Chicken Scratch n Sniff

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 25: I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2013-05-12T22:21:00.003-06:00

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 25: I Belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- Posters to use- can cut up and make into a puzzle.
Sharing Time: I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- Put the church together with these building blocks (you could even really use blocks).
Sharing Time: I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints- A mini booklet to put together.
The Church of Jesus Christ Was Organized- Cut out and put on a Roller TV box to tell the story or try printing the pictures out in coloring book format.
Church of Jesus Christ- Teaching resources.

Not much to find here so if you come across more, PLEASE share the link with us all! Thanks!

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 24: "I Will Follow the Prophet"

2013-05-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 24: "I Will Follow the Prophet"

Follow the Prophet- A hidden objects activity but if you can, print it out in coloring book format and you can color it or just use it as a visual....you could paste a picture of the child's head on one of the other children's.
Sharing Time: "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"- Make the house and use it in your lessons or make one for everyone (turn it into a necklace, glue on a piece of paper and add Easter grass, stickers, cotton balls, etc.)

"Follow the Prophet"- Mini booklet for the song or cut and paste (my kiddos love gluing).
Sharing Time: Follow the Prophet- Prophets from the scriptures- make into puppets, or cut out and have them glue it and make a scene with other stickers or materials. Can also use puppets during the song, "Follow the Prophet" or play Follow the Leader with them. Other ideas below puppets.
Poster: Follow the Prophet- Use the little pictures and make a collage.
"Follow the Prophet"- Different cue cards for the song, make up your own verse too. Could put these in a slider with a window.
I Will Follow the Prophet- Poem with picture.
Heed the Prophets- Follow What They Say- Picture of President Monson to print for the kids to take home.
Follow the Prophet- Coloring page of Joseph Smith
Sharing Time: The Prophet Speaks for Heavenly Father- A prophet mobile to put together- do it in class or make for the lesson. Or just use the pictures for another project- glue pictures back to back on yarn to make a belt or sash.
Follow the Prophet- Retell the story of Enoch with these coloring page puppets- make them finger puppets.
Sharing Time: Obedience Brings Blessings- Picture framed coloring pages- follow activity directions or read more below the picture.
Sharing Time: The Prophet Will Tell Us- Cut out the Noah's arc pictures and glue to make a scene- get blue Saran wrap to make the water and cotton balls for the clouds.

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 23: I Love the Scriptures

2013-05-12T21:13:00.002-06:00

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 23: I Love the Scriptures

"When I Read the Scriptures"- a poem to read out loud- can make up simple hand actions
Sharing Time: The Scriptures- Use these flowers and glue pictures of scripture stories to them (or cut out trains, cars, animals, etc). Glue the flowers on paper or attach pipe cleaners and make a bouquet. More ideas below the flowers.

Search the Scriptures- A fun find the hidden objects pictures but can use as just a coloring picture.
I Can Gain a Testimony by Searching the Scriptures- another coloring page but a girl this time.
Sharing Time: Search the Scriptures- Color and make the bookmark- its something different anyway...you can tell them to use it when they read scriptures as a family.
Studying the Scriptures- This would be for an FHE with older kids- crack the code
Sharing Time: Search the Scriptures- Use as a coloring page for for FHE as a reading chart.
"The Scriptures Say" or "The Scriptures Can Lead Me to Jesus"- A song to sing
Sharing Time: The Words of Christ- Do activity as is or use the scripture cut outs to make a fun necklace or bracelet- punch holes, string on yarn, even use fruit loops or straws for in between.
Sharing Time: Comfort and Courage from the Scriptures- A David and Goliath Dot-to-dot but could just color and more activity ideas below.
Ways to Study the Scriptures- Make these 4 steps into a mini booklet or glue onto a wheel that spins (or even one with a window and just have them color the pictures).
Sharing Time: I Feel Reverent when I Read the Scriptures- Use as coloring page or make a mini booklet with other pictures mentioned here or draw your own. Bring stickers for them to decorate the blank pages if you want.
The Power I Get Each Time I Read- I put this one in just because I love the song, Scripture Power but the bookmark can be fun then you can just give them stickers to put over the boxes for fun.
Scriptures- This is something that I just became aware of- the teaching resources section from Resource for Teaching Children. You can search by topic and while it doesn't contain everything and has things for different ages, it does include all the songs and some good activities so check it out!
Reading the Scriptures- Coloring Page
Sharing Time: The Scriptures Show the Way- Make scripture puppets! Tell the scripture story using the puppets (glue on a stick or straw) then let the kids take one home or make a few for all.
Scripture Stories- If you have some way to bring the Internet to the classroom, you could play some scripture stories for a bit or while they color.

Have fun!

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 10: “Come into the Temples”

2013-05-12T20:30:00.001-06:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 10: “Come into the Temples”

Remember if you are looking for media or additional scripture references, you can now find them on the sidebars of the online lessons so check there if you are doing a lesson. For more study helps here's some additional ideas.

LDS Temples- This is an entire web page about temples from the latest temples announced and dedications to articles about temples. Great place to start!

"The Great Symbol of Our Membership" by President Howard W. Hunter (then Prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)- If we use the temple as a symbol in our lives our course will be clear and our standards obvious.
"The Holy Temple" by President Boyd K. Packer (President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles)- Goes into further depth of many of the same topics in the lesson including the invitation to come to the temple.
"Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need" by Elder Richard G. Scott (of the 12)- I like this one just for the great tips of how to get more out of going to the temple but has other good things too.

Bzz Report on Lysol Touch of Foam Antibacterial Hand Wash

2013-05-07T23:44:00.001-06:00

Today I'm bzzing to tell you all about Lysol Touch of Foam Antibacterial Hand Wash. Gotta love these big, long, sophisticated names right? Why not just say soap? Well, because it doesn't actually tell you what it does.

The thing you'll probably enjoy the most about this soap is that its effective but keeps your hands feeling great. I wash my hands so many times a time that they are usually dry and cracking by the time night is here. This soap though has moisturizer enriched bubbles which leaves your hands feeling so soft. After a day of using just this soap, my hands felt better than they did that morning! Plus it has 10x more germ protection then the leading competitor! Best of both worlds.

If you look at the picture at the top, you'll see just how foamy this soap is. Why is that a big deal? The soap stays where you put it. This is especially great for kids or for you if you are doing the one hand pump. I don't know where you are in life, but I find I'm often doing things with one hand at a time since my other arm is full... Not having to chase soap, is great. My kids just think foam soap is a toy which gets them to wash their hands longer. Check out the picture below to see that I'm completely serious. I have my hand upside down for well over a minute just so I could take this picture perfectly for you and it still stays put!

Another favorite feature of mine? The bottle. Seriously, the bottle has antimicrobial properties which means it resists odor causing bacteria and protects the pump. This reason may be my favorite benefit. Its just puts my mind more at ease, right?

Something that I didn't think I would like, the smell. When I opened my BzzAgent box (I was given this product for free to try), I was actually sad that they sent me something scented. I'm someone who buys fragrance free whenever possible. I don't like pretend smelly things. However, I'm enjoying Creamy Vanilla Orchid quite a bit. It also comes in Rose & Cherry in Bloom as well as Wild Berry Bliss.

Here's another cool thing about the bottle- enter your own designed bottle label by using their app on Facebook and see if you win the contest- a trip to NYC during Fashion Week and a fashion spree.

Plus check out Lysol's neat site on their Mission for Health. Its full of ideas, information, and ways to teach your kids about why its so important to clean their hands. Check their Healthy Habits Lessons under the School link and try out the Soap Sculptures.

The one thing I don't like? The price. I went to Walmart and compared it to the next best thing which happened to be Dial's foam soap and there is a whole $1 difference in price. That's kind of a big deal when we are talking soap. However, Lysol does offer more than Dial can so that's something to take into consideration. It has 10x more germ protection and the bottle! The bottle! So I think I'd buy it if I planned the splurge or stock up if it went on sale.
In any case, give it a try and tell me what you think!!

Hot Hot Deal

2013-04-29T13:20:00.001-06:00

You all know I only post deal things when I'm super excited about them! So here's one that I just had to share!
Currently, Voler.com is offering some great rewards for shopping with them. They are a cycling site which looks great. You can $25 in free credit right now!!! What?!? Read on...

1. Use my referral link for $10 . You'll see an account log in button that you can use to make your own account.

2. When you are done with that you'll see a "Success" message saying you got $10. Make sure you filled out all the forms (address, etc) then hit the "Claim my Rewards" button.

3. Then go here and fill out the form to claim your $15 reward credit. You just need to fill out the Campaign Code 04714-8705 in the box (make sure there are no spaces before or after or you'll get an error)- you don't need a certificate number. Voila! $25 total.

4. When shopping, make sure you spend at least $21.50 so that after discounts (use SAVE04 for 15% off) and with shipping you use your $25 credit (you have to spend at least $25 dollars to use it).

Not into cycling? Use it for a water bottle and a cool key chain or something neat.

Have fun!

FYI: If you love great deals, check out Hip2Save for great deals like the one above- she keeps you in the know!

American Girl of the Month Club #3

2013-04-14T20:56:00.000-06:00

This month, I also wanted to do something bigger for my daughter since I did the last two last minute. So I went to Borders and bought a mystery American Girl book, "Shadows on Society's Hill". This one was the doll, Addy. She was involved in slavery which my daughter was learning about and quite upset about it all. It was good for her to read this book. I also printed out the corresponding activities for her to do. She seems to really enjoy doing those. I didn't take a picture- forgot! Sorry but here's the book I bought- you can find it on Amazon. These books cost $5-7.

Princess of the Month #3

2013-04-14T20:45:00.002-06:00

Santa was ready to do something bigger this month since he'd done two relatively smaller ones. So he had found a small jewelry box (maybe on clearance at Target) and some princess rings, necklaces, and bracelets (on clearance at Claire's) and some Princess lip gloss in a Cinderella shoe (at Claire's on clearance). Santa put everything inside the jewelry box with a note about how Princess always brush their hair (a not so favorite activity), brush their teeth, wash their face, etc. Santa tried to focus on some things that needed to be reinforced but also things that she could be applauded on. He topped the box off with a brand new crown (also clearance at Claire's- they have some amazing clearance stuff sometimes). She LOVED everything and has worn something from that box everyday. Santa told her that the jewelry box was great for taking on vacations too.

Happy Birthday Princess Party!

2013-04-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

Having 3 girls, I've done a few princess parties, including this Princess so I needed something new! Hopefully, these ideas will be new ones for you to enjoy as well! This is for a 5 year old but many of these games would work for older and younger... just make more or less difficult. Also this was a BOY AND GIRL party. We invited everyone to dress up however they liked but it wasn't mandatory. We had fireman and dinosaurs as well as princesses.

First, you should know, I'm big into everybody helps out-especially the birthday person. I've been doing it that way for at least 8 years and its been great. My oldest is now a fabulous party planner herself. Besides, everyone loves being apart of the fun. Here's a picture of two of the non birthday people helping make the wheels for our pumpkin carriage.

You should also know, that I love to plan big but am okay with doing the basics when needed so ideally I would have made this more rounded on top by attaching some extra cardboard then spray paint the whole thing and do the door different but sometimes you don't have time and its okay- its still super fun. Plus when you do make everyone get involved, its going to turn out slightly different. Once the green vine wheels were dried, I used some glitter glue to make swirls which made the wheels fun. We attached them with brads so they would spin too. These boxes I got from Lowe's (Home Depot doesn't do it). Just call ahead and be ready to wait a couple of days if needed. These are 2 stove boxes that worked great. We glittered around the doors and windows and made a steering wheel for the inside. The carriage worked great for the beginning and end when you can't really have a super organized activity since people are coming and going. Such a hit and we continued to use it for at least 2 weeks after. I lost my patience after that- it takes up so much room! I wanted to let their imaginations go as long as possible though. And if you are wondering what that painted doll hanging from the carriage is- its the Fairy Godmother (it was a gift- I love that she could paint it as did she). I also put a Cinderella pumpkin outside the carriage with the number 5 on it for her birthday to tie it all in (this is the same white pumpkin that I used in November for my daughter's baptism- we just wiped off the 8- we actually just threw it way. It was still good but we were done with it!).

I have to apologize. I fully intended to get more pictures but I just didn't. I was a party host instead. So you'll have to bear with me in the descriptions. My oldest here is showing some of a game we did. I'm sure you are all familiar with it but this is the first time I did it at a birthday party and with cookies. Cookies on a String- Its the game where you tie a string to a cookie (or usually doughnut) and the first one to get the cookie off wins. Just bake the cookies (we found Princess ones- they come out at Valentine's Day so you can grab some and freeze them if you want) with a hole punched far enough in the cookie then repoke it right when the cookies come out (I used a chopped stick for this). We ended up using masking tape to hold the cookie strings on the ceiling. We had 2 groups go so everyone could have a chance at watching too. It was super fun- most of these 5 year olds had never seen it before so it was pretty cool. I gave out Princess Valentine candy to the winners since the holiday had just past and it kind of worked perfectly- love, Princesses.

We also played a game called Find the Glass Slipper. I made a throne chair (basically a pillowcase over the back of a fold up chair and sparkly thread wrapped up and down the legs as well as a crown taped to the top) that Cinderella sat in (the birthday girl of course). Previously, I had gathered up a bunch of shoes that may be the right one for Cinderella. I put out one of each pair into a big pile and kept the right match behind Cinderella. Everyone picked one shoe from the pile and tried it on Cinderella's foot. If it was wrong, we'd say something like, "That one is too small." It was super fun. The right one happened to be a sandal with silver sparkles and gems all over it. It was tricky though because we put some shoes in that looked similar to what she would wear but it was her sister's bigger shoes instead (like a sparkly boot). Her crush actually got the right one so it was a pretty cute moment. I tried to let kids go in an order where everyone got a chance and the winner was last. If their shoe didn't work though we put it in a throw away pile and you could go pick a new one.

Don't Wake the Monster- was a great game. If you have someone willing to be a great monster or dragon that kidnapped the princess it's a lot of fun. I made an obstacle course in our living room with paper coming down from the ceiling, a slide blocking the way, bubble wrap all over the floor, and other fun things that would make noise but also make getting there more difficult. My husband was kind enough to be the sleeping monster (he's was great!). The rules are to try to get out of the cave without waking the monster. So for us that meant getting on to the fireplace. The monster woke several times and chased them to the back of the cave. After a few good scares, everyone made it out alive.

I usually have a craft but kind of forgot and with the carriage there for the beginning, we didn't really need it. If you want though, I was thinking of doing wooden spoon puppets. You can get a whole bunch at the dollar store and grab some yarn and scrap fabric to make a prince or princess to take home. They could even put on a puppet show through the carriage later.

Princess, Princess, Frog- So its Duck, Duck, Goose but when you get the Frog instead of running you have to hop like a frog. I'll always make sure everyone gets a turn because for whatever reason the same people always get chosen.

Hullabaloo-This is a game that you can buy done by Cranium. We found it at a garage sale years ago and absolutely love it. We told everyone it was about learning how to dance at a princess ball because you have to listen to the directions and go to the mats on the floor that it says. Its fun because lots of people can win at once and they have you do silly things. It was great way to start the party once everyone was there.

Freeze Dance- When it was time for the ball, we danced very properly to beautiful music. When the music paused, your froze. If everyone dance really well, they would unlock a surprise which was throwing bags full of balloons on top of them which always makes for more fun.


Cake time! (I blocked out her name) I always end up doing the cake at midnight so my mind isn't fully functional but I think it turned out okay. She wanted a carriage, and a horse, and a castle so the horse drawn carriage is going to the castle. I used Rice Krispies Treats for the objects. The horse has rainbow peel apart licorice hair. The towers are ice cream cones. It was fun but I should have made the castle smaller. I put the castle cake on a tall vase so the horse had to go up hill. The candles lined the path to the castle. The real reason I was decorating the cake at midnight was because I tried the polka dot cake. It took a long time but was really fun. You just color the cake batter different colors then bake it in a small muffin tin (a little undercooked is better but formed). Then you put the mini cupcakes in the cake pan and surround with white batter and bake! Be careful about the amount you add though so it won't overflow. It was a lot of fun to look at. Since I don't eat cake though, I have no idea how it tastes except that everyone ate it.

For party favors, I bought Cinderella Valentines that came with Cinderella pencils. I taped those on to chocolate Easter Bunnies that I got at Target. These bunnies looked like real pet bunnies in a little cage and since every princess loves animals and is a friend to them I figured it worked. I think we also had some silly bands that we wrapped around and mini bubbles.

Note- This is the order of the games that we did. I tried to mix up more active games with less active ones to give everyone breaks but also let their sillies out. We saved Princess, Princess, Frog for the end because if people need to leave, its not really that big of a deal...the game can keep going. Hullabaloo was at the beginning because it gets people interacting (even the shier ones) without having to talk much. The energy took off from there.

Princess of the Month #2

2013-04-14T19:28:00.001-06:00

I have been loving Princess of the Month. The look and pure excitement and feeling of being so special is absolutely worth it. I will say if you have everything all done, its even better because all you have to do is sneak it into a fun spot of the house where she will find it and magic happens!

February is a big month for my Princess because its her birthday and there is Valentine's Day which we definitely celebrate in style. That means Santa brought something extra for those occasions- 1st a small box of Valentine candy (Russell Stover's had one that even said "Princess" on it), then something extra for her birthday. Santa decided on Princess sprinkles and a Happy Birthday balloon. We totally covered the cake in all kinds of fun sprinkles. He happened to find a multi-pack version so there were Snow White apples, Cinderella slippers, Princess pearls, and Sleeping Beauty crowns. So fun right? He may have found them in our local grocery store if you are looking as well. I love how Santa helps out like that. The real part of her Princess of the Month present was a pack of princess stickers and a note on sharing. He gave enough sticker sheets for her to share with her siblings. How thoughtful. There was also an Official Princess Card and super cool looking Princess Happy Birthday card with the message about sharing. You just might be able to find something similar here.

Everyone loved making a Princess scene (even the boys) and we had another picture for her wall (her bedside wall is covered in princess pictures).

Check out the super fun Princess Birthday Party too!

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 9: Sacred Family Relationships

2013-04-14T19:01:00.001-06:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 9: Sacred Family Relationships

Hmmm....it looks like the church is posting more helps on the side bars of the lessons now. That's really nice. So if you are looking for a lesson- go there! This one has two videos- one about 10 minutes and one about 12. I don't know about you but I really like their videos. They do a great job and sometimes its the perfect thing that you need for a lesson or your own personal devotional. If you are looking for more insight to this topic, here are a few that I've come up with. As I've said before, if you find something that you think is great, PLEASE share with us as it will help us all. Thanks!

Home and Family- This is an entire web page that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has put up to help build strong families. It has all kinds of resources so its a great place to start.

The Importance of Family by Elder L. Tom Perry (Quorum of the 12 Apostles)- Have you noticed all the improvements LDS.org has undergone? The search page is completely different and when you open talks like these, they now include the video that goes with it if it was done at General Conference. I love it! It takes a little getting use to but its great. The videos played automatically for me so just be aware of that. This talk actually talks about the Home and Family web page and tells you what is on there and hits on a few keys of a strong family and the importance of a family.

"What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest" by Elder M. Russell Ballard (of the 12)- Given at the 10 year anniversary of the The Family: Proclamation to the World so points out some of the key parts of that as well as the importance of family (even mentions making the Proclamation like the Title of Liberty).

"Strengthening Families: Our Sacred Duty" by Elder Robert D. Hales (of the 12)- I like this because he gives long lists of things that we can do to strengthen our families.

This should be plenty! Love this topic especially at this time in our world. Its such an important topic. Happy studying!

Swagging

2013-04-12T09:41:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned this a long time ago but for those that may have missed it and want to know- this is how I don't really pay for diapers and wipes. With five kids I was determined to find a better way to save on those diapering essentials! I discovered Swagbucks. If you have never heard of it before, basically you earn points for activities that you do. I usually just stick to doing web searches that I would do anyway but sometimes I'll do the daily poll (1 point) or if I'm shopping online for something, I'll go through them too. Its 450 points for a $5 gift card to Amazon. There are plenty of other things to be rewarded with too but that's my favorite because I just upload them to Amazon as soon as I get them and use Subscribe and Save so I get the Amazon discount and voila! free or at least very cheap diapers and wipes. My husband and I both have an account and between the two of us usually amass points pretty well. I like doing more web searches on Fridays because they tend to give out more points (and higher values) that day. So if you need a great way to get gift cards, this works great! Amazon is great for things like toilet paper and even groceries so I think we'll stick with them even when all my kids are finally out of diapers! Happy Swagbucking!
P.S. I have used these guys for years so there is nothing to worry about. I've never had a problem.

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 22: "The Book of Mormon Teaches Me About Jesus Christ"

2013-04-07T22:57:00.001-06:00

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 22: "The Book of Mormon Teaches Me About Jesus Christ"

Children's Songbook Songs- Scroll to the bottom and you'll see all the songs that go with the topic "Book of Mormon" like "Nephi's Courage"
Book of Mormon Figurines- There are lots of ones that you can pick from but here are three: Abinadi and King Noah, Nephi Builds a Ship, Alma and Amulek Use them to tell a story from the Book of Mormon in the lesson; have the kids make them into puppets, hide them around the room and play "hide and seek" with them then tell a little big about them, etc.
Books of the Book of Mormon Word Search- for older kids obviously but great for helping learn them in a FHE activity.
Book of Mormon Coloring Chart- Could just color and talk about reading the Book of Mormon everyday and for older kids give them the challenge.
Scriptural Giants- A story with word pictures so you can teach them how to "read" it a little bit. Make it into a little booklet or into "Gold Plates" by using foil as the cover.
Book of Mormon Times and Today- Match modern pictures up with scripture pictures. Could also cut these pictures out and make something like a lei necklace- use straws and fruit loops with them.
Book of Mormon Animals- These animals can be found in the Book of Mormon (references are provided). Can use in the lesson.
Book of Mormon Feast- Another reading chart but fun to just color!

Gospel Principles Chapter 18: Faith in Jesus Christ

2013-04-07T22:17:00.000-06:00

Gospel Principles Chapter 18: Faith in Jesus Christ

Alrighty, it looks like the Church's website has done all these lessons with links to talks and videos now as well so I'm not going to add on which means, what is already done is done and I'm not doing more. The references they provide, however, are obviously great so you'll be fine!

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 8: “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart”

2013-04-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 8: “Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart”

Alright, let's see if I can do better on this one. Sorry about Chapter 5. If you find another article that you think is great PLEASE share it with us. It would be very helpful to us all. Thanks!

"The Transforming Power of Faith and Character" by Elder Richard G. Scott (Quorum of the 12 Apostles)- God uses your faith to mold your character which is a manifestation of what you are becoming (includes the video of his talk which is about 15 minutes long).

"Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart" by President James E. Faust (then in the First Presidency)- It has the same name of the lesson! At first though I didn't think it tied in so well because of the focus on covenants but read through it and you will find the connections.

"Don't Drop the Ball" by President Gordon B. Hinckley (then in the First Presidency)- Talks about how you can tell the character of a man by what he does when he stops working.

Bzzing about a GREAT Razor

2013-03-13T22:16:00.000-06:00

If you think the Schick Hydro Silk is just like any other razor, you are wrong! I totally love this razor. Here's why:

*New Handle shape- The way the razor connects to the handle is different then the rest. It really allows more flexible movement which means great close shaving on even the tricky spots (like my knees!)
*Water activated Moisturizing Strip- This is the best one I have ever seen (and its hypoallergenic). With some of those other razors the strips would either dry up after 2 uses or get really sticky and gross. This one doesn't do either. It continues to moisturize every time I use it. My husband happens to love that fact as do I. I've been using this razor for about a month.
*Curve Sensing Blades- Maybe I should have mentioned this one first. Each blade is individually supported which means its the real reason I get such a great shave on my knees and ankles. Seriously, my knees and ankles have never looked so good. This razor has 5 blades.

*Bonus hanger- My razor came with a hanger for the shower. This one is nice and simple and actually stays in place. Some of those other razors come with a cartridge hanging one that always fall off. This one is perfect. I have had no problems and I much rather hang my razor up then leave it on the shelf.

I'm sticking with this razor. Its great. I found it a Wal-Mart for $5.97 and it came with one refill- a great price. Want some other shaving tips? Check out these ones.

NOTE: I received this product for free as a BzzAgent. You can be one too.

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 7: Faithfulness in Times of Trial: “From the Shadows into the Glorious Sunshine”

2013-03-11T21:33:00.000-06:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 7: Faithfulness in Times of Trial: “From the Shadows into the Glorious Sunshine”

If you are familiar at all with the "Come Follow Me" lessons the youth have been doing, I think some of the atonement lessons go really well with this one...especially the lesson "How Can the Atonement Help me during my Trials?" This first talk comes from that lesson:

"The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality" by Elder David A Bednar (Quorum of the 12 Apostles)- He does a great job of talking about the enabling power of the atonement and how its there to strengthen us.

"Mountains to Climb" by President Henry B. Eyring (First Presidency)- Build a foundation of faith so when those tough times come, life can still be a blessing. There is also a new video that has clips from this talk. Its great and about 5 minutes long.

"Lifting Burdens"- a 3 1/2 minute video about the Savior and His help for us. My favorite part is Elder Holland a little ways in.

"Stand in Holy Places" by President Thomas S. Monson (Prophet and President)- I love this one. He reminds us of the 10 commandments and also that we must communicate (two-way) with our Father in Heaven if we are going to withstand the stormy weather around us.

"Trial of Your Faith" by Elder Neil L. Anderson- These trials are designed to make your stronger but have the potential to diminish your faith so how do you remain steadfast?

Love the last line of the title: "From the shadows into the glorious sunshine" Great imaginary!

Hot Deal Alert!

2013-03-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

There was more but these are the ones we still have left to do in this box.

For the next four day including today (so Monday is the last day) you can score a Happy Trunk 3 month subscription for a fraction of the cost! We seriously love Happy Trunk. We have been soooo happy. I gave it to one of my daughters for a Christmas gift and its been soooooo great especially for those days when she is "soooo bored" and I'm up to my neck in other obligations. Each Happy Trunk box includes EVERYTHING your child will need to do the crafts provided (scissors, glue, markers, bags, hanging things, etc). They contain AT LEAST 3 activities (ours so far has had 4-5) to do and sometimes a surprise like a treat (think chocolate banana smoothie). Plum District currently has it on for 50% off! That is a fabulous price!

Here are some ideas of what you could do with your Happy Trunk boxes:
* Get all three boxes but save them for birthday gifts (how cool would that be to give out)
* Get the three months and have some much fun with your child doing them together or letting him/her figure it out on his/her own (simple to follow directions are included)
* Send it someone as a Easter/Christmas present. You could totally be the cool Aunt that sent a present for 3 MONTHS instead of just 1.
* Get them and save them for stocking stuffers
* Save them for the summer or spring break! Definitely a good time to pull these out
* Store them for a rainy day.

This came with our Ocean theme trunk. She loves them!

Seriously, so many great reasons to get on board with Happy Trunk. We have been soooo happy with ours. Totally recommend it!! So what are you waiting for?
Click here and get your own!

Bzz Report on MorningStar Farms Products

2013-03-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Meatless Monday yet? I love it. I'm a big believer that we don't have to eat meat every day. Meatless Monday is an easy way to eat healthier and MorningStar Farms has all kinds of products to help you in your pursuit. As a BzzAgent my family and I were able to try their Spicy Black Bean Burgers out for free!

As you can see from the box, each patty has only 120 calories and 73% less fat than a normal hamburger. That's a great way to start off a healthy week.
The nice thing about them too is that you can actually recognize the ingredients in the patty; however, that turned into a bad thing for my family because I knew some of my kiddos would take one look and melt down that there were beans in their food. So I decided to use these burgers as the "meat" for our enchiladas. That way they couldn't see it. They had no problems eating it and actually some of them commented on the nice flavor which means something good. I loved how easy and quick it was to throw the meal together and that I could still feel pretty good about it. I will say, however, that towards the end of one enchilada, one child discovered a bean! I told her that I just put the burgers I got in there and just eat the parts she liked. Thankfully, that worked. It was nice to be able to get some more fiber in that girl without the fighting.

Here's a picture of my enchilada. I had to include the sauce on the side so sorry its not making this picture look more beautiful. I just used the burgers and a cheese mixture for the inside. I add green chili sauce on the side and usually make beans but this time I didn't since we already had them. Step saved!
They also have chicken nuggets which I have not yet tried but am definitely intrigued. I'm sure they are more processed but if I'm picking between processed chicken nuggets and processed veggie chicken nuggets, I think I'll go with the veggie ones.
The one thing I'm not a fan of is that the first ingredient is usually Textured Soy Protein. I really try to avoid soy but that's me. I know lots of people seek soy out. Its pretty much impossible to find a product like this without Textured Soy/Vegetable Protein...its the key.
As for the price....well, that depends. If you are used to paying for quality products its pretty average. If you aren't then it'll be a bit more expensive then you are used to. You can find these products in the freezer section of your store.
I think we are going to try Burgers with Butternut Relish next Meatless Monday (sounds intriguing right?). Find a great recipe for your family here or check out the few I pinned. And if you really want to get into Meatless Monday MorningStar Farms has a giveaway going on for the next few weeks...check in at their website every Monday for a new product to win.

Psssst....you can be a BzzAgent and try products for free too. Check it out!

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 6: "Becoming Perfect Before the Lord: 'A Little Better Day by Day'"

2013-03-02T21:59:00.002-07:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 6: "Becoming Perfect Before the Lord: 'A Little Better Day by Day'"

I don't know about you but I'm loving these lessons. Here's some other great articles:

"Charity Never Faileth" by President Thomas S. Monson (Prophet and President)- I still remember this talk vividly. It was given in a General Relief Society Meeting and it talks a great deal about not judging others but I see a lot of ways that we can perfect ourselves in this talk.

"Help Them Aim High" by President Henry B. Eyring (First Counselor in the First Presidency)- Ways that we can encourage others towards perfection (which I think, is the best way for us to get there too).
"The Merciful Obtain Mercy" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Second Counselor in the First Presidency)- More on judging and how we need to just "Stop it" as well as encouragement in becoming better.
"Forget Me Not" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf- Still one of my favorites. Five great things to remember as we strive for our own perfection.

It seems like a lot of my suggestions from the last lesson may be better suited to this one. I'm certainly not perfect either.

Line upon line....

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 21: "Joseph Smith Saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ"

2013-03-02T21:34:00.001-07:00

Behold Your Little Ones Lesson 21: "Joseph Smith Saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ"

First let me point you to the Joseph Smith Home Page that the Church has put together. There are all kinds of basic facts, pictures, a "virtual tour." You can use lot of things here or just enjoy yourself.

"How Can I Gain A Testimony"- Joseph Smith shows us the way to gain a testimony- great graphic chart to show kids what Joseph Smith did and what we can still do today.
"Your Own Timeline"- Shows a few things for Joseph Smith's timeline then gives you one to do...they can draw pictures on it, glue pictures on that you cut out (use the handout from the lesson even), or you can help them write their birthday on it and use fun birthday stickers with it.

"Joseph Smith Saw and Testified of Jesus Christ"- Great coloring page
Scripture Figures- You can use all or just the picture of Joseph Smith and turn them into puppets by attaching a stick. Then give the kids a one liner to say with it like "I know the gospel is true" or something Joseph would have said.
"Prophets Testify of the Savior"- Maybe more appropriate for a FHE but here are six prophets pictures that testified of Jesus Christ including President Monson...if you have older kids and do it in a FHE you can do the matching activity.
"The Story of the Book of Mormon"- Use the last page as is to talk about Joseph's Smith story or cut up the pictures and make a collage or use with the timeline. Or use the whole thing and send each child home with their own "Book of Mormon" type book.
"Joseph Smith"- This is a poster type page. You can just use it in your lesson or cut it in pieces and do it as a puzzle together or individually...you can even hide pieces around the classroom for them to find. You can even embellish it with some creativity- bring some cute up pieces of paper or yarn and glue for grass, cotton balls for clouds, etc. Kids love gluing things.
"Harmony Hidden Picture"- My kids loved these at the age but some don't until older so could be great in an FHE and hit and miss in nursery. Its always fun to look at the picture though, right? This one is really easy though since they have white circles next to everything.
"2 Houses Where Joseph Lived"- Photos of the houses where Joseph lived...fun to look at then the kids can draw their own home or you can cut these pictures and do something else fun (like make a lift the flap activity with pictures of things Joseph Smith restored underneath the flaps).
"Prophet Portrait: Joseph Smith"- Use to just look at, sing a song about him while holding it, or do the puzzle thing (you could shrink it down and paste it to Popsicle sticks and each child could have their own puzzle to do). Or you can look at the gold plates in it and make some version themselves with foil or aluminum baking pan sheets and a toothpick...if they don't poke each other! Maybe just Popsicle sticks will work.
"Joseph Smith and the First Vision"- Another poster type picture to use- this one in the grove. You could bring in leaves and glue them on.
"Joseph in the Sacred Grove Hidden Pictures"- A trickier hidden pictures.
"Joseph Smith Timeline"- You can put this together in one great strip and just use it in your lesson. Have kids point to the pictures and tell what happened then.
"Follow the Prophet"- A coloring page of Joseph Smith.
Joseph Smith Story Wheel- I love these but it would be something you would have to do before hand. Make one and use it with your lesson. Make one for each and send them home with the child. You could turn it into a necklace but put the string through the same hole as the brand so it will still work right.
Joseph Smith's First Vision Figurines- Color this page or assemble it beforehand to use while doing your lesson. Or you can give each a figurine of Joseph Smith (attach to stick if want).

P.S. Enjoy!

American Girl of the Month #2

2013-03-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to do this month and we just started! Oops! Good thing I had some things on hand that we could use.

This month, I decided to focus on Rebecca. She is the girl from Russia but lives in New York so there is some great cultural things that you can learn.
I choose her because we used to live in New York and I knew she would love the opportunity to learn more about it (you can read more about her here).

First, I went to the American Girl site and printed out my favorite Rebecca Activities for her to do. There is a party planner that you can use. I told my daughter she could invite a few friends over or just have a family party. Then I gather all the supplies needed for the games: candy, cups, envelopes. I ended up making the envelopes from scrapbooking paper so it was more fun. I also included some foam stickers that I caught last year on clearance from Hobby Lobby that has New York landmarks. That's it.

Nice and simple but really great. It kept her busy all morning and she is so excited to invite friends over and do some of the games together. I love that she loves it and it was all things I had around the house. It has been something that has made her feel special and that makes me even happier.

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful

2013-02-16T21:04:00.001-07:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful (love this title)

"Salvation and Exaltation" by Elder Russell M. Nelson (Quorum of the 12 Apostles)- Our individual as well as family responsibilities as we strive to reach our divine potential.

"Your Eternal Home" by President Thomas S. Monson (Prophet and President of the Church)- We are builders of our eternal homes with a six step blueprint.

"Pathways to Perfection" by President Thomas S. Monson (President)- 4 virtues that we must develop to achieve our divinity.

"Becoming Our Best Selves" by President Thomas S. Monson (again)- Here are some suggested questions that he has us ask ourselves: Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 4: Strengthend by the Holy Ghost

2013-02-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

Lorenzo Snow Chapter 4: Strengthened by the Power of the Holy Ghost

Alright all, I know this is super late but I just couldn't find a talk that I was really like, this is good for this lesson so here is a media link and if you find an article that you think is great please tell us in the comments!
Can I Better Listen to the Holy Ghost? | The Mormon Channel Q&A

Oooo! I just found this one thanks to the above link:

"Guided by the Holy Spirit" by President Boyd K. Packer (President of the Twelve Apostles)- Everyone has the right and ability to be guided by the Holy Ghost.

There is also this one on revelation which isn't possible without the Holy Ghost so...

"The Spirit of Revelation" by Elder David A. Bednar (of the 12)- This is the whole foundation of our church...it is real and is in our individual lives and throughout the church.

Hopefully, that will still help a few of you late comers. Thanks!

Of the Month

2013-02-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

So around Christmas time I became infatuated with the idea of gifts that last longer than the day and discovered some of the "of the month" clubs. I've done magazines in the past and it was okay but I wanted something different this time. I was racking my brain for something fun and worthwhile. At that time I came across some deal sites that offered some ideas and ended up doing a few of my own as well.
My youngest daughter (5 next month!) was signed up for the "Princess of the Month Club" by Santa.
Originally I was planning on doing it but with it being from Santa, I at least have a little bit of mystery plus less whining since its not "my fault" its not here yet. The first month was fabulous! She loved it! My middle daughter was signed up for a "Craft of the Month." Right now we are using Happy Trunk (LOVE them!). She loves getting the package in the mail and the kits are really well done, REALLY and for the most part, she can do them on her own (she's 6 1/2) if I need her to. So then my oldest daughter (8) got jealous (who wouldn't) and I ended up making her an "American Girl of the Month Club." That went really well too.

What I did for the First "Princess of the Month Club" package:

I printed out these great preschool packet from here. I ended up only do a few pages because I knew she would get overwhelmed and just wanted to focus on A) Things she needed to practice B) Things that would also be fun and C) Got the message across that I wanted (that she is really a princess). I love the last page of the packet where she traced the words "I am God's Princess" and there was a game you could make and do included in the packet.
Next, I went to Lily & Thistle and got this freebie...again it talks about being God's Princess. I put it on some nice paper and added a ribbon so she could hang it up on her wall. I added a cupcake wrapper skirt to the hanging which I love. It adds that extra little touch.
I wrapped everything up very royally and placed it on our doorstep when she wasn't looking. Then we "heard" some bells and just had to look outside. It was the best. She felt so special and loved doing all the activities. Her wall hanging is up and the castle picture (color by shape) is up on our wall as part of some Valentine's Day decoration. She has asked me everyday since if I've heard any bells which sadly is No, not yet.
Her next one will be a bit bigger since its Valentine's Day and her birthday but don't tell her! If you want to take a sneak peek at what is to come, check out my Pinterest Board about Princesses.

What I did of the "American Girl of the Month Club" for January:

Well, since I just decided to do it that day, I needed to go simple as well. I wanted something that tied into what she was learning at school, her interest, as well as just fun and surprising. I ended up with focusing on the American Girl Doll Kaya. There are some activity sheets that you can print off for free here. These were great. They took a little bit of thinking, tied into the books, and brought a big smile to my daughter's face.
Next I took 2 regular hair ties and twisty tied colorful feathers on to them. She had an activity day at school that Friday where it would be perfect for her to wear these and while twisty ties aren't the most creative thing, they did work and stayed in great all day (even through doing the dance, the Virginia Wheel).
I then soaked a tongue depressor in some water for a day. After about a day, it should be pliable enough to bend into the top of a cup. The idea is to make a small bow so you just need a slight enough curve. After it dries you can then decorate it or let her decorate it later. Make some niches in the sides on the top and bottom of the bow and attach a rubber band. Then take some cotton swabs and cut off one end. Voila! You have arrows. The bow and arrow set was for her doll. She got her own for Christmas so she could go outside and do some target shooting with her doll.
While I know Kaya comes a bit before the Pioneers, I added some Pioneer activities because she was studying them at school. So I included a recipe card for Pioneer Taffy and I put in a "Pioneer" drink. We unfortunately, couldn't find what I originally wanted and since I was short on time went with glass bottled root beer. My daughter said, "Oh look Mom. It says 1919 on it so you're right, it is from the pioneers." Well.... In any case, she loved it all and we are still working on some of it so that's a few days entertainment which is great.
Check out my American Girl Pinterest Board to take some guesses at what's to come.

Have you done any "of the month clubs" that you have purchased or made yourself? I loved to hear about them!