Christmas Card Clean Up

With Thanksgiving 2015 safely tucked into the history books we can now move on to Christmas!! The cards will start arriving any day now and with Christmas, my Husbands birthday, and our Anniversary so close together, the stack of cards gets to towering proportions. 

Here's a little project the kiddo's and I like to do on those blustery winter days while we are drinking our hot chocolate and thawing out after doing chores.  

Things you will need:

The old greeting card

A sheet of card stock -I have black on hand so I'll use that today

Elmer's school glue

Scissors

Pens, markers, colored pencils, or crayons to create your own personal message
Hot chocolate (very important)

First off chose the area of the front of the old card you would like to see on the new card. Here I have a Christmas card that I am cutting around the dove, the star, and the pretty banner design for arranging on the new card later.

Inside this card is a really nice shadow image of the dove and star. I like this so Ill cut it out as well. Not sure where I'll put it but I'll find somewhere.

Cut your card stock to a size that when it's folded it will fit into a card sized envelope. I found a pack of 100 card envelopes for a quarter at the thrift store so I'm using one of those. My card stock measures just big enough so after it's folded in half it comes out to be just a bit smaller than my envelope.

Unfold your card stock and lay out flat. You can then arrange and rearrange your cutouts on the bottom half of your card stock. Remembering they need to be arranged with the fold as the top.

Now grab some Elmer's for gluing in place. You won't need much more than a very thin layer around the outside edge of your cutouts. Much more tends to cause them to warp. Let dry for about an hour.

Once the cutouts are securely glued to your card front, flip over your card and do the same on the inside. Making sure your design falls on lower portion with the fold at the top. Then let dry. Here I added a bit of the plain white I saved from the old card to write my special message on.

All that's left to do now is to include your own special message straight from the heart. Here I'm using a calligraphy pen but feel free to use gel pens, markers, or whatever medium you’re comfortable with.

When I got my message all personalized I thought some glitter would be a nice addition. I dug deep into the Halloween supplies and found my hair spray glitter. A quick spray and VOILA!! A card fit for the Queen, or my Mother, same status in my book anyway. I hope she likes it. Mom that is, not the Queen.

Oh, one more very important detail. Don't forget to mail it! I once made a beautiful card for a friend’s birthday; I put it up on the shelf so I could admire it before I sent it. I admired that card for a whole year before I got it mailed.

Come back and visit us again for yet another little way to make use of those old greeting cards!!

You won't want to miss it!!

Barb

Little Boxes, Pete Seeger, and the strive to be yourself

Blessing Box folded from an expired greeting card.

Historic folk songwriter and singer Pete Seeger passed away this morning at the ripe old age of 94. Known as the father of folk music. Mr. Seeger was historically against McCarthyism and also known to march with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His influence can be found in the music of several artists from Arlo Gutherie to John Mellencamp. Malvina Reynolds wrote the song "Little Boxes" in 1962 before allowing her friend, the late Pete Seeger, to make it a hit in 1963. 

It's a rather macabre song referring to the housing developments in Daly City, California. Houses made from shoddy materials in cookie cutter fashion. People living, acting, and reacting exactly the same. 

"Little boxes on the hillside,

Little boxes made of ticky tacky,

Little boxes on a hillside

Little boxes all the same,

There's a green one, and a pink one,

And a blue one, and a yellow one,

And they're all made out of ticky tacky,

And the all look just the same."

I heard this song for the first time on NPR today and it got me thinking.

I urge you NOT to live like those in the "Little Boxes" but to stand out. Don't be the same. Be different. Stand up for what you believe in. Like the great Pete Seeger, be yourself and the right people will love you for it.

However since we are talking about little boxes let me teach you a simple little project. Remember those expired greeting cards hogging up your shelf space? Instead of throwing them away here is a little something you can do with them.

Blessings Boxes.

 I fold each of my family member's a little box using our received Christmas cards. Each of us then writes down 10 things we are grateful for over the last year. Slip the list into your respective boxes then attach an ornament hook and hang it on the tree. When the ornaments get packed away so do the boxes. Next year take a peek into them see what everyone else was grateful for. Also look back at boxes of Christmas Past and see how your lives have changed.

I call them Blessings Boxes but they really are anything boxes. I gave my niece a necklace this year in a box I folded myself so don't get pigeonholed to Christmas. After all, Chinese New Year is Friday, then there's Valentines Day...

Here you go....let's get our Origami on!!!

Things you will need:

Expired greeting card with the main part of the front design pretty centered

Ruler

Pencil

Scissors (optional)

Elmer's glue (optional)

The first thing you will need to do is to cut your card to the required size and shape centering your best design front and center. Cut your back portion 1/4th of an inch smaller all around than you did the front. 

Next step is to draw an X corner to corner. This helps find the true center. Resulting in nice pretty folds.

Take one corner and fold to the true center of your card.

Unfold your first fold and make another fold to the crease. Centering the point on the line.

Now fold it over on itself

And over on itself again.

OK now undo all your folding. Seems silly I know but stay with me. 

Mimic the previous steps on the 3 remaining corners. You should end up as I have here.

Do the same to the rear of the card so they both look the same. 

Take your scissors and make four cuts in your box as I have done below. Be careful not to cut to the center but only as far as the last fold. True Origami Art decries the use of cutting tools or instruments but encourages "careful tearing". Since I'm not good at "careful tearing", and I like good clean lines, I'll go for the scissors everytime.  

Now fold the point up again

and over on itself again

fold your points in

fold the ends up and stand the edges. Following the same steps on both sides. Making the beginning shape of your box.

Carefully fold your skinny edges up and tuck in 

Do the same with the other side and voila! You have a top, almost.

Repeat these steps with the back of your card to create to box bottom. When your done the top should fit snuggly over the bottom.

Now measure and cut blank portions of card from your scraps to fit inside the top and bottom of your box.

Secure with Elmer's glue if needed and allow an hour or so to dry.

Congratulation Friends!! You have just folded your first Blessings Box! 

I hope you enjoy these little trinkets as much as we do. They're cute and fun as well as easy to make. They also come in handy to store jewelry in on road trips or for giving little gifts to friends and family.

These little treasure keepers can be made out of greeting cards or any card stock. Try folding them out of card stock with balloon designs then give them as party favors at a birthday. What about baby shower designs....

Possibilities are like Nebraska...Endless!!!

Happy folding,
Barb

That horrible "D" word and Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes

recipe to follow

With the time of year being what it is, it seems everyone is on that dreaded "D" word. I don't happen to use the word because in my experience the dreaded "D" word is a temporary solution to a permanent problem. 4 years ago I weighed in at 180 lbs. Just playing with my children in the yard exhausted me. I was nowhere near healthy enough to keep up with them. They were growing older and faster as I was growing older and fatter. I didn't need a temporary solution, I needed a lifestyle change. So, I made the decision to change.

Anyone who knows me also knows that when I make my mind up about something then stay out of my way. I hit the internet for hints and tips and talked with friends about what worked for them. Looking and hoping for an easy fix. I didn't find one but I did find some awesome advice.

 I now weight 140 lbs and at 5'4" may still have a little junk in the trunk but not enough to slow me down. With that being said, if you are truly serious about losing weight and serious about getting healthy, without the use of drugs or surgery, then I have a few suggestions for you.

Remember, these are only suggestions that worked for me. If you have found something that works for you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free to comment. I love new ideas!!

1) Before going to the dinner table drink a full 16 oz glass of water. This helps you feel full faster and aids in digestion.

2) When setting the table set yourself a kid sized plate. It looks fuller with less food, fooling your brain.

3) When you are finished clear your plate away, even if no one else is done. The longer you sit there with an empty plate the longer your brain has time to convince you that you need to eat more.

4) Cook at home, from scratch, as much as possible. Only you can control how much fat/calories go into your food.

5) When you can't cook from scratch try to avoid those really nice convenient prepackaged casserole foods. A lot of times they add a lot more fat for flavor and sodium to aid in the preservation and extend shelf life. Let’s face it getting healthy is about more than calories and fat grams. Watch that sodium as well.

6)  Keep a bag of baby carrots on the counter when you cook. That way when you feel you need to "sample" the meal more than just flavor checking, snag a carrot. This satisfies that urge to chew without adding fat and calories.

7)  Add flavor not fat. Become best friends with your spice cupboard. Parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, dill, rosemary, celery seed, and mint are good choices. Use parsley and celery seed in your stews. Use oregano or basil in anything with a tomato base. Throw some thyme in your scrambled egg whites. Goof around with a sprig mint in your boiling potatoes (just remember to remove it before you eat). However, if you don't use much and worry about the spices losing their kick then you may want to keep these spices in your freezer. The cold and the dark will help to preserve their flavor. At the end of this blog I have included a recipe for Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes, made with no added salt or fat, just pure flavor. Try it out and let me know how it went!

8) Exercise!! Walk the dog, do some gardening, scoop snow, do squats while folding laundry, use your own steps as a stair master, visit your local goodwill for an exercise video. Even if it’s a cheesy 1980 sweating to the oldies it's better than nothing. Park at the far end of the parking lot and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator. Have two or three stops in town? Walk! Even if it’s only a half a block every little bit helps. By all means avoid signing up for a gym, if you already have then GO GO GO. I can't tell you how many friends I have that have signed up for a gym then never went for feeling self conscience. Trust me; those people don't care what you look like. YOU care what you look like...that's why you’re at a gym!

9) Tell everyone who will listen that you are in the middle of a lifestyle change. It's amazing how peer pressure helps with motivation.

10) Pick "free" foods that you enjoy and keep them available! Mine were cereal, baby carrots, popcorn, oatmeal, fruit, and basically anything fresh and raw. So when you do have that irresistible urge to snack, you’re not crashing anything.

11) Don't be afraid to treat yourself. Just keep it small. A mini candy bar, fat free ice cream, 2 or 3 cookies, or split a piece of cake with your best friend/kid/husband (sometimes he could be all three). My weakness is Wendy's Frosty's. Chocolate of course, I don't know what they were thinking bringing in that new vanilla stuff. It's just not a Frosty unless it's chocolate. I order the mini kids sized and it's plenty to satisfy my sweet tooth.

12) Water, water, and more water. Don't like drinking water? Flavor it with something calories free if you have to but stay away from tea, coffee and other diuretics. Water helps your food "flow" through your digestive system. The result is better absorption of the good vitamins and less of that floating fat. A general rule of thumb is half your weight in ounces. I weight 140 therefore I try to drink 70 ounces a day. I put heavy emphasis on the TRY since I do fall victim to Mt Dew at bowling. What can I say..I'm human.

13) Weigh yourself on the same scale and weigh often so you know when you’re getting off track. Please note that a woman's weight will fluctuate a few pounds in the wrong direction depending on where they are in their cycle. It's all that nasty bloating. >:( Don't let it get you down or throw you off track.

14) EATING OUT CAN BE A DISASTER but no worries, look for light or healthy options on the menu. Choose baked potatoes over fries and chose EITHER butter OR sour cream, not both. Order fresh or steamed veggies over breaded and deep fried. Stay away from Au gratins or casseroles. Choose scrambled egg whites instead of fried eggs.  When you have the choice of soup or salad, choose the soup. The warm liquid in your belly helps to satisfy the hunger urge. Overall you end up consuming fewer calories for the meal.

15) Last but not least. Remember not everything needs to be a healthy choice. All work and no play made Jack a dull boy. Enjoy that nice rare steak just pair it with a baked potato and steamed veggies. Enjoy that tasty bacon paired with scrambled egg whites and wheat toast. Enjoy that Texas sized waffle with fresh fruit and yogurt.

Whether you want to lose 5 pounds or 50 I know you can do it. Find what works for you and stick to it!! Don't let the little setbacks ruin you. You will fall off your horse but get right back on. I'm rooting for you!

Barb

Creamy Ranch Mashed Potatoes

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 package (or 1 ounce) of dry ranch dressing mix

2 lbs quality russet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices

1/4 to 1/2 c fat free milk (optional)

Rinse your peeled and sliced potatoes very well to rid them of as much starch as possible. 

Cook them over medium heat until they are translucent and tender. 15 to 20 minutes. 

Drain and without adding anything else return the potatoes to the pan and put it back over the medium heat. 

Stir the cooked potatoes over the heat until all the excess water has evaporated and you have nice dry crumbled potatoes.

Remove from heat and mash in the sour cream and ranch dressing mix until well blended.

If you like your potatoes even creamier feel free to add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fat free milk.

Dolphin Slaughter (maybe)

For those outraged at the "dolphin" slaughter in Denmark, I urge you to read this article.

http://meganastamper.tumblr.com/post/74306785476/the-denmark-dolphin-slaughter

From Dogs to Bogs

"It's a new dawn it's a new day, It's a new life for me!" Nina Simone

That's exactly where we're at readers! I have been treating this blog like an online diary but there just so much more I want to share than funny stories. Ranch Time Barbie just didn't fit the bill anymore.

What now? You may ask. Marvelous question!!

Welcome to "From Dogs to Bogs" where I can cover anything from...well as it says in the title..Dogs to Bogs. (p.s. if you don't know what a bog is, go ahead and google it, I'll wait)

From now on not only will you find amusing and exciting stories of day to day activities out here on the ranch, but you will also find recipes, money saving tips, gardening advice, DIY projects, and links to other equally as compelling blogs.

You will also find daily post's starting Monday January 27th 2014.

Thank you for sticking with me so far and I can't wait to get into this new chapter and drag you all with me...mwaaaaah!

Barb

It's the little things

In everyone's life there are the little things that make the day to day living worthwhile.

The look between husband and wife that says "Hey babe I'm so done with this party". There's no need for words and only the most observant people can see it. Maybe it's an eyebrow lift, or a slight nod of the head, but it's there.

When a wife brings home a car load of abandoned towels, sheets, and blankets. You know she wouldn't have paid for them. Probably was just in the right place at the right time and hated to see them go to waste. Without even asking you carry in the massive box and kiss her for being who she is.

Watching your son discover the amazing sledding properties of an empty feed bag. He stands at the top of an 8 foot snow drift, in a bag held tight at his waist, and jumps for it. The look of terror and joy fills his face as he flies down the drift at mach 20. He will never know you left the empty bag in the mudroom for him to find.

When your cat curls up in your lap and starts to purr.

Being on a road trip and Dad sends you a text reading 20? and you know exactly what he wants. You answer with a 245 and he knows exactly where your at.

Waking to find your husband has left a steaming cup of coffee by your bed but didn't wake you up because of your cold.

Knowing that if you wake the children to early, they will goof off and you will miss the bus. Too late and they refuse to move any faster than normal and you will miss the bus. After years of trials I discovered 50 minutes is our magic number.

The inside jokes with family and friends. "Who burned the bacon? Geeze I wish someone would pass the (add item here). Can you got to my house and shoot my dog? That ginger haired guy on CSI Miami was also on NYPD Blue?? I have a toaster, what about you?" I could go on but I won't ;)

Knowing these little things and cherishing them for the gifts they are make life worth living. Cherish your family, even those who are a little harder to love than others. Cherish your friends, those who have stood by you and know the real you when everyone else is in doubt. Cherish yourself, you are intelligent, beautiful, resourceful, and  talented. Don't let the naysayers bring you down. They are only jealous of the accomplishments you have made and are scared of what you will become. You are better off without them and they know it.  

This is all good advice. Maybe I'll take it ;)

Kiss your Mom, hug your best friend, and take your dog for a long walk. You will feel loads better for it.
Barb