July Odd Holidays

JULY

National Blueberry Month, National Hot Dog Month

National Ice Cream Month

3rd Sunday - National Ice Cream Day

4th Sunday - Parents Day (not odd, either) hahaha

4th - National Country Music Day

USA  Independence Day 

6th - National Fried Chicken Day

7th - Chocolate Day

7th - National Strawberry Sundae Day

9th - National Sugar Cookie Day

12th - Pecan Pie Day

15th - Cow Appreciation Day

21st - National Junk Food Day

22nd - Hammock Day

23rd - National Hot Dog Day

23rd - Vanilla Ice Cream Day

26th - Aunt and Uncle Day

30th - Father-in-Law Day

31st - Mutt's Day

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Tip Tuesday: Homemade Cleaning Products (more)

Spray Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

    1 cup white vinegar
    1 cup water

In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces and backsplash areas.

In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet.


Glass Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

    1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol
    1 cup water
    1 tablespoon white vinegar



Strong All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

    1 T clear, non-sudsing ammonia
    1 T clear laundry detergent
    2 cups water


Furniture Polish Recipe

Mix in a sprayer bottle:

    1 cup olive oil
    1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.




More Homemade Body Cleaning Products:


Clay Mask

1 part bentonite clay
1 part rhassoul clay
optional: skin loving essential oil, such as Lavender, Lemongrass or German Chamomile

Mix with water until the mask has a consistency that you like. Apply to body or face and wait for clay to dry fully. Take off with a warm water washcloth. If all over body, jump in the shower to get off more quickly than a washcloth.

Easy Lotion Bars

4 ounces mango or shea butter
4 ounces beesweax, yellow or white
5 ounces liquid oil (jojoba or grapeseed are both excellent)
2 teaspoons of essential oil or fragrance oil

This lotion bar does not use cocoa butter so you can use any fragrance or essential oil that your heart desires and not have a chocolate over-smell.

Melt the beeswax in a separate container and the butter/oil in another container. Add together, mix well, stir in FO/EO and pour into containers. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less 'divets' you'll get in the bar (that sunken spot at the top of the bar).



Whatever you choose to use, enjoy cleaning!

BellaOnline Cleaning

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Tip Tuesday: Homemade Soaps

This is the time of the year that it is fun to give as well as receive. Well, what better way than to share your love of cleaning with homemade Hand Soap! Well, even if you don't love cleaning, you will love this hand soap. It leaves your skin so soft and clean! Flavor it up with your favorite scents and you are good to go! Love it! Have fun with it, too!

I am not the 'author' of these recipes and do not take credit for their creation, but I do enjoy using them! Credit belongs to Kelly Reno for her recipes on the web. Enjoy!



Peaches And Cream Bath Bar

Makes One Bar 1 4-ounce bar

    Castile soap (or pure white unscented soap, like ivory)
    1/4 cup distilled water
    1/4 cup powdered milk
    1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
    1/8 teaspoon peach fragrance oil
    1 drop orange food coloring {optional}

Shred the Castile soap and set aside. Heat the water in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in the shredded soap until it forms a sticky mass. Remove the pan from the heat and add the powdered milk, Sweet almond oil, Peach fragrance oil, food coloring; stir until well-blended. Spoon the soap into its mold and let set for four hours or until hardened.




Cinnamon Soap

    unscented glycerin soap
    10 drops cinnamon oil
    1 drop red food coloring {optional}

In a heavy saucepan, melt the glycerin soap over low heat until liquefied. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and coloring until well mixed. Pour the soap into a mold and let set for three hours or until hardened. Makes 1 4-ounce bar.



Mechanic's Hand Cleanser

Grind up a bar or two of your soap...

    1 c. borax
    1-2 t. pure turpentine
    1 t. sweet orange essential oil
    1 c. ground soap

With very clean hands, work the turpentine and essential oil into the borax until there are no lumps left, then work into the soap. Keep it in a wide-mouthed jar or tin that's easy for him to open when his hands are greasy, and which you won't mind getting black on the outside. Don't forget to put a nail brush and pumice stone out with the hand cleanser.


Recycle old soap!

Here are several ideas for re-using those little bits of leftover soap:
* Use as tailor's chalk - mark darts and hems on washable fabric
* Make bubble bath - shave and crumble and add to bath
* Make new soap cakes - get them wet and stick them together to make a new bar!
* Make shower soap - Put slivers and pieces into the toe of some old pantyhose.
Tie a knot in the nylon just above the toe, and another at about the knee. Hang in the shower.

Preservatives & Shelf Life

Most of the recipes offered here have a shelf-life of 2-3 months if stored in a cool place. Did you know grapefruit seed extract could be used as a preservative for soaps and lotions? Recommended usage is .5 - 5% of the entire volume (in ounces) of your batch.


BellaOnline Cleaning

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

FHE: Importance of the Sacrament

This Family Home Evening Lesson comes from an excerpt from the General Conference Address given by Elder Gerrit W. Gong in April 2016.

Always Remember Him

Each week, in partaking of the sacrament, we covenant to always remember Him. Drawing on the nearly 400 scripture references to the word remember, here are six ways we can always remember Him.

First, we can always remember Him by having confidence in His covenants, promises, and assurances.

The Lord remembers His everlasting covenants—from Adam’s time to the day Adam’s posterity “shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy.”2The Lord remembers His promises, including promises to gather scattered Israel through the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and promises given to every member and missionary who remembers the worth of souls.3The Lord remembers and assures nations and peoples. In these days of motion and commotion,4 “some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God,”5 who guides “the future as he has the past.”6 In “perilous times,”7 we “remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.”8

Second, we can always remember Him by gratefully acknowledging His hand throughout our lives.

The Lord’s hand in our lives is often clearest in hindsight. As Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it: “Life must be understood backward. But … it must be lived forward.”9My dear mother recently celebrated her 90th birthday. She gratefully testified of God’s blessing at each major juncture in her life. Family histories, family traditions, and family ties help us savor remembrance of things past while providing future patterns and hope. Priesthood lines of authority and patriarchal blessings witness of God’s hand across generations.
Have you ever thought of yourself as your own living book of remembrance—reflecting what and how you choose to remember?
For example, when I was younger, I really wanted to play school basketball. I practiced and practiced. One day the coach pointed to our 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) all-state center and our 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) all-star forward and said to me, “I can put you on the team, but you’ll likely never play.” I remember how kindly he then encouraged, “Why not try out for soccer? You’d be good.” My family cheered when I scored my first goal.
We can remember those who give us a chance, and a second chance, with honesty, kindness, patience, and encouragement. And we can become someone others remember when they most needed help. Gratefully remembering the assistance of others and the Spirit’s guiding influence is a way we remember Him. It is a way we count our many blessings and see what God hath done.10

Third, we can always remember Him by trusting when the Lord assures us, “He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”11

When we fully repent, including by confessing and forsaking our sins, we ask with Enos, as our guilt is swept away, “Lord, how is it done?” and hear the answer “Because of thy faith in Christ”12 and His invitation to “put me in remembrance.”13Once we repent and priesthood leaders declare us worthy, we need not continue to confess and confess these past sins. To be worthy does not mean to be perfect. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness invites us to be humbly at peace on our life’s journey to someday become perfected in Christ,14 not constantly worried, frustrated, or unhappy in our imperfections today. Remember, He knows all the things we don’t want anyone else to know about us—and loves us still.
Sometimes life tests our trust in Christ’s mercy, justice, and judgment and in His liberating invitation to allow His Atonement to heal us as we forgive others and ourselves.

A young woman in another country applied to work as a journalist, but the official who assigned jobs was merciless. He said to her, “With my signature, I guarantee you will not become a journalist but will dig sewers.” She was the only woman digging sewers in a gang of men.
Years later this woman became an official. One day a man came in needing her signature for a job.
She asked, “Do you remember me?” He did not.
She said, “You do not remember me, but I remember you. With your signature, you guaranteed I never became a journalist. With your signature, you sent me to dig sewers, the only woman in a gang of men.”

She told me, “I feel I should treat that man better than he treated me—but I do not have that strength.” Sometimes that strength is not within us, but it can be found in remembering the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When trust is betrayed, dreams shattered, hearts broken and broken again, when we want justice and need mercy, when our fists clench and our tears flow, when we need to know what to hold onto and what to let go of, we can always remember Him. Life is not as cruel as it can sometimes seem. His infinite compassion can help us find our way, truth, and life.15When we remember His words and example, we will not give or take offense.

My friend’s father worked as a mechanic. His honest labor showed even in his carefully washed hands. One day someone at a temple told my friend’s father he should clean his hands before serving there. Instead of being offended, this good man began to scrub the family dishes by hand with extra soapy water before attending the temple. He exemplifies those who “ascend into the hill of the Lord” and “stand in his holy place” with the cleanest of hands and the purest of hearts.16

If we have unkind feelings, grudges, or resentments or if we have cause to ask forgiveness of others, now is the time to do so.

Fourth, He invites us to remember that He is always welcoming us home.

We learn by asking and searching. But please do not cease exploration until you arrive—in the words of T. S. Eliot—“where [you] started and know the place for the first time.”17 When you are ready, please open your heart to the Book of Mormon, again, for the first time. Please pray with real intent, again, for the first time.
Trust that early or faint memory. Let it enlarge your faith. With God, there is no point of no return.
Prophets ancient and modern implore us not to let human foibles, faults, or weaknesses—others’ or our own—cause us to miss the truths, covenants, and redeeming power in His restored gospel.18 This is especially important in a church where we each grow through our imperfect participation.

The Prophet Joseph said, “I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.”19

Fifth, we can always remember Him on the Sabbath through the sacrament. 

At the end of His mortal ministry and the beginning of His resurrected ministry—both times—our Savior took bread and wine and asked that we remember His body and blood,20 “for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you.”21

In the ordinance of the sacrament, we witness unto God the Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son and always remember Him and keep His commandments, which He has given us, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.22As Amulek teaches, we remember Him when we pray over our fields, our flocks, and our households and when we remember the needy, the naked, the sick and afflicted.23

Finally, sixth, our Savior invites us to always remember Him as He always remembers us.

In the New World, our resurrected Savior invited those present to come, one by one, to thrust their hands into His side and to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet.24The scriptures describe resurrection as “every limb and joint shall be restored to … their proper and perfect frame,” and “even a hair of the head shall not be lost.”25 That being so, please consider how it is that our Savior’s perfect, resurrected body still bears the wounds in His side and the nail prints in His hands and feet.26Our Savior declares:

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”28He testifies: “I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.”29

I humbly testify and pray that we will always remember Him—in all times, all things, and all places we may be in.30 In the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

“Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 17th year, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 perfectly, precious and precocious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Other Judd related blogs/articles you might be interested in:

Judd Family Recipe Blog   or    BellaOnline Cleaning

There are so many options to what products we can use to clean our homes and vehicles. While these might be more convenient, it is usually more cost effective (not to mention more GREEN) to generate our own. All surfaces can be safely and effectively cleaned with homemade cleaning products: windows, floors, counters, laundry, dishwasher detergent, appliances and even the bathroom surfaces!


I  have come to the conclusion that advertisers market things to our ‘convenience’ and ‘ease’ and make us think that we NEED certain products because they will do the best job for us. While some cleaning jobs can benefit from harsher chemicals, the messes and spills and regular cleaning in our homes certainly isn’t one of them. It hasn’t been but maybe one or two generations ago that store bought cleaning items were a complete non-issue!


One of my favorite safe cleaners is vinegar. Pure white vinegar can kill germs, mold, and freshen up any room. Often people have asked about the smell. While it does have a strong smell, vinegar does not give off toxic fumes like some commercial cleaners. The scent dissipates after a while and is much safer for your lungs then bleach or other chemical fumes. You can always add essential oils (lemon, lime, peppermint) into your cleaning solution to help combat that odor, as well.


CLEANING WINDOWS
Formula 1, Basic:
1 cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of water.
Spray on windows, scrub with newspaper.

Formula 2:
½ cup white vinegar
1 cup water
½ teaspoon dish detergent

Use as any window cleaner. You can use both of these formulas on any glass surface. Do NOT use on marble. Vinegar is acidic and will eat away the marble, causing pits and cracks.



CLEANING SINKS

Pour 1 cup of white vinegar down your drain to freshen it and help remove fat deposits(grease) each week. If you have a slow drain, heat a pot of water until it is at the simmering point. Add a cup of vinegar and pour this down your sink.

Contrary to popular belief, you should avoid pouring boiling water down your drain. It can damage the compound used to hold the pipe joints together, resulting in leaks.

Vinegar will help remove grease in the sink itself and shine the chrome or stainless steel.



DINNERWARE AND GLASSES

A paste of salt and vinegar will remove coffee and tea stains from your dinnerware.

Silverware can be polished by coating with a paste of vinegar and cream of tartar. Allow the paste to dry, then rub away.
(Fun fact- The salt and vinegar paste will also clean and freshen dentures!)


LAUNDRY

Adding a cup of vinegar in your laundry is said to reduce dye bleeds. One popular method of reducing dye bleeds is to soak garments that are likely to bleed in pure vinegar for 10 minutes, then launder as usual.


Add a cup to the rinse cycle for a natural fabric softener and freshener. It will remove the buildup from laundry detergents. You can pour this into one of the fabric softener ‘balls’ in the beginning of the wash.


Vinegar is only one of the natural cleaners you probably have at home. Lemon juice, salt, baking soda, and more can be made into formulas to clean your entire home. All are versatile and family friendly.


BellaOnline Cleaning


Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

FHE: Tithing

What is FHE? Click on the link and it will take you to the Church's explanation.

Tithing is always an important principle to teach to our children. In this General Conference talk, titled "The Windows of Heaven", by Elder David Bednar (October 2013), he gives wonderful examples and anecdotes to help people of ALL ages understand the importance of tithing. This is the last section from that talk. FHE lessons don't need to be long and drawn out. I am a firm believer of short and sweet. :) Make it memorable and helpful to the children and then stop! Instead of sharing stories that Elder Bednar shares, we can share personal stories of how Tithing has strengthened and blessed US in our lives.
An Invitation and a Testimony

The honest payment of tithing is much more than a duty; it is an important step in the process of personal sanctification. To those of you who pay your tithing, I commend you.

To those of you who presently are not obeying the law of tithing, I invite you to consider your ways and repent. I testify that by your obedience to this law of the Lord, the windows of heaven will be opened to you. Please do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.

I testify spiritual and temporal blessings come into our lives as we live the law of tithing. I bear witness that such blessings often are significant but subtle. I also declare that the simplicity of the Lord’s way that is so evident in the temporal affairs of His Church provides patterns that can guide us as individuals and as families. I pray each of us may learn and benefit from these important lessons, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a fantastic Family Home Evening with your family!

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 17th year, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 perfectly, precious and precocious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Other Judd related blogs/articles you might be interested in:

Judd Family Recipe Blog   or    BellaOnline Cleaning

Tip Tuesday: Homemade Cleaners

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

3 bars of Fels-naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (you can also use pink Zote soap instead)

2 small containers of oxyclean or store brand oxyclean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle. (this is optional, I added it into mine because I have pretty messy kids and the cleaner the better)

You should be able to find all of these items at your grocery store.

This detergent is fairly mild smelling, it is not over powering. If you love a strong scent you may have to add a fabric softener to each load.

Directions:

Start out by grating your Fels-naptha soap just like cheese. You can use a food processor or just use your hand held grater, whatever you have.

**Don't worry the Fels-naptha will dissolve in your washer even if you only use cold water like me.**

Toss all ingredients in a 5 gallon bucket. The clean smell will fill up your entire house. I love it! Store it in the 5 gallon bucket and have a jar handy to keep next to the washer. You only need 1 tablespoon per wash load. This lasts our family of 9 (washing about 3 loads of laundry/day or 15-20 loads per week) about 8 months.



 Dishwasher Detergent:

Ingredients:

1 box Borax (4lbs 12 oz or 76 oz ) (2.15 kg) found in the detergent isle
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz or 3 lbs 7 oz) found in the detergent isle
24 packages of unsweetened lemonade drink mix, like kool-aid. (**Note: lemonade will stain soap dispenser yellow, another option would be to use citric acid instead of lemonade. You can usually find citric acid in the canning isle )
3 cups Epsom Salt
Lemi Shine rinse aid (this recipe does not work very well without it) You can find Lemi Shine in the dishwasher detergent isle at just about any store. You can also use vinegar as a rinse aid - about 1 tbsp per load. If your dishes are coming out with spots on them that means you do need a rinse aid.

Directions:

Combine all of your ingredients together (minus vinegar or Lemi Shine) and store in a cool, dry place. You only need 1 tablespoon detergent per load of dishes. You WILL have spots unless you add the vinegar or Lemi Shine in each load.


Enjoy making these, I sure have!!

BellaOnline Cleaning

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

FHE: Grand Family Council Agenda

This past General Conference there was an amazing talk regarding Family Councils. I loved it! One of the stand out thoughts shared was: 

"When parents are prepared and children listen and participate in the discussion, the family council is truly working!"

You can watch the video here. THIS is the link to the Website to read/watch/listen to the talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard. It was AWESOME! Another great point is this:

Please remember that family councils are different from family home evening held on Mondays. Home evenings focus primarily on gospel instruction and family activities. Family councils, on the other hand, can be held on any day of the week, and they are primarily a meeting at which parents listen—to each other and to their children.

I believe there are at least four types of family councils:

First, a general family council consisting of the entire family.

Second, an executive family council consisting of a mother and father.

Third, a limited family council consisting of parents and one child.

Fourth, a one-on-one family council consisting of one parent and one child.

In all of these family council settings, electronic devices need to be turned off so everyone can look at and listen to each other. 

Here is the agenda I made for our Grand Family Council.

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 17th year, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 perfectly, precious and precocious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Other Judd related blogs/articles you might be interested in:

Judd Family Recipe Blog   or    BellaOnline Cleaning