A new project.....

Ken has been busy making some new cabinets for our home office.
Currently, the room has one fake-wood book case, an old sewing machine cabinet, two mismatched desks, one old end table, a filing cabinet, a white book case, an old wing back chair, and a sofa couch. (It is our junk room!)
Yes, the room could use a little help!

Phase I: one of two matching cabinets (with a lot of hidden storage). We haven't picked out the hardware yet, and the wall paint will need to be changed, but I am excited. Down the road we have more big plans, including a built in desk and wooden floors. Stay tuned for Phase II.

A LONG day.....

Today was a really LONG day!
My left shoe was coming unglued and flapped every time I walked.
After school I headed off to my four-hour-long- computer class.
I missed NCIS.
By the time class was over the door to my car was almost frozen shut.
I can't park in the garage until the cupboards are finished.
(I LOVE the cupboards, however!)
I still haven't finished my visiting teaching.
The big cardboard box I saw on the front porch wasn't a new 42 inch LCD television,
but a new water heater (the old one died this morning)!

The day held a few bright spots, too.

I did manage to wear matching socks today.
I had a good laugh as I read one student's journal entry:
"We had to get rid of my dad's dad (he died) and we went to Watamala."
(This is probably not quoted exactly word for word since I'm at home,
and I wasn't laughing because someone died, but because of the way it was said.)

So....
Even though it was a very LONG day,
I still have a LOT of blessings.

(Including this cute little girl who keeps me laughing!)

One more reason why I LOVE being an auntie

Kelli (back), Joanna, Audrey, and Liz

I just saw this cute/funny picture on Audrey's facebook page (I have never seen it before).
These great girls are just a few of my terrific nieces
(and I have some awesome nephews, too).
FUN MEMORIES!

(Aren't you all glad that you get to style your own hair now?)

Chasing away the winter blues with a little help from Hobby Lobby

My sister Linda took me to Hobby Lobby the other day. I had only heard about the store,
but had never been there.
It was HUGE!
I found a few bargains (70% off) to help brighten up a dreary month.
The most I paid for any thing was $15.00.

The little basket is filled with "Dollar Tree" lemons.
I have a new favorite store!

It's a mystery......

Recently, we had a fun weekend with our granddaughter Maddie (and her mom and dad).
She is a cute little girl with a lot of energy.
We enjoy every minute of playing time with her.

The other day my husband asked me if I had renamed one of his computer files.
No.
(I have better things to do.)
Looks like a mystery to solve.

I asked him what it was renamed.
He said, "fffgggiiiiiiilllll".




I think we solved the mystery!

Case closed.

(Thanks for the pictures. I "borrowed" them from Liz, who "borrowed" them from Lacey! And Thanks, Andrew, for sending the evidence incriminating Maddie)

Family Prepardness

"Family preparedness has been a long-established welfare principle. It is even more urgent today. I ask you earnestly, have you provided for your family a year's supply of food, clothing, and where possible, fuel? The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."
President Ezra Taft Benson
(Ensign, November 1987)

My sister Linda and I decided that we wanted to include some tips and ideas to help us be better prepared.

Today's tip from Auntie Linda:
(Remember, start with baby steps.)
Plan some simple menus that your family likes.
Make a list of ALL the ingredients that you need.
Watch for sales or buy those items in bulk.

Check out these links:

foodstoragemadeeasy.net

funwithfood storage.net

From organizing pantry to an instant party

Friday was a holiday from school and I used my time to do some much needed
cleaning and organizing.
One of the jobs on my check list was the kitchen pantry.
I found one of those Lehi Roller Mills dessert bags that people sometimes give at Christmas time.
(I know I didn't get it this year.)
What should I do with it?

Saturday evening Andrew, Irene, and Elaine dropped by so Andrew could work on
the almost reinstalled computer.
Ken and I were just finishing up our
Subway-sandwich-I-don't-want-to-cook-and-mess-up-the-clean-kitchen-lunch.
There wasn't much left to share.

They said they were fine. Robbie even brought them hamburgers.
But the mother in me felt a little guilty.

Then I remembered the chocolate dessert bag.
I decided to whip up something sweet.
After I got most of the ingredients in the bowl I wasn't sure if I trusted the mix part.
Midway through I switched recipes and pulled out a fresh cake mix.
Now I was pretty much making up the recipe (Not a good idea).

While we were sitting around waiting we had a discussion similiar to this:

Irene: You're a good hostess, you mixed up two recipes.
Elaine: At least you didn't put meat in the cake (referring to an episode of Friends where someone put Shepherd's pie in the cake.
Ken: I knew a guy who used to put raspberry jam on his steaks!
JoAnn: Well, I put grape jelly and chili sauce on meatballs.
pause....
Do we still have meatballs in the freezer?

The clean kitchen soon became a buffet with chips, salsa, vegies, dips,
and sweet and sour meatballs
and
that called for a game of Double Nines.

We had a party!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs:
1 package meatballs
equal parts of grape jelly and chili sauce (I like old fashioned brand)
Simmer until warm