Today's Quote

Today's quote has to start with a bit of an explanation about the location where I live.  I live in the mountains of Utah where we enjoy ( more like endure)  many months of extremely cold weather with tons of snow.  My granddaughter's perception of my life is very humorous.

Charity:  "Mom, what is an Eskimo?"
Julianne: "An Eskimo is a person who lives in the arctic where it snows a lot and gets really cold."
Charity:  "So your mom is an Eskimo?"

We got a good laugh out of that.  Thank goodness for kids!
      

Rango Review

Last week Jake rented Rango. The kids have been wanting to watch it for a while so we finally got it for them. I sat down and watched it with them and, I'll tell you, after it was over I kind of regretted letting them watch it. It's supposed to be a kid movie but I felt like it was seriously lacking in that department. It was fine for an adult movie. It was funny. It was an entertaining story, even if it was a little weird, but for kids, I thought it sucked. Here's why:

• 1. It was depressing. Kid movies are supposed to be light and fun not depressing and gloomy. Rango was depressing and gloomy. In my opinion, kid movies should be full of positives. The characters should be happy, the themes should be good, the morals of the story should be something beneficial. I just didn't see any of this in Rango. To be fair, I wasn't looking for a moral so there may have been one that I just didn't click on to, but overall I thought it was too negative to be a good kid show.
• 2. The villains were nightmarish. When you watch any show you know it wouldn't be good without a really good villain. But in a kid show the villains need to be portrayed differently. Less dark, I guess. Take Mother Gothel in Tangled. She was a villain. She was selfish and willing to do whatever it took to keep herself alive, even if that meant killing somebody else. But though they showed all that, they did it in a way that wasn't going to frighten any poor child or scar them for life. They weren't quite as delicate with the villains in Rango, particularly Rattlesnake Jake. He was ruthless. At one point he tries to force the female lead into doing what he wants. When she won't do it he coils himself around her, dangling her body in front of him, and cries "Look into my eyes. I wanna watch you die!" Umm, what? That's a bit much for a kid show, don't you think? He also says "I'm going to blow so many holes in you your guts will be leaking lead!" and "Do what he says, or by all the fires of the black hole I'll squeeze them pretty brown eyes right out of your head!" Maybe it's just me, but I find that a little disturbing, especially when my five-year-old is watching it!
• 3. The swearing. I've heard some swearing in kid shows and I don't like it. Granted, I swear... a lot. Much more than I should. Still, I don't like to hear it in my kid's movies. It is in this one. It's not a ton. But it was enough that I took notice. I don't mind one swear word, maybe two, depending on the word and how it's presented (as in, did the character say it so low I could barely hear it). But in this movie, it was blatant. I noticed repeated swearing. The worst time, however, Rattlesnake Jake screams it at the female character "Sign the damn papers!" Blatant. Obvious. There's no questioning what he said. I just didn't like it. I don't want my kids hearing that influence from their movies.
• 4. Sacreligious. Okay, this next point is debatable. I'm not even sure how I feel about the whole thing, but it bothered me so I'm putting it in this post. The characters in the movie pray to the Spirit of the West. They hold hands and say a prayer which sounds a lot like something I'd say in my daily prayers, asking for protection and guidance or whatever, but they offer it up to the Spirit of the West. Something about it just rubbed me wrong. I guess you could use it as a lesson to teach your kids about what you believe, but without that lesson it seems like it might influence them negatively. But that's just me. Like I said, this one is debatable because everybody has a different opinion. I'd love to hear some of those opinions.
• 5. The last thing that bothered me was that there wasn't a lot of compassion in the characters. It was a lot of looking out for number one while forgetting numbers two, three, four, five, etc. There wasn't a complete lack of compassion; it was there. But there just wasn't a lot. I like my kids' movies to show characters with compassion, hope, charity, love, and all those wonderful positive emotions that make life better.

So, there is my opinion on Rango. I'd love to hear some of your opinions, especially those that see my points in a different way or those that found more positives in the movie. I'm not opposed to seeing the movie differently. For those of you with kids, at least you know a bit about the characters before you watch it with your kids. I would have liked to have known, then I would have skipped through a few parts. Anyway, there you have it. That's my opinion of the movie Rango.

Today's Quote

"Keep going even when nobody else has faith in you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Perseverence is the key to any passion!"

       ~ Julianne
         Check out her writing blog: http://www.thequestandthequill.blogspot.com/

Moose on the Loose!

This amazing moose spent the morning relaxing on my back lawn.  He was very cool to see!  I thought you would like to see our pics.  Enjoy!

~Elizabeth

Quote of the Day!

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
       ~2 Corinthians 2:14

Affirmation of the Week

I am at peace with my own feelings. I am safe where I am. I create my own security. I love and approve of myself.

This affirmation was taken from Louis Hay's book You can Heal Your Life. It is the affirmation to help those who are overweight, but the positive idea it creates will help in many more places in your life, if you make it a part of your routine to change to these positive thought processes.

School Lunch Ideas

One of the challenges parents face when school starts is what to feed the kids for lunch.  Because school lunch isn't always affordable or nutritious, many children are taking sack lunches to school.  It takes some creativity and planning to come up with nutritious foods and snacks that don't require heating and that our children will enjoy. Here are some of the ideas we came up with:

1. Peanut butter and honey on whole wheat bread.
2. Deli meat and cheese sandwich.  (Dont forget the green leaf lettuce for extra nutrition)
3. Pre-cooked chicken drum sticks
4. Chicken wrap
5. Cheese Stick
6. Organic baby carrots
7. Pre-cut fresh veggys /with ranch dip
8. Celery sticks filled with homemade flavored cream cheese (See Recipe for Cheese ball posted August 17)
9. Apple slices
10. Grapes and other misc. fruit.
11. Fruit salad made with fresh fruit and real whipping cream
12. Banana Bread
13. Banana Bars
14. Granola Bars
15. Popcorn
16. Fruit cups (sweetened with real fruit juice)
17. Yogurt
18. Bagels and cream cheese
19. Crackers
20. Baked chips
21. 100% juice
22. Salad
23. Bananas
24. Applesauce
25. Organic animal crackers (you can find these at Costco)

Not all of our items are completely nutritious, but overall, we have tried to stay away from white flour, white sugar, High fructose corn syrup and with the exception of the chips and ranch dip, we have also tried to avoid foods that have MSG in them.  We have also selected foods that can be kept cold in a thermal lunch bag with an ice pack inside. 

NOTES:
*You can really be creative with the cheese for the celery sticks.  You can use our recipe for the cheese ball or make up your own.  You can add taco seasoning, salsa, garlic, or bacon bits just to name a few.

*The chicken wraps are easy to make.  Put some butter, ranch or other dressing on your tortilla.  Put a layer of chicken, lettuce, peppers, olives etc. on your tortilla.  Start on one side and tightly roll it up together.  Wrap in plastic wrap.(This can also be made with other kinds of meat.)

*Some schools are nut free schools because of students that have severe allergic reactions to nuts.  Be sure to check with your school before sending foods that are made with nuts.

We hope these ideas will help you plan a fun lunch menu for your children that they will enjoy throughout the year. Also,  we would love to hear your awesome school lunch ideas if you would like to share them with us in our comment section.

***Look for school lunch recipes, information on thermal lunch bags, and where to buy a good hot food thermos which will greatly improve your lunch menu by allowing you to send dinner left-overs and hot soups.

The Boost Team

Today's Quote

A book is a mirror: if an ape looks into it an apostle is hardly likely to look out.
          Georg C. Lichtenberg

Nacho Cheese Ball

I made this cheese ball for my sister's bridal shower recently. I have to say it was delicious! I've never made a cheese ball, but it was super easy and super yummy. Enjoy the recipe!

2 packages of cream cheese (8 oz.), softened to room temperature
2-3 T taco seasoning.
1/8-1/4 C. diced pepperoncini peppers
2 T pepperoncini juice
About 1 C crushed tortilla chips


Mix together cream cheese, taco seasoning, pepperoncini peppers and juice. Put in the fridge and let chill until the cheese is firm enough to form into a ball. Wet hands then form the cheese mixture into a ball and roll in the crushed tortilla chips. Eat with crackers and enjoy!

Seriously, this cheese ball was SOOO easy. The measurements don't have to be exact. They're approximately what I put in. More or less of any ingredient really won't hurt. In fact, more would probably enhance the flavor. I will definitely be making this cheese ball again.

Today's Quote

If you aren't successful in life, find out what everybody else is doing and do the opposite.
       ~Sam Walton

Helpful Hints and Tips for the School Year

I have been a homeschool mom for the past 20 years or so, but one year, about 9 years ago, my children asked me if they could attend the local public schools.  I got them all registered and before we knew it, the first day arrived. All of the children were excited so they picked out their clothes a few days before.  They had their backpacks ready, got up early and happily went out the door.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen everyday.  As the year progressed, school mornings became a time of stress and frustration. I would get upset because we couldn't find a shoe or someone had lost their backpack etc.  We would all search, while the clock was ticking, until I was ready to scream.  There were many days when the children left almost in tears and the last thing they saw as they went out the door was a frustrated and angry look on their dear mother's face.

On the days that I was on bus run duty, we would get in the car late, pick all of the kids up late and race to the bus, praying the whole way that we hadn't missed it.  I was haggard, ornery and uptight. I would go to the bus stop and look around at the other parents there and wonder if they too had had a very bad morning.  I dreaded school mornings and counted the days until summer break.  The next year the kids and I decided we preferred homeschool over public school, so they stayed home with me.  I would look out the window and watch all of my neighbors take their kids to the bus stop and thank my lucky stars that I wasn't dealing with that again.  We did homeschool for the next 8 years.

Well, last school year, my 2nd grader begged me to let her go to school with her friends. My first reaction was one of horror. " Are you Insane!", I thought.  That would require going through the morning stress again and  I did NOT want to do it.  I finally gave in and registered her for school, but I was determined to do things differently this time.  I wanted to enjoy the school year with my daughter and be smiling at her when she stepped onto the bus.

I realized that changing my mornings from times of frustration to time's of ease was all about preparation and planning. I know, I am a little slow.  Organized mom's would have done this naturally.  I thought some of you wonder women out there might be a little like me and not fall into the school routine with ease, so I am going to list some of the things I learned.  Here goes:

1. Plan a lunch and snack menu a few days in advance so you have time to purchase items if necessary.
2. Prepare lunches and snacks the night before. ( Keep refrigerated if necessary)
3. Fill all water bottles and Juice bottles the night before. (refrigerate)
4. Schedule a set time everyday for doing homework and looking at school papers etc.  Be sure to sign
     all necessary papers, and return all items, that need to go back to school, to your child's backpack so
     it is all ready to go the next morning.
5. Lay out all clothes the night before.This includes: outfit, underclothes, shoes, socks, jackets, coats
6. If the weather is cold, It is a good idea to gather all winter gear the night before and put it in a bag
    to make it easy to grab in the morning.  This will ensure that your child is warm during recess.
7. Plan your breakfast menu the night before.
8. Get out of bed at least 30 min. before your children so you can have a few minutes to get going.
9. Keep all backpacks and everything your child will need to take with them in a designated area where
    it will be easy to grab in the morning.
10. Plan your schedule so that you arrive at the school or bus stop at least ten minutes early.

  We had our schedule timed down to the minute, and most days it went off without a hitch. There were a few days that didn't go as well because I didn't have time to prepare the night before.  I would start her day with a warning, wake up call about 30 minutes before she had to get up.  This is my snooze call. ( I know how I like to hit the snooze button at least once before I get up.)  This made it easier for her to get up when it really was time.

  Her clothes were  laid out by her bed.  Her back pack was filled with everything she needed to take back and was also hanging near her bed.  We had shoes, socks, jackets and winter gear all gathered and ready to go as well.  She was able to get up and quickly get ready while I prepared her breakfast.  She had plenty of time to eat and get all of her grooming in.  We left for the bus stop 12 minutes early so as not to be rushed.  This made a very positive time for us to spend together before she got on the bus.  We used this time for studying spelling words and reading together. 

I watched many other parents come flying in at the last minute, cars and kids crazily moving through the parking lot in their haste to get to the bus.  Many parents were still in their pajamas, their hair uncombed and they looked like they needed a good cup of coffee.  I felt sorry for them because I had been there before.  How grateful I was that I wasn't in their shoes. 

My daughter,  hugged me as she got out of the car.  She got onto the bus and happily visited with her friends. The coolest thing of all, though, was that my planning paid off!  The last thing she would see as the bus drove away was her dear mother waving and sometimes doing "I love You" hand signs with a big happy smile on my face!

~Elizabeth
* Watch for future posts on great ideas for school lunches and snacks.

Quote of the Week

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
       ~1 Corinthians 15:57

Affirmation of the Week!

I am happy, healthy and vibrant.  I love Life!

Gnomeo and Juliet Movie Review

If you love clean family movies filled with action, adventure, romance, and treacherey, you will love the animated movie called Gnomeo and Juliet. Just as the title suggests this movie follows the story line of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet, but has twists and turns that you won't find in the novel.

The story takes place in the gardens of two houses that are right next to each other; separated only by a fence. The owners of the homes are, of course, the Montegues and the Capulets. The interesting characters in the story are actually the garden gnomes who, unbeknownst to the homeowners, are really alive. The garden gnomes call themselves the "reds" and the "blues" because they are all painted those colors. The reds and the blues have had an on-going feud for sometime now which creates some very hostile feelings between the two groups. This also makes for an interesting and exciting story that is fun to watch. It kept my interest throughout the whole show. I thought it was very well written and produced.

I also loved all of the soft rock music which was perfectly laced throughout the show. The music really helped the whole mood of the show, swaying my emotions to react to the characters and the different circumstances they were put in. When I was reading the credits at the end of the movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the movie was actually produced by the singer-song writer, Elton John. It turns out that he has as much talent in producing animated films as he has in his music abilities.

Elton John and his crew did a great job producing this film, especially since they were able to make it humorous, interesting and fun for all ages. I loved every minute of it and hope to watch it many more times. This would be a perfect movie to watch for a movie night with your kids and is a must have for any video library collection.

~Elizabeth

Today's Quote

In faith and hope the world will disagree, but all mankind's concern is charity.
        ~Alexander the Great

The Power of Setting goals

As wonder women we wear many different hats each day.  We are the mother, the wife, the cook, the baker, the house cleaner, the nurse, the teacher, the business woman, and many other things that seem to go along with being a woman.  It takes a lot of energy and usually most of our time to accomplish all of these things.  Because of this, we have a tendency to put ourselves on the back burner which sometimes makes us feel like we have gotten lost in our own lives. Years will go by without taking the time to do things that are important to us.  When this happens for a long period of time, women start feeling less like the wonder women they are and more like a robot, who has little value, just going through the motions of life.

This was how I lived for the first ten years of my married life.  I got caught up in the business of being a mother, homemaker and wife.  I didn't take time for other things that I wanted to accomplish in my life such as learning to play the piano, read certain books, go on vacations etc.  I wasn't prepared for what, to me, was exactly like a mid-life crisis that showed up about the time I turned 30.  When I turned 30, I realized that ten years of my life had quickly slipped away and all I had to show for it were my 5 children.  Even though that, in itself, was a huge accomplishment, it wasn't enough to make me feel fulfilled in my life.  I felt like I had very little value. I sunk into a deep depression for months.

I finally realized that if I didn't want to seriously go off the deep end when I turned 40, I had better make some changes in my life.  For years I had heard all of the motivational gurus telling everyone to set clear goals in their lives, then one day I was listening to a motivational program called Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale.  He said that the definition of a successful person was a person who was working toward a goal.  I had an ah hah moment!  This was the answer to my problem.  If I was working on the things I wanted to accomplish in my life, then I wouldn't have another major crisis at age 40.  I had always known that I should set goals, but it was something I had never been good at so I had just put it off.

I got out a notebook and started writing.  I put a lot of things on my list.  Some were very large goals like taking my kids to Disney Land or running a river.Others were very small like finding a new hairstyle, reading with my kids a couple days a week, or going to lunch with a friend.  I felt the healing begin.  As soon as I wrote down my goals, I felt like a new person.  I realized that I did have value and I deserved to take time out for myself to pursue some of my dreams.

At first, I worked on my goals a little each day, but as time went on, I kind of kept them in the back of my mind but didn't work on them as much as I had intended too. The interesting thing about writing down goals is that they seem to take on a life of their own.  I think it is the power of intention.  Once I had determined what I wanted to do, I felt like everything in the universe worked together with me to help me accomplish them.  Even though I didn't look at my list or even work on my goals every day, I knew I was going to be able to cross some of them off my list.   

When I turned 40, I found my list that I had written after I had my crisis at age 30.  I hadn't actually looked at it for a couple of years.  I was very pleasantly surprised to see that even though I hadn't been as focused on my goals as I had intended, I was able to go through and cross off at least of third of them.  It felt amazing!  I felt empowered and worthwhile.

Since then, I have added to my list of goals.  I now have a list of 86 things that I want to do in my lifetime and the list keeps growing. I keep the crossed off goals there, so I can see how amazing and accomplished I am. It makes me feel successful.  Every time I start feeling a little down or under valued, I pull out my list of goals and choose one to work on.  I have found that if I do something each day that takes me closer to crossing that goal off my list, I feel energized and happy.

A good way to start setting goals is just to get a notebook and pencil and ask yourself, "What would I like to do in my lifetime?"  I have noticed that the first things that show up usually have to do with vacations or seeing the world, but then other things will start coming too. It is a good idea to keep a note pad with you every where you go. ( I use my note pad on my cell phone) Everytime you think, " I would really like to do......" Add it to your list.  You will be surprised how fast your list will grow.

I set 2 goals this summer.  One was to walk 9 miles a week.  The other was to avoid eating foods that were made with white sugar and white flour.  It has been difficult at times to do this, but having clear goals has helped to keep me focused. The results have been amazing!  I have lost 6 or 7 pounds, and I am wearing clothes I haven't been able to wear for months.  Most importantly, though, is that I feel great!  I have more energy and I feel happier because I feel better about myself and the way I look.  I AM HAPPY TO BE ME, AND IT FEELS GOOD! 

 ~Elizabeth

We would love to hear about your goals and all of your successes if you would like to share them with us in our comment section!  Happy Goal Setting!

Today's Quote!

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
       ~Dale Carnegie

Dominoes on Steroids... Presented by the Kinetic King

I don't watch America's Got Talent but I found this guy, The Kinetic King, by watching clips of the show. Some of you probably already know who he is and what he does. Still, his work is pretty incredible so if you do, then sit back and enjoy the show.

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Tim Fort, a.k.a. The Kinetic King, takes everyday objects and starts a chain reaction using kinetic energy (hence the title). Basically it's glorified dominoes (or dominoes on Steroids, as I like to affectionately call it). If you like dominoes you'll love this. He uses dominos, but he also uses cups, Christmas beads, balloons, wooden blocks, popsicle sticks, and more things that I can't remember or can't name. He does some neat stuff. Enjoy!

This last video is pretty neat. If you only watch one, watch this one!

Quote of the Day

The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live.
        ~Psalms 119:144

Quote of the Day!

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
       ~ Christopher Reeve