Mason Jar Candles
| May 24, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Crafts, Decorating, Desserts, Parties, Tutorials |
I have a fun, quick idea for you for this Memorial Day weekend. If you are doing a BBQ or picnic, here is a simple, yet elegant way to decorate your tables!
It is with Red, White and Blue Mason Jar Candles!
I don’t know if you have seen these out there in blog land, but I thought it would be fun to show you how easy they are!
First you will want to put about 2 inches of red beans in the bottom of your jar. I also used rice for the white candle and black beans for the blue candle. You could use just about anything that is not flammable. So use your imagination! I can think of some fun pastas, bright colored candies, or river rocks would be cute too. Tie a ribbon at the top of the jar. This is optional of course, but you do know that ribbon makes everything cuter, right? I used two different ribbons and baker’s twine for the tops of my jars.
Then add a tea light down into the beans. Push it down in and then shake the bottle to level out the bottom.
What do you think? Does this look Patriotic or what?
Here is a top view!
Now add some ice cream sandwiches that have the sides dipped in red, white and blue sprinkles and you the the makings for a fun party!
But the real beauty comes out after the sun goes down! Aren’t these just gorgeous! I love the ambiance that they give! You can now sit outside and enjoy a beautiful summer’s evening!
What are your plans for this weekend? I hope that you will get to spend it with someone you love! I am going to take the weekend off from blogging to spend time with my family, so I’ll see you next week!
Happy Memorial Day Everyone! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItThursday’s Thought-In Baseball As In Life…
| May 23, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Gift ideas, Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
Summer is just around the corner.
School will soon be out and it is time for lemonade, homemade ice cream, parades, fireworks and baseball!
If you have a little slugger in your family, here is the perfect saying for you to print and frame for them.
To print, right click over the image and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. You can print from there or you can send it to your favorite photo processing center. It is formatted to an 8 x 10″ size.
Have a great Thursday Everyone! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Baby Bib Aprons-”Baprons”
| May 20, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Gift ideas, Sewing |
We have a new little granddaughter coming in the near future and we are so excited! So I have started a little bit of sewing for this new little granddaughter!
My friend, Kathy, introduced me to these cute, new little bib/aprons. She gave me the pattern for these “Baprons” and I absolutely love this concept! They cover well and they stay in place because it has armholes like an apron! Why didn’t we ever have these fun, cute things when my kids were little?
These were so fun to make and you can whip up a bunch of these in an evening!
These would make a great little baby gift!
I used these two different fabrics and I love how cute they turned out!
And they are reversible!
So if one side gets dirty, you can turn it over to the other side to use before you have to wash them! I used all flannel for the turtle fabric and the “Owl” one has a cotton print on the back. You could also use a plastic covered fabric, so that you could just wipe them off! They tie at the neck, so they are easy to get off and on.
We are getting excited for this little one to come, she is going to be a bit early and we are just praying that she will not want to come too early! But a new baby in the family is always so fun and we love to cuddle little babies at our house and we usually fight over whose turn it is to hold them! :)
What great ideas do you have for a new baby? I would love to hear about them!
Hope you all have a great day! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
File Folder Memory Book-Winner!
| May 19, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Giveaways |
I have the winner of the File Folder Memory Book! (drum roll please!)
It is: Roswitha Thompson,
who commented-” You are the most creative person that I know….love all your ideas and am always excited to see your next new creativity…..these folders are adorable….love to have one.”
Congratualtions Roswitha! Please email me your mailing address at: rita@pinkpolkadotcreations.com
Thanks to everyone that participated! I really appreciate your support!
Potting Table Makeover
| May 17, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Decorating, Flowers and Garden, Tutorials |
I have a potting table down on my back patio and I love it! But we had a big maple tree that died and we had to cut it out and the potting table was right in front of this tree, so we had to move it out of the way to cut the tree down. This is what my poor table looked like when I pulled it out of the way:
The bottom shelf was all broken and the drawer was rotted out and the wood needed a good sanding. I looked several places to buy a new table, but I could not find any kind of a potting table anywhere! I loved this table with the drawer and the shelf that pulls out, it just has so much personality, so I decided that I would just have to give this poor little table a makeover!
The first thing that I did was to pull off the broken bottom shelf. I decided that I really did not need to build a new shelf because where this table sits, the ground is covered with ivy, so you do not even see the bottom anyway! I tightened up all the screws and sanded it down just a bit, not a lot. I took the rotted bottom out of the drawer and replaced it with the bottom of an empty flower flat! I cut it to the right size and stapled it to the drawer with my staple gun. I then spray painted the whole table with a good primer and let that dry overnight. The next day, I painted several light coats of the Rust-oleum 2x coverage spray paint in the “Summer Squash” color. I love this color and it really brightens up this little corner of my patio now!
I did quite a bit of sanding and distressed all the edges after I was done painting. I love the distressed look!
You can kind of see all the ivy in this picture. I added this big pot of impatiens under the table where the tree stump is!
Here it is with all of my pots on it!
I love how this turned out and how it really brightens up this little space!
I have been busy planting all of my pots this last week. I am up to 22 pots now that I have planted and I am almost done! I may still do a hanging pot to go by my stone bench. I love to plant flowers in pots because I can put a pop of color anywhere that I want it and I do not have to weed them! I do have to water them all by hand, but that is OK because I really enjoy being out in my yard in the evenings! I have also planted a flat of flowers in my front mound in the front yard. So I think that I am almost done with my planting.
I have all of my garden planted with 3 kinds of tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, green onions, white onions, green peppers and Zinnias, plus I have my little herb garden. I have asparagus, raspberry bushes, strawberries, a peach tree and an apple tree in my garden also.
I really do love to have flowers and a garden to go out and pick fresh vegetable and flowers any time that I want (or at least when they are ready)
Do you plant any plants in your yard? I hope that you will get to plant something beautiful in your yard this weekend. (If that is your thing!)
Have a great weekend everyone! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
If you have not checked out the facebook giveaway for a file folder book it is not too late! You have until Saturday.
You could win one of these memory books!
Thursday’s Thought…Oh, The Places You’ll Go!
| May 16, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Gift ideas, Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
Since it is graduation time in many places, I decided that I would do a fun thought/printable for those graduating .
This is one of my favorite books to give for graduation, I love so many of the quotes in there..
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”
“Things may happen and often do to people as brainy and footsy as you”
This one is my favorite:
“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
-Dr. Seuss, Oh the Places You’ll Go!-
So here is my printable/thought for this week, it would be a great gift idea to frame it and/or give it with the book.
To print, right click over the image and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. You can print your own or send it to your favorite photo processing center. It is formatted to an 8″ x 10″.
Congratulations to all out there that are graduating. You have a whole new beautiful world out there waiting for you to make a difference, and you will!
Have a Great Thursday! Love Ya!
If you have not checked out the facebook giveaway for a file folder book it is not too late!
You could win one of these memory books!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItUpside Down Cakes
| May 15, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Sponsored Post |
This post brought to you by Private Selection. All opinions are 100% mine.
Do you ever need a quick delicious dessert that looks and tastes homemade, but don’t have the time or energy to make it? Well I have the solution for you! Private Selection’s Upside down cakes!
Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are made with the only best ingredients, so they taste like homemade! My husband and I enjoyed the Double Chocolate Molten cake the other night. It was so good with the yummy pudding center and the moist, rich chocolate cake on the outside. The Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are premium quality without the premium price.
They are so easy to prepare, all you do is 1. warm 2. flip 3. serve. It doesn’t get much easier than that! You can keep these in your freezer and you will always have a great tasting dessert on hand and if you don’t want to tell anyone that they are not homemade, your secret is safe with me!
The Private selection Upside Down Cakes come in three distinct flavors: German Chocolate Fudge, Double Chocolate Molten and Amber Honey Apple Spice, so there is a cake for any taste.
Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon
The Private Selection brand is a premium private label brand carried exclusively at the Kroger Family of Stores.
The “Private Selection” campaign is, “PS, Don’t forget the cake!” Check out all the fun ideas here on their pinterest page!
Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest
Kroger is executing the “Spread the Love” campaign beginning on April 8, 2013 and running through June 2, 2013. During this time a “Spread the Love” coupon will be available on the Kroger website.
Go to www.PrivateSelection.com/cakes where you can learn about the Upside Down Cakes, see recommended Private Selection ice cream pairings, and receive a $1.00 off coupon. Then share the coupon via Facebook to receive a higher value, $2.00 off coupon.
Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook
Disclaimer:
Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager’s Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.
Find a store near you that carries the Private Selection Upside Down Cakes: http://www.privateselection.com/store-locator/
File Folder Memory Book- Giveaway!
| May 13, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Giveaways, paper crafting, Scrapbooking |
Who would like a chance to win a file folder Memory Book?
I am giving one of these darling books away over on my Facebook page!
Visit me here so you can have a chance to be the lucky winner!
Good Luck to Everyone! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
File Folder Memory Books
| May 10, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Books, Crafts, Gift ideas, paper crafting, Scrapbooking |
I don’t know if many of you know that I used to own a scrapbook store called “Forget Me Not Scrapbooking Co.” I closed my shop several years ago and I have not really done much scrapbooking since then. But then, my children are all married and out of the house, so I don’t have as many events to scrapbook any more! I love to do my “Smash journal” and I love all scrapbooking products and use them for all kinds of paper crafting projects but just have not done much in the way of scrapbooks.
A couple of weeks ago our local Archiver’s was hosting a Heidi Swapp File folder class and so I decided to take it just for fun! Boy was that a mistake, (but a good mistake!) I am hooked on making these little mini books and I love the look of these sweet things!
I made these for gifts and I can hardly wait for an excuse to make more of these! I have several ideas in mind, including some for Father’s Day, baby books, and they make great birthday gifts or would be perfect for a wedding gift!
These are the books that I made in the Archiver’s class. One is just a file folder with several moveable pages inside! I have already filled it with pictures and it will be so fun to give to someone who works at a desk. Won’t this be a fun accent on her desk!
Here are the pages inside one of my books:
This is the front page and it opens up to the right. The tag at the front also is a lift-up flap!
This page has some fun things going on with the scalloped border on the tag and the shaped page.
This next page has this cute banner that was pre-made. I cut part of it apart and used it in another book. I love the little flag banner in the top corner! I distressed most of the edges with ink to give it a little bit more shabby look.
This set of pages has the three little pages in front of the larger page. These are perfect for smaller pictures or for some journaling. I love that you can hide your journaling but yet you can see that it is there!
On this last page, I put a lift up card, again it is great for journaling or hiding a fun little picture or special item! I love that these page are very interactive!
So this is my first hand at these little File folder memory albums. I love making them so much that I went and invested in a “Cinch” machine to bind them with! I have used my cinch machine for so many things already! I think that I will get good use out of it! I will show you pictures of the Father’s Day books when I get them done. I also want to make some of these file folder books just to do small mini albums for special events.
Can you think of anyone that might like one of these fun little mini File folder Albums? If you like to scrapbook, you will love making these little books, they are so fun and they do not take a ton of time!
Have a great weekend everyone and go out and make some fun memories! You may even want to scrapbook those memories! :)
Love Ya!
Pin ItThursday’s Thought-If You Have a Garden…
| May 9, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
I have had today’s thought in my office on a magnet board for a couple of years now, so I guess that I would have to say that it is one of my favorite thoughts! I love that all we need is to feed the body and the soul. So basic, yet so true!
I do not know who the author is so if anyone out there knows, please let me know so that I can give credit to the author!
(Linda in Colorado Springs just sent me the author…Marcus Tullius Cicero. Thanks Linda!)
If you would like to print this, simply right click over image and go to “save image as” then save in one of your folders. You can then print from there or upload to your favorite photo processing center. This is formatted to an 8 x 10″ size.
Happy Thursday Everyone! Have a great one, Love Ya!
Pin ItPin Cushions–That Sharpens
| May 7, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Crafts, Gift ideas, Sewing, Tutorials |
Have you ever made these fun pin cushions on a mason jar before? Well here is a new twist on an oldie:
These pin cushions will sharpen your pins as you use them! The secret? Steel Wool!
Does anyone want to make some of these darling little babies? They would be a perfect little addition to any Mother’s Day gift or they are a great little thank you, thinking of you, or just because gift. They would also be great for visiting teaching!
So let’s get started:
You will need to cut out one 6 inch circle for each pin cushion. This is on the regular size mason jar lid. I just traced around this big lid that I had on my ribbon jar and then cut it out 1/2 inch larger all the way around because I was too lazy to go find a plate or a bowl the right size! :)
With a needle and thread sew a running stitch all the way around. Leave needle threaded, do not tie off!
I got this steel wool at Wal-Mart in the painting department, by the sand paper!
Pull out a small tuft of steel wool and form into a ball.
Stuff into the gathered circle. (You can see the needle is still attached)
I also added a little bit of stuffing to the circle.
Add the jar lid to the top of the stuffing…
Pull your thread tight to gather all of the stuffing and steel wool inside, you will want to eliminate as much bulk as you can on the sides then tie a knot with the needle and cut the thread.
Another thing that you can use for your pin cushion is crushed walnut shells! This can be found at most quilt shops. The walnut shells work really nice, but I am not sure if they sharpen your pins like the steel wool will.
Next you will want to take the jar ring and trace the inside circle on a piece of felt. Cut it out.
Hot glue the felt to cover your stitching. You need to make this the least bulky you can because you will need to stuff all of this into the ring and be able to screw it onto the jar!
I just filled the jars with chocolate because who doesn’t need chocolate when they are sewing? Of course you could put sewing supplies in the jars if you wanted to. These are the half pint jars, but you could use regular pint size. If you want to make these on a wide mouth lid you will have to cut your circle larger.
So do you know anyone that would love a pin cushion that sharpens? I can think of many ways that I could use this fun little gift! You could tie a ribbon around the jar and attach a little gift tag.
Have a great day everyone! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItMay Calendar Ideas
| May 6, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Calendar, Flowers and Garden, paper crafting, Printables |
This month for my calendar, I decided to go with “May Flowers”
I love flowers and I love this saying:
This saying means that no matter where we are in life, or the stage of life that we are in, or the trials that we have…that we will try to do our best with our situations. That we can truly bloom in any situation!
So this is the business sized magnet that I made for this month. To print, right click over image and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. Or simply right click and go to “copy image” then open your favorite program like Word or Presentations and right click again and go to ” paste.”
I made these flowers by simply punching and die-cutting multiple layers of paper, bend the petals up so that the flowers are dimensional, then add a brad, button or silk flower for the centers.
I made this “Bloom” word with my cutting machine. I simply cut the word and then kept adding shadow layers to it. I cut them all out and glued it all together. The big flower is just a bunch of flowers that I had on hand and I just layered them all together and add the brad center to hold them all together. Then I just hot glued magnets onto the back of all of my elements.
I covered the clothespins with washi tape and tied a green ribbon on two of them. This was so easy and much less messy than doing the mod podge and scrapbook paper!
I bought the pink metal flower magnets at a boutique. I added the yellow silk flower to my basket at the bottom to finish off my calendar. This calendar makes me happy because it is so bright and has one of my favorite sayings, so every time I walk by I have a great, happy, cheerful reminder to “Bloom Where I am Planted!”
Now I can get my calendar filled in and be a little bit more organized!
Have a happy day and “Bloom Where You are Planted” today! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItHerb Container Garden
| May 3, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Flowers and Garden, Recipes, Sponsored Post, Tutorials |
This post brought to you by Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have a great little project for all of you out there that would like to try your hand at gardening but are not quite sure where to start. An herb container garden is a great place to start! It is small in size, but yet it can yield a large amount of herbs. It is also very pretty to look at and can be part of your yard decor.
So does anyone want to make a fun herb garden?
You will need a container. You can do a large one like this one or you can do a pot with a single plant in it. You will need to start with some good soil. I love this Moisture Control Potting Mix because it has a moisture control formula that helps with underwatering or overwatering!
Next you will need to pick your plants. I chose, rosemary, basil, and cilanatro. But there are others that work great in containers too, like sage, lavendar, chives and oregano.
If you have a root ball on the bottom, you will need to break it up a little bit like this:
then simply make a hole in the soil and place the plant in. Press the soil firmly around the plant.
I placed the plant that will grow the tallest in the center and the smaller ones on the sides. You will need to space them apart, so that they will have room to grow. Do not try to crowd too many plants into your container. Give them some room to expand.
Add some fun little garden tags and a couple of solar lights to your planter and you have a fun focal piece for your yard!
Right now Miracle-Gro has some great ideas on how you can start fun garden projects, also check out their facebook page at The Gro Project and some of their great tips and products Miracle-Gro. I would also encourage you to “follow” the Miracle-Gro Pinterest page and check out the forum where gardners to come together and share their gardening stories!
They also have this fun video to watch:
Once you have your herbs growing, you can make these great recipes! Rosemary Bread using your rosemary, use cilantro in this fresh salsa recicpe and the basil is wonderful for making your own pesto to use in pasta, pizzas or on sandwiches.
So what project would you like to try this summer? Growing your own plants can be so rewarding and is a fun project for the whole family to do together!
So let’s see what fun summer memories we can grow this summer!
Thursday’s Thought- A Mother’s Hug
| May 2, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Gift ideas, Printables, Thursday's Thoughts |
Today’s thought is just in time for Mother’s Day!
This would be a fun little print to frame to give to your mother for her special day to let her know that she is always with you in your heart!
To print, just right click and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. You can print or send to your favorite photo processing center. It is formatted to an 8 x 10″ size.
Have a wonderful day today! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItVisiting Teaching Handout – May 2013
| May 1, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Printables, VT Handouts |
Here is this months Visiting Teaching Handout…”Sweet is the Work”
This month you will need to pick your favorite conference talk to give your message from, so I decided that I would just make a fun pocket to put a “Sweet” treat in along with a copy of the talk that you pick! I also added a highlight marker. This is super simple to make, just print out on an 8.5 x 11″ paper and cut out both pieces. Fold the flowered paper in half and staple along the bottom and the open side. Wrap the title around the pocket centering the title and simply tape together! It doesn’t get much easier than that!
To print, right click over image and go to “save image as” in one of your folders. Or you can simply right click and go to “copy image” then open a program such as Word or Presentations and right click and go to “paste”. This is formatted to 8.5″ x 11″. I printed on card stock weight paper to make it a little more sturdy.
Here is a blank one for those of you that want to translate! You could also use this for a cute little card to give to anyone for most any occasions!
Another idea that you can do, is to take your magazine to most any copy place and have them laminate the covers and spiral bind it all! It makes it great to study, because it will lay open flat and it makes it a bit more durable! (This is an old magazine, as the new ones are not out quite yet, so I had to show an old one. But you get the idea.)
Another idea to do for your sister’s is to just pick a quote from your favorite talk and make it into a bookmark or a fridge magnet like here, add the highlighter pen and tie it up in a cute bag!
Happy Visiting Teaching this month! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItHow to Plant Flowers in a Pot
| April 29, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Flowers and Garden, Tutorials |
I am getting anxious to start planting all of my flower pots. It is still a bit too early here in northern Utah, but I am making my list of the kinds of flowers that I want to get. I will go and buy them soon so I can get what I want, but I will have to keep them in the garage for a couple more weeks. I will probably plant my pots and it is usually around Mother’s Day when you can start putting them out.
I posted this last year about how to plant your pots; but felt like it was a good tutorial so I am reposting it here today.
There are three different kinds of plants that you need to plant a beautiful pot: you need thrillers, fillers and spillers.
Planting a Flower Pot
My good friend, Susan, works at a nursery and a few years ago she taught a class on how to plant your flower pots. I usually plant about 14-15 pots and baskets every year! I love them, but I am nuts because I have to hand water most of them. Crazy, I know.
In the class she taught that you need, “Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers” The “Thrillers” are what you put in the center that catches your eye. A lot of times I have used the grasses for my thrillers, but this year I am trying something different and using begonias in these pots. In some other pots I am using a Coleus for the thriller.
The “Fillers” are what you put around the “Thrillers”. I have often used petunias, marigolds, begonias, etc. but for these planters I am using the fun Diamond Frost. I love the look of bacopa in my pots, but it is so temperamental that I have quit using it and I am going to try this. I love the lacy look that it gives. 
and this Dark Blue Scaevola. It will also be part of the “Spillers”.
This Creeping Jenny is actually a perennial and it grows really fast and will be my “Spiller”, because it will spill over the sides of the pots. Another “Spiller” that I use all the time is a Sweet Potato Vine.
So you need to start with some good potting soil and you can also add a fertilizer to the soil to give the plants a good head start. Start with your “Thrillers” in the center of the pot. You will always want to work in odd numbers, so I planted 3 begonias for my Thrillers.
Next add your “Fillers”, again use odd numbers.
I then added more fillers and my “spillers”. My pots are pretty full, but I love to have big full pots and there is still room for the plants to grow.
These are the different plants that I used in these pots. All of these plants are shade plants because they will go on my front porch and they do not get very much sun.
I love the look of these pots and they almost have an English Garden look with the Diamond frost in it. I will try to remember to take pictures in the summer, when they are spilling over the top.
Here are the pots on my front porch along with my little flower cart:
Here is another pot that I planted last summer. I found this chair at an antique place and I painted it blue. I love the little vignette that this makes.
This was such a fun planter with all of the Americana decor that I had out for the summer! I love the red, white and blue in this planter!
So have any of you started planting your flower pots yet? I would love to hear what kinds of plants that you use! It is supposed to be warm here for a couple of days before it gets cold again, so I am going to have to get to work while we have a couple of warm days!
Have a great day! I hope that you can be outside and enjoy all of nature around you today! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like on facebook or visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItSour Cream Lemon Pie
| April 26, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Desserts, Recipes |
I still had a few lemons in my fridge from when I made these Blueberry Lemon Muffins, so I decided that I had better use them up. (And since my fridge is still clean and organized, I can see what I have and what I need to use up, so my organizing is paying off already!)
My husband and I used to love to go to Marie Calendar’s, when they had one here locally and my favorite pie of all time was the sour cream lemon pie! I found this recipe and it tastes very similar to the Marie Calendar one and it was pretty easy to make, so I will now be adding this recipe to my collection!
Thursday’s Thought-I Can Do Hard Things
| April 25, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
I was having a frustrating day last Friday and I was in a hurry and everything was going wrong. The faster I tried to go the more frustrated I got. I was driving on the freeway and people were cutting me off or pulling in front of me and slowing down, I was becoming a nervous wreck. I finally just said to myself…this is ridiculous, you are getting frustrated over petty little things. What if you had some real problems to worry about! It was a good wake up call to myself! There are bad things going on all around us, but yet there are so many more good things, if we will just keep our focus on the positive.
Then on Sunday at church we had a lesson on trials and there were a lot of different comments about how we handle our trials. There are several ladies in our neighborhood that are going through some pretty tough trials right now and one of them made the comment about how she had this saying right by her bed and one day her daughter came in when she was having a teary moment and through her tears, she said to her daughter that she could not do hard things. Her daughter replied, “Yes you can, they may just be through some tears, but you can do hard things, mom.” That really touched my heart and I have thought about that many times this week.
It is all in our attitude!
So my thought for this week is the saying that my neighbor has by her bed:
I need to print this out and frame it so I can have a good reminder! I have so many great examples all of around me of people that are doing hard things. I am so proud of them and I appreciate their strength and examples.
If you would like to print this, right click over image and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. It is formatted for an 8 x 10 picture. You can send it to your favorite photo processing center or print your own!
I think that I will look for a fun frame to put this one in!
Have a great day today and remember that
You Can Do Hard Things! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…like and share on facebook and visit me on pinterest!
Pin ItSunshine Basket
| April 23, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Candy, Gift ideas, paper crafting |
Organize Your Fridge!
| April 22, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Organization, Tutorials |
I have seen several posts lately on how to organize your fridge and the minute I saw the first one… it was one of those ah ha moments for me! Why have I never thought of this?
I have never liked my fridge. It is a side by side and I secretly keep hoping that it will go out on me so that I can get a new one! (Don’t tell my husband!) It just has poor storage space! The freezer is so narrow that a frozen pizza would not even fit in it. Not that I really ever buy frozen pizzas, but if I did, it would have to go in my freezer out in the garage! There is no way the bulk stuff from Costco would ever fit in there!
Today you are getting the KEEPING IT REAL version of my fridge! Sorry.
Streusel Blueberry Lemon Muffins
| April 19, 2013 | Posted by Rita under cooking, Recipes |
I have the yummiest muffins for you today! I bought a big bag of lemons and a box of blueberries to make some cupcakes last week and I had leftover fruit so I decided to make these muffins! They are so full of flavor and are so refreshing with the lemons that your taste buds are going to be dancing in your mouth! Make some for your family this weekend and see what kinds of compliments you get!
Thursday’s Thought – You are my…
| April 18, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Gift ideas, paper crafting, Printables, Thursday's Thoughts |
Young Women’s Sewing Class
| April 17, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Fashion, Patterns, Sewing, Tutorials |
Last week I taught a sewing class for the Young Women in my ward at church.
It was one of the same classes that I taught to the women in a Relief Society activity and the young women wanted to learn, so we did a sewing class for them! It was how to make the maxi skirts that I did here.
These girls were all so cute and eager to learn how to make these skirts. There were about 15 girls there and they all got their skirts done except for the hem in 2 hours. They were faster than when I taught it to the women in RS!
Wedding Subway Art Picture
| April 16, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Crafts, For the Home, Gift ideas, Printables |
Love is in the Air!
Last week I promised you a gift idea that you can use for all those spring weddings that are coming up!
This is a fun subway art picture. I buy a nice frame to put this in and add a note that they can change out the picture later for one of their wedding pictures when they get them back! Although a lot of the recipients like the subway art and say that they are not going to change it out! :)
Block of the Month-April
| April 15, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Quilts, Sewing |
Here is my new Block of the Month block from the “Sew Classic Sampler”.
It is called a Dresden Plate. I have never made one of these before and thought that they looked really hard, but guess what? It really was not that hard and I had fun learning how to make this block and making it!
I love the applique on this block and I learned how to make “perfect circles” by using a template and then run a gathering stitch around the outside and gathering it around the template. Then iron with a good spray starch that has been brushed around the edges to get that perfect circle! They also taught me how to get my corners matched up and make good points at the tutorial they had at “Just Sew”
It All Started With A Crush
| April 12, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Decorating, Parties, Printables |
Thurs. Thought-Life is Like Riding a Bicycle
| April 11, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
Here is my thought for today! Hope you enjoy it.
Isn’t this the truth!
This is formatted to an 8 x 10 size.
To print, right click and go to “save image as” then save in a folder. You can print your own or send to your favorite photo processing center.
I hope that you have a great Thursday and that you will Keep Moving! Love Ya!
Please keep in touch…follow on facebook and pinterest!
Pin ItA Sweet Deal
| April 10, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Recipes, Sponsored Post, Uncategorized |
This post brought to you by Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.
Dollar General sells all the big brand products that we all love, at a great price. They are a very good way to stretch your dollar.
Right now they are having a nice promotion, if you buy (3) three 2 liters of participating brands you get a FREE Mars Chocolate FUN SIZE® 6-pack
MARS® products at Dollar General
This promotion would be great for some of our family's spring time activities like, baseball games, spring picnics, fieldtrips and trips to the cabin.
I also like to stock up on 7-Up® to use with my family's favorite fruit slush.
This is the recipe that get requested more than any other drink recipe!
Frozen Fruit Slush
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
Boil together in large pot and let cool.
5 bananas mashed
5 oranges juiced
5 lemons juiced
1 quart pineapple juice
Mix all ingredients together and pour in freezer trays or large cookie sheet and freeze. Cut into cubes and put into large glasses, then fill the rest of the way with 7-Up®
So refreshing and good for you with all of that fruit!
My candy bar of choice with this promotion would have to be hands down the Snickers®
I love the caramel, along with the crunchy peanuts! This is the candy bar that I always pick when I have a choice.
So what would you do with this great promotion from Dollar General? Could you use a sweet deal?
You Are “Toad”ally Awesome!
| April 9, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Crafts, Educational, Family, Printables |
One of the two grandkids that I tend is a three year old, so I have been trying to work with him a little bit on learning his numbers and alphabets. I decided that my back door was a great medium to use as a teaching tool! I can use it as a big magnet board and what kid doesn’t love to play with magnets? I decided that we would make it fun with the toads and the “You are “Toad”ally Awesome” saying for positive reinforcement! I love that it is at my back door and all of the grandkids have had a little bit of fun with it and they read that saying every time they leave my house! :) (more…)
Pin ItSpring Break 2013
| April 8, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Family, Traditions |
I am having a hard time getting back into a routine. After our trip to Arizona and a long weekend at the cabin I just want to play all day! Who wants to clean house and work when you have had so much fun?
This last week was spring break here, so we decided to go to the cabin for 4 days and we had two of our families come up. It was non-stop commotion, but it was fun commotion! Not too long after we arrived the first day, my son-in-law texted me asking me to send him a picture of his two kids with the reservoir in the background. This is what I sent him…
Storage Made Easy!
| April 7, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Organization, Sponsored Post |
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Rubbermaid® All AccessTM Organizers for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
With Spring in the air it is time to start my spring cleaning and getting my house organized! I love anything that will help me get organized and yet keep my things where I can see what I have. That is why is am in love with these new Rubbermaid® All Access™ organizers.
Rubbermaid® All AccessTM storage containers
They are perfect for storing all kinds of things like all my gardening tools and supplies because you can stack them on top of each other yet you still have access to all of the bins! I love this idea and whoever came up with this idea is a genius! I can put my gloves and tools in one bin and my fertilizers and plant foods in another stack them on top of each other and still have access to both bins at the same time!
These Rubbermaid® All Access™ organizers come in a variety of colors, so you can even color code your organizing efforts! These would be great in kids playrooms, garages, closets and storage areas! They look great and they make it easy to organize any room.
The Rubbermaid® All Access™ organizers can be found at Walmart stores around the country, so they are easy to find.
What storage area needs helps in your home? Why not let the Rubbermaid® All Access™ organizers help you? I know they will help me!
Make-up Bag and Brush Holder
| April 5, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Crafts, Fashion, Gift ideas, Patterns, Sewing, Tutorials |
One of the stops that we made on our recent trip was at the Mac Cosmetic Store in Las Vegas! I love going to this store because we only have Mac Counters in Utah, so when I get close to a store I try to make a visit! :)
I love their products and the quality, but they are a little pricey so I feel like I have to be careful when using them and take good care of my products. So when I got home I decided that a new make-up bag and brush holder were in order!
Thursday’s Thought-Though No One Can Go Back…
| April 4, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Flowers and Garden, Printables, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
I went out and took some pictures of my neighbor’s pansies yesterday morning after coming home from my morning walk. They were just so pretty and caught my eye, that I decided to use one of the pictures for today’s thought!
I hope that you can enjoy them as much as I do!
Don’t you love the message in this thought?
I love the hope that it brings and the fact that anyone can start at any point in their life to make a new ending!
This might be fun printed and framed. It would make a fun gift if you need a quick one! :)
To print, right click over image and go to “save image as” then save in a folder and you can print from there or send it to your favorite photo processors.
Have a Great Thursday! Love Ya!
Keep in touch…follow on facebook and pinterest!
Pin ItApril Calendar Ideas
| April 2, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Calendar, Crafts, For the Home, Printables |
April 2013 Visiting Teaching Handout
| April 1, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Gift ideas, Printables, VT Handouts |
Here is my visiting teaching handout for April. The lesson title is “Temple Covenants”
Spring is in the air!
And I am so loving our warmer weather and I am ready to get outside to play and to work in the yard. This month’s handout just looks like spring! So I hope that it will cheer up your day as well as the sisters that you visit!
Going Green
| April 1, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Reviews, Sponsored Post |
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I don’t know about you, but I always feel better when I am doing things to help others and doing things to help out the environment. There are a lot of little things that we can do, we can recycle paper, aluminum and plastic products, we can turn off the lights as we leave a room or we can look for eco-friendly products to use in our homes.
One of the things that I have done to help out the enviroment is to make my own DIY Fabric Softner. This is a great recipe to use in doing your laundry! There are only 3 ingredients so it is easy and inexpensive to do.
Another fun project that I have just done recently with my grandkids is to recycle boxes to make darling books. The kids all love them! Check out how to make your own here.
White Cloud is a paper product brand that is carried exclusively by Walmart, they have a GreenEarth line of bath tissues and paper towels that are made from 100 percent recycled fibers and maintain a “Forest Stewardship Council Certification.” Go check out all of their great products: White Cloud GreenEarth products page. So now you can get great quality without breaking the bank!
Right now White Cloud has a White Cloud Pinterest page, and White Cloud “Living the Green” Pinterest board. They have some great ideas there for you to check out! Repin at least one pin to your board and include the hashtag #Living the Green in the pin’s caption. Then enter their Sweepstakes: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 4/30/13. Click here for Official Rules. Here are the Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations.
It always makes us feel good when we can do our part to help out, whether we recycle, use a DIY recipe, or use recycled products, we all know that every little bit helps!
Easter Lilies
| March 30, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Easter, Flowers and Garden |
When I was just a little girl, I had to give a talk in church on Easter Sunday. I still remember that talk from way back then and every time I see Easter lilies it reminds me of this story that I gave.
AN EASTER AWAKENING
Death had come to the little house next to the large mansion. Poor little Marie was left without the mother who had loved her so dearly. She found no comfort in any of her brothers, and even Eudora, her best friend who lived next door could be of little help today. Eudora, who had lived a very sheltered life in a large home, had never come face to face with death’s mystery and she was at a loss to know what to do to help her dear friend. Seeking help, the confused girl hurried to her mother and cried, “Mama, Mama, she is dead? Marie’s mama is dead. She won’t ever have a mother to speak or smile or to love her anymore!”
“There, there, sweetheart, you mustn’t let things like this upset you so,” replied the mother. ”She has her papa and her brothers and she should be thankful for that.”
In her efforts to allay the child’s fear of death, Eudora’s mother took her to the garden where the gardener was at work at planting new bulbs. ”Do you see what this is?” the mother asked, as she picked up one of the bulbs.
“It looks like a dried up old onion,” replied Eudora.
“Yes it does, Eudora. But plant the bulb in a pot and watch it for several days.”
As Eudora was planting the bulb, she found a small brown cocoon. When she showed it to the gardener, he told her to watch it as patiently as she watched the earth where the lily bulb was planted. Excited, she asked her friend Marie, to watch with her. Each day they came to look at the plant and the cocoon and they talked often of the surprises they felt might be inside.
Before the day came when the lily bloomed or the cocoon opened, a black crepe of mourning hung over the doorway of the great mansion. Sudden illness had overtaken Eudora an in spite of all that love, wealth and skill could do, Eudora died. In a darkened room sat the mother who could not be comforted in her deep despair. For many long days she sat there, asking over and over again where God and his justice were.
Marie, too, was sad but she had been watching the lily and the cocoon and from them had found comfort. Now she took them to the inconsolable mother.
“I’ve watched them ever since Eudora told me about them and now look! They were dead when you first showed them to her, but this morning the lily opened up and I could see it’s heart of gold. It’s perfume filled our whole house, just like my mama’s used to do. And look at the cocoon–it is coming alive too!”
As they watched, a beautiful butterfly came out of the cocoon and stood trembling as it’s wings began to unfold. Slowly it crawled along the girl’s fingers and finally it fluttered up to the waxen petals of the lily.
“This is like my mama and Eudora,” said Marie. ”I’m sure they are as beautiful as this flower and this butterfly-now see them both together?”
The mother looked into the mother-hungry eyes of the little girl and grief and bitterness melted from her heart.
“Come dear. If Eudora is happy with your mama, then you must come to me.”
The sunlight poured over them like a benediction. The birds were singing and faintly there came the sound of bells.
“Listen, the Easter chimes! They tell of the resurrection of our Savior. But oh, my dear, there has been a special awakening of my soul-opened to a new and better life by the hand of a little child.
Happy Easter Everyone! Love Ya!
Pin ItCoconut Bunny Tails
| March 29, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Desserts, Easter, Reviews |
Here is a last minute recipe for you to add to your Easter treats!
Coconut Bunny Tails!
These are so cute and will add a little whimsy to your Easter gathering. They are yummy, moist, coconut cake balls and they are a close runner up to the coconut cake balls at Sweet Tooth Fairy! (That is how good they are!)
These are easy to make because they begin with a cake mix! They would be perfect for any special occasion, even the everyday special occasions! (more…)
Pin ItThursday’s Thought-He Is Risen!
| March 28, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Church, Easter, Quotes, Thursday's Thoughts |
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One of my favorite Easter pictures is the one with the resurrected Savior first appearing to Mary by the tomb.
I love the looks and expressions of disbelief yet believing!
The title of the painting is “Why Weepest Thou?” by Simon Dewey
You can see it here.
“He is not here: for he is risen,”
Matt. 28:6
Since Easter is this weekend I thought I would share this Easter thought for today:
The saddest day…
and
The happiest day,
Were only 3 days apart!
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Have a Thoughtful Thursday! Love Ya!
Keep in touch…follow on facebook and pinterest!
Sunny Arizona
| March 26, 2013 | Posted by Rita under Christmas, Family, Quilts, Scrapbooking, Sewing, Shopping, Traditions |
My husband and I just got back from our annual trip to Sunny Arizona! We go every year for Spring Training Baseball, well at least that is what we say we go for, but we pack a whole lot more into this trip than just baseball! My number one favorite reason for going this time of year is for the beautiful sunny skies! It is always so warm and wonderful every year when we go and I love just soaking in all of that gorgeous sunshine. It does make it a little difficult to come home when everyone back home (Utah) says that it is snowing again, but after a glorious 10 days we did decide to come back! :)
