While the world is still scrambling to help the people of Haiti in the aftermath of their earthquake- another quake hits Chile.
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Shelly from Patterns by Figgy’s and our Sew,Mama,Sew! Editorial Board is back! Remember her cute-as-can-be Art Smock tutorial from earlier this month? Today she’s back with an easy, quick tutorial for making your own fabric book covers. Enjoy!
Tiffany from Simply Modern Mom joins us today with this cute and easy Pleated Uniform Skirt tutorial. It’s perfect whether you need to wear a uniform or just want to wear the cute, pleated look. After a little practice Tiffany assures us the skirt can be made in less than an hour! Learn more about Tiffany, Simply Modern Mom and all Tiffany’s site has to offer in her introduction. Enjoy the tutorial!
Thanksgiving is almost here and this is the time of year that I really start thinking of food. Warm soups, holiday meals, grazing at parties with my friends are all on my mind.I know that when I’m searching for recipes on the web, my first stop isn’t usually a government website. You might be surprised though
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Last week I wrote about help for people struggling with their mortgages and it got me thinking that there’s a lot of financial struggle that goes on before you lose the house. The evening news gives us the big stories of foreclosures and credit card debt, but those stories don’t mention the other necessities like the electric bill, or that tank of oil you need to heat the house.
Did you know that there’s a government program that will help pay for your heating costs? It’s called the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP for short. It’s a federal program administered by an office in your state.
Many states offer programs that might be able to help you with your utility bills. Contact your state utility commission to learn more about the programs available to you. Did you know that there’s even assistance to help you pay your telephone bill? Well there is.
And lastly, if you’re having trouble making ends meet, contact your
state social service agency. They’ll know about all the benefits and assistance that are available to you in your state.
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I am an awesome driver. The dent in my front bumper? Some jerk hit me in a parking lot and didn't leave a note. The speeding
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As I mentioned in my blog on Summer Swimming Safety (one of my favorites, because it has it all - drama and a floating, neon-green, baloney sandwich with cheese doodles), I overcame a fear of swimming/water. I eventually became a scuba diver and with that came a lot of time spent on boats.On one occasion, I was on a
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When I was growing up I spent most of the summer in some state of wetness. My town had a pool that was easy for us to walk or ride our bikes to and it was the center of summer social activity. I took swimming lessons, I swam on the swim team, I became a lifeguard and then helped to teach kids to swim.When I was a freshman in college the perfect opportunity came along
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We've already changed the clocks and soon that winter chill is going to start creeping into the air (unless maybe you live in Florida, in which case, I'm a little jealous).
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Arlene Hernandez is the manager of Kids.gov, the government's official source for kids to find all kinds of government information.
When I was a teenager and hanging out at the mall, I used to see young kids wailing and crying and throwing a fit at the toy store. I would think
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Amy Butler Laptop Cover sewn by John Adams, Quilt DadEven though John is primarily a quilter, he made Amy Butler’s Laptop Covers for family members and loved the results. John writes, “Overall, I found the pattern to be easy to follow and made both covers, assembly line-style, in one day. The covers turned out to be extremely sturdy and stylish and were well received by their recipients. The pattern is unique in that it is not a sleeve like most laptop cases — instead, the cover is like a wrap that fits around the laptop. I think the pattern is best suited for beginner to intermediate sewers, and would definitely recommend it for the students in your life!”
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To celebrate the end of summer, we’re giving away a bag filled with all of the ingredients needed for these “gotta haves” – enough for a Labor Day party for 8 to 10. Fun! We’re also throwing in a $50 gift card so you can load up on your favorite condiments 
Did your kids start school yet? Mine start next Monday, and I know that the other 76 million students in this country will be heading soon, if they’re not in the classroom already.time is exciting and busy for students, parents, and teachers alike. If you’re a teacher looking for a lesson plan, you should know that there are great, free educational resources available from the government.
Parents, I know you’re gearing up to pack lunches, teaching your kids how to be safe on the school bus, and preparing to battle the inevitable colds and illnesses that your kids will bring home from school. I’m ready for the bus, and I’m ready to nurse the colds, but my daughter is starting kindergarten this year, and is an unbelievably picky eater. Lunch is a major concern for me. Any great ideas for how to pack for the picky?
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instant oatmeal – packets or cups – add a handful of sliced almonds for a protein boostgranola or cereal with your choice of milk or yogurt. Look for high fiber/low added sugars in your cereals.yogurtfresh fruit – apples and bananas are perfectnut butter spread on whole grain rice crackers or sliced appleprotein bars – check for fiber and protein with little added sugartrail mixMealsMany parents think that meal plans are the best way to go to ensure their college students are eating well. And it’s true that having a meal plan does provide ample food. But sometimes it is simply too much. You have got to make good choices when presented with all of that abundance. Here’s why:
Eighteen years ago veterinarian Patricia Whisnant began raising grass-fed beef on their farm for personal consumption. Today, Rain Crow Ranch includes four ranches in the Southern-Missouri area that raise ten thousand head of Black Angus cattle. All cattle are 100% grass-fed and free-roaming. Dr. Whisnant is passionate about the grass-fed agricultural model, which she says is “better for the animals, better for the consumer, better for the land, and better for the family farms.” Her husband and six children are all involved in the family business. The Whisnants are recipients of Whole Foods Market’s Local Producer Loan Program, which is allowing them to bring more grass-fed beef to market.
Grass-fed beef from Rain Crow Ranch is available in our stores in central Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Lasater Grassland Beef
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You may have heard rumors that grass-fed beef is not as tender as grain-fed, but here’s the real story. Since it’s lower in fat, grass-fed beef runs the risk of drying out or becoming overcooked much quicker than grain-fed beef. So the name of the game is to keep the meat moist, an easy task when you consider the following tips:Sub in flavor. Replace the missing fat in grass-fed beef with something juicy and flavorful. When you use ground beef – say, for making hamburgers or meatloaf – combine it with an ingredient that will keep things moist. Chopped onions, shredded vegetables like carrots or zucchini, sundried tomatoes, olives, mustards or grated cheese all work wonders. When it comes to steaks, consider marinating them for 4 to 6 hours before cooking to add a boost of flavor and moisture, too.Take things down a notch. Grass-fed beef cooks quicker than its grain-fed cousin, so lower the heat on the stove or grill (or about 50 F in the oven, if you’re roasting) to better control the doneness. Otherwise, it can go from perfectly cooked to overdone in a matter of seconds.
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Providing nutritious choices sets them up for success. They get control over choosing and you get the piece of mind in knowing that they are more likely to eat the good food you’ve packed.Another favorite lunch tip is to do the lunch selection and prep work on the weekend, or at least the night before. Anything to avoid morning meltdowns, right?!
Now, here’s my personal favorite tip: Have your kids choose one main thing that they are going to eat every day for a week. Yes, variety is great but so is sanity. You don’t need to turn yourself into a short order cook. Heck, some kids eat the same exact sandwich every single day of the school year. I’m not advocating that. I’m saying that if your kid wants tuna salad, they can eat it for five days in a row and then have something different the next week. Trust me – this makes shopping and packing lunches way easier and I find that food doesn’t go to waste. Yeah!
Here are just a handful of lunch ideas:
Whole wheat tortillas spread with peanut butter sprinkled with raisins or dried cherries, rolled up and cut in two.
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