Clothing & More: Beautiful Souveniers

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

A few years ago, I opened my mind to a number of possibilities I hadn’t allowed myself to consider before. Life is all about possibility, and as I came to understand this fact, I realized that our family could actually go on a vacation that didn’t involve theme parks.

We mapped out a few options, checked pricing against our proposed budget, and gave our children a vote. After having spent a good portion of our parenthood traveling back and forth between Disney destinations, we were surprised that our children voted unanimously on a Baja cruise. -- Read More

Health & Food/Dutch Oven: Cooking Has Its Own Rewards

by Keith Fisher on The Camp Cook in your Backyard
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

We raced up the canyon at eight in the morning. My cooler was on the verge of being pitched out of the truck at any moment. Every curve in the road brought a new threat of losing the load. We were expected to cook a Dutch oven dinner for the teachers and staff on the last day of school, and we were late. Of course we arrived safe, and everything went well. The two pots of chili, two fourteen-inch pots of corn bread, dairy-case bread, three cobblers and mandarin orange dream cake were delicious. The shredded cheese, sour cream, and honey-butter condiments were a nice touch. The cooks had a great time. -- Read More

Home & Family: Words of the Past

by Muriel Sluyter on Rocky Mountain Straight Talk
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

Do we gain by listening to the teachings and warnings of our predecessors? Did they know things that we have yet to learn? Can their hard-won wisdom save us from committing critical errors that will cause us grief and misery? Yes, especially if we have enough sense to act on their warnings.

Let's examine the writings of some wise men of the past: John Adams our second President, and the man primarily responsible for shepherding our Declaration of Independence through Congress, said: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." ~ Read More

Home & Family/Preparedness: Beating the High Cost of Eating

by Barbara Salsbury on Three P's in a Pod
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

Most of us are experiencing shock at the checkout counter as the cost of our groceries continue to skyrocket. It's so difficult to live from payday to payday that the idea of trying to stock a pantry, let alone build a reliable preparedness program, almost seems like a joke. Except it isn't much fun to pinch pennies until they scream and always have more month than money.

Get enthused about putting buying power back into your pocket and being able to have the budget to build a preparedness program at the same time. The skills and strategies that you will find in my blogs are NOT the typical "how-to-shop" tips. -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Gardening & Landscaping: Making a Self-Watering Planter

by Heather Justesen on Heather Justesen
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

After I wrote my previous gardening blog, I began looking into different ways for patio gardeners to keep their pots watered. I know I have a tendency to let my watering slide, which is why I didn't use my large pots last year, but I knew there were various ways to make up for the problem. Last summer, a neighbor of mine complained that she had to water her patio pots twice a day during the hottest part of the summer--something that would definitely be the death of my plants. -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Humor: They're Baaaack!

by C.L. Beck on Write Up My Alley
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

On March 19th, the swallows returned to Capistrano. Yes, I know that was a couple of months ago, but I’m a slow mover. I never even hear the latest news in town until it’s dead and gone, so I’m lucky to remember that there are birds that show up someplace every year.

Back to the swallows ... their return always seemed so romantic to me. I envisioned a handsome Italian man holding a cheesy manicotti in one hand and a creamy cannoli in the other, wooing Sophia Loren, as the birds encircled them. The swallows would symbolize their eternal love as they fed pasta and pastries to each other (the couple, not the birds). -- Read More

New Neighbors: Favorite Summer Vacation

by Cheri Crane on Crane-ium
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

As we head into the summer months, it's natural to reflect on past summers, and past vacations. Today I've been thinking about one of those favorite moments, the last time our family went on a camping adventure in the Grand Teton National Park. It was just before our oldest son was to head off on his mission, and before our second son went off to college. Things were changing in our family and we tried to make the most of this treasured time together. -- Read More

Religious: Obedience

by Rebecca Talley on Rebecca Talley Writes
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, Adam offered the firstlings of their flocks unto the Lord. An angel appeared to Adam and asked him why he was offering sacrifices. “ . . .And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me,” (Moses 5:6). Adam didn’t know why he was offering these animals, only that he had been commanded to do so. Adam was willing to be obedient even when he didn’t understand why. -- Read More

Scrapbooking & Crafts: Acid-Free Albums

by Kim Thompson on Scribbled Scraps
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

Acid and photographs don’t mix. Photographs already have acid in them from processing. When those acids are combined with other acids from paper, stickers, adhesives, and page protectors a chemical reaction occurs. Over time, this causes your pictures to become discolored and brittle.

Remember the old photo albums that had sticky pages. You’d peel back a piece of clear plastic and then stick your photo to the page. Acid free? Guess again. Mom and Grandma just thought their photos were getting ‘old’. Little did they know the album they were using was causing premature aging of their precious photos. ~ Read More

Services: In-Flight Service

by Liz Adair on Liz Sez
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

My first commercial airplane flight was aboard a DC6, flying from Anchorage, Alaska to Seattle, Washington. The year was 1955 and I was fourteen years old. I wore a gray suit with pink accents—blouse, gloves, shoes and hat. Everyone dressed up to travel back then.

We walked out of the airport and across the tarmac to climb a flight of roll-around stairs where, at the top, the brilliant smile of our stewardess welcomed us aboard. Flight attendants were, by job description: female, young, pretty, single, and registered nurses. They were there to serve our every need. ~ Read More

Arts & Entertainment: Hey, That's my Bedspread

by Gaynell Parker on Musings from an LDS Writing Mom
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

Our Relief Society met Wednesday and held a mix between a quilting bee and a bag sewing party. One of the women in the ward wanted to learn how to make a quilt for her daughter, so we decided to set one up and put it together so that it could be done quickly.

We have several women in the ward who quilt -- some with more dedication than others. One of whom brought her daughter's quilts for decoration and example; one's they had made together as projects over the past couple of years. The daughter graduated this year, and now has three quilts to her credit. They were gorgeous, and I told the lady next to me (who was a neighbor as I graduated high school) that it wasn't fair. -- Read More

Arts & Entertainment/ Movies: Turn Around

by Linda Scanlan aka L.S. Keilbart on I Knew I Could Fly
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

I love watching modern day versions of scriptural events. The movie "Turn Around" is based on the story of Alma the Younger.

Colton is the guy that doesn't care what others think. He has strayed from the path of righteousness. He's the guy your mother has warned you about not getting involved with.

Sara is typical "Molly Mormon". She attends all her meetings and has a strong testimony of the Gospel. -- Read More

Clothing & More: Toe Rings and Toe Jam, Part II

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

When I was a kid, the last day of school was a major event. Not only did it signify the beginning of summer, but it reminded me that winter (my least favorite season) was over and summer (my favorite) had begun. Usually, I like to celebrate the warmer temperatures that accompany summer with the purchase of a great pair of sandals. Because, let’s face it, sandals just rock.

Last week, I talked about toe rings and how they can dress up an ordinary pair of feet. To tell the truth, I believe most people are self-conscious of their feet. I’m not sure why. We all have them and we all need them. Perhaps it has something to do with the amount of time they spend crammed inside stuffy, constricting shoes. Never mind the discomfort of wearing said shoes; we can’t exactly walk around barefooted in the snow without risking the loss of our feet. Then toe rings would be out of the question, wouldn’t they? -- Read More

Health & Food/Dutch Oven: Anatomy of a Potluck Party

by Keith Fisher on The Camp Cook in your Backyard
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

Did you ever have a DOG? No, I’m not talking about eating dogs. DOG is an acronym for Dutch Oven Gathering. It’s a phrase adopted by Dutch oven cooks, and is widely used in those circles.

You'd never know it since the temperatures have been so cool, but with the passing of Memorial Day, summer is upon us. Time to start thinking of backyard parties and camping trips. I’m sure you know how to throw a dinner party, but let me talk you into a special kind. -- Read More

Home and Family: A Culture at War With Itself

by Muriel Sluyter on Rocky Mountain Straight Talk
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

A young man and I approached the post office door at the same time. I smiled at him and stepped aside, expecting him to hold the door for me. Instead, he smiled back, opened the door and walked through. As I realized that I had fallen back into an old pattern that is no longer in effect, it struck my funny bone, and I started to giggle.

It reminded me of another incident of thirty-plus years ago. At that time I was also approaching a post office door. There were several older men standing around, passing the time of day. One of them stepped forward, smiled and opened the door for me. As he did, he touched his fingers to the brim of his hat in a courteous salute. I remember thinking that, though we were in California at the time, this man must have come from southwestern Colorado. It was such a typical Colorado salute for a man of his generation. ~ Read More

Home & Family/Preparedness: What Do I Start If I Don't Know Anything

by Barbara Salsbury on Three P's in a Pod
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

Your first step is to spend a few minutes thinking about what area of preparedness you are most concerned. Are you concerned about the possibility of a natural disaster leaving you stranded with no food or water or utilities? Are you uneasy about the possibility that you’ll be evacuated from your home with only the clothes on your back? Do you worry about the economy and how to be sure you always have food on your table? Have you considered the possibility that severe weather conditions or global disasters could result in severe food shortages?

Ponder your possibilities and try to gain as much insight and information as you can about what your options are and how you’d like to tackle them. (Get further information at Solutions for Preparedness.) Ideally, you’ll want to work towards being ready for any crisis. But don’t wait till you have the time and money to purchase every emergency preparedness product known to man before you start. ~ Read More

LDS Outlets/Gardening & Landscaping: Plants in Unexpected Places

by Heather Justesen on Heather Justesen
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

Got your veggies in yet? The one part of gardening I don't love (besides the weeding, which isn't all that bad if it's not too hot out) is watering. Let me get my hands in the dirt, or plot out where everything is going to go. Better yet, let me spend hours in nurseries looking at plants and imagining where they are going to go (If you refuse to let me buy anything while I'm there, I'm going to accuse you of cruelty.). But ask me to remember to turn the water on and off and move a hose periodically and you'll find how truly lazy I can be. -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Humor: Writer's Block

by C.L. Beck on Write Up My Alley
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

The willowy blonde sat in her Big Bird jammies, a chocolate cupcake in one hand.

Putting my pencil between my teeth, I re-read the words I'd written and then erased them. Next I drew a tulip with eyes, a nose and a goatee … and then my mind wandered.

“Writers are a superstitious lot,” I announced.

“Ummm,” my husband, Russ, replied. I wondered if that meant he was listening or he liked the looks of the donut sitting on my desk. -- Read More

New Neighbors: Memorial Day Jaunt

by Cheri Crane on Craneium
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

This past weekend, I traveled with my mother and youngest sister on our annual Memorial Day Jaunt. We were the only three who could make the loop this year. Despite that, we still enjoyed ourselves immensely. On Saturday, we traveled to Idaho Falls, Idaho stopping for lunch at the famed Smitty's Pancake House where we enjoyed delicious breakfast items for lunch. (Breakfast is served all day at this fine establishment) We met up with an aunt and uncle at this location and enjoyed wonderful food and a good visit. -- Read More

Religious: Respect for Missionaries

by Rebecca Talley on Rebecca Talley Writes
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

The young men and women who serve missions sacrifice 18 months-2 years of their lives. While their peers are advancing through college, earning money, and experiencing social activities, these young people are out preaching the gospel. Many have worked and saved their own money to pay for their missions and when they return from their missions, many have very little money left. Many missionaries miss out on weddings, births, and other family celebrations while they are gone. -- Read More

Scrapbooking & Crafts: Summer Scrapbooking Fun

by Kim Thompson on Scribbled Scraps
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

Today was the last day of school at my house. I always look forward to my kids being home. But after a few weeks, the newness wears off and I inevitably hear, “I’m bored.” I’m constantly looking for ways to keep them involved and busy. Scrapbooking can be a fun activity to share with your kids to keep them busy and actively creating throughout the summer. It may not be as good as schoolwork, but it comes pretty close! It can reinforce skills they learn in school without them even realizing it. -- Read More

Services: Thanks! Brother of Mine!

by Liz Adair on Liz Sez
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

When I was 48, I had a revelation. It came about when I watched the interaction between my ten-year-old daughter and her eight-year-old brother. One day, as she tried to get this laid-back, happy-go-lucky boy to march to the beat she was insistently drumming, I realized this was a mirror of my childhood relationship with my brother. The one difference was that I was the younger sibling.

The next time my brother came to visit, I shared this with him. “I didn’t realize,” I confessed, “how I used to try to run your life.” His reply? “What do you mean, used to?” -- Read More