Marie Kondo Konmari-ing My Closet - Thanks To Princess Two

Princess Two came down for a visit for a few days to help me get motivated to go through my closet. I appreciate that she was willing to do that for me. I realized that I have a lot of court documents in my closet and because they were in there, I didn't want to see them and threw stuff on top of the totes as to not have to look at them. 

I decided to get them out of my closet and go through my clothes as I wasn't wearing many of the clothes and was hoping to have lost some weight by now to get back into some of my favorites. 

I have to realized that even if I did lose weight, I would want to get new clothes so making that realization was good and I was able to get rid of much of the clothes in my closet. It feels good to have my closet be functional again for clothes rather than documents. I still have some files to clean out but it is getting there! I love organized things! 

Have a Blessed and Organized Day!  

Working Hard In The Yard

 I have been working hard in the yard over the past few weeks. I got three of the back fruit trees pruned.

I also weeded the front yard and side yard and started working on the back areas. There is such a mess back there as I have avoided working in the area. With the neighborhood cats using it as a little box, I have avoided doing anything with it in the past year or two.  

I got bark put around the base of the pruned trees and they are looking good. I weeded the center section of the back play area under the hammock but with several of my girls coming home for visits, I haven't gotten to the rest. 

Today was the first day that wasn't raining in the evening for weeks now and I was able to get out and weed part of the trampoline area tonight. I am hoping to be able to finish the rest of that area this week. It will be nice having that area done and looking better. 

I spent hours picking up wood and card board to put down as a base in the area and need to finish putting down some barrier and then putting down the rest of the black bark. 

I still haven't got the back sprinklers working yet, but I am excited to get more things done. I need to prune the big tree and the lilacs along with the other fruit trees. 

I also want to put up a new tire swing for the grandchildren as well. I am excited to have it be a place where they can play safely.  

I am excited to be getting into a useable form. Have a blessed day! 

An Email With No Pictures from Princess Five - Missionary Moment

Hola! Hola!  

Last week I may have been asked out on a date by a 9 year old but this week I got asked if I would marry a 60 year old man. So I'm really excited to see how this next week goes.

This week we did a lot of finding! And let's just say that park contacting is definitely a new favorite of mine! 

We met dad with 4 daughters, they were the cutest little family, it reminded me of all my sisters! I really hope that we can meet with them again this week. We met several other young families, and we set up return appointments with most of them as well!

We were talking to a man in the park who had some questions about which church was true, so we asked him if he has time later when we could teach him, and he said he had time right then, so we shared with him the restoration and he is excited to read the Book of Mormon and we have another lesson with him next week!

One of the member families in our ward lives right next to the park, and so our dear friend Hermano Al often goes for walks in the park. He is the Cutest old man, he walks around the park, and just is everyone's friend and shares the gospel with them. Talk about a member missionary. His wife died exactly 2 years ago and he has the strongest testimony of the plan of salvation and he loves God so much! During this whole conversation he was holding an ice-cream bar, and an ear of corn still in the husk. At the end of this conversation, he offered us the corn which was still warm from being cooked, we shucked it and ate it right there in the park as he struggled to open his very melted ice-cream, it was an over all very good day! And, over all, very good week!

Something I've really been really trying to focus on this week, is just doing things, if that makes sense. I read a really good talk by Elder Eyring called "Do Not Delay" from October 1999. Basically, just don't procrastinate. That's something I've always struggled with, but I know that the future can be a much happier place if we just care and prepare for it.😊

Love you all,
Cuídense
Hermana Princess Five

Sorry I didn't take any pictures last week😅

Three Bag Sort - Knives - Jewelry - Belt Buckles For The Win

Once again it has been awhile since they have had much jewelry at our local second hand store. I went the other day with Princess Two and they were bringing out a new cart which had some jewelry on it.

I am not excited about the new jewelry person as the bags are super empty with maybe ten items or less and they are usually $20 or more and there is not much silver or gold, if any in them. 

I didn't have time to go through them until today. In the first $7 bag, I was really surprised to see  this beautiful piece of art belt buckle. It is really unique. Over the years, I have seen many buckles, but none as intricate as this one. I had not heard of the company either. I looked them up online, and many of their buckles are silver and they have been around for years. They were the first company to innovate machinery streamlining the process and yet keeping the art and individuality of the pieces. 

I couldn't find any exact buckle in any of their archives or catalogs. The belt buckle isn't magnetic, so I think it may be silver but I couldn't find any markings on it. The company buckles online are anywhere from $60 to $200. 

The reason I bought the bag in the first place, was two Asian Japanese looking vintage belt buckles. I found several online from $50 to $200. One looks silver and the other brass. 

There was also a Harley Davidson Buckle in great condition and they are going for about $40 used online. 

There was a silver bracelet from Italy by a designer in the $5 bag. 

The bag of knives was $7 and I got a sharpener for camping in a leather case which is about that price so the other items were bonus. The reason I bought the bag was the Japanese knife. I was hoping it was a bit older than it is, but I do think it probably was donated by the same person donating the two belt buckles, so I am guessing it is an item sold in the 1950's to tourists. 

Not a bad haul for less that $20. I hope you all had a blessed Memorial Day! 

Memory-al Weekend With Princess Two

Princess Two called me at the beginning of the week saying she was thinking of coming home for the weekend. She was asked to teach a lesson at her church and told me that she probably wouldn't be coming at the end of the call.

Later, she let me know she had decided to come home and help me get through some stuff. I was very excited as I LOVE it when the girls come home for a one-on-one visit. I tried not to get excited in case things didn't work out how I wanted it to, but was letting my excitement get the best of me when she texted saying she was on her way! 

I went and picked up some groceries and a few movie rentals to watch while she helped me go through some things to get rid of stuff. We thought about going to a movie and maybe dinner, but in the end, I made a really yummy fish, chicken, rice, beets, corn, and herbed potatoes dinner which we both really enjoyed. 

We picked up some sushi after going to a store and finding some treasures and then watched a few movies while giving each other foot rubs and working on projects. 

Sunday we attended church and enjoyed the meeting where people shared their favorite hymns and why it is their favorite. We would then sing one verse of each hymn. She came to choir practice with me as we are working on a really tough song to sing in a few weeks. She wanted to get some pictures with some of her favorite people at church who really influenced her during her teen years. 

I got a picture with one of my oldest and dearest friends in town and another of my second oldest friend in town who is responsible for me getting the home I live in now. She is the choir director and our pianist was gone today so she led the choir and play the piano for us. She is one of the sweetest people I know. Look at her beautiful smile! 


We then took a walk to the town cemetery and while walking down the street that ends at the cemetery, the wind caught all the flags and it was just so beautiful seeing all the flowers and flags. Singing all those patriotic hymns, having all the veterans stand at church, and seeing all those flags at the ceremony really touched my heart. I am so grateful for those who have served our country and especially those who lost family members to that service. 

It was a beautiful day and walking the cemetery with one of my girls made for such a lovely experience. I felt truly blessed for all God has given me. 

I hope you are having a blessed Memorial day!  

Refinishing and Fixing Up A Leather Treasure Chest / Box

I shared yesterday about how I got this cool vintage looking leather treasure box. 

I spent some time today fixing it up. I cleaned the leather, wood and interior of the box using totally awesome cleaner from the local dollar store. I then used Sharpies to fix scratches on the leather and wood sections. By using a similar color marker to the leather, I used the Sharpie to fill the scratches and then used my finger to smooth it out and blend it in. 

I used Elmer's Glue and super glue to fix any tares and glue back a strap. I let that sit overnight and then used the tacks to strengthen the straps. 



I used upholstery tacks that were brass to replace lost ones but they were a bit long and came through the top. I used a Dremel cutting disc to cut down the stem on the upholstery tacks. They were brass in color and then I used spray paint on the tip of a rubber glove to finger paint the tops of the brass upholstery tacks to make them match the color of the original tacks. 

I used packing tape wrapped around my fingers in a loop with the sticky side out to clean the inside of the box of any lint, dust, or dirt. 

I made a video of the process and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

Have a Blessed Day!

Blessings From Doing Service

Over the years, I have learned that each time I go do service, I always end up being blessed in some way. I found some items for my sister at a second hand store today and I called her to come check out the items I had in my cart for her. 

She come to the store and as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed that in the back of the store, there was this treasure box. If you remember, I have a game that I play at extended family get togethers using boxes called "Either - Or" and here is a link to that game. 

I was going to ask the workers at the store if I could buy it and my sister said, "That is my mother-in-laws chest." She asked them if she could have it as it was supposed to be hers. They gave it to her and she in turn gave it to me. 

I loved that I called her to help her and in the end, I was helped. This happens so often in my life. I am blessed. 

Have a Blessed Day! 
 

Best Nail Polish Holder Around - Hot Wheels Car Door Storage Pockets

It has been many years since I posted about doing pedicures on my girls every Friday night. I used to give them pedicures and pick up a pizza and movie most Friday nights if we were home. We had that tradition for many years. 

When my girls come home to visit, I usually give them a pedicure at some point in their stay. It is something they love to do, and it shows them that I love them and I enjoy spending that time with them. We either talk, or watch a movie, or both. 

I haven't gone through and cleaned out my nail polish in a very long time. Princess Five graduated several years ago now and I know I haven't done anything with them since before she moved out. 

It really has been a long time. I figured that many of them would be sticky and hard. There were also colors that I don't think I need as the style has been bright and bold for many years now. 

I decided today to go through them all as it was raining outside and I couldn't work in the yard and it was something I have had on my "list" to get done. 

I thought I would get rid of my cute little door nail polish holder, but in the end, it is still a better and more convenient way to store all the polish. It remains upright, you can see every color clearly, it is a space saver, and it allows for quick picks as the colors are all coordinated, and all the sparkles are together, all the smelling top coats are together, and it even has a cool little pouch for all the stickers and gems along with files etc. 

I ended up throwing out about 20 or more polishes, and then just color coordinated the rest. I figured I may as well keep the cooler colors as you never know when you may need a specific color and it is the same amount of space either way. 

It feels good to have that organized and all in one spot. I don't need the black case anymore. 

I am glad I thought of using that Hot Wheels case as it is the perfect way to store them all. 

Have a Blessed and Colorful Day! 

Princess Five Going on Splits - Trading Companions For The Day

This week was FILLED with adventures! 

We've had two lessons this week with our good friend Dino! He is so excited to learn about God, and the Book of Mormon! He has such a desire to feast upon the word of God and take it all in! Also he's absolutely hilarious! He told me he's going to buy me a bike for my birthday, and that when I come back to visit after my mission, he will let me drive his truck.

Sister companion and I drew the Plan of salvation in chalk on the ground in the park twice this week, once by ourselves and once with the English sisters, it was really fun, and a lot of people saw it, and we got a return appointment from it so that was really cool!

We went on exchanges this week, and I was with Hermana not my companion, and she is Incredible!! We had a busy day that day and taught 4 lessons back to back, I learned so much from her, and we had so much fun the whole day! 

We were contacting people on the street before an appointment and there was this lady who looked like Barbie kind of, but also looked Hispanic, so we started contacting her in Spanish, and this is how our conversation went more or less. We said "Hola como esta?"

And in a valley girl like voice she said "Oh you speak Spanish, that's so cute!, where is your family from?"

(Everyone in both of our families are very much from the US) so I said, "my grandparents are from Portugal", to which she replied, "so you're not American, Bye Jesus Girls!" As she walked away, it was super funny. At the end of exchanges we all went to a Thai ice-cream place that was 10/10! 

I got asked out on a date by a nine year old while we were walking down the street.

We went with the English sisters to the very south part of our area to help a member move another member to a new apartment, but when we arrived, the members wife said they wouldn't be back for a couple hours... what? So as we were walking away, one of the members of the stake presidency stopped us and bought us all Snapple's. 

I contacted a drunk man in the park and afterwards, he flew away like an airplane.

This week we were street contacting and we started talking to a mother named Sara who was sitting on a park bench, we asked her to read a verse of the Book of Mormon, but she didn't have her glasses so she held it up to her daughter standing behind her so they could both see it, and they read it together, and it was just the cutest image of this mother sharing the gospel with her daughter, and I started tearing up a little, and I just want everyone to let the gospel bless their families, but even if they don't, I'm grateful I can!

Love, Hermana Princess Five

Life Updates, Parasite Updates, Hater Forgiveness and Prayer Pattern

(The pictures are not mine. I got them online. I tried to get older pictures that probably aren't under copyright.) I had several different things I wanted to share in an update video so I went ahead and made one today. I share about what I have been doing in my life lately. I share what I have been eating and taking to give me some energy. I share about working in the yard this week. I share about the parasites a bit and how some symptoms are getting worse. 

When I put iodine on my skin when I get a parasite sore or have a rash, it makes the parasites migrate somewhere else in the body. I had one on my right leg this week and I could feel a VERY long parasite migrate into my left leg and I have also been having more sharp pains around my body. One of the most disturbing issues I am having, is the parasites that are a bit larger are burrowing at the back of my eyeball. It wakes me up many times and it is so disturbing to feel that feeling and not be able to do anything about it. It feels like you got something in your eye between your eye and eyelid that was moving around but it is at the back of your eyeball. 

My eyes are hurting more often and I believe that is due to the amount of parasites in the eye and that they are getting larger as I haven't taken anything to keep them down in a few months now. I need to take the time to try some new therapies and am calling a new company tomorrow. I hope they can help me. 

I also talk about "haters" on the internet and how I found that not reading the comment or dwelling on it can really heal and by imagining myself giving the mean person to Christ, and blocking them from my channel, has really helped me focus on the good rather than the negative.

Lastly, I have had questions over the years on why I believe that prayer works and some doubters have commented over the years. I think there may be people out there that have never prayed in their life or have only given "standard" memorized prayers and really don't know how to give a genuine individual prayer. I share the "outline" on how to pray and how it has blessed my life. 

I had a friend tell me onetime that God is a loving Father in Heaven and he would do anything a loving parent would do. I took what he shared to heart as I used to only ask for help if it was something I couldn't do for myself. I learned from my friend that God WANTS to help his children. He will do anything He can that we ask, if it be for our good. So, I started asking for things I wanted and needed and have had SO many MIRACLES in my life through prayer that I KNOW it works. 

First, The pattern for prayer is shown in the "Lords Prayer" by opening with directing it to the Father. I saying "Dear Heavenly Father" like I would my own father, but others say "God," or "Our Father Who art in Heaven."  Truly, I don't think God will care how we open it if we are sincere and humble before Him. 

Second, is to SHOW GRATITUDE by thanking Him for all that we are blessed with. Most of my prayers are gratitude prayers. I say many throughout the day for little things that I feel I am blessed with. God is so good to us. We could be living in a garbage dump or vegetative or other horrible situations. I count myself blessed daily just to be living where I live, have food, shelter, a healthy body, for the most part, and a loving family. Knowing God exists and is my loving Father is probably on the top of that list as I know with HIM, all things are possible. I always share with my kids that the one that comes to me and tells me "thank you" is the one I want to share more with because I know they appreciate what I do. 

Third, you ask for what you want and need. If you ask for something over the top, you probably won't get it, but I wouldn't rule it out. I think God gives us what will be for our best outcome and I think HE knows that a sincere follower would ask for things in their best interest, or for the interest of others. When asking for someone's healing or health, or other big things, I always end with "if it be Thy will." as I know that sometimes death and trials are for our best growth potentials so it is HIS will . 

Lastly, you end, "In the name of Jesus Christ" or "through Christ" or any way using Christ as the "go between." as it is ONLY through Christ that we can be saved as he is the one that took upon Himself our sins with the Father so we could be saved. So, end it in "HIS" name and then finish with an "Amen" to close the prayer.  

I shared a situation at church last week when a father texted his child from the stand suggesting that the child get up and bear testimony of Christ. The girl got up and shared with the congregation that her father challenged her through text to get up and share. She texted him back, "Challenge accepted." and we all laughed at that. 

It was just after that that I felt a strong feeling that I should get up and share that God "texted" my heart asking me to share my testimony of Christ. I do believe that God can and will "text" us with little messages He wants us to know. Some ways I know a message is from Him, is if I find a coin that say, "In God We Trust" on it. Also, 111 shows up when I think He is trying to get my attention. I also hear a song with a special lyric that pertains to the situation I am having. I will have a thought or memory come into my mind about a situation and there is just a different feeling about promptings than a regular thought I would have. It almost feels like the thought is written in DARK SHARPIE in my mind and it is telling me to "Pay attention to this thought" so I hope that you can start to experience that type of communication from God and know that HE is your Heavenly Father and HE loves and cares about each of His children. 

I hope you have a Blessed and Prayer filled Day!