Old Wives’ Tales For Homemakers

This post comes from Tipnut:   http://tipnut.com/

This is a read that gives a look at superstitions from back in the day.


This collection is a little different than my regular lists of vintage tips as some are superstitious (though there are practical nuggets here too). It’s hard to say how old any of them are, how they came about or why they were considered worthwhile to know.
Old wives tales were a simple way to impress upon someone the importance of doing (or not doing) a particular thing, in a manner which would be remembered and easily passed on from one generation to the next. Sometimes you have to interpret the hidden nuggets (ie. maybe salt stopping evil in its tracks was code for pest control, or the dire warning of accidentally boiling over the milk was more about taking care of precious food stores).
The stories could be regionally important, culturally significant, spiritually necessary (in the minds of those who repeated them), or vital to the health of the household budget (remember there was a time when the prices of salt and other pantry items were quite dear).
I’m not claiming these should be taken seriously or are vital information, I just find them interesting and in some cases useful to know. I pretty much kept the collection light, avoiding the death warnings and the evil eye or witch fears…though if you’re interested in that, stock up on sage and salt STAT, lol…nothing too dramatic in this bunch. I hope you enjoy them and they pique your interest as they do for me .

continue reading: http://tipnut.com/old-wives-homemakers/

How to De-Crapify Your Home: A Start-to-Finish Guide

While it's no epidemic, it's hard to argue that most of us have a little "too much stuff". Whether you've got a little or a lot more clutter than you'd like in your home, here's a start-to-finish look at how to streamline your Spring cleaning.

Getting rid of your stuff can be difficult. Things have value to you, whether you've formed a personal attachment to your stuff or you believe you'll have a practical use for it... someday. Most of the time, "personal value" means guilt and "someday" never comes.

We're not talking about going ultra-minimalist here, but rather making a concentrated effort to only keep the things in your life that you use and actually matter to you. To do this, we're first going to take a look at identifying the crap in your home, then how to get rid of it so you're not always just throwing it away, and finally discuss some methods for actually maintaining your crap-free lifestyle. Let's get to it.

Continue reading at: http://lifehacker.com/5804927/how-to-de+crapify-your-home

Have I Done Any Good?

Just thought you might like a little music.  The Official Music Video, "Have I Done Any Good?" featuring Alex Boye and Carmen Rasmusen Herbert.

Top 10 FREE Family Events in Utah: August

Here are August's Top 10 Free Family Events in Utah, courtesy of Rachel from Fabulously Free Utah!

It's August. The last month of summer. And for some, not even a whole month. The frantic school shopping, followed by the frantic rush to get in those last few fun activities. Here is a list to get you going and to make the last month the most memorable.

1. Clark Planetarium: Passage to Pangaea- Friday August 3 the Clark Planetarium will be premiering their newest IMAX film, and you have a chance to take your kids for free. Every child who sculpts a dinosaur and brings it to Clark Planetarium by 10:45 that morning will receive free admission to the movie.

2. August is the month of City Days. Midvale, Alpine, Salem, Lindon, Highland and Payson are all hosting their city celebrations this month. Which means, your pick of parades, park activities and fireworks shows. If you're bored on a Saturday night, chances are that there are fireworks going off somewhere.

3. August is also the month of the farmer's market. The valley is bursting with farmer's markets for the next couple of months. Although the produce at the market is not free, the atmosphere and typically games and events for kids are. You never know what you're going to find at your local market from petting zoo's to face painting. Check out markets in South Jordan, Millcreek, Gardner Village, Downtown Salt Lake, Provo, Thanksgiving Point, and Park City and more.

4. Cool Air Concert Series - If you're looking for a fun way to beat the heat, be sure to check out Snowbird's Cool Air Concert Series on their plaza deck. The last two concerts of the series will be held August 4 and August 11, each beginning at 6:00. Bring a picnic dinner, some chairs and a blanket and enjoy the local music.

5. South Jordan International Days: With the Olympics coming up, this is a great time to teach your kids about cultures from around the world. Be sure to check out South Jordan's International Days, August 14-18. You can attend the Opening Spectacular, or one of the country spotlight shows, featuring Costa Rica and Siberia. For younger kids, costumed dancers and musicians from around the world will be at the South Jordan Library August 17 at 11:00 and 1:30.

6. Kite Festival: There are few things more mesmerizing than dozens of kites flying through the air. Which is why I will be at Daybreak's Kite Festival at SoDa Row on August 18. There will be kite demonstrations, exhibitions and activities such as face painting, crafts and games as well as performances by local ethnic groups. Kids can show off their kite in the Kids Kite Parade.


7. Ferragosto Italian Fair: Another great opportunity to teach your kids about other ethnicities will be at the Ferragosto Italian Street Fair, August 18. The festival celebrates the traditional Italian arts & crafts, music, dance and delicious food of the Italian communities living in the Salt Lake Valley.


8. South American Festival: Your family will be well traveled by the end of the summer, especially if you attend Bountiful's South American Festival on August 24-25. Ten countries will be represented at the festival, so enjoy the South American foods, folklore, music, dance and share friendship with people from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Ecuador.


9. Frontier Bank Community Concert: Another opportunity to hear some great music under the open sky is at Deer Valley Amphitheatre on August 22, from 6-8. Come hear the Detonators. bring a cooler full of snacks and dance the night away.

10. Davis County Fair: If you are a County Fair lover, the Davis County Fair is one you don't want to miss. Pony rides, science discovery, live music and diving dogs. For my children, a day in heaven. August 15 to 18 at the Legacy Events Center. Don't miss it!

Emergency Comfort Kit

This idea came from a school teacher.  These kits are placed in a large barrel in each classroom and used in the event that there is an emergency at the school.  It would be a good idea for home too.

Family photograph
Travel game
Book
Emergency contact card: allergies, medications, Dr's number, our phone numbers
Wipes
Water bottle
Granola Bar
Notepad with pencil and crayons
Letter from mommy and daddy

They suggested using a 1 gallon clear zip-lock bag for these.

30+ Family Home Evening Ideas

Family Home Evening is a time set aside each week to focus on the family and learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This month I will be attending a bridal shower in my neighborhood. Each guest was asked to give a specific "first" to help the couple in their new life together. My assigned "first" was their first LDS family home evening together. So, I decided to make a list of ideas for this young couple.

"When couples arrange their lives to include quality family home evenings, they invite the Spirit into their marriages and build a solid foundation of love. Consistent, quality home evenings, combined with obedience to other gospel teachings, will help form a strong foundation of love, joy, and peace that can bind a family together forever."

From Living Our Dream Life:

1. Pick any article from the Ensign and discuss it together. Summarize or read it together.
2. Basically the same idea but use the current Conference Ensign. Each week discuss/ read/ present a different talk.
3. Learn how to study the scriptures together. As great as a scriptorian as you/ your spouse is, I’m sure there is still room for improvement. Share ideas of how you study (not just read) the scriptures. Use Preach My Gospel for additional ideas.
4. Discuss your mission if one of you served.
5. Make an emergency plan together. Figure out what you would do if there was a fire/ earthquake/ flood/ tornado/ etc. Get old backpacks and start building 72-hour kits with old clothes. For the activity, go shopping together to buy some food (granola bars, peanut butter, tuna fish pouches, crackers, fruit snacks, water bottles, etc) to put in the 72-hour kits. Loved this!
6. Go to the temple grounds and walk around and see how beautiful it is. Figure out ways you can make your home more like the temple.
7. Spend the night showing your love for your spouse by serving them. Do each other’s chores (or do them together). Maybe make a chore chart together of who is going to do the dishes/ laundry/ etc.
8. Write letters to your parents/ grandparents. Thank them for their sacrifice they made for you. Another idea instead of each writing a letter to their own parents how about you switch and each write the letter to your in-laws.
9. Start a Family Journal. Write in it together about the joys and struggles you are facing and how your family has been blessed.
10. Make a movie of your lives. Show where you live, what a typical meal is like, talk to your future posterity about what your life is like as a newlywed.

From Family Home Evening for Two:

1. Write letters to missionaries.
2. Take food to local food banks
3. Donate blood at the Red Cross center.
4. Take cookies or treats to neighbor.
5. Research a topic you want to learn more about such as auto repair, cooking, decorating, yard work, food storage, or home maintenance.
6. Help others learn English.
7. Reading good books together.
8. Have a game night, riding bikes, throw Frisbees at the park or go on a hike.
9. Invite new couples or single sister with kids over to share family home evening and build friendships.
10. Write in journals or work on family research.

From 100+ Quick and Easy Family Home Evening Activities

1. Interview an older family member.
2. Install the LDS Church's PAF (Personal Ancestral File) program and begin entering your family history in your computer.
3. Adopt a grandma or grandpa from your church or neighborhood.
4. Prepare a musical program to take to a foster home, hospital, or nursing home.
5. Plant a tree or some flowers. Discuss faith in Alma 32:28-43.
6. Learn about this history of your local temple by printing its picture and story from LDS.org.
7. Attend a local orchestra production. Discuss the effects of good music on your thoughts from Elder Packer.
8. Make an ethnic meal and learn about that country. Here are a few recipes from various countries at InternationalFreeway.com
9. Attend the dress rehearsals of your local ballet, opera, or theater. Many times tickets are extremely low priced, or even free.
10. Why do good people suffer? Watch and discuss a video from mormon.org, and study adversity.