tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61157188543265988052024-03-04T23:18:15.339-08:00I am a BuilderBuilding the most important things in life one step at a timeJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-7316377674022367102018-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:002018-02-16T06:00:18.619-08:00Three Bean SaladThis recipe came from my mom, and it is one of Camille's favorites. If I double it, people complain that there's not enough. So I have already doubled the recipe so when <i>you</i> double it, there will actually be enough.<div>
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Drain:</div>
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2 cans wax beans</div>
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2 cans green beans</div>
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1 can kidney beans</div>
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Chop 1 Cup of each:</div>
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onion</div>
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celery</div>
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green bell pepper</div>
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Mix it all up and marinate at least a few hours (or better yet overnight) in:</div>
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1 1/2 C Sugar </div>
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1 C oil</div>
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1 C white distilled vinegar</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp pepper</div>
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Tip: my mom taught me when you are doubling recipes you should never double the salt. True? I don't know, but I definitely follow this rule and have never been dissatisfied.</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-43690432331567569992018-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:002018-02-15T08:00:01.626-08:00LasagnaI thought I lost this recipe and nearly proceeded to have a heart attack. I can NEVER lose this recipe, and it's getting hard to read so it's definitely time to post it. It's just sooo <i>easy </i>and sooo <i>delicious</i>. I think I found it in a Kraft magazine. You know, those things we used to get recipes from before <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/imabuilder/">Pinterest</a> and blogging were a thing. Without further ado, the best lasagna in the world.<br />
<br />
16 oz. cottage cheese (2 cups)<br />
2 1/2 C shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided<br />
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese, divided<br />
1 T plus 1 tsp dried parsley<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten<br />
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce<br />
1/2 C water<br />
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (optional)<br />
11 lasagna noodles, uncooked<br />
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1. Mix 1 1/4 C mozzarella cheese, 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, parsley, and egg until well blended. Set aside.<br />
2. Pour spaghetti sauce into meat skillet. Swish water in jar to get all spaghetti sauce and add.<br />
3. Put one layer of the meat sauce on bottom of 8 x 11 in. baking dish.<br />
4. Layer four lasagna noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture, and a layer of meat sauce. Repeat layer and top with remaining 4 noodles and sauce.<br />
5. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 C mozzarella cheese and 1/4 C Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350.<br />
6. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until bubbling. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-75709722077191078272018-02-13T22:54:00.004-08:002018-02-13T23:15:40.300-08:00Aunt Margie's Potato SaladMy dad used to hate potato salad. At a family gathering my mom noticed him take a token portion of potato salad. And then he went back for more. And more. So naturally she had to get the recipe. Thank you Aunt Margie.<br />
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10 small new potatoes (red potatoes) boiled with skins on; peel and dice while hot<br />
10 hard boiled eggs<br />
4 green onions<br />
2 C real mayonnaise (original recipe calls for 3, but I find that to be too much)<br />
2 T white vinegar<br />
2 T sugar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
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<br />Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-89737257883512646892013-10-29T12:49:00.001-07:002013-10-29T12:49:40.374-07:00How to Estimate Utility Bills<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://wilkinscontractinginc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/home-energy-audit2.jpg" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><a href="http://wilkinscontractinginc.com/energy-audit/" target="_blank">Picture Source</a></i></span></div>
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We are currently house hunting, and all of those uncertain expenses that come with owning a bigger home are weighing on my mind. We looked at a beautiful five bedroom home the other day, but with all that extra space would come a higher utility bill...as expected. But how much higher? How do you estimate those additional costs?<br />
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Through our local power company I found a resource for <a href="http://c03.apogee.net/calcs/rescalc5x/Question.aspx?hostheader=tacoma&utilityid=tacoma" target="_blank">estimating your home energy cost</a>. Your estimated cost will depend on the house details, your appliances, and your usage. If you are shopping for a new home, knowing the following about your potential house will help you accurately estimate your future energy costs:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Is the home weatherized?</li>
<ul>
<li>By owner?</li>
<li>By Professional?</li>
</ul>
<li>Wall insulation thickness</li>
<li>Ceiling insulation thickness</li>
<li>Floor insulation thickness</li>
<li>Windows (single or double pane?)</li>
<li>Type and age of heating system</li>
<li>Type, age, and location of water heater</li>
<li>Type (energy star?) and age of appliances that come with the house (stove, dishwasher, etc.)</li>
</ul>
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This fun calculator will also give you tips on how you can decrease your energy costs in the future. It's a great tool that I will definitely be using when planning our budget for our future house!</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-55547438324407769042013-07-16T09:31:00.000-07:002014-10-15T16:09:50.833-07:00How to Read Crochet Charts<div style="text-align: center;">
I found this <a href="http://handmadefree.com/2011/09/22/crochet-pattern-for-pretty-skirt/">pattern </a>on <a href="http://pinterest.com/imabuilder">Pinterest </a>for a crochet skirt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xg4fopqrm-HcmFiE3EYt_ooI9uuCzjVB8btX7LXTQa5niCO6yPtjwOStLfJh5s5BQ49I3OliFYfahAcnWQAGWMxep2DeWZwSmFhgZbQVKcw0QIgjGYOq7z5-qsIvrQMja1r0ieco7T0/s1600/crochet+skirt+trim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xg4fopqrm-HcmFiE3EYt_ooI9uuCzjVB8btX7LXTQa5niCO6yPtjwOStLfJh5s5BQ49I3OliFYfahAcnWQAGWMxep2DeWZwSmFhgZbQVKcw0QIgjGYOq7z5-qsIvrQMja1r0ieco7T0/s320/crochet+skirt+trim.jpg" height="320" width="314" /></a></div>
I especially like the trim and thought it would be fun to crochet this to a slip and wear as a skirt extender, BUT...I don't know how to read crochet charts.<br />
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I did some researching and found a couple excellent resources for crocheting using a chart. Here is a pdf from Redheart yarn on how to read the <a href="http://www.redheart.com/learn/articles/learn-crochet-crochet-diagrams" target="_blank">symbols in a crochet chart</a>. This <a href="http://bynumber19.com/2011/10/01/tutorial-how-to-read-a-crochet-chart-diagram/">tutorial </a>shows you how to read the actual chart once you know what the symbols mean.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G29qHqD5NsUv4qcvIjyjYWlJmOYse_QFy9Upzu-5O0x3kFNuIzjdBMv_bMMuPDVtY0fTLF53vX39WuW8IOc1DgaaX8oNOKhteFVsS2uUtdDBB_9G7S9FspjftAVYQrcM7gz3jA5863I/s1600/skirt+extender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G29qHqD5NsUv4qcvIjyjYWlJmOYse_QFy9Upzu-5O0x3kFNuIzjdBMv_bMMuPDVtY0fTLF53vX39WuW8IOc1DgaaX8oNOKhteFVsS2uUtdDBB_9G7S9FspjftAVYQrcM7gz3jA5863I/s400/skirt+extender.jpg" height="400" width="210" /></a></div>
Skirt extenders add a little length to skirts a little too short to be comfortable and add a touch of femeninity to an otherwise ordinary outfit. Hopefully these will come in handy when I get around to making my fabulous skirt extender!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-27993396372007517972012-10-27T16:57:00.002-07:002012-10-27T16:57:30.381-07:00Slacker Blogger Clean Up<em>Peril of a slacker blogger: Posts from nearly one year ago still waiting to be published...</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWzALclB2PQP0Pxd38nFGyhoKTpZwcyYFyaLiEvqgvBqz9_rI41FPPVl-U7gb3gyuQSeqdznLKGPShIbPMh-ZvX0kpCGWyfVPO2ITF2ReIaOtqib1XtDQPtmuITrz8J_qdQaAUTEGv9o/s1600/mr+clean+magic+eraser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWzALclB2PQP0Pxd38nFGyhoKTpZwcyYFyaLiEvqgvBqz9_rI41FPPVl-U7gb3gyuQSeqdznLKGPShIbPMh-ZvX0kpCGWyfVPO2ITF2ReIaOtqib1XtDQPtmuITrz8J_qdQaAUTEGv9o/s1600/mr+clean+magic+eraser.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">picture source</span></a></div>
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I attended a wonderful class <strike>last month</strike> last year at church on cleaning your home. There were some great tips that I want to remember, but I certainly don't need another piece of paper lying around waiting to be lost. So hopefully these tips and tricks turn out to be helpful! I'll update as I try them.<br />
<br />
Have you ever thought about putting Rain X on your outside windows that get direct rain? You get fewer water marks and don't have to clean your windows as often!<br />
<br />
Spot X is supposed to work miracles for getting hard water spots off your faucets. For the edges around your faucet, use a ceramic razor blade or plastic putty knife.<br />
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Pumice stones help remove hard water deposits and stains in toilet bowls.<br />
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Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works in the shower. I've never used it for anything other than crayons and pen marks an the wall {and let me tell you, I LOVE Mr. Clean. He's the second best man in my house!}<br />
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I guess it's time to clean the bathroom and see if these really work!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-63552523783052299962011-12-21T16:29:00.000-08:002011-12-28T21:57:31.004-08:00Random Act of Kindness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I had a rough morning. I know as a mother I’m supposed to be the one who holds it all together when everyone else is falling apart, but I just couldn’t do it today. One kid woke up cranky and got another kid cranky, and I joined the cranky team. My great wisdom and many years of experience failed me big time.</div>
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I seriously couldn’t figure out how I was going to get in a better mood. I didn’t want to listen to music. I didn’t want to read. I didn’t want to go on a walk. I really didn’t want to do anything. Suddenly I remembered something I saw on <a href="http://pinterest.com/imabuilder/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. One woman spent her 35th birthday doing 35 random acts of kindness with her children. I didn’t have all day to do random acts of kindness, but I did have a half hour. </div>
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I loaded up the kids and grabbed $3 in quarters. As I handed out the quarters to the kids, I explained that we were going to be Santa’s helpers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first the kids were super excited, but after seeing the neat things in the candy and toy machines they wanted to buy something for themselves. I reminded them that today our treat was to give to others, and they quickly got back into the spirit of things.</div>
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<a href="http://www.4mega-vending.com/images/machine-pics/bulk/3select/closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.4mega-vending.com/images/machine-pics/bulk/3select/closeup.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
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We had so much fun running from store to store leaving little surprises for some lucky kid to find. We went to a strip mall so they would all be close together and hit Albertsons, Ace Hardware, Dollar Tree, the laundromat, and Blockbuster. As we were running over to the bank, Camille said she felt warm inside and that she knew that was the Spirit. Tate told me he felt “very smurfy.” {Has anyone else seen The Smurf’s one too many times?} As we were looking for a candy machine, the teller at the bank asked if she could help us. Unfortunately the only candy they had was what the tellers hand out to the kids, which sparked an idea. We asked if she would give our quarter to a kid who came in to the bank and wish them a Merry Christmas from another kid helping out Santa.<br />
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It was the best medicine EVER. Seriously. If you're having a rough day you should try it. If you need ideas {or even just one!}, <a href="http://ticklestogiggles.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-birthday-was-awesome.html" target="_blank">here</a> is the original post.</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-86145400495935870562011-12-21T09:30:00.000-08:002011-12-21T15:11:54.787-08:00More Healthy AlternativesI like to eat healthy, but I sooo enjoy having some sugar. Sometimes I'm looking for a "more healthy" option rather than a healthy option :) So these tricks probably aren't for the person on a diet, but rather the person looking to cut back a little. Did you know you can substitute applesauce for vegetable oil in almost any bread type recipe? I had a friend in college who was an excellent baker and she taught me this trick. I've used it in store-bought cakes and muffin recipes.<br />
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I hate having to buy special ingredients for recipes {especially perishable ones}. It seems I only use a small amount and then the rest of the container goes bad because I don't know what to do with it. One such ingredient for me is buttermilk {which I rarely use in baking or cooking} so when a recipe calls for it I make my own from scratch. Not only do I save money and avoid waste, it also contains less fat - especially if you use skim or 1% milk. Put 1 Tbs. lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and add milk until you have one cup. Let this mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before using in a recipe. Can't tell the difference!<br />
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If these tricks sounds familiar, it might be because I posted this information in my "<a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/12/mommy-can-i-have-another-muffins.html" target="_blank">Mommy can I have another" best ever bran muffin recipe</a>, but sometimes it's helpful to have the info right in front of you. Or maybe you didn't even see these substitution tricks because you tuned out when you saw the words bran muffin. It's okay. Not everyone likes muffin tops. Or bran. But now you have a couple more tricks up your sleeve.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-35523980431701179502011-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:23:30.157-08:00"Mommy can I have another" MuffinsTate told me this morning that he can eat five of these in one sitting, but I cut him off at four and handed him a yogurt. My kids absolutely LOVE these muffins. The recipe makes about three dozen, and they're usually gone within 24 hours. The nice thing, is that if your family knows how to pace themselves {unlike mine} the batter can be refrigerated for up to two weeks so you can pop them in the oven and have fresh, warm muffins anytime you like. This is especially handy on busy work or school mornings. I haven't tried freezing the batter yet, perhaps I'll give it a shot next time. Without further ado, here are the best bran muffins ever {at least, they're the only ones I've ever enjoyed}.<br />
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<u>Bran Muffins</u><br />
2 C All-Bran<br />
1 C Bran Buds<br />
1 C boiling water<br />
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Combine above ingredients and let sit until not hot anymore.<br />
Then add the following ingredients:<br />
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2 beaten eggs<br />
1/2 C vegetable oil*<br />
1 1/2 C Sugar<br />
2 1/2 C Flour<br />
2 1/2 tsp. Baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp. Salt<br />
2 C Buttermilk**<br />
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Mix ingredients well, pour into greased muffin tins, and bake at 400 F for 18-20 minutes. Leftover batter can be stored in fridge for up to 2 weeks.<br />
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*You can substitute applesauce for vegetable oil in most bread type recipes {including store bought cake mixes}. I've don it in this recipe and can't taste the difference.<br />
**No buttermilk? No problem! In a glass measuring bowl, put 2 Tbs. lemon juice and fill with milk until you have 2 cups. Let sit for five minutes before using it in recipe.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-83009565446299748702011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:002012-10-27T16:42:28.676-07:00Old McDebbie's FarmI just heard about this fun farm that I want to check out next year! It opens in March and there are train rides, pony rides, fishing, and animals to feed. In April they have Easter Egg Hunts. In October they have Friday night fires for marshmallow roasting and a not-so-scary Halloween trail. This place sounds like a blast! Why am I posting about this in December? I just found the flier in "the pile" {more on that <a href="http://www.imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/12/ultimate-camping-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>} and want to throw away the flyer, but I don't want to forget about it! So we'll see you in 2012, <a href="http://www.jimsufish.com/" target="_blank">Old McDebbie</a>!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-71533867421580711542011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-19T08:00:14.209-08:00Ultimate Camping ListAs we approach the end of 2011 I am trying to get organized. Who am I kidding? It has nothing to do with the fact that the year is ending! I'm <em>constantly</em> battling with my messy self {and family...it can't all be me, right?} No matter what the reason or the culprit, the fact is it's time to address "the pile." Please tell me I'm not the only one that has a pile of papers begging for a home. When it's time to clear the table for dinner or a project, all papers get thrown on "the pile." I have schoolwork, flyers for events, activities, and places I want to visit, things to be filed, notes for websites I want to check out, and lists of things I need to remember. One such list is our ultimate camping list. Anytime I'm camping and want something, I write it down and add it to the list when I get home. I had the perfect and complete list at one point, but I lost it. So now it shall go on my blog, never to be lost again! That's right, while other people are blogging about Christmas, cookies, and presents I am blogging about camping.<br />
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flashlights<br />
lantern<br />
sleeping bags<br />
extra blankets<br />
pillows<br />
air mattress<br />
air pump<br />
bath towels<br />
hand towels<br />
washcloths<br />
toothbrushes<br />
toothpaste<br />
floss<br />
face wash<br />
soap<br />
shampoo<br />
conditioner<br />
glasses<br />
extra contacts<br />
contact case<br />
contact solution<br />
baby soap, washcloth, and towel<br />
garbage bags<br />
lawn chairs<br />
marshmallow roasters<br />
chapstick<br />
lotion<br />
t.p.<br />
paper towels<br />
sandwich bags<br />
swim suits<br />
sunscreen<br />
aloe Vera<br />
calamine<br />
bug spray<br />
beach towels<br />
water toys<br />
life jackets<br />
bikes<br />
helmets<br />
sandals<br />
tennis shoes<br />
baby high chair<br />
play pin<br />
baby spoons<br />
sippy cup<br />
bibs<br />
bottle<br />
diapers<br />
wipes<br />
sweatshirts<br />
light jackets<br />
baseball caps<br />
baseball, bat, mitts<br />
hand sanitizer<br />
antibacterial spray<br />
big metal bowl for washing dishes<br />
dishcloth & towel<br />
dish soap<br />
sharp cutting knife & cutting board<br />
bowls<br />
plates<br />
silverware<br />
mugs<br />
frying pan<br />
pots<br />
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Depending on where we're camping, what ammenities they have, and what phase of life I'm in {babies, etc.} the list may change. These are just things that I have needed in the past so I've put them on the master list. Did I forget anything? This isn't my original and I started from scratch with this camping season...as in this last summer, not this December. <em>And</em> if you're mathematically inclinded, you've realized that this has been sitting in "the pile" for about four months. Now don't you feel better about yourself?Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-11640914501194620032011-12-16T16:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:23:30.143-08:00Asian SaladCamille absolutely loves this salad! She requested it this year for her birthday dinner and asked me to put it in her "cookbook." We also had sesame chicken wings and white rice.<br />
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Asian Salad<br />
2 packages Ramen noodles, crushed (discard seasoning packet)<br />
1 tsp. sesame seeds<br />
1/4 cup butter or margarine<br />
1 head cabbage, shredded or finely chopped (or a bag of coleslaw blend if you don't want to do any chopping)<br />
1 bunch of green onions, chopped<br />
3/4 C vegetable oil<br />
1/4 C distilled white vinegar<br />
1/2 C white sugar<br />
2 Tbs. soy sauce<br />
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1. In a small sauce pan bring vegetable oil, sugar, and vinegar to boil for 1 minute. Cool. Add soy sauce.<br />
2. In a medium skillet over low heat, melt butter and brown ramen noodles and sesame seeds. Once browned, remove from heat and cool.<br />
3. In a large bowl combine shredded cabbage and chopped green onions. Add the noodle and soy sauce mixtures. Toss to coat, and serve immediately so noodles stay crunchy.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-70604221511908995452011-10-24T14:32:00.000-07:002012-01-18T15:23:30.166-08:00Cheesy Potato Casserole<div>
I made this recipe the other night for the first time, though we were pretty sure we'd love it because it is one of Todd's favorite family recipes (also known as funeral potatoes). It was super hot when it came out of the oven, so Todd began dishing it out on the kids' plates so it could cool. Tate was very alarmed by such action and exclaimed, "What are you doing?! What if I don't like that?" To which we replied he could pass it on over! Tate's eyes got big as he tasted it and continued to shovel it in. He then had seconds.<br />
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<u>Cheesy Potatoes</u></div>
<div>
1 can cream of mushroom <em>or</em> cream of chicken soup</div>
<div>
1 cup sour cream</div>
<div>
1/2 cup melted butter <em>or</em> margarine</div>
<div>
1 (32 oz..) package frozen hashbrowns</div>
<div>
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese</div>
<div>
1 medium onion, chopped</div>
<div>
1 1/2 cups cornflakes</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
1. Mix soup, sour cream, melted butter, hashbrowns, onion, and cheese and spread in a 9 x 13 pan.</div>
<div>
2. Crush cornflakes and sprinkle over top.</div>
<div>
3. Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until hot.</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-67567020624775612242011-09-06T14:25:00.000-07:002011-10-23T22:35:01.246-07:00The Lunch BunchThe start of school marks the beginning of early mornings, homework, and sack lunches. It's enough to keep any mother awake with excitement {or not}. Oh, and remember those first day of school nightmares? I had the mom version where I didn't take my kids to school until 1:30...and to last year's teacher. <br />
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<br />
I think the biggest real life nightmare is going to be packing lunches. My sack lunches are pretty standard and seem to illicit groans and pleas for expensive school lunches. Today was the first day of school and I'm already stuck in a rut. I need some fresh ideas to satisfy the kiddos and myself. No, I'm not planning on going back to school, but I hate making lunch twice. If I make the lunches tempting enough, maybe even the hubby will get in on the "let's save money and pack our own lunches" program.</div>
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My goal is to make packing lunches fast, easy, healthy, affordable, and fun. Oh, and without the kids complaining. Impossible? We shall see. On that note, I'd better start with fun {and healthy}. Here are some ideas I've collected for this school year: </div>
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<ul>
<li>Have the kids sit down with me and make a list of their favorite fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat choices. I'll pick from this list when I'm making my meal plan for lunches.</li>
<li>Try new combinations. Mix two fruits together, switch up the bread choices {waffles, pancakes, bagels, English muffins, pitas, croissants, tortillas}, chicken and tuna salads, veggie sandwiches, etc.</li>
<li>Add dips for fruits and vegetables. Here are some adaptable <a href="http://choosetothrive.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-road-trip-1-car-snacks.html">ideas for packaging</a> anything that needs a dip.</li>
<li>Cut it out! Kids {and grownups} like variety. Just cutting or slicing something differently can make it more appealing. Mellon balls instead of wedges, apples sliced so you can see the "star" in the center, cheese cut into shapes, fruit pieces to eat with a toothpick {Sidenote, I just tried this yesterday at home - the kids had apple pieces with a toothpick for a fork, and Camille said, "Ooooh. Fancy apples!}</li>
<li>Improve presentation. The kids got {cute} new lunch boxes and I'm going to try to package things differently. Camille saw a cute little cottage cheese and fruit combo at the store, and I'm pretty sure it was the package she wanted more than the contents. So this falls under the new combo category also...at her request. Keep it interesting! Sometimes I'll put a sticky note on a tupperware container. Or have a "find the sticker in your lunch" day. But not EVERY day. That would be way too much work. Just when things are getting a little boring.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Here are some fun resources I plan to reference regularly in my quest to make lunch time more interesting. Some of the above info came from these websites also.<br />
<a href="http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/lunch-box-love-free-printable-downloads/">free lunchbox printables</a><br />
<a href="http://www.weelicious.com/">www.weelicious.com/</a> This is a great resource! More than just lunch recipes - her videos are fresh and fun with some great tips on keeping mealtimes interesting.<br />
<a href="http://www.ilunchbox.com/">http://www.ilunchbox.com/</a> Devoted to all things lunch.<br />
<a href="http://www.laptoplunches.com/">http://www.laptoplunches.com/</a> 365 lunch ideas. You can also sign up to receive weekly lunch menus<br />
<a href="http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/">http://www.school-lunch-ideas.com/</a> Looks like a fun site I could get lost in!<br />
<a href="http://www.babycenter.com/100_school-lunch-ideas_10317248.bc">More lunch ideas</a><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/back-to-school/back-to-school-lunches-snacks/"><br />Sandwich and snack ideas</a><br />
<br />
How do you keep sack lunches fun for your kids? Any tricks on getting your hubby to take a lunch to work?Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-62657872153414192482011-08-18T23:52:00.000-07:002011-09-01T10:23:23.200-07:00Feelin' SaucyHave you ever opened up your cupboard to realize you only have tomato paste when you really need tomato sauce? Well I have. And more than once. In fact, it just happened the last time I made <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/08/sloppy-joes.html">Sloppy Joes.</a><br />
<br />
Enter my good friend Google. Solves many a quandary, especially in the kitchen. Here's how I made sauce from paste. I had a small 6 oz. can of tomato paste and added 1 ½ cups water to it. Yep, that's it! Some people suggest adding a little brown sugar to sweeten it, but I didn't find that necessary in my recipe. I was so happy with the results, I will never buy tomato sauce again!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGlIT4VWAZ_xsbJiUU_64IbS92ae4wWtQja5_bLl5EEknlCyw2TIhpoXwVFI8moOlAAulHP3PmQQClOPwH6x-ChAtT23-S8Jx0YW190PJNz5GNsd7YaUWfLP849pHfpPikhMhVxpi18I/s1600/DSC_0406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGlIT4VWAZ_xsbJiUU_64IbS92ae4wWtQja5_bLl5EEknlCyw2TIhpoXwVFI8moOlAAulHP3PmQQClOPwH6x-ChAtT23-S8Jx0YW190PJNz5GNsd7YaUWfLP849pHfpPikhMhVxpi18I/s400/DSC_0406.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div align="center">Apparently the mom in me focused on the cute kitchen help instead of the ingredients. However, if you look closely you can see our homemade tomato sauce in the background on the stove.</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><em>Psst. If you only have tomato sauce and need tomato paste, I hear you can cook it in a pan until it is reduced by half. I've never tried it though, so let me know if you do and it works {or doesn't}! And while you're thinking about sharing, do you have any substitution tricks up your sleeve?</em></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-24750989310960752512011-08-16T23:44:00.000-07:002012-01-18T15:23:30.150-08:00Sloppy JoesThe other day we were eating something when Camille turned to me and asked if I could give her the recipe when she grows up. For the life of me, I can't remember what we were eating {and neither can she!} Seriously, it's been about two days. So the idea was born to post all of her and Tate's favorite recipes on my blog along with a family story or memory. Hopefully along the way you'll find something you like, too. <br />
<br />
Our sloppy Joe {baby Joseph} loves Sloppy Joes! We took this meal with us the other night when we met Todd for a picnic at the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20">Tacoma Nature Center</a>. They have a super fun play area with slides that look like logs, bridges over water and even some telescopes. There are also some wonderful trails for hiking, which we enjoyed after dinner. If you go before 5 pm, the indoor nature center is open with some fun exhibits for the kids. You can also pick up a list of all the animals living in the area and see how many you can find on your walk. Great fun, and all free! {for more free summertime activities check out <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/08/whats-going-on-today.html">this post</a>}<br />
<br />
<u>SLOPPY JOES</u><br />
1 lb. ground beef<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">¼ C brown sugar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1 ½ tsp. steak seasoning blend {we use McCormick Montreal seasoning}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1 medium onion, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1 small red bell pepper, chopped</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1 Tbs. red wine vinegar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">2 C tomato sauce</div><ul><li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Break up meat in pan and add brown sugar and steak seasoning. </div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When meat has browned, add onion, red bell peppers, red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 min.</div></li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Add tomato sauce; stir to combine. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes.</div></li>
</ul><div></div>I like to double this recipe and freeze half for a quick meal on a busy day.<br />
I also prefer to make my own <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/08/feelin-saucy.html">tomato sauce from tomato paste</a> so I only have to stock one tomato product.<br />
<em>This recipe was adapted from Rachael Ray...for the original recipe, click </em><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/super-sloppy-joes-recipe/index.html"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32d5HAQO3SbVAvY6aPVdUYUkEDnEpuKZrMEk9TGdROBNOjPr3Gx2WhxMuw0O2lL_WzG-sPCKGcWMhh3tlbEtaxKdzfNju7038QbEMW5SYENjCR7RmOSVja3aGRdS5iK8lQDk1qKiMDws/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32d5HAQO3SbVAvY6aPVdUYUkEDnEpuKZrMEk9TGdROBNOjPr3Gx2WhxMuw0O2lL_WzG-sPCKGcWMhh3tlbEtaxKdzfNju7038QbEMW5SYENjCR7RmOSVja3aGRdS5iK8lQDk1qKiMDws/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" width="267" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-TlQZ0AiyyIqDuhvbYk9U0QYWumzonY4OTM_qFs1gavVn_BVV7helpGksOZp_k3rrApKXqzpmnDVGpIvEDEhjrnd40804vevtxyYO1KxWg6Ae0eTu-3MxkHr8T6wacqmltER8OZSWQM/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-TlQZ0AiyyIqDuhvbYk9U0QYWumzonY4OTM_qFs1gavVn_BVV7helpGksOZp_k3rrApKXqzpmnDVGpIvEDEhjrnd40804vevtxyYO1KxWg6Ae0eTu-3MxkHr8T6wacqmltER8OZSWQM/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="267" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">By the time we set out on our little hike the sun was getting low in the sky. Tate forged ahead with the walking stick he found.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy-9fYNNSP3ffi_nKf3cfP-sXU2wNEhAKF-GDfYdcrzZOJ_5SHfsX_8yIP6HpKHVQWTuAwNLAAS5ZKQFcahR0d-wJqCenEj7B-8vDvmXuI6fgQiZCESiYvDXCNASe1TtAvA2mxa5tF_E/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjy-9fYNNSP3ffi_nKf3cfP-sXU2wNEhAKF-GDfYdcrzZOJ_5SHfsX_8yIP6HpKHVQWTuAwNLAAS5ZKQFcahR0d-wJqCenEj7B-8vDvmXuI6fgQiZCESiYvDXCNASe1TtAvA2mxa5tF_E/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Couldn't catch a picture of any fish jumping in the air - they're quick little buggers {truly teensy - truth be told, we couldn't even tell if they were fish}. But here you can see the water rings where they were jumping. They were all over the place!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuPJZy7S2PnJtNHnxwW5r8gnHtzFbwYAFUDgTRM3zoFRzVSHyVmLdLcjYj-1I7XWj19tMU8LAB8IunVJait7A5Ahr35mQB6VDHXXNX1PfSf_p_coQqAjbIzMK3rWO9CVHpN18ae5luQ0/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuPJZy7S2PnJtNHnxwW5r8gnHtzFbwYAFUDgTRM3zoFRzVSHyVmLdLcjYj-1I7XWj19tMU8LAB8IunVJait7A5Ahr35mQB6VDHXXNX1PfSf_p_coQqAjbIzMK3rWO9CVHpN18ae5luQ0/s400/DSC_0031.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"> Feeding time for the ducks {it should be noted this was a natural meal time at the nature center - we didn't feed any animals}</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0OHmjm4TYEBoko84-ahsfm7dU3RwoOFoQ3MI0ISRCx5fwwnlk_Z_x_acaTTmjmhdWKHpbJ_xZMrApG6VdliVe5zzUR86baMM6KDlqQqJKwPggfxf__c5cYNNe-RjVmLTk8jvehEkJf4/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0OHmjm4TYEBoko84-ahsfm7dU3RwoOFoQ3MI0ISRCx5fwwnlk_Z_x_acaTTmjmhdWKHpbJ_xZMrApG6VdliVe5zzUR86baMM6KDlqQqJKwPggfxf__c5cYNNe-RjVmLTk8jvehEkJf4/s400/DSC_0040.JPG" width="267" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The bridge behind Camille is where we saw the no-see-em' fish and the dining duck.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cDGZdVIHcNHy_yrySz6bEeoAun_3_Tzx7-3XsRa6mBTRVAJRCABlqTPNCh1fuOKskq6_G3RF-zey7nWZtfraBZ_xGmaHP7PSwbJpFPayChxSgSbHnHNn_DK0YsFwUTrxxKL2hyphenhyphensu-4I/s1600/DSC_0043-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cDGZdVIHcNHy_yrySz6bEeoAun_3_Tzx7-3XsRa6mBTRVAJRCABlqTPNCh1fuOKskq6_G3RF-zey7nWZtfraBZ_xGmaHP7PSwbJpFPayChxSgSbHnHNn_DK0YsFwUTrxxKL2hyphenhyphensu-4I/s400/DSC_0043-1.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Camille found some flowers that she photographed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96V5uPJ4ZcjSCEjEldNyKJmmkQoeEvrCCltsw-e9u810n2eruWNZuhRwsjpawqsJ0nYP4UgNHKTiWVhjHg6H8XSZDlTuI0b8Zm9hNE2CVDfAW0LhhVRT8cGJeF2E0omZGV7OSIq3brZY/s1600/DSC_0043-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96V5uPJ4ZcjSCEjEldNyKJmmkQoeEvrCCltsw-e9u810n2eruWNZuhRwsjpawqsJ0nYP4UgNHKTiWVhjHg6H8XSZDlTuI0b8Zm9hNE2CVDfAW0LhhVRT8cGJeF2E0omZGV7OSIq3brZY/s400/DSC_0043-2.JPG" width="267" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkZqL_ud5OEdpFozljY0DCWVGqcYeAWVgHTA-dMf0daejcVblMbYGthnSZKv6RJf6fpcKj1e4Hdu7wiFmEyJHiA2zI1czE2KprhsM2Y5w3xHMm2JMdefDdILhhIwNVJXUHHDTPmJWeuY/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkZqL_ud5OEdpFozljY0DCWVGqcYeAWVgHTA-dMf0daejcVblMbYGthnSZKv6RJf6fpcKj1e4Hdu7wiFmEyJHiA2zI1czE2KprhsM2Y5w3xHMm2JMdefDdILhhIwNVJXUHHDTPmJWeuY/s400/DSC_0041.JPG" width="267" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I occasionally enjoy lagging behind my family {just for a moment} </div><div style="text-align: center;">and quietly take in the sight of<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96V5uPJ4ZcjSCEjEldNyKJmmkQoeEvrCCltsw-e9u810n2eruWNZuhRwsjpawqsJ0nYP4UgNHKTiWVhjHg6H8XSZDlTuI0b8Zm9hNE2CVDfAW0LhhVRT8cGJeF2E0omZGV7OSIq3brZY/s320/DSC_0043-2.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 330px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1897px; visibility: hidden;" width="64" /> my greatest blessings.</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-28359273681282160202011-08-11T13:39:00.000-07:002012-10-27T16:42:28.652-07:00What's Going on Today?I made a list of <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/08/summer-fun-on-cheap.html">activities to do this summer</a>, but some of these activities are only available on certain days. I love the idea of being organized so I printed off a blank calendar for the month and began filling in activities. As much as I love this idea, it's just not practical for me and my family. Sometimes stuff comes up at the last minute or I realize no one has socks {or worse yet, undies} and I have to do laundry again. Sometimes I wake up and have a meeeellion things to do and can't function until I get some of it done. This new list makes it easy for me to have fun on a whim without scouring every webpage on my master list.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Monday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Hmmm...no special events for Mondays. If you're looking for something to do, check out the "Any Day" Activities or <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/04/bring-it-on.html">this post</a> for fun free indoor activities.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Tuesday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=983">Lawn Bowling</a> at <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Wright</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Park</placetype></place> 1-3</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Tacoma Farmer's Market on</place></city> <a href="http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/markets/sixth-ave-market.php">6th Ave.</a> 3-7<br />
<a href="http://www.cityoflakewood.us/news-and-events/894-summer-concert-series-at-american-lake-park.html">Concerts</a> at American Lake Park 6:30<br />
<a href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/">Regal Movie for $1</a> 10 a.m. {Go early to make sure you get decent seating! 9:40 was perfect for us}<br />
<a href="http://starplexcinemas.com/locations.php?theaterid=1012">Starplex Cinema</a> $1 movies {and $1 hotdogs!}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Wednesday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Wagon Shop {at Steilacoom Museum} 2-5</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Steilacoom Farmer’s Market 3-7<br />
Steilacoom's <a href="http://steilacoomfarmersmarket.org/">Concert</a> in the Park 6:30</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/">Regal Movie for $1</a> 10 a.m. {Go early to make sure you get decent seating! 9:40 was perfect for us}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Thursday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> Tacoma Farmer's Market on <a href="http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/markets/broadway-market.php">Broadway</a> 10:30-4 </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">{You can ride the <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/Link-light-rail.xml"><span style="color: #929292;">Tacoma Link Light Rail</span></a> to the Farmer's Market for free - make it part of the adventure!}<br />
<a href="http://www.curranappleorchard.com/coreconcerts/coreconcerts.html">Concert</a> in the Park at Curran Apple Orchard 6:30<br />
<a href="http://www.childrensmuseumoftacoma.org/events.php?eid=5280">Tacoma Children's Museum</a> FREE admission 10-5<br />
<a href="http://www.museumofglass.org/page.aspx?pid=299&cid=1&ceid=61&cerid=317&cdt=8%2f18%2f2011">Museum of Glass</a> FREE from 5-8 on 3rd Thursday<br />
<a href="http://www.wshs.org/wshm/">Washington State History Museum</a> FREE from 2-8 on 3rd Thursday<br />
<a href="http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/Page.aspx?hid=103">Tacoma Art Museum</a> FREE from 5-8 on 3rd Thursday<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Friday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Hmmm...no special events for Fridays. If you're looking for something to do, check out the "Any Day" Activities or <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/04/bring-it-on.html">this post</a> for fun free indoor activities.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Saturday</u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.steilacoomhistorical.org/">Steilacoom Historical Museum</a> Kids Club {last Saturday only}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Wagon Shop {at Steilacoom Museum} 1-5</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on"><a href="http://flightline.highline.edu/mast/visit.php#Water_Weekends" sb_id="ms__id487"><span style="color: #929292;">Marine Science and Technology Center</span></a> 10-2 FREE</placename></place></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Lawn Bowling at <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Wright</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Park</placetype></place> 1-3 FREE</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=65">Brown's Point Lighthouse</a> 1-4 FREE<br />
<a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20">Tacoma Nature Center</a>- 10-4 FREE {Discovery Pond & Trails open til dusk}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ride the <a href="http://www.kitsaplivesteamers.org/">miniature steam engine</a> in Port Orchard, donation basis, 2nd and 4th Saturdays only from 10-4<br />
<a href="http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/"><span style="color: #929292;">Lowes</span></a> Build & Grow Events {see website for specific dates; not every Saturday}<br />
<a href="http://www.michaels.com/Store-Events/store-events,default,pg.html"><span style="color: #929292;">Michael's</span></a> Make it Take it Events {see website for specific dates; not every Saturday}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u>Any Day*</u><br />
<a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20"><span style="color: #929292;">Tacoma Nature Center</span></a> FREE 8-5 {Discovery Pond & Trails open til dusk}<br />
<a href="http://www.lottcleanwater.org/education.htm"><span style="color: #929292;">Lott Wet Science Center</span></a> 10-4 FREE</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Pick blueberries at the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=649"><span style="color: #929292;">Blueberry Park</span></a> for FREE<br />
Visit a <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=886" sb_id="ms__id485"><span style="color: #929292;">Sprayground</span></a><br />
Ride the <a href="http://www.steilacoom.org/ferry.htm">ferry</a> out to <a href="http://andersonislandhs.org/">Anderson Island</a>, $4.70 for adults, $3.40 for kids 5 and up {I know this isn't very close to free, but I really want to do this one so I'm adding it to the list}<br />
Ride the <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/Link-light-rail.xml"><span style="color: #929292;">Tacoma Link Light Rail</span></a> to downtown Tacoma FREE<br />
<a href="http://www.unionstationrotunda.org/default.html">Tacoma Union Station</a> FREE weekdays 8-5<br />
<a href="http://hylebos.org/west-hylebos-wetlands-park">West Hylebos Wetlands </a>dawn to dusk {don't forget to download your <a href="http://hylebos.org/files/Scavenger%20Hunt%2009_final.pdf">scavenger hunt</a>!}<br />
<a href="http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/"><span style="color: #929292;">Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge</span></a> sunrise to sunset<br />
<a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=88">Art in the Park</a><br />
Hike/walk the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=27"><span style="color: #929292;">gardens</span></a>...photo scavenger hunt anyone?<br />
Visit a <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=78">local beach</a> or <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=82">pier</a><br />
Take a walk around <a href="http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/ccp/recreation.htm">Chambers Bay</a> {a little <a href="http://www.chambersbaygolf.com/chambersbay.asp?id=232&page=8671">history</a> anyone?}<br />
Go to the library!<br />
<a href="http://starplexcinemas.com/locations.php?theaterid=1012">Starplex Cinema</a> $2 movies {and $1 hotdogs}<br />
<a href="http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/"><span style="color: #929292;">Bowl for FREE</span></a> 8-6 {must pay for shoe rental $2.50 each}<br />
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<em>*Please note that activities listed under "Any Day" may have special hours or be closed on Sundays. Our family uses Sundays as a day for worship and family activities at home so I didn't list special Sunday hours. Individual websites contain any additional information you may need, including directions and contact information.</em><br />
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Where are some of your favorite places to go in the summertime? Any local hidden treasures? I'm sure I've missed tons of fun places to go and things to do. Please share!</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-61543549599777069972011-08-08T13:33:00.000-07:002012-10-27T16:42:28.658-07:00Summer Fun on the CheapI don't think you have to spend an arm and a leg to have a good time, although sometimes spending an arm OR a leg is okay. But never both. Today I feel like keeping all of my apendages, so here's a list of things we plan to do this summer. Don't mock me - we still have a month of summer left! {To see one of the reasons we are getting a late start on summer activities, check out <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/08/silver-screen-performances.html">this post</a> about how we've been spending our Saturdays} And in my defense, it should be known that we have already done many fun things - some on the list, and some just lazing around enjoying family and friends at the pool or elsewhere.<br />
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Almost all of these activities are free. I have tried to list any costs that I know of so you can easily browse what will fit your budget for the day.<br />
<div></div><div></div><ul><li>Go to the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=649">blueberry park</a> and pick berries for free. The berries are kind of small and sometimes scarce so if you're hardcore check out these <a href="http://www.pickyourown.org/WAsouthwest.htm">U-Pick farms</a> {more than just berries, too!}.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.steilacoomhistorical.org/">Steilacoom Historical Museum</a> kids' club, last Saturday of the month from 1-3 during the summer</li>
<li>Visit the Wagon Shop in Steilacoom {by the Steilacoom Museum}, summer hours: Wednesdays 2-5 and Saturdays 1-5</li>
<li>Visit a <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=886">Sprayground</a></li>
<li>Visit the <a href="http://flightline.highline.edu/mast/visit.php#Water_Weekends">Marine Science and Technology Center</a> for free</li>
<li>Visit <a href="http://county.wsu.edu/pierce/mg/Pages/default.aspx">Jack and the Beanstalk garden</a> in Puyallup for some of the children's programs</li>
<li>Visit the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=20">Tacoma Nature Center</a> {has Discovery Pond and play area}</li>
<li>Visit the <a href="http://hylebos.org/west-hylebos-wetlands-park">West Hylebos Wetlands Park</a>. Download your <a href="http://hylebos.org/files/Scavenger%20Hunt%2009_final.pdf">free scavenger hunt</a> here.</li>
<li>Visit the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/Nisqually/">Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge</a></li>
<li>Ride a <a href="http://www.kitsaplivesteamers.org/">miniature steam locomotive</a> in Port Orchard {runs on a donation basis}</li>
<li>Watch a <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=1165">movie in the park</a>! <em>Before heading out to watch a movie you may want to check out a parental review site to make sure the movie you are seeing meets your standards. Some movies are "designed" for kids, but not necessarily appropriate for kids. I like </em><a href="http://www.commonsensemedia.org/"><em>Common Sense Media</em></a><em> because it details the content and has a review section for movies, video games, music, websites, and even apps! </em></li>
<li>Check out <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=88">Art in the Park</a> where local artists have their sculptures displayed</li>
<li>Ever heard of <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=983">Lawn Bowling</a>?</li>
<li>Have a photo scavenger hunt...how many different kinds of flowers can you find in the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=27">gardens</a>?</li>
<li>Visit the <a href="http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=65">Brown's Point Lighthouse</a> for free. If you're up for a bit of a drive for an awesome adventure, you can tour the <a href="http://funbeach.com/local-attractions/north-head-lighthouse/">North Head Lighthouse</a> {$2.50/person} while visiting <a href="http://funbeach.com/local-attractions/cape-disappointment-lighthouse/">Cape Dissappointment</a> also known as the Graveyard of the Pacific in Longbeach, WA. You could make a whole trip around this one because there is so much to do in Longbeach! If you want to find a lighthouse near you, they are listed <a href="http://www.us-lighthouses.com/all.php">here</a> by state with lots of other fun information.</li>
<li>Go to the Farmer's Market in <a href="http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com/">Tacoma</a> {three locations!} or <a href="http://steilacoomfarmersmarket.org/">Steilacoom</a></li>
<li>Summer Concerts! Music in the Park schedules for <a href="http://steilacoomfarmersmarket.org/">Steilacoom</a>, the <a href="http://www.curranappleorchard.com/coreconcerts/coreconcerts.html">Curran Apple Orchard</a> in UP, or <a href="http://www.cityoflakewood.us/news-and-events/894-summer-concert-series-at-american-lake-park.html">American Lake Park</a> in Lakewood</li>
<li><a href="http://www.childrensmuseumoftacoma.org/">Tacoma Children's Museum</a> free on Thursdays, June - August</li>
<li><a href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/">Regal Theaters</a> have $1 movies for kids on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the summer.</li>
<li><a href="http://starplexcinemas.com/locations.php?theaterid=1012">Starplex</a> discount theater. This is a local theater, but most areas have some sort of discount theater. Movies are only $1 on Tuesdays, $2 any other day, and hotdogs are always $1!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/">Bowl for FREE</a>. Find a local bowling alley where kids bowl free...all you have to pay for is the shoe rental. You can also buy a family pass for $20 so the rest of you can bowl for free also.</li>
<li>Visit the<a href="http://www.lottcleanwater.org/education.htm"> Lott Wet Science Center</a>, free admission </li>
<li>Free kids' building/craft programs like <a href="http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/">Lowes</a> Build & Grow and <a href="http://www.michaels.com/Store-Events/store-events,default,pg.html">Michael's</a> Make it Take it</li>
<li>Ride the <a href="http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Guide/Link-light-rail.xml">Tacoma Link Light Rail</a> for free from the Tacoma Dome to downtown museums</li>
<li>Visit <a href="http://www.artwalktacoma.com/venues.html">Tacoma Museums</a> for free on 3rd Thursdays. </li>
</ul>Some of these ideas came from the Parks and Recreation, friends at church, the library, and a local MOPS group so make sure you check out your local sources for some great ideas! For more ideas, check out <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/04/bring-it-on.html">my rainy day list</a> - a lot of these would be great during the summer as well. <br />
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What are you doing this summer? Did I miss anything fun and free {or cheap}? Please share!<br />
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<em>I was not paid or perked to mention any of these businesses or services. I just find them to be helpful in having a fun and safe summer and hope you will, too!</em>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-35573892600077089572011-08-06T10:30:00.000-07:002011-08-08T01:39:34.064-07:00Silver Screen PerformancesToday happens to be Lucille Ball's 100th birthday {that is if she were still alive}, but you probably already know that since you're on the Internet - it's everywhere! My six year old Camille wanted me to call Lucy and wish her a happy birthday. Since that's not possible, we'll just post it here: Happy Birthday Lucy! <br />
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Lucille Ball has many funny quotes and even more funny video clips, but I am loving this quote: "Ability is of little account without opportunity." I don't know about the abilities I had prior to my opportunities, but I am grateful for the many opportunities in my life that have strengthened my abilities. <br />
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One of our most recent opportunities includes the stage. That's actually why it's been so long since I've posted. We have been performing as a family! Not for the silver screen, but in a local Broadway Revue sponsored by our church. Today is our last day of performances and it's a little bittersweet. We have had so much fun doing this as a family, and it's been wonderful to see the kids' talents improve. We started by dragging Tate to rehearsals and are finishing by dragging him away from our living room stage where he is practicing to be an understudy for the two lead male roles {he's only about 10 years too young for the parts, but that's ok!} Even baby Joseph has been practicing - whenever the music comes on he bounces his knees and sings along. If I can ever figure out how to edit and post video I'll add our stage baby's performance. Pictures, however, I can do.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL5YpgLnaF3IPkR-FxEAEAQi9VjOymtOV-TVa-da2KJHDUvX6WatfVfpcZJYasnhw2rZrU53oFxNTxqV9Jo3vecKdFo5h7EJYP8g8QxZwprYa4-GcxqCaP5kkilwJCBjAkOT7JtYtAIM/s1600/DSC_0056-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL5YpgLnaF3IPkR-FxEAEAQi9VjOymtOV-TVa-da2KJHDUvX6WatfVfpcZJYasnhw2rZrU53oFxNTxqV9Jo3vecKdFo5h7EJYP8g8QxZwprYa4-GcxqCaP5kkilwJCBjAkOT7JtYtAIM/s400/DSC_0056-1.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My Wells Fargo Wagon family {Cody aka Wintrhop was a delightful add on}. At home, "Trouble" was the most quoted musical number from the show. It definitely lightens the mood when someone is being scolded and they throw their arms up in the air while singing, "Oh we've got trouble!" </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzvP6t0k7ct6zUMp_8LGXOYrv2l5N_q5z_8AnTiUhdgES1sxdYx2NSxnqvCc-oKmk0v5d2UpZVW4q8hjuSjlITxCN_c2skVvX8mLvYh_4MM4C8zG8d-87bb_onfw5bJNbfcx2446JwPw/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzvP6t0k7ct6zUMp_8LGXOYrv2l5N_q5z_8AnTiUhdgES1sxdYx2NSxnqvCc-oKmk0v5d2UpZVW4q8hjuSjlITxCN_c2skVvX8mLvYh_4MM4C8zG8d-87bb_onfw5bJNbfcx2446JwPw/s320/DSC_0035.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcT7QcTm5sCSU370EBV139xMPAXsTY7FZZC51-wbtgC2r6triSDGmXIrFOTJkBy-ovHuDD0w6Q29OA2oUaYqO9a__wwKGxk7ZfKvFRK23r5mB9H1M1dPjYutY1bfmsDFwQU1UWliI7VM/s1600/DSC_0051-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcT7QcTm5sCSU370EBV139xMPAXsTY7FZZC51-wbtgC2r6triSDGmXIrFOTJkBy-ovHuDD0w6Q29OA2oUaYqO9a__wwKGxk7ZfKvFRK23r5mB9H1M1dPjYutY1bfmsDFwQU1UWliI7VM/s320/DSC_0051-1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I found a guard and some cute street children in Aladdin's marketplace. My niece Brooke gave me two thumbs up, but when I asked her to give me a street pose she gave me the following:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOATi7e41_VIIiZYTnxVIgqujMfILLYT64tgJiJ9tPCa7ki4i-jDMjY5_m8h8MH6ww4R-BGTlv1j9XZLse7GJ64p3OB9DKojE4QtGk50IyIZu9GIVDDk5XtDPMusnmpW9E03IGJIrfO50/s1600/DSC_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOATi7e41_VIIiZYTnxVIgqujMfILLYT64tgJiJ9tPCa7ki4i-jDMjY5_m8h8MH6ww4R-BGTlv1j9XZLse7GJ64p3OB9DKojE4QtGk50IyIZu9GIVDDk5XtDPMusnmpW9E03IGJIrfO50/s400/DSC_0052.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Perhaps I should have said, "Marketplace pose."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qO7PzAP2APeslK3s2tvuAm2ClOggPpnxpxw1cG-_NNsMp_CKFYKqd4rZu5OnCU1cxy-A6nWcfeCFVgKe13N1S1JNk4K-xtisTnqg8F6PICU-VvZwd8ciVQbkzb8szDMyVlTyUpyRpkU/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qO7PzAP2APeslK3s2tvuAm2ClOggPpnxpxw1cG-_NNsMp_CKFYKqd4rZu5OnCU1cxy-A6nWcfeCFVgKe13N1S1JNk4K-xtisTnqg8F6PICU-VvZwd8ciVQbkzb8szDMyVlTyUpyRpkU/s400/DSC_0040.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw4eC7yEv050eT9HmA1Zpaq0lzjVRhKgDXGSwSIJrzJDZ8T1gfnN4oxOJRMPN1j51zVWQPbvUs6l_zCOHYuZUPevmYQjBU4pNj9PUKJbX_gY5dW6094puz3ftWadMgdbL3rO0WJb8zn4/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaw4eC7yEv050eT9HmA1Zpaq0lzjVRhKgDXGSwSIJrzJDZ8T1gfnN4oxOJRMPN1j51zVWQPbvUs6l_zCOHYuZUPevmYQjBU4pNj9PUKJbX_gY5dW6094puz3ftWadMgdbL3rO0WJb8zn4/s320/DSC_0042.JPG" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3kzK0DESYUBABwrXJhyI80iBWTqv9GoP2ib4h0DwQJ-dub7EIEDfijjHtTNdlGtzucX27544xgUBymRjSLnnQuT6DJWrZ4iTSN2dj91C-pN7OWPVmc5vlMhmVMjpPCQXU_-IP3NOZ8A/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3kzK0DESYUBABwrXJhyI80iBWTqv9GoP2ib4h0DwQJ-dub7EIEDfijjHtTNdlGtzucX27544xgUBymRjSLnnQuT6DJWrZ4iTSN2dj91C-pN7OWPVmc5vlMhmVMjpPCQXU_-IP3NOZ8A/s320/DSC_0041.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"> Tradition! Fiddler on the Roof required that we always have our heads covered.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qxmouke5TqipPbdfZvgnkfPq9HZoYNZcZCWptimywww8i-HFo6OfrnVO9KcAsxQGFK5c8C5bPSo6xFERGM0I4GnCETEII3-OcDfIOAoIiMZ01OiIidCZ0bq0fddQQRrCvQ0YoZlUcyA/s1600/DSC_0045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qxmouke5TqipPbdfZvgnkfPq9HZoYNZcZCWptimywww8i-HFo6OfrnVO9KcAsxQGFK5c8C5bPSo6xFERGM0I4GnCETEII3-OcDfIOAoIiMZ01OiIidCZ0bq0fddQQRrCvQ0YoZlUcyA/s400/DSC_0045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> This is what you get when you ask a bunch of cute kids to give you their best Lion King pose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcjm_Cfi8k-mUmvoI8VPSh9wPMq0OrRGNd7mU3mKo8tK10-EMW9Q6EySiPae8nUtCatGcGwRNK4_2NcT-ENELf4mLNr5Myks-InsKl4xJPTwgIQbPNhlAwlO8F-NXAK5bUAGibGJ428c/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcjm_Cfi8k-mUmvoI8VPSh9wPMq0OrRGNd7mU3mKo8tK10-EMW9Q6EySiPae8nUtCatGcGwRNK4_2NcT-ENELf4mLNr5Myks-InsKl4xJPTwgIQbPNhlAwlO8F-NXAK5bUAGibGJ428c/s320/DSC_0046.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">There Ain't Nothin Like a Dame...or my husband in a grass skirt!</div>The summer is nearly over and we are excited to <em>finally</em> be able to enjoy some weekends together...off the stage! We hope to go to the beach and take a couple mini road trips around Washington. We're especially looking forward to our annual fruit trip. So until then, the show must go on!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em>What have you been doing as a family this summer? Ever been on stage? Ever wanted to?...because that can be arranged!</em></div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-49005901958357741312011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-25T12:30:05.747-07:00The Great Bread AdventureSeveral of my friends have asked for my bread recipe, so I posted it <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/07/fresh-bread.html">here</a>. For me, getting started was the hardest part because I wanted to find the easiest, fastest way to make homemade bread. <em>And</em> I was really intimidated because I didn't know <strike>much</strike> anything about bread. There are a lot of great options I considered, all of which have links below...just in case I change my mind in the future about what works for me. <br />
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I learned how to see if my <a href="http://www.foodsubs.com/LeavenYeast.html"><span style="color: #66bbdd;">yeast</span></a> was any good.<br />
I had <em>a lot</em> of expired yeast. Apparently getting married, moving, and having a baby doesn't leave much time for baking. But here's the cool thing...the recipe above actually proofs your yeast at the begining of the recipe so you can skip this link and not waste any of your yeast! {My yeast that expired in 2009 was still good at the end of 2010, by the way. I kept it in the fridge, but it will keep even longer if kept in the freezer.}<br />
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I learned more than I <em>ever</em> wanted to know about yeast.<br />
For instance, it's a fungus! Learning what hamburger really was turned three of my siblings-in-law into vegetarians. I wonder if they would stop eating bread, too. That was really the only disturbing fact, and now I've shared it with you - sorry! So go ahead, click on the link above if you're interested in yeast. Personally, I eat hamburger <em>and</em> bread. I know, I'm gross.<br />
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I learned I can use my <a href="http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/category/recipes/dough-recipes">bread machine for dough</a> and then bake the bread in the oven. I really prefer bread baked in the oven much more than in the bread machine! It all comes down to the crust; too thick, crispy and tough in the bread machine.<br />
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I learned I can use my KitchenAid mixer for dough! <br />
Please don't laugh. I know I am soooo underutilizing my KitchenAid; it would probably make people crazy to know that until now I had only used it for mixing. You have no idea how ecstatic I am about this - honestly, the mess of kneading dough played a big part in keeping me from making bread. Hence, the idea to use the bread machine for the dough. Since my KitchenAid discovery I have actually sold my space consuming bread machine.<br />
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I learned about <a href="http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/tips/freezing-dough-the-hows-and-whys.php"><span style="color: #66bbdd;">freezing bread dough</span></a>.<br />
I thought about making a bunch of dough at one time and freezing it. This is great for saving on the mess, but it really doesn't save much time when you consider it has to unfreeze and rise which takes about <em>eight hours</em>. I actually recently tried this just to see how the bread turns out. I was NOT impresesd, as it greatly affected the quality of my bread. It almost seemed to separate - lots of air pockets when I normally don't have any. Odd.<br />
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Found a visual (yes, there are pictures!) guide to <a href="http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/tips/shaping-dough-a-visual-guide.php"><span style="color: #888888;">shaping bread dough</span></a> for rolls and other goodies. Apparently once you have a dough recipe you like, you can shape it however you want to get different baked breads. Now that I have the dough, there's no stopping me! Except for maybe three things. You know, the short little cuties running around my house shoving freshly baked bread in their mouths. <br />
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So there you have it. Ready to bake some bread? Have you used the internet to learn a new skill that you were previously clueless about? Or find instructions for a project? Do share!Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-28870692168713555232011-07-21T15:44:00.000-07:002012-05-17T14:02:16.909-07:00Fresh BreadBack in December I started baking my own bread, and now we enjoy fresh delicious bread for just pennies compared to store bought bread. Several of my friends have asked for my bread recipe so I decided to post it instead of writing it a million times. <br />
I found an amazing recipe that only takes 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. Don't stop reading because of the time commitment! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the time to do this, but if I start the bread going before breakfast it's usually done by the time we are all showered and ready to go somewhere. If I have early morning activities scheduled I do it in the evening right after dinner. So far this year I've made about 60 loaves of bread!<br />
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This recipe is so stinkin easy and actually faster than using a bread machine. What could possibly be better than easy and fast? Well, let me tell you: DELICIOUS! I read a comment that helped me modify the recipe for use with my Kitchen Aid Mixer. Of course one could easily modify it back to traditional kneading if they want to, but I have great results with much less mess! Here is my version, which also includes less sugar so it's perfect for daily bread use. If you want the original version, click <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/amish-white-bread/Detail.aspx"><span style="color: #66bbdd;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<u>White Bread</u><br />
2 C warm water {recipe says 110º F, but I don't use a thermometer to check - I just run my tap water until it's borderline hot}<br />
¼ C white sugar<br />
1 ½ Tablespoons active dry yeast<br />
¼ C vegetable oil<br />
1 ½ teaspoons salt<br />
6 C flour<br />
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1. In a large Kitchen Aid bowl dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam {this is when I sift my 6 cups of flour, and it's usually proofed by the time I'm done measuring and sifting}.<br />
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2. Mix salt & oil into yeast. Using dough hook, mix in one cup of flour at a time. Let dough hook knead for 5 minutes. Take out and put a little oil in bowl; turn dough to coat. Cover with plastic saran wrap and a towel. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk; about 1 hour.<br />
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3. Punch dough down. Knead for a couple minutes til it's not oily anymore and cut in half. Use a rolling pin to squish out all the air bubbles and roll it into a rectangle shape about as wide as your bread pan, maybe a touch wider. Roll up, tuck in the edges to shape into loaves, and place in two well greased bread pans seam-side down. Cover with same saran wrap from above, cover with a towel, and let rise 30 minutes or until dough reaches top of pans or 1 inch above. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool 10 minutes before slicing {otherwise bread will cave...believe me, I've tried to eat it immediately and it didn't work. Even after knowing it would cave if I sliced it right away I've done it, but boy was it delicious!}<br />
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<em>If you're interested in doing a little learning yourself, check out <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/07/great-bread-adventure.html">this post</a> with the links I found to be the most helpful in my quest for bread knowledge. You'll find info on shaping, freezing, and more!</em><br />
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<em><strong>Update: After making this bread recipe once or twice weekly for a year and a half, I realized somewhere over time I omitted a couple steps. I haven't noticed a difference in the quality of my bread, so I updated my recipe accordingly. Raise your hand if you like fewer steps and less time to make homemade bread!</strong></em>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-12406169263393961032011-07-14T17:36:00.000-07:002011-07-21T14:52:51.778-07:00Thank you TeachersSummer break has officially hit. The luxury of not going to school is over and the boredom has begun. Luckily I have some tricks up my sleeve, but more on that later. As I was looking through our pictures I found this one from the last day of school.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_tGE7lyabUJ1Ss4LMPFn8mTeL3XaNIw1p9Y8oj-Rw04kXHwM6cpvNIqwYKHMRgRqABixg2ID_0yyFLD9p_Dm8YgSJ6xMVXUMC4Mu-JOhysz88CYIr3wswKOyk42DnkOpK8idJaqj9hY/s1600/DSC_0422-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_tGE7lyabUJ1Ss4LMPFn8mTeL3XaNIw1p9Y8oj-Rw04kXHwM6cpvNIqwYKHMRgRqABixg2ID_0yyFLD9p_Dm8YgSJ6xMVXUMC4Mu-JOhysz88CYIr3wswKOyk42DnkOpK8idJaqj9hY/s400/DSC_0422-1.JPG" t$="true" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2L-Hu7-1WDjw1bezix-il6AZZ5z2N-L2_8rKkpsSmgTCE3Fpu4YQYsHdqChyvbkvHkkOPkxl0WsaI2IguG-tUzGoXPFMc0sLHQRv9-yzPWy4mCQPaSEcyso_6Ms2DMLQazY2kyN8bCI/s1600/DSC_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2L-Hu7-1WDjw1bezix-il6AZZ5z2N-L2_8rKkpsSmgTCE3Fpu4YQYsHdqChyvbkvHkkOPkxl0WsaI2IguG-tUzGoXPFMc0sLHQRv9-yzPWy4mCQPaSEcyso_6Ms2DMLQazY2kyN8bCI/s400/DSC_0421.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>This was such a fun, easy, and relatively fast project. I'm not one to reinvent the wheel, so if you're interested you can find the tutorial <a href="http://www.happyclippings.com/2011/04/diy-colored-pencil-vase-teacher-appreciation-gift-ideas.html">here</a>. I would, however, <em>modify</em> the wheel by adding a little note about the ribbon {made to look like a ruler}. This tutorial doesn't mention length, but I found that 31 inches was just about right - the other one I made was shorter and I had a hard time tying it into a bow {sorry, Ms. Rogers}. And a word to the wise, be careful when carrying. The pencils aren't glued on {so they can be used later} and they will slip off if you're not supporting the vase from the bottom while carrying. <br />
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While we're on the topic of thanking teachers, here's another one we made during teacher appreciation week. This one was even easier! This is a pretty lame photo, but you get the idea. We attached the tag with some curling ribbon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oc33gLtShXBZfHYZMaxUOLL0AR5yWByTWUeuRkgyBDvsnBaMiwJGYFmyRMe6pbLEF2z18SXkb6l_0IxyFiFQ6isU5GN1oVZBbHkcV0aBBDb9isMTQO2wO8_BochBodevqkvut-y2P-c/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oc33gLtShXBZfHYZMaxUOLL0AR5yWByTWUeuRkgyBDvsnBaMiwJGYFmyRMe6pbLEF2z18SXkb6l_0IxyFiFQ6isU5GN1oVZBbHkcV0aBBDb9isMTQO2wO8_BochBodevqkvut-y2P-c/s400/DSC_0109.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This could easily be adapted to give to anyone you think is AWesome.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Do you do anything for teachers at the end of the school year? Something crafty or just a note to tell your teachers how much you appreciate them? I've heard those simple notes of gratitude are the best.</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-43713713386295846762011-07-11T23:38:00.000-07:002011-07-11T23:49:46.204-07:00Money for the OrphansRemember how we had a yard sale to earn money for the orphans in Africa? If you have no clue what I'm talking about, <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/06/mothers-without-borders.html">this post</a> will fill you in. I thought we only made about $400 because I only counted the bills and left the coins for Camille to count {for math practice, of course}. She did an excellent job - I was amazed at how well she counted by fives and tens! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjcQw6lSqUEZ235_K_n8Td8uB-57coHPFDnGtG08342j6i_wCQ4Ds-xONhyphenhyphencsRiK5T91XWeDt8wxl3mXT5Mw5s5wOy_KSHQX97b8Lm2VA-h7L9zCuZQeoObu4lVPjEhVYmdmVMNKx5BA/s1600/DSC_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjcQw6lSqUEZ235_K_n8Td8uB-57coHPFDnGtG08342j6i_wCQ4Ds-xONhyphenhyphencsRiK5T91XWeDt8wxl3mXT5Mw5s5wOy_KSHQX97b8Lm2VA-h7L9zCuZQeoObu4lVPjEhVYmdmVMNKx5BA/s320/DSC_0527.JPG" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Math isn't her only forte. She is quite skilled at funny faces!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbFDDfySlEWLe_zy-5EtsZEktr0FEG7luz7FTZxI6fUgMLFGcP82GplkvOqba8g40yehDZzYGH6Xk0KTsfKttFIJFBDwyDSoN1Tq5yhKrHJN_TEcrSNWJWAKhAt3UJwxruvxSs8m0sCc/s1600/DSC_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbFDDfySlEWLe_zy-5EtsZEktr0FEG7luz7FTZxI6fUgMLFGcP82GplkvOqba8g40yehDZzYGH6Xk0KTsfKttFIJFBDwyDSoN1Tq5yhKrHJN_TEcrSNWJWAKhAt3UJwxruvxSs8m0sCc/s320/DSC_0528.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>It turns out we made $464.02! A huge thank you to all the family, friends, and even a few strangers who made this possible. We had 27 people come together to make this happen through their generosity; we never could have done this on our own. I am reminded of the parable <a href="http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/14.14-21?lang=eng#13">when Jesus fed the multitude</a> with two fish and five loaves of bread. I have witnessed the faith of a six year old turn two pennies into more than $450 which will benefit children of God through <a href="http://www.motherswithoutborders.org/">Mothers Without Borders</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRwiwr_0MudeZgeLODRXws-R_OBeJWDuaRImHEVon8ys3Hy_P6e5SLRP6vr9z-53wEstlBL0pEfP_fZL-2HRiS9zBrB8vctFAjYVqkk6iST_kuNIPeh9SrRbLEP0XRwB-TLs7MONL8SM/s1600/DSC_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRwiwr_0MudeZgeLODRXws-R_OBeJWDuaRImHEVon8ys3Hy_P6e5SLRP6vr9z-53wEstlBL0pEfP_fZL-2HRiS9zBrB8vctFAjYVqkk6iST_kuNIPeh9SrRbLEP0XRwB-TLs7MONL8SM/s320/DSC_0533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The money we raised is enough to feed a child for a year and a half or 18 children this month.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This money could send three children to school for a year {includes two uniforms, shoes, socks, a book bag, pencils, text books and school fees}</div>Perhaps it will be used to buy farming tools for the community gardens.<br />
Maybe it will buy textbooks or other school supplies. Perhaps it will even help build a school.<br />
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Mothers Without Borders has many <a href="http://www.motherswithoutborders.org/effort.php">programs that benefit the children in Africa</a>, and we are grateful that this money will be used to bless the lives of others.<br />
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<em>If you want to read more about our yard sale adventures, you can check out the </em><a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/06/garbage-or-garage.html"><em>pre-yard sale post</em></a><em> and the "</em><a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/06/mothers-without-borders-yard-sale.html"><em>what I would have done differently</em></a><em>" post.</em>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-37385389255908623832011-07-10T23:57:00.000-07:002011-07-11T20:14:25.599-07:00Joseph's First Birthday<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our baby turned one year old! What? You missed it? I know some parents enjoy going all out for the first birthday but we decided not to rent the zoo and invite every person we've ever known. Sorry bout that...it was nothing personal. Todd was still recovering from surgery to fix his deviated septum and my parents were out of town on vacation, so we decided to have a nice quiet birthday celebration at home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJz31_wkKdLeezdpHDNAin77JWUtYx_QXxK9sa1Gtf-OhRLEkMxtcbTqykCIKn-KnAFqILnsQZWlPHCpkAPI7yDurRNpt8qB1SLR6PBEg7sz4AjkFNwkkieyKFq6qP6z98F63Drjisk0U/s1600/2011-05-211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJz31_wkKdLeezdpHDNAin77JWUtYx_QXxK9sa1Gtf-OhRLEkMxtcbTqykCIKn-KnAFqILnsQZWlPHCpkAPI7yDurRNpt8qB1SLR6PBEg7sz4AjkFNwkkieyKFq6qP6z98F63Drjisk0U/s400/2011-05-211.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We did invite a few of the cousins, aunts, and uncles. Actually we invited them all {at least all the local ones} because our family is tight like that. But just a few were able to make it and we're so glad they joined us. We did some of Joseph's favorite things like dancing...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP9cyGrnchSs6ZiA1Iuxji0tNFHlCd2MoQCo3fQTSLuiulVezz73XuJMwEMgttcBriKjiX5Yz0TfzPALjZDROop8BE02DVCSPDk9UBEg9sm60Pqnfr1WUPOHf0n9aJf_S8Sf8XMN69VY/s1600/DSC_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP9cyGrnchSs6ZiA1Iuxji0tNFHlCd2MoQCo3fQTSLuiulVezz73XuJMwEMgttcBriKjiX5Yz0TfzPALjZDROop8BE02DVCSPDk9UBEg9sm60Pqnfr1WUPOHf0n9aJf_S8Sf8XMN69VY/s400/DSC_0178.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"> And eating...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWxK5sKWryghWGm5GmHr2xwOQSNX_QfxzaJefPxKM6a2yJ-E0ml0kCpAI-BMjTTSsGnVhJUQW_TTux_twwuVBa-4CXCoLkvyxXSxgD4dTw9Rej9GXxC60wxnUIlxi5KkrSp0UAHots6w/s1600/DSC_0187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWxK5sKWryghWGm5GmHr2xwOQSNX_QfxzaJefPxKM6a2yJ-E0ml0kCpAI-BMjTTSsGnVhJUQW_TTux_twwuVBa-4CXCoLkvyxXSxgD4dTw9Rej9GXxC60wxnUIlxi5KkrSp0UAHots6w/s400/DSC_0187.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And playing with garbage. Okay, perhaps Joseph's the only one who decided to do that. Cue the typical "kids enjoy the packaging more than the toys" comment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7THRW3iYIXGQ-kFlLNWFNy5QBz3w9NbiRafbluK7HHTrUk7pfYnuNWESFbi4lrGM-vMCwgMSzo0f4ni5641e_ivAfaCM2lvqUkLVwWzZ7IhMcntbW-yd_CwzU1EfCfeqDaW0S0q0zfk/s1600/DSC_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7THRW3iYIXGQ-kFlLNWFNy5QBz3w9NbiRafbluK7HHTrUk7pfYnuNWESFbi4lrGM-vMCwgMSzo0f4ni5641e_ivAfaCM2lvqUkLVwWzZ7IhMcntbW-yd_CwzU1EfCfeqDaW0S0q0zfk/s400/DSC_0213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Each person wrote down something they like about Joseph or a special memory from this year, and the younger cousins drew him pictures. I have these in an envelope for him {maybe I'll decorate it someday} as a special keepsake from his first birthday.<br />
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</div>So there you have it. Yep, that's it. No fancy decorations {just a couple pom poms and balloons}, no creative invitations {we just called family}, no smothering of gifts {just practical things like sippy cups and cheerios}, and no designer cake that cost us a small fortune {we're saving for college}. Is everyone in the blogosphere gasping yet?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1M5gN-SlpA-MhJ8K3iyp-OoqWufa6wzR5m_IBzqRneQ1yjY_X45iQdH2MeuIaG1yNdDNxb1f7KYtU_QRMSQvDIKQYdqxndUW3eOnyCcXt1INeSZYRBcHvihqTzTmkbhwBku7gEz3oMQ/s1600/DSC_0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1M5gN-SlpA-MhJ8K3iyp-OoqWufa6wzR5m_IBzqRneQ1yjY_X45iQdH2MeuIaG1yNdDNxb1f7KYtU_QRMSQvDIKQYdqxndUW3eOnyCcXt1INeSZYRBcHvihqTzTmkbhwBku7gEz3oMQ/s400/DSC_0180.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-party and I <em>love</em> looking at all the fun party themes and ideas out there. In fact, sometimes I see all those creative parties and feel guilty for not having the time and energy to tackle something like that. But then I remember that my time and energy was and is being spent on my family, which will outlast any party favor I could ever muster making. The lack of an elaborate production in no way diminishes the way we feel about our bundle of joy that arrived a year ago. We are so blessed to have Joseph in our family. His sweet spirit radiates pure joy throughout our home, and somehow he unites our family and strengthens our bonds of love for each other. <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">So how do you like to celebrate birthdays? Do you like to keep it simple or go all out with theme parties or do a little of both depending on the year? Any birthday traditions out there?</div>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6115718854326598805.post-25199180891039902342011-06-28T20:20:00.000-07:002012-05-17T14:36:05.947-07:00How to Host a Benefit Yard SaleHaving a benefit yard sale is hard work! We spent the last few weeks gathering donations for our yard sale to earn money for the orphans in Africa {specifically Zambia}. We made about $400 which we are donating to <a href="http://www.motherswithoutborders.org/">Mothers Without Borders</a>! This was such a wonderful experience, and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, family, and many strangers. It was fun to meet new people who are actively engaged in our community, and we learned about some new programs we can participate in to help people in need locally.<br />
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One of the kind people we met told us where to find our local shelter and asked us to donate any of her clothes that didn't sell. We had soooo many clothing donations for the yard sale, we took most of hers directly to the shelter so Camille could be more involved. Here Camille is holding the smallest of the three bags we donated.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrDQGWvBMI0feqhyphenhypheno4rhUiwAU6M82H6jMBXEHSudmZqkylUJBX78o05QVClggisEFbx98wDmb424BYQLrhsQRGRte_RU3rhHaa4eBsz00zI3TFl3CgZdTnBe5itBLBIe2kJ5-NmFlCg8/s1600/Palm+Pre+Pictures+through+6.21.11+250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrDQGWvBMI0feqhyphenhypheno4rhUiwAU6M82H6jMBXEHSudmZqkylUJBX78o05QVClggisEFbx98wDmb424BYQLrhsQRGRte_RU3rhHaa4eBsz00zI3TFl3CgZdTnBe5itBLBIe2kJ5-NmFlCg8/s400/Palm+Pre+Pictures+through+6.21.11+250.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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I was so excited to tell Camille that her two pennies turned into more than $400 because of her desire to help other children; I only wish she could have been there to take part in the <strike>mayhem</strike> fun. We were going to hold the yard sale last weekend but I didn't prepare adequately for the rain {I momentarily forgot that we live in Washington where it can rain at any given moment. All. the. time.} So we had to push it back a week. Unfortunately she is in Idaho for a family reunion. We wanted to wait for her to return, but we had donations spilling out all over our little condo and had other donations stashed in two of our friends' garages. We just had to press forward. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh2tx0Y81Jkr52rY2ryKY55o7JnluC8SWpRw-hqqm-YHhMipovuHPI5yUAcaplsQPSJrEmqCh_5iq5x3QvLcl7fcqIQUXWLsJDphN8vOILv9MRh3w0nFdHpjPZv4yJG2CqNZ3FYDtAa0/s1600/DSC_0419-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh2tx0Y81Jkr52rY2ryKY55o7JnluC8SWpRw-hqqm-YHhMipovuHPI5yUAcaplsQPSJrEmqCh_5iq5x3QvLcl7fcqIQUXWLsJDphN8vOILv9MRh3w0nFdHpjPZv4yJG2CqNZ3FYDtAa0/s400/DSC_0419-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dang that rain, and dang my poor planning. Which brings me to the rest of today's post.</div>
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Prior to our yard sale I did some research and made a <a href="http://imabuilder.blogspot.com/2011/06/garbage-or-garage.html">list of things to help prepare</a> me for the yard sale. That was definitely helpful, but there are several things I would have done differently. My biggest suggestion is to recruit, recruit, recruit! Have fun and get <em>all</em> your friends to help out!<br />
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<strong><u>Storing & Collecting Donations</u></strong><br />
<strong>Storage. </strong>One thing I didn't consider was that my place would fill up so fast with donations! People were very generous for which we were so grateful. If you don't have a garage, I would recommend recruiting a friend {or two or three} with a garage to help store things, especially furniture donations.<br />
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<strong>Donation Drop Offs. </strong>Next time I would ask people to bring donations to me instead of trying to go around picking them all up. I wanted to make it easier on the people so generously donating items so I went around collecting. In the future I would only do this for elderly people who couldn't bring it to me.<br />
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<strong>Clothing. </strong>We had sooooo many clothing donations! Next time I would probably be very picky about the clothing donations I would accept. We had a hard time displaying them at the yard sale and most of them didn't sell. I would select only the best of adult clothing and accept all unstained children and baby clothes - those were the best sellers. I would suggest the donater take all remaining clothing to their local homeless shelter so it can benefit those in need.<br />
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<strong>Be Picky & Sort Promptly. </strong>It is helpful to sort items with people as they make donations; this allows you to be more picky about the items you accept. If they just drop off a bag, you may be left with many unsellable items that you have to get rid of {either trash or hauling to other locations}. If you don't want to hurt people's feelings, you could say, "We already have a lot of this item so I can't accept any more," or "I am running short on space so I can only take these donations."<br />
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<strong><u>Yard Sale Prep & Organization</u></strong><br />
<strong>Haul it Together.</strong> I live in a condo and our HOA prohibits yard sales. We had to haul all of the donations over to my sister-in-law's house {thank you Tiffany!} and it took four minivans filled to the brim to get all our donations over there. Oh, and then two more trips for the furniture donations. So six trips total! We took everything over the <strong>day before</strong> and it took about 6 hours for two of us to load and unload everything, set up tables, and sort. Next time I would get several friends with trucks and/or vans to come help load everything up all at once. Then we could all help unload and sort items onto their respective tables.<br />
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<strong>Indoors.</strong> If you can do it inside, I would highly recommend this! We had to postpone our yard sale because I didn't prepare adequately with tarps and tents. Even when I was prepared and the forecast was clear it rained in the middle of setup. Because there was so much stuff we had to set up in the back yard, cover everything with tarps, and move everything to the front the next morning. What a pain! If you set up indoors the day before you can leave everything as is.<br />
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<strong>Don't try to display everything!</strong> Books, movies, toys, clothes, miscellaneous cords/chargers work well in boxes. If you put it all out, it just looks cluttered and junky {oops}! People are probably willing to dig a little through these items, but only if it's organized. Cords should be wrapped up or put in ziplock baggies. Labeled boxes of baby and children clothing can be sorted by size and gender. For example, one box would say: baby girl clothes through 18 months. Another box: Baby Boy Clothes through 18 months. And so forth. Adult clothing should be hung on hangers except for jeans and tee shirts could probably go in a box {also labeled and sorted by gender and type, not size - remember, be picky about donations!} We had a blanket out with all the toys dumped on it so the kids could play with them. I think it would have been better to have the blanket out and put some of the best toys on it with the rest in boxes next to it. Then sort the toys by size {if doing general pricing for large, medium, and small toys} and label the boxes with price.<br />
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<strong>Some items should definitely be displayed.</strong> I didn't sort through the jewelry very well, but wish I would have sorted all bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earings and displayed them appropriately. Nicer things could have been arranged into cute little vignettes to make them more appealing than just set out on the table. Just couldn't resist posting these cute jewelry displays found <a href="http://karapaslaydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/mini-makeover-lackluster-to-lacy-looker.html">here</a>. You could put bracelets around a candlestick or vase. And that looks like an upside down bowl with a plate on top. Kind of quirkly and fun. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38110489@N08/5427989833/" title="IMG_1311 by made2create, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1311" height="320" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5427989833_a3a054c70f_z.jpg" width="213" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38110489@N08/5427988671/" title="IMG_1315 by made2create, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1315" height="212" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5296/5427988671_8cfd5fbda3_z.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="214" src="http://images.younghouselove.com.s3.amazonaws.com/2011/06/Towne-Jewelry-In-Beans.jpg" width="320" /><br />
What about rings in a pile of beans found <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/06/office-crashing-inspiration-everywhere/">here</a>? Maybe. But check out the background stands that the bracelets are on. You could DIY one of those with an empty toilet paper roll. Oh, man. I just crossed the line of waaay too much time and energy spent on this. Next...<br />
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<strong>Sheets as tablecloths.</strong> Some of our tables were old and/or stained and would have looked much nicer with a sheet covering them. The nicer your stuff looks the more people will be willing to buy it. I was surprised at how many quality items weren't sold at our yard sale.<br />
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<strong>Plug it in.</strong> I had electrical cords, batteries, and light bulbs for people to try things out. Unfortunately people probably didn't know that and certainly didn't ask. Next time I would actually have things plugged in and batteries installed {with a BIG sign on table that batteries are not included}. I would keep this table close to checkout so people don't trip on the cords.<br />
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<strong>Signage.</strong> I would make a huge sign saying where money is being donated. We talked to people as they came in and had some info at the cash table, but most people just handed me the money and didn't even look at the sign on the jar.<br />
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<strong>Food.</strong> Keep checkout table separate from food table. We had cookies, lemonade, rice crispy treats, chocolates, and licorice for sale but there just wasn't enough room and people were always hovering at the checkout. I would have a separate table with its own donation jar for food items so it looked clean and inviting. This way people who don't find any treasures to buy will realize they can just have a snack and/or make a donation.<br />
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Are you inspired or worn out just reading about it? It was a ton of work to put on this yard sale, but it was definitely worth it. I am inspired by the kindness or our community and the generosity of people when they know you are helping others. But keep in mind helping others doesn't have to be a huge project! You can make a <a href="https://www.motherswithoutborders.org/donation_form.php?type=five">small monetary donation</a> {if everyone gives a little it turns into a lot!} or just donate some clothing to your local shelter. Even sharing your smile helps make the world a better place.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18335658958829204969noreply@blogger.com0