Friday Faves- The Best Candy

I found the most delicious candy in the bulk food section at Winco (aka Food 4 Less, etc)! They are called High School Musical Pop Rockin' chocolates. Chocolate and Pop Rocks together?? Definately worth a try! I don't remember ever seeing these in years past, so I decided to get some to pass out this year. And oh my gosh... I think I have lost count of how many I have eaten... It's terrible! They not only taste yummy, but it's pop rocks, so they sizzle too... So cool! So if you love Pop Rocks and you love chocolate, you are in for a real treat with these. Just don't think about the calories!! You can get these at [my] Winco for $2.48/lb.

What is YOUR fave candy???

Happy Halloween!!!

Preserving the Institution of Marriage

ProtectMarriage.com

Launch Party Giveaway Winner!!!

We have a winner of my giveaway items on Leelou's blog...
Congrats to Andrea and her cute family!! Can't wait to send you my stuff!

Tuesday Tutorial- Last Minute Halloween Projects

This craziness in my life the last 2 weeks has gotten me behind on my fun post ideas... But I just had to show you a couple of cute, easy projects from my friend, JoJo's blog called Second Rate Pursuits. She is such a creative homemaker. She's a simple, darling, talented gal and I love her blog!
JoJo made this adorable cheesecloth ghost that looks so simple and cute!
She also made this darling candle holder that I just have to throw together for this Friday!! She got the idea from another awesome blog called the Inspired Room. Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!!

Leelou's Launch Party Giveaway!!

Ladies, I'm back with a bang!! I am taking part in Leelou's Giveaway Party... Yes, SO exciting!! You won't want to miss Leelou's blog all week long for some FABULOUS FREEBIES and giveaways!!

I am giving away 3 things!!!! (Eventhough Leelou has only 2 of them posted on her blog. I am throwing in a bonus something that I don't have pictured yet. This lack of internet thing is driving me crazy! hehe)

My THREE things:
1. A set of Behavior Punch Cards
2. A Bathroom Reminder Card
3. A set of Set of 2 Flower Hair Clips!!!




How to enter:
Go to Leelou's blog and leave a comment on her post about me!! Then take one of her Launch Party linkies to put on your blog. Oh, and don't forget to grab one of mine while you are here too (if you don't already have one {{wink-wink}}).

Hurry! You only have until 9 AM on Tuesday the 28th!! Good luck!

Leelou's Launch Party!!!!

I am one of the giveaway gals!! I will be giving away a set of punch cards and a bathroom reminder chart!! Yay!!!

Home Sweet Home

It's been a crazy couple of weeks!! I am still using my husband's cell phone modem and laptop to use the internet. Our phone line and internet will finally be up and running this Wednesday. (I'm SO ready for that!) Then I will have my own computer back so I can post back to normal.

Here is our new home. I love it! It's been constant work since we moved 2 weeks ago, because we downsized by 1,200 square feet. Yep, the real estate market took a dive as we all know, so my husband got sucked down with it, since he works in that market. But we are loving the change and loving the monthly payment even more!! And this house is lovely and cozy. We are so happy here!

Bye-bye to my nice craft room. {{sniffle-sniffle}} That's really the only thing I'll miss, other than my wonderful neighbors and friends. We just moved down the road a couple miles, so it's not bad.

Anyway, I'm back!!

Still in Transition

We moved into our new place just over a week ago. Since we moved into a smaller place, it's been quite a job figuring out what to do with or where to put all of our STUFF!! And I didn't realize how MUCH stuff we actually had. So we spent all week going through it all and getting rid of a lot of it. We had a huge yard sale this last Saturday and were able to get rid of a lot. We still have some things to sell on Craig's List, but we can almost fit our van inside the garage again which is SO nice! I cannot tell you how great it feels to de-junk and simplify!

These last several weeks have been a complete whirlwind for me, but I can see the light at the end and things are finally falling into place... literally! My house is still not completely in order, but we are alive and well!!

I want to apologize for my lack of posts. I have hardly been on the computer in over a week. We still don't have our phone or Internet hooked up at our new place, and I've been using my husband's cell phone modem and laptop to get online briefly and check my email, etc. We've been waiting for the phone company and they are not very fast! I will be back to posting very soon. Thanks for baring with me!!

Favorite Holiday Things Swap

Jenni over at My Happy Little Life is hosting a neat fundraiser Holiday Swap to help raise money for the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. Her sweet little daughter has this life threatening disease. This sounds like a fun opportunity to share and recieve! Go check it out here.

Also, Jenni's mom makes these beautiful nativity sets out of river rocks and is donating a set (worth $150) for this cause. You can buy raffle tickets to enter the drawing for it. Click for more info!

I also noticed on Jenni's blog, a great weekly post she is doing to help us get ready for Christmas in 10 weeks, starting October 12. Thank goodness for gals like her that are willing to help the rest of us stay more organized! Thanks Jenni. You are definately a creative and organized homemaker!

Friday Faves- The Best Blogs

I just set up my side bar links in categories. I put my fave blogs (and websites) on that list. If you have a really great homemaker-type blog and think I should add you, please email me at TheCreativeHomemaker@gmail.com!! I don't want to leave anyone out. I don't get a lot of time to sit down and "blog-jog" very often, so I know I'm missing out on some great talent and inspiration! Please share yours with me, and I will place you on my link list!

I have several of your personal/family blogs bookmarked in my faves on my computer, and I do visit you once in a while. So if you've got some talent and inspiration to share, I want to know about it!! If you do something creative and don't mind me lurking and linking please let me know! If you are one of my readers, you are probably creative (or aspire to be). So it's time to show and tell. I want to see!!

Please email or comment with your link! XOXO

A Thought for Thursday- Interfaith Fast

My friend Linda sent me this emial forward. If you want to participate in fasting and prayer for a great cause as a nation with other faiths, here's a wonderful oppurtunity! And hey, if you have any extra personal blessings you are praying for as well, an extra incentive!

INTERFAITH FAST
There will be an interfaith fast on Sunday, October 12th. People from all over the United States and from all faiths will be joining together to fast for the "building block of society," the Family. Religious fasting involves both prayer and fasting (abstaining from food and drink for a period of time). Whatever your professed faith may be, your faith and fasting can bring forth the powers of heaven. On Sunday, October 12th, and please pray for a positive outcome for California Proposition 8, that hearts may be softened, that understanding and wisdom will prevail, and that marriage will continue to be defined as between a man and a woman to protect families.

Isaiah 58:6,8-9
"Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am."

Tuesday Tutorial- Terryaki Burgers

My baby brother Aaron makes the biggest, best, juiciest hamburgers ever. I asked him to show me how last week since he was over watching our Boise State football game a couple weeks ago. He uses soy sauce (a whole bottle- not pictured), and adds some sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic powder, and brown sugar (not pictured)- all to taste. (You'll have to just wing it, I guess until it's right.)

You can do just a small amount of brown sugar and use sweetener if you want, to keep the sugar calories down a little.

Then you crush Triscuits (reduced fat/low sodium) and add them to the soy mixture along with the ground beef. Mix with hands like you would with meat loaf.

Now you can throw those puppies on the grill after you've formed them into thick patties.
Time to enjoy your burger, that is IF you can get your mouth around it! My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures! Thanks Aaron!

Oh, I love my hamburgers the most on homemade buns!!

Here's my recipe:
Homemade Hamburger Buns
4 c flour
2 T yeast
2 c warm water
3/4 c oil
3 eggs (beaten 3 min high speed)
1/2 c sugar
1 T salt
4 c flour again
Sticky dough- Knead till smooth. Let rise till double, punch down. Rest 5 min. Form hamburger or hotdog buns. Let rise. Bake at 375 for 10 min.
(Sorry... this is directly from my mom's recipe card from years ago, so I'm sorry the directions aren't more detailed. If you have any questions, just email me at thecreativehomemaker@gmail.com I've made these many times.)

My Town Monday- Other Mother's Off-site Sale!

Okay ladies... Welcome to the Main Event! Other Mothers is having their semi-annual Off-Site Sale this Friday and Saturday, October 10 & 11 starting at 9:00 AM. There will be tons of baby, kids and maternity clothing and shoes (all for 25 cents each) along with toys, furniture, strollers, bedding, baby accessories, etc for ridiculously low prices. They're all used items, un-accepted things that people have donated. After this weekend, the items leftover will be donated to charities.

I have seen the Other Mothers storage unit and WHOA... It's busting at the seems!! You are not going to want to miss this sale! The sale will take place indoors just two doors down from Other Mothers on Fairview/Five Mile. (Just look for the signs and lots of ladies!)

Of course there are still Halloween costumes on the racks, as well as winter coats, gloves and hats. All racks are packed full of fall and winter clothing. This is a great time to shop!!

One more exciting thing that I did forget to mention in my last Other Mothers post...

Our newspaper, The Idaho Statesman does a "Best of the Treasure Valley" insert once? a year. It shows the best stores in town for different categories. Old Navy was voted best children's clothing store, then for the 3 honorable mentions...


Listed with two other first-hand clothing stores, Gap and Children's Place, is my fave Other Mothers. I know the owners and they were tickled pink!! They have worked very hard to get there, and they deserve it! Way to go OM! What an honor! That tells ya something for sure!

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?

A Thought for Thursday- General Conference

Since so many of my readers are members of my church, I thought I would share a General Conference packet to download for your kiddos. I got different packets from two different friends, that are both great. Thanks Jeni and Linda!! I am linking to one of them, because I can't figure out how to get to the other one. You can also go to Sugardoodle (my fave ideas website) for more conference ideas.

In case you are not a member of my church and wonder what the heck I'm talking about, General Conference is a world-wide broadcast from Salt Lake City that happens twice a year... the first weekends in April and October. It airs on the BYU channel on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 12 noon, and from 2 to 4 pm Utah (Mountain time) (4 different sessions). (If you are from my town, it also airs on "24/7"). The conference packet is for the kiddos to keep them entertained while they listen.

Also, it's always good to have special family traditions to make General Conference a special, enjoyable time. I like to make cinnamon rolls or "monkey bread" for one of the days. I always print off a packet for the kids as well. We let the kids set up their sleeping bags and get cozy while we watch together.

Sugardoodle always has great ideas to share. What are some of your semi-annual conference traditions?? Please share!