tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53959557545835241852024-03-01T19:20:47.089-08:00Fancy Meeting EweA blog of much randomness! Follow along as we sew and craft our way through life, bake up a storm, grow our own groceries, play with honey bees, raise lambs and kids, with style along the way!! Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-11972237833922048422016-01-13T19:09:00.001-08:002016-01-13T19:09:49.736-08:004H Leader's Helper, episode 1, HORSE KNOWLEDGE BINGO GAMEWell Hello there! I know, I know...it's been a while! You probably thought I skipped town, but I've just had to take some time away from blogging to be a good wife, mommy and all those other responsibilities that I have. But, even if I'm gone for a bit, don't worry...I'll always come back!<br />
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One of the other responsibilities I have in this life is that of a 4-H Leader. If you are not familiar with 4-H, I'm sorry, cause it's awesome! It's a program for youth that helps empower them to become the successful adults of tomorrow through a variety of activities. It's taught by volunteer leaders/teachers. I'm one of those leaders and our club is a horse club. That means I teach all things horse related to a darling group of about 10 girls, ages 7-13. We meet 2-3 times a week, twice to ride and work on horsemanship skills and once for book work. They have a written test at all their horse shows to demonstrate their horse knowledge and then they have other activities such as horse bowl where they get to compete as teams answering horse related questions. Book work is good and so necessary, but sometimes it's hard to get kids to read and study without making it fun! So I am going to be adding blog posts about our experiences in making book work fun! Since I couldn't find much on the subject, I thought sharing might help other leaders out there! These posts will be called 4-H Leaders Helper as they will all be based on our 4-H experience and activities. Feel free to try our games and suggestions! Remember we have the power to shape the next generation for good! Hope you have a great day!<br />
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Today's suggestion is to play a game called <b>"HORSE" </b>it is based on the game BINGO, but a little different. (I just made this up so you could tweak it any way you like, the idea is to learn the material, but in a fun way!) Make a game card (I did mine by hand/ruler, but you could definitely get fancy on the computer!), get some beans, or in our case we used horse feed pellets (makes it a little more "horsey"), you will need a set of questions to ask. I had the girls study pages 4-5 of their Horses and Horsemanship Book, then I read through myself and created questions to ask. We sat at the table, go either clockwise or counter clockwise, each person gets a turn to answer a question, if they get it correct, they get a pellet for their board (I let them choose where), of course there is a free space like Bingo, and if that person gets their question wrong it's open for anyone else to answer (our rule was first to raise hand gets chance and so on, first person to answer correctly gets a pellet, then go back to the next person in line and continue until you get someone that gets a 5 pellet line, either across, down or diagonal. Or you can also play to Blackout! We had small dollar prizes for the winner of each round. Once someone got a winning 5 line, we cleared and started over.<br />
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I liked this game because each person gets their own turn, (some of our younger kids aren't usually the first to know the answer, but if given that extra minute to think because they have their own turn they have a better chance which builds confidence and keeps them coming! At the end we used the same questions and played like a regular horse bowl to see if the information was learned and retained. The kids had fun and learned a great deal. Below are some pics of what we did. For sure making this a game kept them studying the material longer!<br />
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-39488657259608599762015-04-08T12:44:00.003-07:002015-04-08T12:46:34.256-07:00How to make your own Kentucky Derby HatHello friends! It's been a while!! I'm still here, just super-duper busy with life. You know how that is, right?!! I can't believe how fast time flies when you're having fun. And speaking of fun...one of my favorite times of the year is approaching. The Kentucky Derby! I love all the grandeur, the tradition, the beautiful, fast thoroughbreds and of course...the HATS! They are a fun, creative, colorful, stylish part of the tradition at the Derby. So whether you are going to be in the stands at Churchill Downs, going to a Derby party with friends, or just jockeying from your favorite easy chair, a great hat is a must!! I made a hat the other day for a Young Women's program at my church and thought it would be a fun one for the Derby so I'll share how I did it in case anyone needs a last minute Derby Do!<br />
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<b>For project, you will need:</b><br />
Fabric one yard is plenty<br />
Scissors<br />
Wire, must be bendable<br />
Hot Glue, and gun<br />
Something to trace around to make a big circle<br />
Tape, preferably clear color to hold ends of wire together in circle, before gluing to fabric.<br />
Accessories to decorate the hat with such as flowers, jewels, beads, feathers, and anything else you want to put on it to make it yours.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPju9SfTAlIYaov1L48dY7o9K7swR-s_mbWc4E0zd0jYeusCw908ZDPIpPW4lUmC6327eNGFD2S_1dSWEVNLr67usYgvXbtxHige5sqUSAfPnK9hMqci8ZQYZO8GN76FiWk5QirJXCTim/s1600/fancyewe+Derby+Hat+supplies+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPju9SfTAlIYaov1L48dY7o9K7swR-s_mbWc4E0zd0jYeusCw908ZDPIpPW4lUmC6327eNGFD2S_1dSWEVNLr67usYgvXbtxHige5sqUSAfPnK9hMqci8ZQYZO8GN76FiWk5QirJXCTim/s1600/fancyewe+Derby+Hat+supplies+1.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">This is the wire I chose, it worked well. Purchased at Hobby Lobby.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWcwhcbCnpCI2RUjUNqysUHx0lk3GflAta8tCky81OKtCVxK8kdAbmlGZSiVOtfakU2w2LBsLWW3vjzYxIHZFgjESeed0KavpBoTHlZclYZw1zhgn-0WWpLBvB2UlfHqyJZiKlr2sIAEz/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+Derby+Hat+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWcwhcbCnpCI2RUjUNqysUHx0lk3GflAta8tCky81OKtCVxK8kdAbmlGZSiVOtfakU2w2LBsLWW3vjzYxIHZFgjESeed0KavpBoTHlZclYZw1zhgn-0WWpLBvB2UlfHqyJZiKlr2sIAEz/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+Derby+Hat+2.JPG" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use something round and about the size you want the outside perimeter of hat to be. I used a laundry basket.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eAFXcq7QNvvSn0wcVaD51GefAmgSI_nza4orNv0ZMhDVeq8d5Ub9b50Ixb3PraOu2Xx0NlWqfbjXx3e9rNNvsf4W_sDntzXy7jGCu75pS4hUi5xBmIXYDGVoHOJslJYseI9RQO-MHi9t/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eAFXcq7QNvvSn0wcVaD51GefAmgSI_nza4orNv0ZMhDVeq8d5Ub9b50Ixb3PraOu2Xx0NlWqfbjXx3e9rNNvsf4W_sDntzXy7jGCu75pS4hUi5xBmIXYDGVoHOJslJYseI9RQO-MHi9t/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+3.JPG" height="418" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my starting circle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqWFgvnt2xVb6TJU4ItoC3qGPqSWwwOVAdYQSOyuRmnNZY9uRloFEfJj11A7yZSxzqOrsLeK9y5UX-I6-yhR6s2OEhlWX63nVwA6bVxOVpWC4Pd_VaoNImiAOYB5SeXJvKT-4xUqyF3mv/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqWFgvnt2xVb6TJU4ItoC3qGPqSWwwOVAdYQSOyuRmnNZY9uRloFEfJj11A7yZSxzqOrsLeK9y5UX-I6-yhR6s2OEhlWX63nVwA6bVxOVpWC4Pd_VaoNImiAOYB5SeXJvKT-4xUqyF3mv/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+4.JPG" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measure and cut the wire to fit exactly the outer circle. Then use tape to hold the two ends of wire together to complete a circle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDwzmmMfd4eXHGDG6ld_iYJ2USNnJNTtPxDNPrZat-vjqpy5IsADVctrqwlJ1ExxFO8mK9v0xxKVsV72k4-QsasbE75VwpcUq-pwtIb_2J2C2irhcw1mjC8xUu_Rc9vdIoffKwsfA3MH3/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDwzmmMfd4eXHGDG6ld_iYJ2USNnJNTtPxDNPrZat-vjqpy5IsADVctrqwlJ1ExxFO8mK9v0xxKVsV72k4-QsasbE75VwpcUq-pwtIb_2J2C2irhcw1mjC8xUu_Rc9vdIoffKwsfA3MH3/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+5.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use hot glue to attach wire to outer edge of circle. Apply glue, attach wire and then fold outer edge of fabric circle over.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV72pOmXDLDiy_NKK4UM3swwVX5Gxoi_B_SLNbmrvjvAm0wkzPucQz756xBlGGgZNux4NViFd9bpKYRYLI4wiS_-7iwU5-k8aGL3CnRAdD9mjCF4TLFlXJr8eNtKESTcO0RS7ryI9dstB/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAV72pOmXDLDiy_NKK4UM3swwVX5Gxoi_B_SLNbmrvjvAm0wkzPucQz756xBlGGgZNux4NViFd9bpKYRYLI4wiS_-7iwU5-k8aGL3CnRAdD9mjCF4TLFlXJr8eNtKESTcO0RS7ryI9dstB/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+7.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then I used my fingers to roll the wire edges of circle in towards the middle of circle a couple of times. Glue if needed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLC3gqAujNWxaU8jiyY2F-8upmVDnfSTI_ZZsIFprf7fJcaTlJEoXj2_eRILL_gOxoIl4ffXTvvnc1zTB-Yc4ip2LsOJGSMYr5gO9owrYb6ZtJnGAVaRggpmaYGAIi1azjHTmU4m8lqZ2/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFLC3gqAujNWxaU8jiyY2F-8upmVDnfSTI_ZZsIFprf7fJcaTlJEoXj2_eRILL_gOxoIl4ffXTvvnc1zTB-Yc4ip2LsOJGSMYr5gO9owrYb6ZtJnGAVaRggpmaYGAIi1azjHTmU4m8lqZ2/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+8.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make another wire circle the circumference of your head where you plan on wearing it. The top of your head/hair will show out top of this style of hat. Pic shows the wire glued together, I would recommend tape to hold the two ends of wire together to complete circle and then hot glue to fabric.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtdFSisUuJLiYG3w0kkR_CrWIKQnaHc_IwOI6HDGdrgJ4-eY6yax-HuI0Pdg2CLpH3PYH3ogEsNJ39_caI_BY0fhkl_Vh0q9_Zg9jmZjsEtZkgCruzrelcfJBIZrKmNObf3bn4timfYS1/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtdFSisUuJLiYG3w0kkR_CrWIKQnaHc_IwOI6HDGdrgJ4-eY6yax-HuI0Pdg2CLpH3PYH3ogEsNJ39_caI_BY0fhkl_Vh0q9_Zg9jmZjsEtZkgCruzrelcfJBIZrKmNObf3bn4timfYS1/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+9.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lay the head wire in center of big circle, then cut a small circle about 1/2" or so smaller than the wire circle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VTsDpJvSELgNRv8Ywy8PP2GEc2Y_CiWm3QdElF-TI237BgZI0sNgZx-9zLHdG0zfbdBGY6EMae8DX3k00WYEuIEh29T6FjmQvM1-VbP82skSaIdwp9Fn7dwvi8F8KtaX7VzCSB1zc3sO/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5VTsDpJvSELgNRv8Ywy8PP2GEc2Y_CiWm3QdElF-TI237BgZI0sNgZx-9zLHdG0zfbdBGY6EMae8DX3k00WYEuIEh29T6FjmQvM1-VbP82skSaIdwp9Fn7dwvi8F8KtaX7VzCSB1zc3sO/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+10.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then cut slits around the fabric circle and hot glue the tabs that creates over the wire. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThYSsK_MqlnGnjSKdRu0uOmOHYn4oDAmAiq5C0JLMvfk6JVkutY3t-ZtaRT2wKFAKiratI0Ts2YBdxfoQs2ZJx7hksqf7LZqsHo7yvkwdfRAjlaJIhtvYZ6onWLmHjhddSCE3Qj1r23eN/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThYSsK_MqlnGnjSKdRu0uOmOHYn4oDAmAiq5C0JLMvfk6JVkutY3t-ZtaRT2wKFAKiratI0Ts2YBdxfoQs2ZJx7hksqf7LZqsHo7yvkwdfRAjlaJIhtvYZ6onWLmHjhddSCE3Qj1r23eN/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+11.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pic shows wrong side of hat finished, but not embellished.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhqB4XCGlS0D2yNv2jhbpR_b4MQLP9Av6WSFS50yussjt_bVpM0U1NWkGTyJtZ7zx1NpJiQDe1vQwLc6vDbeKAaofWu_P2pN4Y1S62mNPQCufUNbqrjX5rxJlTafyn5bRDXbsio4cn0f4/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhqB4XCGlS0D2yNv2jhbpR_b4MQLP9Av6WSFS50yussjt_bVpM0U1NWkGTyJtZ7zx1NpJiQDe1vQwLc6vDbeKAaofWu_P2pN4Y1S62mNPQCufUNbqrjX5rxJlTafyn5bRDXbsio4cn0f4/s1600/fancyewe+making+of+a+derby+hat+12.JPG" height="448" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the finished product embellished with faux flowers, feathers, and paper covered wire curled up in the back. I just hot glued everything to the top of hat.</td></tr>
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This was a simple, fast, and fun project that I think will be fun to wear again on Derby Day! Hope you enjoy Derby Day and may the fastest horse win!!Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-39747028337737729482014-12-15T19:23:00.000-08:002014-12-15T19:23:43.161-08:00Simple, Inexpensive Neighbor Christmas Gift: Light of Christ Lanterns<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDcmZ-qQOGzordMTbB8p_xuMZgNbi-VcbxetCdwZhiEnSqbhuYUbYXgwfHutG9UnXipZuoEaUsTi5R_ER5E7fAV1V_BkaqqtW0rkR2yZhaAoX9LQM6s3NQlXzd8xh2tQsk-rVUMobYy4v/s1600/fancyewe+Light+of+Christ+Neighbor+Gift+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDcmZ-qQOGzordMTbB8p_xuMZgNbi-VcbxetCdwZhiEnSqbhuYUbYXgwfHutG9UnXipZuoEaUsTi5R_ER5E7fAV1V_BkaqqtW0rkR2yZhaAoX9LQM6s3NQlXzd8xh2tQsk-rVUMobYy4v/s1600/fancyewe+Light+of+Christ+Neighbor+Gift+2.JPG" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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I guess it's a good thing for social media, or you guys might think I dropped off a cliff or something!<br />
But, I'm still here. Just super busy!! Tiz the Season for crazy, or so it seems, I'm really trying to keep things simple and remember the <i><b>reason</b></i> for this Christmas Season (celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ). So today I bring you a simple neighbor/friend gift that helps keep the "reason" in the season. Every year I try to come up with a new gift that is simple, inexpensive, that isn't treats (we get so many!) and that helps keep our thoughts on the Savior. This year I got a great deal on those Olde Brooklyn Lanterns on-line, they were only $4.95 and I got free shipping too! You could easily do the same thing using a flash light or candle, anything that gives off light! (But I really like these lanterns they last a long time.) And add this simple card, some festive ribbon, wrapping, and BAM! Neighbors<i><b> check!!</b></i> And since I'm trying to keep things simple and not over do...I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! I hope you know that I appreciate all of you!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TmHBVSZlClhj-btzMbFSGT0lbZio4_fFRO1InkeFWyr6Q_PuQHbsRx2zbzVM84uJ1XhLvJ43QiXd1exZwzIrqOBXlYrCwdfTSj5BWJJvF5UJZYnSrkcqgA-m1H2r4JGRJIJm35aiydeq/s1600/fancyewe+Light+of+Christ+Neighbor+Gift+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TmHBVSZlClhj-btzMbFSGT0lbZio4_fFRO1InkeFWyr6Q_PuQHbsRx2zbzVM84uJ1XhLvJ43QiXd1exZwzIrqOBXlYrCwdfTSj5BWJJvF5UJZYnSrkcqgA-m1H2r4JGRJIJm35aiydeq/s1600/fancyewe+Light+of+Christ+Neighbor+Gift+4.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a lantern out of the box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The words I chose for the simple card constructed from copy paper, using Word Program, outlined material is wrapping paper, and curling ribbon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lantern packaged in it's box.</td></tr>
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xoxo,<br />
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Kacey<br />
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-71592969514847363172014-10-20T14:12:00.001-07:002014-10-20T14:13:45.822-07:00A Day in the Life of, Episode 1: Family History Activity<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRXPoROoL7yQUF3WsO28a4DK3MTjU4616-cLnHmqrtiE3XSGgf9TUU4aifudF86gYS0pSwXWzByjh7_FmWVCn_b-gS_XabIayhPlMSBuPTrNT037VZvgELcnGGZoH776JmntS0Z42PPyc/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRXPoROoL7yQUF3WsO28a4DK3MTjU4616-cLnHmqrtiE3XSGgf9TUU4aifudF86gYS0pSwXWzByjh7_FmWVCn_b-gS_XabIayhPlMSBuPTrNT037VZvgELcnGGZoH776JmntS0Z42PPyc/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+1.JPG" height="640" width="520" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear Granny Elda, we love and honor you!! (my kids Great-Great Grandma)</td></tr>
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Welcome back to our little "Patch-A-Heaven!" I have been contemplating family history a lot lately. Most of you probably already know, but if not...I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We believe in learning about our ancestors and that families can be together forever, this includes our ancestors who came before us. To learn more about our faith or about this topic please click here to visit lds.org <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/a-new-harvest-time?lang=eng&query=family+history">https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1998/04/a-new-harvest-time?lang=eng&query=family+history</a><br />
I have always felt a strong sense of family and love for those who came before me. However, I have been pondering how to get my kids to share the same sense of love for people they have never met. There are so many great, fun, and faith building experiences that these family members/ancestors have had, that have been recorded by other family members, that should be shared with the younger generation. I have decided that we (as a family) will research our family members and then <b>"live out"</b> some of their experiences. I am hoping that by doing this, it will draw my family/children closer to those family members who have passed on and create a love and desire for them to do family history "work" in the future.<br />
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For the first experience in this series, I chose my Great Grandmother <b>Elda Christensen Frischknecht.</b> I chose her, because she had a confidence building experience in her youth that I thought would be good for my girls who are around the same age she was when she did this. I learned of this part of her life from a video that some of my other family members created and they had her recorded telling this story of her youth. It's really awesome to hear her tell the story in her own voice! (Even though it's hard to understand at times.)<br />
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In her story, her parents go on a trip away from home, she is left in the care of her Grandmother. They go to church that day and subsequently Elda invites guests to their house for dinner. These guests had heard of a delicious chicken dinner that Elda's mom prepared. Elda didn't want to disappoint the guests by telling them her mom was away so she invited them to dinner anyway. When the Grandmother was told by Elda that they had company coming for dinner, the Grandma said "we can't do it!" "we don't have time and we can't do it!!" But Elda, in her 12 years experience and determined mind, she said <b>"We CAN do it!"</b> And she went straight to work. She went out to the chicken coop and picked a chicken that looked young and plump. She caught the hen, swung it over her head several times, laid it out on a chopping block and with one swing, chopped the chicken's head off. She hung the chicken upside down on the clothes line to drain the blood out, plucked out all the feathers and prepared the bird for dinner. She prepared some string beans, peaches and cake to serve with the chicken. The guests declared "This is the best chicken we've ever had!"<br />
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That day, Elda demonstrated strength, determination, and confidence in herself, as well as a "can do" attitude. All traits I want my girls to foster. She was a great example to our family and we have enjoyed learning about her.<br />
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For our<b> "Day in the Life"</b> experience we donned home made aprons (I know where you can buy some really cute ones,<i> <b>wink, wink!</b></i>) because Grandma Elda always wore one when she was cooking! We headed out to the chicken coop (because we have one) and my oldest daughter (she's 10) selected a hen she thought looked good. My youngest kids (7 and 3) watched from the garden. (They aren't quite ready for this crazy chicken thing!) Even though I think killing, plucking the chicken would have shown my kids how life really was back then, we didn't kill our chicken. For a couple of reasons...one being, we already had chicken in the fridge so it wasn't necessary. Just catching the hen proved to be a challenge! And quite entertaining!! She chased the chicken (they live in a free range pasture with access to their coop) until she was out of breath. So I stepped in to help give her some pointers on chicken chasing!! We herded the hen into the coop gently, closed the door, and slowly cornered, and caught her. Then we let her loose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4uhS5zBt3YcdvvXaDW3VokQZBPB1RSFcxM9v4ycYeYao5-quf5m5qWR5xcYeDgn9AilbAvr8c3dSKyY1RezyQP_mZOQxZEx7ce9TWivQuczY9qAIMGq43FjkvCZJRrXw9zFtrHjHCio4/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4uhS5zBt3YcdvvXaDW3VokQZBPB1RSFcxM9v4ycYeYao5-quf5m5qWR5xcYeDgn9AilbAvr8c3dSKyY1RezyQP_mZOQxZEx7ce9TWivQuczY9qAIMGq43FjkvCZJRrXw9zFtrHjHCio4/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+14.JPG" height="640" width="532" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She learned that this is NOT the way to catch a hen!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slowing things down and choosing her hen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl-R06TmHkSfYgg-O1JGzRzFUs-TQZh7E0tCIKVI2R5OZyVeNNzuN3oRI67KvMXrO5N7tY_3JGdJA7DfL9gAE3IeNEGe_DIeGfwLJWtW75l1Et87rv7yBaVGkWyV6gROIhEb9IWPR1HHN/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgl-R06TmHkSfYgg-O1JGzRzFUs-TQZh7E0tCIKVI2R5OZyVeNNzuN3oRI67KvMXrO5N7tY_3JGdJA7DfL9gAE3IeNEGe_DIeGfwLJWtW75l1Et87rv7yBaVGkWyV6gROIhEb9IWPR1HHN/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+12.JPG" height="500" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And she got her! Of course I had to wear my "Black Sheep Apron" because Elda and Wilford were Sheep Ranchers.</td></tr>
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Then we dug up potatoes and carrots from our garden to add to our chicken dinner. The girls wanted to make chicken soup and so that's what we did. I taught them how to peel and chop carrots and potatoes. They made home made noodles (recipe from their other grandma) and served the rest of our family. They really enjoyed helping with the cooking and being trusted with sharp things!! Of course I supervised the cutting and peeling <i>at all times.</i> But, they really love being able to do "Big people" things! It takes restraint, but I really think it's best to give proper instructions and training and then allow them to do hard things. They made a delicious pot of soup and had a lot of fun doing it. After we enjoyed their delicious dinner, we sat down as a family to watch the DVD of our Frischknecht family history which included the story of Grandma Elda. (And of course we had ice cream because a "milk nickel" was her favorite!) They were glued to the movie and I think it helped for them to have a personal experience to tie them closer to their ancestors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjjGbsCFLVnc4AJYttB8Rm3PgXSeKjVXe9C-q55SEnEQtGyWBw0jJLqKnNbmkG_rDJWkACx9Hn6-Hm_JZuEdPyunjzUSQt_ozdtm8nu5ArJ8pyLSnCWd3pkYQdEJGqH4B6BK2NtfZxA9N/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjjGbsCFLVnc4AJYttB8Rm3PgXSeKjVXe9C-q55SEnEQtGyWBw0jJLqKnNbmkG_rDJWkACx9Hn6-Hm_JZuEdPyunjzUSQt_ozdtm8nu5ArJ8pyLSnCWd3pkYQdEJGqH4B6BK2NtfZxA9N/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+7.JPG" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digging up taters!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjvqB4LW3_HF5J2cExIXZlCYLfVk0TKt2Dx4gARG88FGPvDWb7RTO684a_uORga03GM-zOFC-Gdolx0WioJt7nk0_sHp63g2LtvyeTbM3opl_OtYXy1Q-WOSYXQuc712T7BJZwV8W3qTu/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjvqB4LW3_HF5J2cExIXZlCYLfVk0TKt2Dx4gARG88FGPvDWb7RTO684a_uORga03GM-zOFC-Gdolx0WioJt7nk0_sHp63g2LtvyeTbM3opl_OtYXy1Q-WOSYXQuc712T7BJZwV8W3qTu/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+15.JPG" height="640" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Carrot Crew!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L6pf7xn98RnlSG-rcMxU0FoNzWM1Tooyjo031p6nQNdILegnczRINpVMNWsb7hO2mvBRY131hf3Chk7wsp1KGtPiukueW3i7gkGwGvXOpQi58ezNlymF1mmWvc1nhGKGUpIKtg4nN3ct/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L6pf7xn98RnlSG-rcMxU0FoNzWM1Tooyjo031p6nQNdILegnczRINpVMNWsb7hO2mvBRY131hf3Chk7wsp1KGtPiukueW3i7gkGwGvXOpQi58ezNlymF1mmWvc1nhGKGUpIKtg4nN3ct/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+8.JPG" height="640" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She dug up some nice ones.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFV9r95HK_j-sWk21abf0mhLyG58MRaQg8z2SPWSqHGFvBLeZgiMyjxmLdVuI6HT9nIN6MFcN3VB4KOtc0up35PmEJWjFKwcNyW918O5XKaCdylqr5w4paii4FL-Npg2PSVKuUWzZNFvzm/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFV9r95HK_j-sWk21abf0mhLyG58MRaQg8z2SPWSqHGFvBLeZgiMyjxmLdVuI6HT9nIN6MFcN3VB4KOtc0up35PmEJWjFKwcNyW918O5XKaCdylqr5w4paii4FL-Npg2PSVKuUWzZNFvzm/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+6.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was the tater carrier.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5y5mzff_TJ_UGcCVY-lOlbnpQ1_0jqMhXQlokDyWXnlH1d7u-0kjhVa4L41gupa5FMasliS2zIFT_82-1aGfjFFtKBw7dTPds2BsRwlmyBylM2oen7ucpTzrcgbwAPi7wJn1CTtB4Mu-0/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5y5mzff_TJ_UGcCVY-lOlbnpQ1_0jqMhXQlokDyWXnlH1d7u-0kjhVa4L41gupa5FMasliS2zIFT_82-1aGfjFFtKBw7dTPds2BsRwlmyBylM2oen7ucpTzrcgbwAPi7wJn1CTtB4Mu-0/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+5.JPG" height="640" width="414" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And sometimes we wear dance leos with cowboy boots and an apron, just for kicks!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXUIFDwaStvs6Bo6l99h1h3_kbElUapRgH2e0YyouAlWvhvFflipyB74BQ9gK0u65EUNQ7D2EOGnA0ItC9Vdz7nItuY5Og9VFKbk3zozkAKTFqxj31L0NpVWo-YF24DLz656ovvOYysZG/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXUIFDwaStvs6Bo6l99h1h3_kbElUapRgH2e0YyouAlWvhvFflipyB74BQ9gK0u65EUNQ7D2EOGnA0ItC9Vdz7nItuY5Og9VFKbk3zozkAKTFqxj31L0NpVWo-YF24DLz656ovvOYysZG/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+4.JPG" height="640" width="434" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning to peel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi5Dh2ceCei8x9u4IWfpG4LXpkpKrNYQPDvHeDAXQsnyooB0qN2DRMmpmju3luQj7DvWyTGnGsaW4ZBXNbNnea81O48TJtf6Kg3EXDSHlBiSDavIB7nng1_vT0k-icMIkuOOXOaUkCV0L/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi5Dh2ceCei8x9u4IWfpG4LXpkpKrNYQPDvHeDAXQsnyooB0qN2DRMmpmju3luQj7DvWyTGnGsaW4ZBXNbNnea81O48TJtf6Kg3EXDSHlBiSDavIB7nng1_vT0k-icMIkuOOXOaUkCV0L/s1600/fancyewe+a+day+in+the+life+of+Elda+3.JPG" height="640" width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And she says "now I know how Princess Tiana feels!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's good at making noodles too!</td></tr>
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This happened yesterday, as of today they are <b><i>still </i></b>talking about Grandma Elda and I love that!<br />
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I believe that even though these ancestors have long since passed on, that the veil between heaven and earth is thin and they know what is going on here. I feel the ties of my family strengthen when we learn of those from the past. I am indeed grateful for those in my family that came before, who worked hard and sacrificed much to provide the legacy we have today. I'm also grateful for those family members who had the foresight and took the time to research and record this history on a DVD for us to enjoy. My hope is to instill a love and loyalty to family through learning of those from long ago.<br />
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My other hope is that this experience/blog post will ignite a desire in you to learn of <b><i>your own </i></b>ancestors.<br />
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Until next time, much love from "Patch-A-Heaven!"Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-45974496063682390002014-10-06T11:30:00.001-07:002014-10-06T11:30:11.966-07:00Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher, Episode 10, Art Inspired Cowgirl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! Welcome back to my little "Patch-A-Heaven!" Maybe you thought I had given up on my series <br />
Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher...well no, I haven't given up! (That's just not in my nature!) Just been too busy being momma to snap any pics of myself. But, the girls and I had a really fun weekend at the sheep ranch with Grandpa and it was the perfect setting for this post!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My littlest girl getting her herd on!</td></tr>
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My oldest daughter has been begging me to go herding sheep with Grandpa, but she insisted on bringing her horse! And I don't blame her, it's much more fun to herd sheep with a good equine partner than on your<i> <b>own</b> </i>feet! So we packed up the sheep camp with supplies and clothes, loaded our ponies, and headed for the ranch! We had a great, relaxing and working weekend along with some spiritual therapy as well. (We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And twice a year we get to experience General Conference, where we get to hear from our inspired church leaders, this is broadcast over television, Internet, satellite and radio.) We relaxed in the camp during the broadcast times, listening to conference, drinking cocoa and playing cards, enjoying the fire in the stove. And when conference was over we rode our horses and herded sheep. The sheep had just come off the summer mountain range and we needed to get them into some Fall pasture. The girls and I, along with my Dad and my little Sister moved the sheep down the highway to another pasture just off the highway. This doesn't sound very difficult, until you add the element of terrible or non-existent fences all the way along! And green alfalfa in every field. This makes it difficult because the sheep want to duck into every field along the way for a quick snack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's my oldest, getting her wish! To herd sheep on her horse with her Grandpa!!</td></tr>
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Everything was going smoothly as dad was in front keeping them out of where they weren't supposed to be, my girls and I were behind the herd, keeping them moving, but then my sister's horse got her foot caught in some wire from one of those non-existent fences and dad had to stop to get her out. (She and the horse are just fine) Then things got a little Western! As he herded the sheep back out of the field they were not supposed to be in, they hit the fence <b>all at once,</b> that was half up/half down, and the fence came<b> ALIVE!</b> It shot up out of the ground with the weight of the sheep and they were headed our way! This of course, spooked some of the horses, but only momentarily and we got them all calmed down. And we were back on down the road. The rest of the trip was calm and uneventful. We got the sheep into the intended field and rode back to the farm. My oldest daughter is riding the horse we call "Tank", he's as big as a tank, but is one of our trustiest mounts. He is always calm, level headed and not scared of anything. I know I can trust him to take special care if that little girl!<br />
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This was my littlest girls first experience riding another horse. Her tried and true, gentle, nothing phases her little, Palomino mare is 31 years old. But, she has become too old to haul in the trailer safely. So on this excursion she rode another horse, good arena kids horse, but hasn't had experience on the sheep ranch. So she had some great trail rides and confidence building experiences and then her new mount got a little freaked out by all the sheep coming at her. So when you see me "ponying" a horse, that's because it got a little too Western for my little one and I took her off, she rode in the truck with Daddy. I pulled (ponied) her horse along behind the sheep without her being on to get the horse used to the situation. She calmed down and we went on another trail ride without sheep after to get her back on and comfortable again.<br />
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The girls had a great time riding and herding sheep with Grandpa!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone should have told my mare "Maggie" to open her eyes. (She didn't know she was getting her picture taken, truth be told, neither did I!) </td></tr>
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So to the "Fashion" part of it!! One of my favorite trends this season is the<b> Art Inspired Look.</b> Wearable Art!! So for this post I am wearing our newly designed, made and printed in the U.S.A Fancy Ewe "Cowgirl" Shirt. It was inspired by my love for cowgirls and art! The shirt is comfortable, breathable and washes well. Perfect for chilly, yet warm Fall days with it's 3/4 length sleeves. For more info on how to order this shirt click here: <a href="http://www.fancyewewearables.com/">The Fancy Ewe Website</a><br />
I went with my well worn Cruel Girl riding jeans, Ariat Leopard Boots and to bring another art element to the ensemble...my DIY Sharpie Cowboy Hat. To see the post where I embellished the hat click here :<a href="http://fancyewe.blogspot.com/2014/08/creative-cowgirl-episode-2-do-it.html">Sharpie Hat</a><br />
To complete the look I chose a red/white polka dot Wild Rag and MAC Russian Red Lipstick!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RCWlKyuEVVmZyI72AwPeorCqRgWzVQy_HUdNsAjqsweZrVwNW-ToJf4UAcE_jCr7B7oQc5mThuEgbOsOGISRImXW5aQMcFgG_uzRp7ex9Nt97_4Qk54vFeyxm2p_qgcvOOb2iA473uOt/s1600/fancyewe+herding+sheep+with+my+babe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RCWlKyuEVVmZyI72AwPeorCqRgWzVQy_HUdNsAjqsweZrVwNW-ToJf4UAcE_jCr7B7oQc5mThuEgbOsOGISRImXW5aQMcFgG_uzRp7ex9Nt97_4Qk54vFeyxm2p_qgcvOOb2iA473uOt/s1600/fancyewe+herding+sheep+with+my+babe.JPG" height="640" width="608" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is probably my favorite pic from our adventure! This is my littlest and I smiling and riding around a sprinkler line that the sheep went under. She's happy and so am I!!</td></tr>
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-4697947404143400862014-09-02T09:43:00.001-07:002014-09-02T09:43:41.209-07:00How to make an easy, inexpensive floral centerpiece.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvtXVR2mllj7EXH_Llv6esIwKnpqgmZmRz3cLmd2G0CF3MRlyzqYifR1RSYRG3dvejYbUdCii23HzBL6Ovz6qKUoCByCws61SpaqdOMM_EI7ESLV0axpA-0Psbdmfj8kds7nOYqhQGWrS/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvtXVR2mllj7EXH_Llv6esIwKnpqgmZmRz3cLmd2G0CF3MRlyzqYifR1RSYRG3dvejYbUdCii23HzBL6Ovz6qKUoCByCws61SpaqdOMM_EI7ESLV0axpA-0Psbdmfj8kds7nOYqhQGWrS/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+9.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right is the centerpiece my daughter and I made together, the one in the middle is the one she made that inspired this project, and the one on the left is the one she made on her own with flowers and she liked the jar closed.</td></tr>
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Ya know, being a MOM is just the most amazing thing ever! My kids are forever inspiring me in all sorts of ways. Today I want to share with you a project that was inspired by something my oldest daughter made on her own. I happened to pass by a small table in our garage and noticed something sitting on it that wasn't there before...it caught my eye! It was simple, yet elegant. Muted, yet beautiful. And it inspired me to make my own!! So I asked my daughter to help me, of course she loves creative projects, and she also loved that this was her idea, and I was using it!! So together we created what you will see today. This is a very simple, inexpensive, fast and fun way to use the beauty around us that nature creates to add beauty to a space. Flowers are beautiful coming out of jars in a more traditional sense, but I love how they are inside the jar in this case, it gives it a different feel!<br />
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All you need to complete this project is some wildflowers or other leaves and pretty things from your yard and a glass canning jar. Pluck the heads off the flowers and start adding them to the jar. We tried to keep the fronts of the flowers facing out, but they naturally slump over time which adds a different dimensional element that I think makes them even better!<br />
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If nothing else, I hope these pretty flowers add a brightness and beauty to your day!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kJ13Bj0_6feowN1cN9BYl6JCzpYiCJYLCtet304qrwY9P3YmGby8Z9X7oDo_H8dkN_YXxTmfdzGim5So4LyMXkm1oOVDnVKT3n4c0fn9379mCWiNtDerl9NqU7V5Dk1ULBRI9sI72ux/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kJ13Bj0_6feowN1cN9BYl6JCzpYiCJYLCtet304qrwY9P3YmGby8Z9X7oDo_H8dkN_YXxTmfdzGim5So4LyMXkm1oOVDnVKT3n4c0fn9379mCWiNtDerl9NqU7V5Dk1ULBRI9sI72ux/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+8.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our completed project tied with a little spike leaf from our planters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ii4tpahKI_4THzsTixiTBZQm7gnDNf8F9-QeQoi6Jkmg6j7k2zg6pLPJH68YGnDm-xrt-FShRQO6DK3XL2itrLMUexFDhGn-KD6D1mrS57njZLMx8OP9Ev5H97fSVzCSxlOZAEdjwe9b/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+centerpiece+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ii4tpahKI_4THzsTixiTBZQm7gnDNf8F9-QeQoi6Jkmg6j7k2zg6pLPJH68YGnDm-xrt-FShRQO6DK3XL2itrLMUexFDhGn-KD6D1mrS57njZLMx8OP9Ev5H97fSVzCSxlOZAEdjwe9b/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+centerpiece+5.JPG" height="640" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is she, who inspired this project and inspires me everyday to be a better person! She is the perfect example of happiness and light. I am grateful everyday I was blessed to be her mother!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzFzZNiINHof8TAgrO88P0CEH5o37k-taVvzTn0dz6tu9MShXyf9Dil4Yeyvkgn0qJ_zj2MeGY4kSV9I94uaDXstxKvahxWYfo5cj9X4uxc5R6vT-94GE0x2e5DrF_HQK0yidZHYwklqa/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzFzZNiINHof8TAgrO88P0CEH5o37k-taVvzTn0dz6tu9MShXyf9Dil4Yeyvkgn0qJ_zj2MeGY4kSV9I94uaDXstxKvahxWYfo5cj9X4uxc5R6vT-94GE0x2e5DrF_HQK0yidZHYwklqa/s1600/fancyewe+wildflower+jar+centerpiece+1.JPG" height="640" width="582" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And after 3 days, it still brings beauty to lives and memories of time spent together. The flowers scrunch down over time, but are still pretty.</td></tr>
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-18097661810704407602014-08-21T12:48:00.001-07:002014-08-21T12:48:01.298-07:00Creative Cowgirl, Episode 2: Do It Yourself, Art Inspired, Sharpie Cowboy Hat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQSdWijwbK1E8YPJVB94ddglke7loxHsTbLvx3lyEy9pbEh9i72WgA4EMqB6bZ_hsFu8vcSM2D_IT59F3VFKdm0kTPHe2XtIzKvx-8bgklYcYhUoipBomxAFcYexb3y-r_tWt6CIThV24/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQSdWijwbK1E8YPJVB94ddglke7loxHsTbLvx3lyEy9pbEh9i72WgA4EMqB6bZ_hsFu8vcSM2D_IT59F3VFKdm0kTPHe2XtIzKvx-8bgklYcYhUoipBomxAFcYexb3y-r_tWt6CIThV24/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+1.JPG" height="640" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Before</td></tr>
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Welcome to our little "Patch-A-Heaven!" We love creating and living our cowgirl lifestyle!! (I have 2 little cowgirls and we love to share our creative cowgirl projects with you.) There is a strong art vibe in fashion these days. You can see it everywhere, and why not?! Art is all around us and is very inspiring! I have loved the "Pop Art" fashion trend since Spring and will reveal my entire art inspired cowgirl look in another "Fashionable Farmer/Runway Rancher" post. For today, I want to share how we added some art to our cowgirl style by decorating a plain straw cowboy hat.<br />
I was walking down the isle at Walmart the other day, when I spotted <i><b>them</b></i>...the <b>80's Glam Limited Edition </b>of<b> Sharpies</b>, 24 bold colors to choose from,and if that didn't get you, the names like "banana clip yellow" and "valley girl violet" would have (if you grew up in the 80's, you like totally know what I mean, it made me want to find some leg warmers)...oh, and it sparked an idea! Why not draw some art on a plain, old straw cowboy hat?! And that's just what I did. Not using any templates or shapes, just some artful fashion inspo from Vogue and InStyle Mags and started doodling. Now I am in no way an experienced artist, I really don't draw that well at all...but this was really fun! And I love the way it turned out. And I think I need another cowboy hat because being creative always sparks more ideas and I have another...we'll save that for another day..Until then, hope you enjoy our totally awesome Sharpie Hat!<br />
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For today's project you just need some Sharpies, a hat and your creative imagination! And let it go wild!!<br />
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Here is mine:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWqnncmATwjSUKqu4WZpN-OKp6nXRRiLJ5-bW5Z9T7TWRLvOMB-VysoknwBrnTKrJ8MZIANB2AvzbMjeo5vq0jPxuEbmEMMu3oAE1mWJIH61ZmXtd-T6V_ozmqxolCnLVgywmpMyie7b5/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWqnncmATwjSUKqu4WZpN-OKp6nXRRiLJ5-bW5Z9T7TWRLvOMB-VysoknwBrnTKrJ8MZIANB2AvzbMjeo5vq0jPxuEbmEMMu3oAE1mWJIH61ZmXtd-T6V_ozmqxolCnLVgywmpMyie7b5/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+5.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goes perfect with our amazing Western Skies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufsEd8uRc7wdmLCDaXP1dwhHl1xz4sDPUSuut_lBLnWZOOWt6kBrFcojHSWpsoNz4VlfHNkNf5J1g8tEVAdw6M5iT6WOt1SZMIjj2M_snwAl1386Fv0N8xP5KDkrTtPclBZyeESWXZjcB/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufsEd8uRc7wdmLCDaXP1dwhHl1xz4sDPUSuut_lBLnWZOOWt6kBrFcojHSWpsoNz4VlfHNkNf5J1g8tEVAdw6M5iT6WOt1SZMIjj2M_snwAl1386Fv0N8xP5KDkrTtPclBZyeESWXZjcB/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+6.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will see why I chose the colors I did in my next fashion post...I'm matching something new!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj43Wp_VlcxeMnRk6ERihlcBq3uYDIDiAxJ5EFXgr33FEC0RQujHeVNXVYV1hOW4AhleFbl2fCa5mvmj_Njan2JIs62bikrSaEQMez4lGjgEWeiYZXPC7HtHfQDjvWBt1nmyq-flfXCld_/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj43Wp_VlcxeMnRk6ERihlcBq3uYDIDiAxJ5EFXgr33FEC0RQujHeVNXVYV1hOW4AhleFbl2fCa5mvmj_Njan2JIs62bikrSaEQMez4lGjgEWeiYZXPC7HtHfQDjvWBt1nmyq-flfXCld_/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+9.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAnI_hhuk5k2YjZ7li1kW8dSC0yWqAiUbzOr0opjPoTVcj6KCFmM0XNCRzxt3La8aZWX0LCzrUG-JMRgldS9HNdkMiy-oSRoBV7Msdy-JFiJ9DNkQXcE-c_Nt2lckNQ3rZVkHKw1juhnd/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAnI_hhuk5k2YjZ7li1kW8dSC0yWqAiUbzOr0opjPoTVcj6KCFmM0XNCRzxt3La8aZWX0LCzrUG-JMRgldS9HNdkMiy-oSRoBV7Msdy-JFiJ9DNkQXcE-c_Nt2lckNQ3rZVkHKw1juhnd/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+7.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some scrolls and dots around the edge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgF5ysw9PxpFSG74T44SryyCflE-sD3l6zc3mhyphenhyphen4bi2naFfQQho3Mp-VktBfAcnJmxD0QHWjoMWGism5_U9z-zW0GiJiq8K-PZedkUIAfMhaoEtzjZ-ZVFl_EKySrsBkgtAOe_G4ibKE_p/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgF5ysw9PxpFSG74T44SryyCflE-sD3l6zc3mhyphenhyphen4bi2naFfQQho3Mp-VktBfAcnJmxD0QHWjoMWGism5_U9z-zW0GiJiq8K-PZedkUIAfMhaoEtzjZ-ZVFl_EKySrsBkgtAOe_G4ibKE_p/s1600/fancyewe+creative+cowgirl+sharpie+hat+10.JPG" height="640" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 80's Glam Collection in all it's glory!</td></tr>
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I have never met a boring cowgirl, I mean for heaven sake we live to be different. So here's a way to stand out in your own artful way!! Never be afraid to be yourself and let the world see who you really are!<br />
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Hope you have a "Fancy" Day, with much love from "Patch-A-Heaven!"Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-769558870943107862014-08-13T21:25:00.000-07:002014-08-13T21:25:39.838-07:00Crafty Cowgirl Series, Episode 1, Tie Dyed Reins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeptzQdAZiud8BYcnRDe1yVXIeOq9NAwb0mzrhqfVfT_apnhyphenhyphenSLWu4zQqPptraEcyuGRhX5c0SclYHFwGmK1KVUr0ayqY_5_65q-RVx6YimwfdQ9T5gTTvU66mrinLdzpLfkz2YyPUK-8/s1600/fancyewe+tie+dye+reins+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeptzQdAZiud8BYcnRDe1yVXIeOq9NAwb0mzrhqfVfT_apnhyphenhyphenSLWu4zQqPptraEcyuGRhX5c0SclYHFwGmK1KVUr0ayqY_5_65q-RVx6YimwfdQ9T5gTTvU66mrinLdzpLfkz2YyPUK-8/s1600/fancyewe+tie+dye+reins+8.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Hi there! It's been such a fun and busy summer here on our little "Patch-A-Heaven!" We have been riding<br />
horses a lot!! And as far as I'm concerned...that's perfect. I have loved and ridden horses since I was a small child. And that love has never left me. We currently have 6 horses here on our little farm, yes...I am in fact what you might call "horse poor!" (If you are not familiar with this term, basically it means you make plenty of money, but you have so many horses that you spend it all feeding, vaccinating, shoeing, medicating and taking care of them so it seems that you are in fact...<b><i>poor</i>.</b>) Well, money or not, horses bring a certain joy into my life that isn't present when they aren't! So they are totally worth it. (And they must be, because I spent all day yesterday and into the night caring for one with colic and I'm still happy about it, but that's a story for another day.)<br />
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Today I realized that in all my "horsing around" that I haven't given this blog the attention and love it deserves. So I thought it would be fun to combine my love of horses and being a cowgirl with my love of being creative and crafty. My girls have always loved to tie dye shirts every summer which is a tradition for us, but I saw some plain white riding reins in my local IFA store and it sparked some creativity! I thought of how fun it would be to have some tie dyed reins. And that's <i><b>just</b></i> what we created.<br />
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My first thought was to do it like we do T-shirts by rolling them up around themselves to create a circle, then using elastics to section off areas for separate colors. I tried this, put it in a plastic bag all day, took them out, rinsed and they didn't hold the color like I had hoped. So if at first you don't succeed, try try again as they say! So this time, I clothes pinned them to my hog panel fence (getting really cowgirl now!) and individually dabbed on the colors where I wanted them up and down the reins using the bottle full of dye. I left white space in between the colors to allow for bleeding so the colors didn't bleed into each other. The reins are white cotton braids so if yours are like that just take it slow, if you squirt a lot of colored liquid on at once, it will just run off. So go slow and dab it on, while gently squeezing the bottle until you have achieved the desired color. Then I allowed the reins to fully dry. I didn't rinse them this time so the colors are bolder!<br />
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I like how they turned out. This is a fun, easy project that would be fun to add some color and individual style to your horses life. Way more fun than plain white reins right?!!<br />
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Here are some pics from our tie dye rein project:<br />
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These are the reins before I started and the color kit I used for today's project.<br />
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If you use this method, I would highly suggest stopping way before the elastics (leaving some white) to allow for bleeding.<br />
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As you can see on the below pic there is quite a bit of bleeding into the yellow by the purple and pink so make sure to leave some bleeding space if you use this method.<br />
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The other method, which I used the second time is to hang by clothespins on a fence and apply the color wherever you want (again, leaving bleeding space.)<br />
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Here is our handsome equine model, "Tank" (we love him!) He's wearing what all the cool horses will be wearing this Fall!!<br />
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We love how our reins turned out! Hope you loved the first of our "Crafty Cowgirl" Series. Watch for more Creative Cowgirl Inspired Projects coming to the blog soon!!<br />
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Until then, have a Fancy Day!! And much love from our little "Patch-A-Heaven!"Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-21714789329920091002014-07-24T22:57:00.001-07:002014-07-24T22:57:37.489-07:00Project Denim, Diminishing the Jean Pile, Episode 11, How to Make an Asymmetrical Jean Skirt!Welcome back! Today I'm sharing the other project I made using my favorite, old jeans. I hated to let them go, but they were so worn that I decided to make something new out of them! Distressed denim pencil skirts are all over lately and I have wanted one. So I made one! Here is how it turned out and I love it!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj355xQhobdvSOZfHhh6ItPXSo8RP3LhkKhHJtZyjCGcvH5Iu-L9x4JA9pB47AqRJc4IAg2_3QHKmJekAnccXgRC1AxKoYJUZb18DIEcZ1bji5ENffmW-1aQ1LDUX-v9XSh_wo3QEVxBmKa/s1600/fancyewe+denim+skirt+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj355xQhobdvSOZfHhh6ItPXSo8RP3LhkKhHJtZyjCGcvH5Iu-L9x4JA9pB47AqRJc4IAg2_3QHKmJekAnccXgRC1AxKoYJUZb18DIEcZ1bji5ENffmW-1aQ1LDUX-v9XSh_wo3QEVxBmKa/s1600/fancyewe+denim+skirt+11.JPG" height="640" width="524" /></a></div>
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<b>To make one you will need:</b><br />
<b>Denim Jeans that fit you</b><br />
<b>Sewing Machine, thread</b><br />
<b>Scissors</b><br />
<b>Unpicker</b><br />
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<b>Directions:</b><br />
Begin by cutting the skirt off about the knee or however long you want, keeping in mind to cut one leg a little longer if you want to do the asymmetrical look. Then unpick both the inner leg seams all the way up. And a little further in the front (like to the zipper seam) so you can over lap it later. Now sew the legs together in the front over lapping the original crotch seam so it shows in the front. Sew a new seam all the way down the front of the skirt to make the front of the skirt intact. Then for the back I cut one of the legs (that I cut from the original pair of jeans) in half the long way and made a rectangle that fit the hole in the back and sewed it to the skirt, I just placed the square on top of the skirt, pinned it and sewed, so there are frayed edges showing all the way around the skirt. The bottom of the square had the original pants hem on it and I liked the look. Then I cut the front of the skirt so it looked asymmetrical. Then I frayed all edges for a more distressed look. I left all holes and fraying.<br />
My inspiration for the look was a Metallic Skirt from Top Shop that I saw in a fashion magazine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68U3dFmKkU9_oaZDZpgfuj_kEYFH3eTybCSySwOZJrhNfaHHpQjumx0QCbLKrKs45wfmTus8DtYoGug3_2SF5fFMRA21j5LoMBkNSBsAF5wG2RjX3CYgKd9kkeHoAYWBR08vpnHrw8WwH/s1600/fancyewe+my+fav+wranglers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi68U3dFmKkU9_oaZDZpgfuj_kEYFH3eTybCSySwOZJrhNfaHHpQjumx0QCbLKrKs45wfmTus8DtYoGug3_2SF5fFMRA21j5LoMBkNSBsAF5wG2RjX3CYgKd9kkeHoAYWBR08vpnHrw8WwH/s1600/fancyewe+my+fav+wranglers.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fav jeans before I started my skirt project today.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDW1GAmNH5VG5vn7v9RMD_Kbo2SRL7nni0u8vQaxP7aoaqsTED0LVFWghFEb5fQyCtNfsrvCB4FvP1XlCbQEjhfoWhn4XVOZKVp_XhyphenhyphenvBUvxqSSHokLl3ZOf7U61a7h-aA3dWPmJinhNG/s1600/fancyewe+jean+skirt+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDW1GAmNH5VG5vn7v9RMD_Kbo2SRL7nni0u8vQaxP7aoaqsTED0LVFWghFEb5fQyCtNfsrvCB4FvP1XlCbQEjhfoWhn4XVOZKVp_XhyphenhyphenvBUvxqSSHokLl3ZOf7U61a7h-aA3dWPmJinhNG/s1600/fancyewe+jean+skirt+1.JPG" height="640" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here they are cut off at and below the knee and inside leg seams unpicked and opened up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcCdQ5x2IN6a9MJ_Eww5D_jgQgLbhxYii-Pa0KVmD0MRS2uJOJQUwcPYMvQ9w69xAiSrjk9gkESgS-_MBqQun5oNzIakOx6tGNJxB-flXF_eXdmAIWmwPCzo2MlsTMOxgqfHLHTGfYX9H/s1600/fancyewe+jean+skirt+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcCdQ5x2IN6a9MJ_Eww5D_jgQgLbhxYii-Pa0KVmD0MRS2uJOJQUwcPYMvQ9w69xAiSrjk9gkESgS-_MBqQun5oNzIakOx6tGNJxB-flXF_eXdmAIWmwPCzo2MlsTMOxgqfHLHTGfYX9H/s1600/fancyewe+jean+skirt+2.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here the skirt is pinned together and ready to sew. With my inspo, the silver, leather, metallic skirt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbnFfKQSlV8WaYxWIm6qYt1IUWz0wSI5zFQbdkRu6YdCaNlA0po6gevVsHT0gTmZ8D3bXwWC0lypA5yA08GY0P3K7OpEPHvwMTcFajj_rgmYvmTv17i-NQikw1LhmjGiVfpOfrHx5PGZk/s1600/fancyewe+denim+skirt+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbnFfKQSlV8WaYxWIm6qYt1IUWz0wSI5zFQbdkRu6YdCaNlA0po6gevVsHT0gTmZ8D3bXwWC0lypA5yA08GY0P3K7OpEPHvwMTcFajj_rgmYvmTv17i-NQikw1LhmjGiVfpOfrHx5PGZk/s1600/fancyewe+denim+skirt+9.JPG" height="640" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole look!</td></tr>
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And when I got this all typed up and pics loaded...I realized...I somehow missed taking shots of the back! Well another day I'll show you the back. I'm such a goof ball!!<br />
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Hope you love denim projects as much as I do and hope you have a great day!<br />
Much love from my little "Patch-A-Heaven!"Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-77739947253287988922014-07-23T22:57:00.002-07:002014-07-23T22:57:48.181-07:00Project Denim, Diminishing the Jean Pile, Episode 10, Moccasin Inspired Summer Sandal Make Over!Maybe you have been wondering where I've been...maybe you thought I ran out of ideas...well I'm back! It's been a super busy summer around here with kids, lambs, horses, garden and potty training, ugh!! And I'm not out of ideas, I just need more time in the day, the week, the year, know what I mean?!<br />
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I have a favorite pair of denim jeans and I've had them for eons!! Seriously they are so worn!! And I have decided that they need to be turned into something else so I can continue to enjoy them. Distressed denim is so in right now, but mine were getting ridiculously distressed!! So I made them into 2 different things (and had some denim left over for another project later!)<br />
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The first thing I want to share with you is a Moccasin inspired sandal look! Moccasins are a hot trend these days too, and I secretly wish Freshly Picked would make adult sizes, but until then I will settle for these!!<br />
They turned out super cute and easy. And I think they add a little extra fun and sassy fringe to my sandals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPucB_u42OPn8g57qQqvAG07aWTI0gqiFigKTtemsksQtu3ePhepcCKlapXboRjud82Zttl7zWPrvYHWe-FwKfIkYthoJ8EhalDYnmKCSAG-Hrd4t_GTCwlmYS1ZY52wFc-tag6yoQPVAB/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPucB_u42OPn8g57qQqvAG07aWTI0gqiFigKTtemsksQtu3ePhepcCKlapXboRjud82Zttl7zWPrvYHWe-FwKfIkYthoJ8EhalDYnmKCSAG-Hrd4t_GTCwlmYS1ZY52wFc-tag6yoQPVAB/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+5.JPG" height="640" width="608" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished project!</td></tr>
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<b>To make these you will need:</b><br />
<b>Denim</b><br />
<b>Needle and Thread</b><br />
<b>Hook and Eye closures (Joann fabric store) 2</b><br />
<b>Scissors</b><br />
<b>Rhinestones</b><br />
<b>Glue Gun or E600</b><br />
<b>Your favorite sandals to wear them with</b><br />
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<b>To make them:</b><br />
To begin start with two equal strips of denim about 10.5" long and 2.5" wide, (length may vary depending on size of ankles you are trying to fit so make sure to check that they fit around with room to over lap a bit for the hook and eye closures)<br />
Now that you have 2 strips of denim I would fray the bottom and sides by pulling the thread closest to the cut and pulling it all the way out and repeat until you have a nice fray. Then fold the top edge over and glue down to itself using the glue gun, you would also sew this down if you want or leave it frayed, whichever look you like. Then working from the bottom, make cuts about 3/4 of the way up the strips, (stopping at the exact same place each time) about 1/4-1/2" wide, repeat all the way down the strip. and then I cut off the last strip to make a space so the strip could wrap on top of itself where the hook and eye are. Now attach the hook and eye by sewing in place. (Check the fit on your ankle before sewing so they fit perfectly)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH85VR1AYwNNxa0tMlzjIuxW7t1vFLXahe19q9UweKJjNgmX1OKI0tr6xnP1oOW2bQxDPUXuQBV5JNW7kukCTQcM1xkYPzEK_C4t6mdmIy2Nf3OwnRqfkx4YCufM-Ts9BwhjZl-84sLApt/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH85VR1AYwNNxa0tMlzjIuxW7t1vFLXahe19q9UweKJjNgmX1OKI0tr6xnP1oOW2bQxDPUXuQBV5JNW7kukCTQcM1xkYPzEK_C4t6mdmIy2Nf3OwnRqfkx4YCufM-Ts9BwhjZl-84sLApt/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+1.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my strip I started with.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEVyVHeyhovswV0uu8AZO_yPvS0IvoVE6b23f2Lb116bfSv-fflbfA0kDebfj3pgt8ho5OrpmvilGDXRqRYtM4vSynUoSNEDEX-MtlB8gjgWb2-dasAtiGk5ti3tN_SH3rQys0lD0Pgnd/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEVyVHeyhovswV0uu8AZO_yPvS0IvoVE6b23f2Lb116bfSv-fflbfA0kDebfj3pgt8ho5OrpmvilGDXRqRYtM4vSynUoSNEDEX-MtlB8gjgWb2-dasAtiGk5ti3tN_SH3rQys0lD0Pgnd/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A closer look at the cuts along the strip to make the fringe.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMEGMZ1wfkGbgwSOvNT3ZJMu6GUZ9lgnAM_B1Ts0SzV970bugULJyYCxPaRSC6pJWSzekD1b0WSRmEN1Dvdb26nuEgao4GGjjjhna0yrzJzZReUqfRENITvJSOmqf0PnNyB9BwOZtWPbO/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMEGMZ1wfkGbgwSOvNT3ZJMu6GUZ9lgnAM_B1Ts0SzV970bugULJyYCxPaRSC6pJWSzekD1b0WSRmEN1Dvdb26nuEgao4GGjjjhna0yrzJzZReUqfRENITvJSOmqf0PnNyB9BwOZtWPbO/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+3.JPG" height="254" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I have cut just above the seam at the top, cut the original strip into 2 strips and trimmed the last fringe off one side on each strip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZmLm5b50cYz2eHRHAzaKiX4epm-GWYWspf8cuvUVPvSyupfzv73tWh6Bu9yJrsI_vOgwZeM4k2nlntrTOCGEhh9TVicRbs1GDuKHPDY3J7RGEosn-AUtfdYQIgcvUoIkUFkYEiRUVeaD/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZmLm5b50cYz2eHRHAzaKiX4epm-GWYWspf8cuvUVPvSyupfzv73tWh6Bu9yJrsI_vOgwZeM4k2nlntrTOCGEhh9TVicRbs1GDuKHPDY3J7RGEosn-AUtfdYQIgcvUoIkUFkYEiRUVeaD/s1600/fancyewe+moc+inspired+sandals+4.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I have finished the strips by hand sewing on the hook/eye closures and glued on some rhinestones so they match my sandals. I also hot glued the top of the strips down to the back of the strip, by folding it over and gluing.</td></tr>
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To embellish and make these match my sandals I added some Rhinestones by gluing them on!<br />
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Here's my look!! And tune in tomorrow for the "big" project I made with my old jeans! Just in time for the rodeo!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuYfZkxP3CKs4eD8DwVZX7gMJn8WaqH0efwkqypVglzpY0tJ80_E986jPcGIhG4PC80LF_CuwH67JjELjS7kSl9uZPvjH0OFo2qkG-_H3g5At1aJsB5hZB9LCOtqlYboJTJheqYL54u_D/s1600/fancyewe+denim+moc+inspired+sandals+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuYfZkxP3CKs4eD8DwVZX7gMJn8WaqH0efwkqypVglzpY0tJ80_E986jPcGIhG4PC80LF_CuwH67JjELjS7kSl9uZPvjH0OFo2qkG-_H3g5At1aJsB5hZB9LCOtqlYboJTJheqYL54u_D/s1600/fancyewe+denim+moc+inspired+sandals+10.JPG" height="562" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My finished project! </td></tr>
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-49112457440408213002014-07-07T10:37:00.000-07:002014-07-07T10:37:21.424-07:00How to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer, Have a Bubble Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrX8KvTOAWnkAFbMJYcryAywxtiST2O8XZ4oySsZE2d87M6cRX9QXbaoo-GsJcRcJnWUrinBCkcq94lP-m8O_C3gtjrm_DhP55vB92-eEmt6OJNdC799CpnkULf6Dr5m1FiREHQLbijiB/s1600/fancyewe+giant+bubbles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrX8KvTOAWnkAFbMJYcryAywxtiST2O8XZ4oySsZE2d87M6cRX9QXbaoo-GsJcRcJnWUrinBCkcq94lP-m8O_C3gtjrm_DhP55vB92-eEmt6OJNdC799CpnkULf6Dr5m1FiREHQLbijiB/s1600/fancyewe+giant+bubbles.JPG" height="586" width="640" /></a></div>
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My kids love bubbles! And the bigger the better!! To be honest when we get this stuff out, even the adults can't resist...it's a lot of fun. So my next suggestion for summer fun with the kiddos is to have a bubble day! We do this a lot and have some suggestions. We like to buy the biggest bottle of bubble liquid at Wal-Mart and then pour out into a round pizza pan. Then use either Joy Dish Washing liquid or Johnson's No Tears Shampoo to squirt extra soap into the store bought bubble liquid for extra big bubbling. Because the bubbles get so big and when they pop if the kids are little and it gets in their eyes the Joy might sting a little. I think the Joy works best for the bubble factor, but the Johnson's also works good and no sting. We like to use butterfly nets that we have cut out most of the net, leaving only the part attached to the ring (so the bubble liquid has something to stick to) and then dip the ring into the liquid, pulling it out slowly. You can also make your own buy using wire hangers and or sticks, making a ring and a long handle, then crochet around the ring making something for the liquid to stick to. (If you have older kids it's a perfect way to teach a simple crochet stitch!) We have the best luck with huge bubbles when there's a slight breeze to help elongate the bubbles. My 6 year old is the master! She can make the longest bubbles I've ever seen!<br />
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Here are some pics of our bubble fun!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKQgTvcg1Z8roCFrsgrlq_O6rBcpVUyaiDOgGPBr5b7VzVXX6PubkDYeRvnTsrRSXNya_TEzyNHtySY3_ZOjMvCX-ttB-cs9AzWdb5a2MV-ZdFVr2pHCRSb9B91dsJ9CH12rUEeOiwyRK/s1600/fancyewe+bubble+birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKQgTvcg1Z8roCFrsgrlq_O6rBcpVUyaiDOgGPBr5b7VzVXX6PubkDYeRvnTsrRSXNya_TEzyNHtySY3_ZOjMvCX-ttB-cs9AzWdb5a2MV-ZdFVr2pHCRSb9B91dsJ9CH12rUEeOiwyRK/s1600/fancyewe+bubble+birthday.JPG" height="640" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my mom, seriously you guys she is the funnest grandma ever! Wish I could be more like her...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DsJQpOvULW1VRPvfJuOVlWWdP5TcI8DV2ZGdhDTIG5jKxum4Jtmkvetk6ENyy0dVp-_22qE3BGAVnuz1kV6zpXaIiGvjTsIBiaQ9toCDbfYWoMpoO71JjpV5Xo2z3rQAQKlDQefoCxcP/s1600/fancyewe+bubbles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DsJQpOvULW1VRPvfJuOVlWWdP5TcI8DV2ZGdhDTIG5jKxum4Jtmkvetk6ENyy0dVp-_22qE3BGAVnuz1kV6zpXaIiGvjTsIBiaQ9toCDbfYWoMpoO71JjpV5Xo2z3rQAQKlDQefoCxcP/s1600/fancyewe+bubbles.JPG" height="640" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a look at the wand in the bubble liquid. Keep in mind if you do this on concrete it does get slippery so be careful! I would put the pans on the concrete (so they don't dump over in the grass) , and then have them dip and then move to the grass to run or make the bubbles. Also keep in mind, we have yellowed a patch of grass when we did a huge amount and someone dumped it over in the grass. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17AG75TQWW3h-Al5Wp2igrTJ1fdQ3sfQzyJHvfhbtmW04u5TrG1iwu9C8IVvD6phvFzc3kDVqSVvY4bL8SJ9cg41e3meblbH5CQaOJm-5VwLU7ATOp4VZ3ljxaNu50fkDoNRgYbQ5nQ3H/s1600/fancyewe+bubble+making.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17AG75TQWW3h-Al5Wp2igrTJ1fdQ3sfQzyJHvfhbtmW04u5TrG1iwu9C8IVvD6phvFzc3kDVqSVvY4bL8SJ9cg41e3meblbH5CQaOJm-5VwLU7ATOp4VZ3ljxaNu50fkDoNRgYbQ5nQ3H/s1600/fancyewe+bubble+making.JPG" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bubble queen!</td></tr>
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Another thing the kids love to do besides make the bubbles is pop them! And for this they like to use fly swatters, but the wands and hands work fine too. We usually take turns making the bubbles and popping them, some make, while others pop!<br />
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Keep in mind these are huge bubbles using a lot of bubble liquid so if they pop them over head they will need a bath after or they will feel very slippery and soapy! Or maybe playing in the sprinklers or kiddy pool after would do the trick!! Or just hose them off, LOL!<br />
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This is by far, one of my kids favorite summer activities, we hope you like it too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFrxwy_P-eq18Bibc3TsF5JGlDQrHYqvHv0qdNBuPy5IXySi8HV3M9RLGCYefvZQgdNSJwVA8IXgveC-UD6Y3HefeSDAyYp2DoBk1qI9UwpU0okn6KOnhh5napKm3ihNcaurrhyphenhyphenR1Q8Na/s1600/fancyewe+double+bubbles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFrxwy_P-eq18Bibc3TsF5JGlDQrHYqvHv0qdNBuPy5IXySi8HV3M9RLGCYefvZQgdNSJwVA8IXgveC-UD6Y3HefeSDAyYp2DoBk1qI9UwpU0okn6KOnhh5napKm3ihNcaurrhyphenhyphenR1Q8Na/s1600/fancyewe+double+bubbles.JPG" height="640" width="418" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If one is good...two is better right?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ddxI_IcUa_FETp_1t4kOk5YU-M8-75nOL3PyIUpGHLo89bp5z-2C1RS8Rkv_vowAIKAOOUwIwJ5kxn4uFCmDO0St_AmOF0wB6pj_aZOWf5mm1AdiKXkJKWw1hKJcovrG8DLUa4AYB-cO/s1600/fancyewe+bubbles+on+a+birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ddxI_IcUa_FETp_1t4kOk5YU-M8-75nOL3PyIUpGHLo89bp5z-2C1RS8Rkv_vowAIKAOOUwIwJ5kxn4uFCmDO0St_AmOF0wB6pj_aZOWf5mm1AdiKXkJKWw1hKJcovrG8DLUa4AYB-cO/s1600/fancyewe+bubbles+on+a+birthday.JPG" height="640" width="354" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty sure you can guess how this ended! POP went the bubble!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QD2bXfuglALk-dpCkohaXe09Kff0av_H8IZEPKzHfAUZs8-icBSvUpudcBEPQg3WlFKlqMvv9hyEGfhr_rp2uyY4YGRX3Hq9mIrVNvcEa2J3LogXw3INV4jYdWeKG3qnQn1IgAnaN4Qe/s1600/fancyewe+bubbling+birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QD2bXfuglALk-dpCkohaXe09Kff0av_H8IZEPKzHfAUZs8-icBSvUpudcBEPQg3WlFKlqMvv9hyEGfhr_rp2uyY4YGRX3Hq9mIrVNvcEa2J3LogXw3INV4jYdWeKG3qnQn1IgAnaN4Qe/s1600/fancyewe+bubbling+birthday.JPG" height="640" width="394" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All Hail the Bubble Queen!</td></tr>
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Next time we do this we are going to try the hula hoop in the swimming pool to see if we can make the huge bubble you can get inside! I just need to crochet around the hoop first! And buy a tanker full of bubble liquid!! Bubbles are so fun and hope you get out and try these with your kiddos.Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-77351749295295819522014-07-03T18:01:00.000-07:002014-07-03T18:01:09.487-07:00Happy Independence Day! An Easy 4th of July Craft, Firework Bows!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttMuAgdybxLEjX2R8VtunkJFhnoe2VSdD0HFn-yTvJhgkr4iVdO8Ikjyy2j_-pwsM7rMLaHRHAkDMr5CvtKJG-pX3aVkd7KPbnWsFJ5hqbWUnJRS4P7XuHp0TAzegnof4UMXBI8gZDPGE/s1600/fancyewe+4th+of+July+Flip+flops.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttMuAgdybxLEjX2R8VtunkJFhnoe2VSdD0HFn-yTvJhgkr4iVdO8Ikjyy2j_-pwsM7rMLaHRHAkDMr5CvtKJG-pX3aVkd7KPbnWsFJ5hqbWUnJRS4P7XuHp0TAzegnof4UMXBI8gZDPGE/s1600/fancyewe+4th+of+July+Flip+flops.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is our Activity Day craft, patriotic flip flops!</td></tr>
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Hi friends! Hope you all have a super 4th of July tomorrow! It's such a fun holiday with such special <br />
meaning. I was looking for a fun, easy red, white and blue craft for my Activity Day girls yesterday. (If you aren't familiar with "Activity Day" it's a special bi-monthly, planned activity for the girls in our church ages 8-11, I have the privilege of being one of their leaders.) I wanted something we could make, that they could wear on the 4th and something they could do while we discussed the significance of Independence Day. I have always loved the 4th of July, the parades, bbq's, fireworks and traditions. But I wanted the girls to really appreciate why we celebrate the 4th and what it means. So we talked about that and made these easy flip flops. Of course this idea has been around forever. And Joann's had flip flops on sale for $1 and I had access to lots of free fabric scraps so it was a win, win! But, then I had another idea...why not make some hair clips using the same method (don't know if anyone has tried this, but it worked great too!) They look like fireworks which is very fitting, and they were super fast and easy!!<br />
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This is a fun, inexpensive craft for camp, activity day or family reunion. You could make them using any color combo of fabrics to suit the holiday or affair. We did Red, White and Blue of course and they turned out cute!<br />
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To make these, just buy some hair barrettes from Joann, and cut/tear strips of scrap fabric about 1/2-1" wide and 6" long, then just tie the strips onto the barrette, using double (two) knots. And fill in the entire barrette, easy peasy! The barrettes had small, circular holes in the ends so I put one strip through each hole and tied them as to cover the metal ends.<br />
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Here are some pics of our creations:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTsqx6R_eINJnio97iN06011K85pFdRFFpGZ_q5VDd9UbEWE5jSmSyZC4CCvUOWwtarG5_8fyb5ZTb_M6S3lnx7jz9V27E31a_Y0xHsjRq2N1JcOwPPY-AkgqWA7oemPJL0H-KqsZyjXt/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvTsqx6R_eINJnio97iN06011K85pFdRFFpGZ_q5VDd9UbEWE5jSmSyZC4CCvUOWwtarG5_8fyb5ZTb_M6S3lnx7jz9V27E31a_Y0xHsjRq2N1JcOwPPY-AkgqWA7oemPJL0H-KqsZyjXt/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+1.JPG" height="640" width="584" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a finished firecracker bow!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISzJvNLPZto5u3QWsusjGR64lwSaggkvlU6pQXrqgH5gfiElC6yZJxXLNbTlr5OfL3j-eVehTORb6ej5Bmhnk1JfxMl7dW1CLkmwjrq6DvCpFsjYB3TFhD40jLijMPdkJGjlThafu9SlN/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISzJvNLPZto5u3QWsusjGR64lwSaggkvlU6pQXrqgH5gfiElC6yZJxXLNbTlr5OfL3j-eVehTORb6ej5Bmhnk1JfxMl7dW1CLkmwjrq6DvCpFsjYB3TFhD40jLijMPdkJGjlThafu9SlN/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+4.JPG" height="302" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the kind of hair barrette clip we used.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZHOCjugQBqN9i_Pbk6PuoSiTHshz2MaUNbdyxYHwCJaGIeNDyj4h5EHiEOsMVYp0nh951lsuoeQ8e1t6no_vndnB5bFhVYlYw05BI_7AKTSu85Qt80irWTC5iy_9Ok9ZVTGkUuG0k3Vl/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZHOCjugQBqN9i_Pbk6PuoSiTHshz2MaUNbdyxYHwCJaGIeNDyj4h5EHiEOsMVYp0nh951lsuoeQ8e1t6no_vndnB5bFhVYlYw05BI_7AKTSu85Qt80irWTC5iy_9Ok9ZVTGkUuG0k3Vl/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+2.JPG" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fabric strips look like this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DNKGN3NAmvMMadQpmdaQyysF_5eMTFJMm85DAJ9Wea9QxdfLtXavUrxmvTSOnVDtcQqC35cSy55OxY8UpMH4_f2-8bPn0tskITyKFPnZv1IbAsm0E3gAAfREEI62-VkvkPqC96XdMV7L/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DNKGN3NAmvMMadQpmdaQyysF_5eMTFJMm85DAJ9Wea9QxdfLtXavUrxmvTSOnVDtcQqC35cSy55OxY8UpMH4_f2-8bPn0tskITyKFPnZv1IbAsm0E3gAAfREEI62-VkvkPqC96XdMV7L/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+5.JPG" height="640" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the little hole I was talking about. I thread a strip through each hole and tie 2 knots.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqkPOsEjDAH5CEg0IpqQkpFU0FSWDgAKwATYsOGpR9HY3nmxQvGq0wnr5bS5HWoEFyhzSdr6g_cbqtTFJLxk8Wbsy-g8tqcSGZNnUI27D9o963ANU60r-dE9f0VApwrYF29FV1hNbHbvx/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqkPOsEjDAH5CEg0IpqQkpFU0FSWDgAKwATYsOGpR9HY3nmxQvGq0wnr5bS5HWoEFyhzSdr6g_cbqtTFJLxk8Wbsy-g8tqcSGZNnUI27D9o963ANU60r-dE9f0VApwrYF29FV1hNbHbvx/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+7.JPG" height="522" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one knot after threading through the hole.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ccej0im03-WVXhE3TnCNfzc7MuTB3WBrPbZ4Gz4qfsjZePHi4q39NZn2xsjEBvjV6NvB__zofT9CC777f2u9dRhwFW21RyE1oC5brmWIn9X1rx4adR8fIrSHoPtHTQ8OKzGGKLcKRt8a/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ccej0im03-WVXhE3TnCNfzc7MuTB3WBrPbZ4Gz4qfsjZePHi4q39NZn2xsjEBvjV6NvB__zofT9CC777f2u9dRhwFW21RyE1oC5brmWIn9X1rx4adR8fIrSHoPtHTQ8OKzGGKLcKRt8a/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+8.JPG" height="568" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is two knots in the original red strip and another blue strip added right next to it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjRtl9lhcEhOvrY2Oe9zqYPPDS1BmVQ0ubx4Mgtx27FB91ZeHtPI0zHIsh4Qr3YxdyKL2033jqZb4ZluFat48pVm7hLzYI57uE6IR35gNHc5UPXqh2BK9ZMAGPIkNNSOK1WAemdrS66-5/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjRtl9lhcEhOvrY2Oe9zqYPPDS1BmVQ0ubx4Mgtx27FB91ZeHtPI0zHIsh4Qr3YxdyKL2033jqZb4ZluFat48pVm7hLzYI57uE6IR35gNHc5UPXqh2BK9ZMAGPIkNNSOK1WAemdrS66-5/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+9.JPG" height="640" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you continue adding more strips and turn the ties different directions when tying the knots it will look more like a firework and less uniform as the first two do. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgEnN7eFksVQOFHUZ01X05-FHVEAU5gtl_tV1VSLCDy95y93ju4gn7TlyXtfFzE77iJiChIbONSO9sQxYwNQLYdEAvDgeMteJk70BewZlAOGPnW4osazcYmEMZseDcmkxp2c5hN_mSfQ9/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgEnN7eFksVQOFHUZ01X05-FHVEAU5gtl_tV1VSLCDy95y93ju4gn7TlyXtfFzE77iJiChIbONSO9sQxYwNQLYdEAvDgeMteJk70BewZlAOGPnW4osazcYmEMZseDcmkxp2c5hN_mSfQ9/s1600/fancyewe+firework+hair+bow+10.JPG" height="540" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a finished firework bow.</td></tr>
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Oh...and if you aren't familiar with the flip flop craft shown in the picture at the top, you use the same method of tying strips of fabric to the flip flops until they look full. We have also used this same method on a giant safety pin, (only filling one side of the pin) and then you can pin it to a hat or blouse to create fun, patriotic accessories!<br />
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Hope you all have a great 4th of July and always remember what it means and how blessed we are to live in the great U.S.A!!Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-66459799863535576232014-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:002014-06-23T10:05:39.651-07:00How to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer Series Continues, Colored Corn Kernel Art Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome back to our little "Patch-A-Heaven!" It's officially summer!! And we are loving it. Today I'm sharing a simple, inexpensive art project to keep the kiddos busy this summer. My kids love art projects of any kind. I have seen lots of kid projects using popcorn kernels glued to paper, but I've never seen anyone color them. So we thought we'd step up the art with some color!<br />
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<b>To do this project you will need:</b><br />
Popcorn kernels<br />
Glue, we like Elmer's the old school white glue<br />
Food Coloring<br />
Card stock Paper<br />
Zip L<span style="text-align: center;">oc Bags and Paper towels</span><br />
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To make the kernels colored, just put about 1/2-3/4 cup of kernels in a Zip Loc bag, then put as much food coloring as you like into the bag also, just dropped onto the kernels. (We liked about 7-10 drops per bag) Then seal the bag, getting all the air out. Then squish and roll the bag (from the outside) around in your hands getting the color all over the kernels. The kernels absorb the colored liquid quickly and nicely. You can lay the kernels out onto a paper towel for a min. to absorb any excess color before using them for your project. And I would recommend that as it keeps little hands from getting colored too. In the pics my kids hands got colored because I let them do the dropping and then they put their hands into the bag to get kernels out and some color was on the inside of the bag. To avoid colored hands, just empty the colored kernels onto the towels instead of reaching in the bags.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xb6PgXgm8Vn9ykS_8ViRB84lB2wXUZ3Vic5wxjDnm0D40SHR0_HPGLVjbBeQypXCCtAWRtLojRQsb84j-_ha9tWukLa38gAB1B0eWJbb707dvyYVZqQzC8pTnAbFjwnJdvqYTF6B4YrX/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xb6PgXgm8Vn9ykS_8ViRB84lB2wXUZ3Vic5wxjDnm0D40SHR0_HPGLVjbBeQypXCCtAWRtLojRQsb84j-_ha9tWukLa38gAB1B0eWJbb707dvyYVZqQzC8pTnAbFjwnJdvqYTF6B4YrX/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+6.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is adding the food coloring drop by drop. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3szPoaMHrZi0suixfL6dko_3leIIh2zkBwkzAk-Y3MoqIevQl65tGvbqE3n8KUxItgYx6yg7wOPqGHhWczkU-9CAGnCVb1yltxRTGcQNCKgVEEInv4PjmtFk2vn7sw_yO9lktjWcKbVeJ/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3szPoaMHrZi0suixfL6dko_3leIIh2zkBwkzAk-Y3MoqIevQl65tGvbqE3n8KUxItgYx6yg7wOPqGHhWczkU-9CAGnCVb1yltxRTGcQNCKgVEEInv4PjmtFk2vn7sw_yO9lktjWcKbVeJ/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+7.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And now she is squishing the bag from the outside to coat all the kernels with color.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIyyESMg9zwLqYgXhlY4LxdrzgejBg8Seo-aA8cATgKdpx1_kgOJ2tFV9DMKJshtXSiWGEyIvyJm9Ktsrlwtf0M50kdx_LqTDjg50UbBvr4Qp4En01y41rcvgibmLa-DnaYCr-5TriOyY/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIyyESMg9zwLqYgXhlY4LxdrzgejBg8Seo-aA8cATgKdpx1_kgOJ2tFV9DMKJshtXSiWGEyIvyJm9Ktsrlwtf0M50kdx_LqTDjg50UbBvr4Qp4En01y41rcvgibmLa-DnaYCr-5TriOyY/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+5.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on his train tracks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeedwXT-Ho-ktQ0V3MFMxk_hKBZYlljFGcjmvYV4TZ1tyCxeT2I6RXHlF0GgvH171YN_Q6MlOAqIyHVBVt_lU3DqC8sqrzxO-XRl97GtHQ3rdQQkyVSMMjW1HGmdGfcE9w1TMJiXJxZjj0/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeedwXT-Ho-ktQ0V3MFMxk_hKBZYlljFGcjmvYV4TZ1tyCxeT2I6RXHlF0GgvH171YN_Q6MlOAqIyHVBVt_lU3DqC8sqrzxO-XRl97GtHQ3rdQQkyVSMMjW1HGmdGfcE9w1TMJiXJxZjj0/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+1.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the look of concentration on his face!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EhPpkQnreKWlD0N0qAtVdjcHLr-ouwAB00VcyV324owROqQ8c4PzMr8mJpg4qSqD3F2soLOAweVUeIxIRO8S1d-ECZDCOS40Oo2JSD3ineA7yV1VRVFMwxiD7KKSdznAGMz76de-Z2za/s1600/fancyewe+corn+kernel+art+4.JPG" height="640" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="426" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the kernels in the bag all colored.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EhPpkQnreKWlD0N0qAtVdjcHLr-ouwAB00VcyV324owROqQ8c4PzMr8mJpg4qSqD3F2soLOAweVUeIxIRO8S1d-ECZDCOS40Oo2JSD3ineA7yV1VRVFMwxiD7KKSdznAGMz76de-Z2za/s1600/fancyewe+corn+kernel+art+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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Then allow the kids to use their imagination to draw what they want with the glue onto the paper and then push the kernels into the glue and allow to dry.<br />
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For my older kids I had them pick an object and then try to create it. One chose the shape of the State of Utah. I did the horse. And my youngest chose train tracks. It's also fun for the littlest ones to fill in a shape you outline for them. I outlined a balloon and my 3 year old filled it in. This is also a fun way to teach them patterns.<br />
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The best thing I find about doing these sorts of projects with kids, is that it encourages their imaginations and creativity, curiosity and they want to learn more! When we were done they wondered what popcorn kernels look like when they are colored <i>and then</i> get popped....a project for another day I suppose!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jR8NLO0dtqReoMpl6jTUU06-aukxwhbtRRHoUcjENRuJvvQ48iYj_D1Mo4-We4jjfQZU1EvZ3yrL1L2zeMHHax3-nUaLZcK_e2lRnidXoEzqSo5cPmjL1vO2AIFzsBkMayhvbyPVakY5/s1600/fancyewe+corn+kernel+art+projects+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jR8NLO0dtqReoMpl6jTUU06-aukxwhbtRRHoUcjENRuJvvQ48iYj_D1Mo4-We4jjfQZU1EvZ3yrL1L2zeMHHax3-nUaLZcK_e2lRnidXoEzqSo5cPmjL1vO2AIFzsBkMayhvbyPVakY5/s1600/fancyewe+corn+kernel+art+projects+2.JPG" height="640" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was pretty proud of his work!</td></tr>
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Hope you are all having a super fun summer!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxTB5xI3WgKsfYvZMuI1eB5V9NjFHzuHVlv-ZAdOlvw81XYssK2OaBDY2vuIPjfjdIss1Be43Dxt8pRo4wTskBFCTMEb2WvQsMfcCJ8wjGtIU7S4sTiS2-Q7VOeqdXenjEA6NeMvfqC3F/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxTB5xI3WgKsfYvZMuI1eB5V9NjFHzuHVlv-ZAdOlvw81XYssK2OaBDY2vuIPjfjdIss1Be43Dxt8pRo4wTskBFCTMEb2WvQsMfcCJ8wjGtIU7S4sTiS2-Q7VOeqdXenjEA6NeMvfqC3F/s1600/fancyewe+summer+fun+corn+kernel+art+2.JPG" height="640" width="458" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had my cell phone there to remind her what the great State of Utah's shape looks like.</td></tr>
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Until next time, much love from our little "Patch-A-Heaven!"<br />
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-48919903669701532652014-06-12T14:03:00.003-07:002014-06-12T14:08:24.446-07:00Easy, Inexpensive New Neighbor Welcome Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! I've been working hard in my garden this year and I'm happy to say that it is paying off! I have an abundance of fresh, delicious produce. To share some of that garden goodness and say "Hello" to some new neighbors who have moved into our area, I made these really easy boxes with card stock, decorated them with lettering, using my Cricut Explore Machine, and filled them with fresh lettuce from the garden. I think they turned out really cute, so I thought I would share.<br />
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<b>To make them you will need:</b><br />
Card stock Paper, 12x12 size<br />
Tape, I used a cute printed Washi Tape<br />
Modge Podge as adhesive for lettering if you use a Cricut, and a sponge brush to apply the Modge Podge<br />
Markers to write a cute note, or use your Cricut if you have one<br />
And filler, I used lettuce<br />
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<b>To make the box:</b><br />
Make 2 marks on 2 sides of the 12x12 paper, on opposite ends, the lines should be made 4" in from each side and 3" deep into the paper. (Do this on both, opposing ends, leaving the other 2 sides alone)<br />
Then cut those lines you drew. Now, fold the middle flap up at the end of the cut, do this on both sides, then fold the other two flaps up at the end mark also. Then you need to fold the outside flaps to create a fold on the bottom, long sides of the bottom of the box. <br />
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Here are some pics that should help with folding. Then you fold and tape to make the box. <br />
I used my Cricut Explore to make text that says "Lettuce Be Friends!" I then Modge Podged it onto the boxes and then filled with fresh lettuce. This was an easy, inexpensive way to say "Welcome" to our neighborhood!<br />
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From our little "Patch-A-Heaven", <br />
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"Lettuce" all have a wonderful day!!Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-19812815472523811842014-06-11T07:31:00.000-07:002014-06-11T07:31:07.559-07:00Potluck Pleasers, Episode 2, The Best Garlic Green Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! It's getting hot outside and we are just a short time away (where I live) from home grown tomatoes!! This is one of my favorite things about summer...fresh tomatoes. I'm sorry, but tomatoes in the store just <strong><em>aren't</em></strong> the same. And to celebrate the thought of fresh tomatoes....I am sharing another one of my favorite potluck salads today! I love this salad in the summer...and so does everyone else!! I grow lettuce and sweet Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes in my garden and they are perfect for this green salad. I have taken this to many potluck gatherings over the years and it's always a favorite. I did not create it, I got it from my sister in-law and I don't know where it originated, but it's the best! And too good not to share!<br />
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My favorite part (besides homegrown tomatoes) is the dressing. It's simple, fresh, and delicious!<br />
There are a few <strong>"rules"</strong> if you are going to try this recipe....<em><strong>Promise me</strong></em> that you won't use "fake" lemon juice (from a bottle), imitation bacon bits, or the kind of Parmesan cheese that comes in a can! Okay, glad I got that off my chest! This salad will<strong> NOT </strong>be the same if you use any of the above items. You may substitute your favorite oil if you prefer, just realize it will change the flavor too.<br />
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Here we go!<br />
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<strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />
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<strong>Romaine Lettuce, </strong>2 heads, chopped<br />
<strong>Bacon Strips</strong>, 8-10 cooked and crumbled<br />
<strong>Parmesan Cheese,</strong> 1 Cup, grated<br />
<strong>Cherry Tomatoes</strong>, 2 Cups, I like to cut them in half, you can leave whole if you prefer, I like a smaller bite.<br />
<strong>Slivered Almonds</strong>, toasted (I put mine on a cookie sheet and use my toast function on my oven) you just want a nice light browning here, don't burn them!<br />
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<strong>Dressing:</strong><br />
<strong>Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice, </strong>1/4 Cup <br />
<strong>Vegetable Oil,</strong> 3/4 Cup<br />
<strong>Garlic Cloves</strong>, 4-5 minced fine (you can adjust the "garlicyness" on this if you want, I like 5)<br />
<strong>Salt</strong>, 1/2 teaspoon`<br />
<strong>Pepper, </strong>1/2 teaspoon<br />
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<strong>Directions:</strong><br />
I mix the dressing ingredients in a pint mason jar with a lid and ring and shake until incorporated. Then set aside until ready to serve. Cook bacon, let cool, then cut or crumble into about 1/2" pieces. Toast your almonds in the oven, on a cookie sheet, 400 degrees or so, for about 5 min. (this may vary so watch them!) you just want a light brown color. Wash and cut cherry tomatoes in halves. Cut lettuce into bite size pieces. All ingredients (except dressing) can be stored in same bowl, covered in refrigerator and when you get ready to eat, shake dressing, pour over and stir until salad is coated and well mixed, then serve. This salad does not keep well over night, (gets soggy) however you will rarely have leftovers!<br />
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Hope you all have a wonderful Summer and get out there and share some Potluck Love!!Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-67845615693758276802014-06-06T13:58:00.001-07:002014-06-06T13:58:52.047-07:00Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom, Growing a Garden and Some Kids Too!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUtWnCOKOUbfaxtoCtEnbP4Sil2pv4rey5okrtU7WA4pVOrdvX9j0YfjzaPgmLS1-Tx_0KkC4wPhZlVqN_Aq6aZsDNvhiuOJcVmoHXaZvFCFtQ7fZr28CgeGfcGy110O0K8Vmw1CAZQ94/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUtWnCOKOUbfaxtoCtEnbP4Sil2pv4rey5okrtU7WA4pVOrdvX9j0YfjzaPgmLS1-Tx_0KkC4wPhZlVqN_Aq6aZsDNvhiuOJcVmoHXaZvFCFtQ7fZr28CgeGfcGy110O0K8Vmw1CAZQ94/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+2.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the boy and his trusty Aussie, sitting atop the hill we found.</td></tr>
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Are you a gardener? It really is one of my most favorite things in the whole, wide world!! And for many reasons, such as; connecting with my creator through nature, even though I have been gardening on my own for going on 14 years now, it never ceases to amaze me that when hard, dry seeds are planted, that new life arises! It's one of the most satisfying things for the soul. It allows you to put effort, work, time, and energy in and then receive a gift of the harvest. It allows me special time with my children. Children, even when very small love to garden! If sprinkling seeds isn't enough, there's their curiosity of waiting to see if a plant will grow from that sprinkled seed. They just love to "help!" It's very bonding for a family to work and play together in a garden. It also gives children a great sense of responsibility and delayed gratification as they get older. <br />
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The planting time for an "early" garden (veggies that can handle a little frost and cooler weather) here in our area is Mar. 15. So we have been preparing for this by cleaning up any garbage that may have blown into our garden. Adding fertilizer and compost. Tilling the ground. And this year I am making some changes to my garden. I am adding some grow boxes. (I will do another specific post on how I made these, it's pretty rad and eco friendly!) <br />
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I only have one little one home with me during the day, while the other 2 are in school. He and I have such fun together! Today we had an especially fun day prepping and planting the garden. I have a super, duper neighbor who also likes to garden. Her name is Mary. She is an amazing gardener. We love to discuss our gardening "problems" (of course there are some "bad" things that come along with gardening such as pests, rodents, WEEDS) or things that are working with each other. (It's very handy to have a friend or mentor who loves to garden to bounce ideas off of and learn from.) Besides my own Mother, Mary is the best gardener I know. I will introduce you to her more formally in the next, making grow boxes post. So Mary has this amazing store of worm compost. Basically she started it from a small bin and it has grown to about 25 feet long and 1-2 feet high of this beautiful black, worm created compost. She puts her table scraps (not meat or citrus) on the pile and the worms make it into compost.<br />
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The boy and I travelled next door to collect some of this wonderful garden gold! We rode on our trusty chariot (otherwise known as our Honda 4 Wheeler) pulling a little trailer. The boy loves to go on 4 wheeler adventures. Once we got there and were waiting for Mary, we spied a large muddy puddle (good thing Mom was thinking and had boy wear his waterproof Muck Boots!) and a big dirt pile. While waiting we made good use of our time splashing in the puddle, throwing gravel into the puddle, running through the puddle, running up and down the hill and observing our friends the bees who had come out of their hives to enjoy the nice day! <br />
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We loaded the compost up in our trailer. (Which means lots of shoveling and that's good for the winter flabs!) And headed back to our place with our "treasure." (The boy loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates so we role play and pretend a lot!) <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87aoQ10UpBRV59kGtu0H1IOFI2gpUCjp7gUePmurB5NyFdTzis1lk_A060m-Qq6swzHoePM6f5QRCMiIyDGHYEYXJqg_RfZD5zwhKKDDfv74-DcJo4hMq7R1WlqkKdc7nOQB4eY3rzN-U/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87aoQ10UpBRV59kGtu0H1IOFI2gpUCjp7gUePmurB5NyFdTzis1lk_A060m-Qq6swzHoePM6f5QRCMiIyDGHYEYXJqg_RfZD5zwhKKDDfv74-DcJo4hMq7R1WlqkKdc7nOQB4eY3rzN-U/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the one of the puddles he just couldn't resist! (I don't really blame him!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfqZu2WxOi6b1smLSEnZC7Q14UYeKnnk2X5Os7N7c49rLylijqEg-sTWJZpOyQ82BGPmaUSLriRLR_eSDC4MY9OEZiNOJY2rUpwJTlmboxV4mKMQKODQ0V6q8TDQWpHHmdpWQoT3Bu79q/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfqZu2WxOi6b1smLSEnZC7Q14UYeKnnk2X5Os7N7c49rLylijqEg-sTWJZpOyQ82BGPmaUSLriRLR_eSDC4MY9OEZiNOJY2rUpwJTlmboxV4mKMQKODQ0V6q8TDQWpHHmdpWQoT3Bu79q/s1600/fancyewe+grow+boxes+4.JPG" height="640" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my friend's gorgeous worm dirt!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MuX9lyAyE23SC_dW7j9eWzMWyrH3omRztJBOIgNU4-XkWXoNPHwxJgjkRWS74xQqvjhnWQ9AWGFfyzwuSmUjhznYV61imrXXaMEqIhD79xTaEmHh7C1W9sBVJcd-tSrd5wgwX4ckZMCD/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+worms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MuX9lyAyE23SC_dW7j9eWzMWyrH3omRztJBOIgNU4-XkWXoNPHwxJgjkRWS74xQqvjhnWQ9AWGFfyzwuSmUjhznYV61imrXXaMEqIhD79xTaEmHh7C1W9sBVJcd-tSrd5wgwX4ckZMCD/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+worms.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And these are the little guys I want to take home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dJlMn_bU_dvwbGMU58lBeArMUKv3fLZ32p21MgfLTu77OvXSL4qvO7Jt-eHDxNqVxX7a2sBBLSa6kdFr-HlZ08DNx5_NuW9z5QyDTS1QdMGJVVIJ6ZcjRm8dpk187LIK-7SikKpfsRvw/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+in+the+trailer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dJlMn_bU_dvwbGMU58lBeArMUKv3fLZ32p21MgfLTu77OvXSL4qvO7Jt-eHDxNqVxX7a2sBBLSa6kdFr-HlZ08DNx5_NuW9z5QyDTS1QdMGJVVIJ6ZcjRm8dpk187LIK-7SikKpfsRvw/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+in+the+trailer.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is called work cut out for me!! Lots of good shoveling!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfxFI_4DVmSK7NGhe1d_7FfUzHDd79ItXVFBYPXsOXs0K9YhuheZb6d-tZAM9LK5wkzv1PdUjI53Ea7pzL4xH3Ktx27I-49vR0fdil_OrZTKnCPQYbemqWlMZ1oQTRq7v8Xz6miqTpGuW/s1600/fancyewe+compost+bin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfxFI_4DVmSK7NGhe1d_7FfUzHDd79ItXVFBYPXsOXs0K9YhuheZb6d-tZAM9LK5wkzv1PdUjI53Ea7pzL4xH3Ktx27I-49vR0fdil_OrZTKnCPQYbemqWlMZ1oQTRq7v8Xz6miqTpGuW/s1600/fancyewe+compost+bin.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my first contribution to the new compost bin!!</td></tr>
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Then we headed over to our local Hardware Store for some red paint. I wanted the boxes to match our chicken coop that's just behind the garden and it's red. We painted our boxes and man was that fun! The boy and I started, and then his sisters joined in as soon as they got home. (yes...allowing children to paint is messy! But outside in the dirt in clothes you don't care if they get ruined...the many wonderful things that can happen! My middle daughter said to me "Mom, you are the best mom ever!" (I don't think this is true, but she says it every time we do something she <em>really</em> likes. And then she told me thanks for letting her paint because it was so much fun! They did a surprisingly good job and I love that they have fun helping me in the garden. (And I think it bonds us when I allow them to do "adult" things because they feel I trust them to do so.) I unloaded our treasure into our boxes (more shoveling, and yes, I will feel it tomorrow! It seems I have a case of the winter "flabby arms" going on!) And then we planted some seeds. This is probably my kids favorite part. And they like to sprinkle water over the seeds with small watering cans too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej1uMTBMf3-TRM5trnXd_tnkUAhJP_d2Vxc1jgKL3Kls4qIpp6_dw6MixgBkboKdqSWaUWXoip_eiZtaetU2IDgFducI0wIpe6SDNKEPvvSq9l_0IYgh-nzQNaCWTVGJwkduSFskbdc64/s1600/fancyewe+painting+garden+boxes+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej1uMTBMf3-TRM5trnXd_tnkUAhJP_d2Vxc1jgKL3Kls4qIpp6_dw6MixgBkboKdqSWaUWXoip_eiZtaetU2IDgFducI0wIpe6SDNKEPvvSq9l_0IYgh-nzQNaCWTVGJwkduSFskbdc64/s1600/fancyewe+painting+garden+boxes+1.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the little guy doing a smashing job on the paint detail! Only 3 yet he can do a lot to help in a garden.</td></tr>
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I am working now to work less later. I am trying to get rid of some of my "trouble" weed spots and am putting down black landscape fabric and will cover with gravel in areas I'm not growing things (such as the perimeter and in between boxes) I do really well at keeping my garden weed free in the Spring and early Summer when all there is to do there is water and weed, but as soon as you add harvesting and preserving those veggies I run out of hours in the day and weeding is the first thing to go! So this year I'm making some improvements. I'll keep you updated in my changes. I'm excited!!<br />
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So until next time from my little "Patch-A-Heaven" I bid you farewell and hope I've convinced you to start a garden (if you don't do it already!) It really is a wonderful thing to do and so rewarding in so many ways!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHkrHEoc-T2Kxpk4j1d7Otc6IZTYpvNKuoSgQYHpbf4qJ0robhaAjdIUUxDgKKWDk5nbYpNiVRYC-vwVb7MXA_3RBQqaP6MofafyjDFVhIIKn8yOs9HpTpiEwsnSQuDTGD72NkZGxxvAb/s1600/fancyewe+paint+the+coop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHkrHEoc-T2Kxpk4j1d7Otc6IZTYpvNKuoSgQYHpbf4qJ0robhaAjdIUUxDgKKWDk5nbYpNiVRYC-vwVb7MXA_3RBQqaP6MofafyjDFVhIIKn8yOs9HpTpiEwsnSQuDTGD72NkZGxxvAb/s1600/fancyewe+paint+the+coop.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we were at it, we thought the old chicken coop that is behind the garden could use a new coat of paint, so we did that too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIEKPR1G1hvJQZG46GHWPQTVgkfUUR7Zlg1hpo4eRPpwOEXwCvbwJASZ0YJoyLEovg9Cig5SjQun4p7GVbay9PUo8y_Zjoyd_zvTKShJmUHWnvH68PjUOwab8qHvgkZHFf97LrilJY6kt/s1600/fancyewe+dump+truck+load+of+compost.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIEKPR1G1hvJQZG46GHWPQTVgkfUUR7Zlg1hpo4eRPpwOEXwCvbwJASZ0YJoyLEovg9Cig5SjQun4p7GVbay9PUo8y_Zjoyd_zvTKShJmUHWnvH68PjUOwab8qHvgkZHFf97LrilJY6kt/s1600/fancyewe+dump+truck+load+of+compost.JPG" height="256" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I brought in a load of Dairy compost also to mix into the boxes and into the garden soil that won't be in boxes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQfU78fgDs1rrcGV8XN7bP9_6sD4KMIF4CbXpldGhHmWVdl8g7aCmvYfJ9LgtPyPQEbodDjc_ZUwlZR4bvxowFRRQNunyKxtiEwSZ7vHknN-jUmnt5IRXOCc0ZVYTo3UsmiLbb_i3sHSG/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+perfection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQfU78fgDs1rrcGV8XN7bP9_6sD4KMIF4CbXpldGhHmWVdl8g7aCmvYfJ9LgtPyPQEbodDjc_ZUwlZR4bvxowFRRQNunyKxtiEwSZ7vHknN-jUmnt5IRXOCc0ZVYTo3UsmiLbb_i3sHSG/s1600/fancyewe+garden+soil+perfection.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love a man that can appreciate good quality, tilled up soil! Just look at him running his hands through it!!(I love to do that too!!)</td></tr>
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We got our soil prepped, our boxes in and painted, then we planted them. They are now growing wonderfully! (I'll take some current pics and do an updated post soon!)<br />
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If you haven't tried a garden....I challenge you to start a small one, you will love it!!<br />
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Happy Planting!!<br />
KaceyKacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-27219472449855704722014-06-01T21:29:00.001-07:002014-06-01T21:32:51.728-07:00Pot Luck Pleasers, The Best Fruit Salad, Trifle Style!I love me a good potluck! Heck...I'm a Mormon for goodness sake...we potluck after everything!<br />
Whether it's a baby blessing, baptism, funeral, missionary farewell or homecoming... It's just what we do. We get together with our friends and family. Whoever is hosting usually takes care of the meat and then the rest of us bring salads and sides. It's great! And summer is upon us so it's the perfect time to get together for a BBQ or backyard potluck party with family or friends. But, then the always nagging question..."What should I make?" takes over! So, today I am going to start a new mini series of <strong>Potluck Pleasers</strong>, meaning a series of blog posts where I will be sharing my favorite, tried and true recipes. These are the dishes that I have taken to many a potluck and they never fail to invoke "I need that recipe" and "who made that..." So maybe you need some new recipes to take to that get together. Well these will be the ones that are my best! I sometimes make up my own recipes, sometimes I just share ones that someone else came up with, sometimes I don't even know where a recipe came from, but I think good things should be shared!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMq2wS8kEVgXTfdpb35DiqP1rxNF4CPAakPejwq75hzt5HDV7SbIu0y2Lb-zJ4NKbf1MGuRvAXeHUhmg_lxwNfFpwL4wFdr7X7Q8Z3TjjqIMoLE617Y2iycf6Gq6i04ljVJ7m-XaJKcAD/s1600/fancyewe+best+fruit+salad+recipe,+trifle+style.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMq2wS8kEVgXTfdpb35DiqP1rxNF4CPAakPejwq75hzt5HDV7SbIu0y2Lb-zJ4NKbf1MGuRvAXeHUhmg_lxwNfFpwL4wFdr7X7Q8Z3TjjqIMoLE617Y2iycf6Gq6i04ljVJ7m-XaJKcAD/s1600/fancyewe+best+fruit+salad+recipe,+trifle+style.JPG" height="640" width="596" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the salad, trifle style. </td></tr>
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The first recipe I am sharing is a fruit salad recipe that my mother has been making for years. I have no idea where her original version came from. The original recipe contained Maraschino Cherries. I like them, but I think it's better with Bananas instead so I tweaked it a bit. Here is my version. I also like to serve it "Trifle Style" just because I think it's prettier.<strong> It does not contain cake</strong>. (I know, bummer right?!)<br />
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<b>Fruit Salad Recipe: </b><br />
<b>Ingredients you will need:</b><br />
Cream cheese, softened 8 oz<br />
White Sugar, 1 Cup for pretzel mix, and another 1/2 Cup for cream layer/mixture and 1/2 Cup if you use real whipping cream for the top to sweeten the cream.<br />
Cool Whip, the medium size, 16 oz or if you prefer the real thing, go ahead and use real whip cream it's good too<br />
Whipping cream, 1 pint<br />
Pretzels,1 Cup smashed<br />
Butter, 1 cube<br />
2 Bananas,sliced<br />
Mandarin Oranges, two small cans, drained<br />
Pineapple Chunks or Tidbits if you prefer them smaller, one large can, drained<br />
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<b>First, Preheat Oven to 400 degrees, </b>then,<b> </b>Crush, smash, roll over your pretzels with a heavy rolling pin on a cookie sheet until you have small pieces, set aside, melt one cube butter in sauce pan, add 1 cup white sugar when butter is fully melted, then add the pretzel pieces and stir until pretzels are coated, then spread the pretzel mixture out onto the cookie sheet as thinly as possible and put in 400 degree oven for about 7 min. This time may vary depending on your oven, you just want the sugar/butter to caramelize, but not burn. When caramelization has occurred, then stir the pretzels until they cool and stick together in little "<strong>nuggets</strong>". (You don't want to let them cool in a big sheet, they get really hard. So stir until the are in small pieces)<br />
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Now drain all the fruit really well. Allow to sit draining while you make the cream part. I like to mix the creamy part in my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I use the wire whisk attachment. Put the softened cream cheese in first and beat until smooth, then add a 1/2 cup white sugar and mix until smooth, then add the Cool Whip and whip until smooth.<br />
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If you want to serve Trifle Style, put about a 1/2 -1" of the cream filling on bottom of trifle bowl, then add sliced bananas, then another cream layer, then a mandarin orange and pineapple layer, then a pretzel layer, then another cream layer and then for the very top I used real Whipping Cream that I whipped added 1/2 cup white sugar and used it to put on top, I also reserved some of the pretzels for the very top. <br />
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If you want to serve this as a regular fruit salad it works well that way too. I would however suggest that you mix the cream, fruit and the pretzels in <b>all at once</b>, because of the delicate nature of the oranges they will not be recognizable if you mix the fruit in with the cream and then mix more as you add the pretzels. So just keep them separate (even in the same bowl) until you arrive at the party then mix gently. The pretzels are very hard when caramelized, but they soften in the salad the more they sit and will become soggy over long periods of time. They still taste good, just not crunchy. <br />
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This recipe has been my go to for fruit salad for years. And it's one of those that you will just have to get used to giving out the recipe!! Hope you enjoy and get out there and share some of that good potluck love!!<br />
<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-67167914375425685162014-05-29T08:53:00.001-07:002014-05-29T13:22:48.616-07:00Animal Jam and Animal Jam Academy Review, Keep the Kids Engaged and Learning This Summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi friends! Memorial Day has passed (hope you had a great one, we sure did!) and there are only 2 days left of school....ahhh....so that means Summer is here baby!! We are so excited for riding horses, going to the<br />
pool, camping, and fun times outside, but what do we do when it's so hot outside and we just want to chill out in the house for a bit?! I have a few ideas to share with you. Yesterday I told you I would be sharing a mini series of things we will be doing this summer for fun and learning. Today, I'm excited to introduce you to <br />
<b>Animal Jam!</b> It's a fun new computer game for kids, created and brought to you by our friends at <b>National Geographic,</b> and they are sponsoring today's blog post. <b>The opinions and review are my kids and my own. </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQagVkkJ4FiW7_Gp7OfoMJJ0gLA5K417Arg6mBtiW5uly8dFOSgJqWDFBiutp7OVtMDndAPSBq3qH2ouonCU_lt2hk8C2okV14FpXR8WZ1dkm85EHuSoks32Tio1M_f97KbSF08k-DndqK/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQagVkkJ4FiW7_Gp7OfoMJJ0gLA5K417Arg6mBtiW5uly8dFOSgJqWDFBiutp7OVtMDndAPSBq3qH2ouonCU_lt2hk8C2okV14FpXR8WZ1dkm85EHuSoks32Tio1M_f97KbSF08k-DndqK/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+18.JPG" height="419" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the "Mad Scientist" he's got some crazy hair! Can you guess which one is mine? (This is one of the projects on the Animal Jam Academy website.)</td></tr>
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I had the pleasure of meeting some of the awesome <b>Animal Jam Team </b>at a recent blog conference. They introduced me to the idea and gave me a trial of the game for my kids. They have been playing the game since January of this year. My kids are not big "gamers." They don't own a Nintendo DS (is that still a thing?) Or any other gaming equipment. They don't play video games, but we do a few computer games, mostly educational, but fun stuff. So I love that fact that this Animal Jam game <i><b>is</b></i> fun, but the kids can also learn things about the environment and animals. I am not a big fan of my kids spending a lot of time online, but also know it's the way of the future. A kid these days needs to know how to safely navigate the Internet and use a computer! ( Is anyone else freaking out that their 3rd grader is a fluent typist?! I didn't type until Jr. High!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaQKgjRoa-Ho6tsnWyXx3UDLDUM11P_b147NUpyjkOVNVFpn63eiLzg4l2tdG8aSFWaq5_sCXnbjWsU_dt6U6GHf5avaC1r-UexfVCQ9vPJhl9PoiJ9Ay50emw8eLFVLViiawD5JjiQ7b/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaQKgjRoa-Ho6tsnWyXx3UDLDUM11P_b147NUpyjkOVNVFpn63eiLzg4l2tdG8aSFWaq5_sCXnbjWsU_dt6U6GHf5avaC1r-UexfVCQ9vPJhl9PoiJ9Ay50emw8eLFVLViiawD5JjiQ7b/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+1.JPG" height="640" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting her Marshmallow Tower. (Another activity from their website.)</td></tr>
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Safety is a big concern for me when on the Internet in general, so to say I feel confident in this game is a big deal! When my kids logged on for the first time, I received an Animal Jam email letting me know my child had logged in and created an Animal Jam account (which, obviously I already knew because I helped create it) but it's nice because it gives you control (in the parent dashboard) of what your child can access and do. I am also <b>always</b> in the room while my children are online, no matter the website they are using, just because I want them to be safe. (And "they" claim your child is only 3 clicks from Dora to something "inappropriate") So feeling that my kids are on a site that cares about my kids safety and protection matters to me. But, I still always monitor play by<b> being there</b>. My kids are still young and the computer/Internet are new to them. I feel that these Animal Jam/Animal Jam Academy sites/game are safe places for my kids to play and learn.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1YNeToBpId4FYPpDhkdcRbEqoI8epQI75zlP0aSu7wBXxTVsuOrN5rcf7th16XFzCwZuHG2IFY0p1EpHMrNxZQ6FmVAGfGAOaUpb6BHxmHGbC0HtEFiEHm1z5Jsd0eURufUXU6GwTtYp/s1600/AJ_Aquarium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1YNeToBpId4FYPpDhkdcRbEqoI8epQI75zlP0aSu7wBXxTVsuOrN5rcf7th16XFzCwZuHG2IFY0p1EpHMrNxZQ6FmVAGfGAOaUpb6BHxmHGbC0HtEFiEHm1z5Jsd0eURufUXU6GwTtYp/s1600/AJ_Aquarium.png" height="392" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What it looks like inside the game!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3BSve0OR2kgvQXkWFFT2CRnRfYUqxAE3bwO0eJEaIYvKRZOCCl-btJO60JSK8VUmT4p4Q0T3c7n7xN69aepuFIcaunUP0T7lzQLXz8IB3XuuBLRrXBFMlNXpTiFcmUMLPMdgu6fAGzD6/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3BSve0OR2kgvQXkWFFT2CRnRfYUqxAE3bwO0eJEaIYvKRZOCCl-btJO60JSK8VUmT4p4Q0T3c7n7xN69aepuFIcaunUP0T7lzQLXz8IB3XuuBLRrXBFMlNXpTiFcmUMLPMdgu6fAGzD6/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+2.JPG" height="640" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She had so much fun doing all the Animal Jam Academy activities!</td></tr>
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I am not a gamer. I don't find enjoyment from video/computer games so I have never played this game. However, my kids (ages 8 and 6) have played it a lot and love it. I have watched them play the game. The game is played on the computer. It is basically an online playground for kids who like animals and exploring the outdoors. They get to create and customize their own animal character, play with friends, go on adventures, and the part I like the best is that because it was created in partnership with National Geographic, the kids<b><i> learn</i></b> while they<b><i> play</i></b> and are exposed to real scientists. My kids favorite person to listen to and learn from on the site is the Marine Biologist, Tierney Thys.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiB4SSJyiaNDLSpJ3h8X_rGNWohDwsZAbalfHBwKSBFwOng2n1rbcpDmJDu7WK7Ut6BjggXSebqDZK0HslJjMfcC1RuZO4qvPGUKYi-Z85ZwceK8n_10mG4xbs9SoluiiCo4JtwuT_pC6/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiB4SSJyiaNDLSpJ3h8X_rGNWohDwsZAbalfHBwKSBFwOng2n1rbcpDmJDu7WK7Ut6BjggXSebqDZK0HslJjMfcC1RuZO4qvPGUKYi-Z85ZwceK8n_10mG4xbs9SoluiiCo4JtwuT_pC6/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+10.JPG" height="532" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The making of a "Mad Scientist!"</td></tr>
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<b>The things I like most </b>about this game and site is that I feel they (the creators of the game) are committed to keeping kids safe online. (Safety for me when my kids are online is the most important!) And it encouraging them to explore and protect the world and animals around them. Sometimes we think that because it's a computer game that it must be "bad." I agree that<i><b> too </b></i>much time in front of the computer is not good, however I have had a really great experience over the past few months allowing my kids playing time on <b>Animal Jam</b> (the game) and then doing the activities on <b>Animal Jam Academy</b>, which is a great resource for learning and ideas for activities to keep the kids engaged, learning and having fun!<br />
The only down side to the game as far as I can see is that it costs money. But what doesn't?! People pay a lot of money for video games and equipment that are for pure entertainment value alone. This is entertaining, yet<b> educational </b>and encourages further activity and exploration of the world outside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz7fTl1McZRiSLYWe45zGLaqu8v4mgbIrEOeAFTKzS4ImgYV8koLZC1mir0azUWeNwx89ii2IdP09rN2VET5t87FcAwIuwPH9ByCtQ6hEPH02kbmmrKv84ZUjAavaMbc_BV4-HlHIBpR1/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQz7fTl1McZRiSLYWe45zGLaqu8v4mgbIrEOeAFTKzS4ImgYV8koLZC1mir0azUWeNwx89ii2IdP09rN2VET5t87FcAwIuwPH9ByCtQ6hEPH02kbmmrKv84ZUjAavaMbc_BV4-HlHIBpR1/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+3.JPG" height="640" width="462" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And they did it!</td></tr>
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<b>Here are my kids favorite things about the Animal Jam game:</b><br />
<b>8 year old:</b><br />
"It's fun!"<br />
"I like to create and change my wolf (her character)"<br />
"I like to explore the different habitats" yes, she said habitats!<br />
"I like to buy stuff for my wolf" (by playing the game they earn and can "buy" things, we are not talking real money here.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zx0hXAJwDbhMAeJLNS9fgjRyaXRtPyA7SddnTxCOm3XzcPom9TMgUPqkurRvObFDneG1Ol-MlB7kuani3OpucPqZLUz-9VWJDurD7wVtWFxesZOi9ZY7CGGTwXzz8RChGvJu7dgeFbUy/s1600/AJ_Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zx0hXAJwDbhMAeJLNS9fgjRyaXRtPyA7SddnTxCOm3XzcPom9TMgUPqkurRvObFDneG1Ol-MlB7kuani3OpucPqZLUz-9VWJDurD7wVtWFxesZOi9ZY7CGGTwXzz8RChGvJu7dgeFbUy/s1600/AJ_Map.png" height="390" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the game and different places to explore and learn about.</td></tr>
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<b>6 year old:</b><br />
"I like to dress up my animal."<br />
"I like to go see all the places."<br />
"I like to listen to the lady." (Tierney)<br />
"It's fun!"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOIrsd8HX41p4hyphenhyphen3EksTY1h3HbWfEvg-zRnG-a3g6s2BoRcAfiLjWB3Mg17_DKoT64GyHLO_Bf8t365hyMBqDdPR3iGpra-lhq5ZvbMQqdwxg-ZkvyULrz5YvCZVHxDzdmORV7k3DrrR4/s1600/AJ_JourneyBook.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOIrsd8HX41p4hyphenhyphen3EksTY1h3HbWfEvg-zRnG-a3g6s2BoRcAfiLjWB3Mg17_DKoT64GyHLO_Bf8t365hyMBqDdPR3iGpra-lhq5ZvbMQqdwxg-ZkvyULrz5YvCZVHxDzdmORV7k3DrrR4/s1600/AJ_JourneyBook.png" height="390" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 6 year old loves this journey book. She loves to play in the aquarium and learn about the different animals.</td></tr>
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I will be going to the <b>Animal Jam Academy</b> website a lot this summer for fun, easy activities to do with my kids! You can go to <a href="http://academy.animaljam.com/">Animal Jam Academy Link</a> by clicking on this link. They have fun and educational activities about science, technology, engineering and art, to do with your kids and it's free!! You can decide which projects you want to do, click on it, print out a sheet with the instructions and go to town! Here are my kids and I doing some of their fun ideas:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwSs6grpRIuf_yRma0Y_x7mwNs9aOZ2C_GEVm9yb1C7UaSZzUdS_zma9zcVwoenWtRpM1fRouW-jEHOGrDJ_2g3gZ6xJ7Cfi-8LSHSeu5kKcJ0ibuyrfF008aJkFEq4VIzbwF7AfF11Tv/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwSs6grpRIuf_yRma0Y_x7mwNs9aOZ2C_GEVm9yb1C7UaSZzUdS_zma9zcVwoenWtRpM1fRouW-jEHOGrDJ_2g3gZ6xJ7Cfi-8LSHSeu5kKcJ0ibuyrfF008aJkFEq4VIzbwF7AfF11Tv/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+4.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the little guy loves crafts!</td></tr>
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And just in case you were wondering if computer games create children without imagination or desire to play outside, let me assure you that in my experience with this game and sites (with proper boundaries and supervision) that my kids are thriving, abounding in imaginative play and are learning much!<br />
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Just the other day I was working in the garden. The kids were outside playing. My friend came over and heard the kids playing. She said "What are they doing?" They were all walking around holding up old VHS tapes on their shoulders and following our chickens around. Then the kids said "And next, on National Geographic...we found a new species...it's called a chicken!!" (They were pretending to be a National Geographic Video Crew.) It was entertaining and proof to me that they are learning and that our experiences with <b>Animal Jam</b> and <b>Animal Jam Academy</b> are encouraging our imagination and desire to explore the outdoors and have lots of fun!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PLpb5bH5hbY1Cgc-HF7nMZZx1jyd1IgohLXw0LmTm9PqEjtvScoLqhCoibR6rv6hdLTX_RjTxiEn84vQiqucIPQQORQjke5fxNVpHW-wMsYTZhWRK3N6sadmbFMC8zfnkryML8fDO8a8/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PLpb5bH5hbY1Cgc-HF7nMZZx1jyd1IgohLXw0LmTm9PqEjtvScoLqhCoibR6rv6hdLTX_RjTxiEn84vQiqucIPQQORQjke5fxNVpHW-wMsYTZhWRK3N6sadmbFMC8zfnkryML8fDO8a8/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+17.JPG" height="404" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And next, on National Geographic.....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJI8SSEhcff8Uq0SJYsYcfQBgPwQDrMj6QntdW2hRWcNZK_Ew_GKxk96q_OPEAMVP0IrJWeBA_AV8HiQ8shwZuh9GsltBGTZmXRX4AWtKdO8bPXDgY7ASHZYD15FObFK6rU1MoWRT7He2z/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJI8SSEhcff8Uq0SJYsYcfQBgPwQDrMj6QntdW2hRWcNZK_Ew_GKxk96q_OPEAMVP0IrJWeBA_AV8HiQ8shwZuh9GsltBGTZmXRX4AWtKdO8bPXDgY7ASHZYD15FObFK6rU1MoWRT7He2z/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+9.JPG" height="640" width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love how you can print out the instructions to follow as you craft!</td></tr>
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So I feel that this is a company, game, site that I can recommend to friends. I have had nothing but good experiences with <b>Animal Jam</b> (the game) and <b>Animal Jam Academy</b> (the free educational and activities website). I don't like things that cost <b>a lot</b> of money to use or be members of, for all the benefits, but I feel that <b>$5.95/month, $29.95/6 month, or $57.95/12 month</b> for a full access membership to the game is reasonable. I have paid more per year for other educational sites. For more information on how to obtain full membership benefits you can click here:<a href="https://animaljam.com/membership">Animal Jam Membership Info</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPyC7nqK2u45WEA9BD4uLMSQ5DLuKu70KeIHZO3TadPJXdzI7ZIVbRqu27te8YmiBn7QXuPFSIluxJTu2cQ8ocp0lNSBV0Ta9TL58TLMxaUxeADiz3fLBQivNykpYGxtyW5pJW_-CVZZJ/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPyC7nqK2u45WEA9BD4uLMSQ5DLuKu70KeIHZO3TadPJXdzI7ZIVbRqu27te8YmiBn7QXuPFSIluxJTu2cQ8ocp0lNSBV0Ta9TL58TLMxaUxeADiz3fLBQivNykpYGxtyW5pJW_-CVZZJ/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+11.JPG" height="640" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The coloring pages are great and have interesting facts about the animals for the kids to learn while coloring.</td></tr>
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So hop on over and check out what Animal Jam has to offer your family! They have graciously offered to sponsor a free trial of the game and some other fun Animal Jam gear to one of you!! <b>To enter to win, just leave a comment here on this blog post about what you are looking forward to doing with your kids this summer! </b>Winner will be chosen at random from the<b> </b>comments section of <b>this</b> blog post on June first<b>. </b>When the winner is chosen, Animal Jam Headquarters will mail out your awesome prize!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3rdLtf6YFnOrAfpzcEfrRkHtJEvyuIDub9WDdOqkJ_PDryQiojdLZEo5xzwOYwflm74T73XQut63yjXTlD_1-zG8iPvk886tsUWmXXcDcIO1b6FsBoyE8AX4H96pr4gsXemEMsvyp-ey/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3rdLtf6YFnOrAfpzcEfrRkHtJEvyuIDub9WDdOqkJ_PDryQiojdLZEo5xzwOYwflm74T73XQut63yjXTlD_1-zG8iPvk886tsUWmXXcDcIO1b6FsBoyE8AX4H96pr4gsXemEMsvyp-ey/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+12.JPG" height="640" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our crazy haired Cheetah!</td></tr>
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<b>Here's wishing you a super fun summer with your kids!</b> Watch for more fun ideas of how to keep the kids busy and other exciting partnerships and giveaways!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKmaJ7KlsEX7lGYbdcevjYuC75i46aQOqRjNFuhqZhy4sUg5lXNyFVAA0zrlMh-uOpGPy5cStbXpKAlhxbpQEdT-8aVs5zIuUK-2KKEvdjHqB60HRb3IGkDyA3sGAfZ9Y_AGAbUMI2bvM/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKmaJ7KlsEX7lGYbdcevjYuC75i46aQOqRjNFuhqZhy4sUg5lXNyFVAA0zrlMh-uOpGPy5cStbXpKAlhxbpQEdT-8aVs5zIuUK-2KKEvdjHqB60HRb3IGkDyA3sGAfZ9Y_AGAbUMI2bvM/s1600/fancyewe+animal+jam+review+16.JPG" height="608" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And my all time favorite thing about Animal Jam is taking what we learned outside to the real world! We made lady bugs and then "released" them into our garden. We talked about how Lady Bugs are so good for our garden and that we should do what we can to save the Lady Bugs! The kids thought our big bugs would definitely scare away any "bad" bugs!!</td></tr>
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Here are some links to Animal Jam:<br />
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The Animal Jam game: <a href="http://www.animaljam.com/?gclid=CMKV-5HB0b4CFQ9lfgod340AjQ&utm_campaign=PPC&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google">Animal Jam Game</a><br />
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The Animal Jam Academy Website: <a href="http://academy.animaljam.com/">http://academy.animaljam.com/</a><br />
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Thanks friends for tuning in and thanks Animal Jam for sponsoring today's post!<br />
KaceyKacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-44955349507947461252014-05-28T21:59:00.001-07:002014-05-28T21:59:43.841-07:00How To Keep The Kids Busy This Summer! Mini Series Coming!!"Ain't no cure for the summer time blues!" Do you know the song?! (Alan Jackson!) I am so ready for summer, I just can't stand it!! The kids last day of school is this week and they are counting down the days, hours minutes! They have field trips, class parties and all kinds of crazy going on...But then what?! What are you going to do to keep your kids busy, engaged and learning this summer? I decided I would do a mini series of blog posts about what we will be doing this summer to stay engaged and learning. I'm really excited to partner with some really great companies and people to bring you this series, so keep an eye out...it's going to be fun!!Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-44707948914853930162014-05-26T09:16:00.000-07:002014-05-26T09:16:00.425-07:00Happy Memorial Day from Patch a Heaven!Hi my friends! It's Memorial Day and that means we should be giving thanks to our Service Men and Women who have and continue to serve and protect our country. We salute you!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmZFsTDkE14syGnXoLO4hxvP_mMovr2O8xbbvXAdRsGwE4xshDg-ZuG0NyGkYvSQWj2DC9iRea9c3IYxxvt2KDmXcJoJas9zPpWSGa1DHwan5K79FrUcpo8XPIkVKIKedLH-j1Jv9reFS/s1600/fancyewe+red+white+and+blue+cowboy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmZFsTDkE14syGnXoLO4hxvP_mMovr2O8xbbvXAdRsGwE4xshDg-ZuG0NyGkYvSQWj2DC9iRea9c3IYxxvt2KDmXcJoJas9zPpWSGa1DHwan5K79FrUcpo8XPIkVKIKedLH-j1Jv9reFS/s1600/fancyewe+red+white+and+blue+cowboy.JPG" height="640" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
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This picture was taken last year while we stood on the side of Main Street to watch as they escorted the body of a fallen soldier from our community back home. I thought it was fitting for today. All gave some...some gave all! <br />
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Hope you all have a great Memorial Day!!<br />
KaceyKacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-1955221694379531182014-05-25T19:00:00.004-07:002014-05-25T21:04:43.058-07:00Still Having A Ball At 90! Birthday Party Decor<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghy4TnIqyowAi1LQGRVlHFW3U6t8o6WxFkMYkCWu55DsdwVXU0fvQAdg0-wUY36j0Wi8lUWZgYp-mjaISIIR-9nIqW-C_a6JuERLxtvsjPdYhB78cDYRyUvyqDPEBeU8Th0mlUx_IfqWh5/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+granny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghy4TnIqyowAi1LQGRVlHFW3U6t8o6WxFkMYkCWu55DsdwVXU0fvQAdg0-wUY36j0Wi8lUWZgYp-mjaISIIR-9nIqW-C_a6JuERLxtvsjPdYhB78cDYRyUvyqDPEBeU8Th0mlUx_IfqWh5/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+granny.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my sweet Granny, isn't she beautiful?! I hope I'm as pretty as she is when I'm 90!!</td></tr>
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Maybe some of you have been wondering where I have been recently. I've been around! I've just been super busy with lots of important (to me) projects! One of the most important projects I had been working on was decorations for my sweet Granny's 90th Birthday party! She is such an amazing woman and I wanted to honor her with some super duper decorations for her party. My Aunts delegated us all jobs, I got the job of table centerpieces. My Aunt had seen a theme that she liked (maybe on Pinterest?) that was "Still Having a "Ball" at 90!" And that's the theme they wanted to roll with. My Granny's era was made up of hard working, penny pinching, use it til it can't be used no more...then fix it, and canning/bottling was a big part of that. So I thought it was very fitting. I didn't check Pinterest or any other sites when making my décor. I just went with her theme and did my own thing. I have a new Cricut Explore Machine that I was super excited about using for this project...And man, did I use it!!<br />
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Here is what I did:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRRrHRHSfRUWT7P2uxbuvhtXoaxLp-srNFU_t9YL6jEvpN5TimEtuJk9HZsv-YsWhGEjPfDTTPYbDzxLSlRARqTEfDKi78iqT5bdElG6mlhrPM8Tkyds_ZP_kKkxX_IoL-gSUTzNDSDy5/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+3+centerpieces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRRrHRHSfRUWT7P2uxbuvhtXoaxLp-srNFU_t9YL6jEvpN5TimEtuJk9HZsv-YsWhGEjPfDTTPYbDzxLSlRARqTEfDKi78iqT5bdElG6mlhrPM8Tkyds_ZP_kKkxX_IoL-gSUTzNDSDy5/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+3+centerpieces.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are 3 of the 9 Centerpieces. I used Ball Wide Mouth Vintage Mason Jars, I spray painted them and then antiqued them in the lettering areas with a piece of sand paper. I wrapped a bow around the top of the jar and my amazing floral shop owner friend filled them with gorgeous flowers. I wanted a vintage/rustic feel.<br />
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I liked the lace doily look of this table cloth and on the tables we had paper doily's that I had spray painted cream colored.<br />
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I bought this Burlap Plate at Hobby Lobby, it was plain when I started. I used my Cricut Explore to cut out the flowers and the letters. Then I used Mod Podge to make them stick. The Jar hanging down was also made with the Cricut Explore. I dabbed blue and cream colored paint around the sides/bottom of the plate to look like flowers and add the colors. Just a little FYI the Cricut didn't handle cutting burlap well, so the burlap flowers were hand cut or purchased at Hobby Lobby also. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH0_vx5qsrrOUDksmN1H1_3RS0E1AbGA-5GZfOhT4Op83-DV2UKqSP5V3kaMCUlJAUurqzOFZJKVwu4DKym-U5YrYwlb-VU0v-t0hYbttU67ZlU0HGbsIDdcO7GijazLVSjbSvd6EtN06/s1600/fancyewe+ribbon+garland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidH0_vx5qsrrOUDksmN1H1_3RS0E1AbGA-5GZfOhT4Op83-DV2UKqSP5V3kaMCUlJAUurqzOFZJKVwu4DKym-U5YrYwlb-VU0v-t0hYbttU67ZlU0HGbsIDdcO7GijazLVSjbSvd6EtN06/s1600/fancyewe+ribbon+garland.JPG" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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I then wanted to continue the theme, colors and décor into other areas of the room, not just the tables. So I made this ribbon garland. I used satin ribbon, burlap ribbon, lace ribbon and fabric and cut outs from my Cricut machine. There are flowers, apples and 90's cut out of paper using the Cricut Explore and then sewn with the sewing machine onto some of the ribbons. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQpuYnS2mQSfLAiBVTGx2fGpUtqUNEj8egAi02aIXec197L3mBgyXbv_ZWz7Lfq1zbne0E-XP4JPUkzHh6VkVFqDo_TEzLLntpaPN1GjxYUi8S0lM5U9m_a6lAT8pw8sMXtypvUjFHHvo/s1600/fancyewe+ribbon+garland+close+up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQpuYnS2mQSfLAiBVTGx2fGpUtqUNEj8egAi02aIXec197L3mBgyXbv_ZWz7Lfq1zbne0E-XP4JPUkzHh6VkVFqDo_TEzLLntpaPN1GjxYUi8S0lM5U9m_a6lAT8pw8sMXtypvUjFHHvo/s1600/fancyewe+ribbon+garland+close+up.JPG" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a little closer view of the garland. My favorite cut out is the apple, the intracut cuts you can make on this machine are amazing!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gZPFOAQm45881Q3rQs1KdBIqYX-fgGOnkgkLmzdO8vu4A7dCJrcD-Sj8QCbA67bnlYhyphenhyphendS8v5PZjXJGuOnMZjnOEUtlJtfZPW3UKH84YvA1hM2FpRg1fQQL3A21T1GFi4UAeq-S1LcPr/s1600/fancyewe+Ball+party+decor+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gZPFOAQm45881Q3rQs1KdBIqYX-fgGOnkgkLmzdO8vu4A7dCJrcD-Sj8QCbA67bnlYhyphenhyphendS8v5PZjXJGuOnMZjnOEUtlJtfZPW3UKH84YvA1hM2FpRg1fQQL3A21T1GFi4UAeq-S1LcPr/s1600/fancyewe+Ball+party+decor+1.JPG" height="640" width="590" /></a></div>
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As the centerpieces on the tables I used the quart jar with the flowers and then to compliment the canning theme I used a pint of pear jam that was a golden yellow color, accented with ruffled burlap ribbon, satin ribbon wrapped around and tied in a bow and I also spray painted the jar rings. The small 1/2 pint jar is a cute shaped, vintage inspired Ball jar filled with Strawberry Jam, I spray painted the jar ring cream colored and used a piece of cream lace fabric to trap between the lid and ring of the jar. I placed all 3 of these in the center of the tables at the party.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXlmt7lIK8GSXEtegkmSVaiDej5BZe5K7-ECnt1JvcVrFFVBOxbs6ksoC9oXhIkBOCKTDnaNxPs8XF7ryvrqiSlmKyGSEfY5fndUN9iuIt9-FnC0N8Fvx0XoHdCHnPXHiG-Baef1R680E/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXlmt7lIK8GSXEtegkmSVaiDej5BZe5K7-ECnt1JvcVrFFVBOxbs6ksoC9oXhIkBOCKTDnaNxPs8XF7ryvrqiSlmKyGSEfY5fndUN9iuIt9-FnC0N8Fvx0XoHdCHnPXHiG-Baef1R680E/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+4.JPG" height="634" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then I made another banner with the theme "Still Having a Ball at 90!" I used Burlap ribbon as the base, then made lots of banner cut outs using my Cricut Explore and lots of Jar cut outs that I embellished with lettering, flowers, the apple and the 90. I hot glued all the lettering to the Burlap ribbons, using a ruler to make them exactly 3" apart. (lay everything out where you want it before you start to glue to make sure you have enough room)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKLEqISHOZsf_Z1Px_NKzPdXZiKnYwbI3EGTtOIT3Q-tU24zIAkkWSw8iG6Ef_jGAtuWPnowsUTItgI1KpD2GqtejYyTmh60cJ1JSOHtXiBSfLmpW5d3w9d2Aq1dAtH78TwgZ0BSA4-B0/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKLEqISHOZsf_Z1Px_NKzPdXZiKnYwbI3EGTtOIT3Q-tU24zIAkkWSw8iG6Ef_jGAtuWPnowsUTItgI1KpD2GqtejYyTmh60cJ1JSOHtXiBSfLmpW5d3w9d2Aq1dAtH78TwgZ0BSA4-B0/s1600/fancyewe+still+having+a+ball+6.JPG" height="640" width="408" /></a></div>
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Then using one of my old canning racks (that goes inside the pot, that holds the bottles) I made this ribbon hanging. I spray painted the rack (it was old and rusty) then I tied pieces of ribbon onto it. And tied the theme in with the "Still Having a Ball at 90!" banner hanging a bit lower.<br />
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I worked on these decorations for 2 weeks (in between feeding lambs and my normal routine) and I could have worked on it forever! It was so much fun to create something for someone who means so much to me! You may look and go...all that work, money, time and you could have just bought some cheaper party store decorations, and I could have. But I have decided that one way that I show people that I love them, is I make stuff. That's just me, my way. So if you have ever received something from me that I made, please feel very loved. If I make something for you...I love you!!<br />
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I had so much fun making this and her party was so nice! I'm so glad I got to help make it a special day for her. Granny if you read this, know that you have always been an amazing example in my life and I'm so glad to have had you as my Grandma! Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-77625019185468124822014-05-25T18:24:00.002-07:002014-05-25T18:24:34.608-07:00It's That Time of Year Again. Baby Bummer Lambs Everywhere!I mentioned to Handy Hubby the other day that I needed to get ready for lambs as they would be starting to lamb at the ranch soon. He looked at me and said "you know...you don't have to do that. I make enough money that you don't need to raise lambs anymore." And he's right. He takes really good care of me and I certainly cannot complain! (There was a time in our marriage that construction was to put it nicely...<b><i>really crappy!</i></b> And I felt I needed to raise lambs for extra money. Having enough at the end of the summer for a couple of house payments if we needed was comforting and reassuring to me, and a way that I could contribute to our income while taking care of our kids at the same time.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGUMlUZ6CZHeeZ0ZW1DlBX0SxJ4RSIZUmYeueDbavYVi6I51esFW1HLD0xPM5M4zQ3IaJ8Lf_6e82vonQSDr2Heunl8_mrs4kPyWF3w3LlIX7o1dggaRfGEf5Frog3BLlypbMbfMEGAZ_/s1600/fancyewe+baby+lambs+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGUMlUZ6CZHeeZ0ZW1DlBX0SxJ4RSIZUmYeueDbavYVi6I51esFW1HLD0xPM5M4zQ3IaJ8Lf_6e82vonQSDr2Heunl8_mrs4kPyWF3w3LlIX7o1dggaRfGEf5Frog3BLlypbMbfMEGAZ_/s1600/fancyewe+baby+lambs+2014.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are some of this years babies. They are cuties!!</td></tr>
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The reason for my raising bummer lambs has changed. And he's right...I don't <em><strong>have</strong></em> to. I actually <b><i>like</i></b> to. It gives me satisfaction to do it. Yes, it takes a lot of work! Yes, it takes a while to get paid. Yes, if we go on vacation I have to find a milk maid.<em> But...</em>I still like it. Call me crazy! Part of me wants to be a full time farmer/rancher, so this satisfies that desire. And the last reason is that it's really good for my kids!! They are getting big enough now to be really good help and since we don't "need" the money anymore to sustain our life, we can use it for "fun money!" 3 years ago, my kids wanted to go to Disney World and I told them we could go if they would help me feed lambs all summer and not complain. So it was really great! I would say "let's go feed lambs" and if anyone groaned...all I had to say was "Disney World!" and the groaning halted immediately! So this year, my oldest daughter said "Mom, I want a tree house." And I thought to myself "that's a great idea!" So we made another deal. They would help me feed and care for the lambs and at the end of the summer when we sell them we will use the money to build a tree house. They are excited and it gives them a good opportunity to work hard and earn money for something they want! So this summer we are working for a tree house!</div>
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Turns out...my daughters are better at this lamb raising thing than I am! They give tender kisses and hugs too!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnSH4-856bw-uiRA6En9JQLLK-xZrDR-YhrUmR_IYglXhmxNPgET47J3AyDKB9TqLdaEyWTuPM13qkSJujSinDwALnTNCFQmEKPhhlSQkJw9zIHL-z2iJX42X8X28aMXlMXMCY8IO2CSZ/s1600/fancyewe+her+pride+and+joy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnSH4-856bw-uiRA6En9JQLLK-xZrDR-YhrUmR_IYglXhmxNPgET47J3AyDKB9TqLdaEyWTuPM13qkSJujSinDwALnTNCFQmEKPhhlSQkJw9zIHL-z2iJX42X8X28aMXlMXMCY8IO2CSZ/s1600/fancyewe+her+pride+and+joy.JPG" height="640" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It really is a miracle that this lamb can walk on his own...as he gets carried almost everywhere!! He is her pride and joy!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoS3wmzySzw-hEMkAOylZKQKEHLZH_6SYNkECx_sI35uCETql-YXn74-4mNxWviQoHQmw6rJLtBumnOFqAO2w7R-HIHMBTE5Rk0GdnU0RAG21j_-O6ZxtpqPyF6q6stNxyQuHG6KIEmu3/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoS3wmzySzw-hEMkAOylZKQKEHLZH_6SYNkECx_sI35uCETql-YXn74-4mNxWviQoHQmw6rJLtBumnOFqAO2w7R-HIHMBTE5Rk0GdnU0RAG21j_-O6ZxtpqPyF6q6stNxyQuHG6KIEmu3/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+1.JPG" height="590" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She just got done at the 4-H Livestock Show with her show lamb and had her babies to feed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6PzQ5dCwxSk6ch-ILJL72PbzaZl0u-1VGSyFnUffZl9EnBUpCh435RGFHQlDxEgR22ID1blAt16X_byCu4icmg4MmhsYYrMU70woQBluiCfgbEbDh67eYZCBtqZ9G4zT1-CUk1EoqEpz/s1600/fancyewe+feeding+baby+lambs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6PzQ5dCwxSk6ch-ILJL72PbzaZl0u-1VGSyFnUffZl9EnBUpCh435RGFHQlDxEgR22ID1blAt16X_byCu4icmg4MmhsYYrMU70woQBluiCfgbEbDh67eYZCBtqZ9G4zT1-CUk1EoqEpz/s1600/fancyewe+feeding+baby+lambs.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ones that are harder to get to eat, mom gets at first, but once they are all bottle trained they are the girls job.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI1hVAbnl-MLFX9kQd1cqvTVWllX3Cb8K7Jl0h5YK8R0kZSgd04ypopkNTY6Dub-dWo4WuRUhcdUEjvu7s3-94yeqRTbRRFbXQt6bV5czZI4G-45CJSg9fFa7D_VU56X89RpEt4NOe2a_/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmI1hVAbnl-MLFX9kQd1cqvTVWllX3Cb8K7Jl0h5YK8R0kZSgd04ypopkNTY6Dub-dWo4WuRUhcdUEjvu7s3-94yeqRTbRRFbXQt6bV5czZI4G-45CJSg9fFa7D_VU56X89RpEt4NOe2a_/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+2.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Come on...don't you want a little more?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9m1geKpgQ4s9QypC3PA0YwoR1yvkltShq-3AfFkUtLDF_M7MKcpMobMr1TCkFN16VGXHWBfF9dB5SwFOK2d0088zuFzjke5AKFMnIyiyv8V7QgukEquSVhC9_73livEt5_tP0QQ2u49v/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9m1geKpgQ4s9QypC3PA0YwoR1yvkltShq-3AfFkUtLDF_M7MKcpMobMr1TCkFN16VGXHWBfF9dB5SwFOK2d0088zuFzjke5AKFMnIyiyv8V7QgukEquSVhC9_73livEt5_tP0QQ2u49v/s1600/fancyewe+raising+bummer+lambs+3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the little guy can help (he's only 3 but a big time helper!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxMpbzHMHQdfiam35GGQMt82Vq3TgjH8VQDBwBLmhFnkaS4RGBTMF2qG7r0KE9WqInztsU_JVA_5k64jKY-0mDPv7-buE8eWRDLy0sV9YFx2EJR-vDNX7NXFxOuwDX_lIgSlh_QBfkVQN/s1600/fancyewe+the+lamb+feeding+system.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxMpbzHMHQdfiam35GGQMt82Vq3TgjH8VQDBwBLmhFnkaS4RGBTMF2qG7r0KE9WqInztsU_JVA_5k64jKY-0mDPv7-buE8eWRDLy0sV9YFx2EJR-vDNX7NXFxOuwDX_lIgSlh_QBfkVQN/s1600/fancyewe+the+lamb+feeding+system.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is the time saving feeding system my Handy Hubby rigged up for us! (We love him!!)<br />
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Because hand feeding 24 lambs takes one hour and we feed 3-4 times a day...Once all the lambs can stay on the nipple and suck on their own, we use the feeding system. It saves time and backs! <br />
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We started with 24, we lost one to bloat (darn that green pasture) I tried my darn'dst to save him, to no avail. We lost one to Pneumonia...again, tried like heck, fed him via stomach tube for 4 days straight while giving medication and he still wouldn't eat on his own. And the last one we lost, I think got smothered in the night by his pasture mates. So we have 21 thriving little lambies!<br />
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The kids (girls in particular) are learning so many lessons from this adventure. They are learning hard work, and the value of a dollar, caring for animals, dedication, time management, listening and obeying their mother (still working on that one!) But all I have to say is "are you getting a tree house or am I getting Valentino's?! And they come running! (Cause if I was the only one feeding all these lambs all the time, I would definitely buy me some Red Patent Leather Bow or Studded Valentino's!!)<br />
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Well, better go make sure the girls fed their lambs!<br />
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Happy Sunday from our little "Patch-A-Heaven!!"<br />
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Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-46820415296261948942014-05-23T15:45:00.000-07:002014-05-23T15:45:08.257-07:00Adventures of a Stay at Home Mom, Shearing Sheep<br />
I believe a good education is extremely important in my children's life! And I do everything I can to support that, but sometimes an education is<strong> <em>not</em></strong> traditional at our house. Every once in a while (usually when Grandpa needs help at the ranch with big jobs, such as branding, docking, shearing, etc) I allow the kids to skip school for a farm education! We live on a small farm and it's a wonderful way for my kids to grow up, but I also like to allow them to have experiences on a larger scale farm/ranch, like my dad's. We took one of these "non-traditional learning experiences" this past Friday. Grandpa brought the first herd of ewes home from the desert winter range to be sheared before they start lambing. Unfortunately the "before they start lambing" turned into shearing while they were lambing. The shearing crew was delayed by rain and was about a week late getting to us, so we had ewes starting to lamb before they were sheared. This may not sound like a big deal, but let me assure you...it's better to get them sheared before they start lambing! It makes the whole job slower and more work, but you can't change what Mother Nature throws at you, so you just roll with it. (A good life lesson!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yDKuFP2NgrxMmJAjjx5TzdTCWjTeBH4bcsvdMeg5abG2PJDTHpkXO5AJdd_mGS6NzTPUb1iq7-9q1XQHkwjMX44dOqBWv4a8GxTUOWkiHqHC2krO799Cu8FAW4UZU78tCZvn8YdeAebt/s1600/fancyewe+kids+working+the+chutes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1yDKuFP2NgrxMmJAjjx5TzdTCWjTeBH4bcsvdMeg5abG2PJDTHpkXO5AJdd_mGS6NzTPUb1iq7-9q1XQHkwjMX44dOqBWv4a8GxTUOWkiHqHC2krO799Cu8FAW4UZU78tCZvn8YdeAebt/s1600/fancyewe+kids+working+the+chutes.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids working the chutes for grandpa.</td></tr>
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We had 862 pregnant ewes (and some already with lambs on the ground) to run through the chute to be sheared. We had a skeleton crew of a sheep herder, my dad's good friend, myself and my kiddos. Dad was busy tending to the lambing so we tried to keep things moving through the chute! (so he could keep an eye on the lambing situation) The kids learned how to herd, but not crowd the ewes, how to get them moving, but not spook them into a craze, how to manage what needs to be done next to keep things moving (great managerial skills!), how to recognize a problem or something that doesn't look right (like a ewe about to have a lamb that needs to be put in another pen for some private time, how to listen and follow instructions, patience, self confidence, leadership, hard work, and working together as a family. These are lessons that are taught very easily in a farm/ranch setting. And just being outside, free to explore and play is a fringe benefit! I remember how much fun I used to have as a child in the same lambing sheds, playing in the chutes, chasing each other around, playing games and enjoying life! I'm grateful that I can extend these same adventures to my kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfATvcZQruk8i_5WaA2dN10EVJOf6xtpUOLwakfcPwrTQfdcOv_akiYp_vroXSqw94j1bABwtgmP8LbBIFgW2eD7fm7BbFGbTFbBQPkYLhFW_5KPSQ_3APXnQWi1eSiiyQhyphenhyphenG9oE6DRiB/s1600/fancyewe+waiting+on+mama.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfATvcZQruk8i_5WaA2dN10EVJOf6xtpUOLwakfcPwrTQfdcOv_akiYp_vroXSqw94j1bABwtgmP8LbBIFgW2eD7fm7BbFGbTFbBQPkYLhFW_5KPSQ_3APXnQWi1eSiiyQhyphenhyphenG9oE6DRiB/s1600/fancyewe+waiting+on+mama.JPG" height="496" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one little group of babies waiting on their momma's to be sheared. </td></tr>
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We all learned a little patience as we got to the end and had about 45 ewes that had lambs to run through. We could only take about 10 at a time, take the babies away and put them in a pen close by(which means picking up each lamb by hand and transporting them, so they didn't get trampled. Put the ewes through the chute and shearing trailers, and back out to be reunited with their babes, before we could run any others through, so to make sure all the babies got back with the right mommas. Sometimes they get confused and "adopt" someone elses baby or reject their own in this scenario, so we had to do our best to make it as less traumatic for everyone as possible. It's a slow process, and much better to shear without lambs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAss5VnsK1DrjxWaHSP_D8yYY89Mf4gEEmd_dzQqjvdpMbl8yfmP8KClltXJEnDgDVU-ifTtu0OHPCEC_fX2WomZGBcaWupI6sQq-YE2c8Uc87v8jD_KVyex3sQJCK5QaKDFd0u8FFp2-/s1600/fancyewe+back+alley+shenanigans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAss5VnsK1DrjxWaHSP_D8yYY89Mf4gEEmd_dzQqjvdpMbl8yfmP8KClltXJEnDgDVU-ifTtu0OHPCEC_fX2WomZGBcaWupI6sQq-YE2c8Uc87v8jD_KVyex3sQJCK5QaKDFd0u8FFp2-/s1600/fancyewe+back+alley+shenanigans.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids playing a game in the back alley.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I learned that I can still hop a lambing chute fence about a hundred times in a day and take a pretty good hit from a couple hundred pound ewe! We had a ewe get down on the ground and cast herself up against the fence (it's hard to get up when you are on your back and super preggo! Kind of like a turtle on her back!!) so I went over to give her a hand. I leaned over to get her up and just then the trusty Border Collie Dog spooked another ewe and she took me out like a NFL line backer sacks a QB! She actually took two of us down in one smack, as Bob, (dad's friend) was behind me! We were both OK, nothing a little Ibuprofen and hot bubbly bath didn't fix!! Farming/Ranching is <em><strong>not </strong></em>for Sissies I tell ya!!<br />
<br />
I remember the first time I had one of these experiences as a kid. I was helping dad give scour medication to a sick calf. His momma didn't appreciate the kind gesture we were offering her baby. As dad held the calf and kept the tube in him, I was in charge of pouring the medication into the syringe that went into the tube. I looked up just in time to see his momma with nostrils flared, coming right at me! I learned I could run and hop a fence like no body's business!! (I think that helped my track and field career later in life, LOL!) Even though some experiences can be difficult or sometimes scary, you can learn confidence and how to face and conquer your fears! (I still haven't conquered my fear of Rattlesnakes...probably never will on that one! Thank goodness I didn't have any run ins with any of those this time!!)<br />
<br />
The kids had a great time at the ranch and they were a lot of help!! They enjoyed sluffing school for a farm education! It's always good to spend time with my dad, even if it's just working. So grateful for my family heritage of farming and ranching and that I can share that with my kiddos too. <br />
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Until next time, Hug a Farmer, Thank a Rancher!! <br />
<br />
Kacey<br />
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Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-41454062600477728692014-05-09T09:17:00.002-07:002014-05-09T09:17:32.821-07:00Our Angel's 31st Birthday!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EFjJzU0DVCtAF_Hji5xBXRsK1J3mX3hEVQzRZOmSvN8egu1Si7JnAZlbMZNEjYV73hKyzsVWsY6Mudmcwn_MzueynG8g7KLkLVXPUUjD2twZjkB0bd8akn88WuER6_hExeOORnt9OEVt/s1600/fancyewe+Angel%2527s+31st+bday+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EFjJzU0DVCtAF_Hji5xBXRsK1J3mX3hEVQzRZOmSvN8egu1Si7JnAZlbMZNEjYV73hKyzsVWsY6Mudmcwn_MzueynG8g7KLkLVXPUUjD2twZjkB0bd8akn88WuER6_hExeOORnt9OEVt/s1600/fancyewe+Angel%2527s+31st+bday+1.JPG" height="640" width="524" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls and their Angel. (With a few dog and lamb photo bombs in the background!)</td></tr>
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I have had the great opportunity of knowing many a good horses in my life, but today we are celebrating an extra special mare. Her name is Angel. She turned 31 years old yesterday! If you aren't too familiar with the life expectancy of the equine species...31 is<b> <i>very</i></b> old!! We have been very lucky to have her last this long and still be in such great health. Sure she is slower than she used to be, skinnier (even though we feed her LOTS!) She has her challenges, but she still has a love of life! And we are so grateful to have her in our lives. She was born on my cousin's ranch in Randolph and served many years there as a cutting/rope/ranch horse, she had many foals, she retired and moved to Herriman where she taught my niece the value of a good horse, she survived colic surgery at the age of 28! She then moved to our house last summer and has given my kids, as well as many other kids in our 4-H riding group the confidence they needed to succeed. She is the best kind of horse to learn on because she neck reins like a cutting horse, so little people can learn to steer without frustration, she stops on a dime, and goes without hesitation when little legs ask. She is really the best kids horse I have ever had the pleasure of knowing! (And I have had lots of good ones.)<br />
Because she means so much to us and we know she won't last forever, we showered her with extra love and care yesterday in her special day. We made her a "horse birthday cake" and then we had cupcakes and ice cream cones, we bought her a new purple halter. And she got lots of grooming and loving!<br />
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We are grateful for this great horse in our lives and wish her many more days with us!<br />
<br />
Thanks Angel!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbe4xI-OCT2eXsU72AeSC6ryqTUO4Sbaz6O9klNmoiDxZ8QRAJ1nrdttVoOwQGw_Xlt72TmiAmMSX2tJk46c6YVxeXoLJ_uvhzLtoYsg6MsYTP_xJp7Tg2mTmDC7CXYhoueIXBrzyRQ_e/s1600/fancyewe+a+bday+cake+fit+for+a+horse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbe4xI-OCT2eXsU72AeSC6ryqTUO4Sbaz6O9klNmoiDxZ8QRAJ1nrdttVoOwQGw_Xlt72TmiAmMSX2tJk46c6YVxeXoLJ_uvhzLtoYsg6MsYTP_xJp7Tg2mTmDC7CXYhoueIXBrzyRQ_e/s1600/fancyewe+a+bday+cake+fit+for+a+horse.JPG" height="640" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Horse Cake"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZYzbfibdWzOQ4N6OrKSvnewy-Gj6OhPIOkka6J60t3QJFUEeYPLmO-7zgBsRlgb4wfPaRBTrQd51EJXS3tnsWwCHRfPIBIwcyp8feFWovkVndRt8xCQhsBjaWtQJrc109Z_gVIcTmj1H/s1600/fancyewe+Angel's+bday+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQZYzbfibdWzOQ4N6OrKSvnewy-Gj6OhPIOkka6J60t3QJFUEeYPLmO-7zgBsRlgb4wfPaRBTrQd51EJXS3tnsWwCHRfPIBIwcyp8feFWovkVndRt8xCQhsBjaWtQJrc109Z_gVIcTmj1H/s1600/fancyewe+Angel's+bday+2.JPG" height="640" width="402" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's checking out her cake!<br /><br />
Below are some memories with this special mare.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-hrhEvPY9P_JXzuofp2fIGuBpp5HNmQlucVDBm-qf7pBHFMOZiZebApyJijonc_6ASkBPxTDXZnjOM8TSKxZ448a_B8oDp5ehmrPkJQnE_MseMiideIrNGo2BC2vTfHhY72aVcT4NRKt/s1600/057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-hrhEvPY9P_JXzuofp2fIGuBpp5HNmQlucVDBm-qf7pBHFMOZiZebApyJijonc_6ASkBPxTDXZnjOM8TSKxZ448a_B8oDp5ehmrPkJQnE_MseMiideIrNGo2BC2vTfHhY72aVcT4NRKt/s1600/057.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing at 4-H</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJarOdwRZYbGh8avwub_XrO2xw7CDY9TI5NCFQ_JfNAKtN8sqMxXrt6fbIqBobmpcIEmEUCla9keM8XvHthRVRfE5zj9VJP7_5TzkAMH7rJ19pmGf-zk8d2w9gaYy44ydGNzkZFV7iqWAx/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJarOdwRZYbGh8avwub_XrO2xw7CDY9TI5NCFQ_JfNAKtN8sqMxXrt6fbIqBobmpcIEmEUCla9keM8XvHthRVRfE5zj9VJP7_5TzkAMH7rJ19pmGf-zk8d2w9gaYy44ydGNzkZFV7iqWAx/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My niece riding her at a horse show a few years ago.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbC6X-cJtiiMxO_rOWhBqGnPgH4_uB_8dw5q-YItzHc0x8sP9xnB3Wb90M9EsuAY3mmk9N7TZzK8NMlZS2sAW2iCF7FEO4rzD45w03LWpBVu2GIlHiuzHSIFOIf_BM16wbXXb22TT7fJp/s1600/baptism+invitation+Grace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbC6X-cJtiiMxO_rOWhBqGnPgH4_uB_8dw5q-YItzHc0x8sP9xnB3Wb90M9EsuAY3mmk9N7TZzK8NMlZS2sAW2iCF7FEO4rzD45w03LWpBVu2GIlHiuzHSIFOIf_BM16wbXXb22TT7fJp/s1600/baptism+invitation+Grace.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter wanted her baptism pic to include her Angel.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63w_a-mvKjD92mWGA0oXKZo8LEJetr87uWKoCYIVaxWPB8dgjkKmkklIwLYYuV8FtOZIiF8FH-jnW8EF8m11hBjEeZ9rGTPip33IYxXP_5rq951o5ug6HMlY1QmAK1ZVaeZdp12NBtRNg/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63w_a-mvKjD92mWGA0oXKZo8LEJetr87uWKoCYIVaxWPB8dgjkKmkklIwLYYuV8FtOZIiF8FH-jnW8EF8m11hBjEeZ9rGTPip33IYxXP_5rq951o5ug6HMlY1QmAK1ZVaeZdp12NBtRNg/s1600/019.JPG" height="640" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning a Trail Course.</td></tr>
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<br />Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5395955754583524185.post-35068911385080877862014-04-15T08:55:00.001-07:002014-04-15T08:55:59.823-07:00Recipe Share: My Favorite Molasses Glazed Leg of Lamb<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yNY7GEdQSmo_KB589N2yR9nzNA-C0rYOWu8BkdLqG5qtFmhEtFdJAstcNP1X0e5zIFUm1GO7zxVoMssz1M8wl1ByeRtLsMcPBuFB9eufKRf0L7SQw1gcP-Bi9vkE8ckC7CPf8thE-Q0F/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yNY7GEdQSmo_KB589N2yR9nzNA-C0rYOWu8BkdLqG5qtFmhEtFdJAstcNP1X0e5zIFUm1GO7zxVoMssz1M8wl1ByeRtLsMcPBuFB9eufKRf0L7SQw1gcP-Bi9vkE8ckC7CPf8thE-Q0F/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+1.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the consistency and color you should reach with your sauce reduction. Perfection!</td></tr>
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Hi friends! Can you believe it's the middle of April already?! Where does the time go? It seems to be <br />
flying by. Easter is just a few days away and it's such a fun time of year. We spend time with family and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have many Easter traditions that date back to when I was a kid. One of those is going to our family sheep ranch for a big party. We have done this since I was little and it still is one of my favorite family traditions. The other tradition we have is a yummy dinner on Easter Sunday. My favorite thing to make for Easter dinner is leg of lamb. I didn't create this recipe, it's actually one I got from Good Housekeeping Magazine many years ago, but it's still my favorite. People like it too, (even ones who claim to not like the taste of lamb.) So I thought I'd share it with you. The recipe includes a marinade that you then save and reduce down into a glorious sauce, and a salsa. I only do the salsa in the summer when there are good peaches to be had. It's good with the sauce only and good with the sauce and salsa too. I make it more without the salsa than with, due to the shortage of good peaches in many months of the year. I have marinated it for a total of 4 hours and have also done it over night. I have made this same recipe on the BBQ which is recommended and have also marinated and roasted, both are good. I prefer the BBQ method as I like the extra, slightly blackened flavor from the grill and I think grill marks are pretty! I have been making this recipe since 2005. I tried to find a link to the Good Housekeeping website as that is where I got the recipe, I couldn't find the recipe on their website, despite many attempts to search for it. <br />
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<strong>Here is what you need:</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>1 (4lb) leg of lamb, butterflied (ask butcher to help you) basically you will need to open the leg up so it is thinner, as to cook more evenly on the BBQ. And here's my shameless plug for the local sheep industry, please seek out local, American raised lamb, there are many sheep ranchers working hard here in the U.S. to bring high quality, safe, and tasty lamb to the table just for you!</strong><br />
<strong>1 Cup Molasses</strong><br />
<strong>1/2 Cup Fresh squeezed Orange Juice</strong><br />
<strong>1/4 Cup Olive Oil</strong><br />
<strong>1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard</strong><br />
<strong>4 Garlic Cloves, minced</strong><br />
<strong>1 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper</strong><br />
<strong>1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt</strong><br />
<strong>1 Can of Beer (12 oz)</strong><br />
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<strong>For the Peach/Mint Salsa:</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>2 lbs Ripe Peaches</strong><br />
<strong>1 Tablespoon sugar</strong><br />
<strong>1/2 Cup Mint Leaves, coarsely chopped</strong><br />
<strong>1 Tablespoon Lime Juice</strong><br />
<strong>1/4 Teaspooon Salt</strong><br />
<strong>1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped</strong><br />
<strong>1/2 Cup Pinenuts</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Directions:</strong><br />
If leg of lamb is not already butterflied, you can use a knife and open up the leg making cuts so that the leg lays out flat and is about equal thickness all over. Bone should be removed. Make a marinade using the Molasses, OJ, Olive oil, Mustard, Garlic, Salt, Pepper and Beer. Place the lamb in the marinade for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator. Remove leg of lamb from marinade after desired marinating time. <strong>Do not throw out marinade!</strong> This is your sauce. Reserve the marinade in a sauce pan. Bring the marinade to a boil over med-high heat. Then lower temp. to a simmer. Stir and simmer until the liquid is reduced down to about half of it's original amount and is thicker.<br />
Over medium heat, outdoor grill the lamb leg for 15-30 min. for medium-rare (depending on thickness) I always us a meat thermometer and set it for 145 degrees and then let it rest until about 155 degrees, covered with foil. It will continue to raise in heat about 10 degrees after you remove from the heat. Cooking time depends on how done you like your lamb. <br />
For the salsa, grill the peaches for 5-6 minutes then chop, add all other salsa ingredients and mix to make a salsa.<br />
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This is what the lamb will look like off the grill.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheofG2OdDTx4NHiPAY4KuO0vcjFgGobd3TZZ0DIRAoVO84AkIAbU6JeX4x4MYVNpeTYOMSaHF-OIYfGMHi4-qijFIZ3hqNEALgaMQeRoqVB9qY7DO5nJo-SN794-19zQJP5dq6Pod0n4t/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheofG2OdDTx4NHiPAY4KuO0vcjFgGobd3TZZ0DIRAoVO84AkIAbU6JeX4x4MYVNpeTYOMSaHF-OIYfGMHi4-qijFIZ3hqNEALgaMQeRoqVB9qY7DO5nJo-SN794-19zQJP5dq6Pod0n4t/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+2.JPG" height="640" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty grill marks and extra flavor!</td></tr>
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The sauce is very rich and flavorful, it doesn't take much to add extra flavor to this dish so use sparingly. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis85sf60K7L8ml677_OmhQdJf9k_fifDw55703NtDBfQRx0lWZ2VMaglm4fXU9AN-MbBBH5rHmR_OzwSP2mEDhfaSiTqD0yiF15kS1tH-1iYu-4M4TGXaO4nhblnfrb5Amtx12iB_x1vwY/s1600/fancyewe+butterfly+lamb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis85sf60K7L8ml677_OmhQdJf9k_fifDw55703NtDBfQRx0lWZ2VMaglm4fXU9AN-MbBBH5rHmR_OzwSP2mEDhfaSiTqD0yiF15kS1tH-1iYu-4M4TGXaO4nhblnfrb5Amtx12iB_x1vwY/s1600/fancyewe+butterfly+lamb.JPG" height="512" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a leg of lamb butterflied and opened up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLP95PzKC36fSQ8IjvlSajldnf9_WWyou1DD5-69D1IioWdwrZb6hLwZgLb2N-w-hhJ0c3UajjZLIr-ix700Ywq2QFmZSqWmClYPeHGfK8TgDYlITRnfiYoBrsrUN1lG8qecZRiyod_5Mr/s1600/fancyewe+lamb+marinade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLP95PzKC36fSQ8IjvlSajldnf9_WWyou1DD5-69D1IioWdwrZb6hLwZgLb2N-w-hhJ0c3UajjZLIr-ix700Ywq2QFmZSqWmClYPeHGfK8TgDYlITRnfiYoBrsrUN1lG8qecZRiyod_5Mr/s1600/fancyewe+lamb+marinade.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the marinade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqseOCOJWYycFPtZc7wZ_6bM-pve47IUQ7_cL_K62JNuMP-dGbvbHNQM0Nq6V61IFAaMFtzAheP1dvr6Wu7n9k96NrRCnpKeNShu93hIF19RSZVYq_qlSLdRfUIy15kwWWUjEJYc_YV_a/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glaze+reduction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqseOCOJWYycFPtZc7wZ_6bM-pve47IUQ7_cL_K62JNuMP-dGbvbHNQM0Nq6V61IFAaMFtzAheP1dvr6Wu7n9k96NrRCnpKeNShu93hIF19RSZVYq_qlSLdRfUIy15kwWWUjEJYc_YV_a/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glaze+reduction.JPG" height="640" width="470" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reduction process for the sauce made from the marinade.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsmx52HPxJ6TveQx9nUbgi_fX4Ga3vycdZ95P-BTnVZ9sQcmnsxy7jII6E9oSEnS2Ig9AEN_EShwQgbjjF80R6Yg13En7mcEVveemGrat-2b2ekRrlOXHnWXwRm6oW3HIa-2MnkSZfj97/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsmx52HPxJ6TveQx9nUbgi_fX4Ga3vycdZ95P-BTnVZ9sQcmnsxy7jII6E9oSEnS2Ig9AEN_EShwQgbjjF80R6Yg13En7mcEVveemGrat-2b2ekRrlOXHnWXwRm6oW3HIa-2MnkSZfj97/s1600/fancyewe+molasses+glazed+lamb+3.JPG" height="404" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm...excuse me while I sample the goods!</td></tr>
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Hope you try and enjoy this recipe. And I wish you a wonderful, happy Easter season!!<br />
<br />
Much love, <br />
<br />
From "Patch-A-Heaven!"<br />
Kacey Kalmarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977307689451394786noreply@blogger.com0