High/Low: July 29, 2011 + Freebie

My LOW this Week is that I am grumpy and have been a lot this week. I need to get out of this rut that I'm in right now!

My HIGH for this Week is that I have had a lot of design time this week. I'm still the slowest designer on the planet - and the biggest perfectionist - so the kit collection that I am working on isn't quite done. But at least I have gotten somewhere in the creative department this week!


I have a freebie for you today - a scatterz that coordinates with my upcoming THERE AND BACK AGAIN.


Have a great weekend!




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Recipe Thursday - Haystacks

Each Thursday, I am going to be sharing a recipe with you!
I will pick a recipe from my collection and I will be sharing where I got the recipe and everything. But I am going to include my own photo of the finished food, the original recipe, and try and share the things I changed when I made it!

I would love your help too! If you have a great recipe, especially week-night dinner recipes (but I would love all kinds of recipes) - please share it with me, by emailing me at dedesmith32@gmail.com. I will try it out and feature it on my blog! If you have cooking tips or anything else in regards to cooking and food - please email me!


This week's Recipe:
Love this classic dish! Something great for a quick meal and to customize for your family!


Haystacks
by Mel from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or leftover cooked chicken, cubed)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

I like to add a can of corn, a couple of squirts of lemon juice, bell peppers, green chilis, and sometimes a can of cream of chicken soup.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken (if using leftover cooked chicken, don’t add it to the skillet now, you’ll add it later). Saute the onion and chicken, if using, until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute - this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. If you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles.

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Wednesday Sayings - 7/27/11

Each Wednesday, I am going to be sharing a quote/saying with you!
I am a collector of quotes/sayings/scrapbook titles, etc. and I love to hear new ones! So, each week, I will share a quote/saying with you that I hope will inspire you and make your day a little better! If you have any great quotes/sayings - feel free to send them in to me at dedesmith32@gmail.com - I would love to use them!


This week's quote:

A laugh is a smile that bursts!
- Mary Waldrip

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Family History TuesdayZ | Shopping with Mother

Here is this week's journal prompt :

Each Tuesday, I am going to be offering prompts or ideas. If you don't write in your journal regularly - I am going to encourage you to write just ONCE A WEEK and answer the question/idea that I give on Tuesdays. These ideas hopefully will spark a memory and you will be able to capture that in what you write/record so that it can be left for your children/grandchildren/family/friends. Give as much detail as you can when answering.

Will you do this for me? Will you do this for your families? You can write it down in a journal, you can type it up on a computer or journaling software, you can take a recorder and talk, you can videotape your answers, you can even scrap a page with the journaling. It doesn't matter how you do this - it's just important that you do it. The memories, the dates, the information is the only real thing we can leave to our families when we are gone.

If I come up with other family history ideas - I will be sure to share it here too - and if you want to share with me your ideas - that would be wonderful and I'd be glad to share them here too. Just comment here or email me at dedesmith32@gmail.com.

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July Speed Crop

Please join me in the chatroom for a SPEED CROP! You have 2 ways to participate and you get a great bonus! You can also come and just chat with us - everyone who comes will get a freebie!

Come to the Digitals Chatroom (http://www.digitalscrapbookpages.com) on Wednesday, July 27th at 9pm EST! I hope to see you there!

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Life 2011: Week 30

Monday, July 18, 2011


JJ had his first orthodontist appointment today! He had a great surprise awaiting him. He loved seeing his name right by the door coming in! We found out that we are going to have to have 2 phases of braces and that we can start the first phase next month. I'm not sure how it is going to go, but hopefully we can get his teeth straight - especially his front tooth.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011


I totally slept through my alarm this morning - so no school for JJ. But the kids took it in stride and had a great pajama day. They played all day together while I picked up the house and got packed for Beth's Girl Scout Camp.


Wednesday, July 20, 2011


Beth and I said goodbye to JJ and Joey and headed off on our Girl Scout Troop Camping Trip (Our #17 Family Fun Activity). We drove high up into the mountains of Park City to a secluded placed called Camp Cloud Rim. It was beautiful! So green and loved the freshness of the air. The lake was glistening and there was even a bit of snow left on the mountain. We got checked in and settled into our Platform Tents. We had lunch and then we got to go on a lovely little hike through the trees and around the lake. Later we were able to have some Troop 2020 time and we all came up with our own Camp names and made awesome beaded nametags! Beth is "Sparkles" and I am "Tweety." We enjoyed lots of Camp Songs and food and getting to know our troop girls better.


Thursday, July 21, 2011


Today was full of activity! We enjoyed getting to know some more of the Camp Staff, sang more camp songs, and ate more great food. We got Art time today. We gathered up some rocks and got to paint and decorate them and then we put our masterpieces back along the trail to the lake for campers to enjoy! The girls LOVED Kanga - the art director (that's her dancing on the table). She cranked up the tunes and the girls danced and danced and danced. Other CIT (Counselors-in-training) girls came in and joined the dancing and it was a real party! I think it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Later, our troop got water time. Beth didn't really want to canoe. We were the only troop to have Daisy Scouts with us - and we had 3. They had to have a leader with them at all times. So Beth and I decided to just stay near the docks and swim. Beth and her friend, "Butterfly" had an amazing time swimming in the very cold water! I waded in with them a bit and they had a great time. After the other girls came in from canoeing, we all got to shower and then spend some money at the Trading Post. Beth was so excited about her souvenirs. Then we got to learn some knots and have a little free time. Then we made "hobo dinners", which wasn't the best experience since things just seemed to go wrong and it took forever. But the girls really enjoyed the banana boats and smores for dessert. The mosquitoes were really bad today and all the girls got bit pretty bad. But all-in-all it was a good day.


Friday, July 22, 2011


We had a great time getting fun pictures of all our troop in our Camp Cloud Rim Shirts. The Daisy girls all had their little ladybug pillow pals that they got at the Trading Post and it was all really fun. It was bittersweet to pack up and head home. I'm so glad that I was able to go with Beth on this trip. It was great to get to know more of the girls and to just see Beth have such a great time. Plus I loved the cool air and the beautiful scenery of the mountains. We even saw a moose as we were headed out of camp.

It was great to be home though and see Joey and JJ. It was JJ's last day of summer school and he had a lot of things to share and it was good to be with him. JJ and Joey got to spend some good times just being at home and playing games and the Wii. I know JJ just loved being able to play all day.


Saturday, July 23, 2011


It is so good to be back and be with my whole family again. We decided to spend the whole day together. We slept in and then we headed for our #18 Family Fun Activity which was eating at J Dawgs! It is a place that Joey eats lunch at about once a week, so it was fun that he shared it with us. Then we head for Our #19 Family Fun Activity which was touring the Bean Museum at BYU. The kids and I have been there for field trips, but it was fun to take Joey and see all the animals. They even had a live tortoise and python that the kids could pet. It was very fun. My favorite part is seeing "Shasta" the Liger that used to be at the Hogle Zoo. Our #20 Family Fun Activity was going to the dollar movies and seeing "Mr. Popper's Penguins," which was really cute and we all enjoyed it. We then went to our #21 Family Fun Activity which was touring the BYU Museum of Art. Our favorite exhibit was the huge cube made from thousands of Books! Then we came home. I got a nap in and we ate leftovers for dinner. Just a wonderful day together!


Sunday, July 24, 2011


I overdid it yesterday and woke up with a horrible headache that lasted all day. I was able to get Sister King to teach our Primary lesson, so I could stay home. It did finally subside and I was able to enjoy our Family Movie Night. We shared one of my favorite movies as a kid, "Flight of the Navigator." The kids got a kick out of it and so our movie night was a success!


And here is my weekly layout:

Coming Soon!

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Lakewater Girl

As I was going through the over 300 photos that I took this week at Girl Scout Camp, I found this beauty of my daughter. Then when I saw the subject of the weekly contest at iheartfaces, I decided I would enter just for fun!

Swimming has been a bit of a challenge for Beth. Until this year, she has been scared of the water. But after a trip to the pool with her cousin and as long as she has a little support from an inflatable device, she will jump and play in the water, even putting her head in the water. So seeing her in a lake, just swimming and having fun, is a wonderful moment for me.

Beth was so excited to swim in "a real lake." Yes, the water was brown, but it was actually pretty clear until Beth and her Daisy Scout friends started swimming in it. I loved seeing the delight on her face as she swam from side to side, going a little farther every time. I have found that when I catch Beth in a moment of pure delight, its always with her eyes down. If I make her look up - the moment is gone. So I have come to love the photos I have with her beautiful smile, even though she's looking down!

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High/Low: July 22, 2011 + Freebie

My LOW this Week is that I missed my hubby and JJ the past few days. I'm glad that they got time together and I'm glad that Beth and I had time together.....but its just not quite the same without all of us together. I think we need to go camping more!

My HIGH for this Week is that I spent 3 days with my Bethie Girl at Camp Cloud Rim for Girl Scout Troop Camping. I just got back (like literally 1/2 hour ago from when I updated this post) and I had a great time and it was an amazing experience for my little Daisy Girl Scout. We hiked, we played in the lake, we did some crafting, we ate, we slept (a little anyways), and I think the troop bonded quite a bit. We only had 8 girls out of our 24 girl troop - but I think that made it even more fun! It was really good for me to unplug for a while. I am exhausted though....I think I need a nap before the unpacking and settling back into normal life resumes...


I have a freebie for you today - a stacked paper that coordinates with my twitterpated.


Have a great weekend!




DOWNLOAD LINK

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Recipe Thursday - Banana Bread

Each Thursday, I am going to be sharing a recipe with you!
I will pick a recipe from my collection and I will be sharing where I got the recipe and everything. But I am going to include my own photo of the finished food, the original recipe, and try and share the things I changed when I made it!

I would love your help too! If you have a great recipe, especially week-night dinner recipes (but I would love all kinds of recipes) - please share it with me, by emailing me at dedesmith32@gmail.com. I will try it out and feature it on my blog! If you have cooking tips or anything else in regards to cooking and food - please email me!


This week's Recipe:
We are Alton Brown fans, so when I needed to use up some ripe bananas, I had to try his version. Yummy! Alton likes to use the weight of things, so I am including that as well, in case you cook that way.


Banana Bread
by Alton Brown

Wet Works 1:
3-4 Overripe Bananas (340 g)
1 cup Sugar (210 g)

Dry Goods:
1 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour (220 g)
1/3 cup Oat Flour (35 g)
1 tsp Baking Soda (6 g)
1 tsp Salt (6 g)

Wet Works 2:
8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled (113 g)
2 large eggs
1 tsp Almond Extract (6 g) - I just used vanilla

1 cup Nuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan and line with wax paper.

Combine the bananas and sugar and pix with a potato masher until smooth.

Combine the Wet Works 1 and the Wet Works 2 in separate bowls, then combine together.

Combine the Dry Goods with the Wet Works.

If using the nuts, then fold them into the batter now.

Pour batter into the pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until center registers 210 degrees and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool on stove top for 15 minutes then remove from pan and transer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicking.

Tightly wrap the bread and it will keep at room temperature for about 5 days.

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Wednesday Sayings - 7/20/11

Each Wednesday, I am going to be sharing a quote/saying with you!
I am a collector of quotes/sayings/scrapbook titles, etc. and I love to hear new ones! So, each week, I will share a quote/saying with you that I hope will inspire you and make your day a little better! If you have any great quotes/sayings - feel free to send them in to me at dedesmith32@gmail.com - I would love to use them!


This week's quote:

Whatever you are, be a good one.
- Abraham Lincoln

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Family History TuesdayZ | Father

Here is this week's journal prompt :

Each Tuesday, I am going to be offering prompts or ideas. If you don't write in your journal regularly - I am going to encourage you to write just ONCE A WEEK and answer the question/idea that I give on Tuesdays. These ideas hopefully will spark a memory and you will be able to capture that in what you write/record so that it can be left for your children/grandchildren/family/friends. Give as much detail as you can when answering.

Will you do this for me? Will you do this for your families? You can write it down in a journal, you can type it up on a computer or journaling software, you can take a recorder and talk, you can videotape your answers, you can even scrap a page with the journaling. It doesn't matter how you do this - it's just important that you do it. The memories, the dates, the information is the only real thing we can leave to our families when we are gone.

If I come up with other family history ideas - I will be sure to share it here too - and if you want to share with me your ideas - that would be wonderful and I'd be glad to share them here too. Just comment here or email me at dedesmith32@gmail.com.

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New Release Monday + Show-OffZ Challenge 7/18/11

Join me on Mondays for my new releases! Also on New Release Mondays I will be posting a Show-OffZ Call for your layouts - so please don't miss that at the bottom of this posting!

FIRST - I have some news!
I have officially returned to 3Scrapateers and ScrapWow as a designer! I was made an offer that I just couldn't refuse. :) I am very blessed to have the opportunities that I have and I'm excited about returning to these stores!

Also, as I mentioned before - I am now a designer at Polaroid MyMemories! This is a great opportunity and I'm excited to venture out into different areas of digital design! It will take some time to get my products up into these stores - so be patient with me!

Okay - and one more piece of news - my Digitals Store is 40% off right now until the 25th! So I hope you will take advantage!



I am so excited to release additions to my FRIENDZ FROM THE WOOD.
Okay, technically, these are NOT new releases. Once upon a time, these extra products were released at 3Scrapateers as exclusive products. But I am excited to release them AGAIN - this time in all my stores!

I'm sure you have heard about this wonderful little movie that has just been released. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm really excited too! Anyways, I think releasing these additions now just seemed like good timing! What do you think?


So look below for all the previews to this series and go check out all the products in my stores here:

My Blog
3Scrapateers
Digitals
iScrapbook - Should be available soon!
MyMemories - I have submitted these products, along with a great template that is compatible with the MyMemories Software. Hopefully they will be available soon!
ScrapDelicious
ScrapWow


























Here's how it works:

Each Monday with the New Releases, I will be posting a Show-OffZ Challenge. You will have until Friday to do the challenge and if you get your layout sent in, you will receive either a coupon to my store or a specific product (each posting will tell you what you are getting)! I will share all the Show-OffZ of the Week on Saturdays!


THIS WEEK'S SHOW-OFFZ CHALLENGE:
I want you to scrap about a time at the movies! It can be any movie - just must include some journaling about going to the movie theatre and must include a photo. If you don't have a photo of you at the theatre - maybe just a image of a movie poster or something. You must use MY PRODUCTS ONLY to create your layout! (You can use ANY product by me!)

Email me (dedesmith32@gmail.com) a copy of your 600x600, 72dpi Layout by 10pm EST on Friday, July 22nd and your layout will be shared on July 23rd on my blog (it could be later depending on my time)! Please include the name that you want listed with your layout.


This week (if you participate), you will be receiving the FriendZ from the Wood: QuickpageZ!




Thanks and I hope you will join in the challenge and come back every other Monday for new releases and a new challenge!

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Life 2011: Week 29

Monday, July 11, 2011


There's nothing quite like a Monday to depress you. After such a crazy week last week with hardly even being home and on the go go go - this morning, I was left with lots of laundry and cleaning, and getting organized. Not really how I like to spend my days, but I guess someone has to do it.


Tuesday, July 12, 2011


I just love it when these 2 get along! We went to the library again today and got another week of rewards and learned some things about South America!


Wednesday, July 13, 2011


When JJ got home from Scouts today - he brought home a little thank you note for me. This is one of the best written notes that I have got from JJ. He usually doesn't really like to write and so he doesn't spend the time to do his best at it - but I could really tell he was trying hard here. It made me feel pretty special. It reads, "Mom, thank you for all you do for me. You are a great Mom. I love you. Love, JJ"


Thursday, July 14, 2011


Yep, I went to a double feature of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 tonight. I admit that I'm a bit of a geek, but I really enjoyed these books and the movies. It's gotten me quite sad to know that its all over now. I enjoyed going to the theater by myself and immersing myself in the last 2 movies. It's making me want to read the books again. I guess that's what I'll have to do whenever I'm sad that a series (whether it be movies, books, or both) is over....I guess we can start over again!



Friday, July 15, 2011


My little reader is getting pretty inventive. She was in a pajama day mood today and kind of just was pretty quiet. She snuggled in her bed and played and read all day. Joey came in to say good night to her, on his way to do his podcast, and he found this little scene. She was using her stuffed animals to hold her book open so she could stay cuddled in the bed. So cute!


Saturday, July 16, 2011


Unfortunately, Joey had to work today to catch up on some work, since he is taking some time off next week. We had kind of a slow moving day at home. The kids played and watched tv. I tried to do some computer work. In the evening, we used up one of our reading awards and Our #16 Family Fun Activity is going out for Ice Cream!


Sunday, July 17, 2011


I love that my daughter wears her CTR constantly. She rarely ever takes it off and it is such a wonderful reminder to her of choosing the right. Whoever came up with this wonderful symbol is GENIUS!



And here is my weekly layout:

Coming Soon!

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Life 2011: Week 28

Monday, July 4, 2011


We spent the 4th, participating in the fun Orderville activities! Cody and Becki were nice enough to take Beth and JJ to the town breakfast, while Joey and I slept in a little longer. We watched the really short parade (the 24th parades seem to be better than the 4th ones for some reason) and then went to the town park where the kids got to play some games and win some prizes. Joey and I enjoyed sampling soups and helping judge the Soup Contest, while the highlight of the day for the kids was the big slip 'n slide! We went to lunch at the Soup Town Cafe and spent the rest of the day playing with cousins and visiting. We ended the day with more fireworks and lots of desserts, including Firework Floats that I'm excited to share the recipe of soon! Our #7 Family Fun Activity is spending Independence Day with Family!


Tuesday, July 5, 2011


We left at 7am to go home, and we brought 2 more with us. Whitnee and Garrett are coming to spend the week with us and my kids couldn't be more thrilled! They all konked out in the back of the van, so the trip home was very uneventful. But the rest of the day was! Once we got home, we settled in for a bit and had lunch before heading to the library. We got the kids' new awards and learned some things about different islands. Our #8 Family Fun Activity was spending a few hours at Trafalga, playing miniature golf, going on a 3D ride, playing arcade games, and having Dippin' Dots! The kids had a great time! We also had to do a bit of crafting today - making sculptures and characters with marshmallows and toothpicks (Our #9 Family Fun Activity)!


Wednesday, July 6, 2011


Our #10 Family Fun Activity was taking the Cousins to the movie theatre and seeing Cars 2! JJ was so happy to see it again, and I think they all enjoyed it. Then Our #11 Family Fun Activity was spending 4 hours at the Seven Peaks Water Park. I think this was really the only reason Garrett wanted to come, but he has been a good sport and helped me out a lot. The kids loved the water park and they were wishing that we would have spent the whole day there! They loved the slides and the wave pool. Garrett was really great to take all the kids 0ne-at-a-time down the slides that they could go on. We are definitely going to get season passes next year!


Thursday, July 7, 2011


Our #12 Family Fun Activity was hiking the "Y". Well, at least we attempted it. I had no idea how steep and hard the trail was. Of course, I am completely out of shape. Garrett was able to make it clear up to the Y, and the rest of us, only made it about 1/2 way. I think the younger kids probably could have made it, but I had to give up. I actually almost passed out. I am really discouraged at how bad out of shape I am. Hopefully I can get better and attempt this again. Anyways, so we had our lunch at one of the scenic stops with benches. Then we went bowling! I think the kids were really tired, because they started fighting a bit, but it seemed to get better a little later.


Friday, July 8, 2011


Becki and Mallory joined us on Our #13 Family Fun Activity, where we went to the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point. We got to see a 3D movie about Dinosaurs and spend some time playing and enjoying the museum. I love the interactiveness of the museum with the fun areas for the kids to learn and play. Unfortunately, since it was raining when we were coming to the museum, I forgot to turn my lights off and that resulted in the battery being dead. I called Joey to come and save us. While we were waiting, we decided to have dinner at the little diner in the museum. It was a little expensive, but not too bad and I think the kids enjoyed having dinner out. Joey was able to get the van started and we took Becki and Mallory home to Payson and then headed home too.


Saturday, July 9, 2011


Our #14 Family Fun Activity was hiking in Payson Canyon. We were able to join Becki, Cody, Mallory, and Ashley and hike up a fun little trail in Payson Canyon that ended in a waterfall. It was a pretty walk, although it was muddy and a lot of people were there that day. It was fun to visit and be together. Since there was so many people there that day, there wasn't really a place to stop and eat, so we took our lunch and had a picnic on the lawn at Cody and Becki's. Then we had to head home to meet Garrett and Whitnee's ride home. JJ and Beth were so sad to see their cousins leave, but it has been a great adventure this week to do so many things. The rest of the day, we just kind of relaxed and enjoyed some time just as a family. Joey rewarded me for handling 4 kids this week, by sending me off to a movie. I saw Larry Crown and it was fun to have a couple hours on my own.


Sunday, July 10, 2011


We are still recovering from all the adventures we had this week - but it was nice to just be our little family again. Our #15 Family Fun Activity is our continuing FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT that we have every Sunday. Tonight we introduced the kids to The Shaggy Dog.



And here is my weekly layout:

Coming Soon!

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