October Odd Holidays

OCTOBER

Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, Cookie Month

National Pizza Month, National Popcorn Popping Month

4th Sunday - National Mother-in-Law Day

5th - Do Something Nice Day

7th - World Smile Day

10th - National Angel Food Cake Day

13th - World Egg Day

16th - Dictionary Day

30th - National Candy Corn 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: Cleaning the Interior of Vehicles

There really is nothing worse than going somewhere and your vehicle is 'trashed'. At least, there is nothing more embarrassing. For those of you that don't have a Honey-Do that "do's" it for you, hopefully these tricks can help.

One of the first things you need to do is gather like things together: trash, toys, books, etc. You need to put those away ASAP or else they will more than likely take up unnecessary space somewhere else. Having a garbage can close by is a real time-saver.

A nice tip is to have a basket or tray that you can carry in the house and keep all of the 'necessaries' in - so that you can tote it in and out every time. Too much chance of thievery to just leave in your car all of the time. Or maybe the temperature isn't moderate enough to leave things in (too hot or too cold). Whatever the reason, it is a good idea to have a 'landing spot' for things that you need in the house but that you have to take with you the next time you leave the house.

I always start by vacuuming the interior of the vehicle. Once that is done then I can go around and wipe down (using just water or a cleaning product of your choice) all of the leather/dash/plastic/metal areas. Once these are cleaned then it is so easy to clean the windows inside and out (if you already washed the exterior).

Sometimes it is great to use a product on the dash to keep it looking fresh. A good way to prevent cracks in the dash is to get a dash cover. Otherwise you will need to keep it wiped down - but not with a product that will attract the sun.

Once everything is clean then you can bring back the floor mats and the other things that you regularly keep in the vehicle - sometimes it might be attention-keepers for the children (ie: crayons, coloring books, books, snacks, etc) or even things for yourself to do when you are picking up/dropping off children. Best to have something for those moments when you are 'waiting'.

Keep a look out for future articles on cleaning products for the car!



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: Cleaning When You are Sick

When you (or a loved one) are sick it is hard to clean, much less WANT to clean. Unfortunately, you will regret it if you do nothing.

Here are a few tips that might help. Simple but effective.

1) Keep trash bags or garbage bags near someone with Tissue Issues. You won't believe what this will save in time in the long run.

2) Keep your needed medicines (room temperature ones at least) in a bucket so they are kept together and you ALWAYS know where they are. If possible have duplicate over the counter medicines upstairs AND downstairs.

3) ASK for help. You have family and friends that will help you. Don't deny them that opportunity. Ask family members to pick up your share of chores. If you live alone, ask a friend to help. They don't need to do DEEP cleaning, but basic things will be really helpful and keep your living space running smoothly

4) Keep to the basics. Keep dishes going in and out of the dishwasher. Or better yet, invest in paper plates and flat ware for the duration.

5) Eat simply and clean up is a breeze. Think Raw veggies and yogurts and yummy food like that. ;)

6) Keep Lysol or other disinfectant handy for toys or bathroom - where most of the germs keep breeding! Don't be afraid to spray and let things soak. 

7) Don't do more than you are able. Seriously. If you CANNOT leave your couch because you are feeling that badly - STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT! Stressing yourself out only makes you feel worse! That is no good!

8) Make sure you keep wiping down your phone and computer - easy places for germs to spread.

9) If you are in a long term situation - you need to call a maid service or a local friend that would be willing to help out. It will save you so much headache in the long run. Especially if you live alone!

Whatever your needs are - make it work for you. Don't make yourself crazy worrying about everything. There is a time and place for EVERYTHING and when you are right in the middle of a crisis of illness/giving birth/sickness it is time to 'let go' and share the load.

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!

Visiting Teaching handout for September

Here is the Visiting Teaching message for this month. This message can be tricky if you have sisters that are divorced or widowed or single, etc. But it is an important message. It is definitely one to be prayerful about what to share with your sisters!
VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE

Parenthood Is a Sacred Duty

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Prayerfully study this material and seek for inspiration to know what to share. How will understanding “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” increase your faith in God and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

Faith, Family, Relief

Our Heavenly Father established families to help us teach correct principles in a loving atmosphere. President Thomas S. Monson said: “Give your child a compliment and a hug; say, ‘I love you’ more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”1

Susan W. Tanner, former Young Women general president, taught: “Our Father in Heaven exemplifies the pattern we should follow. He loves us, teaches us, is patient with us, and entrusts us with our agency. … Sometimes discipline, which means ‘to teach,’ is confused with criticism. Children—as well as people of all ages—improve behavior from love and encouragement more than from fault-finding.”2

“If we faithfully have family prayer, scripture study, family home evening, priesthood blessings, and Sabbath day observance,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “our children will … be prepared for an eternal home in heaven, regardless of what befalls them in a difficult world.”3

Additional Scriptures

1 Nephi 8:37; 3 Nephi 22:13; Doctrine and Covenants 93:40; 121:41

Living Stories

“I was reading the newspaper when one of my young grandsons snuggled up to me,” said Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “As I read, I was delighted to hear his sweet voice chattering on in the background. Imagine my surprise when, a few moments later, he pushed himself between me and the paper. Taking my face in his hands and pressing his nose up to mine, he asked, ‘Grandpa! Are you in there?’

“… Being there means understanding the hearts of our youth and connecting with them. And connecting with them means not just conversing with them but doing things with them too. …

“We must plan and take advantage of teaching moments. …

“… The more I live, the more I recognize that the teaching moments in my youth, especially those provided by my parents, have shaped my life and made me who I am.”4

Consider This

Why is the gospel best taught by the language and example of love?

Show References

Here is the handout we used with our sisters:

Email me and I will send you the pdf of 4 to a page and my Visiting Teaching lesson handout as well. :) Enjoy!

Make it a great one!

 Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B6, G4, & B2), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

See Yourself in the Temple

See yourself in the Temple is the topic of Quentin L. Cook's 2016 April Conference talk. This talk is the subject of my 4th Sunday Relief Society Lesson this month. This is a long talk - I will more than likely have to pick and choose the best parts of this talk because it is about 5 pages long in a normal 14 pt font.

This talk isn't just for people that haven't gone to the Temple yet. This talk is for EVERYONE! If you have a recommend - this talk is for you! If you have a recommend but you have and/or haven't gone in a while, this talk is for you. If you are less active and need to renew your recommend and return to Church this talk is for you. If you have recently joined the Church, this talk is for you. If you are investigating the Church, this talk is for you!! Seriously!!

This talk is for each of us to See Ourselves in the Temple, A little history of the Temple and then a Challenge to See Myself in the Temple. He talks about promises and blessings given to the Saints and discusses how blessed we are to live at this time. He also discusses How Do We Prepare for the Temple and how the Atonement of Christ makes it possible for us to be forgiven of the sins that might keep us from thinking we are worthy to attend the Temple. He reminds us that our ability to go in the Temple is based on our Self Certification when answering the Temple Recommend Questions with our Bishopric and Stake Presidency Member. We have to fully forgive ourselves. This is key. One of my favorite quotes is "The Lord Organizes Eternal Families in the Temple" - What a great reminder. No where else is this remotely possible!!

I add my testimony of Temple work to his and again use his Challenge of See Yourself in the Temple for all of us to grow closer to Heavenly Father.

This is the handout that I am going to use for my lesson. I will print it in color in a 4x6 size for each member of our Relief Society. I am going to use Sams Club :) They are pretty economical!

    

Email me and I will send you the pdf of this handout. Usually I do it in a full size and a 4x6 or 3x5 size that is 4 to a page.  I am going to print out one in a poster size for our loft area. This is a great visual for my children to see everyday!


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, B6, G4, & B2), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Tip Tuesday: Cleaning Schedules - Daily, Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly

Ever wondered how you could break up the chores that NEED to be done in and around your home but you weren't quite sure how to do it? This article is going to do just that. We will approach it in this way: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Yearly, and Yearly. Easy Peasy!


DAILY:

These are things that should or could be done daily - depending on your life situation. Make your bed; start a load (or 2) of laundry; clear your dishwasher; fix meals; Tidy living room, bedrooms, bathrooms and empty trash.

WEEKLY JOBS:

These are things that you can designate to a certain day of the week EACH week. Wash Sunday Clothes; pay bills; do paperwork; catch up on emails; catch up on blog posts; balance weekly budget; vacuum carpeted areas and sweep non carpeted areas (maybe 2x's a week or more - depending on your household. We have a large family and really our family room gets vacuumed at the least ONE time a day but usually twice; Wash bath and kitchen towels; deep clean bathrooms; deep clean kitchen; plan weekly menu's; prepare your grocery list; Wash sheets - you designate who's sheets on which day of the week - so there is never a question; grocery shopping (we get paid on Fridays so we do our grocery shopping on Fridays); Banking errands; Driving around errands - if you can designate one day that you are going to fulfill all errands it will save you time and energy in the long run; Dust - have different rooms get dusted on different days; mending/fixing day; Washing sleep wear; wash cars; mow lawns; sweep/clean outside  living spaces and walkways; clean children's rooms; write letters.

MONTHLY JOBS:

These can include thing like washing interior windows; organizing living spaces (designate which space gets the 'treatment' each month; dusting ceiling fans; wiping down minds and cleaning window treatments; clearing off the Office Desk; Filing papers into your permanent file; Setting up dr's appointments etc.; Clean vehicles inside and out; dust kitchen cupboard doors; file papers, articles and clippigns; write in baby books; write letters/emails; balance bank statements; take a day off :); Prepare next months budget; add your cleaning jobs to your calendar for next month.

QUARTERLY JOBS:

Organize children's toys; clean mirrors; clean shower door/curtain; check vehicles oil/tire pressure/battery; clean piano keys; check and or change furnace filters; & you may find that you have others that fit your family needs.

Make it a great one!

*** Some of the information is from Marie Ricks - Housecleaning Plan - She just lays it out so logically. While some of the strategies are mine alone - the bulk of the 'plan' is hers. I changed it around to fit my family's needs - as you can do for your family! *** 

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: Cleaning the Bathroom

Have you been trying to figure out what the most important things to do in your bathroom would be? Well, look no further. There are simple tasks that you can do following your morning routine in your bathroom that will keep your bathroom clean, sparkly and more importantly GERM FREE!

Bathtub - 

If you take a bath you really should wipe out any excess water and have the exhaust vent on to wick away any excess moisture lingering in the air. A quick wipe down with your towel (or handy drying towel specifically for this purpose) will keep your bathtub looking the way it should!

Shower - 

If you are a shower girl, you need to make sure you wipe down your shower when you are finished as well. The doors/curtains can be particularly good at breeding germs and getting shower scum. The germ factor is more important here! You will definitely want to dry it - this will foil the attempts of the germs to build up. A weekly cleaning is easy when everyday you are wiping it dry!

Sink/Faucet - 

If at the end of your morning routine you quickly dried out the sink and wiped down the faucets (getting the tricky tight spaces, as well) your sink will never build up scum and germs. Once a week you can quickly clean it with your favorite cleaner, but you will have said good bye to the hard, scrubbing, yucky job!

Mirrors - 

Your mirror just needs a quick wipe down to get rid of any water spots that might have accumulated. This will keep your mirror looking crystal clear and you looking beautiful in it!

Toilet - 

The dreaded toilet should be swished through DAILY. If you clean it, using cleaner, then you need only swish it on the surfaces. It will have enough cleaner on the bristles to see you through your morning swishing. ***One thing to remember, you should train everyone in your house to close the lid when they flush***. Open lids when flushing can allow germs and bacteria to get on things that you really don't want them on. (like toothbrushes, hair brushes, makeup, etc.)

As you practice healthy cleaning rituals in the mornings you will find that it only takes seconds - once you make the habit! Don't forget, by doing this every morning, your bathroom will stay COMPANY READY!! (The tricky part is trying to teach our children to do it in THEIR bathrooms!!)

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!