Project 365 Week 23 & Grocery Deals

Have you been out to shop Albertsons deals this week yet? I bought all these groceries this morning (headed over there at 7 am - the early bird gets the selection). For less than $60 I was able to get 10 boxes of Fiber One Bars, 11 boxes of cereal, 6 boxes of Suddenly Salad, 2 bags of Chex snack mix, 12 boxes of Go-Gurts, 6 packages of Trix Yogurt, 3 boxes of yogurt smoothies and 4 boxes of fruit snacks. I was feeling pretty thrifty!

This photo was the final one in this week's series for my project 365. Did you know Friday was National Donut Day? The kids were more than happy for me to need an excuse to buy donuts lol. This week my bracelet arrived that I ordered from Complaint Free World. I just finished reading the book and decided that I really needed to take the challenge. The ultimate goal is to go 21 days without criticizing, complaining or gossiping. After the 21 days it will have become a life pattern. The literature states that it takes 4 - 8 months average to reach 21 days. I have to admit that so far it hasn't been easy but in only a few days I am already so much more aware of what I say.
(Credits: My New Story by Bren Boone, Template by LizDesigns, Font - Adler)

This is a page I made yesterday. I used Chrissy's newest template set. You can go pick up this set by clicking the image below my layout. I think I'll print this layout out small and use it as a card front for Clayne's Father's Day card.
(Credits: I Dream Of Poppies by Bren Boone, Mixin It Up - FIVE Templates by Chrissy W, Worn overlay by Something Blue Studios, Fonts - Adler, LT Chickenhawk)

Project 365 Week 22, Time Out & a Freebie Template

Friday night and Saturday I spent at Time Out for Women in Pocatello with my Mom. I enjoyed a break from the everyday life and time to hear spiritual music and messages. The theme was "Sweet Assurance" and they encouraged everyone there to pick one thing that they "know for sure" or one Sweet Assurance and take it home to share with those they love. Here is what I know for sure.... that there will always be darkness and bad things going on in the world but that you will find what you are looking for and there is also great beauty in the world and many good things. I know for sure that Heavenly Father sent us here to find JOY and that there will always be things in our life that can bring us joy if we seek after these things. I am determined to remain optimistic even when the world tries to tell me that the economy is bad, that nothing lasts forever, that it is raining outside.... whatever the world tries to tell me - I will stay true to the gospel and seek for the joy. Click HERE to find out more about the Time Out for Women event.

Here is my Week 22 for Project 365. The journaling reads:
May 28 Morgan received his Arrow of Light at pack meeting.
May 29 Savannah and her friend performed in the school talent show with the song from Annie, “I don’t need anything but you.”
May 30 We planted our garden starts and are now hopeful for a bounteous harvest.
May 31 This is my new hair cut that I got on Saturday. So far I really like it.
June 1 Today I spent a few hours weeding my flower bed but I hardly made a dent in all the work that remains to be done there.
June 2 Today was Carson’s 10th birthday!
June 3 The last day of school and all the kids just came home and dumped their back packs on the couch. Lovely addition to the clutter - not!
(Credits: At One With Nature by Bren Boone, A Good Life by Designer Valorie Brown, Template by Anna Jenkins, brads by ANAFLOR DESIGN, Fonts - Soopafresh, Wendy Sue)

And here is a page I made recently. I love Carson's joyful expression. It is made using a fun new kit, The Beach Collection: Surfer Dude and Hula Princess, by Ziggle Designs & Amanda Heimann Designs that you can find by clicking the image below my layout.

Oh and I almost forgot! My first Template Freebie was given away over on the Ziggle Designs CT Blog this last week. Be sure to head over there and pick it up by clicking HERE.

Ready for Summer?

Holy Cow I can't believe the kids are at their last day of school today. I want this summer to be FABULOUS! I don't want to spend the whole time bugging my kids about their chores or hearing them say they are bored. I want to feel like we have created some fun memories by the end of the summer. So I have been on the look out for fun ideas and here are just a few things that I have come across so far.

I was watching Good Things Utah earlier this week and they had a fun segment that gave ideas for the whole month of June for things to do as a family. Click HERE. One of the many activities was a family cam pout in the back yard. We have done this before but it has been a few years since Clayne and I joined the kids in sleeping out back. We usually save the tent event for when we really have to do it since we both like our own bed too much to give in - but this year we will do the backyard tent event. I will definitely be checking into the Utah Mama site for more ideas.

Another segment they had on Good Things Utah this week (but I didn't watch this one - found it on their site) was about Summer Work Standards I agree that kids need to know what is expected of them during the summer. They focus on three areas - Neatness Standards, Household Skills, and Reading Opportunities.

Clayne and I have already been talking to the kids about some of our expectations over the summer. Here are a few of our "rules." They will not be allowed to leave the house to play with friends or whatever until they have made their beds, cleaned their rooms and finished any of their chores on the job chart. After their chores they will need to read for at least 20 minutes as well before they are free to go. They must inform us of where they are going and what they are going to be doing and before they leave that location to go to another they must again check in to let us know. The family will gather at 9 PM for scriptures and bedtime prayers. So far that is our list and as we see any problems arise - we of course have the right to make more rules lol.

Of course since the kids will be reading anyway - we will be making a trip to the library to sign up for the summer reading program. The kids may as well pick up a few prizes along the way.

I love to visit The Daily Digi site and this week they too had a summer idea post. Click HERE to check it out. This post has a list of "100 Things I Want to Do This Summer." I'm not even going to try to pick my favorite ideas from her list. She had so many good ideas but I do know that I will be borrowing a few of them to add to my list. If I really am able to compile my 100 list in a decent amount of time - I hope to share it here on my blog soon.

Of course one of the things we often take advantage of in the summer is the free movies at Edwards Theater. Click HERE to see the line up for our theater.Some of the movies they have listed are ones that I haven't seen yet and so I am looking forward to going to these Nim's Island and Inkheart.

Here is a list of 99 Days of Great Summer Games Memorial Day to June 30 from FamilyFun.com
Here are some craft ideas from About.com
And HERE is one more site that has ideas for activities, crafts and summer recipes.
Oh and on the off chance that you are planning a trip to a National Park this summer there is news that for 3 weekends this summer the entry fee will be waived at 147 parks. Click HERE for details.

I stumbled upon this cute letter called Dear Summer on the Rocks In My Dryer Blog and thought you may like it too.

Dear Summer,

Welcome back, my old friend. We’ve missed you.

As always, you showed up right on time, with the shrill dinging of the last school bell one afternoon last week. You rode on the shoulders of my delirious sons, as they bounded out to the car. Their faces were flushed with the awareness that you’ll be their companion for the next three glorious months... {read more at Parenting.com}

So do you have fun plans for the summer? Do you have ideas that will help me in my summer planning? Feel free to share a comment or link me up to your blog so I can learn from you.

Some Scrappy News & Project 365 Week 21

Finally found a few minutes to share my latest Project 365 page. I wanted to share a little more about the photos as well which you can find below as well as credits for the layout.

May 22 we have already had some very nice warm days with temps into the 80's. The kids have enjoyed playing on Slip N Slides and eating many popsicles already.
May 23 we always make a trip to the nursery over Memorial weekend to get our garden starts. We have found that if we wait that things are really picked over. Everyone seems to go out that weekend to get their garden needs. We didn't even end up planting our garden for a week after we picked these up. Well.... actually a few weeks prior we had planted our peas, lettuce and carrots but we always wait to plant our tomatoes for fear of freezing. Turns out we had no reason to wait that week because the weather was super warm and nice. We just hope that now they are planted that we will continue to have warm weather.
May 24 we have our Family Home Evening on Sundays and it always includes a treat. Sometimes I just need something easy. Do you ever make easy cookies? You just use a cake mix, 1/3 cup softened margarine and 2 eggs. Then you can stir in chocolate chips, nuts or other add ins you like. You bake them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
May 25 the holiday was spent painting the Master Bedroom. I had painted it just 2 years ago. I loved the color but had used an eggshell finish and it has been very difficult to take care of. It shows all dirt including hand prints from just wearing lotion. I finally gave in and got a different finish and repainted it the same color. Lesson learned on paint finishes!
May 26 on Monday evening we decided to take a bike ride as a family. Cheyenne was not going to go with us because she said her bike was trashed from Morgan always riding it last summer. I told her that if she'd go that she could ride my bike and I'd ride hers. She then reminded me that the bike I called mine was really hers and that she wanted it now. We won the bike in a raffle when she was too little for it and honestly I can't remember who's name was on the ticket. All I know is that when she gets something in her mind - there is no changing it. I decided rather than to hear her reminders of ownership of the bike for the next 4 years that I'd just go get me a new bike and let her have it. I found this cute retro bike at WalMart for less than $100. The only thing I would have liked better is if it were green lol. It is a pretty simple bike with no gears or hand brakes but it is much more comfortable to ride than the mountain bike and should serve my purposes for the time being. Now to just find a cute basket for it.
May 27 we always spend Wednesday nights at Carson's soccer games. I really enjoy watching him play. He is a very aggressive player and is not afraid to go after the ball. It is common for him to zing all across the field. I really don't know where he gets all the energy. I'd pass out after just running the field one time.

That sums up Project 365 Week 21. I am so glad that I decided to just start taking photos of what I feel represents my day or what is going on in our family. I think it will make it much more interesting and meaningful to me.
Week 21 Credits: A Good Life by Designer Valorie Brown, Template by Anna Jenkins, Fonts - Soopafresh, Wendy Sue
I absolutely adored the photos I took of Megan last week when I was babysitting. This was her first popsicle and she LOVED it. I couldn't get the image to transfer over to my blog to show you the cute kit I used to make my page. It is made using Spring at Last by Chrissy W. and a few of her other products that match. You ought to go check them out while they are on sale. SO CUTE! She also has the template below available for free in her store. I used it on my layout below and just flipped it on it's side. That is one of the things I love about templates... how you can use them so many different ways. Click on the image of the template to head to Chrissy's store and get it.

This template set was in the May Mega at Elemental Scraps. This was just a small portion of the Mega kit and these templates were made by Chrissy. I made a cute little card just for fun the other day. You can click the image below to go see the mega kit.

(Credits: A Romantic Garden by Designer Ana Amorim, Yellow and striped paper by Joyce Paul, Template (May Sampler) by Chrissy W, Font - Monster Paparazzi)

Ok... just one more thing to share.... Scrap Orchard has their new Mystery Mega available now. Until the 7th, it is only $3. A fabulous deal. You can click the image to go check it out. Below is a layout I made using the kit.

Fitting to finish this post with a Layout of my BIRTHDAY BOY. Carson turns 10 today. I better get going and get his birthday dinner cooking and frost his cupcakes. Yep.... that is Carson for you. He told me that instead of a cake he wanted cupcakes. Guess I'll put 10 of them in front of him with a candle in each for his photos lol. Here is the lil guy as a baby.

My New Look

I have been wearing my hair the same for a few years now and it was time for a change. I got it cut on Saturday and then got lots of compliments in church Sunday.... good thing or I may have gone into hiding lol. I really like the new style myself and think it was just what I needed for a fun and fresh summer look. Just wanted to share. There are lots of things I want to post including my latest Project 365 and some of my recent layouts but I am babysitting today and Megan just woke from her nap. Maybe I'll get back to my blog later tonight?