Monday, July 25, 2011

Catching Up

Hello! Today, I wanted to list some tasks I have completed that were on my summer (year long? ;)) to-do list:
*Cleaned out all the laundry room cupboards. They had become a catch all during the school year.
*Worked on my garden so far this summer. My goal was to plant foods we regularly ate to cut costs and provide my family with pesticide-free foods. I have done that. We have had leaf lettuce like crazy-to the chagrin of my youngest daughter. ;) She eats it, but lets me know she's not in the mood for it "again". We have had zucchini, green beans, peas and best of all-BASIL/pesto! :) YUM! My daughter used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_26396_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html and I couldn't stop eating it! :)
*I have been running almost daily, except for our Italy trip since my running shoes were in my lost baggage. I have taken off a couple little pounds. :)
*I have been reading more. Today I start a book that we are reading as a church life group called "Radical" by David Platt. Supposed to really make us take stock in our faith lives.
*I have been talking to colleges about beginning my masters degree, although I'm not sure where my future will lead me.
*I have tried new craft projects-expanded my idea of "creating". I made my second "creation" in 4 days. :) Thank you, Pinterest. :) I've encouraged more creativity in my girls too, who have been writing and creating more, too! :)
I think that's all for now. :) Below are pics of my two latest craft attempts! :) I recently posted, but will post again. I got the original ideas here and here. Let it be known that they can sell their wonderful crayon art because it is beautiful! Mine... well, it's "art". What's that saying about beauty in the eye of the beholder? ;)


Have a fabulous week! :)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Pinterest

I, my friends, have discovered a new time-waster, I mean learning tool. ;)
It is www.pinterest.com "Pinterest is a place to catalog the things you love, Pin anything that catches your eye" is what they say about themselves. Previously, here, I mentioned I'd like to "create" or craft more. So, I saw this art piece on Pinterest, pinned it, thought it over and the girls and I created our own version: http://www.cmybacon.com/2011/07/melted-crayon-art/
It is not nearly as neat or beautiful as this artist's, but it was my first try and my daughters enjoyed creating them.

This week's art piece is this "painted wall art for non-artists"
http://twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com/2011/02/painted-wall-art-for-non-artists.html

And maybe a doily lamp! :) http://www.moredesignplease.com/moredesignplease/2011/3/4/diy-doily-lamp.html

I'm also planning my sister in law's wedding shower and have found lovely ideas like these (she is having mason jars as part of her reception)
http://emmalinebride.com/handmade-wedding/mason-jar-centerpieces-floating-candles/
I'm going ot make invitations to the shower like these http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2011/02/rustic-pink-burlap-wedding-invitations/
a possible food idea http://www.ohparty.net/party-recipes-gourmet-smores-table.php with marshmallows the colors of the wedding
and flowers on the tables like this with flowers the color of her wedding http://pinterest.com/pin/71169969/

But, you type something in, you look at the images/articles, you "pin" them and wow, the time flies! :)

I hope you are well and your happy time is passing slowly, while your sad moments are fleeting.
Hope your week starts off wonderfully!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Books

On our trip to Italy I took four books:
Rick Steve's Italy 2010
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
Mile Markers...Why Women Run by Kristin Armstrong
In The Company of Others (Father Tim series #2) by Jan Karon

I read the Jan Karon book completely and a few pages in each of the others. I thought I would read more, on the trains and planes, but I was stressing out about delayed flights, where everyone was sitting... will this re-started plane make it to its destination? I did some sudoku and fill in puzzles as we took off and landed and read very little. I also listened to the Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, which we had bought on cd to listen to, and I downloaded to my ipod. My spare time in cities was spent trying to locate our baggage for the first few cities, and then taking pictures, which I dearly love. I read a lot more in Rome at our apartment in our nap/downtime. I finished the Jan Karon book.

I headed back to the library today with the girls, my reading appetite whetted, again. :) I picked up one teen/youth fiction chapter book: The Visconti House by Elisbeth Edgar about a girl who lives in Australia in an old house once owned by an Italian man. It's good so far.

I picked up one other from the juvenile fiction section: The steps Across the Water by Adam Gopnik The cover and cover blurb sound different, in an interesting way.
I have a nonfiction book I wanted to read before we left but got caught up in packing (fruitless effort? ;)) and am anxious to read it. It is On the Road with Francis of Assisi, since I read some about him before our trip and as we wandered, following his steps.
I grabbed a book in the "just returned new adult book" section, mostly because it made me think of my husband and his puns and goofy jokes: The Pun Also Rises by John Pollack
I had enjoyed some Stuff You Missed In History Class podcasts about the Medici family and then we heard a vast amount about them while in Italy. So, I picked up one nonfiction book about them.
The nonfiction book is Murder of a Medici Princess One more fiction book, linked to Italy, is Signora Da Vinci

Will I finish them? Even start them? It remains to be seen. Although, I haven't been called about any more pending classroom teaching jobs... I got down to the last two candidates in two Christian School jobs, but my downfall was that the other candidate "had experience" of their own classroom and I did not. Frustrating. I'm thinking of becoming a librarian. :) Hope you are well, Dear Reader.

Update: Finished The Visconti House on 7/21/2011 Good read. :)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Letters

I've often stated how much I like to write and receive letters. Yesterday I began the challenging task of a letter I did not enjoy. I was writing a letter to American Airlines after our unpleasant experience flying to and from Italy. Yes, all 8 bags were lost, but it was more than that. We came across three planes that didn't work properly-thankfully we arrived home in one piece! :) We encountered rude people, when the situations we were put in weren't our fault. Our flight to Italy was supposed to take 12-14 hours and it took over 24. Our flight home was supposed to take 12-14 hours and it took over 48... Among other issues. So, I began the letter, requesting compensation, etc. Not fun, but necessary.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer To-Do List

At the beginning of the summer we made a list of things we wanted to do over the summer. We have accomplished some, like number 8 ;) and others hopefully will be finished in the next month before the girls start school. They start earlier this year, starting 11th and 7th grades a month from yesterday.

1. Visits to the two local pools
2. Library visits/reading program (check)
3. Local metro park that is special to our family (check)
4. Zoo (check)
5. eat outside at Sonic {this is a restaurant that has drive-up, like the old A&W restaurants}
6. Kids cooking/cooking as a family (we've done this once, I'm hoping much more before school...)
7. Get ice cream from the ice cream truck {this one might not be accomplished. We used to have a truck that stopped almost every summer night, but it hasn't been by at all this summer... maybe gelatto at every stop in Italy made up for it? ;))
8. Italy Trip!! (check :)) Next we need to make sure it's all documented and scrapbooked before it's forgotten!
9. New local taco restaurant, as well as two other dinner spots {all three are within walking distance and we have walked to 2/3}
10. Camps for girls {our youngest has done basketball and our oldest is going to her cross country camp early August}
11. Write letters to family and friends
12. cookout for my husband's company {on the calendar for this weekend}
13. Family basketball/knockout tournament {a game where you try to score before the person in front of you in line, it's fun! :)}
14. Church lifegroup cookout at our house (check, the weekend before we left)
15. Jeni's ice cream trip {Jeni's is ice cream made with local ingredients-very yummy, still need to make the trip...}
16. Sleepovers {each girl has a friend/two over, family-just us four in the basement, and the girls have their local cousins over}
17. Art museum {Although the girls said they just had two weeks of "art" experience... that may have to wait until right before school starts ;)}
18. Topiary Park {There is a local park full of unique topiaries, and we've never been there}
19. Youngest daughter wanted to: practice basketball, soccer, sew and write, begin stories. She has completed all.
20. Camping in our camper {We still need to pick some dates... our calender is getting more full as I type this list! :)}
21. Relax, sleep in, stay up late (check)
22. Eat outside (check)
23. Movie nights (we saw X-Men First Class right after school was out and we hope to see Harry Potter tonight)
24. My goals: ride my bike more-I have, run-I have/ran 6 on Saturday/am training for the half-marathon, read-I have including finishing the latest Jan Karon book while on our trip, work more with camera-of course I did that on our trip, and garden-I have gardened and we are getting lettuce, green beans, zucchini, and strawberries, too! So, all of these are (check)
25. Sit on our new front porch and listen to the rain (check)
26. Local Farmer's Market
27. Bike to Farmer's Market and Library
28. Create a place to capture gratitude, and get back to doing it regularly
29. Enjoy homemade ice cream {hmmm, my list is going to make me fat! ;)}
30. Watch less T.V., unplug from electronics (check-it helped that tv for the last two weeks has been in Italian ;))
31. Walk around our local uptown, maybe attend their monthly evening activities, it's a nice town, but we haven't been up to it much lately.
32. Hike (6 local metroparks and dams)
33. Water balloon fight
34. Sprinkler fun
35. Bubbles {I have always loved bubbles :)}
36. Look at the stars, search for constellations
37. Family game night(s) {My youngest daughter and I love to play games, but my husband and older daughter have to be in the mood ;)}
38. Have a tea party/picnic day
39. Girls movie evening with my sis in law (check, we went to see Midnight in Paris, got our nails done and had dinner out-was a very fun evening!)
40. Go on walks: with or without dogs, after dark, evening or in the rain

Looks like less than half have been "checked off" my list. Lots to do in the month ahead! :) What has been on your list for this summer?