I want to share one of my favorite quotes, written by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant,gorgeous, talented, fabulous?"
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Now go take on another great week! Pin It

My First Blog Award!!

Bizzy Bee Creations nominated me for this Brilliante Weblog Award. What an honor!!

The award comes with these rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs youv'e nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking every body’s mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and the kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!

So...I nominate the following great blogs (in no particular order):

The Nesting Place

This woman is amazingly talented. I love lurking on her blog to see what new things she has done to her home! She posts a series of "mistreatments" (like window treatments) that are so fab! Click here for more details.

She Does Hair

A bunch of my friends and I frequent this blog for ideas of new do's for our little girls' hair. She gives step-by-step directions, and our little girls look so chic!

Girly Do's

Another fab hair doing tutorial blog that I found. And another extremely talented woman! I go to her blog as well to get her step-by-step hair style how-to's!

Picky Palate

If you want to try some TO-DIE-FOR recipes, you better go check out this blog! I have tried several of her recipes and every one has been delicious! Jenny has been on the food network and has won cooking contests and everything. I know she is bound to become famous!

Because I Was Taught to Share

I love this blog. If you want to know who's doing blog giveaways, which stores are having their latest clearance sales, or hear about the best blogs on the internet; then visit her daily!

Don't Get Bored in Idaho

This is my good friend and neighbor, Amanda. If you are from Idaho, you definately have to add her blog to your faves. If you are not from Idaho, still go see the new things she has discovered about out fantastic home town!

The Sheenanigans

I recently found this woman through my friend, Amanda. (Sorry Amanda, but you can nominate her again if you want!) Her name is Sheena and she is such a cute blog author, and a talented photographer! If you just need a good laugh, or you want to see that you are not the only one with a bad hair day once in a while go see her. She will make you feel better. Right now she is having a "worst hair do" contest, so click over for details!

Today's Creative blog

Kim always has great tips and ideas! I love to visit her to see what's new. She is also a very talented scrapper (something I actually do not do) and I really admire her. She seems to do it all!

Tip Junkie

Of course we are all fans of Tip Junkie!! Laurie is amazing. I don't know how she keeps it all together SO well!! She is the coolest gal, and I appreciate all she does for all of us women!! I love to visit her personal blog too. She keeps it real for us, and I love it.

Now it's time for my acceptance speech:

First I want to thank my wonderful husband, Rod {{sniffle-sniffle}} for his loving support to a blog-jogging, photo-taking, blog-posting, job-chart and hair-clip-making, "mom-preneur" that I am. And for getting the kids breakfast while I check my email from time to time. I'd also like to thank my sweet sis-in-laws Robyn, Cala and Tasha for influencing me to become a blogger like them, eventhough I was so skeptical at first and have now gotten carried away with now two blogs. Most importantly I'd like to thank my four beautiful children for going to bed on time and not getting up too much while I have my computer time. Last but not least, thank you to Bizzy Bee Creations who I am so glad to have found, and placed gently on my shelf of favorites. She makes cute hair clips like me and has become one of my few kindred spirits.

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Tuesday Tutorial

Today is tutorial day, so I am sending you over to one of my very favorite websites!


You Can Make This is where I go to find patterns and how-to's on just about anything! They sell downloadable eBooks, and the best part? Their prices are SO resonable!! I have a few of their eBooks so far, myself. The step-by-step directions in them are so easy to follow, with pictures and all.
Even more awesome- if you sign up for the YCMT newsletter, you get FREE eBooks as well!! So get over there and get yourself signed up! There's nothin' like some good FREEBIES!! Yay!


Something else really fun about this site is that my cousin, Sherrie is one of their eBook authors. She is extremely creative. Her line is called Patchworkids, and she's got 8 different eBooks to choose from.


*Warning- Set a timer for yourself, because you will want to hang out at You Can Make This for hours, and your kids could go hungry. hehe. (taken from personal experience) {{giggles}} Pin It

My Town Monday

I'm so excited to start my new weekly topic days!! Monday is my day to spotlight someone or something from my home town in Idaho!!

Today I'd like to introduce you to the place I ship my packages from.


We've Got Mail is located on Meridian Rd, just south of Overland in Meridian.

Some of the things they offer are:

Mailbox Rentals
Physical street address
Receive packages from all carriers
Privacy
Convenience
Shipping Services
FedEx
DHL
USPS (Postal Service)
Packing/Shipping Supplies
Office Supplies
Copy/Printing Services
Digital Scanning
Fax
Notary Service
Laminating/Binding

I love this place because it is close and convenient and I don't have deal with the traffic and lines at the post office to ship something. Plus, they do lamenating, binding, and digital scanning- all of which I use with my creative projects!

*Go give them a try! If you mention The Creative Homemaker, the owner Lynae will give you 10% off one shipping order!! Pin It

We've Got a Winner!!

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

15 Timestamp: 2008-07-28 12:44:29 UTC

Congratulations Heidi! Her blog is private, but she is one of the authors of a cute recipe blog called Pimp my Menu. Stop by and get a new recipe for your cookbook!

Heidi, please email me (link on left sidebar) with your address. I'm excited to send you your goodies!

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Last Day for the Giveaway!! Hurry!!

Hurry ladies... You have until MIDNIGHT tonight to leave a comment on my giveaway post to win a set of 2 Bathroom Reminder Signs and a set of 30 Behavior Punch Cards! (Don't worry if you do not have a blog... Just enter, but email me so I can contact you if you win.) Click here now! Pin It

Idaho, Beautiful Idaho

My good friend, Amanda recently created a fantastic blog called Don't Get Bored in Idaho. If you are from here, or plan to visit you need to go check it out! She has put together tons of links for fun things to do and see here in Idaho. She is planning fun outings with her family, then reporting how it went and letting us all know on her blog! I am looking forward to checking it frequently to see what Amanda has done. Thanks Amanda, for the great info! I love it here in Idaho!! Pin It

Creative Homemaker Faces are Here!

I am pleased to announce that my original custom family stick-faces are finally uploaded and ready to go!! I'm officially taking orders now. Yay!!
(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

CH Mommy and Grandma Faces

CH Daddy, Grandpa and Baby Faces

CH Girl Faces

CH Boy Faces

To order (for now):
1. Go to this post and choose what you would like.
2. Go to the right sidebar and add items to your cart.
3. Email me (link on sidebar) with your name, number, etc. and let me know which faces you would like. From there I will email you back with all other customizing questions!

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Another Creative Homemaker Giveaway!

A couple weeks ago I posted about my TipJunkie Giveaway, saying it would be happening on July 21st. It was actually supposed to happen today on the 21st, but Laurie accidently did mine last week instead. It worked out just fine though!

Because I had already told everyone that my giveaway was going to be on the 21st I decided to do another one on my own today, which will last for ONE whole week!!

This time I will be giving away a set of 2 Bathroom Reminder signs and a set of 30 Behavior Punch Cards!! Aren't you excited??



How to enter:

1. You MUST have a blog to enter.
2. Leave a comment(s) on this post.
3. Do a post on your blog about this giveaway and link back to the Creative Homemaker.
4. Cross your fingers that you are the winner!!

You will have until Sunday night, July 27th at MIDNIGHT to enter. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday morning, July 28th. Good luck!! Pin It

Other Chore Chart Systems

In my quest to find the perfect "system" for my family, I looked at several different chore charts online including Accountable Kids and Tip Junkie. I "googled" chore and job charts and found several ideas as well. I also looked at what friends were doing with their kids and asked a lot of questions. There is a fantastic book by Merrilee Boyack called The Parenting Breakthrough that I highly recommend as a manual for raising responsible children, who will turn into independant adults. This book has made a huge impact on how I teach my children to be responsible.


Get inspired by these great ideas from some very creative homemakers. Thanks Tip Junkie!



Here is a tip I learned from some other experienced mothers: One job system will not work forever. Don't get discouraged when your system stops working the way it used to in the beginning. It's good to change it up every so often to keep things fresh and exciting for the kids. I have a friend who is the mother of 6 great kids. She has rotated between 2 or 3 different charts to keep the excitement alive! Don't worry if you have spent time and/or money on just one system. You can always bring it back when the next one gets boring! :) Pin It

Another Cool Blog

One of my new blogging friends recently created a blog called Because I Was Taught to Share. She posts about sales, cool blogs or websites she finds, giveaways, etc.

She hit a sale jackpot today at The Children's Place! Way to go! I better get over there ASAP! That store is the best, and they do have some incredible sales! Thanks Jaime for the heads up! Pin It

And the Winner IS...

My TipJunkie Birthday Giveaway winner is Cecilia from My World.

Congrats Cecilia!! I am so excited to send you these goodies!! Pin It

My Very First Giveaway!

Welcome! I couldn't be more honored and excited to be one of TipJunkie's Birthday Giveaway sponsors, and even more incredible- TODAY is my own Birthday! I will be giving away THREE items to the very lucky winner! It's an almost $30 value- WOW, someone's gettin' spoiled!
The winner will get a FHE Wheel, OR...
or a seating chart of their choice (table or vehicle) with personalized velcro faces.
And a Bathroom Reminder sign...
AND a set of 30 Behavior Punch Cards!
Isn't this exciting? Now to ENTER, go now to TipJunkie and leave a comment on her post. Then bookmark this blog into your faves, and stop by daily to see what's new and creative! Good luck!! Pin It

Family Job System

These are my job charts

Oh and the stick faces to choose from will be uploaded very soon... Stay tuned!!
Job Checklist chart with Job Description holder (not pictured)
Custom Daily Schedule

Dinner Jobs chart with customized Velcro faces

Table Seating Chart with customized Velcro faces

Vehicle Seating Chart with customized Velcro faces

Can't Play Stop Sign

Bathroom Reminder Sign

Behavior Punch Cards 25-Pack

Family Home Evening Wheel
The Family Package: Includes 2 Job Checklist Charts with Job Description Cardholders, 1 Daily Schedule, 1 Dinner Job chart or Vehicle Chart, 1 Table Seating Chart, 1 Can't Play Stop Sign, 1 Bathroom Reminder sign, and 1 Pack of 30 Behavior Punch Cards.



These charts are made of durable card stock, lamination and Velcro; and come with your choice of magnetic or sticky adhesives for easy mounting.

Order your custom-made charts with personalized jobs, and stick-faces of your choice to match your family members.
**This is where you have to make a bunch of decisions, but I'm here to help you through it! :) Pin It

Sour Cream Lemon Pie Just Like Marie's

Have you ever tasted Marie Calendar's Sour Cream Lemon Pie? Mmmmm, it's one of my favorites of hers! I found this recipe on RecipeGoldmine.com. It's not a copy-cat recipe, but it sure does taste exactly like Marie Calendar's! Here's the recipe:

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

1 pie crust, baked and cooled
2/3 c sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 c milk
yolks from 3 large eggs
1 tsp finely grated fresh lemon peel
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c (half stick) butter or margerine (not spread), cut into small pieces
1 c sour cream
whipped cream or whipped topping

-Mix sugar and cornstarch in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk in mild until smooth, then yolks until blended. Stir in lemon peel and juice.
-Add butter and whick constantly over medium heat 5-7 minutes, just until boiling. Remove from heat and stir 1 minute longer. Let cool to room temperature.
-Stir in sour cream until well blended. Pour into cooled pie shell. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 6 hours umtil set, or up to 2 days.
-Shortly before serving, garnish with whipped cream/topping.

Yum! Enjoy! Pin It

Something I Found while "Blog-Jogging"

There is this group of girlfriends that have a blog called A Pinch of This a Pinch of That. They all post their best "tried and true" recipes to share with all. It's a cute site, and I think I will have to try some of these recipes!
Are these not the coolest looking cookies you've ever seen? I can't wait to try these out. They are called Pinwheel Cookies and this is one of the recipes found on this blog. Pin It

Spray-On Sun Screen Comparison

Don't you love the spray-on sun screens? I do! They are so quick, easy and less messy. I did a comparison between two brands- Coppertone and Banana Boat...
Positive: I noticed that the Coppertone sprays on very evenly and is a clear liquid-like substance. (Picture of back after spraying.) It's nice becasue you don't have to rub it in after spraying.
Negative: It dries so fast so it makes it hard when you spray it in your hand to put on your kids' faces, (so I like to have the stick or lotion kind along for that).
Positive: The Banana Boat sprays on so less mess. Easier to spray into your hand to put on kids' faces.
Negative: It doesn't spray on very evenly (as in picture) becasue it is more of a lotion. You have to spray on, then rub in like lotion.

My personal fave? It would have to be the Coppertone spray! Do you have another one you really like? Please share!! Pin It

Two Weeks to My TipJunkie Giveaway!

I will be giving away a free FHE wheel or Seating Chart, a Bathroom Reminder, and a set of Punch Cards on Monday, July 21st! Very exciting! Be sure to stop by TipJunkie daily to find out who's giving what away this week and next. This will be going on until the end of July. You can enter the giveaways every day. Fun!! Pin It

Birthdays!

I LOVE birthdays!! What a great opportunity to make a child feel important and boost their self-esteem! Decorations put up the night before the big day are very important. I made this wreath several years ago. Another, much easier idea is a balloon wreath. (Stay tuned, I will do a tutorial soon). It just takes a straw wreath, a bunch of balloons and some floral pins.
Now we must decorate the kitchen table with a brightly-colored tablecloth and some party decor. This can be a plastic disposable one from Walmart or something more extravagant. I got this birthday fabric at JoAnn fabric and craft store. I had to buy a bunch and cut in half. Then I sewed the 2 pieces together so it would sit right on the table, and hemmed around the edges. (It's really easy, I promise.) Those coned (birthday-hat shaped) things are balloon weights that I bought at Zurchers party supply store for like $1.50. That frame I got at the dollar store! It says "It's your day... Celebrate". And the happy birthday banner (you can't see very well in this picture) is also from the dollar store.
These birthday ribbons- yes another dollar store find! are so fun. My kids where them with pride on their day.
Chair backs! Something I started last year. It's just a piece of material that will fit around your chair, folded and sewn. It can be solid like mine or with a cute birthday print.
I always tend to get a little carried away. So I made iron-on transfers to put on my chair backs and made boy and girl ones.
Oh, and I sewed pockets on the back of mine for their cards to go in. Again, not a necessity so you decide.
Of course, the birthday pillowcase. Just a piec of fabric (1/2 yard I think), folded and sewn. You can use your other pillowcase as a pattern. This can go on the birthday child's pillow a few days before their birthday.
I made this birthday questionare last year, for keeping track of birthday memories and journaling purposes. I fill it in for the little ones, and the older ones get to do it themselves. Then it goes in their scrapbook or file. Go ahead and print this out for yourself! I know some moms who do a birthday notebook for each child to add to each year- pictures, cards, etc.

If you have any ideas and inspiration on birthdays, PLEASE share!! I did not think of all of these ideas by myself, and I love to hear of new ones. Have fun and Happy Happy Birthday!!! Pin It