Food Storage Friday: Inventory

No mine never got beyond the hand written paper on a clip board stage- and then it was ripped into several pieces by my lovelies for no apparent reason. So if you want to be simple and do it that way, laminate your pages and use a dry erase marker to keep track of what you have! Since I've been such a slacker I went and found some websites with systems for you to borrow:
Prepared LDS Family has inventory pages that you print and put into a binder system- may I suggest putting the pages in sheet protectors if you have destructive munchkins. (like me) The whole site is filled with excellent information on gathering and rotating a 3-12 month food supply. I think this would be especially good if you have food stashed around your house, the binder would be a great central location to list what you have and where so you aren't running around looking in closets and under beds for things.
Track My Food Storage.com actually allows you to set up an account and manage your food storage online, could be helpful!
One of my neighbors has a good system, they have a large poster hanging on the back of their pantry door with little library card style pockets all over it labeled with the necessities (flour, sugar, beans, wheat, rice etc) and then small cards representing how many cans they have tucked into each one- so 20 cards in the sugar pocket for 20 cans of sugar, etc and when they pull out a new can, they also pull a card and put it into a large pocket at the top, so they can easily see what they need to replace- very smart idea, I think I could do that for my cannery type items.
Another idea is using index cards in a box to keep track, for more on that idea click HERE.
Once you know what you have, it shouldn't be too hard to type it up and put it into some kind of a spread sheet that you can print and update by hand, or just save it on your computer and update weekly or something, either way, it's a smart thing to do to avoid wasting food or running out of important ingredients!
A great article to help you if you're just starting to gather your food storage can be found HERE.
And if you need something to scare you a little, check out this website- the US Debt Clock. Those numbers are climbing by the minute with no end in sight.

Sin City without the sinning?

So does anyone have any recommendations for something fun to do in Vegas? Sam and I get to take a quick trip there and I'm looking forward to a couple nights away from [my little angels] but I'm not exactly sure what we should do! I plan on walking the strip at night, eating out and seeing Harry Potter without having to pay a babysitter, (thanks mom!!!) and dragging Sam to do a bit of shopping, but reading the Trip Advisor reviews I'm wondering what else there is to do besides drinking and gambling...

Scrapbooking

A few weeks ago the girls requested to look at their "scrapbooks" and it was so fun to see how happy they were going through them, even the really cheesy pages. They didn't care that my pages don't look like the ones in the scrapbook magazines. I felt pretty bad when Miss E discovered that she only had a few pages done in her album while her sisters had at least one full book so I've been trying to get some scrapbooking done for her and it's FUN. Even though I don't love every page, I love the pictures and especially the little girl who is THRILLED to see each new page I make for her.
Flourish rub on, bling and border sticker are Glitz.I'm in love with those flower cardstock stickers from Basic Grey.The paper, journaling sticker and bling are Glitz, the star tag is from a pack of gift tags from Pier One.I kind of copied this idea from a page on the Glitz blog, the felt flowers and heart ar American Crafts and the papers, journaling sticker and sparrow sticker are Glitz.The left page is from a page kit, and the other one is just some more Glitz papers and cardstock stickers.

You can see by these baby pictures that I have a lot to do now that she's almost 4 but I'm looking forward to it!

Grocery Savings

I've been slacking in the coupon shopping department lately- it's hard to go to the store with the kids out of school and a pregnant woman with 4 kids is a spectacle as it is, let alone when one or more is making noise or running around! I stumbled upon a website that has me re-motivated to start saving and getting the deals, click HERE to see all the free stuff she has gotten lately! She found her deals thanks to some great sites like these: Deal Seeking Mom, and Coupon Clippin' Mama. They both link to a lot of coupons you can print online if you don't get the paper. I finally got my coupon file organized (since SOMEONE dumped it out in my car) and printed some new ones so I'm ready to go!

Recycled T-Shirt ideas

Generally I think if you aren't wearing a t-shirt, pass it on to someone who needs it via DI or Goodwill or something, but sometimes you just love a shirt for sentimental reasons, or maybe it has a really cute design on it, or it's ripped or stained and not really wearable. In those cases, you need a good project! This book caught my attention:I think craft books are great gifts to give and get, but there are so many free ideas out there I can't bring myself to buy one for me, so I've been doing some online searches and found these great ideas:

Make a quilt or a pillow- sew pieces together like these:

Stretch them onto an embroidery hoop or picture frame for instant wall art. (via Betz White)

I love this idea from Craft Gossip, turn the sleeve into a baby hat:

You could make a bag:You could also make drawstring style bags, I saw some little ones made with sleeves, or turn your old shirt into a nightgown or swim cover up for your girls!

I'm dying over these little gauchos that popped up on my google reader this morning made from recycled t-shirts:

And finally, if you're really talented and ambitious, you can cut up a shirt and crochet it into a little creature:

Now go- make something! And tell me if you do, I want to see it!

A big day

Our oldest (Miss B) was baptized Saturday. She looked so beautiful, and requested her dad wear a suit so he looked extra nice too! To anyone who may not know, we baptize children in our church when they turn eight years old. (to learn more, click HERE.) Miss B was so excited, it's something she's learned about and looked forward to since she was very little and she was just beaming when she came out of the water. We are so thankful for friends and family who were there for her, it meant a lot to all of us!

I think I'm so funny sometimes

Eleven

That's how many grandkids my parents have right now, the newborn didn't make this picture, I can't imagine why his parents wouldn't want sandy kids holding him for it! But also, today is me and Sam's 11 year anniversary! And since I already did a mushy post the other day (as mushy as I get here anyways) you get to see this fun picture from our beach trip! Happy 11th to my Sam- it's been fast, I can't wait to see what the next 11 years bring us! (another baby, teenagers, old age, riches (ha!) etc...)

Real Men

I might swoon over guys like this:

who can fight their overwhelming urge to kill the girl he loves so he can be with her, (huh?)

or guys like this one:

who can get a girl with a line as simple as "I can't find the um, stationary, want to help me look?" (um, yes!)

but really, at the end of the day, the real guy who steals my heart is this one,

the one who plays with our kids, who will stay up all night to fix my dishwasher, and the guy who will work outside in 110 degree heat to fix our lawn mower. (or that little guy with the big bum next to him) XOXO

We've been busy- my update

It's been a busy summer around here lately:

~Miss B turned 8 and celebrated with her girls

~and I think we're officially entering that pre-teen sassy stage

~My dishwasher broke (do you know how many dishes we go through a day?)

~We took a beach vacation to the OC with my family

~We found Crocs for $10 at Big Lots- yeah!

~Mr. C has started throwing huge fits when he gets frustrated, including kicking and pounding the floor.

~The puppies are almost gone- we're down to one! They sure are cute but I can't wait till my kids stop smelling like puppies all the time!

~Baby brother has started kicking around in my (huge) tummy so I don't forget about him.

We have confirmation

Miss E had the best reaction- I told them the baby was a boy and said "yep, we're going to have another little brother!" She said "YEAH! Wait, do we get to keep both of them?" I thought that was great.

I'm not completely useless...

And neither is my blog! I've found some great free downloads to share (via other favorite blogs- keep reading) I am almost done inventorying my food storage, the "system" will be in place THIS week and I will post about it- by Friday for sure! I started with a clip board and some sheets of lined paper and started writing everything down, and counting cans. If you are anxious to start, start doing that, it will take you longer than you expect.

Now for the fun stuff:

These free gift tags from Whisker Graphics are so cute! Click HERE to get your own.

Also found from her website this free funny "To Do" list from Vale Design HERE.

Design Mom always points me in fun directions, and I was thrilled to find this site, Vintage Printables with free, high resolution, vintage images.

She also posted a link to Design Dazzle's "scratch off" Father's Day card- I love that idea! See how to make your own HERE.

And finally, my crafty project for the week, THIS Father's Day envelope card (or some version of it) from Pine is Here.

Stamper?

I confess, when I think about stamps I usually think of little old ladies stampin' up their old lady crafts, especially "rubber stamps" but since all the cute clear stamps started coming out I started getting a little excited about them, and have even picked up a few. Exploring Etsy tonight I found this amazing, talented artist who sells her hand carved stamps- and they are so cute, perfect for making your own stationary, or stamping little recipe cards, invitations or something fun! Check out Corrabelle's shop HERE and look how cute these are!

I had to do it

The one reason I won't be completely miserable if this baby doesn't arrive early is I will get to see this in the theater! THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

As cheesey as Twilight was, I keep wanting to watch it, and it gets better every time. (really, if you only watched it once, you've got to give it another shot!) I am really looking forward to seeing this, and that little peak we get of Jacob makes me glad I kept his tattoo.

Food Storage Friday- randomness: recipes, pandemic update

Sorry for my lack of blogging- I've been in a summer funk, it's too hot to do anything, my sister in law who we have lived next door to for almost 6 years moved away, (like 5 minutes away, but still...) and I just can't seem to get things done enough around here to really sit down and do a thoughtful post! There are a few things that have been bopping around in my brain for a while so I'm just going to get them out here- first of all, a great food storage friendly recipe we tried last week, it is from 5 Dollar Dinners:

Black Bean Soup

she suggests serving it with fresh cooked corn on the cob- it's a good combo

1 cup dried black beans (can substitute 3 cans prepared black beans)

2 cups chicken broth

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp dried garlic)

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies (12oz) or salsa

2 TB lemon juice

1 tsp ground cumin

dollop sour cream

shredded cheese (optional)

1. Soak beans overnight in lukewarm water or for at least 2 hours in HOT water. Drain and rinse. Add to large saucepan and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until beans are tender. Once cooked, strain off liquid and return beans to saucepan. Mash beans with potato masher. (Or skip all that and just mash 3 drained cans.)

2. Add broth, chopped onion and garlic, salsa, lemon juice, cumin. Stir through about cook for about 15-20 minutes. Simmer longer for a thicker soup. Top with dollop of sour cream and/or shredded cheese.

3. Remove husk and threads from corn. Boil 4-5 minutes in large saucepan. Serve hot with butter!

And I haven't tried this yet but it's on the menu this week, Tuna Melts from Taste is Trump. Maybe it was the picture that got me, I've never had the desire to make tuna melts, but all of the sudden, hers sounded really good. Recipe HERE.

Ok, and finally a little pandemic reminder, thank goodness all the hype is over, and hopefully the swine flu fades away and we don't hear much about it again, but the concern is, viruses are always changing, and it's possible that this one, (or any other flu strain going around actually?) could mutate and become something more serious and deadly. It could happen, this fall, or years in the future, or never at all. The best preparations besides a good supply of food etc, would be to make sure you have a steady supply of not expired otc pain relievers, kleenex, hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, and possibly medical masks. If someone in your family somehow contracted a potentially deadly virus, you would certainly want to be prepared to keep them separate from everyone, and still care for them without putting yourself or the rest of your family in danger. So that's my latest thoughts! Sorry for such a long post but it's pretty over due!

**Check back next week, I'm planning on laying out a Food Storage inventory system! Hopefully to be put in place around here this week- cross your fingers for me! I realized we've been using up a lot of our food stash and it's time to start keeping track of what we have and what we need more of.

My newest nephew

My sister Beth and her husband James welcomed their first baby yesterday, sweet little Preston James- don't you just want to bite those cheeks! I can't wait to see him again.

Oh Martha!

I ran to Walmart over the weekend for "a couple" things and found myself over in the crafts department (I don't know how that always happens...) but they had several of the Martha Stewart crafts kits on clearance and I picked up some fun puppet kits for the kids, and this awesome "Honeycomb Birthday Card Kit." I love being able to put cards together without using too much of my brain! I also put together this cute card below-

It was from my card class last month. I especially love the little elephants, they came from a Martha Stewart craft punch- can you tell the little ears stick up? SO cute.

Dreaming of redecorating...

I've been wanting to paint Miss B's room a dark pink- I think these white "swirly poppies" would look so cute on her walls when I do it! Check out these and tons of other beautiful designs from Dali Decals HERE.