Gratitude Pumpkins

This was a fun and simple project I did to thank the staff at my son's school for all they do.
I simply got a few small pumpkins and a black Sharpie and basically did a little graffiti on them!
Each one was customized to fit the person I made them for and I wrote a small verse of gratitude on the top or back of each pumpkin.

These inexpensive, festive, no calorie tokens were cute displayed on the desks of the staff workers.
The possibilities are endless. Grab a pumpkin and give it a try....

Summer Treat

For a super simple afternoon treat mix up a smoothie for you and the kids. For an extra boost of protein toss in a heaping spoonful or two of cottage cheese or some yogurt along with frozen strawberries and maybe a little milk or juice and blend. In only minutes you have a delicious, nutritious, easy and inexpensive snack! I find that using frozen fruits makes for a perfect smoothie every time.

When the strawberries, peaches or mangos are on sale I buy extra and cut them up and freeze them for just this purpose.

Another easy smoothie recipe we'll use is: One can of fruit with about 1/2 of the juice. We use peaches, mangos or pineapple usually plus about a cup of frozen fruit. Blend and serve! Yummy. These are great for after school snacks too. Also perfect for the picky eater that won't eat fruit.

You can experiment with your own favorites too. Perhaps banana, peanut butter and vanilla ice cream. Try it and send me your favorite combination. Enjoy!

Super Sunday

It was a beautiful sunny 75 on Sunday, 2/1/09 where we headed to the Ventura Pier.
Walking out on the pier we saw several families also enjoying the great weather as well as several fisherman enjoying the day. While most of the country was in a deep freeze we in So. Cal were enjoying another sunny, warm January day. Most people were home watching the foot ball but not us. We (my son, sister w/family and my dad w/his wife) all enjoyed the beach. Austin enjoyed skateboarding, Cale enjoyed throwing 'wox in the water' and I enjoyed just basking in the sun and thanking God for such a glorious day.

Actually the entire weekend and the past few days have all been beautiful. Today, Tuesday, it is 81 here in Thousand Oaks, CA! Nothing to complain about. There is a chance of rain on Thurs-Sat. We really need it too.

What's for Dinner Tonight?

Always the question of the day! I start thinking about what to make for dinner as early as 6:30 when I get up. Sometimes I'm easily inspired about what to make just by going to Trader Joes or reading the weekly ads. Sometimes I get tired of coming up with things to make. Sometimes I don't even feel like doing it. Funny thing is I know more moms who DON'T cook than do! What I always wonder is what do they eat for dinner? Eating out each night is expensive, boring and not always practical. Since our kitchen remodel finished a few years back we have enjoyed eating at home. It's comfortable, not as noisy as some places and you can wear your jammies if you want to!

So, what is for dinner tonight? Thanks to Trader Joes I think it will be RedSnapper (in the frozen food section at TJ's) and a jar of piccata sauce. Very simple and quick to make. Just saute the fish for a few minutes, add a jar of piccata sauce, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Serve with pasta and a salad maybe some bread and you have a delicious inexpensive dinner!

Lack of Planning on your part....

My old boss used to have a favorite phrase which has now become my favorite phrase...
"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part!"
....sometimes I want to have a huge sign over my head that says this.

Is there a mom or wife out there who has also felt this way?

My Blog is On...

Well, that was easy! Only took me about 6 minutes, maybe less to set up this blog! Been putting it off because I thought it would take too long. I had tried it last year (with a different blog company) and had technical difficulties. The other problem was coming up with a cute or catchy name that I thought was 'me'. Stuck with the one I came up with last year, due to lack of a better one. It came about because I realized every house is just a house and it takes TLC to make it a home.

A HOME is your safe haven, the place you would rather be than anywhere else. The place you can relax, curl up with a blanket and a book, share a meal with your family or friends and also hide out and regroup before going back out into the world.

I love homekeeping....no, not necessarily cleaning but that is part of the territory. I prefer the decorating, creating a warm and inviting haven...Or making little decorating vignettes around the house. But alas, mom duties call and I must head out to Joanne's to get some lettering for Son age 11 and his science fair project.