ISO a Good Birthday Reminder System

Hi Friends,
I'm sitting here beating myself up over forgetting someone's birthday.....again.  Ugh!  I use my calendar in the kitchen as my lifeline to remember things.  I even write birthday's on it, and I know this sounds crazy, but sometimes I don't even see the birthdays written on it when I check my calendar for the day.  How can that be?!!!

It drives me nuts because it is a genuine fault of mine that other than my immediate household, I forget everyone else's birthdays, parents, in-laws, sibling, nieces, friends, etc.  I feel just awful always saying, "I'm so sorry I missed your birthday, I hope it was wonderful."

So please, everyone, let me know your birthday reminder system.  I don't care how easy or complex it is, I am in desperate need of suggestions here.

My ideal system would remind me 5 days before the birthday, again 3 days before the birthday and then on the birthday itself.  In fact, the ideal system would wack me over the head to get my attention.

Thank you, thank you so much in advance!!!!!
I love you guys!
Nancy

Make a Mix Recipes - These are oh so good!

Hi Friends,
My sweet reader friend, Tanya, from over at Sew Many Dreams sent me these great homemade mix recipes.  I am so excited to share them with you.  Homemade is so much better than the premix store kind and it is a savings $$$ too!

Tanya also has posted on her blog a Better Bisquick recipe which I am lovin because I often use Bisquick in my meals as it is so quick and easy.  How handy to make up a large batch ahead of time to have on hand.  Again, this is a HUGE savings!  One more savings tip I have for you, when you make these big batches of things like this Better Bisquick or cake mixes etc., get your flour at Sams club or Costco.  You can get a 25 pound bag and it is just pennies in comparison to the grocery store.  I think you can even get a 50 pound bag, but that is too much for me.  25 pounds works just right for our family.

Be sure to pop over to Sew Many Dreams and say Hello to Tanya and check out that Bisquick recipe.  It's the perfect thing to have on hand.
Below are Tanya's recipes.  Thank you so much Tanya for sending them to me.  You are the best!!!

Happy Homemaking Everyone,
Hugs and Blessings,
Nancy

Here are Tanya's recipes:

This is a taco seasoning recipe, given to me by one of the moms in my son's playgroup. Really good.


Taco Seasoning Recipe

1/4 cup dried onions

1/4 cup chili powder

1 Tbsp salt

4 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp beef bouillon

1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Mix and store. use 2 Tbsp/ 1lb ground beef
-----------------------------------------

Chicken or Pork Rub Recipe


This is another favourite mix to use as a rub on chicken or pork. Simply mix ingredients and store in a small jar. Makes enough paste for three small whole chickens. I like to cut the chickens into parts before rubbing with paste. Let marinate several hours before cooking.

3 3/4 T paprika (regular or smoked)

1 1/2 T coarse salt

1 T garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp dried sage (or oregano for beef)

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

6 T olive oil

How To Make Your Own Groceries

Today I want to talk to you about making your own groceries.

There are many times when it is super easy to make your own groceries. This can in many instances save you money, sometimes quite a bit of money. More importantly, when you make your own groceries, you know you are getting the freshest ingredients without any additives or preservatives. That is a wonderful thing! You can make everything from baby food to dog treats and everything in between. Knowing how to make your own groceries can get you out of a pinch and possibly save you an extra trip to the supermarket.

I would like to share a few homemade grocery recipes with you today. What I'm focusing on are seasonings and spices. These recipes can be easily doubled or tripled. If you are invited to a barbecue or other party this summer, consider giving a jar of one of the seasonings as a hostess gift. They look so pretty when you tie a raffia ribbon around the lid of the jar and attach a label with the contents of the jar. Your hostess will really appreciate it.

Barbecue Rub

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup salt
3 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Combine all ingredients. Rub into chicken, steaks or hamburgers before grilling.

Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup dried oregano
1/3 cup dried basil
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf crumbled

Combine ingredients and pulse briefly in a food processor. Use in tomato sauces, salads, meat loaves, and meatballs.

How to Keep Birds out of your Fruit Trees

Hi Friends,

I posted these pictures last year, but just yesterday I was out hanging the cd's in my cherry tree again so I thought it was worth re-posting.  The cherries are turning a beautiful pink right now.  We treasure all that yummy fruit it gives.  Not only do we like the fruit, but the birds like it too!  Sorry birds, I love having you around, but we don't have enough to share.

A simple trick to keep the birds out of the tree is to hang old Cd's on it.  I hung 8 Cd's around the tree.  I just used some fishing line to make a hanger for them.  As the breeze blows they really are quite pretty as they catch the sunlight.  Best of all though, the glimmering it creates keeps the birds out of the tree.
As our grapes ripen over the summer, I'll be hanging some of these on the grapevines as well.
Happy Homemaking,
Nancy - Your How To Homemaker

This post links to:

Beth Moore - The Hair Brush

Hi Friends,
I just love Beth More.  First I laughed and then I cried.  It is beautiful.  I hope you have the time to watch.
Love,
Nancy

Happy Mother's Day

FREE Video Teleseminar to Help your Direct Sales Business

Hi Friends,

I know many of you ladies are involved in a direct sales company of one product or another.  It is a chance for many of us to get out of the house plus earn some extra income.  This just came to my inbox so I wanted to share it with you.  I've also posted it on my Discover Direct Selling blog as well.

Have you ever heard the people at the top in your company say things like, “it just seems to come easy to me” or “booking parties is easy” or “sponsoring is easy” or “direct sales is easy.”

There are moments when I just sigh and think why isn't it that way for me.  Sometimes it is, but sometimes it isn't.  We all struggle from time to time.
I myself know it can be really frustrating when it feels like you’re doing everything you can, but still not getting where you want to be.

This is why I wanted to let you know about an upcoming video series:

http://julieannejones.com/video/?p=47&r=104079

. . . and it is totally free which fits into my budget.

It’s being hosted by Julie Anne Jones and she’s giving away FOUR VIDEOS in the series, aptly titled . . . "Direct Sales is Easier Than You Think." . . . and it won’t cost you a cent. HURRAY! Thank you Julie Anne!

Julie Anne is an awesome trainer and I'm so excited about being able to tell you about these videos. She always delivers great content.  I've been reading Julie Anne's blog for some time and have listened to numerous interviews and seminars presented by her.  She has been such a help to me in selling Scentsy . Here's the link for her seminars.

http://julieannejones.com/video/?p=47&r=104079
The first video goes live on Monday, May 9th and so make sure to get signed up right now.

Below is a snippet of what came in my inbox that I'm sharing with you.

If . . . .

. . . you’re at a plateau in your business . . . you aren’t finding things as easy as you’d like . . . you would like to take your business to the next level . . . you’d like to move up faster

OR . . . you’d just like a few new ideas . . . or maybe a few systems for your business . . . or some great language or scripting to help you be more successful . . .

. . . then get signed up for this complimentary course.

http://julieannejones.com/video/?p=47&r=104079

Here are the full details of the line-up:

• Video #1 - The Real Secret to Fun Parties

• Video #2 - Party Sales Secrets Revealed

• Video #3 - Host Coaching - Your Direct Sales Secret Weapon

• Video #4 - Sponsoring From the Heart

• Live Wrap-up Webinar and Q&A on May 19th at 9:00 AM Pacific /

12:00 noon Eastern Time with guest facilitator Dana Wilde

Learn . . . and apply the right information and you’ll see exactly what I mean . . . and this course is jam-packed with the kind of systems which will help you take your business to the top!

http://julieannejones.com/video/?p=47&r=104079

And remember, all of this great information is at my favorite price . . . ZERO!

P.S. Please forward this email to your team members and business colleagues too.

Thanks everyone and here's to our successful businesses.

Blessings,

Nancy

Disclaimer:  When three friends register for this free seminar and leave a comment with Julie Anne, I receive additional content.  Thanks everyone!

Ideas for Homemade Beauty Products

Hi Girls,
Natalie over at Natalie Creates is getting some great ideas on making your own beauty products. Check out this link and look at all the great comments and suggestions. I will be getting some Dr. Bronner's soap and giving it a try.
Here is the link:
natalie creates: may day + some help on beauty products
Happy Homemaking,
Nancy