Mind Your Beeswax

I love to make meals and snacks at home instead of buying pre-made convenience foods from the store. Not only is it healthier and often cheaper, but there's a lot less waste, too. For a while now I've wanted to make granola and protein bars, but haven't because, to make them a portable snack, I would have to put each one in a plastic bag or wrap it in foil, or plastic wrap...which is wasteful. Well, I think I made have found the ultimate solution! Bee's Wrap! It's amazing! It's cloth and beeswax that you can wash and reuse. How cool is that? I'm totally going to get some and try out the new quinoa protein bar recipe I found over the weekend.

Happy Wednesday!

-Shala-

It's Monday!!!

and I made it through the day without pulling my hair out!

Happy Monday
Dale

Do It Yourself

 Summer is quickly approaching and many people will be starting home improvement projects soon. They are usually done more easily during the summer. On my list of things to do, redo the bathroom and our backyard. The only problem is that I am on a budget, so these have become DIY projects without the high end finishes I would like. Although bathroom remodels, and back yard landscaping may seem like a nice idea, the end result requires a lot more money and time than you would think.

The DIY world is made out to be fun, easy, and affordable. I guess that depends on your definition of affordable. DIY is becoming more and more popular. There are many TV shows, websites, and even local supply store workshops to see, but before you tear up your bathroom floor, or demolish your old backyard play set, be sure to think things through. First, make sure you have enough time. I tend to always think I have more than enough time to finish a project and before I even realize it, it has been 2 weeks that I have been living with a torn up bathroom floor. Projects are always time consuming, and things like bad weather, busy schedules and budgets can make them take even longer. Next, make sure you budget  for cost. Renovation projects have a reputation for costing more than planned, as there are often surprises that come up. You will also want to look into what tools are needed for your renovation. DIY channel makes it look like everyone owns a router, or sander, but the reality is they don't. The job will be a lot more complicated without the right tools. Lastly, start out with small DIY projects, and build up from there. Happy DIY projects! Wish me Luck. I am gonna need it!

-Jamie :)

Gun Control

Recently a big topic in the news has been gun control. With the more recent shootings, the Obama Administration has been pushing for tougher gun control laws federally, but congress has not put them into effect yet. There are some states that are putting tougher laws into effect, while others are loosening their gun control.  Colorado and Connecticut are some of the states that are putting more gun control laws into effect.  Colorado’s new laws will not go into effect until July. Some of the laws that President Obama would like to put into effect include, more in depth background checks, banning assault weapons and high capacity ammunition, and requiring gun owners to have insurance.

There are both Democrats and Republicans objecting to this push for new laws because they feel it infringes on 2^nd amendment rights. The question is not whether guns can be owned of course, but rather what types of guns can be owned, and who can own them. Some people seem concerned that this is only the beginning of furthering control until we no longer own them at all.  Others believe that something must be done to protect citizens from mass killings like the shooting in the Connecticut elementary school, and the one in Colorado’s own Aurora theater. They say that the laws will help prevent “bad” people from getting ahold of guns, and especially of assault rifles. They also believe that shot guns, etc are just fine for people to protect their families and use for hunting.

This is obviously a huge issue right now in the media and in our country. Whichever side you stand on, it is important to keep informed, and stay active in doing what you think is right. I won’t give my personal opinion so there will be no bias included, just factual evidence. Have a great and safe day everyone!

-Jamie

In the Spirit of Baseball

This weeks brings opening day for Baseball for many teams throughout the league.  I think one of the coolest things about Baseball is the history of the sport.  So, in the spirit of one of America's favorite past times below are links to some of the most interesting facts about Baseball.  Enjoy!


15 Interesting Facts Baseball Fans Might Not Know | Bleacher Report


Baseball Fun Facts | FactMonster.com


10 facts about Baseball - Baseball facts - fun and interesting facts


Top 10 Baseball History Facts. Who Knew?... — Annex Baseball Blog

Allison

Fun Winter Weekends

This past weekend was quite snowy in Denver. March is actually our snowiest month in Colorado, but Colorado has always had strange weather patterns. One minute there is snow and 2 days later it’s in the 50’s and 60’s. Since the end of winter is coming, we decided we would buy tickets to go tubing in the mountains.  I have been before and it is pretty fun. They put you on a lift with a tube and the guys at the top grab your tube rope and hurl you down the ski slope.

Unfortunately for us, the snow came down quite heavily this past weekend and the roads were bad, so we decided to do our own version of tubing at home! We call it REDNECK TUBING! My husband hooked up the inner tubes to the back of the truck and took my friend, and I through the snowy streets. I think it was way more intense than tubing down a mountain. We were being pulled at 15 miles per hour behind a truck that was spitting slush and snow into our faces.  We had to watch for parked cars, driving cars, and plowed parts of the street so our bottoms didn’t hit pavement. Dangerous…? Probably, but quite fun, and FREE! I can’t recommend the activity, since it can be a little bit dangerous, but it was a fun way to spend our Saturday. Have a great rest of the week!

Jamie

A Look Inside My Mind

Just a few headlines with my quick thoughts after.

Woods's return to No. 1 soothes golf. - Comeback of the decade.
Earthquakes shake broad swath of southern Mexico. - A massive earthquake will hit soon.
China's first lady ignites fashion frenzy. - Cool.
Home prices post sharp increase in January. - See, it's going to be okay.
Consumer confidence in US decreases more than forecast. - Oops, it's not going to be okay.
Humans wipe out pacific island birds in mass extinction event. - Nothing new.
James Cameron donates Deepsea Challenger submarine to science. - Can't wait for Avatar 2.
Lohse finally gets a bite. - Who?
Fewer hours for doctors-in-training leading to more mistakes. - There are so many.
Many US infants are fed solid food too early, CDC study finds. - We waited, didn't we?
Too much TV may make kids antisocial, study suggests. - No kidding, bored reporter.
T-Mobile prepped to offer unlimited, no contract plans--and the iPhone. - Victory is mine!
Google selling Nik software photo-editing plugins for $149. - Never heard of Nik.
Will Smith quit 'Django Unchained' because 'I need to be the leak' - Glad he didn't do it.
Shaun Rogers burglarized, missing $500K in jewelry. - Only cause he's on the Giants.

GB2

Trevor

How's My Driving?

I am sure we have all came across a car with a license plate in a different state and said or thought to ourselves "people from (enter state here) can't drive". I find the phrase funny because I have been to several states and have heard every state mentioned has having the slowest, fastest, craziest drivers. Of course everyone thinks the out of state drivers are the worse drivers but what they need to do is look themselves in the mirror, I don't care if they use the visor mirror, side mirror or the rear view mirror as long as they look at themselves because that is where the slowest, fastest, craziest driver starts. Currently I am residing in Colorado and I must say Colorado has the same slowest, fastest, craziest drivers as my previous home state of Oklahoma and every other state I have been to. So next time you hear the phrase about out of state drivers not being able to drive remember the "can't drive syndrome" is in every state!

Good Friday All
Dale

Too Many Tomatoes

A few weeks back I posted about how I started some tomato seeds. Well, I let The Toddler do most of the planting and I didn't keep a super close eye on how many seeds she put in each container. Now that they've started to sprout I'm afraid I'm going to have more plants than I have room for. This morning I counted 16 sprouts. Since you can get up to 20 pounds of tomatoes from one plant, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to keep up with more than three. I'm quite positive I'm going to be in the same predicament with the jalapenos and broccoli we planted, too. Maybe I should set up a booth at the market to get rid of some? I addition to having an awesome garden this year, I'm also going to attempt to save seeds from the vegetables that grow. Did you know you have to ferment most seeds, so they'll be able to germinate when planted? Fermentation occurs in nature when the fruit ripens and rots, but you can do it at home by placing seeds, pulp and water in a jar for several days. Fermentation gets rid of the protective coating that surrounds the seeds and kills diseases that live on the surface of the seeds. Springs almost here and I can't wait for the warm weather! Happy Wednesday! -Shala-

Almost Spring

I finally planted my seeds. I have planted a whole slew of vegetables in the house, and I’m not finished yet. So far, I have broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and a bunch of flowers growing. I am still waiting to see results from the peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kale. This coming weekend, I hope to plant Potatoes, Carrots, Corn, and later on some Strawberries, Watermelon, and even Pumpkin! We have a peach tree in our yard, which I hope to use this year as well. I am originally from New York State where things grow much better. There is a lot more moisture, shade, and a little bit of a cooler temperature. It makes the ideal environment for wild raspberries and black raspberries. Delicious! Since I no longer live in NY, I have to start things early here. I can’t wait until my seeds finally produce a crop, then maybe I can save a little money on groceries! The only thing I need to do now is keep the cat from using my seed boxes, as kitty litter, and pray that the weather gets better! Happy almost Spring!