Books

I recently finished 2 really good books and want to recommend them to anyone who hasn't read them before, or who has read them, but not for a long time. Jubilee Trail and Calico Palace, both by Gwen Bristow.
These are historical fiction, and both have interesting comments about Mormons in them. They are based in California between 1844 and 1853. They are really good books.

Buy the gift you didn't get for Christmas sale

I heard a commercial today for Cabellas. They were having their "Buy the gift you didn't get for Christmas sale". I thought that was a good idea for a sale. It made me think about what I wanted for Christmas that I didn't get. After quite a bit of thinking I came up with only one thing that I really wanted but didn't get: A screwdriver with changeable heads, mine has been used so much that the Phillips head is stripped.
After realizing that there was only one thing I wanted but didn't get it made me feel very grateful for all that I have.
P.S. Karl bought me the screwdriver I wanted at the store this evening.

Weight Loss

I have reached the second of my weight loss goals. The first was to get to my pre-pregnancy weight with Von. The second was to get to my pre-mission weight. Since I have achieved this I have now lost 16% of my body weight (45 pounds since February). Whooo-hoooo!!

Funny Poem

Here is a poem my niece Katie sent me.

I made myself a snowman,
As perfect as can be,
I thought I'd keep it as a pet,
and let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas,
and a pillow for it's head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first it wet the bed.

Christmas Bonus

Today Karl was sitting at his desk working on tasks he had written on post-its. His boss came over and gave him another one and said to do it before he went home. It told him to call the payroll company and tell them to give him a raise.
Karl and I are pretty excited about this. The raise, in combination with our efforts to reduce our unnecessary expenditures will allow for us to save some money and work toward paying off student loans. :)

Birthday

Today is a special day for me, and I've been thinking about what it means for me. Lots of people hide from their birthday, or pretend that they are the same age they were in previous years. Maybe I'll do that in the future, but at this point I feel like I have accomplished and done tons of things and my life is complete for this point in my life.
These are some of the things I have done:
Graduated with Honors from Provo High School
Graduated from Ricks College with an Associates degree in Fashion Design and Production, with an emphasis in construction.
Shared the gospel with many people, including 15 who chose to be baptized.
Taught in the nursery for more than 4 years
Visited or participated in the dedication of at least 23 temples
Done endowments for 55 women
Visited at least 29 states
Visited or lived in 10 countries
Maintained 28 years of being sober and drug free
Become a member of Golden Key International Honor Society
Graduated from UVSC with an Associate of Arts in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Social Work, and Honors.
Supported my husband through an Associates and a Bachelors degree.
Lived to be the kind of person who helps others feel like they are worth knowing.
Been Sealed in the temple to the man of my dreams, and stayed happy with him for more than 4 years
Given birth to 2 wonderful sons and done my best to be a great mother to them.
These are a few of the things I've done, but the list is in no way complete, and I hope to add to it for the next 72+ years on earth.

Lost

Today I learned a few very valuable lessons. When going to a busy place (like the mall) it is extremely important to keep a hold on your children and communicate to your spouse about who has each one. Should one wander off, find a security guard and tell him exactly what your child was wearing. Search diligently for your child until he is found, either by yourself or one of the security guards in the mall. Be happy when someone finds him about 2 minutes after your told the security guard and he told the other ones to look for your child. Be happy that your son just takes everything in stride and didn't even realize he was lost.
I also learned that there are some really nice people in the world. One of the ladies who works at Things Remembered let me buy an ornament that she had originally put aside to give someone for Christmas. She was so nice and it made my day since there are no other ornaments that match mine, Karl's and Kaleb's left in Utah (including the internet). It was great.

Password

Today I relearned something I should know by now. If your password doesn't work: Make sure the capslock isn't on. :)

What I learned at church today

I'm not the only one who worked hard on the last week of school this week.
Sitting in the foyer so you don't interrupt sacrament meeting doesn't necessarily work.
Little boys like to explore and play with new things.
It takes 8 priesthood holders 15 minutes to turn off the fire alarm in the church.
It's a good sign when your bishop pretends to strangle your husband, it means he isn't really upset.
The day that you're frustrated and need a break in Nursery, none of the other nursery workers show up for at least 30 minutes.
I have a great husband who helps me to laugh at embarrassing situations.

Learning not to Procrastinate

Well, I did it again, or should I say I didn't do it again?
I have a big problem with procrastination, sometimes I think I have it licked and then it comes back full force. I've known that I had this assignment due in class since the first week. If I had turned in my rough drafts when I was supposed to then I wouldn't have been in trouble. But life happened and I only got the first 3-4 parts done before this week. So I was a little behind. The whole paper turned out to be about 19 pages, and looked pretty good to me. Hopefully my teacher will think so also.
The really good part about this week is that I had 2 finals already. One was the 8 of us who showed up all did the final together and our teacher said that we don't need to worry about a good grade, it's the people who haven't shown up for a month or two that need to worry. My other class was an interview final. That means I had to go into the hallway and talk to my teacher. He asked me what grade I felt like I deserved and three things I learned. I know I aced that one.
I have one more final on Tuesday and then I'm off until January.

Vacation

Karl and I went to California for Thanksgiving, with our sons of course. We went to visit my sister Lydia and her family. I learned some interesting, and fun, things:
Driving with kids takes more time than driving without them. (I already knew this)
Buy gas in Utah, or California, but not Nevada (it was 40 cents more per gallon in Mesquite than it was in St. George.)
Kaleb eats better when surrounded with cousins.
Kaleb talks more when surrounded with cousins.
Von loves all the attention he receives from his older cousins.
Lydia makes really good Turkey soup.
The PX has good after Thanksgiving prices on kids clothes.
Karl knows what size clothes our boys wear.
Remember to take pictures while you're on vacation.
Drink lots of water so you don't get headaches
It is possible to not gain weight over Thanksgiving (I actually lost 2 pounds).
If you think you might want to take a detour to see something (like the Vegas temple) make sure you get instructions beforehand.
It is possible to drive around in Vegas for 90 minutes and not find the Temple.
If you're lucky you end up finding the temple after giving up and beginning to look for the freeway.
People in convenience stores are more likely to know where the freeway is than where the Temple is.

101.9 The End

I had an interesting thing happen today. I went to get my oil changed at Jiffy lube. As I walked into the waiting room I got a surprise, there was a table there with someone from 101.9, a radio station. They were giving away CD's and DVDs for people who brought in at least 5 cans of food to donate to the food bank. At first I was bummed because I didn't have any cans to donate, then I looked at the options and I didn't feel so bad, I had heard of one of the singers, but none of the others. I guess I just listen to more country than I do rock alternative. . .

Test Results

I got back the test mentioned in my last blog. I got 97/100- the highest grade in the class. Apparently one of my essays wasn't everything she was looking for, oh well.

Wonderful Teachers

I have a couple really good teachers this semester. One is my aerobics teacher, but the one I want to share about is my teacher for Social Welfare and Policies.
We have now had 2 tests in that class, the first one I only studied for briefly, but did very well on. It was mostly multiple choice and matching. The second test was today and the teacher had warned us that it would be mostly written (short answer, fill in the blank and essay). So I studied a lot more than I did for the last test. Overall I think I did well. I only had one real problem. One of the questions was "what are the 5 points of Social Security". I wrote the first 4: Compulsory Participation, Work Related, Statutory Rights, Contributory Financing. But I could not think of the last answer. After sitting there for 5 minutes after I had answered all the other questions I gave up and took the paper to the front. I talked to the teacher and the conversation went something like this:
Me-Don't you hate it when you know one of the answers, but just can't remember it?
Her-Yes I do. Which one is it?
Me- The question about social security, I know 4 answers and I know the other one starts with a W and the second word starts with a B, but I can't remember it.
Her- (after looking at my paper) Weight.
Me-(light bulb goes on) oh yeah, can I write own the answer?
Her- Go ahead.
Me- Thank you so much.
(The answer was Weighted Benefits)
Now isn't that a nice teacher?I sure think so.

Leaves are falling all around, in the house and in the car...

I really like fall, my favorite thing is the leaves turning color and falling, the thing that I don't like is that the leaves fall and get into everything. So today I took 15 minutes and did a quick vacuum of my van.
Well, it would have been 15 minutes, but my vacuum wasn't picking up very well. I did some problem shooting and noticed that the long hair my vacuum had sucked up had wound around a cylinder and had caught a bunch of lint and so it wasn't letting air through, thus no suction. I also noticed that the filter was clogged, so I rinsed it out (not all vacuums have that feature, so be careful). After all that, my vacuum worked wonderfully and it took 15 minutes to vacumn my car. The point, check out your vacuum and see if it is working well, it will save frustration in the long run.

My Boys

Blessed

I was thinking today about how blessed I am. Here are some of the things I am thankful for:
A wonderful husband who loves me, supports me and is fun to be with.
2 adorable sons that help me realize how much I am needed, and who love to cuddle with me.
Sisters, brothers, their spouses, and my parents who I can call and talk to, share my problems and successes with and really be friends with.
Friends, too many to count, who talk with me, have fun with me, work on projects, go shopping with, or just know that they're there when I need them, or they need me.
It may sound corny, but the people in my life are awesome and I wouldn't be who I am, or where I am without them.
Thanks

Shower Curtain

When is the last time you looked at your shower curtain? Take a minute and check it. If it is not the same color throughout (and used to be), then it is time to change it. A new shower curtain can be as little as $2. Well worth it in my opinion.
I bought a new shower curtain yesterday and it is really cute. Because of the close proximity of our toilet to our shower, we can only have a water-proof shower curtain, not one of the pretty fabric ones. Our last shower curtain was plain plastic. Our new one is plain plastic with white polka dots. Very cute.

Water

Why is water important?
It carries nutrients into cells and transports wastes out of them.
Dehydration causes your metabolism to slow down. 50-75% of your body is made up of water (about 10-12 gallons), so replenishing your body's water supply is crucial for proper function.
It is a wonderful cleansing process for the body and helps prevent kidney problems.
Your digestion is improved. Dehydration also causes your digestive system to work at diminished capacity, potentially preventing you from getting the nutrients you need and triggering unnecessary eating to make up for the shortfall.
Decreases headaches and fatigue.
Water fills you up. By drinking water you can curb your appetite. Dehydration can make your body go in search of water, signaling you to eat more, a phenomenon sometimes called, "artificial hunger."
Exercise is more effective is you're fully hydrated. When exercising, your body can't cool itself adequately when it's low on fluid. Being adequately hydrated during exercise will also help you stay energized so that you can maintain an appropriate intensity and duration.

How Much?
· Drinking about 8-10 cups a day is average to make sure you are properly hydrated (the average adult loses about 8-10 cups of water daily so to maintain your body's proper fluid balance you should replace it each day)
· If you are working out regularly you should ideally drink more than 8 cups.
· Drink before you get thirsty! Thirst partially controls the water content of the body, but often thirst lags behind the body's needs. By the time you are thirsty, your body may already be dehydrated.
· Drink throughout the day; not all at once.

Tips to Drinking More
· Start the day with a glass of water
· Buy a water filter for your home or add a lemon to your glass
· Carry a bottle of water with you at all times
· Any time you see a water fountain, stop and take a few sips.

What Are You Drinking?
Sprite 250 Calories, 65 g Sugar
V8 Splash 220 Calories, 50 g Sugar
Pink Lemonade 250 Calories, 67.5 g Sugar
Water 0 Calories, 0 g sugar

All flavors of soda pop are loaded with calories and sugar. Many also have caffeine and other additives. Soda is your worst choice for weight management and overall health.
Many "Juice Drinks" look like fruit juice, but are actually only 3% to 20% Juice. They are filled with calories and sugar for flavor. "Juice Drinks" are not your best option.
Water is the best choice to quench your thirst. It is sugar and calorie free and will help you have more energy and manage your weight!

What will you commit to do differently this week?

Health Info

I decided to post some health information that I'm getting from my Nutritionist. At the end of each subject, or sometimes in the middle is a suggestion to set a goal. If you want to you can email me with your goal, leave it as a comment, or write it down somewhere. If it isn't written down it isn't a goal, it's a wish.

Success x2

Today has been a really good day. I went to Aerobics in the morning. A little background on my aerobics class: At the beginning of the semester there were 29 girls and 1 guy. All the girls are cute little and petite. I felt really awkward for awhile, but then decided I don't care that I weigh at least 70 pounds more than anyone else in the class (except maybe the guy, he has a lot of muscles). As time went on the class shrunk. Now we have about 10 people that come on a regular basis.
So today we did aerobics for about 30 minutes and then our teacher told us to go down the stairs and run around the indoor track twice. So we did. I was the third person down the stairs, and surprisingly, only 2 girls passed me as we jogged. 2 times around the track is 1/4 mile, so I ran 1/4 mile without stopping to walk. Then we did another 20 minutes of working out.
It may sound silly, but I'm so proud of myself for working out. I've been frustrated at not seeing results, in how my clothes fit, or in my weight. After today's workout I realized that I'm improving, even if I can't see it.
That was the first success, the second happened at my nutritionist appointment. I've been seeing a nutritionist for 5 weeks, mostly to learn how to change the way I eat and get healthier. Each week we've weighed me and I fluctuated about 2 pounds, down then up. Since I've been eating so much healthier and exercising that has been frustrating (even though I know muscle weighs more than fat, and I'm losing fat but gaining muscle.)
Today we weighed me again, and there was a noticable drop. I have now lost 3% of my body weight. WHOOO HOOO!!!

Carpet Cleaning

Today I cleaned my carpets. That's not the cool part. I actually rented the carpet cleaner on Saturday, then dropped it off at Karl's Aunt's house. She cleaned her carpets, then took it to her daughter's house, who cleaned her carpets. They dropped it off at my house Saturday night. I was too tired to clean my carpets then, so I waited until this morning. So this morning I cleaned my carpets, and my upstair's neighbor's carpets. Then I took the cleaner to Von and Emily's house and they did their carpets.
So, for about 30 dollars we cleaned the carpets in 5 homes, I think that's pretty good.

Fridge

Awhile ago I posted a blog about cleaning out the fridge. I'm not sure how it happened, but today when I cleaned out the fridge I noticed our salad dressing was past the expiration date, as well as the mustard, pickles(by 2 years) and eggs, Parmesan cheese and sugar free jam.
It was weird that I have missed that stuff... the lesson that comes from this: Check the expiration dates on your condiments.

Dark Chocolate Peanut M&M's

Some of you may know of my husband's love for dark chocolate. He will chose that above most treats. M&M has been experimenting with dark chocolate and what it tastes good in. So far there is only 1 that we don't like. The Milky Way Midnight. It just doesn't work.
About a month ago we saw a commercial for Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms and Karl was excited about them. We kept an eye out the next few times we were at the store and didn't find any. I knew he was frustrated, so I called the company and asked them who sold them. They said the only store so far was Kmart on University Ave. So I went there and bought some. A few days later I was at Sams Club and found a really big bag. Karl's brother and wife were visiting and they helped us eat the whole bag.
Anyway, yesterday Karl and his brother were at Sams and bought another big bag. Karl asked me to make cookies with them on top, so we now have a bunch of cookies in our kitchen with peanut M&M's on top. They are really good, try it out.
Now they just need to make Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter M&Ms...

A new use for baby wipes

I found a new use for baby wipes today. They work well for cleaning up throw-up in the car. Along those lines, if you tell a child that Pepto Bismo is medicine then they refuse it. But if you tell them it is candy then they eat it and ask for more.

Stress Reliever

This week has been really stressful, and I've been thinking about stress relievers. Some that I've found are exercising, eating, talking, and cleaning. I think my personal favorite is spending time with my husband. Even if we're just cuddling while we watch a Jazz game, it helps to relieve the stress and help me get ready for the next day.

Real Women

This is a cool article of

Real women with real flaws.

I know whenever I look at magazines I feel less than perfect. This article was cool to read, and made me feel better.

Phone Calls

Last night I had a lot of organizing to do. We had to buy a new crib because our old one got broken, and the new crib was too big to go back in the same place as the old one. So when my friend Jordan called, I decided to work on the organizing while I was talking to her. It was amazing how fast the work went, and I got to talk to a good friend at the same time. Try it out some time.

Movies

Do you have a stack of movies on or next to your TV? Take a few minutes to put the DVD's or Tapes into the right boxes and then put them away. It shouldn't take too long, but will be worth the time spent.

Microwave Time

When you're making something in the microwave what do you do while you're waiting? This is an excellent time to wipe off the counter, or put a few dishes in the dishwasher. It's usually less than 3 minutes, but that's 3 minutes that aren't wasted.

15 Minutes 2

So after you've cleaned something for 15 minutes then what? If it is something that really needs to get finished then take a 15 minute break (don't forget to set a timer) and then get back to it. Another alternative is to use this method to clean your house. Spend 15 minutes in each room, alternating rooms until all the rooms are clean.
Some advantages to this are that you don't get bogged down in your cleaning, it keeps you moving, and there is more motivation to finish quickly.

15 Minutes

The 15 minute rule: You can do anything for 15 minutes. (As I was growing up the 15 minute rule was how long you could be out of your chair without someone else taking it.) This rule is different. When you have a job that needs to be done, but you don't want to do; remember 15 minutes. Set a timer and work on that one thing for 15 minutes. Don't get sidetracked, just work for that 15 minutes and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish

Dish Routine

I've already told about my bathroom routine, another routine I do is my dishes. Every night, I try to put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and wash the ones that don't fit in the dishwasher, then I wash out the sink and wipe down the counters and stove. If the dishwasher is full then I start it. If I have time I also sweep the floor and use my Wet-Jet mop on it.
This might sound intimidating, but when I do it everyday rarely takes more than 15 minutes. I would rather do that than spend 2 hours on Saturday cleaning it.
I'd suggest to figure out a routine that works for you and see how much it helps to do it everyday.

Routines

I've found that the secret to a clean house is routines. You can have routines for everything, the key is to do them on a regular basis, then your house stays in good shape and never gets out of control.
I like to keep my house no more than 15 minutes dirty. This means that hopefully if I get a call from a home teacher or a friend that is coming over then I can pick up the toys and things that are sitting around and have the house looking respectable by the time they arrive.
I have to admit this isn't always the case, but I try to do it and when I realize I'm out of the habit, I start again.

Cleaning the bathroom

I have a problem with cleaning the bathroom. I hate to do it. I would rather do almost any other chore than this. Unfortunately it still needs to be cleaned, so I have found a solution. When I realize that the sink is dirty, or has hair on it, out come the wipes. I have both Huggies wipes and Clorox wipes. I use 1 wipe ( or 2) to clean the sink. As I do so move the random hygiene items that didn't get put away. Then I use another 2 or 3 wipes to clean the toilet. Another few wipes for the floor (if I am really ambitious because I usually don't do the floor.) This cleaning process happens every 3-5 days and takes about 3 minutes.
On a Saturday when Karl is home I ask him to clean the bathroom. He does a really good job at this and gets all the little corners and the shower done. So my bathroom never gets very bad, and I don't have to really clean it. :)

Huggies Baby Wipes

There is a wonderful invention for cleaning: Baby Wipes. But not just any wipes, they have to be Huggies. These wipes will clean almost anything that needs to be cleaned. Other wipes can get some of the stuff, but just aren't as good. Some of the possible uses (that I or my sisters have found) are:
Cleaning the black stuff on doors from kids hands.
Cleaning doorknobs.
Cleaning grape juice stains off cupboard doors.
Cleaning stuff off phones.
Cleaning tiles that haven't been cleaned in forever (by previous renters) and nothing else will work. Tile on left was cleaned with a baby wipe, tile on right wasn't.
Cleaning computer mice, keyboards, screens and other various parts.
Cleaning kids faces, and other body parts.
Cleaning black magic marker off kids faces before the social worker comes. (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also works for this, but leaves the skin looking a little raw.)
Cleaning steering wheel in cars.
Cleaning buckles on car seats.
Cleaning inside door handles on cars.
Cleaning anything in cars.
Cleaning hands after changing a flat tire.
Cleaning hands after checking oil.
Cleaning remote controls.
Cleaning desks and office equipment.
Cleaning out the gunk that collects on washers.

Cleaning appliances (especially fridge handles).
Cleaning sink area and handles in bathroom between deep cleanings.
Cleaning toilet and floor in bathroom between deep cleanings (But do NOT flush them).
Cleaning up "accidents" while potty-training.
Cleaning dirt off shoes.
Cleaning dirty coins.
Cleaning toys.
Cleaning outdoor furniture.
Cleaning dirt off the bottom of the slide that collected during the last rain storm.

More to follow. If you know of other uses, let me know.

Beds

One of the best tips I know for keeping your bedroom clean is to make your bed. If your bed is a mess, the room looks like a mess. But if the bed is made, the room looks clean. To help keep the bed made it helps to have the top sheet and covers tucked in well. If they are tucked in well then making the bed is just pulling up the sheet and covers, which takes less than 30 seconds.
A well placed teddy bear or decorative pillow next to the normal size pillow or pillows adds a lot too.

Icky Fridge Stuff

Many fridges have a habit of growing mold on things in them, but I have discovered a solution for it. Our trash gets picked up on Thursday morning, so on Wednesday night Karl takes out the trash. While he is working on this I go through the fridge and dump out anything that looks questionable or is outdated. Not only does it keep mold out of the fridge, but it keeps it emptier so I can find what I'm looking for.
The other problem I've noticed in my fridge is that I buy veggies and put them in the drawers in the fridge. I then forget about them until I'm cleaning out the fridge on Wednesday night. So I have started putting them on one of the shelves, where I can see them. Water and juice bottles go in the drawers. It's amazing how many more fresh veggies get eaten when I remember they're in the fridge...

Car Seat Safety

There are a lot of things to keep in mind about car seats. If they aren't used correctly, they may not work correctly. That's not a gamble I want to take with my children.
- Don't use car seats that are more than 6 years old. This means that if your oldest child is 6 years old and you have a new baby, the new baby should not use the same infant car seat that the oldest baby did.
- Don't use car seats that have been in an accident. They can sustain damage which will prevent them from protecting your child.
- Make sure your car seats are installed correctly. There are different places that can help with this. There is one in the new health building in Provo- at 150 South University Ave. There should be similar places in other cities. I've heard you can go to the fire department and they will help install it (but I've never tried that). Occasionally there are free workshops in front of stores like Toys-R-Us, take advantage of them.
- If you are using an infant car seat carrier make sure to lower the handle (so it isn't over the baby). This will stop the handle from crashing into your baby in the event of an accident.
- There are cute little accessories you can buy for car seats. Some are to keep your infant's head from rolling, others are to make the straps softer against their bodies. Don't use them. If they don't come with your car seat then they will void your warranty, which I take to mean that they aren't a good idea. If you're worried about head rolling, use a rolled up cloth diaper or receiving blanket off to the side of the baby. This is recommended by car seat companies. Notice the rolled up blanket next to Kaleb.
- If you have a question about your particular car seat, call the company, they have people who can answer pretty much any question.
- Tell your child you love them as you buckle and unbuckle them from their car seat. This is a good time for it.

Car

I have this habit of accumulating trash in my car, and I hate it. I have a few things I do to help control it. The first thing is that I have a trash container in my car, it used to be a grocery sack, now it is a dishpan. Any trash in the car goes into the trash container.
The second thing I do is when I get gas, instead of just standing there waiting for the tank to fill, I throw away all the trash. It keeps the car cleaned out, and thus maintains my sanity.

My Tips

I've been thinking about the little things I've found to help me have more control of the order of my house. That will be the main point of my blog, so hopefully something I say will help someone else.