tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73915563148196933132023-11-16T03:28:21.656-08:00Wildflower SunshineHappiness is... Craft Beer, Crafting, Food.Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-75121316758653513802017-06-20T09:49:00.000-07:002017-06-20T09:49:06.315-07:00Honey Bear's Lemon'ores {Making S'mores with Girl Scout Lemonades Cookies} :: Recipe HackMy friend and I were talking about camping, and I mentioned that one of my daughter's girl scout leaders suggested using Girl Scout Thanks-a-Lot cookies to make S'mores. When she told me about this s'more hack, I got super excited and immediately made a mental note to add Thanks-a-Lots to my camping checklist!<br />
<br />
My friend wasn't as thrilled by this new wonder. He debated that nothing can replace traditional S'mores, nor can anything be called a S'more except that ooey-gooey delicious combination of graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow. (He's a food purist.)<br />
<br />
Agreed. Good point.<br />
<br />
But, I argued, they will still be delicious.<br />
<br />
Agreed. Fair enough.<br />
<br />
We sat in amiable silence for a few moments, dreaming of campfires and gooey treats. Then I wondered out loud, "I wonder if a S'more made with Lemonades would be good..." and started picturing lovely, melty, lemon meringue pie flavored s'mores...<br />
<br />
...and he immediately said, "Yeah, you could call them Honey Bear's Lemon'ores!" (He's also an innovative linguist.)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Lemonades + S'Mores = Lemon'ores!</b></div>
<br />
Yesssssss!!!<br />
<br />
This is the easiest recipe ever... instead of using graham crackers and chocolate to make S'mores, use Girl Scout Lemonades Cookies! Perfectly roast a marshmallow and squish it between two delectable Lemonades... and enjoy this lovely, lemony delicacy while surrounded by nature and stars!<br />
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We then proceeded to dub the Thanks-a-Lot cookie hack as Thanks'mores (because, as we agreed, nothing but a S'more is actually a S'more).<br />
<br />
And a new camping tradition was born!<br />
<br />
Next year I'll be stocking up on Lemonades and Thanks-a-Lots! More so than usual... :) Thankfully I have enough in reserve from the March Girl Scout Cookie sales to try these new treats this summer!<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-47797262981947032352013-12-26T14:34:00.001-08:002014-01-29T10:55:36.385-08:00Using a Skateboard as a Shelf :: Make a Personal Statement in Your Home DecoratingLooking to make a bold decorating statement in your home? Think outside the box and take a look around your garage for treasures!<br />
<br />
My hubby was an avid skateboarder back in the day, and when we needed a shelf for a speaker in our living room, he suggested using one of his old skateboards that was just collecting dust in the garage.<br />
<br />
The other half of this project, the shelf brackets, were also collecting dust in the garage. I had picked them up at Restoration Hardware on clearance for just $5 each several years ago, with the intention of doing something cool with them... well, they finally found their home! Check it out!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/11573064543/" title="Skateboard Shelf Collage by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Skateboard Shelf Collage" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7313/11573064543_b172c561d7_z.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I think this turned out SO awesome!<br />
<br />
Please ignore the fact that the Meowna Lisa is not centered in the photo... I keep forgetting to fix that... :)<br />
<br />
Cheers!<br />
<br />Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-23649317445363006982013-10-30T17:02:00.002-07:002014-01-29T10:55:47.645-08:00Help your kiddo stay safe this Halloween with Stride Ride Racer Light shoes!<span style="font-size: xx-small;">“I participated in a campaign on behalf of <a href="http://www.momcentralconsulting.com/" target="_blank">Mom Central Consulting</a> for Stride Rite. I received products to facilitate my review and thank me for my participation.”</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/10582299824/" title="Halloween Collage by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Halloween Collage" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2806/10582299824_6b518886e3_z.jpg" height="183" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Halloween is here! We have been doing some really fun Halloween activities and crafts over the past couple of weeks, and that has included wearing many costumes. My kiddo can't choose just one costume and went through a wardrobe change during her Halloween party over the weekend - she started as a princess and later changed into a "rainbow" (as you can see, rainbows have more freedom to run down slides than princesses in dresses).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/10582168106/" title="Stride Rite Collage 1 by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Stride Rite Collage 1" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/10582168106_6c59f7e2dc_z.jpg" height="500" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
People ask what she will be for Halloween, and I tell them, "Indecisive." :) She has asked to be a princess, a pirate, a mermaid, an owl... Today she dressed as a witch, and you should check out her awesome Halloween shoes - they LIGHT UP!!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/10583012484/" title="Stride Rite Halloween Collage by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Stride Rite Halloween Collage" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2841/10583012484_5a5bbee6a1_z.jpg" height="475" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So no matter what costume she chooses tomorrow night for trick or treating, she will be wearing those <a href="http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite/RacerLightsbyStrideRiteStarpower(Toddler)/8-141045/catId/cat1530401SR/stockNumber/CG47436/skuId/***8********CG47436*M115/subCatId/cat2520406/showDefaultOption/true/productdetails" target="_blank">Stride Rite Starpower Racer Lights</a> shoes! The shoes light up with every step she takes, so they make her more visible in the dark. We will also give the kids each a glow stick to wear around their necks so we can see them better, and we will carry flash lights for safety, but I am totally grateful for light up shoes!<br />
<div>
<br />
My kiddo adores the light up component of the shoes, but she also calls them her "running shoes" (appropriately). She is extremely active, and she always wants her "running shoes" when we are headed out to play so she can run faster. Smart kid!<br />
<br />
In my experience, Stride Rite means quality. One of the first pairs of shoes that we bought for her when she started to walk were Stride Rites, and they held up SO much better than the inexpensive shoes we had bought at our local superstore. They held up so well that even though she played hard in them, she outgrew them before they were worn out, so we were able to hand them down to someone else! The inexpensive store shoes wore out before she outgrew them. Stride Rites are awesome quality and are way worth the few extra bucks just because of their longevity!</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/10581652696/" title="Stride Rite Collage 2 by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Stride Rite Collage 2" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/10581652696_25dc30459b_z.jpg" height="231" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Stride Rite shoes have a ton of light up and themed shoe options to go with any Halloween costume. Check out their Halloween shop <a href="http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite/halloween_striderite?tmad=c&tmcampid=26&tmplaceref=Homepage+Slider+1&tmclickref=Halloween+Teaser" target="_blank">HERE</a>. They are offering themed shoes around some of the season’s hottest costumes like Spider-Man, Captain America, Star Wars, Disney Princess and Minnie Mouse. They carry several brands, including Stride Rite, Sperry Top-Sider, Keds, Saucony and Jessica Simpson.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite/RacerLightsbyStrideRiteStarpower(Toddler)/8-141045/catId/cat1530401SR/stockNumber/CG47436/skuId/***8********CG47436*M115/subCatId/cat2520406/showDefaultOption/true/productdetails" target="_blank">Racer Lights™ by Stride Rite Starpower (Toddler)</a></b> :: $52.00<br />
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<b>Connect with Stride Rite ::</b><br />
Shop their <a href="http://www.striderite.com/store/SiteController/striderite/home" target="_blank">Online Marketplace</a><br />
Like on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/striderite" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
Follow on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/striderite" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-75221568005619322002013-08-26T11:46:00.003-07:002021-10-13T09:58:29.309-07:00Mario and Luigi Super Mario Brothers Crochet Granny Square Blanket Patterns<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/9599154215/" title="Mario & Luigi Granny Square Crochet Design Collage by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Mario & Luigi Granny Square Crochet Design Collage" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7349/9599154215_620d7e37a6.jpg" width="394" /></a></div>
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Thanks to <a href="http://pinterest.com/wildflowershine/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, I stumbled upon a really cool Mario Brothers crocheted blanket that uses granny squares to make up the pixels. NERD ALERT! This is absolutely the coolest and most perfect geeky gift for my brothers! I am planning to make one for each of my little brothers (who are really 27 years old, but about 12 at heart) for Christmas. One Mario, one Luigi.<br />
<br />
Each blanket requires 252 granny squares - seriously, why am I signing myself up for this? Yes, I am crazy to want to take on this many granny squares at once, and it may take me until Christmas 2014 or 2015 based on the rate that I crochet (and how easily I am distracted from projects with other projects.. oh look, <a href="http://pinterest.com/wildflowershine/get-crafty-ideas-tutorials/" target="_blank">something shiny on Pinterest</a>...) but my brothers will LOVE them, so it's worth it (little buggers BETTER love them...).<br />
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I wasn't sure what colors I wanted to do, so I started playing in Excel (I'm a spreadsheet nerd) and came up with several options. Some are more old school colors, while some incorporate newer Mario color schemes into the old school 8-bit character.<br />
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I figure I might as well share the color options I came up with in order to hopefully save someone else the time it would take to do it themselves.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6nWbbOeUwtsazJ6SEFlMFRkSWM/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-Yvo952Hy_QU1YGNH8Ri3QA" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY MARIO AND LUIGI DESIGN PDF</a></b></div>
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If you don't know how to crochet a granny square (it's simple), check out the great tutorial on <a href="http://www.purlbee.com/granny-square-project" target="_blank">The Purl Bee</a>.<br />
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<b>UPDATE 1/29/2014 ::</b><br />
I've gotten a few questions about sizing of this blanket... my suggestion is to make a few granny squares of different sizes (2 row, 3 row, 4 row...) and then measure each square and multiply by 14 for the width and 18 for the length to see how large your finished blanket would be.<br />
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For a smaller throw, a 2 row granny would probably work fine. But if you want more of a bedspread size, you might need to go with a 4 row granny.<br />
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The size of your granny squares will depend on your hook choice and crocheting style (I crochet pretty tight, even when I remind myself to loosen up), so it really is a good idea to make a few samples and measure them to estimate your finished size.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
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>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-54318773802312264952013-06-27T13:55:00.000-07:002014-01-29T12:20:06.617-08:00Recipe :: Healthy Vinaigrette Salad Dressing<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/9096571134/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Lettuce Green Salad by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Lettuce Green Salad" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3769/9096571134_baa32d67ba_m.jpg" height="240" width="211" /></a>Here's the salad dressing that I've been using on my Arbonne 30 Days to Feeling Fit program.<br />
<br />
<b>:: Ingredients ::</b><br />
Apple cider vinegar<br />
Extra virgin olive oil<br />
Minced garlic<br />
Mrs. Dash table blend<br />
Stevia, just a dash (totally optional, if you need to sweeten it up a bit)<br />
<br />
I mix this in a half-pint sized Mason jar. My ratio is about 1/2 vinegar to 1/2 EVOO - ish. I just throw it together, so it's not an exact science.<br />
<br />
I add about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (again, this is a total estimate - I just scoop a couple globs out of the jar with my finger), a few good shakes of Mrs. Dash, and literally a tiny sprinkle of Stevia, cause that stuff is strong. I sometimes forget the Stevia all together, and I don't really miss it.<br />
<br />
The only problem with using the mason jar is that it takes a moment to get the lid off of the jar after shaking it up, so the oil and vinegar start to separate, and the garlic starts to sink before I can get the lid off to pour.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I have 2 suggestions for an upgrade. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I just purchased this one: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059LSBJ2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0059LSBJ2&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0059LSBJ2&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wildflsunsh08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0059LSBJ2" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...and Anne uses this one:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANN1KC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001ANN1KC&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B001ANN1KC&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wildflsunsh08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B001ANN1KC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
<br />
I just picked mine up at Target the other day, but haven't used it yet. It gets <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059LSBJ2/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0059LSBJ2&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" target="_blank">great reviews</a> on Amazon, but I almost wish I had ordered the one Anne has because I love the built in whisk. It doesn't have very good <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANN1KC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001ANN1KC&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" target="_blank">reviews</a> on Amazon, but Anne loves it.<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
>^..^< Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-32081369255438224672013-06-20T13:13:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:57:17.426-08:00I'm Shrinking!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/9096110898/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3676/9096110898_d3a299691a_m.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Beer... oh the humanity!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Earlier this year, I decided that it was high time to lose the weight I had gained since getting pregnant.<br />
<br />
My kiddo is 2.5, so I can't really call this "baby weight" any longer.<br />
<br />
I've tried all kinds of diets. Low carb. Calorie counting. Cabbage soup (yummy for about the first 2 days, then it is torture). Weight Watchers Points program and Core program, at different times.<br />
<br />
WW Core worked pretty well in the past, so I gave it a try again. But this time, I just couldn't kick my sweet tooth, and couldn't fight the carb cravings I was having. I never felt "full" or "satisfied" - this led to giving in to those pesky food cravings, which sabotaged my whole plan. No bueno.<br />
<br />
In mid May, I went to lunch with my friend Cheri. She was slim, radiant, and energetic. <i>*jealous*</i> I was chubby, washed out, and exhausted.<br />
<br />
I already knew her secret. She had told me once before about how she successfully changed her eating habits and got healthy and fit, but at the time, I wasn't ready to hear it. I was blinded by hot wings and bagels and pasta. But this time, I was <strike>desperate</strike> really ready to listen.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Cheri is an Arbonne consultant. She used their nutrition products to put herself on the path to a more healthy lifestyle.<br />
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At first, I was skeptical, but this time, I was desperate to get on that path, so I listened more openly. I decided to give it a shot. 30 Days to Feeling Fit, sign me up.<br />
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The program consists of meal replacement protein shakes (plus some other goodies) and a food plan that focuses on fresh, real, whole, lean foods. No fast food, very little processed food (if any), water and herbal teas.<br />
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<b>And no beer.</b> <i>*bloodchilling scream*</i><br />
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No, not forever. <i>*sigh of relief*</i> Just for the first 30 days. I thought this part would be agony...<br />
<br />
But really, the point is to give your body 30 days of really healthy stuff, to kind of program it to crave the healthy stuff instead of the crap.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;"><b>30 days. I can do this.</b></span></div>
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I'll be honest, the first couple of days was a tiny bit difficult, and it took a good week to get the hang of the food program. The hubs helped me by cleaning off an entire shelf of the pantry so that my special healthy food items could have a home, and that helped a ton.<br />
<br />
After that initial push and learning curve, it has been so easy. Seriously.<br />
<br />
I no longer have cravings for bread, pasta and baked goods. They are in the house, but I just pass them by. I make healthy choices when we go out to eat (our dining-out has decreased dramatically since I started this program), and am always conscious of what I'm putting in my body.<br />
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I've been using the My Fitness Pal app on my phone to track my food (and, as a result, calories) so that I know what's working and what's not.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">As of today... DAY 30... I've lost 12 pounds. </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>*happydance*</i></div>
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<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="nopin" src="http://l4.yimg.com/sm/5538/9096632618_fb320e0704.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="233" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 pounds down!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
I just ordered my second 30-day supply of Arbonne goodies, so the plan is to keep on trucking until I lose all of the "baby weight" that my body has been so reluctant to give up. Plus the "happy marriage weight" that I've gained since our wedding.<br />
<br />
I have a long road ahead, but because of the results I've seen so far, I'm extremely determined.<br />
<br />
I won't lie, this program isn't cheap, but it's so worth it. Especially since our grocery/dining-out bills have shrunk along with my waistline. I think it has about balanced itself out, financially.<br />
<br />
But even if it hadn't, this is worth it. This is the first time I've been on a "diet" that has worked and is not discouraging or difficult. It's easy, HEALTHY and effective.<br />
<br />
Now I just need to get my lazy butt in gear to exercise. Can you imagine my results if I was doing more than just taking 30 minute walks a few times a week?<br />
<br />
Swimsuit season, here I come!<br />
<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-16185523480336161912013-05-20T12:37:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:57:29.148-08:00Beer Tasting Notes :: Epic Brewing Brainless on Peaches<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8748912669/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/8748912669_445ba0f9f0.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a>I was so excited when my hubby sent me a picture of the souvenirs he acquired for me during his trip to meet <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/05/boulder-beer-our-new-home-away-from-home.html" target="_blank">his new coworkers</a> at Boulder Beer in Colorado! Here's another one from the bunch:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">Epic Brewing Brainless on Peaches Belgian Style Ale</span></b><br />
This beer did not dissapoint. Oaky, dry white wine overtone mingled with very light sour peach and Belgian yeast. Smells sweeter than it is. Not overly peachy, just an essence in the finish. Gets sweeter and more tangy the more you drink it.<br />
<br />
Color me peachily impressed.<br />
<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-47713728722640007872013-05-18T21:30:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:57:32.280-08:00Beer Tasting Notes :: Dogfish Head 120 Minute Imperial IPA<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8748928919/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7350/8748928919_30e5d2561e.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a>So does everyone remember the hype about Pliny the Younger? Raise your hand if you stood in line to sample that fabled ale at any point during its ultra-limited release in NorCal. I personally didn't. I wasn't planning to even sample it, but stumbled upon it during Sacramento Beer Week. You can read my tasting notes <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/03/sacramento-beer-week-2013-beer-tasting.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So yes, it was a lovely beer. A very lovely beer. It was a joy to drink it, and I do wish that it wasn't quite so mythical and rare. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
However, I have a beer to share with you that is damn near equal (dare I say BETTER) than Pliny the Younger, and is much more available. Check it out:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Dogfish 120 Minute IPA</span></b><br />
Sweet, oh so sweet! Beautiful fruity hops! Comfortable warm alcohol that relaxed my body from the inside out. Very balanced and just beautiful. Very impressive.<br />
<br />
<b>The verdict: </b>120 Minute wins the battle, in my opinion. It's more readily available, though pricey - but well worth the cost for the effort put into it - continuously hopped during a 2 hour boil, then dry hopped daily in the fermenter for an entire month, then aged for another month on whole leaf hops.* Seriously, Dogfish put an amazing beer forth in 120 Minute.<br />
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I don't want to discount PTY, but its rarity definitely puts it behind the running for me. PTY is gorgeous and tasty, but my chances of sampling it again? Who knows! And my chances of sampling 120M again? 100%.<br />
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Bravo, and thank you, Dogfish Head!<br />
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>^..^<<br />
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<i>*Source: <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/64/9086" target="_blank">BeerAdvocate</a></i><br />
<br />Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-82525391672361045012013-05-13T18:08:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:57:40.673-08:00Easy Mother's Day Craft :: Use a Child's Painting to make a Card for Mom (and Nana and Grandma)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8732169253/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8732169253_b00ba1f61e_z.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hung mine on my cork board in the kitchen - I LOOOOVE it!</td></tr>
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My kiddo loves to paint. Watercolors are her chosen medium.<br />
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I went to our<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/contact/"> local newspaper office</a> and purchased an "end roll" (last bit of paper left over from a news run - but it's actually a TON of paper!) for just a few bucks, and we've been using it as watercolor paper. She has so many paintings that I don't know what to do with them all. Seriously, this kid LOVES to paint.<br />
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I have photographed most of her paintings, so when the time comes, I can recycle them... or, I can upcycle them! Today, I had the brilliant idea to use a couple of her paintings to make cards for Mother's Day for myself, my mom (Nana) and Jim's mom (Grandma).<br />
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For my card, I used a sheet of white card stock, scissors, a hole punch, yarn, and a painting. I simply cut a section of the painting down to about 7.5x10, laid it on top of the card stock, punched holes all around, and then sewed them together with yarn. SO. EASY! Look at how it came out:<br />
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For Nana and Grandma, I simply cut out a piece of each painting, cut into a shape (heart, rectangle, etc). I then punched two holes at the top and ran a piece of yarn through each hole and tied it in a bow so that the card could be hung. I used a purple sharpie to write "Happy Mother's Day" on each. Again, SO EASY, even a Dad could to it... *wink*<br />
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This could easily be done for any occasion. Which means I'll be saving ALL of Lily's paintings so I can upcycle them for special occasions!<br />
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Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! Hope you had a lovely day!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-38740915463126302512013-05-09T12:43:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:57:48.951-08:00Beer Tasting Notes :: Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8708600717/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8708600717_682715b6be.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a>As you know, my husband is my hero because he brings me beery gifts. Here's another from the Colorado trip.</div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout </b></span><br />
Pitch black with a tan head. Heavily roasted malt flavor, almost burnt. Bitter chocolate, espresso beans, molasses and licorice. Very boozy and warm going down. Complex and tasty stout<br />
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>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-66374467806279919102013-05-07T11:59:00.001-07:002014-01-29T10:58:19.643-08:00Boulder Beer :: Our New Home Away From Home<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8512616916/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8087/8512616916_d0229fc1b5_m.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am super stoked to share that <b>my hubby is now the West Coast Territory Manager for Boulder Beer</b>! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">We are so excited and feel very fortunate to be asked to join such a great team! I say "WE" because they don't just get Jim, they also get me, the beer-event-display-design-goddess. I LOVE making our tables look awesome, intriguing and approachable at brew fests and tasting events, and Jim and I totally love talking to people about the flavors of the beers they are sampling, so I am stoked to be back in the game!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It is also totally awesome that I have tried and enjoyed several Boulder beers. Here are links to my tasting notes:</span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/02/sacramento-beer-week-day-1-friday.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Never Summer Ale</span></a></span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/02/sacramento-beer-week-day-1-friday.html" style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Shakenbake Rye IPA</a> (collaboration with Knee Deep)</span></span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #073763;"><a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/03/sacramento-beer-week-2013-capital-beer.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Kinda Blue Blueberry Wheat</span></a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://instagram.com/p/YPBhALu4qw/" target="_blank">Hazed and Infused Dry-Hopped Ale</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><a href="http://instagram.com/p/WOZZXDO4o5/" target="_blank">Mojo Risin' Double IPA</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: large;"><a href="https://untappd.com/user/WildflowerSunshine/checkin/27310789" target="_blank">Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout</a></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><a href="https://untappd.com/user/WildflowerSunshine/checkin/23505743" target="_blank">Honey of a Saison</a></span></b><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out the awesome new video from Boulder Beer! </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Jeff Brown's comment at the end had me cracking up! Bahahaha!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I am SO excited to be a part of the Boulder family! This is going to be a blast!</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cheers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessica</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">>^..^<</span>Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-53909595888522921232013-04-28T12:59:00.000-07:002013-06-19T15:37:05.233-07:00One of the benefits of being married to a Beer Man......is beery gifts!<br />
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Check out the photo that my hubby just sent me from Colorado!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8972356568/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="souvenir beers from Colorado by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="souvenir beers from Colorado" height="300" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/8972356568_6000027694_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are my souvenirs from his trip!! Oh blessed be the craft beer gods and goddesses for making so many interesting and tasty brews!<br />
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<b>:: The Beery Gifts ::</b></div>
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Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Surette Provision Saison</div>
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/05/beer-tasting-notes-brainless-on-peaches.html" target="_blank">Epic Brewing Brainless on Peaches</a></span></b></div>
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Odell Brewing Tree Shaker Imperial IPA</div>
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Crabtree Brewing Berliner Weisse Ale</div>
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Funkwerks Saison</div>
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/05/beer-tasting-notes-clown-shoes-blaecorn.html" target="_blank">Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout</a></span></b></div>
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Stay tuned for tasting notes on all of these beers once they make it home to California! I'll link above as I post the notes, for easy reference.</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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>^..^<</div>
Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-89775988986957398962013-04-22T15:48:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:58:41.024-08:00Celebrating Earth Day :: Making Small Changes that add up to Big Mother Earth Hugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94813535@N05/8654908935/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Earth-Day-Dana-Gray (1) by theSIMPLEmoms, on Flickr"><img alt="Earth-Day-Dana-Gray (1)" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8120/8654908935_390d088fdd.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a></div>
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<em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #2f2f2f; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16.890625px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Earth Day art by <a href="http://www.grayna.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #1982d1; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Dana Gray</a></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;">Happy</span> <span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Earth</span> <span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Day!!</span></b></span></div>
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What did you do to celebrate Earth Day Weekend?<br />
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My plan on Earth Day weekend always includes being outdoors as much as possible. Luckily, my kid loves being outdoors as much as I do, so my hubby and I spent a lot of time doing yard work while Lily played. Our favorite hummingbird, who has chosen our trees as her property and chases off other birds, chirruped at us all day. I need to <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/one-for-birds-earth-day-crafts-to.html" target="_blank">make her a feeder</a> soon...<br />
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Our happy little painter.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8673746024/" title="earth day painting by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="earth day painting" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8673746024_234f538302_z.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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We did spring cleaning in our greenhouse (which is a huge enclosed covered patio with an "indoor" tree growing inside). Things were SO overgrown, so it was a ton of work. But it really does look so much better! Still a lot to do, though.<br />
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Time to wake up the gnomes!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8672649103/" title="Happy Earth Day! by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Happy Earth Day!" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8672649103_6cbfd71c91_z.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was inspired by <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/make-your-own-sun-catchers-supervised.html" target="_blank">Anne's craft idea post</a>, so we rode our bikes to the craft store to get some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pony%20beads&linkCode=ur2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank">pony beads</a> so we could make sun catchers. Lily was SO enthused when I opened the window the next morning and showed her that I had hung the sun catcher! She swung it like a pendulum, and was just so pleased! Definitely a hit!<br />
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Enjoying the colors.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8673745272/" title="earth day sun catcher by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="earth day sun catcher" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8673745272_5728e1b6bc_z.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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And we participated in the local <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/the-great-cloth-diaper-change-earth-day.html" target="_blank">Great Cloth Diaper Change</a> event, which was pretty fun! I had to bribe Lily with fruit snacks (her kryptonite) to pose for the photographer who was volunteering at the event.<br />
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My little lady in her adorable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LLE2YO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004LLE2YO&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" target="_blank">Sauconys</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8672645169/" title="earth day cloth diaper change by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="earth day cloth diaper change" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8672645169_89d86ebaa8_z.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Aside from one major meltdown after a little friend's 2nd birthday party, we had a truly lovely weekend.<br />
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So I would like to leave you all with a few ideas to consider for making your lifestyle a little more green.<br />
It really is easy to make a few small changes in the way we do things to help love our Earth.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Recycle! It's so important!</li>
<li>Purchase reusable grocery bags - <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/celebrate-earth-day-2013-recycled.html" target="_blank">or make your own</a>!</li>
<li>Use reusable lunch bags - I use <a href="http://www.nickisdiapers.com/planet-wise-sandwich-bag-gift-set.html?AffId=63" target="_blank">Planet Wise</a> brand.</li>
<li>Use cloth diapers - I recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=thirsties&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=thirsties%2Caps%2C200&tag=wildflsunsh08-20&url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products" target="_blank">Thirsties</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=charlie%20banana&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A165796011%2Ck%3Acharlie%20banana&tag=wildflsunsh08-20&url=search-alias%3Dbaby-products" target="_blank">Charlie Banana</a>.</li>
<li>Use cloth menstrual pads - read more about what I think of these by clicking <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/the-truth-about-cloth-menstrual-pads.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
<li>Switch to cloth napkins - I have <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/celebrate-earth-day-2013-recycled.html" target="_blank">made a few sets</a> for myself and have rescued sets from thrift! They are awesome!</li>
<li>Grow your own fruits and veggies, or shop at local farmer's markets. This reduces carbon waste in transporting food from far away. Eat organic when possible - pesticides are awful for our environment and our bodies.</li>
<li>Upcycle clothing, disposable containers, and more into <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/celebrate-earth-day-2013-recycled.html" target="_blank">reusable goods and craft projects</a>!</li>
<li>Reuse! Thrifting not only helps to reuse things that have been cast aside by someone else, but it saves you money too!</li>
<li>Natural cleaning products - use vinegar and baking soda to clean your house and wool dryer balls in your dryer. Also, dry laundry on a clothes line in good weather.</li>
</ul>
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Hopefully you will feel inspired to make greener choices based on some of those suggestions. I have found that being "green" really is easier than I expected!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<br />
>^..^<<br />
<br />Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-10808169534436409602013-04-20T12:42:00.003-07:002014-01-29T10:58:47.071-08:00One for the Birds :: Earth Day Crafts to Celebrate Wildlife<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8665562953/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="pamper your wild friends this Earth Day by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="pamper your wild friends this Earth Day" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8253/8665562953_29389d3aff_z.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>With Earth Day around the corner, we are resolving to reduce our carbon footprint, to reuse and repurpose what we can, and to recycle and compost our waste.<br />
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We plant gardens and trees, clean and beautify rivers and streams and celebrate the wonder of the flora around us.<br />
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But what about our furry and feathered friends?<br />
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My family's little piece of the pie is right off the freeway and in the middle of a boring little neighborhood, but at any given moment, especially in the spring, there are buzzing bees and dragonflies, butterflies and hummingbirds, finches, quail, robins and jays and nesting doves.<br />
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We have a very happy (and thanks to the little old lady next door - well fed) colony of squirrels that terrorizes the dog as well as raccoons and possums that walk the fence line.<br />
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How can I not show my wild kingdom some love on Earth Day?<br />
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I scoured pinterest for the very best ways to spoil the wildlife. Here they are, in no particular order.<br />
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1. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988862621465/" target="_blank">Gelatin (or suet) birdfeeders</a> (fancy gourmet for the birds) </div>
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2. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391492/" target="_blank">Fancy Bird Café Feeders</a> (super cute feeders made from kitchen dishes) </div>
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3. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391606/" target="_blank">Easy DIY bird feeder from a toilet paper roll</a> (just did this yesterday and the birdies love it! and so did my 3 year old!) </div>
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4. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988862673628/" target="_blank">Butterfly Feeder</a></div>
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5. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391514/" target="_blank">17 Must-have plants for attracting butterflies</a> </div>
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6. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391586/" target="_blank">Yarn Scraps for Bird Nests</a> (Save all those scraps when crafting and let the birds build fancy nests.)</div>
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7. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210287430/" target="_blank">DIY Worm Farm</a> </div>
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8. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391684/" target="_blank">Build a Bird House</a> - 49 great pictures to get you inspired </div>
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9. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391644/" target="_blank">Hummingbird Nectar Recipe</a> (National Audubon Society recommends NO red food coloring, honey or other artificial sweeteners!) </div>
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10. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863391692/" target="_blank">Build a Bat Box</a> (Brown bats can eat up to 1000 mosquitos an hour!! Go Bats!) </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12193265266166297021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-13795092737413254772013-04-19T13:53:00.002-07:002014-01-29T10:59:01.823-08:00The Great Cloth Diaper Change :: Earth Day Weekend 2013 :: Sacramento Event Information<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94813535@N05/8664155594/" title="GCDC2013banner by theSIMPLEmoms, on Flickr"><img alt="GCDC2013banner" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8664155594_c3f167f985_z.jpg" height="97" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Attention all Sacramento Area cloth diapering families! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tomorrow is the Great Cloth Diaper Change!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Safetyville</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>3909 Bradshaw Road </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Sacramento, CA 95827</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PDT)</b></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94813535@N05/8663057061/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="RSRDGCDClogo by theSIMPLEmoms, on Flickr"><img alt="RSRDGCDClogo" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8265/8663057061_45a4fcbf39_q.jpg" height="150" width="150" /></a>Join us and help to break the 2012 Guiness World Record for the most cloth diapers changed at one time! Last year, we succeeded in setting the new world record of 8,251 qualifying participants at 189 locations on 4 continents! The 2011 record was 5026 simultaneous cloth diaper changes!<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://sacramentogcdc-es2.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to get your free Eventbrite ticket for entry to the event.<br />
<br />
The event is sponsored by <a href="http://www.kissedbythemoon.com/" target="_blank">Kissed by the Moon</a>, an online cloth diaper and eco-friendly product shop, locally-based in Elk Grove, California. Thanks, Tami, for all of your hard work!<br />
<br />
Hope to see you at Safetyville!<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
JessicaJessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-31825609087802196932013-04-19T12:17:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:59:09.536-08:00Beer Tasting Notes :: Hangar 24 Orange Wheat<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8970848819/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3779/8970848819_61c2c526f1_z.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a></div>
Here's a wonderful beer that I first tasted at this year's Capital Beer Fest.<br />
<br />
This is a perfect summer beer, to be savored while basking in the sun by a body of water, covered in tanning oil (your body, not your beer), and listening to some awesome <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2011/07/music-my-summer-playlist.html" target="_blank">summer tunes</a>.<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://instagram.com/p/YT_y0Du4td/" style="color: #9d0087;" target="_blank">Hangar 24 Orange Wheat</a></span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">: Fresh orange aroma, earthy wheat malt flavor with a lightly tangy and dry finish. Pretty balanced, but more on the dry side. Crisp, lively carbonation. Very refreshing.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
>^..^<<br />
<br />
<br />Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-50237811840976692712013-04-18T11:16:00.004-07:002014-01-29T10:59:17.992-08:00Make your own Sun Catchers :: Supervised Craft for Kids for Earth Day {or any day} :: Can the Earth Catch the Sun?<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8660293327/"><img alt="2013 Earth Day Sun Catcher Collage2" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8121/8660293327_97196cbca0_b.jpg" height="640" width="403" /></a></div>
<br />
Can the Earth Catch the Sun?<br />
<br />
You bet!<br />
<br />
While the oven was hot when we did our <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/2013/04/make-your-own-recycled-earth-day.html" target="_blank">Recycled Earth Day Crayons</a>, we thought we would do another one of our favorite repurposing crafts. Sun catchers!<br />
<br />
These sun catchers are made from melted <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=pony%20beads&linkCode=ur2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20&url=search-alias%3Daps" target="_blank">pony beads</a> - so easy, and so fun!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8661361524/"><img alt="Sun Catcher (2)" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8661361524_2724421e46.jpg" height="400" img="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We chose to use Earthy blues, greens and whites to celebrate Earth Day, but the awesome thing about this project is that you can make them for any holiday, event, mood or season by just changing the colors you use!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8661361500/"><img alt="Sun Catcher (3)" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8661361500_2557956ea9_z.jpg" height="277" img="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Place the oven-proof containers on a cookie sheet, and put it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until melted. Once these cool, they pop right out of the container. Drill a quick hole at the top and string some fishing line, and you have a lovely little Earthy sun catcher for the window.<br />
<br />
Granted, these aren't perfectly accurate depictions of the planet :) but it is art... and the beads have taken some liberties!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8661361416/"><img alt="Sun Catcher (5-2)" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8661361416_950b227891.jpg" height="400" img="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This is another <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988862637166/" target="_blank">Pinterest find</a>. Can you tell that I am hooked? <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8661361432/"><img alt="Sun Catcher (5-1)" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8661361432_7df51c89fc.jpg" height="400" img="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
"These are going in the playroom," I was told. Fine by me!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8661361246/"><img alt="Sun Catcher (6)" class="nopin" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8661361246_dc1db9e9a5_z.jpg" height="289" img="" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I think that they are perfect.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12193265266166297021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-52727098003784449032013-04-17T08:00:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:59:26.933-08:00Make your own Recycled Crayons for Earth Day :: Color the Earth Green {and Blue!}<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="2013 Earth Day Crayon Craft Collage" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8656864136_3c7c49a65f_b.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></div>
<br />
In our house, we like to draw.<br />
<br />
My big man (who is already 3 and a half!!) likes to write notes, do homework, make lists, and plain ole draw draw draw! He does this with pencils, chalk (all over the bricks, sidewalk, house, gate...much to his Da's dismay), and pens, and of course, crayons!<br />
<br />
So, I thought a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day, April 22nd, would be to make our own Earth crayons.<br />
<br />
I was inspired by an image on <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/360850988863368965/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, so I can't take credit for originality.....but wow! Did we have fun! This is also a nice quiet activity that can be done anywhere...we spread out on the carpet while watching Pooh. <em> </em><br />
<br />
Little hands make quick work of peeling crayon wrappers. I had hoped that we could use sun power to melt the crayons, but it rained today and ruined my plans. Luckily, the oven can do the same thing, so about 12 minutes at 230 degrees and you have new crayons from old and broken ones. A beautiful way to recycle!<br />
<br />
Big Man says he is going to share these with his friends; maybe Te and Mow, Jakey and Vee and another special little Lily flower who likes to hug trees, collect acorns and draw, too!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12193265266166297021noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-4509067515962201452013-04-16T15:08:00.001-07:002014-01-29T10:59:37.168-08:00Celebrate Earth Day 2013 :: Recycled, Upcycled and Reusable Home Good Patterns {Pinterest Round Up}<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8655756699/" title="Earth Day Craft Collage 2013 - 2-1 by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Earth Day Craft Collage 2013 - 2-1" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8117/8655756699_52878972a4_b.jpg" height="1024" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
Are you crafty? Do you want to hug the planet by reducing your contribution to landfills? Do you like to upcycle old clothes and linens into reusable goods? Do you have an unbelievable stash of fabric and yarn that you've been hoarding and really need to destash??<br />
<br />
Good, me too.<br />
<br />
To celebrate Earth Day, I scoured Pinterest to find the best tutorials for reusable goods that can replace disposable goods in our homes.<br />
<br />
Replace your paper napkins, paper towels, plastic baggies, plastic (and paper!) shopping bags, sponges and disposable swiffer pads with lovely, fashionable, long-lasting, reusable cloth!<br />
<br />
It really is easy, and does SO much for our planet! Also, can you imagine how cute you'll feel with all of your awesome stashed fabric ACTUALLY IN USE?! I'm so excited!<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281190/" target="_blank">Sandwich Cozy</a> (doubles as a placemat!)<br />
2. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281206/" target="_blank">Mitred Corner Cloth Napkins</a> (I've already made 2 sets using this pattern, and I LOVE it!)<br />
3. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281200/" target="_blank">Lunch Box Cloth Napkins</a> (alternative corner method if the mitered corners intimidate you)<br />
4. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281233/" target="_blank">Knotted Reusable Lunch Sacks</a> (no more brown bagging it!)<br />
5. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281342/" target="_blank">Crocheted Reusable Kitchen Sponge 1</a> (fancy looking sponges)<br />
6. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281403/" target="_blank">Crocheted Wash Cloths</a> (to replace paper towels/sponges)<br />
7. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281306/" target="_blank">Crocheted Reusable Kitchen Sponge 2</a> (super basic sponges)<br />
8. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281294/" target="_blank">Crocheted Reusable Face Scrubbers</a> (to replace the disposable cotton rounds)<br />
9. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281212/" target="_blank">Upcycled T-Shirt Shopping Bags</a> (out with plastic bags!)<br />
10. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281125/" target="_blank">Crocheted Market Bag</a> (I hear the farmer's market calling my name...)<br />
11. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281221/" target="_blank">Reusable Kitchen Towels</a> (designed to act like a paper towel roll!)<br />
12. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281245/" target="_blank">Reusable Coffee Cozy</a> (stop wasting those cardboard ones, and look fashionable at the same time!<br />
13. <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/6192518210281165/" target="_blank">Reusable Fleece Swiffer Pads</a> (so easy, only need scissors! no sew!)<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-49396051721794750332013-04-15T15:46:00.000-07:002014-01-29T10:59:48.691-08:00Books Everyone Should Read :: via Grammarly & Information is Beautiful<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I ran across this great book cloud on Grammarly's Facebook feed last week (original image can be found <a href="http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/books-everyone-should-read/" target="_blank">here</a>), and I thought the list was fantastic (with the exception of Twilight - that just doesn't fit into this list in my opinion)!<br />
<br />
I decided that I wanted to take the time to type it out in list form so that it is easier to read.... and so that I can keep track of what I've read (in bold).<br />
<br />
I'm competitive, what can I say? </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8641734312/" title="Books Everyone Should Read via Grammarly by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="Books Everyone Should Read via Grammarly" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8641734312_256f5fba69_b.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All Quiet on the Western Front</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Animal Farm</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anna Karenina</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anne of Green Gables</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Atlas Shrugged</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Atonement</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bell Jar, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Beloved</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Blood Meridian</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Brave New World</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Brothers Karamazov, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Catch-22</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Chronicles of Narnia, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Clockwork Orange, A</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Cold Comfort Farm</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Color Purple, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Confederacy of Dunces, A </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Crash</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Crime and Punishment</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Da Vinci Code, The</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
David Copperfield</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Disgrace</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Don Quixote</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Dracula</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Dune</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Emma</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ender's Game</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Farewell to Arms, A</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For Whom the Bell Tolls</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Foundation</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Fountainhead, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Frankenstein</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Glass Bead Game, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Gone with the Wind</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Good Earth, The</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Grapes of Wrath, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Great Expectations</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Handmaid's Tale, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Harry Potter</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Heart of Darkness</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
His Dark Materials</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Hobbit, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Invisible Man</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Jane Eyre</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Kite Runner, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Leopard, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Les Miserables</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Life of Pi</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Little Prince, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Little Women</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Lolita</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Lonesome Dove</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Lord of the Flies</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Lord of the Rings, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Love in the Time of Cholera</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Madame Bovary</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Master and Margarita, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Memoirs of a Geisha</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Middlemarch</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Middlesex</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Midnight's Children</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Name of the Rose, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Of Human Bondage</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Of Mice and Men</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Old Man and the Sea, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the Road</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One Hundred Years of Solitude</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oscar and Lucinda</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Persuasion</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Picture of Dorian Gray, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Possession</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Prayer for Owen Meany, A</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Pride and Prejudice</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Rebecca</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Remains of the Day, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Remembrance of Things Past</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Road, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Scarlet Letter, The</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Scoop</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sense and Sensibility</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Siddhartha</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Slaughterhouse-Five</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sound and the Fury, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Stranger in a Strange Land</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Stranger, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tale of Two Cities, A</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tess of the D'Ubervilles</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>The Jungle</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thousand Splendid Suns, A</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Three Musketeers, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Time Traveler's Wife, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Tin Drum, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>To Kill a Mockingbird</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Twilight </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ulysses</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unbearable Lightness of Being, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Underworld</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Vanity Fair</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
War and Peace</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Watership Down</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Wind in the Willows, The</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Winnie the Pooh</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Wuthering Heights</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-22793257890299671772013-04-11T14:23:00.000-07:002017-08-14T08:45:42.154-07:00The Rory Gilmore Book List & Reading Challenge :: How Many Have YOU Read?<div>
I recently formed a reading club called the Litwits, and though we have only had 2 meetings, I am LOVING this group! It is so great to spend time with other readers!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At our last meeting we discussed a book/reading list that has surfaced on the internet that is being attributed to Rory Gilmore. Yes, THAT Rory Gilmore, from the show. So what if she is a fictional character? This is a pretty great list! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sure, there are several listed that do not interest me, but there are many that DO interest me. Because I am a total book nerd myself, I decided that I needed to have my own Rory list on my blog so that I can keep track of what I've read (in bold). There are a number of books on this list that I own, yet haven't read, so they will be easy targets. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So here it is, in all its glory... </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/19151225@N08/8640496381/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="The Rory Gilmore Reading List by WildflowerSunshine, on Flickr"><img alt="The Rory Gilmore Reading List" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8538/8640496381_5f95b7dacf_z.jpg" height="212" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
1984 by George Orwell</div>
<b>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain</b><br />
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll<br />
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon<br />
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser<br />
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt<br />
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy<br />
<b>Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank</b><br />
Archidamian War by Donald Kagan<br />
The Art of Fiction by Henry James<br />
The Art of War by Sun Tzu<br />
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner<br />
Atonement by Ian McEwan<br />
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy<br />
<b>The Awakening by Kate Chopin</b><br />
Babe by Dick King-Smith<br />
Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi<br />
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie<br />
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett<br />
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath<br />
Beloved by Toni Morrison<br />
<b>Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney</b><br />
The Bhagava Gita<br />
The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews by Peter Duffy<br />
Bitch in Praise of Difficult Women by Elizabeth Wurtzel<br />
A Bolt from the Blue and Other Essays by Mary McCarthy<br />
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley<br />
Brick Lane by Monica Ali<br />
Bridgadoon by Alan Jay Lerner<br />
<b>Candide by Voltaire</b><br />
<b>The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer</b><br />
Carrie by Stephen King<br />
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller<br />
<b>The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger</b><br />
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White<br />
The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman<br />
Christine by Stephen King<br />
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens<br />
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess<br />
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse<br />
The Collected Short Stories by Eudora Welty<br />
The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty<br />
A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare<br />
Complete Novels by Dawn Powell<br />
The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton<br />
Complete Stories by Dorothy Parker<br />
<b>A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole</b><br />
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas père<br />
Cousin Bette by Honor’e de Balzac<br />
<b>Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky</b><br />
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber – started and not finished<br />
<b>The Crucible by Arthur Miller</b><br />
Cujo by Stephen King<br />
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon<br />
Daisy Miller by Henry James<br />
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende<br />
David and Lisa by Dr Theodore Issac Rubin M.D<br />
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens<br />
<b>The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown</b><br />
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol<br />
Demons by Fyodor Dostoyevsky<br />
<b>Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller</b><br />
Deenie by Judy Blume<br />
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson<br />
The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band by Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx<br />
<b>The Divine Comedy by Dante</b><br />
<b>The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells</b><br />
<b>Don Quixote by Cervantes</b><br />
Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhrv<br />
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson<br />
<b>Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales & Poems by Edgar Allan Poe</b><br />
Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook<br />
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe<br />
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn<br />
Eloise by Kay Thompson<br />
Emily the Strange by Roger Reger<br />
Emma by Jane Austen<br />
Empire Falls by Richard Russo<br />
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol<br />
<b>Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton</b><br />
Ethics by Spinoza<br />
Europe through the Back Door, 2003 by Rick Steves<br />
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende<br />
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer<br />
Extravagance by Gary Krist<br />
<b>Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury</b><br />
Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore<br />
The Fall of the Athenian Empire by Donald Kagan<br />
Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World by Greg Critser<br />
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson<br />
The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1 of The Lord of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein<br />
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom<br />
Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce<br />
Fletch by Gregory McDonald<br />
<b>Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes</b><br />
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem<br />
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand<br />
<b>Frankenstein by Mary Shelley</b><br />
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger<br />
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers<br />
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut<br />
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler<br />
George W. Bushism: The Slate Book of the Accidental Wit and Wisdom of our 43rd President by Jacob Weisberg<br />
Gidget by Fredrick Kohner<br />
Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen<br />
The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels<br />
The Godfather: Book 1 by Mario Puzo<br />
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy<br />
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Alvin Granowsky<br />
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell<br />
The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford<br />
The Gospel According to Judy Bloom<br />
The Graduate by Charles Webb<br />
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck<br />
<b>The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald</b><br />
<b>Great Expectations by Charles Dickens</b><br />
The Group by Mary McCarthy<br />
<b>Hamlet by William Shakespeare</b><br />
<b>Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling</b><br />
<b>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling</b><br />
<b>A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers</b><br />
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad<br />
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry<br />
Henry IV, part I by William Shakespeare<br />
Henry IV, part II by William Shakespeare<br />
Henry V by William Shakespeare<br />
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby<br />
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon<br />
Holidays on Ice: Stories by David Sedaris<br />
The Holy Barbarians by Lawrence Lipton<br />
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III<br />
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende<br />
How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer<br />
<b>How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss</b><br />
How the Light Gets in by M. J. Hyland<br />
Howl by Allen Gingsburg<br />
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo<br />
<b>The Iliad by Homer</b><br />
I’m with the Band by Pamela des Barres<br />
<b>In Cold Blood by Truman Capote</b><br />
<b>Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee</b><br />
Iron Weed by William J. Kennedy<br />
It Takes a Village by Hillary Clinton<br />
<b>Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë</b><br />
<b>The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan</b><br />
<b>Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare</b><br />
<b>The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain</b><br />
<b>The Jungle by Upton Sinclair</b><br />
Just a Couple of Days by Tony Vigorito<br />
The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander<br />
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini <br />
Lady Chatterleys’ Lover by D. H. Lawrence<br />
The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000 by Gore Vidal<br />
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman<br />
The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield<br />
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis<br />
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke<br />
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken<br />
Life of Pi by Yann Martel<br />
<b>The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis</b><br />
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens<br />
The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway<br />
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen<br />
<b>Little Women by Louisa May Alcott</b><br />
Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton<br />
<b>Lord of the Flies by William Golding</b><br />
<b>The Lottery: And Other Stories by Shirley Jackson</b><br />
<b>The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold</b><br />
The Love Story by Erich Segal<br />
<b>Macbeth by William Shakespeare</b><br />
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert<br />
The Manticore by Robertson Davies<br />
Marathon Man by William Goldman<br />
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov<br />
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir<br />
Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William Tecumseh Sherman<br />
<b>Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris</b><br />
The Meaning of Consuelo by Judith Ortiz Cofer<br />
Mencken’s Chrestomathy by H. R. Mencken<br />
The Merry Wives of Windsro by William Shakespeare<br />
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka<br />
<b>Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides</b><br />
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson<br />
Moby Dick by Herman Melville<br />
The Mojo Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion by Jim Irvin<br />
Moliere: A Biography by Hobart Chatfield Taylor<br />
A Monetary History of the United States by Milton Friedman<br />
Monsieur Proust by Celeste Albaret<br />
A Month Of Sundays: Searching For The Spirit And My Sister by Julie Mars<br />
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway<br />
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf<br />
Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall<br />
My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and It’s Aftermath by Seymour M. Hersh<br />
My Life as Author and Editor by H. R. Mencken<br />
My Life in Orange: Growing Up with the Guru by Tim Guest<br />
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult – read<br />
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer<br />
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco<br />
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri<br />
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin<br />
Nervous System: Or, Losing My Mind in Literature by Jan Lars Jensen<br />
New Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson<br />
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay<br />
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich<br />
Night by Elie Wiesel<br />
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen – read<br />
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism by William E. Cain, Laurie A. Finke, Barbara E. Johnson, John P. McGowan<br />
Novels 1930-1942: Dance Night/Come Back to Sorrento, Turn, Magic Wheel/Angels on Toast/A Time to be Born by Dawn Powell<br />
Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski<br />
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck<br />
Old School by Tobias Wolff<br />
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens<br />
On the Road by Jack Kerouac<br />
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn<br />
<b>One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey</b><br />
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez<br />
The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan<br />
Oracle Night by Paul Auster<br />
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood<br />
Othello by Shakespeare<br />
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens<br />
The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan<br />
Out of Africa by Isac Dineson<br />
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton<br />
<b>A Passage to India by E.M. Forster</b><br />
The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Expedition by Donald Kagan<br />
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky<br />
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious<br />
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde<br />
Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffington<br />
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi<br />
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain<br />
The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby<br />
The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker<br />
The Portable Nietzche by Fredrich Nietzche<br />
The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O’Neill by Ron Suskind<br />
<b>Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen </b><br />
Property by Valerie Martin<br />
Pushkin: A Biography by T. J. Binyon<br />
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw<br />
Quattrocento by James Mckean<br />
A Quiet Storm by Rachel Howzell Hall<br />
Rapunzel by Grimm Brothers<br />
<b>The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe</b><br />
The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham<br />
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi<br />
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier<br />
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin<br />
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant<br />
Rescuing Patty Hearst: Memories From a Decade Gone Mad by Virginia Holman<br />
The Return of the King: The Lord of the Rings Book 3 by J. R. R. Tolkien<br />
R Is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton<br />
Rita Hayworth by Stephen King<br />
Robert’s Rules of Order by Henry Robert<br />
Roman Fever by Edith Wharton<br />
<b>Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare</b><br />
A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf<br />
A Room with a View by E. M. Forster<br />
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin<br />
Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi<br />
Sanctuary by William Faulkner<br />
Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford<br />
The Scarecrow of Oz by Frank L. Baum<br />
<b>The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne</b><br />
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand<br />
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir<br />
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd<br />
Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette by Judith Thurman<br />
Selected Letters of Dawn Powell: 1913-1965 by Dawn Powell<br />
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen<br />
<b>A Separate Peace by John Knowles - my dog is named after a character in this book (Phineas)</b><br />
Several Biographies of Winston Churchill<br />
Sexus by Henry Miller<br />
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon<br />
Shane by Jack Shaefer<br />
The Shining by Stephen King<br />
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse<br />
S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton<br />
Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut<br />
Small Island by Andrea Levy<br />
Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway<br />
Snow White and Rose Red by Grimm Brothers<br />
Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World by Barrington Moore<br />
The Song of Names by Norman Lebrecht<br />
Song of the Simple Truth: The Complete Poems of Julia de Burgos by Julia de Burgos<br />
The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker<br />
Songbook by Nick Hornby<br />
<b>The Sonnets by William Shakespeare</b><br />
Sonnets from the Portuegese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning<br />
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron<br />
<b>The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner</b><br />
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov<br />
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach<br />
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller<br />
<b>A Streetcar Named Desiree by Tennessee Williams</b><br />
Stuart Little by E. B. White<br />
Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway<br />
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust<br />
Swimming with Giants: My Encounters with Whales, Dolphins and Seals by Anne Collett<br />
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber<br />
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens<br />
Tender Is The Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald<br />
Term of Endearment by Larry McMurtry<br />
Time and Again by Jack Finney<br />
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger<br />
To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway<br />
<b>To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee</b><br />
The Tragedy of Richard III by William Shakespeare<br />
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith<br />
The Trial by Franz Kafka<br />
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson<br />
Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett<br />
Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom<br />
Ulysses by James Joyce<br />
The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962 by Sylvia Plath<br />
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />
Unless by Carol Shields<br />
Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann<br />
The Vanishing Newspaper by Philip Meyers<br />
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray<br />
Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico (Thirty Three and a Third series) by Joe Harvard<br />
<b>The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides</b><br />
<b>Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett</b><br />
Walden by Henry David Thoreau<br />
Walt Disney’s Bambi by Felix Salten<br />
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy<br />
We Owe You Nothing – Punk Planet: The Collected Interviews edited by Daniel Sinker<br />
What Colour is Your Parachute? 2005 by Richard Nelson Bolles<br />
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane by Henry Farrell<br />
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka<br />
<b>Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson</b><br />
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee<br />
<b>Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire</b><br />
The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum<br />
<b>Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë</b><br />
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings<br />
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-64874640653219458482013-04-08T14:25:00.000-07:002014-01-29T11:00:20.612-08:00The Truth About Cloth Menstrual PadsIf you are one of my male readers who is normally here for the beer stuff, I’m warning you right now – STOP READING and come back for more beer stuff later. The following is GIRL TALK, and you WILL be grossed out. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<i>(Did the gentlemen leave yet? Ok…)</i><br />
<br />
Helloooo, ladies! Let’s talk about menstruation! <br />
<br />
<i>(…if the gents hadn’t left before, they sure as shit have now!)</i><br />
<br />
So, down to business.<br />
<br />
I have a confession to make. In several parts.<br />
<br />
<b>One.</b> I use tampons. Stop the mother-freaking presses! Yes, yes, I know, so do millions of other women. But I feel guilty about it. Every time I flush a pipe mouse <i>(did you know that’s what plumbers call them? With their cute little tails… clogging pipes…) </i>down the toilet, I feel like I am polluting the environment.<br />
<br />
But I rationalize with myself. I tell myself, <i>“hey, it’s just like poop, right? I mean, they’re flushable! If I had one extra snack today, I’d have pooped about the size of a tampon… and this flush water goes through heavy treatment… so, therefore, tampons are FINE for the environment…”</i><br />
<br />
Rational thinking for the win. <br />
<br />
However, in reality, I have no idea whether or not my rationalization has any truth to it, and I’m kinda scared to research it because I am just not ready to try a menstrual cup <i>(yet)</i> so I have to keep on keepin’ on with the tampon rationalizations.<br />
<br />
Don’t judge.<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WP8QIM/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004WP8QIM&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004WP8QIM&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wildflsunsh08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004WP8QIM" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<b>Two.</b> I use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=cloth%20menstrual%20pads&linkCode=ur2&rh=i%3Ahpc%2Ck%3Acloth%20menstrual%20pads&sprefix=cloth%20me%2Chpc&tag=wildflsunsh08-20&url=search-alias%3Dhpc" target="_blank">cloth pads</a>. And I LOVE THEM. I hear you thinking “Whaaa?” No really, they are fantastic!<br />
<br />
However, I don’t use them alone. I still wear tampons. And I don’t wear the pads without a tampon. Yes, I have to wear both. Because I CONSTANTLY and CONSISTENTLY forget to change my tampons and end up leaking, and who wants that to happen at WORK? Not me. So I double up.<br />
<br />
But here’s the thing. Though I rationalize myself out of thinking that tampons are bad for the environment, I can’t do that with pads. They aren't flushable. In my mind, they are similar to disposable diapers (though I’m sure there are different components in each), and I've actually researched how bad disposable diapers are for the environment… and yes, I cloth diaper, if you didn't know this already.<br />
<br />
So cloth pads it is.<br />
<br />
Don’t judge.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WP8QKA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004WP8QKA&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004WP8QKA&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wildflsunsh08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004WP8QKA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<b>Three.</b> I am telling you this because I want to convert ALL of you to using cloth pads. <i>(YOU being the ladies, cause really, if any dudes are still reading, I’d be really floored... and a little impressed)</i><br />
<br />
Why cloth? Because they are SO much more comfortable than disposables. The environmental part is a total bonus, as well as the cost savings over time, but those aren't the real reasons that I want to spread the good word about cloth pads. The truth is that I fricking HATE how chafey and uncomfortable disposable pads are, even the pantyliners that feel like “cotton” or whatever – I can’t stand any of them. They were obviously designed by men who have never worn them and have no clue as to how horribly awful they really feel. Cloth pads feel just like underwear – soft, comfortable, invisible. I almost forget the pad is even there. Which sucks when I also forget about my tampon, and feel that burst of leakage that signals to my brain to RUN <i>(which is nearly impossible to do with your legs pressed together to keep the flow at bay)</i>, terrified of red stains on my pants, only to be reminded once in the bathroom stall that I did, in fact protect myself with a comfy little puffy cloud of security.<br />
<br />
Don’t judge my brain’s moments of forgetfulness. I blame the proverbial <i>“mommy brain”</i> for this.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A6GGWSC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A6GGWSC&linkCode=as2&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00A6GGWSC&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wildflsunsh08-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00A6GGWSC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<b>Four.</b> I wash my cloth pads with my clothing. My hubby was grossed at first, but he got over it once I reminded him how many times I ran jeans through the wash with huge spots of period leakage, and he never batted an eyelash then, so what’s the big deal now.<br />
<br />
Rational thinking for the win, again.<br />
<br />
Plus, they can be soaked in a bucket of water first, rinsed in the garage sink to get most of the red out, then run through the laundry. It REALLY isn’t a big deal. Trust me.<br />
<br />
Alright, so whether you are convinced about cloth pads or not, I double, no, <u>TRIPLE</u> DOG DARE you to try just one cloth pad for just one day during one period. There are really inexpensive ones on Etsy. Just try it. It will change your world and rock your panties.<br />
<br />
Cheers ladies! Thanks for listening. Go forth and wear cloth!<br />
<br />
P.S. If you can't tell by the photos, my favorite cloth menstrual pad brand is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Charlie%20Banana&linkCode=ur2&node=3760901&tag=wildflsunsh08-20" target="_blank">Charlie Banana</a>.<br />
<br />
>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-75195833380792520272013-04-04T16:28:00.002-07:002013-04-18T11:39:02.708-07:00Tony Detroit's Photography on InstagramI'm not a heavy Instagram user, however there is one user in particular who always commands my attention with his amazingly vivid and visionary photography.<br />
<br />
I urge you to go take a look at <a href="http://instagram.com/tonydetroit" target="_blank">TonyDetroit</a>'s photography on Instagram. His photographs capture the lost, abandoned, forgotten, and very wild soul of downtown Detroit. I find it so utterly sad yet extremely intriguing that a major city in America could be left to crumble and decay in this way...<br />
<br />
Here are a couple of his photographs that particularly gripped me:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagram.com/tonydetroit" target="_blank"><img border="0" img class='nopin' height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtBOVufULrY4KprhYdwquwWxYbDvYpa2Zj6qhoQFsMYEtiV2m6CVzrIzqaElbwbLdd_LnK-3B1V6bPdkwZRJhT59k44nUOwoKW-bEmKAg_xjbRlAJXzYZ4rT4lrKXPCEgqJhepjyHTREn/s640/TonyDetroit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://instagram.com/tonydetroit" target="_blank"><img border="0" img class='nopin' height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUb372wtGIxgyVGR4i72C3j5E4VdzKo4dlTXwmp56wz00kxYCZqVK2TUY150vyNaQh7vuizLtg12Fr4bbuLugro8GsoBqDqrBUzy_8dBEgkihbS5Tl-yh-STKsu41FYp-a0ACK0FUSG4F/s640/TonyDetroit2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
He has an eye for capturing the character of broken inanimate objects and transforming them into things of haunting beauty.<br />
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His photos speak volumes. They speak of broken dreams, sadness of spirit, neglect of former beauty and grandeur. They speak to the core of our beings, rocking perception and punching it into reality.<br />
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This is a broken city in a broken economy. This is a reality that can happen anywhere, even in the good old U.S. of A. It is heart wrenching and frightening, but with an ironic and ethereal beauty that can't be ignored.<br />
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Please take a few minutes to check out <a href="http://instagram.com/tonydetroit" target="_blank">his gallery on Instagram</a>. I hope his photos move you in the same way that they move me.<br />
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Cheers.<br />
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>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-64349894960209565162013-04-02T15:30:00.003-07:002013-04-03T12:09:37.835-07:00Book Review :: The Sunshine When She's Gone by Thea Goodman<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15794112-the-sunshine-when-she-s-gone" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Sunshine When She's Gone" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344319810m/15794112.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15794112-the-sunshine-when-she-s-gone">The Sunshine When She's Gone</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458055.Thea_Goodman">Thea Goodman</a><br />
My Goodreads rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/579113579">1 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I received this book for review from the PR company who is promoting it. My best friend Anne and I both read The Sunshine When She's Gone. Neither of us liked it nor understood the motivation of the characters. <br />
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In the press release, the PR company refers to this story as a farce. Neither Anne nor I were able to find the humor/farce in this novel. Other reviewers have referred to this book as a satire, yet I find nothing satirical in the writing style or content. <br />
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It is a well written text, indeed, but it doesn't read like a comedy, which is what a farce or satire is meant to be. It reads like a serious dramatic novel with a highly improbable and unbelievable plot. The writing style does not convey that this is a tongue-in-cheek look at a couple and circumstances that are meant to be funny.<br />
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Also, based on the author's interview on NPR, I don’t get the impression that she meant this to be a farce or satire at all - she seems to give real emotions and characteristics to these people in an attempt to make them really real, but then builds a completely unreal set of circumstances around them. If she truly meant this to be a farce or satire, don't you think she would have been sure to express this in her interview? <br />
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The plot is completely unbelievable and the characters are horrid, shallow people, especially the wife. Time and time again over the past couple of weeks since I finished the book, I've tried to put myself in the shoes of the characters in an attempt to understand why they made the decisions they made. But none of them make sense.<br />
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What father in his right mind would hop on a plane to another country with a newborn, virtually no supplies, and not contact his wife in 3 days time (except for one voicemail, in which he lied about their whereabouts)? What mother in her right mind wouldn't freak out when she discovered her husband and baby were gone and couldn't get her husband on the phone (over the course of almost 3 days) to confirm their whereabouts?<br />
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I am the mother of a 2 year old, and Anne is mother to a 3 year old and a 7 month old, so we know full well how it feels to be overtired, overwhelmed and at wit's end. We know how it feels to be angry and frustrated with our spouses for waking the baby, or not doing the laundry, or not saying the right thing. But neither of us can relate to these characters, especially with the wife, who seems to have these real, caring feelings for her family, but then makes selfish and disgusting choices that in no way back these feelings up and make her utterly detestable.<br />
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As mothers, my friend and I both agree that if we hadn't been able to contact our husband (or mother in law) to determine the whereabouts and well being of our child after even a single day, we would be out of our minds with panic, not out gallivanting and drinking with friends and sleeping with ex boyfriends after a full 2 days of ignoring reality. This character pines for her child on one hand, but then turns around and ignores those feelings in favor of a stiff drink (and a stiff something else...) Ridiculous.<br />
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I think that the author has a strong writing ability, but this story is awful and her talents have been wasted on this novel.<br />
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Also, I am at a loss to understand how this book made Oprah's book of the week list. Totally scratching my head on that one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6506992-jessica-shevlin">View all of my Goodreads reviews</a><br />
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>^..^<Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7391556314819693313.post-13174493856913398252013-03-20T16:12:00.002-07:002017-08-14T08:45:15.655-07:00Introducing The Litwits: A Reading Club for Drinkers {Sacramento, CA}<b>Hello, my name is Jessica, and I am a Litwit.</b><br />
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I was an English major in college. I'm not that fond of math, I have a crappy memory when it comes to history, I'm totally not into politics or government, and dissecting animals in high school Bio totally icked me out. But I love to read and I love to write, so studying English just made sense. </div>
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<i>Also, I was a little naive when it came to how College Studies could translate into Real Life, so I just chose what sounded like fun. Looking back, I probably should have pursued some kind of earth science... just not physical biology, ew.</i></div>
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I'm obsessed with grammar. I get unbelievably annoyed when I find errors in published newspaper and magazine articles (trust me, it happens more frequently than you'd think). I find myself mentally correcting the Facebook statuses of my friends. One of my favorite Facebook pages is Grammarly. Nerd.</div>
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I collect books. I have almost as many books as I have articles of clothing (I thrift, so I have clothing in spades). I stamp the edges of my books to make them prettier and to claim them as mine. Geek.</div>
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I also love throwing parties and bringing people together. </div>
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Oh yeah, and good food, beer and wine are staples in my life. There's that too.</div>
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It's only natural that these interests led me to start a Reading Club. <br />
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Over the past several years, my friends Jeanna, Anne, and I have tossed around the idea of having a book club. We flirted with the idea once or twice, but we never really dove in and made it happen. Recently, the prospect came up again between Anne and I while we were at a brew fest with my friend Carrie and her gals. </div>
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The best ideas are hatched while drinking craft beer.<br />
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All of a sudden, it seemed like all of my ladies were talking about wanting to join a club. So it dawned on me that maybe there was a reason that I was hearing this from so many angles. There was a muse at work. So I took the initiative to launch <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/p/litwits-reading-club.html" target="_blank">The Litwits Reading Club</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsM3l3bGoHgwM_vNbCpeKGwkClc7OgRboPbHi3IG8_xsKZkacovobh9uClL4ANF6dsgy2LWribHFwbYnYWAqxdbZkkbauTKTkfA9Kxa-BSRiki9paH4iCp_XdjfEdFjrw9gGRYAGODfeo/s1600/LitWits+Reading+Club+Logo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsM3l3bGoHgwM_vNbCpeKGwkClc7OgRboPbHi3IG8_xsKZkacovobh9uClL4ANF6dsgy2LWribHFwbYnYWAqxdbZkkbauTKTkfA9Kxa-BSRiki9paH4iCp_XdjfEdFjrw9gGRYAGODfeo/s1600/LitWits+Reading+Club+Logo+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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I wrote up a quick document <a href="http://www.wildflowersunshine.com/p/litwits-reading-club.html" target="_blank">outlining my idea</a>, and emailed it to a selection of my fellow bookworms. Some of them invited their fellow bookworms. Everyone was excited. So then, as if meant to be, the idea of the Litwits became a reality.</div>
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We had our first meeting last night. Our inaugural group: me, my mom, Anne, Jeanna, Meghan, Claire, Marisa and Bethany. There are several other ladies who are planning to join in as their schedule allows, but I can already tell that this is going to be a very fun and lively group just based on how easily our discussions flowed last night. </div>
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To get the discussion rolling, each of us suggested a few favorite or recently-read books, which I will write up and share in the next couple of days. We discussed what we like to read and why. Some of us read to escape (Fiction), some of us read to learn (Non-fiction), and sometimes we find ourselves reading something in between (Historical Fiction). We are a perfect blend of insightful and thoughtful readers, which will make for an awesome discussion group.<br />
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It turns out that we are all crafters as well. So this may just become a Reading and Drinking and Eating and Crafting Club. Be still, my beating heart!<br />
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We drank wine and cider and ate amazing snacks. Just to tempt your tastebuds, here's what we ate: guacamole & pita chips, goat cheese & basil & tomato dip with crackers, chocolate covered pretzels, eggplant dip, fresh watermelon, cranberry oatmeal tuxedo chip cookies and Ghirardelli chocolates. Drooling yet?</div>
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I would like to thank my Muse for giving me the nudge to bring this together. I owe you a beer, Muse. This is going to be epic.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Call me a nerd, call me a geek, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">call me a Lover </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">of the </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">English language and written word. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Or just call me a Litwit. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">That would be just fine.</span></i></div>
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>^..^<</div>
Jessica S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11701152990342897493noreply@blogger.com0