Shredding Chicken

In my last ward, I was in charge of a banquet and we had to cook and shred a lot of chicken. I have always just done the two fork shred method. Well one lady, that was helping me shred and cook some of the chicken suggested the BEST time saving method for shredding chicken.

Technique:

Place one piece of chicken in a bowl (if you use more than one at a time it will just make chicken mush). Then take a regular hand mixer and turn it on about medium speed and shred the chicken. Then remove the shredded chicken and shred another piece.

I was totally skeptical but it totally worked great!

Crock Pot Chicken Soft Tacos

Chicken Soft Tacos
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken
1 jar of salsa

Just combine the chicken and salsa in a crock pot and cook for 4-5 hours. Then shred chicken. Warm flour tortillas in microwave add chicken and top with lettuce, tomatoe, sour cream, salsa/taco sauce.

Zucchini Bread Recipe

Zucchini, think Zucchini... Wise words from and old exercise video. Well the zucchini is in season and there is plenty of it. Here is a recipe from All Recipes.com for some tasty zucchini bread. I just made it and it is wonderful.



Zucchini Bread
INGREDIENTS:

* 3 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 cups grated zucchini
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F ( 165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and frothy. Mix in oil and sugar. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda, baking powder, salt and nuts; stir into the egg mixture. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Home Remedies for Diaper Rash

My Lil guy has been teething and getting a horrible diaper rash. Here are some home remedies I found that just might work!

-Bag Balm: if can be found at Walgreen or where you buy animal supplies. It is normally used by farmers for cracked utters. But I have found it to be useful for many things, even burns.

-Malox (the liquid kind): A pediatrician recommended cleansing the area and then pouring it on and letting it dry. Supposedly since it reduces acid in the stomach it can reduce acid on your little guys bottom.

-Whole Milk: with a clean cotton ball drenched in whole milk apply onto baby's bottom and let air dry. Repeat process 2 to 3 times before putting a diaper back on. Rash should disapear overnight, or the next. Works great for teething diapers too.

To read more home remedies for diaper rash Click Here

Cleaning up Your Dirty Laundry

I dont know about you but I often dread the weekend because that is because its laundry time. I am usually pretty good when it comes to washing its just the putting away part that I dont really care for. Here are some laundry tips that might help save time washing so you have more time to put them away.

- Emptying the dryer's lint-clogged vent regularly so clothes will dry faster.

- Changing the setting on the washer to suit the load size, especially for small loads.

- Using detergent tabs rather than powder or liquid -- just drop them in and go!

- Making laundry easier for kids to put away (so you don't have to) by having easy-to-reach hooks and low-hanging bars in their closets.

- Pre-sort dirty clothes into color-coded baskets or bins as soon as you take them off.

- If you leave a load of clean clothes in the dryer and they become a wrinkled mess, simply toss a damp towel in with the load and re-run the dryer for a few minutes.

- Stock up on laundry products so you have what you need on hand, resulting in fewer trips to the store.

- Don't overstuff the washer or dryer, since it will cause clothes to come out wrinkled and not as clean.

- Instead of folding or hanging clean clothes, toss t-shirts, gym clothes or other active wear onto an over-the-door shoe rack.

For the full article Click Here

Adding a Little Color to your Hand Towels

In my new house I have decided to have turquoise and brown be the main colors of my family room, dining/kitchen area. I have had the hardest time trying to find turquoise towels. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own. I took some turquoise, white and brown fabric I had left over from some pillows I made and sewed it on to some plain white hand towels. I was in expensive, the colors I needed, and it looks cute!

Raising Chickens being Self-reliant

So last year my parents got some chickens, they totally love them. My dad feeds them treats, bread you name it. All he has to do is go outside and say here bock, bocks and the come running to him. I never thought chickens where that smart and could be come a family pet but the totally can. The best part is they are useful they produce eggs. My dads chickens usually produce about 1 egg each a day, so he was at one time getting 6 eggs a day.

So we decided to get some, we started out with two chickens and built them a little coop (and we are the least handiest people I know) for about $100. However a wily raccoon, from the orchards behind our house, dug under the coop and killed them. So we got 6 more. They aren't laying eggs just yet but they are so cute and funny. When they do lay eggs we will be getting 6 eggs a day as well. We will have enough eggs for our small family and more. Raising chickens is great because you can become self-reliant in the egg department, teach children responsibility, and have a family pet.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

This past weekend my husband's work had a bake sale and I made these way cute Ice cream cone cupcakes. They were a big hit!


Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® party rainbow chip cake mix Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
24 flat-bottom ice cream cones
1 to 2 containers Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy frosting (any flavor)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill each cup 2/3 full of batter (1 heaping tablespoon each). Place ice cream cone upside down on batter in each cup. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean (cones may tilt on batter and its way okay). Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove paper baking cups. Generously frost cake with frosting, and decorate as desired. Store loosely covered.

Must haves for Fall Decor

Lately I have been getting SO excited to get out all of my fall decorations and have been looking for ways to spice it up. While searching sites I have found a few must haves for my fall decorations, they are:

-Pumpkins
-Dried corn
-Colorful silk leaves.

Ali Fenlon, of Rod Works had some great ideas to spice up any decor. She said "bringing the holidays into your home should be simple and cost effective, not budget-breaking and difficult. Combining your everyday items with a touch of holiday flair will keep your budget intact and give you a look that is stylishly yours.

Helpful hints when shopping for holiday décor:

• Take an inventory of what you have right now.

• When shopping choose items that work with what you already have. Changing your candle color is much cheaper than buying new candle holders. If you love your candle color just buy something to embellish your candles and candle holders, beaded garland or seasonal candle rings bring in the holiday look and are usually cheaper than candles. This works for lanterns, and wall sconces as well.

• Blend some of your everyday items with the new holiday items. A bowl or tray full of balls and greenery is the perfect place to add just a thing or two to give it a holiday look. Trade-out a couple of the everyday balls to holiday balls; remove the greenery and add a holiday pick.

• Soften your look with Linens. This can bring color and fun to table tops, baskets, trays, etc. Choosing a color and style that can be used throughout Halloween and Fall is a sure money saver. To save money, layer your linens. Choose a neutral bottom layer (usually the runner) then layer with a cheaper option like a place mat, napkin or even a dishtowel in your holiday colors. "

Here are some fun pics I found with cute ways to use these things:






For more great ideas go to www.rodworks.com/

Saving $ with Grocery Smarts

This has to be one of my favorite websites. I use it weekly to plan my grocery shopping. We have all tried just couponing and half the time the generic is still cheaper than the name brand stuff. This is where grocery smarts comes in. Each week grocery smarts goes through the stores weekly ads and calculates which items are, what they call 5 star deals (where you are saving the most $). Then they combine those sales with coupons that you get in your local sunday paper or online. So for example this week A1 steak sauce was on sale at Maceys for $2.79, (which is a killer deal by itself) and then I had a $2 off one A1 steak sauce coupon making my final price $.79 WAY CHEAP! I bought 5 because I had 5 coupons. You have to have a coupon for each item to get it for the coupon price. Because things are so cheap you can afford to stock up on things for your food storage. To do it I get 4 Sunday papers that way I have 4 of every coupon, sounds a bit crazy but SO worth it. Last month I spent $315 on groceries (including diapers) and saved $312. So really I got $627 worth of food for half the price.



If you want to know more about it you can contact me or their is a lady that taught me and she offers free classes and you can find her contact info at www.sheshopssmart.blogspot.com or you can get on the free Grocery Smarts website which is grocerysmarts.com/utah/lists/splashg84ctm.php

Homemade lockers

Growing up we never really had a specific area to put our books and backpacks when we came home from school. So we would end up just dumping them in our living room for all to see when they first walked in the door. I think this is a dang cute idea that anyone could add to their laundry room or pantry, take a look.

For the full article go to studio5.ksl.com

Make your own Hall Tree

I thought this was so clever, a woman named Margo made a hall tree from an old door, end table and mirror. I have priced these before and they can get to be quite expensive but, this is a cheap and easy alternative that looks just as good as any $400 model from the local furniture store. You can find the full directions at HGTV.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

One of my easiest tastiest dinners is BBQ Crock pot ribs.

Ingredients:
-1 bottle of BBQ Sauce
-2 lbs of ribs (I like the country style boneless)

Method:
Add ribs and half of the bottle of BBQ sauce to a crock pot. Cook 4-5 hours. Then just before serving if their is a lot of fat drain it off, and add the rest of the BBQ sauce and cook for 10 minutes. Then Serve.

The Craft of Journaling

For the most part I have done pretty good at keeping a journal since I was 16. However, I think it is because I set a purpose for my journal. As a teenager I learned from my best friend to write my journal to my kids. Cause lets be honest are we writing our journal just for us? I will admit it is a bit of creative outlet at times but I rarely go back and read it myself. In my journal I try to record things that I think my kids would enjoy hearing about. As a teenager it was the many boys that I had crushes on and now it is more, how I felt when I was pregnant or their first tooth or step. I feel if I write in my journal for a purpose and direct it toward an audience it is SO much easier.

One particualr woman, that spoke at a conference I attended, has several different journals. She has one for her husband, one for each one of her kids and one for herself. Then as she feels like writing she writes in one of them and as her husband or kids like they can go and read them. I thought that was a great idea cause there are sometimes I should just write a little note to my husband thanking him or telling him how much I love him.

One of the best ways I have found to keep a journal is to use a three ring binder and sheet protectors. That way I can write or even type my journal entry (cause my writing is at times not very legible). This way I can also add or take away pages as I need and use the sheet protectors to keep things like tickets or photos that go with what I am writing about. It kind a makes it a journal/scrapbook all in one. Anyway give it a try!

Setting Goals

I was looking back at some OLD journals when I found one year in particular that I had set some goals. I created the goals based on Gordon B. Hinckley's "B's", Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Involved, Be Clean, Be True, Be Positive, Be Humble, Be Still, and Be Prayerful. What I first did was create the goals based on the "B's" and then set daily and weekly goals that would help me acheive them. Then I printed them out and stuck them up in the bathroom. The crazy thing is it was the only time in my entire life where I actually did really well achieving these goals, and during this time I was working 2 jobs and going to school full time. So I thought, I did it then why not now? Here is what I came up with:
Year Goals

Then I made a weekly schedule with things I can do each day to help me achieve those goals. Even though its not the beginning of the year, I would HIGHLY recommend trying it and see how ya do, you might surprise yourself :)

Use your Free Chocolate

Sugar Cookie Jewels

Ingredients
3/4 c butter, softened
2/3 c granulated sugar
1 Large egg
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 c Flour
3/4c M&M Minis
Granualted Sugar as needed

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add egg and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in M&M’S® MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. With bottom of glass dipped in sugar, flatten dough very slightly so as not to crush M&M’S® MINIS® Milk Chocolate Candies. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light golden; let cool 1 minute before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Store in tightly-covered container.

For more tasty M&M recipes click here

Free Chocolate Fridays

Mars each Friday gives away coupons for FREE Mars candy bars. If you are one of this weeks 250,000 people to register, they will send you a coupon for a free candy bar. Who doesn't love FREE and Chocolate. I have done it several times and have already received a few of my coupons. I can't wait until I get a few more and then I can give a special treat to my primary class, for FREE! Who doesn't like Chocolate and FREE? Click Here to get see if you are part of the first 250,000. They do it every Friday and you can sign up every Friday.

Free Bagel Friday

Einstein bagels is having FREE bagel Fridays before 11am. There were re-usable coupons in this last Sundays papers. I am sure you can probably get them in-store, but I would check with your local store. They coupons are good for one free plain bagel today August 21, 2009 and August 28, 2009.

2009 Rubber Ducky Derbie

On August 29,2009 the Make-A-Wish Foundation will be holding it annual Rubber Ducky Derby here in Utah. The Rubber Ducky Derby has been a means of fundraising for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah for the past 21 years. The Make-A-Wish Foundations is funded by donations that come from the community and use the money to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

They suggest a donation of $5 to sponsor your own duckie. Duckies will then be raced in several heats at Seven Peaks Water park.

The sponsor of the winning ducky will win a brand new 2008 Sport Red Chevy Aveo5 donated by Jerry Seiner Dealerships! Who doesn't need a brand new car, talk about a great deal for only a $5 donation!

For more info go to www.makeawishutah.org/

10 Best-Kept Secrets for Selling Your Home

I know that selling/buying a house can be a real BEAR. A lot of people have their opinions about what should and should not be done. Having recently accrued a little experience shopping for a home, these are definitely the things I kept in mind when shopping for and building my own home.


Here are 10 Tips I found from the pros at HGTV for selling your home.
Selling Secret #10: Pricing it right
Find out what your home is worth, then shave 15 to 20 percent off the price. You’ll be stampeded by buyers with multiple bids — even in the worst markets — and they’ll bid up the price over what it’s worth.
Selling Secret #9: Half-empty closets
Storage is something every buyer is looking for and can never have enough of. Take half the stuff out of your closets then neatly organize what’s left in there
Selling Secret #8: Light it up
Maximize the light in your home. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine.
Selling Secret #7: Play the agent field
A secret sale killer is hiring the wrong broker. Make sure you have a broker who is totally informed
Selling Secret #6: Conceal the critters
You might think a cuddly dog would warm the hearts of potential buyers, but you’d be wrong. Not everybody is a dog- or cat-lover.
Selling Secret #5: Don’t over-upgrade
Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market.
Selling Secret #4: Take the home out of your house
One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there.
Selling Secret #3: The kitchen comes first
You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back.
Selling Secret #2: Always be ready to show
Your house needs to be “show-ready” at all times – you never know when your buyer is going to walk through the door.
Selling Secret #1: The first impression is the only impression
No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door.
For the full article click here

No-Sew Faux Roman Shades, made from vinyl WALLPAPER

I found a really cool idea to make Faux Roman shades out of wall paper. I thought it was a way clever idea to use leftover wallpaper, and to help tie a space together. And the lady has step by step instructions with pictures my fav!

It is by a lady named DzynByJules, she said she:
"... was looking for a way to recycle my leftover rolls of wallpaper so I made this inexpensive window treatment to coordinate with the the room's decor. For complete decorations and images Click Here

Pinching Your Pennies

Pinchingyourpennies.com is a great website to find a great deal. They have many forums where people can post for great deals on groceries, clothes, electronics you name it. They have tips for using coupons, and even forums that are state by state so you can find the best local deals. I use it on a regular basis to find the latest and greatest deals,especially on groceries at my local supermarket, check it out!

Health Benefits of House Plants

Did you know that there are many health benefits from having live plants in your home? I had always thought oh ya it give you oxygen in your house but, they can do so much more than that.
They can actually:

-Clean the Air: a classic NASA study found that common house plants could improve air quality. In fact, they reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours.

-Plants can make you Happy: plants make people feel calmer and more optimistic, says Bruno Cortis, M.D., a Chicago cardiologist. Interestingly, he says that studies have shown that hospital patients who face a window with a garden view recovered more quickly than those who had to look at a wall.

-Plants Fight Fatigue and Colds: According to a University of Agriculture in Norway study, indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, partially by increasing humidity levels and decreasing dust.

What are the best plants to have? * Dragon tree * Ivy * Ficus * Philodendrons * Spider plants * Peace lilies * Ferns * Chrysanthemums * Palms

To read the full article click here

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

Here's whats for dinner:



Grilled Chicken Cordon
Ingredients:

* Boneless chicken breast
* Salt
* Pepper
* Pre cooked bacon
* Swiss cheese
* Hamburger bun
* BBQ sauce

Method:

Buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and season with salt/pepper and grill on a medium heat. Grill until done at around 15 minutes or 165 degrees internal temperature. With the grill still on and the meat now cooked add a couple slices of pre cooked bacon and a slice or two of Swiss cheese. Close the lid on the grill for a couple of minutes to let the cheese melt then serve on a hamburger bun. BBQ sauce is an option. Great Summer sandwich enjoyed by all!

Thanks Studio 5 and Camp Chef for the recipe.

Spice up your Blog

Spice up your blog with backgrounds from The Cutest Blog on the Block. They not only have way cute backgrounds but also banners, blinkies and extras. Check it out!

Two buck Tuesdays @ Thanksgiving Point

That's right every Tuesday in August is $2 bucks. For $2 you can visit either Museum of Ancient Life, Farm Country, and the Thanksgiving Point Gardens. It is $2 per person per venue. Its a great opportunity to take those kids out one last time before school starts.

What Else is $2?
• Cooking Classes. Bring a friend for $2. Register for any Emporium Kitchen cooking classes in August and pay just $2 to bring a friend. (Please call 801.768.2300 to register).
• Emporium Fudge. Yummy, rich, delicious original fudge from the Emporium. Get a half-pound for just $2 (Tuesdays only).

Paper bag Scarecrow

What you'll need:

* Brown paper lunch bag
* White craft glue
* 2 medium wiggle eyes
* 2 feet of ribbon infall colors
* A stir stick
* 2 sheets of newspaper
* Black marker
* Scissors
* Orange foam flower
* Construction paper: white/tan, brown, yellow, pink, orange
* Pattern for hat

How to make it:

1. Trace the pattern onto white or tan construction paper. Cut out. Draw some stitches onto the rim and hat top by making tic-tac-toe symbols.
2. Lay the paper bag on a work surface with the flap side facing down. Glue the wiggle eyes in place roughly three inches from the top of the bag.
3. Cut out a triangle from the orange construction paper for the nose. Glue in place slightly below the middle of the eyes.
4. Cut out two circles from the pink construction paper. Glue on either side of the nose, and draw a smile from the bottom of one circle to the other (see photo). Draw a few stitches on the mouth.
5. Use a marker to draw eyebrows above the eyes.
6. Fold yellow construction paper in half, greeting card style. Cut along the fold so you have two pieces. Cut one piece into thin strips. Starting at the top of the bag, glue some strips on so they hang down like hair. Cut some strips shorter for bangs.
7. Cut a strip of brown construction paper to glue onto the hat top as the band. Fringe- or scissor-cut the top of the hat brim piece. Glue the brim to the hat top so it partially covers the brown brim.
8. Glue the yellow foam flower to the hat. Cut out a circle from brown construction paper and glue to the center of the flower.
9. Glue the hat on top of the yellow hair.
10. Carefully fill the bag with crumpled newspaper.
11. Coat the first three inches of the paint stir stick with glue and insert into the bottom of the bag.
12. Crumple the bag around the stir stick, being careful not to let the end of the bag stick to the stirrer.
13. Tie a ribbon around the end of the bag, about two inches above the bottom. Tie the ribbon in a tight knot and then tie into a bow to close the bag.
14. Cut some of the leftover yellow strips in half or thirds and glue them to the stick under the bag.
15. Carry your scarecrow by the stir stick.

Thanks Kaboose for the great idea, for more ideas from Kaboose click here

1001 Uses for White Vinegar

Who knew that Vinegar was so handy. Distilled white vinegar can be used for virtually anything from freshening a stinky garbage disposal to shining copper. Vinegar is effective in killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, because it is so acidy. Cleaning with white distilled vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals.

One recipe that I am going to try is that for freshening the garbage disposal here it is:

Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water.

There are at least a 1000 more uses for white vinegar, click here for more Vinegar uses.

$5 Dollar Dinners

I am all about saving money! I found a great site that helps you do just that. She has a ton of recipes that you can make for dinner for only $5. Check it out

What is Irlen?

Do you or your child suffer from:

* Reading and learning problems
* Dyslexia
* ADD/HD, Autism and Asperger Syndrome
* Behavioral and emotional problems
* Headaches, migraines, fatigue and other physical symptoms
* Light Sensitivity/Photophobia
* Traumatic brain injury (TBI), whip lash, and concussions
* Certain medical and visual conditions.


You may be able to benefit from a technology that uses colored overlays and filters to improve the brains ability to process. Irlen can improve reading fluency, comfort, comprehension, attention and concentration by reducing light sensitivity. What it does is uses color overlays to block out light waves so that the brain can accurately process visual information.

I have always struggled with reading. Every time I sit down to read I get sleepy no matter what time of the day it was. Then my mother-in-law suggest I might have a problem with my eyes. She is a certified screener for the Irlen program and she tested me and I found out that I could definitely benefit from using overlays. I now have gray overlays that I use when I read and it helps a ton! I also have a few nieces and nephews that use overlays. If you think you or child could benefit from a screening or would like more information email me at foxyjeeplady@hotmail.com and I will forward your information on to my mother-in-law and she can get in contact with you. To view some sample

Pallet Coffee Table

1. Gather three cast-off wooden pallets identical in size.

2. Designate one pallet as the base, and attach four rolling casters to each corner.

3. Stack the second pallet on the base.

4. To create the top, it is necessary to remove the boards from the underside of the remaining pallet. Carefully cut or strip off the boards and use them to fill in the gaps on the top side of the pallet. This will give you a table top that is solid. Stack the final pallet on top of the first two.

5. Sand all the rough edges and peel away and splintered wood.

6. Using spray paint, spray the entire table. Once table is dry, it is ready to use!

7. To add storage to your table, slide shallow baskets or bins into the natural spaces created on the sides of the table.

8. To transform your coffee table into a rolling ottoman, simple add a couple of chair pads for instant extra seating.

Zucchini and Whole Wheat Fettuccine

Zucchini and Whole Wheat Fettuccine

Ingredients:
1 box Whole Wheat Fettucine
3 Medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips
1/4 c Olive or vegetable oil
1 T butter
3 Large cloves of garlic minced
2 t dried basil
1/2c grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Method:
Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain. Steam zucchini in small amount of water over high heat for 3 min; drain and set aside. Combine oil, butter, garlic, and basil in small saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes; do not allow the garlic to brown. Toss noodles with zucchini, garlic-basil sauces, grated cheese, and salt (if desired).

Free groceries on Kraft

That's right free groceries on Kraft. You just have to spend $25 on participating items and you receive a $5 off your next purchase and then a mail in rebate for $20 making them FREE. Albertsons is a retailer participating in this deal and this week they are also having a huge sale on a lot of this items. For a list of participating Items Click Here Hurry in, your receipt must be dated between 8/7/09- and 8/23/09 and all item must be purchased in a single transaction.

Save $ by Cutting Kids hair

In this down economy people don't really have a lot of money to take their child to the hair dresser and pay $10 for a hair cut. I personally am on of those and have decided to take matters into my own hands and cut my baby's hair. Here are some tips I found on cbsnews.com for cutting your kids hair:

Be prepared

--Have all your tools and distractions prepared. Once you start you don't want to have to start searching for things around the house. You have limited time for a child to sit quietly.

--Cozy prefers to set children up in a chair in front of a video or with toys or some distractions.

--You'll want to invest in a pair of inexpensive sharp, fine-tipped, scissors designed to cut hair. You can get these at a beauty supply store. You'll also need a comb and a couple of hair clips to pin back sections while you're cutting.

--And of course before you get started, decide length first -- how much you want to cut off.

--Always be mindful that your child may move suddenly so always be prepared.

Is it better to cut hair when it's wet or dry? Cut hair when wet for a more precise cut, but remember that the hair will shrink when it dries so leave hair longer than you will want it to be when dries. A quarter to a half inch longer should be good, depending on how curly the hair is.

You suggest parting the hair down the center, why is that an important first step? Part the hair down the center so it's even on both sides. For longer hair styles (boys & girls), always cut with the center part even when the child wears a side part. This will ensure that both sides of the hair are even.

You say it's important for longer lengths to keep the chin down, why? This will prevent the bottom layer from being longer than the top layer. This is especially important for girl's who have longer hair..

You say that you have to section off the hair first, what does that do? This provides organization and then you're going to use the first cut as your "guide." Start cutting in the front of the head first because that's the most noticeable section and then proceed to the sides and work your way towards the back. Take small sections of hair between two fingers and slide your hand towards the ends. You will repeat this all the way around.

How do you make sure you are cutting even all the way around? Use your finger as a guide as far as length to keep the haircut even all the way around.

What's the most common mistake parent's make? The most common mistake parent's make is cutting the bangs too far back. I suggest cutting from eyebrow to eyebrow, no farther back than that.

For a boys cut, how do you tidy up around the neckline? When "cleaning up" around the neckline, many people go to short. Follow the natural hair line. If there is a peak, just clean up to the tip of peak. Follow the natural hair line around the neckline.

For cowlicks, don't cut it short -- it will make the hair stick up! Instead, leave it ½ inch longer than the rest of the hair so that the cowlick will "lie down" rather than stick up.

Try low maintenance hair styles for less upkeep. For boys, long shaggy styles are in style now, which works well for this. Shorter styles need more frequent maintenance, and for girls, one length hair needs less maintenance. Bangs need frequent trims. One length styles can be accessorized more easily and can hide split ends in need of a trim.

I also if your interested there is also a really good book called "Cutting your Family's Hair"

Dying to see the latest movie...

Dying to see the latest movie but don't know if its worth paying $8.50 to go see it? I found a great site called www.rottentomatoes.com that allows the fans and critics to rate the latest movies. They have reviews and a "tomatometer" that you can use to make your own decision on whether you want to go see the newest movie. I found the reviews to be very help full in making a decision. Take it for what its worth it might save you $8.50 and two hours of your life :)

Home Remedies for Ants

We recently moved into a house and have been invaded by little ants. They have decided to make a home in our home and I am so grossed out by them. We have a dog and a one year old boy so I have really been putting of buy chemicals or having someone come spray for them. Here are some Home Remedies for ants I found:

Boiling Water Put a quick end to ants that are ruining your garden or invading the house itself with one of the quickest home remedies for ants. Locate the ant hills and pour a kettle of boiling water down each of them.

Instant Grits Take 1 tablespoon of Instant Grits and sprinkle it over each ant mound.

Duct Tape This is one of the most effective home remedies for ants that are destroying your trees, plants and shrubs. Wrap a piece of Duct Tape around the trunk of the tree or plant, sticky side out.

Yeast Molasses Sugar Mix Mix together 1 part sugar, 1 part active yeast and 2 parts molasses. Drop the mixture, 1 teaspoon at at time, onto small pieces of paper.
Strategically place the pieces of paper along ant trails or where the ant problem is obvious. This is one of the safest home remedies for ants because it contains no chemicals.

Garlic Onion Pepper Mix Take a quart of water and add 1 clove of garlic, 1 small onion and 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Let that mixture set there for about 1 hour. Next add 1 tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Put the concoction in a spray bottle and spray it around the house where you have ant problem areas. This is also one of the safer home remedies for ants.

Salt Janice from South Carolina writes: "For control of ants in the home, find the infested area and the source or trail where they are coming from, and use household table salt. Sprinkle around window sills, baseboards, door thresholds, anywhere where needed. For some reason they will not pass the area that's been treated (a barrier). Test it out on a area where you see ants and make a circle of salt around them, and you will see that it repels them. This is one of the safest home remedies for ants".

Borax Debbie from Wartrace, Tennessee writes: "Mix 20 Mule Team borax and sugar water to make a trap or sprinkle the 20 mule team borax on the ant trail of ants and they take the borax bake to the nest and kills them all."

Thanks www.home-remedy.org for the info.

Cheap and Easy Mirror

It's back to school time and they have a ton of those cheap full length mirrors. I had one that I bought a few years back and I was sick of having to move it every time I vacuumed. So I decided to put it to good use and hang it up some how, because they don't have hooks on the back.

This is what I did, I just got some ribbon and some pins. I then pinned each end of the ribbon to the mirror (you have to space it evenly so that it will hang properly). Then hung it on a single tack on the wall. It looks great, it's a cheap way to add a larger mirror to any wall, and its off my floor!

The Baby Whisperer

When my son Noah was first born and it seemed like he was screaming all the time, it seemed like nothing could comfort him. We thought it my be colic, or some sort of gastrointestinal problem. Then my sister-in-law, Tami, suggested that we check into getting this book. I am not usually one for books especially ones called the "Baby Whisperer" but anything is worth a shot, especially cause we were all having a hard a hard time sleeping.

It is such a AWESOME book. She has suggestions about how to get you baby on a schedule but no so much by the clock, its more of a routine. Its called EASY where they Eat have Activity and then Sleep so you can have You time. Noah really caught on to this and it helped him relax a ton. He has even started to sleep better even at night. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has has lil babies or is thinking about one. I know of quite a few people that will be having babies soon, its a good refresher even if you already have kids to prepare for that new bundle of joy. Give the Baby Whisperer a try for help with those little ones. She's good!

Mild Fiesta Salsa

Tomatoes are on like crazy and people have been freely sharing their gardens with us. So this weekend I am going to make some of this EASY delicious Salsa. It's a great spicy treat. Enjoy some tonight and freeze the extra and enjoy it year round!



Ball Mild Fiesta Salsa
Ingredients:
5 14.5oz cans of petite diced tomatoes OR 4lb fresh tomatoes (about 12 medium) to yield 9 cups finely diced
1 1.3oz pkg Ball Simple Creations Mild Fiesta Salsa mix

Method:
--Combine tomatoes and contents of package in a medium saucepan.
--Heat to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes
--Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes
--Ladle salsa into clean freezer jars to fill line.

Quick Tip: add 1/4 cup white onion and 1 Tbsp cilantro to each pint of salsa when serving.
Image courtesy of fotosearch.com

Cute Monogram Blocks

I have a book case that needed a little splash of Color, so I saw something similar to this on a local TV show and decided to try it.


I used:
-Upholstery tacks
-Picture Hanging nails
-Scrap wood
-Craft paint

I just painted the block the color of my choice. Then I printed out the first letter of my last name "B" and cut it out. Then I placed it on my painted block and hammered in the nails and tacks in the shape of the letter that I printed out. It's an easy way to add a little monogram and color to any area.

Cherished Moments Photography

Cherished Moments Photography is local studio that takes amazing kid photos! I know when my little guy was just 2 weeks old we took him there and go some way cute ones.

At their studio they have the cutest props and backdrops to create the perfect picture. Also, I believe that if wish to have a more natural photo taken outdoors they will travel. They also take adorable family/engagement photos, so if you are looking to get a jump on those Christmas cards or just want to take advantage of the upcoming beautiful fall leaves, give them a call!

They are located in Pleasant Grove, Utah just across the street from the PG Fire Department. To check out some of their amazing work Click Here or visit their Blog

Fee Free Weekend at National Parks

I was so excited when I saw this on Studio 5 at the beginning of the summer. Fee-free Weekends at your local National Park.

Unfortunately this weekend, August 15-16, 2009, is that last weekend to take advantage of the fee-free weekends for this year. More than 100 National Parks are participating and most people live within a days drive. So if you don't have any plans this weekend take a advantage of a free trip to a National Park near you.

Fruity Pebble Cookies

One of my favorite cookie recipes that I think are so tasty is Fruity Pebble Cookies.


Fruity Pebble Cookies

Ingredients:
1 yellow cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1-2c Fruity Pebbles

Method:
Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs thoroughly. Then add as much of the Fruity Pebbles as you would like. I like mine pretty crunchy so I add about a cup or so, I just eyeball it. Then drop teaspoon sized balls onto a cookie sheet, and bake @ 350 for 8 min or until golden brown on the edges.

Post.com

Back to School Crafts

Spice Up a Plain Binder

Take an plain binder and spice it up with a book wrap, scrapbooking stickers, and a little yarn.

How to Make It:

-Wrap you book in the book wrap.

-Choose some fun stickers to match the theme of your binder.

-To withstand the wear and tear of lockers and backpacks, hot glue the stickers to the colorful binder.

-Wrap yarn around the binder, creating the perfect place to tuck in notes or photos of friends.



Personalize your Lunch tote or backpack

How to Make It:

-Find some fun stickers, funky foam, or premade embellishments.

-Arrange stickers on the lunch box.

-Use hot glue to attach (if desired).

Images and Ideas found at Better Homes and Gardens

Money Matters

I have recently been reading "What we wish we'd known when we were Newlyweds" by John and Kimberly Byetheway. We are not recent newlyweds but we are definetly not experts either, everyone can use a little friendly advice now and again. Today was reading the Money Matters chapter and they had some really good advice on those money matters. They had 4 points:

1- Pay an honest Tithe. I am LDS and believe that this is a really important principle to abide by. You can't afford not to. For those who may not be LDS it might be giving to a charity or your religion.

2- Live on less than you earn They said that, "'Delaying gratification' means to sacrifice something now for some reward or goal you desire later." Whether that be to be debit free (which is my own personal goal), or get new furniture, or even just having a little left over to the movies every now and again this is definitely an important principle.

3- Distinguish between wants and needs Ask Do we need it? Do we need it right now? Can we live without it? I know this is one that I really need to work on. I have a tendency to say "Oh but it is on sale," although we might need it we don't really need it RIGHT NOW. I just need to keep asking myself those 3 questions when I go out shopping.

4- Develop & live within a budget I think this one goes hand in hand with #3. I think that while you examine your monthly income and those fixed amounts like car insurance, health insurance, etc. you need to look at the expenses like cable TV or super fast internet and ask yourself is it something I can live without. The Bytheway's had this to say, "Lots of people spend pretty haphazardly. They scratch their head at the end of the month and wonder where all the money went. Roger W Babson said, "More people should learn to tell their dollars where to go instead of asking them where they went." Budgeting is telling dollars where to go."

Another thing that they suggested was to not live "a Martinelli's lifestyle, and...try to match it on a kool-aid income." I know that this is something I really need to work on as well. We just moved into a new house from an apartment and don't have a ton of stuff, however since the people that live around us are more established I feel that I need to have just as much stuff as they do. I just gotta keep telling myself I don't need to keep up with the Jones's. :)

Re-using old Calendars as Art

One thing my mom was always funny about was writing on the "nice" calendar because she might use the picture again. I thought she was totally crazy, but as I have gotten my own house and have little $ to spend on art I have actually found it be very useful. I used one of my calendars from last year and put it in a nice frame and I think it looks just as good as any high dollar print. So if you don't have a lot of funds for artwork and have an extra old calendar, give it a try.

Vinyl Lettering

I am a fan of vinyl lettering. I think its a great way to spice up any area. For my brothers wedding I made them a plaque with their last name in bold letters and placed both of their first names in cursive letters of a different color over the top. It was an inexpensive gift that was a hit. A great site that offers great prices is Vinyl Craft Lettering They are based out of Springville, Utah and if you live in the area you can actually go pick up your order, they are great, very fast, and friendly.

Here are some of my vinyl projects:

EASY Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

EASY Homemade Fresh
Strawberry Freezer Jam

Ingredients:
4 c Fresh Strawberries crushed
1 1/2 c sugar
1 (1 5/8 ounce) package ball simple creations no cook freezer jam pectin

Stir sugar and contents of package in a bowl until well blended. Add 4 cups crushed fruit (for peaches, reduce to 3 1/2 cups). Stir 3 minutes. Ladle jam into clean plastic (or glass)freezer jars. Twist on lids and let stand until thickened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

This is recipe is SO easy! It literally took me 30-40 min to make 5 16oz jars. I think it is even easier than making cookies and its way tasty and not too sweet!

Kid Photos

I don't know about your kids but my baby boy has the major wiggles. I have taken him a few times to a studio to get pictures taken but I always leave being frustrated and embarrassed cause he wont sit still long enough for a cute photo. So for my mom's 50th birthday present I decided that I was going to take his photo and hoped it would turn out as cute as the ones in the studio. So I got out some left over fabric from some of my sewing projects and used it as a backdrop. After searching some sites for photo ideas I was excited to see that I had some patterned fabric similar to that, that was used as a backdrop at a studio I go to. After taking about 50 photos I actually got some really cute ones. Then I used Picassa (Click Here for a free download) Here is my final product:



My mom ended up loving it and it didn't cost all that much.

National Romance Awareness Month

This month, August, is National Romance Awareness Month. Which is exciting for me because it is also my anniversary month. In an article by Baton Rouge Relationship Advice Examiner, Simone Dupree she gave a few romantic gestures that can be done through out the month of August or any month for that matter. I know I am going to give a few of them a try.
Here they are:

Write a note
Almost everyone enjoys a good surprise from a loved one especially a mate. Place an “I will be thinking about you” note in their pocket. He or she will be excited to find more than their keys or snack machine money. This small gesture is sure to improve their mood the entire day, and don’t be surprised to receive a little extra “love” that night.

Have an impromptu picnic
Make sure your mate’s schedule is clear first, because the greatest plan is worthless without proper execution. Casually say to him or her, “Come take a ride with me.” Make it clear that you would like to drive, because that will kill two birds with one stone.

Email
We are living in a completely electronic era. Therefore, maybe a romantic email is more your speed than a note. Personally, I am in agreement with whatever gets the job done. Send the email once they leave home.

Send something
Send a flower or edible arrangement to their place of employment. The attention from their envious coworkers alone will lift their mood by a thousand. I do not advise sending anything too personal. Don’t turn what should be a happy moment into an embarrassing one.

Plan a date night
Many couples with children may be unable to easily secure child care for a night time date. Thank the stars, every child must go to sleep sometime. Plan an at home date a half hour to hour after your children’s bedtime. This will provide adequate time to prepare and be sure the kids are truly fast asleep. The only essential materials required are the two of you. Watch a movie, have a late dinner, or just talk about anything pleasant.

An I love you kiss
A good kiss is worth its weight in gold to both men and women. No, I am not talking about the little pecks here and there throughout the day. A kiss is the greatest expression of physical warmth and depth between couples. Give one “I can’t live without you” kiss each day and watch your partner’s sexual appetite increase.
For the full article Click Here

Chicken Ranch Wraps

Here's whats for dinner tonight:



Chicken Ranch Wraps
Ingredients:

* 1 can jumbo biscuits
* 2 Tablespoons olive oil
* 1 envelope ranch dressing
* 3 chicken breasts
* 2 Tablespoons melted butter
* ½ cup sour cream
* ½ cup mayonnaise

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 15x10x1 inch baking sheet by spraying with a light coat of non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine oil and 1 Tablespoon dry ranch dressing mix. Combine until well blended. Separate biscuit dough into 8 rounds. Using a rolling pin, roll each biscuit into a 6 inch oval. Spread about 1 teaspoon of ranch mixture onto dough. Arrange 3-4 pieces of chicken into center of biscuit. Bring long ends of biscuit together and pinch to seal or use a toothpick to secure. Brush each biscuit with melted butter and sprinkle tops with about 2 teaspoons dry ranch dressing powder. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until light golden brown. In a small bowl, prepare dipping sauce by mixing sour cream, mayonnaise and any remaining ranch dressing mix. Serve warm wraps with prepared dipping sauce.
Recipe courtesy of KSL Studio 5

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Here is whats for dinner tonight:

Photo by myrecipe.com

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
1 can cream of Chicken (undiluted)
6 corn or flour tortillas
2 c cooked/diced chicken or turkey
1/4 c milk
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 c grated cheese
grated lettuce
sour cream
chopped tomatoes
sliced olives

Mix soup, milk, chicken and chilies in sauce pan and stir over medium heat until warm. Lightly grease a 8X8 pan then take on tortilla and fill it with the mixture from the sauce pan with a little cheese. Roll it up and place in the greased pan. Then repeat until you have used all tortillas. If you dont like your Enchiladas rolled you can layer them as well. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 min. Take out of oven sprinkle with remaining cheese, place back in oven until melted. Then serve and top with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and sliced olives.

Tips for saving $ on your water bill

Here in Utah they have a great website that will tell you how much you should water your lawn on a week by week basis. I dont know about you but we just put our lawn in about a month ago and our water bill was $80 this month. So I am definitely going to use try out their suggestions. I found it at Slow the Flow Utah. I would definitely check into it, if you are not in Utah I would check with your division of water resources and see if they have something similar. Remember save $ and save h2o.

Make your own Dry Erase Calendar

I have a hard time remembering dates and events for the whole family. I have tried a variety of methods to try and get organized. I have tried the big bulky cork boards, and the store bought calendars. I saw one that was a little cuter than this at the craft store that was wooden and basically just a piece of glass so you could see everything behind it but, it was $50. So..I decided why not use a $3 empty picture frame as my calendar. I made a table in Word with 7 columns and 6 rows, typed the days of the week in the top row, printed it out on 8X11 sheet of white paper, then cut it so that it would fit into my 8X10 frame. Then I got some ribbon and pinned each end to the left and the right of the top of my frame. Then each month I just use a dry erase marker to write in the dates and events. Its so easy to wipe off and start over each month.

I love homemaking!

As a little girl I had two dreams, one to be a teacher and one to be a mom/homemaker. Well, I taught 6th grade for a year and loved it. However, I now have a one year old son and have chosen to fulfill my other dream for the time being and that is to be a mom. I love being a mom and could have never imagined the ways my life would change with the arrival of a new little one. I love it! I love being a mommy and a wife! I am constantly looking for ways to improve things around the house as far as functionality of things, decorating, budgeting, and cooking. That's why I am here, to share those things I find handy in my own day to day homemaking with hopes that they can help you to.