Celebrate Life!

It is okay to reflect on the past, but lets make sure we live in the moment we have before us. The people who are in your life today need you.  Just like you needed that person who is gone. Are the roses blooming again?  Can you see them?   What, or who are those roses in your life?

I love to scrapbook! I love to scrapbook, ALONE!  (Or with my friends!) When I say alone, I mean without my kids around! As a mother it isn't always easy to find time without kids around. One day Elise and I  decided to try making cards while the cousins played nicely! This is what happened! They are like a magnet to our art supplies! They want to be right there creating too. I don't blame them! I don't know whose idea it was, but someone used a paper punch and made two holes. We had ribbon, so one of the kids asked me to make them glasses. I stapled ribbon to both sides and wrapped it around their heads to fit. The kids did the rest of the decorating. Pretty clever!  It gave them something fun to do. Needless to say, I don't think I made too many cards that day, but I think it made their day! Sometimes I feel stingy with my art supplies. One tip I have learned along the way is to keep a stash of paper and embellishments, markers and glue that

On the way to Uncle Mike's Cabin Trevor said, "Hey Dad, 'Anger is a weed, and Happy is a Rose'  " Isn't that so true!! He sure is one that when he is happy, you see it all over his face.  When he is angry, the same.... "Anger is a weed, and Happy is a rose"   - By Trevor Lawrence Yutzy Don't you just love his Happy Face?

http://applevalleygirl.blogspot.ca/2011/08/back-to-school-organizing-part-3-5-easy.html# I found this blog entry interesting!  I am always trying to figure out what to make for the kids lunches. At first when they started going to school last year, we recieved papers home including ideas on what to pack for two nutritious nutritrion breaks.  So,  I tried to plan ahead and have some exciting things for their lunches.  Now, two years later,  I've come to a conclusion.  It is okay to have the same food (with a bit of variety) each day! What did you take in your school lunches when you were a kid? Did you pack your own lunches, or did your mom? Thinking back to my school lunches I had, I remember: Peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches/ or Bolgna and cheese with margarine Apple Pretzels Chocolate chip bar Milk That is it, and we were happy! We didn't throw our food away because we didn't like it.  If we did we would have been hungry! I wa

Chocolate Chip Bars Grandma Ruth Ann's recipe In a mixing bowl cream together: 1 Cup Butter or margarine 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar 3/4 Cup White Sugar Add: 2 eggs and cream Then add and mix together: 1 tsp. Vanilla 1 tsp. Baking soda 2 1/4 Cup White Flour 12 ounce bag Chocolate Chips (about 2 cups) Spread on a greased 11x14 Cookie sheet with sides Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

We have this small patch of water in the front of the house we call the "frog pond". Every summer the kids find their way to the frog pond to look for frogs and tadpoles. It keeps them entertained for hours! What an awesome science lesson right in our own backyard! What do you think he is thinking???  " Humm... do they taste good???" Get outside and explore nature!

This was something our family tried this summer when we went camping together! Some thought it was fun, others maybe not. The kids had fun eating with their fingers! The dipping sauce we used was ketchup, ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Frogmore for 35 people... Ingredients: 6 lbs new small potatoes - whole 3 lbs Shrimp                                                                               3 lbs Italian Sausage- cut into bite size pieces 3 lbs chicken breast - cubed 3 lbs beef chunks 2 heads cauliflower - cut in large bite size 2 lbs baby carrots 2 pkg mushrooms - whole 2 bags frozen green beans 1 lg bag sugar snap peas 6 - corn on the cob - broke into 3 pieces each cob 6 disposable plastic (not vinyl) table cloths Directions from Sheldon: We boiled it in two pots.  For each pot you need: 1 bag of crab boil seasoning  1/2 of a 32 oz bottle of ketchup A couple tablespoons of salt 2 -Add Potatoes - bring to a boil and cook 5 min, repeat each time.

We're having Pizza tonight! Dough: Mix together:  1 Tbsp Yeast 1 Cup warm Water 2 Tbsp canola Oil Then add: 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 1/2 Cup Flour To mix the dough I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer, if you don't have a mixer you can make it by hand. Just make sure you work the dough so the flour is mixed thoroughly. Mix together all ingredients until a ball forms. Knead it with your hands a bit until a smooth texture forms. Let rise for at least 5 minutes. Spread onto a greased 11x14 Cookie sheet with sides. If you have a little rolling pin, that works great, if not just spread it out evenly with your hands. Sauce: I just use 1/2 a jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce. You can use any kind you like. Cover the dough with a generous layer of sauce. Add your choice of toppings. Spread with grated Mozzarella Cheese. I like to sprinkle garlic salt, oregano and Italian Seasonings on top of the cheese.

by Wanda Celebrate life!  Come over to Stauffer's Nook on Facebook where you will find a collection of photos capturing everyday moments, everyday things.  I will be creating an album just for Celebrate Life photos! For today - until 7pm eastern, if you like my page and share it with someone else - let me know you shared it and I will enter your name in a hat.  My kids will draw a winner! facebook/stauffersnook