Monday Message

(LDS Church Handbook 2, Section 6.1.1)
“Church members are responsible for their own spiritual and temporal well-being.....To help care for themselves and their families, members should build a three-month supply of food that is part of their normal diet. Where local laws and circumstances permit, they should gradually build a longer-term supply of basic foods that will sustain life. They should also store drinking water in case the water supply becomes polluted or disrupted."


Winter is nipping at your toes are you ready?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrauctQSNBE - this is great if you want to learn to crochet or just brush up on it.

http://www.knitting-naturally.com/basic-knitting.html - can’t have crocheting with out knitting.

http://diyagain.com/10-amazingly-easy-sewing-tricks-for-beginners/ - sewing

http://theprudenthomemaker.com/make/a-gift-a-day sewing gifts here great things she has made.

Are you building your skills or sharpening them by working on gifts?

I tried this recipe this week it was great.

Gingersnaps

2 c. flour
1 Tbsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt

Sift these dry ingredients into a bowl, stir, then sift again into another bowl.

In a mixing bowl add:

3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
¼ c dark molasses

Cream sugar and shortening then add egg, mix well, then molasses, mix well. Add gently a third of the flour mixture, mix and then add rest of the mix.

Shape in balls, roll in a sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for ten or eleven minutes.

It is always nice to find a recipe that takes everything I already have in the house, plus it's a keeper recipe at that.

How are you doing on your basic skills?

How are you coming on your storage? I know you are in Christmas mode but now is time to take advantage of sales, lots are good storage items…

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=making+and+canning+your+own+broth+big+family+homestead&view=detail&mid=F3BEE2B0EAA9ED991134F3BEE2B0EAA9ED991134&FORM=VIRE make your own broth, save those turkey and chicken carcasses.

http://www.bigfamilyhomestead.com/homestead/how-to-pressure-can-chicken-broth-stock/ - here is the same only canning the broth, our times and pressure will be different so call the home extension number 1-800-262-3804 to get the info from them but watch as he shows you how.

It is a good skill to have.

If you do not have the canning supplies just do it and freeze it.

Remember to stay within your means as you celebrate Christmas. Let this be the year you gain control.

You must set an example for your kids now! Your kids will not be traumatized by not getting the greatest new thing out. I guarantee you those items will be at a yard sale come summer. They might have a tantrum but what they learn is way better for them.

One thing we did is not ask the kids what they wanted for Christmas. I would yard sale and pick up things and fix them up like new. I would sew doll clothes and I would make sure there was a kit I would put together for them to have fun to make something. I also steered toward their interests and what they collected. I think kids having collections is a great thing. We also would have a puzzle under the tree to the whole family. We would work the puzzle over Christmas break.

Make happy memories, they don’t have to be grand and expensive. The favorite thing our grandkids remember every year is painting snow. To them this was their most favorite fun thing. I filled three empty dish soap bottles with water. I put a few drops of food coloring in each of them and do a different color in each one. You can use spray bottles but they tend to leak and make little hands too cold.  

We went out and wrote names and drew pictures and just attacked snow banks with color. We traded bottles for a different color, we had great fun. What was total cost? Three bottles I already had water in as they say fill your empty soap bottles with water, so you could wash dishes in an emergency. So all it took was a few drops of food coloring to make a memory of a lifetime. So think about living within your means.

When your kids grow up it won’t be what they got they remember but being with you.

http://momsoffaith.com/2013/11/101-frugal-christmas-tips/ - great things here that will make you think.

Another thing you can do is during Thanksgiving and Christmas if you can pick up extra turkeys and hams and make yourself keep one of each for the next year. Just in case you could not afford to purchase them, yes such times come to everyone.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/07/powdered-milk-budgets-and-blessings?lang=eng - if you don’t read anything else this is the read. I think it is worthy to keep putting it  in for you to read.

Another note I want to mention, we are all children of our Father in Heaven and we all are important. The size of our wallet and house is unimportant. It is how we live our life when you struggle to put food on the table or not. We must live well, use what you have, make the best of what you have do the best that you can. Because a person has little does not mean we can judge they don’t handle money well.  

There is a reason we should not judge. We don’t know what things they have to deal with. I know many thought, well, we only had two children, we didn’t do our part or obey to have children. We were married seven years before adopting our oldest. What a blessing that was this beautiful girl then within two years we were blessed to have a baby, another beautiful girl. We have truly been blessed. 

No other children came to our home. We have never been wealthy, actually have always struggled making enough but while many probably criticized why hadn’t I gotten a job…you see, I did work before we adopted but in the terms of the adoption I was to stay home. Stay home I did and raised our beautiful daughters, I fulfilled what were the terms. Which caused me to not to have enough hours to get retirement and once the girls were raised I got fibromyalgia and was too sick to work.  

I tell you this so you might see a side you think is the story but not an accurate story. Therefore never judge, we don’t want to be judged by how we judge. Would I do it differently? A resounding no. I would do it all over again. We have the best two girls, they are wonderful and the sacrifice was worth it. The journey has taught me all that I share with you and will be the knowledge that helps us continue on.

So I guess I tell this story so that if you are tempted to judge, stop first and tell yourself you do not know the whole story. When you see someone who needs help, just help them.

Keep working on your storage keep building your skills as you never know what journey you will have and all of it will help you and your family.