My New Temple Dress

I want to show you my new 3-piece temple dress that I put together for only $10!

The background story:
I own 2 other temple dresses that are too small for me with all the weight I've gained over the years since before I left for my full-time mission. They are an adjustable size small/medium and a size large, (both homemade). Well, I've gained so much weight that I've been renting a dress from the temple every time I go. I got tired of renting a dress, plus you can't rent temple clothing at most temples now. So I decided it was time to get a new dress, but I didn't wanted it to be pretty and comfy without having to spend a lot of money.

What I did:
I was at Ross one day and saw some long, white summer skirts on the rack. At that moment I decided that my temple dress would be a skirt and top instead of a dress. It took me several trips to Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, other discount stores, and different thrift stores. (I would always just keep my eyes peeled for the perfect "white" pieces.)

Where I got my 3 piece temple dress:
I got the white skirt at the Good Will for $3 because it was half-off.
I got the white (knit) shirt many months later, also at the Good Will for $1 (half-off).
I got the lace-collared top at Burling Coat Factory just last weekend to complete the outfit, at the cost of $5.99. *This top was not gathered at the bottom when I bought it. It was really loose and unflattering, so I added elastic around the bottom hem to give it a more finished look.

Goal accomplished! Cute, comfy and inexpensive!! Pin It

Sore Throat Home Remedy

I wanted to share this awesome home remedy with you, since it's the beginning of that time of year (flu season) again... Last Wednesday morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat and swollen tonsils. It hurt to eat, drink, talk, or even breathe! I've always been very prone to strep, so I wanted to fight this any way I could.

So my sister told me about a home remedy she recently heard about, that worked for her when she had strep throat a few weeks ago. I am SO grateful she told me about this!!!!...

It's a mixture of Listerine and Hydrogen Peroxide. All you do is pour some Listerine into the cup, mix in a little peroxide, and GARGLE!

I guess you can also just get the Listerine Whitening kind (which already has peroxide in it) but I already had the regular Listerine, so I just mixed it myself.

Anyway, I tried this remedy and it TOTALLY WORKS!! I started gargling with this solution several times a day, especially after every meal and before bed. Within 36 hours my sore throat was completely GONE! (I continued to gargle after I felt better, just not as often. I just want to be sure all the bacteria is gone- as if I were taking anitbiotics.) I feel great!

It was really cool, because I could hear and feel the peroxide sizzling on the painful parts and just killing bacteria with every crackle.

The best part though? All the MONEY [and time] I SAVED by not going to the doctor or buying a prescription!!

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Getting Those Kids To Sleep!

Do you have a hard time getting your children to sleep at night? Do YOU have a hard time falling asleep at night? Do you suddenly feel wound up and ready to ??[clean]?? once you've got the kids down for the night and finally have time to yourself? Or maybe you have so much on your mind that you can't seem to shut it off when you lay down to bed?

I can say a big YES to all of these questions!!

Well, I recently learned about something that could help...

Our bodies naturally produce Melatonin in our brains to let us know we are getting tired at the end of the day, and that it's time for bed. Some people may not produce enough, especially those with a little bit of anxiety (like myself and 2 of my 4 children). Or ADHD children (or you) that cannot seem to turn off your many racing thoughts at night.

We can supplement (ourselves or our kids) with this natural stuff at bedtime. I just bought some and am here to tell you that it WORKS!! Yay! With school already started for my kids, and the sun still not setting until after 9 PM, this stuff is heaven-sent for us!

With school starting soon, if not already for you, I thought that today I would share my new-found knowledge with you. Be sure to check with your doctor, of course, if you are a little apprehensive. But I tell ya what... If there is no other reason for Benedril, this natural Melatonin supplement is a great way to help move the sleepy process along, and get you and your children a good night's sleep!

*Update 8/18/10: I guess I should have told you where to find this stuff. I got my 8oz. bottle at Fred Myer in Meridian, ID [on sale] for $7.99 (normally $10). But I found that Walmart carries it too, and their prices look a lot better than Freddy's...

Interesting... I wonder how many of our LOCAL readers went to Walmart after this post, because they were COMPLETELY OUT of Melatonin when I was there this evening!! {{wink}}

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Dishwasher {MAGIC}

Sharing a BIG dishwasher tip: Dishwasher Magic.
This stuff truely is MAGIC!
I am so excited to have clean dishes! A few months back our dishwasher started to leave a film & left over food on the "clean" dishes. I've had to handwash and its not fun when you have 6 people using the dishes. We had a repair man come and he told use we have hard water and a water softener would be great ($1500.00-$2400.00-too much right now) but then he did mention to give this product a try. That was one of the best $4.00 (Walmart)we have spent! I will be doing this once a month(recommended) to keep our dishes clean! Pin It

My New Toy!

I have a new gadget that is helping to make my life so much more organized! It's a P-Touch labeler, made by Brother.

I have a friend who is a professional organizer, and she helped me organize my out-of-control craft room a couple of years ago. She said that the key to an organized space is labeling. I've often been too lazy to label things. Then when I go to put something away, I forget where it goes. But after having a "labeled" craft room, I have a tried and true affirmation that what my friend, Bobbi said is the only way to go!

I'm almost embarrassed to show you this, but here was my daughters' bedroom a couple weeks ago at it's worst. (Unbearable!)


Here is the same room today.




We had a whole bonus room in our last home where we kept all the kids' toys. We don't have that in this house... We have just a small space inside the girls' room for everything, so I had to do something to keep things under control. I know that labeling everything is going to make all the difference! I even labeled the drawers and closet containers.

I didn't have a labeler until recently, and I've been a "labeling fool" ever since! I LOVE my P-Touch labeler from Brother. I trust this company and highly recommend their products! And they are NO more pricey than some of the no-name products that I've seen at some stores. I'm so glad I finally have one of these! They are so quick and easy (unlike trying to making some on the computer or using vinyl letters). All you do is turn on the labeler, type in a word and press "print". It spits out a label, and walla- done!! And it's a much nicer looking option than using a permanent marker!! I am having SO much fun with this little $40 mommy-toy. I know- only 40 bucks! It's worth every penny! Every homemaker needs one of these in my opinion!

I am in the process of labeling my pantry and cupboards. I will post pictures as soon as I get them done! Pin It

My Town Monday- Shade Sale!!

Attention all females!! Mark your calendars because Shade Clothing will be having a "Seconds Sale" HERE in town this coming Saturday Dec. 6th from 9 am to 4 pm at Mountain View High School in Meridian (Overland/Locust Grove). Everything will be $5 each!! Can you believe it? They will have all different sizes to choose from (little-girl 4 to woman XXL and maternity), even swim suits! (Oh, and I guess they have men's shirts too.) If you are not familiar with Shade, go check out their website. I would be sure to arrive on time or early for this sale, because it will be first-come first-serve with the pickins! You won't want to miss this!

(In case you wonder what I mean by "Seconds", it's the imperfect stuff- usually pretty minor imperfections.) Pin It

Friday Faves- Cinnamon Chips

I found Hershey's Cinnamon Chips the other day, on sale at Winco for $1.68 for a 12oz package! I made bread yesterday and threw these chips into the dough. I got the idea from a my friend, Shana who made me some bread with these chips inside.

When I put in the cinnamon chips, most of them melted right away because the dough was so warm and I didn't have all the flour in yet. So the chips melted and turned the dough to an orangy brown color. Next time I will wait to put in the chips. It still tasted delicious! I used my sister's bread recipe, found here. Pin It

Friday Faves- Goo Gone

Do you all have this stuff? If not, go get some! It's not very expensive and you can find it anywhere. Only buy one bottle though, because it will last you forever. I love it in this spray bottle.

It gets anything sticky out of everything. The other day I used it to get gum out of my 3-year-old's hair before washing it. I also use it to get price sticker goop off store bought items. It's a must have!! DO you love this stuff too? Pin It

Friday Faves- Oil Eater

Have you heard of this stuff? My mom recently told me about Oil Eater. It's amazing stuff! It will get grease out of anything, including your laundry!! You can find it at Costco. I haven't checked, but I'm sure places like Home Depot would also have it?

I am newer to this stuff, but my mom swears by it. She says it takes grease stains out of everything. Last night she used it on her concrete walk way becasue the kids spilt something on it and it left a spot. Oil eater took it right up. She just sprayed it on the spots and took her toilet brush (that she doesn't use on the toilet) to lightly scrub it with, then hosed it off. Good as new! And it works miracles on clothing!! Pin It

Friday Faves- Sprayway Glass Cleaner

I have been doing a lot of deep cleaning lately, because our home just went on the market. I ran out of my favorite glass cleaner on Monday. So for the last few days until now, I've felt anxious every time I would walk past a window or mirror in my house. I finally made it over to Walmart and picked some up. Whew! The finger prints were driving me nuts! The name of this product is Sprayway Glass Cleaner, and you can find it at Walmart and Target.

This stuff is the best in my opinion. It sprays on as a foam, is streak-free and makes window/mirror cleaning a breeze.

I also use it on my stainless steel appliances and it takes the finger prints right off to a lustery shine.

I use it on my water/ice faucet on my fridge.

And even on other fixtures, like this hard scum.


I was recommended this stuff by a lady at a photo/framing shop about a year or two ago. It's what they use to clean the glass on their picture frames. After finding out about this stuff, I went straight to Target and bought some. I haven't gone back to Windex since.

What is your very favorite cleaning product?? Please leave a comment on this post and share! Pin It