time to start...

For our 5th Sunday lesson in church this week our ward talked about food storage and emergency preparedness. I have been researching both for a few years...always planning on getting started, but never quite putting all of my information into action. We even have money each month that has been allotted to food storage purchases, but has it ever gone to that...nope. So it's time to start! No more excuses. No more "I'll get to it soon" talk. I'm going to start. To hold myself more accountable I will try and post my progress here on my blog. Anyone is welcome to join me. In fact I would love the company. I plan on taking it slow and steady...none of this "run out and get it all" mentality. I am going to focus on a 3 months supply of stuff I use everyday. Once I get this in place I will shift to a longer term supply (wheat, beans, rice...).

So for the first step: Make some room...clear a space in your pantry or create a designated cool dry place. Make sure you clear plenty of room. One of the many reasons I have been putting off building up my food storage is because I knew I hadn't cleared a place to put it. I will take a picture today when I clear mine and post it below.

So.....2 hours later I have a space. It was quite a project! (Which is why I have put it off so long!) I do have more space that I can clear if I run out of room, but for now I think this is fine!

About 2 months ago I decided to pick up a few things every time I went shopping regardless of whether we needed it yet or not. I am quite proud of my little cluster of things...if only my family could live off of peanut butter, jelly, honey, oats and syrup!

I also have some water and flour. I think I need a little more of both for it to qualify as a 3 month supply, but I will do that near the end.

firsts...

so sweet...

Last week we finally bought Bailey her own Book of Mormon. We read each night and since she can't read by herself we usually share one of ours with her. Well...she is 31/2 and pretty stubborn. She decided that it was time to get her own! She has really enjoyed carrying it around and pretending to read from it. On Sunday night when Travis and I went in to check on her before we went to sleep this is what we found. She had fallen asleep hugging her book. We must be doing something right...

It also makes me thing of THIS post from a while back...

happy st. patrick's day...

I don't remember ever really celebrating St. Patrick's Day when the kids were really little. At school they do all sorts of fun things leading up to the holiday that celebrating it at home has just sort of happened. We all wore our green and we ended the day with green french toast for dinner.

i'm going there someday...

We had the opportunity to attend the Draper Temple open house together as a family. What a neat experience to be in the house of the Lord with all of my children. The temple is breathtakingly beautiful!

motivating quote...

For those of you who were in my lesson yesterday I found this really great quote this morning that also inspired me to get moving.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
--Walt Disney

My lesson yesterday was on missionary work, but this quote could apply to just about anything you have been talking about but haven't put into action yet.

kitchen routine...

Tonight as I was making these yummy oatmeal butterscotch chocolate chip cookies I started thinking about my oddities in the kitchen.

I am a dish pre wash washer. I pre rinse all dishes before they go into the dishwasher. I also prefer to stack my pre washed dishes that I am going to hand wash on the counter. Are you a sink stacker or a counter stacker? I also always fill my left sink with my dish water and rinse in the right working from left to right.

In my kitchen we have a hand towel and a dish towel. The hand towel is usually the one buttoned to the stove. There is nothing quite so irksome as someone using my dish towel to dry their hands. Travis usually uses my dish towel to wipe toothpaste off his tie in the morning or food off his shirt. I know...I know...some things we just have to overlook. I usually get a new one out after he leaves for work anyway!

This counter is where all important things come in our house. Mail, homework, magazines...I am a piler. Yep...I pile...its what I do! Most things get stacked as "to read," "to do," "to throw away" etc...paper doesn't stick around too long at our house. Even the kids school work gets tossed as soon as is safely possible.

I have a very specific way that I load my dishwasher. VERY SPECIFIC! I love it when Travis helps in the kitchen but I usually go back and reorganize the dishwasher after he is done. I can fit is so much more the way I do it! Funny...the only person who can load my dish washer the way I like it is my Mom....hmmmmm!

Along with being a habitual piler I am also a list maker. I have a magnetic note pad that hangs on the side of my fridge. It is strictly for my grocery list. Hours after going grocery shopping the list begins again! I also LOVE post it notes!!! Oh how buying a new pack of them makes me secretly smile! Come to think of it...I think my grocery note pad is also a post it pad. I love being able to stick it onto the handle of the shopping cart. That way I never loose or drop my list! I usually have a list on a post it note of dinners that I have the ingredients for.

So there you have it...the inner workings of my kitchen mind...what is your kitchen mind like?

my 2 cents...

I recently heard about the intent of the producers of the HBO show Big Love to have their characters act out portions of our temple ceremonies on an upcoming episode. I am always disturbed when I hear about things like this. Such things in my life are considered sacred and special. Not something that should be trivialized or made fun of. Reading THIS brought me comfort and perspective. I have never seen the show, but I hope that if you do watch you carefully consider why you are watching and think about reconsidering your choice!

first signs of spring...

Last year we planted a weeping pussy willow tree in our front yard as well as lots of tulip, iris, and other bulbs. I am so excited to see the little green shoots push up through the ground! The pussy willow is so neat! The fuzzy little tufts of white and gray are so pretty. I can't wait to cut some and bring them into the house!

I don't own any hair spray or a round brush...time to make a trip to the store I think!

my birthday...

On the Saturday before my birthday we had plans to go out to dinner with some of our greatest friends. A few days before I received an email from both of them saying that their kids were sick and that we would need to reschedule our dinner. We had already gotten a babysitter so we planned on going out anyway. When we walked into my favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio, I noticed that there were balloons. As I looked closer I noticed that our friends were sitting at a table. My first thought was, "What the heck, they went out without us!" Travis leaned over and said, "Happy Birthday!" There were all there for me! The whole sick kid thing was just a lie! How sweet! It was so much fun to feel so loved! I just love them all! We ate dinner and Andy even made me peanut butter brownies with candles to blow out!



After dinner we headed back to our Timp Heights stomping grounds for a little bowling at Jack and Jills!
I got this awesome shelf that I have been wanting for months from Joe and Andy. Doesn't it look great! I can't wait to decorate it. They make the best shelves. Check their site out HERE. I also got a gift certificate from Brad and Kalisa for Cafe Rio!!! Waaahooo!! Thanks so much guys! I had so much fun with everyone! Thanks so much Travis for making me feel so important and special!

On Sunday we celebrated with my family and then on Monday my actual birthday I went to lunch at Goodwood BBQ with my mom! What a great birthday weekend!

This is just a shot of some of the new pictures I took of the kids in my frames on the wall!

hair...

Sorry for all of you that came to my blog because it said that I had posted something new...I did for like 5 minutes. I got a new hair cut last night and I posted pictures. I promise to post better pictures when I shower and have makeup on!!