Fun Idea Friday! Picture Perfect

Looking for something to do today? It is "Fun Idea Friday!" How about playing around with your camera for some feel good photos :) I found this article in Parenting magazine, October 2010 issue.

Picture Perfect

Give these sharp ideas a shot and you will have a blast!!

Shoot the Art. Instead of saving your kid's crumbling clay creation or messy finer painting, take a digital photo of it. You save space while still documenting her journey as an artist.

Family Portrait. Can't get the whole gang to sit for a family photo? Have your child draw stick-figure pics of everyone, then let him cut out the heads of all of you from old photos and paste them on.

Birthday Beauty. Clip photos of your child from the past year to a long piece of string, then swag it between walls so partiers can see how far she's come since her last birthday bash.

Stick 'em up. Glue a photo of your child's choosing to a piece of cardboard that's slightly bigger than the photo. "Frame" it with twigs collected together from the yard and glue them on.

Give Mom a Mustache. Gather outtakes you don't need and let the kids go to town giving you horns and facial hair. Post them on the fridge to show you're a good sport.

Face Time. Fill a cheapie photo album with images of family and friends who live far away. Flip through it daily with your kid so that the next time Auntie Karen visits, her face will be familiar.

Photo Hunt. If you trust your kids with the camera, send them on a photographic scavenger hunt. Come up with items around your house or 'hood--a pink flower, a broken toy--that they need to snap.

Thankful Thursday! Celebrity Thanksgiving Quotes

Today is a day to be thankful for everything wonderful and blessed in our lives. One of the things I am extremely thankful for is a sense of humor and the freedom to have it. I love to laugh!!! Here are some quotes that made me crack a smile quite a few times :)

P.S. I simply adore Kevin James!

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often. ~ Johnny Carson

Thanksgiving, man. Not a good day to be my pants. ~ Kevin James

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. ~ Erma Bombeck

My mother is such a lousy cook that Thanksgiving at her house is a time of sorrow. ~ Rita Rudner

I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. ~ Jon Stewart

My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor. ~ Phyllis Diller

Thanksgiving, when the Indians said, "Well, this has been fun, but we know you have a long voyage back to England". ~ Jay Leno

It took me three weeks to stuff the turkey. I stuffed it through the beak. ~ Phyllis Diller

Coexistence... what the farmer does with the turkey -- until Thanksgiving. ~ Mike Connolly

Wellness Wednesday! Diet Danger Zones

It is "Wellness Wednesday"! I fount this article in Parenting magazine, September 2010 issue.

Diet Danger Zones

There are certain times in life when blowing your diet seems inevitable, Heidi Skolnik, New York City nutritionist, author of Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance, and a busy mom, tells us when to tread carefully.

A short night's sleep. A new study has found that people eat an additional 560 calories (the approximate amount in a venti Java Chip Frappuccino) during the day after getting four hours of sleep as compared to eight. So when you shortchange yourself on shut-eye, go ahead and snack a bit more between meals, but reach for low-cal, high-fiber items (such as air-popped popcorn) and fruit (like strawberries and blueberries.)

Birthday parties. There's rarely healthy food available for the adults, and that cake looks sooooo good. Try filling up on a satisfying meal beforehand: helping to plate the cake (your hands will have a job to do that doesn't involve your mouth): or standing far from the table and engaging another parent in some delicious conversation.

That time of the month. Appetite does increase slightly in the week before your period--but luckily, so does your metabolism. (The key word here is slightly: it doesn't justify a pantry raid.) To tame cravings, increase your lean protein an ounce or two at each meal. And plan snacks so you don't get famished between meals: a small handful of nuts paired with a piece of fruit, or carrot sticks and hummus.

Tips Tuesday! Make the Most of Vet Visits

We all adore our little furry family members :) Here is an article I found in AllYou magazine, August 27, 2010 issue that ensures your pet gets the best treatment.

Make the most of vet visits

Call Ahead: Contact the vet's office to ask if you should bring anything (such as stool samples if your pet is having stomach issues), so you won't have to go back again a few days later.

Shoot a Video: Capture your pet in the middle of a health or behavioral issue (like continually licking one spot on its paw) with a camera. This can help your vet diagnose the problem.

Ease Fears: Does your pet see its carrier and run away? The day before the visit to the vet's office, pull out the crate and let your pet explore it. That way, the carrier probably won't seem as scary.

Bring a Notebook: It's a good idea to take notes at the visit to help you remember your vet's recommendations. Also bring any questions you have about your cat's or dog's health.

Pay Close Attention at the Appointment: A cell phone is a common distraction. Turn it off so you're not tempted to answer it or text during the visit.

Avoid visits in the first place: Call your vet before treating your animal yourself (such as with human painkillers), so you don't end up with a crisis on your hands.

Makeover Monday! Feed Your Face

Found this small, but helpful passage in Parenting magazine. Maybe this could help out our teenagers?!

Feed your Face

A Norwegian study found that eating six servings of raw veggies a week reduced pimples by 30 percent. Tomatoes and avocados have pretty-skin potential, too, says Paula Simpson, a celeb nutritionist. The lycopene in tomatoes helps prevent inflammation. And, thanks to their omega-3 essential fatty acids, eating about two avocados a week boosts moisture in the skin.

Stuff to Do with Your Kids Sunday! Pilgrim Hat Centerpiece

With Thanksgiving fastly approaching, how about working with your kids to do an awesome centerpiece? Here is one I found on familyfun.com that is sure to be a hit with everyone old and young :)

Pilgrim Hat Centerpiece

Filled with potted mums or other fall flowers, this fun centerpiece will top off your Thanksgiving table in fitting fashion.

Materials:

Black felt, square yard
Terra-cotta pot
Permanent red marker
Black poster board
Carpet tape
Yellow poster board

Instructions:

Tape a square yard of black felt to your work surface and set a terra-cotta pot (ours is 7 inches tall and 7 1/2 inches across) on its side at one edge of the felt, as shown. Roll the pot, tracing along the top and bottom edges with a permanent red marker as you go, then cut out the felt arc.

Next, cut two 15-inch circles, one from black poster board, the other from the remaining black felt. Set the pot upside down in the center of the poster board circle, trace around its rim, then cut out the inner circle to create a large ring. Now trace the rim of the pot in the center of the felt circle and cut an asterisk in the center.

Tape the felt circle atop the poster board ring. Set the bottom of the pot on the asterisk and slide the brim up to the rim of the pot. Attach strips of carpet, tape to the outside of the pot, then tape one end of the felt arc to the side and wrap the arc around the pot, sticking it to the tape.

Trim away any excess felt. For the finishing touch, tape on a buckle cut from yellow poster board.

Swap a Recipe Saturday! Corny Cookies

I found these unique cookies on familyfun.com

These candy-topped treats are a blast for kids to help decorate for your feast -- or a Thanksgiving school party. You can use our sugar cookie recipe here or store-bought dough.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Vanilla frosting
Green fruit leather
M&M's or Reese's Pieces candies

Instructions:

Using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the flour a little at a time until the ingredients are well combined. Chill the dough for several hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Working on a floured surface with one part at a time, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a knife, cut out corncob shapes about 4 inches long. Place the cookies on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 9 minutes or just until the edges brown. Let the cookies set on the sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost the cooled cookies. Next, use kitchen shears to cut husks from the fruit leather to fit the sides of each cookie. Press the husks in place atop the frosting, with the tips down a bit. Now fill in the middle with candy kernels gently pressed into place. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.