National Cathedral, Washington DC

"Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral."  -- Robert Louis Stephenson

Not a Pinterest entry, but something that I really wanted to share.

Every year, the day after Christmas, we have gone downtown into Washington, DC to see the miniature trains set up at the Botanical Gardens.  To find out more, check out their link here:  http://www.usbg.gov/

If you have never been and are planning to be in the Washington, DC metro area around Christmastime, I highly recommend this as one of your must sees.

But this year, we tried something different.  We were busy the day after Christmas and it didn't seem right to go on a different day.  So we completely broke tradition and decided to tour the National Cathedral since we had never been there.  Looks kind of like Notre Dame in Paris, doesn't it?


                                    

The Cathedral is famously known for its gargoyles and grotesques and we managed to get a few good shots of some of the lower ones.

 

We were actually trying to find the Darth Vader grotesque, but it was too high up, even with our telephoto lens.  There was great debate from the family over whether this was it, but upon zooming in with the camera, we found out it was just a skeleton head.  Still pretty cool.

 

 

 

 Inside the Children's Chapel, 20 angels for each of the children killed in the Sandy Hook/Newtown shooting.

 

 

 

 

The Cathedral’s Pentagon Cross is made from fragments from the face of the Pentagon attacked on 9/11.  On the tenth anniversary, it was presented to the Cathedral as a gift by the U.S. Army chief of chaplains “in recognition that we are united in memory, united in freedom, and united in faith, hope, and love for God, our nation, and all humankind.”

 

 

 

 

 And of course the space window.  In the very center of the large red circle is the small, dark moonstone.  It is was presented to the Cathedral from the crew of Apollo 11.

 

 

There was so much to do and see, that we did not get a chance to see it all.  Definitely check out the observation gallery on the top floor, the Bishop's Garden, and the pinnacle that came crashing down during the 2011 earthquake.  It is HUGE!!!


This is definitely a place that requires a revisit.  For more info and what to see with children, check out this link:  http://www.nationalcathedral.org/pdfs/families.pdf

Busy Bags

"As busy as bees...."

--William Chaucer

Have you ever heard of busy bags?  If not, then look it up.  You can find a bajillion links and sites dedicated to them.  Basically they are little ziplock bags filled with a simple project or game for little tykes.  Usually they are homemade activities that stimulate the brain and encourage fine motor skills and what have you.  And apparently there are busy bag swaps.  You make a predetermined number of these bags, then go to the swap where everyone gets one of yours and you take one of everyone elses.  A cookie-swap for kids.

Now I wish I had known about these when my little guys were, well, littler.  Now you just hand them an electronic device and they'll be quiet and our of your hair for hours.  Not so for little ones.

So I have these adorable nieces (see the November 22, 2012 blog) who I thought would be perfect for these busy bags.  Their mom, my sister-in-law, is crazy busy with the three of them, who are only a year and a half apart.  So, why not?  So here is what I came up with.

 

For these, I bought little wooden square at the craft shop.  Only a couple of dollars for like a hundred of assorted sizes.  Then I cut out pictures from some of my scrapbook pages, mod-podged them on, and voila.  An easy matching game.

 

 

I got some paint swatches from the home improvement store.  (I got two of each color palette.)  I cut up one and glued it to some clothespins so there would be a matching color.  Another easy matching game.

 

Finally, I glued more scrapbook paper to some popsicle sticks, then cut them with an exacto knife, and here's an easy puzzle.

 

They were then put together in a cute colorful bag from the dollar store.  So these projects were cheap to make, although a little time consuming.  I hope the girls enjoy playing with them.  I plan on adding more activites to the bags after the holidays.

Elf on the Shelf

Okay, I am just going to get this out there.  I LOVE ELF ON THE SHELF!!!  There are 2 camps on this one.  You either love him, or you don't.  (Actually 3 camps, because there are a lot of people out there who don't even know who the elf on the shelf is.)  And for those of you who don't, here is a link to help you out:  Elf on the Shelf. 

Long story short.  The elf appears before Christmas.  The kids find him, he secretly flies back to the North Pole at night, reports to the big guy what went on during the day, then flies back and is in a new place in the morning.  Here is the key point to remember.  You CANNOT touch the elf, or his magic will be gone.  We were visiting my best friend, and there was the elf, lying in a pile of stuffed animals.  My youngest child, B, saw him and very sadly told me, "All of the magic is gone from E's elf."  It was very sad.

This year, thanks to Pinterest, I have gotten TONS of ideas for what to do with this elf.  And now that the kids are getting older, it's getting fun to be creative rather than just placing him on the chandelier or what have you.  Now I agree with those people who think that they are not going to pick up after the elves.  Why would I create more work for myself?  Keep it simple and easy, and then it's fun.

So here is what our 2 elves have been up to so far this Christmas season.  (Yes, I have two elves.  I have two kids, therefore I have two elves.)

Chubby Cheeks found the stash of Halloween candy

(B was NOT amused)

 

 

They were found getting into some more candy and apparently were captured by the miniature toys.

 

 

Found watching the movie "Elf."  What else?

 

Reminding us how many more days we have to behave.

 

 

Playing Christmas Scrabble.

 

Attempting to help with the outside lights.

 

So as you can see, they've been providing some fun, benign mischief around our house.  (They even wound up in the car on the morning we drove up to New England!!!)  And believe it or not, both boys can tell them apart and even know which is which - Chubby Cheeks, and Zack.  They even know from year to year.  I don't know, they look the same to me.

 

 

 

 (From my "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas" board.)

Melted Crayon Ornaments

"Every child is an artist."

--Pablo Picasso

This is one of my all time favorite things that I have seen on Pinterest.

The first tricky part was finding the clear ornaments.  They must be glass!  Plastic will melt when trying to do this craft.

Second thing, and this is the most important.  This is NOT a craft that a child can do by him or herself.  Why?  The bulbs get so darn hot with the hairdryer, that you can't even touch them.  I had to use an oven mitt to hold them, and even then, I could feel the heat coming through the glove.

 

 



 

 

 

We swirled ours around a lot more so that it coated the entire inside.  It took me a while to figure out how to manipulate the bulbs, but the boys actually liked them better this way.  The ornaments I purchased had this kind of rainbow-esque opalescence in the middle, so it gave it sort of an ethereal kind of look, which is kind of cool. 

 

Anyway, everyone LOVED these ornaments and they really stood out on the Christmas trees.

Nieces

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."

-- George Santayana

 

Need I say more?

(From my board "The Family is one of Nature's Masterpieces").

Bookmark Corner Characters

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world.  Love of books is the best of all." -- Jacqueline Kennedy

I LOVE things on Pinterest that I can do with my family.  Especially crafts for kids.  I saw these adorable little bookmarks and few months ago and knew we would have tbe making them at some point.  I found them pinned by CTBaker in the acres, who pinned them from someone else.  Bookmark Critters  And aren't they cute?

 

So W had a bazaar or fair or something at school.  I guess they are learning economics (in 3rd grade!!!  Can you believe it?!?!?!)  He came home having to learn concepts such as supply and demand, product, consumer, etc.  They had to make around 20 of something to sell for 25 cents each.  This is his lesson for school, so I was being a mean mommy and actually required HIM to make the product.  So it had to be something easy.  And I thought of these.  

 

He already likes to do origami, and these take only like 6 easy folds.  I found very cute animal print origami paper at Michael's for about 5 dollars.  And we added some googly eyes for added cuteness.  Here is what he came up with.

 

There was also a snake and elephant and zebra. 

They were a smashing success.  He sold out except for these which he had put aside to keep.  And  I was shocked at some of the junk he bought that other kids made.  (tin foil balls with straws sticking out, paper footballs).  Obviously their moms are not on Pinterest.

(From my board "Every child is an artist.")



Soccer Coach Gifts

“Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection” -- Pindar

Ahhhh......it's that dreaded end of the soccer season time again.  And for those of you who are involved with your kids' sports, you know what that means.  (Aside from knowing you have a couple of free weekends until the next sport season starts.)  End of season party, trophies, and coaches' gifts. 

Last year, I volunteered to do the trophies and coaches' gifts.  The coach was a friend of ours, his wife was coaching her own team, and if I didn't do it, they would end up doing it themselves.  (Ever notice how it's always the SAME people who volunteer to do everything?)  So no biggie.  The trophies were awesome, and the gifts were fine.
This year, we're playing for a different league.  New players, new parents.  Not quite sure how they do things.  So what does DH do?  He volunteers me to order the trophies.  Now, in his defense, he didn't go out there and say, "My wife will do it."  No, no.  He wouldn't throw me under the bus like that.  However, I'm sure his conversation went something like, "Oh my wife did the trophies last year for our team."  What was heard, I'm sure, was "My wife knows all the ropes for ordering trophies so she'll be happy to do it."  Needless to say, it was dumped in my lap.

No problem.  I've got my trophy place.  Free engraving.  It's local so I don't have to pay shipping.  So that gives me a little bit more to play with for the coaches gifts.  It was a little more challenging this year.  One extra coach and fewer players, so less money per coach.  However, I did make it work!  Thanks to Pinterest!

I found this cute idea from A Bushel and a Peck of FUN which worked out perfectly for me.

And here is mine.

The inside was filled with movie tickets, movie theater candy, and bags of microwave popcorn.  What's not to love? 

(I always stock up on the movie theater candy from Walmart or Target or such places when it's on sale.  Much cheaper than the $3.00+ you pay at the movie theaters.)

And the Flaming Griffins had an awesome season!  The did not go undefeated, but they played hard and learned a lot this fall!  Great job you guys!!!

(From my board "Every Gift Which is Given")

Spiced Beef Empanadas

Before I write another thing, there is something that you need to know about me. 

I am not a chef.  I don't like cooking (there I said it), and am not at all creative in that department, so having to come up with ideas for dinner every day is right up there with going to the dentist for me.  (Unlike my DH, who can look in the fridge and pantry and practically whip up a 3 course meal with whatever scraps he has found.) 

That being said, I am always on the lookout for new, easy, and yummy sounding recipes.  So, today I decided to try these Spiced Beef Empanadas.  First off, let me confess.  I don't have the foggiest idea what an empanada is.  I'm not even sure how it's pronounced.  I mean I know it's some kind of Mexican food.  But that's about it.  But the picture looked appealing, and it was from Real Simple magazine.  Must be simple, right?

Real Simple Spiced Beef Empanadas

And it was.  Relatively.  Honestly, anything that has more than a single step is just a huge effort as far as I'm concerned.  But I thought I would try it. 

And it wasn't too bad.  I'm usually not one who likes to mix sweet and savory (ketchup and raisins......really?), but I am game for trying almost anything at least once.  My kitchen smelled divine! 

Now came the hard part.  I'm not a gal who really likes to get her hands dirty.  I mean this was ready-made pie crust so it wasn't that bad.  But the problem was, the recipe didn't really tell me who much filling to put in each circle.  I think I overestimated a few and.....well, look for yourself.

But I got the hang of it after a while.  I didn't crimp them with a fork because that was getting just a tad bit too daring for me.  And my last batch actually came out looking not too bad.

But they taste ....... AMAZING!!!!!  I will let DH sample 1 (or maybe 2) and I will be packing the rest up and taking them to work for an evening snack tomorrow.

Although I love these, I don't know if I would go through the trouble of cutting out and stuffing the pie dough again.  The filling was delicious enough on its own - maybe served with a cornbread of something on the side.  I will definitely making that part again!

And I've got to find a nice dipping sauce for them.  Sour cream with lime zest is.....well.....sour cream.  These deserve way better than that.  So if you have any ideas, feel free to let me know.

(From my board "The Belly Rules the Mind")

Addicted to Pinterest

OK, I'll admit it.  I am addicted to Pinterest.  Who knows.  Maybe it is just a fad (probably) and in another year we'll all be on to the next best thing.  I've been addicted to other websites before:  Facebook for one.  Now Facebook is almost like an afterthought in my need to see what new has been pinned.

I mean, I knew I liked it, and spent a lot of time pinning.  But you know it has become an addiction when your husband calls you, at work, to ask you to look for a craft he can do with his cub scout den.  "Check out Pinterest to see if there are any ideas there," he tells me.  Am I embarrassed by this? 

Not any more.  I'll admit, at the beginning when I excitedly showed him each Pinterest craft I had tried, or meal I prepared, I was peppered with comments like "YOU came up with idea?"  No, of course I didn't.  But whatever.  I kept looking and pinning, and looking and pinning some more.  And I think he actually is appreciating my new culinary attempts.

And here's the amazing thing.  This is actually useful stuff.  Granted there is fun, frivolous stuff out there too.  And I myself have the boards to prove it.  I mean who wouldn't love looking at baby platypuses in little fedora hats.  It has got to put a smile on anyone's face.  If you don't believe me, well.....

It's gotten me out of the cooking ruts I've been in .  And if you are looking for gift ideas for someone, I guarantee you can find something for anyone on Pinterest.  It's true.  I am not ashamed to find these ideas and use them.  I have done 3 teacher gifts in the past year and all have been met with rave reviews.  And fortunately, I have lots of options now since everyone is getting homemade gifts this year.

I have tried a little bit of everything.  Some meals, some crafts.  Some of them have turned out amazingly:  the creamy leek soup with brie that was to die for (literally, because I'm sure the amount of cholesterol in one serving could kill you);  Cauliflower Gratin with Parmesan and Nutmeg (even a die hard vegetable hater like me had 3 servings of it).  And others not so much:  who would have thought that a Turkey Breast in a Crock Pot could turn out to be so dry?

So I am going to use this blog to document my successes and failures of Pinterest.  Please don't ask me to look at and try certain things you have found on Pinterest.  I am somewhat of a Pinterest snob.  I only pin things that I actually am interested and will try.  And yes, I do actually go to the source and find the original to see if it is really something worth doing.  I don't have long fingernails and don't get manicures, so don't come looking for cute nail designs here.  There will be food, desserts, crafts, gift ideas, etc.  I'll share the funny e-cards that have really tickled my funny bone.  Some quotes that have moved me, quite literally to tears.

Oh and by the way, that craft my hubby asked about.  I am proud to say that Den 6 is going to be making bird feeders - because I already have 2 different styles pinned.