Memory Monday

Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but I refuse to skip this week.

From memory:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be written upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

By next Monday I hope to have this passage through verse 9 completed, and without any mistakes.

Visit Joanne at The Simple Wife for Memory Monday.

m&m's, Marbles, and Toxic Morons

Let's start with the toxic morons.

We've had a little too much sibling name calling at our house. That explains the m&m's and marbles, too, but one thing at a time.

Caboose was being ornery to Chatty the other day when they were putting their shoes on right before leaving the house, still forgetting that he wants her children to take care of him someday so he doesn't have to go to a nursing home because he's never getting married. There was some bickering, and eventually his comment was 'because I'm amazing.'

Chatty proceeded to say that he was an oxymoron, probably meaning to say that the comment was, but oh, well, whatever. Caboose came running to his dad, "Dad, Chatty just called me a Toxic Moron!"

Several months ago I read someone's idea about using little Ball jars and marbles (or nickels or something) as a behavior tool. I think it was on a WFMW post, but I can't remember exactly how they used it, and I've been trying to figure out how it would work best for us.

Well, the other day all six of us were in the van. Hubby and I were talking to the kids about using 'ma'am' and 'sir' with 'yes' and 'no' because they have gotten out of that habit. One of the kids brought up how I used to give them an m&m every time they would say 'yes, ma'am' and 'no, ma'am' during the day without prompting for a while just to get them in the habit. All of this brought up a long m&m discussion and some creative juices flowing between me and Hubby.

First, he said that they would have to research to find out how many m&m's were in a bag, then when they did that many good things, determined by us of course, then they could have the bag. I suggested that we implement this with the marble jars, having equal numbers of marbles to the m&m's per bag. Hubby thought that was an excellent idea.

Well, homeschoolers can turn anything into a project. The kids couldn't find any definite answers on the internet on m&m's per bag, and neither could I. So we bought four bags, the kids were happy with a freebie bag to start things off, and they got to do their first excel spreadsheet.

First they had to count the number of m&m's in their individual bags by color, and then total the number of m&m's in their bag.

Then they added up the total from all four bags and divided by four to get an average, because each bag did not have an equal number.

I found a tutorial on About.com to help the kids with the tables. I know how to use excel, but I wanted them to work together without me being all teachy and bossy. I just hung close by.

Caboose read the information off to the other kids to input for the spreadsheet.

This is a little boy who cannot stand still because he is so bored waiting to go eat that bag of m&m's waiting for him downstairs on the table.

Here are the results of my kids' four bags of m&m's.

In total...

...and by color.

The average was 54 and 1/2. We rounded down to 54.

So now for the marbles. First, aren't they pretty?

Each child has one color. The front, middle jar with the darker blue marble is mine and is called the 'Mom marble.' As pretty as they are, you don't want those.

So here's how it works. You want to empty your jar into the large one in the back, including any Mom marbles you might have gotten. When your jar is empty, you get a bag of m&m's.

How do you remove marbles? By saying yes, ma'am, no, sir, being polite, coming when called the first time, not yelling, helping without being asked, not complaining, doing normal things that are expected of you (brushing teeth, washing face) without being told, clearing your dishes from the table, etc. Can you tell manners have become a little issue for us?

Things that make you lose your marbles...calling your siblings names, hitting, yelling, not doing things within a reasonable amount of time when you didn't do it right away, complaining excessively, etc. There isn't a list, but you get the idea.

These are all things that we've dealt with on a regular basis and talked about numerous times with our kids. We've discussed Bible verses, and at times we've even had them write them down. It's time for a different tactic, and for now, this is what we are trying. We sure hope it works well.

He's Done It Again

Caboose that is.

A few weeks ago the kids were watching something with Hubby, probably hunting or fishing, on a Saturday morning, and saw this commercial. It's only 30 seconds long, so watch it before you read the rest of the post.

Now ignore me without my make-up and take a look at Hubby (Sparky took the picture when I was cooking dinner).

Need a closer look?

Caboose's comment that Saturday morning: "Dad, you don't even need to use that stuff!"

Shopping for Two Pairs of Formal Shoes in Under 8 Minutes...and It Was for Teenagers, Too!

I had to pull out the 'Mom card' with one of the girls.

It wasn't with Chatty.

See, Sparky doesn't like to dress up. Sparky likes to wear jeans and plain tees and pull on a hoodie or sweatshirt. She has about 30 or more pair of sports knee socks in varying colors and prints. At any given time they may or may not match what she is wearing.

She didn't want to have to purchase a 'fancy' dress for the Senior Banquet that our church has for the 9th-12th grade members of the youth group. She doesn't like to wear dresses. Period. She wears a skirt to church.

Sparky considers a button or bow, or even a little extra stitching on a shirt 'fancy.' So imagine going to get a dress for this semi-formal event.

Not a pretty picture, but we did it. Then we found scarves at Target to use as wraps, as did at least two other girls in the group, so I was pleased that I could do a little bit of trendy or fashionable or something along those lines.

Last Friday Hubby and I had eight minutes to run in Payless with both girls, find shoes, try on shoes, and pay for shoes, before leaving for a chiropractor appointment. I prepped him before we went in, and sent him with Chatty. She's easy to please and had an idea what she wanted.

Sparky wasn't going to like anything and has a tiny foot that complicates matters. She can wear a size 5 adult shoe, but we ended up looking at children's since she doesn't wear heels.

She got a size 3 children's shoe! It broke every rule she has for fancy — silver, shiny, sparkly, glittery, and a bow. She hated them. But they fit and I knew that any shoes we found that fit and went with her dress she was going to hate, so that's when I pulled out the 'Mom card' and said we were buying them and she was wearing them.

Turns out she didn't think they were too bad in the long run, but she'll never really admit it. I even made her let me polish her toenails, which I haven't done since she was probably five years old.

And we got out of the store in 9 minutes, which I still think is amazing!

After the chiropractor, we ran over to one of the nearby Kohl's to look for some costume jewelry. Chatty got some earrings and bracelets.


Sparky got a necklace, after I pulled the 'Mom card' again.

First the kids all met at the church for pictures. We took a few before they left the house with one of the girl's digital cameras.



This is the girls' 9th grade class — the ones that weren't late.

This is the girls with their group of friends. We have been blessed to have found a church not only with wonderful pastors that we respect and adore, but a place where all of our children love to go and have found wonderful friends.

The evening started at a fancy Asian restaurant with lots of courses.


Then they rode the bus over to Michigan State to see The Lion King.

It was Sparky and Chatty's first fancy/formal event, and they had a wonderful time.

They also looked so pretty in their 'fancy' attire.

Memory Monday — Plus Some Weather

I missed last week. Just thought I'd confess. Guilty conscience.

From memory:

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind strength."

I do that every time! I don't know when I will ever learn.

Next week I will add at least verse 6 and maybe more, eventually going through verse 9. I will type out the entire passage I have memorized each time until it's done. Hey, maybe it will be next week!

On another note, if you've been watching the NCAA tournament, and you happen to watch tonight, they might mention our weather here in the Detroit area. Here is a little glimpse from outside my van window before I went to the grocery store this morning.

We only got three inches, which was less than some areas. It was probably the heaviest, wettest snow I've ever experienced. And with it barely hovering above freezing all day, the only thing clear is the road right now.

Menu Plan Monday — April 6th-12th

I made everything last week except I never got around to the fish on Saturday (lots of leftovers). Basically, it was a beef-filled week.

Now I am officially in a rut. I'm doing my best to come up with a plan for this week, while trying to make my boys' request of 'no new recipes, mom,' a possibility for two weeks in a row.

Monday — Italian Chicken Pita Sandwiches. Rice on the side for the kids who prefer to have it not in a pita. Recipe below.

Tuesday — Baked Potatoes. Loaded with each person's preference, which for the kids is usually just butter and cheese.

Wednesday — Farmer's Breakfast. I didn't realize until this last week just how much my hubby liked this. Recipe below.

Thursday — Flavor-full Chicken Breasts. Recipe below.

Friday — Taco Pie. Okay, a new recipe, at least for my kids. I haven't made this since my girls were still eating baby food. That's a long time! Recipe below.

Saturday — Fish. I'm determined to get it in this week. Again, cooked on the stove top in olive oil, heavily seasoned with Mrs. Dash's garlic and herb, lightly seasoned with salt.

Sunday — Eat out since we ate in all week!

One of these days I'm going to get at least lunches planned out too. It would make my days run so much better.

Italian Chicken Pita Sandwiches
from my friend, Sandi

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (enough for how many you are serving)
Light Italian salad dressing
Onions (optional...I don't use)
Peppers (optional...I don't use)
Pitas

Cut chicken up into large bite-size pieces and marinate in salad dressing for up to one day. Make sure all the pieces are covered well.

You can cook on the stove top in a grill pan or in an electric skillet, starting at 350 degrees and reducing as needed to around 300 degrees. Cook until brown, adding 2 Tablespoons of Italian dressing at a time as needed when cooking.

You can add onions and peppers, sliced into strips, for the last 10 minutes of stir-frying. Use them just to add flavor or add them with your chicken to warmed pitas.

Farmer's Breakfast

Russet or white potatoes, maybe 10 or 12
1 lb bacon
1 dozen eggs
2 cup package of shredded cheese (I use Colby-jack or Mexican four-cheese)

Cube potatoes. Fry in vegetable oil, seasoning with salt and *a lot of* Mrs. Dash's garlic and herb. I cook enough potatoes that it takes my family-size 12" skillet.

While potatoes are cooking, fry bacon, either in another skillet or in the microwave. Crumble the bacon when it is cool enough to handle. Crack eggs and get them ready to cook when everything else is done.

When the potatoes are done, I put a few paper towels in the bottom of a large bowl and then place the potatoes on top to drain. I scramble the eggs in the skillet without washing it since it is already oiled up.

When the eggs are done, lower the heat and put the potatoes, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese in with the eggs. Stir it all together until it is mixed up well. Turn off the heat and serve immediately. This is good leftover, too.

Flavor-full Chicken Breasts
from my cousin, Jennifer

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Durkee (or is it French's?) onion rings, crushed
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
Garlic powder to taste
1 stick butter

Melt butter; mix cheese, onion rings, bread crumbs, and garlic powder together. Dip chicken in butter; roll in crumbs. Put in 9 x 13 pan and pour leftover butter on chicken.

Cover with foil. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cook 15 minutes more without foil.

I think the last time I made this I doubled it because I had really large chicken pieces, and I like to have a lot of stuff on my chicken — I want to taste the flavor. It's yummy, and every one of my kids liked this.

Taco Pie
from my cousin, Jennifer

1 lb ground beef
2-8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix (I'll use my homemade taco seasoning recipe from my sidebar)
1 1/2 cans crescent rolls
8 oz shredded cheddar (I'll use a mixed bag if that's what I have on hand)

Brown meat and drain. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Press dough on bottom and sides of an ungreased pan. Press edges together to seal and prick with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Cover with meat mixture. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.

Like I said, it's been a really long time since I made this. I think I either made it in a square pan or a 7 x 12, and it served Hubby and me one night for dinner and the next day at lunch for leftovers. I think.

So based on that aged memory, I plan to double this recipe, and figure out what size pan to make it in as I go. I do have one really oversized 9 x 13, and I'll probably make it in that pan. Unless I start spreading out those crescent rolls and I obviously need more pan space. I'll take pictures and update next week. Sound fair?

For more great menu planning ideas and recipes, check out The Organizing Junkie.

Scrapbooking — Organizing Supplies and the Scrapbooking Process

Okay, so I might get banned from participating in any future monthly organizing round-ups that the Organizing Junkie puts on, but I just couldn't resist this month. And I can't help it if I couldn't put it all in one post. It just wasn't possible. This way I have three novellas so far instead of a complete novel. I'm thinking that I still might get in trouble signing up three times under Mr. Linky though.

This time I wanted to show you two completely different things that are totally related to each other. One is how I store and organize the majority of my scrapbooking supplies, and the other is how I organize the process of scrapbooking to complete albums quickly. I'll show you my supplies first, working from boring to not so boring.

This is one of the cubbies from the other post, and if you'll notice the blue fabric box.

It holds the majority of supplies I need every time I scrapbook...adhesives, cutting system tools, pens, cloth to wipe off fingerprints, etc. I can pull it out and put it back with ease.

I keep extra supplies in a basket on a lower cubbie close to where I sit. That's handy for when I need to grab adhesive refills.

I also keep other templates from my cutting system and punches I don't use very often in a cubbie under the desk.

I keep all of my stickers and papers fairly close to where I sit, or depending, stand. This basket holds all of my smaller sticker packs (in alphabetical order, of course) and the little white basket contains all of my smaller loose sticker strips.

These all hold larger packages of stickers and odds and ends.

Here is where I keep my printed 10 x 12 papers in accordion files.

They sit two cubbies up directly over my desk area. That way if I need to pull one out, it doesn't knock things that are on the desk already. Here's what one looks like labeled and up close.

I keep my solid colored 10 x 12 paper in a zippered box under the desk. It's heavy and large and needs to live there. 12 x 12 paper lives in something similar.

Up on the top shelf I have three-ring binders that hold a multitude of things, from borders for scrapbooking, to idea sheets I've printed off the computer, to printed Creative Memories ones, to printed idea books.



This also usually lives up there.


My current ideas hold ideas I've printed from the computer, some of which I've done and some of which I haven't. Okay, most of which I haven't. It's mostly ideas for page borders.

Here are samples of what are in some of my border books and how I keep them.

Have you noticed my love for page protectors?

Now for the actual scrapbooking process, I have tweaked one that came around about three or four years ago. It was designed to finish a 30-page album in four 4-hour sessions. I'm not going to complicate the explanation by telling you what it was and how I've tweaked it, I'm just going to do a quick run-through of what I do.

I'm going to try to be quick.

I start out with a Creative Memories Power Layouts system. I have the box and two sets of plastic guides (30 total). At this point I either spread out the first two pages or a whole bunch across a desk, table or floor, depending on my mood.

I take the pictures for the album I'm working on and start placing them on the guides something like I might on the album page. I figure out if I have enough for two pages, if I need to cut back to one, combine pictures into a seasonal page because it's not an event...you get the idea. I also put any memorabilia with the pictures at this point.

After I have all the pictures on the 30 guides and the guides stacked up into order for the album (if I didn't lay all of them out), I go through and pick out either an already prepared border, printed paper and/or stickers. I throw these on top of the page. What I end up doing is stacking the whole thing backwards as I do this, and then at the end I have to reverse the stack, but it's not a big deal. If I lay out all 30 guides, or even half, I can do them all at the same time and then just stack them in the proper order top to bottom. I don't crop any photos or paper until I am actually ready to put everything in the album.

This would also work if you don't have this particular system. I had a friend who used, of all things, page protectors to store her photos and stickers for each page. She just kept it in a three-ring binder.

So here is my layout system in action with the top four layouts in the box I currently have going.

I took several pictures of some random pages from one of Sparky's books. You can probably tell from these pictures the way the layouts above coordinate with the how the final product will look.




I keep shapes simple to speed up the process and I'm not real fussy. There's some cute stuff out there, but I would never get a book done if I tried most of it.

Here is a side view of the layout box. It currently holds what will end up being 24 pages (12 double layouts if you will).

I also have to confess that I have two of these, complete with 30 guides each. I will often have both of them going at the same time, especially when I'm working on the girls' books simultaneously.

This post is linked to The Organizing Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up.

If you haven't had enough of my scrapbooking and organizing obsession in this post and you haven't read them yet, you might be interested in these posts:

Scrapbooking — Picture Sorting and Organization
Organization — Scrapbooking Room
Memorabilia...To Keep or Not to Keep