Denim Totes

Denim Totes

Design by: me

 I designed and sewed a simple tote idea for my mom and sister for Easter. 

I filled the totes with goodies.

My thought was a fun tote bag to take to the Library.

My mom was excited about her tote. She called me later to say she already put it to use. She is a Dairy Farmer and needed a bag to carry her books and snacks in as she travels to the barns.

 I received a nice Thank You note from my sister. She was so excited for her tote. And she was able to take it to show and tell at the school she works at. To celebrate Earth Day, students and teachers were encouraged to bring in a recycled item. 

I used an old pair of my jeans to make the totes. 

I used a pocket from  an old pair of the boys jeans.

I was so happy with how they turned out.

Of course, countless numbers of things can be bought in stores, but, somehow, store bought presents do not always convey the warmth we hope will accompany the gifts. When people take the time and care to make the presents they give, they put into the gifts not only the materials needed, but also a part of themselves.

The thoughts and feelings behind the giving, not the grandness of the gift, are the important ingredients.

Tasha Tudor

 

 

 

Paper Art

A fun and easy craft. Perfect for a cloudy day.

All you need:

Construction paper

Glue

Creativity

 

Rip your paper as you need to create your idea.

Glue your paper down on your construction paper.

 

A springtime masterpiece.

Happy Monday!

 

Shades of Blue

This year we decided to decorate our eggs a little different. 

Ombre Easter Eggs

In a shade of blue.

 

 I found this idea in Country Living Magazine

Country Living Magazine ~ Easter Eggs 

The boys favorite part was counting out the drops of dye.

"60 drops! Mom are you sure?"

Ombré Easter Eggs

You can create this dramatic display with just two 0.25-ounce vials of blue dye you may already have in the kitchen. Set out six 12-ounce glasses, labeled A through F. Add one cup of boiling water and two teaspoons of white vinegar to each and stir, using a separate spoon for each glass. Then, mix in the color as follows: A, two drops; B, six drops; C, 10 drops; D, 20 drops; E, 45 drops; F, 60 drops. Submerge a hard-boiled egg in each glass. Steep for five minutes, or until you're happy with the hue, then remove and place in an empty egg carton to dry. Repeat with additional eggs (up to three dozen).

Our finished product.

Perfect Robin eggs. 

Did your family dye eggs? 

Do you have a favorite way to decorate eggs?

 

 

Homemade Daffodils

 For Easter this year, we made homemade daffodils for gifts.

I am hoping our real daffodils will open in a few weeks.

I found this idea from Teri at White Sheep Farm

White Sheep Farm

She does a great job explaining the how to do for this fun spring craft.

 I did not use a microwave to dry my flowers, I hand held each one and dried with a hair dryer. I could easily shape my daffodil this way.

 My boys helped me dye each flower.

I used hot glue to attach the flower to the stick.

My boys were very excited to bless grandma and their aunt with homemade daffodils.

Thank you to Teri, for a great spring time craft.

Happy Monday

Happy Monday

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter.

Some fun facts about Easter:

After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy - consuming holiday. 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year, enough to fill four dump trucks.

90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 million peeps are produced each year in the United States.

76 percent of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.

How about you? Do you eat the ears first?

Americans consume more that 16 million jelly beans on Easter, enough to circle the globe three times.

I am guilty here. We love jelly beans.

Hope you had a lovely Easter.

Wishing you a great week.

    

Open the Wonder of the Easter Story

We have enjoyed doing the Resurrection Egg Hunt with our boys for several years now. Each year it is exciting because we forget what is in each egg. Donkey, Coins, Cup, Crown...Empty! It is a great way to celebrate Easter.

Open the Wonder of the Easter Story

Resurrection Cookies

Resurrection Cookies

Read the entire recipe before beginning. Try to do together Saturday night before Easter Sunday morning.

Ingredients
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let the children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let children smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste a bit of it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high for 11 - 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3 1:3

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a waxed-paper covered sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
Read Mark 15:46

Put cookie sheet in the oven. Close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66

Go to bed! Explain to your children that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20-22

On Resurrection morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Resurrection day, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
Read Matthew 28:1-9

He Has Risen!

Banana Strawberry Tortilla

Banana Strawberry Tortilla

 Would you like to try something new for breakfast?

How about a Banana Strawberry Tortilla.

Easy and yummy. You can not go wrong.

Heat your oven to 250 degrees

Butter your tortilla and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and sugar on.

Bake just a bit or little longer, depending on if you want it warm or crispy.

  

Spread strawberry jam on to the tortilla and add some bananas.

Roll up and sprinkle some more cinnamon and sugar on.

Enjoy!

 

Thoughts on Saturday

"You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God."

Anonymous

 

On the Road Friday ~ Boston, Massachusetts

Today, we are on the road to Boston, Massachusetts.

We visited Boston in 2008. We had a wonderful tour.

I would love to go back. So much to do and see.

 Grap a cup of tea and off we go to Boston.

The Freedom Trail

 The Old North Church

 Paul Revere House

 Boston Beauty

 Paul Revere

 Charles River

Boston at Night

 Pure Boston

Thank you for coming along with me today.

Have a wonderful weekend.

I come in the little things,

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord:

Yea, on the glancing wing

Of eager birds, the softly pattering feet

Of furred and gentle beasts.

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord:

Not borne on the morning's wings

Of majesty, but I have set My feet 

Amidst the delicate and bladed wheat.

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord. Amen.

Evelyn Underhill

 

Fun Photo Cards to Wish a Happy Easter

Fun Photo Cards to Wish a Happy Easter

 

 Happy Easter

you silly Wabbit!

  

Spring has sprung!

Hope yours is a happy one.

 For a Blessed Easter...

May He who gave us Easter - time

 bless those you love, and you.

Happy Easter

 Happy Spring

May the little delights of springtime 

put a big bounce in your step!

Easter Greetings

And best wishes for a bright and delightful spring.

 

On the Road Friday ~ Maine, United States of America

We are on the road today to Maine.

 We did not actually go to Maine. Our friend Marv did. Our friend Marv is 85 years old. He takes two road trips each year. Texas my post about Marv's trip to Texas and frozen grapefruit  and Maine. Marv departs Wisconsin heading east for Maine in late September and comes back to Wisconsin in late October. 

He loves to tease us about ALL the yummy lobster he eats. The beautiful colors of the trees and spotting moose.

He always brings us back a treat. Grapes and grape juice from the vineyards in New York.

And a little treat for the boys, taffy.

I always tell Marv I am going to hide in the back of his truck and go along.

Maine is one of the many states I would like to visit.

How about you, have you been to Maine?

If you could pick any state to visit, which would you pick and why?

Fun Facts about Maine

Maine is the Pine Tree State.

Capital - Augusta

Motto - "Dirigo"

Flower - White pine cone and tassel

Animal - Moose

Cat - Maine Coon Cat

Insect - Honeybee

Bird - Chickadee

Fish - Landlocked Salmon

Tree - Eastern White Pine

Mineral - Tourmaline

Population - 1,200,000 estimated

The magnificent Maine coastline is thirty five hundred miles long. Two thousand islands and sixty three lighthouses reside on the Maine coast.

Maine's coast is internationally renowned for it's shellfish harvest, in which over 30 million pounds of lobster are harvested annually. Live lobster are a dark brownish green color and turn red when cooked. The cooking heat masks the other pigments in the shell, leaving only the red background color.

 

Worms in my Oatmeal

April Fools Day brought worms in my boys oatmeal.

They loved the trick and thought the worms tasted delicious.

Atticus asked me where I got the worms.

I told him I found one area in the yard not piled up with snow and dug down deep to find just the right worms to add to his oatmeal.

Oatmeal Bake

Oatmeal Bake

In a large bowl stir together oil, sugar, eggs, oatmeal, baking powder and salt.

Add milk to mixture and mix well.

Pour mixture into greased 9 by 9 inch glass pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 cups dry oatmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

cinnamon

fruit

We add fruit to our oatmeal bake. One of our favorite fruit topping are sliced peaches.

 

Or Worms!

Happy April Fools Day to You!

Did you play a trick or did you get a trick played on you?