Sunday, October 30, 2011

Yummy Pumpkin Seeds

Here is the scary pumpkin Chris carved this year. We found a cool pumpkin face online then I drew it and he cut it.

We carved out the pumpkns seeds out to eat them. We made "Savory

1) Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and rinse them well


2) Let them sit overnight or lay them on a sprayed cooking sheet in the oven under the warm setting


3) choose which kind/s of seeds you want (we did buttery one and "savory" one)


4) Preheat oven to 250


I made two different kinds of seeds on the same pan. I split the seeds in the middle and pushed the seeds close together. For the buttery seeds we stirred melted butter with salt then poured it onto all of the seeds, for the savory I added worchestershire sauce, melted butter, and garlic salt. I checked on the seeds every 5 minutes and stirred them around. They were done in about 15 mins and were so yummy!

Sunday Thoughts: Putting God First



Saturday, October 29, 2011

30 Tips to Spend Less and Save More

The holidays are coming soon... 27 days till Black Friday and I am so excited. I read these tips on Yahoo how to easily save money. One was to make a list of things you need/want (especially for birthdays and Christmas I was thinking) and find deals especially beforehand or off season. Start preparing!!!!


30 Tips to Spend Less and Save More - Stacy Johnson

1. Stop buying things you can get free. From books (use the library) to long distance (try Skype) to checking accounts (credit unions) there are ways to find things free that you might otherwise pay for.

2. Do Christmas (and other gift-giving holidays) shopping year-round, so you can buy almost all your presents on sale or clearance. Just keep track of who's getting what so you don't mix things up or buy too many gifts.

3. Don't buy things new when used will do. From cars to clothes to computers, help your budget and the planet by buying pre-owned.

4. Buy things out of season when they're cheaper. For example, shop for decorations after the holiday is over, get back-to-school items in the winter, winter wear in the spring, and patio furniture in the fall.

5. Create a "want" waiting list before making purchases. After 30 days, you might find you changed your mind or the item's price has dropped.

6. Don't shop when you're hungry or sad. In either case, you're liable to bite off more than you can chew.

7. Use a list. You'll save money by reducing impulse buys.

8. When you receive a windfall — a raise, a tax refund, or contest winnings — don't go on a shopping spree. Get ahead by paying down debt, investing, or saving for a rainy day.

9. Always take advantage of the competition — get several price quotes (including fees and perks) and see who really wants your business.

10. You don't get what you pay for, you get what you ask for. If something's expensive, always haggle — and not just on cars and TVs, but on everything from your credit card interest to doctor visits.

11. Check for coupons online and in print before buying anything at all. But don't let a coupon, Groupon or other deal convince you to buy something you weren't going to buy anyway.

12. Before you buy something new, sell something old — it helps offset the cost and creates more space. (It can also lower storage costs.)

13. Get by with a little help from your friends: Swap movies, games, and books to keep entertainment costs down. You can also share more practical things — from tools to carpools.

14. Never lease or rent-to-own: These are just hidden ways to pay interest and increase costs.

15. Plan errands around your schedule and to minimize travel. This may mean doing everything all on one day (in one central area) or doing certain things when you're headed in a certain direction.

16. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish by skimping on maintenance — when it comes to your car, house, and body, small expenses now are better than giant ones later.

17. Bring food and drink from home. Whether it's going to work or going on vacation, what you can bring with you isn't just cheaper — it's usually better.

18. When you do eat out, get a to-go box. Spreading a meal over two sittings will make both the price and your waistline more attractive.

19. Book a hotel room with a kitchen and spend less eating out. Better idea? Swap houses with someone else and don't pay anything for vacation lodging.

20. Grow your own food or shop at a farmer's market to save big on fruits and vegetables.

21. Try generic brands and ask for rainchecks on out-of-stock sale items.

22. Be energy efficient. Turn off lights and unplug devices you aren't using. Make cheap efficiency improvements like sealing leaks and adding insulation.

23. Invest in a high-tech solar clothes dryer — also known as a clothesline. If you have to use appliances, use less detergent and rip fabric softener sheets in half.

24. Make your own cleaning supplies with cheap ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. Learn how and find recipes in How to Make Dishwasher Detergent and More.

25. Make your own everything else: Let imagination replace money by making greeting cards, decorations, Halloween costumes, gifts and just about anything you enjoy spending time on.

26. Don't pay for a pro unless you need one. You can get free do-it-yourself lessons at some home improvement stores, and there's tons of information online. And don't forget other professional services. For example, you may not need a tax professional.

27. Get rid of services you don't need, like cable or your landline phone service.

28. Learn how to find the best freebies for the least effort, because free stuff you have to work for isn't really free.

29. Everyone recommends a budget, but keep track of your savings as well as your spending. Seeing the reward alongside the restraint can keep you motivated.

30. Don't pay interest. Renting other people's money is expensive. Keep it to a minimum, unless what you're buying is increasing in value by more than what you're paying in interest.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Fall Pictures Part 2

Yay, here are the rest of pictures we took. We used a tripod to take these so all of them had to be staged, we would press the timer then run to the correct spot. Pretty good for all of that. We went to Riverwoods Mall to take some then up the canyon Glen Canyon Park. We missed a lot of the trees changing because they had already passed that point, but we still got a lot of good pictures.




Fall Pictures





Sunday Thoughts: Standing Alone


We had Stake Conference today. We were lucky to hear some great talks, one that struck me was from Sister Dalton about standing up for what is right. She told a story of her son Jess who was the Student President of a university and went to Chicago for a leadership camp with other colleges. They were doing leadership activities and were asked questions and then had to run to a tree which had signs saying "strongly agree, agree, strongly disagree.." In one of the questions, everyone ran to a tree and her son Jess was the only one infront of "strongly disagree." Everyone made fun of him and said how funny he was and to be serious. He had a choice to go to another tree or not say anything, but he did not do that and said he was serious and this is what he believed.
Many people will not stand up because they are worried about what others will think or say. To be a leader we need to stand up, especially in hard times. We have covenanted to "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in..."
Don't be afraid to be alone, I love the statement from President Hinckley: "I rather be respected than popular."

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Texting Behind the Wheel

Today my dad emailed us about a colleage of his who died yesterday from a car crash. No the kid who hit him was not drinking and driving, but texting. My dad told of the grieving wife and two kids this man left behind and the kid who was texting is facing manslaughter charges.
I was touched by my dad telling us how much he cared for us and to not be stupid while behind the wheel. I'm glad he cares so much and he made each of us promise to not do anything with our phones when we drive.
A story we grew up with was about one of my dad's best friends growing up. I don't know how old he was at the time, but the friend was sitting on a public bench on the side of the road. Two dumb kids were driving on that road and came up with the idea to get as close to the bench as possible without hitting it. Unfortunately they hit the bench and killed my dad's friend. I remember my dad telling me a few years ago those boys, now men were still in jail.
I know accidents happen, but these tragedies could have been prevented of people were not careless and thinking about others. Make a goal to be safe behind the wheel and to not be foolish. I think about the families of both sides of these tragedies and I told my husband today (he promised as well to be safe and not text) that I did not want to ever visit him in a grave yard or in jail. Be smart.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Sunday Thoughts: Faith Over Fear


In Relief Society we had a lesson today about the Second Coming. We believe that Christ has come to the Earth, but that He will come once again. We know about signs that will happen before Christ comes and we need to recognize those, but in our lesson we focused more on the great things that will happen when He does come again. We shouldn't fear, we need to be prepared and be faithful. No matter what fears we have in our life we need to remember to "let [our] faith be bigger than [our] fear."

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Halloween Creativity

Halloween Time!!! First of all I added this picture because I thought it was so funny. Poor dog, he is very patient I give him that.

Here are some ideas for cute Halloween ideas, especially food. If you need more ideas check out Pinterest. There are so many clever people!
From: blog.tinyprints.com
From: radiobutlers.blogspot.com
From: bhg.com
From: imgfave.com
From: etsy.com
From: marthastewart.com
Foods that I want to make before Halloween:

Monday, October 10, 2011

Cute Fashion Ideas for Fall

Yay, it's the beginning of fall and its so fun cracking out the boots and coats. Now that I pinterest I love finding cute ideas of fashion ideas for fall. Here are some ideas:

I love the riding boots with the skinny jeans. Peacoats are timeless and come in so many cute colors and patterns. I also like the button down shirt.

Scarfs are also such a great accessory and come in so many different kinds. I love the thin belts in style and also black skinny jeans (I'm not sure if these are black or not to be honest).
I like Jennifer Aniston and most of these outfits are pretty modest. I like how classic they are from the colors and styles and it's the accessories she uses to make it pop.

Cute, I love the scarf and cardigans in the fall. I love the look of layering and even though skinny jeans are in, I still like flared jeans. Chandilier earrings are my favorite
I love baggy shirts and I like how this one is slightly fitted around the body. I love pearls and Toms with my outfits too!

Here is a cute outfit for work. I love the ruffled shirt and most things ruffled and lacy and I love the cardigan with this.


Cameron Diaz might have been caught off gaurd but she still looks so good. I love the longer shirt with the jeans and baggy shirt.


I love these lighter boots with the skinny jeans and blazer.


Rainboots with patterns are so cute. I love these Toille boots.


Frozen Food Facts

I was online reading an article about frozen foods and I have been curious about certain rules about freezing food. Here are some facts according to the article "6 Myths About Freezing Food" on Yahoo!:

The length of time you can keep items in your freezer:


Soups, stews and casseroles: 2-3 months
Cooked meat 2-3 months
Uncooked steaks, roasts or chops: 4-12 months
Cooked poultry: 4 months
Uncooked poultry: 9-12 months


Freezing does not kill bacteria but just keeps it inactive.


Sometimes frozen fruits can have more nutrients than fresh fruits because they are processed at the ripest point and frozen that way (the more ripe the more they have nutrients)


It is best to avoid refreezing an item, but it is usually ok to refreeze if the item has been out for 2 hours or less.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Halloween Banner with Tulle Spiderwebs

I am so excited to share my Halloween banner!!!! I've been looking online for cute ideas and when I went to Hobby Lobby my ideas kept evolving until I came up with this:

As you can see I have an orange background, black letters, silver sparkly spider webs, and tulle that I used for underneath every other spiderweb.
I first started by laying down the paper in the right order. Making this shape for the banner was easy. I cut the paper into rectangles of 4x6 and created a template and cut out all of the other papers out.

For the letters with the tulle on it, I first glued down the letter.
I cut strips of tulle roughly 14x6. Along the short side I gathered the whole piece by folding it back and forth like an accordion and twisting the middle in place. I just easily used a hot glue gun for the center and let that dry.

I glued the tulle on top of the letter somewhere

I cut out these spiderwebs (and the black letters) with my Cricut. I used a silver polka-dotted paper with glitter circles which created a really cool effect on the spiderweb.

For everyother letter, I would glue the letter entangled in a spiderweb. After I was done with all of the letters, I layed them down on a sparkly black ribbon I found.



I decided that I didn't want to cut into the paper (especially since I used letters that were large) so I hot glued the letters on top of the ribbon.

I glued the 'flags' of the banner about 1/2 an inch apart.

The lighting in the room is soft so it might not be too clear but here is the banner that I put on the wall to take pictures.