Super Star Barbie - $3 until Mar. 13th

Okay - my girls weren't ever really into Barbie, but maybe the litte girls in your life are. There is a special deal to celebrate Barbie's Birthday - this just posted in www.pinchingyourpennies.com

MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010

SuperStar Barbie just $3 or one week only to celebrate Barbies birthday!

This would be great for an Easter Basket! To celebrate Barbie's birthday on March 9^th,  from today ‘til March 13^th,  she will be debuting once again as a SuperStar for one week only in stores for a special $3.  These specially priced Barbie dolls are available at Fred Meyer, Target, ToysRUs in-store or online (search for item #660968) and KMart. Check your local stores for SuperStar Barbie!

Storing Seeds from Deseret News

Seed storage a wise practice for gardeners

By Larry A. Sagers

Published: Sunday, March 7, 2010 4:32 p.m. MST

Open your favorite seed catalog and you might see a cryptic "sold out," "crop failure" or similar message letting you know your favorite flower or vegetable cultivar is not available.

This is not new, but over the past couple of years the resurgent popularity of home gardening has made seed supplies dwindle.

In my career, I have never seen so many seeds in such short supply.

Seeds are not manufactured or discovered — they are harvested from growing plants.

Harvesting a crop of seeds from corn, tomatoes, squash and other annuals takes one year. With carrots, beets, cabbage, cauliflower and other biennials, it takes two years.

That means taking care of a seed shortage is not instantaneous. It takes at least one season — and possibly several seasons — of good production to rebuild seed supplies.

If weather, pests or other maladies destroy the plants, the process starts all over again.

Putting something away for the future is good advice. We are wisely counseled to save money as well as store food. Adding garden seeds to the mix is equally valuable advice.

I am not predicting a panic, but having some seeds on hand makes good sense if you are a gardener.

A seed is a living organism. It has a finite life. It does no good to buy large amounts of seeds and sit them on a garage shelf.

I hear and read advertisements that claim that the seeds you buy from a certain company will be worth more than gold — or be one of the best investments you can make. Seeds will help you grow a good garden, but they are not going to make you rich when you sell them in the future.

Since seed is not an "investment," choose seed for the vegetables you like. If okra is high on your "yuk" list, don't waste your time and money storing it. Select the favorite kinds and cultivars and purchase a reasonable quantity (one or two gardening seasons) to store.

Last year, I visited a seed depository. Seeds were stored in underground vaults under cryogenic conditions that might keep them alive for 200 or more years.

Your timeline is much shorter.

For most vegetables, plan on rotating the seeds every second or third year, although many vegetable seeds will keep for 10 years or more under proper conditions.

To keep seed until next season, you need not worry much about storage condition. Keep it in a cool, dry place and it will be just fine.

For a longer storage life, use these precautions.

Moisture and storage temperatures are the most important factors in determining storage life.

Most seeds store best at less than 8 percent moisture. To achieve this, dry the seeds at 100 degrees F for six hours.

Spread out harvested seeds on a on a very hot summer day to dry it, or put it in a conventional oven with the door open. Never dry seed in a microwave.

Once the seeds are properly dried, package them in moisture-proof containers such as canning jars, sealed cans or very tight-fitting plastic containers.

If you are unsure if your container is suitable, submerge it in water. If it leaks, get a different type. Silica gel packets also absorb moisture.

Next, address the temperature. Storing seed in a refrigerator or a deep freeze extends its storage life.

If refrigeration is inconvenient, choose a cool basement or a cellar.

Other more sophisticated techniques involve reducing the oxygen supply to the seed. According to information from Colorado State University, the above mentioned factors are the most critical.

When seed moisture and storage temperatures are low, oxygen content has not been shown to be a factor in seed longevity. Germination is not affected by storing seeds in nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas or by partial vacuum or air.

You can buy nitrogen-packed seeds or oxygen-absorbing packets for storage. These may help reduce seed respiration and extend the life of the seed if you cannot keep the seeds cool and dry.

Purchase your seeds from your favorite garden center early to avoid disappointment. Include some with your regular storage for provident living.

I have never seen seeds that remain stored on a shelf all year produce any kind of garden. Plant the seeds so you can enjoy the fruits and vegetables of your labors. Growing, not storing, seed makes a good garden.

Larry A. Sagers is a horticulture specialist for the Utah State University Extension Service at Thanksgiving Point.

News from Chilean Mission President - Meridian Magazine

Meridian Magazine and many more stories from all over the world. This is one post about the recent Chilean earthquake.

Editor’s Note: President Larry Laycock and his wife, Sister Lisa Laycock head the Santiago Chile East Mission and had spent the two weeks prior to the 8.8 earthquake visiting each missionary apartment and preparing them for an earthquake. They brought specific instructions on what to do, supplied water purification bottles for the missionaries, told them how to create a 36-hour kit for emergencies and how to stay in communication should an earthquake strike. They prayed with each missionary and dedicated their apartments. Why?  Because of a special experience that alerted them to what was coming. They told their missionaries, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
They have 171 full-time proselyting missionaries in this mission.
Special thanks to the Laycocks for allowing Meridian to publish this letter that Sister Laycock sent to her family shortly after the earthquake sharing their remarkable experience of kindness from the Lord.  They are in Chile with their son, Landon.
The picture of the missionaries on the cover and in this article were taken at a March 1st gathering.  These are post-earthquake smiling faces.
Dear Everyone,
I am writing to let you all know how very grateful we are for your prayers, concern, and love. Please keep praying! We need the Lord's help and guidance in order to do all He would have us do to learn what He would have us learn from this earth quake tragedy, and to minister in the way He would have us minister.
During the past few days, we have witnessed many events which serve to remind us that the Lord is in charge and that as missionaries and members of His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are performing His work, and as President Monson teaches, "When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to His help." I want to share with you a few miracles that will help you to understand our profound feelings of gratitude.
When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the Council of the Twelve Apostles taught us many important lessons. He spoke from personal experience when he was a mission president in Argentina. One message that he shared with us is this: "At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts. They are promptings from the Holy Ghost who will communicate with you in the stillness of the night or the peace of the early morning hours. He will speak to you then because that is when you are still enough to hear."
Elder Scott further instructed us to keep a notebook beside our bed so that we could record these precious promptings. He said that by the next morning, we would be likely to forget the promptings if we didn't write them down.
We have been astonished at the fulfillment of Elder Scott's prophetic words. We have received many promptings in the exact manner that Elder Scott described. We are so thankful that Elder Scott taught us how to recognize and act upon these precious promptings. Had he not taught us, we may not have given these promptings the attention they require.
Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.
In talking with our office missionaries to arrange for them to put together a list of everything we would need to prepare...in both Spanish and English...we discovered that the Lord had also let two of our office missionaries know of the possibility of an earthquake (in the form of dreams) and the need to prepare our mission.

We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared. "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).
We instructed every missionary to have a "go-bag" (36 hour kit). We reviewed our emergency action plan with them of where to go and what to do if they had phone service and in case they did not. We gave everyone a paper with all instructions in English and Spanish, and we reminded them that "this life is the time to prepare to meet God" (Alma 34:32-34). We shared with them our thoughts and feelings about the need for spiritual and physical safety.
Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated "...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We didn't want to unduly alarm them, but we did want to impress upon them the need to be prepared. We tearfully reminded them of our recent transfer conference where we had shared our feelings about our dear Elder McKay Burrows who was unexpectedly called home in January while serving his mission in Romania...how he was prepared in every way to meet God. We reissued our challenge to "be prepared" in every way. Then we knelt with them in their apartment and dedicated each apartment, asking for a blessing of safety and security to be upon every apartment.
When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos. We learned an important lesson: our preparation helped us to avoid panic and fear, but the Lord, in His wisdom, allowed us to experience enough discomfort to know that He has all power. He is in charge. We are nothing without Him. We are dependent upon Him for every breath we take. Only He can save us from death and destruction. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is our perfect example. If we follow Him, we will be saved through obedience to the laws and ordinances of His Gospel.
As the earthquake became more violent, the mission home groaned and wailed. The power died, so the whole city was black. The windows made a hideous screeching sound, and flying objects banged against swaying walls. The printer/fax machine, books, book ends, and fifty-pound television burst from the entertainment center and crashed to the floor, cabinets emptied, drawers flew open, the refrigerator moved, water sloshed out of the toilets, the floor jolted up and down as we ran across it trying to hold onto the walls to keep from falling down, and the piano toppled over like a small toy. As we made our way to the back yard, I remember thinking, "God is all-powerful. He is our only refuge from this horrible mess." I prayed and prayed for Him to still the earth.
When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks. House and car alarms screamed into the night...some from being crushed by falling debris and others, I guess, from the bizarre movement of the earth. I am not sure if the intense rumbling sounds came from the earth itself or from everything else that was shaking so violently. Finally, it stopped.
When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday. Today the muscles in my legs hurt like I ran a marathon. The aftershocks have been extremely unsettling. Each one begins like the one last night started. We just close our eyes and wait to see if it escalates or dies down. .I have never experienced anything like this!
We were awakened this morning by a very strong after shock. Larry jumped out of bed and yelled, "Welcome to another glorious day in Chile!" We just had to laugh. We moved a mattress into the floor in our bedroom and made Landon sleep in our room. He was in his room with the door locked the night before and we couldn't wake him up. He never locks his door, but he was playing a joke on Larry because every morning Larry wakes him at 5:30 AM for seminary by tickling him unmercifully. So Landon had decided to stop him.
When we couldn't open his door, in the middle of the quake, we thought he was trapped, so we screamed and banged. Landon thought that everything was falling off the walls because we were banging so hard on the door. I think we scared him more than the earthquake did!
Today, we attended a strong ward where Larry was invited to speak. The entire chapel and beyond was filled. People were so humble and so teachable. Larry taught the importance of doing the small things. He taught about Jesus Christ and the opportunity we have to love one another and to share what we have with others.
It was a great blessing for us to be with these beautiful Chilean people. Some have lost their homes...or at least parts of their homes. But they are strong and they want to serve the Lord.  He taught of the scripture in Luke 21:11,13 which says, "and great earthquakes shall be in divers places...and it shall turn to you for a testimony." He also welcomed the sweet young woman who was in the congregation with the missionaries...her first time attending church...and then he invited her to be baptized from the pulpit. He asked her to please invite us to her baptism, and she said, "I will." The Lord always knows what His people need.
Landon was reading in Alma 15:17 today. He said, Mom listen to this. This is what is happening here in Chile just like in happened in Ammonihah. The people were humbled and "checked as to the pride of their hearts and began to humble themselves before God, watching and praying continually that they might be delivered from Satan, and from death, and from destruction."

Our hearts are filled to the brim with gratitude for all of the blessings we have received in the Chile Santiago East Mission. We see miracles every day. In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior. He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him. He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement. He invites us to repent. He wants us to love one another and to serve one another. He wants us to bring our families and those we love to Him. We can do it. We can do all that He asks, no matter how difficult it may seem. "With God all things are possible"
We are having a devotional tomorrow for all of our missionaries to talk about the last week of Christ's life in preparation for Easter. We want to remind our missionaries to teach and preach with increased vigor of Christ. Last Monday in our office meeting, Larry suddenly stopped in the middle, and said, "During the prayer, I had a very strong impression that March 2010 is going to be our best baptizing month we have ever had in this mission."
Now we know why he received that feeling. We are going to prepare to bring many souls to the waters of baptism in March. Please continue to pray for us and for the people of Chile. Please pray for the missionaries to have strength and courage to do all that is being required of them, even in difficult times.
We are so thankful that the tsunami did not turn out badly in Hawaii. Who would ever think that an earthquake in Chile could threaten the shores of Hawaii? Thankfully, the Lord is in charge. He is the one to whom we must turn for refuge from every storm. He has the power to save us.
Editor’s Note:
The letter ends here, but President and Sister Laycock told us:
“We’ve never experienced anything like the earthquake.  We have had 90 aftershocks, some stronger than others.  Our legs are wobbly.  It is a scary feeling to experience an aftershock because it brings back all the feelings we had during the earthquake.
“We love being with our missionaries.  Because they were prepared, they were immediately able to turn their attention to helping others. They were never concerned about themselves.  They were concerned with those who need help and by mid-morning the day of the earthquake, we were able to dispatch them to help others.  We told them to investigate the needs of their neighbors and help in any way they could.
President Laycock noted, “The Spanish translation of Luke 21:13 says that there will be earthquakes in many places, and it will give you the occasion to bear testimony. We met with 10 sisters this morning, and one of them mentioned a neighbor next door whom they always asked if she would have time to speak with them, and she always said no.  Yet in the crescendo of the toll of the earthquake, she was speechless with fear and not prepared.  When the sisters said, ‘Could we pray with you?’, she answered, ‘I have time to pray with you.’  It opened the door to a teaching opportunity to share the gospel.
President and Sister Laycock said, “Everyone we talk to has been so willing to talk about Christ and God’s power.  We’ve been sharing God’s love with them.  We are seeing God’s love everywhere.  People are reaching out to one another.  They are serving one another.  The news reports looting.  We are seeing a different side.  We are seeing people who want to communicate with God, who are sincerely looking for the truth.”

FHE Lesson from LDS Living Magazine

There's more great ideas at www.ldsliving.com

FHE: Inspiration

by Shauna Gibby

"The invitation to ask, seek, and knock for divine direction exists because God lives and Jesus is the living Christ." - Russell M. Nelson

Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read "Ask, Seek, Knock," by Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov 2009, 81-84.

Thought:
Every Latter-day Saint may merit personal revelation. The invitation to ask, seek, and knock for divine direction exists because God lives and Jesus is the living Christ.
(Russell M. Nelson, "Ask, Seek, Knock," Ensign, Nov 2009, 81-84.)

Song:
"Tell Me Dear Lord," Children's Songbook, p. 176.

Scripture:
For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. (2 Nephi 28:30)

Object Lesson:
Objective: To demonstrate the effect of personal inspiration in our lives.

Materials needed: An alarm clock.

Procedure: Display the alarm clock. Ask the class if they ever lie in bed and, without looking at the clock, know that the alarm is about ready to go off? Point out that those instinctive feelings can be very strong.

Draw a parallel between this and personal inspiration we receive. Explain that we can be prompted or inspired to say or do things without prior thought. The feelings can be just as strong as the intuitive
knowledge that the alarm clock is due to go off.

(Beth Lefgren and Jennifer Jackson, More Power Tools for Teaching, [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1991], p. 38.)

Story:
In October of 1984, I returned from an assignment out of the state, arriving home at perhaps eight P.M. I discovered that an urgent telephone call had come from the mother and father of a young woman whose husband had been diagnosed as having a tumor on his brain. At the time he was a patient in the University Hospital. A blessing had been requested at my convenience.

My first inclination was to visit the hospital the next day, but then a prompting came ever so subtly that I should go to the hospital that very evening. Frances and I then drove through the winter snow to the University Hospital, where I was welcomed warmly by the young couple, and a blessing was provided.

As we left the hospital at about nine P.M., I paused at the exit when the thought entered my mind, "I wonder if my friend Hyrum Adams is still a patient here? It has been some months since I was here at the hospital giving him a blessing. Surely he would be discharged by now." The thought persisted, however, and after some difficulty, a custodian showed me to the switchboard area, where I inquired if Hyrum were still a patient. I was advised that indeed he was. After a difficult period of searching, I located the wing in which his room was situated.
As we approached the door to his room, and knowing that Hyrum was terminally ill with cancer, I felt that perhaps I would enter into a room of pain and quiet. Upon opening the door, however, I found just the opposite. Assembled around Hyrum's bedside were three of his sons and a son-in-law. Hyrum was in his bed in a half-lying, half-sitting position. A string extended from one corner of the room to another, from which were suspended perhaps a dozen birthday cards. On a table was a lovely birthday cake with the inscription "Happy Birthday, Dad."

Hyrum recognized me, and a great smile came over his face as he exclaimed, "Brother Monson, my friend! How in the world did you know it was my birthday?" Of course I did not know prior to entering the room that it was his birthday. I mentioned to him that the Spirit of the Lord had directed me to his bedside, and surely we should acknowledge the kindness of our Heavenly Father and provide a blessing. Hyrum's fine sons and son-in-law joined me as we surrounded Hyrum Adams and gave him a priesthood blessing.

Before leaving the room, I sang in quiet tones the traditional "Happy birthday to you," embraced Hyrum warmly, and waved good-bye. This was the last time in mortality I was to see my longtime friend. He died a month later.

At his funeral service, I recounted this special experience and mentioned to the family that surely He who notes the fall of the sparrow had noted, with great impact, that twilight of Hyrum Adams' mortal life and had provided a moment of true inspiration for all of us who were in his room that special birthday evening.

(Thomas S. Monson, Inspiring Experiences That Build Faith: From the Life and Ministry of Thomas S. Monson, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994].)

Activity:
Play "Hot or Cold." Everyone leaves the room except for one person, who hides a small object, such as a coin, key, or thimble. Most of the object needs to be in plain sight. The rest of the family then returns to the room and searches for the object. When someone spots the object, he or she sits down and yells out some prearranged comment such as "Hot dog," or "I know where it is." The rest of the family continues to hunt until everyone has found the object.

If the object is difficult to find, the players can ask for help. The person who hid the object then tells the players, based on how close they are to the object, whether they are hot or cold. The closer they are to the object, the hotter they are. The one helping can use words such as "You are in the deep freeze," or "You are getting warmer," or "You are burning up."

When everyone has found the hidden object, the person who found it first gets to hide it, and the game continues.

Application: Sometimes we can solve problems by ourselves, but many times we need to listen for the direction of the Holy Ghost.

(Max H. Molgard and Allan K. Burgess, The Best of Fun for Family Night, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003], p. 36.)

Refreshment
Chocolate Caramel Bars

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 (14-ounce) bag caramels (48)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 (12-ounce) package milk chocolate chips

In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients to form a crumbly mixture. Unwrap caramels (let kids help). Melt caramels and whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat. Sprinkle half of crumbly mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan. Bake at 350° F. for 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture and top with melted caramel mixture. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture on top. Bake at 350° F. for 15 minutes. Make a day ahead or several hours ahead to allow time for caramel to set. Makes 2 dozen bars.

(Julie Badger Jensen, The Essential Mormon Cookbook, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], p. 133.)

Framed Family Proclamation

Do you have one of those fantastic Family Proclamations from Sis Moore that is still waiting to be framed???
Well I had mine done and its fantastic!  It is made of wood with a black finish (rustic), backed (or lined) and has the wire for hanging. You can order in just about any finish. My nephew is an expert framer and since he's already done mine - he knows the exact dimensions you need.
If you're interested here is his etsy link:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41999886

Just send him an email via etsy and he can give you a quote based on the finish you choose.

Here's mine:

A little paint goes a long way!

So I ventured out seeking creative and inexpensive ways to "re-design" my living room. There is still so much to do - BUT I did gather the courage to re-do my stair banister.  I had some  leftover paint from some chairs I painted last year.  I did need to buy more painters tape and another can of paint (for touch-ups) So the total cost of my banister re-do was $10.   The room is still a work in progress---but its a start!
Here are the "before" and "after" pictures.  Now, if I could just tear out that carpet!

Stake Women's Conference - Humanitarian Service Projects

I meant to post this much sooner! Many thanks to all the sisters who helped with all the humanitarian projects. Our ward make princess tiaras (absolutely adorable!).  Here are a few pictures to show our working area - I meant to take more but I was still sticking to the boas  ;)))