How to Host A Star Wars Themed Party

The Party Was On May 4th.  

May The Fourth Be With You!

I love Star Wars and there is nothing more fun than hosting a Star Wars party.  Dress up in your favorite Star Wars costume, and fix your hair Princess Leia Style.

Quote of the Day - Light

If you are not meant to have a midnight snack, then why is there a "Light" in the refrigerator?

Quote of the Day - Cinderella's Shoe

You Can't Help But Wonder?

Train Up a Child - Guest Post by Sara Westbrook

Thank you Sara for this wonderful guest post.

You are such an awesome writer and great sister!

I believe in quality time. As the youngest of nine children, time, with my parents, was often in short supply, but my dad still made it a priority to spend time with each of us. Dad worked long hard hours Monday through Saturday which meant he couldn't take me to ice cream or skating at the rink. Instead, he would come home and say, “Sara, come take a ride with me in my pickup.” I would go hop into his fire engine red pickup, that always smelled like pine tree air fresheners, and away we’d go. He was still working when he invited me on these rides, but I didn't mind. It didn't matter where we went or what we did as long as we were spending time together. I loved riding with my dad in the pickup.  

Frequently, when I rode with my dad, he struggled to stay awake.  He got up so early each morning that staying alert was sometimes a tricky endeavor. On those occasions, as dad drove, we sang songs at the top of our lungs.  We sang “Loaded sixteen tons and what do you get, another day older and deeper in debt…” Dad’s booming voice would hit every low note. Often, we talked about the gospel. Dad loved the scriptures and knew them inside and out. I could ask him any gospel question I could think of, when I rode in that pickup, and he always had an answer. In the truck, there were no distractions. We didn't listen to the radio for amusement, we simply entertained each other. 

We usually traveled to a potato field Dad needed to check on. As we tramped across the dusty spud fields trying to keep from tripping on the vines, Dad taught me about potato yields, fertilizer and the importance of not over-watering. But, more importantly, he taught me about hard work, love, and the importance of making time for one another.  He taught me to believe in quality time and to recognize that spending these quiet moments in the pickup and the fields together really equaled big moments. The time spent with Dad, in his truck, allowed me to see what kind of man my father truly was. He took the time, even though he had to work, to get to know me, to teach me, and to love me. He taught me to believe in quality time.

Selling on E-Bay Is Harder Than It Looks

For Me, The Jury Is Still Out
I would love to hear your thoughts

I don't know if I am completely crazy, or if I am the only one, but I think there might be others out there who have had struggles figuring out the workings of ebay.

I decided I would try a new challenge in my life.  I have heard about ebay and I might have even purchased something from ebay once years ago, but I have never sold anything.  Last week I put 10 items up for sale on ebay.   As items were sold I started getting messages from the buyers that the Paypal account was not letting them pay for their item.

I spent countless hours looking through and reading ebay and Paypal, checking to see if they were linked and what the problem could be.  Finally I called the help desk and after an hour of trouble shooting we figured out what was wrong.  It seems crazy to me.

It turns out that you need to have a business account rather than a personal account with Paypal in order to sell items.  Basically the IRS needs to know if you are making money.  I'm fine with this, and it makes sense now, but am I crazy, or does it make sense that the EBay system shouldn't even allow you to list items for sale at all on their system until you were set up with the proper account?

Has anyone else had any struggles with this or am I the only one?

Please give me your thoughts.

Quote of the Day - Tomato Humor

I love Smoothies and I want to be healthy so

Pour on the Ketchup!

Quote of the Day- Once again joke from my teenager

You can tell a lot about a Women's mood by her hands, for instance if she is holding a gun she is probably angry.

Quote of the Day

You know you can't really trust what you read on the Internet anymore - Abraham Lincoln

Silver Back Gorillas - Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska

Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska
Silver Back Gorillas

We went to the zoo yesterday and had such a good time.  The silver back gorillas are always so much fun.  The Omaha Zoo has such a great exhibit with a lot of glass walls so you can get up close and personal with the gorillas.  For some reason, the gorillas always love Seth.  I caught a few of the interactions on video.

Joke of the Day

Onion Joke

Seth's Mission Blog

My second oldest son just sent his papers off to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It is a big deal in our lives.  His older brother Jaren is currently serving in Lima Peru on a mission.  Jaren's blog is http://jarenhackleman.blogspot.com.  He has been there for one year and has one more year to go.  I Started a blog for Seth for his mission.  He sent out his papers and is currently waiting for his mission call.  If you would like to add a prediction of where in the world he will be sent on a mission feel free to add a comment to his blog.  http://elderhackleman.blogspot.com/

Seth Hackleman Senior Picture

Teen Humor

You know you have a teenager living in your home when they come home from school with this joke.

Best Mother's Day Gift Ever - 5 Generation Photos

Great Way to Remember Your Ancestors 

My mom gave each of her children 5 generation photos for a Christmas present.  Of all the gifts I have ever been given, this has to rank up there as one of my favorites.  It stands the test of time.  My brothers also got a 5 generation photo with the men in our family.  Priceless

My mom gave me the pictures, but they were all different sizes and colors.  Two of the photos were actually group shots with other folks.   These are the only known photos of my great and great, great grandmother.  I did some photo manipulating in Photoshop to create head-shots, as well as cloning out the other people.  This is not an easy task, so if you have photos that need Photo-shop, ask for help on this step.

After the photos were all adjusted to the same size and color, I created a page with all the photos in one document, added the borders on each picture to make them appear to be individual.  Then they were all printed out on one continuous page.  One great source for doing this is Walmart Photo Center.  You can add the five photos together and print out a poster sized page.  

Make sure you add the names of all the ancestors and a birthday so they are well documented.

Procrastination Joke of the Day

Have a Little Patience

Corona Arch - Southern Utah

Unique panorama of Delicate Arch taken by Lynn Melandar after scrambling off trail along an exposed ridge.

Both arches are fairly large with an airplane occasionally flying tourists through the middle of Corona Arch. Corona Arch is also known for "rope swinging". Enjoy!  Thank you Lynn!

My friend posted these on facebook and I thought they were so beautiful. He told me I could include them on my blog. He does sell matted/framed high definition photos or large format canvas prints. I will add the link to where to go to purchase them as soon as he gives it to me.

Worrying Gets You Places - Right?

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up-Joke of the Day

Catch Me I'm Falling...

Chevron Decoration

Chevron Pattern Is My Favorite Thing To Decorate With

Whenever I am in Hobby Lobby I go to the clearance section to see what I can get for a dollar or less.  I love to make something fun for my home decor.

This wooden decoration was on sale for $1.00

I could make my own wood background, but the fact that it already has a ribbon attached for hanging and a stand, makes it worth the purchase.

I have no use for the letter "I", but I will save it in my craft scraps because you never know in the future what this wooden "I" might become.  

I purchased a cardboard "H" at Hobby Lobby to go along with this project.

I have some awesome Chevron Wrapping Paper that I will never use to actually wrap gifts with, because I love the pattern too much to waist it on gifts.  I have used it for all kinds of projects already and will continue to use it until the last scrap has been turned into something fun.  It is a heavy duty paper so that makes it easier to Modge Podge.

To attached the wrapping paper to my board I used a very strong spray glue.  Make sure you spray in a well ventilated area and in a box so the spray off doesn't end up getting stuck all over your work space.  

Attach the paper with extra hanging over the edge. Trim with an x acto knife.
The edges of this wood is rounded so I needed to cut inside the edge a little bit.

Spray the letter with a couple of very light coats of spray paint

I used a sharpie and a piece of cardboard to draw a very straight line along the edge of the paper so you can't tell where there were rough edges on the wrapping paper.

Modge Podge The Paper

Hot glue the letter to the board.  I also hot glued  a little bling.

Tin Mint Party Favors

Square Mint Tins

You could use Altoids, but they tend to be a little spicy for young children.  If you are making party favors for young children, I would suggest ordering tin mints from Oriental Trading Company.

This could also be an activity at a birthday party.  They are so easy to make and each girl could create their own masterpiece.

The silver stripe is made with tinfoil.

3 Tubes of Glitter Glue from The Dollar Store
Add Foam Sticker Designs and Gems For Extra Fun

Motivation

A Little Humor Goes a Long Way!

DIY Felt Bows

 If you add a bow to your hair, you automatically look like you made an effort.  I love them so much I made one for every color that I could possibly wear.  I also make them for graduation gifts.  If I know where the graduate is going to college, I make a few bows in the colors of the college they will be attending.

You can use regular felt, or felt with a design.  I bought the felt at Walmart.

You can use bobby pins or clips.  I personally prefer the clips.

The bows make great graduation gifts.

I bought the box from Oriental Trading Company

I love the bows so much I made on in every color of the rainbow and every style.  I added gems and pearls to the center for an added embellishment. 

 

Free Printable Felt Bow Template

Pigs In a Blanket

Baked Hotdog

Our family loves a good baked hotdog.  We buy ours in bulk at Sam's Club and keep them in the freezer so we are always ready to roast a dog over the fire, put them on the grill or, bake them in the oven.

The first thing you need to do is bring the hotdog to room temperature so the dough will stick to it.  I took frozen dogs, warmed them up in hot water then dried them off with a paper towel.  If they come out of the refrigerator, pull them out and let them warm up for 10 minutes or so.  Just enough time for them to stop sweating.

The dough around the dog can be a refrigerator dough or made from scratch.  I make my dough so often I can do it in my sleep.  It really is fast and easy once you get the hang of it.  For my dough recipe check out the page on my blog at http://fiveorlesssteps.blogspot.com/2014/03/basic-dough.html.

After you make the dough, cut it into pieces large enough to wrap around the hot dog.  For additional tasty goodness, you can add ingredients to the dough before you wrap it.  Cheese, onions, or peppers our a great addition.

Mozzarella Cheese Can Be Added Right Before You Wrap The Hot Dog

Pinch Dough Around the Hot Dog Until It is Sealed Off

Place on Greased Cookie Sheet about an Inch Apart

Bake in 350 Degree Oven for 20 Minutes or Until Golden Brown

Serve With Your Favorite Condiments

Free Printable Recipe