Spring has Sprung

Spring has officially sprung here on the little farm we call home. Rabbits are having bunnies, Chickens are flying and trying to eat every bug they can gobble up, and Hubby and I have cabin fever.
I got the cleaning bug not to long ago. I have started to organize the homestead. Decorating is not far behind.
So far the inside has been done wonderfully.

 To get this much organization done with in my home is a small miracle  Almost the whole house is done now. My bedroom, Dining room, Front room, Kitchen (Including inside cupboards), laundry room, and family room have all been done.
That leaves the really hard rooms: Mud/ Storage room. And garage. neither of which I or the boys have had time to tackle just yet. But it is coming quickly.

 The bookshelf alone took us 3 hours to get straightened and done. But we are slowly chipping away at the cleaner side of life.
With the baby here now we have had the challenge of cleaning around the bigger :"toys" if you will. the Swing, port-a-crib, bouncer ect. They are easy to move but harder to keep looking nice if company happens to come over.

With my office in place I can keep up on bills , calling, family things that needs to happen. the best part of this whole thing is my phone. Jimmy had a birthday party and one of the boys needed to make a phone call.He picked up the phone and looked at me and asked. "Mrs.Myers how do you turn this on?" Then proceeded to figure out how to dial. I laugh to myself thinking of how cool I thought this phone was when Krik gave it me.

Look closely you can see even Baby Lykota helped out today. 

 The boys and I have been busy also getting the yard ready for our garden this year. Can't wait to get it in. Krik could not either. He went out a got himself 50 tomato plants today. .

Jimmy and I worked on getting the row's cleaned out so we can plant tomorrow. He would have helped but he had a minor heart attack on Sunday so he is under doctors orders not to do that kind of work for at least a week of not two

The boys are so excited to have the garden going in. Kanyon has asked to plant: Pea's, watermelon, and tomatoes. Byron asked for : cantaloupe  potatoes, and pumpkins. Cole asked for : Lettuce, carrots, and egg plant. Jimmy asked for: Romina tomatoes, jalapeno, and green peppers. We are planting all this plus squash a variety of sorts, onions, spices such as thyme, basil, cilantro, ect..
I love the fact I have such space I can plant as much of something as I need and as little of stuff as I don't want.

The last little bit I have gotten into cooking homemade from scratch meals. Breads, muffins, stews you name it I am trying it. For Jimmy's birthday party to save $ we had it at our house. The kids got to watch movies and make their own pizza's from scratch. I prepared the pizza dough ahead of time and they topped it. then we cooked it.

This was so much fun for the kids. they enjoyed doing it so much. I think they enjoyed eating them just as much.

 They munched down and had a wonderful time at his party. Jimmy turned 14 years old this year. He has grown up so fast.

yep they watched old tv show's classic Doctor Who and Star Trek Voyager. Yep I am raising Treky's. Love it too.

 Byron had his blue and gold banquet for Cub Scouts this month as well. He had to make a cake for dessert that night. He decided to make a tie dye cake from scratch. He made a white cake and colored it. Baked it and frosted it. Loved it too.

he worked hard on this. Letting it cool was hard for him because he wanted to frost it so fast afterward. He made chocolate frosting and it was a white and chocolate cake. I must say for his first time making a cake it tasted yummy.










 He won best inside surprise cake for the night.

Colorful it was and loved it we did.












Well as the summer wheres on I will keep you all apprised of how my simple life ride is going. Cooking is just a fun start to saving money. I even made homemade bread bowls to serve my stew in on Easter.

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Harvest

So it has been a while since I last wrote. I found myself busy with a harvest that has been non-stop over this summer. Update to the family life we have a new member his name is Coffee Myers.  He is a Chocolate Lab/American Bulldog mix and great dog. He loves the kids and is for the most part a calm addition to the family.
Pictures to come.....

The harvest time has been great this year. Our family has produced quite the garden.

This is the way we water the garden 

And the produce we have gotten has been wonderful. It has really helped add fresh fruits and vegi's to our diets. Also I am learning to can/bottle or freeze our produce as well. We put up 58 qt jars of stewed tomatoes over this weekend. (And people wonder why I don't have time to write here.)

Golden Delicious Apples 

Apple a day keeps the doc. away

Grapes off our Grape Vine. 

Punpkin anyone?

Honey Dew this and Honey Dew that. 

Sleepy squash likes to hide. 

Krik taught Jimmy how to can  these. All that hard work outside pays off right here inside. 

We are still harvesting but as of tonight I am writing on here to let you all know I have not yet fallen off the wagon.
We still have chickens.

Little Red Hen

Goldy 

And with the Hens it brings forth the fruit of Eggs. Yeah we are getting about 5-6 a day right now. They lay regularly and are all doing well.

As of date we have enough eggs to supply us for a while with.

We also still have our bunny's and cat!

I know living like this is more then most people can handle but I am enjoying it to the maximum right now. Krik has been the one to really keep up on the farm life. I have been so tired and pregnant that I have not felt like much of a help in all of this but I know he has been.  Thanks sweets for giving me my simple life.

I will keep you all posted on the next adventure we have in bottling vegis soon. 

Fire Season is here.

I live in a state where Fire Season has begun way to early. Usually we don't get our first forest fire until mid June in Utah. However, the conditions were right this year to start an awful season off.  As I have watched this season unfold I have seen destruction, devastation, heroism, and kindness unfold right before my very eyes.
Each one of us has been touched in some way by the fires burning around the western US. Each of us have wondered what if that was me.  What if that was my home that I had to leave. What if that was my city I had to abandon for  a week. What if that was my family that must live in an evacuation shelter because I had no where else to go.
Then you start asking your self, What can I do to prepare? What can I do to help those who have lost everything? Am I really ready if that was to happen here?
I use to tell myself that I did not need to worry about fires because I live in the middle of a City. Not a town or village.  That thought process has changed over night.
Colorado Springs, CO has been totally evacuated due to a huge wild fire burning through the town. It is not a town or small village it is the 2nd largest city in Colorado. I live in the 2nd largest city in Utah. that could very well be me. With a population of 32,000 people that city is roughly the same size and the city I currently live in.
Now that hits very very close to home for me.
I started to look at this blog and think what can I do to be more prepared. It doesn't have to be elaborate!!! It can be made very SIMPLE.
Step #1 :
Ask your self do I have a 72 hour Kit? What should I have in this Kit? Where should I store this Kit?   Honest answer: I don't have a 72 hour kit. I need one.
I am building mine now.

I need to start with something to hold it in. I should be able to pick up and carry it to my car in the case of an evacuation.  I think I will start with a  heavy duty reusable grocery type bag. It has handles and is very durable. It can also store easy in my front room closet right by the front door.  So here is my check list now.  (Remember I have a family of 6 so I need to make sure all 6 of us will be taken care of for three full days.) 

• 3 Days Food/Water supple for each person in Household. (remember you won't be able to cook or refrigerate most generally.) 
• 36 granola or protein bars
• trail mix or dried fruits
• Approx 18 each: canned tuna/ soups/ meats 
• 3 Lg cans juice
• 6 Gallons of Water (1 Gallon of water  Per Person)
• Bedding and Clothing 
•  2 Change of Clothing (short and long  sleeve shirts, pants, socks, jackets, etc.) 
•  3 pr Undergarments each person
•  6 Rain Coat /Poncho 
•  Sleeping Bags for each person and Emergency Heat Blankets 
•  Cloth Sheet 
•  Tarp to roll out and sleep on.
• Fuel & Light 
• 6  Battery Lighting (Flashlights, Lamps) 
•  Extra Batteries - make sure the batteries fit the flash lights. You don't want AA when you need C. 
•  Flares
•  Candles 
•  Lighter 
•  Water-Proof Matches
• Equipment 
•  Can Opener 
•  1 for each person Dishes/Utensils 
•  Shovel  (I have a fold up shovel that fits well inside the bag.)
•  Radio (with  batteries!) 
•  Pen and Paper 
•  Axe 
•  Pocket Knife 
•  Rope 
•  Duct Tape 
• Personal Supplies & Medication 
•  First Aid Supplies 
• See First Aid Kit Supply List below
•  Toiletries 
• roll of toilet paper—remove center tube to easily flatten into a zip-lock bag, 
• feminine hygiene
• 2folding brush
• 3travel size toothpaste
• 6travel size toothbrush
• 1 plastic mirror
• 2 Bar Soap (baggie to store open soap in)
• 1 travel size Hand Sanitizer per person
• 6 travel Size Shampoo
•  Medication (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, children’s medication, etc.) 
•  Prescription Medication (for 3 days) 
• Personal Documents and Money 
• (Place these items in a water-proof container!) 
•  Scriptures (miniature ones are lighter) 
•  Genealogy Records 
•  Patriarchal Blessing 
•  Legal Documents (Birth/Marriage Certificates, Wills, Passports, Contracts) 
•  Vaccination Papers 
•  Insurance Policies 
•  Cash  (you will want this in case you need to make emergency purchases.) 
•  Credit Card 
•  Pre-Paid Phone Cards ( during 
• Miscellaneous 
•  Bag or Bags to put 72 hour kit items in (such as duffel bags or hiking back packs, which work great)  (I am putting each persons items in gallon size zip-lock bags to keep them from getting wet and keeping them dry . Items such as clothing,  books, legal docs ect.)
•  Infant Needs (if applicable) 

72 Hour First Aid Kit

• Standard First Aid Kit Supplies* 
•  Container (metal, wood, or plastic) with a fitted cover to store first aid kit 
•  First Aid Booklet (including CPR) 
•  Prescribed Medications  (3 day supply)
•  Any critical medical family histories 
•  Adhesive 
•  Ammonia 
•  Bicarbonate of soda 
•  Calamine lotion (sunburn/insect bites) 
•  Diarrhea remedy 
•  Elastic bandages 
•  Gauze bandages 
•  Hot-water bottle 
•  Hydrogen peroxide 
•  Ipecac syrup (induces vomiting) 
•  Knife 
•  Matches 
•  Measuring cup 
•  Medicine dropper 
•  Needles 
•  Paper bags 
•  Razor blades 
•  Rubbing alcohol 
•  Safety pins 
•  Scissors 
•  Soap 
•  Thermometer 
•  Triangular bandages 
•  Tweezers 
•  Prescriptions 
•  Consecrated oil 
• Additional First Aid Kit Supplies 
•  Immunization records 
•  Medications for children (if applicable) 
•  Fever reducing medications such as: -aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen  
•  Allergy medication 
•  Antibacterial wipes 
•  Antibiotic ointment 
•  Antiseptic wipes 
•  Band-aids 
•  Burn ointment/spray 
•  Cotton balls 
•  Cough syrup/cough drops 
•  Disposable blanket 
•  Eye drops/eye wash 
•  Feminine Hygiene 
•  Gloves 
•  Hand sanitizer 
•  Hot and cold instant packs 
•  Hydrocortisone cream 
•  Lip ointment (chap stick) 
•  Medical tape (waterproof & regular) 
•  Nail clippers 
•  Needle and thread 
•  Snake bite kit 
•  Sterile strips 
•  Sunscreen/lotion 
•  Tourniquet kit 
•  Vaseline 
•  Water purification tablets

Ok so I now have a good list of what my family needs.  In order to afford all the new stuff I need I can start by looking at what I already have. Most of us have tuna , canned soup and other canned items. You can coupon for these items or buy one extra item each time you go to the store until you have your kit fully stocked.

If you nee to make purchase's on shovels, lighters, and other equipment you may want to yard sale or freecycle.org to find these items. 

I think the only things you might need to pay full price for would be the 1st aid items.  If you watch for sales and pick up things slowly over time you will be able to afford to get this together so much easier. 

I hope this helps anyone not ready for a disaster out with a basic plan. 

Remember in School you had fire drills? You would go to a designated meeting area so you knew everyone was accounted for. Well the next question is does your family have one of those in case of a disaster when you are not all together? 

In Utah yesterday, June 29th the Rose Canyon Fire started by the city of Hereman. People did not have time to grab even their 72 hour kits to get out of their homes. This was an extremely fast moving fire and it was on peoples door step's literally before they could get out. It started while people were at work and not home as well.  In this case if you are work and you come home to an evacuation order how are you going to find your family? Where is the meeting place? Who is going to pick up the children from daycare/school and where are you going to meet? This is a family plan every person in the home should know. IT should be practiced as well. That way in case this ever happens to you , you are ready and not wondering what did that plan say again?!

I suggest writing it down. Putting it under your visor in your car or in the glove box to keep it with you at all times.  This way you know exactly the plan with out needing to go home to remember. 

Ok, so I know this is a lot of stuff for such a short time. I think it is IMPORTANT for every family to be simply prepared. I don't have all the answers. And I am just starting my own journey in this arena. If you have suggestions please comment to help all the readers of this blog be better educated and better prepared. 

http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/first_aid_kit.htm is the link I got my 72 hour kit and 1st aid kit information from. You may want to search online for other ideas to be better prepared. 

Communication is the Key!

Once in a while life throws all of us curve balls. I think I have a few in the last week.
It is our jobs as adults to handle the curves with grace, compassion, and sustainability for the future. This week has been one of those weeks. Sustainability is my main goal. However, I am trying hard to use grace, compassion and tack to accomplish this hard task.

If I was honest with you and myself, I really want to scream out THIS ISN'T FAIR! WHY ME! WOE'S ME!
But knowing that is not the best tactic to tackles this particular situation I am using another tactic from my arsenal of self preservation. Kill them with Kindness.

Here is the situation I and my family is in in our Little House in Orem.

In the last 6 weeks I have blogged and posted we have got a cow for the food table next year. That plan has been interrupted, changed and damaged in all possible ways with one fail swoop. We are renting our little house. I would love to say we are purchasing this home one day. And this is the goal and plan. However, for the time being we are dealing with a landlord. This has been okay until the last 5 days or so.

Before we bought Cow, we spoke with our landlord about putting a cow in the pasture for the summer and winter. As we spoke he never once stated it could be a problem. Fast forward 3 weeks and 4 times of talking with him about the subject of the us getting a cow.
We have a brand new baby cow. We milk feed this cow for 5.5 weeks. Now it is time to put to pasture.
The same week she is ready for pasture their are horses put in the pasture. OK now the questions start.
We ask the landlord if he told the person who owns the horses that Cow would be put to pasture next week. Our landlord back tracks and says I will.
Three days later the women who owns the horses comes to water the horses. My husband tells her Cow is ready for pasture and we will be putting her in the next day.
The next day comes and we go to put Cow in the pasture and their are pad locks on the gates not allowing us to do this.
To frustrate this problem further when we call the land lord to ask for the key he tells my husband the pasture can not be used for our cow because the horse people lease it from him. (When we moved in the landlord did not specify that the pasture was not ours to rent. Remember we spoke of this with him 4 times before purchasing the calf. And when we did the walk through to rent this house he stated it included the pasture.)
Now their is a problem with this situation even further. I have a cow ready for pasture and no pasture to put her in. The horse people are using my water to water their horses. I am not happy about this situation. My husband exchanges words with the horse people because they are not taking care of the horses poop (and with the pad locks on the gates we can't either, Which we had been doing for them because I could not see these wild mares living in hoof deep waste and not having much room for feed due to that fact. My husband had been hauling out the horse manure as a favor to the horses.)Now they are putting the manure in the way of our irrigation water. Thus complicating things even more.

I am a God fearing women. I believe when asked God will present answers to difficult situations. I prayed on this situation. I got my answer. Though I really don't like it. But I know it is the right answer.

I put Cow up for sale. With in 5 hours she was sold. She leaves our home tonight. I am so sad yet happy she is going to someone who can give her the room she needs to roam and be a cow.

Now I must find the grace to move past this mishap with the horse people and landlord and try to be collected when I speak with them. This  is more difficult to do then I thought. I don't know my husband will be able to. He is so mad about the situation that he gets red in the face just thinking about it. Let alone talking about it. I get mad but I am trying to move past the anger. Letting go of anger has never been a strong suit for me. However, I know I must to move forward.

I am frustrated and yet sad at the same time. If find myself thinking this situation did not have to even happen. If your landlord would have just spoke up and said he leased the property to the horses and we could not use the pasture we would have never gotten Cow in the first place. We might have questioned him on why he said the pasture was ours. But the horse people would not have had to even be involved with the situation because we could have dealt with our land lord directly.

Communication is so very important in any situation you have. I am finding that honesty and openness is commodities I do not find  very often. As a result of this situation I am working hard on my own faults in communication area. I hope you can do the same in your life. The most wonderful thing about this is it is a skill. It can be practiced. Practice makes perfect.

Cat, Chicks, and Cows oh my!!!!

Well the last month has flown by me. I have not written here for a while and for that I apologize. This life of simplistic beauty has taken time, energy and effort that I have poured my heart and soul into.
I have had busy busy schedules for the last while and now summer is here it has only gotten busier.
On the up side I feel that living this kind of lifestyle is very very satisfying.

For starters Jimmy my oldest decied to build a fire pit for us to have campfires around. He dug it, and built it. It is just the right size.

All the brothers chipped in to help too. It has been a great fire pit and he did a wonderful job on it. Loving it.






The next thing we got was a few fun new animals on our farm. We have 11 chickens now and 1 cow and a cat.  The chickens give us farm fresh eggs. The cow is still a baby but will give us meat for the winter  months. The cat keeps all the other critters in line. He really is a true farm cat.

Cow and Kanyon

I will upload more pictures of the finished corral in the morning. However, this is what it started as. 

Then it turned in a wonder place for Chickens and Cow to hang out all day. 

Satisfying as animals are they are a lot of work. The chickens lay eggs each day and they get gathered. The cow needs to be feed both morning and night. And their hay needs to be changed every other day or so.  The old hay gets burned in our fire pit and spread onto our garden spot that Krik has put up for us. 

Today we planted 12 tomato plants. Tomorrow through this week we will put in 1 honey dew plant, 2 yellow squash plants, 4 cucumbers plants, 2 jalapeno pepper plants, 1 bannana pepper plant, 2 red pepper plants, 2 green pepper plants, and a hot mexican pepper plant. Seeds we will put in pumpkins, carrots, lettuce (2 different kinds), radishes, green beans, spinach, and then dill and parsley.  Thus my garden is complete. 

I will keep you all updated. 

NEWS FLASH! our little family on the farm will be growing by one coming this winter. Yep, I am pregnant and expecting (his, hers and ours) our 8th child.  As we move closer to the due date I will post more. 

My hubby has kindly asked me to add this last little bit. 

To all your husbands out their whose wives may think they want this satisfyingly simple life, it will kill a husband will all the honey do lists. :) 

I have no idea what he is talking about.  

Just an update

So it has been a few days and I am doing well enough. I can't seem to wait for spring to be here. I have planned so much this spring getting our new home ready to be simplified. I would love to down size the amout of boxes sitting in our mud room and garage. I am going through each box one by one and donating them, puting them away, or trashing them. It has been hard becuase sometimes I really want it but I know there is no reason to hand on to the 5th broken electric razor. Or the electrical cord that has been cut in half.I have a hard time letting go of stuff.
My husband on the other hand, if it is broken trash it. If we are not going to use it donated it. If you might needed and can articulate how keep it. AHHh enough to drive me crazy.


This weekend I am hoping to finish getting my house somewhat put together with the hubby and boys. I want to hang pictures, and make it feel like a real home. Now I have absolutely no decorating talent at all but it will reflect my style. (if you have seen my style you should be scared!)


Sometimes I think just having things accomplished (even if it is just one thing) make you feel good.
Accomplishments make everyone feel as though they are worth something. I know my accomplishments are minor vs others but that is the great thing about accomplishments. They are ours. We own them. No one can take them away from us, no matter how hard they try. We have done them. We put our time, sweat, tears and fears into something that worked out. We can live with them or learn from them and move forward. 

My Accomplishments this week have been many, I was to work on time each day, I was to work everyday, I said I love you to my children each day, I said I love you to my husband each day. These accomplishments are just a few of what has been happening this week.

What grand accomplishments have you had this week?

Using all your resources

So as I sit here wondering what great thing to write about today I start to think I need to keep writing this blog for me. I hope it helps everyone else out there in the world. But even if it don't it really is helping me. I must live my this simple life I created for myself.

Live on with in a budget.
Live by my conviction that simple is better.
Live with my decision to create a great live style for myself and family.

With the wedding I lived with the KISS rule. I lived with in my budget. I did not stray out of that realm of things. I was able to because I was able to settle for non-perfection.
I was able to think outside the box. I was able to have a party!

In real life I live this same way.

I think outside of the proverbial box. I try to keep it simple stupid and when problems arise I find myself asking how do I fix this. If there is a way I would fix it before buying new.
However, in the last few months I have have to admit to myself and everyone else this car breaking down thing really threw me.

I found myself saying I need a new car!!!!! I don't care how much, what the cost and I need it NOW!
That was in December after the van left me for the 5th time.
As I wrote before it left us with a broken water pump and radiator. After fixing those things we found the head gasket and thermostat and timing housing cover all had problems. I could not get to go more then 10 miles then it would overheat. I rode the bus and took rides to get to and from work. I think God was testing me to see if I would really go against my principles and lifestyle and go into debt with out thinking about it to get transportation.
I did not!!!!
With the help of my supportive husband I waited out the storm. I used my brain power and kept a cool head. I test drove many cars. I walked away from the lot three times before I found the one I actually thought would do for your needs. My husband told me that we would not buy anything with out sleeping on it. Then it happened. I went to the lot and was going to buy a Jetta. I was going to put down money and get a loan for the rest. The loan would have been at 25% interest due to my lack of credit. I did not care. I was ready to sign papers. Krik told me right then and there "Come on we are going home." OK but why? I was able to make the payments what was his problem. I was tired of looking and waiting for a car. The van was completely broken. It was in the shop and we had rode the bus to the car lot! We are going to pay cash for the car we get. I had agreed to this before even going and looking. I went to work the next morning discouraged. I had test drove so many cars. All with in our price range I needed to be happy with one of them. Krik was pressing me the whole night for which one under our price range I liked best. I deiced it was a toss up between waiting for a Jetta in our range or the Kia Sportage. It was fun little crossover. It would give me great gas mileage and I would be able to drive it in the snow easily.

Well when I got home on Tuesday night I was told I needed to go up the auto dealership and look at a car with him. As we pulled on the lot the Kia had been moved to the detailing area and the stickers were removed. I felt very sick. I knew it had been sold. I did not see another Jetta on the lot so I figured it was not either of my first two picks. I could settle for anything at this point.
Surprise!!!

Yes I got a "new" used car on Tuesday. But I did not go into debt to get it and it is fully paid off.
My hubby paid cash for it. It was the 2002 Kia Sportage. He bought it and I had to sign for it. Tell them where to send the title (which actually sounds very good to me) and then I got to drive it off the lot. I like it a lot.
I am glad I waited. I was able to get a car that I like with out a payment or going into debt! This felt so good. Better then I thought it would actually.

I hope what ever your going through out there you can learn to discipline yourselves like my hubby has. I am learning how to be disciplined and I see now that it can really pay off.

Planes, Trains, and Public Transportation?

Today I would like to write about transportation. If you are lucky enough to have a car take good care of it. Get it in for regular maintenance. If you can pay cash for it. A car payment if necessary, can drain a budget very very fast. 

If you are like my family we only have 1 car. when it stops working it kind of puts one into panic. I have had adventure after adventure with this prospect. 

First the water pump and radiator went out. This caused the car to overheat while I was getting it to the shop. I paid for that to be fixed with my savings. Then it was still leaking. The shop told me the head gaskets had warped as a result of the overheating. This fix cost more then I had to fix it. So I babied it until it  basically died.

As a result of this I have been left on the side of the freeway, in Park and rides and even at my Grandmothers door step. 

After careful consideration I decided it was time to find alternate transportation. 

I started by asking for rides. I hated to impose on anyone but my father worked in the same direction as I needed to go 2 days a week. 

I woke up early and he picked me up and took me to work and brought me home. This was working well until there was a day when he was unable to pick me up. 

I researched my other option. Public transportation. Utah is not the greatest at this but I can say it is not as bad as I anticipated. 

I was lucky enough to have a bus stop 1 mile from my home. It cost 2.25 to ride all the way to Draper City from Orem. The only hitch in the plan was the 4.5 mile walk to my work from the nearest bus stop. I had a very nice friend that lived in Draper that picked me up and took me to work. I had a friend from work drop me off at the stop after work. I then got to ride the bus home again. This was the first time I have ever had the chance to ride the bus. It was not as I expected. I found more people rode the bus then I had expected. I also found it to be cheaper then I planned. The people that rode the bus ranged in age from 80 to 18. They came from all walk's of life. Students, Business people, and common workers. I don't know what I expected but being the people watcher that I am I found all kinds of things to watch. There was a student who needed help with breaking a 5 dollar bill in order to ride. I helped out with quarters. There was a father and little girl who was riding from Draper to Utah County and he was great at keeping her entertained quietly. There was a women that appeared to be around 80 she sat very quite and waited. There was a man who got on and took the last available seat. As we came to the next stop their was a young lady that boarded. This man gave me hope for humanity, as he stood up and gave his seat to this young women. It was very refreshing. 

My husband came to the rescue with a magic can of liquid aluminum and it has temporarily fixed the problem until the doctor gives him the go ahead to work on cars again. This will get me to and from work at least for the short term. 

We are looking at paying cash for a second car. This way we do not break our fragile budget and we can still get around with ease. 

Public Transportation is very easy and good to use. However, I deiced my favorite means of transpiration is by Automobile. 

Happy New Year!

I would like to take this time to reflect on the last year and all the blessing that have brought me to find this satisfying simple life.

I started this year not understanding the need for this satisfying simple change in my life. I spent more money then I made. I worked 40 hours a week and could not pay all my bills. To top all this off I was still in the middle of a divorce that had lasted since 2003.

 My bills piled up faster than I could pay them and I was threatened with garnishments if I did not find a way to pay them. I was ready to give up on everything. I went to my ecclesiastical leader (Bishop of the LDS Church) and I asked for a bit of help in the finance department. I explained to him I have been looking for a job closer to home since 2009. I have a job. I pay most of my bills they just add up to more then I make.

Prayer and Meditation can be a life changing thing. In my case it has been small steady steps in a way different directions then what I thought it would be.  I wanted a new job more then I could speak. I was praying for a new job. I needed more money! I needed a job closer to home! If you speak on long suffering I felt I was living it.  In 2009 I graduated with my Associate’s Degree from Provo College in Criminal Justice. Like most people at this time, I found it hard to find a job. I was blessed with a job but one that I felt I was grossly under paid for. Two years I have applied for every job that was in my field. I have gone on more then 40 + job interviews. Each time I was sent a letter stating they loved that I applied but they offered the job to someone else. That was until spring of this year. I started to think maybe I was looking at this whole situation wrong.
In May of 2010 I knelt down to pray one night. I got this overwhelming feeling of peace. I knew the Lord was ready and willing to help me all I had to do was ask for it. "Dear Lord, I want to be content with what I have. I want the things we have to be enough for us. For the boys to get what they need and for me to feel like I am providing great things for them. I want to feel satisfied with everything I have. I don't want more then my fair share. What I want is peace with what I have. Please make it so we are okay financially. So I can provide for the family without begging any longer. Please take away my feelings of guilt. I am still going apply for jobs. I am still going to go on job interviews. IF you want me to have that job please provide it for me. If not I understand there is a bigger picture for me. I put all my trust in your hands and I leave it to your will to help us get through this very very tough time. Amen."

As I fell asleep that night I thought what did I just do? Why didn't you ask for the job you just interviewed for? Why would you just ask for contentment? Silly girl the Lord will never answer such a silly prayer. Why did you waste such a golden opportunity? I fell asleep.

The next morning I woke and felt better than I had in a very very long time. I was not overwhelmed with the daily chores. I was able to get to work on time this particular morning. The kids almost seemed well behaved. At work I played music and started to sing along with it was I worked. The day went by fast and I felt refreshed in a job well done. I got a call from my long time sweetheart, Krik that night. We talked about starting a garden in Mapleton.
I had just started doing Bountiful Baskets on Saturdays at my home. This brought in fresh fruits and veggies each week for us because I opened my home up to it. I would always have food in the house for as long as I was doing this.

Krik and I, talked about how to be self sufficient and how I could start. Canning food was a great way to start. I could make homemade gifts, I could learn how to sew, and I started my garden these were just a few things that jumpstarted me into this great adventure. Then I feel off the wagon. That is when I decided if I write about it, I could stay on the straight and narrow. I started this blog. I called it the Satisfying Simple Life because that is what I wanted. A life that was simple and satisfying.  
I needed the right attitude to achieve this goal. I needed to be taught how to stretch a dime into a dollar. I was on the right path and I knew it. I was cooking at home. I had stopped eating out every night. I was working hard to keep up on the house work and find contentment in my life. I started couponing and making my money work for me instead of working for my money. This change has taken time, organization, and patience. Especially Patience!

The next big change came when Krik and I got married in Oct of this year. I had to make this wedding nice yet simple and cheap. I achieved this by making items for it myself, setting up jobs to work off deposits, finding students who needed internships, and a much more.

Then came combing the household under one roof.  We found a house in Orem. To say the least I was not sure about moving out of my beloved Mapleton. I was not sure I could handle this move with all the changes this last year. However over the last two and half months the boys have adjusted very very well. They love this new house. They are doing chores and working as hard as they play. Because of this move I have cut 1/2 my drive time. I am home in time for dinner most nights now. For the last few years Krik and I have struggled because we were in two separate households. Because of us combining our life and homes we are able to save money.

     

In Nov just before our move Krik had a heart attack and had a triple bypass. I have taken a lot of time off due to his illness. I with a cheerful disposition took care of my beloved husband. While off work my van broke down and again we have money issues due to the fact of repairs. But the Lord blessed us with such great blessings we had the money saved for it (the exact amount of the repair to say the least). I must reassert my thoughts again though. I thought badly when the van broke down because that money was supposed to go on my family for Christmas. Why on earth would it break down right now? I went back to my I need a new job mode. I am reading the good books again and I am praying for contentment in my time. I started immediately feeling the love that the Lord has for me and the family.
Now Krik is starting heal I am back at work. I am feeling a bit guilty about leaving him home all alone with the boys.
I know the Lord has blessed our family this year. Does it make it any less hard, no! However, I have been given the tools and skills so I can manage with whatever life throws our way. My family is my strength. We as a family can overcome anything. I know this to be true.
I want to leave you with what I have learned this year. My life is 95% attitude and 5% hard work. With a positive attitude you can do anything and achieve greatness.

Happy New Year! Hope your resolutions are as great as you are.

Satisfying Simple Homemade Gifts!

Well you all asked for it. I have satifying and simple homemade gifts that you can make with in hours instead of days for your friends and family for christmas. I know this out very late in the season. Next year I will be more prepared. I have many many more gift ideas and I will get this site ready and better for next year. But for now here are some great gifts for all those on your list.

These are great gifts for those teens and tweens on your list. Great for both girls and boys!

Bath Bombs / Bath Fizzies

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons citric acid (you can get this at a pharmacy)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or any other emollient oil like almond, avocado or
apricot kernel oil)
1/4 teaspoon fragrance oil
3-6 drops of food coloring (if desired)
Paper candy cups

Directions:

Place all of the dry ingredients (first 3) into a bowl and mix well.

Place coconut oil into a small glass bowl and add fragrance and food coloring.

Slowly add oil mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Scoop up small amounts of the mixture and shape into 1" balls.

Let the balls rest on a sheet of waxed paper for about 2 to 3 hours, then place each ball into a candy cup to let dry and harden for 24 to 48 hours.

Store bombs in a closed, air-tight container. To use, drop 1 to 3 bombs into warm bath water.

Polar Fleece Scarf

Directions:

Purchase a 1/4 of a yard to make polar fleece in the fabric department of your local discount store.

Cut up the ends about 2-3 inches up vertically and about 2 inches wide on your sections you cut then just knot each ones end for a fun look.

These gifts are great for everyone on your list. Please enjoy them.


Homemade Bath Salts

Supplies:

1 cup Epsom salts
Measuring cup
2 jars with lids
2 colored of liquid food color
1 pretty 8 oz. jar
A few drops of your favorite perfume
1/2 yard of ribbon, 1/2" to 1" wide

Directions:

1. To make these good smelling bath salts, first measure 1/2 cup of Epsom salt into each jar with a lid.

2. Add 15 drops of food colour to each jar, one colour per jar and put on the lids. Shake the jars until the Epsom salts are dyed evenly.

3.If you want your colours to be darker, add more food colour and shake again. Take off the lids and let the salts dry overnight.

4. Now, make sure your pretty jar is all clean and dry. Then pour the dyed bath salts into the jar, alternating colours (you may want to get colours that go together well).

5. Add a couple of drops of perfume to the bath salts, put on the lid and tie the jar with your pretty ribbon.

Homemade Refrigerator Magnets.

Custom magnets are fun and easy to make. The local craft store (your new best friend when making gifts yourself) will have all the supplies you'll need: magnets, and clear or lightly colored flat circular glass stones. When you get the glass stones home step one is to customize them. You can do this by gluing a photo or scrap of pretty paper with fun designs on it to the flat side. With the stone customized and glue dried attach the magnet to the bottom. The persons most likely to enjoy these are grandparents (use photo of grandkids), tween or teen age girls (use photos of friends, hunky movie stars or funky designs).

Simmering Potpourri

Supplies:

1 oz. can cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
1 (1.12 oz.) can whole cloves
1 (1.25 oz.) can whole allspice

Directions:Combine all ingredients. Place 1 heaping teaspoon and 1/2 cup of water in simmer pot and heat.

Recycled Desk Set Craft

Recycled Desk Set

Materials Needed:

·         A variety of Household Containers such as Tea Bag Boxes, Cereal Boxes, Frozen Juice Containers

·         Wrapping paper

·         Glue

·         Scissors

Instructions:
First, make certain that the containers are empty and clean. Then decide what household containers would work best for your office supplies. For example, a frozen juice can would make a good pen and pencil holder. A cereal box is the perfect size for holding papers. Smaller boxes, such as a box from tea bags, are good for holding paper clips and other smaller office supplies.

To decorate, place the containers on the wrapping paper. Cut enough wrapping paper to cover the container. Leave enough extra paper to tuck in or fold over the edges into the container. Carefully glue the paper to the container.

Allow plenty of time for the glue to dry before using your new desk organizers.

How to Make a Grocery Bag Holder Out of a Dish Towel

Plastic Grocery Bag Holder Craft

Materials Needed:

·         1 Kitchen Hand Towel (Approximately 16" x 28")

·         1/2" Thick Elastic

·         Ribbon (The Color Should Match the Towel)

·         Scissors

·         Straight Pins

·         Needle and Thread or Sewing Machine

Instructions:
Cut two pieces of elastic, 7" long. Cut a piece of elastic about 5" long.

Lay the hand towel, design side down on your work surface. Start out by pinning one end of a piece of elastic about a 1/2" from one of the short side of the towel and flush with the long side of the towel. Pin the other end of the elastic directly across from the first end, again, about a 1/2" from the short side and flush with the long side of the towel. You have pinned it correctly if you stretch out the elastic and it is a straight line across the edge of the towel. Pin the other piece of elastic in the same fashion on the other end of the towel.

To sew, Stretch the elastic so it lays flat and stitch along the center of the elastic. Sew both sides. Both of the ends of your towel should now gather in as the elastic relaxes.

Fold your towel in half, right sides together, and sew along the long edge to form a tube, leaving about a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Fold the ribbon in half to make a loop. Tack this onto one end of the bag, near the sewn theme, to act as a hanger. You can now hang it up and fill it with plastic bags! You can stuff bags into the top of your holder and pull them out through the bottom.

Recycled Almond Can Organizer Craft

Recycled Almond Can Organizer Craft

Sherri Osborn

Materials Needed:

·         Almond Can

·         Fabric or Fancy Paper

·         Ribbon

·         Decoupage Medium or White Glue

·         Paint Brush

·         Scissors

Instructions:
You can make an organizer using either fancy paper or fabric scraps. Cut or tear the paper or fabric into small pieces, about about 1" x 1". I made the bank pictured here by using scrap fabric and decoupage techniques.

Use decoupage medium to attach the fabric or paper to the entire can. Once the can is covered with fabric, cover it with a thin layer of decoupage medium. Let it dry completely and then cover with another layer of decoupage medium.

Give the can plenty of time to dry. Once dry, cut a piece of ribbon and tie it around the can as a finishing touch. You can also use other items to embellish your almond can organizer, such as buttons, charms, or stickers.

Simple Shaped Soap Bars

Simple Shaped Soap Bars

Materials:

·         Mild Bar of Soap (I prefer Ivory)

·         Warm water

·         Cookie cutters

Instructions:
Grate 1 cup of soap off the bar. Pour it in medium sized mixing bowl.

Start with 1/2 cut of warm water. Pour into the grated soap and knead to mix. Add more warm water, a little at a time, and continue to knead until all soap mixes in and it is the consistency of thick dough. If you want to make colored bars of soap that will be used for displaying only, experiment with mixing food coloring in with the water. If you want to color soap you can use, look for colorant at your craft store.

Once your water and soap is well blended, press mixture into cookies cutters. Set the cookie cutter on it's side so the soap dries on both sides, or flip it often. Put in a dry place to dry for about 24 hours. Gently pop your soap out of the cookie cutter.

More: Instead of using cookie cutters, you can make miniature bars of home-made soap by pressing your mixtures into ice cube trays. You can also roll them into balls.

For a simple gift, tie a ribbon around the home-made bars of soap, or fill a small gift basket!

Tin Can Luminary Craft

Tin Can Luminary Craft

Sherri Osborn

  Materials Needed:

·         Tin Can

·         Plain Paper

·         Pen or Pencil

·         Duct or Masking Tape

·         Nail

·         Hammer

Instructions:
You can use any size can for this project. Wash your can well, removing the label. Measure your can so you know how big of a design to draw. Fill your tin can with water, leaving about an inch of room from the top edge. Put the can of water into the freeze and leave until the water is frozen solid. The luminary will be made by tapping holes into the sides of the can with a hammer and nail, by freezing water in the can it helps the can to keep it's shape with the nail is pounded into it.

While your can is freezing you can plan your design on paper. Using the measurements you took, cut a piece of paper that would fit around your can. Draw out a design on the paper. If you prefer, you can also make up a design as you go.

Once the water in your can is frozen, you are ready to make your luminary. If you drew out a design, tape it around the can. Use the hammer and nail to tape holes into the can and ice. Follow the lines of your design, making sure to leave space between the holes. When your design is complete, remove your pattern and let the ice melt.

Make sure the can is dry. Place a candle into the can and light it. Step back and look at the wonderful design! These tin can luminaries can be used for any special occasion simply by choosing a suitable design. Make them for holidays, birthday parties, graduation, parties, and more.

Dust Pan Cookies

Posted by Cynthia Ewer on August 30, 2010

A sweet and simple gift celebrating friendship, Dust Pan Cookies are easy to make and give.

A free printable gift tag makes it easy to create this "just because" craft.

To make Dustpan Cookies, bake or buy your favorite cookies. Break a few of them, and crush one or two to create cookie crumbs.

Place the cookies and crumbs in a new dustpan, and wrap with clear food storage wrap.

Hint: a few pieces of strategically-placed cellophane tape stretches the food storage wrap to the back to create an attractive gift.

Attach our free printable Dust Pan Cookies gift tag, or create your own tag with this poem:

Please note I and my family wish all of you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MERRY CHRISTMAS! This wonderful time of year is not one that we should stress at it is one we should relish in the small and great givings of family and friends.