It's In the bag

My sister tagged me to share what is in my Sunday bag. So, here we go:

This is my bag. I got it free with a coupon. I got a new quad and it fits perfect in this bag.

Contents:

My quad, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ: Joseph Smith,Book of Mormon class member study guide, Mini hymn book, pad of paper for note taking, 2 Relief Society announcement papers, a stray cough drop, 1 tithing receipt, small paper with this month's Relief Society song to memorize.

In the small inside pocket:

1 mechanical pencil, 1 black ink pen, 2 red scripture marking pencils, 3 tithing receipts, 6 tithing envelopes and slips, 2 slips of paper with Relief Society scriptures of the month for memorization, 5x7 laminated copy of The Family- A Proclamation to the World- on the back is a copy of Four-ward and Four- ever, (a paper my dad gave me a few years ago with things that his ward was doing to strengthen family and ward), a 5x7 laminated copy of my patriarichal blessing

Temporary things or things that make you say Hmm?

1 purple Jolly Rancher (I think this was part of a lesson in Relief Society about a month ago- I don't eat them, so I must have just thrown it in the bag when class was over), 1 paperclip, a bag of 12 different colored buttons, 5 magnets, Primary lesson manual and a bag of candy.

The buttons were used as markers in a game we played when I substituted in Brandi's class about a month ago. The magnets were used to hang the Title of Liberty and a map of the battles of Moroni and the stripling warriors the next week when I subbed again. The manual and bag of candy are from 2 weeks ago when I subbed yet again. We had stake conference last week and the teacher hasn't come and gotten the manual yet. She gave me the candy to give to the class as a incentive to be good. 1. it was fast Sunday- so I didn't use it, 2. I don't believe in candy as an incentive or substitute for preparation and engaging lessons.

I took out the Sunday School lesson books. I am the permanent Sunday School substitute and for a while I took all the books with me in case someone didn't show up and I was needed last minute, but it was too heavy to carry as a just in case, and if I am really needed last minute, it is a short walk around the corner to come back and get the specific book I need.

Notice that there was not a Primary song book in my bag.

Tomorrow will be a book review post for a blog tour. After that, I will be reading.

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Indeed.

A closer look

Sharon tagged me last week. It took me awhile to get the pictures. I was going to have Jessica (click over there and see her new photo blog if you haven't yet. You will be amazed at her skills) photoshop them, but she is busy so, here we go without her help.

1. My kitchen sink

I was going to wash all the dishes and then take the picture, but let's get real here- This is what my sink always looks like. It is always full. Always. And I hate that. No matter if I do dishes right before I go to bed, they jump out of the cupboard, mess themselves up and then arrange themselve in a messy out of order pile in the sink. Matt, what a great son he is, knows how waking up to dishes in the sink makes me grumpy. For my mother's day present, he stayed up, caught the dishes in their nightly romp, cleaned them up, scrubbed the sink and countertops and stove so that I could get up to a sparkling kitchen. Best present I ever got. Love you son.

2.Inside My Fridge

Yesterday the milkman came, but I will probably have to buy at least 1 gallon to get us through to next Wed. I need a cow.

3.My favorite shoes

These look a little worse for the wear and well they should. They were my Grandma Swapp's shoes and she gave them to me when I was in high school. I wore them all the time during high school and college and after for about 3-4 years. They are starting to fall apart. The shoe laying down has a split down the side and I need to take them to a cobbler to be fixed. I keep looking for another pair, but can't find exactly what I want. Just a side note- in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Karen Allen's character wears a white pair just like this in the scene where she and Indie are thrown into the tomb by the Nazis.

4.My Closet

notice Trevor's uniforms hanging from the door.

5. My Laundry pile- the scariest pictures of the whole post

The laundry room is a couple of bi-fold doors in front of the machines and is part of the family room. I have tried many different ways to help with the never ending supply of dirty clothes, here is the latest. They were empty 2 days ago, I promise.

And I have no idea why the clothes that are in there are not sorted properly. JAKE, you need to do your chore so I can do mine!!

I have moved the bookcases to make a "wall" between the laundry and the family room. Here is where I would like some shelves to hold the baskets.

6. What my kids are doing right now
Jake playing the PSP

Brandi headed to clean her room- yet again (still? finally?)

Jess filling out college financial aid/scholarship applications.

In all truth though, since I started this post, things have changed. My house is never quiet for long and now is no exception. Ethan is in the front room playing the piano, Jake is downstairs playing the drum set. I guess I should just be glad that the tuba is still in it's case!

7. My favorite room

Ok, so that porch is really not mine, but someday I will have a house with a porch like that and it will be my favorite room, I promise. I love sitting on the porch.

I really don't like my house at all. It is poorly designed and laid out an doesn't flow well at all. And it has too much stuff in it that need constant cleaning. But, if I have to choose a room in this house that is my favorite, it would be my front room. Thanks, Sharon for helping me make it liveable.

8.My most recent purchase

A dress for my niece's wedding. But, since it is white and I don't want to upstage the bride the jacket I find to go with it needs to be a color. I am thinking red to go with my new shoes.

9. My fantasy vacation.

I would go somewhere that the buildings are old. Like Ireland. I want to feel the oldness and experience the history.

Or somewhere with a beach where I can relax and have nothing to do and all day to not do it.

10. My Self Portrait

I need a haircut. And maybe a body perm. Or a hat.

I am going to tag Gaynell (and I will get to the tag that you just tagged me with), and Josi and I agree with my sister, Tawnya, if we tag Mom and Loretta will they get their blogs up and running?

Leap Day

Karlene tagged me almost a month ago. I planned on doing the tag the next day. And you know how that goes, the next day turned into the next, into the next, and on and on and here we are 1 huge run on sentence as well as 1 month later. So, for a leap day celebration? I decided to post the Meme.

How long have you been blogging?
I started my first blog in September 2006 to help me spread the word about Urban Botanic. This blog has been in existence since June 2007.

What inspired you to start your blog, and who are your mentors?
Well, as I said above, the need to inexpensively tell people about Urban Botanic. This blog came about so that I could post to Karlene's Summer Reading thing. It then evolved into a way for family to keep in touch with my life. It also gave me a creative way to have a journal. Of course the really private things are exactly that, private and kept in an undisclosed location.

Are you trying to make money online, or are you doing it just for fun?
I just said to the kids yesterday, "Too bad I don't make money by blogging. I could be happy if that is what I got paid to do." I have some ideas for that. When/if they come to fruition, I'll let you know. But I do have to admit to being bitten by the blogging bug. (much better than that stupid viral bug that is hovering around.)


What 3 things do you love about being online?
1. Being able to keep in touch with my family. My sisters (here and here) have started blogs and my family started a recipe blog to share old family as well as new family secrets/favorites.

2. All the new friends I have made and would never have met without the internet.

3. I have always said that if I didn't have to pay for shipping, I would purchase everything on the internet. The possibilities of new merchandise are incredible and I don't have to deal with driving to get there. (plus I don't have to wear shoes!)

Chat and IM.
I chat during meetings for my Urban Botanic team. That works best since they are spread across the US. I don't IM very often. I don't have a lot of contacts in my list, but I love it when I do have it turned on at the same time as someone else in my list.

Because it has been a looong month and my brain is fried tonight, I am not tagging anyone right now. If, however, you feel like sharing with us, let us know that you did the Meme so we can come over and read.

I've been tagged!

Tristi tagged me with the six things about me tag. So I am supposed to tell you six things about me and then tag six people. Here we go:

1. All the light switches have to be in the down position when I go to bed or I cannot sleep. This gets crazy with the 3 way switch and having to go up and down the stairs to make them all 3 in the down position.

2. I was one of the first Urban Botanic fragrance designers.

3. I absolutely HATE, HATE, HATE shopping.

4. I like to look at snow when it is fresh fallen, unbroken with no footprints, but other than that I do not like it. I don't like driving in it, I don't like shoveling it and I really do not like the cold and would rather sit inside with a book and cocoa than go build a snowman.

5. I love to cook. I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I love it when I do.

6. I would love to have a job as a Christmas Tree designer. I have several ideas sketched out. I have 6 trees for my house, but only put up two this year.

Now, let's see, who should I tag? Hmmm,

Melody over at SlurpingLife

Kymburlee at Temporary? Insanity

Linda at I Knew I Could Fly

Mom Intrrupted

I know that is only 4, but I don't want to keep tagging the same people, so when I decide on the last 2, I'll tag them.

Until them, have a happy day!