Summer Starts

Summer has started but the real heat has not :) We made a trip to the zoo and enjoyed seeing a few of our favorite animal, had a picnic and played at the splash pads.  When we came home, it was time to swim and grill. A great start to what promises to be a wonderful summer.

I have so many ideas of  what I'd like to do and play this summer. My mind raced last night. Today though is a day of getting some necessary basics done and I'm thinking a nap is looking good with each tick on the clock.  Love summer naps! 

Giving Blood



One of the easiest ways to make a difference in this world is to give blood to your local blood bank.
The blood bank called yesterday asking if I could come in and donate, as summer and holidays, typically means high need low supply. My first excuse not to ran through my head, the ending of the school year has left me exhausted, all I want to do is sleep.

Yet, what if that need was for someone I loved? Tired or not, I went down and gave. My nap afterwards was wonderful. I feel great, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I may have saved 3 lives with this one donation and that feels WONDERFUL!  Be a hero, for your community, your family and yourself! 
For those who give for our freedoms, this donation is in your honor!

Plain Jane to Fancy Nancy Shoes!

Lexi needed a new pair of sneakers. I decided to have some fun, with some basic shoes turned Mommy version of twinkle toes.

Before....Yawn

After..and when the glue dried clear..perfect!

To add the sparkle all over, I painted the entire shoe with a glitter t-shirt paint. Looks like white but dries clear.

The shoes are even more adorable in person! I can't wait to do another pair..maybe with painted cupcakes.

~ DeAnn



Bird Bath

I have been wanting a bird bath so today we made one, completely out of what we had at home already! Love when that happens. 

I had replaced the dogs old, water dish, that looked like this one and that sparked my bird bath craft. Painted it, and used a vase filled with rocks as the base. We ended up with a bird bath that blends in with our yard. 

Reality

This is what today was like with my 6 jellybeans!

It was so nice out we didn't come in until it was dark!

Since the world didn't end today, we look forward to tomorrow!

~ DeAnn

Homemade Soft Pretzels (Just like the Malls)

Teagan and I have been wanting to make homemade pretzels. I didn't think of it as a post until AFTER we gobbled them all up.  I thought I would share this  simple recipe as it is something all ages can participate in the creation of. We are going to do this soon as a family activity. 

It was submitted to Allrecipes.com by Jeannie Yee. Thanks Jeannie!!

Ingredients:
1 packet active dry yeast                   1 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar                2 cups warm water
1 1/8 teaspons salt                             2 tablespoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups warm water                      2 tablespoons butter melted
3 cups all purpose flour                  2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

Directions:
1.  In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.Place in a greased bowl and turn to coat the surface. Cover and let rise for an hour.
2.  Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8inch pan.
3.  After the dough has risen cut it into 12 pieces, roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin. Twist into a pretzel shape and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered sheet, and let rise 20 minutes.
4.  Bake at 450 degree for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt, or your favorite topping of garlic, cinnamon sugar.

I didn't have:  Bread flour so we used 1 cup of all purpose flour. No course salt, so we sprinkled table salt on our finished pretzels. Parchment paper? Nope, we sprayed the cookie sheet with veg. oil.

Bonus:  Since I didn't have any pictures for you, look at this cute idea I found online.

Have Fun ~ DeAnn