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Look At My Space

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My husband and I were talking the other night and he brought up a really good point. I have boxes and boxes of scrapbook stuff, and I do nothing with it. Scrapbooks and passing on stories used to be my passion. Now I mostly talk about the importance of scrapbooks, but I do nothing about it.

I’m sure I could come up with plenty of excuses for not scrapbooking. One of the main excuses is the fact that I don’t have the space to scrap. Of course, the reason I don’t have the space to scrap is because I am totally unorganized and have a really bad habit of letting things pile up instead of putting them away when I am done with them. It’s a habit I have committed myself to breaking.

So, in an effort to get myself more organized, and I can’t believe I am about to do this, I am going to show you what my desk/craft table looks like right now.

And here is the table next to my desk.

The worst part of it all is that none of that junk is scrapbook or other craft stuff, with the exception of the Fairy Things to Make and Do Kid Kit that never got put away last week. Most of it is bills and junk mail, but there’s plenty of other randomness like take-out menus, books, the remote control for the protable DVD player, and yes, that is a roll of toilet paper you see near the left end of my table. The mess makes a very unattractive addition to my entryway/dining room.

In addition to the mess on the table, I also have these two piles of boxes in the corner of my bedroom.

That’s where all of my scrapbook and craft supplies are stored. There isn’t really any method to the madness, just a bunch of stuff thrown into whatever box it fit into at the moment. Needless to say, it is not functional.

So, in an effort to get committed to organizing and then scrapbooking, I am officially declaring Wednesday to be “Look At My Space” day. Each week I will post an update of what my spaces look like. Throughout the week I will spend a minimum of 10 minutes per day specifically cleaning and dejunking in one of the two areas. If you need to clean up your space, feel free to play along and leave me a comment about what you are doing with your craft space. If you have pictures of your space, post them on your blog and leave a link so everyone can come and get some inspiration.

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Chocolate Icebox Cake

This mouthwatering chocolate cake makes a cool, creamy dessert for your Labor Day weekend!

Chocolate Icebox Cake

Watkins Nonstick Cooking Spray
14 ounces semisweet chocolate (do not use chips)
2 containers (15 ounces each) part-skim ricotta cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafers (about 44 cookies)
Watkins Almond, Rum, Raspberry, Coconut, Peanut Butter, or Banana Extract (optional)

Prepare Pan
Remove sides from a 9-inch round springform pan. Place a sheet of waxed paper over bottom, leaving an overhang; lock sides onto bottom, firmly securing paper. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray; line sides with a strip of waxed paper 28 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Make Chocolate Ricotta Mixture
Break 12 ounces of chocolate into pieces. Place in a heatproof medium bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
In a food processor or with a mixer, blend ricotta until very smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl. Add warm chocolate; blend until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Watkins Almond, Rum, Raspberry, Coconut, Peanut Butter, or Banana Extract for an additional subtle flavor. In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in chocolate-ricotta mixture.

Assemble Cake
Arrange half the cookies in an overlapping pattern to cover bottom of pan. Spoon half the chocolate-ricotta mixture on top of cookies; smooth top. Cover with remaining cookies; top with remaining chocolate-ricotta mixture, and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

Before serving, release sides of pan and remove waxed paper from sides. Using bottom piece of waxed paper, pull cake onto a platter; with a metal spatula, lift cake and remove waxed paper. Using a vegetable peeler, shave remaining 2 ounces chocolate over top of cake. With a knife dipped in hot water, cut cake into 10 slices (wipe off knife, and dip in hot water after each slice). Serves 10.

Why not use chocolate chips?
Joyofbaking.com says chocolate chips when melted become chocolate that is thick, muddy and grainy that is very difficult to use. This is because of the smaller amount of cocoa butter (25-30%) in the chocolate chips.

What is Ricotta?
Ricotta, an Italian whey cheese, is a low-fat, nutritious liquid that is a by-product of cheese production. It is produced from whey, the liquid separated out from the curds when cheese is made. Whey is processed forming a fine curd. Once cooled, the curd is separated by passing though a fine cloth.

Ricotta is a fresh cheese (as opposed to ripened or aged), grainy and creamy white in appearance, slightly sweet in taste, and contains around 5% fat. In this form, it is somewhat similar in texture to some cottage cheese, though considerably lighter. Like many fresh cheeses, it is highly perishable.

Ricotta is also used in lasagna, cheesecake, and cannoli.

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter called Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/august15-08newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com and http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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A Need to Communicate

This past weekend I did a Mother/Daughter Event for a group of ladies and their daughters at a church about 70 miles from my home.  I have done many of these events over the last 3 or 4 years.  However, something happened at this event that has never happened to me before.  One of the teenage girls actually got up and left.  Luckily, I had figured out she was already upset with her mother,  not me so I did not take it personally.  However, this whole incident got me to thinking.  It got me to thinking about attitudes and about communication.

Not meaning to easedrop, earlier in the event before I got up to speak to the group of moms and daughters this young lady and her mom had sat down beside me.  I heard the girl mutter to her mother something like this, “you tricked me”.  Her mom, calmly smiled and replied, “no I didn’t”, to which the girl responded, “yes you did you said we were going to spend time together, I don’t want to be here.”

As the afternoon progressed she made it clear she did not want to be at the event, by actually walking out of it.  Her mom of course trailed after her, came back to apologize but ultimately left early.  The whole incident though it did not hurt my feelings it did concern me.  I see a deep need in this mother/daughter relationship for communication.

The mom meant well.  She thought she was helping her daughter by bringing her to a Christian event at church, however I’m pretty sure that the daughter did not hear a word that was said by me that afternoon, as she sat sulled and hurt.  She felt that her mother had tricked her and that is all that she knew and all that I’m sure was on her mind.  I am not sure what had happened prior to their arrival, but it obviously lacked clear communication between the daughter and the mom.

This story shows us the importance of communication.  An afternoon of chatting with and being listened to by her mother over an ice cream cone or a Coke and a burger might have been a better choice for this mom to have made, considering the feelings of her daughter and the clear need that was there for the two of them to openly communicate.

Please moms, watch for the signs your daughter is giving you that she needs to talk.  These may be different in every child, so I won’t even try to name them, but you know what I’m referring to for your daughter.  Be open to taking time out to talk, but more importantly to listen.

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Garden of Good Manners

When I saw this craft kit, a recent incident immediately came to mind. We were at a baseball tournament and one of the other parents had brought along candy for the kids. When he offered some to my kids, I said okay and like I normally do, I said “Make sure you say thank you.” to my kids. His son, who was standing next to me, said “I don’t want to. He’s my dad, I don’t have to say that to my dad.” I was shocked, to say the least. Saying “please” and “thank you” are habits I have been instilling into my children since they were first able to talk - and I STARTED by making sure they said it at home, to us.

The Garden of Good Manners isn’t really a book - but it’s sold at Amazon.com so I decided it qualified, lol. It is an adorable mini bulletin board set that lets children build their own beautiful garden of manners by earning flowers, bugs and banners for things like thank you, please, I’m sorry and other common courtesies.

Here is a review of how this worked for one mom:

I have found that when it comes to teaching my children manners the best way to do it is by showing manners myself when they do something for me. In time they started to pick up what I was trying to get across and started using their own manners. Then when they reached about 5 or 6 they forgot them again. It didn’t seem to be as much fun as it was when they thought they were mimicking me or pleasing me.

I found this cute little craft item and decided to get it to see if it helped. Believe it or not it did. Once it was put together and placed where they could see it every day they began to use their manners again with very little prompting from me.

They enjoyed building their manner garden too. They got a kick out of putting the flowers and bugs in their garden. The flowers held the manners and came in bright fascinating colors that my children just loved. The bugs were an extra that gave them more fun in their creation.

Now we have a manners garden. They use their manners most of the time and even have a tendency to remind each other when manners are forgotten. May I, thank you, please, excuse me and even I’m sorry are now a permanent part of their vocabulary. I’m so proud of them and they are excited to see that with the use of manners their garden will continue to grow and prosper.

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Are Cravings Controllable?

There are times that we crave certain food items and those are signs that our bodies are giving us….for example, you may crave peanuts… your body is probably needing more protein.

Being a vegetarian, it is difficult to get all the daily requirements so when my body is craving a certain food product I try to listen… now I won’t go to the extreme and eat a chocolate bar with peanuts or chocolate peanut butter ice cream as tempting as that may be at the time. A slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and honey is quite delicious and will satisfy the craving and won’t make me feel guilty afterwards. You can also substitute cravings with raw vegetables or raw fruits mixed into delicious smoothies.

If you crave lots of sweets, you may be lacking carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates turn into glucose (sugar) in our system, so eating pasta or baked potatoes may satisfy your cravings and not harm your waistline as much.

It is very important to drink lots of fluids as well, and sorry but soft drinks don’t count.
Our body is 98% water so in order to keep it working properly we must replace all the water that we eliminate on a daily basis. Water is the best to drink, but you can also replace that with many other popular drinks on the market such as green tea, to replenish our bodies.

Remember, the more we drink the more we will eliminate so it is a cycle that must continue. Our bodies are like ‘big sponges’ that need water to function. We eliminate toxins from our bodies and the liquid will keep our bodies cleansed and our skin looking younger.

So, cravings are not bad unless you give into the temptations of ‘bad’ food choices. If you eat the appropriate foods you will likely not have as many cravings; but if you do have them, make wise decisions and ones that you will not regret in the morning.

We must take care of our bodies, they are the only ones we have. Unfortunately we can not trade them in as we can with our automobiles, so love your bodies. Exercise, drink lots of fluids and eat appropriately and your body will love you for it.

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Parents Rights vs Teachers Rights

A story on MSN earlier this week caught my attention, and I will admit, got me a little upset! The story revolves around a 12 year old student who was suspended from school for having pink hair. The student, who recently lost her father to cancer, is a model student with A grades. Earlier in the summer, with her mother’s permission, she dyed her hair pink in honor of her father. Upon returning to school this fall, she was suspended because her hair apparently violates a school policy stating that students may not have hair colors that would be distracting.

Now, I understand the need for regulations. My children’s schools policy states that clothing with vulgar images or text are not allow, neither are belly shirts and short shorts. But in my opinion, there is a line where schools are violating the parents’ rights to decide these things for their children.

Take a look at this video - her hair is pink. It’s a cute cut, it’s almost looks strawberry blonde. As a mother who’s 9 year old has had pink and blue streaks (when she was 6, see side photo) and who’s 7 year old son regularly has shapes shaved into his hair, I find this story disturbing. Shouldn’t I, as a parent, have the right to choose what is acceptable for my child’s hair? If I, as the mother, decide that it is okay for my daughter to dye her hair a particular color, is that not my choice to make?

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Decorators ABC’s

It’s Back To School season right now, with most children either just getting back into school or preparing to in the coming weeks. As part of our Back To School feature, I am working on a series called the Decorators ABC’s. Over the month of September, I plan on bringing 26 posts - one for each letter of the alphabet - related to home decor.

So - here is where I need your input. I have to find a theme, item or word that works for each letter of the alphabet! SO - leave me a comment with you suggestions! If I use one of your suggestions, I will include your name and link in that post for some linky love to say thank you:)

So - let’s brainstorm:

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

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My Green Vacation

By the time you read this post, I will be on vacation. Every year, my husband and I end the summer with a vacation at the lake with the kids. I am looking forward to going, and by now, I am probably relaxing on an internet-less, phone-less private beach.

I have to admit, when we first started this vacation tradition, we weren’t thinking about the green aspect of it. We just got lucky, because we really do have a very environmentally friendly vacation.

1. We stay close to home. The cabin we rent each year is about 2 hours from our house. We choose this spot because it is quick to get to (who wants to spend half their vacation driving?) and that saves us both time and money. Last year, it cost us about $60 round trip. Not only does this location save us money, but limiting gas usage also makes it a green vacation choice as well.

2. Most of our vacation activities are green! There is no internet. No telephones except in the main lodge. There is electricity in the cabins and a tv for rainy days, but most of the week will be spent canoing, hiking, fishing and relaxing on the beach. No big attractions, amusement parks or shopping locations either, which is not long great for the environment, but also removes a lot of the stress and busy-ness of many vacations. Sounds boring right? That’s what I thought to - until we tried it. Not only did we have a great time, but we actually came back from vacation relaxed and refreshed! How many moms can say that at the end of a family vacation.

3. It’s a green - education opportunity! We don’t live in the country. “Nature” for my children is the odd bunny that finds its way into town and onto our back yard. Our yearly vacation has become a great chance for our children to really develop an understanding and appreciation for the beauty of nature. That is an important aspect of teaching your children to live green - after all, why would they want to protect something they don’t understand?

There is one down side to our yearly vacation and that is the packaged foods. In past years, we have brought quite a bit of packaged foods and created a fair bit of garbage during our stay. This year, we have made a few changes that will help us cut down on the waste:

• Last year, we brought cases of bottled water. That amounts to A LOT of empty plastic bottles! This year, we have opted for bring a sports bottle for each of us, along with two large, refillable water jugs. That will elimanted about 48 plastic bottles over the week (the water there doesn’t taste great).
• Changing up snack foods. Last year, we brought bags and bags of chips for snacking, lunches, etc. This year, we have looked for other options. For example, a small bag of popcorn will make dozens of bowls of popcorn and dozens less chip bags in the trash.
• No more plastic bags. Instead of taking all our food for the week in plastic or paper grocery bags, we invested in a large cooler and those green bags the grocery store now offers. Reusable - and no garbage.
• Get a cooler! In the past, we’ve brought items that we could but things like milk we bought in the lodge. These were only available in small jugs, we we went through a few. Now that we have a cooler, we can buy one large carton and take it with, again cutting back on the garbage.
• Another big garbage item has been paper plates, cups and paper towels. We use them for picnics or at the beach so we don’t have to take stuff from the cabin. This year, I brought with cloth washcloths for wiping up and plastic plates and cups. While these are still disposable, they can be washed and reused over the week - so instead of 5-10 in the garbage each day, we’ll use just 5 all week!

So there you have it! I hope you are enjoying your week as much as I know I am enjoying mine! I will be back next week with more great green living advice:)

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Back To School!

This year our daughter will be going to special education pre-school, as well as developmental kindergarten (DK). She can hardly wait. My husband, on the other hand, is sad. This will bring to a close their abundance of shared time. Macey has been in pre-school since the age of 3 through the public school system under the special education sector.

She has attended school 5 half-days a week for the past 2 years. This year will be different because she will have DK in the morning and pre-school in the afternoon to help her stay caught up in general and to work on specific things like language, fine motor skills, and occupational therapy. Thus, she will be gone all day. Daddy is sad, very sad. He and Macey share a special bond that goes way beyond father/daughter.

She’s his buddy, his pal, not in a disrespectful way, but in a go-along-with-daddy-to-get-the-tires-rotated kind of way. This girl has been to car lots and oil changes and probably more video game stores than one person can believe. She’s cheered for the Wolverines, booed for the Spartans, put on her game face for Monday night football and gotten equally excited about fat men in spandex (that FAKE WWE Wrestling that men watch) as her father.

On the other hand, daddy can paint fingernails, watch strawberry shortcake, braid her hair, put in ponytails (better than mommy can!), and pick out a lacier, gaudier dress for her to wear, better than any daddy on the block. They have a mutually dependent relationship and I think they will both be sad to see it go.

In the midst of all this normalcy, they’ve also shared numerous surgical and illness appointments (hers, not his). Many times while I was stuck at work, my husband picked up the slack - but better yet, he went beyond that. Whatever it took to make her pain less or her time pass by quicker - he did. He’s celebrated every victory in her little life with great enthusiasm, things people take for granted. Eating from a “normal” bottle, walking, talking, moving a thumb for the first time.

Not that they won’t see each other, but it was a hard enough adjustment to have her go to school a half day. Then the quads were born, they both sniffled a little more at this breaking up of their world. Now this…full day of school. We shall see how they survive it.

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned from watching the pair of them is that our kids teach us far more than we ever teach them.

Is your little one getting ready to go to school for the first time or transitioning from a half day to a full day? How are you handling it? Your spouse?

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Real Moms Talk About:Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion & A Giveaway

A Real Mom Review by:  Tracy Roberts

When I received my box containing the samples of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion I immediately ripped open a package and applied it to my old, dry, wrinkly hands.

I was surprised at the light- almost non-existent- fragrance (a plus if you’re sensitive to them) and very light, non-oily texture.

The directions say to use sparingly.  As a matter of fact a small packet containing a mere 3cc’s will give you 3-5 applications.  I won’t say that I didn’t pay attention to the instructions but I have old, dry, wrinkly hands…’nuff said.

I was pleased to find that my hands didn’t have that oily or slippery feeling that often occurs after applying lotion and I began to “shield” my hands whenever I felt the need.

I have to say that my hands no longer look as old or dry.  Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that this lotion is a cure for wrinkles but I hold out hope.

I’m looking forward to using Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion on other dry parts soon.

Other than working really well, one of the things I really like about the shielding lotion is that a 4 oz. bottle will last 1-2 months with daily use - depending upon how much of your body you’re shielding, I suppose but well worth my money.  You don’t have to use a ton of product to get results!

“Shielding Lotions are a new type of skin care product based on years of research into how skin heals. They form a protective shield with the outer layer of skin and help keep out irritants. They allow the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better and they’re light in texture so they go on without a greasy mess. Your skin needs help to keep out these moisture-robbing irritants.

A fundamental difference between Shielding Lotions and traditional skin care lotions is that Shielding Lotions enhance the skin’s own natural protective abilities by turning the outer layer of skin into what could be described as a hydrating invisible shield making them many times more effective than mere protective lotions and moisturizing creams.”  Dr. Brian Zogg, board certified dermatologist, Albert Lea, Minnesota

Where can you find it?  Just check on their Store Locator for a location near you.

You can get a free sample but the great people at Skin MD Natural are going to give one of our lucky readers their very own bottle.

How Do You Win?

Simply leave a comment here with what part of your body need pampering the most and why.

If you’d like a second entry just  stumble it, write a tweet, post it on your Facebook page, mention it on your favorite mom forum, or write about it on your blog and leave a second comment letting us know what you did.

If you do something in addition to commenting, please let us know and don’t forget to add us as a friend on www.twitter.com/momsinablog, on Facebook or on Mom Bloggers Club.

When Does It End?

You have until Noon on Friday, August 29, 2008.

The winner will be notified via email so please be sure to include it or your entry will be disqualified.  The winner will 3 days to contact us with your mailing address.  If we have not heard from the winner by then another winner will be chosen.

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