Key Fob

Jim has been busy again.

A friend asked him to make a key fob for his father out of Elk teeth.

Please forgive the picture, It is hard to get it where there is not a reflection, but you get the idea.

I think it turned great!

He is my talented one for sure!

Help for the forgetful.

I have so many "helpful hints" that help me that I would like to share, and I was thinking they are not at all big enough to make a complete post...

But I changed my mind... woman's perogitive....

We will make a small post on Tuesdays and call it Tips Tuesday!

Todays tip is simple.  If you like me have had a very bad surprise of  being overdrawn on your checkbook, this might help.  I would check and see, and sure enough I usually forgot an automatic withdrawl.... more than once this happened.  Until I took a small square sticky note and posted it in my register on the page I was working on and it had the dates of each withdrawl on it.  Yes, it is in my way of my record keeping, but that is the point.  I have never forgotten a withdrawl date again!

That's Tips Tuesday for today, have a blessed day!

New Year- New Daytimer

I am a constant list maker.... 

Grocery list.

To Do List.

Short Term Goals.

Deep Cleaning List.

Remodeling Plans.

It could go on and on.

I often joke, my day timer is my brain.

Do I spend alot of money on it each year?

Heaven's NO!

This years model is a Wal Mart Special.

Years ago when the girls were all tiny, I followed the 15 minute organizer to the T, and it kept me organized and going.  This plan had you writing each task you do on an index card, dividing those tasks to daily, weekly and monthly etc.  Putting the daily in front, and then moving them to the back when you do the task.  

Then when I went to the work force again I started making my lists. Lots of them! But, I found I was very upset when I did not finish everything on my list each day. Also I was always making new lists.

Until I devised a very simple plan.  I used a spread sheet like this.

Here is my weekly list.  I check them as I work in each area. Also I add things that are needed for the week at hand. Since I work and my time is limited, I may not have more than a half hour to task.  But most do not need that amount of time to complete it.  I then can make a quick scan of the week and see what needs to be done.  At the end of the week, I can feel good about what has been accomplished.

Then comes other things to plan.

These are the short term goals I am currently working on.  I do not accomplish or finish them in a week, but spend some time on each item during the week.

Going further I have Deep cleaning planned.

I work on 2 rooms at a time, and again, work on each item as I can.  It may take me a month to accomplish these rooms, but some gets done each week.

After that it is dreaming time.

We are in hopes to do some remodeling this year.  We will do one room at a time.

All these little lists fit in that small day timer via a paper clip.  I carry it with me all the time, and am always planning.

What is your system of keeping organized?  I always love to see how people are doing it!

Contentment.

There is a site on Face Book that I have fallen in love with.  It is Positive Inspirational Quotes.

Today they had one on there that sums up how I have felt for sometime.

It is so easy to fall into the if onlys of life....

If only.....

I had a different job.

I lived in a different house.

I had this or that.

Contentment is something we have forgotten about lately... me included.

We all have so much to be thankful for, and yet we overlook what we have.

The grass is always greener... somewhere else we think.

Until we are reminded by the terrible situations of life... that we indeed are blessed.

So, today I am endevoring to change.

Insead of complaining to God or your spouse or friend about...

That job that drives you crazy.

Or that hateful person that is always on your case.

Or what you want and do not have.

Say 3 things about the situation that you are thankful for.

I am thankful for a job in this economy.

I am thankful I have the health to work.

I am thankful for skills that God gave me to work.

It is all in how you look at it. 

I have found that after a day of trying not complain but say my thank you's I am a much happier person!

And look at life alot differently.
Hope it helps you too!





Small stuff.

When our daughter and husband and little girls came to visit during Thanksgiving we went shopping and saw some cute crochet handbands with flowers here and there.  I knew that they would be cute on our little girls, and so easy to make, so while Mom and Dad went out to have dinner with friends, I made a couple of headbands with yarn I had around.  Each girl picked what they wanted for the center of the flower and they loved them.

They were darling on.

For Christmas I also added one of these flowers to our 14 year old grand daughters hat.  She loves black and red together.

I was not thinking in tutorial mode however... so do not have "how-to" pics, but here is the pattern I designed for you to try.

Headband.

Chain 7, dc in 2nd chain from hook, and in each ch across.  6 dc.  Chain 3, dc in next chain and each dc across. 

Continue this pattern until it is the length you need for the person wearing it.  For our little gals it was 24 rows of this pattern.

When you reach the correct length put 2 ends together and sc through both ends to join times 6, fasten off.

Small Flower

Ch 5 and join together at first chain with a slip stitch to form a loop.  Chain 6, sc in original loop, chain 6 again and sc in loop again, and continue until you have 5 ch 6 loops around.  6 dc in the 1st chain 6 loop, sc in 1st sc space, 6 dc in next chain 6 loop, and sc in next sc space around ending in last sc space and fasten off.

Large Flower

Chain5. Join together at 1st chain with slip stitch to form a loop.  Chain 9, sc in loop, chain 9 and sc in loop again until you have 5 ch 9 loops around.  9 dc in the first chain 9 loop, sc in 1st sc space, 9 dc in next chain 9 loop and sc in next sc space around ending in last sc space and fasten off.

Put small flower on top of larger flower, add a button in the center loop and fasten to head band.

Or you can fasten to a hat or bag or jacket.... be creative! 

Good Role model.

We are Colorado kids born and raised, and yes we LOVE OUR BRONCOS.

But more than anything we are proud of this fellow.

He has put up with a bunch of flack for his faith.  But, it has not stopped him.  He still lives his faith, and we appreciated that.

He was raised that way!

Bob and Pam were serving as missionaries 24 years ago when Pam became very ill with Amoebic Dysentery - an infection in the intestine caused by contaminated food or drink.  She soon went into a coma and was treated with very strong antibiotics.

Then...

The doctors discovered Pam was pregnant with their 5th child. 

After she was out of her coma, the doctors urged her to have an abortion as the strong medicines would have damaged their child.  But, Pam and Bob said no.

On August 14th, 1987 a healthy baby boy was born to Pam and Bob.

 And now their son is helping them in their ministry in the Philippines. 

He also preaches in prisons and reaches out everywhere to people. 

This young man is Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

No matter what the outcome of this weekend's game,  Tim Tebow is a winner.  We are very proud of the young man he is, and how he has led his life.   He has won the heart of alot of people, including is team mates.

So, tomorrow you will see Ma and Pa glued to the TV, cheering on this warrior and his team.

Thanks, Tim, for your witness.... and thanks for bringing lots of pride and hope to your "Bronco Nation"

Rolling up my sleeves.

Well, with a new year, comes resoultions.  Now I prefer to call them "promises to myself", because I am much more likely to keep a promise, rather than a resoultion.... because we know resoultions are always broken, in my mind anyway! 

So, that being said, I found a fantasic site via Pinterest. This is on my "Promise" list.

http://www.mysimplerlife.com/2012.htm

This is Beth Dargio, and she is the Declutter queen.  
I am the procrastinator queen.

It is not that I do not want to declutter, heaven knows, living in a home that is under 900 square feet I should be doing that ALL the time, but, sadly do not until it gets on my last nerve.
My days off consist of cleaning, laundry, shopping and spending time with Jim.  If I am blessed to be off on Sunday I get to go to church... other than that I tend to ignore the obvious.  So, I am really pumped to try her day by day approach and see where it leads me.  I will have to double up on a few days to get caught up, but it will be worth it in the long run.

You can go to Pinterest and sign up to have the daily duty sent to your email as well!
I am also adding her to my blog roll if you want to peek now and then.

Her blog is: http://www.mysimplerlife.com/blog/.

One of my favorite sayings is...
How do you conquer a mountain?
One step at a time.

Who is with me?  Let's roll up our sleeves and "get 'er done"!