Eggs, wonderful eggs

Unpacking my groceries tonight, I realized that there are many things you can do with an egg carton rather than toss them out. But, first you have to take those wonderful little eggs out!


Have you ever gotten home with a carton only to find that all of the eggs won't come out? You can't use force to get them out, they'll only crack under the pressure. Should you throw the stubborn ones away? No, that's a waste of money. Next time that happens try soaking the carton in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes. The eggs should come straight out after the soaking. Just rinse them and put them at the top of the stack to use first. (The warm water may cause them to age prematurely, so be sure and follow this step!)


On to the carton!



Marvelous little things, these egg cartons! Think of the possibilities -

• An artists paint tray - if it's Styrofoam, you can even wash it and reuse it.
• A jewelry holder - perfect for earrings, charms, necklaces and bracelets. You can even cut a small slit in the edge and dangle the end of the necklace to avoid tangles.
• An office organizer - it would fit in most center drawers in a desk and you could split up your paper clips, push pins, rubber bands, etc...
• Chalk or cray-pas holder - another idea for the artist.
• Pet feedings - I know it would have to be a small pet, such as a bird or fish. This would be great for pet sitters or children helpers because each feeding could be rationed and overfeeding wouldn't be a problem.
• Seed starters - start your spring seedlings here. If you use the cardboard egg carton you wouldn't even need to transplant them. You could just cut the carton up, plant each cup and let the carton bio-degrade in the ground.
• Bead container - take a plastic shoe-box size container with a lid and place a 18 egg-carton shell in the base. Fill it with you beads and then keep layering. I think you could fit 3 carton in one box with the lid closed. Heck, that's 54 bead cups!
  

Ok, I'm running out of ideas, but you get the gist of it. Reduce, reuse and recycle!

Happy New Year!

Let me be one of the first to wish all of you a VERY happy and prosperous New Year!

I've decided to share with the world my "healthier life" adventure, so I'll be blogging about it periodically and am posting a counter to the right side of the blog showing my weekly weight-in. It will happen each Wednesday.

I'm praying that if I commit to the world perhaps I'll maintain momentum needed to complete my weight loss goal. Please feel free to comment on the progress if you'd like or even join in with me. Sometimes it's easier to keep a commitment if you're on a team!

Resolutions...

It's that time again folks! Are you as excited as I am? I was awake half the night due to a nasty little flu bug I've picked up when it occurred to me that it's almost New Year's Day. Time to start my resolutions list!

I'm happy to say that over the last 3 years I've be able to succeed at most of the resolutions. One continues to stump/haunt me. I intend to take care of that one this year, once and for all, so it's top of the list this time.

So here goes nothing:

1. Lose weight - I know, I know...this one is on everyones list (even some REALLY skinny people) but, it's been a small thorn in my every increasing side for several years now. Every time I start a "diet" I get discouraged and quit. Now, after reading about 50 books on the subject, I've decided that I'm going to eat healthier fare, get back to the exercising daily thing and take better care of myself in general. No strange diet commitment, no skipping meals or exercising for 10 hours a day, just common sense - which I have but sometimes choose not to use!


2. Finish both of the books I'm writing - I should've completed this last summer but time got away from me.


3. Find more ways to decrease my families environmental footprint - we already do some small things such as cutting back on lights usage, unplugging unused gadgets and changing to the new energy saver light bulbs. We need to continue decreasing and I'll share those trials and errors with you along the journey.


4. Finish my 1st quilt - another project I started this summer and didn't complete. I'm working on a lap-sized crazy quilt made from fabric of thrift store skirts. Here's a picture of the beginning...

Ok. I want to commit to more but I believe 4 is plenty to keep me busy this year. Plus, if I over-commit, it's easy to make excuses. Been there before, don't want to revisit.

As you're working on your own resolutions this year, I encourage you to search your heart for things you've always wanted to try or do and make this the year to do them. Learn to throw pottery, take a photography class, learn to bake bread, sky dive...the limits are only those of your imagination! You can do anything you put your mind to. Don't let fear stop you!

Adventures in parenting...

At my mothers' home on Christmas, we were flipping channels searching for something to entertain us. (She has cable and we don't so everyone loves to go to her house and veg-out on the couch to channel surf. Might I add, that's one reason we don't have cable or satellite at home!) I don't care for many of the reality TV shows - some are really graphic and some just make me wonder what happened to make those people act that way - but I found something that looked very interesting. It's called "My Super Sweet 16 - Exiled" on MTV.

For those of you who don't watch MTV and haven't heard of "My Super Sweet 16" here's a synopsis - parents that have more money than they know what to do with spend thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on Sweet Sixteen parties for their daughters. Some of these parties include renting out night clubs or exclusive restaurants and getting rock stars to play, etc... I think that the more "over the top" the party is the better, according to MTV.

So now those smart MTV executives have come up with a new reality show that follows up on the girls that have been included in the "My Super Sweet 16" show. "Exiled" takes those same girls and gets their parents to admit the kids have been spoiled rotten and, since the parents now have no clue how to get the kids to stop mooching off of them, send them overseas to a third world country to learn appreciation for what they have.

Here's the link if you care to watch it:

http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/exiled/episodes.jhtml

We caught part of the 1st episode with Amanda. (Mom came in and took the remote stating, "I don't like reality TV shows." Promptly turning it to the show with the 7 babies (or is it 8?). To which I say, "Mom, don't you know THIS is reality, too?" She replies, "Yes, but they're cute.") So, today I found out that I can view it for FREE on-line. Yes! If it's free it's for me!

The long and short of it:

Amanda is a spoiled brat who has now graduated high school, drives a brand new BMW, won't get out of bed for anyone or anything other than partying, won't get a job and smarts off in a very bad way to her dad at the drop of a hat. Her dad finally decides that he's had enough and rather than trying to rectify the situation he caused, finds someone else to take care of it. MTV swoops in to save the day by offering to send her to a nomadic tribe in central Africa.

Amanda learns that she'll be shipped off the following day to Kenya and from Kenya journey a day's ride to the tribe. She immediately pouts and then starts packing - high heels, hairdryer, makeup - you get the picture...

After arriving and starting on her journey she soon puts two and two together and realizes she probably won't have electricity where she's going. Amanda arrives at the camp and starts her "real life" adventure. They journey 20km to retrieve drinking water, herd cattle, slaughter their dinner, battle demon ticks in the bush and resurface their cow dung houses!

In the end, Amanda participates and comes to realize how well she has it in the States.

My thoughts -

Mind you that through it all she never curses and doesn't react in the nasty way she does to her father. Perhaps if he had demanded or expected respect from Amanda to begin with she wouldn't have had to journey around the world to discover that she was out-of-control.

I watched this not to make fun of her plight, as I'm sure some will, but to appreciate the way she was raised and how she decided to deal with it. I'm very proud that Amanda learned from the situation and matured in it. She had to have a good foundation to achieve that growth. It goes to show that sometimes as parents we can start out with the best of intentions and end up far off course.

Parenting has a constant need for checks and balances, like any relationship. We can't set a course and leave the rest of the trip up to cruise control. We have to get in the trenches and get down and dirty when the need is there. Sometimes we have to jump on and ride the roller coaster, even though we have high blood pressure or are pregnant. You never know what's going to happen next. That's part of the adventure of parenting!

More importantly, we shouldn't expect someone else to come in and save the day. It is not the grade school teachers responsibility to teach your child manners, it's yours. It is not the middle school teachers responsibility to teach your child about the differences between male and female, it's yours. Don't expect your child's first employer to explain the importance of punctuality and that a hang nail is not a reason to call-in to work. These are simple life lessons that are part of becoming a parent. If you're not up to these challenges - don't have kids.

Quotes that I believe apply to parenting:

"It's the toughest job you'll ever love." Peace Corp ad campaign

"What a long strange trip it's been." The Grateful Dead - Truckin'

Belated "Merry Christmas"...

Well, I vowed not to let it happen, but I did. I got caught up in the hurry, hurry, rush, rush, of the Christmas season. Not badly, but just enough to throw my schedule off. Obviously, one of the things that suffered was my posting.

I hope that each and every one of you had a very pleasant holiday and that you all made time to spend with your families. We have a small family gathering now and only have to venture to one location and celebrate, but I remember, as a child, always rushing on Christmas to make it to each family get-together on time and watching the clock the entire time there. Of course, as a child this didn't effect me as much as I could tell it bothered my mother. Looking back, I seriously doubt she enjoyed much of Christmas, if at all.

I have decided to start a blog about my newest crafting endeavor. I have had such fun and interesting happenings that I wanted to share them with anyone knitting for the first time. I wanted other "newbies" to know that it's okay if each project doesn't turn out as you had hoped. You'll find the joy in it if you allow yourself time to.

Here's the link -

http://knittingintherealworld.blogspot.com/

I also tinkered with my heading and blog set-up over the holidays. Hope you all like the new logo. It took 4 different books on HTML, XML, CSS and website design to give me the courage to tackle that one, but I like it. AND, after all that, it was much simpler than I thought it would be. I just needed the courage to try it.

More gift ideas...

Many of us are in the final days of Christmas shopping and some have hardly started. While you're considering those left on your list and the possible debt already incurred, I encourage you to consider creating some gifts with your own two hands. For many, there is nothing quite as delightful as receiving a handmade gift!


For the coffee or hot chocolate lover:

Consider a "new" mug filled with single coffee or hot chocolate packets. There are many flavors available at the market or you can throw some together you're own. (See "Another Gift Idea" for a quick cocoa mix.) The added benefit here would be that you could customize each serving for the individual gift recipient.

If your friend loves Mocha, Mint, Cappuccino, or any of the other popular flavors, this website has hundreds of recipes. Pick their favorite flavor and have an economical batch in no time.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/cat/310/

Or, you could whip up some flavored stir sticks. You'll need some clear or white heavy duty plastic spoons, which can be found at the many dollar stores in large quantity, candy and/or chocolate. May we suggest peppermint patties, peppermint candies, butterscotch, Hershey chocolate bar, Butterfinger, dark chocolate or caramel.

Simply melt the candy or chocolate over a double-boiler, to prevent scorching.

Once the item has melted sufficiently, insert a clean spoon into the mixture to coat the base of the spoon.

Place the spoon face up on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper until hardened.

After the candy coating has hardened, wrap them individually in plastic wrap.

Secure each wrapped spoon with a twist tie and include one in the coffee mug with coffee mix. Or, fill the coffee mug with multiple flavored spoons!

The mug you choose to gift can be a brand new mug, one they've always chosen to use at your home, or one purchased from a thrift store. Thrift stores have mugs that have hardly been used just waiting for a new home. Many of those stores, such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, reuse the money in your community to help others. What a fantastic bonus!



For the movie critic:

Pick up a movie for them from the bargain bin at WalMart or another discount store. I have recently found many top 80's and 90's releases for $2-$5 each, brand new. Make sure to tailor your choice to their taste (comedy, horror, romance, etc...) perhaps tying the choice to a childhood memory or memory of something you may have experienced together.

Pop the movie into a bag with some microwave popcorn and 2 sodas. You'll give the gift of a movie night to celebrate with the person of their choice. If you're crafty, you could even print up some fake movie tickets to include or use as the gift tag.





For the music fiend:

Make a contemplation CD of their favorite songs or songs that bring back memories for them. You could included songs that were popular in their childhood, teen years, or college. There are many sites on the web that you can make them at, utilize your own collection, or the gift recipients.

Most computers come preloaded with the appropriate software. Roxio, Microsoft, Nero and My Music Tools are very popular for this application. If you don't have these services on your current computer you can normally download them at their respective websites.

Many software programs also have the capability of printing out CD labels or imprinting directly to the CD. Follow that up with a custom insert that details the contents of the CD. Be sure and include a special message! Use the space to note why you chose the songs you did or why you believe the recipient will enjoy your choices.

Whatever your gift choices make them thoughtful and remember that the smile upon the recipients face will be payment for your time and effort. NEVER gift with thoughts of a return gift. It takes away your joy of the moment!

Shopping for gifts

'Tis the time of year when we all scramble for last minute party gifts. People have come to expect gift exchange at holiday events. It's sad to say that a lot of thought rarely goes into what is purchased.

If it's for a younger child you instinctively head to the toy aisle, an adult - a gift card, but what do you do for teens? You can get a CD, but who knows what any particular person is into? What about clothes? There again, you're stuck because you may guess the wrong size or may purchase something with a design that they don't particularly care for. Do you really want to give another gift card? (Yes, I know you do. Let's face it, it's easier, especially when you have 10 other things you could be doing.)

My thoughts on gift giving are these - if you care enough about a person to give a gift, put some thought into it, gift lists are tacky, and gift cards are generally cop outs (even if they requested it on their dreaded gift list!).

My reasoning behind this - a gift card shows lack of thought unless it's to a favorite restaurant. They always make me feel like I was an after thought or that the person didn't want to make the effort to select a more personal gift. Gift lists, to me, are just shy of demands and if I can't figure out what you might need or want, I probably shouldn't be buying you something to begin with. Also, gift lists take the surprise out of gift giving. Part of the fun is the element of surprise. If you know what should be in every box why even bother to wrap it?

With that said, here's a basic shopping guide:

• Consider persons likes and dislikes. If you don't feel you know them well enough ask someone who has known them longer (and rethink why you're buying the gift to begin with).



• Try to figure their size if your buying clothing. Trickery is easy and useful in this. You can compliment them and attempt to get it out of them - "Mary, have you lost weight? I think you look great! What size is that?" or pretend that their tag is hanging out and "tuck it in" while checking out the tag.



• Be observative. When you're together, watch for things that they look at but don't purchase. Or, if you know that they constantly misplace things or always borrow certain items, make a purchase that could be a remedy for them.



• If you absolutely have to go with a gift card make sure it's personal. Anyone can go to Walmart and get a gift card, but only you may know how much the person enjoys a certain restaurant or that they have been really stressed and may enjoy a massage.



• Enjoy the shopping experience. If you are hurried or agitated when picking up the gift, it may show in the gift selection. Relax. Make sure that when you go shopping that you have enough time to consider your gift choice before making the purchase.

• Most importantly, remember that you don't have to go broke for someone to enjoy your gift! Sometimes the smallest gifts are the most important and are enjoyed more often than something you place on a shelf.

Another gift idea..

If vinegar is not your thing, but you're still interested in a different homemade gift idea, why not try this simple gift - hot chocolate mix! It's the perfect time of the year to warm up with this yummy treat. Who doesn't equate the winter with a time to snuggle up with a hot mug next to the fireplace?

Here's a basic starter recipe -


Hot Cocoa Mix by Earla Taylor


INGREDIENTS

10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer


DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk powder, confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, and creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store cocoa mixture in an airtight container. Makes about 15 cups mix, or enough for about 45 servings.

For 1 serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mixture in a coffee cup or mug, and add 3/4 cup boiling water or milk. Stir to dissolve.


Variation, tips and ideas:

• If you use Hershey's powdered cocoa, you'll probably need to add more sugar, as it seems to be a darker cocoa taste.

• Sifting the ingredients will help to give it a smoother consistency and help decrease the 'Mug Mud" leftover at the bottom of your cup.

• Try some of the new flavored non-dairy creamers for a special blend. (Hazelnut, cinnamon, etc...)

Play around with it until you achieve your "perfect" recipe. We all have slightly different taste, so you may prefer a darker, richer flavor and your neighbor may like a lighter sweet mixture.


Now for packaging ideas!

A canning jar can be decorated with a doily, swatch of fabric remnant or simply adorned with some raffia or ribbon and a direction tag.


Or, try a plastic bag approach. Not just any plastic bag, mind you. Make it a little something different. Perhaps a disposable pastry bag (the kind you use for piping icing onto cakes). They're conical and can fit into a stocking or be decorative by themselves. Theses can be found at most any craft store or online. They come in packs of 10, 25, or even 100.


Consider layering them as follows:

Cocoa Mix

Chocolate Chips

Marshmallows

This provides the recipient for a truly decadent treat in one bag! Seal the bag with raffia or ribbon and a direction tag and your in business.

Thought for the day...

This saying has been stuck in my head for the past several days. (It woke me up 2 nights ago.) It's the strangest thing, because I haven't heard anyone say it in such a long time. I'm not sure why it keeps running through my mind. But, I'll share it with you.

"There's no use crying over spilled milk."

See, I told you it was strange. No, I haven't been severely disappointed in anything life has brought me lately. No, for you dream analyst, I didn't have an odd dream that corresponded with this thought. Just, quite simply, the thought.

I am one of those people that over-analyze everything. Therefore, the saying has been broken down, hashed and mashed by my brain for 2 days. Here's what I arrived at:

• You CAN cry over the spilled milk, but you still won't have any milk in your glass.

• Even after you cry about it, you'll still have to clean up the mess. Someone else can clean it up for you initially, but, eventually, you'll end up dealing with the same mess over again. So, you may as well clean it up yourself the first time!

• If you clean up the spilled milk, you can't reuse it. The milk will just be dirty and undrinkable. You'd be better off with a new glassful of milk.

• Crying about it would simply waste valuable time. After you'd cried, you would still need to clean up the mess. You'd end up out of the time to cry AND the time used to clean it up. It's better to cut your losses and only be out the clean-up time.

Moral - If you spill your milk, which inevitably happens, clean it up and move on.

Holiday prep

So, the Christmas tree is up and decorated. All of the other holiday items have been spread out over the house. What else is there to do?

Take a breath. If you're like most people the next few weeks will be a hectic journey, at best. Before you get too caught up in the holiday hoopla make time for yourself. Treat yourself to a quiet corner of the house. Take a long soak in the tub. Make time for a manicure - at home or at the salon. Curl up with a good book. Go for a long walk. Whatever it is that helps you unwind and reconnect - do it while you have time!

Make time for a family day. Many of us have tons of party invites or other social engagements, some of which we'll attend solo or as a couple. Be sure that your family knows that you still have time for them. It will keep them from feeling the stress you're under by being consistent with their normal schedule. If family day is not normal make it a priority now and continue it after the holidays. You'll be amazed at how close you'll become!

Encourage your family to help with preparations. I was guilty of taking over everything and trying to cover all of the bases myself. Inevitably, I would be exhausted while everyone else was laying around the living room. Share the activities. You'll gain valuable family time and assistance. By the way, it is alright for everything to NOT be perfect. If it's not perfect other people will know that you did it yourself. So, if the kids pitch in and things look a little messy don't panic. Smile and make a memory for yourself!

And, we're off!

In the mad rush that has become the holiday shopping season, Americans have been known in years past for their excesses. It looks like we're off to a good start this year. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Good for - the economy, the government (tax income), the ever increasing "big box" stores, UPS, FedEx, USPS, airlines, AmTrak, and people who just love stuff...any stuff...so long as it's stuff (and potentially returnable!)

Bad for - families who live within their means, families living far beyond their means, children who will become more inundated with toy commercials on Saturday morning, people who have recently been laid off or soon will be, small stores that will "make it or break it" in December, and probably the stock market (I think people will pull money out of stocks to "salvage" Christmas this year.)

Since our family has recently changed from a two income family to one we will be cutting back this year along with hundreds of others. Is that such a bad thing? Not in my opinion. Do we have to buy $50+ worth of gifts for each and every person that we've ever come in contact with, including our postman? No. (We didn't personally but many of our friends do.)

This year I'll be adding to my list of baked goods and other handmade gifts. It's something I started several years ago after watching Martha Stewart make infused vinegars. That very day I found a great deal on some glass bottles, perfect for vinegars. Add a few handfuls of fresh herbs, maybe some citrus, and white or red vinegar and you're in business!

Of course, not everyone used their gift. Some still have them on display in their kitchens. However, I customized each bottle according to what I thought the recipient would use - salad topping, marinade, or display. (Yes, I planned that. Not everyone cooks, even if they say differently!)

If you're interested in giving it a try, here are some links that you may find helpful:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/infusedmixes (This link discusses the differences between infused oil and vinegar and points out some great health concerns.)

http://www.ehow.com/how_4453680_make-herb-infused-vinegar-salads.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art (This link goes over the basic canning techniques and offers a recipe. I need to point out that I didn't use lids. Instead I used corks which I covered with hot wax to seal. You can melt down some cheap white candles for the wax or used leftover candle pieces you have around the house.)

http://www.galenacanning.com/index.php?categoryID=90 (This link will provide some ideas on what items you can infuse into the vinegar and what to pair it with. Consider whether or not your recipient likes salads, steak, pork chops, etc...)

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/article/553/18536 (This link gives exact measurements, if you're so inclined. I'm a "dasher" personally - a little of this, a little of that. It's terrible for baking but serves me well elsewhere.)

Over the next several weeks I'll provide other gift ideas. Feel free to follow along. We'd love to have the company!