August 29

In the last three years we have literally stop eating all white flour and white sugar. Although I think this is a step to eating healthier . . . I don’t think it’s the only way.


Randy and I are physically active (going to the gym five mornings a week and usually three times a week after work to lift weights).
Being physically active is a great way to start healthy living, but you also need to eat nutritious foods.

Eating healthier is easier than you think. Here are five steps to get you started:

1) Use up at least as many calories as you take in.
2) Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
3) Check the labels on the foods you purchase for fat and fiber content.
4) Buy healthy foods when you shop. Fresh is best but this does not mean it has to be organic.
5) Learn to cook healthy - use fresh ingredients, use a steamer, or a slow cooker and avoid fried foods.

Irish Stovetop Skillet
Serves 6
Each serving: 142 cal, 2 gm fat, 4 gm fiber

1/3 cup water
3 cups thinly sliced raw potatoes (I leave the skins on)
1 ½ cups chopped onions
3 cups sliced cabbage
1 ½ cups shredded carrots
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1-8 tsp black pepper
3 (2.5 oz.) pkgs Carl Budding Lean Corned Beef, shredded

Put water in bottom of a large skillet. Arrange sliced potatoes in water. Layer onion, cabbage, carrots, parsley and pepper over potatoes. Top with the corned beef.
Cover and simmer over med heat for 20 minutes. Mix well before serving

I've had a little bit a free time this weekend, enough to work on some necklaces that I found on the Big Picture Scrapbooking Big Idea Festival taught by Georgana Hall.  I just changed them up a little and added some rub-ons and inked the edges.  These turned out so cute that I could be making them in ever color:)  And can you believe these are made from a wahser, scrap paper, Mod Podge and some cording?!

August 27

Another summer gone . . . Halloween candy and costumes are out in the stores . . . Where oh where has summer gone? Summers seemed longer when I was a kid! Does time move more rapidly the older you get? Maybe it’s because instead of looking at one l o n g year I tend to block it off . . . New Years to Valentines Day, then Easter to Mothers Day and Fathers Day. Then July 4th to Labor Day. Then Halloween to Thanksgiving and then Christmas . . . and before you know it the whole year is gone. I think I have enough summer photos of the grandchildren to scrap to help keep me in the mindset of summer for at least a little while. These are the latest layouts for their albums.

Every time Randy and I take a cruise we say that we wished we would have taken some dance lessons so we could knock everybody’s socks off on the dance floor.

So we finally took the first step - literally! Two weeks ago we went to our first “Ballroom Dancing” lesson. OK if we would have known that it was this much fun we would have went before!

We have learned (or should I say are learning) the Waltz, the Foxtrot and the Cha Cha Cha. I think my favorite is the Waltz - a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous turns and rise and fall steps. I think you are suppose to be able to glide around the floor effortlessly . . . I’ll just say we need to practice!

Talent Show Project

This week at Camp Paradise the DT is showcasing their talents. Make sure to stop by and check out the awesome projects.
I love using my scrapbooking supplies for home decor projects.  For my talent I'm sharing a wreath I made for our family room.

Materials:

Brown wrapping paper ( the kind you use for mailing packages)
Cricut machine
Serenade Cart
Foam wreath
Glue gun
Pencil
Patterned paper for the butterflies



I used brown postal wrapping paper (the kind you buy on a roll for mailing packages) for the flowers. I cut the paper into 12X12 sheets and ran them though my Cricut machine.

 I used the scalloped flower on the Serenade cart and cut them at 2 ¾”. When I had a nice size pile of flowers (several hundred) I folded them in half to find the middle.

I then used the eraser end of the pencil and pressed it into the center of each flower till it folded up.

I put a dab of hot glue on the middle of the bottom of the scalloped flower and stuck it to my wreath.

I then cut out butterflies of varying sizes using the Serenade cart and added them to the wreath. I attached a piece of ribbon to the back of the wreath for hanging.

Summer Camp

Camp Paradise has definitely offered you your fill of fun challenges & games each week.


. . . And it’s still not to late to join in the last weeks of camp.

Campers have been able to bring out their inner creative star by participating in the activities:

Arts & Crafts

Cabin Life

Camp Fire

Camp Spirit

Mess Hall

Music

Outdoor Education

Sports & Recreation

Wildlife

with new and exciting “get you out of your box” challenges offered every week (not to mention prizes).

We’ll wrap up the final week starting Wednesday 8-11 with the finale and some special activities. Hope you can join in the fun!

Here are my takes for this weeks Camp Spirit and Outdoor Education challenges.

using the camp banner colors

it's all about the clouds