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Saturday, August 13, 2011

10 Places I Would Love to Visit

Traveling is a wonderful thing to do; visiting new places, exploring different cultures, meeting new friends. It all brings such a joyous feeling that lasts for days.

During my 30 short years of life, I have only been on vacation two times and each time we stayed in the United States. I've been from Ohio up to Maine, down to Florida and back up to Ohio and to all the states between as a teenager. I got to see some amazing things, places, views, and meet some wonderful people. It's amazing what I learned throughout the different areas I went to. I only wish I had a camera at that time to have some visual memories, but I didn't. I only have memories safely tucked away in my mind to always remember. And that's what counts - the memories.

I would love to travel and visit other places as well. Not sure how likely it will happen, but you just never know. Here's my top 10 places that I would love to visit (not in any particular order):

1 - Devon, England
In all honesty, I never knew this place existed until after my daughter was born. I named my daughter Devon and then not long after she was born I decided I wanted to do a research on a country and Devon, England popped up.... Ever since then, I have had this dream of traveling there with my daughter, Devon.

2 - Australia
I have dreamed of going to Australia since I was a kid. Not sure if it was just the accent that done it for me or what, but I've always thought it would be a great place to visit.

3 - Greenland
Growing up I always thought of Greenland of this beautiful country covered in green grassy hills, beautiful summer view that we are using here (well, the weather any way), and lots of warm weather for lots of fun outside activities... But then I learned that Greenland is pretty much the opposite, it doesn't get very warm there and that the humidity is low thus making it feel a little warmer than it actually is. But still, I want to go... :)

4 - Iceland
Now, how can I not want to go to Iceland if I go to Greenland.... I think they go hand in hand; thinking one is the opposite of the other... But from what I've read, Iceland has breathe taking scenery and so much more. I would just love to go and learn about their country.

5 - Scotland
I don't know why, but I love the mix of colors that this country represents with their traditional dress, the bag pipes, and the landscapes. From pictures I've seen, this place is amazing!

6 - Germany
For the past 6 and a half years, I have known this lovely lady who lives in Germany. She's told us some of the fun things that goes on whereabouts where she is and it all sounded so wonderful. I've seen some pictures from someone who has also visited there and the sights and buildings where beautiful. And if I'm not mistaken, I think my family has a bit of German in us too. :)

7 - Kalalau Valley, Hawaii
Hawaii is another place I've dreamed of visiting. I hear it is so beautiful there. I think it would be a great place to just vacation on without bringing the kids...

8 - Tulum, Mexico
This place looks to peaceful and relaxing. What more could I ask for. It would be a wonderful break from everyday life and provide lasting memories and relaxation. Guess I can dream, huh?

9 - Yoho National Park, Canada
This would be a fantastic place to vacation if you are looking forward to the outdoor wonders - hiking, camping, mountain biking, and more. Now that I think of it, this would be my daughter's first pick if it was up to her...lol

10 - The Chillon Castle in Veytaux, Switzerland
I have always wanted to go inside of a ancient castle to see what it's like and just dream that I owned the place. What fun that would be? :) Just think, being able to walk on the inside and picture what it was like all those years ago. Amazing.



If you could pick 10 fascinating places to travel to, where would you choose?

Friday, July 22, 2011

Laughter is an Instant Vacation

Oh Thank Goodness, It's Not Just Me!

Rainy Day Activities

Rain sure puts a damper on any outdoor activity for the kids. Especially when there are strong winds and heavy rain and lightening. But finding some indoor activities can be a daunting task when the kids are rather picky and hard to please.

Here are some rainy day activities to try sometime:

  • Do a jigsaw puzzle
  • Read a book
  • Color in some coloring books
  • Play dress-up
  • Have a talent contest
  • Finger paint
  • Make crafts
  • Watch a movie
  • Dance to some music
  • Sing together
  • Rummage through the toy box
  • Make an inside tent/fort
  • Play board/card games
  • Tell stories
  • Make your own word searches/puzzles
  • Make/send a card to someone who needs a little encouragement/support
  • Bake cookies
  • Visit the library
  • Go to the movie theater
  • Visit a local mall and just hang out
  • Visit family and friends
  • Invite someone over
  • Cook a meal together
  • Go for a car ride
  • Make paper doll chains and color each one different
  • Have a tea party
  • Play post office
  • Visit a museum
  • Visit historical buildings in your area

Anything to keep the kids busy and out of the rain when it's storming is a good thing.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Free Things To Do With Your Family

Times are hard for a lot of people right now. Money is tight and gas prices seem to be going up and up. But spending time with our children is something most of us parents want to make as lasting memories for them. Spending quality time together is a great thing to do.



Here is a list of free things to do with your children:
  • Face paint
  • Go to the library
  • Have a picnic
  • Visit a park
  • Go on a hike
  • Build an inside fort
  • Have a pillow fight
  • Bake cookies
  • Make paper planes
  • Play hide 'n seek
  • Read a book together
  • Watch a movie
  • Visit a farm
  • Write a letter
  • Go to a ballgame
  • Take pictures
  • Go on a scavenger hunt
  • Write a poem
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Take a boat ride
  • Take a walk and record the sounds
  • Keep a journal
  • Make music with your pots and pans
  • Blow up balloons with notes in them and pass them out to others
  • Camp in your backyard
  • Help an elderly neighbor with some cleaning
  • Learn a new language
  • Make an obstacle course in your backyard
  • Go on a treasure hunt
  • Read a story aloud to someone
  • Have a themed party with items you have on hand
  • Clean up a nature trail
  • Set up a lemonade stand
  • Learn a new sport
  • Have a runway show
  • Play dress-up
  • Have a family game night
  • Make your own bubbles
  • Plant something
  • Paint rocks and build a rock garden
  • Chase fireflies
  • Catch bugs
  • Watch the clouds
  • Count the stars
  • Host a yard sale
  • Fly a kite
  • Invent a new board game
  • Build a time capsule
  • Act out a play
  • Dig for fossils
  • Write a song
  • Tye-dye some white shirts or white socks
  • Paint a picture
  • Write a story
  • Start a new collection
  • Go swimming
  • Run through sprinklers
  • Have a cookout
  • Write a fairy tale
  • Bird watch
  • Roast marshmallows
  • Create a new holiday
  • Scrapbook
  • Learn origami
  • Tell ghost stories in the dark
  • Finger paint
  • Pick flowers
  • Play with some clay
  • Color in coloring books
  • Make some goop
  • Make play dough
  • Build a volcano
  • Do some magic tricks
  • Volunteer
  • Have a dance party
  • Water balloon fights
  • Explore the neighborhood
  • Have a shaving cream fight
  • Learn to juggle
  • Have a tickle fight
  • Play frisbee
  • Draw on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk
  • Melt crayons to different shapes
  • Have a tea party
  • Play in a creek
  • Collect tadpoles
  • Play with sock puppets
  • Play flashlight tag
  • Have a talent show
  • Play kickball
  • Have a walk-a-thon
  • Visit with family and friends nearby
  • Visit a local beach
  • Play hopscotch
  • Jump rope
  • Play in the rain
  • Play in the mud
  • Take a tour of your town
  • Take advantage of free concerts, plays, movies that go on in your town
  • Go berry picking
What other things can you think of doing with your children that the cost is free?

Sunday, June 12, 2011

My Daughter - A Model?

As far back as I can remember, my daughter has enjoyed being the center of attention and the focus of the camera - not shy one bit! Taking pictures of her is such a pleasure for me because I never know what shot I'm going to get due to her constantly posing - one pose right to the next - never a still moment.

This past week, we went to one of the local parks and I got some pictures.











<---This one I caught just in time as she was about to switch poses. I just love her attitude in it...lol















This one she decided that she wanted to get some pictures taken while she was on the ground. This one poses a sense of childhood wonder to me. --->

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Cooking for the Freezer - June

Last summer I started doing some cooking for the freezer. I'd make extra of different foods or just cook up some meals and freeze them. I liked how it helped save me time with not having to prepare everything. Now when we want a meal that has already been prepared, we just have to pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw. After thawing, we just heat it up. Simple. And so much easier than having to cook a whole meal every day.

It's been a while since I've done any freezer cooking, and I'm in the mood to get some done this week. We started it on Monday with some marinated chicken that we put in the freezer for meals later on in the month or even next month. Those included 2 meals of honey lime chicken, 2 meals of teriyaki chicken, and 1 meal of Italian chicken - and they are all in the freezer as of this past Monday.

Today, we are working on some Brown Bag Burritos. We ended up doubling the recipe and adding an extra pound of hamburger, so in all we are making 5 pounds of hamburger worth for the burritos. Most of them will be stuck into the freezer after cooking and wrapping, but we'll also be having a couple for supper tonight as well.

Throughout the rest of the week, we hope to make some Breakfast Burritos, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (we were going to do these either Monday or yesterday, but it was just too hot), Sloppy Joes, Chocolate Butterhorns, and Ham Macaroni & Cheese. All of this will be stuck into the freezer!

If you would like to try any of the recipes that we're using, you can click through on the following links provided:

Brown Bag Burritos

Breakfast Burritos

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Sloppy Joes

Ham Macaroni & Cheese

Chocolate Butterhorns

Been A While

Oh my! It have been forever since my last entry. So much has happened since then. Life has had so many dips and turns and lots of growing opportunities. I hope to post more often than I have in the past.