spinal meningitis: 2012

31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi

Pioneer Day & What I'm Reading!

To contact us Click HERE
Happy Pioneer Day!
I can hardly stand waiting for Pioneer Day. July is the best month ever. Not only do we get to celebrate Our Country's Independence, but we get to celebrate the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Great Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.
Oh, how I love the Pioneers. I love their faith, their strength, their testimonies, their legacy and their stories.
My all time favorite Novel I've ready about the Pioneers is The Fire & The Covenant by Gerald N. Lund.

If you haven't read this book you MUST!!! It was SO AMAZING. Absolutely a fabulous book.
And I am currently about 100 pages away from finishing The Winds And The Waves by Dean Hughes. I am so excited to be reading this book on Pioneer Day. I was hoping to be able to finish it today, but I'm thinking that I am going to be too busy taking the kids to our Ward's Pioneer Day Celebration. I even bought a bike yesterday and I'm hoping to ride with the kids to the party.

I am enjoying this book so much, and the good news is that it is the first book in the new series called Come To Zion. The bad news is that the 2nd book doesn't come out until next summer. I hate waiting!!! Do you like reading Novel's about church history as much as I do? Seriously I can't get enough!
I also read a great article on Dean Hughes today and you can find it {here}. The article discuses Dean Hughes research that does for writing the books, a little about the books and more about Dean. Really interesting.
Kate and I snuggled up on the couch on Sunday night and watched 17 Miracles again together. I cry my eyes out every time I watch it, it never gets old. I feel such a gratitude for the sacrifices made by the pioneers who came before me! I am humbled so much by their faith, service and humility. I am lucky that my children have two of their own pioneers, their grandpa's, to look up to. Both of their grandpa's were converts to the church and are incredible examples of faithful, righteous priesthood holders. Love you Dad and Blake!
There is also a current DESERET BOOK COUPON CODE which is good for 30% off, so treat yourself to one of these books.
Use code: SUMMER
Now go buy yourself something good to read!!!

Book Review: How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family

To contact us Click HERE

To give me some ideas to make it through my pantry challenge, I read How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons by Steve and Annette Economides. I enjoyed reading it. It has lots of great suggestions, even if sometimes it's a little on the cheesy side. I love that the authors emphasize that your time is at least as valuable as your money. They spend $350 each month feeding their large family, and they don't do it by hitting the loss leaders at 6 grocery stores per week. The strategies that they use work for them because they provide them with more time with their family. And their basic suggestions aren't new or revolutionary, but they do elaborate with lots of examples that have worked for them and other families who read their blog.

Have a plan- plan your grocery list, plan your meals, plan your money
Look at ads, then coupon and price match
Stock up on good deals
Shop once per month
Cook once per month & freeze multiple meals
Get your family involved
Organize your kitchen/pantry/freezer in a way that makes shopping & cooking efficient
Learn to cook and eat at home
Garden

That's the basic premise of their book. These down-to-earth ideas are all things that we have heard before, but I think the key that really brings it all together is having a plan. This is true when it comes to most things, whether you're talking about feeding your family, saving for college or running a business. You have to decide that your are going to save money on your groceries and how you are going to do it.
At the end of every chapter they have suggestions for which ever level you're at. If you're a beginner there are suggestions for you, there are suggestions for those with some experience who are trying to do better and then there are even tips for the experts. In one of the book reviews I read, someone complained that all of the ideas in this book were great if you have a large family, but irrelevant for most people. I have to disagree with that. They have suggestions that work for the young, old and in between. There are ideas that can work if you live by yourself or are part of a family of 12. You just have to pick out the ideas that are relevant to your situation.
Here are some of my favorite tips from the book:

Buy produce in bags, you get more for your money. Produce bags have to be a certain minimum weight, but often weigh more than that and are usually cheaper per pound than loose produce.
Share recipes with friends to get new cooking ideas.
Put a small plastic basket in your cart where you put all of your "impulse buys". Before you get to the check-out evaluate if you really need any or all of those items.
Picky eaters can easily sabotage frugality. Find creative ways to get them to eat what the rest of the family is eating.

I've moved- Check out my new site

To contact us Click HERE
Hey everyone! Sorry I've been a little MIA. We've had a lot going on here. We had 2 funerals, my husband quit his job and got a new one, for awhile we were talking about moving and of course there's all the business that is involved with mothering three small children. The good news is that I'm back in the game and I have a new website. So if you want to follow my cooking and mothering adventures, follow me at secretsofmom.com. Tell me what you think. Thanks for reading.

How to Prevent Typhoid Fever when You're Traveling

To contact us Click HERE
Typhoid Fever is a dangerous illness that can cause severe sickness and even death if left untreated. Typhoid is caused by a bacteria and is transmitted by eating or drinking something that has come in contact with an infected person. This article will tell you how to prevent typhoid when you're traveling.

Steps

Prevention

Get vaccinated at least 1-2 weeks before you are going to travel. There are two vaccines available in the U.S. Talk to your doctor about which one is right for you.
- Get a booster if it has been several years since you have been inoculated. Know that the existing vaccines against typhoid are not 100 percent effective. Other precautions listed below should also be taken as well.
Drink bottled water (preferably carbonated) or have water boil until there are big bubbles in the pot for at least a minute.
Avoid ice unless you know for sure that it is made from bottled or boiled water. You should also stay away from popsicles and slushie type drinks. They could have been made with contaminated water.
Eat thoroughly cooked foods. If possible, they should still have steam coming off of them.
Avoid uncooked vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled. These foods can be very hard to decontaminate.
- Always peel raw fruits and vegetables yourself. Wash your hands vigorously with soap and bottled water first. Do not eat the peels.
Stay away from food and drinks from street vendors. Conditions are not usually very sanitary on the street.
Wash your hands frequently with bottled water or a hand sanitizer if clean water isn't available, especially before and after meals.

Symptoms of Typhoid

Be aware of the symptoms of typhoid fever. Prevention is the best defense, but sometimes you can get sick despite your best efforts to avert it.
- The most common symptoms of typhoid fever are a sustained high fever between 102∞ to 104∞F (38∞ to 40∞C), fatigue, stomach pain, and lack of appetite. Sometimes a pink-colored rash can appear.
Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect typhoid fever. If you are overseas, call the U.S. consulate to find recommended doctors in the area.

The Body Diaries: While You're Exercising, Do You Constantly Wonder If You're Losing Weight?

To contact us Click HERE

I hate to say it, but I do. I'm trying to get to a place where I work out just for the sake of working out, but I can't help it: As soon as I hit the treadmill or start breaking a sweat in my cardio classes at the gym, I start to think I wonder how many calories I'm burning... or If I go one more mile, that ice cream I had last night doesn't count. The only time I am not thinking about my thighs during a workout is at yoga--and I've heard that it can have a real positive impact on women with eating disorders for this exact reason.

Last night, I'd gone for a late jog outside and mapped out my route before I left my apartment. But then, typically, that body image gremlin started to rear its ugly head--so I totally switched directions and ran to the...

...GYM, to weigh myself (since I threw away my own scale many months ago when I caught myself getting on it multiple times a day--scary!).

Can anyone relate? And have any of you found a way to really keep your head "clean" about exercise? I'm spending the weekend at the beach with a few girlfriends, and already I'm thinking about how I'm going to squeeze in a workout or two--maybe a surf lesson?--because I'll be eating out at every meal (which terrifies me!).

27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe

6 Year-Old Tears

To contact us Click HERE
Kate came home from School today in tears.She threw open the door, walked into the house and chucked her backpack across the room.

The first words out of her mouth were,
"It's all your fault!"
I couldn't get any more information out of her for about 5 minutes. Kate gets really quiet when she is angry. She boils for what seems like hours until the tears seem to pop out of her face.

The tears break my heart.And then I get frustrated and mad.
"Kate, I can't help you if you don't tell me what is wrong."

I finally decide to give her space and I leave the room.
5 minutes later I check on her.
I can't find her.
I look everywhere.
When I go to her room I find her under her covers crying.

Words don't really work with Kate. You have to give her space and time. She is stubborn but also sensitive. She has a hard time communicating her emotions.
I slip into her bed behind her and wrap my arms around her. It is all I can do to just keep my mouth shut. A few minutes pass and she turns into my hug. The tears are still coming.
"Kate, what happened?"
"They all made fun of me." She continued to tell me that some of the kids teased her about her leg-warmers. The kids were suppose to dress silly today, for Dr. Seuss. When I dropped her off at school there were plenty of other boys and girls dressed in mix-matching, funny clothes too. I didn't think that we had gone too extreme and I sort of thought that she was adorable.
I probably messed up the next part by telling her that the other kids were probably jealous of her, or hadn't seen leg-warmers before. I told her that the boys that teased her probably thought that she was cute, and the girls probably thought that she was pretty. I told her that there are lots of ways that kids tease other kids and the reason is never what you would think.
I then told her that there will be people that come into her life that won't like her.They won't like who she is, what she looks like, what she does, or what she stands for.I told her that there will be nothing that she can do to change the way that these people may view her and that she shouldn't waste her sweet tears caring what they think about her. I told her to figure out who she wants to be and to be it.
And then I gave her an extra tight hug, looked into her eyes and told her that her family will always love her. I told her that we will always love who she is, what she looks like, what she does and what she stands for. We will be right here. I told her that her Heavenly Father also loves her more than she could possibly imagine. I told her that she is safe here at home, and that she can tell me anything that troubles her and I will try my best to help her. I told her that her true friends will always have her back, they will always love her and they will always be kind.

Kate, the world won't always love you. But I will.

What do you feed your kids?

To contact us Click HERE

What are the main foods that you feed your kids?
I feel uninspired in the kitchen.My kids are so picky and so boring.
CerealCrackersString CheeseMarsh mellowsYogurtPeanut ButterCheeseTortilla'sApplesauceJunk Food
Seriously it get's hard working with such a small list.
The older kids are getting better about food, but Sawyer is killing me.
That list is about all he will eat.
What do your kids love.Help me out!

April 2012 General Conference idea's for Packet's and Activities

To contact us Click HERE
***Make sure to become a follower of this blog so that you can check back for Deseret Book Giveaway's, Visiting Teaching Handouts, and Free LDS Artwork!

I love using Pinterest for more than just coveting all the beautiful things that everyone else has. Look at all of these great General Conference idea's that I came across during my General Conference search.

I hope that these great idea's will help you get prepared for General Conference next week.

I can hardly wait!

Source: brandyscrafts.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: tipsfromatypicalmom.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Source: angbrimwil.blogspot.com via Pam on Pinterest

Source: sugardoodle.info via Brittany on Pinterest

Source: jmsmusings.blogspot.com via Janitsy on Pinterest

Source: blogmyheartandhome.wordpress.com via Thia on Pinterest

Source: fluffybunnyfeetdesigns.blogspot.com via Dacia on Pinterest

Source: cookienut.blogspot.com via Kari on Pinterest

Source: latter-dayhomeschooling.com via Marcina on Pinterest

Source: marcicoombs.blogspot.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

Source: visitingteaching.net via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: beehivemessages.blogspot.com via Jasmine on Pinterest

Source: ayearoffhe.blogspot.com via Shelly on Pinterest

Source: alittletipsy.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: classicalchristiancuddles.blogspot.com via JoAnn on Pinterest

Source: beinglds.blogspot.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Source: beinglds.blogspot.com via Dani on Pinterest

Happy Father's Day To You!

To contact us Click HERE
Happy Father's Day to all you dad's out there. There are a few super special dad's that we like to celebrate at our house. I took turns asking the kids questions about their dad and their grandpa's and we have a few video's to share with you.

(Please note that my voice is super, I mean super annoying and I apologize. Hey, I'm the one stuck with it. Turn your speakers down PRONTO!*warning... screeching tones and patronizing voice may leave you slightly nauseous.)

Happy Father's Day Scott!!!
Happy Father's Day Papa Robert!!!
Happy Father's Day Grandpa Blake!!!
We sure love you awesome Men
and we are so blessed
to have you for our own.

Happy, Happy Father's Day.

Pioneer Day & What I'm Reading!

20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe

April 2012 General Conference Activities and Packets

To contact us Click HERE
***Make sure to become a follower of this blog so that you can check back for Deseret Book Giveaway's, Visiting Teaching Handouts, and Free LDS Artwork!
Alright World, it is getting close to the next session of General Conference. I love this time of year. I am starting to think of ideas for entertaining my kids. Conference is always more enjoyable when you are prepared and your kids have activities to keep them occupied. If you don't know what General Conference is, you can read more about it {here}.
There are ton's of free printable's on the web for activities.
*Here is a new Word Search that I created for age 7 and up.
Download Free Word Search Printable {here}Down Free Solution Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

*Here is a new Cross Word Puzzle I created for age 10 and up.
Download Free Cross Word Puzzle Printable {here}Download Solution Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

*Here is a new Word Search that I created for age 4-6.
Download Free Word Search Printable {here}Down Free Solution Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

*Free Printable {here}

Stay tuned for more activities coming soon.
Also, here is the link to last year's many fun printable's...
Go {here}

Pinteresting To Me...

To contact us Click HERE

Source: lilaccitymomma.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Traci on Pinterest

Source: sunset.com via Kathy on Pinterest

Source: sea-glass.tumblr.com via Cici on Pinterest

Source: itsybitsyfoodies.com via Stacy of on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Jane on Pinterest

Source: wordsoverpixels.com via Dani on Pinterest

Source: facebook.com via Cici on Pinterest

This last photo speaks to me in WAVES. If I get it my way, I'll be wearing toe-shoes in heaven. (And I"ll be able to dance like Jessica Harston Thompson!)