Family – Page 5 – Pure Sugar

A Fantastic Birthday Weekend!

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

I know everyone is focussed on Hurricane Sandy right now, but I’m distracting myself with other pursuits (creamy chicken noodle soup, poached chicken, brownies… you know, the important stuff). What a way to wind up my birthday weekend. That’s right — I turned 37 on Friday! I had a great weekend filled with friends and family.

My parents came down on Friday and we always have a great time. For dinner I got my favorite veggie pizza and made a salad. I also had a ginormous chocolate mousse cake (so good!) Then Drew lit off a few fireworks in my honor, LOL…

The kids made me very sweet homemade cards and picked out thoughtful presents, including nail polish, chai tea, and prosecco. (I think that maybe Daddy helped them with that last one!)

Saturday was a trick-or-treat extravaganza! I’ll talk about that more on Halloween, though. And yesterday Drew’s mom and aunt came down for lunch. His aunt made me the coolest scarf! I want to look up how to make it before I blog about it though. But it’s lovely and I can’t wait to show it off.

And now I’m waiting to see what this storm brings! School is closed today (as is most of the Northeast in general, it seems), so I think that after lunch I’ll pull out some crafts for the munchkins and try to get in some crochet, myself. Which reminds me — I need to print off a few patterns before the power inevitably goes out!

To all in Sandy’s path, be safe! Here’s hoping for the best!

A Visit to the New York Botanical Garden

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

What a weekend! I have so much to tell you about, but I thought I’d start by sharing some photos I took yesterday. While Drew and Jake were at ComicCon, my mother-in-law suggested the rest of us spend the day at the New York Botanical Gardens. I’d never been there and she certainly didn’t have to convince me — I was so excited to finally visit!

We saw the gorgeous Monet’s Garden exhibit, as well as the Haunted Pumpkin Garden (very non-spooky, very fun, and great for children). Noah had a great time planting buckwheat seeds and dissecting an owl pellet, while Laura enjoyed playing in the outdoor puppet theatre and just looking at all the incredibly creative pumpkin sculptures.

Seeing all these beautiful plants makes me wish I was a better gardener! Just gorgeous stuff. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

I could have spent the entire day wandering around. If you live in the metro New York area and you’re looking for something fun and Halloween-y to do, this exhibit was a lot of fun, plus the grounds are just so beautiful. We plan to go back for the holiday train show and I can’t wait for that!

Camp Stone’s Throw

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

So, our weekend camp-at-home was a great success! I was so impressed how well Jake handled a disappointing situation, and just embraced the activities we came up with. (Of course, now he’s spending the week at day camp, so he made out OK in the end, LOL…) Anyway! I promised photos to show you what we did, so let’s get to it!

Friday night the guys set up the tent and camped outside. In the morning I made the same type of breakfast they have at any of the scout camp out: hard-boiled eggs, pancakes, and sausage. (I added some bacon in for good measure, LOL). We ate outside (something we rarely do in the morning) and we talked about the plan for the day.

Drew came up with a great list of activities, trying to cover the basics of what they do at camp: arts & crafts, nature, water activities, etc. It was insanely hot out, so we did try to keep things low-key.

The first thing the boys did was go on a nature scavenger hunt. I created a list of things to look for and they found just about all of them!

Then it was time for arts & crafts. Of course, we needed a name for the camp, and everyone liked “Camp Stone’s Throw” — a stone’s throw away from home, LOL 🙂 Now, I don’t know about scout camps in other areas, but around here they have a little cheer that goes with the name. For example, the closest camp to us is Camp Nooteeming. “Nooteeming” translates to “men of the woods” so whenever you hear the name of the camp, everyone cheers, “Men of the Woods!” Similarly, at Camp Bullowa the cheer is “Rah! Rah! Bullowa!” Totally goofy fun. Our cheer was “Stone’s Throw, let’s go!”

They did some archery, made neckerchief holders, and played on the slip & slide in the afternoon.

Then they had some down time before preparing a few skits. Skits are a hugely important part of any camp out! We cooked hot dogs over an open fire for dinner.

After dinner, they boys did a show for me, performing their skits and telling jokes.

Then we ended the evening with s’mores, sparklers, glow sticks, catching fireflies, and playing on the swingset until it was too dark to see 🙂

It all ended up working out wonderfully! I’d highly recommend doing something like this with your kids if you have a free weekend. Honestly, it wasn’t that much work — Drew put it all together on the fly — and it was so much fun for everyone. Definitely a great summer memory!

Backyard Camping, Part 2!

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

I seriously, seriously have the most creative and wonderful husband ever. He has really turned what was a disappointing weekend into something so fun. Other guys might prefer to spend a hot Saturday in the mall looking at DVDs or tv mounts or who knows what. But Drew constructed an at-home scout camp for the day. I will have to do some in-depth writing about it after I download all the photos.

The boys are having such a great time (in fact, they seem pretty worn out!). We just got the chimminea going for our “campfire” so we can cook hot dogs, and then later on we’ll roast some marshmallows.

And what’s strange is that throughout the day, all these little things popped up that made it seem like there really was a reason I screwed up on the date and the guys couldn’t go. Nothing major, but little things: Jake’s bathing suit was never pack (devastating if he had been at camp), a pole on the tent broke… things like that. Make you wonder if someone was watching out for us!

Backyard Camping

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Carol — 2 Comments ↓

Sometimes even mommy makes mistakes. And sometimes they’re big mistakes like writing down the wrong weekend for your son’s Webelos Outdoor Weekend. Yes. That was me. Drew and Jake got the car packed up and headed over to the camp only to discover that it was last weekend.

Oh my word, I can’t even tell you how horrible I feel. I have no idea how this happened, but on all three (THREE!) of my calendars/planners, I marked it for this weekend. Luckily, he handled it like a champ and my absolutely amazing husband has an awesome at-home camping weekend planned out. We’re just missing the cheap picnic tables, LOL…

Anyway, we can apply what we already paid towards a week of regular Cub Scout Camp or another Cub & Partner weekend later this summer. I think we might just do the camp since Noah will be going. But still, I can’t believe I screwed that up! On the bright side, it turned out that one of the tent poles was broken, so if they guys HAD been camping away from home last night, they’d be stuck in a tent that wasn’t properly set-up. And it poured for a while, so… maybe it really was all for the best! So strange how things happen that way.

Mad about Mad Science the Card Game

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Some of you may have noticed the widget over there to the right, the one about something called “Mad Science the Card Game.” If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, then chances are you’ve heard all about it, but in case you haven’t, let me tell you!

Several months ago, my husband came up with a concept for a card game. It involved funky creatures, a diabolical scheme, and many cheesy puns. He drew everything freehand (and had some help from our boys, too), and we did a lot of play testing to make sure the game played out the way it should. Then he decided to put it up on Kickstarter to gain some interest.

Basically, it’s a way for him to pre-sell the game. When you pledge your support, there are a variety of incentives (including the game itself, optional expansion packs, and tee-shirts… sorry no golf ball logos though). Here’s a video we made gives you a better idea about what Mad Science the Card Game is all about:

We’re getting close to our goal of $1,500, which isn’t a lot — there’s no profit at this level. All the funds will go toward ordering game packs for our backers and to place in retail outlets, for marketing, and for other related expenses. Although it’s not a “kids game” per se, it is definitely family-friendly!

It’s so exciting when people are interested in something you created from scratch! Drew was interviewed for a locally-based podcast (I’ll put up the link when it’s ready), and he was also interviewed for the super fun blog All Geek to Me.

We’re really hopeful that we can make this happen. Please check it out on Kickstarter, and help us spread the word!

Hippo Birdie to You!

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Today is my sweetie’s birthday! Unfortunately he’s been on conference calls for work all day, but at least quitting time is drawing near.

Instead of a cake, I made sugar-free lemon mousse and blueberry parfaits to enjoy tonight. We’re also indulging in pizza (at least it will be piled high with veggies) and champagne. So very not paleo or low-carb, but what’s a birthday without a little wiggle room? We’ll just get back on track tomorrow. (That’s the best thing about consistently eating a diet full of healthy fats, veggies, and protein — you bounce back from a cheat day pretty quick. Sure beats diet pills. You can find out more here.)

Other than that I don’t know what we’ll do tonight. We might put the finishing touches on his Kickstarter project (Oooh, it’s so exciting! Can’t wait to reveal it!) and watch a movie. I love birthdays — even when they’re not my own 🙂

elementary school band

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Tomorrow is Jake’s first day of band! Last fall he started taking trumpet lessons through school and clearly he inherited his father’s music gene because he’s really good. He even enjoys practicing and usually does it without having to be reminded. But band is a whole new level.

Now he’ll need to bring his trumpet twice a week for two band practices plus his music lesson. At least he has a good instrument. We purchased a trumpet for Christmas (after having repeated problems with the rental) and it just sounds so much better.

Nevertheless, he’s psyched about it and so am I. I often kick myself for quitting the clarinet. I can’t sing to save my life, but I was all right with the woodwind. (I just hated going to band at the high school so early in the morning — so at least since Jake’s is during the school day and at his school, I think we’ll be OK.)

2011 – what a year!

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Source: timessquarenyc.org

Although I am not a fan of the whole New Year’s Eve thing, I really do enjoy looking back on the year that is passing. In many ways it is bittersweet, filled with lovely memories but also tinged with a bit of sadness of time gone by.

Nevertheless, here we are: December 31, 2011! This year was a crazy one. I’m happy to say that I did pretty well with my yearly goals. I certainly improved my health and took better care of myself. I did not take my writing up a notch, and that was by design. But also, the writing assignments were not so plentiful this year. Of course, at the same time I dabbled in boutique hair bow making and I’ve also had good luck selling my crochet hats as photo props. Honestly, that all made up for the lack of writing work!

I also wanted to kick up my blog and I’m not really sure if I did that. I was contacted for several reviews and hosted a few giveaways. While it was fun, I learned that I really love reviewing products (probably because I’m opinionated, LOL!) but the giveaways are more work than they are worth. So I have to think about where I want to go with that.

There seems to be nostalgia in the bloggy world for how things used to be and I definitely share that sentiment. My blog goal for the new year is to just have fun with it. I remember when blogging was no-pressure, when it was a community, heck when there were (gasp!) no comments! I did it just because I wanted to, because I wanted to share, because I wanted to document it all for myself. And that’s where I want to be!

Here’s a little look back on my year. It’s a classic meme that has been going around for ages and I love it! You post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month.

January 2011

I decided that we needed to start the new year with a big breakfast, so I made a fritatta with smoked ham, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions as well as pancakes (served with the cherry preserves I canned back in July) and sausage.

February 2011

Last month I was really motivated to start this project and I completed the first two squares.

March 2011

… because he adds sweet little extras to my daily “to do” list when I’m not looking ♥ ♥ ♥

April 2011

If it’s Friday, you know what that means… it’s time to party!

May 2011

Friday night I had a revelation when the dress I bought about a month ago for my husband’s high school reunion didn’t fit the same way as when I purchased it.

June 2011

Ten years ago I married the macaroni to my cheese, the salsa to my nachos, the peanut butter to my jelly, the butter to my bread.

July 2011

There was a bunch of beets in last week’s CSA share.

August 2011

Hello, friends!

September 2011

Well here we are, heading towards the end of the year.

October 2011

It has been a pretty easy adjustment to the carb-restricted diet, and even though I don’t have to eat this way, I am and I’m enjoying a lot of benefits, specifically increased energy.

November 2011

It occurred to me that I never put up my CSA post from two weeks ago (life is crazy, and blogging has obviously not been a priority – sorry!).

December 2011

The weather in my neck of the woods: Today it’s sunny and mild ~ in the mid-50s as I type, but I believe it’s supposed to turn colder later in the week, which is OK with me.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, following my ramblings on Twitter, liking me on Facebook, and truly being a part of my life (because you are)! Many of you I have known for years through blogging and you’ve become good friends. Others I know in real life, and still others I only know via my comments. And I bet there are some people who read quietly without saying a word. That’s OK. I do that on a lot of blogs, too, but I would LOVE if you’d say hello once in a while 🙂

If you’re out celebrating tonight, please be safe! I wish each and every one of you a happy & healthy new year! Cheers!

and the year winds down…

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Can you believe the end of the year is upon us? We have no big plans for New Year’s Eve, but someday I’d love to attend some crazy gala just so I can wear a fancy gown. I love dressing up! (Oh to be in high school again and look forward to looking at TJFormal prom dresses and other formal attire for the prom. Such fun!). But it’s more likely that I’ll find myself in my jammies, curled under a blanket, watching a movie instead. And if I’m lucky I’ll stay awake until midnight, but that rarely happens!

The boys both want to try staying up this year, so we’re going to let them. I’m trying to decide on some fun snack foods to prepare to make it a little special. What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?