WDYD? Wednesday - Flashback Cereal

I don't recall eating a lot of sugary cereals when I was a kid.  I think we had Apple Jacks once in awhile, maybe Honeycomb on rare occasion, and possibly Tony the Tiger showed up with his Frosted Flakes a time or two.  Sure, I've consumed my share of the sugared junk on my own while I posing as an adult.  But now it's been many years since I've purchased anything like that, and it's rare I even purchase a cereal marketed by a big, national brand.  However, this does not mean that I don't love sugar.  Au contraire, mon frere!!  It is quite the opposite. I Love Sugar!!  LOVE.  SUGAR.  Too much.  So much so that when I was forced to do an elimination diet last summer to discover if I had food allergies, I realized how addicted to it I actually was.  Detox is not fun.

Fast forward to having put the kibosh on massive over indulgence of the sweet stuff.  Now I try to stick with just dark chocolate, and eliminate, avoid, limit my intake of straight up, nutritionally empty sugar products.  But.....But.....once in awhile I cave.  Come on ~ cotton candy?!  Cotton Candy, people!  Sugar and food dye on a stick.  My GOSH I love that stuff.  However, the more I learn about the harm too much sugar can do, the more hesitant I am to consume it (never mind the red #40 and blue #1 ~ how awful).  I do allow myself cotton candy once a year.

I think my favorite sugared cereals were ones that also incorporated chocolate.  How I'd dig and dig through a box of Count Chocula to devour those marshmallow bats (let us again acknowledge red #40, yellows #5&6, blue #1).  My dear roommate warned me during my entire search mission of the disappointment I'd experience when they were all gone.  Didn't listen ~ slow learner I guess, but I was driven.  Drat!  Must have bat!  The cereal alone was certainly no great shakes.

**Note that the box itself even beckons a taste of their "Spooky-Fun Marshmallows."  How was I to resist? 

Remember the chocolate milk you'd end up with at the bottom of your cereal bowl thanks to the chocolaty, sugary goodness flowing over the abnormally chiseled nuggets of hardened corn?  So good and gross all at once, it gives me a stomach ache just thinking about it.

I also loved Coca Krispies, but feeling the same way about all products vastly processed and of no redeeming value, these things just aren't part of my life anymore.  This is where I'd like to introduce you to EnviroKidz Organic cereal.  I broke down and purchased a box of the Koala Crisp, and it curbs the chocolate cereal fix, that's for sure!  It's a nice option for gluten free diets, and I like the fact that it has no preservatives or additives.  I've formed a new relationship with brown rice flour in my baking, and this is also the first ingredient in the cereal.

 

So as it stands, this week my WDYD? Wednesday consisted of treating myself to a taste of childhood.  I have selfishly hidden this cereal from the girls and plan to keep it all for myself.  It is with my bowl of chocolaty rice puffs and a mound of freshly sliced strawberries on top, I shall yearn no longer for both a sugar fix and a healthy dose of childhood memories.

Stuffed Garland

Last night I got wind of this challenge.  It really was late, and I was Practically Spent, so I put it out of my mind.  But my subconscious sometimes knows me better than I do, and at 4pm today, an idea popped into my head.  Before I knew what hit me, I was in action.  I guess I just can't turn down a good challenge, especially where prizes are involved.  Here, then, is my Living With Lindsay $5 Challenge entry.

I made this garland for my daughter's bedroom window, but I have so many ideas about the fabric that could be used and where it could be hung, that it's an endless world of garland wonder.

It's a nice, little spring pick me up, and it cost me under $5, no problem.  Here are the supplies I used:

I had gotten the fabric as a remnant at Jo-Ann's a while back.  It was just a little strip, costing $.87.  I had the pins and scissors.  Although I used a rotary cutter to cut the strips, surely a scissors would have been just fine since it's not a super exact project.

I also used a pack of ribbon from Target's dollar spot, but I had gotten it at 50% off.....probably after last Easter.  You can use any type of yarn, twine, string, ribbon to tie the garland balls to.  I used two colors of yarn.  The white I got from the Hospice Thrift Store for $.99, and the lavender was given to me in a bag full of unwanted craft leftovers from a friend.  You will also need some stuffing.  I had a bag of opened but barely used batting that I had gotten at a massive annual garage sale in my community last June ($.25).  But anything from tissue paper to cotton balls to Sunday newspaper ads will work.

You will be making fabric tubes, and you can choose any size you like, but I cut mine 4"x7".  I cut 6 of these 4"x7" strips in order to make a total of 12 tubes.

Next, put the right sides together.  Pin the long 7" sides, and sew these 7" sides only using a few back stitches at each end.

Trim the extra thread.  Now you have a tube that you will turn inside out so the right side is back on the outside where you can see it.

Lay your yarn out on a flat surface and pull your sewn tube at desired intervals of where you'd like them to hang, making sure to keep enough yarn at the ends for hanging.

In this picture you can see how one has already been fed on the yarn and stuffed, and the other is still just the tube of fabric.

Position your tube with the yarn now running through it with the seams on the top and bottom.

Next it's time to fill the tube.  What I did was put a bunch both above and below the yarn to help balance how it hung.  Again, keep your seams positioned on the top and bottom.  Get your fingers in there and bunch it around how ever you need to.

When you're done filling the tube, all you need to do is tie the ends with the ribbon of your choice.

I can envision this project in a laundry room done with fabric from a man's shirt, or in a kitchen with an old, red gingham table cloth.  It would be cute in a baby's room created from a fuzzy towel, or on a mantle made with any sort of fabric that fits your decor.

Having accepted this challenge, I can safely say that I came it on budget at a whopping $2.61.  The massive hug I got from A. and the gasp she gave as she looked up at the garland from her bed and said, "Ooooooo ~ I looooove it, Mom!  Thank you."......priceless.

WDYD? Wednesday - Needle & Thread

This week I wanted to:

Scour the kitchen's nooks and crannies.

Plan Easter dinner.

Start working on a centerpiece.

Take down a few decorations.

Put up different ones.

Switch the girls closets from winter wear to "not-quite-so winter wearish".

But instead, I pulled out needle and thread. I heard them whimpering, and I listened. "There, there," I reassured. "I will no longer ignore the fallen off buttons on these three articles of clothing that have been waiting for my attention since 2009. I will use you to repair their broken fasteners."  And so they were happy.

"More! More!" They cried. "As you wish," I replied. And off we went, to finish A's skirt that you've been waiting so patiently to see. It had honestly only needed the flowers for completion.

Take time to smell the flowers.   .....or at least just look.

It's not just a skirt, it's a dress on a new "ME turn" model.

 Upon closer inspection, not only were the needle and thread delighted, so was this customer.

I'm really excited that WDYD? Wednesday has inspired others to take part in their own goals, enjoyments, and tasks. I about fell off my chair when I saw this post!!  (I'm listed at #8, by the way.)

Meanwhile, I have some projects to share with you.  Thanks Judy and Pat.  And, yes, we know you're truly hard at work during your 8-5.  ;)

Cute Pet Pictures

Here are a few of the entries A. has drawn in the little (Cute Pets) booklet I made for her.  I'm quite impressed with that dog.  My goodness, she's only 6.  Heck, I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler.

Pipe Cleaner Stamp

Here's a little craft you can do with the kiddos.  All you'll need is pipe cleaners, hot glue, a piece of cardboard and maybe a cork.

Simply form the word(s) you want and use hot glue to attach the pipe cleaner to your surface.  My daughter wanted a little book she could draw pictures in, and requested the phrase Cute Pets, so I just glued that on to the cover.  I tried Tacky Glue first and it didn't work nearly as well as the hot glue.

 If you're going to make a stamp, again, just form the word(s) like so.

But this time, you'll glue your word(s) on a piece of cardboard so that it's backward.  I used a thin, plastic-coated piece of cardboard that was literally the top flap of a take-out container.  It had only held a small piece of pizza and was clean, so I just recycled it.  Yea for the earth.
I folded a bit of the cardboard up on 3 sides of the stamp for little tabs so I could easily pull the stamp away from the paper when I was done.

Or you could attach a cork (or half of one) to a heavier piece of cardboard with some hot glue.  That's a little easier for the kids to work with.

I used a stamp pad, but I'm sure a dip in a thin layer of acrylic paint would work just fine.

 Oh for the many uses of those fuzzy-covered wires!

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I'm linked to these parties:

Day Light Cravings

It took me a loooooong many years to figure out daylight saving time.  Truth be told, I'm only still just wavering on the edge of comprehension.  Daylight Saving.  Saving of the daylight.  Ok.  I mean, I'm all for that.  Let's save it.  In fact, let's save a whole bunch of it.  Let's bottle it up and unleash it's amazing therapeutic benefits in the dead of winter.  Then December, January and February wouldn't seem like the depths of insufferable darkness.  I'm on board with this.

But my confusion comes with the changing of the clocks forward and backward, with more light in the evening and less in the morning and less light at night and more in the morning.  It used to be 6:00 when we got up, now it's 5:00.  It used to be 8:00 when the kids went to bed, but now it's 9:00.  My gosh ~ someone just tell me what time it is already!

And then, there are those little pockets of the U.S. that don't change their clocks.....at all.  I'm so thankful I don't live there.  Talk about anarchy.  And pressure!  Although I could go about my life in comfort that I was living in real time, I'd have the additional pressure of figuring out everyone else's time that isn't real.  Ugh.  Count me out.

I like technological gadgets that change the time for me.  Computers, cell phones, caller id land line phones.  Beauty.  I must.....I mean MUST have all the clocks exactly the same.  So it irks me that I can't be 7 different places in the house at one time to get them all spot on the second it strikes a new minute.  But that's my issue....

Daylight savings.  Really?  Have we really, really actually saved the daylight?  I'm going to go with no.  We just moved the time, people!  Changing the clocks, moving the time.....all that's gotten me is craving sleep!  Did you know that losing that hour of sleep in the spring actually increases the risk for heart attack?  And it also increases the major grumpiness in 2-year olds apparently.

See this face?

That smile has been turned waaaay upside down ever since we messed with the time. She's off her game. Crying, crying more, waking at night (nothing new there, I suppose). But my point is the time change has thrown her for a bit of a loop. It threw off any nap time she was still clinging to, which makes for even MORE crab-crab-crabbiness.  So that makes her craving sleep as well.

But hey, let's get out and enjoy our new-found sunshine. Or do we have to wait an hour before it's out? Who knows.

WDYD? Wednesday - Preserving Gourds

Ok, ok, so I'm only 2 seasons behind on this, but this week I preserved a couple of gourds that were left over from my fall decorations. You can do this by washing them in a bleach solution and then letting them air dry. Of course, if your seasonal nugget already has a soft spot or two, there's no bringing it back to life. So do this only if it's already in good shape. (This might have been helpful long about November 28th, eh?)



I also wrapped a couple of knives I no longer want (not a fan of Chicago Cutlery) in bubble wrap and added them to our garage sale stash. Five too babyish toys joined that pile, as well.

What about you?




Grab my button (on the side) if you'd like. (That sounded kind of personal, didn't it? Well, what the heck....go ahead and grab it!)

We Three Pigs

......go wee, wee, wee (all the way home). I just had to share this one from A. Funniest little piggies I've ever seen. I smile every time I look at them. They may make an appearance again somehow, so stay tuned.

Did You Know?

So here we have our trusty kitchen wraps. (.....and a stuffed cat. There were some demands from a 2-1/2 year old that he be in the picture.) I know we all use these on a regular basis, but did you know about the magic on the side of the box?

Let's look closer.

Closer.

Really close.

See those words "PRESS HERE TO LOCK END"? Did you know you can push those in and, just like magic, they hold the roll in place?? I had no idea!

So, no more rolls flying out when you're in a rush and pull too hardily. No more having to chase them around the kitchen floor and roll your wrap back on the tube. Magic, I tell you.

Introducing: What Did You Do? Wednesdays

Welcome to the official kick-off of What Did You Do? Wednesdays. If you missed it, the inspiration for this began with my desire to take up sewing, which made me realize I was far too often stuck in a holding pattern of wishful perfectionism. I am aware every single day that nothing is perfect and I just hate that!! But I have realized how much that inhibits me from happiness and a sense of peace. My list of goals and desires is outstandingly lengthy, but I found I was sometimes unable to make strides due to my fear that things wouldn't turn out just right.

And so, in the end, I invite you to join me while I take baby steps towards my goals, desires, wants and needs.. Below is an excerpt from my original post to give you an example of how you might want to begin. I can't wait to hear about your own WDYD? Wednesdays!

**You don't need to be a perfectionist or a procrastinator, but I imagine we all have things that we have wanted to finish or start or stop or do. It doesn't have to be a big thing, and as a matter of fact, that's the whole point.....it shouldn't be.

I'm going to choose small things, because I know all those small things add up to big things that suddenly become overwhelming for me. Maybe you'll sweep out your garage, or send that card to a friend you've been meaning to get in the mail. Maybe you'll organize just one stack of papers or sort through one file. If you are a workaholic like I tend to be, maybe you'll choose to NOT do something. What about skipping some work that just isn't crucial to play a board game with your family? Or forgo a fast food meal with something simple the whole family helped prepare at home. Maybe it's just a tiny step towards a larger goal. Could you give up the soda habit you'd like to nix all together for just one day a week?

Whatever it is, I'll look forward to hearing about your choices each Wednesday. It doesn't have do be something that you do that actual day of the week, just fitting in one tiny thing during a 7-day period will be a step towards a satisfaction. I'm beginning to feel triumphant already.**


This week I removed all the fall, winter, Christmas and just-too-babyish books from my girls' collection and filed them away in storage (or the garage sale collection) until they're more relevant again. I brought up the spring and Easter books from the basement as well. Hurray for new reading material.

Corny Pancakes

I'm all for breakfast at night. So belly up Paul Bunyan, the dinner bell just rang!


CORNY PANCAKES

1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour (pastry flour is best, but I just used regular this time)
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
Big pinch of salt
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1-2 Tbs sugar (optional)
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup orange juice (increase if needed)
2 tsp Bragg apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil

Whisk the dry ingredients for about a minute (it helps to fluff the pancakes). In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients and then add dry & wet together. Stir until blended together. Spoon batter onto heated griddle.

This recipe is easily cut in half.