Valentine's Day Fun

Okay, so LOVE Day is less than a week away and I am finally getting motivated to do a little decorating, crafts and baking. Here are some really cute projects that I am looking forward to.

Remember Mad Libs when you were a kid, check out this cute little printable from In Between Laundry. A little adult version of Mad Libs. I think I am going to print out several and maybe do a countdown to LOVE Day for the hubs.  I just might print him out a couple too, so the love is full circle :)

I also loved this project from Martha Stewart and set out to do it last week when I was gathering the supplies and realized....ummm....we don't have a single crayon in this house. Remember this post. Well I really wanted to do this project because #1 it is easy #2 it is fast #3 it will be pretty hanging in our window. So I broke down and bought a small pack of crayons, not to keep, just to use this once.

Next I am going to make a couple simple heart pouches to hang on the back of our chairs to put little goodies in. I don't have a link, just something I thought of. I am going to cut out 2 felt hearts per pouch and then just sew up the sides, attach a ribbon and hang. Then throughout the day add little goodies. I will post pics once I make them.

I have many things that I want to bake. 1. basic heart sugar cookies and decorate with powdered sugar icing, sprinkles and anything else we can find to go on top. 2. chocolate covered strawberries, yummm Maybe with a bottle of champagne for me and the hubs :) 3. Valentine's Day Pops, really? Where have you been all my life? I love caramel and chocolate!

I also want to make these Berry Gummy Hearts. I found the recipe in Parents Magazine but didn't find it online so here it is. Puree a 12 oz bag of frozen, thawed berries. I am going to use strawberries. Strain to remove seeds. Pour 1 cup apple juice into microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with 5 packs of unflavored gelatin. Stir lightly to moisten and let stand 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup light corn syrup. Microwave, stirring often until the sugar and gelatin are melted about 1 1/2 minutes. Mix in the fruit and 2 tbs lemon juice. Pour in an 8" x 8" pan. Skim with paper towel to remove foam. Chill at least 3 hours until set. Dip bottom of pan in warm water and flip onto a cutting board. Use cookie cutter to make your favorite shape, hearts of course! Keep refrigerated until serving.

So that is what I have on my list. Maybe I will throw in a few more things if I can find the time and energy!

What are you making for LOVE Day.

The Golden Rule

I am sure everyone remembers "The Golden Rule", "Treat others as you want to be treated". I am sure many of you remember your parents telling you this and I do as well. Like many of the other things our parents told us over and over, we quickly forget these very important , yet simple phrases that were etched in our brains growing up.

We all are very aware of the tragedy in Tucson this past weekend. In the past few years it seems as though similar tragedy's are becoming all too common. It is beyond sad, beyond senseless. beyond disturbing that people have so much hate inside them that they want to hurt someone else. Most of the time it is people they don't know and have never met before.

Why do people have so much hate?  Regardless of who you voted for President, we all got Obama. Whether you like him or not, HE IS OUR PRESIDENT. He is in charge of our country. There is nothing anyone can do to change that until the next election, so why can't we remove the hate from our minds and our hearts and work with what we have. Remember this little phrase "united we stand, divided we fall" (translation: divided we fail).  Right now as a country we are failing, we are failing each other, to many are showing more and more hate. As individuals, as family members as friends, as a country we must learn to tolerate each others differences and unite as one.

Personally I try to teach my kids everyday to love everyone. Life is too short, there is no room for hate in our hearts or our minds. When we show LOVE, we spread LOVE, we receive LOVE.  Obviously, therefore when we show hate, we spread hate and we receive hate in return.

If you want to make a difference and feel that the world is too big for little ol' you to make a difference, start right now, start with the person sitting next to you, with the next person you come in contact with; show them love.  Love is contagious. The world is big and the problems are even bigger but change must start somewhere. Why not let it start with you, right now, this minute, this second.  The hate has grown and continues to grow. We CAN stop the hate. Start NOW. Show others LOVE, compassion, caring.... embrace each others differences and learn to work together, open your mind and listen to others; treat them as you want to be treated. What we put out into the world is what we will get back. Personally I want love back. If you aren't feeling loved, show more love to others, I promise it will come back to you.

Unfortunately I did not get to see Obama's speech last night but I did look it up and read it. I think there are things he said that are extremely important if we would like to live in a more loving world.

"We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."
"At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized — at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do — it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds," the president said.

He spoke of decency and goodness, declaring: "The forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us."



Make your mind up today that YOU want our country to change. You want our country to stop the hate. Start right now, this moment and start showing more love to each other especially when people are showing you hate..

"Love one another."


This post is in no way meant to be political. I do not voice my political views on this blog. I am not claiming to be for or against either political party.

My God Box

Last week I was reading the lastest edition of Real Simple Magazine (love it!) and read this article about a woman whose mother kept a "God Box".  Basically every time that someone she knew needed a little (or big) prayer she would write it on a scrap of paper and put it in her God Box. The woman states that when she was having a hard time and her mother told her that she would put it in the God Box it made her feel relieved that she no longer had to worry. She knew that God had her prayer in His hands and that He would do whatever she truly needed.  When her mother died and the woman had to go through her mother's things she was surprised my ALL the "God Boxes" her mother had, each one filled to the rim with prayers. I loved this story. You can read it here.

Since having kids my weekly church attendance has disintegrated unfortunately. Getting 2 kids under the age of 3 dress, fed and to church by 9 well is an act of God in itself to say the least. I know that many of you do it and I am not trying to make an excuse and many of you have more than 2 little ones but I have fallen in this category. Of course I still pray everyday and read excerpts of the Bible (thanks to my phone that sends me verses daily ;).  I love the God Box and have just started my own. Other than just praying and talking to God I think it is good for the soul to write things down. I believe that writing things down many times allows the body and mind to release their worries.

I hope this helps makes you smile, maybe you will start your own God Box and release your worries and give them to God.  If you need me to add anything to my box let me know.....