Thursday, May 27, 2010

Place Mat Tote

Attempting to make this tote in the near future:) Wish me luck.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Cooking Day

Last Saturday was my cooking day:) I actually was able to get all the shopping done the day before and almost all the cooking done the next day. A few new things I tried was making frozen pizza's using this recipe but using whole wheat flour and a little white flour. A ham and cheese braid using my friend's roll recipe that I love making with whole wheat flour. We will see how that works out. I did about 35 meals plus another crock pot one I am going to be doing today. I do have a small family of three so most of the meals are smaller portions so that is why I can do some much and fit it all in my freezer but it is still a lot of work. Here is a new website a friend introduced to me that I used a lot this month.

The freezer:

Ham and cheese braid

Not the best twist job in the world

My pizza dough. I just put foil on my pizza stone and rolled it right on the tin foil that way I can just unwrap it and put it right in the oven. I put toppings on the pizza too after the dough had chilled in the freezer about 20 minutes. I hope this works:)

Friday, May 14, 2010

Another Yummy Snack

Here's great way to get some whole grains and veggies in. I love wraps but haven't been too good in making them until now. This yummy treat is simply a whole wheat tortilla with laughing cow cheese spread all over it and a cup of fresh spinach lettuce a wonderful 2-3 point snack and you could even bulk it up with some protein and more veggies for a complete lunch.

Feels Good to be Done

I did it! I gave my presentation on Home Organization and it went very well. Everyone was very nice and I actually was able to say what I wanted to with out the nerves getting too much in the way. I almost wish I had a picture of the event but here is the hand out I made for it. Just so you know these are things I do and I don't claim to be the sole creator of coming up with the ideas but they are things I have learned on my journey:)

Home Organizing

1 De-clutter

* Do I use this daily, weekly, or monthly? If not is it worth keeping?
* Do I know some one who could use this? If so ask them and act accordingly
* Can I sell this and get a little cash? If so sell it and save the cash to purchase some home storage.
* Limit trips to the store and pay with cash or use a set budget so you are not tempted to over spend
* Always have a donation pile you can add to as you realize you aren’t using something

2 Limit and Replace

* How many of this item do I have? How many do I need? Get rid of duplicates.
* Categorize your things and limit how much space those items can take up.
* Once you have set a limit stick to it by replacing items instead of adding items.
* Before you buy anything think to yourself if you need it, how often would you use it, and where will you store it.

3 Store

* Think of the storage spaces you have in your home. Measure them and use your space in every way….height, width, and depth.
* Decide what you want to store in each space. Store it in the place that makes the most sense to you
* After you have de-cluttered and limited then get anything extra (shelves, totes, baskets) that you will use to keep it all together. Be creative and thrifty in this process.
* Always use what you have before buying anything new to use for storage and organizing.
* Don’t overwhelm yourself just do one thing at a time. Think about scheduling a time to organize and do as much as you can in that allotted time. Work on easier projects first to give yourself some early success.

4 Is it worth it?

* Storage unit: Cost vs. Keep: Is the yearly cost of your storage unit worth keeping the items that are stored there
* Large amounts of anything: Moderation in all things…too much of anything isn’t a good thing
* Stuff vs. Quality Time: Buying stuff for your family can never replace the quality time they would rather have with you making memories together.

Scriptures to Remember

Mosiah 4:27 Don’t run faster than you have strength.

Ether 12:27 Weakness made strong

D&C 88: 118-119 Organize yourselves

Websites I Like:

http://moneysavingmom.com/category/living-simply

www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/organizing/top-10-organizing-tips-from-chez-larsson-050026

http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/index.jsp

http://uniquethriftstoremd.com

http://www.dollartree.com/home.jsp

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A Few of my Favorite Things

I love finding new low calorie ideas and treats so I thought I would share some of my favorite things as of late:)

Laughing Cow Cheese:) It is only 1 point per wedge and it makes a great spread for sandwiches, bagels, or even melted in your eggs. Love the Garlic and Herb the best!

Bagel Thins:) I hear there is a whole wheat one too, which would be so much better. These 1 point bagels are the best and make great breakfast sandwiches or a deli meat sandwich. Be careful though because if you have two of these in one day you are looking at a 4 point total since they are barely 1 point for one.

Land O Lakes Light Butter Spread with Canola Oil! I've never been that big of a fan of butter or margarine but when I found this 1 point per Tablespoon spread I thought I would give it a try. I LOVE IT! I love the light texture and the flavor is great too! Great on a toasted bagel thin and doesn't add too many calories to your morning toast or your dinner roll.