Friday, March 29, 2013

Girl Scouts Doing Good


 
  If I haven't told you, I am a Girl Scout Leader of my daughter's troop.  This is my first year of being the leader.  We have a small troop, only 4 girls but if they still want to be in Girl Scouts as 7th graders; I will be their leader.  I hope they all stay in it until they graduate from high school!
  This past week we worked on a project for a 4 year old in Minneapolis, MN.  It was sent to us by another troop who was also helping out.  This 4 year old had just joined a Daisy troop when it was discovered she had Aicardi Syndrome.  It is a very rare disease.  So her troop came up with the "Super Special Heart Project for Girl Scouts".  The child's troop would like to have 20,000 hearts that measure 4x4 by June 1, 2013.  The plan is to decorate the walls of her hospital room.  I told my girls about this and they were very willing to do a little arts & crafts for a sick little girl.   In an hour, we made 33 hearts out of construction paper, puffy paint, glitter, markers & scrapbook embellishments.
 
 
 

 
All the while having a really good time doing it!
 
 
I am so proud of my girls!
 
  Only one asked if they would be getting a badge for this.  Then I said NO, they still worked with the same amount of enthusiasm.   Our hearts will be mailed next week and I hope the can bring a smile to a sick little girl!
 
Love to all,     Sara

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Endocrinologist Visit

  Well today I had to go to my Endocrinologist.  He is a doctor that specializes in diabetes and thyroid problem.  I have been a Type 1 diabetic (insulin dependant) since I was 15 years old.  I am also know as a "brittle diabetic", which means it does not take a lot to cause my blood sugars to swing either high or low.  I have been having a number of lows recently, so it is a good thing that I had an appointment already scheduled.  Maybe we could figure our what is going on!  I just love going to the doctor's.  NOT!  I will take you through my average day at a visit with the doc. 
 

 
The loving husband almost always goes with me to appointment.  It seems like I always have a low after a doctors visit.  It is really nice that he goes with me.  I don't have to worry about driving, doc's office is two hours away.  The way there would be no be deal, but the way home I am always exhausted. 
 
 
This is where I have to go, third floor.  Not my favorite place to be.
 


 
 
I love these glass panels in the waiting room.  I find them very relaxing and calming.  I guess I need that before going into a doctor's office.  You would think I would be use to it by now.  Weird!

 
 
 
Just an average ex room, but I love the exam table.  It electric, so you don't have to climb up on it.  I know you all probable have this in your exam rooms, but this is amazing for this small town girl.  The doctor comes in and I tell him everything that is going on.  It seems like he knows what exactly to do.  The funny part of the whole visit is the doctor trying to put all of the new information into the computer.  It took longer for him to figure out how to do that than what to do about my insulin rates.  By the time it was all in the computer, we had 2 doctors, 1 nurse and 1 physician's assistant in the exam room.  Let's just say my doctor is technology challenged.  LOL 
 
 
Another unpleasant part, having blood drawn.  I have it done so much I have a scar where they insert the needle.  I know you are saying switch arms, but I have a scar on both arms.  
 
 
All wrapped up.  The only blood work I needed to have done that day is an A1C.  It is a test that measures your average blood sugars for a 3 month period.  My doctor wants my A1C to be under 7.0.  For the last year, it has been but that number can also be very deceiving because you can have a great A1C if you have a bunch of highs and lows since it is an average.  It doesn't tell you how good of control you have over your diabetes.
 
 
Well, this is my new insulin schedule.  A little confusing isn't it?  Thank goodness I just have to put it into my insulin pump and it does all the work for me.  The doctor's thoughts were that my basal rates (the insulin that I get constantly) were to high but my bolus rates (the insulin I get when I eat something) were to low.  So we will see how that goes for 2 weeks.  At that time, I have to fax into the doc everything I have eaten and at what time and also download my pump.  There is a program on the pump manufacturer's website that lets you download all of the information off of your pump so you no longer have to keep a log book.  It is just one more thing I don't have to think about or tote around with me when I am going somewhere.  Believe me I have to take enough the way it is! 
 
  Well that was my exciting day at the Endocrinologist's  office.  Pretty exciting I know.  Ha ha!  Just thought i would put out a little information about my crazy health issues. 
 
Love to all,    Sara

Sunday, March 24, 2013

No Bake Eclair Cake

  Recently I was baking for a bake sale and so I wanted some easy yummy recipes that would go over big.  This is definitely one of them.  It is very easy and took next to no time at all.  I got the recipe from the Kraft Recipes site.  Here is the recipe for No Bake Eclair Cake

No Bake Eclair Cake
2 pkg. Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping, thawed
3 cups milk
1 pkg. graham cracker squares
1 pkg. prepared chocolate frosting

1.  Using a whisk in a medium bowl, thoroughly blend pudding mix, milk and whipped topping.

2.  Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of 9x13 pan. 


Evenly spread out half of the pudding mixture over the crackers.


Top  with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture.  Top with final layer of graham crackers.


3.  Microwave frosting for 30 seconds or so and then pour over cake.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours before servings.
 
I hope you enjoy!
 
Love to all,     Sara


Church Bake Sale

  I am not sure or not if I have told you, but I am on the Mission Committee at our Church.  Today was our Annual Bake Sale.  The proceeds of the bake sale goes to fund various projects we under take for the year.  Our church also sponsors a cabin at a Bible Camp that is about 3 hours away from our small town.  This year our cabin is in desperate need of new mattresses, so we on the committee decided that this is where the proceeds with be applied.  We had 3 tables of goodies for the folks from our church to purchase.  I might add, this is not a big sale, we don't advertise it outside of our church and we ask for donations of bake goods for our parishioners.  The WONDERFUL people in our congregation helped us raise over $350.00 for the new mattresses.  This is a huge bust towards our goal of $1500.00.  It always amazes me how many people just say keep the change or wrote a $30 check for a $3 purchase and said keep the rest.  We had one lady apologize because all she had was $15 instead of the $20 she wanted to give.  We even had a number a people that just came back a gave us a twenty or ten and say I want to contribute.  Being in a small town, you know who can afford it and who can't and it seems like a lot of the time it is the ones that can't afford to give up that extra twenty but yet they always do.  We are so blessed to have them in our community, in our congregation and in our lives.  I Thank God for them everyday!!!  I Thank everyone who baked, who bought and who paid way to much for what they bought and who contributed.  You are truly a blessing! 

  Here are a few pictures of some of the goodies that were available today.





 
 
One of the best parts of the day, was my husband bought me a tray of gold brick bars that one of the older ladies in church make.  They are delicious and very labor intensive.  They are on the right hand side of the picture above.  I am a happy girl!
 
 
Love to all,     Sara

Cabbage Roll Casserole

  Today I had a craving for stuffed cabbage rolls, but being a little tired and lazy I decided to make this Cabbage Roll Casserole from Everyday Mom's Meals.  I changed the recipe a little to make it more to the family's liking.  I will write how I made it and you can get the original recipe from the link about. 

Cabbage Roll Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1 cup cooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Saute beef, onion and garlic over medium heat. 

 
Stir in 1 can of tomato sauce and seasonings.

 
Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in rice and heat through.Remove from heat.



Layer 1/3 of cabbage in pan.  Top with 1/2 meat mixture.  Repeat layers.  Top with one can of tomato sauce.





 Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and top with cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes more.  Delicious.


Love to all, Sara

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Update on My Craft Room/Office/Pantry Project

  Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I started to "shovel" out my room and I think all in all; it is going pretty well.  I bought a new storage cubby, you know the kind that holds fabric bins, to hold all of my craft supplies. 
 
It seems to be working nicely!  The hanging bins on the left are my gift bin.  You know inexpensive gifts I have picked up through out the year for last minute presents or you are at a craft show in May and find the perfect Christmas present for your sister-in-law.  This is where all of those kind of things go.  The red tub are wrapping supplies that will go underneath the gift bin just as soon as the husband gets his junk out of the room. 
  The shelves for my canned goods are as close to being in order as they are ever going to be.  This the constant taking of items and restocking of items they are in a constant state of flux.  I have even found room for some extra food stuff that I didn't know what to do with.
This is mainly the canning shelf.
 
Here is the canned goods shelf.  I LOVE my can consolidator organization system, I found on AmazonIt is amazing!!!!!  I even unearthed my sewing machine.  I didn't think that was ever going to happen!  :)
 



  The next few areas are still "under construction."  But everyday, I am chipping away at it.  It might look like a lot, but really it's not. 














I think just a day or two with a recycle bag an my system in place it should be taken care of!









 
 I have decided no matter what I do, my work table is always going to look like this.   Even if I don't finish everything, I can at least walk around my work table.  I didn't think that was ever going to happen! 
 
Love to all,   Sara
 
Organizing Junkie is sponsoring this challenge!
 
 
 
 

 
 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

The Layers of a Clean House

   I want to thank the team over at Home Made Simple for this great list.  I had it emailed to me the other day and thought it was wonderful.  Wanted to share it!

The Layers of a Clean House

Spring cleaning your entire home can feel daunting. There is much to get accomplished, and it’s easy to burn out quickly. But not this year! Here is an easy-to-follow 30-day spring cleaning schedule.
  • Day 1: List making. Print our free 30-Day Spring Cleaning Checklist, then walk around your entire home, look in every closet ad drawer and note anything else you want to tackle this spring.
  • Day 2: Ceiling fans. Dust ceiling fans and do a quick sweep of any debris that falls to the floor.
Tip: While you’ve got the ladder out, replace batteries in smoke detectors.


 
  • Day 3: Windows. Clean the inside and outside of all windows.
  • Day 4: Baseboards. Using a bucket of warm soapy water and a dust rag, wipe down all baseboards and trim work in your home.
  • Day 5: Attic. Organize your attic. Throw out or donate anything you don’t need. Group like items in easy-to-reach spots.
  • Day 6: Basement. Declutter the basement.
  • Day 7: Your closet and drawers. Tackle closets and drawers in your bedroom. Donate or sell what you no longer wear. Unpack summer clothes and store away winter apparel.
  • Day 8: Other closets. Organize baby clothes, and ask kids to organize their closets and drawers.
  • Day 9: Linen closet. Tidy up the linen closet. Fold all extra sheets and towels. Get rid of expired medications and toiletries.
  • Day 10: Pantry. Clean out the pantry. Throw out anything expired and group all similar food items together.
  • Day 11: Refrigerator. Clean out the fridge and freezer. Empty them completely and throw out old food. Wipe down shelves and drawers with soapy water and let dry before putting everything back.
  • Day 12: Washer and dryer. Give your washer a fresh start with washing machine cleaner. Clean out the dryer and make sure the lint trap is free of all deb
      • Day 13: Bedding. Wash all bedding. Be sure to include pillows and comforters.
      • Day 14: Window treatments. Wash and/or steam clean all curtains. Wipe down blinds with a wet cloth.
      • Day 15: Winter clothes. Launder all winter coats, hats and gloves (or take them to the dry cleaners). Store them away for next year.
      • Day 16: Frames. Wipe down picture frames and artwork.
      • Day 17: Furniture. Dust all furniture in your home. Clean off electronics and mirrors.
      • Day 18: Chairs. Wash slipcovers and steam clean couches and chairs if possible.
      • Day 19: Flatware. Polish flatware.
      • Day 20: Countertops. Wipe down countertops and cabinets in the kitchen.
      • Day 21: Bathroom. Clean bathroom vanities, sinks, toilets, tubs and showers.
      • Day 22: Floors. Vacuum hardwood floors, carpets and area rugs and bleach grout on bathroom and kitchen floors.
      • Day 23: Carpets and rugs. Steam clean carpet and area rugs.
      • Day 24: Hardwood floors. Mop and shine hardwood floors.
      • Day 25: Patio furniture. Wipe down patio furniture and set it up.
      • Day 26: Grill. Set up and clean off outdoor grill. Fill up on propane, or charcoal and lighter fluid.
      • Day 27: Toys. Clean all toys.
      • Day 28: Leaves. Rake any leaves leftover from the fall.
      • Day 29: Lawn. Mow the lawn.
      • Day 30: Loose ends. Go back over the notes you made on Day 1 and make sure you didn’t forget anything. Then enjoy your nice clean home!

      Wednesday, March 20, 2013

      Hoping for Spring

        Will Spring ever come?  I am beginning to think not!  I definitely know the groundhog got his prediction WRONG! We have had at least 6 more weeks of winter and there is no break in site. 
        We were hit with more snow and wind this last weekend.  On Sunday night and into Monday, we had a good old fashioned ground blizzard.  There is nothing worse, in my opinion.  You have the sun shining bright as can be, but you can't see across the street.  Just doesn't make sense.   Today we have negative below wind chills.  It is never ending! 
      

        Oh well, such is the life of living in North Dakota!  If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes it will change! 
      This is more true than you think!!!  LOL!

       
      This may be the only way to get any golf in this spring!

       
      No kidding!  Lol!

      Just thought this was cute!
       
       
      
       
      All I really want is to look out my window and see this!  Someday soon!  It is bound to warm up.  Right?
       
      
      
      
       
       
      Love to all,   Sara

      DIY Uses for Common Household Items

      I just love these ideas and wanted to share them!

       

      13 Clever DIY Uses for Common Household Items

      13 Clever DIY Uses for Common Household Goods

      photo credit: Reilly Butler via Flickr
      The following is a guest post from Adria Saracino and Tali Wee.
      The instinct of many is to dispose household items after using them, but there is a whole realm of creative and useful possibilities for repurposing these everyday items. Here are some clever uses for common household items and affordably live in a more comfortable home.

      1. Buttons

      Transform that collection of unused, miscellaneous buttons into something charming and helpful such as earring holders. Poke an earring through each buttonhole and fix into place with its back for an easy solution to keep pairs together. Plus, buttons add a colorful organizational system to a potentially messy jewelry drawer.

      2. Candle Wax

      When a votive candle reaches the end of its life, use the last bit of wax as a pincushion to supplement a sewing kit. The wax works great for holding pins securely so they don’t scatter.

      3. Penny

      Use spare pennies to extend the life of flowers. Place a penny, along with a dash of sugar, into vase water to work as a lasting antibacterial and nourishment for healthy and long lasting flowers.

      4. Toothbrush Holder

      Instead of throwing a used toothbrush holder in the garbage, give it a second purpose by washing it and placing makeup brushes in the holders instead. This keeps makeup brushes clean, organized, and free from the depths of a cluttered makeup bag.

      5. Clear Nail Polish

      Clear nail polish has many uses beyond giving fingernails a smooth sheen. Prevent fraying and ripping by coating a button’s stitches with polish, or dipping the end of a shoelace into the liquid. Add a drop to seal screws on eyeglasses into place, or lightly brush onto pantyhose to halt a run.

      6. Dresser

      Stack and attach the drawers of an old dresser together to create a free standing bookcase. Add style and creative flair to the inside with paint, wallpaper or scrap booking paper.

      7. Door

      Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on a brand new headboard. Recycle an old door, which usually fits perfectly as a headboard for a queen sized bed. Paint the old door to coordinate with the style of the bedroom, which is much easier than trying to find a store-bought headboard to match the room’s décor.

      8. Tennis Balls

      Take advantage of the wide range of uses a tennis ball offers: quickly removes oils from swimming pool surfaces, cleans scuff marks off of hard-surface floors, or protects outdoor padlocks from moisture and the elements by cutting a slit in the ball and placing the lock inside. For a multi-purpose object, fix a rubber suction cup to the side of the ball and cut a slit in the other side.

      9. Yoga Mat

      Take care of the pesky problem of cats tracking litter out of the box with a worn yoga mat. Utilize its rubbery texture to snatch stray pieces of cat litter by placing the mat under the box; the mat helps create a barrier that contains the litter to one area.

      10. Breath Mint Container

      A typical breath mint container made of tin happens to be the perfect size to enclose credit cards and other small personal items. The size and secure closure of these tin boxes create distinctive and easily portable wallets.

      11. Empty Pill Bottle

      Glue a rock to the top of a pill bottle, place a spare house key inside and bury the bottle to create an extremely realistic hide-a-key.

      12. Wine Rack

      Hang a wine rack on the bathroom wall for an attractive and classy towel holder. Roll up clean, spare towels and place them on the rack for easy access and a fresh appearance.

      13. Frame

      Empty a decorative picture frame of its glass and backing. Screw three or four metal hooks into the inner-facing side of the top panel of the frame. Hang it on the wall next to the front door for a convenient, stylish, and space-efficient key holder.
      Adria Saracino and Tali Wee collaborated on the above style guide. Adria is a fashion blogger and obsessive home décor pinner. Tali handles the Miami community outreach for Zillow and enjoys spending time on projects around the house.

      Orthodontist Day

         Today is the day we find out if the daughter gets her braces off.  I really hope so!  She has had them on for 2 and 1/2 years.  She is soooo tired of them!  I really hope we get good news!  I will let you know.
        Well they come off!!!!  Yeah!!!  I have one excited child on my hands!  We are at the office getting them off and fitted for her retainer. 

      
      The daughter before braces. 
      The daughter with her beautiful smile after the braces came off!!!!!!
      

      
      We are done with monthly visits and food restrictions and Mom (me) tell her (daughter) to make sure and brush teeth extra carefully!  Thank Goodness!!!!

      Friday, March 15, 2013

      Holy Icicles Batman!

       
       
      This little beauty was waiting for me the other day.  I could not believe how long it was.  Sad to say it didn't last long.  Two days later this long beauty was replaced with these shorter ones. 
       
       
       
      Such in the life of March in North Dakota.  You don't know if things are going to thaw or freeze in any given day.  Or should I say hour!