Pocket Meal Planning

Back to Blogging-Behavior Charts

2012-01-18T15:28:00.001-08:00

Well, it’s been a looooooong time since we last posted anything and the list of excuses is just about as long! But, it’s a new year, and we are back in the game!! Boy have we been busy! The biggest time sucker was designing our new Pocket Full of Posies site. We just pretend to know what we’re doing, so it took awhile, and a lot out of us! But it was worth it. And we love it! And you probably will too! This is the perfect time of year to get organized and tackle your meal planning issues! We’ve got the perfect meal planning system!

Anyway, speaking of getting organized…I recently went on the hunt (thank you Pinterest!!) for a behavior chart/reward system for my 4 year old. He loves charts, so I found a few ideas I liked and combined them into these:

Here’s my system:
1. Every day we start on Wolverine/Ready to Listen (with a magnet).
2. He moves the magnet up when making good choices and down when making bad choices.
3. Once the magnet reaches “Time Out” and the time out time has been served, we start back over in the middle.
4. Each good choice = one hole punch on the punch card (to the right).
5. When all the holes are punched he earns whatever we decided on before starting the new card. (He wanted to earn bigger things, so this system takes a little more time to earn a prize...it can easily be adapted for any amount of time and/or prizes)

Pretty straight forward, but it’s working pretty well! We haven’t earned the prize yet, but we’re getting close!

If you want to print this and use it for your little super hero, right click and save to your computer. I printed it as an 8x10 photo from Wal-Mart and then laminated it and stuck a magnet on the back so it could go on the fridge. I printed a sheet of punch cards on cardstock.

Here’s to a more peaceful and organized home!

-Emily

Our St. Patrick’s Day Party

2011-03-18T12:39:00.001-07:00

We kept it simple yesterday and had a fun little St. Patrick’s Day party for all the cousins (15 to be exact!). The treasure hunt was a success, even though we all got tired of going upstairs and then downstairs and then up again! But first…I must show you the ADORABLE shirts we made!

We ~~stole~~ borrowed the idea from eighteen25, only changed the process a bit!

We used the freezer paper stencil technique, and the turned out great! Here’s how we did it in case you’re unfamiliar with the coolest way to use freezer paper EVER!

We used our friend’s Cricut and cut out our image on freezer paper. Then ironed it on (glossy side down) to the shirt.

Then painted with fabric paint and pulled off the stencil. SO EASY!!

And SOOOOO cute!!

We did a few different patterns, all equally adorable!

Especially on our kiddos!

Everyone wore their cute shirt to the party, and the fun began…

After the treasure hunt, we ate treats and played. It was a GORGEOUS day! Yay for spring!! and yay for parties! Hope everyone was “pinch proof” yesterday!

All of these cute kids sure were!

A St. Patrick’s Day Party for the cousins!

2011-03-16T06:46:00.001-07:00

This is a little last minute, but we all know that’s how we roll around here! We are having a cousin St. Patrick’s Day party tomorrow and I just had to share the cute treasure hunt I came up with! All the thinking and planning is done (and believe me, that was no easy task!), so it works for those last minute planners out there! Just print and go! See if you can figure out all the places that sneaky leprechaun will leave clues in my house!

Along with the clues, the sneaky leprechaun will leave green things, like green pee in the toilet (green food coloring in the potty!), a cup of green milk in the fridge, green sparkles in the bath tub, and lots of shamrocks!

The “end of the rainbow” is under our swing set in the back yard. I have rainbow colored streamers to hang for the rainbow, and little bags of gold goodies for all the cousins! This is what will be on each bag:

After the treasure hunt, we’re having leprechaun pie that I found over at Oopsie Daisy, Lucky Charms, and green Kool-Aid. We’re keeping it simple, we aren’t the blow out kind of gals! But, it should be super fun! I can’t wait to share all the pics…I need to get some stuff ready! Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Click HERE to download the 1st set of clues.
Click HERE to download the 2nd set of clues.
Click HERE to download the 3rd set of clues plus some labels.
Cluck HERE to download the labels.

A St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway!!

2011-03-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

Checkout our FACEBOOK PAGE to enter a fabulous giveaway!!

We’re trying something new…a giveaway on Facebook! Here’s what you could win:

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-03-09T13:14:00.001-08:00

I don’t know what came over me last week, but I went PROJECT CRAZY!! It all started with my sister having her baby. You see, she lives in Washington state, FAR away from me. Her sweet baby Rose is SO cute and I haven’t gotten to hold her yet. And, she had a GIRL! So, I may have gone a little bow-making crazy first. And I don’t know if any of you are like me, but usually, once I start crafting, I can’t stop! So, thanks to my far away sister, I now have:
new couch pillows
new curtains in my kitchen
new curtains in our master bedroom
window panes hung on our master bedroom wall (they had been leaning against the wall for like 6 months!)
2 new chalkboards
some newly painted picture frames
and a new camera strap!
Oh, and little Rose is about to receive a LARGE supply of hair bows!

After the bow making subsided, I found the cutest pillows at Wal-Mart (of all places!) for my couch…and had to have them. Then, once they were on my couch, I had to change the curtains in the kitchen and while I’m making curtains I may as well make some for my bedroom! (I sound like that book If You Give a Mouse Cookie! ) And so, the project spiral continued! And I love it when that happens, really, because I now feel happy looking at all my newly created things!

So, you want to see some of them?! I can only show you SOME, because I haven’t taken pictures of EVERYTHING yet! Don’t worry, I won’t forget to share!

One of the chalkboards. I used a cabinet door, painted it with chalkboard paint, and then painted the edges. Then I modge podged on some fabric…easy peasy!

The kitchen curtains…even easier than the chalkboard! And you’ll never guess what I made them out of!! SHEETS! Yes sir! You should try it! You only have to sew about half as much as you would with regular old fabric! I used a full sized flat sheet I got from Target for $11, cut it in half, hemmed the raw edges and top for the curtain rod and called it good! I’m for real…so easy! and SO cheap!

Now on to the master bedroom…I LOVE the windows! and I LOVE the curtains! I originally planned on adding pictures to the window panes and using them like a picture frame, but now I’m not so sure! I can’t decide! And how cute are those curtains?! I love what they add to the room!

And guess what…these were sheets too!! I got a full sized flat sheet from Wal-Mart for $8 and whipped these babies out in no time! You make them just like you would the panel curtains only shorter, and add some ties and tie them up! EASY!

Like I said, I’m missing a few things…so stay tuned! -Em

Princess Behavior Chart

2011-03-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

Don’t you guys think Steves Super chart is so darn cute??? Well I did too! Only I’ve got a 4 year old lil’ girl who wouldn’t quite go for a super hero chart. So what did I do? I took Em’s template and made it into a Princess behavior chart! It was pretty fun creating a lil Cinderella Ali! As I was creating it Ali was right next to me telling me she liked this and didn’t like that. One of the funniest things she said was “Oh mom, I totally look like Cinderella, except I don’t have big boobs!” I started laughing! She really wanted me to get rid of them and make them small like hers. I tried but it just looked so weird. She agreed so we kept the boobs! DOWNLOAD: Princess Behavior PHOTOSHOP FILE This way you can make the edits needed for your own little girl!

Size of chart is 8x10, I also had it printed at Walmart (my color printer is having issues!) I put it on pink cardstock so it would fit into my 81/2 x 11 page protector.

These are the princesses for the magnets. I also glued them on glass beads and added a magnet. DOWNLOAD: Princess Magnets

Here is the final project completed: And YES Ali had already earned 2 princesses!!!

I also thought about those of you that don’t have Photoshop, I created a chart that is the actually picture of Cinderella and called it Be A Princess! This way you can print it without having to make any changes!

DOWNLOAD: Be A Princess

I hope this chart last long because after one day Ali has seriously been the BEST PRINCESS!!!

March Calendar

2011-02-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Yep…back by popular demand! We’ve finally gotten it together and created a March calendar for your printing pleasure! Where did February go??!

Go HERE to download one for yourself! Happy weekend!

Super Behavior Chart

2011-02-23T09:20:00.001-08:00

Anyone who says that the terrible twos are the hardest is dead wrong! I would argue that 3 is the magic age of fun! And by fun I mean tantrums and whining and hitting and teasing little brothers and all kinds of other “fun” stuff! Yes, I have a 3 year old, and we have all kinds of “fun” around here! So, I decided I needed to take back control! I am the mom after all! I knew this was the age that you can start introducing charts and rewards and stuff, so I set out on the web to find the chart that would work for us…and nothin! After a good hour or so of searching the outer regions of cyber space, I decided I could have made up my own in that amount of time! So I did! And I thought I would share!

So, this one is easy and perfect for my crazy 3 year old! All he has to do is earn 9 superhero magnets and fill up the boxes. Once it’s full, he gets a prize! But it works the other way too, if he isn’t being super I get to take the magnets away.

So I printed the chart out as an 8x10 picture (from Wal-Mart) and stuck it to a yellow piece of cardstock and then slid it in a page protector. I added magnets to the back so it could stick to my fridge. For the magnets, I used these guys…

…and printed them as a 4x6 picture (from Wal-Mart). Then I used some large glass beads/rocks from the dollar store and cut out each little superhero and modge podged them to the back of the glass bead. Add a magnet to the back and voila! Easy peasy, make-my-life-easier behavior chart!

Cammie wants to make a princess one for her little princess…I bet she’ll share too! (No pressure Cams!)

Meanwhile though, I may have a template to share…ok, I do! If you want to do a superhero behavior chart, download the PSD (photoshop) file HERE. You’ll want to add your own little kiddo’s face and name, and maybe even change the rules a little. It’s up to you! Then go HERE to download the superheroes and make some magnets! Remember, the chart prints as 8x10 and the superheroes for the magnets as 4x6. Good luck with those crazy kiddos! So far, this is working great! I hope it does for you too!

Keeping Those New Year’s Goals

2011-02-16T07:29:00.001-08:00

I don’t know if any of you are like me, but I get super pumped about New Year’s resolutions and setting goals in January. But, by about February (now!) I already feel like I need a new year to start over again! (it’s really quite sad, I know!) I totally rock at making and setting goals, but totally suck at the follow through. That’s one of my goals…be better at keeping my goals!

Anyway, I’m a very visual person. I need the constant reminder, in my face (I’ve been known to tape things to my bathroom mirror!). So, here’s an idea that Cammie and I have used for several different things over the years that is super cute and fun to make!

It’s called a Vision Board. The idea is not a new one…and the possibilities are endless! Cammie and I are digital scrappers so we do pretty much everything on the computer, but this is totally doable with good old fashioned paper and glue! The point is to make it about YOUR goals and dreams, however will make YOU remember them and be motivated to accomplish them.

When we were serving in the Young Women’s group in our church, we made one of these for each of our Young Women based off of a questionnaire we had them answer. They turned out SO cute and the girls LOVED them! The one pictured above I made for my little sister a few years ago for Christmas. I must admit, however, that I have yet to actually make one for me! New goal: make my vision board! Now I have to keep my first goal and follow through!

Once you’ve created your Vision Board, the next step is displaying it somewhere! It’s got to be in a place that you will see A LOT! For our Young Women, we had these printed (8x10 photo) and then framed them and hung them with a ribbon. I did the same for my sister’s only 11x14. Once it’s displayed, follow through! (that one’s more for me!!)

Here’s some ideas of things to display on your Vision Board (just in case you need help like I do!):

Immediate goals
Future goals
Future dreams and hopes
Spiritual goals (immediate and/or future)
Temporal goals (immediate and/or future)
Favorite motivational quote
Favorite scripture/hymn/etc.
Pictures of things you want or want to happen
Pictures of things that make you happy
Pictures of a place or places you want to go

Like I said, the possibilities are ENDLESS! It’s all about YOU! So, that’s my little pep talk on keeping those goals! Good luck! I know I need it!!

Gift of Love-Part 2

2011-02-11T08:51:00.001-08:00

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching…can you believe it?! If you’re anything like me, things tend to come together last minute. So, for those of you who let holidays sneak up on ya and still don’t have the perfect gift for that special someone, here’s another idea for ya! Best part, it’s easy to throw together last minute!

This was another Christmas gift Cammie and I both did for our hubbies, but it can easily be used for Valentine’s Day or a birthday! It’s a year (or however many you want) of pre-planned date nights all put together in a cute little envelope book! Seriously…so cute! Here’s what mine looked like…

I’m serious…this is so easy to put together! All you need are some envelopes and some date ideas!

On the outside of each envelope I attached one of these, Date 1-12:

On the inside of the cover I attached this:

Then I put one of these inside each envelope with anything else that went along with the date (like gift card, tickets, etc.):

I admit, I didn’t actually put all the tickets and money in every envelope, just in most of them! Life on a budget, what can I say! It still turned out great, and I’ll say we managed to do about half of the dates! If I were to do it again, I might only plan 6 dates instead of 12 and really have them ready! Either way, the hubby loved it, and we had fun doing them together!

So, last thing you do is put it all together! Hole punch and ribbon! Easy peasy!

Ok, so to make this even easier…how about some FREE downloads! You’re welcome! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Date Night Cover
Rules
Blank Date Card (my dates probably won’t work for you!)
Envelope Covers (zipped folder, dates 1-12)

(FYI I used small envelopes, not the long ones!)

Gift of Love-Part 1

2011-02-02T19:51:00.001-08:00

Cammie and I have this thing for creative homemade gifts to our husbands. We aren’t so sure if our hubbies are as excited about them as we are, but they’re good sports! We usually have our brilliant ideas around Christmas, but we thought they could be used for Valentine’s Day too…AND we thought we’d better share a couple!

The Stay at Home Getaway

This one works best if you have family nearby or a good friend that is willing to watch the kids overnight or for the weekend. The point is to have a romantic “getaway” with out actually going anywhere. This gift is flexible for any budget, and can cost as little as nothing! Um, yes please! So, here’s what we did…but the options are limitless!

Your travel itinerary:
Get creative! At the time I planned this, we were in to watching Lost and so I played off the show a bit. We went “sight seeing” to the crash of Oceanic Flight 816 but really watched a bunch of episodes of whatever season we were on. We went out to eat one night and ate in for a few meals too. I made some fancy desserts, etc. Like I said, get creative!

When I gave this “trip” to my husband, I had it in a folder that resembled something that you might get from a travel agent, so it included everything you would need for an all inclusive vacation! Even our hotel reservation:

And hotel room key:

And our airline tickets:

This was seriously such a fun gift to make and give! And we had a great weekend too! I created all the files in Photoshop, so if you are a Photoshop user and want to edit what I’ve already done to fit your “romantic getaway”, here’s the links to download:

Itinerary
Hotel Reservation
Plane Tickets

Hopefully this gets the creative juices flowing for the perfect Valentine for the one you love! XOXO

Valentine Ideas

2011-01-31T07:48:00.001-08:00

I heart Valentine’s Day! My kids aren’t in school yet, so they don’t get to bring Valentines to all their friends…so we send them to cousins and grandparents! Last year I made these…

With a sucker stuck in that cute fist, like these from eighteen25…

Seriously…these were a hit! I found the idea here.

This year, I found this cute idea from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar…

And here’s what I’ve done so far…

I’m totally ruining the surprise for those cousins and grandparents, but oh well! Maybe I overestimate who actually reads this blog!

I created a template for those Photoshop users out there that want to copy this idea! Go HERE to download!

Valentine’s Advent Freebie

2011-01-28T13:34:00.001-08:00

Last January I asked my husband if he knew what day Valentine’s Day was on (because I was curious if he knew) and he replied Feb 12th, 15th? I was shocked!!! Doesn’t everyone know every holiday date? I do(I think). But Valentine’s Day, really…everyone knows its February 14th, at least that’s what I thought! So it got me thinking maybe we need to spice things up more for this LOVE holiday. I found a cute advent calendar idea on Love Actually and decide to create my own version. I love XOXO’s and thought I could find a way to make an advent using that so I did! This is how I did it:

1. I got a 4 Valentine’s scrapbook pages 12x12 in size.

2. Then I created a stencil by printing XOXO on cardstock. Since I like to share you can use the one I did: Click HERE for X and Click HERE for O!

3. I traced the letters on my scrapbook pages and cut them out.

4. I then sewed together my scrapbook paper X with my stencil X with a zigzag stitch, making sure to leave 4 opening for my advent pieces. I repeated with the other X. I then did the same with the O, except you only leave 3 openings for advent pieces.

5. Print the 2 pages of advents, Click HERE for Page 1 and HERE for Page 2. Cut them out and put inside the XOXO.

6. Start using the advent and see if you fall in love all over again!!!

It was SO much fun doing this advent! Ben and I enjoyed reminiscing and making new memories! We agreed it would be something we would do every year!

XOXO, Cammie

The New Face of Pocket Full of Posies

2010-12-09T21:13:00.001-08:00

Well, we’ve done it again! We decided to kind of redo everything, AGAIN! We just weren’t feeling the set up we had anymore, so we did a little face lift! Our original address, www.pocketmealplanning.com, is now serving as our store, and this is our new blog site! Yay! We are super excited about the switch and hope it makes navigating a bit easier. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to posting soon!

Welcome Boutique Shoppers!

2010-11-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome, welcome boutique shoppers! We are so excited to be a part of TWO online boutiques going on RIGHT NOW! If you’ve found us through either Some What Simple’s Studio Boutique or Ucreate’s Holiday Boutique, we want to welcome you and give you a quick overview of how to navigate around our site!

First of all, we sell a unique pocket meal planning system that is designed to save time, money and keep your family consistently fed. Our system is perfect for just about anyone who spends time in the kitchen! The best part is that we’ve done all the work for you which saves you time AND money!

Here’s some quick links to help you learn more about us and our product! And don’t forget to check out our store to see all the SUPER CUTE pocket designs available and all the great recipes too!

Who we are (The Pocket Sisters)

What we sell (Our Product)

How you can do it (Video Tutorial)

Thanks for stopping by! Happy holidays! And happy shopping!

-Cammie & Emily

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Turkey Countdown

2010-11-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, so in a little more than 24 hours, our house will be filled with 14 adults and 14 kids! We’ll have 3 turkeys, pounds and pounds of mashed potatoes, pots and pots of stuffing, something like a dozen pies, rivers of gravy…you get the picture! And I can’t wait! It’s going to be GREAT! Luckily, with this many people, the cooking is divided up! So, I really don’t have THAT much to do!!

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving has snuck up so fast this year, I haven’t had a chance to do anything crafty for the holiday. But, my son came home from preschool yesterday with cutest idea. They had made Indian hats out of cardboard strips and feathers and a vest out of a brown paper bag.

Easy and cute. You can’t really tell, but he did color his vest!

Gobble gobble!

TASTY TUESDAY – The Best Part About Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

PIE! Pie is totally the best part about the Thanksgiving feast! There’s so many different kinds, so many to choose from! Since it’s the week of Thanksgiving, and this being “Tasty Tuesday” and all, we need pie! But, as I was thinking about my favorite pies, I realized we posted all about it last year at this time! So, here’s a recycled post, because this pie really is THAT GOOD! Check out the BEST APPLE PIE recipe, Sour Cream Apple pie. And you can use THIS PIE CRUST recipe too! Happy Pie Day!

MANIC MONDAY – Thanksgiving Week

2010-11-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

Seriously…it’s Thanksgiving week?!! How did that happen?? Well, I don’t know about you, but I love everything about Thanksgiving! I especially LOVE Black Friday! Seriously! Cammie and I have braved the crowds that past few years and come out with some GREAT deals! I can’t wait for this year!

Ok, though, Black Friday isn’t for everyone. My mom wouldn’t even dream of leaving the house on Black Friday! So, for those of you who want to avoid the crowds and crazy people (like us!), be sure to check back for the links to some GREAT online boutiques where you can find all the perfect gifts with great discounts! We’re part of Somewhat Simple’s Studio Boutique AND Ucreate’s Holiday Boutique starting this weekend! Can’t wait!

What’s Up Wednesday – Our Thanksgiving Menu

2010-11-17T05:09:00.000-08:00

So this is my Tasty Tuesday combined with What’s Up Wednesday! Yesterday Emily and I got together with our sisters Liz and Becky and our mother-in-law to plan our Thanksgiving menu. Here is our menu:

Regular Turkey

Barbecue Turkey (this is Becky’s family recipe…I’m excited to try it!)

Garlic Potatoes

Carameled Sweet Potatoes

Stuffing

Cranberry Sauce

Deviled Eggs (my in-laws are amazing!)

Cranberry Jello Salad

Veggie Tray with Dip

Fruit Salad

Green Bean Salad

Rolls

and the PIES:

Pecan

Sour Cream Apple

Pumpkin

Cherry

Pumpkin Cake

(we will use our Never Fail Pie Crust recipe too!)

It’s going to be such a great Thanksgiving especially because we get to spend it with Becky and Liz’s families and also my parents are going to join us!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Working away!

2010-11-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today is truly a manic Monday! Emily and I are working hard to get some new pocket designs and new recipe packs in our store! We are shopping, cutting, laminating and typing away! Why you ask? Because it is that time of year again…Christmas! We believe our Pocket System is the perfect gift for your loved ones! Your mom, sister, girlfriends, mother-in-law, aunts, cousins, boss, daughters and just about anyone would love to pay less for groceries and relieve stress from meal planning! Check back in the next couple of weeks for all our new stuff!!!

- Cammie

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Bootie Cuties

2010-11-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

We had a baby shower this weekend for a friend of ours. It’s her first, so Cammie and I wanted to make her something cute. (We can’t just be normal and buy something!) I always LOVE making (and giving) applique onsies, but they needed a little something. So, I came across this tutorial from Stardust Shoes for the CUTEST baby booties and we just had to give them a try. Well, let me just say, once we started, we couldn’t stop. We made 3 different matching onesies and booties for our friend, then 2 more for another expectant mamma, and 3 for my sister!! Can you say obsessed! Seriously though, they are SUPER easy and the result is SO CUTE! You must give them a try, just take a look:

For the dog-lover…
Die hard Cardinal’s fan…
and Christmas baby!
(I don’t have pictures of the rest yet, sorry!)

You know you are about to download the pattern and get to work! Here’s our suggestion with the pattern…make it a bit smaller. All of the booties we made we made just a little bit smaller than the pattern. Also, we used felt for the sole and covered it with cute fabric. Other than that, the tutorial is great! Get to work!

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Daylight Savings

2010-11-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

Usually, “falling back” an hour is the good daylight savings! Well, I tell you what…it is taking FOREVER to get used to it! It is bright as day way too early and way too dark way too early! The day seems to last forever! My kids are waking up too early and I want to put them to bed at 6:00! I do not remember it being this annoying last year!

On a happier note, my sister is visiting with her little boy for the week and we are crafting it up! We have all kinds of fun projects going on! This is also why my posts are pretty short this week! Sorry! Happy Wednesday!

TASTY TUESDAY – Pie Month

2010-11-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have been around with us from the beginning, you may remember that November is “Pie Month” in my family! My mom decided, a long time ago, that there are just too many yummy pies to make them all only for Thanksgiving. So, she bakes new pies practically every other day through the month of November! I love this tradition! I mean who doesn’t love pie? And all month long?! I of course carry this tradition on in my own family :) The best part of the tradition, though, is eating pie first on Thanksgiving day. None of this stuffing your face with turkey and mashed potatoes only to find yourself leaving no room for pie! Instead, start with the good stuff! So, we eat pie all day (replacing breakfast and lunch!) and still have room for our turkey! Of course, we still eat pie after Thanksgiving dinner too! You can never have too much pie!

MANIC MONDAY – Ninja Turtle Comeback!

2010-11-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

I know, Halloween is long gone and we’re well into November (if you can believe it!), but I had to share (like I promised) our Ninja Turtle costumes! I LOVE how they turned out!

We are way cuter than the real ninja turtles! It was a great Halloween!

Teach Me Thursday – Bathroom shelf

2010-11-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago my son went to hang up his bathroom towel on the towel bar when the whole thing came crashing down. We have been having lots of problems with the way things were installed in our house, ugh!! I wish people would do things right the first time! Well I decided the towel bar is sort of tricky for my kids, and I’ve been finding their towels lying on the ground more than hanging up. I’m going to make a towel shelf that has hooks to solve my problem. I just came across a great tutorial on one at The Idea Room! How cute is this?

- Cammie

What’s Up Wednesday – What to do with Halloween Candy!

2010-11-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

The past few years I have tried several things to get rid of all my kids candy. Sometimes I let them pick their favorites and giveaway the rest, one year I let them eat it all as soon as possible (that was a little crazy, but I was tired of them asking every 5 minutes if they could have another piece!) This year my kids got WAY too much candy, so Emily found this idea where the kids put give up all their candy and the Great Pumpkin trades it for a toy. You can read all about this idea at Roots And Wings Co. I think this is a pretty great idea! What do you do with all your Halloween candy?

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-02T02:10:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it is NOVEMBER??? October flew by so quickly! I am still on a pumpkin dessert kick, so here is a Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe from delish.com! Enjoy!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Halloween

2010-11-01T02:55:00.000-07:00

Halloween weekend was so much fun but very exhausting!!! We had a ward party including a trunk or treat, then the whole broadbent clan came over to our house to hang out and have a pizza dinner, then we went to Emily’s and had a cousin Halloween party and did some trick-or-treating! SO today both Emily and I will be cleaning up from all that fun!

Now you know you all want to see how cute my kids were all dressed up as pirates…

I think Cade is the cutest baby pirate ever! (I think his Nana would agree!)

-Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – November Calendar

2010-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it’s almost November?!! What happened to October? Here’s a calendar! Happy Halloween!

Click HERE to download!

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Homemade Donuts

2010-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest treat to make with kids. They’re fun to make and so yummy! I LOVE me some donuts in the fall (ok, any time really!) and these are fast and delicious! All you need is refrigerated biscuits and some hot oil!

Step 1: Open and separate biscuits. Lay flat.

Step 2:
Poke or cut a hole out of the center of each biscuit. We used a medicine cup, because we wanted donut holds too!

Step 3:
Heat vegetable oil to about 350 degrees. I used an electric skillet with about 1/2 an inch oil. You could do it in any skillet on the stove. You just need enough oil to cover the donuts half way.

Step 4:
Flip the donuts when they are slightly browned (mind are a little over browned! I should have flipped sooner!)

Step 5:
Remove donuts and let cool on paper towels.

Step 6:
When the donuts have cooled a bit, choose your topping! I used cinnamon and sugar for some and powdered sugar for the rest. If you use powdered sugar, it works best if the donuts are completely cool, but with the cinnamon and sugar they can still be warm! Cinnamon and sugar is my fave!

Step 7:
ENJOY! Yum!

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Halloween Costumes

2010-10-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I finished our Halloween costumes, and I love them so much I can’t wait any long to share a little sneak peak! My 3 year old (YIKES he turns 3 TOMORROW!!) loves, loves, LOVES the ninja turtles. So, guess what he wanted to be for Halloween?! Rafael! Well, since there happens to be 4 ninja turtles, and we have 4 in our family…guess what we’re all going to be? The Ninja Turtles!! I was shocked and surprised to find a $12 Rafael costume at Target, but it was a bit big and needed a few things. And for the rest of us, well we needed everything! So, I got a little creative. However, you only get to see my boys’ costumes-Rafael and Michelangelo- because they are too dang cute not to show! You’ll get the whole bunch, including Donatello and Leonardo, next week after Halloween! So here we go…

Introducing Michelangelo, complete with nun-chucks!

And Rafael, with “Rafael swords” as this little guy calls them!

We have quite the busy Halloween weekend…can’t wait!! We LOVE Halloween!

TASTY TUESDAY – Apple Crisp

2010-10-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

I know it’s a little past apple season, but I found my favorite apples, Honeycrisp, on sale yesterday and had to make an apple crisp! So, I must share!

Apple Crisp

4-5 apples, peeled and chopped
2 sticks butter
1/2 C. white sugar
lemon juice
vanilla
1/2 C. oats
1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. brown sugar
dash or two of cinnamon

In a large skillet, melt 1 stick of butter and sauté apples until tender. Add white sugar, vanilla and a dash of lemon juice. Cook a bit longer. Pour cooked apples into a 9x9 cooking pan. In a separate bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in remaining stick of butter. Top cooked apples with mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm over ice cream. YUM!

(I am not a very good food photographer!)

Enjoy!

MANIC MONDAY – Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

2010-10-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yup, sick. Blah! It’s that time of year, and it’s hit me again! The only thing different this year, is that you now have to have a prescription for the good Sudafed! WHAT?! Unfortunately, I spent most of the weekend on the couch complaining to my sweet husband, who also doesn’t feel that well. So, all I have for ya today is my sad story! The worst part is that this week is one of the busier weeks! Perfect timing! Hopefully you all are skipping the yucky head cold/sinus infections! Happy Monday!

Teach Me Thursday – Keep Calm and Carry On Poster

2010-10-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

We’ve all seen these Keep Calm and Carry on poster floating around on the web. You’ve also probably seen some other versions of this poster around too. Well I found a site where you can create your OWN version of this poster! Its called Keep Calm-o-matic! Now if you want to make your own poster its as simple as going to their website and filling in the info you want your poster to say! How cool is that??? Go check it out and create what you want!

- Cammie

What’s Up Wednesday – Uptown Girl Shoppe

2010-10-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

Emily and I have some really great friends here in MO town, and two of them, Christine and McCall (mother and daughter) just launched a cute store in Etsy selling unique headbands! These headbands are ADORABLE! Christine started off by making them for her and her daughters and after getting compliment after compliment they decided they would sell them! If you have a daughter, sister, mother, friend, or if you are a girl yourself you MUST check out

Uptown Girl Shoppe!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – Another Pumpkin Recipe!

2010-10-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

Late last night I realized I forgot to post for Manic Monday!!! It was because I was having a Manic Monday! Cade is almost 3 weeks old and yesterday was a rough day…he just wasn’t wanting anything but his mama, not that I am really complaining because I love holding him! I was hoping to get a few things done, but this is the life of a new baby and I know how quickly they grow up!

Now on to Tasty Tuesday! The other day my son asked me why the only desserts in the house lately have been pumpkin ones! I laughed and said, because I am obsessed with pumpkin in the fall and I can’t get enough! Well here is another recipe I’ve had bookmarked to try!

Pumpkin Squares with Cider Carmel Sauce from Family Fun Magazine!

(image from family fun magazine)

- Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – A Whole Bunch of Freebies!

2010-10-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

So I sat down to try and create a super cute, most likely Halloween related, freebie to share with you all today, and my creative juices just weren’t flowing…at all! So, what do I do when I need a little inspiration? Check out all my favorite blogs to steal some ideas! Well, lucky for me, and all of you, one of my faves, eighteen25, did a whole post on free printables from all over the blogging world! So I though, why not steal their idea and link up to their awesome post! Call it a cop out, but it happens! So check out all the cool stuff you can find for FREE over at eighteen25! Have a great weekend! We’re going apple picking!!

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Spooky Blocks

2010-10-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our church had a “Super Saturday” for all the women. This is basically an excuse for all us ladies to get together and craft all day! Here’s what I made:

And here’s how I made it:

Supplies:
2x4 cut into 6 different sized pieces (5”, 9”, 6”, 8”, 7”, 5”)
black paint
paint brushes
scrapbook paper
Modge Podge
Vinyl lettering

Step 1:
Paint the sides of each block black (thank you Christine for being my hand model!)

Step 2:
When the paint is dry (or before you paint, whatever!) trace each block on the scrapbook paper you chose for each block. Cut out. (thank you Anna-Lisa for being my hand model here!!)

Step 3:
Modge Podge the paper onto the blocks.

Step 4:

When everything is dry, sand the edges and then apply another coat of Modge Podge over the top of the paper. (this step isn’t totally necessary, but best)

Step 5:

When dry, apply the vinyl and enjoy! You can do a different word on the back if you want, I did “Jingle” so that I can use it for Christmas too!

Happy Thursday!

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – New Recipe Pack!!

2010-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about this new Recipe Pack we have to offer in our store! It’s so cool!! We now offer a Blank Pack that is perfect for customizing your own recipes without the cost of our custom option! Seriously!! Get the ease and time saving aspect of our system and customize it to you. Fill out a blank recipe card with the recipe on the front and break down all the ingredients on the back…just like how we do it! LOVE it! Oh, and the best part…it only costs $5.00!!

Check out the Blank Pack in our store today!! (Remember, all of our products make great gifts too!)

TASTY TUESDAY – Pumpkin Cake

2010-10-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wanted to make something pumpkin, but wanted a new recipe. For some reason the idea of pumpkin cake popped into my head. So I googled it! I came across Tammy’s Recipes, and had to try her recipe for Pumpkin Sheet Cake. I am so glad I did! Seriously, the BEST cake EVER!!! I brought some to Cammie in the hospital after she had her baby and she LOVED it too! She had her hubby get all the stuff to make it as soon as she got home! So, of course I must share! Visit Tammy’s Recipes to try this delicious treat! You will LOVE IT!

(Image taken from www.tammysrecipes.com)

MANIC MONDAY – Finally! Baby Shower Pictures!

2010-10-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know Cammie had her baby like 2 weeks ago, but I FINALLY have the pictures from her baby shower! I know you all have just been itching to see them! ;) So, here it goes!

Our Super Baby for the evening! Seriously, so cute right?!!
The spread…all the food was packaged for superheroes and the drinks wore capes! (We used Kool-Aid Squeeze Its)
Hero Vitamins = Junior Mints

X-Ray Vision Drops = Fruit cup (watermelon, blueberries, and kiwi)
Hero Nosh = M&M cookies
We also had brownie bites packaged as Secret Identity Bars, but the picture turned out blurry, sorry!
Our theme and the gifts starting to pile up!
I gave Cammie a diaper bag filled with stuff you’d find in a diaper bag, and made her this onesie for Super Cade!

Congrats Cammie!

Freebie Friday – Halloween Sucker Toppers

2010-10-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

I think these are SO cute! What a great idea for a Halloween party, or just to pass out to friends. My kids and I have made the ghost suckers before and they love it, I’m sure they would love these too!

Check out Snuggle Berry Pie for the Freebie

- Cammie

Teach Me Thursday – Halloween Rag Wreath

2010-10-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Emily’s Candy Corn Wreath! We had one of our young women make one and my sister Joanna made one too. But I thought I’d share another wreath I think is so cute and easy to make. I found this idea and tutorial on Everything I Love And More. She has a great tutorial that is simple and looks very easy! If you need a wreath for your door still, go check it out!

- Cammie

What’s Up Wednesday – I have an amazing mom

2010-10-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

(Az trip July 2010, My sisters, mom and I)

It’s Wednesday! My first day as a mom of four WITHOUT my mom around to help! My mom flew out a couple day before I had my baby and stayed for another week after Cade was born. When she was getting ready to leave yesterday I all of a sudden REALLY realized what she has been doing for me; She cooked every meal, did all my dishes, cleaned my house, did my laundry, made me homemade laundry soap, got up with my school age kids and got them ready, made lunches for them, did homework with them, got Ali ready, hair and all, picked up my kids from school, did my grocery shopping, cooked me a ton of chicken to freeze for meals, organized my office and basement, and I’m sure there is more, AND she still got ready for the day, played a ton with baby Cade, hung out with me, and took 468 pictures while she was here!!! She is seriously amazing! I am missing her already! When we dropped her off at the airport I couldn’t stop the tears from coming! My pour husband gets so worried when I cry so he tries to comfort me by saying he’ll help and that I am amazing too, that I will be able to do all the things I need to! He is so sweet but I know he knows nothing compares to having your mom there when you need her. I am so grateful she came, I always learn SO much from her when I’m with her, and I always want to be better because of her! So now I am hoping I can get at least 1/2 the things she did in the day, and still enjoy my baby. I love the newborn stage and I don’t want to miss any moment with Cade. Wish me luck! And if you have an amazing mom, call her, email her, write her a letter, tell her how amazing she is and how much you love her….we all know we need to say it more often!!!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – from Picky Palate

2010-10-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Even though I’m no longer pregnant I am STILL obsessed with PUMPIN desserts! In fact Emily recently discovered a pumpkin cake I think is seriously the BEST cake ever (she’ll be posting it next week) This week I decided to try one or two new pumpkin desserts(because I deserve it:)) So of course one of the places I checked for a new recipe was Picky Palate. She always has some yummy desserts, and the ones I’ve tried I’ve liked! This Chocolate and Pumpkin Pie Short Bread Bars Recipe looks so tasty and I can’t wait to try them!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Baby’s First Year

2010-10-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

Caden is HERE! I am so in love all over again! My sweet baby boy was born on September 28th and has only brought our family more joy!

So now that Cade is here I need to cherish every moment and record every milestone (especially for his first year)! For all my other babies I have kept a 1st year baby calendar to write and fill in all their milestones. After I fill them out I transfer the info to my computer so I can make cute scrapbooking calendars for their first year. I have done everything except create the cute scrapbook pages! Shame on me! But lucky for me Emily did this very same thing for Steve and is doing it for Dan. So I asked for her calendar templates and the other day (before I had Cade) I scrapbooked 3 calendars for Cade! Yeah! I’m going to try and be ahead of the game this time. (except now I need to get my other 3 children's book done)! I am so excited about doing this, I think its a great way to keep those baby memories! Wish me luck on keeping up, I do have FOUR children now! :)

- Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – Winner and a BIRTHDAY DEAL!

2010-10-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Announcing the winner of our Birthday Giveaway! Our Pocket Meal Planning system goes to….Kezlee

Kezlee said...
i check your blog often, but for some reason never clicked on the follow. anyway, i'm a follower now! i'd love a new pocket for my fridge! Kezlee

Congratulations! Please pick your pocket design, and email us by Sunday, Oct. 3 so that we can get you your prize!

And now for the BIRTHDAY DEAL! Get ready to tell everyone you know about this. Blog it, facebook it, tweet it, whatever you can…it’s that big! (k, so maybe I’m a bit dramatic, but it’s big for us!)

If you’ve been wanting our Pocket Meal Planning system, today is the day to get it! For today only, we are offering 50% off any purchase!

All you need is this code: “BDAY50”

I told you we’d finish off our birthday bash with a bang! Visit our store now, and get your shopping on!

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Candy Corn Wreath

2010-09-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget about our GIVEAWAY!! Today is the LAST DAY to enter to win our Pocket Planning System!

Before I get to the Halloween-y things, Cammie had her baby!!! She was induced Tuesday morning and had a perfect baby boy by that afternoon! Mommy and baby are doing very well, and they came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. He’s seriously perfect!

Now…Halloween!

I was standing in the checkout line at Wal-Mart the other day and saw this

I just had to have…so I made one! Here’s what you need:

Wreath of any size (I used a 12” straw wreath, but you can use a styrofoam)
black duct tape or electrical tape
lots of candy corn (almost 2 bags of Brachs)
hot glue
ribbon
mod podge

Here’s what you do:

Wrap your wreath in tape.

You don’t need to cover the entire wreath in candy corn, only the front half. So, pick a place to start and glue the candy corn a row at a time, alternating the direction they point (mine is so NOT perfect!)

The last step is very necessary…you need to let the candy corn dry out and then seal the whole wreath with Mod Podge or a glossy spray or anything you might have! I had enough glossy spray to cover most of my wreath and thought it would be good enough, and the first day I hung it on my door the frost from the night before started melting any exposed candy corn! It was dripping down my front door! So…I need to fix mine, and I haven’t taken a final picture of mine on my door, but it really does look just like the original picture from Woman’s Day! Just remember to seal the candy corn or you will be sorry!

I know this wasn’t the most relevant birthday bash tutorial…but I couldn’t help it! But, tomorrow is HUGE! Seriously…if you or any of your friends, family, whoever, wants our Pocket Meal Planning system, tomorrow is the day to check out our site! We will not only be announcing the winner of our giveaway, but we have a super duper deal to offer! But that’s all I can say right now! Tell everyone! It’s big! We have to finish our birthday week with a bang!

Have a great Thursday!

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Birthday Party Ideas

2010-09-29T06:54:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget about our giveaway going on until Friday!
You have a chance to win our Monthly Pocket System!

Ok, on to the fun Birthday ideas! Cammie and I do a lot of parties! What can I say, we love to party! Over the years, we’ve done some fun ones! Baby showers, birthdays, holidays…you name it! So, here’s a look at some of our faves!

Halloween 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2009

Matching turkey shirts for the kids…

and some major Black Friday planning for big kids!

Valentine’s Day 2010

The Amazing Race, Valentine’s Edition! (See our post about it here)

Our men were such good sports! It was such a FUN night!

Baby Showers…

Cammie’s baby shower….

More pictures to come soon, I promise!

Halloween themed birthday party for our Young Women

There you have it! Some of our favorite parties! Man, this makes me want to have a party! Good thing so many birthdays and holidays are coming up! 4 Birthdays and 2 holidays in the next 2 months! How crazy are we?!!

Tasty Tuesday - Birthday Cakes

2010-09-28T02:28:00.000-07:00

DO NOT forget about our AWESOME Give Away!!! Go check it out so you don’t miss out on a chance to win our Monthly Pocket System!

Emily and I love making birthday cakes! Growing up my mom would ask us kids what kind of cake we wanted and she would make it. Even as we got older she would ask us, we got creative and sometimes asked for some interesting requests. I asked for pumpkin pie several times, and people thought I was pretty crazy since my birthday is in March! One of my sisters asked for donuts, and my other sister asked for jello one year! I decided to keep that tradition with my kids and hubby! My husband picks really yummy things like Carmel Apple Cake, while my kids usually pick some fun things! Here are some of the cakes Em and I have made through the years:

Jer’s Superman cake

Briggs Snake Cake

A Spider cake

Brigg’s Monkey cake

Jer’s Space Cake

Briggs Campfire cake (we had a fun camping party this year)

Jer’s Bass Fish Cake (one of my favorites!)

Brigg’s Rocket Cake…I loved it when we lit the candles!

Ali’s Tinkerbelle Cake (this was my first time using fondant…pretty fun)

Ali’s Carebear Cake

Ali’s Present Cakes

Ali’s Princess Cupcakes (with cupcake toppers) (that was easy) Oh and she HAD to have pink cupcakes because of her favorite book Pinkalicious!

We have done cakes for other occasions too! Here are a few Emily did:

YW Recognition Night…how cool is this cake?

Stevies 1st birthday cupcakes

A fun cake Em and a friend made…love the polka dots

The cake Em made for my 29th birthday!

Animal cupcakes for Stevies 2nd birthday

Halloween cupcakes for a YW party!

Hope you enjoyed seeing all our cakes!

- Cammie

MANIC MONDAY – Happy Birthday!

2010-09-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to us! Pocket Full of Posies is officially ONE! We cannot believe that it’s been a year already! When we started this little endeavor, Cammie only had three kids, and I was very pregnant with my second. Now she is having number 4 any day, and my baby is almost one! We started it all hoping it would be a success, but not really having a clue what to think or what to expect! Not only that, we had NO IDEA how much we would love it and how great it would turn out! Of course, we still have a TON to learn and a TON more ideas to put into action, but for today it’s nice to just be grateful! So, thank you to all that have made this possible! And, for any that are interested in our story, read all about The Pocket Sisters.

And, to kick off our Birthday Week…how about a GIVEAWAY?!!!

We thought it would only be right to give away our system to one of our very own! You could win Monthly Pocket Package 1 with your choice of pocket design (see our store)! The giveaway will end Thursday at 11:59 pm, with the winner announced on Friday. So, here’s 4 different ways you can enter to win this giveaway…

1. Leave a comment with your name.
2. Follow us, and then leave a comment.
3. Subscribe to our newsletter, and then leave a comment.
4. Post about us on your blog, and leave a comment. Spread the word!

We are so excited about our Birthday week! Spread the word to all your family and friends, we’re having some great stuff this week. And a super duper awesome surprise for our Freebie Friday!! Seriously, it’s going to be good, and something we’ve never done before!

Before I sign off on this Manic Monday…I must announce our Refer-a-Friend contest winner! We’ve had lots of subscribers! So, congrats Kathy Simms! You have until Wednesday to get us your info! Congratulations!

Here’s to a GREAT Birthday Week!

FREEBIE FRIDAY – October Calendar

2010-09-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

It seems like that past few months we’ve been getting our calendar freebies out late…so here’s October, early! Yay! I seriously LOVE October, it’s one of my favorite months! So, everyone, have a very happy October!

As always, click HERE to download the full page version.

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Fabric Pumpkins

2010-09-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

So I’ve seen the cutest fabric pumpkin tutorials all over the blogging world, so I thought I’d better give em a try…they’re so cute! I followed this tutorial from Sunshine in my Soul. It was seriously SO easy, and I love how my pumpkins turned out! I’m not a fancy decorator, and so I went for a more casual pumpkin look. Plus, I used fabric scraps I already had!

All of us sisters (Camme, me, and our other two sister-in-laws) are having a project night tonight, so I’m excited to share what we do! Love project night!

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Cammie’s Baby Shower

2010-09-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Remember how Cammie posted about a great baby shower?! And how she mentioned I’d post lots of pictures and all the details…well this will have to be a two part post, because the memory card with all those pictures on it seems to be missing! I do have a couple things to share though!

First of all, the theme was Super Baby, and it turned out SUPER cute! Here were the invitations I made (LOVE photoshop!)

We decorated with red, yellow and blue. And we made the cutest super baby out of balloons ever! We used this as inspiration…

Since Cammie is having a boy, we used blue balloons and added a superhero cape and mask. Our super baby was even flying over a big mountain of jell-o kryptonite! It was darling, and I can’t wait to share the pictures!

For the food, we were inspired by this Father’s Day idea over on alphamom.com.

Overall, the party was a success! We had lots of fun and lots of good company! Stay tuned for the pictures coming soon!

-Emily

TASTY TUESDAY – Apple Season Has Begun!!

2010-09-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

I LOVE fall! Especially apple season! Yesterday, my husband and his dad and brothers took off work to float the river and fish all day. This meant they took our family car and left me with his car. Normally, not a problem, except this time he left me with a car that had a flat tire! I was totally unaware of this flat tire until I tried to go grocery shopping and realized I would be stuck at home until they came back! So, what do I do when I’m annoyed? Or for any reason really?! I bake or cook something! And since I needed to go grocery shopping, I was surprised I had all the ingredients for this yummy little treat! Seriously, this stuff is SO good…don’t be deceived by the weird name! It’s the perfect fall treat…especially for breakfast! And it’s so good for you too!

Crockpot Granola

2 C. of your favorite granola
4 apples, peeled and chopped
1/4 C. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. melted butter

Place all ingredients in the crockpot, apples on bottom. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours (if you have a super fast crockpot like mine, it only takes a couple of hours on high). Best served with milk (or cream!).

Enjoy! (I wish I’d taken a picture! Sorry!)

-Emily

MANIC MONDAY – Extensions and Announcements

2010-09-20T06:18:00.000-07:00

Man have we been busy! I love it though! So, first of all, we’ve decided to extend our “Refer-a-Friend” competition! Keep bringing us your friends and tell them to put your name in the “Who referred you?” box! You have until September 27. You could win!

Secondly…we have added a TON of new pocket designs to our store! Here’s a couple to get ya excited!

Check out our store to get your pocket today!

-Emily

Freebie Friday – Birthday Planning

2010-09-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

I am due in 2 weeks right? Well my oldest sons 9th birthday is in 3 weeks!!! I have got to get a plan together or I don’t know how I’ll possibly pull off a birthday party for him! I love some of Martha Stewarts projects and crafts. I was browsing what she had the other day and saw she has several party planning check lists. She of course had a birthday party check list. I printed it off so I can start making my plans! If you need some party check list go download some from Martha Stewart!

- Cammie

Teach Me Thursday – Burp Cloths

2010-09-16T02:47:00.000-07:00

Are these not so DARLING???

Many of you may already know that I am very involved with the youth in my church, I am currently serving as the YW president in my ward, and I’ve been in YW’s for almost 8 years now! I love my girls and I think I learn just as much from them as they do me! Several of my YW came to my baby shower and one of them made me some burp cloths. She made them for one of her personal progress projects. This project was her first learning experience in sewing. She did such an amazing job, they are SO darling, and I’m so proud of her!!! I love them so much I’m thinking of making some more!! So I found a great tutorial from Moda Bake Shop on how to make them. If you know of someone having a baby these are such great gifts, and you can never have too many!

- Cammie

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – A fun baby shower

2010-09-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

Last night Emily along with our friend Jessica threw me a baby shower! It was SO fun! The theme was Super Baby! It was decorated SO cute and the goodies were so creatively wrapped and displayed, it was seriously darling!!! I am hoping Em writes all about it and includes all the pictures she took! I felt very blessed and loved by all my family and friends and all the thoughtful gifts that were giving to our baby! We are so excited for the arrival of Caden! I am due in 2 weeks and 1 day (but who's counting?) I am getting anxious to meet him!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – Snickerdoodle Muffins

2010-09-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe last week and I couldn’t wait to make them, so I made them last night for FHE! I love muffins and breads in the fall…and these were really good! Go check out Oopsey Daisy for the recipe! *The only change I would make is to swirl the sugar topping into the batter with a knife…I think they would be so much yummier!

*** Also Someday Crafts is doing a review and give away on her blog today! Go check it out!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Refer a friend and WIN Contest!

2010-09-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Refer a friend and WIN! Introducing our first ever competition. It's like a give away in overdrive!

The Rules: The first reader to get the most friends/associates/random people to sign up for our monthly newsletter by September 19, will win a complete Monthly Pocket Planning system of your choice! Blog, tweet, facebook, whatever it takes.

When you get a friend to sign up, make sure he/she names you in the "Who referred you" box! It’s that simple!

Our newsletters are filled with information, coupon codes, discounts, tips and more. In fact our subscribers knew about our Refer a Friend Contest earlier this month, so they had a jumpstart on winning the contest! Being a subscriber has its advantages! Good luck!

- Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – Free Fonts

2010-09-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

Cammie and I both love to digital scrapbook using Photoshop. We also use Photoshop for just about EVERYTHING else! Anything we want to create, we do in Photoshop. I seriously couldn’t live with out my Photoshop (I know, sad!). Well, when we’re working on something together, the thing that always takes the LONGEST is choosing the font! The reason…Kevin and Amanda’s Free Fonts! We both downloaded ALL of their fonts and now have WAY too many super cute fonts to choose from every time we do anything! So, I thought I’d share the love and let you all know about this awesome site…

Kevin and Amanda also have a super easy tutorial on how to make your blog titles a cute font…like ours!

Check it out…who doesn’t need a few more cute fonts to choose from?!

-Emily

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Quiet Books

2010-09-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

So, I was going through some old pictures, trying to figure out what amazing tutorial I could come up with for today, and I came across this amazing project Cammie and I did a couple years ago. I must warn you though, IT TAKES FOREVER! It’s not a hard project, just VERY time consuming! But it turned out SO cute, and I can now say it was worth it (2 years later!).

I actually got this Quiet Book pattern from my wonderful grandma. In fact, she made one for me and my siblings when we were little and we played with it in church every Sunday forever! So, the sentimental value is really what makes it so neat for me!

Here’s the thing though…it would seriously take me days to explain exactly how to do this, so maybe one day I will…but for now you just get pictures and you super creative and awesome people out there can try and figure it out! Good luck!

I will tell you a few helpful hints!
-every piece of felt you cut twice and sew velcro to one side and then sew the two pieces together.
-each page is actually a long piece of muslin that you sew 4 different pages on and then fold together (this hides all the ugly backs).
-we typed out all the words and traced them (muslin is good for that!) before sewing the pages together.

Isn’t it so cute! The best church toy!

-Emily

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – oh so much!

2010-09-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Cammie and I spent yesterday planning all kinds of fun stuff for September! We just sent out our first newsletter and it’s packed with goodies (and a lot of our upcoming plans!). Here’s the biggy though…Pocket Full of Posies is turning 1 this month!! We can hardly believe it’s been a year since we’ve been up and running, but it has, and we have some fun things planned. So, be sure to mark your calendars for September 27-October 1 (the last week of September), for our BIRTHDAY BASH! Check out our birthday button on the right sidebar and grab one for your blog! Spread the word, there’s going to be giveaways and some serious awesomeness! We LOVE to party!

Ok, another big plan we have is to do some blog swapping! But, instead of stalking our favorite blogs and asking if they wanted to blog swap, we thought we’d open it up to our readers…we want to get to know you! So, if you’d be interested in promoting your blog and what you’re all about on our blog, and letting us guest post on your blog…email us and we’ll get to work!

We’re SO EXCITED for September!

-Emily

TASTY TUESDAY – Applesauce Muffins

2010-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

September makes me excited for fall! And we keep getting little glimpses of fall weather here, so I’m really excited for it! In honor of fall approaching, here is one of my FAVORITE apple recipes. I love muffins of all kinds, but these are the best. They are especially good as mini muffins! Enjoy!

-Emily

MANIC MONDAY – September Newsletter and more…

2010-09-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day to all! We’re off to a Labor Day picnic this afternoon, so this will be a quickie! I have some cooking to do!

I just wanted to do a little push to sign up for our newsletter! Our first edition is coming out this month and it’s going to be GREAT! You seriously want to get in on this stuff! We’ve got some announcements and discounts only the newsletter will reveal! So, sign up over on our right sidebar and get ready for some fun! We’ve got a lot planned for September!

Enjoy your day off!

-Emily

Freebie Friday – September Calendar

2010-09-03T02:02:00.000-07:00

We are only a few days late on our September calendar, so for those of you who haven’t printed one yet here you go:

Link for download is: 09/2010 Calendar FREEBIE

-Cammie

Teach Me Thursday – a new idea for CHORES

2010-09-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

I still feel like I am living in chaos…my house still has SO many boxes to unpack and my energy level is not that high! :( BUT I am slowly getting back to a schedule. I’m going back to the gym, kids started school, I’ve actually made dinner every night for the last week and a half, and now I’m ready to start the kids back on chores!! They have a good morning and evening routine down, where they make their beds, brush, pick up before bed, etc. BUT I need their help with the family chores.

So I came across this new idea, a Chore Die! I LOVE it and I think my kids will love it too. Go check out the tutorial at Poppies at Play!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – Pumpkins!

2010-08-31T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I was taking a small break from unpacking and spent a few hours swimming with my daughter at a friends house. While I was there my friend started telling us about a pumpkin shortage. Her daughter had been craving pumpkin muffins:

Pumpkin Muffins:

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can Libby’s pumpkin

12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Place in greased or lined muffin pan and bake for 22-26 minutes. Eat and enjoy!

So the good mother she is went to the store to get the ingredients, only to find there was no Libby’s pumpkin. She checked Wal-Mart and a few grocery stores. This is when she found out that there was a pumpkin shortage. She then decided to try and find some online, which she did, the bad news was that people were selling a can for $36.00!!! Can you believe that? Well the worst part about this story is that I had been craving Chocolate Chip Pumpkin cookies and had planned on shopping directly after our swimming.

I had Libby’s pumpkin on my grocery list and the craving only got stronger after all the talk!!! So of course I looked for the canned pumpkin and of course there wasn’t any!!! I can’t believe it! So I am hoping maybe AZ has some, and maybe my mom can ship me some! Since I am such a nice person I thought I’d share these recipes in hope that someone out there can find Libby’s pumpkin and make and eat these delicious treats! Or if you are really lucky you already have some in your pantry, because I promise you I will be stocking up as SOON as I see it on the store shelves!!! Enjoy, I’ll have to find something else to crave!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Storage

2010-08-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am BACK!!! It has been one crazy summer! Moving 3 families in basically 6 weeks was what I call insane! But it is SO worth it because now I have 2 MORE sister-in-laws, 2 brother-in-laws and of course 6 more cousins! We have been helping each other unpack, babysit, and just trying to get everyone settled in. I ended up moving days before school started, so that was a bit crazy too. I have the basics done as far as unpacking, but the decorations are still in boxes, and I am needing much more storage units than I did in my last house. The kids bedrooms are HUGE and their closets are too, but I REALLY want the toys in the basement/playroom. This just means I need to make (or buy) some storage units for all their toys. I have been searching craigslist hoping to find something I like but nothing tops what I really want, and that is the playroom units from Knock Off Wood.

Are these not just perfect? Now if I could get myself to do these in the next 4 weeks (before the baby is born) that would be amazing. Have any of you done any projects from Knock-Off Wood? I’m hoping the plans are as easy as they seem!! Wish me luck, I think I’m going to need a lot of it!

- Cammie

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – What I’ve Been Up To

2010-08-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our basement is finally to the fun point…decorating! The doors are up, the trim is up, and the only major thing left to do is add closet doors (not totally necessary at the moment). So, I’ve been busy arranging, organizing and decorating! I’m not completely finished with the fun part yet, so no pictures as of today…but I will share something I just did in our living room!

I’ve always been a huge fan of modge podging pictures onto canvas or a piece of wood, so I was inspired by that look. However, I’m also all about making it work with what you’ve got, and I didn’t have canvas or the right size wood. So this is what I came up with…using cheap picture frames! We also recently did family pictures, so I needed to update the frames. I love the way it turned out. I smile every time I see my cute boys!

(We have a thing for pictures on stair cases!)

Happy Wednesday!

-Emily

TASTY TUESDAY – Summer Veggie Pizza

2010-08-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Once a month we do a recipe exchange with a bunch of ladies from church. Tonight is this month’s recipe exchange. The theme for tonight is a “COLD recipe.” That means I have to make and bring something cold to share, plus the recipe to share. I was looking through some recipes and am thinking I may make this yummy veggie pizza…and of course had to share with everyone!

I love this little treat, it’s great for parties or even for a light lunch! Enjoy!

-Emily

MANIC MONDAY – Back, finally!

2010-08-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

So, in case nobody noticed, we’ve been TOTALLY SLACKING the past couple of weeks! And we truly apologize! It kind of feels like life was on fast forward for a couple of weeks and that maybe we’ve slowed down to normal speed, at least for now! So, in the spirit of Manic Monday, let me tell you why it’s been so crazy around here!

1. Cammie moved (YAY!!) And we all know moving is never a one day event!
2. Cammie has been unpacking for a week, and I’ve been trying to help as much as I can!
3. Cammie has been without internet for a week, can you imagine?!
4. My house got turned upside down putting the finishing touches on our basement. And, me and my indecisive self had to go and change all the rooms and what went in them! My boys now share a room (that should be an entirely separate reason!), the office came back upstairs, all the toys moved downstairs (BEST THING I”VE EVER DONE!), and we added a bed to make a guest room! I almost feel like we just moved!
5. We celebrated a cousin’s birthday and Cammie and I helped our sis-in-law make the cutest Pockemon cake ever! That turned into an all day thing!
6. My almost 3 year old came down with a mysterious illness, with high fever and complaining of a headache (a toddler with a headache??), and then ending up covered in the weirdest looking rash. We finally decided it must have been roseola, and he seems to be fine now (thank goodness!)
7. Said 2 year old got 2 other cousins sick…oops! Hopefully it ends there!

Wheph! I’m sure I missed quite a bit, but you get the picture! Unfortunately, the chaos isn’t quite over for us! Cammie is due in like 5 weeks (YIKES), we’re having company come this week (YAY!!), and in 2 weeks a large group of friends is starting a Joy School/Preschool together, twice a week! BUSY! but I love it! And, we promise to not neglect our little blog for that long again!

Happy Monday! I’m off to organize all those toys!

-Emily

TEACH ME THURSDAY – So Behind!

2010-08-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

I am ashamed to admit, that we got home from a week long stay in Seattle on Monday, and I have STILL not unpacked! Why is this so hard for me??? For some reason life did not stop while we were gone and I had to jump head first back in as soon as we got home! I did do my grocery shopping, and a little laundry, and I’ve helped Cammie pack a little bit. Other than that, nothin! I have got to get it together!

Anyway, because I’m so behind in life, I don’t have a very exciting tutorial today…in fact, I don’t have one at all! So, I thought I’d just list a few (seriously, not even close to all!) of my favorite blogs for your reading and perusing pleasure!

Ucreate
eighteen25
Somewhat Simple
Knock-off Wood
Blue Cricket

Enjoy…I can get lost in these blogs for hours (seriously!).

-Emily

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Proof!

2010-08-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

I was extremely excited to do this…can you tell!

-Emily

MANIC MONDAY and TASTY TUESDAY – A Bit Behind

2010-08-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Obviously, Manic Monday got skipped this week! Oops! I was out of town all last week and came home yesterday and realized I was supposed to post, but forgot and never had time! Sorry folks! But I’m back and ready to tell you all about my great vaca!

My little bro came home from 2 years in Portugal! He’s amazing, and it was awesome to see him. My whole family was together and we had so much fun! I was even able to get up on one ski on my first try! I haven’t done this in like 10 years!! I was pumped!

So, after a week of being away, it’s so nice to be home (except for the crazy heat and humidity!!). Now it’s off to helping Cammie pack and move this weekend!

More tomorrow!

-Emily

Freebie Friday – Fun School Idea…

2010-08-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this cute idea on Crafty Chicks. These are conversation cards to use with your kids. When I would pick Jer up from kindergarten the first week of school I would always ask what he did that day. I was ready to be filled with an ear full about all the things he did, but instead he would say I don’t know. So I finally figured out I had to ask specific questions, did you have art today? and did you like it, etc. But these conversation cards look like so much fun for the kids! Check them out at Crafty Chicks.

- Cammie

Teach Me Thursday – Make a boy’s tie from a Men’s tie…how cool is that?

2010-08-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Emily and I purchased a pattern for making boys ties awhile back and we have made several ties for our boys. It is a really good pattern and we’ve gotten pretty good at making them, BUT when I came across the idea of making a boys tie from a Men’s tie I loved the idea. There are probably 10 ties in Ben’s closet that he never wears so how perfect would it be to let my boys where them…after I follow this amazing tutorial from Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky! I can’t wait to make them, I have a feeling I am really going to like them!

(picture from Hideous! Dreadful! Stinky!)

- Cammie

What’s Up Wednesday…Back to School

2010-08-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or did summer FLY by???? I can’t believe my kids are going back to school in 2 weeks! I know several schools in the west start in a week, how is this possible? I am not ready! Seriously as if moving and being 32 weeks prego wasn’t keeping me busy enough, now I need to get school supplies, and start preparing for a schedule? Man I wish I had another month or two of summer left. I could really use it! I did however, do school clothes shopping in July while I was in AZ with my family…thank goodness! I also registered my boys on Monday since they are attending a new school. So that is what’s up for me…so much on my mind…wish me luck getting back on a schedule for the school year!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – Yummy Summer Fruit Dip

2010-08-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

I found this Yummy Summer Fruit Dip from Crafty Chicks a few days ago and it looks delicious! I LOVE fruit, especially in the summer, and who doesn’t love a fruit dip to go along with it?

1 (8 oz.) cube of cream cheese

1 (7oz.) container of marshmallow cream

1 1/2 C. Cool Whip

Favorite Fruit (I would choose, strawberries, and grapes)

(For directions please check out Crafty Chicks Post)

- Cammie

Manic Monday – Moving

2010-08-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

We are moving in 2 weeks!!! I am SO excited but there is SO much to do! We are only moving about 10 miles/20 minutes from where we are now, but it is going to be a GREAT and much needed change. We are moving closer to church, family, friends, shopping, the hospital, the gym, seriously it feels like everything we do is there. It is going to be AMAZING! (can you tell I am SO excited?)

You would think I’d be feeling overwhelmed since I haven’t really packed even one box, or made one phone call for moving changes…but I must remind you all I have AMAZING family around me. Emily is out of town for this week, but next week she has offered her assistance and I know she’ll make the job go by so quickly. I also have Liz, my other sis-in-law that just moved here and I know she’ll help in anyway, she’s so kind like that. Then Ben’s parents, brothers, and so many good friends have offered to help. I am so blessed don’t you think? Especially since I am 32 weeks prego (which means I am large in the belly, AND I can’t lift much) With all this help I feel the best thing to do is be organized. I found a great website with an AWESOME moving checklist. The site is called Squawk Fox. The thing I love most about the checklist is that it is broken down into time frames….what to do 2 months before the big move, 2 weeks, 1 week, all the way to the day of the move. How cool is that? Go check out the MOVING CHECKLISTS if you are moving soon too!

- Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – August Calendar

2010-07-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my NEW office in my NEWLY finished basement LOVING every minute of being down here! Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but I”M HERE!

On to the freebie…

Click HERE to download the August calendar. Have a great weekend!

-Emily

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Silhouette Tutorial

2010-07-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I posted some Temple Silhouettes as a Friday Freebie. Since then, we’ve gotten lots of comments asking if we had certain temples, or how to do it. So, I thought I’d do a quick tutorial today! I posted all the temples I had done, but here's how to do it yourself. You need some version of photoshop. I’m sure you could use a different photo editing program, I just don’t have a clue about any! I’m pretty much die hard photoshop. I use photoshop 7, but you can do it with pretty much any version as far as I know.

Step 1:

Create a new layer, whatever size you prefer (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc. are best for printing purposes). Find an image or picture you want to turn into a silhouette. It is much easier to us an image that has a pretty solid background. The image I’m using is about as simple as it gets, but you can use these steps with any image/picture. So here’s what I’m starting with:

Step 2:

Use the magic wand tool to select and then delete the background around the main image (that will be the silhouette). Use the eraser tool to erase any lingering junk. The goal is to get the background totally white. My image was already like this, but in a picture there will often be sky and clouds that need to be totally deleted, like this one:

Before:

After deleting the background:

Step 3:

Desaturate (make black and white) the image. Adjust the brightness balance by maxing out the the contrast (all the way to 100) and moving the brightness in the negative direction until right before the entire image goes totally black. The numbers on this vary, depending on the picture. You just have to mess around with it, but this is where it will begin to look like a silhouette...like this:

Step 4:

Now comes the tedious part. Once you’ve adjusted the brightness contrast, there’s a lot of touching up and erasing that needs to be done to make it look like a solid silhouette. Alternate between the paint brush (with black paint) and the eraser to finish everything off. Do this until you get the result you’re looking for.

Step 5:

Add text…whatever you want to say!

Step 6:

Flatten your image and save as a .jpeg file.

That’s it! Hopefully this all makes sense. Email or comment with questions!

-Emily

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Called to Serve

2010-07-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

I have missionaries on my mind this week. Today my sweet friend Allie reports to the Missionary Training Center in Utah to begin her mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When I first got married I was her youth leader, and now she’ll be serving for 18 months in Costa Rica! I am so proud of her and know she’ll do a great job. She’s an amazing gal!

On Friday, my little brother Brad, returns home from his mission in Portugal! I cannot even tell you how excited I am to see him! I am also SO proud of my little bro! Getting his emails every week and seeing him grow has been truly amazing. We (the hubby, the kids and I) leave Monday to go to Seattle to see Brad and spend the week with the entire family back together, for the first time in 2 years! I have the best fam!

If you may be interested in what our church is all about, visit www.lds.org.

May the missionaries of the world always be in our hearts and prayers!

-Emily

TASTY TUESDAY – Blueberry Buckle

2010-07-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

Remember all those blueberries I froze a little while ago? Well, if you have any blueberries, fresh or frozen, you will want to make this! This recipe is my grandmas and is absolutely amazing! Thanks grandma for sharing! I ate 2 pieces when it came out of the oven and ate one more for breakfast this morning! Yum Yum!! Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

Heat oven to 375

Mix together:
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C soft shortening
1 egg

Stir in:
1/2 C milk

Mix in:
2 C flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Carefully blend in 2 cups well drained blueberries and pour into greased and floured 9" square pan.

Mix together and sprinkle over top of dough:
1/2 sugar
1/3 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C soft butter

Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Happy Tuesday!

-Emily

(image taken from google images, I did not actually take the picture!)

MANIC MONDAY – New Basement

2010-07-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

For over a year, we’ve been trying to finish our basement. One of the things we loved about our house when we bought it, was that it had room to grow, aka, an unfinished basement. With all the family we now have living around us, we definitely need the space!

Here’s the problem, once I get the idea that something is going to happen, or that I’m going to get something…I want it now! So this whole taking over a year to finish is starting to get old! Who am I kidding, it was old like a year ago! But, there is finally light at the end of this long tunnel! It is SO close I can taste it, but of course that almost makes it worse! The rest of my house is suffering big time! For some reason, I have no motivation to do any of my normal cleaning in anticipation for the day I can move everything downstairs! My office and ALL the toys will be in the basement, which will take a HUGE chunk of the day to day mess out of sight! Did I mention I couldn’t wait for this day?!

Well, it should all happen this week….at least that’s the plan! My hubby is doing most of the work, so it all has to happen after work! But we are going out of town next week, so I would love it to for real be done before we leave! Here’s to wishful thinking…right?! Wish me luck!

Happy Monday!

-Emily

Freebie Friday – Stay Cool from Eighteen25

2010-07-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea! How cute is this:

A PERFECT gift for a neighbor or friend during the summer! GO print out Eighteen25s cute tag for FREE HERE.

- Cammie

Teach Me Thursday – Doorway Puppet Theater

2010-07-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have seen a few of these doorway puppet theaters and thought they looks so cute and SO easy ( I love easy…especially after Em and I went crazy on our PVC pipe houses) I thought this would be a great project. You could make one of these and add a few puppets to make a great gift! Jaime at Her Hobby has a great tutorial!

- Cammie

What’s Up Wednesday – Promo Ends TODAY!

2010-07-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Emily mentioned all the new changes we’ve made but how many of you noticed our site is now a .com? Our new website is www.pocketmealplanning.com! Go ahead and look at the address bar!! We love all the changes and we hope you do to! We also love hearing feedback from you, so if you have any please leave us a comment or email.

***Also don’t forget in honor of our Grand Opening and of all the changes we made, we are offering a 10% off of ANY purchase DISCOUNT that ends TODAY!

The discount code: “grandopening10”
(Ends TODAY, July 21, 2010)

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday – My New Favorite Brownies

2010-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

In Arizona my sister Amber and I discovered a new love, Peanut butter chip brownies! We were making brownies and Amber had some left over peanut butter chips from a previous treat she made, and I said lets throw the rest of these in, so we did! They were a hit! So much so that we made them again a few days later, then AGAIN once more, they really are that good! Twice we used Duncan Hines Brownies and once we used a different brand, we both agreed that the Duncan Hines were the BEST. So to make this delicious treat you need:

1. Duncan Hines Brownies (must be chewy fudge) *oh also we replaced the oil with melted butter

2. A bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips (use the whole bag if you want)

All you do is follow the directions for the brownie mix, add the peanut butter chips, and bake (because of the added chips we cooked for about 5 minutes less) Let cool slightly then eat up with a tall glass of milk! YUM YUM!

- Cammie

Manic Monday – You Might Be a Mother If…

2010-07-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was BUSY! As most of you know I am a mother of 3 children, ages 8, 7, and 4 and I’m 7 months pregnant with my 4th. My kids keep me pretty busy and I’m sure any mom would agree that children keep you on your toes! To add to my busy weekend I took Emily’s 2 kids ages 2 and 8 months for the weekend. I love her kids and they really are easy and such great kids but their ages are a little more demanding and with being pregnant, and having less energy I was worn out by the end of the weekend. I came home from church today and fell right to sleep on the couch (I never fall asleep on the couch, so that tells you something!) I LOVE being a mother and wouldn’t trade it for ANYTHING! I came across this article “You Might Be a Mother If” and I love how much I can relate to it.

You Might Be a Mommy If . . .

By Leslie Wilson

- Every shirt you own has spit-up on the shoulder.
- Must-see TV includes Barney, Arthur and Disney Playhouse.
- You carry a diaper bag instead of a purse.
- You analyze babies’ bodily functions with women you just met.
- “Sleeping in” is when the clock reads 6:30 a.m.
- You never go anywhere without baby wipes.
- You sleep with a baby monitor a foot away from your head.
- With each subsequent child, you’ve progressed from sterilizing the pacifier to washing it off to blowing on it, invoking the three-second rule.
- Your children are better dressed than you.
- You used to be known by your first name - now you’re Jordan’s mommy.
- You store five sizes of clothes in your closet.
- You call your husband on his cell phone in order to have a real conversation with him.
- You go to bed at 12:30 a.m. and get up at 5:00 a.m., thankful for the extra sleep.
- Excitement means Pampers are on sale.
- You consider PBJs and Cheetos a nutritious meal.
- You can change from lounging-sweats casual to night-on-the-town glamorous in three-and-a-half minutes.
- “Doing lunch” means meeting three friends and their preschoolers at the McDonald’s Playplace.
- Hearing the words, “I’m done,” from the bathroom sends chills up your spine.
- You own more Disney movies than pairs of shoes.
- You can pee with three children watching you - and only two are yours.
- You spend more on babysitters than you do on utilities.
- If you were trapped for days in your car, you could survive on the Cheerios and french fries on your floorboards.
- You can tell what your daughter ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner by looking at the front of her T-shirt.
- You willingly hug and kiss a kid who has sticky fingers, sweat-drenched hair and a milk mustache.
- You’re overworked, overcommitted and underappreciated - and you wouldn’t trade your life for anything in the world.

- Aren’t these SO true? I love the “doing lunch” means meeting friends and their preschoolers at the McDonald’s Playplace. (most the time its the park) I also liked, You used to be known by your first name - now you’re Jordan’s mommy. There are several friends at church that call me Jer’s mommy or Brigg’s mommy.

- Cammie

FREEBIE FRIDAY – Temple Silhouettes

2010-07-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I got really into learning how to do silhouettes in Photoshop. And, when I get “really into” something, I tend to go a little crazy. I ended up making several different LDS Temple silhouettes and Cammie and I gave them as gifts one Christmas.

My hubby and I were married in the San Diego, CA temple (I still have anniversary on my mind!) so I framed an 11x14 San Diego temple silhouette and have it in our home. I love it. So, I thought I’d share the different temples I have.

Download San Diego, CA

Download St. Louis, MO Download Boise, ID

Download Dallas, TX Download Mesa, AZ

Download Nauvoo, IL Download Oakland, CA

Have a great weekend! I know I will (wink, wink!)!

-Emily

TEACH ME THURSDAY – Flash Freezing

2010-07-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

While I was grocery shopping yesterday, I found strawberries and blueberries on a GREAT sale, so I decided (then and there) that I would buy a bunch and do some freezing. So, I thought I’d share!

Flash freezing is super easy, and keeps the berries (or whatever you’re freezing) from freezing together. This makes it easier to use what you want straight out of the freezer (no thawing) and return what you don’t want back to the freezer! Here’s what I did…

1. Wash and dry your fruit.

2. For the strawberries, I cut off all the green stems and any bad parts. Then spread out fruit on a cookie sheet and stick it, uncovered, in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

3. Dump your fruit in any sized ziploc freezer bag or containers and store in the freezer!

I can’t wait to make some yummy smoothies or blueberry pancakes! Man I love summer!

-Emily

WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY – Time for a Change!

2010-07-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

We have been busy, busy making TONS of changes here on Pocket Full of Posies! Over the next few days be on the look out for several improvements and changes. We have so many things planned and in the works, we just couldn’t wait to start sharing! The first, and probably most exciting for us, is the introduction of our NEW STORE! And we are considering today our “Grand Opening!” Our new store is easier to navigate, easier to understand, and just plain better! Don’t worry, we have all the same products, it will just be even easier to purchase them!

We are also in the process of going .com! We are SUPER excited about this and hope to have it all figured out and done by the end of this week! Along with the upgrade, we are changing a few of the cosmetics of our site and adding some great stuff! So, be sure to check out all our new features and pages! In the next few weeks we have even more exciting additions! Pocket Full of Posies is moving up…watch out world!

So, in honor of our Grand Opening and of all the changes we are making, and because we are just too excited, we will be offering a DISCOUNT for the next week! So, check out our new store and receive 10% off of ANY purchase! Yay for discounts! Spread the word, tell all your friends, blog about it, Facebook it, Twitter it…do it all! We are pumped!

Here’s the discount code: “grandopening10”
(good through July 21)

Let us know what you think about all this! Happy shopping!

-Emily

TASTY TUESDAY – Chocolate Mousse

2010-07-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Since our anniversary fell on a Monday this year (yesterday to be exact!), the hubs and I decided to celebrate this coming weekend. Cammie is taking our children for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS! And we are spending the weekend ALONE at home! I cannot wait…seriously! I don’t remember the last time I’ve been able to sleep in…I wonder if I can still do it!

Anyway, with the anniversary on my mind all week, and this being Tasty Tuesday, I thought I’d share my hubby’s absolute FAVORITE “special occasion treat”. I call this a “special occasion treat” because he only gets it on “special occasions!” If I didn’t limit this particular treat to special occasions, I would be called upon to make it once a week! So…on to the yummy-ness! This is a VERY easy version of Chocolate Mousse, but SO good! And it’s perfect for special occasions!

Now, of course, this means I’m going to have to make this yummy treat for our weekend alone! Mmmm…can’t wait!

May your Tuesday be Tasty!

-Emily

MANIC MONDAY – Love

2010-07-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of the day I married the man of my dreams. 5 years together, and I can’t believe how fast it’s flown by! I came across this the other day on a favorite blog, Love Actually, and just had to share. I was cracking up! And, since today is a day of love for me, I thought it was perfect!

Tech Support for Installing a Husband (taken from Love Actually, author unknown)

Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0.
In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5, and then installed undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.
Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail. What can I do?
Signed,
Desperate
———————
Dear Desperate,
First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Please enter the command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html, download Tears 6.2 and be sure to install the Guilt 3.0 update. If those applications work as designed Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.
However, please remember that overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0, or Beer 6.1. Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.
Whatever you do DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (It runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources.)
In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0-program. This is an unsupported application and will crash Husband 1.0.
In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.
Good Luck!
Tech Support

Seriously, hilarious! Of course, I love my Husband 1.0 upgrade and wouldn’t change anything!

Have a great Monday!

-Emily

TEACH ME THURSDAY - Make Your Own Bias Tape

2010-07-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Remember how I told you I was going to make a dress for Ali? Well my mom and I tag teamed it tonight! BUT as she was sewing she realized we forgot to buy bias tape. It was late and we didn't want to run to the store, so I got online to learn how to make our own bias tape out of the material we already had. I found a great tutorial from Savvy Seams. It was SO easy and I've actually wanted to learn how to make bias tape for awhile! So as my mom kept on sewing I whipped out some bias tape! Here is a picture of the finished project! Isn't it darling?

- Cammie

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY - My AZ trip so far...

2010-07-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

I am having SO much fun in AZ! We had our 4th of July fun up in Taylor/Show Low, and LOVED the beautiful weather! The kids have played outside all day every day we were there. Then we drove down to Gilbert/Mesa area where it is HOT! Surprisingly it isn't too bad. The first thing the kids wanted to do was go swimming in Nana's pool! They seriously swam for 4-5 hours today...they love it that much! We've been to one of our favorite frozen yogurt places, Mesa Frozen Yogurt, we've done some shopping..Seagull books, fabric stores, Ross, etc. I am ready for project night where I'm going to make Ali a dress for the first time!! I LOVE the material I picked out and I'm just hoping it turns out just the way I want it! We still have several fun things to do this week...Diamond Back game, go to the city pool, cousin sleepovers, project night, dinner at Serano's Mexican, and whatever else we come up with! I just hope we can fit it all in! Oh and pictures soon to come..between me, my mom, my sis-in-law and sisters we probably have over 300 pictures already!!! I'm sure it will double by the end of the trip! I love summer vacations!

- Cammie

Tasty Tuesday -

2010-07-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is what I call the BEST fruit salad EVER!!! It is called Best Grape Salad. I am in AZ with my family right now and for the 4t of July. My brother-in-law works for the fire department who are in charge of the fireworks. Before the fireworks the department puts on a BBQ and potluck with all the employees family and friends. We were all invited this year. SO my sister Amber made this AMAZING grape salad. The best part was while we were eating there was a guy going around with the empty grape salad bowl asking everyone if it was there bowl. He finally came up to my sister and asked her if it was her bowl. When she said yes he was SO excited! He took her over to his wife clear across the field just to show her he found the person that made the amazing dish! He was so excited he found her and of course he requested the recipe! Here is the recipe:

4 lbs. grapes (she used red grapes)
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/2 C. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. chopped pecans

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar and vanilla well. Add grapes. Then top with brown sugar and then pecans to cover completely. Don't mix brown sugar and pecans! Keep chilled.

Seriously make this, share it and I promise you will love it!!!

-Cammie

Manic Monday – Re-organizing your Filing System

2010-07-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

(Picture from OrgJunkie)

There are SO many reasons why I need to re-organize my filing system, one is that since our Dave Ramsey class we have been trying to organize our finances and get all our paper work in order. Another reason is because I am terrible at filing things away, ONLY because I know I’m going to have to search more than I want to in order to even FIND the right file the paper belongs in! My files right now are all jumbled and mixed up, there is no order to them. So I have been getting a few tips! One tip I actually got from a friend of mine, who by the way is SUPER organized.

She said one thing that is SO important about organizing your filing system is that all the tabs are in line with each other. It is more pleasing to the eye and easier to find the file you need. I also happened upon Organizing Junkie’s Filing System and she does a whole makeover to her filing system, I love her sub-categories, and if you notice her tabs are in line with each other! Good luck, I know this task will take longer that I want and my office will look worse before it looks better!

- Cammie