Tailgating Recipes for the Big Game

Its that time again and the Superbowl will be upon us next week. Here are some yummy tailgating recipes I found on bhg.com.

Bonanza Bean Dip

Ingredients

• 1  16-oz. can refried beans
• 1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1  recipe Lime Guacamole, below
• 4  oz. cojita cheese, crumbled (1 cup) or 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1  8-oz. carton dairy sour cream
• 1  cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1  2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1/2  cup sliced green onions
• 1/3  cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
•   Green onion tops (optional)
•   Tortilla or Corn Chips
•   Lime Wedges 
Directions 

1. In bowl combine beans and cayenne. In one half of bottom of 2-quart rectangular baking dish spread bean mixture in even layer. Spoon Lime Guacamole in other half, spreading evenly. Sprinkle both with cojita cheese. Spread sour cream over all. Cover; chill up to 24 hours. 2. Before serving, sprinkle tomatoes, well-drained olives, and onions over sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes. Sprinkle onion tops. Pass lime wedges. Makes 8 to 10 (1/2 cup) servings. 3. Lime Guacamole: In bowl combine 4 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves); 1 tsp. shredded lime peel; 2 Tbsp. lime juice; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper; and 1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce. 

Easy Guacamole
Beat together one 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese and one 8-ounce carton of dairy sour cream with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir diced up avocado and red onion into sour cream dip. Add a dash of garlic salt.

So-Simple Spinach Dip

Beat together one 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese and one 8-ounce carton of dairy sour cream with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add chopped Spinach, Parmesan cheese, and cracked peppercorns to sour cream dip.

For more tasty Game day recipes from bhg.com click here.

How to Crochet a Heart

I saw this on Little Birdie Secrets and just had to tell everyone about it. They have an awesome tutorial of how to crochet a heart. I thought these hearts would be adorable to attach to a plain white hoodie, a headband or even a valentine or valentine box.  I am not a big crochet person but I can do the basic stitch, so I am going to at least try it.  For the full tutorial of how to create these quick and easy hearts click here.

Common Kitchen Solutions

The other day on Studio5 Family and Consumer Science specialist, Teresa C. Hunsaker had some genius tips for those kitchen hassles. Check it out!

BURNT FOOD OFF PANS

• Wash/scrape away as much of the food as possible.

• Fill the pot with water. Add 1 to 2 tsp. dishwashing liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cover the pot, turn off the heat and leave the pot to soak for 30 minutes.

• With a wooden spoon, scrape away as much of the burned food as possible. Rinse well.

•  If burned areas still remain, cover them completely with a generous amount of baking soda. Drizzle in just enough water to create a thick paste, smearing the paste up the sides of the pot if needed. Set aside for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

• Without rinsing the pot, add 3 parts water to 1 part distilled vinegar to cover the burned food by at least 2 inches. Boil for 10 minutes and then leave overnight. Can also use about 2 TBS cream of tarter to a couple of cups of water.

SUBSTITUTIONS—WHAT CAN YOU USE?

• Alcohol—amaretto: use ½ tsp almond extract in water for every ¼ cup called for; brandy: use in fruit juice in equal amounts called for; cognac: peach, pear, or apricot juice in equal amounts called for; red wine: cranberry juice, grape juice, tomato juice, even beef or vegetable broth can be used; sherry: apple, pineapple, and orange juices all make good sherry substitutions.

• Buttermilk—1 cup—1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup.

• Chocolate squares—to make 1 square, use 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening or vegetable oil.

• Cocoa powder—for every ¼ cup needed use 1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate.

• Corn syrup—1 cup--1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup honey OR 1 cup light treacle syrup.

• Farmer's cheese—8 ounces dry cottage cheese OR 8 ounces creamed cottage cheese, drained.

• Sweetened condensed milk—1 can—1 1/8 c. instant nonfat dry milk, 2/3 c. sugar, 1/3 c. boiling water, 3 tbsp. butter. Beat all ingredients together. Process in blender until smooth.

I am all over this next one after seen the disaster in Haiti recently :) I have always heard to put them in plastic containers but did not know you needed to add anything to them.

HOW TO STORE WATER

1. Obtain and wash plastic, glass, fiberglass, or enamel-lined containers. Soft-drink bottles and food-grade drums work well. Plastic milk jugs are not recommended for long term storage of water.
2. Fill containers with water.
3. Add eight drops of household bleach (containing 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. This amount of bleach will kill microorganisms, but it won't be harmful to you.
4. Seal the containers securely, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.

If you have any questions, call the Family and Consumer Science Education Department at the Weber County USU Extension office at (801) 399-8203 or online at www.extension.usu.edu/weber

Decoration Inspiration

Lately I have been obsessed with ordering free catalogs, and really who doesnt love getting real mail? One of my catalog kicks has been decorating type catalogs. I love to look through them and dream or get project inspiration from them. In high school I took a Interior Decorating class and a lot of the class was spent looking through magazines and catalogs for ideas. Here are a few that I have found, if you guys know of any other great free ones leave me a comment :)

IKEA-- They have things for a fairly reasonable price and great ways to get organized. http://info.ikea-usa.com/catalog/

Pottery Barn-- Love, love love Pottery Barn. Its fabulous, they multiple types of catalogs you can order. http://www.potterybarn.com/customer-service/catalog-request/?cm_type=fnav

Lands end--They have really high quality stuff that lasts.
http://www.landsend.com/cd/catalog/0,,,00.html

Garden Planning

I can not wait for spring! I have been getting my free catalogs from the seed companies and have been picking out all of the fun stuff I want to plant. I have some grand ideas like, planting everything to make homemade salsa and a bunch of other stuff. (We'll see how that goes :) Anyways, last year I just randomly planted my plants without a clue of how many seeds or where exactly I should plant everything.

Here are some tips I found from a man named, Ed Hume:

• Location- Choose the sunniest, brightest spot in the whole yard. . If there's not such a spot, choose the next sunniest spot, avoiding any areas that are too shady

• Soil Prep--To your existing soil add generous amounts of organic humus. Compost, peat moss, well rotted manure or processed manure (the bagged stuff) are all good forms of organic humus. I would suggest avoiding the use of fresh manure, unless it is applied in the fall, as some tend to burn and the gases of a few can actually stunt crops. Mix the organic humus thoroughly with your existing soil. Then you are almost ready to begin planting. 

• Choosing what you grow and amount you grow--It's important to base the types of vegetables, and number of plants, on the eating habit of your family. You want to utilize every inch of space by growing the crops that meet the desires and needs of your family. [He has a great chart that might give you a better idea of what to plant for a family of four, click here]
  

• Layout--The tall crops such as peas, beans and corn, should be planted on the north side of the vegetable garden. In this way they will not shade the rest of the vegetable crops.In the center of the vegetable garden area, plant the medium sized crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins and other mediums sized crops.Then at the very southern end of the garden is where the low growing crops like radishes, carrots, beets, lettuce, onions and other low growing ones are planted.Whenever possible, I think the rows in the vegetable garden should run north and south, for best sun exposure and air circulation. If the rows run east and west the first row tends to shade the second row, the second row the third and so forth. 
  

For more Gardening tips from Ed Hume click here

Make Your own Gorgeous Flower Pin or Clip

Lately, I have really been in to those adorable flower clips for your hair. I got a few for christmas but would love to have more. I think they are great to dress up the boring ponytail or straight hair. However, I have found that they range anywhere from $5-12 which isn't too bad but I think I can make some for cheaper  so I have decided to try to make my own.

One Make it Do they have a fabulous tutorial of how to make the flower above. They just made it out of 4 yds of ribbon which, depending on the ribbon, would probably only cost $3-5. I am so excited to make some of these gorgeous flowers. To see the full instructions click here.

Chocolate Dipped Krispie Valentines

I have been hunting for some delicious Valentine treats that I could make for a bake sale. I found this idea on Nofussfabulous.com I thought it was a way simple yet adorable valentine treat! All they did was make a normal batch of Rice Krispie treats and then used a heart cookie cutter to cut them out. Then they put a candy stick in each Krispie and then when they were cooled they dipped them into chocolate. For full instructions and pics from No Fuss Fabulous click here.

Valentine Cake Pops

Over the Christmas holiday I was introduced to Chocolate covered cake balls and they were DIVINE!!! Well, on Bakerella.com they had the fantastic idea of making these balls into pops. For a full tutorial of how to make these delicious treats go to http://www.bakerella.com/make-your-cupcakes-pop/  In the tutorial they make ones that look like cupcakes but the process is the same. I also loved the ones that I found on Little Birdie Secrets (in the pic above),they have some great flavor combination's! Click here to check out those combination's.

Edible Arrangment for your Sweetheart

Valentines is coming and we all know that flowers are way expensive and I dont know about your sweetheart but my husband wouldn't be a huge fan of flowers. However, he does like food :) I though making an edible arrangement might be kind of fun.

I found some great tips for how to create your own on HGTV.com Here are some simple instructions of just how to make it happen.

Here's what you'll need:

• fruit that's fresh and washed 
• skewers
• white or dark chocolate
• nuts or coconut
• a double boiler

First, thread the fruit onto the skewer. Then dip it into melted chocolate in your double boiler and let it drain; you can also just drizzle the chocolate on top. Next, dip the fruit into the nuts or coconuts for a tasty and decorative touch. Try putting a raspberry in the center of a pineapple and then dip the edge in chocolate. There are lots of fun things you can do. For more Edible arrangement ideas go to www.hgtv.com/holidays-entertaining/edible-valentine-bouquets/index.html or if you dont have time to create your own you could always order one already made at www.ediblearrangements.com/

Your Da Bomb Valentines with bath fizzies

I found this super clever idea on www.skiptomylou.org What they did was make some homemade bath fizzies and formed them like a round ball or bomb shape. Once they had made their bath bombs they wrapped them in black tissue paper and added a pipe cleaner to look like a fuse. Attached a valentine that said Your Da Bomb Valentine. I thought that was so cute! I am totally making some of these for some well deserving Valentine moms. For full directions and pictures click here,  she also has a recipe for a simple bath bomb.

Felt Snowman Tutorial

Note: This is just pic of a snowman you will need to go to her site to see the real thing

On one of my new favorite blogs theidearoom.blogspot.com they have the cutest little snow man tutorial. They look so simple to make I think even I can make one :) What she did was just make it out of two pieces of felt and stuffed it with beans. On the blog you can even download the pattern for the two pieces and the face. Click here for her full instructions.

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Valentine Mailboxes

I always remember each year wanting to have the coolest Valentine box in the class but, I always ended up with the standard shoe box covered with wrapping paper and decorated with stickers. Now, there is nothing wrong with that but it got kind of boring each year. I think it was just because we werent very creative, so I have found some creative way cute ideas on familycorner.com  so you can spice up your kids Valentine box this year.

The Purse

The just took an ordinary shoe box covered it with wallpaper samples (you could totally use wrapping paper), then added a craft wire handle and added her name and some embellishments. SO cute for the little princess!

The Lion

They just again covered or painted a shoe box yellow. Added some of the little paper cups that you can buy for kids. Then mad the face out of a heart shaped doily, some wiggle eyes, raffia for whiskers, and construction paper that matched the body.

Heart Can

They just covered an old coffee can or baby formula can with white fabric or felt. The hearts on the side are created out of patterned material. Then the cut a red circle our of red felt for the top and glued it to the plastic lid that normally covered the cans.

Rollin in the Play dough!

My little guy and I have been having a little bit of winter induced cabin fever. I have been toying with the idea of getting him some play dough but he likes to put things in his mouth a lot lately so I have been afraid that he would eat it. Then I remembered I had a recipe for Kool-Aid play dough that I had gotten from an old room mate. So exciting! While searching for it, it turns out that I lost the card that I had it written down on, so I found a recipe on familycorner.com. They also had some fabulous recipes for other types of editable play dough. Here are a few fun ones I found that I am going to try out:

Kool-Aid Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in a large. Slowly add water mixed with oil and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to dough. Turn out onto a heatproof bread board or counter top and knead until cool enough for children to handle. Dough will be the color of the Kool-Aid mix and will smell like the Kool-Aid mix. (Can be stored in a tightly covered container for up to six months)

Caution: One thing I remember about making this is, if you use kool-aid with color it will color your hands and possibly the surface you use it on. So you might want to put down some wax paper.

Jell-O Play Dough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 (3-1/2 oz.) package "unsweetened" Jell-O

Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until consistency of mashed potatoes. Let cool and knead with floured hands until dry. Storage: This recipe needs to cool completely "before" storing it in an airtight container! Note: The items made from this play dough recipe can be painted when they are dry.

Oatmeal Play Dough

1 part flour
2 parts oatmeal
1 part water

Mix ingredients together and form into shapes. Note:The items made from this play dough recipe can be painted when they are dry.

For more recipes go to http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/edible_play_dough.shtml

Valentine Tree

A few years ago for a relief society party my Grandma made these adorable Valentine Trees for centerpieces. What she did was spray paint (my fav) twigs from her backyard. Then plastered,  them into a painted and decorated clay  pot (she decorated the pot with paint and heart stickers). You could even use a piece of foam if you dont have plaster. She then covered the plaster with moss and decorated the tree with ribbon roses and a sweet bow. Making for a cheap, absolutely fun, table decoration for her party. My mom still displays this one on her entry table.

Valentine Banner

 

While blog stalking yesterday I found a bunch fabulous Valentine Banners that people had created for their decor. So I decided to make my own take on a Valentine banner. What I did first was cut out the letters to spell Happy Valentines with my Cricket. Next, I used a heart cookie cutter to trace hearts on to scrapbook paper. Then I mounted the scrapbook paper onto 3 different kinds of construction paper. Following which I created the pattern that I wanted and glued on my letters. To finish up I punched holes on each side of the heart and tied each letter together with pink ribbon. I thought it was a cute inexpensive way to add a little Valentine cheer to my lack of valentine decor.

LoVe Blocks

I was SO excited to make these! I saw something similar to these on http://sassystyleredesign.blogspot.com/ and I fell in love with them. So i just had my dad cut a 2X4 for me into two six inch and two five inch blocks. Then I sanded them a little, painted them pink, modgepodged some adorable scrapbook paper to the front, then used my cricket to cut out the letters and modgepodged them on as well.  I thought they were just so cute! The best part was they were totally free, because I used things we already had. :) I am totally going to make them for my mom and sister-in-law for Valentines.

Clam Chowder or great soup Base

Over the holidays I got this great recipe for Clam Chowder. It is SO good! You can actually use the recipe with different ingredients for other soups like Chicken Corn Chowder.

photo by ramilphotography.net

• 4 Slices of bacon cut up into bite sized pieces
• 1 onion chopped
• 3/4 c diced celery
• 1 large potatoe
• 1/2 c grated carrots
• 2c Chicken Broth (usually 1 can Swansons broth)
  
• 3 cans of clams
• 1 c Whole milk (you can use 1% or what ever you have it just taste a little richer with Whole)
• 1/4 c Flour

Saute bacon, onion, and celery until tender. Pour off grease. You can put in a new pan to make for a whiter sauce, or you can just use the same pan.  Then add potato, carrot, chicken broth, juice from 1 can of clams, salt and pepper to taste. Heat til potatoe and carrots are tender. Then in a separate bowl gradually whisk flour with milk together, add a little milk at a time to avoid lumps. Once four/milk mixture is mixed well slowly add to soup. Then drain clams and add to soup. Heat through. You might also need to add a little more milk depending on how thick you like your soup.

To make Chicken Corn chowder with this recipe, you would just use  the bacon, onion, celery, 2 potatoes, 1 c sliced carrots, and corn. Add them as you would in the recipe above then once they are cooked through add the milk/four mixture and then add boiled diced or shredded chicken.

Jewelry Tree

For Christmas my mom actually got a jewelry tree made out of metal. I thought that it was such a cute idea! And lately I am obsessed with making and decorating with spray painted branches, so I decided I would make my own.

All I used were some branches from my backyard (spray painted to match my decor), a empty martinelli's bottle, and my fav jewelry. I just arranged the branches in the bottle and then hung my earrings on the branches. I also put some of my bracelets on the bottle itself to organize those better. :)

It makes for a cute decoration and a great way to organize your jewelry.

Spell Out Your Love with a Scrabble Frame

 I found this cute idea on www.associatedcontent.com . I just loved the idea of using old scrabble tiles on a picture frame.  To make this great Valentine gift or gift for any occasion you will need scrabble tiles, a picture frame, paint if you would like to paint your frame, any other embellishments you want to add.

If you want to paint the frame, you will want to do that first and let it dry. Then find the tiles that spell out what you would like your frame to say. You could spell out just about any cute saying like I love you, or Be Mine, or if you could personalize it by using a nickname followed by I love you. Once you have your tiles arrange them on your frame (its easier to see how you want them first then glue them on) and hot glue them on. Then you can add any of your other embellishments that you would like.

This is a way easy gift that would work for just about anyone. It literally took me 20 minutes from start to finish. For more cute valentine ideas from associated content click here

Check out the 2010 Car Models, without the salesmen

This weekend in Utah they are having the Utah International Auto Expo. It is fun for everyone, especially boys and their daddy's. My family goes each year to check out all the new models without the hassle of all of the salesmen.  Even though my husband and I are not in the market to purchase a new car, I like to go check out the cars that I have seen on TV or on the internet so I can actually see if they might be something I would like to purchase sometime down the road. So I can dream about them.:)

The cost of the show is $7 for everyone 13 and older, kids 6 and under are free, and Senior citizens, students with id are $5 and Children 7-12 are $4. However, you can get $2 off coupons here in Utah at McDonalds. Making for a cheap date or fun with the kids. These shows are all over the United states, to find a show in your area go to http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/portal/1308 or to find more info about the Utah show go to http://www.motortrendautoshows.com/saltlake/generalinfo.jsp

How to: Hot hair trends for 2010

Today on Studio 5 the featured some of the Hot Hair trends for 2010 and just how to get those looks. Here is the step by step directions of how to get the looks. To get a better idea of just how to get these look check out the video.

1. Long wavy hair -

This is a great style for both day or night. It's supposed to be a throwback to the 70's, so let it be messy, without too much body. How to achieve waves -
Use either a flat iron or a curling iron and twist around hair at least one time. Don't curl the bottom of each section, it should be straight. You don't need to curl every piece. Just choose random sections and then blend into the rest of your hair.

2. Braided Hair -

This is a perfect hairstyle for second day hair. You don't want the braid to be too perfect, so let it be loose and flirty. How to braid -
A side braid works best on the opposite side of your part. Simply pull all of your hair to the side and begin braiding. For a flatter braid, or plaited braid, don't pull the braid too tight. When you are finished, just flatted it out with your fingers. Use bobby pins to tame any loose pieces.

3. Chignon -

A chignon is a great look for dressier occasions. You can make it as sleek or messy as you want. How to achieve a chignon -
Start by pulling all of your hair back off your face but try not to part your hair. Just pull it straight back. Twist hair around itself to make a bun at the nape of your neck and bobby pin in place.

4. Top Knot -

You can wear a top knot day or night and it can be as messy or sleek as you want. How to achieve a top knot -
Divide your hair into two section, top and bottom. Slick back the top section and pull it through an elastic right on top of your head. Next take the bottom section and pull it up to the top section, then pulling all of your hair together, twist hair around itself to make a high bun. Bobby pin the top knot place.

For more information go to http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=58&sid=9332746

Easy Adorable Wreath/Topiary

Everyone has made those projects in school where you take crate paper wrap it around the end of a pencil and then glue it to a piece of paper to make a fun design. Well, Kristine McKay of K Mckay designs has taken it to a whole new level!

She used old book and cut them up to make this adorable wreath.  I love that the books are black and white so you can pair it with just about anything. What she did was just cut up pages of a book into squares. Then wrapped them around a pencil then pushed them into a styrofoam wreath. She also made adorable topiary as well. check it out as well.

For instructions on how to make these adorable crafts go to http://www.kmckaydesigns.com/projects/crafting-with-old-books.html

I saw another variation of the wreath project where the lady used valentine cupcake wrappers on a dollar store foam wreath. I am so excited I am totally going to make one for St. Patricks day out of St. Patties day cup cake wrappers. :)

UPDATE: I finally found the pic of the wreath made from cupcake liners on http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/
isnt it SO adorable!

Girl Scout Cookies

I dont know about you but I have a soft spot for some Thin Mints, or some Samoa cookies. For those in Utah you can  start ordering your cookies Saturday, January 16-31 online. Then a Girl Scout in your area will deliver them right to your door. What service! It also looks like they have some good deals 6 boxes for $21, which I think is pretty good for Girl Scout cookies. Go here to get yours today.

Composting

This might sound a little "tree huggerish" but I am going to start composting. The soil that we purchased for our garden last summer was okay but needs a little pick me up. So I have decided to recycle those peelings and junk that can be composted and use it to make my soil a little better. My grandma always had a compost pile but, I never knew exactly how it worked, so I did a little research.

First what is compost? Compost is simply decomposed organic material.

Some different methods for collecting compost: 1-Bins method: You could use a bin with one or multiple areas. However, one place I looked said that this method can be kind of hard because the stuff at the bottom with be ready before the stuff at the top. Making it so you would have take the stuff off the top and to get to the ready  stuff on the bottom. 2-Trenching method: Another method can be digging a 8" trench in your garden and then add the stuff to the trench and cover it over and let it sit for a few months and by the time you are ready to plant it will be ready.3-Pile Method: The last method I found was just having a pile somewhere in your yard. This is what I am going to do that way it will be easier to turn it.

What can you compost?

• Fresh (green) Grass clippings
  
• Fresh manure (horse, chicken, rabbit, cow)
  
• Kitchen scraps (fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags)
  
• Weeds
  
• Green leaves
  
• Leftover fruits from the garden
• Brown, dry leaves
  
• Dried grass
  
• Cornstalks (shredded)
  
• Straw
• Sawdust in moderation;

What should I not compost?

• Chemically-Treated wood products
• Diseased Plants
• Human Wastes
• Meat, Bones, and Fatty Food wastes
• Pernicious Weeds
• Pet Wastes
  

For More info on composting visit http://www.thegardenofoz.org/composting101.asp or http://vegweb.com/composting/

3 Day Potty Training

My little  guy is almost 18 months and I have been thinking about potty training. I have heard that boys take longer to potty train that girls, which gives me major anxiety about my guy being 3 or 4 and not being potty trained. I have heard if you catch them young enough that you can potty train them as soon as 9 months. So I have been trying to do a little research so I can get a jump start on it. Especially because he has recently taken a liking to the toilet and flushing it.  I am so over changing diapers.  While doing some research I came across a method called 3 Day Potty Training.

It is an Ebook by Lora Jensen. She says:

She says in her book you will learn:

• The signs of potty training readiness
• How to potty train a child before he or she knows how to talk (YES, it's completely possible!)
• What you must temporarily give up if you want this potty training method to really work
• How to modify your daily routine to accommodate the 3-day potty training phase
• A complete list of everything you'll need prior to beginning potty training
• How to "unprogram" your child from past, failed potty training methods that have only caused confusion and anxiety
• What surprising things may actually serve as a "potty training crutch" (and how to free yourself of this crutch!)
• The EXACT phrase that you MUST use if you want your child to begin telling you when he or she has to use the bathroom
• Suggestions for making the potty training period a special, bonding time with Mommy and Daddy
• Why ACCIDENTS actually help speed along the potty training process!
• What to expect, what's "normal" behavior, and how to keep your cool during the challenging potty training period (no one said it would be easy, but the 3 Day Potty Training™ program makes it WORTH it!)
• Which common methods of potty training actually DON'T work, and why 

I am totally going to look a little bit more into her method because who wouldn't want to start potty training on Friday and be done by Sunday! If anyone has ever tried it let me know how it went. Also to learn more about her method click here

Coupon Binder Organizer

Lately I have just been keeping all of my inserts instead of just cutting out coupons for stuff we might use. At the end of the year I had quite a stack of inserts left because I never knew when to throw them away. To try to cut down on the amount of space that the inserts take up I have been toying with the idea of starting a coupon binder. I am not totally sold on the idea yet because last year when Smiths had double coupons on all coupons I got a lot of stuff free that I normally wouldn't have purchased. So if I didnt have those coupons for that extra stuff I wouldnt have been able to get it free.





Anyways, I found a great way to organize those coupons for those of you who have binders or may be thinking of organizing them in binders like I have. I found it on the Krazy Coupon Lady. You can get your adorable organizer by clicking here.

Becoming Money Smart

I dont know about you guys but my husband and I have a little bit of debt. This past month we had to replace all 4 of the tires on both of our cars. Because we do not have any savings it created  $1000 of extra debit in addition to the other debt we already had accumulated. I am totally over being in debt. Hopefully you dont have a lot of debt, but in case you are in the same boat as I am, I have found some great advice from Dave Ramsey.

Dave Ramsey is a real guy who has found out how to be money smart first hand. In 1988 he formed The Lampo Group to counsel folks hurting from the results of financial stress. He said he's paid the "stupid tax" (mistakes with dollar signs on the end) so hopefully some of we won't have to. The Lampo Group that he created has founded itself on the mantra that they "provide biblically based, common-sense education and empowerment which gives HOPE to everyone from the financially secure to the financially distressed." So even if you are financially secure he also has a lot to help you as well. 

Here are a few of the Baby Steps he has suggested:

1. Baby Step 1 $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund: 
An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen.
2. Baby Step 2 Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball: 
List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the higher interest rate debt first.

     3.  Baby Step 3 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
        Once you complete the first two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start 
        throwing all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund.

The group offers classes where you can learn some of the tricks to the trade to gain that financial peace. Click here to find a class near you. Or to see the other 4 steps to financial peace click here.  To find out more about Dave Ramsey click here

I am definitely going to sign up for a class. I cant wait to get started on step 1,though that might take me a while since we are down to one income, but we'll get there hopefully :)

Free Seed Catalogs

I dont know about you but I am SO excited to plant my garden this year! We planted one last year but because we didnt get moved into our house until the beginning of May we weren't able to plant it until mid June. It did okay but because we planted it so late we didn't get as much as I would have liked from it. However, this year we are all settled in and the sprinkler system is ready to go in my grow boxes.

I thought I would get an early start by ordering some free seed catalogs. That way I can check out the catalogs and see what kind of vegetables and flowers they have to offer so I can plan it all out. Also, I am a total novice gardener and the catalogs offer lots of good tips and tricks.  Then once I spy out exactly what I want to plant, I can either order the seeds from the catalogs or go to my local green house and buy the seeds.

Here are some links to some of the catalogs I ordered and links so you can do the same:

Burpee Seeds http://www.burpee.com/ancillary/catalogrequest.do
Park Seeds http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/MP/catalogrequest
Seeds of Change http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/catalog_request.aspx
Thompson & Morgan http://www.tmseeds.com/catalog_request
Gurneys http://gurneys.com/catalog_request_qas.asp
Kids Gardening http://kids.garden.org/inquiry.php
Bountiful Gardens http://www.bountifulgardens.org/Inforequest.asp
Seed Savers http://www.seedsavers.org/CatalogRequest.aspx

Make it Mom's Day All year Round

As I have mentioned before I love, Love and Logic. Today I found an article by Dr. Charles Fay called "Make it Mom's Day All year Round." In the article he talks about the importance of giving kids chores.
He says, "Chores are an important part of family life. They provide the foundation upon which responsibility, self-esteem, and strong family relationships are built. At the Love and Logic Institute, we’ve found that kids who make meaningful contributions to their families, such as preparing dinner once a week or completing household chores, are more likely to gain academic achievement, enjoy success in life, and develop a desire to give back to the community."

Then he gave 4 tips for teaching children the value of helping out around the house all year round:

Tip #1: Teach kids to do their fair share of the housework without being hounded. It will make mom’s life a lot easier if kids complete chores without frequent reminders. With one simple statement, show your kids you mean business in a loving way by saying, “I’ll be happy to do the things I do for you as soon as your chores are done.”

*My husband totally had this one used on him as a child. He said it really worked and he actually did his chores. I think it is because it emphasizes that I will do something for you, if you will do something for me. Something we can all understand no matter the age:)

Tip #2: Guide your kids toward needing less help with completing daily chores. It’s never too early to start teaching kids how to take care of themselves. As early as age two or three, kids can learn daily activities, such as getting ready in the morning, putting away toys, and preparing for bed in the evening. In order to teach kids how to be independent, have them write down a list of daily tasks and mark them off the list as they are completed. If the child is too young to write, such as a two-year-old, draw pictures of the daily tasks with your child.

*This one is one of my Favs! My little guy is only 17 months and is perfectly capable of helping put away toys and he loves it. The other day we went over to my mother-in-laws and he  randomly started helping my nephew pick up the toys in his room without being asked.

Tip #3: Assign chores as repayment for withdrawals from your “emotional bank account.” When a parent asks a child to stop misbehaving, but the child keeps it up, the parent can say in a loving, soft tone of voice, “How sad! Your behavior has really drained the energy out of me. Now I’m too tired to clean the bathrooms. When you get them done, I’m sure I’ll feel a whole lot better.” If the child refuses or forgets to do the chore, wise parents don’t lecture or threaten. Instead, they quietly allow their child to “pay” for their bad manners with one of their favorite toys.

*This is totally true, nagging kids to stop misbehaving does take a lot out of you, and making them "pay" for the misbehavior by doing a deed is far more of a punishment than taking a toy away. Chances are the kid will forget about the toy in a few days or even hours and result back to the misbehavior.

Tip #4: Show kids why it is wise to be polite to mom (and dad). When a child talks back, pick one loving statement in response and say it over and over again, such as, “Honey, I love you too much to argue.” Kids will learn that they need to use a polite tone of voice and respectful words when requesting assistance from their parents.

For the full article got to https://www.loveandlogic.com/pdfs/502momrespect.pdf

Utah Bridal Shows

Photo by Matt Christensen Photography

Lately, I have noticed a lot of advertisements for Bridal shows here in Utah. Bridal shows are great! Before I got married my friend and I attended one up at the Gateway in SLC. There were a ton of different vendors! A lot of stuff didnt really appeal to me because, I already had a photographer and the a lot of the gowns that they had in the fashion show showed a little too much skin for me :)

However, there was a jeweler there and they were giving out certificates for free mens titanium bands. Now I thought there was a catch but both my friend and I went to the jeweler and got totally free Mens bands for our husbands. They aren't way fancy but my husband thought it was totally awesome, especially the free part! So if your looking to get some free stuff and great ideas for things like pictures I would highly recommend it attending one.

Here is a list of shows and dates that I found for those here in Utah:

Bridal Showcase @ Salt Palace Ballroom January 8-9, 2010  Times vary by day for more info go to http://www.brideaccess.com/utah-bridal-shows

Utah Wedding Expo @ Thanksgiving Point  January 9, 2010 10am-6pm  for more info go to http://www.utahweddingexpo.com/

The Bridal Extravagaza @ La Caille  January 16, 2010  from 11am-5pm for more info go to utahbridalshows.com

Salt Lake's Premier Wedding show @ the Joseph Smith Memorial Building January 23, 2010  10am-5pm for more info go to http://www.templesquarehospitality.com/services/weddings.php

The Bridal Fair @ Provo High School   Febrary 13, 2010  from 10am-6pm for more info go to http://www.thebridalfairs.com/

Re-Puposing Receiving Blankets

When my little guy was born we got a ton of receiving blankets. Also, friends and family were very sweet to also give us and make us a bunch of other cute blankets that we wanted to use first so we never got to actually use the receiving blankets. So I decided to put them to good use and cut them up into squares and make a rag/patch quilt out of them. It was super easy! Once I cut our the squares I laid them out to make the pattern I wanted. Then I sewed them into rows and then sewed the rows together. However this was my first attempt at making a patch quilt so many of my blocks didn't line up exactly. I figured my lil guy wouldn't care and that I would do better on the next one I make. When I gave it to him he hauled it around the house saying ahhh.... ahhh for like 10 minutes. So if you are not the best of the best at sewing its okay kids dont care :)

Couldn't resist showing my little guy with his new blankie :)

Book of Mormon 365 Day reading chart

One of my New Years resolutions is to read the entire Book of Mormon again. So for those of you who are LDS, like myself, or even someone thinking about reading the Book of Mormon, I found this great chart that breaks the Book of Mormon down in to 15-20 verses so you are do not have to read huge chapters in one day. I found it on my new favorite LDS supplement/great idea website sugardoodle.net. Jennie Decker the lady that submitted this great idea to sugardoodle wrote, "This is a reading chart that divides the Book of Mormon into 365 equal parts, that way you don't get stuck reading all of Jacob 5 in one night.  Each night you only have to read about 15-20 verses.  It's a great way to read the BOM in a year's time.  My husband created this chart about 5 years ago, by cutting and pasting the entire Book of Mormon into an Excel spreadsheet and then counting the total numbers of words in the BOM and then dividing by 365.  The first year he read the BOM and then rounded up or down to the next verse or verse(s) that completed the story or thought.  Each year he reads the BOM at least one time through with this chart.  Sometimes he reads it in random order, just for fun."

One lady commented and said that she is challenging her young women to take just 5 minutes a day to read their scriptures, pray, and smile. Since this chart breaks the reading up into smaller equal sections it is perfect. To download your copy of the chart click here.

10 Ways to SPICE up your Bathroom

I have been looking for new ways to Spice up my bathroom. I found this article on HGTV, Bathroom Design: Make the Most of What You Have. Totally right up my alley especially since I lost my job in December and we are down to one income. I love finding those hidden treasures that I already have and can reuse in a different way. Here are some ideas they thought of:

1. Don't keep your beautiful bracelets hidden away in a jewelry box: display them in your bathroom on bottles. Use vintage glass containers or recycle a beautiful bottle from your pantry.
2. If you store necessities on top of your bathroom counter, try grouping them on a tray. Just make sure that the items are pretty. Keep the toothpaste and hair dryer out of sight, and you've tackled one major area that often cries out for clutter control. 
3. If you'd like to spruce up the details in your personal space, look around your home. Think beyond the kinds of items sold in the bathroom section of a department store.
4. Furniture in a bathroom instantly adds warmth and style. Consider adding a chair or a bench and get off your feet during your morning routine.
5. Take down the typical towel bar and replace it with a one-of-a-kind piece you can make yourself. (see pic above)
6. If your bathroom has a window that will sustain a plant, take advantage of the sun and clean the air with lots of greenery.
7. Sweet-smelling flowers in a bathroom just make sense. It can be as simple as cutting from your garden.
8. Think about alternative containers when accessorizing your bathroom. RMSer CafeIzzy15 stores her linens in a rustic metal bucket. Towels are easy to reach and add texture and color to the neutral nook
9. Beautiful shells, coral and other organic treasures are ideal bathroom decor. Instead of spending money to create a beach-inspired vignette, use souvenirs from a family vacation. Display them in a clear vase or a container from your kitchen such as a wine glass or bowl.
10. If you need artwork to fill a bathroom wall, look no further than your family photo album. Or take room appropriate photos of kids with towels on their heads, or wrapped up in a snugly towel. Decorate the frames, add a song lyric or a quote to the wall and create a fun, one-of-a-kind focal point.     

For more ideas go to HGTV.com

Giving Children Threats Vs. Warnings

I Love, LOVE, Love Love and Logic. I think it is a great way to discipline children and teach them responsibility for their actions. The best part is it actually works, even on kids as you my little guy (17 months). I have been slacking and have been giving those annoying warnings like the first mom in the story below. Ugh, it just makes so much more work for me. When I could be like the second mom below and do it right the first time.  Below are some stories from Dr. Charles Fay that I received in a bi-weekly email from the Love and Logic Institute. 

Have you ever found yourself in this situation before...

Little Cleo looked out of the corner of her eye at her Mom with one of those testing looks, then pushed her child sized grocery cart into the legs of her sister. "Quit that," warned Mom. "I've warned you about that three times already. If you do it again I'm going to take it away!" Three minutes later Cleo was doing it again. "Cleo, I said no," yelled Mom. "Now you stop it! You're going to be in big trouble! How many times do I have to tell you?" Ten minutes later, I saw Mom still making threats. I'm not sure she was aware of Cleo's sly little grin.

During the same trip, I watched another Mom dealing with the same problem. There were no threats. "Willie, you know better than that. Follow me." She calmly walked to the front of the store with her son trailing behind. "Leave your cart with the others here. You can try it again next time we're in the store." "But, Mom. I'll be good. I promise." "I'm sure you will next time we shop." A sobbing little Willie followed his mom through the store.

It is so much easier to just get rid of the problem at first threat and let kids know that there are consequences for their actions. Just like in real life, if you as an adult were running your cart into someone at the store do you think they would allow you to do it to them multiple times? I dont think so :)

FHE Lessons already planned and ready to teach...

I dont know about you guys but, well we are not doing so hot at having family home evening. I keep telling myself when we have more kids then I will do it, I dont want to put all that time and effort into planning lessons for just my son. Well, I came across a woman who has created 48 already planned FHE lessons that go along with the primary theme  and lessons for the year. They are way simple and the best part is that she has created handouts and found all of the pics to go with the lessons for us. You just have to go to the site and download it. Now I definitely dont have the excuse of taking the time to plan it, its already planned. And can add it to my list of New Years resolutions to HAVE family home evening each week :)

Click here to go to the site. Then click where it says click here to download.

10 Goals/Resolutions Planner

Well its the New Year and everyone has set those New Years resolutions. At my church on Sunday a member of our bishopric gave a quote by someone and I cant remember exactly who said it but, the jest of it was that resolutions shouldn't only be made at new years but at any time during the year. By only making them at new years is like sitting on the bank of a river and waiting for the river to pass. I totally loved this because I so often find myself waiting for that river to pass before I do anything to improve.

I found this clever way to display  and organize those goals or resolutions at Home Made Simple. What it is, is a planner that includes ten pages, each with a number (1-10). Each page also includes a spot to write a goal, any steps involved and a reward for once the goal is accomplished. They say to start with a small goal and reward on the page labeled ‘1’ and work up to a big goal and reward on page ‘10’.

I really liked that they suggested to save these enormous goals for last. I think that the reason why so many people fail at keeping their new year resolutions is because they start out by focusing on a big goal and then tend to give up because it takes so long to achieve that big goal. Also, I love the part about rewarding myself. I have found that if there is a reward involved, I am more likely to do it. To print out your 10 page goal planner or for some great ideas about starting small click here. Happy Resolutioning!

Totally Adorable Nursery idea

Over the New Year's I have been watching a lot of HGTV. I was watching Sarah's House and during that episode she shared some ideas that she used for her own nursery. I am totally going to redo my little guys room like this one! It is so stinkin cute! What she did was use plain trim and put it up 3/4 up the wall and painted all of the trim and wall on the lower 3/4 a warm cream color and then painted the top 1/4 a light blue. Then added a super cute wooden alphabet in various colors and fonts. One change that I will be making to save some $ is, instead of using wooden letters I am going to use vinyl letters. I looked online and to do wooden letter it would cost around $65 to do vinyl it would only cost about $5 through www.vinylcraftlettering.com. They have an area where you can do custom lettering where you can do different colors and fonts. I just thought it was such a cute idea that is not only adorable but also educational. BONUS! To see more go to www.hgtv.ca

Sorry its been a while...

Sorry its been a while. With  all of the holidays hub bub things have been a little crazy. However, I am back to blogging and so excited to share new and exciting ideas with you!