Summer time Staples

 

 

Summertime is one of my favorite seasons when there is green grass and tree's in abundance. Especially the beginnings of summer, when the evenings are just cool enough to start a small fire in the backyard and enjoy the stars. And what better way to do that than with S'MORES!

 

 

Now most of us have had the plain old chocolate, regular marshmallow, and graham cracker kind that are delicious in their own right, but I have made something special, and as you can tell from picture, they are not the regular s'mores at all.

 

Well lets get right down to it shall we!



 

 

With the above ingredients I made, Key Lime Pie S'mores, Lemon Meringue Pie S'mores, and PB&J Smores, also not pictured which we tried were Rainbow Sherbert S'mores. (excuse me while I recover from my sugar coma)

Ingredients:

Key Lime Flavored Marshmallows (campfire brand)

Lemon Meringue Marshmallows (campfire brand)

Strawberry Flavored marshmallows

Vanilla (white chocolate)

Peanut Butter Cup's

 

 

With any of the S'mores you know you have to toast the Marshmallows to a wonderful golden brown over the red coals. (or if you are impatient to a blackened crisp over the flames, this is purely your choice, I would recommend golden brown, but as my crew is impatient...well you know which we end up with. LOL)

 

These are super simple to make so I'll just let you know what goes together for each.

 

Key Lime Pie S'mores

1 Graham cracker broken in half (for a top and bottom to your S'more -  like a sandwich)

2-4 key lime marshmallows

1 Vanilla chocolate square (we used Ghirardelli Vanilla Dream squares...delicious, but any white chocolate should work)

 

Smoosh (very technical term :) )  together when marshmallows are toasty.

 

Lemon Meringue S'mores

1 Graham cracker broken in half

2-4 lemon meringue marshmallows

1 Vanilla chocolate square

 

Smoosh together when marshmallows are toasty

 

*On a side note, you have to watch the Campfire brand Marshmallows as they tend to melt off the stick, so you've gotta be quick when you toast these lovelies.

 

PB & J S'mores

1 Graham cracker broken in half

1 Strawberry Marshmallow (if someone knows of some grape marshmallows these would be    outstanding as well, or if you make your own...)

1 Peanut Butter Cup

 

Smoosh together when marshmallow is toasty

 

Rainbow Sherbert S'mores

1 Graham cracker broken in half

1 Strawberry Marshmallow

1 Lemon Meringue Marshmallow

1 Key Lime Marshmallow

1 Vanilla chocolate square

 

Smoosh together when marshmallow's are toasty

 

I hope you enjoy these. The kids loved the PB & J ones as they are exceptionally sweet, while the adults liked the pie varieties better.

 

Bring out your inner child and sing camping songs with your kids around a bonfire, and enjoy summer.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Summer

So I know many of you must think that I took another Hiatus. Well sort of...I'm working on moving to beautiful Washington state, and on top of that Summer has begun, and I have been a bit tied up with college, and trying to make sure I spent tons of time with my kiddos.

 

My husband and I made a welcome to summer sign for the kids to run through when they came home. They were excited about it, but kept trying to duck under it instead of just running through it. My neat freak kids (we're talking about kids who try to open birthday and Christmas gifts with scissors to save the paper though. At least they are frugal).

 

The below photo is what met them on the steps.

 

 

Those are fluffy stuff snowballs in the red metal bucket. My husband and father were waiting on them out back with additional snowballs and water bombs. Both of which can be found on my Pinterest page Successful Kiddo projects here.

 

The kids had a blast, and everyone ended up covered snowball dust, or drenched from the water bombs. To play like no one is watching is a wonderful feeling and truly makes you get in touch with your inner child again.

 

So as always, I encourage you to go make your own magic, and get in touch with your inner kid. He/She is longing to get out and show you just how happy you can truly be.

 

 

The Guardians of Childhood, William Joyce

Now a great way to connect with our inner kid and experience that wonderful happiness that sinks down deep in the heart and runs from the tip of our toes to the tops of our heads is to read great children's books.

You don't have to be a kid to read a great book especially one so wonderfully illustrated and a story told so well as that of The Guardians of Childhood series by William Joyce.

Hailed by Newsweek as one of the top 100 people to watch in the new millennium, William Joyce's distinct and striking drawings and imaginative story telling depict a world full of whimsy, fun, and adventure. (Joyce)
                                                                                



 

Joyce has had his hand (say that three times fast) in many works including George Shrinks, and Rolie Polie Olie which has won three Emmy's for its animated series of the same name. Most recently though you may have heard of him as the co-Producer to the animated movie that was released around Christmastime of 2012 entitled Rise of the Guardians; which is based on The Guardians of Childhood series. Now no one ruin it for me if you have seen the movie, as I haven't but if his books are any indication of his talent, I'm sure the movie is outstanding.

 

I will be reviewing the first two picture books in The Guardians of Childhood series.

 

Book One: The Man in the Moon

Book Two: The Sandman

 

Recommended ages: 4 and up



 

 

I actually stumbled upon this first picture book purely on accident. The movie Rise of the Guardians hadn't even been released (well to my knowledge) yet. I was perusing the bookshelves in the kids section as my two oldest tried to figure out which book or series they wanted to start next, and there is sat on the shelf beckoning me to pick it up with it's wonderful copper embossed title hinting at an illustrated work that must be close to what a  Jules Verne tale would look like if drawn.

 

I flipped through the pages there in the store amazed and awed by the detail of the illustrations, but not until I took it home and read the story to my children that night did I truly appreciate the magnificence of the start of this series. It tells of how MiM (the man in the moon) came to be; from a baby aboard the Moon Clipper to a protector of the children of Earth.

 

Though the tale could get a bit scary for the younger readers; as Pitch the Nightmare King attacks the Moon Clipper, and Nightlight defeats him resulting in an explosion that kills MiM's parents; the overall feeling of the story is one of hope and protection. Children of any age will feel safe as they are tucked in at night knowing that the Man in the Moon is there to protect them just as Nightlight protected MiM so long ago.

 

 
Another copper foil embossed title pulled me over as I discovered that the second installment of Joyce's The Guardians of Childhood series had been released. So I snatched it up without even looking inside because I knew without a doubt that this one would be just as wonderful as the first story.

I was not let down. The illustrations are again magnificent. And tell the tale as much in their own rights as the words Joyce has placed along side them. This installment tells the story of how Sanderson (Sandy) Mansnoozie came to be known as The Sandman.

Joyce fantastically ties this tale back into the first book of MiM by the shooting star.

The only fault I have with the second book, is in the first Pitch is defeated (or we are led to believe) by Nightlight, and in the second Pitch attacks Sandy's shooting star ship. If this was the case, why didn't MiM see the shooting star sooner, or had Pitch attacked the star ship prior to attacking Sandie's ship? A minor thing that children will not happen to pick up on, and I probably wouldn't have either if I wasn't trying to become a writer as well as having just read both stories back to back. But it is their either way, make your own judgments there on. Back to my reviewing.

The tale builds up and you discover that Sandy is entrusted to watch over the children when MiM is unable to. Those times when the moon is dark such as cloudy days, or during the New Moon, though this is not outright stated. You find fantastic creatures on The Sandman's island, and I loved the idea that seashells learn of our "secret joys and sorrows" as we hold them to our ears and then deliver those to the Sandman.

A truly wonderful addition to the first story of The Man in the Moon with attention to every detail from the cover to the inside flaps, and storyline continuation.

These picture books will no doubt bring out the happiness you felt as a child when you first discovered that special gift left by Santa, the first wish you made upon a star, or the time the tooth fairy left you change beneath your pillow.

The Man in the Moon available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and other locations where books are sold.

The Sandman available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and other locations where
books are sold.

If you are up for a bit of website hopping you will not be disappointed at William Joyce's the Guardians of Childhood website so please take a look there and stop by the extras.

Fireflies

You may remember back in January I did a post in regards to my birthday and posted a memory that I had from my days working at the Sheriffs office as a dispatcher. These are two additional images that I created to go with that original cake and firefly image. If you are not familiar with the story it can be seen here.

I do apologize for the watermark, but I am considering selling these as prints. I would love to hear what you think about this idea. Enjoy the images.

Birthday's and Fireflies

So the 15th was my Birthday. It's funny how once you pass a certain age, birthday's seem to serve only as a reminder of how old you are getting. But I remember when I was a kid, couldn't wait to get to thirteen, because then I would be a teenager. Couldn't wait to get to sweet 16. Couldn't wait to get to 18 and move out of the house. Couldn't wait to get to 21 because I could drink. (Though I really don't, it was just a principles thing, lol)

This year though, as I began to dread another nothing birthday, I happened to remember one of my favorite memories from my younger years. I had just started working dispatch at a sheriff's office, and every once in a while we would do a ride along for our shift. (This consisted of a dispatcher riding in plain clothes with a deputy in order to see things from their point of view, give us a break from the desk, and help promote inter-office unity.) Back to the story...

I ended up doing a ride along with an officer that had been on for probably around 5 years or so. He was new enough that the job hadn't gotten to him and turned him gruff, but had been around enough he had the on the job stories to tell that regular people wouldn't believe. The night was slow so we decided to do a couple of home checks for people that had gone on vacation. (This is where an officer goes by a house to make sure everything is still in correct order, no break-in's or suspicious activity.) It was just after dark when we made it to the house. We checked everything, all normal. As we headed back to the car a buzz went past his ear.

"What was that."
"I dunno, I didn't see anything."

His flashlight clicked back on, but there was nothing to see. He shrugged at me, I shrugged back. He clicked the flashlight back of and we headed for the car. Then we started to see them. Tiny specks of glowing light.

At first I didn't have a clue, then it dawned on me. Fireflies! I hadn't seen fireflies since I had been about 9 or 10.

"Fireflies!" We gasped in unison.
"Oh, they're so beautiful." I sighed. "I haven't seen them since I was small."
"Really?" he questioned.
"I know. I thought they were all gone with all the light pollution."
"We still have a few around."he replied. Then he began to flash the flashlight on and off similar to the lightning bugs. Soon there were tons of fireflies around him, he turned the light off, and tucked it into his belt. He swung his arms around trying to catch them for a few minutes. Then he brought cupped hands down in front of him.
"Come here."
Soon I was standing beside him peering into his cupped hands. He had caught a firefly just for me so I could see one up close.

Now to anyone else, I'm sure two grown adults huddled together staring at a beetle with a glowing butt must sound a bit odd, but it was in that moment that as an adult I remembered that magic is real if you know where to look. At that moment I watched a rugged cop magically turn back into a little boy. I don't know if he even remembers this moment as it was over 10 years ago now, but it was a very special moment for me, and one I am ashamed to admit I had forgotten until recently.

So with another birthday though true I am another year older, I am also another year younger as I remember it is the small and simple things that make us happy, and with happiness comes youth.

Be Happy, and Grow Young with me. :D

Grinchmas, bringing the wonder back to Christmas time

I'll be the first to admit that I have become anything but "enchanted" by the season this year. The public pushing of plastic toys by and before Halloween has even passed seems to kill the magic that Christmastime should bring.

 

However as I drove to a Christmas party "with much dismay" to my Grinch-like heart my daughter began to sing in a small voice in the back seat. The tiny voice like a heater slowly began to thaw the ice of my heart. Then we were there, and since I am a shy person at best I tucked my way off in a corner and watched. The children giggled, and wrestled on the floor and piano music was being played in the background. It was there that I realized with my over analyzing adult brain, that the wonderment of Christmas was there in those tiny little souls, and that once you become an adult... well sometimes magic has to be made it doesn't just happen.

Magic is very similar in nature to writing, drawing, and crafting/art of any magnitude when you feel the blah's sneak in you have to counter-act them. With the above mentioned block if you will can be countered by almost anything:

• Taking a nap
• Taking a walk
• Visiting a gallery
• Talking with other people (some of us like to hobbit away in our holes, but we really do need human interaction)

Christmas time is no different, so when you feel a case of the Bah-Humbugs creeping up make the magic happen:

• Take a drive and look at Christmas lights
• Sing a silly Christmas song
• Make salt dough or felt ornaments
• **Remember what it was like to be a CHILD at Christmas**

That last one is important! once you remember what Christmas was like as a child, embrace it because that's where the magic is. Always listen to your inner child. If your walking by a snowbank, and your inner child says "Hey, lets make a snow angel!" listen, just do it. Make that snow angel and not care what anyone thinks.

When we were children we didn't care what anyone though of how we sung, or what we drew. Our sole purpose in life was to be happy, and make others that way as well. So my daughter sang in her off key voice, and like a couple of kids ourselves, my husband, daughters, and I chimed in with her and were happy.

No matter what happens where this Christmas season finds you, I ask you to please find the wonderment and magic and become happy.

Spend time with the ones you love and find Peace within your Heart. The magic lives within...



 

 Rekindle it's flame and burn brightly.

 

 

image courtesy of: http://www.theletter4.com/2011/12/christmas-printables.html