What’s not to love about avocados? They might be the most delicious super-food in the world.
Healthy snacks that my kids like are sometimes hard to come up with. One thing that has proved to be a favorite is avocados. Avocados, like many fruits and vegetables, amaze me. That you can walk up to a tree, pick a fruit, cut it open and enjoy it fascinates me. Avocados are creamy, light, and delicious.
Cut Avocado
The possibilities are almost endless. Some ways we like to use them:
Guacamole – mashed with garlic salt, chili powder, splash of lemon and salt
Sliced on sandwiches and burgers
Diced and served with eggs, sliced tomatoes and toast
Served with chips or crackers
Eaten with a spoon
Unfortunately they are expensive but sometimes we can find them for $1.00. I picked some up and we enjoyed them the good old fashioned way.
Diced in the skin, you can get the seed out with a solid tap into with your knifediced avocado boatEnjoying a boat
I have always loved tie-dyed shirts, loved them. Bright bursts of color splashed on a sparkling white tee. Pretty! I have wanted to make one for ever but just felt like it would be hard. Until recently.
I came across a spray bottled tie dye kit, it looked easy enough so I had to try it.
Tumble Dye
We bought 3 white tee’s for only $3 a piece! The kit was 7.99.
We twisted and rubber-banded the shirts then sprayed the tie dye all over, set to dry…
drying
we let dry 24 hours…
pretty!
When we took the bands off there was still alot of white so we re-banded it and sprayed some more tie dye on, dried some more… then to the dryer for 15 minutes…
the boys
When they got outside in their new tie dye shirts it was all fun n games! The boys would NOT cooperate for pictures, but I can’t really blame them – 60 degrees in January! Hope you can see the shirts…
Oliver
Some more…
Preston
Overall cost – $20, not bad for 3 Super-Cool shirts!
Yesterday we read from Psalm 100 at my women’s study, wow! I was asked to read the first few verses and I was completely choked up and filled with joy and praise.
Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(ESV)
While talking to my mentor she said that when she comes across scripture that strikes her, she writes it up on a sticky note. She then puts the sticky on her kitchen counter and can come across it and come back to it throughout her day.
I came home and made a flyer to hang up. I want to share it with the kids so I put some clipart at the bottom to help them learn it. Please use and enjoy!
**Updated… New, Better!**Click Image Below for Full Size Printable
What other word can bring a smile across your face faster than the word Vacation? Awwee just saying it conjures up such warm, happy feelings.
As a child we always took a family trip in the Summer. Most of the time it was driving to Las Vegas and then on to Los Angeles and San Diego. I loved that road trip and came to love those cities. Even traveled back to them several times as an adult.
Other times we took trips around Colorado and New Mexico. Traveling around Colorado was always a treat since we mostly stayed in the great Rocky Mountains. Estes Park was always on our list of Summer destinations. The Stanley Hotel, from the movie The Shining, was so grand looking to me as a child. In Estes (as the locals call it) we would also frequent the bumper boats, go carts and the huge slides. Talking about all this takes me right back there.
Traveling south to New Mexico to visit Taos and Sante Fe both those towns left a great impression on my young mind. Such neat places with shops and galleries, so much to admire and look at. We would go further south down into Mexico and go shopping too. What rich memories fill my mind; traveling through the markets with my parents, who were hunting down treasures to sell at their store. The sites, sounds and people from another culture were like candy to me, so much excitement, activity, I loved it.
Mexican Market
As an adult I traveled extensively to Mexico. I have always had a heart for that country. I have felt that way most of life. Reflecting on that I think it may have started when I traveled there with family.
The travel bug bit me but I also had a full time job. I was jealous of friends I knew who were spending their 20’s backpacking and rafting through Central America. I had to stay satisfied with short trips and 1 extensive stay in Guadalajara. I will forever dream of “backpacking” around.
Fast forward: 2011, 3 kids, no vacation in more years than I can remember. Which is ok we do take day trips around Colorado, which I still love to do. However, like most other families we dream of the “Cruise” vacation, or a Disney Vacation, Legoland, NYC, you get the picture.
But when I sat down and really thought about where I would want to go to spend quality time with my family…. the answer came so quickly… which surprised me.
I have never been to this place but have heard from people who have. They say it is like being in a fairy tale book, trees taller and bigger than you can dream up, trees you can drive through, the lushest greenest vegetation you have ever laid eyes on….
Do you know where? Redwood National Forest, Oregon, Washington State, a driving tour up the NW Coast. Starting in Northern California then ending up in Victoria, BC would be so cool.
Oregon
That is my goal, to take my husband and 3 boys and runaway for a couple of weeks. A nice drive up the coast, staying in cabins along the way. I think it would be amazing and breathtaking. What a perfect way to introduce my kids to traveling.
Here is to starting that Vacation Savings Account we have always talked about!
What U.S. Destination do you want to see with your family this Summer?
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”
Strolling through Whole Foods is a treat because the produce and cheese departments are beautiful!
Recently while walking around admiring it all, I came across a bag of Meyer Lemons. I was excited to see them because I had recently heard about them on Top Chef. I have always been interested in the difference between Meyer lemons and other lemons. Come to find out they are not as acidic and they are sweet and tart, yum.
I found this blog that talks about them and suggestions on how to use them. I will be trying the pasta dish, it sounds so good!
For now, I enjoyed taking pictures of the pretty lemons. Hope you like!
I guess one thing about blessings in disguise, you don’t always see them right away.
Last summer and fall my husband was unemployed, looking for work. I had the opportunity to increase my hours at work and my husband became the primary caregiver during the day.
At the time I never truly stopped to think about what an awesome situation God presented us with, a time for a Dad to bond with his boys. I was steeped in work and admittedly, worried.
I am thinking about it now and thanking God for that time. I found pictures on the computer of their adventures together. What a time they had! Denver Art Museum
Museums, parks, mountains, rivers, library, downtown, you name it, they did it! I want to share some pictures and remind you that when you are going thru tough times God is always providing a ray of sunshine. Blessings in disguise. :O) Sam checking out the water Preston water balloons summer fun in the water kiddie train tracks A Visit to the Farmers Market at the pond Downtown Denver Fun at the Mall on the trail
Also so very thankful for a camera and a husband who wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a thing.
There is one activity that takes me back to my youth like no other. I shouldn’t just use the word activity either. It was more of a lifestyle for our family and strangely it was the same for my husband as well.
Of course I am talking about bowling. Not just bowling but growing up in bowling alleys. Every week, maybe 2x a week we would find ourselves in the bowling alley. For my Dad and brother that number could be doubled.
So many memories of area bowling alleys. They begin when I was little. Bowling alleys used to have nurseries, I used to be checked in. Then I graduated to video games, the snack bar and the locker area. I meet other kids and we would keep ourselves busy. It was always a blast. Also, nothing beats bowling alley french fries.
Now you know what I mean when I say lifestyle. We would even stay after hours so my Dad could play cards with his pals in the lounge. That was always peanuts and jukebox time, plus a sit-down pac-man machine.
So many fond memories. Interestingly enough, I never turned out to be a bowler. My husband did but hasn’t bowled lately.
Well it turns out that the bowler blood still runs in the family … My sister in law took Preston last year and he loved it so much. We decided to take him and he was over the moon about it.
He loves it, loves it. Which is great because up until now he has not wanted to join any form of extra curricular activities. He even stopped going to karate after a couple of months.
He wants to join a league. I am happy for him. He is good to boot, he averages 105. YEAH! Oliver was far more interested in the food
This is one of the first songs I started listening to when God first called me into new life… brings back a flood of emotions. Even now I am touched and reminded of the gift I have been given. Beautiful words that are so true.
Thanks to all who participated, using Random.org, Comment #2 /Robin has won!
I have never held a giveaway and have wanted to because it is so much fun to give stuff away. I follow several blogs that host giveaways, what a great idea.
We love Veggie Tales so for my first giveaway I will give away a Veggie Tales CD and a movie poster. It is from the Sweetpea Beauty movie – Songs for Girls and I will also include a movie poster from the movie.
How to Enter:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite veggie tales movie
You can receive 1 entry per item above. Leave a comment below for each item you complete.
The giveaway is open to US residents only. This giveaway will end on Monday, January 17th. The winners will be chosen by random.org and notified by email shorty after the end of the giveaway. The winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is chosen.
:O)
**thanks to couponingfor4 for ideas on holding a giveaway!**
Excellent day of math for my 1st grader, fun with money and a ruler! Learning was made a little funner when he had real coins and money to sort and count with.
He was more excited to finish his math worksheets after getting to use the real money for learning. I can see how it would really help the children who are more hands on or visual learners.
What are some ways you’ve been able to get children a little extra motivated for learning?
