Zoo Animal Photos

While not spending hours on the computer doing the blog thing......:) .... we have been outside having a fun time in the sun! The weather here is perfect- about 80-85 for a high- and we are lovin' it! Here are a few fun photos of some animals from the zoo today- :) I have a CRAFT IDEA using photos of animals we have taken....stay tuned for that one later:) *I see a few flaws on these photos- now that they are so big ;) oh well....they are still fun photos :)

Taking a Little Break

I have been under the weather for about a week now. I still feel pretty sick and still have responsiblities to take care of here. Naps are RARE these days- as they have always been for me. I have tried several times this week to take a nap, hoping to get better, and I have not been successful at it yet :)

On top of that, I have several photo shoots that need editing,
several sewing projects that need finishing, several scrapbook projects to finish, several rooms to clean, several meals to plan, church and family stuff to take care of,etc. etc. and only a mere 19 weeks before this baby comes! I need some time to recover, to work on some projects, to catch up on things,and create some fun stuff to post to My Little Gems ;)

SO I am going to TRY to force myself to take a week off of blogging- if that is possible for me !! :) Really I am going to try... PLEASE STAY TUNED! THANK YOU for all your bloggin' love and support!
I'll return next week with more Little Gems! Have a great week!

Guest Posting + Give-a-ways at I Never Grew Up

I was asked to be a Guest Writer on I Never Grew Up. I posted some ideas from some of my past posts, on Creating Play through Stories. If you have some ideas for books that would lend themselves well to creating play using picture books, please let me know as I am trying to collect ideas to share with everyone. I Never Grew Up is also having a big Birthday Party starting today with lots and lots of GiVe-A-WaYs. You might want to stop by and check it out!

Family Yearbook Challenge

I recently discovered the Family Yearbook Challenge at Tara's blog, Cherish Your Stories.

She has designed an easy system to help us keep a Family History for 2009. It isn't scrapbooking, it is preserving your own family stories and memories.

You might want to check it out. Click on the above picture for more information and weekly assignments. It sounds like a lot of fun! If I can get myself organized enough, I am going to jump in and do this!

Time for CHOCOLATE!

It's that time of year again! What time you ask?? Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs- that's right folks, I'm talking about the one-pop-in-your-mouth-chocolate-candy-that -I -just-can't-stop-eating! If you read this blog regularly, you can obviously tell I have a sweet tooth :)

I have had TWO bags of Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs in the freezer for a year now- yes one year!! I have not opened either bag....until today. I opened a bag- and I was doomed. 1/2 of the bag is gone. (If you are wondering, 5 of these candies is one point- if you are Weight Watcher:))

This stuff shouldn't be messed with. seriously folks, if you are dieting- stay away!! But since I'm very pregnant and already huge-what damage can I do? ha ha..... My love affair with Cadbury Chocolate Mini Eggs continues..... and I will stock up on these before Easter is over- add a few bags to the freezer- just in case the need for chocolate comes up....I know Easter isn't for a few months...but....

What Easter Candy do you love?

Creative Play: Television Style

Today WAS the day that television would become different forever...but that has been switched until June 2009.
However, to commemorate the ending of analog television, and have a little fun, we made this cardboard T.V. from a box. The kids can be the T.V. stars, or the toys, but hopefully less time will be spent watching the "real" T.V.

A funny story about this- my son loved this so much, he insisted we make movies too. He thought the Valentine's would be good to put on the movies, so he could tell which one was which. He made his own remote too. Tonight, when I misplaced the real remote- when trying to watch American Idol, he told me, I could use his and quickly got it for me-his cardboard remote pictured above. He assured me it would work :)

Here is a funny poem and song to go along with the fun!
Bill Harley has a song called "Dad Threw the T.V. out the Window" that is hilarious. (click on title to listen to a sample) He is a great song writer and story-teller for children (and a few things for adults too.)

Here are the lyrics to the song:

It was in the morning, a sunny Saturday
I turned on the TV and on the couch I lay
I watched my favorite program and another two or three
When my dad came in the room and said these words to me
"Son, turn off the TV now, there's lots of things to do
Your bed's not made, the chores aren't done, the sun is shining too"
I said "Oh Dad, I'm busy now, I've got to watch this show"
I guess I should have listened, but how was I to know?
Cause then he walked across the room and then he pulled the plug
He lifted up the television and skipped across the rug
He opened up the window, and then I screamed "Dad, NO!"
But he gave the thing a heave and I watched the TV go, ohCHORUS
Dad threw the TV out the window, the window
I think he's finally cracked
Dad threw the TV out the window, I got a feeling that it isn't coming back

When I saw it go, when I heard it crash
I knew that things at our house would soon be changing fast
My dad looked out the window and mumbled "My oh my"
My brother looked out too and said
"I'm gonna die!"
And that night after dinner when we went to watch the set
All we found was nothing, I said
"How could I forget"
My brother lay down on the floor and moaned "What will I do?!"
I said "Why don't you move away?" he said, "The same to you!"
But then he told a joke, and I told two or three
And the one about the elephants made dad fall on his kneesAnd my mom did her impression of a duck that couldn't fly
That would have made you wet your
pants and maybe even cry, all because

CHORUS

Life without a television wasn't what I feared
I didn't really miss it though some friends thought I was weird
I didn't miss commercials and all the blood and guts
And all the stupid shows my brother watched that drove me nuts
But then one sunny Saturday my dad could not be found
I looked high and low when from his room I heard a sound
I ran into his room to see what it could be
And I found my father hiding there watching a TV
I said "Oh Dad, now really, you ought to be ashamed"He said kind of sheepishly, "I want to watch the game"
I picked up the TV and waltzed across the room
I gave the thing a heave and waited for the boom.
CHORUS

Shel Silverstein, in his book Where the Sidewalk Ends, has a poem called, "Jimmy Jet and His TV Set"

Jimmy Jet And His TV Set
by Shel Silverstein
I'll tell you the story of Jimmy Jet --
And you know what I tell you is true.
He loved to watch his TV set
Almost as much as you.

He watched all day, he watched all night
Till he grew pale and lean,
From "The Early Show" to "The Late Late Show"
And all the shows between.

He watched till his eyes were frozen wide,
And his bottom grew into his chair.
And his chin turned into a tuning dial,
And antennae grew out of his hair.

And his brains turned into TV tubes,
And his face to a TV screen.
And two knobs saying "VERT." and "HORIZ."
Grew where his ears had been.

And he grew a plug that looked like a tail
So we plugged in little Jim.
And now instead of him watching TV
We all sit around and watch him

Here is to turning off the T.V. a little more often so my kids and I don't turn into one :) Have Fun playing creatively!

Craft and Sewing Spaces to Drool Over :)

This photo was one of my first attempts (about 2 years ago) to organize my craft space and the photo below is one I wish to have someday ...:)

This photo is from the HGTV photo group of craft rooms linked below, a room I would love to have in my house someday as I said above...someday...I can dream can't I...:).

Here are a few very cool craft/fabric closets, rooms, and spaces for you to enjoy...and drool over ;) At least that is what I did, as I said, "someday.....maybe someday....."

Oh Fransson- her fabric closet makes me want to sew right now!





Tip Junkie - posted some amazingly beautiful craft and sewing spaces!





HGTV- organized craft room ideas to die for! I want the one pictured above w/ the wall that says CREATE ;)

FLICKR GROUP- even more amazing craft rooms pictured on the Flickr craft room group- these people are amazing!! The possiblities are endless! I don't know which is more fun, creating actual "crafty-artsy-stuff" or designing and organizing the space in which to do such stuff!

Do you have a craft or sewing room/space/closet? How do you organize it?? Please share via comment ...and Happy Crafting!

Baby O Photo Shoot

Probably my first real attempt at photographing a newborn that was not my own. (This was several weeks ago.) I have lots to learn still...and REALLY need a new computer monitor- so I can see all my "flaws"! My monitor is really ancient-and not so good w/ detail and color ;) This baby was so adorable! I love this family- they are friends of ours and were kind enough to let me learn some "skills" ...through practice taking photos of them and their precious newborn baby boy and daughter. There is nothing so precious to me as seeing a newborn baby.....I think I can handle having another one soon :)

Valentine Card Matching/Go Fish Game

Today all the Valentine's are on sale! We bought a few for next year, and a few to have fun with, at 50% off at Target. We used a box of Speed Racer cards (that tilt and change images) to make a matching game and play Go Fish. Our box contained 27 cards, so we used 18 for a matching game, and we will use all 27 to play Go Fish. Simply punch the cards apart, and you have a game. Some cards are a little flimsy, so you might want to mount them on something heavier such as card stock. Ours were already pretty heavy, so we did not need to do anything to them. Simply store them in a small bag or box for future play :) This was a big hit at our house because we are all about CARS over here...and who doesn't like a new matching game? :)

Crock-pot Chocolate Cake (S.O.S.-Sweets on Sunday)

I had heard of baking a cake in a crock-pot, and finally tried it a few weeks ago. We used this recipe here (our favorite Chocolate Cake recipe), and baked it on a crock-pot. Since all slow-cookers/ crock-pots are not created equally, cooking time could vary greatly.

Here are a few tips we discovered for baking a cake in a crock-pot.

1. Spray the bottom of the pan but not the sides. Just like baking a cake in an oven, the cake will naturally pull away from the sides of the pan, so it is best to not spray/grease the sides, but do spray/grease the bottom.

2. Try to keep it covered. Keep the lid on it, but if you must peek, go ahead :)

3. COOK TIME: could really vary depending on your crock-pot. On high 3-4 hours-but watch it towards the end so it doesn't burn on the sides... and on LOW for 6-8 hours- although for us it really only took 5 hours on low...again- watch it towards the end. It doesn't have to be cooked completely, and you can have a "chocolate mess" if you like. :) It can burn easily, since crock-pots can get really hot-be careful.

4. EAT with ICE CREAM! This cake was good served warm, with some ice cream. I prefer this particular recipe in a bunt pan cooked in the oven, but trying it in the crock-pot was fun. I think if we do it again, we will make more of the "chocolate mess"-- leave it a little less cooked and serve with ice cream :) mmmm! You can always heat this up later in the microwave. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

Valentine's Day (news)

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! Hope you have a great one filled with L-O-V-E! If you were wondering...here is the gift we got a few days ago:

We made these candy cane letters and instructions on how to make your own can be found on Make and Takes.

Bake a Heart -Shaped Cake (without a heart -shaped pan)

I really admire those who can make beautiful cakes! I am not really a big cake-maker, unless it is really easy to do. Here is an easy way to make a heart-shaped cake and you don't need to buy anything special to do it :) Making this cake with your children would also be an EXCELLENT lesson in shapes and geometry:)


You can probably use any recipe for this cake. I used one I make often, but I usually make it in a bunt pan. It is a pretty common recipe. But here it is....

Devil's Food Favorite Chocolate Cake (for a heart-shaped cake)

1 pkg. Devil's food cake mix (but you can use any chocolate cake mix)

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding (I use sugar free)

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 c. oil (I use applesauce instead)

1 c. sour cream (I use fat-free)

1/2 pkg. chocolate chips (I forgot these this time!)

Frosting, and crushed up candy canes-if you want it like the photo above

Preheat oven to 350. Grease (I use canola spray) and flour (I use cocoa powder) an 8 by 8 square pan and an 8 inch round pan. Do not spray the sides of the pan-only the bottom. Beat the above ingredients for 2 min. on medium speed. Pour into pans-1/2 of the mixture in each pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, it is done. Cool in pan for at least 25 minutes. When cooled, run a knife lightly around the edge, and then turn cake upside down onto a cookie sheet or large pan.

The round cake will make the top of the heart. Cut right down the middle.

The square cake will make the bottom 1/2 of the heart. Cut diagonally down the middle.

Turn the pieces from the square, like the above picture. Together this will make the bottom of the heart.

Add the 1/2 circles from the round cake to the top. Press in so the edges line up evenly. Frost as desired. We used white frosting on top and chocolate frostin gon the sides. The top photo, is topped with crushed up candy canes. Using the food processor, you can mash up candy canes, (or maybe any red or pink candy), to add to the top of the cake.

Planning a Family "LOVE" Dinner

A LOVE DINNER....is a tradition started on my husband's side. We have carried on this tradition on with our own family. Each year, for Valentine's Day, or around Valentine's Day, the family has a special dinner. Each person in the family picks one or two foods that they LOVE to eat. We end up having a delicious meal, with a sampling of just about any food you can think of, and it is always a fun thing to do, and a great way to sample new or different foods, and makes a great memory.

Here is a made-up example of a menu:

Mom: Thai food dish from favorite restaurant, Cadbury Chocolate eggs

Dad: Favorite homemade chicken dish, peanut M&M's

Big Brother: chicken nuggets, orange juice

Little Brother: tacos, chocolate chip cookies

Sister: homemade bread, honey butter, cooked carrots

This is just to give you an idea of what a LOVE DINNER might look like. If your family is small, you could do this with your extended family, or friends and neighbors. We plan to do this on Sunday, with just our little family! Happy LOVE DAY:)

Storytime: Valentine's Day Style

Here are a few fun storied to add to/or pull out of/ your collection for Valentine's Day.

Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink,

by Diane de Groat is a fun one for school aged children. It has a few funny poems using "Roses are Red" and seems to play to the humor of early grade school children. A funny read for kids:)

Rosie and Michael

by Judith Viorst, is one of my favorite stories about friendship. This author is also one of my favorites. (She wrote Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.)

The illustrations in this book are very detailed, but all in black and white. It is an adorable book- very fun to read!

Love is a Family,

by Roma Downey, is a cute story that shows children that families come in

all different shapes, and sizes, and forms. Some families have

lots of brothers and sisters and some don't. Some have houses that are nice and neat and some don't. It is a cute story with fun colorful pictures.

What are some of your favorite stories for Valentine's Day?

Valentine's Day Card Making

I pulled out our card-making supply stash and decided to use some of it up making a few cards for Valentine's Day. Now I just gotta get them in the mail --fast!

If you don't have a set of ABC stamps and some washable ink for your little ones, I highly suggest you get some. :) Sometimes you can find stamps at the dollar store. My little one is not interested in writing his letters, but he sure enjoys stamping them and naming them as he goes:)

I don't own anything really fancy when it comes to scrap booking, card making, or paper crafting. Simple and easy-that's the way we do it around here- using only a very few supplies:

card stock * patterned paper * stamps * ink * basic paper cutter and scissors * and any embellishments we have on hand-brads, ribbon ...we aren't purchasing anything new these days...just using up what we already have ;)

IF you have not checked out the Handprint Valentine Card I did w/ my little ones, have a look :) It is a fun one to make for grandparents, daddy, teacher, or anyone special- and it is super easy :)

Valentine's Place mat Puzzle

I found these cute place mats at JoAnn's for 1.20 back in January. I originally bought them with the intent to turn them into puzzles. But they were just too cute to cut up. We have been using them for about a month now, and they are a little worn, so we decided to make one into a puzzle today. :) We did this project a while back during Christmas time. It was so much fun and we really played with it lots, so we had to do it again :)

Simply cut a place mat into puzzle pieces using regular scissors.

Store in a zip lock baggie. I store my holiday ones with my holiday decorations, and then it is like a new puzzle when we get it out each year. These make great quiet activities, and are easy to clean up. Happy Crafting with the kids!

Experimenting and Learning ..w/ holiday crafty-stuff

The past week, or so, I have tried a few NEW things that I have been wanting to learn. THE FIRST of these, is MACHINE QUILTING! I have never done this before- so my first attempt was - messy-uneven-a learning experience- to say the least. However...after finishing the Valentine's Day Table Runner- seen above - (please refrain from looking too closely-it has lots of flaws)- anyway- I now feel more comfortable to try this on something bigger, and I learned how to do it- after many many uneven stitches, broken threads, and frustrating moments:) Maybe I'll finish that quilt I started like 3 years ago :)

SECOND- I have made lots of little wooden signs over the past several years, but this time I tried a few different things with paint and stain :) Once again, I learned a few things that will probably help me in the future. yeah :)

AND LASTLY...today we tried making some Valentine chocolate covered cookies and pretzels. We weren't the most successful at this, but our little guy had a really fun time making his own cookies ;) We learned several things about our new microwave, and melting chocolate! If you want to make these, I suggest heading over to Make and Takes and looking here. In fact, we may re-make these- now that we have learned a thing or two :) These were tasty and easy anyway!

Experimenting and Learning is always a good thing :) After all, "if we always do what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got." I sure appreciate learning and trying something new- even if it doesn't turn out perfect, or means failing a time or two. Trying is still a success in my book! :)

What things have you experimented with and learned from ?

Sabbath 2/9/09

In the spirit of February-the month of LOVE- I found a great quote that went with the theme at church today. :)

"If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being. Some recent studies show that people who are taught to forgive become 'less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed,' which leads to greater physical well-being. Another of these studies concludes 'that forgivenss....is a liberating gift (that) people can give to themselves."

This is from a talk given by James E. Faust, Ensign of May 2007. The entire context of the talk can be found here.
Even if you are not of my faith, it is an incredible talk that helps us see the universal principle of forgiveness and love :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cereal Treats (S.O.S.-Sweets on Sunday)

I have seen some really cute and sweet treats for Valentine's Day out there in Blogger Land. Thank you for sharing all your sweet ideas! Here is one that we came up with using our heart shaped muffin tins.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cereal Treats

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups cereal

(Rice Krispies, we used Special K and just mashed it up. You could probably use any kind of cereal)

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

(We did not have butterscotch chips, so we added a little peanut butter to our melted chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan, place the corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until all is melted and mixed well. When it starts to boil it is done. Remove from the heat. Add the mixture to the cereal and mix well. Press mixture into muffin tins- that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Let sit.

NEXT..melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in a bowl . Either use low heat in a saucepan over th stove-stirring constantly, or use the microwave- in a glass container- microwaving for 30 seconds at a time, and then stirring well.

Spread the chocolate over the cereal treats. Let stand until firm. Enjoy.

These are hard and so I would be careful when eating. It may be a good idea to soften them slightly in the microwave beforehand or cut them up if they are large. If you don't want to make them so big, fill the muffin tins up only 1/2 way with the cereal mixture, and this will make smaller more managable treats to eat. These are very tasty and fun to have kids help make. The children can help mix the cereal mixture and put it into the muffin tins. :)