries for his aunt instead of his mom.  It's well-written and has lots of happy, hopeful moments too.  I recommend it for middle-school to adult ages (especially girls).

You'll notice I am following her blog called "Nie Nie Dialogues" and you can check it out by clicking on the typewriter icon on the right side of this blog.

Tips & Tricks Thursday-How to Find Your Own Style

For a long time I didn't really have a style as far as decorating.  I couldn't decide if I liked shabby-chic, modern, country, rustic or something else all together.  I wasn't even sure I knew what each style really was.  So I started collecting decorating magazines.   (And got myself a subscription for Mother's Day).  Then I just looked through it and cut out everything I kind of liked.  I decided to put them in a binder and now I have a defined style.  I am still not sure what to call it, but it's a bit traditional with a seaside cottage feel.  Anyway, I still add to my binder and it's fun to just look through it and dream...

Also, I'm guessing this same technique could be applied to your dress style, if you wanted to really define it and then you could shop online and really have a defined stylish wardrobe.