Audrey's and Grandma's Birthday

Last weekend my parents were in town for a day, so we took the time to celebrate 2 birthdays (Audrey was born on my mom's birthday).


Audrey decorated her side, and Kierra decorated Grandma's side.



The next day, as per Audrey's request, we went real bowling. No Wii involved this time.

It was tricky to keep Jacob entertained while the rest of us bowled. He did however enjoy eating out of his shoe.


Kierra was thrilled to be winning throughout most of the game.


Audrey loved real bowling. I don't know if the Wii is going to cut it for her from now on.




I asked her to look excited. This is what I got:


The final score: Granddad pulled ahead at the end and won (much to Kierra's disappointment). I still can't believe she got second!!

15 Month Checkup

We were at the doctor's yesterday too, for Jacob's checkup. He's doing pretty well, although tantrums are starting to make an appearance. But I guess that's normal, huh. Yay.

Anyways, during the "diaper" check, the doctor was just casually explaining what was going on, "I'm just checking that the testicles will come down in the future." Kierra, who was watching all of this pretty closely, turned to her sister and said, "Testicles come down...ha ha!" Oh great, a new word to share in Primary. Fabulous.

5 Year Checkup

Audrey had her five-year checkup today. She was very nervous about getting shots and seeing the doctor. I tried to explain to her:

Me: "Sweetie, we need to go to the doctor every once in awhile to make sure that you're healthy."
Audrey: "But Mommy, the Wii Fit does that."

Oh, ya, you've got a point there I suppose. She is too smart for her own good sometimes. We got her a very clever book about the human body (of which she is obsessed about) for her birthday, and she's been pouring over it ever since. And the doctor was very impressed that she could write her name so legibly and in between 2 close lines instead of all over the page. I was a little surprised to hear the question, "Does she sleep through the night?" Uh, ya, she's five years old. But I guess she was talking about night terrors and such.

Anyway, she had to get 4 shots today. The nurse told her she might want to close her eyes. So she covered them with her hands and didn't even flinch or gasp or cry or anything! She's my brave one, that's for sure. The nurse was really impressed and congratulated her on her toughness. Later, I told her she was so brave and strong, and she told me, "I felt like I wanted to cry, but then I really wanted to be brave, so I didn't." One tough cookie if you ask me. I'm so proud of you sweetie!

Ultimatum

Kierra: "Daddy, can I have a cookie?"
Daddy: "No."
Kierra: "Daddy, I'm going to give you 3 kisses, and then you will give me a cookie."

Organizing Class #4

Only 3 more classes to go!

Class #4: Finances and Home Storage

-D&C 104:78-80. Clear formula: be humble, diligent, and pray in faith, and the Lord will help you accomplish your goal (pay off all your debts). The Lord keeps His promises!!

-Live on less than you make! It's been said thousands of times, yet we need to think about it more.

-The Lord will expand your ability to accomplish these goals when you are obedient. He wants you to be free of all debts, so let him help you by being diligent.

-Not all of us are going to be wealthy in this life. This life is about learning to be wise. Wise and wealthy are not always the same thing. (she used the word “wise” a lot instead of “poor” :) And the happiest people are usually not wealthy, but wise.

-Think about the pleasure vs. pain of buying something. Say you want a new red dress for Valentine's Day. Do you easily have the money to pay for it? If not, then it's going to be painful to buy it.

-Live in the now! Don't ever use credit cards (expect for dire emergencies). If you're in the habit of always using credit cards for shopping (even if you are paying them off each month), one day you'll be tempted to put a little bit more on the card or get something you really don't need. If you're using cash, you're priorities will be easier to see, and you'll be able to save more.

-Using credit cards is like having a fish hook in your mouth. If you're paying them off each month, the fish hook is only resting on your tongue, not bothering you. But then you overspend a little, and it starts to get embedded in your cheek. And then you have to put more on the card because you ran out of money, and that hook gets wedged in there even deeper. Let's just not deal with such temptations.

-Money Creed. A written document signed in blood by both spouses. ;)
-There should be a certain amount given to each spouse each month that is not accountable for anything. Mad money. Her recommendation was $30.
-There should be money set aside each month for “sleeping on it” kind of purchases, which should be for anything over $100.
-There should be money set aside each month for “doing your homework” purchases. These are things like appliances or car repairs, that you really should do your homework about before purchasing. She suggests going to consumer reports, go to at least 3 different establishments, and then let there be distance and time (sleep on it) before you buy anything in this category.

-Decide tonight to take control of your finances! There will never be enough money, so do what you can with what you've got!

-Budget: know how much $ is coming in the door (not just what you're husband's salary states). Know your outgoing payments. She puts these into 3 categories:
-Fixed payments: things that you pay every month. The first of these should always be tithing! Then rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.
-Occasional expenses: things that you pay only once or a few times a year. Taxes, insurances, etc. Divide these expenses by 12 and save enough money each month and you'll have the money when you need it.
-Variable expenses: surprises that are bound to happen. Tires, college, medical expenses, etc.

-Sometimes the blessings we receive from paying our tithing aren't easily seen. Maybe the washing machine was supposed to break down last month, but since we've been paying our tithing, the Lord will help it work for us a few months more.

-If money is separated, money is saved! She suggests opening a few more checking accounts than usual (one for fixed payments, one for occasional, one for variable/emergency account, and one for the future for weddings and missions). If you put money into these regularly for the things you will inevitably have to pay for, and it's not as accessible, then it will be easier to save it.

-You should budget and balance $ every week. You should also have a monthly “confrontation” with your spouse so that you're both informed and aware of your money. This will also bring blessings of unity. Make sure to make a nice dessert for those depressing months.

-Make your debts visual. Buy some graph paper. Let's say you have a debt of $2000, and your graph paper has 500 squares on each sheet. So, put up 4 papers on the wall (hang them publicly if you're not highly motivated, and privately if you are highly motivated) and for each dollar that you put towards paying off that debt, fill in a square.

-Start with the smallest debt, not the highest percentage rate. There have been studies that say that this has a higher success rate. And it's not as depressing.

-With car debts, for every 4 dollars you pay, 3 go to the loan, 1 go to the lender. Use a specific amortization chart from your lender to see exactly how your money is being spent.

-With mortgages it's much worse, with a ratio of 5:1. But for every extra dollar you pay on your mortgage, you save $5.

-They were able to pay off their mortgage (and other debts) early. They weren't sure if this was at all possible, so they went to their bishop. He told them that there was a brother in the ward that had accomplished this, so they went to him. He quoted the aforementioned scripture and asked them, “Are you willing to let the Lord pay off your debts? Then decide now to be obedient and He will fulfill His promises.” They started out just being able to put an extra $30 into their mortgage (after saving in their other accounts and paying for food storage, etc.[cuz don't you think it's more important to have food set aside before having your house paid for? Or that's just me. And this gal too I guess]). A little time went by, and they were able to find $45 to put into their mortgage. Then $60, then $90, and so on. And they did pay it off early! And they did have money saved for a rainy day! And they did have a year's supply of food! All because they promised to be obedient with their finances and lives. The day after they paid off their whole mortgage, the financial institution sent them a questionnaire with a crisp new $1 bill in it. It was their first free dollar. They still have it framed in their house.

-Home storage: anything that doesn't rot or go bad, that you use regularly. Paper products, soaps, etc.

-Make a list of things that fit this criteria for your family. Then decide how much of each item your family would use in 1 year. The average person uses 1 roll of toilet paper each week. So let's say your family uses 150 rolls per year. Decide on a brand for each item, and complete your list. Then decide which store(s) you're going to to get the best deals. Then go to the store ONCE A YEAR and get everything on your list (she goes every February because there's not as much going on in this month, and it's cold and depressing out). Think about all the time, money, and decisions you would save by doing this! Time, because you won't have to drag the kids to the car, wait in line, traffic, etc. going 52 times a year. Money, because you won't be spending as much on gas, or impulse buys, 52 times a year. And decisions because you'll never have to decide which brand of toilet paper to try out next! {my problem with this is what if there's a big disaster in January and you only have a few weeks left of toilet paper, but you really need a few months worth? Or if your husband gets laid off in November and you could really use your year's supply after that? Hmmm.}

-She puts a rubber band around her last item, so that if someone grabs the last one, you know immediately that you'd better get some the next time you're out.

-Buy it and then worry about where to put it. There will always be room (remember the Lord is helping you with these goals!). One suggestion was to fill some copy paper boxes with your year's supply of T.P. Line them up along one wall of a room that's not used as often as others (so that it's only taking up 1 foot of space from the room). Then cover with a quilt. Not pretty, but effective.


Well that's all for this class. I think I'm going to have to email her about the shopping once a year predicament. But I liked her funny idea about making a really yummy chocolate cake for when you're discussing finances in those lean months. She also had some handouts, I'll try to scan them in this week so you can see. Hope this all helps!

Birthday Dinner...Toilet

Audrey turns 5 tomorrow (can you believe it? My how time flies!) and so Grandma took us out to eat to celebrate. Halfway through dinner, the girls needed to go to the bathroom, of course. Audrey came back really excited:

"That bathroom was SO COOL! Inside the toilet, IT WAS BLUE! .....This restaurant is so awesome!"

Organizing Class #3

I wasn't able to go to the class last week, but my sweet neighbor took notes for me (and you). Here they are:


-Time management- slow down and save things till we're gray

-Those who know you the most will remember who you are and not what you do/did.

-Don't wait for it to be urgent. Use your launching/landing pads!

-Move your life to early.

-The most important person is you. Then spouse. Then family. Then the rest of the world. In that order.

-Get dressed so you're ready to kill. Prep for the day.

-Your man needs you there when he leaves and comes home. Hug, kiss, have lipstick on, stop everything when he comes through the door.

-Say no to something this season so you can say yes to others.

-You can never be late when you are 5 minutes early.

-Eat your elephant slowly. Did you know there are 4,000 muscles in the elephant's trunk?!? Eat your elephant sized problems one bite at a time. Use TRS system.

-TRS system= Tools (dividers, binders, folders, etc.), Systems (put things where they belong as soon as you're finished, once your husband is done with the Ensign then you read it and then it goes into recycler, etc.), and Routines (choose a specific time each week to take a bite out of your elephant).

-Think, create, and plan.

-Natural energy. Maybe the times when you are alone, you get twice as much done. When you have your energy, use it. When you are alone, use time well. Use your prime time to your advantage.

-You are the one who must decide when to say yes or no. Callings, always say yes. Other things, say, "That is a great idea. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

-Every time you are saying yes to something you are automatically saying no to something else. Which thing is more important? Maybe you can do only a part, or commit to do it at a later time.

-Say no so you can say yes more. Balance.

-Get a business card sheet protector for your Family Information Binder. Make spare keys for all the keys in your life. Store them here, sealed with tape.

-You're either doing an Activity or an Accomplishment. Move more of your Activities to the Accomplishment side.

-Laminate. If it's worth doing at all, it's worth doing forever.

-Make a one month menu so you never have to think about what to eat.

-Are you always buying the same thing every time you go to the grocery store? (milk, bread, cheese, produce...) Then make several copies of a Master Grocery List, and you'll save a lot of time by rewriting the same list week after week after week.

-Give yourself a 5 minute vacation every day to play. We need interests and energy.

-Stamina principle. Do something interesting, then something boring, then something interesting, then something boring... Something you like, something you dislike, something you like, something you dislike. Keep alternating.

-Make a list to keep inside your cupboard door of jobs that take only 3 minutes to do. Ex: secure buttons, clip frayed carpet, etc. This will fill in gaps of your time (like when you're waiting for something to boil, or you're talking on the phone, etc.)

-Family Councils. Families should be organized and communicate well. Step 1: 2 adults have a planning session to plan function. Unified, talk through activities. Stewardship (talk about how things are going). Step 2: Whole family. Schedule with kids. Returning and Reporting. Teaches them self-initiative and independence. Stop nagging and plan. Bring a problem with a solution. Step 3: Interview. Use a timer as you don't want to hog. What are your heavy burdens? This will bring blessings of unity.

-Plan each day out on paper. She has a cool paper for this. On the left hand side, she's got the hours of the day from 6am going down to 10pm. Then she has her lists in 3 columns next to that: Commitments, Chores/To Do, and Odds/Ends. Then at the bottom she has the 3 Meals of the day listed (or the meals for tomorrow- need to get meat out of freezer, etc.), and Phone Calls she needs to remember to make, and any other Thoughts (inspiration that comes into your head).

-Plan day to day like this for a month. She has these daily sheets, as well as weekly sheets, monthly sheets, yearly sheets, and 20-year-plan sheets.

-Heads are for solving problems. Paper is for remembering.


I love that last bit. So funny! Okay, here's to putting everything I want to remember on paper!!

Love You Mucho

The girls usually say, throughout the day, "I love you mucho mucho mucho...." You get the idea.

Kierra has a new saying. "Daddy, I love you like 49." I'm not sure if this is because she thinks he's 49, or if it's the biggest number she can come up with.

Today, while getting ready for church she said, "Daddy, I love you 5 muchos." To which I asked her how much she loves me. She said, "Hmmm. I love you 4 muchos, Mommy." What? They're playing favorites? Not fair!

Dinner Conversation

Audrey: I'm full. I want to go to bed.
Me: Just eat 3 more bites of your green beans and then you can go to bed.
Audrey: But I don't like the peppers you put in them.
Me: Then pick them out and just eat the green beans.
Kierra: Um, I have a song about this. But I can't remember it. (sheepish smile)

??????????????

Rock On

While driving in the car yesterday, and discussing the day's schedule (groceries, pick up Audrey, then home), Kierra said, "Uh, Mom? Sometimes Audrey rocks on. Ya, she's silly."

What Is Up With Her?

Yesterday was laundry day. As I've said before, the girls actually like to help. They gather and sort for me, and then when everything's folded on my bed, they put it away and go to bed. Thank you, Caillou, for giving them this idea!

Well last night, I asked Audrey to go and get me some hangers from her closet so I could hang up some dresses. She left the room for 30 seconds and then was back in my room playing with a toy. Thinking she got distracted from her chore, I sent her off again. Again, she came back after a short while, playing. I scolded her again for not doing what I told her to do, and told her to go to her room until she could bring me back her hangers. Geesh.

She was gone for about 2 minutes, and then came back empty-handed. My patience was totally thin by now, so I told her to forget it if she couldn't do something so simple for me. And then I stomped off to get the hangers myself (wait, who's the child here?).

As I left the room, Audrey watched me go, then turned to her Daddy, hands on hips, one eyebrow way up high, and said, "What is up to her?"

After a good laugh (and a good look at her closet, where she had pulled up a stool and was reaching with all her might to get the hangers that were just inches out of her reach) I apologized to Audrey and all was good.

My First Food Co-op Order

I picked up my first order from our local food co-op on Saturday. We got a ton of food!


All of this cost $52, only because I got a few extras. Here it is broken down:

Standard Share
1 pkg. top sirloin fajita strips
1 pkg. chicken drumsticks (looks like 4 drumsticks)
1 pkg. sirloin pot roast (about a pound)
1 pkg. lean ground beef (about a pound)
2 lb. carrots
5 Fuji apples
5 oranges
1 Romain lettuce head
3 red bell peppers
2 avocados
5 pears
5 tomatoes
16 oz. white or brown rice (I got to choose)
1 Artisan whole wheat bread loaf (sooo good! I've been eating this every morning with my blueberry jam from the cannery. MMMmmm!)

Total: $23


Nutty Guy's Sampler
1 lb. raw almonds
1 lb. candied peanuts
1 lb. sunflower seeds
1 lb. walnuts

Total: $11.50


Tamales Pkg.
(5 Tamales)

Total: $5.00


Aptera Olive Oil
32 oz. olive oil

Total: $7.50


Lifetime Memberships
Starts at $5 donation

Total: $5


I'll be using a bunch of this tonight to make tacos, so I'll let you know how they all taste. The apples are already gone, with oranges following close behind. The funny thing is, I just went to Sam's Club last week, not even thinking about what produce I might get on the weekend (they don't tell you what kinds of produce you'll be getting, just in case they have to change it). So, I have a TON of tomatoes and peppers now. And oranges. Anybody have any good recipes to share?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!!???!?

If you're interested, check out the Utah chapter here. If you don't live in Utah, ask at your local library or Google food co-op and your city. And here is next month's order, due by Feb. 6th (and picked up on Feb 21st). Yay!

Christmas 2008 Photo Shoot

The Sunday before Christmas we had a little photo shoot in our living room before going off to church. We've got some cute kids, don't we?

Kai's Birthday

We went to cousin Kai's birthday party (almost a month ago) at a jumping place. It was SO much fun! They had all these inflated slides and things for the kids to bounce on. Even the adults could pretend to be kids again (well, me until I ran into someone else on the slide- a lady, no doubt on a date, showing off her g-string- and received dirty looks from said person until they left a few minutes later, probably because of me. Great. I said I was sorry!)

Anyway, we all had the best time, thanks for inviting us Kai! Hope you had a great birthday!!!


I love this picture! Jacob and I had a ton of fun in the baby area.


Jacob sure loves his Grandma Wilson! He kept reaching out to her every time he saw her. So cute!



He so rarely smiles once I've got the camera out, so I couldn't resist posting another one of him on Daddy's shoulders. Plus, his dad is uber handsome.


The girls and Caleb on the carousel.


Evangeline on the carousel.


And the biggest kid, Kang, on the carousel.


Oh, and Caleb, too.




On the way down south, Jacob fought and fought and FOUGHT a nap. So when he finally fell asleep, clutching his apple and cracker, I couldn't resist taking a picture. Priceless.


Wow, Kai, so sorry I didn't even get a picture of the birthday boy! Better luck next time. Happy Birthday! And thanks again for a really fun weekend!!

Organizing Class #2

I was hoping to actually get the "homework" done before going to the class last night, and posting it here, but Jacob was SOOO cranky this week I barely got the family fed. He's better now, so hopefully I can show you the fun projects I've been working on.

First of all, the House of Order gal said something really shocking last night. She said that coupons are not worth the hassle and time and money savings, yada yada yada. {GASP} And that there is no great way to organize them (say what?). I was almost ready to stand up and tell everyone that she's wrong, that it can be worth it, if you have a little extra time, the know-how, brain capacity, basement space, etc. (he he he). Oh well. I'm just sad that she said that because everyone is taking her so seriously and now they're led astray with foolish notions. I know, I know, I'll get over it.

Okay, so here are my notes. I tried to take good ones for you since so many of you were interested! Enjoy! We talked mostly about kitchens and paperwork:

-D&C 88:123 (oh, and last week's scripture was D&C 123:17)

-When going through your stuff, try to get rid of 50%. Throw away/share anything you don't really like or that's ugly. Don't feel guilty if it was a gift or whatever. Just get rid of it!

-It's all about controlling the incoming clutter. Whether it be mail, school work, shopping, etc.

-To help control the library books, tell the five-year-old that he can borrow 5 books from the library, six-year-old can have 6, etc.

-Order does not happen by chance. Order is control, setting the parameters. (mail doesn't touch the counters and is dealt with immediately, shoes stay in the basket by the door, you get the idea.)

-Every kitchen has 3 parts to it: counters, sink, and stove.

-If you have clean (not cluttered) counters, you can cut your cleaning time by 10%.

-In trying to declutter counters, decide whether the item is a "freeloader" or a "friend." If you use it daily, it's probably a friend. If you are sick of having to clean around it, it's a freeloader. And yes, those 4 canisters you got for your wedding are freeloaders, go ahead and put them in a cupboard, unless you use them daily that is.

-Think of ways to hang things to get them off the counter: phones, plants, paper towels.

-Your toaster goes to the bathroom every time you use it. So put it on a cookie sheet and store it in a cupboard. IF you're not using it daily.

-You should do everything in your kitchen one-handed. So store things with that in mind. Stack all the small bowls together and the medium bowls together, instead of nesting them small inside medium.

-If you clean off your counters, you'll double the space and feel like you're kitchen is bigger.

-If your husband likes to dump everything on the counter, give him a drawer instead.

-FINISH putting it in its HOME.

-We're not the maids of our homes, we're the nurturers teaching others how to take care of themselves.

-It's more effort to stay disorganized!

-If you're standing at the sink, the places nearest you that you can reach just moving your hands are your A space. Put things you use frequently (plates, cups, etc.) there. Your B space is where you reach with outstretched arms, and you store things you use less frequently there. And so on with C space and D space. If you use an item in your kitchen just once a year, consider moving it into basement, garage, or other storage place.

-Get rid of anything in your kitchen that is not helping your life. Like if you have never used a potato masher and it's just taking up space, or that colander that just doesn't work for you.

-If you burn something on the stove, put an inch of water and a couple squirts of dish soap in it and bring to boil. Then let cool, and it will wipe right off.

-Use small plastic containers (the ones at the $ store) to keep like items together. Such as: baking stuff, baby bottles, etc. This will also eliminate things getting lost in the back of your cupboards.

-If you use a divider in your drawer, then secure it using an old towel.

-We should not have to move while we work in the kitchen, so condense everything so that the things you use are in the same spot (spatulas and wooden spoons next to stove, rags and soap next to sink).

-If you find that you keep pulling things out of the dishwasher to work with, consider buying a second one.

-Install corkboard on the inside of your cabinets and post announcements there so less clutter on fridge.

-Put some of your A space stuff (and B space stuff) beneath counters so kids can reach.

-Put extras in the cupboard above fridge or stove. So, if you have an extra Worcestershire sauce, put it up there in the bin of extras. Also, in your food storage, put a rubber band around the last item. So if someone brings out a ketchup, and it has a rubber band on it, then you know you need to stock up (I do kind of the same thing- I draw a star on an item that is about to expire and need to use up soon).

-You either have reference paperwork or treasured paperwork. Reference paperwork: phone numbers, class schedules, emergency #'s, internet passwords. Treasured: drawings, awards, pictures.

-Make a Family Information Binder with all reference paperwork in it (including a divider for each child). Include an information paper for each person (blood type, height, weight, etc.). Xerox contents of purse (in case it's stolen) and put that paper in the binder. Ward lists, extra keys, birthday lists, soccer schedules, etc. If you want to keep this all on the computer, she suggests only doing that if you can get to it in 3 seconds or less, and if you've got a backup paper version you can take with you in case of emergency.

-For the treasured paperwork, make a binder for each person in the family. For the children, put 20 dividers in their binder and label per year (2004, 2005, etc.) for the first 20 years of life. Then add a bunch of page protectors filled with cardstock in it, so you can just add as you go.

-Handouts, stories, poems, etc. are SHMOOSH. Make sure you are really going to use it some day before you file it.

-Paperwork is best kept in binders so it's better contained. File folders should be temporary or semi-temporary.

-As far as greeting cards go, only keep the heart-felt ones, and the ones from your spouse. They should all fit in a shoebox.

-Keep vital documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.) in a fire proof box or safe deposit box. To organize these, make a paper for each person, record what papers that person has and where they are located. Keep in Information Binder.

-Our homework this week is to clear off counters in kitchen, reorganize kitchen, make a Family Information Binder, and find a way that works for us to deal with our paperwork (A-Z, color coded, etc.).

-And go on a "paper fast" until you can get it into control.

I'm so sorry this is sooooooooo long. I hope you enjoy my notes!

Seriously Can't Wait

Do you know what I'm really excited about? I've got a hot date tomorrow night. In my living room, watching the Burn Notice season premiere, with my super wonderful hubby. Seriously. so. excited.

Jacob's Eyes

Jacob has just discovered his eyes. He moves them all around when he's bored. The best part? He's learned how to roll his eyes. Yup, just like the rest of the family (or anyone that is within short proximity to Jeromy :). Actually, he just points his eyes to one side, really far, but you can totally tell what he's trying to do.

Jeromy was kissing me while holding Jacob, and we looked over to see his reaction. Ya, he rolled his eyes at us. Hilarious!!!

And the other day I was dancing and being all crazy trying to get a laugh out of Jacob, and he just rolled his eyes at me. Wow they grow up too fast.

Funny Stuff

While I was on my way to take Jacob to bed, he was fussing and just generally crabby (he's sick), and I passed by Audrey, who said, "Ugh, I wish we had a baby that would listen!" Ok...

Then after he was in bed, I passed by Jeromy who was teaching the girls some stretches. Kierra called out, "Mommy, that one made me bal-er-anced!" Cute kid.

And the other day when the neighbor's cat threatened to come inside, the girls starting shrieking, "No, no! You can't come in! Our Mommy is allergic!!! NOO!!" To which I replied, "It's not the end of the world if he comes into our house for a second." To which they replied, "What's the end of the world?" Uh, um, is it worth a big explanation to a 4-year-old? Hmmm.

And in the car the other day, out of the blue, Audrey started to tell us a story that her teacher told her. (I was thinking preschool, not Primary, and fairy tale, not scripture). She said, "One day there was a boy that was mean and didn't have a body. He wanted to take all the kids with him instead of with Jesus. And he got in trouble. And guess what, Mom? The story is still happening!" So maybe she can understand it all.

Organizing Class #1

Our stake is offering a 7-week course on getting our homes in order! It's taught by Marie Ricks, and it's awesome. Better yet, my neighbor came with me and we had so much fun! So here's what I learned:

-It's MUCH easier to handle small tasks on a regular basis than tackling a whole mountain at once ("Important things never happen all at once, they happen steadily.")

-Let go of the guilt: so what you didn't read the January Ensign, it's okay to recycle it and move on to the February one instead of trying to read both in one month. Rule applies to other periodicals.

-Only keep 1% of your child's schoolwork. Keep a 2-inch binder with a divider for every year up until they're 20. Put a small representation of what they've accomplished in there, including pictures of big things that won't fit into said binder. (Unless you are a Grandma, and then it's more than OK to keep 100% of the things they make!)

-Order is NOT about time, it is about DECISION.

-Don't get distracted! Stick to the task like a magnet till it's done. If you don't have all your materials where they are supposed to be, you'll have to wander the house looking for them, and chances are you'll get distracted and not finish paying the bills (or whatever other task you were trying to get done)!

-Laundry: You'll be doing it for the next 100 years, so get over it and stop your grumbling. Just do it! (And put it away while it's still warm. ??? Not sure if I can do that.)

-Simplicity is more important than beauty in a home.

-Have a proper landing/launch pad for things to come in or go out (library books, checks to cash, shoes to take off, cell phone to charge, etc.) and you'll leave the house with more confidence.

-She asked us to get rid of 50% of our things. Starting with old bras. And socks and shoes. And jewelry. The list goes on. But if you have 6 old bras in your drawer, toss 3! Or all 6.

-If it's usable and needed, go ahead and keep it. If it's usable but not needed, share it with someone else (D.I.). And if it's not usable and not needed, throw it away!

-She has 4 file folders on top of her desk that she goes through once a week: To Do, Bills, Pending, and To File.

-If deciding on certain chores for certain days of the week doesn't work for you (which it doesn't for me), try numbering your chores instead. This was probably the most intriguing idea I heard all night!

-It may sound simple but there are problems and there are solutions. The problems don't always make it over to the solutions, so think of something that bothers you or that takes up too much of your time or whatever and try to solve it. Example: You usually have a lot of weddings to go to each year. To make things easier, think of one gift, get it when it's on sale, and buy in bulk. Now you don't need to decide what to get every time someone gets married. Another example: This lady has "inherited" 40 boxes from her parents and grandparents. There are a little more than 40 weeks left of the year. Set aside one day each week when you will tackle 1 box. And then set a time constraint so you don't lose track of time (only work on those boxes for 2 hours every Monday). By the end of the year, you will have solved your elephant-sized problem!


Pretty cool stuff, huh. This is exactly what I need right now. And I'm so excited!!! So excited that I'll try to share with you every week what I've learned! But check out her website first, it's pretty cool.

My Spoils

So I got some really great deals this week and I just had to share. I LOVE COUPONERS' HIGH!!


I got this:


And this:


For a total of: $41.54!!!!!!!!!!!

I saved over $270. Notice the 4 pounds of butter, and the roast? And the 8 tubs of oatmeal, and the 16 boxes of Life? I don't care how much you like Wal-Mart or Costco (cuz I do too), but you can't even get 16 boxes of Life for that price, let alone the other stuff. Woohoo! Albertson's sales + coupons = happy Hilary.


At Target, there were some clearance items that were cool:


The Febreze candles turned out to be $1 with coupon, and the Glade scented oil candle refills turned out to be about 80 cents each. Cool huh? And I also got 4 big boxes (28 ct.) of Electrasol for about $6 total.

And at Staples:

This totaled to be about $4. Crazy huh?

I love my coupons!!