Art, Holidays, Health and Nutrition, Science; Fiction and otherwise
Its that time again, when this loyal-from-birth USC Trojan fan has to endure another contest between my birth school and my adopted school. No one quite understands the pain. This is the best I can do under the circumstances. Go U!
42 – 24, now I’m really feeling the pain. Its o.k. U, better luck next time.
You are most cordially invited to hear fun and creative harvest and Halloween party planning tips for a child-friendly Halloween from a parent of 7 and professional caterer and designer
Thank you Sparklers Magazine for including me in your fall issue, it is beautiful; well-done!
http://issuu.com/sparklersmagazine/docs/mag_378bfaa56b57de
Also a shout out to Northeast Ohio Parents Magazine for sharing my costume tips starting on page 34!
http://issuu.com/northeastohioparent/docs/northeastohioparent_october2015
Halloween heralds the dawn of the holiday season. It seems once fall arrives, time races and before you can catch your breath Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s are knocking at the door right behind the trick-or-treaters.
As much fun as holiday observances are, they can place a burden on your time and resources so I am offering a few green tips for saving money, the planet and your sanity during this busy and wonderful time of year.
If you missed our BYU SiriusXM Radio 143 discussion on Wednesday, here’s the transcript, I’m on the second half. http://www.byuradio.org/episode/c1992fa5-d52c-4c32-af2c-b9b2abf0e1b1/the-kim-power-stilson-show-angels-around-us-halloween-help
Halloween costumes and activities don’t need to cost an arm and a leg, check these tips for having fun while saving $$$
http://www.familyshare.com/family/ghoulishly-great-tips-for-celebrating-halloween
$ Tip: A Harvest and Halloween Handbook shows ways to create costumes from items you already have and for incorporating reusable clothing into costumes as well as other money-saving and artistic ideas for autumn holidays.
Trade old costumes with family and friends. Make simple costumes great or upcycle last year’s by adding an amazing accessory like a sword or jewelry.
$ Tip: Wet ‘N Wild nail polish at Walmart is $.97 a bottle – it has great colors and coverage. Buy patterns on sale weekends at fabric stores or with coupons, check their websites.
Minions are big this year, dress yours in long-sleeved yellow t-shirts and thrift store denim overalls with canning jar ring glasses.
$ Tip: create a scene using items you already own repurposed in unusual ways.
Check your favorite thrift store for art and Halloween decor and scout the great outdoors for branches and autumn leaves. Hang your children’s art projects to create a gallery and memories. Tuck branches in a pot or urn and display photos of your family’s past Halloween costumes and activities.
Join Kim Power Stilson and me on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at 3 p.m. Eastern as we chat about lively autumn traditions and activities. There’s so much more to fall than Halloween, and we LOVE Halloween!
In this town we call home…
I could decorate for days and days, but this year I’m practicing restraint and focusing on my favorites. I’ve added a few autumn and Halloween touches here and there and am saving my energy for Christmas when my son Tim returns from his LDS mission to Alabama and our family is together again!
The antique crate in the kitchen is filled with Halloween mugs and glasses and ready for spiced pumpkin cocoa
The vintage-style paper lanterns are tied with Houndstooth plaid ribbon
The pumpkin tureen ready to be filled with fresh soup…
Mr. Cezanne, this is an American kitchen at Halloween
There’s more to enjoy when you get recipes and costume tips in your download of
A Harvest and Halloween Handbook
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-harvest-and-halloween-handbook-pam-mcmurtry/1116031757?ean=2940148379744
http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Halloween-Handbook-Artisan-ebook/dp/B009PA8ON6/?keywords=pam+mcmurtry&qid=1374845872&ref=sr_1_1&ie=UTF8&sr=8-1
Keep your little pumpkins busy with 32 Halloween carnival coloring pages
Buy A Harvest and Halloween Handbook today and the owl will get a bigger cage.
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It is never too early to start thinking about Halloween costumes. If you are looking for an activity to share with your little pumpkins the last week or two before school starts, you might start working on this year’s haute couture.
Here are the top costumes for 2015; provided by my friend Rhonda Cowan, who with her sister Sandy, owns Etoile, THE L.A. movie studios’ go-to costume and gift shop.
Starting at the top of this year’s lineup:
As summer heat begins to fade, the desire to enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors grows. Here is a sandwich that is hearty, healthy and filling and is made with whole grain bread, cheese and vegetables. I serve it with no-bake Berry Delight and will publish the recipe soon.
Pack a picnic basket with a quilt, cloth napkins, a bunch of sunflowers and a hearty, yet healthy meal and enjoy the lingering beauty of the season and if you are lucky, a little night music.
Hearty Vegetarian Deli Sandwich
Choose the best-quality whole grain bread you can bake or buy. The filling of a deli sandwich should be at least as thick as both of the slices of bread.
Lightly spread
low-fat cream cheese
on both slices of
high-quality whole grain bread
Stack half of the following ingredients on one slice of bread and the remaining ingredients on the second
sliced Provolone cheese
sliced, peeled cucumber
sliced avocado
sliced tomato
sliced red onion
salad greens
salt and pepper
sliced Portabello mushrooms
Sprinkle a small amount of
Light Italian salad dressing on one half.
Carefully combine the halves, spear with a toothpick and wrap securely. Chill until time to serve.
It’s that time of year again; if you haven’t downloaded your copy of
Do it today! For only $9.99 you will get dozens of delicious recipes, party plans, games, decor, costume ideas and activities to celebrate your favorite fall holidays. It is your best autumn entertaining value.
Hi friends! My Pioneer Scavenger Hunt is now available on Etsy as a digital download. For the price of a greeting card you can download and print your own copy of this fun and educational game for your children, school or church group. Through fun engagement young people learn about the lives of pioneer children (what no ipads?) and has been enjoyed by groups from family-size to 100+ children. Just click on the link below, you don’t even have to walk 1300 miles for the experience!
Happy Pioneer Day,
Pam
https://www.etsy.com/listing/240583887/pioneer-scavenger-hunt
I love the ocean. I believe that the beach is one of the places Mother Nature is at her finest.
I spent my growing up years at, near or in the ocean and would like to share a few tips
to help make your day even more pleasant. For all you lucky ones who will spend your day frolicking in the surf, enjoy!
Watch for warning flags near the water; some warn of unsafe conditions, others delineate surf and swim areas. Obey warning signs, these people know what they are talking about.
Say a little prayer for me; don’t forget a little prayer of thanks and help for a safe and fun day.
Near the water, the tiny v-shaped marks in the sand mean sand crabs. If you dig a hole and let the waves swirl in, sometimes you can see sand crabs swimming around. Pick one up, they tickle!
Buckets, shovels, sieves and molds make building a blast!
One word: SUNSCREEN.
Bring bags for shell collecting. The earlier in the morning you go, the better the selection. You probably don’t want to take home crabs and seaweed, they don’t live very long and get stinky. Some places, such as tide pools, have restrictions on taking things from nature. Just watch for signs and follow the rules. If you can’t find shells you like, there are often gift stores nearby that sell them as well as post cards to help you remember your summer fun.
Jellyfish – leave them alone. Most are not lethal, but if you do get stung, white vinegar applied to the site for 15 – 30 minutes quickly will neutralize the toxins and ease the pain. Remove tentacles and stingers, you can use a credit card to scrape them off. If the victim experiences difficulty breathing get medical help immediately.
A final word of advice, don’t shave before going in salt water – ouch!
Have a wonderful day the beach – God’s playground for children.
photo courtesy of
http://hd-wallpapers-widescreen.thundafunda.com/desktop-images/beach-backgrounds/coasta-holiday-sand-beach/
