Recycled Supply Case- Kids

In an effort to curb boredom on a rainy and gloomy day, 

my little man made his own supply container out of a soda case.  

I am so proud of his creativity, he made it all by himself.

He measured, cut, and glued away.

It was simple to make, the supplies he used were:

     Scrapbook Paper

     Scissors

     Soft drink case

     Ruler

     Mod Podge & brush OR double sided tape-he chose the tape

     Pencil or pen

     Fabric or Washi Tape    

So many great ideas using a soda case, this was his.
Happy crafting with your kids!

Festive Week

Hurrah!  It's been a blessed week for us here, we have come to the end of the school year,

and I cannot believe that my little boy is off to the first grade next season.

My mom is in town and we feel so blessed to have her here for little L's 

kindergarten graduation.  

We also had a town festival during the weekend and we promised  little L 

that we would take him to enjoy in the festivities.  

There was cotton candy, light sabers, rides, ice-cream, lots of lights

and games for the kids.

Little L loved every bit of it, and so did we.

We are looking forward to a wonderful summer with backyard dinners, 

beach trips, road trips, family time, pool dipping, butterfly watching, flower planting, 

lemonade stand, carnival visits, roller coaster rides snow cones, sprinkler course,

bubble blowing, star gazing, bug catching days and nights. 

What are you planning for the summer?

Have a happy week!

At the Zoo

Creating happy childhood memories is a thing I enjoy doing with my son.

I hold dear to my heart the smiles and excitement  that he expresses as we encounter

each animal and exhibition throughout the zoo. 

The best questions are asked by little ones and create fun memories.

L: Mommy will he eat me?

Mommy:  No sweetie, he's behind the cage.

L:  If there was no cage, would he eat me then?

Nothing is more fulfilling than seeing a child smile ear to ear in excitement, 

joy and astonishment while surrounded by hundreds of beautiful little parakeets.

This was his favorite exhibit.

Laughter caused by the tickling mouth of a giraffe...priceless!

We had so much fun feeding the giraffes, they are such magnificent creatures.

Mind you we have been to the zoo several times, we never cease to be amazed by the animals.

Happy times with mommy and son.

Turtle Rescue Mission

While I was away for a week, my husband and son conducted a rescue mission 

for their friend Mr. Turtle.  Talk about visitors in the spring!

This little guy, well not so little, was found wondering on front of our house.

My first question to them was, where did it come from?

Apparently there are two lakes in the surrounding neighborhood, so this turtle must've
lost his way and needed a little help finding his way back home.
I am aware that many turtles have home ranges, a territory they consider home,
and when relocated, they will search their way back.

Due to all the present dangers for this creature, help is what the snapping turtle got.
The safest way to get him back to his natural habitat was to drive him there.
Even though the lake was at walking distance,  we have to remember,
it was a "snapping turtle" and who wants to hold on to one for long.
So off they went.

Once they had arrived at a nearby lake, they released the turtle and off he went.
My son was so proud to be part of a rescue mission for this creature.

He is an animal lover.  If it were up to him, I think he would have kept this snapping turtle.
But dad explained to him how animals enjoy their freedom.
Have you ever had a strange visitor from the animal kingdom at your home?
Do tell!

Easter Weekend Re-Cap

This recipe has been shared in many places around the Internet.

This year I decided it was time for my little one to learn about the Crucifixion and Resurrection

of our Lord, although he knows who Jesus is, he was too young to really comprehend it all.

To help him understand, we made some Resurrection cookies.

This is a wonderful way to share with your children the 

scripture story about the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We began by placing the pecans in a plastic freezer bag. 

My little man used a rolling pin to break the pecans into small pieces. 

I explained that after Jesus was arrested,  the Roman soldiers beat Jesus.
The story continues on with the recipe,
to follow the rest of it, go here.

In the morning the oven was opened and my son found these yummy Resurrection cookies.

They were round and the fluffiness hardened, so when you bit into it, 

it formed somewhat of an empty cave.

“He is not here, He is Risen”.

Matthew 28:6

The mass was beautiful.
After church, we held an Easter egg  hunt and the kids enjoyed it.

Not a cloud in the sky, but notice that he is wearing his rain boots.
Those are his favorite!

After the egg hunt and a quiet beautiful afternoon,
we headed out to visit friends for an Easter dinner.
I left my camera and don't have photos to share, but everything was beautiful and yummy!
My favorite was the carrot cake bunny!
Thank you Laura!

Learning to be Unselfish

source:google

It's healthy for a married man or woman to pursue personal interests 

and engage in individual activities,

 hence me with my crafts/ blog/ shop; he with his mustache journey and other lively pursuits.

This provides an outlet, a sense of freedom and perhaps some exercise

--plus, it makes for a more interesting, well rounded spouse, 

which keeps the conversation at home lively!  

However, the level of your involvement in these pursuits

 must be weighed carefully against the effect it will have on ones marriage.

I must consider my partner's needs as well as my own. 

Time is a precious and limited resource that God has given to us as a couple.  

My husband has a large stake in any decision we make

 concerning how we will spend our hours, 

because every choice has important ramifications for us both.  

Not only can too much time apart erode the unity of a marriage,

it can deprive a spouse of legitimate needs such as time together, 

help around the house, or break from the kids.

I have been thinking about my spouse's interests before chasing mine, 

after all I was neglecting our time together.  

Now we sit down with each other and analyze the pros and cons 

of our commitments to any activity.  

Sure, a relationship may benefit if one regularly enjoys some time to oneself; 

we just have to remember to count the costs. 

And make sure our mate gets equal personal time!

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 2:4

Don't forget to Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

My Stache and MOVEMBER (guest post)

Happy November everyone.  Today we have a special guest post by my husband Mr. M.

Please make him feel at home and enjoy!

My wife has been asking me for some time now to write about my moustache growing, in what she calls, a "phase".  Little does she know, well she'll know now, is that I have grown very fond of the growth under my nose.  The caterpillar that once was is now, and still becoming, a thing of beauty.  All the men at work, and even a few ladies, who make fun of it and/or me for having grown it, have secretly told me they love it and only wish they could grow one as grand as I have, and yes, that includes the ladies.

I started growing "The Stache" after seeing a Heineken Light commercial (great commercial by the way), whereby the guy is out of place in the "normal" world because of his moustache, but is at home when it came to the ol' bare knuckle fight scene of yore.

I immediately shaved the beard I was sprouting and left behind its counterpart. 

 The Wife asked: "What are you doing?"

Me:  "I'm gonna grow THAT!" (pointing to the guy in the commercial) 

source: YouTube

The Wife:  "No you're not!"

Me:  "Ooooh yes I AM!"

Two months later "The Stache" lives and she loves it.  She might not admit it, but I see the way she looks at it...and me. ;)

I visited YouTube and several other sites with regards on caring and grooming for "The Stache" and then by accident or fate, I stumbled on this site called Movember.com.  Movember is the month formerly known as November, and is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health especially prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

  I immediately became a member, made a donation, having nothing to do about the moustache thing...ok, ok, a  little to do with the moustache thing, but also because as men, we have to pay more attention to our health and well-being; not let our pride and machismo get in the way of living longer, healthier lives.  Plus the bonus of growing a moustache.

My plan though is to continue growing it until it has fully blossomed to what?, I have no idea.  But when it does blossom, as it has done in my mind a thousand times, I will know.

All joking aside, please go to www.movember.com, see what it has done in the years past.  Let your love ones be aware that there is something out there for us, to not only be a part of as guys (which is waaaay fun and creates a stir, in a good way) but participate in something that can make a difference in everyone's lives.

So, to those whose want to and will, can't but tries, bad or good, make it happen.  Grow that THING, donate and become a Mo' Bro and ladies, you can partake as well.  Become a Mo' Sista!  Support your man, brother, father, uncle and/or friend.  My 'sweets' has and will continue to.  She has supported me in everything that I have done and has enjoyed this ride as well.  No pun intended. :)  Seriously, it just came out that way.  :)

I love her to death and I always will.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with prostate cancer but has been cleared for the time being.  Let's hope and pray it stays that way.

Let "The Stache" grow and flow.  Never look back.

God Bless and be safe!  

Mr. M

Fun Mustache Products

                                                   

Coney Island Astroland Park (Guest Post)

Astroland Cyclone

Guest post by Mikey (my husband)

One of our many stops back home in Brooklyn was to Coney Island Astroland Park.  

This nostalgic, family-friendly amusement park brought back so many childhood memories.  

Home to The Cyclone, this New York City National Historic Landmark is listed in 

the New York State Register of Historic Places.  You may read the history 

of this Amusement Park here and here.

Wonder Wheel

I remember coming here in the summer months as a child with my dad.  My weekends 

were filled with cotton candy, seafood and the kiddie roller coaster.  

It was happiness for me as a five year old and as a teenager.

As I tried to catch a glimpse of the kiddie roller coaster to show my little one,

 I noticed that it was gone.  It was replaced with another ride but not from my memories.

   They were testing the Soaring Eagle while we were walking around 

eating Nathan's famous hot dogs.  I wanted to ride it so bad, but had to 

wait until the weekend when it was to open.  

Like myself, my son loved it!  He loves carnivals and amusement parks, 

so this was a special treat for him.

This sign was pretty BIG and visible.

...need I say more!  :)

Mikey

Don't forget to Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

Our 12th Wedding Anniversary & DIY Rose Ice Cubes

Create these Rose Ice Cubes for a Special Occasion. 

Visit Jonathan Fong Style for a list of what you will need and instructions on
how to make these beautiful and romantic ice cubes.

It is our 12th Wedding Anniversary and we are celebrating!

We look back on twelve years ago, when we stared in each other's eyes.

We repeated our vows, our hearts were soaring

We exchanged rings; we brushed each other's tears

We said "I do" and sealed our contract with a beautiful kiss.

And through the years, we have still stared into each other's eyes

We have laughed, we've cried, 

We have disagreed, we have compromised, and we have made up

We have tried to never let the sun go down on our anger,

We have tried to remember the words uttered long ago and have tried to
 keep them fresh every day.

We have worked at it, and we have prevailed

We persisted, and we are victorious

And now, we stand here together, 

to once again stare into each other's eyes

Repeating our vows, letting our hearts soar even higher.

Remembering the rings and what they mean,

Cherishing the tears,

saying I do again, and again and again.

And keeping our contract solid, and fresh, and beautiful.

With a Kiss.

Time to Get Dirty

This is what we did for fun just the other day, play with dirt!  I know, I know, he'll get dirty but...

dirt can be the most delightful play item in nature.  It washes away from your hair, clothes, skin, and toenails, so I don't worry about my child getting a bit messy when outdoors.  I'm not concerned about stains, I just designate play clothes that are allowed to get dirty and keep in mind that a few stains are a small price to pay for the benefits of the imagination and creative play outdoors in the fresh air.  The important thing is to encourage my little one to play freely, without fear of getting dirty. 

He's a boy and he loves dirt, so why not let him enjoy it, after all I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid. 

We had all sorts of fun with dirt, we created walls made of mud, mud cake,  mud puddles, mud pies, channel of water and more.  The smile and satisfaction on my child's face is priceless.  

 He can play with dirt, he can play with mud, he can play with the hose, he can play with bugs and discover all that nature has to offer.

This stimulates creative play and problem solving.

After all that fun we discovered this little guy, 

well not so little, but look at how amazing this grasshopper looks. We photographed him, then set him free. I'm not of bug person, but sometimes you have to step out of the box, you know.

It's amazing how much you can discover in your own backyard or the park. 

Have you tried exploring the outdoors with your kids? 

Don't forget to Rate My Blog @ Top Mommy Blogs

Our Perfect Tree

My husband and I have been married eleven years and throughout our eleven years of marriage, we never had a real Christmas tree, we used a faux tree that we purchased when we lived in Germany.  This year we decided to get a real Christmas tree for our new home.  It will be my 

son's and my husband's first real tree.

This particular tree farm sprayed some of their trees with a special green paint to keep it fresh
and green.  I did not want anything with paint, especially with two asthmatics in the house.
I wanted the real deal 100% all natural.  So we kept looking.

This was the one, the right height, thickness and all natural.  

When we brought it home the entire house had that fabulous scent
of fresh blue cypress pine.

We love, love, love our new natural tree!
Now all we need to do is to decorate it!

What's your preference real or faux?

Out and About

Collection of random musings to help make interesting the mundane, enjoy!


)ONE)

We went to a large Corn Maze during the weekend and it was pretty neat.  We shot the corn canon, rode horses, played in a corn box, got lost in the corn maze (note to self-carry mosquito repellent)  My son loved it.

)Two)

My son and I were exploring some more around our new yard, which is a lot bigger than our previous backyard, and to our surprise we discovered this fella.

)Three)

After my Mr. M pulled all the weeds out of the yard, we were able to see the many flowers and shrubs that were hidden by them.  One is this American Beauty Berry, some call it French Mulberry.

I just learned that the roots, leaves, and branches of this plant were used by the Alabama, Choctaw, Creek,  Seminole and other Native American tribes for various medicinal purposes.  The roots, leaves and branches were made into decoction that was used in sweat baths to treat both malarial fevers and rheumatism.  The boiled plant parts were poured into a big pan that was placed near the patient inside a sweat-house  A similar decoction of the roots was used to treat dizziness and stomachaches.  The roots and berries were boiled and drunk to treat colic.  

The American Beauty Berry is also an important food source for birds and other animals. 

As I sat down enjoying the beautiful day, I saw this shape ) in the sky formed by a cloud...

Can you see it?

)Four)

And finally Yesterday we went rollerskating, I haven't roller skated since I was twelve, so that was fun.  Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  Happy Monday!

Our Labor Day Activities

On this Labor Day weekend we decided to stroll along the outdoor mall, at our Town Center.

We love going there especially on a beautiful, bright sunny day, you're probably wondering why, but you should see this place, it's beautiful. There are lots of shops and restaurants not to mention a cute park in the center of it all.  Sometimes they have a live band for entertainment outdoors and it's great.

The kids enjoyed looking at fish and turtles in the pond.

 We enjoyed natures creatures, the birds, ducks and butterflies in the area.

We stopped for a bite to eat at California Pizza Kitchen.

As we waited for our yummy pizzas...

...our little one colored lovely butterflies! 

Four Seasons Pizza

Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Pizza with Grilled chicken, oh so good!

Dessert, yum!!! Tiramisu

After our bellies were full,  we hopped along to the book store for some fun reading and book hunting.  That was our  Labor Day and I loved it!   Thank you for stopping by!