Projects

Well, my hope this week was to post a tutorial for you, but I am only half way done with the project, and the part I am done with would be okay to post all by itself, but kind of boring. I am planning on doing it in two separate posts anyways, but I would like to post the finished project with the first part. If that makes any sense. So how odd it is that this week is "Behind the Scenes."

So here you have it, behind the scenes at my house. Another unfinished, but hopeful project. It seems that I am good at that. Well actually the fact that I started it is good for me so it should be easy to finish. Behind the scenes I am not good at starting projects. I like to find the ones I like, and collect fabric, paper, or whatever other medium is required for the project. I just have a hard time actually cutting into it and starting! I just need to get that courage. That and when I start a project i have to finish it, but recently i seem to have lost that drive. Hopefully it will come back soon!

So that is behind the scenes here. It is not to say that it has been a lazy week, just busy. From "Pi" day on Monday, to the fact that leprechauns caused some serious havoc through my house. It has been a very busy and a very fun week. Oh and there was even sunshine today, and when there is sunshine here in Washington, the projects can wait!

What unfinished projects are staring you down at the moment?



PS Here is another thing I have been doing this week. I am in charge of Sharing Time this week in church. (I teach the little children at church.) The topic this week is "We are led by a living prophet today." I have been studying about President Monson, the president of the church. In the June 2008 Ensign there is a pull out section all about him. (I wish I could find the link online!) The other day I decided to read the first presidency message. It was President Eyring, "Safety in Counsel." It got me really excited for general conference coming up, and goes along great with the primary theme this month. I highly recommend it. It has definitely been helping me "behind the scenes" with primary.

The Eleventh Hour

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Let me ask you a question. Have you ever had this experience, whether with a party you've hosted, birthday presents you've given, or even Christmas gifts you've created or purchased for loved ones? OK here it is...you've felt relatively uninspired, but the occasion is approaching, and you have to do/give something, so you get or make something that will be appreciated and accepted with gratitude.

Then, it hits you...it's the day before the baby shower, or Christmas Eve or whatever and inspiration strikes! You've come up with THE perfect idea or gift that you must give that person, and all other ideas or preparations you've already made for the previous gifts are out the window.

No? Well, it's a regular occurence for me. Maybe it's the inner dialogue in the recesses of my brain that tell me I thrive and come up with the best ideas under pressure. Like the year in college I took basketweaving (pause here for laughter) and I decided in November that I would make a handwoven basket for everyone in my family. Crazy? Yes. Feasible? Probably. Genius? YES!

Or like this past weekend when I was making preparations for my daughter's 2nd birthday. I purchased a fun book and some summer clothes, and I felt a little badly that I hadn't made anything for her. Not that she would even know or care, but I do like to include a little "handmade from mommy" gift for the kids.

So Saturday night at 9:00 I started cutting into my rainbow stack of felt. And cutting. And cutting. Oh, this is going to be good. No patterns...just winging it. She's going to love it! I finished up around 12:30 Sunday night (Monday morning), and I did what I set out to do.

During the party and present-opening pandemonium, she hardly got a chance to look at everything, let alone appreciate the gifts so thoughtfully given by her friends and family. She doesn't know that I stayed up late making her gift, or that any number of her friends may have been scrambling at the last minute to get/make/wrap their gift to her.

My long, drawn-out point is, the gift recipient shouldn't know what goes on behind the scenes. The party attendees shouldn't know how you, the host, were inconvenienced by the appetizers that didn't work out or the hours it took to clean the house before they arrived. They should enjoy the fruits of your labor, and you'll enjoy the satisfaction that you've given them a gift or experience they'll cherish, just like I did today:

An Introverted Mama in an Extroverted World

Oh, I am definitely a behind-the-scenes girl. I'd much rather be making props or cue-ing lights than wowing the audiences front-and-center. While I am not shy, I am a classic introvert who needs time alone and prefers the periphery of social situations.

I recently learned that introverts make up only 25-30% of the population. So what's an introverted girl to do in an extroverted world? Especially when her children, like mine, are clearly extroverts? As with all things, I'm finding that honesty is the best policy.

If I'm honest with myself and with my family, I really do need that time I set aside for quiet projects by myself. Nap/quiet time in the mid-afternoon is not just for my children, it's for me too. And if I'm going to be a good mom the rest of the day, it's not a luxury, it's a necessity. In order to be really present for them, I need to be able to say to my children, "Just a minute, Mama's thinking."

And the way I see it, it's good for them too. They will hopefully learn patience, I like to think they'll be able to see the value in just being still, and when these little extroverts are front-and-center in whatever they do in life, they'll be blessed with a mama who's content to just stand back and let them shine.

His Hands

image by Cortney

There are times in our lives when bad things happen to people we care deeply about and most of those times we feel helplessly pinned against a wall trying desperately to think of something to say or do to make it seem all better. There are specific situations we encounter when that is just simply impossible.  However, I do believe that each of these moments have a lesson to be learned and a strength to be achieved by both the hurt and the ones who feel compassion towards those that hurt. 

Over the past few days I have witnessed that these experiences teach us how to love more deeply and to see those who are most effected through the eyes of a divine being, even if only for a brief moment.  Because of this gift to feel and to love, we are sometimes given the privilege to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.  So it has been and so it will continue to be for many of those who care about a very special family.

Cortney mentioned in a previous post just last week that our sweet friend had suffered a loss of an unborn child.  This was one of those moments when we all felt like we needed to do something but had no idea how to proceed...at first. 

The night it happened many showed up at their door, while they were heading to the hospital, to clean her home top to bottom.  Her freezer was then stocked with meals the next day and flowers began to load her counter top.  I, along with everyone I had spoken to, kept having that feeling of wishing we could do more...that we could somehow collectively show our love for this family in a way that was more then food and house cleaning.  Something that would last longer than just a few short weeks.  A plan began to form and with many many other women we began to do what we could to pull together a handmade quilt for them with the hopes of having it act as a cozy comforting reminder of this little baby and his place in their cute family.

It only took one email to gather a very large group of her friends together to begin our little project.  Sunday evening came and we all got to work. 

Only four hours later we had formed the top of the quilt.  I only wish that I had taken more pictures.  There were so many more there who had helped cut, sew and iron.  It really was a neat experience to have my home bursting at the seams with women filled with charity and a desire to serve those who really needed it. 

The next morning I took each piece to our cute Jen, who also writes for this blog, and I got to watch her create magic as she turned our previous night's work into a more beautifully quilted gift. 

The only things left to do where the binding and a tag. One more email went out...

On Tuesday morning, after many phone calls of people wanting to help, we sat around my dining room table sewing on the binding just like many other women had done in the past with other quilts that had been given as a gift to those who needed some extra warmth or strength.  I began to think about the significance of a quilt and it's meaningful symbolism of love and service.  It's neat to think about each hand that had touched it's fabrics and worked on it's beauty.  These are the women I get to associate with on a daily basis.  They were all there because they loved somebody very much.  Every stitch and each pressing was done to try and help lift a friend.  I'll never forget how I felt while working alongside some of my best friends united in one purpose.

Lastly, the tag was added with his name, the meaning of his name and a sweet reassuring scripture that reads:  

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. (D&C 84:88)

With this quilt we gave her a card that had been signed by everyone who helped and who wanted to show their love for them and Cortney, wrote a very tender insert that explained our reason for making them this gift. 

image by Cortney

Watching what goes on behind the scenes of a tragic event is humbling and amazing.  I saw only a little portion of what went into caring for this dear family and I could easily see our Heavenly Father's hand in all of it.  He loves us.  He knows us and He uses our hands as His when He wants to comfort those that stand in need of His comfort. I will always remember this experience and the heart felt lessons I learned along the way.  Today I stand stronger with many others who have learned a little bit better how to love more like He loves. 

 

Healthy Cooking...not just because I should

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Head on over to Steady Mom to see my latest post on healthy cooking and the joy it brings to a creative soul. :)

Have a great Monday!

Love has no limits

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Life has limits. We are limited to twenty four hours in each day. And, unfortunately there is a limit on how far you can stretch a dollar. My two daughters think there should be no limit to the volume of their favorite music when it's time to dance--thankfully for me, there is.

Sometimes limits can be stifling. Sometimes they are humbling. Sometimes limits can direct us to a new path. But sometimes lives are lost to limits and complexities that we may not understand.

image found here

Today, all of us here at Praiseworthy are thinking of our dear friend and her family who are faced with the loss of an unborn child. While that pure and sweet life has reached an untimely end, there is no limit to the love that is swelling in our hearts for him. There is no limit to the love that will blossom from the deep soil of mourning. There is no limit to the love that will forever find place in a quiet corner of our hearts for a sweet little boy who reminds us that life is precious.

Yes, life has limits. But love does not. And so, this little boy, though we will not meet him now, will forever be remembered with love.

image found here

"And in the mornin', I'm makin Waffles!"

There is something about eating pancakes or waffles for dinner. We fairly, if ever, eat them for breakfast. That typically only happens when we are visiting family. (My husbands family has a waffle tradition.)

So what is there no limits about pancakes and waffles you ask. The syrup and sauces, that is what!

Here are some of my favorite Syrup and sauce recipes.

Blueberry Sauce

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.
2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

Serve with whipped cream if you want. (They are yummy either way!)
This sauce is also good on ice cream, cheese cake, in smoothies, etc.

I-Hop Cinnamon Roll Pancake Sauce (Thanks Angela!)

Melt ¼ cup butter

Add:
¾ cup brown sugar
2 T half and half or milk
1 T ground cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
Microwave until bubbly (1-1 ½ min)

Add:
1 T half and half or milk
1 T flour
Whisk until well blended

Easy as that!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 C Sugar

2 Tbs light Karo Syrup

3/4 C buttermilk

1 Stick of Butter

2 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking Soda

Combine first 4 ingredients in a pan twice the size you think you will need, and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and then the baking soda.

It will foam up quite a bit (hence the larger pan.) Serve immediately.

It will store in the fridge for a few days, although it will not be as foamy, but it is still yummy!

Put these last two together, and you have my very favorite! They will always be my favorites and always had been. In fact for a side note, when I was in 1st or 2nd grade, I broke my collarbone. I was sent home from school and the doctor at the Dr's office did not even ex-ray me and sent me home with an adult sling and said I would be fine. Well I went home and laid in bed the rest of the day. My mom made my favorite dinner of waffles with strawberries and whipped cream (although it was cool whip growing up) and I did not come down to eat it. That was when she really knew something was wrong. She took me to the ER, and sure enough it was broken. Nd I have a tiny Teddy bear sling to show for it. So there is my randomness, and onto the recipes.

Growing up, like I said before, it was cool whip, and strawberries mixed with a ton, and I mean ton of sugar. Lucky for you, my tastes has refined a little bit and these recipes are yummy!

Whipped Cream

1 C Chilled Heavy Cream

1 T Sugar

1 t Vanilla

Before I make cream I put my kitchen aid bowl and whisk in the freezer. About 20 min to an hour before I make it.

Add ingredients to mixer and let it go till it is as firm as you like it.

I am still perfecting the thickness of the cream to my liking. Jenni always makes the best cream, mine is a little runny, but like I said, I grew up on cool whip, so this is new to me still.

Strawberries

8 cups (about 2 1/2 lbs) Strawberries

6 T Sugar

Wash and top your strawberries if they are fresh. We don't want any green of course. ;)

In a large bowl place 3 cups of strawberries. Crush with a potato masher.

Slice the remaining 5 cups of strawberries and add to the bowl of mashed ones. Add the sugar too.

Stir and let it sit to macerate foe 30 min-2 hrs.

By mashing some of the strawberries up and letting them sit, it makes it a little more saucy, and they don't run off the waffles or pancakes. It is so yummy!

Well I hope you go eat waffles or pancakes for dinner tonight, or breakfast. And remember, it is a no limit food! Try some sauces today!

Do you have any favorite toppings? Please Share!

No rules, no limits

Before I was married, a friend and I had a little tradition of either having a party or going to a party on New Year's Eve, sleeping in on New Year's Day, and then spending the day at her parents' house. Big deal, right? Well, this was not just a celebration of a new year but a day of no rules and no limits. And no judgement if you wanted to eat ice cream for breakfast, cake for lunch, brownies for dinner and m&m's for snacks. Then we'd watch Alias marathons or as many Rocky movies we could fit in one day.

So why just dedicate just one day to "no rules"? I'm not advocating this kind of behavior on any kind of regularity or frequency. I mean, we have kids and homes and jobs to attend to, right? All I'm saying is that we all need (and deserve!) a little flexibility and allowance in our routines from time to time. A day, or even part of a day, where we ignore our food journal, look past the sticky spots on the kitchen floor and just relax, allow ourselves a little freedom from limits, rules and judgement.

How about it? Consider it a reward for a day's job well done. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch the rest of season one of Glee with a special treat, and the ironing can wait.

eXtreme Pantry Staples: No Limits!

Oh, it seems there are no limits to the uses for humble vinegar and simple baking soda in my home.

From cleaning my floors to washing my hair; and from making laundry powder to ....

SCIENCE!

Baking soda is also my go-to for scrubbing the sink and bathtubs, and for blotting up messes made on the carpet by my son-in-potty-training. It seems there's not a problem under the sun that I haven't tried to solve with baking soda and/or vinegar.

What's your favorite way to use vinegar and baking soda?

No Limits

“We know that there are some limits on what you can do, but we know also that there need be no limits on enthusiasm, planning, thoughtful consideration, and effort.” 

 -President Gordon B. Hinkley

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Several months ago, a church leader gave me and another woman in my area an assignment.  To say the least, this assignment would be hard, it would take up a lot of time and was way out of my comfort zone.  It would challenge me in every way and in every area of my life.  It would take months to prepare for and would become a huge part of every day.  I said yes knowing that there might be a reason why I was called.  Who knew it would be because I needed to know that my Heavenly Father really loved me. 

In the beginning I was afraid and because I was fearful I became discouraged and then I became upset. I was mostly angry with myself for saying yes to something that I could  fail at and I didn't want to deal with others being dissapointed in me.  I became stressed and irritated with everyone.  I was letting my own idea of what I was capable of get in the way of what my Heavenly Father knew I was capable of. 

After a lot of turmoil and self doubt I knelt to pray.  I told Him all of my fears and all of my reasons for wanting to duck out of this job.  I honestly was hoping I would get some form of okay on how to go to this leader and tell her I wouldn't be able to do this.  Surprise!!!  I didn't get that inspiration.  Instead I was overcome with feelings of His personal love for me, I felt hope in what I could do and an immediate 10 minutes of flooded materials and ideas on how to make this program work.  I didn't get it all handed to me that night but I knew, after I had submitted to His will, that things would be okay and that He would be by side every step of the way.

This other sweet woman and I went from being discouraged and stressed out to motivated and excited to see what would come of this.  We planned a lot and we worked hard and with the Lord's help we completed this  assignment and bettered our lives and the lives of those who got to see it.  It's difficult nature proved to be just that, but instead of giving up or taking the easy way out we grew and we rose to the challenge.  We realised that with our Heavenly Father's help we had no limits.  He was with us, guiding us and teaching us what He would have us do.

I love looking back on that day that it was presented.  It will forever be one of my favorite me moments.  You know...those special moments when you realise a little bit more about your own Divine Nature and your purpose for being on this earth.  It makes me excited to go throughout the rest of my life.  Only the Lord knows our spiritual capacity and He will give us opportunities like these to help fill us.   Even the hardest things can be accomplished if we are willing to go about them the right way.  I know that through Him is always going to be the right way!!!

22% Tuesday

Tuesday is often just another day "to-do" housework and finish up the cleaning I didn't do the day before. While I was thinking about this--Tuesday, my typical, unappreciated Tuesday--I found something that made me smile:


“I always give 100% at work:

13% Monday
22% Tuesday
26% Wednesday
35% Thursday
4% Friday”


This is so true! There are certain days that are just more productive than others, aren't there? Sometimes I wish I could be more consistent between days, but in reality, balance doesn't have to mean equal parts all the time, right? As long as at the end of the week it all adds up and you've managed to do something resembling progress. It's good to have 22% Tuesdays, and 4% Fridays, and a few variations along the way are a healthy part of the balancing act.


So now you have 20% left for the weekend (if I did the math right), use it well!

Grocery Day

Tuesdays are typically my grocery shopping days. If you have been following the blog for a while you probably have noticed that I am pretty frugal. I cut coupons, take advantage of free days and activities, shop sales, etc.

So why do I shop on Tuesdays you ask?

Tuesdays are the last day to use last weeks adds. Sometimes if I know that something is going to sale out or a coupon will expire, I will go earlier, but Tuesdays are the best days for the deals.

I also receive my Red Plum Mailer on Tuesday. It is the one with next weeks grocery ads. Then I can compare prices and see if there is a better sale.

I also like shopping on Tuesdays because I can wait and see what the new coupons will look like on Sunday as well.

So that is typically why I do the grocery shopping on Tuesdays. Then I also know I am not shopping multiple days in a week for groceries. I try to hit them all at once. (Aside from Fred Meyer, their ads run till Saturdays.)

When do you do your grocery shopping trips. Any tips?

Tuesday, aka Doozee-Day

Tuesdays are usually the days I don't have a lot going on, and the kids and I can pick and choose what we want to do, either at home or out and about. The past two Tuesdays, however, have been real doozees, so I've decided to rename Tuesday Doozee-Day. Has kind of the same ring to it, don't you think?

Last Tuesday, as I rocked my sick, ear-infected daughter back to sleep, I squinted through my blurry eyes at the clock that read 3:36 am. What's worse than being sick myself is for either of my children to feel horrible and, in this case, too young to tell me what's wrong or where it hurts.

Fast forward to yesterday, the beginning of my 28-hour "adventure" (as my son called it), trying to get from my sister's house to mine, a trip that usually takes 4 1/2 hours (5 tops). Think the shortest distance between to points is a straight line? In this case, that straight line crossed over a snowy, icy mountain pass that fluctuated between treacherous and undriveable (if that's even a word). The three of us spent the night in a small town on the back side of the mountain to wait what the weather looked like today. Uh-oh. More of the same...and worse. We decided to backtrack 20 miles, drive south to Oregon, over to Portland and back up to home sweet home. All in all, we spent 17 hours on the road and 11 in the hotel. One for the *family* history books for sure.

During both of these experiences, a quote was replaying in my head after I heard it in a talk at church about stewardship.

"Some may believe that they create their children, that they shape them out of unformed clay. Others may believe that they own their children. We, however, understand...our children are not ours. They belong to their Father in Heaven and to themselves. Our noble brothers and sisters, matured adults who agreed to become helpless babes entrusted to our care, have a right to expect us to treat them well."

I feel blessed to have my children's care entrusted to me. I have felt the weight of and reward for this responsibility especially over the last couple of weeks. I'm ever thankful for it.

Four-On-The-Floor Tuesdays

... your floors!

Tuesday is my floor cleaning day. Oh, I do love a clean floor, don't you? Every place I've lived in since I first got married has had hardwood floors ... and there's definitely a reason - I love them! I remember being a bit nervous about them at first, due to a notion of unknown origin that they're hard to take care of. Living, as I do now, in a house with both hardwood and carpets, I gotta say, in terms of ease of care my vote definitely goes with the wood.

For a long time, to keep them looking lovely, I used a commercial cleaner. And then I read in a magazine that so-and-so's housekeeper kept her wood floors gleaming by using a simple solution of warm water and vinegar. "Hey!" I thought, "That's pretty much what I use on my windows!" (I add a little dash of rubbing alcohol to the mix, to help it dry faster.) So I've been using my homemade window cleaner on the hardwoods and I haven't looked back. I love that it's safe for our home environment (as well as the global one), it does a great job, and it's gentle on the floor's finish. Saving a few extra pennies on cleaning supplies doesn't hurt either, of course!

Now if only I could find a solution for the not-so-white-anymore carpet in the rest of the house. (Seriously, if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!)

Progress...FINALLY!!!

You want to know what I'm going to do tomorrow...on just a boring old TUESDAY?  I am going to do what I did today only without my kids distracting me (thanks to a sweet friend) and with my husband upstairs working from home instead of across the country.  I am going to quilt, go out to lunch with my cute Mark and then I'll probably come home and quilt some more.

It's been a long time since I started this quilt for Sadie and because of a busy busy year and a whole lot of "stuff" jammed into my schedule I have had to look at it, sitting in it's special box, for way to long.  Things have dies down finally and I pulled it out today for fun and actually surprised myself.  It didn't take me very long to make some good progress on it and I was still in love with the project.  After nap time I have 40 squares completed and only about 75 more to go.  I love how happy it looks sitting on my floor and I can't wait to see it in her new room or her cute white bed. 

So after coming back to reality I've realised that I'll actually have to teach 4 lessons later in the afternoon and I'll probably get up to go to the gym and make food and do other momish duties but a whole Tuesday morning all to myself plus a nap time in the afternoon!!!  I can hardly wait! 

Maybe by Wednesday this top will be finished!  I'll keep you posted!

What are you going to do to make your mundane Tuesday more special?

The Real Reason I Love to Cook...

The real reason I love to cook...

...because cooking is part of the creative process, a process that has become such a vital part of who I am. Whether it is writing, sewing, or cooking, I find such joy in creating.

I will never forget the day I heard President Dieter F. Uchtdorf say:

“Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty,”

That statement was planted in me as a tiny seed of inspirational truth. Since then it has sprouted and grown into a life-tested stronghold of personal testimony. 

It's true! There is something very satisfying about starting out with simple and wholesome ingredients, combining them together, and creating something that smells good, looks good, tastes good, and fills my body with goodness! And it gets even better when I can share that goodness with the people I love. Then I am not only creating a meal, but I am creating a relationship through time and service, thought and care.

It's not always easy, and at 4:00 pm when I don't know what to make for dinner, I don't always love it! But in one small way, cooking brings me closer to my Heavenly Father...

"...He is a God of creation and compassion. Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate." (agian, from President Uchtdorf)

Right now, in this season of my life, it's cooking. At times it is sewing, occasionally it is writing or taking a beautiful photograph. But regardless of the form it takes, the creative process elevates me--it enables me, it teaches me, it fills me with light and knowledge, and it allows me to see my full potential. 

I love to cook--cooking is creating!

What do you love to create?