Family Traditions...One Story At A Time

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 11-15

2010-05-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

More Summertime ideas for the family!!

11. Need some kid craft inspiration? Heather Swain's book Make These Toys is a fantastic book that will give you plenty of ideas for fun crafts made from everyday things.

12. How about the DRIVE-IN? We LOVE going to the drive-in during the summer. Find a local drive-in near you at www.drive-ins.com

13. Make some Homemade Ice Cream! If you have an ice cream maker break out and make some YUMMY homemade ice cream for you 4th of July celebrations or just because.

14. Sidewalk Chalk Neighborhood Mural Contest! Have plenty of chalk for your 4th of July party! We love doing sidewalk-chalk murals on 4th of July with all the neighbor kids. It's a great tradition and brings everyone together. Check out a previous blog post here.

15. Lemonade Stands! This is a SUMMER MUST! Click Here

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 6-10

2010-05-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

Here are 5 more ideas for your summer bucket list!

6. Car Wash Day - Let the kids wash the car...their bikes, big wheels, tricycle....if it's got wheels let it be washed! My kids love a bucket of water, some bubbles and a rag. They can spend hours washing all of their vehicles.

7. Service Project - Look around your neighborhood or community for opportunities to serve. There are many ways that your children can serve right along with you. Maybe the local animal shelter, picking up litter at your neighborhood park, our helping an elderly neighbor with yard work...there are 100's of ways to service.

8. Cooking and Baking - Have some cooking and baking lessons in your very own kitchen. Maybe your 4-year-old learns to make a PB&J sandwich or you 16-year-old gets to learn how to make pizza from scratch. Whatever the ages, there are lots of items on the menu that will allow for a fun day in the kitchen.

9. Butterfly Farm - We tried this a long time ago and it was one of the highlights of our summer. We purchased a butterfly kit and literally raised butterflies and then set them free later in the summer. A great place to purchase is www.insectlore.com.

10. Indoor Fort - Some days are just meant to be indoors. When temps hit in the 100's or the humidity is at a whopping 99%, life is just better inside with the AC. My kids LOVE to make forts all over the house. We pull all the sheets and blankets out, keep the lights off and enjoy a nice cool day in the forts.

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 1-5

2010-05-17T10:16:00.001-04:00

I have to honestly admit, I'm more excited about summertime than my kids are this year. I cannot wait for the break! The alarms in our house start going off as early as 4:55am. So I'm ready for some extra sleep-in time but more than that, I'm ready to have some fun with my kids. Many of favorite memories of childhood are those of summertime, and I only have 2 more full summers with all 5 of my kids at home. I intend to make these next two summers completely amazing and create a lifetime of memories...and do it all on a budget.

For the next few weeks I'm going to share some of my favorite summertime traditions but also new ones that I've found and saved over the last year or so that I have been anxiously awaiting to try out. By the end of this blog series there should be at least 100 fun and wonderful ways to enjoy summer with your family and not spend an arm and a leg. Because if you're like us, we don't do much long distance traveling in the summer. First of all there are too many off us and second, we're homebodies and we love to enjoy our own backyard. After all, we live in Florida, it's a beautiful backyard.

1. Summer To-Do List - Before summer even gets started sit down and make a list of all the things you want to do this summer. Everyone contributes to the list....let EVERYTHING get put on the list. Even if Disneyland is out of the question for travel, add it to the list of that's what your 8 year old wants. Take the time to explain to them later that although you won't be making a trip to Orlando, encourage them to be creative and use their imagination and that together you can plan a fun "Disney Day" at home. No idea is too big or too small.

2. MOVIE TIME -Check your local movie theaters for their Summertime Movie schedule. Many play FREE movies all summer long. It's a great time to head in for the cool AC and if you have little ones you have to tow along they'll blend right on in with all the noise. ;o)

3. Camps & YMCA's - If your family enjoys camps whether it's week long sports camps or outdoor adventures through your local YMCA, plan for those now. Many camps are already open and some are filling quickly. YMCA's offer great adventures for reasonable prices. Check your local churches for vacation bible schools and even local ranches and farms for horse camps.

4. Grow Something - Plant a garden or a few veggies in pots or even a flower. Have each child be in charge of their plant. Maybe even plant sunflowers. By the end of summer they'll be a few feet tall and will last into the fall. I remember growing them one year in a square shape, which made the coolest fort ever!

5. New Skills - Find out what new skills your children want to learn. Pottery? Cake decorating? Basketball? Fishing? Make plans now to sign up for a class at a local studio or community college....or teach them yourself or find a friend that knows the skill and ask them if they want to trade off teaching the kids new skills.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

BEST RIDE EVER! Aerosmith roller coaster @ Disney Hollywood Studios!

For more Wordless Wednesday Visit www.5minutesformom.com

A Breath of Fresh Air....

2010-05-11T08:17:00.001-04:00

Have you had one of those quiet moments where you sit back, relax and take a good look around, a deep breath of fresh air, and think....wow....it really doesn't get any better than this?

If you have, tell me about it....because I haven't had a moment of sitting back and looking around for a long time...and the only deep breath of fresh air I've had is from gasping for air as i force myself to finish my 6 am workouts before the crew takes over my life.

I've been neck deep in life....and can I just say....it really doesn't get any better than this.

I sometimes used to have this habit of thinking to myself.....when the kids are older I won't have to sit and do homework with them anymore, they'll be able to do it all by themselves, or when they're all in school I'll have time go to the market alone (alone, is that really possible) and actually remember to use my coupons, or when the older ones are off to college I won't have to drive 100 miles round trip to soccer and worry about who's using their cell phone too much.

Funny thing...I want all of it...every crazy chaotic moment of it to be my life....I don't want this part of our family to change.....just yet. I want to keep spending hours at the kitchen table doing homework with all of my kids....i want to keep taking my toddlers to the grocery store and push the big race car shopping carts around as we clear isles and make huge obnoxious scenes...i want to keep driving with my girls up and down the freeway so we can just be together.

My breath of fresh air comes when my 3 yr old twins will, without fail, ask to brush their teeth 8 times a day and want to change their clothes just as many times....or when my 7 yr old begs me to please jump in the pool and swim with him even though I just took a shower and did my hair for the first time in 3 days....or when my 14 yr old text me from school, yes ME, of all people, to thank me for helping her study for her test that she got an A, or when my 16 yr old talks to me for over 50 miles about her friends, life, interest and spiritual experiences.

That is fresh air. Life is constantly happening and I'm not going to miss one crazy moment of it....which is why I've been MIA here in the blog world. I've attempted to start posting probably 20 times, but something always seems to pull me away. But I think, maybe, hopefully, once again, I can get back to blogging just a little bit. My extended family has been drilling me about doing a blog so they can keep up with the family. So we'll see...hopefully I can get back on track and get back to the fun blabbing and chatting that we do around here in the blog world. But I can't promise anything spectacular or exciting....

Writing Your Love Story

2010-02-02T18:21:00.000-05:00

With Valentine's Day knocking on the door, L♥ve is in the air. What a prefect time to reflect, write and share your Love Story. Many people never take the time to write down the details of a love story. We all have a love story....some are fairytale-like and others...well, let's just say lessons can be learned.

Take the time to sit down write a few words in your journal or "type" them up and tell about how you met, your first kiss, when you knew "he" was the one. Or how about the first time your eyes met? The first time your boyfriend met your parents? Your first date? Or even your first KISS? You can't help but have those sweet feelings flood your heart again and put a smile on your face.

Something fun to do is have your hubby answer the same questions and create a "He said, She said" version of your love story. My hubby and I did this...Oh, it was fun!!! And let's just say we both remember our Love Story VERY differently...but I so remember the day we met in 4th grade.... his adorable perm, checkered Vans, and gray parachute pants with safety pins all the way up his calves.......beautiful....just beautiful!

Take time to remember why, how, where, and who you fell in love with....

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
--Mignon McLaughlin

Strawberry Pickin' & Jam Makin'

2010-01-26T20:37:00.001-05:00

Since I moved to Florida 4 years ago I have found lots of new hobbies and fun things to do....but this by far has become one of my favorite traditions to do each year with my kids and best friends.

We live near the Plant City, Florida area, which is also known as the Strawberry Capital of the world! It's convenient, close to home pickin' and CHEAP! Where can you get PERFECTLY beautiful organic grown strawberries fresh off the vine for under 90 cents a pound?!

I'm heading out Friday morning for our annual picking and I'm so excited to try Freezer Jam this year. Every year I do the traditional jam making that is yummy, but incredibly messy and not that easy with 5 kids running around. So this year I'm tackling the Freezer Jam. If you haven't heard of it or you are slightly nervous about making jam, you're going to love this alternative. It is so delicious. You get fresh tasting sweet strawberry jam with out the cooked berry taste or the mess...or the hot boiling water...

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups crushed FRESH strawberries
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
3/4 cup water
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids (Clean with boiling water. Dry thoroughly)

Crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups into a bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 minute. Add to strawberry mixture; stir 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.
Fill the containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year.

ENJOY!

My WORD for 2010

2010-01-04T14:12:00.000-05:00

At the end of 2008 I had stumbled on this great idea of having a WORD to define you and move you through the upcoming year. The first time I saw it was at Ali Edwards's Blog. Once again, I've been in deep thought about "MY" word. Last year my word was PEACE. Looking back, I'm so pleased and proud of myself becuase I truely found the PEACE I was looking for. It's funny though, it came in so many different ways, none of which I expected.

This is a little bit of what Ali's blog says:

The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow."

Also from that same newsletter:

Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.

One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities.

Once again, I found myself pulling between 2 different WORDS....

But after much thought my word for 2010 is Hope.

There are many things I Hope for. They're important and wonderful things. I know that by having Faith (which was the other word I was pulled between) and Hope that those things I want most in life will happen. Hope is a belief and feeling that what is wanted can be had and will turn out for the best.

We also did this as a family last night and I was so impressed with the words my family picked. My husband is foucsed on "POSITIVE". My 16-yr-old's word is "DISCIPLINE". My 14-yr-old picked "INNER-STRENGH". My sweet 7 year-old son picked "RESPECT". And of course my little twins picked "SPARKLE" and "HAPPY".

Need some help with words?? Check out Ali's List here.

Wordless Wednesday - Family Pictures From "You-Know-Where"

2009-12-16T07:59:00.001-05:00

You can see that our VERY first family pictures (which included 7 of us) went VERY well.....

12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-10T08:24:00.002-05:00

Previously Posted 12/2/08

Sunday, Dec. 13 is the day start the 12 Days of Christmas if you want it to end on Christmas Eve, and Monday, December 14th will begin the 12 Days of Christmas if want to end on Christmas.

Hopefully have read one of my old posts from last year about how as a child my family was given the "The 12 Days a Christmas". You can see how this simple and sweet project can not only change the holiday season for another family, but also your own.

Here are some tips and ideas on how to prep this project and get your family excited about the secret Santa project they'll be doing.

I was bouncing around the internet a few days ago and came across this adorable kit with download-able printouts and directions. It's called 12 Days of Christmas Kit by Sandy. For $2.85, I'm thinking it's money well spent. What I love about this one is the ideas and gifts are homemade and inexpensive. I don't need to remind everyone that money is tight, so leaving boxes of $20 bills probably won't be happening any time soon....these gifts are cute, usable, eatable, and easy to find. With the printouts (very cute!!) the gifts look adorable!

....I must confess....I'm happy that money is tight for everyone, including our family. I'm happy that we're being forced to remember why we celebrate this beautiful season. Maybe we should see it as a tender mercy and a blessing in disguise. Immersing your family in service and holiday projects, starting family traditions, keeping old traditions will remind us and keep us focused on Christmas...

Sorry....back to the 12-days....

So if you can spend the $2.96, go download her cute kit! It has a letter for the first night, all the tags and poems, pictures of ideas, and the gifts are easy and cute! If not...here are some cute ideas!! These are ones that I have done, friends have done, had done to my own family, etc.....

TIP: Wal-mart, Dollar Stores, Dollar Section in Target have everything you need if you need to go out and buy something.

"Anything" items could be as simple as bubbles for kids, microwave popcorn, candy, homemade cookies & treats, ornaments, crafts, nativity pictures, holiday wrapping supplies, fruit, mini puzzles, games, eggnog and dollar mugs, cocoa, homemade greeting cards or stationary....

Day 1 ♥ A partridge in a pear tree: One of ANYTHING, one pear, one basket of pears, dove ornament.
Day 2 ♥ 2 turtle doves: Two of ANYTHING, Dove candies or chocolate turtle candies,
Day 3 ♥ 3 french hens: Three of ANYTHING, anything "French", chicken noodle soup (hen is a chicken ;O), 3 Dozen cookies or treats of any kind.
Day 4 ♥ 4 calling birds: Four of ANYTHING, 4 bags of goodies, "calling" cards.
Day 5 ♥ 5 golden rings: Five of ANYTHING, donuts (my fav), ring pops
Day 6 ♥ 6 geese a laying: Six of ANYTHING, Easter eggs filled with treats, Fixings for omelets, 6 pack of soda or favorite drinks
Day 7 ♥ 7 swans a swimming: Seven of ANYTHING, Bubble bath and bath toys, Ugly Duckling Storybook
Day 8 ♥ 8 maids a milking: Eight of ANYTHING, milk maid caramels, Ice cream toppings, chocolate milk, cow print items, cow ornament...pretty much anything milk or cows!
Day 9 ♥ 9 ladies waiting: Nine of ANYTHING, Ladyfinger cookies, box of art supplies for kids
Day 10 ♥ 10 lords a leaping: Ten of ANYTHING, frog items, I heard this one represents the 10 commandments?? I stick with Ten of Anything...but let me know if you think of something creative!
Day 11 ♥ 11 pipers piping: Eleven of ANYTHING, Christmas CD (download and make it or buy it)
Day 12 ♥ 12 drummers drumming: Twelve of ANYTHING, drum ornament, drummer boy "something", ice cream drumsticks.

So here's a list to get the creative juices flowing! Start getting your items and ideas together now. I like to start on the 13th so our last delivery is on Christmas Eve. If you know the family will be traveling or leaving town, start earlier or finish when they return. Organize and start now because the days will fly by quickly. Plus its fun to get the hubby and kids excited about it. Be sure to sit down this week or by Saturday and plan out your gifts, pick a family or two and prep to begin Sunday or Monday. This is good time to "make" some homemade ornaments or crafts that you'd like to give as well. Please pass on your ideas and share them with us all!

Thanksgiving Tradition - Family Trivia

2009-11-18T12:44:00.000-05:00

This traditions requires a little prep work...like today or tomorrow, but it's so worth it and so much fun! We have to celebrate our holidays without the warmth and loveable chaos that most families do becuase we live 2000 miles away from everyone, but we did this in the past with our extended family and it was the highlight of the day!

Send out a questionnaire to everyone that will be attending Thanksgiving together...even those who may not attend in person. Plan questions so that they answers will reveal funny tidbits of your family history that not everyone has heard before. Make sure everyone brings their answered questions to Thanskgiving so you can have yourselves a Family Trivia game!

Need some question help? www.families.com has a great list of questoins and ideas!! See below -

Family: These questions should be about family members, alive or deceased, their accomplishments, favorite things, or birthplaces. Second cousins and great greats can be included in the harder questions.

History: Look at your children's history homework for ideas. Also consider questions about historical places you've visited on vacation, like the Alamo, or history about your state. Family history can also be incorporated.

Science: Again, your children's homework will help here. Consider questions from museum exhibits you've attended or movies you've seen. How about kitchen science? Garage science? Computer science? Questions about favorite family animal shows would also be appropriate.

Literature: Books you've read together, or favorite childhood books are wonderful sources for literature questions. Who wrote a favorite book? Who are the main characters? Movies are also a good source of questions. For instance, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a movie, but it's also a book. Questions about the story, sequels, or C.S. Lewis would be appropriate.

Art: Have you and your kids visited an art museum? Have you read art books? How about that print in the living room? If it's famous, questions about the artist would be great. Questions about colors and color mixing, different media, and even book illustrators will work well.

Geography: Vacations! Questions like, "How many states do we cross to get to Florida?" and "Which states do we cross to get to Florida?" will be customized just for your family. Have you worked a country or world puzzle together? Use questions about the puzzle. Even questions about your city's streets are appropriate: "Main street runs in which two directions?"

Sports & Liesure: This is a topic your entire family will love because it can be so personal. How many years has Suzie taken ballet? What was her first performance? Johnny plays soccer, but does anyone know the score to his last game? What sport did Mom play in fifth grade? Dad won first chair in the high school jazz band playing which instrument? If Jenny could play any instrument in the world, what would it be? What was the first song June and Henry danced to at their wedding reception?

Image from -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapstrake/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Holidays In Hand with Jessica Sprague

2009-11-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

Don't miss out on this wonderful FREE class given by Jessica Sprague... Holidays In Hand.

The FINAL class of 2009 began this morning, but there's still time to toss your hat into the ring!

FREE registration will end tonight at 11:59pm, so go claim a spot!

This class will help you capture the hopes, memories and wonderment of the holidays. This class helps us focus on what's important during the holidays.

We'll be making a great project to help you tell your holiday stories both past and present. This class is for EVERYONE. Since you don't have to know Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, grab a friend to join you in class!
Registration is easy and free!

Go to JessicaSprague.com .
Copy this code by highlighting it and typing Ctrl-C (Cmd-c on your Mac): HIHFREE2009

Wordless Wednesday - Anyone Seen My Cupcake?

2009-11-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

I'm Back....

2009-11-10T16:57:00.006-05:00

I'm back...

Life has gotten chaotic-busy in wonderful ways and blogging was taking a backseat. I'm here now...in and out...still busy, but hoping to keep up on my all my blogging. I have so many saved posts and ideas. I haven't even had time to try and post one up. But hopefully in a day or two I'll be moving along.

I do have some great holiday giveaways planned...I owe that to you! I can't wait to give some presents away! ♥

I did finish the pettiskirt...

Go me! It was HARD! I'm not going to lie....tedious! But she was so cute as our little Autumn Fairy.

Homecoming was a blast...we had 20 kids over for a candlelight dinner. My girl is growing up! Makes me happy-sad...

Genealogy has become a big hobby for me lately...I could go on and on about that! What an amazing experience that has been... Found my long lost family that had been forgotten.

So much more has been happening in our little world, but with all the craziness I have managed to be creative and create...which has probably kept me SANE! I'll share some of my fun with you soon....

Sew...Busy! Adorable Pettiskirts!!!

2009-10-26T22:21:00.004-04:00

I'm at it again... My dear friend keeps showing me adorable projects to sew. Well, we're working on this right now....

You can veiw a tutorial and at Martha Stewart.

Our girls are going to be "ballerinas". My little one is actually a "ballerina-fairy-princess". I have to get this done by Wednesday night, so hopefully I'll have some pictures to share soon.

And I also made a skirt with NO pattern. EASY EASY EASY! You can make it in less than an hour. So I'll post about that too once I get this project done.

HOW CUTE ARE THOSE!?!?!?!

Tuesday Tradition #46 - Homemade Halloween Fun!

2009-10-20T14:07:00.004-04:00

Somewhere a long time ago, a few city and states ago, I was over at a friends house for a little Halloween party. Sometimes entertaining 3 and 4 yr. olds can be quite a task. But she pulled out this adorable homemade Halloween memory game and the kids played it for over an hour!

Take Halloween pictures from the past years, as far back as you want, and print out 2 - 2x2 squares of each picture. Mount them on card stock, Halloween style if you want, and cut those out into squares. You should have 2 of every picture. That's it!

Place the squares picture side down, in nice even rows, and take turns picking 2 cards at a time while trying to make a match. Whoever has the most pairs at the end of the game, WINS! My little ones LOVE this game. I'm putting together my family's Halloween Memory game today and I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of this easy, cheap, homemade game!

Enjoy!

Hello...Anyone There?

2009-10-12T14:29:00.005-04:00

I know...I've been MIA...BIG TIME! It's been a wild-wild-wild crazy few weeks. Lots of ups and down and downs and ups. Dealing with my sister-in-law's passing, my husband flying back and forth to California to take care of her 4 kids (they have no family or father...and there's a big possibility that I'll go from a mother of 5 to 9 shortly) , swine flu, homecoming, kids sports, school, church commitments...you know, the drill.

I've realized that I'm in the thick of life! I'm potty training 2 kids, teaching one to tie his shoes and another to drive. So yeah, that's my excuse. I'll be back into the blogging world tomorrow...or Wednesday....okay, at least by Friday.

I'm still the luckiest mom in the world!

Favorite Fall Recipes - Butternut Squash Soup

2009-10-02T11:00:00.005-04:00

My newest passion is beginning to cause some serious overload since the arrival of Fall. For the first time in my life I'm spending more and more time in the kitchen than anywhere else in my home...and I'm LOVING IT! Fall offers the excuse to bake and cook wonderful delicious meals every single day!

So in my cooking excitement I'm going to share my newest favorite fall recipe with you...but I'd love love love for you to share one with me too! Leave your favorite in the comments. A girl can never have enough recipes!

With this new passion I've forced myself to try some new foods...foods that I have never ever given a thought to. My newest fav is Butternut Squash. Now, I've only had it as a soup or "bisque", but can I tell you how EXTREMELY incredible it was?!!! Unbelievable! So I have to share it with you. Trust me, you will love it!

A wonderful friend of mine invited myself and a few other friends over for a lunch one day last week and made this for us.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Approximately how this recipe goes...

1 butternut squash, cut-up

1 medium to large white onion

3-4 cloves of garlic

1 large peeled carrot

4 oz. cream cheese

approx 1-3 cups chicken broth

approx 1 cup half-n-half

salt (guessing 2 teaspoons worth)

fresh ground pepper

Boil first 4 ingredients together until vegetables are soft--about 45 minutes. I peel my butternut squash at this point--after it's cooked. Drain water.

Puree cooked vegetables together in blender with salt, pepper, and 4 oz. softened cream cheese. Slowly add chicken stock (start with 1 cup, you may have to go up to 2 or more cups--I just eyeball it). Add about 1 cup of half-n-half. Return to pot and warm on low.

Enjoy!
And don't forget to share some yummy recipes too!

Wordless Wednesday - Meet My Offspring

2009-09-30T09:28:00.004-04:00

Picture by www.ryancapture.com (thank you Ryan!)

This is MY family...this is our ONLY family picture! We are scheduled for pics in a few weeks (FINALLY) but I wanted to share my favorite people on Earth with you all...and of course we're hanging out at sporting event...but hey, at least it's a family picture!

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 24

2009-09-28T10:15:00.004-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Well, September was full of "stuff"...life stuff and I neglected to keep up the FYB Challenge. So this month we're doing a full month in one week....Ready?

Homework September 7 - September 30:

1. Labor Day Weekend - How did you observe Labor Day weekend? Did you go on any final summer trips, celebrations or maybe you have some favorite traditions?

2. Sports - You may or may not LOVE football like we do, but for our family, Football gets a spot every year in our FYB. We love all football....our kids flag football, local high school, college and pro! Maybe your family loves Baseball and the excitement that October brings to the sport. Whatever it is, share your "FAN"atic side of what you love!

3. Birthdays - Don't forget birthdays. Any big parties, celebrations with family, weddings, births, deaths? Make sure you keep track of those events and memories.

4. School Events - School is now in full gear....any favorite art work or papers from your kids worth sharing? Did you go to Open House, meet the teacher, have some funny stories of your kids at school?

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with ept 1, sept 2, sept 3 so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your September folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Autumn Apple Vases

2009-09-22T10:54:00.007-04:00

I saw this picture and I just made me smile...

We've had a rough week in our family, yet again, another death has come upon us. I was breaking from all the chaos when I spotted this picture. Made me smile and feel a twinge of excitement that my favorite time of year is fast approaching.

There is something about autumn and the holidays that jolts me back into warming up the home and preparing for lots of celebration. As a wife and mother, it's a pleasure to have the responsibility of nurturing my family and providing a home of warmth where we can all feel happy and comfortable.

To get instructions on how to create this adorable autumn apple arrangement visit Home Made Simple and see all of their seasonal arrangements and this adorable apple vase idea!

picture from Home Made Simple

Did you know today is Constitution Day?

2009-09-17T14:55:00.005-04:00

Today is a beautiful day. Many people don't even KNOW that today is Constitution Day. On this day in 1787, all 12 state delegations approved the Constitution. 39 delegates signed it of the 42 that were present, and the Convention formally adjourned.

As a family, we have decided that it's time to REALLY REALLY know our Constitution and the beautiful promises and blessings that will be bestowed upon this country if we uphold and honor this document and the men who made this possible.

We have promised each other the following -

1. We will each read and learn about the Constitution

2. We will educate our family and learn about Good Government

3. Show gratitude for our liberty

4. Teach others about America

I found this quote and it gave me chills...we have a lot of work to do as parents.

"A primary object...should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing...than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?"

-George Washington

Wordless Wednesday - Bribery

2009-09-16T08:31:00.001-04:00

Potty Training Bribery...

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Tuesday Tradition - Handwritten Letters?

2009-09-15T09:54:00.005-04:00

Email, text, cell phone, instant message, PM.......and the list goes on.

I've realized that my children are learning to communicate without emotion. They're falling into a trap of non-verbal communication and it's scaring me. All those things are so convenient, and I personally love them too. They're faster, easier and get the job done. But this past weekend I realized that my daughters (pre-teen and teen) haven't hand written a letter to anyone in their family in a few years.

I remember as a youth writing my grandparents, they would write me back...writing my cousins and getting cute decorated notes back in the mail. There is something to be said about the excitement that stirs when we look in the mailbox and see a letter from a family member, a friend across the country or a pen pal. (Do people still pen pal?)

I was going through some keepsake boxes and realized I had an entire shoebox filled with handwritten letters from my cousins, grandparents, and friends that were sent to me during my childhood. I stopped and read those letters for about 2 hours and realized that my children have no shoe boxes full of letters. They have email accounts that are used for quick writes, dumb jokes and few funky surveys.

Where are those emails going to be in 20 years? Not in a shoebox.

The advice and stories that I have in that shoebox is priceless. It's a treasure box full of support, love, direction, advice, congratulations.....I can't even list them all. I pulled them out and shared them with my kids and they were captivated by these letters. They loved to see "great-grandma's" beautiful handwriting and the stories and emotion that flowed onto the paper.

There is something special, something different about a handwritten letter. I've read somewhere about the positive impact personally handwriting a letter can benefit a child, a mother, a father. One of our family "traditions" that we try to do each month is write HAND WRITTEN letters to family. No texting, emailing, or pm'ing...a real handwritten letter. I hope that we can start a family tradition with all of our extended family and bring back the beauty of swapping stories and memories through the mail.

PS. A very amazing wonderful friend of mine has started a new blog called "Incredible Women". This week she is highlighting one my heroes and one of THE most incredible women I have ever met....

Finding Hope - 9/11

2009-09-11T13:00:00.002-04:00

This is a must see video. Finding Hope through the tragedy of 9/11, remembering not only those who were lost, but those who survived.

Shabby Apple - Modest, Beautiful, Perfect!

2009-09-11T11:08:00.002-04:00

Fit to Flatter

I'm so excited to share Shabby Apple with you. I've always be an "Apple" stalker. If you don't know who or what Shabby Apple is....Well, then you're MISSING OUT!!!

Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that has affordable, hip, attire perfect for work or a day to play. They are experts in modest women's dresses, little girls dresses, maternity dresses, and fashion accessories.

I've had my eye on the 90WPM dress for awhile...a little hesitant to purchase the dress because...dang, look at it! It's fitting, slightly risky for my taste, but so beautiful. It has the most beautiful Turquoise color. Well, I got the dress in the mail, but I left in the package for about a week...too scared to open it...fearing that it would "NOT LOOK GOOD ON ME"...

Well...Well...Well....Shabby Apple doesn't lie. When they say Fit To Flatter, they're not kidding. When they say "connect our customers with their designs" they mean it. Just ask my hubby...

I'm NO WHERE close to being a perfect "10", but the design and lay of this dress was, to my surprise, AMAZING! This dress has ruching at the side to flatter the hips (yes, I said FLATTER) and an adorable tie at the neck. The puff sleeves have a band that hit just above the elbow, while the length is at knee level.

The first time I wore it, I walked out of the bathroom, hair done, heals on and my hubby about fell over... oh yeah. He said, "Hello! Where did you come from? That is the most beautiful dress I have EVER seen on you...."

{Sighhhhhhh...I love that man}

(I had every intention of modeling the dress for you,but I didn't want to take this model's job away so I decided to humble myself and leave the self portraits off...)

My favorite part about Shabby Apple is the that they only design with modesty in mind. They create beautiful, flattering dresses without losing the modesty factor. The dresses are perfectly designed to fit just about every body type...making any woman feel and look great!

So you must go check out Shabby Apple and see what they're so good at. And because I'm sure you'll find something they've been gracious enough to offer my readers a 15% discount!!! Use this code at check out! publishourstories15off

Latest fashion line: Manhattan line, designed by Rebecca McKinney

New Fashion Line: Carousel Line arrives September 15

Internship: Shabby Apple offers an internship, directed towards business, marketing, PR, fashion, etc, to inspire the chic, stylish local business mentality

They partnered with Unitus—a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating access to financial services to the impoverished. Shabby Apple donates 5% of its net dress sales to support work in India helping women initiate businesses.

Here's something REALLY REALLY Cool that just started yesterday... Shabby Apple is running a "Dare to Design" contest!

Design a dress
If you Win, the dress will be featured as part of the Shabby Apple Spring collection
The winner will receive a 3% royalty on EVERY dress sold of his or her design!!!!

This contest if open to EVERYONE...not just professionals! Go check it out!!!

Email: info@shabbyapple.com

Blog: http://www.shabbyapple.com/blog/

Wordless Wednesday - The REAL Sleeping Beauty

2009-09-09T11:00:00.001-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Tuesday Tradition - Apples & Fall

2009-09-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

With Fall just around the corner, apple picking is in high demand. Just typing the words "Fall" and "apple picking" give me a warm fuzzy! I love this time a year and and I love to go apple picking. The memories and traditions that ring in my head make me want to throw some overalls on and go run up and down rows and rows of apple trees.

As a child we had apple orchards within blocks of our house, right in the middle of our neighborhood. We'd grab laundry baskets and go fill them up as high as we could....of course we could never carry them back home. We'd have to send mom or dad with the car to pick up our laundry baskets that were heaping with apples on the sidewalks. Picking the apples were always fun, but the apple fights were probably the best. Nothing like hucking a rotten apple at the brat that lived down the street and pegging her right in the back of the head....okay, I've said too much.

Anyway, apple picking can be a positive family experience...it can become a new tradition that all families can enjoy. Many farms have live music and picnic areas and some offer wagon or hay rides. Sometimes a little petting zoo or pony ride can be found. We've even found a corn maze or two.

The fun doesn't stop at the orchards. Once you bring the apples home all the yummy fun begins. From homemade apple pies and apple sauces to caramel-dipped apples there are 100's of things that you can do with apples. Heck, my grandma would make freaky little apple dolls with hers....Don't ask!

Here is a great link to help you find apple picking in your own neighborhoods. www.pickyourown.org has great ideas and resources for all picking adventures! Find a farm close by and take your family out for a great day of picking, throwing, and eating! Nothing like a real family tradition to get the Fall kicked off!

If you know of any other "picking" info sites, please pass them along.

Fly an American Flag

2009-09-04T13:36:00.006-04:00

Thought I'd share this thought I found...

On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American Flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States . Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11.

Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Wordless Wednesday - Best Present Ever!

2009-09-02T08:16:00.002-04:00

No better present than SLEEPING twins....

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Tuesday Tradition #45 - School Days Memories

2009-09-01T13:21:00.004-04:00

This is an easy tradition you can involve your family in. The end result far outweighs the work you put into preserving their memories.

5 Easy Steps for Remembering and Capturing School Memories

1. Photos:Keep all photos in a file on your computer labeled Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, etc.

2. Papers and Art Work: Keep ONE small (labeled) plastic bin for favorite art work, writing samples, etc. These bins get full quick, so let your child pick their favorites each month. You can pick a few too if you really need to, but let them pick their favorites. It's their memories! Scan them as you pick the favorites so they're already stored and edited in your picture folder.

3. Stories: Start writing down the stories NOW! Don't wait. Keep a note book or a document file in your picture folder on your computer that you can write or type funny sayings, stories they tell you about school or events right when they happen. Details fade after a while. Get your kid's version of the story.

4. Ask questions. What are his favorites? Who are his friends? What is he learning? And so on and so on....these will change from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Find out the answers to these and other questions now. If you need some ideas, Cherish Bound has a great Story Starter just for kids called "My School Days". You can interview your child and write the answers right there in the book.

5. At the end of the school year you're organized! You can easily published your child's first year of school in a beautiful bound book. Compile all the photos, classwork & art, and stories in digital format. Drag and drop everything into a Cherish Bound book for publication.

I can promise you that these memories will stay alive forever if you preserve the stories, get your child involved in the process. The smile on their faces is priceless!

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 23

2009-08-31T08:04:00.004-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Homework August 31 - September 6:

1. Back to School - Summer has wrapped up for just everyone now and it's on with new schedules and traditions....especially the excitement of heading back to school. There can be many firsts and milestones for the kindergartners, those moving onto middle school or even high school. This week be sure you have a few photos of your kids in their new gear and heading out for school. It's fun to compare pictures each year as they grow and mature from toothless kindergartners to young women and men.

2. Journal - Take time to write about each of your children individually. Write down what you love about their personalities, what their good at, what you hope for them and what you want for them. Keep this in your journal...it doesn't have to be on public display in your yearbook, but just make sure you take some time to write about your blessings.

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with aug 1, aug 2, aug 3 and/or sept 1, sept 2, sept 3 so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your August or September folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Storytime ♥ Cooking With Children

2009-08-27T11:07:00.004-04:00

Here's another wonderful post by guest blogger Heidi Rosenberg

I have always been interested in giving my family the best healthiest food possible. I strongly belief in making as much as my own food as possible. I want to avoid as many processed foods as I can especially ingredients inside processed foods such as high fructose corn syrup. I believe introducing them to cooking makes them more interested in foods that perhaps they would normally turn their noses up to. My daughter is 4 now and I try to encourage her to help me cook when ever possible. Cooking with a young child does take more time and patience. It almost always involves extra cleanup, especially in our case when flour in involved. Healthy eating means eating more whole grains, fruit and vegetables and beans. If meat is eaten try and eat the leaner types. With this is mind this month I have decided to review what Barefoot Books has in the line of healthy food books.

Herb the Vegetarian Dragon by Jules Bass

The message in this book is simple yet brilliant. Some people (and indeed Dragons) like meat where as others prefer to eat vegetables. It's not trying to make out that one way of eating is better than another it justs a great way of explaining that people eat different things. As always with Barefoot Books the art is beautiful, just as on the cover its colorful and vivid throughout the book.

This book will also teach children to never give up on their own beliefs. I have read the book countless times. There is quite a lot of text, so I would recommend it as a book to read to younger children and for older children to read to themselves. Barefoot recommends this book for 4-10 years old. This is a great book to give to a meat eating child with a vegetarian friend or vice-versa. Its available in paper back $7.99 or hard back.

New this season is Kid's Kitchen to accompany Herb. The cards have 40 fun and healthy recipes to make and share. What a great deck of cards to help learn about cooking. They are based around the five main food groups. All the recipes are vegetarian. The cards are sturdy and can be wiped clean. Each card is organized by type of dish and contains step by step directions and nutritional information. The package also includes kitchen safety information. The card deck is recommended for ages 8 up and would be great to get the kids helping more in the kitchen.

Did you know that we also sell music CD's? Picnic Playground CD is a wonderful collection of delicious songs.It also includes a child-friendly overview of the foods mentioned in the songs, as well as two recipes showing how to “Eat Like A Rainbow”. The CD contains 12 multilingual songs all aimed to help teach the child to eat healthy. Other books with food include Gigantic Turnip, Mama Panya's Pancakes, Earth Tales, Little Red Hen (whole wheat bread recipe in the back).

For more information please visit my website. http://heidirosenberg.barefootbooks.com/ or email me to be included in my newsletters. barefootbooksus@yahoo.com

Thank you Heidi!! Great post...and Heidi has also offered a
SPECIAL 20% DISCOUNT FOR MY READERS!!!
Just enter TWENTY (all caps) at check out! Offer good until August 31.

A Tradition of Welcoming Myself Back...

2009-08-25T09:57:00.004-04:00

I'm officially welcoming myself back into the world...life has been a roller coaster these past few months, but oddly enough I always feel blessed through the ups and the downs.

Today we headed back to school with schedules and commitments in full swing...and I feel refreshed and ready to make this year amazing! Life has been good to our family. On Sunday I took some time to reflect on our summer and the time that we were able to spend together....it was wonderful, rewarding and a turning point for our family. Something sweet happened this summer, not sure what it was....but I'll take it!

My kids seem like they've rooted themselves a little deeper as Christians and as leaders. I'm excited to see how they dance with the music this year.....

For me the start of school is like a second Spring Cleaning...time to tackle some projects and find order and schedule again...but also time to make sure I'm taking care of myself and my family in the ways that matter. I always make sure I write in my journal on the first day back to school...I love to record my goals and hopes and dreams for myself, my kids, my hubby and our family as a whole. I especially love reading the entries from years past...I always take the time to write about each of my children individually. It's a great place to record my deepest thoughts and love for them. Someday I hope they find it....and maybe get a glimpse of just how much they were loved.

Take the time today to write in your journal today....

Sharing Your Life Stories...

2009-08-14T15:58:00.004-04:00

I have to share this list with you...someone emailed this to me and I thought it was perfect to share with you all!!

"I'm a totally ordinary person," you shrug. "I'm not famous. I haven't done anything important. In fact nothing really outstanding has ever happened to me. Why would I want to share my life story with anyone, and, for that matter, why would I want to listen to or read the life stories of other ordinary people? And why on earth would I want to write my life story? It's so boring! Memoirs are for celebrities."

Fair questions. Here are a few possible answers. At least 55 reasons why you might consider reflecting on, sharing, and even writing your life stories and listening to the experiences of other people. You may have--or find--additional reasons…

You'll learn something from reflecting and from remembering.
You'll learn something from telling, both orally and in print.
You'll learn something from hearing and/or reading the life stories of others.
You'll practice listening skills, boost empathy, deepen relationships.
You may experience some cathartic pain, which is often good for the soul.
You may heal old wounds--or soothe current pains.
You'll deepen appreciation for your life characters--family, friends, coworkers.
Those who hear or read your stories will better understand the real you.
You'll recapture memories and experiences you assumed were lost.
You'll trace and uncover some important threads through your life story.
You'll reveal something of what's important to you, what you deeply value.
You'll share--and spread--vital values, through what you tell (and don't).
Life review may reveal patterns, connections, hidden insights.
You'll more deeply appreciate your own heritage, culture, ethnicity, roots.
You'll understand, appreciate, and connect with people different from you.
You'll find you have a special gift to give that only you can give.
You may bring genealogy to life, humanize and honor your ancestors.
You will clarify the cultural context, history, and settings that impact your life.
You may clarify family and ancestors' cultural context, history, and settings.
You'll more deeply connect with your past and your people, living and dead.
Paradoxically, You'll more deeply connect with others' past and people.
You'll have a good excuse for a healthy cry or two, and lots of laughs.
You'll have a great time, enjoying the exploration and the sharing.
You'll get a powerful educational tool to share across the table or across time.
Your struggles and triumphs, however small, may inspire others.
You may inspire yourself.
You may surprise the spouse, child, kin, or friend who "know you well."
You may increase others' understanding of "people like you."
You may prove that there is no one exactly like you.
You may wonder at the miracle of our common humanity.
You may have a precious written gift (whether book or one-page memento)
You can leave a valuable legacy, before it's too late!
You can make photo albums and scrapbooks far more meaningful and fun.
Brief stories can add meaning and value to heirlooms or artifacts.
Your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews will learn "real" history.
Family may see you as more than merely Mom, Dad, Gram, Aunt, or Uncle…
Family may come to understand their own rich connections and contexts.
Family may get a kick out of making fun of you and the "olden days."
You may answer some questions that have been nagging you.
You may raise questions to spend the rest of your life answering.
Past experience may suggest how to best live your future, however long.
Your past could help others learn how they might best live their future.
Your mistakes may help others avoid some of theirs.
"Mistakes," "losses" re-examined may turn out to be blessings in disguise.
Opening your senses and imagination will enrich and enhance each day.
You'll build, enhance, deepen relationships with folks living and dead
You'll build, enhance, deepen relationships with folks known and unknown.
If you write it or have it written, you'll have interesting reading.
All your life, you can continue learning from rereading. And write more!
If you write it or have it written, you may achieve a sort of immortality.
You'll illuminate your perspective on culture, religion, places, people, life.
You can show appreciation for those who have enriched your life.
What you know, care about, feel, and think won't die with you.
You may grow spiritually, feel more kinship with humanity, a oneness.
You'll discover you aren't so ordinary after all! (Who is??)

Wordless Wednesday - I Met David Archuleta!

2009-08-12T15:46:00.004-04:00

He's truly the most adorable and sweet-spirited person I've EVER met!

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

15 Day Count Down...

2009-08-10T10:32:00.003-04:00

We're on a count down! School resumes in 15 days, tryouts for fall sports are already in full swing and I'm NO WHERE NEAR READY! So I'm taking a break from the internet and bloggy world for a few days....going to enjoy these last few days of summer with my kids, get life back in order and have some good old fashion fun!

Banana WHAT?

2009-08-07T12:25:00.003-04:00

Banana Spider is what...holy freaking cow! Check this Mama out! She's about the size of my hand spread out and is sitting outside my kitchen window in a thick beautiful web. Been in Florida 4 years and this is THE biggest spider we've found yet...thanks good Mr. Pest Control will be here in 38 minutes!!

How to Help a Beginner Reader

2009-08-06T08:42:00.004-04:00

Guest Blogger Heidi Rosenberg from Barefoot Books

The number one thing I tell parents who have children who are just beginning to read is, its so important to continue reading to them. Why? What a beginner reader can actually read is usually well below their interest level and comprehension. In other words the books you give to your beginner reader are perfect to practice reading but probably doesn't feed their imagination.

Books with repetition and rhymes are good for beginner readers. (Many of my previous preschool recommendations are great, Animal boogie, The House that Jack built etc).
Its now more important than ever to let your child choose a book. Everyone prefers to read about things that they are interested in. If your child likes a particularly topic (animals, transportation, fairies etc) that is probably the type of books they will pick..

Point to words as you read to your child/follow the words as your child reads to you. Let the child sound out the words but if the word does not sound the way it is spelled or the child has problems then help the child. Offer clues if needed, for example ask what sound does the letter "s" make.

Look at the pictures and talk about them. The pictures in the books are clues to the story.

If your child is getting frustrated, ease off with corrections, maybe alternate reading a small section with your child. Telling your child to point to the words on the page can often help the child read all the words.

Talk about the book you have just read. Ask questions. Does she like the character? What do you think will happen next? This book is exciting, isn't it?

Reading is everywhere, so make it part of everyday life for the child. Ask her to help read road signs to you, menus, the aisles in the supermarkets

Most importantly, reading should be fun not a chore. Give your child lots of positive encouragement. Children love to mimic their parents. So why not pull out your bedtime novel and start reading it in front of your child.

If you would like any help in finding the perfect book for your child or would like to be included on my monthly sale list please email me, Heidi, at barefootbooksus@yahoo.com

An amazing offer from Barefoot Books until end July. Download Happy and you know it, free of charge. They do not require your contact details. Click HERE for your free copy.

New discount code SCSHFT - 15% The discount codes can only be used one time per customer and will expire at the end of the year. Visit Heidi's Website here!

http://www.BarefootBooksUS.com (Heidi's private Barefoot website)
Barefoot Website (official Barefoot website)

Thank you Heidi for another great post and a great offer!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T07:49:00.002-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

A Tradition of Opening Your Home

2009-08-04T13:35:00.005-04:00

I came across this little tidbit from Joanna Zucker, author of Millennium Mom. She talked about bring character into our homes to give it an open and welcome feeling. She said the following about Bringing Back Casual Visits.

"These days, our homes are much different from those that we grew up in. They may look different, but more importantly they are not as “open” as they were in the past. Think about when the last time was that you had someone ring your doorbell unexpectedly, just to say hello. This just doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to. Gone are the days when grandma or grandpa, an aunt or uncle, or even a neighbor would stop by just to check in or have coffee, which then turned into a casual dinner invitation.

Personally, I loved those visits and still do as an adult. They’re more casual and filled with great conversation, rather than weeks of planning and cleaning. If you are like me and want to bring the socializing back, I recommend a few easy tips."

Staying tidy and organized - I like this one because it doesn't say we have to have a spotless house. It simply means to keep our homes tidy and picked up in away that won't stress us out if the unexpected (and welcomed) guest drops by.
Easy Recipes - She suggests always having a few favorite EASY recipes on hand along with the ingredients so if your guest stays for a bit you can have something yummy to share to make the stay more inviting.
Bring in the Season - These are her words exactly... LOVE these ideas! "Place seasonal decorations around your home to give it visual character. To save money, buy a door hanger, hand towels and other items on clearance after the holidays to prepare for the next year. Also, use nature when you can. Place leaves in a variety of colors in a clear vase for the fall, pine cones in the winter, fresh flowers from a shrub or tree in the spring or summer."

I too love casual visits. I'm learning to love them again and welcome them too. Slowing down life is a part of the "casual visit". In my quest to find my personal Peace, this fits right in to the plan. Take the time to drop by someones house to just say hello or even better create a welcoming space in your home and let the casual visits begin. ♥

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 23

2009-08-03T11:58:00.003-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...

Homework August 3 - August 9:

1. Books - Summer tends to lend some extra reading time. I know I find myself blazing through books during the summertime as I have extra free time to lay around the pool, visit the beach, vacation a little...so what books have you been reading? Share what your family's favorite summertime reads have been. Maybe books spark special memories or were recommended to you by a friend or family member you want to share...or maybe you received one as a gift. Share your thoughts on your favorite books and let your family join in the fun too!

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with aug 1, aug 2, aug 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your August folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Winner of My Big Celebration Giveaway is...

2009-07-30T10:40:00.003-04:00

One of my most favorite bloggy friends in the blog world...

Debbie from Suburb Sanity. By the way Debbie, love the new blog makeover! Debbie was picked by random draw and will be getting my big Celebration Giveaway! She'll be receiving the following

One large bag of Aunt Kate's Roll Mix from Food Storage Depot.
16 oz. package of SAF yeast from Lesaffre Yeast Corp.
A Mini Cherish Bound Recipe Story Starter from ME
$29 publishing credit to make her own 5x7 recipe book from ME!

Debbie, email me your mailing info so we can send you your goodies!!!

Home Sweet Home!!!

2009-07-29T09:28:00.003-04:00

Home finally...Long exciting weekend. Wish I had better news, but our girls lost the State championship game in a HEART BREAKER on Monday night. It was a sad sad loss, considering we had already beaten this team. My girl was heartbroken, but after about 20 min. in the car between her siblings and the flip video camera, she was all smiles as our singing contest began. I won't pain you with the horrible singing that went on the car, but it was bad enough to make everyone laugh, smile and forget about the awful loss!

Just glad to be home to enjoy our final days of summer break. Planning beach days, shopping days, park days, water days....whatever days we can fill up and enjoy before the grind starts up again.

Miami Bound

2009-07-24T07:47:00.001-04:00

Heading out to South Florida for the first game of the Florida State Softball Championships! Hope to keep you updated, but if not, see you Tuesday!!

Another Victim of the Porcelain Express

2009-07-23T13:17:00.004-04:00

Ever since the twins have turned about 18 months old they've enlightened me on many new parenting experiences. My other 3 kids were "normal"...you know, just some basic color crayon on the wall. That's pretty much it. Quite uneventful.

Well...well...well...Let me tell you something! Twins, they're capable of just about ANYTHING. With 2 minds working as one they are their own form of organized crime. Cute crime, but nonetheless, they're beginner criminals. We've had some bouts with the toilet and they're obsession to flush anything they can find down it...entire rolls of toilet paper, small matchbox cars, hair bows, food....

Today they've once again succeeded in victimizing unsuspecting inanimate objects to the porcelain express.

I headed in to do my makeup as I was trying to clean up for the day...after all it's my birthday today ;o) and I should look decent, right? I put my makeup away in the same place every time. I went to grab my foundation and realized it was not in its place. I looked around the counter, in the drawers and was stumped as to where this large jar of foundation could have disappeared. I then looked for my powder...and found that in the wrong place and started looking for anything else that might be missing or out of place. I noticed my overly-priced Kabuki Brush was missing too!

{GASP}

I wrongly accused my teen daughter who swore she was no where near my bathroom...but then I remembered I had caught the twins in my bathroom a few hours before...and it dawned on me that they must have hid the brush and foundation somewhere. I looked all over thinking I'd find makeup all over my clothes or something...and then I saw the backed up toilet....brimming with water...ready to spill over. I grabbed the plunger (not putting 2-n-2 together) and began plunging...

I could hear tinging and pinging and wondered what in the world could be in there...as my hand pressed down on the handle to flush the toilet I saw a glimmer of silver...hummm...OH NO! It registered that it was the handle of my makeup brush...GONE! I flushed it...but as the water kept draining back and forth I could hear the tinging and pinging moving around back and forth in the base of the toilet and then it got quieter and quieter and moved away....

I ran out and grabbed the twins and asked them in the kindest sweetest voice I could find "Where's Mommy's makeup? Have you seen it?" They both skipped over to the toilet and with large smiles blabbed, "Here! Right there....Mommy."

So FYI, a large full bottle of foundation and an over-priced Kabuki brush CAN FIT down your toilet!

Wordless Wednesday - My Mama

2009-07-22T16:42:00.003-04:00

My mama will KILL me if she knows I put her picture up for public viewing...But I'm so happy to have her for a few days I had to share her! This is a picture taken at the softball field after some rain and sitting in hours of Florida humidity... She'll kill me! But the only way she'll find out is if she can turn her computer on, get online and find my blog...and that's doubtful... ♥

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Mama's Champion

2009-07-21T15:54:00.006-04:00

Photograph by Ryan

I've been a little neglectful of my blog the last few weeks....but it's because I'm the luckiest mom in the world! I have great kids....all of them are just incredible. So far all are athletes (thank goodness) and have let me live vicariously through them.

So today I'm going to dote on my second born... Cooper!

She's quite the stud and I absolutely 100% LOVE LOVE LOVE watching her play sports. Right now, we've been neck deep in her softball and I can't begin to tell you how much fun I HAVE been having...Yes, I have been having the fun!

Last year her softball team won the Florida State Little League softball championship in a cakewalk! From districts, sections, to state, they out scored their opponents somewhere in the ballpark of 70 runs to 5. It was incredible. We're talking 12 year old's hitting the ball out of the park kind of stuff!

This year, her team is back at it again. However, there's a little more excitement added to the package...this year, they can advance out of state to the Southern Regionals (West Virginia) and then to the World Series (Portland, Oregon). For the past 2 years these girls have played year round together in the hopes of making it to the '09 World Series. They have practiced HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS...played in oodles of tournaments and have managed to stay friends...best friends through it all.

Districts Champions - Done

Section Champions - Done

Florida State Champions - Heading out Thursday

I'll be enjoying this once in a lifetime opportunity so if I'm MIA, that's why! I can't miss a second of this amazing moment. But I'll try and keep y'all updated and keep your fingers crossed they make it through as the State Champions!!

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 22

2009-07-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE
Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...I'm keeping track of all the comments posted in the Family YB Challenge for a big giveaway at the end of the year....so go back and check in each of the FYBC posts if you haven't done so.

Homework July 20 - July 26:

1. Friends & Extended Family - Who has gotten married? Any new babies in the family? Graduations, big moves, exciting news? Remember the exciting moments and stories that you have been a part of this year that have involved your friends and extended family.

2. Highlight a Family Member - With many families traveling and spending time with each other now is the time to capture another interview with a family member. Pick someone you want to know more about and record their stories and special qualities. Snap some pictures of them too!

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with july 1, july 2, july 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your July folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Jump Start Summer & Another GIVEAWAY!

2009-07-17T12:00:00.001-04:00

Don't miss My BIG Celebration Giveaway!!! Click here for another one!

Are YOU are driving your kids nuts??? Come on....are you driving them nuts yet??

I push mine outdoors and we have lots to do, most days, but once in awhile it's nice to come in the house, shut down the shades, crank up the A/C and let them veg.
My little Z-man has found his veg... it's this!

Jump Start online has been his new little passion...or should I say obsession...and a good one I might add! Before school got out, every day he'd come home and say, "Mom! Can I PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE play the cool jumping game!! Please...." I gave him 20 minutes after school each day to play some Jump Start....and I was so impressed with what he learned in that short period of time.

Here's a list of a few of our favorites features!

EASY to navigate - He had NO trouble at all using www.jumpstart.com and CD game "3D Virtual World - Legend of Grizzly McGuffin"
Creating his own avatar - "Jumpees"...he LOVED this part!
The games are educational, but fun! As he enjoyed playing "video games" and didn't even realize he was learning so much....actually, I take that back. He did realize it. He called me over to the computer about every 26 seconds to show me a new word he could spell or a math problem he solved.
Another great feature is it's personalized for each child and it's creative, bright, and let's them use their imagination....it allows them to create and think.
Progress Reports! Yes, I get his progress reports emailed to me that show me what he's learned and completed....oh, yeah, and they have a Parent section...oh and a blog!
He loves AdventureLand!! They can explore and are given missions. Here are a few screen shots of his adventures...

So I guess what I'm trying to say is...Jump Start has created a great online World and CD program for kids! I give it 2 thumbs up....and so does Z-man!!!

you can't hear him right now....but he's asking to get on and play as I type....

Sonia, over at Jump Start has offered a lucky reader a 3-month membership to www.jumpstart.com! A free upgrade to use and take advantage of the entire site!! Perfect for the summer months! It's a great tool to keep your kid's minds thinking and not forgetting everything they learned over the past 9 months of school....it's so much better than a "workbook"....and who wants to sit down and do a workbook during the summer?? NOT ME!

Here are the entry rules:

For one entry just leave me a comment

For 5 Entries: Visit www.jumpstart.com. (click the link and scroll down) They have HUGE list of skills that Jump Start helps kids with...Just leave a comment and let us know which skills your kids could use some help and/or refreshing on.
For 5 Extra Entries: Follow my blog
For 5 More Entries: Follow me on Twitter @cherishbound176 and Tweet about it. Please leave tweet URL in comment

Please leave separate comments for each entry (just 4 separate comments...you don't have to do 16 comments), and you must leave your email or have your email in your blogger profile or a new winner will be selected. Giveaway runs until, Sunday, July 26 @ 11:59pm. Open to anyone who can get online!

And I also saw that they're going to have Jump Start For the Wii soon! Hopefully they'll let me review that one too! {WINK-WINK}!!

It's a Celebration! Happy Day to Me - Giveaway!

2009-07-16T00:01:00.005-04:00

Well, there is much to celebrate here at my blog this week!

This is my 400th post!
My Birthday is next week - July 23rd
My Blog Birthday is Monday
My Wedding anniversary is mixed in with it all too

So I'm doing a big fat yummy Giveaway in celebration of all these things...

To survive 400 posts, even if I blog to myself is huge...for me! How many hours have at sat staring at this blog?? Too many to think about ;o)
And I love birthdays...~~I'm not afraid of turning 35...Yes, I'm 35 next week, can't believe how young I still am! It's incredible...~~ (apparently, I have no idea how old I am. I'm turning 34. Just figured that out - 07/16/09 @ 9:16pm EST.
My 2nd Blog Birthday is Monday, and again, that's a big deal for me because I have ADD and the only thing I've stuck with longer than this blog is being a wife and mother.
And of course my wedding anniversary is arriving again....the 15th one! Can't believe we've managed to survive these amazing 15 years....but to be completely happy is worth celebrating! Right?!

So lots to be happy about....

Yesterday on my Wordless Wednesday post you saw those YUMMY delicious HOMEMADE cinnamon rolls that I made right? I'm a wannabe baker, and I'm okay with that. I'm finding myself in the kitchen a lot more these days, but I'm loving it, not fighting it. I love to bake. I've always loved to bake, but have been intimidated by mixers, yeast, sifters, temperatures...you know all the "stuff" that goes with baking. Well, I've discovered that it's actually harmless, it's very hard to get hurt baking, and there are amazing products out there that make baking...enjoyable and easy for people like moi!

Cinnamon Rolls happen to one of my most favorite things to EAT! I lose total control when cinnamon rolls arrive...I have NO guilt, NO limits, NO worries. So when I finally made a batch that worked and tasted good all by myself....I had to share and celebrate! I'll share the entire recipe next week.

I'm going to give credit where credit is due though...without these two products ain't NO WAY it was going to happen. I'm wanted for killing yeast all over these parts, so I pretty much gave up on anything that required the use of that small, single-celled plant. Until....I found this!

SAF Yeast by Red Start

You CANNOT KILL THIS STUFF! It's "tara-proof"...that's saying A LOT! If you're looking for ways to make baking with yeast more enjoyable and successful, look no further! You must get this yeast! Also, they have GREAT recipes, ideas, and other yeasts for those that need gluten free or specialty yeasts as well over at www.redstaryeast.com

Second...I'm all about making from scratch, but I love buying "mixes". I love having some fun varieties to play around with, but I'm also into building my family's food storage in the event of an emergency, disaster, even a job loss and income change. You just never know...

One of my favorite sites for stocking up on Food Storage is the Food Storage Depot. They have a great selection of Food Storage products AND their prices are very affordable. They have lots to choose from from basics to gourmet and monthly to yearly supplies.

They also have my favorite MIX! Aunt Kate's Quality Roll Mix! That's the amazing mix that helped me make those delicious cinnamon rolls! They have truly revolutionized food storage!

So what am I giving away...Can you smell the rolls??

Food Storage Depot has generously offered one of my readers a bag of Aunt Kate's Roll Mix.
The winner will also receive a 16 oz. package of SAF yeast from Lesaffre Yeast Corp. Woo!
And...the winner will also receive a Mini Cherish Bound Recipe Story Starter from ME
$29 publishing credit to make your own 5x7 recipe book from ME!

That's right.... The winner will get ALL OF THIS!

So wanna know how you can win ALL OF THIS? There are TONS of way to get in on this!!

1. Leave a comment letting me know what your FAVORITE thing to bake is (1 entry)

2. Follow My Blog (1 entry)

3. Tweet About this Giveaway & leave the link (1 entry)

4. Put my Button on your blog (1 entry)

5. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Make sure you share your favorite thing to bake and then link back here to the McLinky FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES!

Make sure each entry is a separate comment. US Residents only. Giveaway ends on July 22, 2009 at 11:59 pm. I'll announce the big winner on July 23 (my birthday)! Make sure you leave your email in your comments if you don't have a blog or your email in your profile.

My Daughter on Fox 13 News!!!

2009-07-15T23:21:00.002-04:00

My Daughter made the Fox 13 news...her name is Kylie!

Wordless Wednesday - Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

2009-07-15T11:16:00.005-04:00

I'm So Proud of me! Go Me!

Oh YES I Did! I made these homemade cinnamon rolls ALL BY MYSELF!!! I'll tell you more tomorrow....YOU DO NOT want to miss my post tomorrow. An awesome giveaway....all revolving around these yummy delicious homemade cinnamon rolls!!!

Sorry, this wasn't really "wordless"....

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Tuesday Tradition #44 - Fruit and Veggie Co-op!

2009-07-14T16:10:00.010-04:00

One of our newest family traditions has become a bi-monthly favorite in our home. For the past few months I've been apart of a Fruit & Veggie Co-op! Every other Tuesday we enjoy heaping baskets of fresh fruits and veggies at a very affordable price. We're always excited to get our laundry basket that's been filled with wonderful fruits and vegetables and plan our meals around them.

Well, today was EXCITING for me!!! Today was my day to go with my partner to the pick-up spot and get the goods!!!

This week we had 10 participants. Normally we have about 15-16, but with summer and vacations we're smaller in numbers. But each person puts in $15 and 2 of us head out EARLY every other Tuesday to score big on some great produce. It's a hole in the wall acre or two that is lined with trailers, tents, aluminum sheds, etc. Each "booth" has their produce lined up in boxes and trailers for you to see as you drive through the winding rows. There's an excitement and chaos that makes you want to jump right out and buy the first box of goodies you see, but the key to purchasing all this amazing food it to be patient.

We have a clip board that lists all the fruits and veggies and the average price that has been paid in the past. As we drive through the passenger jots down the booth number and pricing per box of whatever fruit and veggie we're interested in....windows down, we yell out, "How much for a box?" They flash up their fingers or yell out the price and the passenger notes it down. We make a pass through the isles and alleys and then decide which deals are the best. We head back through another time, but this time it's for bargaining and buying.

Today we had $150 to spend. This is what we got for $15 per person -

50 lbs of red potatoes $10 a bag
Romaine lettuce heads $14 for a box of 24
Strawberries $10 for 10 pints
Blackberries $12
Box of peaches $12
Box of green beans $13
Watermelon $1 each
Cantaloupe .40 cents each
Bananas $13 Box of a gazillion!!!
Corn on the Cob $14 HUGE box
Pineapple $15 Box of 12
Zucchini $ 11 Box
Cherry Tomatoes $10 - 12 pints

Here's my PILE of goods....and a watermelon too that didn't make it in the picture!

It's so much yummy, fresh, healthy food! I love it! Look into starting a co-op in your area. You have to find a place that sells like this, but they're usually everywhere, you just have to search for them. It's a healthy and inexpensive way to feed your family...and of course, a tradition that EVERYONE loves!

1959 vs. 2009

2009-07-13T11:38:00.001-04:00

I couldn't resist....

1959 vs. 2009

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1959 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2009 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1959 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2009 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.

1959 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2009 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1959 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2009 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school..

1959 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2009 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1959 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2009 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1959 - Ants die.

2009 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:

Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1959 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2009 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Free Yourself From Photo Clutter!

2009-07-09T10:56:00.008-04:00

Whether you’re "digital" or "paper" we can all use a little Photo Freedom! If you're paper, you probably have a box, drawer, or maybe even a pile of pictures stacking up. And if you're digital, your hard drive can look much the same. I've been a victim of both... Organizing photos may seem overwhelming, but, but you can free yourself from photo chaos with a few simple ideas and tips. This process won't happen overnight. It's a process...and ongoing one, but before you know it you can be enjoying beautiful photos from your walls to storybooks.

Not All Photos Are Created Equal

Step #1 -Weed through your pictures

Toss out/delete all the bad, blurry pictures.
For paper pics, set duplicates to the side in a separate pile.
Keep only your favorite, quality images/pictures and throw the rest out!
For paper images make a pile for pictures that you'd like to frame and/or send to friends and family.
For digital images make a folder for pictures you’d like to print and frame and/or send to family and friends.
With an acid-free photo pen, label the pictures on the back of the photo’s edge. If you can recall the date, names, and place, add those details.

Keeping Things Simple

Step # 2 – Organize

Make pile/folder by themes – By date, years, events, people.
Pictures can be kept in photo-safe boxes AFTER they're sorted and organized.
On notes cards, used as dividers, write down notes, stories and memories about each theme of photos.

Share Your Photos

Step #3 – Sharing and Displaying

Send copies of your photos to friends and family regularly. Have a stash of pre-addressed envelopes so they're ready to go out every few months. Not everyone has access to the computer.
Build digital photo albums online or keep a BLOG and send notices to friends and family when they're updated.
Intricate albums with details and captions can be…well, wonderful? If you have the time, money, and more time and more money… scrapbooking can easily become an overwhelming and time-consuming hobby.
Photos and stories combined are what create family traditions and heirlooms to be passed down. By choosing a special event, such as a wedding or new baby, you can create beautiful family story and photo books with Cherish Bound.
Print and frame your pictures. Get them up on the walls, on your shelves, and out so they can be seen! Choose only your best photos. Be creative…string them from cute wire clips, use bulletin boards, memo boards…that way they are easy to change out and update.

Keep Up The Good Work

Once you’re caught up (yes, that can happen) keep up and control your photos! Organize your photos as soon as you download or develop.
For paper pictures, keep a VERY SMALL photo/shoe box out. As the box begins to fill, sit down with the family and sort through the photos, share the stories, write them down and prep them to be scanned and loaded into a photo/story book.
As soon as you download pictures, delete the bad ones! Label folders with dates and event names if possible.

And here’s my shameless plug –

The Cherish Bound process can help you stay on top of your photo chaos. By simply adding story and a few photos, you can create meaningful storybooks that can be shared with everyone who walks through the doors of your home. The entire family can be apart of the process. This is no longer MOM’S job! It’s a family thing.

The Cherish Bound publishing tool is simple to use with an easy drag and drop system. You can upload your story text, images, and scanned images into a book template of your choice. End result, a beautiful soft or hardbound book will arrive on your doorstep by carrier within 15 business days.

Organizing your photos can be a daunting task. So keep it simple. These are priceless memories that can be easily enjoyed and relived for generations to come. You can join in on my Family Yearbook Challenge to help you stay the course as well.

Essentially, the goal is make sure our stories, memories, traditions, thoughts and values can be passed on. Don't lose focus.

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy's BBQ Chick'n

2009-07-08T00:00:00.004-04:00

Hubby's BBQ Chick'n has become a 4th of July Family Tradition... My oldest, T-Rex, enjoying a few legs...
For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Simple Mom Goes Back to the Basics

2009-07-07T14:19:00.004-04:00

One of my most favorite blogs is Simple Mom. She's one of those real life people that just gets it. She's simple, but practical, and everything is about family. Yesterday she posted an amazing post and launched a great project called Back to the Basics.

She said, "As a generation of mothers, there is a trend calling us back to our roots. There’s something in many of us that longs for a more traditional sort of homemaking — from scratch, and back to the basics."

That's me! That's what I've been working on for the past year...especially this year. My 2009 motto is PEACE, and I know to find true peace in my life, I must go back to the basics. I've been working hard at it, and I must say it's been an amazing experience. I've loved every minute of stepping away from from "THINGS" that don't create a peaceful, simple, basic life.

I've always had a fascination with history, especially pioneers. I'm drawn to their simplicity and homemaking skills, but so intrigued by their joy and happiness. There is something to be learned from the past. More is not better, faster doesn't mean it's worth it, and easy doesn't mean it's right.

Simple Mom will post one post per week (Mondays) dedicated to the simple steps behind a home management responsibility — this series will be called Back to the Basics. Each week’s post will be featured on Monday, except for this week’s post, which is up today! Today's post starts with simply finding your family's mission statement.

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 21

2009-07-06T16:31:00.004-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...I'm keeping track of all the comments posted in the Family YB Challenge for a big giveaway at the end of the year....so go back and check in each of the FYBC posts if you haven't done so.

Homework July 6 - July 12:

1. Family Reunions?? Describe any family reunions you attend. Did you meet anyone new? Tell about where you stayed, the family you reconnected with and the activities you participated in.

2. Take some pictures... Take some snapshots of what summer means to your family. Just candid pool pics, a beautiful tree that has a story behind it...maybe it's a sunset or sunrise, your boat or lake house. I could just be a picture of your favorite summer fruit. Whatever it is, capture it on camera.

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with july 1, july 2, july 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your May folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Maddy Goes To Vegas!

2009-07-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today is a special day for our family. My sweet niece Maddy has been given an amazing, one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She's a beautiful little girl with Ataxia, seizures, global delays and she doesn't talk. My SIL and I have set up a blog for our family and friends to take a glimpse into her life and if at all possible, help her get to Vegas!

Here's the link to her blog. Maddy Goes To Vegas! If anything, just read her story. Maybe you have a similar story or know of someone that is dealing with the same thing. Either way, Maddie needs love and support and a little bit of cha-ching to get her to Vegas!!

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #36 - Summer of Sleuthing

2009-07-03T14:24:00.009-04:00

Now that I've got extra time on my hands I've become addicted to Family History...It's one of the most exciting things I've EVER done! And I've done some exciting things...Anyway, I had to share this with you guys because there is a great program from the Family History Library has sponsored call "Summer of Sleuthing".

Are you looking for a fun activity to keep your children occupied this summer? Would you like to learn more about your family? Do you need a kick start to organize your family records?

Welcome to the Family History Library’s “Summer of Sleuthing—Save Our Ancestors” (SOS) program. This online summer program will teach you and your family how family history can be fun, informative, and rewarding. With a series of weekly challenges, you and your family can participate in activities that will help you to learn more about yourselves and your ancestors. Take time this summer to discover the roots of your family tree and explore the branches. These activities can give your family a connection to the past, an identity for the present, and a foundation for future success. We encourage you and your family to help each other complete the Summer of Sleuthing challenges. The challenges are tailored for age groups.

Click here to go to the website. They have an entire list of activities for all ages so everyone in the family can take part in this exciting summer challenge.

The program says, "As part of the challenges, you are encouraged to keep a journal of your experiences and create memories together as a family. You are welcome to share this activity with other families as well. We hope that this experience will bring your family closer together and that you will gain an appreciation for the lasting treasures to be found in family history work."

This is a great activity the entire family can enjoy and it's so rewarding. Take the time to go check it out and learn how to connect with your family.

Enjoy and PLEASE keep me posted on your experience and success!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Being an Ex-Scrapbooker has freed up so much of my time...and money...I love all of my new hobbies and crafts and I love sharing them with you....so I'm excited to announce the winner of last week's CoaExS giveaway!! Here's what the winner is getting...

And the winner is JESSIE!! Over at Muthering Heights!! I'll be dropping you an email to get your address and mail you out your prize!!

Storytime ♥ For 2-5 Year Olds

2009-07-02T11:51:00.009-04:00

Guest Blogger Heidi Rosenberg from Barefoot Books

Now the fun is really starting to happen. Children still love old favorites but now you can start reading stories with more words. Classic stories will start to kick in. You know the ones you remember as a child. The 3 billy goats, Jack and the beanstalk, The House that Jack built.

You'll probably still need to keep reading time to less than 20 minutes at a time or your child will get bored. You need to vary what you are doing. Sing songs, pick one or two short books. Books to go along with songs is a great way to reinforce the concepts. Important concepts with songs are numbers. I bet you could name quite a few songs with numbers. Barefoot Books has a variety of books with music CDs (many on sale throughout July) and numbers such as Knick Knack Paddywack(on sale in July), Farmyard Jamboree is a great book combining counting in twos with learning about baby animals.

By this age 2 or 3 you may want to introduce paperback books to your child, depending on your child. Remember each child is an individual some will have longer attention spans then others.

Think of a typical library story time. They usually start by having familiar short songs, read a
story, another short song with actions, another story maybe using a felt board and more action songs. The more fun you can make reading now, the more they will appreciate books as they grow.

Another way to make books more enjoyable for young children is to introduce an activity to go along with it. Maybe you have appropriate puppets or stuffed toys so you can bring the story live using them. Alternatively you could invent an activity to go along with the stories. This could be some kind of related craft or if its a color story maybe have different colored objects that they need to group. The possibilities are endless. Some books you can actually buy matching jigsaw
puzzles too. If you have a book about the world perhaps you could bring out a map or a globe.

If you would like to buy any Barefoot Books please visit my online store http://heidirosenberg.barefootbooks.com/ and use special offer code SCSHTE for an additional 10% discount.
July is an exciting month for offers on our books with music.

Thank you Heidi for another great post! If you have any questions or would like to contact Heidi about making a purchase you can email her at barefootbooksus@yahoo.com.

Wordless Wednesday - Community Fork?

2009-07-01T09:11:00.002-04:00

Does your family savagely destroy a cake with a community fork? I think we're part animal...That doesn't even look like a cake! What on earth do we do to these innocent desserts....

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

4th of July Traditions!

2009-06-30T00:01:00.003-04:00

A Colorful 4th of July!

I love the 4th of July! It's another event on "my list" that brings out that warm fuzzy little kid excitement in me. There are 1000's of fun 4th of July Family Traditions! Here is one my favorites that we do every year....

We buy a few very large boxes of sidewalk chalk and each of our kids, usually the neighbor kids too, and any cousins or family that happens to be visiting draw HUGE brightly colored sidewalk murals. Up and down the sidewalk in front of our house, up the large driveway and anywhere they can find a piece of cement, they scrambled to draw, color, and create beautiful sidewalk masterpieces.

It's so much fun to see each little square of sidewalk colored so differently and the creative ideas that they come up with! Plus we always end up with a few squares saved for a game of hopscotch too.

Here a few other favorites!

Homemade ice cream
Matching 4th of July outfits for the little ones
The famous berry Fourth of July cake
Picnics & BBQ's
"I Love My Country Because....." finish the sentence
Declaration of Independence 101 (Educate your family)
Crafts and Projects for decorating and eating (FamilyFun.com)
And of course.......THE FIREWORKS!!!

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 20

2009-06-29T09:52:00.005-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Homework June 29-July 5:

1. How do you celebrate the 4th of July? Describe your family's annual traditions and celebrations. Do spend it with your friends, family, neighbors? Tell about the activities. Do you watch fireworks? Where?

2. Ask your children and/or family members about Freedom - Interview people in your family and ask them what freedom means to them. Ask them to tell you about a 4th of July from the past and their favorite memories and traditions.

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with july 1, july 2, july 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your May folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

"Patriotism is like charity — it begins at home."

~ James Henry

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #35 - It's a Giveaway! I ♥ Vinyl Lettering!

2009-06-26T00:01:00.002-04:00

I ♥ Vinyl Lettering. I do.

I'm just going to come right out and admit it. I don't care if it's a fad or if it's a tacky. I don't care. I think vinyl is cool. So I made you something... Well, I made ONE of you something. ;o) I made myself one....and then I made one for you...

SO EASY to make too! Well, my friend has one of those cool Cricut doohickey things. Awesome little machine....she uses it for card making and such....she's an "EX" too. ;o) You likey?? Well, if you want one of my homemade-vinyl-lettering-picture-frame-decor-things, you've come to the right place!

It's a giveaway!

Here's how to enter this giveaway!

For one entry go to my Cherish Bound store by clicking HERE. Visit the Story Starters (list on top left) and tell me what story you would love to capture and share. Oh and notice the sale I'm having this weekend! Leave your email if you don't have a blog profile or I will pick another winner (i'm saying it nicely)
For a second entry follow my blog. If you already do, great. Just leave a separate comment.
For a third entry Tweet about it and leave your link

US entries only. Giveaway ends on Thursday, July 2 @ 11:59pm. Winner will be announced next Friday. Please leave your email if you don't have a blog profile with your email listed. Winner will be picked by random.org

One more thing... EVERYTHING in my Cherish Bound Story Store is 20% off!!! Don't forget to check it out! ;o) okay...I'm done.

Wordless Wednesday - Beach Bliss

2009-06-24T09:44:00.001-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 19

2009-06-22T09:43:00.004-04:00

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Homework June 22-28:

1. Celebrations, Carnivals, Fairs, Annual Events - Do you have any in your town? Do you attend as a family? Tell about your local events that bring your community and family together. Did you eat some yummy food? Participate in a contest or event? Was there a parade?

2. Summer Days - Tell about your favorite summertime food and treats. Take pictures and find the recipes. Do you have any special food that you take on picnics or to family BBQ's? Take some more pictures and round up the recipes.

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled June. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with june 1, june 2, june 3 and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your May folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.

- Bern Williams

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T09:34:00.003-04:00

Build up to a tantrum...

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

Calling all UTAH Friends!

2009-06-15T09:33:00.007-04:00

If you are a blogger in the Utah area.... YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!

Cherish Bound is teaming up with some of our best friends, one of the country's premiere storytelling organizations - Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and the queen of "make a wish - make it happen"... Kelly Anderson from Start Up Princess to bring all of our blogging buddies a night filled with the magic of storytelling....and it's FREE!

the fairytale event

Cherish Bound is teaming up with one of the country's premiere storytelling organizations—Timpanogos Storytelling Festival—to bring social media moms and blogging buddies a night filled with the magic of storytelling. The event takes place June 25 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the enchanting storytelling wing of the Orem City Library.

the happy ending

During the evening, you'll be entertained by some of the areas brightest storytellers, Bruce Jensen and Wendy Gourley. They'll spin a tale all while the fabulous folks from the Blue Lemon fill our tummies with yummy treats. Each guest will receive a goody bag with these fun things $200 retail value:

Cherish Bound book.
Story Starter.
Chat cards.
Syd Lieberman Storytelling CD.
Blue Lemon gift certificate.
Weekend family pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (Labor Day weekend).

the requirements
In addition to providing you with an enchanting evening of storytelling fun, Cherish Bound is hoping to publicize both its product and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. To participate in this event, please make sure you are able and willing to meet the following criteria:

Redeem your coupon for a free Cherish Bound book and publish it by July 24.
Write a post about your Cherish Bound experience by July 31. This post should include your experiences in publishing the book as well as information about the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (details will be provided).
Publicize the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival on Twitter, Facebook, and via e-mail between August 1 and Labor Day (details will be provided).
Attend the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (September 3-5 in Orem, UT).
Write a post about your Timpanogos Storytelling Festival experience by September 14, including promotional information about the Mid Winter Conference (details will be provided).
Publicize a discount coupon on your blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or via e-mail.
Hold a Cherish Bound giveaway on your site (optional).

the fine print
We only have a limited number of spots available, so please RSVP no later than Thursday, June 18 by clicking HERE TO REGISTER! Spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

This event is by invite only. If you have other friends in social media or who blog that you think would like to take part and can meet these requirements, please feel free contact Jyl at 801.971.9335 or at jyl.pattee@comcast.net.

-I won't personally be at this event, but I will be at the Timpanogos Story Festival during Labor Day weekend!! I'd love to meet you all!

My Mind is Here....

2009-06-11T13:18:00.004-04:00

Well...My mind is here...I'm sure the world will continue to turn with my absence...be back in a few minutes....

Here's to Summer, Family, Kids, Traditions....and Florida Beaches! I ♥ my life!

45 Pieces of Advice...Really Good Advice

2009-06-09T08:13:00.005-04:00

My dear mama sent me this advice in an email....I normally don't open any emails like that, but this one caught my attention because I tend to take all my mama's advice and at least try it out...I could relate to every single one and needed to hear most of them. I love them all, but I highlighted my favorites.... What are yours??

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood... But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 18

2009-06-08T09:19:00.003-04:00

Summer is here and it's time to capture some summertime memories and stories!!

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click
HERE & then HERE

So you've had 3 weeks of catch-up! But if you're like me...the past 3 weeks have been insane and I did NOT catch up. So I'm going to be working extra hard to get caught back up with you all.

Homework June 8-14:

1. Memorial Day - What activities, traditions or events to you participate in on Memorial Day? Tell about important people in your family that have served our country. If you don't know a lot about them, ask someone who does.

2. Describe a typical Summer Day....

Creative Vacation Imprints

2009-06-05T12:56:00.005-04:00

Summ-er! Summ-er! Summ-er!! Woo-hoo! It's officially here!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Summer! I love the beach, the pool, I really do love having my house full of life and chaos....I do! I love it all! No schedules, no responsibilities, just FUN!

We make lots of memories during our summer months; however, we're not big vacationers. With 7 people it cost just WAYYYY too much money and the little ones don't travel very easily yet. So we stay close to home and venture out within a few hours from home. But whether you camp in your back yard, fly off to the Bahamas, or visit grandma, we're all making great memories that we don't want to forget.

*not my picture...not sure where it came from

Make sure you capture some creative photos of your summer adventures by leaving your family's mark behind. Something fun to do is to find a spot wherever you're at on vacation or maybe even your backyard and C R E A T I V E L Y write the place/date/event...using nature! Make a creative imprint. Take a picture of just your imprint or with the entire family.

One that we have all probably done is the beach one...writing your family's name or the date and place in the sand with a stick. But how about using shells or flowers...maybe you're in the mountains and you can use sticks, pine cones and rocks. Snow?? Use a shovel or sticks or even your equipment. Be creative, but just don't forget to capture this creative vacation imprint!

Attack of the Feral Pigs!

2009-06-04T07:48:00.010-04:00

Okay....so seriously, we have a problem! This past week we've woken up to pillaged earth in our yard. I mean, serious trench warfare going on....at first we had NO idea what the heck was going on, but have just found out that we are getting attacked by pigs during the night!

Don't let the little guy fool you.... Look what THEY did...

Can you believe that!?? So our neighbors are getting some roughing up too...they're native Floridians and say...it's a Pack. Probably a pack of Feral Pigs... Feral Pigs?? I just learned about Feral Cats (LOL...that's an entirely different story) It's an entire pack of Feral Pigs...We can't even be cool enough for Wild Hogs or Boar...no, we get the freaking feral pigs.

I know....they look harmless, but they're destroying our entire yard!! This just grosses me out...but it brings out my redneck...it's time to go hunting kids and get us some bacon!!! It's illegal to relocate them alive. A trapper cost $100's of dollars...maybe we'll call this kid.

Wordless Wednesday...My Kid's Camera

2009-06-03T15:27:00.003-04:00

You never know what you'll find on your kid's cameras...

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

9-12 Personal Project Journal

2009-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Remember the way we were on September 12^th? We weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were just Americans, banded together. Flags were waving and people were coming together in the spirit of all things American. Reclaim that spirit while you chronicle your own personal 9-12 journey. Chronicle your journey through each of the 12 values from the 912 Project. This 28 page journal will feature your own notes, photos and artwork on each page. Each value page features a quote from one of our founding fathers. This journal is a Hardbound 5x5 bound book.

Do you agree with at least 7 of these 9 Principles?
Then you're a nine-twelver.

America is Good.
I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
I have a right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results
I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

12 Values

Honesty
Sincerity
Reverence
Moderation
Hope
Hard Work
Thrift
Courage
Humility
Personal Responsibility
Charity
Gratitude

To purchase Your 9-12 Personal Project Journal Click HERE!!!!

Family Vacations 1950's vs. 2009

2009-06-01T09:13:00.005-04:00

Vacation in Michigan
Originally uploaded by sunset flame

I was quietly reading a magazine by the pool this weekend.... (yes, I did squeeze 12 minutes of quiet time) when I read this interesting and slightly disturbing fact. Honestly, I about fell over!

The average price per day a family of four spent in 1950 while on vacation

$13

The average price per day a family of four will spend on vacation today

$269

Honestly....I think I may have enjoy the vacations back in the 50's WAYYYY more than the over-priced, over-done vacations of today.

And...this really got me too...

Average annual vacation days given:

Italy 42

France 37

Germany 35

Brazil 34

United Kingdom 28

Canada 26

Korea 25

Untied States 13

FYBC will resume next week!!

Build Your Family's Library - A Peek Into Publishing

2009-05-29T13:50:00.007-04:00

Take a brief tour of Cherish's Bound publishing center to see how easy it is to start building your family's library! Our book building program is easy to navigate and works with simple click throughs and the drag-n-drop system. Take a peak to see how easy it is to get started.

Free online screencasting tool

Thank you to the amazing Kari for letting me share this great tutorial she put together! ♥

My Daddy is a Pretzel....

2009-05-28T13:28:00.007-04:00

With Father's Day just around the corner, my friend Heidi from Barefoot Books has some great book suggestions for kids and their dads.

One of my favorites.... My Daddy is a Pretzel

Just picturing my hubby doing this makes me laugh SERIOUSLY out loud!!! This would bring lots of laughter into our home!

Limber up with this unique, child-friendly yoga book! Created for parents and children to share together, but also suitable for adults and older children to use alone, My Daddy is a Pretzel not only introduces a range of postures, it also connects the practices to everyday life, showing how families can integrate their yoga with their activities in the world. A light-hearted look at yoga, yet one with a lasting message, My Daddy is a Pretzel is a wonderful introduction to yoga for readers of all shapes and sizes.

I love this one... Shopping With Dad

Disaster strikes on a Saturday shopping trip! How can Dad and daughter set things right?
It’s Saturday, and one small girl and her Dad are heading for the supermarket while Mom is working. It’s so exciting! How can she contain herself? She tries —but she can’t! An enormous sneeze sets in motion a small calamity, and Dad gets the blame. But when his daughter speaks up and takes responsibility for her actions, the mood changes... Fast-paced, funny with a simple, uplifting message, this playful rhyming read-aloud is guaranteed to have you laughing out loud!

And don't forget Grandpa's with this adorable book... Journey Home from Grandpa's

Young travelers will delight in this colorful journey. Along the way from country to city, they'll learn about different colors and modes of transportation, and sing along with Fred Penner to the catchy road-trip song.

Visit Heidi Here to get these great specials in JUNE!

Shopping with Dad $13.99 HC
My Daddy is a Pretzel $12.99 HC
Journey Home from Grandpa's $3.99 PB

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-27T08:20:00.003-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday visit www.5minutesformom.com

*Family Traditions...One Story At A Time*

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 11-15

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 6-10

100 Ways to Enjoy Your Summer and Keep Your Family Busy! 1-5

Wordless Wednesday

A Breath of Fresh Air....

Writing Your Love Story

Strawberry Pickin' & Jam Makin'

My WORD for 2010

Wordless Wednesday - Family Pictures From "You-Know-Where"

12 Days of Christmas

Thanksgiving Tradition - Family Trivia

Holidays In Hand with Jessica Sprague

Wordless Wednesday - Anyone Seen My Cupcake?

I'm Back....

Sew...Busy! Adorable Pettiskirts!!!

Tuesday Tradition #46 - Homemade Halloween Fun!

Hello...Anyone There?

Favorite Fall Recipes - Butternut Squash Soup

Wordless Wednesday - Meet My Offspring

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 24

Autumn Apple Vases

Did you know today is Constitution Day?

Wordless Wednesday - Bribery

Tuesday Tradition - Handwritten Letters?

Finding Hope - 9/11

Shabby Apple - Modest, Beautiful, Perfect!

Wordless Wednesday - The REAL Sleeping Beauty

Tuesday Tradition - Apples & Fall

Fly an American Flag

Wordless Wednesday - Best Present Ever!

Tuesday Tradition #45 - School Days Memories

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 23

Storytime ♥ Cooking With Children

A Tradition of Welcoming Myself Back...

Sharing Your Life Stories...

Wordless Wednesday - I Met David Archuleta!

15 Day Count Down...

Banana WHAT?

How to Help a Beginner Reader

Wordless Wednesday

A Tradition of Opening Your Home

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 23

Winner of My Big Celebration Giveaway is...

Home Sweet Home!!!

Miami Bound

Another Victim of the Porcelain Express

Wordless Wednesday - My Mama

Mama's Champion

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 22

Jump Start Summer & Another GIVEAWAY!

It's a Celebration! Happy Day to Me - Giveaway!

My Daughter on Fox 13 News!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Tuesday Tradition #44 - Fruit and Veggie Co-op!

1959 vs. 2009

Free Yourself From Photo Clutter!

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy's BBQ Chick'n

Simple Mom Goes Back to the Basics

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 21

Maddy Goes To Vegas!

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #36 - Summer of Sleuthing

Storytime ♥ For 2-5 Year Olds

Wordless Wednesday - Community Fork?

4th of July Traditions!

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 20

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #35 - It's a Giveaway! I ♥ Vinyl Lettering!

Wordless Wednesday - Beach Bliss

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 19

Wordless Wednesday

Calling all UTAH Friends!

My Mind is Here....

45 Pieces of Advice...Really Good Advice

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 18

Creative Vacation Imprints

Attack of the Feral Pigs!

Wordless Wednesday...My Kid's Camera

9-12 Personal Project Journal

Family Vacations 1950's vs. 2009

Build Your Family's Library - A Peek Into Publishing

Family Traditions...One Story At A Time