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Gratitude for my Grandmother

Gratitude for my Grandmother

Gratitude For My Grandmother With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s a great time to reflect on everything we have to be grateful for. This season, my thoughts have especially turned to my grandmother. She is an amazing woman who has taught me a lot 

The Covey Center for the Arts

The Covey Center for the Arts

While it may seem that you have to travel to Salt Lake City for any professional play, ballet, or production, Provo has an arts center of its own! The Covey Center of the Arts is a wonderful place for anyone in Utah County to see 

Thanksgiving DIY

Thanksgiving DIY

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy being with family and reflecting on the blessings we have received.

And, of course, who can forget about the food?

Sometimes we can focus on making sure the turkey and stuffing are cooked to perfection, that the table is set, or that the house is clean and festive. I know, for me, having as many preparations done beforehand helps make the holiday a little less hectic. Such things as having the house decorated, place settings done, snacks and treats made, etc. before starting the Thanksgiving feast helps me to more fully enjoy season of family and gratitude.

Here are a few things that you can do now to get ready for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday:

Thanksgiving Table Setting
tablesetting

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Rosemary Wreath Place Cards
Rosemary place cards

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Thanksgiving Message Board
leaves board

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Cozy Votive Holders
Candles

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Pumpkin Centerpiece
Pumpkin Centerpiece

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Turkey Treats
Turkey Treats

 

 
Source found here.

Kids Crafts, Turkey Style
Yarn Turkey

 

 

 

 

 

Source found here.

Thanksgiving Banner
Thanksgiving Banner

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Cinnamon Apple Chips
Cinnamon Apple chips

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

Fruity-topias
Fruit Cornucopias

 

 

 

 
Source found here.

 

 

—Bridget Lewis, Editor, Stance

Home Safety for Kids: Burns and Scalds

Home Safety for Kids: Burns and Scalds

Smelling yummy cookies baking, watching mom do her hair in the morning, or plugging something into an outlet are frequent occurrences in a home. Accidents can occur during these activities, but with a few tips you can easily avoid burns or scalds. Don’t hold children 

Legal Benefits of Tying the Knot

Legal Benefits of Tying the Knot

You may think that marriage is mostly about twitterpation, true love, and white dresses, but starting a new life together is more than just the affection you feel for each other—it’s actually doing life together too! That means not only living together, but doing EVERYTHING 

Simple Savings

Simple Savings

money-619019_640I mentioned in my last post that a “slow and steady” approach to saving is the most beneficial way for us to prepare for our long-term financial future. However, there’s another, equally gradual thing that we can do to help our family finances stay balanced: cutting expenses. This is important because even saving twenty dollars a month can add up fast, and losing track of twenty dollars a month can really end up hurting your situation if you’re not careful.

I want to look at ways that we can cut expenses without cutting back too much on our current lifestyle. As long as we’re not going too crazy with the spending right now, this isn’t as hard as it might sound!

Some of the biggest areas where families have to spend money are in mortgage or rent payments, transportation, food, and clothing needs. Obviously, getting a cheaper house or a more gas-efficient car can help you spend less money, but let’s look at the simpler things first.

Food:

Many people believe that you spend less money on food when you have a plan for your meals, and the evidence seems to support that, with some people claiming they’ve seen up to a 50% reduction in their grocery bills!

Taking a little bit of time to figure out what your family will eat in the coming week or two lets you shop more effectively; you know exactly what you’ll need for the recipes or simple meals that you’ve planned, and you won’t have to buy a lot of stuff in the hope that you’ll get enough meals out of it. Planning helps you waste food less. If you’re willing to put more time into it, you can even research what types of recipes, food choices, and stores will be the cheapest. Like with a lot of other things in life, planning ahead with your grocery shopping is worth the time it takes!

If you want to make the planning even easier, there are plenty of helpful websites online that have pre-made lists of meal ideas on a budget. If you want a place to start, try somewhere like http://www.allyou.com/food/budget-meal-planning.

Other ways to save money on groceries are, of course, coupons and sales, which can also be found or researched online quite easily.

Clothes:

The “MoneyTalksNews” website says that Americans spend on average $1,700 a year on clothing and accessories. Since this is probably more than we need to be spending, the website also offers helpful tips on reducing that cost. Here’s a few of them that I thought were especially helpful; the rest can be found through this link: http://www.moneytalksnews.com/23-tips-for-saving-money-on-clothing/

  • Buy out of season. You can always find discount winter clothes once spring has come around again, and with a little planning ahead, you can get ready for the next year’s winter at a much lower cost!
  • Buy clothes that fit now. Sure, you’re probably planning to lose some weight (a lot of people are, me included), but as the website points out, it’s a big gamble to buy something a couple sizes too small in the hope that you’ll fit into it later. It’s safer (and more comfortable) to buy things that you’ll use now.
  • Hem your own clothes instead of going to an expensive tailor. I think that this applies to all types of clothing repairs; if at least one person in the house knows how to do basic sewing repairs or changes, the family can save a lot of money by fixing or repurposing old clothes as something new.
  • For women, the site suggests that you shop in the men’s section if you need something unisex, like a hoodie. While I’d never have thought of this, it’s true that men’s or children’s clothing is usually priced cheaper than women’s. Fair? Probably not. But good to be aware of!

 

That’s some of the stuff that’s helped other families cut their expenses. Try out a few of these ideas, and see if they work for you!

 

—Sam Watson, Editor, Stance

A Babymoon?

A Babymoon?

Being six months pregnant, I have heard multiple people mention a babymoon, and I’ve received tons of pregnancy ads and articles about babymoons. But what are they? For anyone like me who hadn’t heard of them before, babymoons are similar to a honeymoon. Babymoons are 

No-hassle Trick-or-Treating: Bags

No-hassle Trick-or-Treating: Bags

Perhaps one of the biggest dilemmas of Halloween is deciding what costume to wear. We all want to stand out, to be remembered as the one who had the scariest, cutest, or most creative costume of the night. But when you create your costume, why 

Home Safety for Kids: The Kitchen

Home Safety for Kids: The Kitchen

Often, young children are cared for at home by an older sibling for at least a few hours after school. More than not, the kitchen is the first place children go for a snack when they get home. Teaching children to be responsible in the kitchen should be a priority. By following these simple guidelines, keeping your kitchen a safe place will be easier: first aid

  • Keep pot and pan handles facing towards the counter and not hanging over the edge of the stove. Young toddlers can reach up and grab the handle, pull it towards them and possibly spill hot food or hit their heads on the pan as it comes down.
  • When opening and closing the oven, make sure there are no children in the way.
  • Make sure children wash their hands when they are helping prepare food.
  • Do not allow children to handle sharp objects like cheese graters and knives until they are old enough to properly handle such utensils.
  • If you spill something, make sure you clean it up as soon as possible.
  • Put child safety locks or guards on all lower cabinets so the possibility of getting into the cleaning products is decreased.

—Frances Avery, Editor, Stance

Life’s Dark Trails

Life’s Dark Trails

The trail was very dark, the sky lit with stars. With a small silver flashlight in hand, I could only see two or three steps in front of me, but well enough to know I was quickly falling behind the very fast and fit group