Monthly Random Acts of Kindness - March

Here I am again with an update on my goal for the year.  My monthly Random Acts of Kindness.

As I said in my January post, it's pretty easy to reach a goal of one random act of kindness a month.  Especially if you look at all of the little things that you do.  This is my summary of some of the kind things that I have done this month.


Let person get ahead of me in line
Sat and listened to someone tell me their problems
Gave someone a spontaneous gift
Help a person find something in a store

Donated a bottle of lotion (long story)

Hold door open for someone
Leant an ear to someone


How did your list for Random Acts of Kindness look this month?

Looking for ideas for Random Acts of Kindness?  Check out this post here.

Family

Family.

You can't live with them.  Can't shoot 'em.

I'm sure we all have our problems with our families.  Maybe its the little things they do that irritate you.  Or, maybe there are bigger issues that bug you.

RT's family has the moving problem.  I've known the guy for 24 years and during that time, someone in his family has moved once every year.  If someone doesn't move this year, then next year there will be two people moving.  I mentioned this 5 or 10 years ago and RT didn't believe me.  We actually went through - year by year - and figured out that this was scary  true.  One year, his brother moved twice.  Yes, twice.  In the SAME WEEK!

I learned.  Every address is written in pencil in my address book.  < well, that probably started with my friend, Patti, but, that's another story.

My family does not move.  Ever.  We like to stay in the same house forever and ever.  You know right where to find us AND you don't have to get a new address book.  We do have our quirks, tho.  Like not telling people things.  I thought I wasn't told things because I'm "the baby."  You know how it goes,

"Don't tell the baby or you'll worry her."

"She doesn't need to know about ________."

Needless to say, there are times that I must look like an idiot because I didn't know about something that everyone else knows (and has known for years).

I'm finding out that my family doesn't share events/things with other members of the family.   It's not like we have these HUGE secrets we have to keep, like the recipe for Coca Cola (I can't tell you the recipe....I'm bound by the secrets of my family).

Sometimes what is being hidden is so small (and stupid) that I wonder why the person thought it was a good idea to hide it in the first place?  "Hey, don't tell anyone that we switched brands of toilet paper."  "Don't tell anyone that I got a haircut."

 RT and I joke that if someone in my family moved, no one would ever find out.

Moving problems?  Secrets?  What are some of the crazy things that go on in your family?

Lemon Water

I drink a lot of water.  Sometimes I think it would be fun if the water tasted a little different.  You know, a little fruity instead of just plain water.  So, I decided to try putting lemons in my water.

This is a very difficult recipe.  Try to follow along.

Glass container filled with water.
Add a couple of slices of lemon.

Refrigerate.

(wipes sweat from brow) and....

Voila!  Lemon Water!

I find this Lemon Water refreshing.  RT thinks I'm crazy.  He doesn't know why I'm making such a big deal about it.  He says it's just water with some lemons.  I searched around and found this article on the benefits of lemon water.

Gives my immune system a boost?  OK.  I'll take that.
Gives me an energy boost?
Fights viral infections?   Cheers to that!

I found out that the kids are drinking the Lemon water.   In fact, they finished the pitcher of water and asked me to make more.

I hope I remember the recipe.

American Girl

There is this total craze among young girls to get an American Girl doll.  I have tried to shield my daughter from this craze.  There is an American Girl store downtown Chicago that many mom's frequent with their little girls.  I have been told that it's such a fun experience for all.  I have also been told that you do not end up walking out of the store empty handed.  The dolls are not cheap.  They each have their own story or background.  You can get a doll that looks like you and you can even dress like the doll.

We do get the catalog at Christmas time.  Bella got a hold of it right before Christmas and was looking at it.  Surprisingly, she didn't ask for anything in the catalog.  She has told me that some of her friends have dolls.

I was talking to RT about this whole craze and that I was trying to avoid it.  He laughed and said that we wouldn't be able to afford an American Girl Doll.  We would have to get the Immigrant girl.  It would cost a lot less.

My view on my walk this morning. Gotta love Chicago weather!  Good thing I like snow.  

DIY Wrapping Paper

I had to wrap some birthday gifts and didn't have any wrapping paper so I decided to make my own.  There are so many fun things you can do to personalize your paper.  Add some ribbon.  Tie your paper with twine.  Have your kids draw pictures on the paper.  Use stamps or stickers.  

Supplies needed:

Plain paper (I had some brown Kraft paper, shipping paper will work, too)

Paint, markers, stamps, ink, crayons, washi tape, stickers, etc. 

Ribbon, twine, string

Your imagination 

I don't think you need a step by step on this project.  Just let yourself go and have fun.  

For my paper I used a foam sun stamp and mixed orange and yellow paint.  I brushed the paint onto the sponge using a foam brush.  It took a few minutes to decorate the paper and a few minutes to dry.  So easy!

How will you decorate your wrapping paper?

My view on my walk this morning. Last Monday it was 70F. Today it's snowing. Gotta love Chicago weather. 

Walking with Pippen

I decided to walk around the block with Pippen this morning.  The trails are covered with snow, so I have to walk on the street.  Pippen isn't exactly the easiest dog to walk.  All this time (3 years) and he refuses to be trained on how to walk properly on a leash.

The walk started out nicely until we encountered a sewer.  Pippen has a fear of sewers (or sewer grates).  He will stop, lay down with all his weight and not move.  If he sees it before you do, he will try to dart into the middle of the street.  Yea.  He's a little.....different.  Because of this behavior, I try to pull him and say, "heal," which really doesn't mean anything to him.  He will ignore me and hang out in the middle of the street.  Today, I finally said, "get over to the side before you get hit by a car!"  Pippen looked at me and then moved to the side. I think he understands when I speak to him like he's a human.

Since he has this fear of grates/sewers, I decided to start walking to the center of the street with him when I saw one up ahead.  This worked out perfectly, unless there was a sewer grate on the other side of the street. 

I wonder how we looked walking around the block?  Weaving in and out on the street?  The neighbors probably think there's something wrong with me.  They must think that I'm drunk (at 8am) and can't walk a straight line.

Never a dull moment....... 

Search Words

Google search words, again.  I love seeing how people find this blog.  It cracks me up.

buried in sand

I was curious about this one.  I searched my blog and found the post that they would have come to, but couldn't see what came up on google search.  And, why are people searching buried in sand pictures, anyway?

scary gas station

And that person landed on my blog from putting that in the search engine?  Why were they searching for a scary gas station?   Did they find what they were looking for?  I guess I will never know.

Extra roll of toilet paper

It's good to see that my family has my back. 

Daddy Daughter Dance 2015

It's that time of year again!  The Daddy Daughter Dance!  This year it was on RT's birthday.  What a great way to spend your birthday.  At a dance with your daughter.

Umm...yea...
Piling the dishes in the sink is not cleaning up.

Awesome Carrot Cupcakes

Bella has been hooked on the show Cupcake Wars.  RT decided that the two of them should have their own cupcake wars.  They decided to make two different cupcakes.  I loved them both, but feel that these were, hands down, the winner.    Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Here's the recipe.  Try them and decide for yourself.

Awesome Carrot Cupcakes

• Cream Cheese Icing:
• 2 ounces white chocolate
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 
  
• Carrot Cake:
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/8 cups white sugar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2. In small saucepan, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.
4. Beat together the eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl, and mix in the oil and vanilla. Fold in carrots and pineapple. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix flour mixture into the carrot mixture until evenly moist. Fold in 1/2 cup walnuts. Transfer to the prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before topping with the icing and sprinkling with remaining walnuts.

*I substituted sunflower oil for vegetable oil

*I used 1/2 cup white sugar

Of course, I forgot to add the walnuts when I made them.....Not sure how that happened...

If you make them, let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Monthly Random Acts of Kindness - February

Here I am again with an update on my goal for the year.  My monthly Random Acts of Kindness.

As I said in my January post, it's pretty easy to reach a goal of one random act of kindness a month.  Especially if you look at all of the little things that you do.  I think I will just make these a summary of some of the kind things that I have done this month.

Let person get ahead of me in line
Hold door open for someone
Watched child for a sick friend
Help cookie mom pick up and sort cookies (hey, that was fun and worth it...I mean, COOKIES!)
Drive sick friends daughter to Brownie meeting
Donate money to Breast Cancer Awareness

How did your list for Random Acts of Kindness look this month?

Looking for ideas for Random Acts of Kindness?  Check out this post here.