**mamaw mo's sloppy joes: 1# hamburger browned & drained. 1med. onion, cooked with meat. 1 can tomato soup. season with a little: brown sugar, salt, pepper.  cook meat & onion, drain...stir in tomato soup and add seasonings. simmer & serve.

**deviled eggs: hard boil, cut in 1/2 (length wise kat :P ) put yolks into bowl. mix in miracle whip, yellow mustard, & to taste: sugar, salt & pepper. start with small amounts of miracle whip until you reach desired creaminess. just a bit of the yellow mustard. put into egg white and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika. ......fyi, i use the same method, only including egg whites, when making egg salad.

**Always keep some Dawn blue dish detergent on hand! it's a great stain remover!

**If you get an oily stain on your clothing, especially while eating out....no worries, simply grab that little pink package of Sweet n Low and sprinkle & rub into stain.  It will absorb the oil and you'll be good to go!

and that's it for now.....feeling brain dead! :)  

Never lose your sense of humor. ......if you don't have one, find one quick!

Smile. Make it a habit. And give one away every chance you get. 

Don't stay mad at one another! Families are big like they used to be and the closeness that once was common place has been replaced with distance and crazy busy lives. 

Make it a priority to get together! Continue to get to know one another as you grow into adulthood. 

Traditions....keep 'em, adopt them, make your own and enjoy them. They'll keep you connected to your family, past, present & future.

Forgive & move on. You'll be hard pressed to forget somethings but the healthiest thing you can do for yourself when you feel as though you've been wronged is to Forgive. Give it to God & be on your way. 

 Admit when you're wrong and ask for forgiveness when necessary. 

Stay in touch with one another. God and family! Stay in touch with both! 

Laugh ....daily, and often. 
 

What is love?

I remember thinking love had to be all about the butterflies and fireworks that you experience when you're with "the one". But then I realized that butterflies have a relatively short life span and fireworks go out just about as quickly as they lit up. Once I came to terms with that I really wondered ....What is love? 

What I've come up with is this....Love is something that has many different stages and is different for everyone. It's enjoying the person you're with and wanting to share most every experience with that person. It's realizing you share a commonality as well as many differences and appreciating one another. It's accepting ....as is, another and wanting to move forward with them. And it's forever changing. 

Be open to the changes your love story will take. And in those moments, should you have them, when you feel love is lost....remember what got you to the point of loving another. 

Live, Laugh and Love.... Gods greatest commandment is for us to Love. And to love Him above all others. 

Be happy!

Make the choice to be happy. Happy being YOU- for your just as God intended you to be. Happy in your situation, place in life, even if you're not quite where you want to be. Life is a journey and you might as well choose to enjoy the ride. Happy with the people you surround yourself with and with those you choose to call friends. Never allow someone to steal your joy/happiness. 

Now this doesn't mean that you should NEVER experience sadness, frustration, anger etc... or any other emotion, for those are equally healthy. But for the long haul that is this journey, choose HAPPY! 

So there you have it. Find Joy, live Happy and give glory to God for your life & the journey. 

I can't say this one enough..... Treat people the way you would want to be treated.  All people.  The the kind of friend you would hope to have for yourself.  Be toward your significant other the way you'd want them to be with you.

I'm not sure I've always been this way. And I'm not totally sure when I figured out just how key this is for successful, healthy relationships. All I know is that if you follow that simple rule you'll have relationships that will stand the test of time.

Those who might come into your life your life who don't adhere to the same principle will undoubtedly find their way out. Don't be fooled into compromising this principle, ever. Relationships are far to important, necessary and when healthy make this life journey all the more enjoyable.

Don't be too discouraged when you don't get back what you put out. Don't ever stop investing in others. And don't ever think there's nothing to be learned from those who come into your life, as well as those who leave it. There's value in everyone. Like the seasons some people will change, including yourself. As a result, there may come a time for moving on.

want a great peanut butter cookie?  Betty Crocker Peanut butter cookie mix (it comes in a pouch). THE BEST~  you can make from scratch and try out many many recipes but you'll be hard pressed to find one as moist & tasty.  my motto~ homemade means made at home! :)

Keep it simple and work smarter not harder!

Deviled eggs?  Egg salad?  well my add ins include: salt, pepper, a bit of sugar, miracle whip, & mustard. Just enough MW to make it creamy and begin with a "pinch/dash" of each of the other ingredients until you have the flavor you prefer.

Chili: don't forget to add a bit of a chocolate bar!

forget the fabric softener....get yourself white vinegar! i've done it for years....save your $$ and your clothes!

be sure to add white rice to your salt shaker. it'll absorb the moisture and keep your salt from clumping.

less is more! TRUTH!

record and save a snipit of your favorite people. their laughter, voice, all those things you'll miss when they're gone from you.

don't wait for tomorrow.....it's not guaranteed.

put it in writing / save the writing: if you love someone tell them. and put it in writing. (i'd give anything to have kept a card or note from my momma. she wrote many and always told me she loved me....now i can't find a one.)

bottom line....snack mix can be done in the microwave....IT'S JUST NOT AS GOOD!

be happy! Grandma Stroup always would always take inventory of my friends. She was quite insightful and often dead on re: their true selves. And the old saying "birds of a feather flock together" is full of truth!

Don't disregard the opinions of others. AND if you hear the same/similar criticism from more than one person pause and take inventory of yourself. KEEP IT REAL.

Not everything is meant to last forever. Know that there's a purpose for each person, situation, experience you encounter and have.