How to Repair a Plastic Chair

In Memory of Grandpa

My Grandpa Devar was an amazing guy.  At the age of ninety he would go out to his carport every day in 100+ degree weather and tie quilts to donate to the LDS humanitarian center.  A product of the depression and WWII, if he wanted something, he made it; If something broke, he fixed it.

How to make an ice cream cake roll

Grandma Maxine’s husband, Grandpa Devar, loved ice cream.  Despite his being a staunch believer in keeping the Sabbath day holy, he was known to occasionally sneak to the grocery store on Sunday afternoons for a carton of ice cream after hearing that the grandkids were coming over.  Grandpa died at age 91. just six month ago and as far as we all can figure, the last thing that Grandpa ate before he died was a big bowl of ice cream.  Would Grandpa have liked this ice cream roll?  Definitely.

How to Make a Little Girl's Dress out of a Men's Shirt

My Aunt Amy cross-stitched a picture of the temple for my Grandpa Richard.  She framed her picture with fabric from a plaid shirt that Grandpa used to wear.  It was a beautiful work of art and reminded me so much of my grandpa.  Here is another fun use for an old shirt--a little girl's dress.  I have an old shirt of Brians, and I have the instructions for the dress.  Now all I need is a little girl.  I am so excited that in less than 2 months, I will have a little girl—a little grand daughter! 

  See the tutorial for this dress here

How to Save Money on High School Graduation

With ten children each, I have no idea how my grandmas financed all those high school graduations, but I can promise you that they did it very economically.  People get very excited about the whole graduation thing and end up spending tons of money, but if you don’t have tons of money to spend, remember to just do your best and at the end of it all, they will be just as graduated!

How to Make Bug Snacks for a Bug Picnic

My mom's post about summertime menus reminded me of my favorite go-to picnic lunch for little kids. I came up with this for a birthday surprise for Thomas when he was about five or six. He loved it, and so have all the other kids I've made it for since. They forget that they're eating a boring old healthy lunch! (If my instructions are weird or confusing, let me know).

It's called "A Bug Picnic"

Summer Activities for Kids

Whether she sat us in front of paper mache’ or a memory game to match family photos, Grandma Maxine knew how to keep kids busy.  Here are some ideas of my own to hopefully reduce your kid’s screen time and keep them busy this summer.

Fun Summer Time Ideas for Younger and Older Kids (Including Teenagers)

Here is are my brainstormed lists for fun inexpensive things to do in the summertime that don't take too much help from mom (although they are always more fun if Mom is doing it, too!).

Easy Summer Meals for Kids

One of my very favorite meals that Grandma Maxine ever made me, she simply called ‘hominy.’  I’m not talking grits, like they make in the South, but hominy made Grandma’s way which is unlike anyone else’s way, as far as I know.  She would mix a drained can of whole hominy with tomato sauce, cook it up till the hominy was tender, and serve it sprinkled with cheddar cheese.  I still love to eat hominy, but I use a can of tomato soup instead of tomato sauce.  If you are adventurous enough to try it, you can add ‘hominy’ to this list of easy summer meals.  

Here are my easyish, healthyish breakfast and lunch ideas for the summer.  

How to Make Flavored Popcorn

This first recipe, “Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn” comes straight from Grandma Maxine.  At my bridal shower (25 years ago), everyone was asked to bring a recipe to give me to start my recipe collection.  This is the recipe Grandma brought, hand written on a light blue index card.  Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn is still a family favorite and one of our most popular after school snacks.

How to Make a Folded Flower Card

Someone gave me a folded flower card years ago and I saved it, tracing over it when I wanted to make folded flower cards to give away.  Eventually the card disappeared and I spent many dark years having no pattern and making no folded flower cards.  Thankfully, my life is bright and happy again thanks to the person who posted these templates on the internet. 

Write a message on a big flower and then fold it into this cute flower card!  Click here for a template and here for a tutorial.

How to Play the Drawing Game--Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

My Grandma Patricia, loves to play this type of game,  In fact, if I recall correctly, I learned how to play it at her and Grandpa Richard’s house with all my teen-aged aunties and uncles.  I loved this game as a kid because I loved to draw.  I don’t know what Grandma Patricia called it, but I call it “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”

This fun game for all ages requires paper and a pencil for each person.

Online Volunteering

Grandma Maxine and Grandpa Devar were wonderful examples of service.  Grandpa Devar would always have a quilt set up outside under his carport and up to a year before he died at age 92, he would go out most days and tie quilts.  Grandma would bind Grandpa’s quilts, and they’d send them off to the Humanitarian Center to be given to needy people all over the world.  Service kept them young and kept them going.  About a year before he died, the humanitarian center no longer needed donated quilts and Grandpa stopped quilting.  If he had been able to continue to serve by making quilts, who knows how much longer he would have lived!  The following volunteer opportunity takes up less space and is more convenient than quilting, but service is service and it blesses our lives as much as the lives of those we serve.

Here is a great way to volunteer your time to some wonderful causes for the LDS church!  vineyard.lds.org

How to Make Pansy Cookies

One of the first things I would do when I got to Grandma’s would be to check the top of her fridge for cookies, and usually I would find some.  Often they were burned on the bottom which didn’t faze me a bit;  I’d just get a butter knife and scrape or cut off the burned part before I ate it.  The moral of this story is, if your cookies aren't perfect, your kids and family will still love them, so...Think Grandma Maxine!

Celebrate spring with these pretty pansy cookies from Women's Day magazine.  They use the hard-drying glaze that I love so they won't smear when you wrap them.

How to Make Decorative Plates

Economical, creative and fun, these plates are definitely a craft Grandma Maxine would appreciate.  Instead of hanging them on her wall, however, I think she would be more likely to pile them with cookies and send them over to a neighbor.

I wanted something up on my kitchen wall that would match my curtains, but I couldn't find anything that was just right so I decided to use the same fabric and paint to make decorative wall plates.

How to Get Rid of White Powder Residue on Dishes

Thanks to my sister, Sarah, for taking time to post this useful info!

Last week, I called the dishwasher repair man to check out a suspicious noise. Fifteen minutes after he arrived and $100 dollars later, he handed me the toothpick he removed from the guts of my dishwasher. Trying to get the most out of the visit, I got him talking while he wrote up the invoice. As a result, I got these tips for getting rid of the nasty white residue on dishes that are supposed to be clean.

How to Make Plastic Beads

Here's a fun idea from Family Fun magazine.

 




It appeals to my make-something-out-of-nothing side and my oh-cool-we-get-to-stick-plastic-in-the-oven side. But don't worry you don't have to have either of those sides to think this is fun. It would be a great activity for a party or a fun friend Christmas gift for kids. You just need permanent markers and 2 -liter bottles to make the beads.  And an oven :). Cool.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr.

Doorway Puppet Show

I loved this idea from Family Fun magazine to hang fabric (they used pillowcases) in a doorway for a puppet theater. It's so easy to store and reuse! I figure you could use any size doorway/entryway you want if you don't use pillowcases. It'd just take a little more sewing.

I especially like the idea for changing the backdrop scenery. Very fun.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr.

How to Store Ideas from Magazines

I think it's a great idea to use an idea blog, if you happen to have one :), to keep track of great ideas you find in magazines.

Otherwise, they have to be paper filed or lost forever. This way they can all be in one spot and sorted nicely by topic. Plus you can share them with other people, so they might actually get used.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr.

Christ-Centered Easter Gifts

We like to keep our Easter celebration Christ-centered by giving each child a religious gift in their basket with just some candy and their dyed eggs. In past years we've included things like 5" X 7" framed religious prints, scripture stories books, church DVDs, scriptures, gospel art books, etc. It's nice because you can find some pretty neat and very inexpensive stuff at the church distribution center, and our kids really like this tradition.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr.

How to Have An LDS Week of Easter--

This year our family plans to remember Christ's last week on the earth with a week full of Easter activities.  The first four days are celebrated at dinner time while the last three are commemorated at evening scripture or family time.  Take a look at our plan, and who knows, your family may want to do it, too!

Christ-Centered Easter Egg Hunt

One of our family's favorite Easter traditions is this Easter egg hunt activity that reminds us of Christ's atoning sacrifice.

Easter--New Life Activity

Invite your family to join you in a planting activity to celebrate spring, and Easter's promise of new life by planting something beautiful in your yard or the yard of someone you love.

Thanks, Elizabeth M H for this great idea!

LDS Easter Program

I wrote the script to this LDS Easter program because I love Christ and I love the prophets and scriptures that testify of Him.  Although I included song suggestions, I did not include music.

How to Make Easter Bread Bunnies

Growing up, my mom, Jenny, would make bread every week.  There is nothing better than fresh baked bread unless it's a fresh baked bread bunny!

Here is my new Easter bread bunny post with step by step instructions and photos.  Enjoy!

Bread bunnies are fun to make and are more nutritious than traditional chocolate bunnies.  For a simple Easter breakfast, serve them with boiled Easter eggs and ham.

How to Make Baby Headbands

I wanted to make baby headbands that had interchangeable decorations, so:

• I bought those stretchy mesh baby headbands (the thinner ones) in different colors for 75 cents each.

• Then I found flowers that I liked (the flowers I bought were actually meant for scrapbooking, but they served my purpose).

• Then I bought small hairclips.

• With a glue gun, I attached the flowers to the hairclips.

Now I can change out the flowers on each headband, depending on baby's outfit that day. I think I'd like to try it with bows and other decorations, too. (The pictures are kinda hard to see, but you get the idea).

How to Make a Family tree wall hanging

So, what do you think this wall hanging made of?  Wrought Iron?  Wood?  No. . . Toilet paper rolls.  

Click here to check it out!

I can't wait to try this.

Donut Seeds Gag Gift

Family Fun had a fun gag gift idea--Donut seeds!  Just put Cheerios in a donut seed envelope and give to a friend.  Great for April fools day.

You can go to Family Fun and print out their donut seed envelope template , or you can use mine.  It comes with a fun message to glue on the back of the envelope.  Whichever you use, you are sure to get a laugh.

Family Home Evening on the Sacrament

We did this family home evening for activity days.  It fills the requirement in the Faith in God book that says:  "Explain how taking the sacrament helps you renew your baptismal covenant. In a family home evening, teach
others about things we can do to remain faithful." It is chock full of fun object lessons that use common household objects and are easy for kids to do.

Pelting With Pillows Activity

Here's another fun family home evening activity idea that our kids love. We use old, small throw pillows to have a small scale family pillow fight. We call it 'pelting with pillows' and it usually lasts about 10-15 minutes.

                                                                                            Photo by Danpape
 You can make different rules to make things more or less intense as your family's needs change. We usually say the pillow has to leave your hands before it hits the other person, which keeps it fairly mellow. To make it even more mellow, only allow two handed throws which prevents really hard flinging. Or if you have big kids, just go wild and use full-size pillows.

We all have a blast, although sometimes I have a hard time remembering the rules :).

Posted by Elizabeth Jr

Curried Sweet Potato Soup and Goat Cheese Biscuits

I was so excited to find this recipe. I'm posting this for those of you who may share my love for curry, sweet potatoes and goat cheese :)

How to Make Low-Sugar Cereal Soup

A great way to control the amount of sugar your kids get in their breakfast cereal.
Ingredients:
Low Sugar cereal such as "Cheerios," corn flakes, "Chex," etc.
High Sugar cereals of your choice

Mix the cereals together in a big bucket.  Try 2 parts low sugar to one part high sugar.  Serve for breakfast.  Your kids will be so excited that mom is actually letting them have sugar cereal!

How to Make Quick Pickles

Home made pickles prepared in five minutes and ready to eat in a day!

Ingredients:

Jar of pickle juice reserved after eating a jar of pickles

Cucumbers washed and thickly sliced

Patience

Put the sliced cucumber in the jar of pickle juice.  Refrigerate over night.  Enjoy!  Pickles taste stronger the longer they are left in the juice.  You can also pickle zucchini, carrots, celery, or any other veggie desired.

Mini Paper Doll

Four pages of mini paper dolls to cut out and play with!  Store them in a decorated matchbox!

How to Make Easy Baby Leggings

The idea of "baby leg warmers" seems rather silly, until you think about the ease it will bring to diaper changing!!! (Just think: no peeling off tights, and heck, you could even put them on a little boy with a one-sie to protect him from rug burn!) You can make the socks as crazy or as conservative as you want, so they could even work for church.

Here's a link that shows you how to make them
http://babymakingmachine.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-make-baby-leg-warmers.html


Picture from the above link

Inexpensive Date Idea--Nickels and Dimes

OK, this is totally cheesy, but it's one of our favorite dates. After your piggy bank is full of change (what, doesn't everyone have a piggy bank for their change?), empty it out and put all the quarters and dimes in a plastic bag. Then see how far you can get by just spending that change.

(We usually end up at Chuck E. Cheese playing "Guitar Hero" and then getting fruit and cheese at the grocery store, all of which can be done with a grand total of five-ish dollars. )

You'll be surprised how much fun this can actually be. :)

Popeye's Ice Cream

Thanks, Kelly Haws for this fun recipe, great for St. Patrick's day, and healthy, too!

Spring Green Ice Cream (Popeye’s Ice Cream)

¾ c. half and half or coconut milk

¼ c. agave nectar

⅔ c.  nonfat powdered milk or powdered coconut milk

2 c. spinach, lightly packed

1 ½ TB vanilla extract

2 ½ cups ice cubes

Add ingredients to a blender pitcher and secure lid.  Blend on high until smooth

How to Make a Trash Bag Kite

My Dad can do just about anything he sets his mind to.  From fire-by-friction to gardening, to carving and more, he goes from project to project becoming an expert in it all.

March isn't over yet, and it's the perfect time of year to learn how to make a trash bag kite.  From what I can tell, My dad's trash bag kite plans are better than any you can find on the web.  Here is a picture of the plans taken by my dad.  I hope you get a chance to use them!

Movie Improv

I just heard the best idea for a date or party from my brother-in-law. This is cheap, fun, and creative! Are you ready? You choose a movie (familiar or new) and turn the sound off. Then you fill in your own words! You can assign parts or do a free-for-all. You could even have someone provide an original soundtrack with a kazoo!!

                                                                                                                    photo from galawebdesign  :)

A variation would be to choose a really familiar movie, assign parts (or don't), turn off the sound, and try to quote the right words.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr.

Letting Go of Unwanted “Treasures”

An Article by Dad
For some people cleaning up relics from the past, such as books, hobby materials, and etc. can be a very hard job. Here is an idea that may help:

1. Pray for strength to let go of the past.
2. Make mental categories of the things that are taking up too much room such as: a) old school work, b) work items, and c) hobby items.
3. Pick one of the categories that you need to clean up.
4. Go through that one category only, separate it into three groups: keep, throw away, and store out of sight.
5. When you are finished with one category pat yourself on the back. Then take a break or start on another category.

Our General Conference

Our family loves General Conference! The other day my daughter said, "General Conference is almost my favorite day of the year-- even more than Easter when we get all that candy!" We keep things really simple, but it's nice.

We usually wake up sort of late on Saturday morning. Somewhere along the way the kids decided that it's a tradition to have pancakes that morning, so they usually talk me into making some. I love pancakes, too, so it works out well.

I make little books for the kids to take their notes and draw their pictures in. I just cut a few papers in half, fold all the halves together and staple the side. The kids label or decorate the front with pen, pencil, or crayon if they want.

We all sit down together in the family room. I try to wear a dress and have a notebook and pen for myself. We all watch and take notes and draw pictures. There have been times when Daddy brings out some cold cereal to eat dry, or something like that. It's so nice to just sit and relax together and listen to the words of the prophets.

One of our favorite traditions is having people over for Saturday evening. The men go to the Priesthood session and the women stay here and make donuts, or pretzels, or cookies, etc. Then when the guys get home we all sit around the table and eat while they tell us girls about the Priesthood talks.

We usually have Uncles or Aunts come join us for one or more session during the weekend and that makes things extra special for all of us. All in all it's a really pleasant time.

Posted by Elizabeth Jr. :)