Establishing boundaries
We all have rituals. I watch my son eat dinner and he does it the same way, every time: the side dish he loves best, then the meat/protein, then whatever is left on his plate. He finishes his milk in one huge gulp. He does this every night, and telling him, "Eat your meat!" before he's finished with his first thing just doesn't work. Rituals are powerful tools to help you establish boundaries in your everyday life. If you have a routine in the morning, you aren't so apt to be late or lose things on your way out the ...
This Orangery is an Antidote to Winter
♦♦♦ Today's post comes from guest blogger Margaret Gilmour, a freelance writer who writes about simple living and is co-creator of Chester County Dwell, a hyper-local weblog and leading resource for sustainable living. A Peek Inside a Gothic-Style Orangery By Margaret Gilmour What to do when your enthusiasm for the winter season withers? If you’re Vincent Smith Durham, renowned interior and landscape decorator, you find shelter in your orangery at home in Embreeville, Pennsylvania. In fact, Vincent tells me he’s taken to sipping his morning coffee in this garden room where he can gaze at winter—which is clearly happening outdoors—while he stays cozy inside, ...
Buy A Tee, Get A Free Lip Gloss
Victoria's Secret is known for more than just pretty lingerie these days. They carry a wide variety of makeup, fragrance, and bath & body products. Right now you can get a free Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in Grapefruit Blast with the purchase of a qualifying knit top or tee. The Beauty Rush lip gloss is a high shine gloss with "major flavor." If you are fan of these glosses, they are on sale right now at 2 for $12 or 5 for $20. They retail $7 a piece. Use the promotional code FREEGLOSS and pin number T33YWKXHF at checkout, to get ...
What Does Your Preference For Cats Or Dogs Say About You? (And What About Your Potential Mate?)
I wrote about making a list of qualities you are looking for in a mate, and then followed-up with thoughts on how you can learn a few things about relationships with Mr. or Ms. Right by your relationships with pets. And then I found out that there's actually a study about this! A team of researchers, led by psychologist Sam Gosling at the University of Texas at Austin, included data from an online questionnaire in their study about personality (called the Gosling-Potter Internet Personality Project). The questionnaire asked respondents whether they considered themselves cat people, dog people, both or neither, in ...
Best Minor League experiences
Last summer, my son and I attended some local Minor League games, and I was struck by how family-oriented the events were. Prices were great, for starters. There were promotions and giveaways, and if my math is correct, at one point it seemed to me they were paying people to buy packages (just kidding -- my math isn't that great). One of the parks even had a play area for children, with games, a moonbounce and rides for bored little ones unable to sit still 'til the seventh inning stretch. Food prices were reasonable and the atmosphere was relaxed, agreeable. ...
Great Idea for a Kitchen Island!
Last weekend I decided to get away with an old friend in Salado, Texas. It was an incredible time of laughing, catching up on sleep, laughing, eating, laughing, almost spitting coffee on the back of a guy's head, laughing, laughing...antiquing...laughing... The bed and breakfast that I stayed at was awesomeness. I loved the way it was decorated. I did, of course, take lots of pictures and I will be sharing some of the ideas I got. One of the things I was most impressed with was the kitchen island. I have a peninsula that divides the cooking area and the eating area ...
Record Setting Planters
One of the most common things to do with old vinyl records which can no longer be played is to melt them into bowls. But then what? One easy thing to do is make them planters simply by setting a plant (still in one of those flimsy pots in comes in) inside the newly molded record bowl. Because the record has a hole in the bottom, and those pots plants come in generally have drainage holes in them too, you can easily add a tinfoil liner. The tinfoil liner can be molded up the sides of the melted record basin sides to prevent ...
Groundhog Day History and Activities
Every year there is a small rodent who makes his way out of his burrow on February 2 in a small town called Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Crowds gather there- sometimes as many as 40, 000 people- in order to see this particular groundhog peek out of his home. Why? All to see if he sees his shadow. Sounds quite strange but this tradition started back in the 18th and 19th century as a Pennsylvania German custom taken from the European weather folklore. According to the lore, if the groundhog emerges and sees his shadow there will, unfortunately, be six more weeks of ...
The Kitchen Garden in “It’s Complicated”
Recently the L.A. Times ran a piece about the vegetable plot cultivated by Meryl Streep’s character in the hit film “It’s Complicated.” I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s on my list. And this still-photo from the film just about says it all: this garden is too good to be true. My first impression was that it looked like an illustration from a Beatrix Potter story. Remember Peter Rabbit sauntering down those rows of perfect cabbages, lettuces, and carrots? In her charming illustrations, Beatrix didn’t draw wilted leaves or spots of insect damage, or any other minor imperfections that are inevitable ...
Put Your Best Foot Forward
I love knitting socks. Socks are portable projects that provide a knitter with a joy that is matched only by that of the recipient slipping a freshly off the needles pair onto their feet. I am always on the look out for new and interesting techniques that provide me with a process that is challenging yet simplistic and always ends in that perfect fitting sock. In 2008 Cat Bordhi, ground-breaking sock designer and author of Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles and New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One, set herself the challenge of developing a sock knitting process that would ...
Turquoise is Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2010
J ust in case you didn’t get the press release, the word is out that Pantone has named turquoise as color of the year for 2010. If they had chosen something like pumpkin or burnt umber, I don’t know if I’d be writing about it, but I’m rather fond of turquoise. My favorite cashmere sweater is that particular shade of turquoise known as robin’s egg blue. And I once bought an ankle bracelet on eBay because the chalcedony beads were described as being “the color of a Caribbean sea” – an irresistible shade of pale turquoise, in other words. Of course, turquoise ...
Coats & Clark Pink and Red Fashion Show
BurdaStyle has teamed up with Coats & Clark to raise awareness of the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. How? By hosting a fashion show! You're invited to create a garment using pink and red fabrics and then submit a photo of the finished outfit. There are all kinds of great prizes up for grabs and the winner will even get to model their outfit at the Sewing & Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA this February. "The Coats & Clark Pink & Red Fashion Show is partnering with both the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society to fight the two ...
Collecting Silent Film Stars: Annette Kellerman
Being the fan that I am (both of the collector and silent film), I couldn't just let Mary Ann Cade go that easily after delivering her recent silent film news -- I had to ask her about one of her favorite silent film stars, Annette Kellerman (also billed as Annette Kellermann and called "The Perfect Woman"). Mary, tell us about Annette Kellerman... How did she catch your collecting fancy? I got interested in Kellerman when I saw Esther Williams in the fictional biopic Million Dollar Mermaid, which was loosely based on Ms. Kellerman's life. After viewing it, I started looking around ...
Keeping warm and close in the wintertime
Getting out of bed is hard on the best of mornings. In the dark, in the cold, on a school day? Damned near impossible. I'd lay with my head under the covers, listening for the next snooze, willing to be Saturday, willing it to be summer, willing it to be anything but the miserable, cold, gloomy, wintery, slushy day about to slap me in the face. Finally, I would drag myself out of my warm bed when my father's voice called me to come downstairs. Inevitably, on the worst of days where getting up and getting dressed was nigh unto masachistic, ...
How to Stay Current on Toy Recalls
It is difficult to stay current on recalls, especially now since there are so many because of the new toy safety laws regarding lead paint. There are some ways to stay current but the very best way is to stay current with the Consumer Product Safety Commission Website. On the CPSC Recall site one can search by product, date, company, description, or even the type of hazard (like small pieces). The CPSC is in charge of protecting the public public from risks of injury or death from consumer products. It is a daunting task. You can subscribe to an RSS feed or ...
Entertainment
Time to Get Kids Outside!
The weather has broken in the Midwest, finally, and the kids are ecstatic for the...
Twilight a Good Lesson for Teen Girls
I have read all four Twilight books because, well, I was hooked just like everyone...
Ten Great Dog Books
If you are a fan of Marley like I am (we have our own precious lab) then you know...
Reading Activities: Now I Know My ABC’s
I have a special needs son and teaching him his numbers, colors, and the ABC’s...
Homework Reading Tips
My oldest son is currently learning how to read. As a child with special needs learning...
Home & Food
How-To: Make a Fringed Scarf
I’ve had this piece of fabric for… well – let’s just say it’s time to...
Easy steps to reading and understanding patterns…Learning to manipulate fibre and letting your creativity flow is something of a mystery...
Theme Decorating: Roses
I like theme decorating. I know that it is sort of cheesy, and maybe not so sophisticated,...
Organizing with Marye Week 3
I know. I start writing about getting organized, have one great week and then life...
Trouble-Shooting Your Sewing Machine
I think anyone who has ever worked with a sewing machine has had problems with it...
Gardening
This Orangery is an Antidote to Winter
♦♦♦ Today’s post comes from guest blogger Margaret Gilmour, a freelance writer who writes about simple living and is co-creator of Chester County Dwell, a hyper-local weblog and leading resource for sustainable living. A Peek Inside a Gothic-Style Orangery By Margaret Gilmour What to do when your enthusiasm for the winter season withers? If... [Read more of this review]
Addicted to Oat Grass
D uring the winter months, one of my main chores as a gardener is to keep the grass growing tall and healthy. I’m not talking about the lawn outside, I’m referring to the little pots of oat grass that my cat depends on for her fix of greenery. Serena is nearly 15 years old and limps from arthritis, so I don’t let her go outside anymore. The only... [Read more of this review]
These BonBons are for Planting, Not for Eating
H ere’s a cute Valentine’s day gift idea for gardeners and foodies alike — although packaged like candy, these bonbons are really seed balls. Depending on which collection you choose, seeds for either Italian herbs or tea herbs are packaged in a candy-shaped ball of clay and organic compost. To plant, you just set the bonbons in... [Read more of this review]
Japanese Flowering Apricot is a Winter Extravaganza
I magine this scenario: it’s a bleak winter morning in early February – that colorless sort of day when the sky is the same shade of gray as the pavement. All of a sudden, from the car, you catch a glimpse of a little tree blooming gloriously, a profusion of pink flowers against the drab backdrop of sky. This happened to me twice last week while... [Read more of this review]
The Kitchen Garden in “It’s Complicated”
Recently the L.A. Times ran a piece about the vegetable plot cultivated by Meryl Streep’s character in the hit film “It’s Complicated.” I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s on my list. And this still-photo from the film just about says it all: this garden is too good to be true. My first impression was that it looked like an illustration from... [Read more of this review]
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