Pioneer Day of Fun - Meaningful and Memorable Ways to Honor Pioneers

Whenever July 24th rolls around I find myself wishing I had more ways, ideas, traditions to honor and CELEBRATE pioneers. So many of my ancestors were, and current family members are pioneers. What they sacrificed, how they lived, kept the faith, and managed find joy along the way, is a legacy and mystery to me. The more I try to understand and appreciate them, the more I might be like them. 

So here it is, a guide to celebrate your first of hopefully many meaningful and memorable PIONEER  DAYS!

PIONEER DAY OF FUN

Pioneers are a big deal so Pioneer day should be a big deal. That being said, today is all about keeping things simple. Like the pioneers did. Their motto was: use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. Don’t make it complicated, DO make it fun. (A lot of these ideas are inspired by the Early Mormon pioneers, but you can change things up to honor any pioneer from any era)

Breakfast: Make “ashcakes” “Scones”, top with butter, honey, and/or jam. Try to stick to foods they would have/could have eaten on the trail: jerky? eggs? Water? Locusts?

Choose one or more activity:

• Play outdoor games, red rover, hide and seek, or crack the whip if you have good health insurance.
• Make homemade butter in a mason Jar. Put at least 8oz. room temp. whipping cream in a mason jar and 2 clean marbles. (Remove marbles prior to “spreading).
• Watch the Parade. If you have access to Utah’s channel 5 Eyewitness News, every 24^th of July in the morning, they broadcast the Days of ’47 Parade.
• If you need to drive anyplace, use google maps to calculate trip length in walking distance. Are we thankful for our wheels yet?
• Make bread or rolls. Homemade or store-bought it still tastes great
• Go for a hike, suck on a smooth stone. Pioneers often did this to quench their thirst.
• Make homemade ice cream. I don’t think the pioneers did this, but it sounds fun.
• Go horseback riding or visit a farm to see the animals. Pet a chicken. Be glad you don’t have to kill it.
• Grown-ups, head to a shooting range to practice your aim.
• Practice or learn to braid hair.
• Visit a museum or historical site. Try to imagine yourself in their humble and amazing shoes.
• No electricity challenge: If possible, don’t use electricity for 24 hours. At night use candles or heaven forbid, a flashlight 😊 How DID they do it?
• Put away cell phones for the day. No really, how DID they do it????
• Make edible “Buffalo Chips”. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230427/coconut-buffalo-chip-cookies/ or you can dip original flavor Pringles in melted chocolate and allow to dry on wax paper. MMM. . . buffalo chips. Tasty. 😊

• Have the kids collect tinder: small branches and twigs that make an excellent fire starter for your fire tonight.
• Go camping or set up a tent in the backyard for the kids to sleep in.
• Watch the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square’s Pioneer Day Concert on Mormon.org
• Watch a pioneer movie. “Legacy”, “Seven Alone”, Only a Stonecutter”, “17 Miracles”.

Dinner:

Build a campfire and cook dinner over it. Roast hot dogs and ‘smores, try dutch oven cooking or make tin foil dinners.When it gets dark sit around the fire and exchange stories about pioneer ancestors from the past or present. Try to keep them under a minute or two each. If you invite guests, invite them to be prepared to share a story.

If you have any fun traditions for Pioneer day, please share them with me at rochelleflores2@gmail.com and you may see them added to this post! THANKS! 

Don't Yell at Me, It's the Worstest

My daughter gave me some good advice the other night that I'd like to share with you.
Watch to the very end.

Go hug your loved ones. Say "thank you" more.
Love you guys.

World's Toughest Job

Put Down The Phone! and other advice from Kid President.

Agamographs for a Rainy Day

Looking for something to do on a rainy afternoon or maybe just need an easy craft to entertain the kids?
A-ga-mo-graphs.
It's a funky word but creating one is lots of fun. These Agamographs are a great activity,
To make one, you need:
1 ruler
2 sheets of white paper,
pencil
scissors
a glue stick
colored pencils or markers
1. On two sheets of paper, draw ten lines spaced one inch apart. Cut off the leftover strip on each sheet.

2.Cut one sheet in half along the fifth line. Draw a different picture on each of the two halves. We recommend the pictures have a theme, like a sun and a moon, or Hillary and Donald. Fill in all of the white space. (if you arent feeling extremely confident in your artistic skills, feel free to trace coloring book page or printed image from the computer.

3. Cut the drawings along the lines.

4. Glue the strips from one picture in order on every other section of the uncut sheet. Glue the strips from the other picture onto the remaining spaces. Basically alternate the picture strips in order - every other space and glue in place.

5. Fold the paper accordion-style. Add a yarn or ribbon hanger. Stand back and enjoy your artwork from different angles. p.s. It is best if your agamograph is viewed at eye level (not higher or lower). Have fun!!!

Here's an agamograph my daughter and I made the other day. She chose the characters and we each did one of the images. It was really fun!



A big thank you to Diana Calio for help with the instructions.

Free Eczema Advice From Someone Who Really Knows What She's Talking About

Do you or anyone you know have eczema? Otherwise known as atopic dermatitis? In a nutshell eczema is is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. Of course I am not a doctor but, 4 of our 5 kids currently have it or had it at one point.  We have spent many hours at Dr. visits to both Family Dr.s and Dermatologists, many dollars on bills, we've filled plenty of prescriptions, and received a variety of instructions and advice mostly good, some of it weird. The weirdest thing I've been told is to put Crisco on baby Spencer's skin. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Eczema is usually at it's peak in the winter months due to the intense dryness in the air. That being the case, I've been wanting to write this post in hopes that it may help anyone out there dealing with it. So here goes.


PREVENTION:
To keep eczema from spreading or worsening, I strongly recommend the following preventative care. Make sure the clothes and sheets, blankets, and towels basically anything touching their skin is laundered right. Many laundry detergents and softeners reek havoc on sensitive skin. The main culprits being perfumes and dyes. The two laundry detergents that I recommend are All Free-Clear & Arm and Hammer Free. Fortunately Downy has come out with a laundry softener that is free of perfumes and dyes. It's great.

PROPER CLEANSING:
The second step is direct skin care. Anytime the person with eczema bathes or showers, make sure they use a very mild soap like Cetaphil, again, free of perfumes and dyes. Cetaphil makes liquid soap or bars.









PROPER MOISTURIZING:
Now this part is very important: The second they step out of the shower, have them towel off quickly and then immediately apply salve. The trick is to lubricate the skin before the skin fully dries, trapping in the moisture. My product of choice is Aquaphor. We have gone through SO many tubs of Aquaphor, they should send me a thank you card for keeping them in business ;) No really. It's expensive, the generic version is fine. Vaseline works really well too and is a much more affordable option. Regardless of the brand, salve is the thing to have. Rub it in all over. Legs, arms, waist, back, underarm, the inner elbow creases, the creases behind the knee. Eczema loves to hide there. Rub it in relatively well (otherwise the leftover salve will kind of stain their clothes & sheets by making the fabric look wet).  As far as bathing frequency is concerned, I've had some Dr.s recommend bathing everyday while others would say to bathe a little less often. Either way, as long as you follow the tips above, you'll be set.

And that is my advice on eczema treatment. For free. Once again, I must emphasize that this is many Dr. bills, hours and trials and errors in the making.  Let me know if you try it and whether or not it helps. I'd seriously love to know. Good luck in your quest to find happy skin.

p.s. Swimming pools are really tough on those with eczema. Shower a.s.a.p. after swimming to rid the skin of chlorine and remember to ALWAYS follow up with salve.

 p.s.s. If your kids have eczema, don't lose heart. 3 of my kids have pretty much grown out of it. Hallelujah.

Guardian of the Hearth

I wrote this a few years ago but thought I'd share it here with you. If you disagree with it or hate it, that's fine, we can still be friends. Just between you and me, I don't even have a fireplace. But I can still guard the hearth. . . 

GUARDIAN OF THE HEARTH

What is a guardian of the hearth? First, what is a hearth?
It is the floor of a fireplace.
It is a vital center of the home.
It is synonymous with the word “home” itself.
The hearth was a place where all in the house would gather for warmth, light, company, and nourishment. It was quite literally
The heart of the home.
           
Therefore, a guardian of the hearth is one who watches over and protects home and family. A guardian of the hearth can be anyone. But is most likely, you. A guardian of the hearth may have been trained to be such from childhood. A pillar, generations in the making. Or she may be a pioneer in her field. She may have a quiver full of children, a bustling household, a single companion at her side or perhaps she is a family of one. No matter, her well-being and her refuge is of sacred importance. And through the years, her residence may change, its residents coming and going through various ages, stages, and phases, but the hearth stays the same.

She should know that the foundation under her feet, supporting her world, is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. She is defending the key components of an eternal family; prayer, scripture study, Sabbath day observance, family home evening, and spiritual growth in general. She is watchful of the nurturing and overall well-being of each spirit in her charge. Including her own. If there is anything virtuous lovely, of good report or praiseworthy, she not only seeks for it but makes it readily available in abundance for all who pass by.

 Her motto is, “Charity Never Faileth” Her direction is heaven. Her refuge, on her knees.

A guardian of the hearth should be ready for battle. Daily battle. Dressed always in the armor of God. She is not afraid to recognize the enemy, identify his hiding places, his strongholds, nor his attempts to infiltrate and destroy all that she holds dear. She is not afraid of the enemy at all but rather stares him down with her head held high and with the strength of God, she crushes his head. 

A guardian of the hearth is not afraid to be recognized as such. She disregards the opinion of the world and rather, focuses on upholding righteous traditions and cherishing sacred moments. She is in the business of memory-making and is always in search of that positive teaching moment. She is always ready to learn.

A guardian of the hearth should never underestimate her calling, her God-given power, nor her un-acclaimed influence for good.

A guardian of the hearth is beautiful. She is a daughter of God and a child of light. Her countenance is His. When she gives of her time, she gives of her love and His. Her hands are His hands. Her purpose, His.

She should know that while in the service of God, she will never miss out on anything that is truly worthwhile. And if she is ever weary. If she feels run down. If she begins to question her validity in this world, she should remember that her work matters, that she is never alone. Angels will buoy her up. The Holy Spirit will guide and The Son of God  will carry her.

Peter, a guardian of the hearth, said to Tabitha, “Daughter, arise.” Christ says it to you; “Daughter, arise!” Don't be ashamed to stand in this holy place he has prepared and reserved for you. YOU are the guardian of this holy place. . . called home.
Take your place and guard it well.                                                                    


Artwork by  Helen Allingham, "In The Nursury"