Hi there! I'm Becky, a wife, mom, and freelance writer. This blog is where I share things related to my interests, which among other things include geocaching, dogs, and improving my terrible cooking skills. Check out www.beckymuth.com for more about the books I write.
I look forward to reading your comments. Thanks for stopping by!
By now practically everyone has seen a Keep Calm sign, especially if you're on Pinterest or Facebook. However, if you haven't, it looks like this:
Where did these posters come from? Wikipedia states that: Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the Government of the United Kingdom in 1939 during the beginning of the Second World War, intended to raise the morale of the British public in the event of invasion. It had only limited distribution, so was little known. The poster was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of products.
And it's true. Everyone from Etsy to Amazon is selling stuff with variations of the logo, but did you know it's very easy to just make your own? And you don't need any kind of special program. Here's a quick screenshot tutorial of how to make your own Keep Calm sign using MS Paint.
1. Open MS Paint by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint
The rest of the steps are a series of screen shots because it was more fun than trying to type it all out.
And here's the finished product! Isn't she adorable?
Here's one I previously made for my friend Ellen, the proprietor of Bitchy Bee Aviary.
Here are some of the more unique ones I found while perusing Pinterest early this morning.
Why not make something with your new Keep Calm sign? Here's a card someone else made with theirs!
Today I went to make a gallon pitcher of sweet tea only to find that we had no sugar in the house. I know, I know. Regular readers will be shocked to know this. But the plastic Teddy Grahams container from the late 1990s that holds a full 10 pound bag while leaving room for the scoop as well was bare as Old Mother Hubbard's cupboards.
The tea bags were already seeping in boiling water and there's no such thing as un-sweet tea in this house. There was only one obvious, logical choice at this point. Instead of adding plain water to the rest of the gallon I added lemon-flavored Propel Zero. Hello, sugar-free Arnold Palmer! That little incident got me thinking about other things I could add to unsweetened tea to both flavor it up and cut back on the sugar. (I can almost hear Dawn smiling right now.) Here are some of the successes.
Lemon Propel - Or really, any flavor of Propel. I know I already mentioned this but it's got vitamins B, C, E and antioxidants. It has no sugar, no carbs, no calories. On the downside, it has 115mg of sodium (230mg if you drink all 24 ounces in the bottle), and uses sucralose (think Splenda) as a sweetener.
Honey - I love honey, but only if it's pure honey from a local source. Honey is not only one of the healthiest ways to naturally sweeten things, but local honey has been linked to helping relieve allergy symptoms from things like pollen and other seasonal woes. There is no downside to using honey. It's quite possibly the world's most perfect food.
Fruit - Olive Garden has a peach tea that's flavored with half a peach plus, I suspect, juices from the can. Canned fruit is okay, but go light or no sugar added to avoid the high calories. Fresh fruit is best, whether it's from a local source or fresh-frozen from your grocer's freezer.
Some things other people have tried are dandelions, cinnamon and apples, and even almond or coconut milk. The one that intrigued me most was mixing Greek yogurt, citrus zest, and iced tea frozen into cubes for a yummy smoothie.
What are your favorite iced tea flavors? Have you tried any of these? Any new suggestions? I'd love to hear all about it. And check back Thursday when I share some tips for living a thrifty lifestyle.
Words have been my friend since before I understood the definition of the word friend itself. One of my earliest memories is of my maternal grandfather writing my name on a bag of popcorn at the zoo and asking me, “Well, do you think maybe it’s for the person whose name is on the bag?” That was my name on the bag! I remember sitting on his lap at the kitchen table in the house where my mother grew up, reading simple words like CAT and DOG when he wrote them underneath stick-figure drawings of the animals. I learned to love words, and thus started collecting books.
However, by the time I reached high school I was more apt to read Stephen King than Shakespeare, king of the medieval stage. I shunned works like Beowulf and Oliver Twist. Pride and Prejudice? My prejudice against antiquated literature wouldn’t allow me to lower my pride enough to even consider it. (At this point I’d like to make a public apology to Susan Wall, my junior English teacher who painstakingly not only read but also graded an 11-page handwritten essay that passionately compared and contrasted the Stephen King books Salem’s Lot and The Shining. I am so, so sorry to have put you through that, especially after you specifically said how you were not a fan of his work; and even more especially after home schooling my own high school student.)
In the last few years I decided that in teaching literature to my sons, I’d use it as an opportunity to catch up on the books I’d skipped out on during that time in my own life. We read through Beowulf, then listened to snippets of an audio where the text was read in its original language, and finally watched a computerized Angelina Jolie portray the poor creature’s mother.
(Another apology here for my senior English teacher because first of all, I really was a pain in the butt while you tried to teach our class Beowulf, making jokes and flat out refusing to do the final exam. And to Carolyn Groves, my sophomore English teacher, Medea isn’t something we’ve studied yet, but it is on the list. Hopefully they put more effort into it than I did, as my final essay for your class had the oh-so-insightful theme of, “Wow, what a slut.” It was an antic that resulted in my failing English and spending 3 weeks in summer school while in Spanish class, ironically, I received a B for that same semester, a fact my family has yet to let me live down.)
We’ve covered Lord of the Flies, Treasure Island, A Wrinkle in Time, MacBeth, Tuck Everlasting (which had us all in tears), The Call of the Wild, and Oliver Twist. On my own I’ve revisited the works that did keep me up late at night through the last half of my public school education; Anne of Green Gables, To Kill a Mockingbird (I still cry at the end.), and the works of Lord Tennyson. Meanwhile, I’ve picked up some new favorites in the fantasy favorites which include things like The Hobbit and pretty much anything written by Terry Pratchett, as well as contemporary fiction writers like Anita Shreve, Wendy Corsi Staub, and Jodi Picoult. And I spent an entire summer dragging out Pride and Prejudice just so I could crush a little longer on Mr. Darcy. They do not make men like that anymore! But, I digress.
Why is classic literature important? Here are some of my theories on the subject.
Timeless themes strike a chord with every generation, and because of this literature is a great way to bridge gaps between generations. I know it was interesting to hear my boys’ thoughts on books I’d read at their age. Not only could I reflect on what I thought about the book then, but also I could compare it to what I’ve learned about life since and ask them thought-provoking questions.
Great authors of classic literature know how to write effectively. Obviously, they must have been doing something right if we’re still reading their books after all these years, right? That’s not to say there aren’t great contemporary authors of literature. I believe the perfect curriculum is open-ended with an eclectic mix of both classic and contemporary works to provoke young minds. Limiting curriculum to contemporary literature only is like teaching children about Clinton, the Bushes, and Obama without ever telling the about Washington or Lincoln.
A good book can change a person’s life, even if it’s only because it changed their opinion on something within their life. Good books are good because they stay with us, almost haunting us with their message. When I read Of Mice and Men, I was not expecting to feel such pity for Lennie, or tearing up at his inevitable end despite the parallel between his wanting to pet the soft things and the movie version of Frankenstein’s monster putting pretty things in the water.
I believe that those three things qualify a book as “classic literature”, or at least they do in my home school class. Regardless of your age, gender, race, or any number of orientations that make you the unique person you are, you need classic literature. Literature is the number one way to see the world and its various cultures without going anywhere, and if you aren’t willing to open your mind then you’re wasting a valuable opportunity.
One of the best ways I’ve found to get new reading suggestions is through my local book club, Literature, Libations n’ Laughter. Just the fact that every other meeting is held at a tavern bookstore alone implies the coolness of this group. Not only do I get fab reading suggestions, but I also learn things about my community that I didn’t know before, like who’s running for which political office and the importance of GMO’s. Earlier today I ordered some new books from Amazon and among the choices are a book about dogs, a book about a woman searching for her Armenian roots, a book about an orphanage, and a book about a creepy circus that only operates after dark.
What are you reading? What equates classic literature to you? And what are your favorite books? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments section. Happy page-turning!
See those ingredients? Add a Misto filled with olive oil (probably the only thing healthy about this dinner, but I'm sure Dawn has a healthy version to share in the comments below) and it's so yummy, your kids will be asking for seconds.
Directions:
Heat oil in a frying pan on top of the stove. Be careful not to have the heat so high that it scorches, lest your quesadilla have a burned flavor.
Place one small flour tortilla in the pan. Quickly spoon on 3 - 4 tablespoons of BBQ and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. The finer the shred, the more gooey it gets which helps the tortillas to stick together better. Keep the outer 3/4" to 1" of the diameter of the tortilla free of cheese and BBQ because it will spread out a little.
Quickly top with another tortilla and wait until the bottom begins to crisp with a golden brown color without scorching. (Which is why the Fireman cooks this mean, but I digress.) Use a metal spatula to check for goldeny-brownness.
Use the biggest spatula you have to quickly flip the quesadilla. Be careful not to mash or smoosh it. This might take some practice. The messed up ones taste just as good as the regular ones, but in the event that your family won't eat them, chocolate labs will. Those dogs are like goats in constitution.
When the other side is ready, again use your spatula to flip it but this time flip it right onto a plate.
Top with cole slaw, sour cream, etc. of choice.
We had these Sunday night due to the fact that nothing else in the fridge and pantry were teaming up to be a viable dinner option. We frequently eat cheeseburger quesadillas, so figured it couldn't be that terrible an idea to try the BBQ instead. It turned out really yummy.
So now it's your turn. What was your tastiest meal this week? Do you have a favorite quesadilla recipe to share? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!
Traveling with teenagers is expensive. What we save on hotels and attractions it seems we make up for in food bills. We used to stop for a small flavored milk or a juice box and a 25 cent pack of string cheese. Now, snack is a #10 with an apple pie. When did that happen? How do they even know what a #10 is? Why do kids need that many nuggets to feel full anyway? (It's rhetorical, Dawn. I know it's the preservatives and carbs creating a never-ending cycle of...yes, that. Oh fine, explain in comments anyway.)
Lately, we've curbed all the unhealthy snacking. Okay, fine, I will rephrase. Lately, we've curbed a lot of the unhealthy snacking while on the road, which it seems we are doing a lot of these days. On a recent trip to Fredericksburg, Virginia I booked a room at my favorite hotel. However, it was only AFTER hitting the send button that I noticed this one didn't have a mini-fridge or microwave listed with the other amenities. A quick telephone call confirmed that they do indeed have these extras at no extra charge, but guests must request them. Did I have a special need for them? "Um, I am traveling with two teenage boys and a fireman," was my reply. The woman laughed and said she'd make sure it was in the room and ready well before my arrival.
When I checked in, the clerk at the desk confirmed again that the mini-appliances were in place, and when we got to the room, there they were on the adorable little rolling cart. It might not seem like such a big deal, but here are a few of the reasons these items are a necessity when our family is on an adventure that lasts more than one night away from home.
Hot pockets. There's usually a grocery store near the hotel. We grab fresh fruits and veggies for snacking and something like hot pockets that are quickly microwaved to curb mid-afternoon or late night hunger pains. Better yet, if we're well stocked on these types of items in the big freezer, we go ahead and toss them in a cooler then refrigerate them for the duration of our trip. It's saved us a ton, and the boys tend to look at it as their own private mini-bar.
Free condiments. This is the honest truth, I once watched my Granny, rest her soul, refill a nearly-empty ketchup bottle from a large handful of foil packets of the stuff. It was a little ironic that the bottle was a generic brand and the packets were a name brand, but I digress. Condiments are free. You should never have to pay for condiments on a trip, unless you have allergies or just don't care for them. Jellies, honey, ketchup, mustard, mayo, and even things like cream cheese and coffee creamer are all given out for free at fast food restaurants and convenience stores if you just ask.
Sunny-D. I know it's not as healthy as orange juice, but I like to think it's at least a little healthier than soda. It comes in all those yummy flavors. It's dirt cheap. And it makes a nice fuzzy navel for the grown-ups at the end of the evening. But most importantly, it is a very good reason to not give the kids upwards of $3 per soda out of the vending machine depending on where you stay and which hotel chain you've chosen.
Leftovers. Once, we brought a foil tray of spaghetti that we had leftover from earlier in the week. It would have gone bad sitting in the fridge while we were gone. The foil, unlike a plastic casserole dish, is recyclable. Because the Fireman cooked it, you can bet it was better than anything we'd have eaten from a restaurant. And again, it was FREE. We packed paper plates and napkins that were in the box of leftover birthday party supplies. I think we actually had more fun sitting on the floor of the hotel room and eating picnic style than we would have if we'd eaten out.
Continental breakfast. Unless you have allergies or some other medical condition, there is no reason why you should ever have to buy breakfast while staying at a hotel. The Hilton line offers a kick-butt breakfast of make-your-own waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, and other yummy treats. The selection seems both seasonal and based on where you're staying. While one just outside of Richmond offered biscuits and gravy that were better than Chik-Fil-A (Yeah, you heard me!) the one in Waldorf, Maryland had bacon and eggs both days.
And there you go! What tips do you have for saving money on food (or anything else) when traveling with family? I'd love to read all your tips in the comments section. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Today's thrifty tip is something fun you can do with kids. It's very exciting. I wish we'd home schooled when the boys were younger and they would have gotten more out of this instead of just throwing rocks, namely at each other. The tip is - rock collecting!
Here are 10 reasons why you should start a rock collection with your kids.
It's free.
It gives you a chance to recycle things like egg cartons or any other box-like container where dividers can easily be divided for sorting.
You might actually find something valuable.
You will learn more about geography than you ever wanted to know.
Other rock collectors will be interested in seeing what you found.
The internet can tell you what kind of rocks you find, saving you from buying expensive rock-identification books.
It's a great family hobby.
You have to go outside and enjoy fresh air and sunshine to do this.
You can do it anywhere that there are rocks to be found (except National Parks, and on private property unless, in the case of the latter, the owner gives permission).
Collecting a rock from vacation destinations is much cheaper and more meaningful than a t-shirt that you'll outgrow or a coffee mug that will get shoved to the back of the cabinet over the stove.
And there you go! Because I live a stone's throw (haha, get the pun?) from a National Park, let me reiterate that you should never, ever, ever take ANYthing from National Park property. This includes but is not limited to rocks, shells, tree branches, pine cones, berries, sand, animals, insects, or anything else. They are serious. They will escort you to put it back.
The blog where I originally found these labels them Hasselback Potatoes. However, I like to call them Hassle-free Potatoes because, well, they are!
For one thing, they are visually pleasing. In fact, looking at this picture, my mouth is watering right now. And for another, they're so versatile it's not funny. It's really not funny! They're as good with bacon and eggs as they are with steak and a salad. My family is from Ireland (among other places) and they're a potato-loving bunch, so naturally this quickly became one of our new favorite ways to serve them. Today I'll share two recipes - one that's disgustingly unhealthily delicious and one that's a slimmer, trimmer version.
The Deliciously Unhealthy Version
3 large potatoes
Garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
Margarine, melted and lots of it
Sea salt
Pepper, freshly cracked
The Slimmer Trimmer Version
3 large sweet potatoes
Freshly minced garlic
Fresh unsalted butter or olive oil
Low-calorie sweetener, non-liquid form
Cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 - 425.
Starting with one end of the potato, make slits that cut almost all the way but not quite all the way through the entire potato. I made quarter-inch cuts on mine.
Add garlic between the cuts. You won't need a lot. A little garlic really goes a long way in this case.
Drizzle choice of butter (or butter-type product) (or olive oil) over the top of the potatoes.
Sprinkle on your salt and pepper or sweetener and cinnamon.
Bake for 45 minutes, checking at 20, 30, and 40 minute intervals.
You can also wrap these babies in foil and toss them onto the grill. They. Are. Delicious. If you have comments or ideas to share, I'd love to hear about them.
The Ancestry.com leaf seems to be everywhere. It's on banner and sidebar ads. It's in magazines. And thanks to NBC it's even on television in the form of the series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" I've watched both seasons and was suckered in from the first episode. But nearing the end of the second season, like Matthew Broderick, Paula Dean, Rob Lowe, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Sheen, and a slew of other American celebrities, I too wanted to know where my family roots began.
As a freelance writer, I stay fairly busy and kept telling myself that I didn't have time to research my family tree. And besides, I really wasn't ready to commit to the whole six months of Ancestry just to get information that was probably public record and that, in my opinion, should be free. Besides, my paternal grandmother, who was one of my best friends when I was a child, passed away in the spring of 2011 and I wasn't ready to dig up old memories. Nevertheless, the more I watched other people trace their roots, the more the idea nagged at me of tracing my own family history.
Luckier than most kids growing up, I had the benefit of knowing not only both my paternal and maternal grandparents, but I also was able to know and form a relationship with a set of great-grandparents on either side so I had a good handle on what was what for nearly three generations before me. And I'd tried tracing my family tree before, having much more luck with my husband's side of the family than my own. He's a third-generation American linked to someone who'd done all the difficult work of tracing the overseas lines, which was a great boon. But my family - especially on my dad's side - hails from places that make Walton's Mountain look like Times Square in comparison, and extracting information was like pulling wisdom teeth with a pair of pliers.
Finally, I told myself when I was done with a certain number of jobs that I'd sign up and begin researching. After completing a few jobs after that, I caved and went through with it. By the next day, I'd rushed through, leaf-clicking through all the way back to Adam and Eve. For those of you who think I'm joking, here it is:
The Christian in me believes that we all descend from Adam and Eve. Well, except in the case of my husband's family; he staunchly debates that they're descended from monkeys. This usually results in mudslinging and insult throwing with words that involve big words, such as neanderthal. And in the end I usually give in and say something like, "Fine, honey. Your family is descended from monkeys" in a tone that implies that's probably not a great social compliment. But, I digress. While it was cool to see some kind of tangible, if not completely trustworthy, link from my name to Eve, the First Woman of Mankind, the more I dug the more discrepancies I found.
Take for instance the man who had a birthday that reportedly took place not only after his wife died, but also after his son was born. Oops. I'd love to believe everything everyone has posted to Ancestry.com but unless I see proof in the form of some kind of resource or record. The United States Federal Census is one reputable source. Records for births, deaths, funerals, weddings, and selective service are all legitimate forms of documentation - as long as the person was honest when filling out the original paperwork; or when the person writing got everything correct, in the event that the family member couldn't read or write - a common problem in my family line.
However, I also found some really cool information. William Harris, 6x great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary War in the 10th Virginia Regiment commanded by Captain John Gillison. According to a hand-written documentation dated October, 1820, he enlisted in January of 1776 and served for three years, before being discharged at Morris Town, New Jersey. He was transferred there to the company of Washington's life guards, commanded at that time by Major Gibbs of New England. He fought in several skirmishes and was in the Battle of Monmouth Court House in New Jersey. He was not directly involved in the fighting as he was detached as one of the guards to the general's baggage wagon.
After serving in New Jersey, he went on to fight in the Virginia Militia, and was present for the capture of Lord Cornwallis at the siege of Little York. I am inclined to believe that it's true because I found court documents written up by a court official and signed with his mark, as pictured below. Also pictured below is an excerpt from a book titled Report of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9, which lists all Revolutionary War soldiers. The information in the book backs up the statements in the court document.
If you're thinking of tracing your family tree, my advice is to go for it. When using a company like Ancestry, also keep a copy on your home computer - but back it up on a cloud drive or some other form of storage not associated with the hard drive built into your computer. Don't take anyone's word for it when you find something cool. If it seems too good to be real, about eighty percent of the time it probably is; but don't give up because until you find the documentation for yourself, you never know. One of your ancestors could have fought along side mine in the Revolutionary War. Or he could have been aboard the vessel of that other ancestor we don't really like to discuss, who sailed his pirate ship into the wrong port, was fired upon, and sank into the murky depths of some sea over in Europe.
Speaking of Europe, Ancestry also has a British version of "Who Do You Think You Are", and whether you've seen the American version or not, it's worth spending 15 minutes to watch at least one episode. Here's one of my favorites.
Have you ever thought about searching for your family tree? Have you ever tried it? I'd love to hear your stories about your own ancestors, both the commendable and the kooky.
While at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store a few weeks ago, we saw a bunch of cabinet drawers. They had a little smoke damage on the inside, but the outside was a lovely, dark wood with a unique, dark silver knob. And the best part was, it was only $1!
Initially I used it as a type of pseudo-basket to carry around my handfuls of odd bits of junk for making pendants; you know, items like the bolts, the washers, the weird-looking springs. By the time I got to the register I'd formed a relationship with the drawer, and I couldn't let it go. My inner hoarder clung to it like the Goonies' Chunk on a Baby Ruth candy bar.
Once I arrived home with it, my husband patiently set it aside in the spare room, atop the pile of stuff that's waiting to be made over into something wonderful. Fortunately, the drawer didn't have to wait that long. Inspired by the interior design at Beans in the Belfry, We already use desk drawers along the wall in our bathroom to store rolled-up towels, extra TP, and other necessities.
There's a space on my bedroom wall that was begging for a filler piece, but I hadn't found anything I liked to go there...until the drawer made its way into my life. I left the front of it natural, and left the knob in place. A bit of acrylic paint brightened the inside of the drawer, and a few cup hooks finished off the ensemble. What at one time would have headed for the landfill now holds all my necklaces, pendants, and a few bracelets.
Here are some similar projects that I found online.
I love the idea of using the flatware sorter for this project.
I never would have thought to use this kind of drawer for jewelry, but now I totally will be on the lookout for them at the flea market.
How cool to add little drawers inside the drawer!
What did you make this week? I'd love to hear about it in the comments section!
Another ingenuous idea born out of my dual quests to first, spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and second, avoid using the fire extinguisher ever again. And another thing, I hate washing dishes. We lack non-human dishwasher around here. Therefore, a lot of stuff gets cooked in ways that uses as least amount of pans as possible; on the grill, in the microwave, in foil pans in the oven, you name it, including in the waffle maker.
Here's my recipe for waffle iron french toast. And be sure to check out Dawn's version, which will most likely be soy and gluten free, in the comments section below.
SUPER YUMMY INGREDIENTS
1 egg for every 4 slices of bread
2 tbsp vanilla-flavored creamer
2 tbsp your favorite orange juice
dash each of nutmeg, and cinnamon (which we now leave out due to allergies)
bread of choice
DELIGHTFULLY EASY DIRECTIONS
Whisk all ingredients except bread in a glass dish.
Dip the bread as you would when normally cooking French toast.
Place slice in waffle iron and cook for just under the duration that you would cook a traditional waffle.
Serve with choice of toppings like butter and syrup, or berries and whipped cream.
4 TERRIBLY HELPFUL TIPS
You can use sugar-free creamer, or even another flavor.
Orange drink doesn't work so well as real orange juice, but SunnyD works in a pinch.
We used refrigerator biscuits (uncooked, letting them "bake" in the waffle iron) but Texas-cut or any other thick-sliced bread would be super delicious.
It's easier to dip the bread if you're using a square-shaped glass dish instead of a round one, for square-shaped bread.
Do not cook eggs in your waffle iron as it comes out a hot mess and isn't really as clever for real as it was in your mind.
Enjoy your Tuesday, and whatever you're eating I hope it's something especially tasty.
Christmas in July certainly isn't a new concept by any means. The southern hemisphere experiences winter while the top half of the world is in its summer months. They've been shifting holidays according to the weather for generations. Here's a brief timeline of things you may not have known regarding the un-holiday.
1894 - In the English translation of Werther, a French opera, a character responds to a group of children who, in the middle of July, rehearse Christmas music by remarking, "When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season."
1933 - Camp Keystone, a North Carolina summer camp for girls, celebrated Christmas in July with a tree, gifts, and even a visit from the man in the red suit himself.
1940 - Hollywood released a comedy titled Christmas in July, in which a man mistakenly believes he's won $25k in a contest. He not only goes hog wild with the Christmas-like extravagances towards his friends, family, and neighbors, but he also asks his girlfriend to tie the knot.
1942 - Calvary Baptist Church, located in Washington, D.C., celebrated the holiday early so that its congregation could spend the rest of the year focused on serving in missions which took place around the globe. A few years after the first event they began sharing the celebration with listeners outside the church by broadcasting it over the local radio airwaves.
1944 - In hopes of promoting an Early Christmas Mailing Campaign for service men and women stationed across the Atlantic during World War II, the United States Post Office teamed up with officials from both the Army and Navy to throw a luncheon which was repeated again the following year.
While many people are perfectly comfortable waiting for December to enjoy the world's biggest holiday, there's really no reason to wait. Cue up the Christmas station on Pandora. Do random acts of selfless kindness. Take one small portion of your day and give up that bit of time for someone else. Stop waiting, and start giving.
The same holds true with Thanksgiving. If your time and budget don't allow you to prepare a turkey with all the fixings, consider baking a chicken or some Cornish hens. Since it's summer time, cook them on the grill, or just cook side dishes like corn on the cob and baked sweet potatoes on the grill. There's no reason you can't top a baked sweet potato with butter and marshmallow fluff.
When it comes to holiday celebrations, the date on which the celebration takes place should have very little to with the holiday itself. The important thing is that you share it with those you love, whether it's the family you were born into or the family life gave you.
I'd love to hear your comments on the topic, and will be back to read them just as soon as I'm finished watching my favorite Christmas movie. Here's a clip for you to enjoy, too!
Yes, I know it's Friday but I posted Tuesday's on Monday, so now we're even.
Today's thrifty tip is all about recycling something old into something new. The plastic, metal, and paper containers that we toss out, if flattened and smoothed, can be used in lieu of most any other material for crafting items that would typically call for fabric or leather. Here's a great example of a purse that was crafted from soda cans.
I saw this and it got me thinking, what if you could use non-traditional materials to create other things? What about a soda can vest? Or a gift bag created from squares cut from either cardboard food containers or plastic water bottles? The possibilities are endless, and patterns are found from one end of the world wide web to the other. Here's one for making a teddy bear. What will you upcycle today?
