by Sharon | May 11, 2016
I’ve been working on some crafts for Halloween.
I found this cool image of Frankenstein’s monster . . . but he looks more like a Stanley to me . . . What do you think?
I thought he’d be great to use to cover up a full-sized Hershey chocolate bar . . . maybe have a ribbon slider to help tuck the candy bar in and a handy way of getting it out without destroying the cover.
He’s a pleasant looking chap who would fit right in with young children . . . no reason to do anything scary. And he is just goofy enough older kids may enjoy him, too. And adults may discover he has a strange resemblance to someone they know . . . or someone they saw recently . . . or maybe even a relative . . .
He’ll be keeping some candy bars safe for me this Halloween . . . I will be handing them out . . . just like to make up some fun things for family, friends and neighbors.
I could put him on some coffin boxes that I’ll fill with candy . . . and he may find a place in Halloween cards I make and also in a Halloween mini-album. I kind of like him . . . he may be able to help me tell a Halloween story . . . If he’s not too busy hanging with his friends . . . He is quite likable and people seem to be drawn to him . . . He is mild mannered . . . soft-spoken and loves Halloween candy.
You may find him walking around your neighborhood this coming Halloween . . .
I was looking for some suitable friends for Stanley.
I thought a scarecrow would be fun, but the only image I found was one holding a sign.
He looks like he is friendly enough to be Stanley’s friend. He also looks a bit like a bear. . . and he does seem a bit scary . . . He does have a job to do . . . scaring away the crows from eating the crops.
There was also one of jack-o-lantern, too . . . and one of Stanley holding a sign . . . maybe they would work for my candy bar wrappers with a message of Happy Halloween or Trick-or-Treat!
Maybe they could have an appropriate poem . . . something for me to think about . . .
They may be better suited to fit on a box filled with Halloween goodies . . . or on a Halloween card with a special treat inside . . . something for me to work out . . . That’s why it’s good to plan way ahead.
I do need to add the image of the jack-o-lantern for you to see. He does have a strange resemblance to the scarecrow . . . something about the eyes and the smile . . . maybe from being in the hot sun all summer . . .
He does seem to be a happy chap . . .
There is also a mummy I found that seems to go along with them. He’s happy enough. With the same smile as the scarecrow and jack-o-lantern and the goofy eyes . . . He’ll get along just fine with the others. He’s traveled quite a long distance from Egypt to join the group this coming Halloween. I’m sure he has some tales to tell of his great adventure.
The scarecrow and the pumpkin have been attached to the land where they were planted . . . or staked . . . so I’m sure they’d be eager to meet Stanley and the mummy . . .
I’m sure they’d enjoy a nice cold glass of root beer after a long summer day in the sun . . . I’ll have to suggest that to Stanley when he goes visiting . . . Of the soft drinks I’ve discovered Stanley does prefer root beer to the colas . . . and he’s not a fan of ginger ale or the lemon-lime variety or other fruity soft drinks.
I haven’t spent as much time with the others to discover their habits . . . they do drink plenty of water during the day . . . but a soft drink may hit the spot when they gather in the evening . . .
Stanley isn’t fond of fire . . . so making s’mores is out of the question . . . I’ll give him a flashlight so he can find his way . . .
Now that I’ve gotten a good look at the others . . . I’m not sure if they’re holding a sign or are wrapped around a tombstone . . . What do you think?
I wonder if I should find some other friends for Stanley . . . yet he may feel right at home with tombstones . . . 
This other group of . . . characters . . . don’t seem to fit in with Stanley . . . Maybe he deserves to stand alone . . .
Well, nature will take it’s course and Stanley will find his place in the world with friends of his choosing. I’m sure he’ll do quite well on his own.
This last group of . . . don’t seem to want to be friends . . . they have a bit of an agenda all their own . . . If I thought the others had goofy expressions . . . These . . . are enough to give you nightmares . . . No, I definitely wouldn’t like to see them on a dark night . . .
I do hope this was a bit entertaining . . . It certainly was colorful.
Until next time,
Sharon
by Sharon | May 9, 2016
Yes, I was out and about early this morning.
Has some errands to run and wanted to get an early start.
There is something nice about getting up early and getting out in the fresh air and sunshine to brighten your perspective.
This was my trash pick up day . . . but I got my barrels out last night and found I had plenty of energy to do some sweeping up of the debris left from our recent rain. I also noticed the barrels had been emptied . . . so, it was time for me to bring them back in . . . but there were broken limbs from a tree I had to pick up and cut down a bit to fit in the barrel . . .
I was pleased to clean things up before most of my neighbors realized their barrels were emptied.
After all that, I left for my errands.
It does feel good to get things accomplished before noon . . . then you have the reminder of the day to write blogs and tidy the house and do crafts and just relax.
Many times I linger in the mornings . . . watching the power walkers . . .
But, I’m beginning to think they have the right idea . . . get up early and get moving . . .
I do feel good . . . invigorated . . . happy and very pleased . . .
It’s good from time to time to vary your schedule and get a new perspective . . . possibly an attitude adjustment . . . I don’t know any proper phrase that would describe it . . . but you may have already filled in the blanks . . .
I do hope you get outdoors daily . . . it does bring something wonderful . . . It’s not necessary to power walk for a mile or more, but to just get out and stroll around your yard would be enough . . . unless you want to take a long walk or bike ride . . .
Exercise is good, no matter how strenuous you want to make it . . . there is something about just walking around or pulling weeds or sweeping or raking . . . small tasks are excellent . . .
I find I spend much too much time in front of the computer . . . or sitting reading or doing crafts . . . we do need to move . . . not just to the kitchen for a snack . . .
And do more than the household chores . . .
I thought it was important to exercise the mind . . . to keep it sharp . . .
And physical exercise is essential, too . . . but I’m not into getting worn out and sweaty . . . not a pretty sight nor feeling . . .
I don’t know if you need to get all red in the face from exercise to be meaningful or helpful . . . I don’t believe getting overheated is a good thing either . . . but I’m no expert on the subject.
Consulting a medical doctor would be good . . . and also listening to your body . . . sometimes we have to take it easy before going on a 10K run . . . it takes baby steps . . . in my case it does, but for many of you it may not be a big deal . . .
I take the weather conditions into consideration . . . I don’t go out in the rain for a walk . . . unless I’m dressed appropriately and have an umbrella . . . I like to keep as dry as possible and not get a chill . . . getting sick is not on my “to do” list.
I also don’t go out when the weather is in the high 90’s or gets into the 100’s. I do keep hydrated with water . . . some people go for the special waters that give more nutrients . . . but I’m not doing strenuous labor-type tasks in the heat of the day . . .
It’s important to follow doctor’s orders and to use some common sense . . .
Spring seems to be turning to summer here in Southern California
Today is forecast to be a bit warmer than previous days . . .
I hope we get more rain . . . that cools us down and gives us more spring . . . and helps with our drought conditions.
I know I feel better when the weather is cold, cool and fair . . . I’m not fond of hot temperatures . . .
We may be getting our normal June Gloom . . . but we’ve had this in April and May thus far . . . and I’m enjoying it . . . it can continue throughout the summer . . . and I’ll be welcoming fall way before it is due . . . I do love fall . . .
I’m already working on Halloween stuff . . . and maybe will get into the Christmas in July thing many crafters do . . . a head start on any holiday crafting is always a good idea . . .
Some people work on what pleases them throughout the year . . . depending upon their favorite holiday or what they feel like doing . . . I know from looking at Pinterest, some people are still into Easter . . . others have been pinning about Halloween since last Halloween . . . and, of course, Christmas is always popular . . . and there are those who love cooking and have their favorite recipes . . . plus variations of S’Mores . . . it is a year round treat for many . . . just as hot chocolate . . .
We don’t necessarily have to divide our attention with food and decorating and crafts to go along with the appropriate holiday season . . . we can enjoy what we enjoy throughout the year . . . People go to warmer climates during the winter and cooler climates during the summer . . .
We may all to some degree be fair weather lovers . . . to be comfortable indoors and outdoors . . .
Thank you for stopping by!
Until next time,
Sharon
by Sharon | May 6, 2016
Healthy Breakfast Or Quick Snack Full of Protein
Here’s a healthy “on the go” snack that you can make in a jiffy.
You’re going to need:
- 1 cup of oatmeal
- 1/3 cup of chopped almonds
- 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup either peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
- 1/3 cup of dried cranberries roughly chopped
Here’s what you need to do now that you’ve gathered your ingredients:
- On a baking sheet you’re going to bake the oatmeal, almonds and coconut for 8 to 10 minutes at 350° F. Be sure to stir the mixture after 5 minutes. Then allow the mixture to cool after taking it out of the oven.
- Get out a medium sized bowl — put in the nut butter and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until runny.
- Add the baked mix into the bowl along with the honey, chia seeds and cranberries.
- Form into 1-1/2 inch balls and refrigerate.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Refrigerated bites are good for about a week. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I hope you’ll try this recipe. As always you can add other ingredients or substitute ingredients or just leave them out . . . Just have fun and make some healthy snacks for your busy family.
Until next time,
Sharon
by Sharon | May 2, 2016
Are they still popular?
Do people even do them?
Or have they become scrap books or mini-albums?
I remember having many of them — through junior high and high school. Yes, I am that old!! We had junior high — not middle school.
As amazing as it seems, I do remember being that young — full of dreams . . .
Everything was a major event — going to the beach, movies, dances — saving ticket stubs and everything else that would go into the memory book — lots of pressed flowers . . . even bottle caps . . . gum wrappers . . . all those insignificant things . . .
Just think of all the things you’ve thrown out that would be interesting to put in a memory book you could share with your child . . . It could be a memory book of “firsts” — the first time you went to Starbucks . . . or took a plane ride . . . went to a play . . . a movie . . . and the crazy things you collected . . . as well as the ticket to different amusement parks . . . plus all the pictures . . .
I don’t remember many of the names of the people in the pictures. Maybe it was because we moved around a lot. But it did give me new opportunities to make new memory books . . .
Maybe that’s why I’m still looking for something new . . . exciting . . . different . . . And why none of my memory books have been completed . . .
And . . . what happens when a memory book is completed . . .
Is it a good thing?
Does it allow you to move on to new things?
Or are memory books open-ended?
I guess, if you decide to create one . . . you’ll decide how many editions you’ll create . . .
An easy way to begin for your children is having a memory book for each school year. Maybe you would like to have one for each year in your life. Starting in January and ending it at the end of December. The school and the annual ones could be quite large . . .
I think it’s great to see the growth one has made in their life when it comes to decisions and direction . . . I like the idea of combining pictures and memorabilia with journaling . . . giving you insight in later years to tell your story of what was going on and how you felt about various things.
Life is a great journey . . . enjoy every twist and turn and the bumps along the way . . . The bonus is the people you meet . . . and the influences they have on your life as well . . .
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
by Sharon | May 1, 2016
These would be wonderful for Mother’s Day!!
I love a recipe that makes a great breakfast . . . but is great for brunch . . . and a special treat for a breakfast-dinner.
These moist little pancakes with some jam . . . and sour cream . . . would be a real hit with your family.
You’ll need:
- 32 ounces of whole milk Ricotta Cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups of Granulated Sugar
- 1-1/2 cups of All-Purpose Flour plus more for shaping the ricotta pancakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract — this is optional
- Oil for frying up your pancakes
Let’s put these babies together:
- Combine the Ricotta Cheese with the Egg and mix it well. If you’re adding the Vanilla, add it with the egg.
- Add the Sugar and mix well.
- Add Flour and the baking powder.
- Mix it up so everything is blended into a smooth mass.
- You can use a spoon or a large ice cream scoop, scoop up the mixture and drop it into some flour. Coat it with the flour making the mixture into a ball, then gently shape it into a flat patty about 1/2 inch thick. Continue with the rest of the mixture.
- To fry the pancakes, add about a tablespoon of oil into a large skillet and heat over low-medium heat.
- Add the ricotta pancakes, cover with a lid and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes or until well browned. Turn over and do the same with the other side.
- You’re going to want to serve these warm with a side of sour cream and a jam of your choice.
This recipe makes about 25 pancakes — depending upon the size you make them.
I do hope you give this recipe a try.
Thanks for stopping by!
Sharon
I’m sure they’d enjoy a nice cold glass of root beer after a long summer day in the sun . . . I’ll have to suggest that to Stanley when he goes visiting . . . Of the soft drinks I’ve discovered Stanley does prefer root beer to the colas . . . and he’s not a fan of ginger ale or the lemon-lime variety or other fruity soft drinks.
