Bella's Fantastic Hair Detangler

Bella's hair can get quite tangled.  I used to buy a hair detangler for her from the store.  Of course, after reading through the label and not being able to pronounce most of the ingredients I decided to search home made recipes on line.  I came up with a very simple recipe that we used for many years. Bella decided she wanted to take it up a notch and searched for a different recipe.  I'm not sure who to credit on this recipe.  All I know is that it works.  No tears and it smells great!

Here's Bella's recipe:

In an 8oz spray bottle add:

2 squirts of Aloe Vera Gel
5 drops of Glycerin
2 squirts of Vitamin E oil
5-10 drops of lavender essential oil

Add water to fill the bottle.

*shake before using

**Bella added lavender and Patchouli.  It smells awesome!

If you want to make it a leave in conditioner, just add two squeezes of conditioner.

Thanks, Bella, for sharing!

Almost Outta Gas

On mornings that I have to work and Nick is home (no work or school), I have to move his car.  I find it interesting to watch how his gas gauge changes daily.  It tells you how many miles until empty. Some days there's 180 miles until empty while other days there are only 38 miles.  I sure hope his gauge is correct. Running out of gas isn't fun. The gauge on his car varies and is sometimes related to when payday is or maybe whether he really needs gas in the car.

The other day I hopped in his car, started it up and put it in reverse when I noticed that the gas gauge said, "6 miles to empty."

Yes.  6 miles.

Thankfully our driveway isn't that long. I was afraid I was going to run out of gas while I was moving his car. 

"I'm sorry I'm late for work.  My son's car ran out of gas.................in the driveway."

Good thing there's a gas station a few blocks from our house.

Scare Crow - Girl Scouts

This year our troop decided to design and make a scarecrow for the arboretum.  The theme the girls decided to go with is, "Go for the gold," featuring a gymnast.  I think they enjoyed watching the Olympics this year.  Our scarecrow is a comparison of all the hard work that a gymnast puts in to work towards a gold medal and the hard work a Girl Scout puts in to earn her gold award.

We set up a list of supplies and our troop supplied the majority of what was needed for our scarecrow.  The arboretum supplied the form (which was two boards, a 2" x 6" and a 2" x 4" and a screw to hold them together).  We had to come up with a form for the body and make sure the scarecrow stays attached to the stand.  Also, that it holds up to all the elements.  The scarecrow will be outside for a month so it must withstand wind, rain, sunshine and possibly snow.

Our supply list:

black yarn
foam head
plastic bags (for stuffing)
blue guns and glue sticks
paint - face color, make up colors and black for hair (scalp)
body suit
ribbon for her hair
tights
pool noodles
PVC pipes (and connectors)
small round wood circles (for the awards)
gold paint
light green ribbon
sharpie markers (for the gold medals)
Coban
staple gun
Outdoor Mod Podge


This took a few meetings to do.  We had the girls work on their medals.  One side was their first name and the other side was their goal.  Examples: To be a better friend, do better in math class, be a better dancer, etc.

Then we divided the girls up.  We pre-cut the PVC to come up with a form for the body.  Some girls put that together.  They cut the pool noodles in half and surrounded the legs and arms with that and wrapped it in Coban.  Once that was done, we put the tights on the arms and legs and slipped on the leotard.

We cut two short pool noodles to fit inside the leotard.  They went on the sides to give our gymnast some shape.  We then stuffed her body with plastic bags.

For her head, we painted the face area and gave her eyes, eyelashes, and lip color.  We even added a couple stud earrings on the side.  We cut the black yarn for her hair, weaved it and stapled it to her head.  We used outdoor mod podge to cover her face (because of the paint).  We attached the head to her body and mounted everything onto the post.

After all of the hard work we put into this scarecrow, I have a new appreciation for all scarecrows.

Everyone that walks through the scarecrow exhibit at the arboretum can vote for their favorite scarecrow.  I will update you in November and let you know how our gymnast does, and if she holds up to the weather.

Hiccups

A hiccup is an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm that may repeat several times per minute.  taken from Wikipedia

For most people, hiccups last only a few minutes  -  Mayoclinic.org

That last part is key.

You see, when I get the hiccups, they can last about an hour.  I used to get them a lot when I was younger.  I tried every "cure" (they don't work) or they work one time (probably because I already had them for an hour or more).  When I was pregnant with Nick, he would get the hiccups all the time.  And guess what?  He would have them a long time.  When he was a newborn, RT videotaped him when he had the hiccups.  It's real cute to watch.  He is hiccuping and it doesn't bother him.  As time goes by and they won't go away, he starts to get upset and cries after he hiccups.  So, someone inherited the never-ending hiccup gene.

I have been pretty lucky the last few years.  I have avoided getting the hiccups.  The other night, just as I was climbing into bed, I hiccuped.

Me:  Oh, no.
RT:  What?
Me: I have the hiccups.
RT:  It's cute
Me:  This could go on for awhile

I turned off the lights and we were trying to sleep.  After about 10 minutes.

RT:  Are they almost over?
Me:  *hiccup*

I guess they weren't that cute anymore.

They did go away (finally) and, in the darkness I could hear a sigh of relief.

Today's Helpful Tip

Make sure that your mouth is closed and you don't breathe when walking by the port-o-potties.

Fasolikia Yiachni (Greek Style Green Beans)

My mom used to make these ALL the time.  They are delicious, but, when they are served to you everyday a lot, you get sick of eating them.

Well, that's a great way to start off a post about a recipe you are going to share.  "Hey, here's a recipe for something I'm sick of eating!"

Luckily, that was many, many years ago.  I went quite a few years without eating them.  My garden this year was overflowing with green beans and I thought I would give it a try.  I was a little hesitant, thinking it could bring up some bad memories, but, guess what?  They were delicious!  So delicious that I made them a second time.  (not in the same week)  The tomatoes add a nice flavor.  I added some potatoes (just like mom) and it makes a great meal!

Here's the recipe:


Greek Style Green Beans (Fasolakia)

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh green beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1  8oz  can tomato sauce
3 small potatoes, sliced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

Wash green beans and remove tips.
In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the onions and garlic.  Add tomato sauce and door for a few more minutes.
Add string beans, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and stir.
Add hot water to cover green beans.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.



If you make them, let me know how they turn out.

Enjoy!

DIY Leave in Conditioner

My hair is pretty long.  I was going to cut (and donate) it last month but, Bella didn't want that to happen (lots of tears).

I found this recipe for a DIY leave in conditioner and thought I would give it a try.  This can be used on wet or dry hair.  I use this on dry hair (since I don't wash it everyday).  I have used just rosemary essential oil but am thinking of adding either Lavender or peppermint oils next time.  Rosemary alone starts to smell like eucalyptus.

Here's the recipe:

one part conditioner to 3 parts water
1 tsp fractionated coconut oil
6-8 drops rosemary essential oil
mix in spray bottle

*shake well before using

Girl Scout Swaps

I forgot to post these when we did our overnight camping trip last summer.

Our girls are really into all things pickles.  When we take attendance, they will reply, "pickle, " instead of "here."  We designed their camp shirt with a large pickle with, "Troop _____  We're kind of a big Dill."  The funny thing is, we were the largest group there at the camp with 17 girls in our troop that year!

So, we went along with the pickle theme when deciding on the swaps to make and bring to camp.  We decided on a clay pickle pin.

Supplies needed:
green clay
pins to attach pickles to (with clasp to close)
google eyes
hot glue gun and hot glue

These were pretty easy to make.  Roll green clay into a small pickle shape.  You can put a little curve (not all pickles are straight).  Use some small pieces to add bumps to your pickles.  Put on google eyes and let dry.  Once dry, use a hot glue gun to attach to a pin.

Pickle pins

The girls had fun making these and trading at camp.

What swaps have you made with your troop?

Ice Cube Tray (revisited)

I wrote a post awhile back with the instructions on how to make ice cubes using a recipe that Yiayia brought here to America from Greece.

I thought I would give a little update on how the ice making is going at our house.

Things were going well, until RT and I realized that we were the only one's making ice.  Everyone else in the house (kids) was using the ice but only two of us were filling the trays.  RT took it upon himself to empty trays into a container and hide it in the freezer (creating his very own secret stash of ice cubes).   I use ice if it's there, otherwise I go ice free.

The kids will use the ice and leave the empty trays in the freezer.

Apparently the directions on how to make the ice are a little difficult to understand.  Maybe a YouTube tutorial will help?

The Goose Whisperer

As you know, I walk everyday.  Sometimes there are geese that hang out along the trails.  They can be mean at times.  Then, there are times where they nicely move out of the way for you.  During all of my walking adventures, I picked up on how to politely get the geese to move out of the way.

I start clapping.

I probably look like a crazy fool, walking real fast and clapping my hands (I just created a really funny visual in your head, didn't I?), but, hey, it works!

Once the geese move out of the way and I walk by, I politely say, "Thank you."  Yea, I think I'm losing it.  I'm now talking to the geese on the path.

If you try the clapping with the geese, let me know how it works for you.  A funny visual for me would be greatly appreciated.  ha!

Late Arrival

Once a month the high school lets the kids sleep in. They call it, "Late Arrival."  Normally the bus picks up the high schoolers around 6:30am, getting them to school around 6:45am. I guess I should mention that school doesn't begin until 7:45am.

What? 

Yes.  They sit around at the school for an hour, socializing, and waiting for their first period class to start.  Why don't they start right away?  I don't know the answer to that question. I think it's something to do with teen torture. Oh. I should mention that they don't get home until 3:45. That's an hour after the elementary kids get home. So if you want them to watch the younger sibs, well, they can't because they are still at school. 

But, that's another topic for another day. 

So, with Late Arrival, the bus comes to pick up the students one hour and forty five minutes after their normal bus pick up time (for those of you not so good at math that's roughly 8:15am). 

The boys enjoy that one day that they get to sleep in (well, it's just Alex now in high school). In fact, they look forward to it. Unfortunately, someone always ruins it for them.  This "someone" thinks that they missed the bus so she goes yelling through the house to wake them up. They usually have to tell her that it's "Late Arrival " and they don't have to get up just yet. This usually happens several months in a row until the child finally tells this "someone" the night before, not to wake them tomorrow because it's Late Arrival.  (Even then, "someone" somehow forgets and is there yelling and waking up the whole house)

Yesterday was the first Late Arrival for the year and, well, "someone" forgot. When she realized her mistake, she wrote down all of the Late Arrival dates in the calendar, making sure to put a bright color around that date so it stands out (hoping that it helps). 

Let's see how many months it takes "someone" to figure it out this year. 

Open Window

The nights have cooled off around here. Great time to sleep with the window open. I like the room to be cool when I sleep (probably because I get real warm at night).

Unfortunately I live with someone who shuts the window during the night and I wake up to a real hot, stuffy room.

*This is the same person that, at any time of year, has 8 blankets on him when he sleeps. 

A Day in the Life of ....

Do you ever wonder how people spend their day?  Every waking hour / minute / second?

I imagine some (or most or everyone but me) have these great days where they wake up and there's fresh flowers, get a quick workout in, meet with friends throughout the day, hang with family, try new things, go to fun places, have a wonderful dinner, go for a nice walk or hike, maybe read a little and go to bed.

I'm sure that's what you do, right?

My day starts with me rolling out of bed (after not getting a lot of sleep), feeding the dog (which involves me watching him eat), washing a few dishes left during the night, getting Bella to the bus stop, going for a quick walk, washing breakfast dishes left for me at the sink, shower, work (if I work that day)*, come home, wash more dishes (because they somehow multiply at the sink), make dinner, wash dishes, make lunches, wash more dishes, watch a show on TV or read a little, maybe do a small load of dishes and then go to sleep.

*If not working, I am running a million errands, cleaning and doing a thousand loads of laundry (among the million extra loads of dishes that need to be washed)

I'm thinking I need to switch things up a bit and make my life simpler so I can start to have those perfect days.

What is your day like?

Block Party

We had our block party yesterday. The party is located at a park right by our house.  We brought a side dish. Lots of food to eat, games to play, music playing and then a movie in the park.  It was a beautiful night. Perfect for a movie.

Since the party was so close to home, we ran back and forth to get things or drop them off.  I say "we" loosely because it was mainly me running back and forth.  The last time I was walking back to the party I realized all of this running back and forth is probably worth at least one walk. Good thing because I missed a couple last week. 

Roasted and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

My poblano plant in my garden went a little crazy this year.  I was adding them into salsas and tacos. One day I went to the garden and picked 8 poblanos.  I decided to try and roast them.  Here is my take on:

Roasted and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients:

8-10 poblano peppers
1 cup cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz) spanish style tomato sauce
1/2 cup corn
a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion or green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook rice according to directions.

Cut tops off poblanos and take out seeds.  Place on cookie sheet and put in oven that is set to broil.  After 5-7 minutes, turn peppers over for another 5 minutes.  Once you pull the peppers out of the oven, place them into a zip lock bag, seal and wait about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting....

Mix rice, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, onion, cheese, cilantro in a bowl.

Take peppers out of bag and peel skins off.

Spoon rice mixture into poblanos and place on greased cookie sheet or baking dish.

Place poblanos in oven at 350F for about 20 minutes.



*sorry I didn't measure out quantities.  I'm an "eyeballer" when it comes to cooking.  If it looks right, then it's right.  :)

**I used brown rice.  You can substitute farro or quinoa for rice.

If you try making them, let me know how they turned out!

Enjoy!

Hey!  Bella is enrolled in two dance classes this year. That means I have more time to write up some blog posts (lucky you).

Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling good the first day of one class so (again, lucky you) no posts from this dance class. Let's hope she feels better next week.

On the subject of hoarding.....

We have been slowly going through 60+ years of stuff collected (saved) by my parents.  I say "we" loosely, because it's mostly been my brother, Steve, doing the work.

My parents weren't hoarders.  But, (you knew there was going to be a "but") they did save quite a bit of stuff.  Things that none of us really want to keep for ourselves.  Some items should have been used (or thrown out or donated) years ago.  Some items my kids could have played with when they were younger.  Some items should just never have been kept at all.

I'm not a collector (at all).  I don't see the point, I guess.  I also think I would hate to dust around a bunch of collectibles.  And, where would I put them?  My mom has a few items that some people might collect.  Even though they were hers and she kept them all of these years I still don't want any of them.  Hey, I can just store memories of them in my mind (it's already cluttered up there, why not add more, right?).

My house is definitely not clutter free, but, after seeing what we are going through I have decided that I need to pare down even more.  Release the clutter and all the excess nonsense.  If it has no importance or hold any deep feelings, then get rid of it!  I don't want my kids to have to go through my stuff and wonder what the h_ll I was saving all of this c__p for.  I know I won't be able to get rid of everything, but, the more I get rid of the better off everyone will be many, many years from now.

Are you a collector?  What do you collect?  How do you store (and dust) your collectibles?  Do you live with a collector?  How's that going?

Responsibility

So, the neighbors decided to ask Bella to watch their cat while they are on vacation in Europe. Bella was quite excited. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to learn responsibility.

The first day went great. Bella came home and told me how the cat followed her everywhere. She sat down and the cat jumped in her lap. She petted the cat and it purred and purred.

I thought, "This is great!"

Day two. Bella is excited. Runs over. Next thing you know she's back. I said, "You should stay longer. Give Spooky some attention" (Spooky is the cat's name) Bella says, "I can't get back into the house."  I thought she was joking. Bella started crying and I realize it isn't a joke. Apparently, Bella ran outside to get the paper and the mail. Not sure why she didn't just bring it in when she was walking up the driveway. 

So, the sheet of paper with the sister's phone number is in the house. I'm trying to contact neighbors to see if anyone has a key (no one does). I try messaging the neighbor on Facebook. I even send her son (the one she is visiting) a message on Facebook.  I put off texting her. The cat was fed so we had some time before we had to go over there and feed her again. So, I guess the whole responsibility thing kind of went out the window. 

The next morning, I went outside to stretch and go for my walk. I look up and see the sisters car in the driveway. I'm so excited that I run over there and ring the bell. After explaining everything that happened I got the key and the piece of paper with the phone numbers. I made a copy and made sure that they are on the cork board by my desk. 

Bella and I went together to feed Spooky. We talked about how she should bring the mail and newspaper in when she is going into the house. And that she should keep the key (which is on one of those stretchy cords you can wear as a bracelet) on her arm the entire time. If she is leaving the house make sure the key is on your wrist. 

Let's hope we survive the rest of the week without incident.  Wish us luck!

Last Fling at the Pool

Glad we could spend some quality (sunny and warm) days at the pool this weekend. 

Always a sad time of year when the pool closes.  I'm not ready for fall, are you?