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Bird Family Christmas Ornament

Nov 2, 2015 · 59 Comments

The amazing Erlene over at My Pinterventures paired up 80 bloggers for a fun Ornament Exchange.

We each needed to make or buy an ornament for under $10 and send it to our partner. Today I am going to show you how I made this cute Bird Family Grapevine Wreath Ornament, plus give you a mini preview of a few of the other ornaments the participants have made.

My partner was Alexis at Lexi Michelle Blog. Like me her Christmas tree ornaments are "eclectic". Neither one of us have a theme or color preference and most of our ornaments are gifts from family and friends (I call mine my Memory Tree).

This gave us both free reign, but also gave us nothing to go on, ha ha! A quick search of her blog gave me a few hints, family is important to her including her husband, son and another little one that will be arriving in the spring. Which gave me the idea for this cute little bird family complete with egg.

Supplies:

small grapevine wreath
decorations (in this case, birds)
moss
ribbon
glue gun
wooden biscuit or small piece of other wood (optional)
drill (optional)
paint (optional)
embroidery floss (optional)

Directions:

I did not actually buy a wreath for this, because I have plenty of grapevines that needed trimming this time of year.

I took a long vine, trimmed the leaves and made it into a small wreath like I described in this post. I always leave the tendrils because I think they add character.

I went with cardinals for the red and green color theme, but I struggled to find a small red bird for their little boy, so I improvised with a pale yellow bird and a red marker.

Then I made a tiny egg out of Argo Play Clay and added some brown spots.

The rest of it went quite quickly. Glued on the moss.

Glued on the birds and egg.

Glue a loop of ribbon for the hook. I debated a bow or gluing the ribbon around the wreath, but finally opted to let it drape down the back.

Finally, I made a little year tag with a wooden biscuit. If you watch HGTV or DIY Network you know what these are. They are used for making biscuit joints in furniture. They are also fun to craft with. Ask at your home improvement store and they will show you where they are. Or use any little piece of wood.

Drill a hole in one end and paint it.

Then paint on the year (or use a marker) and tie it on with the embroidery floss.

I sure hope Alexis and her family like it!

Here are the ornaments being shared today, please go check out each one.

Simply Kelly Designs - Christmas Ornament for Nurses

Mid Michigan Mom - DIY Family Block Ornament

Decor To Adore - There's No Place Like Home Ornament

Tulips & Orchids - Pie Ornament

Rhinestones & Sweatpants - DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Ornament

Happily Ever After, Etc. - A Cashmere Christmas

Ornament Exchange: A Cashmere Christmas with Happily Ever After, Etc.

You can see the full list of ornaments on the 2015 Ornament Exchange page, more will be added every day until Nov. 14. I hope these inspire you for your own holiday decorations. I know I am ready to make some more.

A Big Hug Card Craft for Kids

Oct 19, 2015 · 11 Comments

A Big Hug card craft featuring hand cut outs opening into a giant heart for kids to make for Valentine's Day, Grandparent's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, as a teacher gift or even a get well or sympathy card.

Last week, the father of my son's aide passed away. In order to help my son learn empathy (a hard concept for any child, especially one with Autism), I decided he was going to make a card for her and have all of his classmates sign it.

I didn't want to get into the concept of death and grieving with his classmates. I thought it was best to leave that for their parents to discuss with their own children individually at their own developmental level.

Also, considering it is a public school, I wasn't about to touch any reference to religion. So, we just made this simple Big Hug Card.

You can use this for any occasion, it doesn't have to be an actual "Sympathy Card".

Make it with your kids anytime you know someone could use a hug from them. (HINT: Grandparents love things like this ANYTIME for ANY REASON, or so my mother tells me... repeatedly).

How to Make the Big Hug Card

One look at the finished product and you can probably figure out how to make it. But, just in case you need them, here's how we made it:

Simple, cute, meaningful. Better than a store bought card in my book.

Halloween for Toddlers – How to Keep Things Fun and Safe

Oct 14, 2015 · 2 Comments

Celebrating Halloween with toddlers brings a certain element of innocence to the mix. With a toddler, it may not be possible to go out and party like you normally would, and trick or treating can get tiresome for your toddler very quickly. Safety is always an issue with toddlers as they are very naïve and can be scared very easily. Here are a few tips to keep your toddler safe and still enjoy the holiday.

Explain the Halloween displays in your neighborhood.

Many people in our neighborhood have elaborate Halloween displays up all month long (including us!) and some can be gruesome and frightening (not us!).

We always did a tour of the decorations in the daylight and explained things in a toddler friendly, and often educational, manner. Skulls were "head bones". "Can you feel the bone in your head? That's what it looks like without the muscles." The vampire popping out of the coffin was playing peek a boo. And of course we sang Itsy Bitsy Spider over and over again. And most importantly constant reminders that everything was just pretend.

Toddler Halloween — Playing with one of the Itsy Bitsy Spiders.

Let them have a say in their costume.

I know this might be hard for us Type-A personalities. The giant red M&M was cute. But, the giant Firefighting M&M was even more adorable, especially because he always insisted on wearing the helmet backwards. And it wouldn't have been worth the argument to leave the firefighting helmet home. He had fun and isn't that more important than "perfect pictures"?

Avoid scary costumes and masks

Children, especially toddlers, are prone to night frights. It is also very difficult, if not impossible, for toddlers to separate reality from the “monsters” that they may see walking around. If you plan to dress up, make sure your child knows that it is you behind the costume and keep the costume simple; for example, go easy on the make-up.

Halloween Toddlers — He wasn't sure what to make of Dracula until we explained it was the nice boy across the street.

Trick or treating may not be the best idea with a toddler.

If you do decide to take your toddler trick or treating, keep the trip short and visit just a few houses on your block. If your friends and family live close by, it is a good idea to visit those houses as your toddler will be more at ease with them than a stranger’s house. Any more than that and your toddler may not only lose interest, the costumes may also cause your toddler to panic. Wagons and strollers can help if you have older children that want to do the entire neighborhood.

100_2308 (800x600) — Trick or Treating at a neighbor's house.

Don't push young children into a scary situation

No amount of coaxing was going to get him near the very loud Haunted House when he was three. He wanted to be on the other side of the street from it and that was just fine with us. Toddlers (and children with sensory issues) might be afraid of loud spooky noises and strobe lights. They shouldn't be pushed into uncomfortable situations. Halloween is supposed to be FUN!

[Tweet "How to keep Halloween fun and safe for Toddlers and Preschoolers #Halloween #parenting"]

Consider holding a party at your house.

This is a great way to enjoy the holiday and still keep it relatively simple for your toddler. Holding a party at your house as opposed to going to someone else’s party means that you can set the terms for your party and keep it toddler friendly. Invite other people who you know have toddlers to enjoy a mellow (and early!), yet festive Halloween party.

Candy and other treats are a big issue when it comes to protecting your toddlers.

Toddlers are not aware that some candies may be too hard for them to chew and pose a potential choking hazard. Keeping your child away from the candy bowl, however, can prove to be a bit of a challenge. Make sure the candy bowl is out of reach and that older children and adults know not to give your child any candy without approval from you. It is always best to be near your child just in case.

SUGAR!!!!!!!! — Sugar!!! our house rule is one piece that night after Mom or Dad has inspected it.

Remember little ghosts and pumpkins can wear out pretty quickly

Besides the walking if you go trick or treating, Halloween is overstimulating even for adults. You can try to fight it and keep them up far past their bedtime, but you might pay a heavy toll with a grumpy goblin the next day.

sleepy scarecrow — Sleepy Little Scarecrow

It is hard to remember when children are very young that the sights and sounds of Halloween can be overwhelming. We want them to enjoy the fun, but it may be too much for them until they are older. By following these tips, you are not only protecting your toddler, but making sure they will have fun memories of Halloween for years to come.

10 Fun Grown-Up Halloween Party Ideas

Oct 9, 2015 · 7 Comments

A traditional generic Halloween costume party can still be fun for teens and adults as it was when you were little. But if you want to amp up the fun why not try one of these fun Halloween party ideas.

Things that Go Bump in the Night Halloween Party Ideas

If you are looking for something a little more laid back, try a Haunted Mansion party. Southern cuisine, Old South costumes, creepy Halloween-themed music, and scary décor will have the guests enjoying a party with a more relaxed atmosphere.

On the other hand, if you want a lively, music-thumping kind of party, try a Vampire Nightclub theme. Rent or buy fog machines and black lights, and have guest arrive in vampire-themed costumes. Rent a DJ or make a disc that will let the music play all night long for a party that is best for guests who love to boogie down.

Combine undead and pirates with a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Movie posters, pirate décor and plenty of seafood and grog served in metal mugs will complete the effect. Or dump the pirates and make it a Walking Dead party complete with episodes playing on a big screen.

Literary Themed Halloween Party Ideas

If your guests are mystery buffs, host a Murder Mystery Party. Have guests come as their favorite sleuths, stage a murder (or two) and have them try to solve it in character.

Harry Potter is for kids, how about Dead Harry Potter for the older crowd? Serve food from the books (don't forget the "Every Flavour Beans!) and recreate Hogwarts inhabited by the dead. Or for the "highbrow" crowd, make it a MacBeth theme complete with the witches and ghosts.

Ten Grown Up Halloween Party Themes #Halloween #partyideas Click to Tweet

If you like Comic Books, the next theme is simple and very entertaining. Bright colors and fun costumes will populate this Halloween party as you find Batman, Superman, and a variety of other heroes and villains gallivanting around your home. Let the fun continue with games that will involve a test of strength, such as a tug-of-war match pitting heavyweights such as the Hulk and Thor versus the Flash and your buddy who thought it would be funny to come as Wonder Woman.

Grown Up Fairy Tales - go ghoulish or racy (or both!) for an adults only affair. Serve "poisoned" apple cider, gingerbread men and houses, and Red Riding Hoods basket of goodies just to name a few.

Really Creative Halloween Party Theme Ideas

How about a Helliday theme party? If you are wondering what “helliday” is, think about having guest arrive as dead Easter Bunnies, or an evil Santa Claus, even better how about a cannibalistic Thanksgiving dinner. People may never look at cranberry sauce the same ever again.

The next theme would involve a meeting of the ancient rivals of Good and Evil. Have some guests arrive as angels, cupid and other heavenly figures while others come as the ruffian counterparts such as the devil himself or his demon companions. Want to see what happens when good and evil mix? Add specific areas in your home that are either wonderfully good or despicably evil and sit back and enjoy the show.

For costumes, recipes and decoration ideas follow our Halloween Board.

Follow That Recipe's board Halloween ideas on Pinterest.

Hope you have a Spooktacular time at your next Halloween gathering.

Fun (and Frugal) Fall Banner

Sep 29, 2015 · 2 Comments

I have been spending so much time with my head in the computer I haven't gotten my craft on in awhile. Last Sunday, I just got the yen to make something.

This is not really a tutorial on how to make this exact banner. I mean it to be more of an inspiration (and permission to be a hoarder).

I do not have one of those fancy letter and shape cutting machines. I just used what I had in the house when I felt the urge to make something. This is why I need a stash of supplies, almost always purchased on sale. I can rarely pass the word "clearance" at any store without at least taking a peak.

I had picked up some kraft paper banners for $1 at my local discount store (the one with the big red balls out front, in case you are interested). So, I grabbed those and just started sifting through remnants from old projects and other odds and ends I picked up "after the season" in years past.

The only letters I had were too small or the wrong color for a Fall project, so I trimmed a piece of orange construction paper to 8 ½ inches wide to fit through the printer and printed my own. I'd include a printable, but c'mon, just type the letters you want in your favorite font and press print. I think you can handle it.

fall banner craft — cut out the letters printed on construction paper.

I found oodles of stickers (giant pumpkins, mushrooms, squirrels, apples, leaves, shapes), as well as felt leaves and shiny plastic circles (giant glitter? super skinny beads? do they have a name?) . So once I had the letters I just started sticking and gluing.

[Tweet "Fun and Frugal Fall Banner made with basic craft supples. #autumn #fall #crafts"]

I have two more banners, so I may do one for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well. This one can stay up until the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas decorations start going up.

This would be a fun project to do with your kids. I actually set this up as a project to do with my 7 year old son so Dad could sneak away and take a little nap. He wasn't interested. Sorry, Honey, I really did try...

Other Fall crafts you may enjoy:

Autumn's Beauty Wreath: Using seed pods and dried flowers and fruit to create a fall door wreath. Autumn Door Wreath. California Native Plants. — Autumn's Beauty Wreath

Easy Craft: Candle Holder for All Seasons: candle holder made with clothes pins that can be redecorated every season. kids craft — Autumn Candle Holder

white pumpkin on a plate with flowers and text overlay "White-wash a pumpkin for shabby chic Autumn Style"

close up of potpourri in a bowl — Homemade Potpourri

A Red, Red Rose

Sep 22, 2015 · 8 Comments

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' 'twere ten thousand mile!

- Robert Burns

Cheap and Easy Ways to Commemorate the School Years

Aug 9, 2015 · 7 Comments

Super Moms have been pinning and planning since their child's birth for ways to mark their child's passage through school. Some plans are quite elaborate and expensive. Me? not so much.

Truthfully, his first day of preschool I didn't even think to take a picture before school. Sorry, kid!

I wish someone had given me a few of these ideas before hand. So, I am posting this for my cousins and anyone else with little ones getting ready to start school in the next few years. And even us seasoned veterans (mine starts second grade on Wednesday) might pick up a trick or two. Or better yet, offer any ideas I may have missed in the comments. I love comments.

[Tweet "8 cheap and easy ideas to commemorate the school years. #backtoschool #photography #schooldays"]

The First Day

These days it is so easy to snap a shot anytime and anywhere, there isn't any excuse not to. You can get elaborate and have a professional photo shoot, or take the photos yourself with fancy props.

I went ultra -cheap style. My son in the doorway in the same outfit on the first and last day of school. I put him in the door frame so I have the door knob and light switch as references. Even if we move someday, these are standard placements so I should be able to use any door for comparison.

I saw this the other day from Where the Smiles Have Been and fell in love with it. Two friends did the adult large shirt with the graduation year imprinted on the front and they take photos on the first and last days of school in the shirt. But the handprints on the back of this one is adorable. But, I admit my second thought was, "What kind of bribery is going to be needed to get him to do the handprints in junior high?" You could probably do this for $10 with a cheap white shirt and iron on letters.

Some other moms I know use chalkboards or whiteboards to write down the day, grade and career they want to be when they grow up. Simple and cheap with what is on hand.

Or you can print some cool graphics like this from Learn Create Love for the child to hold. Cost, paper and printer ink.

Baby Center's Blog has a few more ideas. Ugh! I wish I had seen the sidewalk chalk two years ago!

photo credit: Embellishing Life as seen on Baby Center Blog

The Last Day

No, it is not too early to start thinking about high school graduation in Kindergarten.

Buy a copy of Oh The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss and have every teacher sign it like a yearbook and give it to your child as a graduation present. Cost $12 (disclosure: that is an affiliate link, I get a few pennies if you buy through that link).

Have the child write a letter to him/herself every year. Give them back at graduation. Cost a dollar or so for paper and pencils/pens. Or you could do a letter at the beginning of the year to themselves at the end of the year.

Make a Kindergarten time capsule. Save some of their Kindergarten artwork and writing, add some toys and a favorite book or two, any other mementos, and maybe an article of clothing (that blue Mario shirt is going in mine when I can sneak it out of his drawer). Wrap it up, maybe even let her/him address the card, then hide it where you will remember in 11 years then give it to them at graduation. If you do it now, some of the contents will probably be a surprise for you too when they open it. Maybe that's just me. You could also throw in things from every year if you want. Cost a few dollars for a box and wrapping paper.

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Those are the ideas I have seen. Any of you seasoned parents have any more to add?

Down low in the garden

Aug 7, 2015 · 2 Comments

Last week I posted some close up photos of the flowers in my garden. This week I decided to get down low and take shots from another angle. I only lasted a short while out there, because it is rather hot out there, and when you are a woman "of a certain age" the heat gets to you even more. I don't have hot flashes, there is no "off" I am just hot all... the... time...

But, you don't want to hear about that so, on with the photos.

The Three Sisters, or what is left of them. The theory of companion planting says the corn will provide the support for the pole beans, the squash will shade the roots and the green beans will help the other two affix nitrogen.

The raised beds were not deep enough, silly me thought the plants would start in the beds and then grow into the soil below. Nope! Weeds grew up, but the plants could not penetrate our granite like soil. Note to self, build the planters up another layer before Fall planting. The squash never did much of anything and the corn did just okay. Lots of green beans though.

I have two different types of lavender in the yard, English and French, and several plants of each. I love it! and so do the bees.

After this photo was taken the basil was subsequently harvested and made into Pesto and frozen. I will take some out soon to make Pesto Fries (yes, you read that right, PESTO FRIES! and they are AMAZING!)

And finally, one of the water lilies in the pond.

I haven't set up my link party page yet, but this post will be shared on Photo Friday over at Pierced Wonderings. If you want to see some really lovely photos, go check it out.

The Dreaded Tomato Hornworm: A Gardener's Midsummer Nightmare!

Aug 3, 2015 · 21 Comments

It began in late winter. The hopes, the dreams, the plans.

The Happy Little Gardener scoured seed catalogs and stores for just the right ones. Choices were made and 6 weeks before the predicted last frost date, the delicate little seeds were hopefully nestled into nutrient rich seeding medium in a draft free place with plenty of light indoors. Day after day the gardener misted the soil, and scanned the surface, hoping for signs of life.

Finally the seedlings emerged, and she continued her vigil. Nurturing, pampering, loving those little sprouts. Her heart waivered at thinning time, but she knew it had to be done. Only the strongest were permitted to continue growing. Slowly the sprouts grew into strong seedlings with vibrant green leaves.

Meanwhile our Happy Little Gardener found the perfect location in the garden. The raised bed was built and filled with rich luscious organic soil. The seedlings were gradually hardened off to the outdoor air; brought inside to the warmth of the house at night. Finally the timing was right, she carefully transplanted her precious darlings to their new home.

And still the vigil continued. She checked every fogging morning for any signs of snail trails. The seedlings were sheltered from the wind. Cages were placed around each one in hopes of supporting their fruit rich vines.

And the plants grew. And grew. And grew. They out grew the cages and additional twine had to be used to continue to support their growth.

Then the little yellow flowers began to emerge and entice the bees with their delicate scent.

The flowers were replaced by the tiniest signs of emerging fruit. Day after day, week after week, the Happy Little Gardener, watered and trimmed any browning leaves, and monitored the development of the tiny green orbs.

Finally as the heat of summer came, the orbs began to change colors. Her hopes of a bountiful harvest increased as the fruits’ hue changed from pale green to an ever deepening crimson red.

One midsummer afternoon, as our Happy Little Gardener began to gather the delicious red fruits to make Tomato Preserves and Pickled Cherry Tomatoes. To her horror, she noticed branches without leaves or flowers.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Someone or some thing was eating her babies!

She frantically scoured the leaves. And then she saw IT. The scourge of tomato gardeners everywhere: Manduca quinquemaculata.

It just sat there, staring back at her, wiggling its corpulent green body and waiving its vicious looking tail menacingly at her. ”Get away from my babies, you hideous fiend!” she thought. Oh yes, she had battled its kind before.

Without a moment to lose, she flew to the garage for her bright pink gardening gloves and Arthritis Foundation approved gardening pruners. Murmuring a quick apology to the tomatoes that had to be sacrificed for the greater good she snipped the entire branch and threw it to the ground. Immediately she began stomping on the loathsome creature, shrieking “DIE DIE DIE!” as the green liquid oozed from the beasts foul little body.

Once satisfied she had thoroughly slain the repulsive being, she shyly glanced at the house next door, silently praying the new neighbors had not seen her sadistic display and were not at that very moment calling the police to come take the homicidal maniac away in a straight jacket.

But her mission was not yet complete. With pruners at the ready she methodically searched every inch of every plant, only stopping to repeat her murderous dance when she spied another ravenous monster. After discovering and disposing of six of the gigantic creatures in the same violent manner, our not so Happy Little Gardener could finally rest.

Her babies were safe... for now.

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Here are links to the two recipes mentioned above:

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FREE and FUN Fridays at Devastate Boredom

Spanish Village Art Center Balboa Park

Jul 29, 2015 · 7 Comments

We just got ourselves a family Explorer Pass to Balboa Park in San Diego. For a year, the three of us can get into any of the 17 museums and gardens in Balboa Park. Only the World Famous San Diego Zoo is not included. If you are visiting San Diego from farther away, they also have packages for one day and one week.

On Monday, the plan was to go to "The Nat" - the Museum of Natural History. J has been reading some Fly Guy and Magic School Bus books about sharks and dinosaurs a lot recently so we thought it would be a slam dunk. Well, things don't always go as planned.

First of all, GPS got us lost. Apparently I set it for avoid traffic and it had us looping all around the back streets. Lesson learned! I want exit 1B if we want to save our exploring for the park itself instead of the surrounding areas.

Annoyed from circling the park and getting off and on and off the freeway we parked in the first spot we found after the zoo parking, near the carousel. Lesson #2, print a map of the park before going next time. Maps are not plentiful like at a theme park, and my phone battery was sucked up thanks to the GPS. Luckily, we were really close to where we wanted to be.

On our way to the museum, we passed by the Spanish Village Art Center.

One look at the ground and J's eyes immediately lit up. We needed to find some "facilities" after the hour plus in the car, so we decided to explore a little. M went in search of the restrooms and J immediately dropped to the ground.

Besides the museums, theaters and zoo, Balboa Park has plenty of free things to explore. The Spanish Village Art Center is one of them.

The quaint buildings and courtyards that make up the Spanish Village Art Center were originally built in 1935 to depict a charming old village in Spain for the second California Pacific International Exposition. In 1937, the Spanish village reopened as an art destination by a group of dedicated artists. During World War II the U.S. Army used the village for temporary barracks, and in 1947 it was reclaimed and restored by the artists. Over the last 60+ years, San Diego artists have continued to preserve and enhance this historical landmark by adding to its beauty with colorful flowers and unique entryways. Today, the Spanish Village Art Center continues to be a thriving community of over 200 artisans who share their talent and the love of all things art with you. Independently juried local painters, sculptors, metalsmiths, jewelry designers, clay artists, gourd artists, photographers, printmakers, fiber artists, basket makers, mixed-media artists, glass artists, enamel artists and many many more await you at the Spanish Village Art Center.

One of the unique entryways.

Some of the colorful flowers.

There were so many beautiful pieces of art around, including paintings, glasswork, jewelry, gourds, sculpture. They had an art camp for kids going while we were there, plus a musician playing in the courtyard. They have regular exhibits and special events. You can even have a wedding or other party in the patio!

It is a lovely place to have a seat in between visiting the other things the park has to offer, maybe have a little snack, and enjoy the beauty all around you.

Spanish Village Art Center — Tiles surrounding the planter boxes/benches.

A few other fun places to sit.

I am sure we will be stopping by here again during our visits to explore the other museums. It was definitely an unexpected pleasure to stumble upon it. If you are an art lover planning to visit San Diego you want to put this at the top of your don't miss list.

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Close up and personal with some California Native Plants

Jul 22, 2015 · 4 Comments

So many Californians are still under the misguided impression that in order to have a drought tolerant garden you need to have rocks and cacti. And I won't even comment on people outside of the state that still insist the entire state is, and always was, a desert.

In my area, Coastal Sage Shrub is what was here before we brought in all of the grasses for cattle and then replaced those with homes featuring big box store generic plants, most of which require copious amounts of water to maintain. Eight years ago we hired California's Own Native Landscape Design to rip out most of that and replace it with native plants. BEST DECISION EVER!

Our water bills are minimal compared to my neighbors since I water the natives once ever 2-4 weeks in the summer time. I will admit, right now things look a bit tired out there, but it is summer here which is the "dormant" period for most native plants. Leaves have yellowed and dropped and there is minimal growth.

But there are still plenty of blooms throughout the yard.

Xeriscaping does not have to mean cacti! California native plants are beautiful and water conscious. #xeriscaping Click to Tweet

This Ceanothus should actually be dormant like the rest of its brethren in the yard. This is a great example of micro-climates. This one is located in a rather shady spot next to the neighbor's lawn, so it gets some supplemental watering. All of the rest bloomed months ago and are now dormant.

Corethrogyne filaginifolia Silver Carpet – California aster

Erigeron glaucus x Wayne Roderick Daisy (the flowers look similar to the one above, but the plants are totally different).

Solidago californica - California Goldenrod

Salvia Bee's Bliss - California sage Bee's Bliss (and hummingbird's bliss too!)

Zauschneria,California fuchsia (hummingbirds love this one too!)

Chitalpa x tashkentensis 'pink dawn'

Fallugia paradoxa, Apache Plume. One of my favorites, the delicate white blooms turn into the plumes (kind of like a dandelion).

Macro photos of California native plants in bloom. #macro #photography #flowers Click to Tweet

If you want to see more photos of my California Native Plants throughout the growing season CLICK HERE.

If you would like to plant some of these beauties in your yard I highly recommend The California Native Landscape: The Homeowner's Design Guide to Restoring Its Beauty and Balance by Greg Rubin and Lucy Warren. (disclosure: that is an affiliate link, I get a few pennies if you order through the link). The book does a great job of explaining what California used to look like, why we need to rethink our current fire prevention strategy and more importantly gives you plenty of ideas of design and plant selection.

Ninja Turtle Hand Print Ornament: a Treasure For Years to Come

Dec 10, 2014 · 3 Comments

Let your TMNT fan make their own Ninja Turtle Handprint Ornament this year for a keepsake for both him (or her!) and you to treasure for years to come.

Have you seen the Hand Print Snowman Ornaments this year? I originally saw it in a kit a few years ago, but everyone seems to be making their own this year. They are all over the blogoshere. Cute, easy and cheap.

Well, I couldn't just do the simple snowmen. Nope not in this Ninja Turtle obsessed house. I thought I'd just turn them in to turtles. Such a simple thing to do, right?

I had to buy some acrylic paint because one, I am a lousy artist so I don't even try to paint and two, I spawned a curious little mess maker who would probably find it and get it all over my house.

Then I fished out the frosted balls I got on clearance a few months ago. Then scrounged around in my craft closet (a.k.a. "the closet of doom") for some pens and paint brushes.

Ok, ready to go.

STEP ONE: I painted J's hand in green and placed the ball in hand. Groaned vocally because I put it too far to the bottom of the ornament. Repainted his hand and tried again.

Groaned vocally again. This one was too high. But, I didn't dare ask him to do it again.

STEP TWO: I sent J off to the bathroom to wash his hands while I tried to wash the paint off the first ornament because I am cheap and wanted to salvage it to make an ornament for my husband too.

NOOOOOO! Head slap! I just sent J off to the bathroom, by himself, with green acrylic paint on his right hand!

I sprinted across the house in 1.5 seconds to the bathroom. It looked just as you would expect. That is if you were expecting a scene from the Whoville Chainsaw Massacre. Sorry, I did not bother to get the camera. I was paranoid about the green paint drying before I could clean it. I scrubbed his hand for him and then scrubbed the bathroom before the paint could dry.

STEP THREE: I added some arms and the headbands. Mikey is the youngest so he was the pinky, Donnie the tallest so he was the middle finger, Leo the leader was the pointer, leaving Raph the ring finger. Everyone got a smile, except grouchy Raph. Details like that definitely matter to my Ninja in Training.

Is it just me or did they end up looking like saguaros?

Maybe if I add the weapons...

STEP FOUR: Head Slap! I forgot the shells. That's why they look dorky. Well, besides the fact that I am have very little artistic talent. Do I go back and buy some brown and yellow paint or try to mix some? Yellow was out, but orange and purple make brown, right?

After spending 5 minutes mixing and mixing and adding more orange, and then just a touch more purple ... we had brown! M'eh - good enough.

Added the weapons, shells and belts and they looked perfect. Okay, passable.

Make a TMNT Handprint Ornament with your child. #Christmas #NinjaTurtles #Boyakasha Click to Tweet

STEP FIVE: Then there was the thumb. Since I hadn't purchased brown or white I couldn't make it Splinter or even a snowman. Since I couldn't think of anything else, it became a Christmas tree.

Well, that's what it is supposed to be. I really did not inherit any of the artistic talent running through both sides of my family tree.

But, J is thrilled with his ornament, and that's all that matters. Someday he will outgrow the Turtles and roll his eyes every time I put it on the tree. But, I will look at that little hand print and remember how we made it together and how he used to think I was cool for making Ninja Turtle everything instead of embarrassing him.

Is Your Math Anxiety Hampering Your Child?

Nov 22, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Think before you tell your child you don't like Math or the way it is taught.

Your child comes home with Math Homework, that awful Common Core Math Homework no less. He/she needs help. The method being demonstrated is different than you were taught.

How do you react?

Go on a rant about Common Core and how it is ruining our children?
Throw your hands up and say you were horrible at math and tell them to figure it out themselves or ask their teacher?
Just give the child the answer because you are too tired to figure out how to help them and, let's face it, no one really needs Math in real life now that we have calculators and computers?

No, NO, NOOOOOO!

WORDS HAVE POWER!

Here's what your child hears when he/she hears you say the above.

Your teacher is wrong. The way she/he is teaches is wrong.
Math must be hard if Mom and Dad can't even do it.
Math isn't important. I don't need to learn it.

Disclosure: Math isn't a problem in our house I admit it, I did fairly well at Math throughout school, with the exception of Calculus. I struggled with that one. My husband is a College Math Instructor. So, there is a great deal of understanding and respect for Mathematics in the house that Math is paying for.

We aren't geeks that sit around and do Math problems for fun. Though there was that one time at the zoo when he saw the weight and height of a California Condor and offered to give me the formula used to calculate wing span. He was joking! (But, he does know the formula.)

Nope, not much Math Anxiety here. But, both of us do understand struggling to understand some concepts. Mine was Calculus A and his was Differential Calculus, or some such nonsense that he needed for his Master's Degree.

We both understand that many (most) people do have Math Anxiety. Math is not one of those neutral subjects. Most people love it or hate. I can count on one hand the number of people that have said "I loved Math in school" when they found out his profession. The majority respond with "I hate Math" or "I was terrible at Math."

Our son started school the first year Common Core was instituted in the district curriculum. He will not have to relearn different methods as a fourth grader that weren't taught when he was a third grader but are now.

Common Core is not EVIL

My entire life I have heard adults remark that the way American schools teach Math is wrong. Rote memorization was wrong, New Math was wrong. And now here we are again with Common Core being wrong.

I am not going to get sidetracked with discussions about standardized testing and the use of test scores to evaluate teachers or who developed the standards. Nor am I discussing the failure of many school districts to properly transition the students to the new standards.

I am strictly focusing on the standards themselves. The information most American schools now require our children to learn at each grade level.

If you are a Common Core Hater I am only going to ask if you have looked at the actual standards before you came to that conclusion, or did you just watch one of those "Common Core Math DESTROYED in 30 seconds" videos?

Truthfully, the answer doesn't matter when your child is coming to you frustrated because they don't understand their assignment. BUT, telling your child you "hate Common Core" is the equivalent of telling him the school is wrong and she doesn't have to learn it because Common Core is bad. Is that going to help your child?

Why do we need to learn Math anyway?

You hate Math. You aren't good at it. You aren't going to college or into a career that needs Math. So why do you need to learn it?

I think this quote from Purple Math sums it up beautifully:

You didn't learn your alphabet all those years ago because you knew you'd be reading Moby Dick this semester. In the same way, you don't take algebra now because you know that you'll be factoring quadratics in ten years. You should take math and science courses now for much the same reason you learned your letters back then: to lay the foundation for bigger and better things to come, and to open up new opportunities for future pleasures and successes.

Math, particularly Algebra teaches you to think logically and methodically. Memorizing the formulae is not the truly important part, learning how to analyze and problem solve is. It is a means to an end. Is it hard at first? Uh, yeah. So is riding a bike, learning how to read and knitting. Anything new is a challenge at first.

As a fellow parent I get it that you may be tempted to dismiss Math as unimportant because your child is upset. But doing so isn't going to help them understand it any better, is it?

So, what's a parent to do?

Take a deep breath.

No really, I mean it. Before you throw up your hands in frustration take a deep breath and think before you say something inadvertently that could turn your child off of Math.

Admit that the method is new to you or you forget how to do it.

Make a joke about your "old age".

Do YOUR homework:

We are still in the workbook stage instead of a text book. My son's teacher sends home his classwork a few days before they get the homework on the topic so parents can review it. I needed those worksheets he did in class for the "doubles plus or minus one" method of addition.

If your child has a textbook, read it, look through the examples, maybe go back a chapter or two if needed.

And we now have the assistance of the Internet. My husband recommends Purple Math to all of his Algebra students. They cover everything from 5th grade math to Algebra 2. And there are countless more free sites you can find with a quick search.

Ask for help.

Call or e-mail the teacher if it is one concept or problem you are unsure of.

If you are really lost, ask to schedule a meeting so you can understand it better.

Or, if the teacher isn't available or you don't feel comfortable with asking him/her, ask one of the other parents. Two days after I had to figure out the "doubles plus or minus one" method, I got a text from a friend with students in the same grade but another class clarifying what they were asking the kids to do on that assignment.

Find a tutor.

In an episode of Seventh Heaven, the parents struggle to help their oldest daughter with Algebra. The mother was in tears, the daughter was in tears. A parishioner desperate to help the family in any way, shows up on the doorstep in the midst of the crisis and Mom asks her if she knows Algebra. In the next scene the daughter is staring wide eyed at the parishioner laughing and says something like "That's all it is? Why didn't Mom and Dad just say so?" Sometimes we are not the best help for our child.

There are plenty of resources and they don't all have to cost a lot of money. Your child's teacher should be able to offer suggestions.

One Stay at Home Mom friend of mine sent her daughter to the Boys and Girls Club after school a few days a week so she could get homework help because she wasn't listening to Mom. I can see J and I reaching that point down the road.

In high school I was a tutor for my friend's little sister in French. Her parents didn't know the language and her big sister, who was in my French 3 class wasn't able to get through to her. But I could. Their mom paid me a few bucks an hour and little sister passed the class.

Nowadays many high schools have Math Labs where students can get help at no cost. Some students can earn extra credit or volunteer hours for tutoring. Or barter with another parent. You can volunteer to baby sit younger siblings in exchange for that parent tutoring your child.

Even if you do need to spend money for a more expensive tutor, consider the cost benefit analysis. If your child learns the basics early, and doesn't "fear" Math, how will that benefit them in the future? If they develop Math Anxiety will their choices be limited in college or future careers?

Lets help our children be better than we are.

I am assuming that since you are reading this, you want what is best for your child. You want your child to be more successful, happier, etc. than you are. I certainly do.

Math may be hard, it may not be fun or exciting.

But it is critical!

So, please before you steer your child down a path of Math Hatred, try some of my suggestions.

And for those parents that have already been through this, or Math Professionals, I'd love it if you would add your suggestions in the comments.

Should you jump in the TSUnami?

Nov 14, 2014 · Leave a Comment

This is not going to be your typical Tsu is almighty and you need to sign up now post.

I have come to bury Tsu, not praise it! Okay, maybe a little of both.

This new social media has potential, but also some problems. Is it the answer to the small bloggers woes of increasing reach? Is it going to make you rich? Should you join in? Should you skip it? I can only answer for myself.

What is Tsu?
In case you haven't been invited to join the hot new Social Media club, I will explain briefly. Tsu.co (no "m" on the end) is a new social media platform similar to Google+, Facebook and Twitter. It is a place to share "content" and interact with others.

Tsu has added a multi-level marketing twist though. They claim they will pay you for content you share and for the content shared by the people that sign up under you. I say claim, because right now all of those pennies are still virtual. Until I see an actual check I can only go by claims.

You need to be invited to join because when you sign up you are put into a "family tree" under the person that invited you. When you share something, you get a percentage of Tsu's ad revenue and so does the person that you signed up under and so does the person they signed up under.

Interested? Consider yourself invited: https://www.tsu.co/ThatRecipe

Should you join?
Why are you on Social Media? For fun? to increase your blogs reach? to make money?

I'll take the last one first. If you want to work it like a part time job soliciting friends and followers and shares and comments and likes, I suppose you could make some decent money. But Tsu currently has limits on many things that might make that difficult. I think you can only invite 8 people to join and have 36 posts a day. And there is a limit to how many of the posts can be shared posts.

If your goal for social media is just for fun, sign up! It is fun. For me though, all of my friends and family are on Facebook. Hmmmm! Wait a minute, that could be a good thing. If none of them sign up for Tsu then I can whine about my in-laws and no one will now - ha ha!

If you are a blogger and are looking to drive traffic to your blog, Tsu could be incorporated into your social media strategy, but you would be a fool to abandon the others. Go get your blog name, experiment with it and decide if the effort is worth it either by direct payment from Tsu or traffic driven to your site. As limited as my FB following is, I still get traffic to my blog which means it generates income for me, albeit not directly.

I have shared the same things on all social media accounts for two weeks. Pinterest, of course, is the big winner hands down. Facebook is second and Google+ is third. Twitter is still virtually negligible and zero from Tsu. My social media goal is to increase blog traffic, at this point Tsu has done nothing for that.

Relax, Tsunation. I know it is new and I need to give it time. You can tell the world it is the greatest thing since the invention of Cookie Butter, I am not convinced it is yet. (And in case you were wondering I am not a huge fan of Cookie Butter, it is just okay to my palate.)

Friend or follow?

You can either follow someone, or friend them. When you post your friends will always see everything, but followers can't see anything marked friends only.

Tsu says to save "friend" for people you really know in person. Bloggers I respect point out that you can only currently follow 1000 people, but have 5000 friends so they conclude more eyeballs = more revenue.

Far from perfect
It is a new platform so it is glitchy I have had trouble logging on more than once.

It doesn't have the bells and whistles that other more established social media platforms do nor does it have the user base yet.

I can't link to my FB business page only my personal page. But I can't do that on Pinterest either and Google+ gives me fits when I want to comment as my page not my personal account.

It does have a lot of hype and some abuse. After two weeks I am already sick of (and unfollowing/ unfriending people) because they:

*Constantly beg for follows, shares and comments. Do you have those people in your life that sell essential oils or jamberry or pampered chef or any other MLM "opportunity" that talk about nothing else? Yeah, me too. Here's a secret: IT'S ANNOYING!

*Tag #tsu #tsunation #tsunami on EVERY post. And generally post nothing but suck ups to Tsu in hopes people will share and their revenue will increase.

*Bash Facebook, repeatedly. 1) You spend 8 hours a day on Facebook?! You need a life! 2) Don't act like Facebook broke a promise to you. They never said they would pay you for using their site. 3) Can you like something without bashing something else? 4) I'd have commented but this is click bait, you are posting this to increase your earnings. Sorry but not helping you do that.

Take your tsu earnings from yesterday and multiply them
by the time you've spent on Facebook.
What's you "Facebook Invoice"?
Let me know in the comments....

*Overhype, overpromise and spread misinformation.There was a better one I saw yeserday that promised Tsu would pay you $1 for sharing it. I assume it was removed by Tsu or the user.

this is click bait folks, stop doing it, stop sharing it!

My conclusions
I grabbed my user name and am having some fun exploring a new platform. Other bloggers probably want to do the same thing.

I have found a few new bloggers to follow that I hadn't followed on other social media and connected with some whose posts don't make it to my newsfeed on FB, or I am not on Twitter at the same time as they post and their tweets are lost among my many others.

I have made 13 cents! I don't come close to my sharing limits a day because I have a thing called a life, which I need to get back to in a few minutes.

Hopefully Tsu can live up to half of its hype and not go belly up in the process. Only time will tell, and it's only been around for a month or two.

If you are already on Tsu, please share your shortlink in the comments so anyone else interested can follow. And yes, even though I say not to promise this, I am following everyone that follows me right now (https://www.tsu.co/ThatRecipe). If you start getting annoying I will dump you, though. 🙂

15 Sewing and Crafting memes

Nov 8, 2014 · 2 Comments

While looking for the sewing scissors meme for yesterday's post I found so many more I wanted to share I thought I'd better do another post or my social media feeds would be clogged all day.

If you sew or craft, or love someone who does, you will understand...

TRUTH - at least in my world

In a dream world...

Closer to reality:

Guilty as charged:

The end

Turkey Craft for Kids: Turkey in Disguise

Nov 8, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Turkey in Disguise is a fun Thanksgiving craft for preschool and elementary aged kids.

My son's first grade teacher had them do this assignment and I thought it was a great way for the kids to express their creativity and work on fine motor skills.

The assignment: Use markers, crayons, fabric, material, etc. to make a disguise for this turkey so he won't be eaten for Thanksgiving.

My 1st grader's result: A mutant ninja turtle pizza chef complete with a double extra large pepperoni and mutagen pizza.

He did all of the work except for cutting the fabric, because I admit, I have a little bit of a thing about my sewing scissors.

I could give you a bunch of ideas his classmates came up with, but that would spoil the fun of letting your kid come up with their own idea.

Here's a link to download your own PDF turkey . Print on plain paper or card stock.

I am Wonder Woman

Oct 29, 2014 · 4 Comments

As much as it annoys me to admit it, I am addicted to my smart phone. The singularly most important feature for me is ...

um...

it was just on the tip of my tongue, or should I say fingertips.

Huh, what was I saying typing?

Oh, yeah, the important feature on my cell phone: the reminder alarms.

For 8 days now I have forgotten to bring 5 dollars to school so my son can donate to the United Way. I finally set an alarm to remind me 5 minutes before the alarm for us to get ready to head out the door and of course I don't have any cash in my wallet.

Ugh, and I just now remembered an important call my husband asked me to make to the bank LAST week. And they are closed for the day. Setting a reminder for tomorrow right after school drop off.

I used to do paper lists, usually on the back of junk mail envelopes, but either I lose them or my son decides to write on them and I can't read what I wrote anymore.

I am blaming premenopause, but the truth is I try to do too much that there is no way anyone can possibly remember it all. And I get sidetracked very easily.

Or maybe....

Why I buy washable markers...

Oct 26, 2014 · 1 Comment

My little darling is 6 years old, and I still spend the extra dollar or so to buy good name-brand washable markers for many reasons.

Here is one:

his first tattoo! Raphael holding his sais. — His first tattoo! Raphael holding his sais.

And here is another:

self drawn face paint — a jack o'lantern

I think he was trying to recreate this one he got at the Wild Rumpus a few weeks ago, done with real face paint.

Bad Mommy got so engrossed in an article in the Sunday paper she did not notice that he was spending an awfully long time in the bathroom after breakfast.

A little soap and water and he was all cleaned up to go play outside... in the mud.

Have a great Sunday.

Quick memo to my son's teachers

Oct 25, 2014 · Leave a Comment

For future reference, this is not how I sign (or spell) my name.

Just in case you couldn't tell the difference.

Even funnier, he was really good this week so there wouldn't have been a need to hide this report from me.

And even funnier, when I asked him about it he announced "That's wrong!" and tried to correct his spelling... with the red crayon in his hand.

I was tired so I napped...

Oct 17, 2014 · Leave a Comment

A friend once said she took a nap because she loved her family so much she did not want to subject them to her grouchiness when she was tired.

I nap in "self defense". When you spawn a child that doesn't sleep you do what you gotta do to stay functional.

Today I had a million things I could have done like:

writing up one of the two or three blog posts I have half written in my mind.
cleaning the house
cleaning out the closet of doom
working ahead on some food posts
social media networking
sewing some of those "free" projects I got recently
gardening
stripping the kitchen table
playing Candy Crush Saga
watching DIY Network
reading a Mommy book
....

But, with my night sweats and sinus headaches keeping me from sleeping restfully combined with J waking up at o'dark thirty, I was done in.

So, I napped for 30 minutes before I went to pick up J at school. And, no surprise, I feel better!

But, it is taking everything in my power not to feel guilty.

Even though I really have nothing to feel guilty for.

Our love will climb any mountain near or far,

we are, and we never let it end.

We are devotion...

Sorry, I hope you don't have that song stuck in your head now. Maybe if I take another nap I can get it out of mine.

[Tweet "Hey Moms, give yourself permission to nap if your need it. It's good for you and your family. #sleep"]

2 Easy Upcycled Halloween Projects

Oct 16, 2014 · Leave a Comment

When I saw these two projects on Pinterest I knew I had to make them because they are cute and FREE!

Did I mention they didn't cost me anything to make them?

First is the Witches Brooms. I admit I bought the sign for $1 awhile ago. You could make your own with some wood and paint you have around the house so I am not really counting that as an expense.

I trimmed off two thick branches from my bay laurel tree. Then gathered a bunch of smaller sticks from the neighborhood and tied them on. They started to fall apart a bit and I suspected J was going to try to play with them, so I dumped a little wood glue on them to hold them in place. Tied on some ribbon and done.

The Super Mario Pumpkin Patch is my twist on the Milk Carton Ghosts you may have seen. Both are the same concept: use a black marker to draw faces on cleaned out gallon jugs then string lights through the tops. For the ghosts use clear or white lights.

I went with orange lights and left some spread out to simulate the vine, then added some green duct tape to the top for stems.

They look cool at night, but I am not sure I love them during the day time. I may give them a light spray of orange paint.

What do you think?

Saturday in my yard

Oct 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

The weather was finally cool enough to spend some time outside, so we made the most of it.

I snapped these flower photos for the Bloggers Get Social Photo A Day Prompt "flowers".

lovely little lavender blossom.

lily in the pond

Zauschneria californica - one of the California native plants.

My son kept himself occupied...

with a mud puddle...

"Princess Peach, stay away from my mud puddle."
No worries, Mario, no worries.

Not sure why he gave himself a mud facial.

Oh well, little boys, and their clothes, are washable. ha ha ha!

How did free just cost me $45?

Oct 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

My mother picked these up from the lobby in her apartment complex.

People are always leaving stuff like fabric, books, magazines even canned goods for others to take and make use of. Since she doesn't sew anymore she gave them to me. There are a few others too, but I have immediate plans for these three.

Of course, I didn't have everything I needed to make them. So, I made a Mommy Playdate with my friend Mary at Mary Made It Sewing and off to Hobby Lobby we went once the husbands and kids were at school (yes, we are both married to teachers). We had plenty of time to catch up in the car and while we waited for the fabric to get cut and then again at the checkout line. Both were painfully slow, but still not as bad as our local Joann Fabric.

I got what I needed to make these except for the poly beads that I just plain forgot to look for:

And of course I had to peek in the remnant bin and then I wandered over to the clearance aisle while she was getting her fabric cut.

No idea what I am going to make with these.

How could I resist a cute candy cane remnant, shimmer metallic spray paint ($3), Mario Duck Tape ($5) and glass Christmas ornaments ($2.50 a box with one broken in each box)?!

Plus some candy at the counter and those free projects cost me $45!

Neighbor Humor

Oct 5, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I am trying really hard to be patient with my neighbors and accept that we just have different ways of doing things:

J is an early riser so we go to bed early. They play Ring Around the Rosy with their 4 year old grandchild at the top of their lungs on the front lawn at 9:00 pm.
I love gardening as you can see from some of my photos. Their yard is nothing but dirt and weeds and the only grass they seem to be able to grow is the illegal kind I smell wafting over the fence.
They do not believe children should have to do chores... or go to school...

Enough!

I wrote an entire blog continuing in this vein last week and luckily lost it before I could publish it.

I need to stop this line of thinking, because they aren't changing and they aren't moving. I can only control my reaction.

So, it is time to laugh about it. Especially since I am starting to sound like Rat (shudder).

It just wouldn't be a meme roundup without Grumpy Cat

I know someone with a neighbor that actually did this in reference to them.

Maybe I should have tried this when my yard was littered with their butts...

Why do you have a dog if you never spend any time with it?

Now if he was a day trader and wanted to help me with my investments he can stay.

Luckily, I have so many other awesome neighbors that help offset the few annoying ones.

October 2014 Garden Update

Oct 4, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Ah Fall! The time of regrowth in my garden. Yes, I said regrowth. Many people quip that we don't have seasons in California, but that isn't true. We do, it's just a little different from the way many people who are more familiar with the traditional four seasons are used to.

We have three seasons - dry (summer), wet (fall and winter) and "fruiting" (spring). Native plants go dormant in the hot dry summer, then when the rains come they sprout and flower, and most fruit in the spring time.

I do have some more traditional looking Autumn shots:

Betula occidentalis

Thompson grapes

Asparagus

Freesia - trust me they are under there and will begin growing soon.

Edibles

beets

turnips - need to replant the spots that didn't sprout

arugula in the foreground and lettuce in the background

carrot

California Natives

The pond with Zauschneria blooming in the foreground

Mulhenbergia rigens - deer grass

close up of Fallugia paradoxa plumes

Fallugia paradoxa in the background

This ceonothus (lilac) looks a bit ragged from far away.

But if you zoom in you see leaves and even a flower bud beginning to form.

flower buds just beginning to form on an Arctostaphylos (manzanita)

Flowers and more flowers:

Leonotis Leonurus - Lion's ear (edible)

Oregano (edible)

Lavender (edible)

Yarrow (edible)

Salvia - sage (California native)

Solidago californica - Goldenrod (California native)

Fallugia paradoxa (California native)

Zauschneria (California native)

Erigeron glaucus - Wayne Roderick Daisy (California native)

Miscellaneous

The African Sumac is filling in nicely after I chopped it back in the spring.

Now those are some big spiders! Eeek!

Best picture I have taken in awhile

Sep 27, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I have been participating in FMS Photo a Day for over a year year now. Chantelle gives us a list of prompts at the beginning of the month and everyone takes a picture a day and shares it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or her site.

I started doing it because I knew my food photos were lacking, and a Food Blogger must have a PINable images these days.

Practicing every day and knowing that my photo is viewed by everyone from hack amateurs to professionals has helped. Plus, in every month (except this October), Chantelle includes one prompt that is a photography lesson.

I think my photos are getting better, but since my camera died and I am working solely from my Samsung Galaxy, I battle with lighting inside my kitchen.

Outdoors is a bit easier. And this is the one I submitted yesterday for the prompt "best".

Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume) is one of the BEST growing plants in my yard.

If you want to join the group and have some photography fun, check out the prompts for next month.

I am already racking my brain to come up with something fun for a few of those. I don't think I will restrict myself to food photos only this month. Maybe November.

What I learned today

Sep 24, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I love volunteering in my sons class. I was in his Kindergarten class twice a week last year, but I scaled it down to only once a week this year.

My "shift" overlaps snack and recess, so I get to go out and play with my son and some of the other kids. Today it was shooting hoops. And sure enough after watching J shoot "granny style" the Physical Education teacher in me took over and I had a mini lesson with a few kids on the proper form. We all had a blast.

But the best part about volunteering isn't helping his teacher, or getting to see my son in a different environment, or even getting to know all of his classmates.

No, the best part is all of the interesting things I learn:

there are going to be at least 3 Elsas and 3 Ninja Turtles in my son's class alone (I think the boys are all planning on being different Turtles, though)

to make a headless man costume you need a special hat

one boy has two costumes, a skeleton and a pirate hat so he is putting them together

it is impossible for a 6 year old to sit on a stool for 10 minutes without rocking it and/or falling off

someone's big sister chopped off all her hair to donate to Locks of Love

my son is not the only 1st grader that does not want to waste precious recess time in the bathroom or at the drinking fountain

one girl fell off her bike this weekend and has owies on her hand, elbow and knee

if one girl's Mom eats gluten her tummy sticks out and she looks like she is pregnant

one child can't get a Kona Ice after school because he needs to go to a reading class ...with his brother (glad he added the last part because he is one of the advanced readers in class)

one of the moms thinks the principal is cute

be very careful what you say in front of your child or it may get repeated at school.

Oh, and we managed to sneak in a little phonics lesson in here and there too. Did you know there are 44 sounds in the English language?

Grow Your Blog with the International Bloggers Association

Sep 21, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Do you want access to a library of information on running a successful blog?

Do you have specific blogging questions and wish other bloggers would help you?

Do you want to network with highly successful bloggers?

Do you want other people sharing your posts and promoting your blog?

Come join us at the International Bloggers Association. The IBA is all about helping bloggers expand their audience by providing opportunities to share and be shared by other members of our community.

It costs nothing to become a certified member.

Well nothing, except a promise to help share other bloggers content and share your knowledge. Do you need to share everything every where? Nope. Share what is relevant to your audience. The more you share the more likely others will help share your content.

I have been a member for a few months now with That Recipe, and just recently signed up with this blog as I am trying to pump a bit of life back into it.

Katy Blevins from Chaos and Kiddos repinned one of my bread recipes and the next day my numbers were double normal for me. Plus I am still getting residual readership from people finding her pin or those that have repinned her repin.

Aside from the benefits to my blog, I have found some great blogs to follow:

Mrs Tee Love Life and Laughter - if nothing else, be sure to follow her social media accounts for bursts of laughter on your news feed.

The Crafty Side of Sarcasm - how can you not want to read a blog with a name like that?

She Unscripted - an absolutely beautiful blog about languages and photography and life and... I probably never would have stumbled on it if it weren't for IBA.

Brittany's Blog - I would be remiss if I did not mention the blog by IBA founder Brittany Bullen, which includes blogging advice, life coaching, parenting tips and more.

As you can see there are bloggers in all genres plus plenty of room for more.

I hope you will come join us for the fun, because when bloggers support each other, everybody wins.

My love hate relationship with jewelry

Sep 19, 2014 · Leave a Comment

When I see a beautiful chunky jewelry like this I wish I could look glamorous in it:

Porcelain Necklace, big bold chunky necklace, peacock blue necklace, statement necklace, beaded necklace, bead necklace, ceramic necklace

Chunky Peacock Blue Porcelain Necklace

Instead I feel like I look like this:

Candyland Katy Perry Chunky Beaded Necklace with Lollipop Pendant

And sadly, like this now too:

So more often than not, I stick with my simple engagement ring and wedding band despite a full jewelry box.

DIY: Self Watering Planter

Sep 15, 2014 · 2 Comments

How to make your own Self Watering Planters from storage totes. Save a bundle on buying expensive premade ones and grow your own healthy food.

diy self watering planter with a tomato plant

My yard is mostly clay. Attempting to grow anything other than native plants can be quite difficult without a lot of soil amendments and water. So, for the last few years I have been experimenting with container gardening for my edibles. This year was another dismal year. The plants started with such promise, but ended up producing very little.

A few years ago I made these self watering containers out of 18 gallon storage tubs and they did fabulously as you can see.

When they fell apart I replaced them with these plastic file boxes lined with landscape fabric.

These might work very well in areas that get summer rain, but here in drought riddled California they require daily watering, if not more. And I admit there were days that it was just too hot to stand out there and water them.

How to Make a Self Watering Container

So, I decided it is time to go back to the self watering planters. This time I made a few changes, to make them even cheaper with the parts I had in the house. The original uses two containers for each planter. Mine uses only one.

What you need to make the each container:

1 18-gallon storage tub, plus lid (preferably with straight sides)
1 empty 6" plastic pot
4 thick plastic bottles (some 2 liter bottles may be too thin, juice or sport drink bottles are better)
2 foot long PVC pipe, at least ¾" interior diameter
large piece of cardboard
marker
heavy duty scissors, box cutter, or knife
drill
hand saw (optional)

Put the plastic pot inside the tub. Use the cardboard to make a template for the interior shelf. It should sit on the plastic pot and go all the way to the inside edges. If your container doesn't have straight sides this will be a bit tedious as you carefully trim away the contours so it fits snugly.

Trace the outline of the template onto the container lid to make the interior shelf. Cut with the scissors, box cutter or knife.

Trace the bottom of the pot in the middle of the interior shelf. Cut out.

Cut the 4 bottles to the height of the plastic pot.

Drill drainage holes in the interior shelf.

Drill a few drainage holes in the 4 bottles.

Put the pot in the center of the container and 3 bottles in 3 corners. The last bottle will need to be about 1" from the last corner for the PVC pipe.

Cut the PVC pipe to 2 feet using the hand saw if necessary. If you have pre-cut pipe you can skip this.

Place the interior shelf on top of the bottles and pot. Place the PVC pipe in the corner, trace around it and cut it out.

Put the PVC pipe in the corner so it slides about ½ inch from the bottom and is not in the bottle.

photo bomb by Donnie

Drill a drainage hole on one side of the container just below the interior shelf. This will prevent accidentally over-watering, especially in the rainy season.

Fill the upper portion of the container with soil.

Wet the soil and pack lightly, add extra soil if needed.
Plant seeds or seedlings and enjoy your new planters. Fill the bottom of the container with water by pouring water through the pipe.

I bought the containers for $7 each and had the rest of the parts in the garage, but even if you need to buy the PVC pipe, you are still looking at less than $10. Which is a tad cheaper than the $40 - $50 for ones you can buy.

Breaking up with a blogging group

Sep 14, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Have you ever joined a blogging group that sounded like the perfect fit only to begin to wonder if you made a huge mistake? I am in the midst of that dilemma right now, and I only have a few days to make a decision.

The group started with such promise. It sounded like a great fit for my blog and I was so excited to partner with more experienced/ successful bloggers. I thought pairing with them would certainly give my blog a boost.

It seemed a bit disorganized from the start by my standards, but I am so painfully anal about things like this that it could just be me. I like to have things planned well in advance and make sure everyone is up to date with any new developments. Plus, it was a brand new venture so it was sure to have some hiccups in the beginning.

This month, the topic was just announced a week ago and we are supposed to post in a week. Not leaving me much time to order a copy of the book to be transferred from another library, read it and review it. Or spend money I don't really have to buy a book I am not sure I want.

There is no set date for posting every month, it is put to a vote every month. So one month it is the 2nd Thursday the next the third Monday.

The books, which are also put to a vote, are not only dated but not always relevant to my mostly American audience. It isn't that I am a Gluten Free blogger and we are reviewing 65 ways to use wheat, but some of the books are a tad esoteric to me.

And the passive aggressive nature of the leader is starting to grate on me. It took 5 days of us asking what the next book was going to be for her to get around to starting a questionnaire. When I questioned why we were reviewing a book 6 years old when the author had a new book coming out this month she seemed offended. But, I could have been in a grouchy mood and just misinterpreted what she wrote.

It has only been a few months, but I really haven't noticed any increase in my readership. And I am the only one in the group that promotes the group and the posts by my fellow bloggers on social media. They just post their own and move on to their next post. Am I wrong in thinking we should cross market each other's posts?

I feel like I am putting more time and money into this than I am getting out of it.

Sheesh, do I sound like a woman in a dysfunctional romance? Maybe I am too picky, Maybe, if I just try a little harder he will come around? Maybe, maybe maybe, UGH!

I knew what I needed to do before I wrote this. I think my resources are better spent elsewhere. I could be making a huge mistake and this group will start making blogging history with hundreds of thousands of readers that I will miss out on. But I am not really willing to waste any more time and effort on something that just doesn't feel right to me.

Ultimately, I have to do what I think is right for me and my blog. And sadly, this group isn't it.

Have you ever broken up with a blogging group? How long did you give it before you knew it wasn't right for you? Did you try to fix it? Did you announce you were leaving or just walk away?

Time for some Alphabet Soup

Sep 13, 2014 · 1 Comment

My son's Triennial Individual Education Plan meeting is coming up at the end of the month. For those of you not in the know, every child in Special Education in public schools goes through a battery of tests by different specialists to start receiving services and then again every three years to evaluate the progress. Annual meetings are held in between as progress checks and goals/services can be adjusted.

Like any good government program, acronyms abound. It is Alphabet Soup time around here:
IEP
FAPE
LRE
BIS
IBI
ABA
ASDS
ARS-2
DSM IV
Connors 3

Right now J is being pulled out of class at least once a week for testing by Speech Therapist, Behavioral Intervention Specialist, Occupational Therapist, School Nurse and the School Psychologist. Plus they are observing him in class and on the playground.

Meanwhile, M and I get to complete surveys about him outside of school. Last night I started perusing the latest stack from the School Psychologist.

When I got to the Connors 3 Parent Short Form I almost howled with laughter. If you want the whole form just google it. I am going to give you a few highlights.

Answer the following about your child in the last month on a scale of 0 (not at all true), 1 (just a little true), 2 (pretty much true), 3 (very much true)

Is perfect in every way

if he were perfect in every way, would we be here?

Acts as if driven by a motor

what 6 year old doesn't act this way, especially after sitting in class all day

Cannot do things right

things? what things? breathing, eating, calculus, assembling IKEA furniture, ignoring his mother when the Ninja Turtles are on...

Is messy or disorganized

I might not want to answer this one at the moment considering the trail of toys from one end of the house to the other.

Is patient and content even when standing in a long line

in a long line for what? a ride at an amusement park or the bank? to a 6 year old 2 people in front of them can be a long line.

Behaves like an angel

an angel? an angel from where? In Revelations, the Archangel Michael fought "the Dragon and his angels".

Has to struggle to complete hard tasks

nope, not at all. Hard tasks are easy for him. Aren't they easy for you?

Seriously? My son's education plan is being based on my responses to those inane questions?! Or are you throwing in those questions just to give me a giggle?

Is this really an evaluation of his father and me? Do we have blinders on? Are we hyper-critical?

Do they offer services for me for the permanent damage I have from rolling my eyes so much? Is there any hope for this child overcoming his overtly sarcastic mother?

I don't remember completing this one three years ago. But, I might have been so overwhelmed by all of the forms and the rest of the process that I blocked it out. Now I feel like an old pro at this. This form and it's analysis probably accounts for 1% of the entire process.

I am going to screw on my serious face and complete it as every serious concerned parent should. Then my husband and I will sit around and joke about it after J is in bed.

Thank you for the Blog-fodder Dr Keith Connors, PH.D!

My thoughts on Mel Brooks stunt on the Walk of Fame

Sep 11, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I don't generally read, let alone write about, celebrity stories. Mostly because I rarely have heard of the people. I rarely get to watch movies, my television watching is limited to PBS, Nick Toons and DIY, and oldies channels like MeTV. We don't get radio reception in my house and when I do listen to music it is either Broadway tunes or video game music (the classical stuff like in RPGs, not the annoying stuff in shooters or racing games).

But the story about Mel Brooks getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame caught my eye yesterday. You do know who is, right? Google him, I'll wait. Yeah, THAT Mel Brooks. Okay, on with the blog.

In case you missed the story, he added a prosthetic finger to his left hand when he made his hand prints.

My first thought was "That is so Mel Brooks". An absolutely, silly, goofy, off the wall thing. Like, most of his movies.

My very next thought was, "Wait a minute, he is just NOW getting a star?" This marks the 40th year since Young Frankenstein came out. The man who created such classics as The Producers, History of the World Part 1 and Blazing Saddles is just now receiving this honor?

Some of the other inductees this year include: Rick Springfield, Katy Perry, Katy Sagal, Kaley Cuoco, Orlando Bloom.

Oh yeah, and Sally Field and Mel Brooks. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! They never got around to Norma Rae either but they are going to put the chick from Big Bang Theory in? (Yes, I had to look up Cuoco).

This is why I don't follow celebrity stuff. I just get a headache.

You know, I wonder if this was Mel Brooks way of giving Hollywood "the finger".

September Garden Update

Sep 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I have been sneaking out early in the morning to get a little work done in the garden because it is still hot here by 10 a.m. And with Hurricane Norbert heading north it is going to be pretty humid for the next few days. Fingers crossed that it will bring us some desperately needed rain.

The edible garden is almost gone and the container portion will be getting a revamp soon. Check back in a few days for the new containers that are so exciting!

I stopped wasting precious water on these plants about a month ago.
Very little production from them 🙁

Basil on the front porch, going strong.

Garlic chives are going to seed - so pretty!

The grapes went crazy! And I have a fun project planned for the vines ones the leaves die back in a month or so.

Pomegranate didn't produce any fruit again this year. Need to do some research.

Last of the tomatoes. These will be turned into Tomato Preserves on Monday

As disappointing as the edible garden is, hope springs eternal for the gardener. And this time of year is more "spring like" for most California native plants. Summer is a period of dormancy and as the temperatures cool the plants start a new stage of growth.