Hi all! I don't know if you knew this, but the church has a whole section of its website dedicated to emergency preparedness! There are talks by General Authorities, videos, and links to further information to help your family be ready in the face of almost anything. It's definitely worth checking out!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Friday, June 10, 2016
Upcycling!
I am all about upcycling and repurposing, and so were our forebears! Recycling is definitely not a new idea and there are a lot of ways that we can reduce our household consumption and spending simply by using our imaginations combined with what we have at home! I have found a ton of cute and helpful ideas when I was poking around on Pinterest (because seriously, Pinterest has everything) that I am eager to try out! I think in recent years, upcycling has gotten kind of a bad rap thanks in no small part to some truly terrible projects that have been posted online. lol. Upcycling, though, can be an awesome way to work your creative muscles, create something useful as well as lovely, and to keep to your household budget.
Recycling and upcycling don't have to be boring or dull - they can also be ways in which we can create fun, unique things for our homes and families without breaking the bank. Check out this video of a way to make a cute pet bed out of an old sweater or sweatshirt that you're not using anymore!
You don't have to be an amazing seamstress to be an effective upcycler, trust me. My skills are rudimentary at best (I'm working on it!) but there are a lot of other ways to make things that don't require needle and thread! Hot glue guns, for example, are a great low-cost way to create something that looks great without a lot of time investment. There are also knitting, crocheting, tatting, fabric paint, freezer papering, papier mache, decoupage...the list goes on and on! Find what inspires you, grab some inexpensive materials from the thrift store or from your own "To Donate" pile, and get to work. Don't worry so much at first if it looks like something from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, just create for the sake of creating. Getting started is half the battle! Just get started and then, as you keep at it, your skills will improve and you'll be thrilled with your progress before you know it!
Don't know how to do any of the above? I bet someone in the Ward or your neighborhood does! Why not arrange a skills trade? If you're a scratch cook but you're really wanting to learn how to knit, find a knitter who is dying to learn how to make your special spaghetti sauce and trade skills! This can be a great way to implement our SOSS for the year by providing an opportunity to talk to someone that you might no know, forging a new friendship, and possibly offering a chance for someone to learn the gospel who might not have had it otherwise - all while learning a valuable skill!
This can be a great idea for an FHE, too! Get the family involved by learning something new and about how we are to be good stewards of this Earth that we have been giving. Rather than filling our garbage dumps with more and more items that could be perfectly good if they were only given a little facelift, we can choose to upcycle them and reduce our waste output!
Some ideas:
* Give the kids each a shoebox, some magazines with lots of pictures and/or illuminated text (church magazines are great for this!), scissors,, sponge brushes and some Mod Podge. Talk about how "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time," and how Heavenly Father is a loving creator. Talk about how we can choose to see the beauty in everyday objects that might otherwise be rejected and cast aside in the same way that Heavenly Father chooses to see the beauty in us in spite of our brokenness.
* make a tree fort or playhouse out of scrap materials. Use this as an opportunity to teach about recycling, provident/frugal living, safe tool use, and teamwork. Consider having the kids price out what the project would cost using all new materials vs. what you saved by using found/scrap materials.
* Go to the thrift store and find some clothing that maybe doesn't fit your idea of style. Purchase some clothing dye (Rit is great!), stylish buttons to replace the ones on the items, sewing materials, etc. Have the participants make over the items to look stylish and wearable! There are whole blogs and Pinterest boards dedicated to this very idea so you shouldn't have trouble finding inspiration! This is a great idea for families with older kids or FHE groups of college students or single adults!
* Find an old piece of furniture (garage sales, thrift stores, curbside) and spray paint it so that it matches your current decor.
Recycling and upcycling don't have to be boring or dull - they can also be ways in which we can create fun, unique things for our homes and families without breaking the bank. Check out this video of a way to make a cute pet bed out of an old sweater or sweatshirt that you're not using anymore!
You don't have to be an amazing seamstress to be an effective upcycler, trust me. My skills are rudimentary at best (I'm working on it!) but there are a lot of other ways to make things that don't require needle and thread! Hot glue guns, for example, are a great low-cost way to create something that looks great without a lot of time investment. There are also knitting, crocheting, tatting, fabric paint, freezer papering, papier mache, decoupage...the list goes on and on! Find what inspires you, grab some inexpensive materials from the thrift store or from your own "To Donate" pile, and get to work. Don't worry so much at first if it looks like something from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, just create for the sake of creating. Getting started is half the battle! Just get started and then, as you keep at it, your skills will improve and you'll be thrilled with your progress before you know it!
Skills Trading
Don't know how to do any of the above? I bet someone in the Ward or your neighborhood does! Why not arrange a skills trade? If you're a scratch cook but you're really wanting to learn how to knit, find a knitter who is dying to learn how to make your special spaghetti sauce and trade skills! This can be a great way to implement our SOSS for the year by providing an opportunity to talk to someone that you might no know, forging a new friendship, and possibly offering a chance for someone to learn the gospel who might not have had it otherwise - all while learning a valuable skill!
FHE
This can be a great idea for an FHE, too! Get the family involved by learning something new and about how we are to be good stewards of this Earth that we have been giving. Rather than filling our garbage dumps with more and more items that could be perfectly good if they were only given a little facelift, we can choose to upcycle them and reduce our waste output!
Some ideas:
* Give the kids each a shoebox, some magazines with lots of pictures and/or illuminated text (church magazines are great for this!), scissors,, sponge brushes and some Mod Podge. Talk about how "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time," and how Heavenly Father is a loving creator. Talk about how we can choose to see the beauty in everyday objects that might otherwise be rejected and cast aside in the same way that Heavenly Father chooses to see the beauty in us in spite of our brokenness.
* make a tree fort or playhouse out of scrap materials. Use this as an opportunity to teach about recycling, provident/frugal living, safe tool use, and teamwork. Consider having the kids price out what the project would cost using all new materials vs. what you saved by using found/scrap materials.
* Go to the thrift store and find some clothing that maybe doesn't fit your idea of style. Purchase some clothing dye (Rit is great!), stylish buttons to replace the ones on the items, sewing materials, etc. Have the participants make over the items to look stylish and wearable! There are whole blogs and Pinterest boards dedicated to this very idea so you shouldn't have trouble finding inspiration! This is a great idea for families with older kids or FHE groups of college students or single adults!
* Find an old piece of furniture (garage sales, thrift stores, curbside) and spray paint it so that it matches your current decor.
Have Fun!
The most important aspect of this is that we enjoy the process. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, don't be afraid to take design risks, and don't be afraid to learn a new skill! Remember, every expert was once a novice!
Happy creating!
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Preserving Herbs
Now that we've all had some time to digest the information shared about how to plant an herb garden and to plan/plant our own, I thought it might be a good idea to renew our inspiration by sharing some information on how to dry the herbs once they come up. Cooking with fresh herbs is wonderfully tasty, but it can be difficult to keep your herbs going through the cold months. Remember, also, that your herbs will grow more prolifically if you trim them often which means that you'll probably end up harvesting more than you will actually use while they're fresh. In these cases, it's helpful to know how to easily dry and preserve them!
There are a few ways to do this, the easiest of which is to simply take your herbs (this works best with savory herbs like rosemary, basil, oregano, and the like) and fill a standard ice cube tray with the herbs topped off with olive oil and freeze them. Once frozen, remove the cubes from their tray and put into freezer bags. Now you have ready to use cubes of yummy seasonings to use in your cooking any time you need them, fresh from your own garden! Yum!
Here is a link to an article about how to actually dry herbs effectively as well as some recipes for various herbed salts and sugars which are useful for cooking with which I found to be very helpful:
Happy gardening!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Proverbs 31:10-31 and Provident Living
Proverbs 31:10-31 says:
As women of faith, this is what we are called to be and whew! What a list! It can certainly seem overwhelming when taken all at once but, as the saying goes, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time! Don't look at this scripture and think, "Gosh, there's no way I can do all of that! I'm exhausted just looking at it! When does this woman sleep?!" Heavenly Father doesn't intend that we should burn ourselves out and run ourselves ragged trying to do all of things all of the time all at once! We are called to do our best and rely on Him for help and grace.10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
I'm here as a sort of cheerleader and collector of information for you all, acting in the hopes that I'll be able to make the subject of family preparedness a little simpler, a little less scary, and a whole lot more cheerful! Provident living doesn't have to be all gloom and doom, in fact, my calling as the provident living specialist is make sure that it's just the opposite! We always fear the unknown and the things for which we are unprepared and I'm here to make sure that you have the tools, resources, information, and know-how to make sure you feel ready to face the future with confidence!
If you have any suggestions for posts or monthly focus subjects, please comment or email me and let me know! I'm here to serve all of you so I want to make sure that I'm covering topics that you're interested it!
I'm so looking forward to working with all of you and hope that I can be of use to you!
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