Memories and healthy recipes for your dinner table.
At Home Vacations and Nickle and Dime Get-a-ways
– johanna | April 3rd, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE BUDGET PANTRY
In February, the local schools were out for Presidents week. The mother hen that I am, I loved having Mason home. We enjoyed sleeping in, staying up late, a morning in the mountains playing in the snow, a visit from Grandma and Grandpa, stomping in mud puddles and bike rides to the park on the days it was not raining.
Spring Break is coming up and like most families watching their cash, we want make the most of the week on very little spending. I learned about some really great ideas from the Family Fun website, Woman’s Day Magazine and other moms in the area for fun activities and adventures that will not break the bank.
At-home summer camp: Give each day a theme. Monday is park day, Tuesday is library day, Wednesday is swimming, Thursday is trip day- visit the zoo, go up the canyon for a hike, or some other fun activity. Friday is jar day- Write activities (bake cookies, jump on the trampoline, take a bath, play game, write a story, call a friend to play with) on slips of paper and place in a jar. Whatever they draw out, they need to do for at least a half hour.
Souvenirs: Kids mostly remember the special treats and souvenirs. If you plan on staying home, give the kids a little spending money. Take the kids out for a treat one evening. Going grocery shopping? Let them pick out a souvenir. It could be candy, a magazine or a pretty bar of soap.
The Plaza Hotel: Ever thought of getting into the Bed and Breakfast business? Now you can. Have the kids book a room at home. Complete with turn down service and a chocolate or an origami towel on the pillow. Make a mom and dad do not disturb sign. Create a room service breakfast menu with check off boxes. Clear the counter off and leave mini soaps and folded towels.
A Night Out: Fancy a little night life? Pull out the board games. Work on a puzzle. Watch a movie. Play glow in the dark volleyball or ghost in the graveyard.
Act like tourists: Take public transportation or walk.
Send Postcards: Buy or make postcards and send them to loved ones near or far.
Buy vacation food: Purchase single serving cereal boxes.
Back yard camping trip: Set up the tent in the backyard. Grab flashlights, the Coleman and a cooler of food and drinks. Tell stories and roast marshmallows just as you would on a camping trip.
Host an iron man chef contest: Host a family cook off.
Neighborhood Attractions: Take advantage of the best your state has to offer in your own backyard by spending the day carousing nearby cities and/or landmarks. Choose a different destination each day, returning home to sleep at night. Enjoy fishing, hiking, river rafting, whale watching, national parks, dinner cruises, the beach, an amusement park, museums, water parks, cave exploration, the zoo, historical tourist stops. Grab breakfast at home and do not forget to pack a cooler with snacks and lunch. Visit Trip Advisor for ideas on locales just tank of gas .
Timeshares and camping: Book a timeshare or go camping. Both options are cheaper than a hotel stay and because the kitchen is on site you save on the cost of meals. Camp sites usually run from $16 dollars to $25 dollars a night. With the economy upside down a friend of mine says you can snag a timeshare for $200 a week.
Farm Stays: Ever wonder what life is like on a farm? Now you can get in the thick of things with a “haycation“. Dine on meals made with fresh picked food. Help gather eggs and milk a cow. Take a horse ride. Both working and non-working farms provide accommodations be it a room in the main farmhouse or a cabin located on the land. Farm stays can vary from bed and breakfast to dude ranch to actually lending a hand with the chores on the farm.
Airfare: Register with Airfare Watch Dog to get rock bottom steals on airfare tickets. A friend of mine purchased 2 round trip tickets to Iowa for $400 versus the $700 per ticket going rate. My sister found tickets from Florida to Califorina for under $200.
April Website Review: We Just Got Back
– johanna | April 1st, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF
“We Just Got Back” is a website dedicated to families and travel. It has all the insider advice on traveling with kids, choosing the perfect vacation and what to do when you get there. Click on the link for news and deals blog to find out what celebrations are going on around the world and if there are any deals to be had. The insider’s Guide lists the best kept secrets in six major US cities. Use the tips sheet to find travel ideas, boredom busters and ways to save while traveling. There is also a search link by keyword or age. Become a member, for free, and post your own experiences and recommendations.
March Website Review: Spoonflower Custom Fabrics
– johanna | March 1st, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE CRAFT CLOSET
This month’s favorite website is Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a custom fabric site where you create the pattern for the fabric. The creators of the site are Kim and Stephen Fraser. Kim created the spoonflower blog with the idea to print her own fabric.
Stephen, an internet marketing consultant, helped Kim bring the dream to life on the internet. Gart Davis who used to run an online company, Lulu.com, that offers print-on-demand books, was brought on board to help with the printing technology.
The photos all come from members of the spoonflower website (click the photos for credits). The site itself is free. The fabric is not free. Members are welcome to use public patterns, for private use only, with the consent of the owner.
To get started simply create or edit a picture using Photoshop or another type of graphic software as listed below. Upload the image to spoonflower. Choose a tile format and fabric size.
First timers who would like to try sketching images on their computer, spoonflower suggests starting out with ArtRage. The free version is limited to basic drawing and painting tools as well as the ability to create your own stencils.
Plaidmaker and is a fun tool you can use to make plaid fabric. I am really liking Wordle art right now.
Try this comic book tutorial if you are looking to do more with your photographs. You can turn your photos into line drawings to embroider over or Andy Warhol-esque popart prints, or cut and paste elements of photos to create repeating patterns.
This is a fun family project. The kids will absolutely love seeing their drawing come to life.
Book Review: Love and Logic
– johanna | February 18th, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE DISH ON PARENTING
As I watch the three loverly’s grow I am posed with a conundrum. In one year, the average child learns to suck from the breast or a bottle, drink from a cup, sip from a straw. He also masters eating solids, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking and clapping. More over babies can understand directions, recognize faces, shapes, colors, numbers, letters and speak. Why can’t they behave when we want them to?
I want to enjoy being around my kids and I want others to enjoy being around them. We have tried to instill basic courtesies. They know please and thank you. Do not hit. Do not bit. Be gentle to the cat. Share your toys. Do not jump on the couch. Do they always stay within the bounds? No, of course not, they are kids. They like to test the waters and they like to do it when we least expect it. It is our job to constantly be one step ahead of them. So we arm ourselves with what we know and the lessons learned by others and hope for the best.
Granted I remember many times as a teenager I thought I knew what I was doing and luckily I had a mom to step in and redirect me. When I am dealing with my own little ones I cannot count how many times I have thought, “what in the world are you doing?” “You should know better!” There are plenty of adults I would ask the same questions. Being a mom is one of the most challenging jobs I have undertaken. With so many books on the subject you would think we moms and dads would have it all figured out. Problem is the majority of experts writing those books focus on the average child and do not take into account the differences of personality. After spending hundreds of dollars to help me figure out why my kid was slightly different from the other kids he played with and not getting anywhere I got the best advice you can get. It was free and from an experienced mom.
That was where I was three years ago. I felt like I was failing miserably. Nothing worked. I tried reading books. I tried watching the Nanny shows. I talked with friends. My son was getting angrier and acting out even more. I was running out of consequences. His toys were gone. There was nothing left in his room but a bed. Why the answer is never there before we reach the dead end eludes me. I was at a friend’s house pouring out my frustrations. She mentioned she had the same struggles with finding consequences and offered to let me borrow a book that helped her. I did not want to scoff in her face. I doubted another book written by another so called expert would be of any help. Politely, I accepted the book. That night I flipped through it. The following day I had finished reading the entire book. It was exactly what I was searching for. I admit I was completely overwhelmed at first. Yet, to my surprise there was a completely different kid living with us after a few days of implementing the strategies taught in the book.
After some observation I made an alarming discovery. My child was not only 100% all natural certified “boyâ€, but he is a sensitive and spirited child. The average child has an activity level of seven. One being the lowest, ten the highest. Spirited children have an activity level of 9. When I placed him in time out or yelled at him he got worse. Love and Logic helped me realize I was going about discipline the wrong way. We do not have to use a big voice or act authoritative in order to correct bad behavior. Rather allow the child to discover their mistakes and learn how to make right choices while in a loving environment. Instead of saying “that was naughty, you go to time out, now!” I can calmly put my hand on his should, sing “uh-uh, you chose to go to time out!” He is calmly and quietly moved to a time out spot, his bedroom or couch. When he is calm I go to him and give him a big hug and kiss, calmly ask him why he is there and tell him he may come out of time out. As Mason got older we started using delayed consequences. If he broke a rule and I was unable to come up with a consequence right away, the next time he wanted a treat, to play a game or watch TV we would tell him “that’s so sad. You did this.
Love and Logic is also all about making choices. Give the responsibility back to the child. Say things like “do you want to put your shirt on first our your pants?” When they ask for a treat before dinner ask “would you like to have it with your dinner or after?” If it is cold outside, rather than get in a fight over a coat say “it is cold outside, I am going to wear my coat so I do not get cold. Do you want to wear your coat or carry it?” But never give a choice that you cannot follow through on. Choices 99% of the time will defuse the situation. Both parties win.
Love and Logic
Tips: Ten tips for being happier.
– johanna | February 17th, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF
My goal in 2009 is to laugh more. I am focusing on joking around with my kids, especially during tantrums and learning to discover the optimist in me. This list is taken from the Happiness Project website. She does state that helping others is one of the best ways of boosting your happiness; however, it is not listed as one of the top ten. Maybe that is because we should already be doing that.
10. Take action.
Some people assume happiness is mostly a matter of inborn temperament: You’re born an Eeyore or a Tigger, and that’s that. Taking time to reflect, and conscious steps to make your life happier, really does work.
9. Stop nagging. Replace nagging with…persuasive tools: wordless hints (for example, leaving a new light bulb on the counter); using just one word (saying “Milk!†instead of talking on and on); not insisting that something be done on my schedule; and, most effective of all, doing a task myself.
8. Exercise to boost energy. Exercise is one of the most dependable mood-boosters.
7. There are two types of decision makers. “Satisfiers”- make a decision once their criteria are met. “Maximizers”- want to make the best possible decision. Satisfiers tend to be happier than maximizers. Maximizers expend more time and energy reaching decisions, and they’re often anxious about their choices. Sometimes good enough is good enough.
6. Buy some happiness.
Our basic psychological needs include feeling loved, secure, being good at what we do and having a sense of control. Spend money to stay in closer contact with…family and friends, promote…health, work more efficiently, eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.
5. Don’t treat the blues with a “treat. The pleasure lasts a minute, but then feelings of guilt and loss of control and other negative consequences deepen the lousiness of the day. Ask whether this will truly make things better.
4. People who do new things are happier than people who stick to familiar activities that they already do well.
3. Fake it till you feel it. Feelings follow actions. Feeling low? Deliberately act cheery and you will yourself actually feeling happier. Feeling angry at someone? Do something thoughtful for them.
2. Expressing anger related to minor, fleeting annoyances just amplifies bad feelings, while not expressing anger often allows it to dissipate.
1. Go to sleep at a decent hour and do not allow yourself to get too hungry.
February’s Website Review: Chowhound
– johanna | February 6th, 2009Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF
Last summer Stephen and I had a much needed get-a-way for a few days in Half Moon Bay. A million thanks to our nieces Roxy and Tori. Half Moon Bay is a quaint little (what I call surfer) town by the ocean south of San Francisco. I was hoping to come back with a couple of recipes to share but no such luck. The first night Stephen decided to drive back inland to a commercial restaurant. The whole part of getting away was to escape capitalism and enjoy a simple relaxing weekend. I know he is reluctant to try new restaurants and if you have ever watched Kitchen Nightmares with Chef Ramsey, you would be hesitant too. We do not get out much, so when we do we stick to the tried and true.
On the second night of our stay, we decided to try the Crab Shack adjacent to the hotel, which by the way was amazing and worth the money. The hotel was amazing, not the crab shack. The restaurant was packed and the wait long; usually the sign of a decent fare. If we had checked with foodies on Chowhound we would have known not to go there. Stephen uses the GPS while I confer with Chowhound.
January’s Website Review: The Happiness Project & My Simpler Life
– johanna | December 31st, 2008Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE DISH ON PARENTING, THE ORGANIZED HOME
This month’s website review happens to include two websites; The Happiness Project and My Simpler Life.
THE HAPPINESS PROJECT is a memoir written by Gretchen Rubin about her year long adventure as she sets out to test every theory, tip and scientific study on being happier. The website is her daily blog on the subject.
MY SIMPLER LIFE – SIMPLE LIVING
Beth Dargis is a simplicity coach. Her goal is to help teach others how to love life, work hard and have fun, how to stay positive and take time to relax. She helps her clients “uncover what is the most important things for them to be doing.” She coaches those individuals “searching for something more in their life while releasing what they no longer need.” There is no need to become a client in order to become inspired or get tips on time management off of Beth’s website.
Both The Happiness Project and My Simpler Life teach how to step back, breathe and enjoy what we have at the moment. My brother once told me you are who you are now, unless you change who you are today. I have come to realize their is never going to be a better day than today unless I make it so. I find I am happier when I break free of me. When I can step back and think of all the joy around me. It takes time and a lot of practice. I am also trying to laugh more. Something I lost for a while. It is really hard to be angry when I am laughing or singing.
The Crafty Crow: Children’s Craft Collective
– johanna | December 18th, 2008Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE CRAFT CLOSET
So I think I am going to start a Featured Link of the Month. I just have to gush about my absolutely favorite site right now, The Crafty Crow. Fun crafts and fabulous book reviews, and I can’t forget the enormous long list of links to other wonderful and amazing websites.
I was on the hunt for something new this Christmas. We made our little beaded candy canes, glittery paper ornaments, a colorful paper chain garland and our traditional hand print Christmas tree. As we still have a couple more weeks to go I needed inspiration for more Christmas crafts.
Also the creator of Bella Dia, the designer of The Crafty Crow needed a spot to store her extensive and growing collection of children’s crafts. The categories make it easy to choose a craft by topic or age group. Each post is detailed with photos and step by step instructions and links to get the supplies needed for each project.
Right now she has a book and craft advent going on. She suggests a book to read and a craft to go with it. I am also digging the paper houses and felt reindeer ornament.
Strengthening Family Ties: The Creative Family
– johanna | December 6th, 2008Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE BOOKSHELF
This year it has been my quest to simplify our lives and home. I used to subscribe to the more playgroups the better school of thought; rationalizing my children needed to be among their peers. That has since changed as I feel we are each others peers.
Back when our oldest was born we were sucked into the toy mania bandwagon that proclaimed “Your child is this many months old, these toys are essential for his milestone development.” The instant Mason was bored we were off to the toy store for something new. Our obsession with buying toys was nothing compared to the hordes of toys given to him from relatives with good intentions. I like playing with the toys as much as any kid, but I am not running a toy store here. I am trying to raise a family and in the process I hope to instill in them good core values while having fun in the process. I confess I am a little relieved the majority of the toys were lost in the move. However, it did not take long for our collection to grow and our home to become overrun once again.
Before moving to a more rural area several years ago, we were used to the fast paced life offered by the city. After the birth of our first son, Stephen and I realized the city life was of no importance. We longed to raise our children in a more simplistic environment. We wanted trails to hike, woods to explore and streams to forge all in our own backyard. I had visions of our little family spending our days outdoors playing and working a garden surrounded by a variety of fruit trees. Mostly I wanted a simpler life with a close knit family. Thus the hunt for a more basic creative and simpler life began.
I have wonderful memories (I am sure at the time it was agony) of all my desires and passion set on a particular toy that my mom refused to buy no matter how enormous a tantrum I threw. Moreover, I remember the abundant joy that raced through my blood as the coveted toy was unveiled Christmas Morning. As a parent I relish giving the kids prizes. I also anguish over Mason’s lack of an attachment to even just one toy. The non birthday or holiday toy buying ceased in hopes that my children would come to discover gratitude for the things they already have. Periodically throughout the year when I am in the mood to purge I sort through the stash tossing anything broken or never played with and boxing up the rest to rotate in and out. Still the clutter was unmanageable. Something had to be done. The toys that managed to survive were in great condition but the question remained, did we really need them all?
As my search into simplistic and creative living ensued I stumbled upon the book “The Power of Play” by David Elkind. The book touches on the importance of letting kids play and the types of environments that inhibit and cultivate true unadulterated child’s play. The boxes of toys were chucked; the TV became obsolete as we spent the majority of our day outside exploring. Excited by the find, as the book was right on course in the direction I was headed, I relayed my delight to a friend of mine. At the mention of the words Montessori and Waldorf education, free play, and the subject of toys, my friend was ecstatic. She proceeded to explain her most recent discovery in the realm of creativity and simplicity.
Patty had just begun reading “The Creative Family” written by Amanda Blake Soule, a mother of three, with one on the way. Patty immediately thought of me when she came across an idea called the “Sound Wall”. (Which by the way was immediately instituted and deemed successful) I could not wait until Patty finished her copy of “The Creative Family.” So I went out and bought my own.
In the book The Creative Family
I came to the realization I need to delve into my creative psyche as much as the children do. Arts and crafts used to be something rare because I thought I had to have a project and I was never prepared. I have learned to use their art time as my preparation time. If there is a project I want to do with the kids, I work on it getting it all together while they are creating their own master pieces. We are all happy and filled. To find out more about Amanda visit her website site at soulemama.com.
The River Cottage Family Cookbook
– johanna | November 23rd, 2008Filed under: RECIPES, THE BOOKSHELF
This book review is well past due. I came to the realization a few weeks ago, that after two weeks of toting the book around with me everywhere I went in the house it just might be that I am in love with the book. There is a cupboard in the kitchen that houses a myriad of cookbooks. There are a few that never see the light of day except when the cabinet door is open yet there they remain. Of the others there may be a recipe or two I use from time to time. The River Cottage Family Cookbook, however is different. I have made the majority of the recipes in the book with pleasing results. If there is one cookbook that should belong in every family kitchen I would say The River Cottage Family Cookbook is that book.
I love simple. More often than not recipes comprised of a few ingredients often taste better than their more zealous rivals. I believe in allowing the natural flavor of an ingredient to emerge aided by rather than masked with intense spices and seasonings. Ellie Krieger
The author has taken great pride in his knowledge of where our food comes from. Each chapter is divided by ingredient beginning with flour, then milk, eggs, vegetables and so on ending with chocolate. The author also discusses with great detail the history behind a particular ingredient and how it is used. While he tries to persuade the reader to search out farm fresh eggs and organic fruits and vegetables the common household will find the recipes tasty even if they are made with general supermarket ingredients. Many whole foods seasonal cooking books include recipes that use ingredients that are a little too gourmet for my taste, livers and the like, which is not the case with
The River Cottage Family Cookbook
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