Please Share!

We are looking for people to share ideas on simple decorating tips, traditional recipes, gifts to make, a healthy holiday, things to do and see in the DC area over the holidays, etc.  If you have any great ideas send Julia S. an e-mail with your post so we can all enjoy this great season.

Reflections on a Consecrated Life

 We were favored with a beautiful lesson today by Julie F.  She taught us from Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk entitled “Reflections on a Consecrated Life.”  Here are a few thoughts and quotes that were shared.

·         We all want to dedicate, or consecrate, ourselves to the Lord, but we have to find balance.

·         “Our life on earth is a stewardship of time and choices granted by our Creator.”

·         The way we live a consecrated life may be different for everyone, but Elder Christofferson gives us five elements of a consecrated life to “consider” as we “reflect” on how to do this.

1.      Purity – “Consecration therefore means repentance.  Stubbornness, rebellion, and rationalization must be abandoned, and in their place submission, a desire for correction, and acceptance of all that the Lord may require.”

2.      Work – “Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God.  A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”

a.       Leisure – “Just as honest toil gives rest its sweetness, wholesome recreation is the friend and steadying companion of work.”

3.      Respect for one’s body – “A central purpose of the mortal experience is that each spirit should receive such a body and learn to exercise moral agency in a tabernacle of flesh.”

4.      Service – If we want to be like Christ, we need to do what He did.  “Those who quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good offer a model of consecration.”

5.      Integrity – “Hypocrisy is terribly destructive… It is faith destroying, whereas honor is the rich soil in which the seed of faith thrives.”

·         “Of particular significance is the influence of a consecrated man or woman upon others, especially those closest and dearest.  The consecration of many who have gone before us and others who live among us has helped lay the foundation for our happiness.  In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters.  May we consecrate ourselves as sons and daughters of God, ‘that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope’ I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Healthy Cooking: Cookies

            You are in your kitchen, preparing to bake up a storm and you pull out the first ingredients...  Two cubes butter, one cup white sugar, one cup brown sugar...  
            Whoa there!  Stop.  Reverse.  Do you really want to put all that in there?
             Okay, what is healthy cooking?  Is it even applicable or is it just for those crazy health fanatics (all organic, everything from scratch, vegetarian, fat-free, no sugar added)?  
            I have news... You Can Do It!  You CAN cook and eat HEALTHY! (And you don't have to be a CRaZy health fanatic).
             Let's start with something everyone loves... COOKIES!  Can you have healthy cookies without surrendering the gooey, yummy, sweet flavor?  YES!  Okay, maybe not completely healthy...  Maybe just a little less unhealthy, ruin-your-diet-less-quickly, kind of cookies.
             Let's address the first ingredient: Butter.  The hint of salt, buttery flavor is desirable, but Oh!  So unhealthy.  Maybe we can make some substitutions.  Ever thought of throwing in some beans instead?  I learned this tip from my mom.  White (I use Great Northern) beans, soaked, blended up, and you can freeze them in 1/2 cup balls.  My mom substituted these bean balls for half the butter in our cookies all the time while I was growing up and no one ever knew the difference.
            I did a small experiment.  I was curious to see and taste if there was difference between my normal cookie recipe and my bean cookies.  So I made two batches of cookies.  I used all the same ingredients (except bean substitution), mixed all ingredients in the same order, and cooked both batches 11 minutes…
            Results:  My bean cookies came out of the oven beautifully.  Perfect, round little cookies, lightly browned, came off the pan easily.  
            The butter cookies came out more gooey.  I had to let them sit on the pan a few minutes because they crumbled when I tried to take them off the pan.  They also melted into a flat cookie.
            Taste test: the butter cookies won.  Some had a hard time choosing which cookie they liked more, but everyone I asked eventually came to the same end result.  Most people like the gooier, buttery cookie.  However... no one disliked the bean cookie.  
            Conclusion:  When the cookies were compared side by side, the butter cookies won.  However when tried alone, the bean cookies got good reviews.  Myself, I love the healthy and tasty cookie best.

           

            A week after my first experiment, I tried a second cookie make-over.  Getting even more healthy.  I replaced all the butter, some of the sugar, and the white flour.  In my Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies I used white beans, honey, wheat flour and oats.  With these new ingredients, you might be able to use up your dusty food storage in your cookies!

            There are lots of healthy cooking tips that I’m sure you use and many of us don’t know about.  I’ve talked with several people who also use applesauce to replace part of the butter.  Leave your comment… What are your healthy cooking tips??

 Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies (healthy version)

Cream:

½ c. blended white beans

½ c. coconut oil

½ c. brown sugar

¼ c. honey

*(Next time I think I will add some applesauce replacing part of either the beans or coconut oil, just to give it more good flavor).

Add:

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

In a separate bowl combine:

1 c. wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Then add to wet ingredients.

Add:

3 c. oats

1-2 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

Bake @375 degrees for 11-12 minutes.

** (The white beans and coconut oil are a substitute for the butter or shortening.  Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, heats to a liquid and actually has many health benefits.)

** (There are other sweeteners that can be substituted for sugar like sucanat and stevia.  However I don’t have these in the house and I haven’t done the research on them enough to give a good recommendation).

            Watch out, I may be springing these cookies on you at a ward gathering soon!

By McKell P.

SOS - "Family Pictures for Charity!"

My thanks to all the families who supported my SOS activity- "Family Pictures for Charity!"
Together we raised $200 to buy Christmas gifts for needy children in our area!!   The money will support Reston Interfaith's "Gifts for Kids" drive.  I registered with the organization and they will send me wishlists to fill (I asked for five, so each of my kids could participate. Yes, even the baby!  ;)  Can't wait!

I believe Cindy P. already posted the link, but here it is again, in case you'd like to participate as well.  http://www.restoninterfaith.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=124904   


By Emily T.

Craft: Love Sac

There is a company called Love Sac that makes really big bean bag chairs.  Our creation was based on their bags but we spent less then $10 on it, so we think of it more as a "Trash Bag."  How the "Trash Bag" came to be...

Our "Trash Bag"

 We had an extra couch in the house for a couple of days and I started thinking, "what could I do with this?"  Just before it was taken away by someone on craigslist an idea started forming. This brought about a hunt for couch cushions.  We found them on craigslist, as people carried them to the dumpsters (hence "Trash Bag"), and even got donations from friends that heard what we were making.  We decided that if we cut the foam cushions into 1 inch squares it would be flexible enough, but also hold a bit of it's shape. We cut, and cut, and cut.  We found faster ways to cut by using a knife and sawing large lines and then breaking the pieces off. The quality of the foam made a huge difference on how well this worked, the newer the better.  The newer foam was a little more firm, less rubbery, and usually had a lighter color to it.

1 inch foam squares

 We soon found we needed something large to fit all these foam pieces into.  The answer was a queen duvet cover.  However, it was the wrong shape, so we needed to create our own bag.

Queen Duvet

  Once that was getting pretty full we made an 'inner sac' out of old twin sheets that we got on freecycle.  We simply decided what size and shape we wanted.  After that we sewed two sheets together and made some squares on the end with a third sheet.  We also used a zipper (the only things we bought were zippers) on one of the little sides so that we could still stuff the foam pieces into the sack.

Inner Sac

The outer cover used to be a micro-suede couch cover that a friend was going to trash.  Brian unpicked it and cut it into strips.  Since it came from a couch, there were a few different widths but there were two large sections that fit the shape well.  We also added a zipper to this bag.  However, this time we did it along one of the long seams so that it would run the length of the bag and could slide over the inner bag.  Having the two bags makes it so that we can remove and wash the outer cover without having little foam pieces all over the floor.

Outer Cover with Some Monkeys

Though we did have to dump the foam squares out at least one time.  The kids still beg for us to pull the foam pieces out to play in.  

Playing in the foam

But they also have fun jumping, climbing, flipping, and rolling across our bag.

Using it as a slide

Mindy's post got me thinking and I remembered something I have made to sit on.  We would love to read your ideas too!

By Julia S.

Heavenly Father gives us the chance to Repent

Today, Melanie G. taught a beautiful lesson on repentance.  Here are a few thoughts from her lesson:

·         Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave us the opportunity to repent.  We have the “privilege” to repent.

·         Repentance has existed from the time of Adam.  The Lord instructed Adam, “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence” (Moses 6:57).

·         There are seven steps to repentance:

1.      We must recognize our sins.

2.      We must feel sorrow for our sins.

3.      We must forsake our sins.

4.      We must confess our sins.

5.      We must make restitution.

6.      We must forgive others.

7.      We must keep the commandments of God.

·         True repentance is a true change of heart.  It doesn’t mean that we won’t ever mess up again, it just means that we don’t want to. 

·         Repentance is hard, but things that are hard are worth it.

·         We read about the repentance of Alma the younger in Alma, chapter 36, verses 12-14 & 17-21.

o   “But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.  Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.  Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.”

o    “And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.   Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”

By Emily W.

Healthy Cooking (Learning about Nutrition)

  We live in a fabulous world with a surplus of food; a nation where we can have a meal in no time flat.  With a thing called “microwavable meals” we become magicians in our own kitchen.  With only the press of a button, minutes later a hot and steamy meal magically appears.  Driving?  Out of time?  No worries, just hit the drive-through, no need to even stop or get out of the car, just be ready to make the catch!  Or if you’re not the best receiver on the team and pushing buttons isn’t for you, your meal may come delivery.

   With ready made meals, does anyone cook anymore?  And what does healthy even mean?  If ice-cream fulfills our dairy requirement, Minute Maid takes care of the fruit, and Cheetos count for veggies (after-all, they LOOK like baby carrots), does that mean we have a well-balanced diet?

   I’m of the opinion that most people WANT to eat healthy, or at least know they should.  Making that happen though is an altogether different story.

    I have a confession, I don’t have a degree in nutrition (this is something I aspire to), I’ve taken only one college nutrition class, and what I eat isn’t always 100% healthy.  Pretzel M&M’s are my weakness and I’d probably choose a bag of those over lets say an apple or a nice broccoli tree.  My blogging about nutrition is all to do with the RS IT Specialist being my visiting teacher and looking desperately, I’m sure, for someone to blog for the Relief Society, why else would she ask me? 

   I do however try to eat mostly healthy.  I love the subject of nutrition.  I love learning about it and trying to apply what I learn to what I cook and eat.  I am amazed how what I eat contributes to how well I feel. 

 With that in the open, as long as you don't judge my posts too harshly we can discuss, blog and comment back and forth our thoughts on nutrition.

                 
 Here are some of nutrition sites and blogs.  Some are my go-to favorites and some are really good to reference:

Health Castle  http://www.healthcastle.com/

Nutrition Info  http://www.calorieking.com/

My Pyramid  http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html , http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx

Green Smoothie Girl  http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/

Unconventional Cooking  http://unconventionalkitchen.blogspot.com/  (http://www.unconventionalkitchen.com/)

         "There is nothing difficult about healthy eating. It is simply a common-sense approach to food that is easy to live with, once you get used to it."  Health Castle

By McKell P.

A Classic...

Last night, Trina, Nan, Tracey and I went to the temple to do family file names for Larry L.  It took over two hours to get there. We had one of those classic temple trip experiences where everything in the world happened to discourage us from going.  First it was the traffic, then a little car accident caused by some overzealous drivers.  When we finally pulled into the parking lot, Tracey said, "I don't have my recommend!" 

We pressed on, tracked down the Bishop, and were finally welcomed inside the temple. It was all worth it when we felt the warm spirit of the temple and helped Larry get some important work done.  

If you are attending ward temple night Saturday, please pick up one of Larry's names in the family file and help us finish this work. See you Saturday night at the 6 p.m. session!

by Laurie T.

Crafts: Re-upholstered Chairs

We got these chairs from my parents when they updated their home two years ago. They were thinking of throwing them out but I quickly interjected and made plans to re-upholster them. 

 These chairs have beautifully carved backs and legs (wish I could say the same thing for myself.) The only thing in need of a makeover was the cushions. We found this great textured fabric from The Upholstery shop (on Elden St) and began the transformation. We saved the original foam, but you can easily change it out for your own chairs. We used a staple gun to attach the fabric to the chair.  The trick is to start in the middle of one side, making sure your design is centered, then going to the opposite side and staple in the center of that side to create tension.  You will want to keep pulling each side tightly so there is no slack in the fabric.  We alternated stapling opposite sides then moved on to the other two sides continuing the same pattern until the whole piece of fabric was stapled.   After the fabric was attached, we cut the excess off and covered the trimmings with gimp.  You can find a varied selection of gimp at any Joanns Fabric store.   

I must admit Ricky did most of the work, and I'm sure he did much better than I would have being the perfectionist that he is. I think they turned out well and look much better in our living room than they would have in a dumpster! 

We did another chair make-over with a chair that sister Laurie T. gave us.  The chair was in really good condition so there was no maintenance necessary.  We wanted to experiment a little bit more with this chair so we decided to paint the wood then get a fabric that matched to cover the padding with.  First, we took off all of the old padding and fabric.  Next we sanded all of the wood then painted it with a white primer.  After several coats of paint we got out our staple gun and added the padding and fabric.  We used a sealer for the wood and finished the fabric edges with more gimp.  

We really enjoy "up-cycling" furniture and figure it is a good way to beautify our home and be green while saving some green as well.  I know we have many creative individuals in our ward who have more great ideas.  Have you ever up-cycled furniture?  Completed a craft on a budget?  Feel free to provide your ideas and share the creative wealth!  

By Mindy G.

SOS: Gifts for Kids Drive and Bargain Loft Donations

Reston Interfaith is a great organization that provides lots of opportunities for groups/individuals in the community to serve.  They have a "Gifts for Kids Drive" that is an easy way for families to donate to kids in need during the holidays.  Here's a link with more info.  It might be a nice thing to let people know about.

by Cali E.

____

The Bargain Loft needs quality donations such as household goods (dishes, silverware, sheets/towels, etc.), jewelry, artwork, antiques/collectibles and nic nacs. We also need name brand (ex. Talbot's, Ann Taylors, Tahari, etc.) women's clothing drycleaned on hangers. 

Donations can be dropped off during business hours which are: Tuesday - Friday 10am-3pm and Saturday 10am-4pm. We can make arrangements to pick up if you have a van full of donations. Please call me at 703-437-0600 to make arrangements.

by Cindy P.

SOS: Nonprofit Needs Volunteer AND Turkey Trot

A few more thoughts on Service coming your way!
This Nonprofit organization needs your help http://herndon.patch.com/articles/nonprofits-in-need-of-volunteers-this-holiday-season

Also THIS Saturday @ 4 PM is the Herndon Turkey Trot

"A turkey and all the trimmings will be given to the overall male and female
winners. 
Registration forms will be available at the Herndon Community Center
Or online at www.herndon-va.gov.
Online registration is available at
www.active.com.
Pre-registration - $15 and a can of food for donation.
Race Day Registration - Adults: $20 and a can of food for donation;
Youth (age 18 & under): $15 and a can of food for donation.
All food will be donated to LINK."

Season of Service -- Remember the Troops!

Trina and I spent the day filling Christmas boxes for Operation Support Our Troops, Inc.  While shopping at Costco recently, our stake RS president noticed a lady buying huge amounts of food -- crackers, cakes, treats, and decorations.  She said, "You must be having a party!" The lady said, "Well, not really.  I'm shipping Christmas boxes of goodies to our troops!" 

Ever the wise and ready servant, Claudia said, "Do you need some help?"  

Phone numbers were shared and a friendship was forged right there in the Costco cracker aisle. So today, a few sisters from each ward in the stake met at the home of the cofounder of this charitable organization and we assembled festive boxes of holiday treats to ship overseas to wish our troops a Merry Christmas.  

We were reminded of how much our troops are doing for us in our ongoing war effort. We heard stories about some of their sacrifices, including one about a soldier who lost both his legs in battle. The storyteller stopped herself after saying, "He lost his legs" and said, "No.  I prefer to say he gave his legs, not that he lost them." 

A powerful reminder of what the men and women in our armed forces are doing for us!

If you are interested in doing something to support the troops, go towww.corpsofsupport.org for more information.

I know you're all out there doing good deeds in your schools, neighborhoods, families.  Share your stories ladies.  Let's pump up the energy for this season of service! Let's get the ideas flowing!

By Laurie T.

Faith in Jesus Christ

We were favored today with a lesson from Jean M. on Faith in Jesus Christ.  Here are a few thoughts from her lesson:

Why do we need to have faith in Jesus Christ?

In this life, it just doesn’t always turn out the way you think it’s going to.

How do we have perfect faith?

In 2 Nephi 9:23, we read: “And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.”

As we continually repent, our faith grows stronger.  Building faith takes time.  The Lord has time.

Our faith will grow as we show our faith in Jesus Christ, not faith in the results that we think should come.

by Emily W.

How We Roll!

Judge Not

We had the pleasure of learning from Shauna L. today as she discussed President Monson’s talk entitled “Charity Never Faileth” from the General Relief Society Broadcast.  Here are a few quotes that were shared:

There is really no way we can know the heart, the intentions, or the circumstances of someone who might say or do something we find reason to criticize. Thus the commandment: “Judge not.”

Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”⁵ The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”⁶ I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot.

I consider charity—or “the pure love of Christ”—to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.

I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.

There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere.

Needed is the charity which refuses to find satisfaction in hearing or in repeating the reports of misfortunes that come to others, unless by so doing, the unfortunate one may be benefited…

Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.


by Emily W.

SOS: Kicking Off A Season of Service

At last night's Relief Society dinner, we kicked off "A Season of Service," which we hope will be a fun way for us to find new ways to serve each other and our communities.  Nan T. is leading the charge on this project and she shared some great ideas with us about things we can do to get involved, share our talents with others and "add substance to our souls" through helping others.  

Our goal is to see what good we can do in the world when we're all working together as a group of women on the Lord's errand.  Our official "season of service" will culminate in a celebration of the Relief Society program in March. Since one of the primary purposes of Relief Society is to provide relief, we thought focusing on service would be the best way to honor this amazing organization of women in the church.  

Nan put her artistic skills to work and created a new bulletin board for us by the Relief Society room.  Make sure to check it out.  It's not only a piece of art, it has a a plethora of ideas to spark your imaginations about the diverse service opportunities all around us.

Be creative and have fun with this and then share what you do so that you can pass on new ideas.  If it's not a secret act of service, take photos and share them with us on the blog and on the bulletin board.  Get your kids involved, reach out to your neighbors, plan on providing service to others for the holidays.  Organize a group of friends, families, couples and do something together. Think of your talents and find ways to share them.  

You don't need to feed the continent of Africa or end homelessness, you just need to find something that works for you in your current circumstance in life that will make the world a better place for someone else, and then have fun doing it!  

We can't wait to hear from you!

SOS: FISH / Bargain Loft

(Blog Note: SOS will come before posts dealing with the Season Of Service... you can also look it up by the label topic on the side bar)

I’ve volunteered for several years now with a local organization called FISH (Fast, Instant, Sympathetic, Help).

Specifically, I volunteer at the Bargain Loft as a cashier on Saturdays.  And it’s really, really fun and easy!

The Saturday shifts are broken into two shifts: 10am to 1pm; and 1pm to 4pm.

Earlier this year, I also volunteered to be in charge of the Saturday scheduling (the woman who normally does it was leaving town for an extended period).  I send out msgs to a roster of volunteers to fill the Saturday shifts for the month.  Just a minimum of 3 hours a month is all that’s required—easy peasy!  Of course, you can sign up for more shifts that just one!  I’m volunteering three shifts this month, due to lack of volunteers.  We desperately need more Saturday volunteers!  Also, there are folks who volunteer during the week, but I’m not involved in the M-F scheduling, just Saturdays. 

 

Check out this website re FISH and the Bargain Loft.

http://www.herndonrestonfish.org

By Cindy P.

Wow!

When we were called as the new Herndon Ward Relief Society presidency, we had one reaction: WOW!  

WOW that we get to be part of the leadership of a Relief Society full of smart, sassy women who inspire us at every turn. 

WOW that we get to work under the wise, gentle tutelage of Patricia M. 

WOW that we all get to be here together in Herndon Ward to work, learn and grow together.

Wow, wow, and wow!  

We love our ward.  We love the power of the gospel in our lives. And we love learning from each other, becoming better friends and serving each other.

We also love staying in touch.  

What better way to do that than through our own blog?  

So, welcome to our blog and thank you to our blogging queen Julia S. who is our new RS IT Specialist.  (How awesome is it that we have our own IT specialist in Relief Society?  Watch out Elders and High Priests, we're moving out way ahead of you in the world of high tech...)
My favorite quote of the week was Julia's facebook status that said:  "Nothing screams "NERD" like getting called as the RS IT Specialist."  Love that!  Welcome aboard Nerd Julia!

Our blog idea emerged after hearing comments about wanting "more" of one thing or another -- more dinner ideas and menu planning tips after the Food Network activity or more tips after the parenting panel. We thought it would be a fun idea to create a place for more of the good stuff that many of us want.  And the best part is you don't have to go anywhere, make or buy anything or even get out of your pajamas to check in with us.  It doesn't get much better than that now does it?
So stay tuned as we try to spin out useful, fresh and fun information about what's happening in Relief Society and whatever else tickles our fancy!
by Laurie T.