Sunday's Inspirational Video...you're gonna love this one!

As promised, my favorite religious video by Seth Adam Smith. When I watched it again last week I felt like I probably won't ever be an eminent woman because I'm not writing a novel or opening an orphanage in Africa anytime soon. Last night we attended Stake Conference (like church but better!) and a woman from our neighborhood spoke about how she helped her young children memorize 'The Living Christ'. I was so impressed with her dedication and how valiant she is because of the righteous influence she is having over her children.

This morning as I was pondering the words I heard and felt last night I realized that raising children or indirectly raising (if you are an auntie) is pretty darn important in the eyes of God. Probably the most important thing you will do. So, please don't feel like I did last week......because you are noble and important to your children and the children you influence and the world will thank you (silently of course) for raising people that will make the world a better place.

Melanie

Get Organized- Friday's Fidge Cleanout

 Do any of your refrigerators look like this? Somehow mine gets this way with my family of 6.  Nobody eats leftovers but, my husband hates throwing it out right away.  I think he tells himself he might eat it for lunch the next day.  He never does.

I grew up in a large family.  Our Fridge was always full of food.  I feel like I need mine to be this way to.  Maybe I need a shrink?  Haha!

I love a clean and organized fridge.  It makes me feel so happy! 

Start with the 3 day rule.  If you aren't going to eat the left overs in 3 days pitch it immediately. If you haven't consumed them within 3 days throw it out.  I watched this "Horder's" episode last week where a single lady had 2 refrigerators.  She had yogurt in her freezer dated back to 2008 and her fridge had yogurt 1 year old.  Obviously there was a lot of other very outdated and smelly stuff.  We would never want it to get this bad so clean it out at least biweekly.

I love to wipe down the inside of my fridge with a solution of hot water and Mr Clean after I have removed everything from the shelves.

Voila!

Happy Organizing!

XO,  Tami

Chore system

We run a tight ship around here...can't you tell by this picture of my 15 month old?  He's gotta get his chores done before his friends come over.  Bahaha!!!  He is obsessed with cleaning, taking his diaper to the outside trash and anytime he hears a vacuum he comes running and grabs it until you surrender!  It's pretty stinkin' cute.  We'd like to think he's going to be super responsible when he's older because he is right now!

We have a chore chart with the basics, clean room, make bed, get dressed, brush teeth, read a book, 5 fruits and veggies, 30 minutes physical activity, 2 hrs or less of T.V and/or the iPad etc.  Things they have to do daily to pull their weight around here.  And they love checking these chores off on their charts.  After they have done these things, they can do "money chores".

I got the idea from two awesome parenting books!  'The Entitlement Trap' and 'The Parenting Breakthrough'.  My kids want things and I want to give them things but I don't want them to feel entitled or feel like we as parents owe them.  And are you sick and tired of your kids not taking care of the things you buy them?  What parent isn't?   These two books help break it all down and how ownership is the antidote to entitlement and the prerequisite to responsibility.  That children through participation in a home based infrastructure of family laws and traditions, can feel a secure sense of belonging and equity in their family.  I just started reading both books the last few months and will go back and re-read many times I'm sure to burn it in my memory because it all makes sense and this is how I want to raise my kids.  Do you think I have too high of hopes?  Maybe, but I'm willing to let the experts lead me!

Money chores are anything extra around the house.  So you can get an idea of how much we pay, Alex got $2 for vacuuming the main floor but that included the hardwood floor too and she got another $2 for washing it.  It's not too much but just enough incentive to do the work with a smile.  Also, I don't like washing the floors so I pay a little more so she'll do it for me!  I pay .25 a room for wiping the baseboards, they get so dusty!  I payed Sam .75 for dusting the main floor, you get the idea.  You are the one who sets the price but don't overpay your kids to give them a skewed sense of earning money. Of course, this would also be adjusted for age too.  I can't imagine a 15 yr old doing  baseboards for .25!  

Anytime someone empties the garbage cans he has runs and latches his little hand onto the bin until you surrender it also or he walks with you holding onto it!  Again, pretty cute huh!  Just for kicks, we started keeping a tally of Noah's money chores, yesterday he made .75!  I'm not paying him as much as his older sisters.


I'd love to hear what system works in your family, as a non-seasoned mom I'm open to new ideas and like a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  But I will say, I LOVE 'The Entitlement Trap' and I think you will too!

                                                                     $$
                                                                 Melanie

DIY Art

I'm all about cheap, but in a good way....as in doing something yourself to save some money.   Most of the walls in my house have art hung that I made myself.  Now as an interior designer, I'm not totally proud of that but as a crafter I am!  One day, when budget permits, I'd like to collect some fine pieces of art but for now these will do.

This paper map is from Martha and it was a little time consuming to cut all those small northeastern states but I love how it turned out.  If you have a Cricut machine, they have a cartridge called 50 States that you could cut out in snap to get the same look.

I inherited this frame with some hideous art in it from a design job over a decade ago.  When my kids started producing art,  I knew what I wanted to do with it.  I change it out every year, I love looking at their masterpieces and so do they!

I call this modern art.  My sisters and I about eight ago had this obsession with making our own art out of old canvases we found at the local secondhand stores.  My husband dislikes this one, I love it!   You could probably have your kids do some and they would turn out better than this.  hahaha!  Just use acrylic paint and top it off with a clear gloss.  These are SO  easy and fun to do!

Let's talk canvas some more but this time, fabric wrapped!  If you have painted a canvas and ruined it (I ruined a few!) then just cover it up with your favorite fabric.  Easy peasy and makes for something different on your walls!

These are just a few of my cheap decorating tricks, I'll share more later!

                                                             Melanie

Broccoli Soup

My kids love broccoli and we've eaten it a lot lately, but I still had half of that huge bag from Costco and didn't want it to go bad....so I thought, Soup!  Growing up my dad made THE best cream of broccoli soup, ask anyone who knows him they will concur.  

This recipe is a combination of my dad's recipe and a recipe I found on Pinterest.

I still want to try to it with coconut milk but I didn't have any on had the other night.

We really try to teach and enforce manners at the dinner table but when they slurp the last bits of soup because it is THAT good, well, we let it slide.  As a mom who is trying to please everyone at the dinner table, this is a victory!!  I know you can relate. 

Here's the recipe:

Cream of Broccoli Soup

1 - 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8 cups water 

4 Chicken Boullion cubes

5 cups broccoli, coarsely chopped

1 cup cream or half and half

Roux - 1/4 c butter, 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. curry

salt to taste

white pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil, add seasonings saute a little longer and then add broccoli, water, chicken flavoring cubes.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer 10 mins.  Take off heat and with an immersion blender, blend soup.  Put back on stove.  

Make roux in small saucepan with 1/4 c. butter and 1/4 c flour, mix together on med heat. Add to soup and mix with wire wisk until soup is thickened.  Add cream and serve.

Hope your family enjoys this as much as mine did!

xo

Melanie 

Handmade dolls

This line-up is pretty darn crafty and cute eh?  Well, you too can be crafty and cute.  These little dolls are some of my kids favorite toys and I've also made some for birthday presents for my older  nieces and nephew (I'm talking 8, 10, 12, 14 yrs old...per their request!!).  The great thing with these is you don't have to be a perfectionist or super crafty, I'm neither.  

These were the first handmade toys I tried and I got the pattern from here.  I used cheap gloves from Target, I think you can find them right now on clearance.  And then, embellish away!  Do you like the "Y" dog?  My husband brought home some navy blue gloves one day and hinted it would be cool to have a BYU dog for Noah.....I think he used the baby as a cover! bahaaa

These darling Black Apple dolls I made with some friends, I think they turned out so cute and my girls LOVE them as much as I do!  Click here for the know how.

These "not so pretty" dolls turned out pretty ugly but in a good way....honestly so cheap and easy.  Made these with another friend one day using felt we had on hand.  I'd love to make a larger one for my son.  We just found a picture of the dolls we wanted to make and made patterns of them by hand.  They aren't exact but who cares?  If you need a tutorial, go here for help.  I think this would be a fun project for kids.

Hope you get your craft on!

Melanie 

Little Dapper

You know how you like to play with dolls?  This is my doll.  I had so much fun dressing him yesterday for church.  Are you also a nerd like me?  Thought so.   Anyway, I bought Noah these white loafers and knew he needed plaid pants and a bow tie to boot!  My super talented friend Natalie made her little boy some plaid pants and told me she got the pattern from this website.  I made the legs taper just a bit so they didn't look like clown pants with the plaid fabric.  I tried really hard to match the pattern on the front....all I can say is I'm a novice and a little impatient!  

This is his classic "crusty" face, it makes me want to munch him even more!  Bow ties are in and they are pretty easy and super cheap to make.  You can find the tutorial here.    

Of course, the sissys couldn't resist a photo op.  I did not teach them to pose.  Nor do they want iCarly or Jessie.....I think it's funny that they have to pose.  I should take some notes from them!

Happy Monday!

xo

Mel