Like No Other City

Chicago is my favorite city. It is a city like no other. My friend just wrote a blog post that captures so much of the magnificence that I want to capture it here, too. Many times I get asked what to do on a visit to Chicago. This will provide a reference, though it is never hard to create a list. All that matters is how much time you get there and which season it is. Here is the link to Kat Carlson's post, "Oh Chicago."

http://withywindle.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/oh-chicago/#comment-3229

Stretches for Walking

I need to start walking regularly. I found this video with stretches for walkers that I think is helpful. I hope to memorize these stretches and make them part of my routine.

http://video.about.com/walking/5-Stretches-for-Walkers.htm

Side Note: Cool that the guy demonstrating the stretches is wearing a Purdue University t-shirt. Go Boilers!

September Decor & Pennants

So many of us enjoy decorating for holidays and seasons. Seems like September through Valentine's Day or even St. Patrick's Day brings a flurry of decorating opportunities. Then Easter, 4th of July, and a little rest before starting the fun of unpacking decorations begins again. The challenge? Putting things away and storage. Ah, but it is worth it.

Here are some September ideas....Unpainted wood initials, small chalk board, pencils with ribbon, an apple, and scattered crayons on a torn brown paper lunch bag:

Pennant banners, or bunting, cut from 12" scrapbook paper in the color scheme of the holiday or season, in this case back-to-school primary colors. Also included below is the apple flag in front of the home.

Repeat the elements and colors in little clusters around the home. More apples, crayons, pencils with ribbon, and classic pink erasers, candles, notebook paper, and a composition book were added for distinctive elements.

Many of us love the fall season. Many of us are teachers, so creative bulletin board decor themes can be brought home to add a spark of the season to the surroundings, making the end of summer vacation a bit more tolerable.

And the big relief is that all these items store nicely in a small box at the end of September. Of course, the apple cider sign stays in the window a bit longer, but the school supplies are put away.

Making paper pennants: Use 12" scrapbook paper. I bought several sheets of complimentary colors and patterns. Then I made a template out of cardboard from a manila folder. I cut six pennants out of each piece. Below are photos of the template and layout to help you get an idea of how it goes. There are various ways of doing this available on the Internet, which is where I found these photos, though I don't recall the link to give due credit.

2014 Winter Olympics Countdown

Can I be in better shape by the Opening Ceremony? Can I use the 2014 Winter Olympics start dates as a motivational deadline to work towards my fitness goal? Sure! Here goes! As soon as the temp drops below 85. Ha.

Wedding Creative Collection

I think I'll gather photos from creative things related to weddings here. Then I can pin them. Can't pin straight from Facebook or other sources. Pinterest deserves a collection of these.

More to come...

Time for S'More Weekend Fun

[Photo courtesy of cookingwithfriendsclub.com]

This weekend we enjoyed a S'Mores Bar with friends. The coals in the grill calmed down to a marshmallow toasting temperature. The toppings spread included some fabulous options to build-your-own s'more. A simple serve-yourself evening of sweet treats and relaxed conversation ensued to wind down the week together. As we gathered around the fire on a chilly SoCal spring evening, the scent of the fire and the sight of the embers glow drew memories and talk to thoughts of camping and childhood.  Then we headed inside to top the gooey golden globs of marshmallow with a variety of goodness.

Midwest Living magazine inspired the menu.

Here are the details of the S'Mores Bar...

Part I: The Basic Starter Stuff

Marshmallows

Toasting forks

Graham crackers  

(regular and cinnamon) 

Oatmeal cookies

Chocolate Squares

(milk & dark)

Part II: The Mix & Match Toppings

Sliced Bananas
Vanilla Icing

Caramel Sauce

Potato Chips

(Broken or crushed pretzels would also 

be fun -- gotta have salty with sweet!)

Peanuts

Peanut Butter

 

I think sliced apples, strawberries, and/or fresh raspberries might add an element of flavor burst to this taste combo adventure. Not to mention, you could vary the chocolate using a peanut butter cup and more. This is only limited by the imagination at work.

If you are really feeling ambitious add toppings for creating mini-banana split s'mores (ice cream sandwich style) or banana cream pie on a graham cracker with or without marshmallow:

• A bowl of whipped cream or the aerosol can
• Vanilla pudding or custard
• Use a melon ball size scoop with vanilla ice cream

 Other destination: This would be fun at the beach, too, and not too complicated to duplicate there, though I'd use plastic and/or paper serving containers/cups.

Never made a  s'more? Toast a marshmallow. Set it on a graham cracker (two pieces/square in shape). Add a square of chocolate candy (Hershey bar square is traditional). Be cautious to not use too large a piece of chocolate. Usually two squares work well, but you are in charge of your own happiness. Then top with another graham cracker. The heat from the marshmallow melts the chocolate. Take a bite. Take another. Your welcome.

[Photo Credit: Three bottom photos were taken by Cindi Peterson (except for the top one at the beginning of the post which was credited to another blog post)]

Cake of Joy! It's a Boy!

Don't you just love your clever friends? I do. For example...

One of my friends is pregnant. She recently moved out of state with her husband for his new job. They left both sets of parents in their former state of residence. Disappointing in many ways with the grandchild on the way.

In a clever effort to continue to share the joys in this time, here is what they did:

Last week, they went to have the ultrasound, hoping the baby's gender would be identified. The parents instructed the ultrasound tech to quietly write the gender on a piece of paper, but to not tell them. The parents then went and ordered a cake, and instructed the baker to use pink or blue filler frosting, depending on what the note said.

The parents-to-be picked up the cake, Skyped with the grandparents-to-be in another state, and all together found out the gender once the cake was cut.

 

A sweet reveal shared virtually! What a fun idea!!