May 25, 2012

flag freath

Looking for a simple, easy, red-white-&-blue wreath?

  • wreath form – foam circle or a frame
  • crepe paper
  • tape

Secure the crepe paper to the back of the frame with tape & wrap around as desired.  Turning at the corners required a couple separate pieces.

A simple painted cookie cutter star, hung with elastic jewelry thread, finishes the piece.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.  It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”  ~ Arthur Ashe

May 21, 2012

summer rules

  1. Thou shall be kind, considerate & respectful to all regardless of sleep hour total.
  2. Thou shall make the bed each day by 10am-ish.
  3. Thou shall clean up & put away one’s own breakfast, lunch & snack dishes.
  4. Thou shall clean the floor AND chair AND surface at the conclusion of eating or drinking at ALL times.
  5. Thou shall execute regular daily & weekly chores with a positive attitude.  (fake smiles count)
  6. Thou shall have the opportunity to earn money based on set job choices.
  7. Thou shall engage in consistent reading.
  8. Thou shall earn brain bucks as desired.
  9. Thou shall abide by screen time parameters…self-regulation preferred
  10. Thou shall enjoy summer through pursuing talents & interests, being active & creative, having loads of fun, & chilling out with family & friends.  Carpe diem, baby. *  **

“But if we have food & clothing, we will be content…”

1 Timothy 6:8

failure to follow summer rules will result in one of the listed TBD responses:

  • ignore + love
  • address + love
  • love

side note:  (Of course we know consistency is key…however, being unpredictable & random has benefits, too…plus, grace goes a long way…)

**  all rules are subject to change, morph or cease depending on the day

“It is easier to rule a kingdom than to regulate a family.”  ~ Japanese Proverb

May 16, 2012

mango lassi

Mangos…a puzzler to find the fruit around the odd-shaped seed & tough skin, but worth the effort!

A simple summer yummy ~ 1 cup cubed mango, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, 3-4 tsp. sugar, dash cardamom

Blend & serve!

“They don’t have a decent piece of fruit at the supermarket.  The apples are mealy, the oranges are dry… I don’t know what’s going on with the papayas!”

~ Kramer, in “The Mango”

May 10, 2012

mission accomplished

The arbitrary, self-imposed goal of blogging daily (minus weekends & vacations) for one year has been reached!

  • 255 posts
  • 6,385 views all-time
  • 765 tags…good grief.
  • 26 followers – awww shucks, y’all are sweet

Now…shall the blog a day continue…?  hmmm…   Inspiration drives motivation, therefore:

inspiration = a blog post

Comments welcome.

“Only in testing do people discover the nature and depth of their character.  People can say anything they want about their values, but when the pressure is on, they discover what their values really are.”  ~ John Maxwell

May 9, 2012

fried rice

Cook up the following recipe for an easy, healthy meal option during the week.  Prepare the following:

  • slightly undercooked rice (1 cup raw)
  • vegetable assortment, diced - celery, onions, carrots, bok choy, ginger, garlic, frozen peas
  • scrambled eggs

  • saute onions, garlic, ginger in sesame oil
  • add vegetables & saute
  • stir in rice
  • fold in cooked scrambled eggs
  • add ground coriander & soy sauce, season to taste

“He that takes medicine & neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician.”  ~ Chinese proverb

 

May 8, 2012

lincoln lesson

How is it that my 2nd grader knows Lincoln was shot behind the left ear but I didn’t?  hmmmm…maybe a retention or recall issue…?  Faulty cells!  Too bad books like Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly, or anything other than a drab textbook, weren’t required reading back in the day.  Certain brains learn better in story or visual formats!

Cover

The thing about history or thinking about anyone else’s life, is that we’ll never really know the entire story!  A continual exercise in pondering, wondering, & supposing conclusions.  Mental entertainment?

“The more I see the less I know for sure.”  ~ John Lennon

May 7, 2012

bandana-rama

The super versatile square.  Not only used in the traditional sense – keeping hair back or using as a handkerchief…  Try:

Bandana apron… from Martha Stewart

Check out this cute apron for kids….& make a matching one for their dolls!

Bandana table runner from Country Living:

Pinned Image

One of the great perks with bandanas is the edges are finished.  Table runners can be sewed or glued together (iron-on adhesive), simply tied together at the corners, or held together with sewed on ribbon.

Bandana napkins from all you:

Easy summer crafts

Simply search “bandana crafts” images to get more ideas!

May 4, 2012

master makeover

The master bedroom is a work in progress.  It wouldn’t take so long if… a) I weren’t as “frugal minded” & if b) I weren’t as patient to find exactly what my mind’s eye holds.

Here’s the transformation on the wifey side of the room – snore bore matchy dresser before:

After!:

All that for less than $150.  Sold the old dresser on Craig’s List for $150, bought the new for $150, chair $35, mirror $50 Hobby Lobby, lamp $25 Target, dogwood picture (moi) $5 winkflash, frame $25 Kohl’s.  The double frame – $1 thrift shop – actually has b/w family pics but for the blog, scrapbook paper.

I used blue painter tape to decide where to hang pictures & mirror.  Originally, a shelf was in the plan, but I decided that it would be too heavy & disturb balance.

Of course, fresh flowers are a must

“Design is the method of putting form & content together. Design, just as art, has multiple definitions; there is no single definition. Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”  ~ Paul Rand

May 3, 2012

dollar decisions

Helping kids understand money, budgeting, spending, etc. can be tricky, but as with most topics, starting conversations early works.

Dave Ramsey’s Generation Change curriculum gives lots of ideas, direction & principles.  To assist in teaching children & teens about money, consider these concepts:

  • when making purchasing decisions, remember to use value judgements rather than impulse, fads, wants
  • money is finite…
  • learning how to save & invest means being proactive, persistent & patient
  • money is emotional – be careful of its power
  • money takes on our character

“If you want to be rich, simply spend your life buying assets. If you want to be poor or middle class, spend your life buying liabilities.”  ~ Robert T. Kiyosaki

May 2, 2012

chopped challenge

An entertaining, thinking game providing a canvas for creative culinary practice…try a spin-off of the Food Network show “Chopped” with the kids.  (I will not lie.  A bit of mental prep for parents is needed.  Try to be impervious to the mess & lay down the law requiring all players to clean-up at conclusion!)

The hubster picked four ingredients, usage of pantry items, & 30 minutes for the participants to concoct an appetizer.

  • yellow pepper
  • greek yogurt
  • italian salami
  • roasted almonds

The final plates:

A previous episode’s dessert ingredients:  bananas, graham crackers, cottage cheese & pistachios

Next time there is “nothing to eat” in the house, find four ingredients & declare a chopped challenge!

“I have a good collection of cookery books. This is not so much because I like cooking, but because I like eating.”  ~ Louise Brown
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