Sunday Snapshots, July 23, 2017

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I’ve decided to bring back my “Sunday Snapshots” feature. I tried doing this at the beginning of the year as a way to get myself snapping away. I kind of fell off the wagon, but I’m trying to get back on. Just little snippets of my day.

 

What better way to start the day than bacon, yolky eggs, toast, and coffee?

I ?? breakfast.

Spent most of the morning cleaning up and puttering around. Lunch was Caesar salad and fire roasted tomato soup. My mom tipped me off on this tomato soup recipe from Betty Crocker which is so good! I added some roasted red peppers this time and it was delicious.

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Noah headed off to DEC Camp for a week. I don’t know if other states offer similar camps, but New York offers some great environmental camps through the Department of Environmental Conservation. Jake went twice thanks to the local Lions Club and now Noah gets his turn.

Of to camp...
I set down in the afternoon to work on some crochet, only to discover that the cats had gotten into one of my skeins of yarn. Ugh… I still have finish detangling it.

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Later in the afternoon I had to pick up Jake from his friend’s house and then we all ran over to Tops for some groceries. I was happy to finally find the blueberry pie Oreos! Can’t wait to try these!

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And now it’s time for a cup of tea with milk and a little TV to wind down for the night. Thinking I might look through some cookbooks to get menu ideas for this week, too. Hope you had a great weekend!

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Recipe | Frozen Lemonade Pie

Frozen Lemonade Pie

When the temperatures rise, I do NOT feel like cooking. I want cool and refreshing dishes. I crave sweet-tart combinations. Let me tell you, Lemonade Pie is the perfect dessert for these dog days of summer. It takes just four simple ingredients and your freezer. In no time you’ll be enjoying this cool, creamy treat.  While the lemonade flavor  is my favorite, I’ve substituted  limeade concentrate for the lemonade and it is equally good!

Frozen Lemonade Pie

1 12-oz. container of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 8-oz. tub of whipped topping
1 prepared graham cracker or shortbread pie crust

In a large bowl, mix the lemonade concentrate and condensed milk. Carefully fold in the whipped topping. Pour the filling into the pie crust being careful not to overfill.
Freeze the pie for at least 6 hours before serving.

Updated on 7/20/17

I’m Not Usually A Gambler, But…

I’m one of those annoying people who generally plays things safe, especially when it comes to money. If I don’t know what exactly I’m getting, I don’t usually get it. But, as they say, there is always an exception to the rule… 

This morning Noah and I went to Michaels to get him a white t-shirt for tie-dying at camp, since they were on sale today. When we walked in, front and center, I saw these:

Michaels grab bag score

Now, in the past I’ve been able to resist the urge to try my luck at one of these grab bags. But today, something was calling me to them. I knew it would be summer stuff from the 4th of July. And maybe it’s because we were just recently at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for my friend’s son, but I realized that now would be a great time to take a chance on some patriotic-themed decor. After all, Jake is hopefully starting his Eagle project soon, and he is well on his way as far as advancements are concerned, so I’m not being premature thinking ahead. It’s pretty standard to use red, white, and blue in the decorations and table settings.

I tried to peek inside the best I could and in two boxes I noticed things I definitely was interested in. Noah convinced me to take a change and buy both of them. After I unpacked it all, I was absolutely thrilled with the contents! Here it all is, combined into one box.

Michaels Grab Bag Score

Now, let’s do a little show & tell, shall we? Remember, I paid $8 for everything! First up, this cute basic tee-shirt. It could probably benefit from a fun saying on it, so I can make that with my Silhouette. 
(Value: $9.99)

Michaels Grab Bag Score

Next, 9 bunches of silk flowers — 4 of the daisies with stars on the petals (price tag says $3.99), and 5 bunches of red/white/blue silks (price tag says $8.99). 
(Value: $60.91) 

Michaels grab bag score

Then, there are these vases. I think these, combined with the silk flowers, are going to make perfect centerpieces! The 7 small bottles (one got cut off from the picture because I was rushing) were priced at $6.99 and the large striped bottle (which I absolutely LOVE) is $9.99.
(Value: $58.92)

Michaels grab bag score

Then there are two of these metal signs, $24.99 each . Maybe I’ll give one to my mom! 
(Value: $49.98)

Michaels grab bag score

I absolutely adore this sign! I remember seeing in in the store and thinking hard about it. It is actually burlap and very rustic looking. It will be so cute next summer!
(Value: $24.99)

Michaels grab bag score

OK, I’ve saved the best for last. It was seeing these two trays that made my heart skip a beat. I almost bought them last week, but even with a coupon couldn’t quite justify it. I love the quilt patterns painted on (I may actually crochet a throw based on the design of the smaller tray — that wouldn’t be too hard if I did squares) and Drew loves wood signs. We actually were able to have lunch with him today and so I showed him and asked what he thought. He really liked them too, and thought of covering the design with epoxy or something to preserve it in case there is a spill. The smaller tray was $19.99 and the larger one was $25.99.
(Value: $45.98)
Michaels grab bag score

So, drumroll please? …. I got over $250 worth of stuff for $8! Now, I would never pay full-price of course, that’s just not how I am. But even if it was, say, 60% off, that’s still over $100. I think I really lucked out! 

Crazy Days of Summer

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Oh summer! Whatever happened to the concept of lazy days? That’s certainly not the way it is around here lately. My poor, neglected blog is really suffering. Yes, I refuse to give it up. Nope, not happening. I just need to make it a priority to blog a few times a week. I would love to do daily posts, but I am not sure I can realistically commit to that.

I get so annoyed with Facebook, but because part of my job is maintaining social media, I’m on it several times a day because I have to be, so I end up posting there instead of here. I’d love to move away from that.

So. Anyway. What’s been going on? Lots. Really, I feel like life is just going from one thing to the next and at the end of the day I’m exhausted! So here’s a quick & dirty update

Family…
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The boys just got back from various BSA camping activities. Drew and Noah headed off to camp in the Adirondacks, and Jake went with a group of the older scouts on a canoe trip along the St. Croix River on the Maine/Canada border. It was such and amazing experience for him! Four days of paddling and camping — lots of excitement, stories, and memories that will last a lifetime. The troop also hit Acadia National Park and now I have it on my list of places I want to go. Maybe for a family vacation in a year or two. Laura has been enjoying a local rec camp — just good old-fashioned fun: swimming in the pond, playing on the playgroup, arts & crafts, reading, games, spending time with friends. It’s just up the road from work, so it’s incredibly convenient for me, too!

Work…
Speaking of work, it’s good as well. I’m really busy with summer programs and sometimes it makes me crazy, but it’s all good.

Crafting…
Atlanticus CAL through part 4
I’ve joined in with the Atlanticus CAL. I’m about four parts behind, but there’s no rush to finish it. The pattern is written by Vanessa Smith and it is such a joy to work on! I love the different stitches. It’s going to be huge and heavy, which is going to be wonderful when winter gets here!

I’m going to try, really try to get back into it here, friends. I miss documenting my days and posting photos. Feel free to give me a prod if I go too long!