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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-206350692018-08-28T11:14:36.816-07:00Lexi Art & DesignAlexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-27404434390222193262011-01-07T13:08:00.000-08:002011-01-07T13:50:13.066-08:00More Than a Thousand WordsWhere were we? Oh yeah, so I went back to work regular-like in September and it's been interesting. Some weeks are better than others - field work wreaks havoc on our schedule. Weeks that I'm in the office or working at home are much easier to manage. But here's the thing. I can't do it all. That's the bottom line. I am still knitting and doing a little painting. Still cooking from scratch as much as possible, still taking care of the chickens (they're well). Still keeping up with physical therapy, ballet and other necessary appointments (Maia has been in much better health so far this cold season). One thing that has changed is that I have no time for this blog. Maybe we're still working out the kinks, maybe it'll still happen. I'm going to try. When I said to Chris recently that I'd all but given up on the blog, he said he wished I wouldn't - that it was a good journal to have. I agree. Moving on.
I love this photo. I love this photo because I love all the people in it and they all look so content but I really love this photo because it represents how so many things are different from just 2 and a half years ago.

We took our sweet time driving up to the Bay Area for an after Christmas rendez-vous with my family. We stopped at Oso Flaco Lake on the first day. It's funny, I just went back through my blog to see if I had mentioned this place before, and I hadn't. We went here back in summer of 2008, when we were headed up north for my cousin's wedding. We stopped for a night in Los Osos and someone told us about this place (Oso Flaco Lake) which is at the southern end of Pismo beach. It's about a mile walk from the parking lot through some trees, onto a board walk that goes over the lake, and then through the dunes to the beach. It is just beautiful.

At this time in 2008, we were struggling with Maia. We knew in our hearts and minds that her doctors were wrong about her diagnosis but we were getting nowhere with them. She had a terrible time doing this walk. She was in pain and Chris carried her quite a bit. We were beside ourselves. Didn't know what was going on. This time she did great. Granted she complained about a spot on her foot where her orthotic was rubbing but still, she ran, she skipped, she played. So much better now. I don't have any photos from our first visit because our camera was stolen out of our car after my cousin's wedding (several large errors on our part) - we lost some great photos from that trip, but as you can see, we replaced the camera and that great 50 mm lens and all is well with the photography in our family.

I have so much to share but drat! have to go - Ponchos for one. I knit furiously through December two ponchos for the girls. Love them. I'm knitting another sweater. I finished one Brougham painting and started another. I scaled back Christmas cards this year (boo!) but hopefully will get back to that Gocco some day soon. Happy New Year - hope to post more soon.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-27472302442952491532010-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:002010-10-10T13:41:09.056-07:00Some time aloneNot very often, we split on the weekend and do separate things. Chris took the girls to the Santa Barbara Zoo today and I stayed home to work on a painting and hopefully do some fix-it sewing (hemming and such).

I've made some good progress on this painting and I need to stare at it for a while. I'm going to break and switch gears to sewing, laundry, vacuuming and scone making. Nice to have a little time alone, if nothing else to crank up the music without anyone complaining.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-75048963248062656742010-09-26T08:01:00.000-07:002010-09-26T09:42:19.435-07:0010 Good Things About This Week...1. We camped at Montana de Oro with some friends last weekend. Good times.
2. Rosie joined Tulip and laid some eggs. Yay!
3. I went to work for a regular 24 hours. Regular. Yesssss.
4. The chickens dismembered a lizard and ate it. Ok, maybe this one doesn't qualify as good, but we had a good laugh talking about lizard flavored eggs. Ewwww.
5. Sofia and Maia spent a couple afternoons with their "manny", Justin. All is well.
6. Chris' Swedish cousins arrived in California for a two-week tour. They stayed with us for two nights and will be back at the end of their trip. So nice to visit with them - their girls are 14 and 18, last time we saw them they were 1 and 5. We're hoping to take the girls to Sweden sometime - they've got horses.
7. We are having a heat wave. The good part is that maybe those million tomatoes and tomatillos I bragged about will actually ripen.
8. Chris and I went for a 6 mile hike on Friday in the heat. Good company, good exercise.
9. Sofia is making banana bread this morning, almost by herself. Yum, can't wait to try some.
10. We are having some friends over for wine this evening. More good times.

Hope you're having a good week, too.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-13390162884683221952010-09-16T22:32:00.001-07:002010-09-16T22:48:51.334-07:00Our Lady TulipImagine my shock on Tuesday when I opened the sleeping quarters in the coop (to do some periodic cleaning) and discovered 4 little brown eggs. A little clutch. It appears that our Tulip is all grown up now.
So I immediately ran and got the camera of course. Then I brought them in to take some more photos. (The big one in the back is a large egg from the store for scale.) They are smallish because she still has some growing to do.
Then I took them back outside and placed two in each of the nesting boxes. Egg #5 was in the "wrong" place but she laid Egg #6 in a nesting box. Smart cookie, that Tulip.

Yes, we ate them. Yes, they were delicious.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-10381764135738340462010-09-11T11:32:00.000-07:002010-09-11T12:33:35.336-07:00Rat-patootieThat's Maia's silly name for ratatouille. Gotta love 5-year old humor.
Ratatouille was a hit - now I just need a movie called "Broccoli Soup" and "Turkey Sandwich". I used a combination of several recipes but started mostly with this one from epicurious making some significant changes based on the comments. I also looked at Julia Child's ratatouille recipe and a version that was supposed to be like the one in the movie. Here's my summary:

2.5 lbs tomatoes
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
thyme* and herbes de provence*
1 T sugar*
tomato paste*
1 cup chopped parsley
olive oil (I used significantly less than what was called for in the recipe)
2 small eggplant (I think they were the Japanese variety)
salt
2 large onions
3 bell peppers (I used 2 green and one red)
2 medium zucchini (I sliced mine thin, instead of in chunks)
1 other squash (it was green and round, quartered and sliced thin)
black pepper
* added based on comments in recipe

- I made the sauce per the directions in a 5 quart oven safe sauce pan, adding a few different ingredients, and leaving out the basil. My understanding is that basil is not a traditional ingredient in ratatouille.
- Then I tossed the cubed eggplant in salt as directed.
- I cooked the vegetables as directed but with much less oil and only sauteed the squashes briefly. I added the onions, eggplant, and bell peppers to the sauce as each was cooked.
- Instead of cooking longer on the stove, I layered the zucchini and other squash on top of the other vegetables and put a buttered piece of parchment paper (cut to size) on top of it all and put it in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

I could imagine using individual ramekins to cook in the oven and serve and it would look prettier on the plate. I could imagine more eggplant too. I think mine were a little too small.

I'm supposed to start working next week a regular 24-hour per week schedule. I still haven't worked out all the child care details but hopefully it will all come together. I am looking forward to the regular paycheck but I am a little (hehe, understatement) anxious about how "it will all get done". I don't want to give up my cooking adventures, my garden adventures, my trips to the farmer's market. I'd gladly give up some of the more mundane tasks of the week but of course I can't abandon that stuff either. So I decided to start a painting. I know, there's no logic but it will all work itself out. Hopefully. More the on the painting soon. Hopefully. There's that word again.

I have a new name that bird - can't believe we've lived here 6 years and we've never seen this little one. Any guesses out there?
Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-33838085110367058652010-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:002010-09-03T14:10:10.832-07:00Garden FunWhen we got back from vacation last weekend, we found that our garden had exploded. In a good way, not literally. Tomatoes took off, tomatillos too, spinach grew, basil, cilantro, parsley, pumpkins - oh my goodness - I think the pumpkins may try to take over the entire yard. It's been fun. Maybe it's the cool summer we've had, but things take longer to grow and mature than I expected. Growing some of my own organic food has made me appreciate what organic farmers are doing even more.

The other night I made a frittata using zucchini, tomatoes, and basil from the garden. This time next year, I'll be able to make it with eggs from the chickens, too! It was delicious. It also had goat milk cheddar and came from an egg recipe book I purchased recently. I'm getting really excited about the eggs (hence the egg recipe book)... none yet, hopefully sometime in October. Chickens are doing great, looking mostly mature but their combs and wattles are not fully grown or bright red yet.

Ok people, this is really good. It's my very own recipe for tomatillo sauce. Here's what you need:

30 tomatillos, without husks
1 shallot, chopped coarse
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarse
1/2 t salt
handful cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 "Italian Roaster" pepper (I'm growing these in the garden, they're long and green, smallish, not spicy but of course you could substitute to your spiciness liking)

First you roast the tomatillos under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side, so they start to blister but not blacken too much. Try to save the juice that inevitably spills out on the pan. Put the tomatillos and the juice in the food processor, along with all the other ingredients and process until smooth. I put the cilantro in last so you can still see some green flecks. If you find it's too thick, add some water. That's it. Super yummy. We had some on trout last night and I plan to use the rest on some roasted poblanos this weekend.
Here we are on vacation last week. We visited Chimney Rock Winery, where we married 15 years ago. Sofia and Maia enjoyed seeing our wedding place and had fun pretending to marry and then not quite as much fun while we tasted some wine. Afterward, we had a wonderful lunch in Yountville at a French bistro that served all kinds of "frenchie" things like rabbit and duck and other somewhat unusual choices. Among other things that weren't rabbit, we ordered their ratatouille, which was a big hit with everyone. Who would think that Maia would love ratatouille? I'm positive that the movie had something to do with that. That's fine. We need all the help we can get to broaden her narrow palette. Ratatouille is on my menu this week - let's see if the movie can help me too.

One final note, and hopefully won't sound too preachy. While we were on vacation, three of Chris' cycling teammates were struck by a car while on one of their regular morning training rides. Two were injured seriously, one requiring knee surgery, and one with multiple pelvic fractures, also requiring surgeries. He may be out of commission for the better part of a year. The third rider required stitches on his face. A fourth rider was able to avoid the collision. It was truly frightening for Chris (and for me). One of the riders is one of his best buddies. The good news is that they will recover. What struck me is the response I got from several people when I mentioned the accident. They said things like, "What are they doing riding on that road?" and "That's a dangerous road for cars even!"

Chris' friends were riding single file and obeying all traffic laws. The driver turned left in front of them. She said she didn't see them. I feel for her because I know we all make mistakes while driving. What I would like to point out is that cyclists have every right to be on the road and are protected by our traffic laws. We need to be looking for them. I love a cyclist. If you're reading my blog, you probably do, too. Let's keep our eyes out for them. So here's a new public service announcement slogan:

Share the Road. It's not just about kindness, it's the law.

Peace to one and all.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-37192059903918668502010-07-05T09:02:00.000-07:002010-07-05T09:36:23.615-07:00Happy Birthday, Stephen!The Helgren family welcomed their second baby boy in the wee hours of July 4th, yesterday. His name is Stephen Christopher and he comes just a week shy of his big brother Thomas's 3rd birthday. We are very excited to meet him this coming weekend.
Look Stephen, we made these decorations for you! Well, actually we made them for our 4th of July dessert and fireworks party, but how cool is it that you'll get fireworks on your birthday every year! Once again, we failed to take photos from the party but it was fun. Lots of kids, lots of dessert and the annual walk over to the open field to see the fireworks. This year I made fresh fruit tart, brownies, blueberry crumble, and peach cobbler. Chris made peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. The peach cobbler was the biggest hit.

I decided to try batik dyeing silk play scarves for the 4th of July party this year. First, you might ask, who in their right mind tries batik dyeing for the first time and decides to make 17 silk scarves all at once the day before 40 people are coming over? Me. Ok, so it was a little ambitious. But I have a reputation to uphold. Every year we've done this party, I've given some sort of creative, homemade party favor to the kids.

I certainly have a new appreciation for batik dyeing. The results of my efforts were nice enough, but not at all what I intended. Partly the problem was that I had limited tools and it made painting the wax much more crude and messy. I had all these intricate patterns in my mind (I know, silly me). Also, I was under the impression that the blue I used would cover the red better so I really intended these to be red, blue and white - not red, white with a tiny bit of blue. I think I didn't use enough dye and maybe didn't use enough of the fixer.

So, I won't quit my day job to become a batik dyeing professional.
Lastly, here's a view of the birds from the kitchen window while we were getting ready for the party. I'm off to Oregon tomorrow for some soil and groundwater sampling. Then I'll rendezvous with Chris and the girls in the Bay Area to visit with our new nephew and his family. Have a great week!Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-18186213550452653342010-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:002010-06-23T08:48:22.639-07:00Summer FunI have some fun stuff to share, all which are not original ideas, but still so fun. But first here are the birds looking cute. This is Poppy, Daisy (?), and Rosie. We can't tell the Barred Rocks apart at this point so it could be Violet, but no matter.
Last month I was browsing around in the Azure Standard website and found a sprouting screen. Ooo, that sounds like fun, I thought. So I bought one and some sprouting seeds and voila! Sprouts in just a few days. So easy! I followed the instructions on the screen package - you basically soak the seeds for a few hours, drain, rinse and store inverted to continue drainage. Then you rinse and drain a couple times a day, store in a cool, unsunny place. It took 3 days to fill this jar. And Maia likes them - bonus!
I don't remember where I saw the scrabble piece pendants first, but I've been gathering supplies for this little project for a while now. I had a 40th birthday party to go to last weekend and thought these would be the perfect gift. I followed the instructions in this tutorial by makeandtakes.com. I found my scrabble pieces on ebay. My designs are made with some papers I had, except for the little bird, which I drew. I used a product called Ice Resin which seems pretty easy to work with (I've never used Diamond Glaze so I can't really compare).
I gave three pendants and a ball chain necklace to the birthday girl. This one is my favorite, on a leather necklace. Sofia and Maia each chose a favorite too.
This necklace tree idea comes from a couple places. My mom has a necklace tree made from twisted metal wire that I've admired and a friend of mine uses tree branches in her home to display various pretty things. I have some beautiful jewelry boxes but somehow I always forget to wear necklaces. Maybe I'll remember now that they're staring me in the face!
Chris had trimmed some branches from our pepper tree to use for the coop and there were some leftover branches - my jewelry tree was born! Its base is a glass cream bottle with glass marbles to hold the branch and weigh it down.

We're halfway into the second week of summer and having fun so far. Swimming lessons, library trips, lunch with Chris, harassing... er, playing with the chickens, eating snap peas straight off the bush... But work has reared its head and I may be traveling to Oregon for a few days. So, we may be scrambling to arrange child care but at least it's some work. How does the saying go - beggars can't be choosers?Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-62809750114276706722010-06-13T15:54:00.001-07:002010-06-13T16:10:39.739-07:00School's Out, Chickens Are OutThe coop is done and the chickens are out. They have been out for 4 nights now and have learned to put themselves to bed and come down from the roost in the morning. They seem to be very content. I am very content to not have stinky birds in the house.
I'm not sure why it is that the last couple weeks of school have to be so busy with BBQs, plays, potlucks, and last minute field trips. It didn't help that Sofia had her ballet recital on Saturday, which involved some extra rehearsals. She was fantastic though. After watching her Shakespeare play at school and then her dance recital, we have confirmed that she is a natural performer. And I'm so happy Grandma and Grandpa Marc came to visit this weekend. Sofia felt very special that they were there to see her. More photos over at flickr.
Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-15567366879042437232010-05-15T13:33:00.000-07:002010-05-15T14:05:18.699-07:00Introducing...My California Wild Rose. Isn't she pretty? There are a bunch more on the way. I love this plant and I kind of wish I had put it on a more prominent place in the yard.
We've settled on flower names for the chickens and since I don't run a military dictatorship, we have middle names too, which were selected by Sofia.

First we have Poppy Honeybee, our Buff Orphington:

Next is Violet Viola, one of the Barred Rocks:

This is Rose (Rosie) Cocoa Bean, a Black Sex Link:

This is Daisy Dear, the other Barred Rock:

And finally, Tulip Petal, the other Black Sex Link:

They are just over 3 weeks now and they weigh between 5.5 ounces and 7.4 ounces. Tulip is the biggest and Rosie is the smallest. Coop is coming along but no photos to share yet...Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-59885123589892014862010-05-04T11:51:00.000-07:002010-05-04T12:27:55.481-07:00One of My New Favorite ThingsI've made these veggie patties a few times now and I love them! Maia, not so much, but so few things please her that I can't really count her opinion on whether a recipe is a keeper or not. This provides the start to a very healthy meal and would be easy to keep vegan if you were so inclined.

I have been using this basic recipe from epicurious.com. I've always made the patties for dinner, not breakfast as the recipe suggests. Instead of rice, I've been using the red quinoa that they have at Trader Joe's. The patties haven't held together well for me (though I have to admit I haven't followed the recipe exactly when it comes to the "refrigerate for 20 minutes" part) so this last time, I added an egg. To serve, I toasted some whole grain bread, rubbed it with a clove of raw garlic, and added some sliced goat milk cheddar. Yum!

Chickies are doing great. Growing like little weeds. They seem to get along just fine - no one has assumed the Queen Hen position yet. We spent a great deal of time in the yard this weekend working on the coop (mostly Chris) and the garden watering system (mostly me). I'm excited to show the coop in a couple weeks or so.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-83464629451150081522010-04-23T21:42:00.000-07:002010-04-23T21:52:50.091-07:00The chickies have landed!We are now the proud parents of five chicks; two Barred Rocks, two Black Sex Links, and 1 Buff Orphington. I started out to get four, but the store selling the Barred Rocks would only sell a pair, whatevah!

No names yet. We are considering Greek goddess names, deceased family member names, or jewel names. Chris wants to name them Bob, Harold, Frank, Joe, etc. but I'm not so sure. Pretty silly. There are a couple more photos here and I'm sure there will be a million more soon. Peep!Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-43344384646140510852010-04-11T16:33:00.000-07:002010-04-11T17:43:55.088-07:00Oh, hello. You still there?Gosh, I didn't mean to go so long without a post. Spring has sprung and it's such a pretty time of year around here. We've got Santa Barbara daisies, several varieties of sage, lavenders, and every dandelion imaginable (ahem), all in bloom. We have a caterpillar named Freddie who should be emerging as a Gulf Fritillary butterfly any day now. But I guess the biggest thing going on right now is some serious yard planning and transformation. Think - lots of weeding. Think - homegrown veggies. Think - chickens! Here's how it happened...

Chris says one day recently that he wants to buy a new bike frame (you knew it had to do with cycling, right?). It's new, it's better, it has a custom Fast Friday paint job, and it's great deal, he says. It's such a great deal, that he can likely sell his current frame for the same price. Sounds great, right? So I say, as long as it doesn't interfere with my plans for planter boxes and chickens, (oh, and it doesn't involve me changing jobs), it's fine with me. Wink, wink. Chris must really want that bike frame because he's been working really hard in the yard.

We built three 4'x8' raised planter boxes, arranged them on the lawn, and re-routed the sprinklers to a drip line in each box. I have started a bunch of seeds inside - kale, spinach, tomato, zucchini, cucumber, ancho pepper, snap peas, beans, basil, catnip, cilantro. We're a little late on some things but that's ok, we're learning and we'll see how it goes.

We have also selected our coop location and we purchased some plans for the coop. We decided to get chicks and raise them because we've read they will be more docile and friendly than if we bought pullets. We're going to start with four and perhaps increase to six hens. We've been doing lots of reading and we're very excited.

I'm also stalled on a couple of cute tiered skirts - finished one but not the other. Maybe now that the girls will be back in school it's time to get back to that little project.

So that's what we're up to, how about you?Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-64362428909520508402010-03-05T21:16:00.000-08:002010-03-05T21:41:33.542-08:00What a Week!Ah, a finished sweater. This one took nine months. Not bad, considering the last one took a year. Yikes. I like this one, alot. Already got my eye on another... but no plans to start it, yet. The details: Pattern by Flint Knits, called "February Lady". I used Louet MerLin yarn, which is a merino-linen blend. I poured through buttons at Michael Levine in Los Angeles and found these, love them. Thank goodness there's still a bit of cool weather left in this winter.
We had a couple appointments for Maia this week. First, a check up at UCLA on Wednesday. They are very pleased with Maia's progress and decided to keep her medicines the same. We had a blood draw on Thursday that was one of the worst yet - and probably had to do with Maia having had a tough week already. She took a bad fall at school on Tuesday - running full blast, she tripped and fell straight onto her face. Poor thing had a huge fat lip and swollen nose. Today, the swelling has improved a lot but the bruise is - wow! - every color of the rainbow and runs from her lip up to her eye. I felt so bad, picture day was Wednesday, the day after this happened. I was there because I was dropping her off after the UCLA appointment and it was hard to watch them try to get her to smile. It will be a memorable picture I'm sure.

Over the weekend I read the "Young Reader's Edition" of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It is a truly inspiring story and I hope to read the original version soon. I think I will hold off reading this book to the girls for a bit or skip a couple parts, I haven't decided. It talks about him being kidnapped and held at gunpoint and I'm not sure I want to explain all that. I don't know, I'm still thinking about it. Anyway, he's a neat guy and he has a neat family and I want my kids to know about his work, sometime.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-67967744887176144322010-02-22T12:27:00.000-08:002010-02-22T16:47:54.545-08:00Making Ready a PlanI find myself in between deadlines. Sure, there are unfinished projects (plenty of them), but nothing pressing. So, I am starting a new process, a new project, a new craft. I want to make a quilt coverlet for our bed to replace the tired old store-bought thing we now have. I want it to be fresh, bold, modern, clean. I want it to tell a story and last many years. I dug into flickr for some inspiration and here's what I came up with. It's sort of all over the place but it's a start.

1. Vintage Scarf Quilt by Ouno Design, 2. Birds & Blooms baby quilt back, 3. Two Baby Quilts, 4. The back of Strips and Bricks Quilt, 5. Front., 6. "Box of Chocolates" Quilt_02-25-09_09, 7. quilt, 8. "It Takes A Village", 9. blocks and stripes quilt, 10. Hideaway quilt, 11. Bridie's Quilt, 12. The Tree Quilt, 13. Waves of Green Quilted Wall Hanging, 14. Work Quilt, 15. five blocks, 16. fall, 17. 'proposal moon', 18. The Gobstopper Quilt, 19. DQS8 #1 "Think Spring", 20. Birthday Quilt

I haven't quilted before, but surely I can do this. I know the basic steps but I also know there are a million different ways to do it and infinite possibilities for the end product. I have a little less than six months. I'm aiming for 15th anniversary territory. No time (or money) for a class, I'm going to rely on the wonderful world of blogging quilters (and maybe a book) to figure this one out. Comments? Suggestions? Ideas?Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-63410754460697159942010-02-20T11:29:00.000-08:002010-02-20T12:28:38.567-08:00Mommy, you know what's interesting about you?Wouldn't that make your ears perk up? What? What does Sofia think is interesting about me? Wow, somebody thinks there is something interesting about me. I love the way she started the conversation. She's so interesting to me.

So, what she said was, "Well, you know how when I ask you what your favorite animal is...." and she went on to explain that I always say something about how it's hard to choose and I like cats and dogs and birds... "But," she said, "you are always coming home and talking about how you saw an owl or a hawk or something, and I think your favorite animals are birds." So there you go. The world according to Sofia.

Last weekend was pretty productive. I finished the announcements for baby nephew Sawyer. My sister has them now and she likes them. Yay! I love that gocco - have I told you that before? One thing that doesn't show up well in the photos is that I mixed up the green color with quite a bit of silver ink and so there's a hint of metallic sheen to the color. It's really pretty.

I had planned a Valentine present of pajamas for the whole family but hadn't had time to actually sew, so on Valentine's Day, that's what I did. The pajama bottoms were made using a pattern from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing and some organic cotton flannel from NearSea Naturals. Good pattern, very simple. I decided for our pajamas to put elastic in the back only and use a cotton webbing drawstring for the front side. The flannel is nice and heavy and super soft. These are definitely cold weather pajamas. I bought thermals tops from Royal Apparel to go with the bottoms.
Here I am with the girls (Chris missed the photo shoot) and here's where the project would have benefited from a little better planning and research. I wanted to dye the pajamas somehow - I thought white was too boring and would get dirty and stained too easily (you know how messy Chris can be). I sort of copped out, got impatient and we tie dyed them - except Chris'. He didn't want them dyed. Hmmm. So, now the girls and I have tie dyed pajamas. They're fine. They're just tie dyed. It's not what I had in mind but the problem is that I wasn't sure what I had in mind. I'm sort of wishing I had waited a bit. At least they're just pajamas.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-67595627090524688212010-02-07T20:48:00.001-08:002010-02-07T20:56:59.397-08:00Happy Birthday, Maia!We're off to the happiest place on earth tomorrow for the traditional 5 year old birthday visit. Maia's party was fun, although I was sweating for a few minutes when the little crafters were finished with their Valentine making about 40 minutes before I thought they'd be - and it was raining - so I couldn't send them outside. Nothing a little squealy-girl-freeze-dancing and some quickie coloring-page-printing couldn't fix. Maia requested Strawberry Cake and I made this one from an old Bon Appetit recipe. It turned out yummy. I'm about to have a piece right now and go to bed...Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-74955927323991273232010-02-02T23:38:00.001-08:002010-02-02T23:49:01.442-08:00Almost 5?My baby is almost 5? How could it be? Maia turns 5 on Monday. We have a birthday party planned for Saturday and a trip to the happiest place on earth on her actual birthday. For the party, I bought some shirts (Royal Apparel, organic cotton) thinking our activity would involve decorating the shirts somehow. I wasn't satisfied with any of the ideas that I tried, so I ended up doing a gocco print on them myself and we will give them as party favors.
Instead of the shirt idea, I'll set up a table so our guests can make Valentine's cards and I asked Sofia if she would treat us to a puppet show. There will be 5 little girls plus my two. Ought to be fun.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-37149417424443156682010-01-18T08:25:00.000-08:002010-01-18T08:52:51.877-08:00A little knitting, a little weatherWe have some friends who just welcomed their second little girl so I knit them up a little something. The booties (aren't they sweet?) came from Saartje knits (a free pattern!), and the hat is just a little something I copied and modified from a hat Erin made for Maia.

This week promises to bring lots of rain, they say. So far, 1.3 inches. It annoys me to live in a place that a week of rain requires so much news and preparation but eh, at least I can enjoy some rain for a few days. Today we are celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. by collecting gently used shoes to donate to Soles4Souls. I sent out emails to our local friends asking if they could spare some shoes. Since there is no school today, the girls and I will drive around to collect them from our friends. Sports Chalet is collecting the shoes at all its locations through January 31st. The donated shoes will be sent to Soles4Souls for distribution in Haiti.

In other news, Maia is recovering from another bout with bronchitis. We didn't bother waiting around to see if she could kick it on her own, straight to the antibiotics this time. It was a year ago this week that her scleroderma diagnosis was confirmed and we began treating her. Thankfully her leg has improved a great deal from where we were a year ago. The meds and PT are working, but it won't be a moment too soon when we can get her off these drugs and she can rebuild her immune system.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-85704663240847579562009-12-29T10:42:00.000-08:002009-12-29T11:18:28.588-08:00Lots to reportThe latest news...Please welcome my nephew Sawyer Morgan, born yesterday December 28th, after about 36 hours of labor. My sister is a trooper and gave birth to this beautiful boy. He weighed 9 pounds 6 ounces and measured 22 inches long.
 I met him briefly at the hospital, he is only a few hours old here. We will travel back up north this weekend so that the girls can meet him too.

Preparations for the holidays...
Here are Sofia and Maia in their ski clothes (well, the new stuff anyway). Neither had a suitable jacket or boots to wear in the snow so I had to go searching and found these at Lands' End at reasonable prices (if I had planned ahead a little better, I would have tried to find something on ebay). They had a great time sledding. Skiing wasn't as big a success this time due to bad weather on the day we went, but more on that later.
The annual xmas card production was so much fun. I did this card using Illustrator and then printed using the gocco printer.
And finally, some Christmas twirly skirts for my favorite little skirt wearers. They loved them. Some minor adjustments need to be made (Maia's is a little big around the waist), but overall they were fun and easy to make.

I'm going to get back to unpacking and laundry for now but hope to post soon about our journey up north to Truckee/Tahoe-Donner and the Bay Area. Happy New Year!Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-84217517777485914662009-12-10T20:44:00.000-08:002009-12-10T21:11:28.673-08:00Big twirly skirtHere we are in December and I'm full of things to talk about, but have little time to write about them. I'm down to the crunch time of gift making, card making (yay!), and cheer spreading. I refuse to get cranky about all the stuff I "have to do" because I love doing all of it, but some things have to give, like this blog. So I will tell this quick story and hopefully catch up with the rest later.

A while back I saw a skirt at Whole Foods that I thought looked really fun. Now I don't know about you, but I was having trouble with spending $68 on a skirt from the grocery store, even with all its sustainably-made credentials. But still, it was cute, so I kept looking at it and finally said to myself, I could totally make that. It was a dark gray, heavy jersey cotton. Enter my trip to LA.

Last Thursday I went to downtown LA to the garment district. I had tried to find some cotton jersey fabric on the internet - ordered some samples from a store in New York, and 4 weeks later, I got the samples but they weren't what I was looking for - I thought, this is silly, it's not that far to LA, so I went. I found exactly what I was looking for - a dark, gray, french terry - and it was organic, too. Bonus. Oh and surprisingly inexpensive.
So this is what I ended up with - it's my "I'm 38 years old and I can wear long twirly skirts if I want to skirt". The waist band is about 7 inches and tapered at the back with elastic to hold it up. The skirt is a full circle from one piece of fabric with the middle cut out. I haven't completed the hem yet. I was going to leave it unfinished but the fabric doesn't roll uniformly due to it being a full circle (get it?). Anyway, I'm going to afix some rolled fabric to the hem all the way around to get that unfinished look.
Here I am trying to photograph myself twirling - it didn't go over too well but hopefully you get the idea. I found a pretty pink heather jersey cotton at the same shop in LA and I plan to make a couple more twirly skirts for my favorite little skirt wearers. Better get busy, eh?Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-6659443662518306442009-11-30T12:06:00.000-08:002009-11-30T12:46:55.331-08:00WeekendingNow that we're back from Encinitas and Rocky seems to have recovered from her mysterious ailment (tongue biting with possible bladder infection on the side?), I can laugh about our Thanksgiving trip. You see, Wednesday night Rocky was not well and to be honest I was pretty sure we would wake up Thanksgiving morning to find her passed away. That didn't happen and since we couldn't leave our sick cat home alone and we didn't want to cancel our trip down south to Encinitas, we took her with us. It all seemed too much like a scene from a Vacation movie and I was afraid we were going to have to transport a dead cat back home. *shudder* Rocky spent the whole way down on my lap or at my feet just resting while I pet her and again, since I thought we might lose her, it seemed like the right thing to do. Turns out it was. By Friday morning she was perking up and by Saturday she seemed mostly back to her 14 year old self. She rode home in her carrier and is doing well.
We celebrated Chris' 40th on Friday with the Hillmans and the Helgrens. He did a nice long ride that morning, we ate a nice brunch made by his dad, and then I served his requested quiche dinner and his favorite grasshopper pie, whipped up by his mom and I.
I made this little painting for him using an ink resist technique I learned a few years ago from an illustration class. Other than the masking tape not working out and the ink spilling out onto the frame, I'm pleased with it and Chris enjoyed it, too. The scene is from a mountain biking relay race Chris did in August in Simi Valley.
This is the original photo. I messed with the contrast of the picture to get the basic look, painted the scene with gouache (everything including white areas and excepting black areas), let it dry and then covered the whole thing with India ink. After the ink dried, I rinsed it and magically, the ink on top of the painted areas washes away, leaving the unpainted areas black. Last I went back in with gouache and a black ink pen and retouched some areas. Now we just need to matte it so you won't be able to see the awful ink spillage - et voila, fini.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-77887783613373002312009-11-25T15:34:00.000-08:002009-11-25T18:47:20.375-08:00ThankfulI've been working on some thankful thoughts for a while now. First, I will mention that our cat, Rocky, or Miss Cat as we sometimes call her, has not been well today and we're facing the possibility that she may have entered her last days. She has been with us for 14 years. I'm thankful for that. And if she goes on a few more days, weeks, months, years (?!), I'll be thankful for that too.

Babies! I'm thankful for babies. Erin and Tom are preparing to welcome their little Nova or Sawyer in December and we just learned this week that another niece or nephew is headed our way next summer. Yes, it's early on so I guess I'll leave it at that.

Good neighbors. There are good neighbors, like those who are mostly quiet, keep to themselves and don't seem to be bothered by any of our activities. And there are good neighbors, like the ones our kids want to invite to their birthday parties (even though they have no children), who invite us over for tea and dinner, who look out for us and call us when we've left the car door open in the driveway (yes, I've done that), and who think to send us a Thanksgiving card (yes, they did). Turns out we have both kinds. Good neighbors and good neighbors. I'm thankful for them.

Work. I seem to remember that a year ago I was thankful for the little bit of work that was coming my way. Not much has changed in the work department and considering how tough things are for some folks out there, I'm thankful for the work that I have. And I might as well be thankful for Chris' work too. I mean, really, that's what is keeping us afloat.

Projects. I have a few projects in the pipeline that I'm really excited about. It's great to be inspired with ideas. My only problem is finding time to do them all. Some vintage fabric came to me via a friend whose grandmother (in law) recently passed away. This fabric is gorgeous (the picture does not do it justice). It's pretty heavy and I'm pretty sure it's cotton. It apparently came from a dressmaker in Hawaii. I'm on the lookout for just the right dress or skirt to pattern after - thinking on the lines of a square neck, fitted a-line dress to the knee.

 I'm still plugging away on the linen/wool sweater, there are booties (and now more booties!) to make, and there's that kitchen wall chalkboard frame I need to get back to.
Last, but certainly not least. I'm thankful for my friendship with Chris. Some time this year, Chris and I started to meet each other for lunch at our local Peet's coffee shop. It was probably around the time things had settled a bit with Maia's treatments and around the time work got reallllly slow for me. We always pack a lunch, order lattes and sit for an hour or so to talk. It's fun and good and nice. And I'm thankful for it.

On Friday, Chris turns 40. I'll be back around then to show you a little something I made for him. Happy Thanksgiving to all.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-4842551778342306992009-11-20T14:29:00.000-08:002009-11-20T14:51:43.011-08:00Having a Thankful DayBut first, she sings! She really does sing! Of course we know Maia sings, we hear her all the time, but this time she sang at her school Thanksgiving Lunch. She knew all the words (of course she does), she sang so we could hear her, and she sang with a smile. So sweet. She sings - when she's good and ready to sing. And not a minute sooner. Little bugger.
After feasting at preschool, we're off to Sofia's school this evening for a Peace Feast. The Peace kids are preparing a Thanksgiving meal with the help of a mom/chef. I'm looking forward to it. This week has been difficult for Sofia. Her friend, "who I've know since I was 2", left her school to start at a different school. It all happened quickly (which is probably best) - he told her on Monday and his last day was Thursday. She's feels scared and sad and worried. I know this will pass and she'll make new friends, but it hurts to see her sad. Not to mention my carpool just disappeared. I knew it would end someday but I didn't expect it so soon. Oh well, that's ok. It does simplify things a bit - takes more of my time, sure - but I only have to worry about getting my two kids to and fro.

By the way, I brought this black bean salad to the lunch. Yummmmmy. The dressing is super tasty.

I have more to post - some cutie patootie little booties I've been working on for one special little baby coming to us in December. But must be off for now.Alexishttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-20635069.post-73368454640710789562009-11-07T14:35:00.000-08:002009-11-07T15:34:11.963-08:00Trying Something NewI found this nifty little feature in Blogger that allows me to send email notifications when I write a post. If you are reading this you may have gotten such an email. I started blogging way back when as a way to keep in touch with family, post pics of the kids, and then later I added my creative endeavors. I've met a few people along the way and I have my favorites over there on the the right side, but I still like the idea of keeping in touch with family. It's sort of like reading my journal without all the really juicy details, not that there are any :)

If you'd rather not receive such an email, please let me know. Just send an email or post a comment. I promise not to be offended.

Speaking of my favorite bloggers, JCHandmade (also known as Jennifer) just posted that she was diagnosed with MS this week. The news brought me such sadness and I felt a little silly being so sad for someone I don't know in person. But I do know we have quite a few things in common. She's about my age, she has two little girls (hers are twins), she knits and sews and blogs (in fact she's somewhat of a creative blogging rockstar), she enjoys cooking good food for her family, she's a progressive thinker, and she plays in a rock band in her free time. Ok, well I don't play in a rock band. She said they caught it early and she is keeping a positive attitude but I'm guessing there may be some tough days ahead. I'll be thinking about her.Alexishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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I was sooo sleepy that I almost missed Ayuthaya station when the train arrived. I was sooo groggy that I had to ask a western girl on the train to help me carry my stuff down. As in Nong Khai, here also I didnt hv to pay for the service to lift DREAM up / down the train (unlike in Hatyai). Surprisingly, the train was delayed for less than an hour only, so since it was still dark (about 5am), I waited at the station for a while. I made my move around 5.45am and the first thing was to find a petrol station. I checked my GPS and headed to one, only to see that it was still closed. Getting worried since I know that DREAM wont last very long now, I rode slowly hoping to find a petrol station open at such an early hour. Fortunately I found one. What a relief. DREAM had succeeded a distance of 430kms before I refuel him. He's such a darling.
I rode on route 3262 – 340 – 346 – 321 – 4 – 41 all the way to Surat Thani. Nothing much to report about today's ride. The road condition was good for Thai standard. Beginning from Parachuap, I saw few groups of Malaysian bikes convoying to Pattaya to attend Burapa Bike Week. I encountered at least seven road blocks today. I first targetted Thung Song as my destination, but since it was already 5pm and I am tired (due to the long ride and the lack of sleep on the train), I made up my mind to stop at Surat Thani instead.
I met a Malaysian biker before entering Surat Thani. He was riding alone. We stopped for a drink by the road side. He told me that he was coming from Laos (Pakxe) and Cambodia. He was surprised when I told him that I was coming from Laos too, and that I am all alone. We exchanged phone numbers. I rode on to Surat Thani centre but my GPS directed me via kampong road so I have to go round and round until I was stucked at a bridge under construction. I asked a local, and he pointed me the way to a subsitute bridge (only for motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians). I crossed the bridge and made my way to the town, trying to find a GH. During my previous stay at Surat, I stayed at a GH along the highway and I didnt enter the town. The GH listed in my GPS was no longer operating, so I asked a local to help me find a cheap accomodation. I found one, Surat GH for B300 with wifi. That night, I went to a muslim restaurant which I hv spotted earlier to hv dinner, unfortunately the owner said that they are closing, and told me that I can find some Muslim stalls near the river. I found it and had a nice pad thai for dinner.
|The food court near the river / market
I went for a short sightseeing along the river to enjoy the colourful lights before heading back to the GH.

subset: commoncrawl


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So wait until you see what is soon to be a "new release!"
We're calling our new look "Gypsy". Think of bold colors, velvets, romantic, nomadic styles.
Of course, no gypsy look would be complete without chippy turquoise paint.
So, come in for a preview of this Gypsy styling.
My gypsy genius, Rachel, will be starting the new vignette on Wednesday Aug. 31!
I can't wait to see it!
All the best,
Gypsy Rachel & Colette


text: There has been a schedule change for College Hills' day to help with the Wilson County Spring Habitat Building. College Hills is now to provide volunteers on Sunday, July 1, 2018. We will still be building on Park Avenue across from the Hospital and we still need about 30 people. We will be installing interior doors/door hardware, installing trim and painting inside the house. See or contact Tom Wallace(firstname.lastname@example.com) for details.The food for this build will be provided by another group. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP


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US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
Friend Level Sponsor
2016 Cleantech Open National Business Award Winner
for the Business Model with the Best Chance of Immediate Investment and Commercialization.
Winner of Cleantech Open's Southeast Region
Arlington Premiere
Viva Green Homes is showcased in Arlington County, Virginia and receives a key to the city. December 7, 2016


text: FIL suffers from dementia, is getting more and more confused, is obsessed with his finances but doesn't remember passwords, even forgets how to operate his computer so he asks their caregiver for help in all things computer and my husband is trying to make them understand that the caregiver has no business 'assisting' him on the computer and should not be privy to financial info. They're very well off and with one click of the mouse, all their money could disappear. But neither will listen. They think we're 'over reacting' and have put their complete trust with this caregiver. Any suggestions?


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LA's pre-club scene is equally unique, as substantial-driven agents and producers speak store at sceney Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip hotspots and bars with limited reservation-only procedures as well as steep selling price tags that include them.
A daredevil rocket-maker released himself to the sky Saturday to confirm his idea which the Earth is flat, and shaped like a Frisbee.
Bar maestro Julian Cox has actually been the mastermind behind many of L.A.'s best cocktail lineups over the past 10 years—like Redbird, Sotto, Petty Cash and even more—so it should appear as tiny shock that his 1st solo undertaking can be a cocktail lovers haven. Perched previously mentioned Barrel & Ashes in Studio City, The Fiscal Agent is a swank and complicated—but unstuffy—hideaway with killer cocktails. Cox brought alongside a crew of other cocktail pros to craft intelligent, vintage-influenced concoctions in stunning glassware much like the Flight with the Concords, a frothy combination of Plymouth gin, violet, Concord grapes and anise hyssop or That's My Jam with bourbon, amaro, housemade black mission fig jam, and lemon verbena.
Scenesters, famous people, and field bigwigs head up by means of a Particular elevator, ultimately getting into a area that looks much more just like a ritzy nightclub
Besides the home Beer and frozen tropical beverages obtainable about the back again patio, the extensive-haired bartender at the rear of the completely stocked bar helps make a imply cocktail. Try out the Cisco Child, a strong concoction dependant on home made jalapeno-infused tequila with absinthe and lemon juice, rounded off by a glob of agave syrup.
The get together vibe is good for larger sized groups, as well as the solid drinks (at relatively More about the author fair price ranges) be certain it's an approachable great time for everybody. And everyone will be sure to comment on the amazing Tiki ambience.
Even though the Hollywood entertainment scene garners quite possibly the most tabloid interest, the remainder of LA's multifaceted nightlife is nothing at all to become scoffed at.
To whet your urge for food for the best lounge cocktail or whiskey over the rocks, Here's our roundup of a number of the best resort bars in Los Angeles.
Luxuriously decorated sky lounge in LA with pool and cozy seating. An immensely well-liked roof...
Barrel Down continues to be serving up craft beers and comfort foods in downtown's Economical District considering that June. Nestled amid neighborhood favorites like Seven Grand, BS Taqueria and Bottega Louie, Barrel Down maintains a summary of beers that happen to be normally on tap as well as a rotating variety of far more exceptional brews, causing about 40 various beers to select from at any presented time.
L.A. has lots of reliable watering holes for sipping craft cocktails, wine and beer, but from time to time we need some new bar Locations to keep things interesting.
Whether you go to church to rejoice Easter, consider these dining places for a tremendous Easter brunch.
The ornate décor of carved ceiling and walls is embellished with angels overseeing the pours at the polished granite bar. The adjacent Cognac Place is a lot more of a lounge, with comfy sofas and warm Wooden paneling.
m., Saturday and Sunday, serving beer, wine and rigid craft cocktails like their an apple brandy and rum Daiquiri, and all the classics. They're also no slouch In relation to mixing up some thing impromptu determined by your own palate.
The smart Trick of Best bar in Los Angeles That No One is Discussing
LA's pre-club scene is equally unique, as substantial-driven agents and producers speak store at sceney Beverly Hills and Sunset Strip hotspots and bars with limited reservation-only procedures as well as steep selling price tags that include them.


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Gender Diaries: Quintessa Swindell
As the world continues to push against gender constructs, the conversation around how people are identifying themselves is constantly evolving. Each week, Milk.xyz will feature a guest editor writing about their specific relationship with gender and where it intersects with fashion. This week, we feature Quintessa Swindell.
I believe that gender, sexuality and identity all fall under such a great and undefinable spectrum of pathways. Commonly, as a global society we tend to put people into the heteronormative binary of female and male or queer and heterosexual. For me, this predisposed process of systematically putting people into an identity disables them to naturally flourish. I have always felt so strongly about how the internal sense of self within every person can starkly object the physical side of the body, as it may miss-represent how someone wants to be perceived as. Which is kindaaaa the case for me.
For the longest time I found it hard and almost excruciating to dress in a way that accentuated a lot of my feminine attributes and at one point I felt powerless against how people perceived me and how I sought to be identified as. I am not who I am based upon my anatomy and I find it a mission in life to deconstruct what It means to look the way I do and avidly identify outside the confines of my stereotype. My name is Quintessa, I am male. All lot of my studies in school deal with the process of redefining masculinity and re-evaluating how we collectively see manhood and womanhood. I'd like to think and explore the fact that gender is performative and encompasses learned traits rather than ones we are born with, under Queer theory this is mainly acquainted with Judith Butler. I seek to dress in a way that liberates myself and doesn't put me into a box that proliferates something I am not. As I grew older, I fell in love with designers such as Vaquera, Eckhaus Latta, Palomo Spain, and Wales Bonner who all challenge how we see masculinity and femininity in society today. All of these brands push for gender ambiguity whether it be in talent, tailoring, or moral and I feel as though major industries are reshaping and revaluing what their brands mean to all types of people.
When I think about sexuality and gender, I see them more as exploratory experiences and practices more than anything. When you want to go beyond the confines of heteronormative nature, you become vulnerable and your identity has the ability to become "intelligible" to many others as they've probably never seen something as beautiful and vibrant as yourself before. It takes courage to be your authentic self, and it takes a sense of dedication to the way you think and the way in which you go about living your day to day life to live truthfully as you are.
Whether you are gay, straight, transgendered, bi-sexual, male, female, in-between, or neither, or anything else for that matter…every inch of you is valid and every inch of you is utterly beautiful, astonishing, and amazing in your own way. <3
Images courtesy of Devin Brewster
Stay tuned to Milk for more Gender Diaries and see our previous installments here.


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I recently wrote about Helen, who is replacing Hilary, but I want to introduce Liz Sinclair.
Helen can't join my team until the end of November so I needed help during the period between now and then, given that Hilary has moved onto her new post. So Liz will, temporarily, provide cover until Helen can join me.
I won't update my team diagram until Helen joins us.
Liz has taken over Hilary's portfolio so, essentially, e-mail Liz in place of Hilary for any of the subjects in the above diagram. Liz is an experienced QO who has been with SQA since 2005 and I'm sure that she will be able to help.


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App Description
Winner of the BETT 2013 Primary Digital Content Award
Develop your children's reading and writing skills with Playing interactive book and Story Creator, from the primary literacy specialists at Collins Education. Also available: In the Garden and My Bike Ride.
The perfect way to develop essential literacy skills and transfer good reading to great writing. This book has been carefully levelled for children aged 4+.
•An animated, interactive book that brings the story to life
•Audio narration, music and sound effects to aid language learning – read along with the narration as the words are highlighted
•Opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills by recording your own narration and sound effects – perfect for storytelling and to hear progression over time
•Hidden surprises to discover on every page and a Collins Big Cat quiz to see what you can remember
•Transfer reading to writing using Story Creator: make your own book using pictures, characters and key vocabulary from the story, transforming readers into writers
•Practical guidance for adults helping children to develop their reading, writing and communication skills.
We like playing in the rain, the wind, the snow and the mud. Where do you like playing? Read along as three children play outside whatever the weather. Written and illustrated by the award-winning Tim Hopgood, this story has a predictable story and patterned language to support early readers.
Share your review with us below – we'd love to know what you think!
Stay updated with all of our Collins Big Cat apps – visit www.collinsbigcat.com
This popular reading series is used and trusted by over 9000 UK primary schools, as well as English-speaking schools all over the world. Now available on the App Store for the first time, we've brought the quality that teachers, parents and children have come to expect to our digital versions of the books.
App Changes
- May 12, 2012 Initial release
- September 07, 2012 Price decrease: $3.99 -> FREE!


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Introducing Stacks of Love's first Eco-Friendly Baby Stacks...well most of it. Aside from the ribbons and the cellophane wrapping, this diaper cake has gone Green. We constructed this eco-friendly Baby Stacks with:
- 30 eco-friendly disposable diapers (size 2) - Huggies
- 1 organic onesie
- 2 organic shirt/pant sets
- 1 organic sleeper
- 1 organic thermal receiving blanket
- 2 organic burp cloths
- 3 organic pairs of socks
- 1 organic pair of booties
- 1 organic bottle of baby wash (concealed inside)
- 1 baby music CD
- 1 infant safe nail clipper set
- 1 natural wood teether/toy
- 1 organic bear for the top
Finishing touches were added with quality ribbons, adornments, and wrapped in clear cellophane with coordinating ribbon.
(Photos by Nicole Mostaghal)
*Baby Stacks may vary depending on available inventory and custom requests.


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If you're like me, I'm starting to think longingly about fall—nestling into soft sweaters and scarves, brisk temperatures, and the explosion of pumpkin that seems to accompany autumn. It also signals a new wave of books, TV shows, and movies that many of us have been eagerly waiting for all summer. With the new wealth of things available to lose yourself in, it can seem overwhelming. I've noticed that since moving to NYC, I've found myself in a mad dash to try and keep up with pop culture and just…culture in general. As a newbie to the publishing industry, there's so much to learn and so much to read. I've subscribed to a few literary/publishing industry newsletters, try and read Publishers Weekly and Publishers Lunch fairly religiously, I've dipped a tentative toe into the podcast waters, and I have constant running fines at the New York Public Library. However, when it comes to movies and TV shows, I'm totally out of my element. And with all the suggestions flooding in from various sources, it can be tough to figure out exactly what you want to spend your time immersed in.
Thankfully, for the film/TV illiterate like me, Vulture has released a fall entertainment generator, which they describe as, "an interactive guide to this season's 306 best offerings" for books, movies, TV shows, theatre, art, and music. You pick what you're in the mood for and how you want it to make you feel, and it spits out a list of recommendations for you to choose from. I'm excited to see what it might steer me towards in the ever-busy autumn months! I've already got a fall reading list going, but am always looking for new recommendations.
Where do you get your book recommendations from? How do you get your daily dose of culture? What makes one book or movie stand out to you from a list?


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Hahaha can you guess already?
It's none other than… BEAST's leader Yoon Doo Joon! ^__^ Hahaha I didnt realize it too at first, but after staring at it for a while…yes, that is Doojoonie 😀
^__^ He is so my type kekeke i always like that chubby-nerd-with-glass style~On second though, I love how he transforms into a more mature and cool-looking-dude Doo Joon of BEAST 🙂 (He's my affair in BEAST, keep it secret from AJ ^^)
cre : B2STfacts@twitter


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Baixin has introduced advanced equipment and technology to produce full range low carbon Iron wire series products and series carbon steel wire mesh products. Our carbon steel wire products include Expanded Metal Mesh, W ...
Anping Baixin Security Engineering Fence Factory
Yinwang Road, Wire Mesh Industrial Park, Anping,
Hengshui,, Hebei, 053600
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The VEXO Hand Arm Vibration Meter is supplied with the Vibdata Lite program, which can be used to download measurements and present vibration reports.
Although software is not needed to operate the VEXO vibration meter - you can read the measurements from the meter's display - it is useful to download the measurements for further analysis and storage of your records as required by the regulations.
Once downloaded, your vibration measurements can be displayed on-screen as shown above, with high vibration levels indicated in orange and red. The thresholds for these colors can be changed, but are usually aligned with the regulations.
Use the Print option to generate a report for your files.
VEXO GA2006H Hand Arm Vibration Meter Prices


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Paper cut-out letters
Two fingers on the right hand are so sore now that turning a key or holding a cup a coffee is slightly painful.... These letters are going to be part of one of the walls at our Design Indaba stand. We have been cutting out a lot, can't wait to see it all come together.
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Visby Trip Planner
Plan a trip to Visby and know your trip budget
Planning a trip to Visby in Sweden is no simple job. With so many attractions to see, one is bound to get baffled. Drafting a Visby itinerary is one way to have a well-organized trip. If you are reading this, then you have landed at the right place, since Triphobo will not only present you an off-the-shelf itinerary, but will also let you customize it.
While planning your trip to Visby, Sweden, Triphobo lets you know the estimated budget. This includes your transportation cost, accommodation cost, and other expenses. As you plan your trip to Visby, Sweden, you can select the mode of transport and book it. In case you have already booked your transport, just add it to the itinerary. The estimated budget will be adjusted according to the changes you make to your Visby, Sweden itinerary.
As you plan the itinerary, you can book accommodation in Visby, Sweden using TripHobo. This booking is possible through booking.com, airbnb, agoda, HotelsCombined, priceline.com, and cleartrip. You are provided the best deals that are near to the attractions in Visby, Sweden. If you have prebooked your accommodation, you only have to add it to the Visby, Sweden trip plan.
Visby, Sweden has a plethora of attractions like Hogklint Naturreservat, Botanisca Tradgarden, Nicolai Ruins. Through 'Add Activities', you are presented the best tours, places, and restaurants to visit in Visby, Sweden. Here, you will see the operational timings of the attraction as well as their admission cost. As you add these attractions to the days, Triphobo also provides the default time required to travel from one place to another by driving. If you are commuting by any other mode like trains, subways, or buses, you can make the change. You can even block some time where you won't be able to add any activity. After all, one is entitled to some personal time during an exhaustive trip.
Through group planning, Triphobo allows you to share your itinerary with your travelling companions. Invite them to view the Visby, Sweden itinerary and boast to them about your trip planning skills. Use our app, and you will be able to chat with your co-travellers about making any changes to the plan.
After completing your plan, you can view it to get a comprehensive look of your Visby, Sweden trip.
Wind:5.88 m/s
Plan your trip to Visby with an estimated budget for your travel. The average daily cost of food in Visby is USD 84.62 per person. For a family of four, the cost of eating out is USD 338.48. For accommodation, be ready to spend around USD 27 for a budget accommodation and USD 103 for a luxury hotel, per day, per person. For getting around Visby, you will need a rough figure of USD 84.62 per day. For detailed Visby trip cost calculator, use Visby Trip Planner.
Average Daily Cost* USD410 Per Person
Cost for One Week USD2870 Per Person
Cost for Two Weeks USD5740 Per Person
Cost for One Month USD12300 Per Person
Average Daily Cost* USD 233 Per Person
Cost for One Week USD 1631 Per Person
Cost for Two Weeks USD 3262 Per Person
Cost for One Month USD 6990 Per Person
Average Daily Cost* USD 82 Per Person
Cost for One Week USD 574 Per Person
Cost for Two Weeks USD 1148 Per Person
Cost for One Month USD 2460 Per Person
*Based on Food, Accommodation & Transportation
- 3-Course meal (mid-range) USD 33.85
- Fast food Combo meal USD 9.03
- Coffee (Cappuccino regular) USD 4.06
- Bottle of Water (1.5 L) USD 1.41
- Soft Drinks (Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L) USD 1.97
- Domestic Beer (0.5 L) USD 1.69
- Budget Accommodation USD 27
- Luxury Accommodation USD 103
- Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) USD 5.08
- Taxi per km (Standard Tariff) USD 1.69
- One-way Ticket (Local Transit) USD 3.38
- Fuel (1 L) USD 1.65


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Found out about Tiny Hardcore Press today. They published Normally Special by xTx. I blurbed xTx's first printed release (the now sold out He Is Talking to the Fat Lady*) so I'm going to check out Normally Special as soon as I can.
Also found out that the new Dogzplot Anthology is available for $8.
I have a reading forthcoming with some killers. Jamie Iredell, Amy Mcdaniel, Matt Debenedictis. Come if you're in Atlanta.
*Actually it's now available as an e-book with audio.
If you've read Flowing or might want to read Flowing you can add it on Goodreads, and make me smile or frown.


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The pair of the new married one week. On a morning the husband would go to the office, and his wife asked, "Hubby, I would like to have breakfast this morning?"
"No need, mom. Enough this course breakfast same morning," answered the husband while kiss
brow wife.
Day afternoon, the accidental husband can eat quota meeting in the office, but still go home.
"Hubby, this afternoon I'd like to eat?" ask his wife.
"Lunch is just hubby enough," answered the husband's right cheek and kissed the left cheek and his wife.
Because of overtime, the husband's home the night ... Take at home, upset because he does not see his wife. Then he called wife, "Mama, mama where?"
Have heard a voice from the kitchen his wife replied. "hubby, this mom here. In the kitchen are warm meal."
The husband directly to the kitchen. He was extraordinarily surprised to see the wife was sitting in a basin containing warm water.
"Mom! , what are you doing there?" he ask to the wife.
With his wife quietly said, "Being warm dinner, hubby."
Thax for Heryrhey
Minggu, 24 Mei 2009
Breakfast for husband..
23.32.00 Awan No comments


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I love, love, love that these two finally are playing with Prince more!!!
This girl cracks us up- she has a ton of spunk that we hope she never loses!!!
Garrett's new thing- using the biggest spoon possible!
Cutting a rug at Natalie and Eduardo's wedding reception!!!
Garrett has been rocking his potty training! Although, you can't really tell by looking at his potty training chart- because he puts each new sticker on top of the last!
Tori couldn't remember how this happened to her hair!
Soaking cold toes and chatting- love this so much!
Yep- we have two sillies on our hands!!!
Two little monkeys- no fear at all!
Loved how her hair turned out- she looked adorable!
Running off some energy after Stake Conference!
We ran off LOTS of energy!!!
And made some new friends as well!
We are those crazy Awesome Allens!!!
Tori now makes toast (just a plain piece of bread) and jam all by herself!!!
Thanks for all the fabulous memories September! And now on to October!!!


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Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Amigurumi Owls
I wanted to share some of my Amigurumi owls that I made some time ago. These were made for the Great Owl Crochet Along over on the Itsy Bitsy Spider Crochet Blog. The pattern belongs to Karla Fitch, I made a few adjustments to suit my liking. One owl is made over roughly 2-3 days, with a size D hook. See the flickr group here!
On a side note, PosiPlush is the name I chose for my Etsy some time ago. So if you see a PosiPlush watermark, don't worry, it's still me :)
3 comments:
- Ashley Handy said...
I love these owls! They are different from anything i've ever seen
- July 11, 2012 at 10:54 PM
- The Sun and the Turtle said...
Very cute guys. We love they way they are keeping their eyes shut as if dreaming of something very nice. :)
- March 9, 2013 at 1:58 PM
- Awesome Needles said...
Hola que tal? tienes un blog muy bonito, me he dado una vuelta por él y me quedo como seguidora. Te invito a que conozcas el mío, y si te gusta te invito a seguirme también. Además ahora he comenzado una nueva iniciativa para promocionar los blogs que te puede interesar. Te dejo el enlace. Espero que te guste. Un saludo
- December 2, 2014 at 8:08 AM
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Today WhatsApp celebrated its 8th birthday and in this 8th birthday, WhatsApp had given its users a new feature. Status feature is the newest change that had been happened in WhatsApp. This is similar to snap chat, but being the number one online social media in the world Whatsapp have to provide new features at certain time intervals to stay on the top.Whatsapp Latest Updation
How To Use
The new feature allows users to put their pictures, videos, and text as users status. The videos and images can also be edited before posting them. the news about the new change was officially announced a few days back in WhatsApp's official blog. The end to end encryption security is also applicable to this feature. But remember this status have only one-day validity that means you have to add your status every day which is exactly what a status means.
The new update is available in Android, windows, IOS but the Nokia, blackberry users are waiting for this new feature. The new update will add one more tab in your WhatsApp app which will lead you to a camera to add today's update or you can select from your gallery. The user will be provided with information about the people who had viewed users status.
There is a thing that happened in new update the contacts tab had been disappeared. For some people, this might be a good change but for some people, it won't be.


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SCI 245 Week 6 DQ 2.
The major difference between topographic and geologic maps are color and what the symbols represent. A topographic map not only shows the contours of the land it will also have symbols to show where streets and buildings are. A geologic map show the locations, kinds and orientation of rock and the structural features such as faults
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Below are the Gerbing instructions you requested. Hope this helps!
Battery/Power Outlet
All garments come with a 7v Lithium Ion rechargeable battery and wall charger.
Additional 7v batteries can be purchased separately. Total battery weight: 4 ounces.
Each Battery has 4 settings and is indicated on the battery by a set of red lights:
- 100% (4 red lights)
- 75% (3 red lights)
- 50% (2 red lights)
- 25% (1 red lights)
The 7v battery holds anywhere from 28 hours of heat, depending on the setting.
- 2 hours at 100%
- 3 hours at 75%
- 5 hours at 50%
- 8 hours at 25%
- Step 1: Power on by pressing and HOLDING (2-4 seconds) power button
- Step 2: To change temperature, press and hold power button until LED light reflects desired setting. *Power level setting can only be indicated when connected to garment.
- Step 3: Check remaining battery life by disconnecting battery from product. Press and hold power button, LED indicator will show 14 LED lights to indicate remaining power (4 lights is full power).
Charging Battery
- We recommend charging overnight for first charge.
- Charge 100% before use (a full charge takes about 3-4 hours).
- A red light will appear on wall charger when charging. If light does not change or turn on, it may still be charging, so please test the battery in product after 3-4 hours.
- Maintain at least 25% power when battery is not in use.
Instructions for Silicone Switches
- Step 1: Plug in fully charged battery.
- Step 2: Switch will cycle through settings, this indicates switch has power and can now be used.
- Step 3: To power on, push and hold down button for 23 seconds until the switch illuminates.
- Step 4: To change power setting, tap button to cycle through levels.
○Low = Green ○Medium = Yellow ○High = Red
- Step 5: To power off, push and hold down button until light goes out.


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The blog written for you, the bold winner. Inspirational, motivational and personal development resources designed for your success!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Knowledge Without Practice Is Useless
Here's Jack.. He has read almost every book on how to get rich and successful in life. He can tell you everything about Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad and even the Cash Flow Quadrant.
But Jack doesn't have enough money to feed himself, talk less of pay his rent. His trousers even have visible holes in them. He's so poor. Why is this so even with his wide knowledge on how to become wealthy?
Meet Michael, He just graduated from the University. He knows every theory and formular in the engineering field. He has proven himself by being able to memorize and give back to his teachers what they gave him.
But Michael can't even make simple repairs on his home generator. He doesn't even know how to use the tools on various engine systems. He can tell you the theories about his generator and even give you equations to solve the problem. But he can't just repair it.
Meet Lilian, she's pretty and looks good enough to slay any man. She's still single though and has read a lot of books on how to attract her dream man and win his heart. She knows all the book tricks.
But Lilian is still single and her friends who haven't read half of the relationship books she has read have been sending her wedding invitations.
What's happening? You may wonder. Is nature playing a sort of cosmic joke on these people? Is God purposely being wicked to them? Or probably their village people are at work? Lol
The answer is simple: Acquiring knowledge without any practical real life experience is useless and a waste of precious time. Gaining knowledge must be followed by constant practice for it to be useful.
Jack may have read a lot of books about entrepreneurs and getting wealthy, but how many of those principles has he put into practice in his life? Has he made attempts to start up stuff? Has he applied for opportunities to gain helpful skills?
Michael may have been one of the best in his class, but can he ever apply his knowledge to useful means? Or would he become a lecturer and start teaching other innocent students the same stuff he was stuffed with?
Lilian may be the prettiest girl and probably read thousands of love books, but has she taken some time to look into her life, character and attitude? Has she been friendly and responsive enough to learn about how the male folk think? Is she living in a dream world inside her head or has she experienced the reality?
I'll leave you to make your own conclusions as I draw the curtains here.
P.S: Character names are Fictitious.
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Local Runners, Mark Your Calendars!
I offer this page as a place to consolidate upcoming races in Morgan Hill and the surrounding area. Please click on the links for details, registration and the latest information. Details are subject to change, and I might not catch them, so make sure you check the official sites.
I am happy to list any races in the Morgan Hill area. Just send me the information via "Comments" at the bottom of this page.
- January – Mission 10, San Juan Bautista
- April –Wildflower Run 10K/5K, Morgan Hill
- May – QuickSilver 50K and 50M, San Jose
- May – Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras Fun Run,Morgan Hill
- June – Hunting Hollow 10K/5K, Henry Coe State Park, San Martin
- July – Freedom 5000 10K/5K/Kids Run, Morgan Hill
- August – SVRC Mt. Madonna Challenge 6K/12K/18K (trail run), Mt. Madonna
- October – Rock and Roll Half Marathon, San Jose
- October – The Morgan Hill Marathon and Half Marathon, Morgan Hill
- November – Applied Materials Turkey Trot, San Jose
- November – SVRC Turkey Trot 10K/5K (FREE), Coyote Creek Trail, Morgan Hill
- December – SVRC Holiday Run 10K/5K (FREE), Coyote Creek Trail, Morgan Hill
In addition there are great trail runs multiple times per month in and around the Bay Area by Coastal Trail Runs. Distances typically range from 10K-50K.


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Location: NORTH CAROLINA / U.S.A.
Age: I'm 32 years of age.
Question: How long have you been writing?
I first started this writing journey at the age of 8; teachers would always say your imagination will pay off one day.
Question: What was the name of the first book you ever published, and when was it published?
First book I published was "The Last Don", and it was published in April 2014'.
Question: Was this book published by a publisher; or did you self-publish?
The book was self-published.
Question: Tell our readers about this very first book. (For example: What was the inspiration for writing it, and what was it about)?
My first book was a personal one, of my grandfather. Hearing stories of him, though we'd never met, I cataloged everything in my mind of him and produced what I considered to be a wonderful read.
Question: Can a person still buy this book? If so, where?
Yes, if you would like to purchase this book, please go to amazon, or barnes&noble, or books a million,or wherever books are sold.
Question: How many total books have you published?
I have published 30 books now.
Question: List all of your titles =
If I can remember all the titles, lol, mmm…
The Last Don
The Old House
The Embalmer
The Day Was Different
The Last Count Dracula (3 part Series of Sabathica)
Love From The Soul
Endless Love For A Woman
The Magic Suit In the Closet
Will You Marry Me
Jack Magic Shoes
The Last Hitman
Innocent Murder
Demonic Revenge
The Demon Toy, so many that's all I can remember.
(Go Here to view all of my books on amazon)
Question: Any future writing projects in the works? If so, tell us about it, and any pertinent dates to go with it.
I have a new project called "Tales Of A Mafia Dentist", it's about a World Renowned Dentist who loves a double life, Dentist and husband, dad by day, but heads The Most Dangerous Mobb Family in the World From America to Sicily, gets caught and tells the World his story with a twisted ending. Coming this Jan. 2016
Question: What is the title of your current book, and tell us a little about it.
"A New Bishop", is about a young man who is bred to become The Bishop of his childhood Church, and maybe the Presiding Bishop of the Pentacostal Churches of America, but tragedy hits home, and he forgets about God and lives the life of a gangsta. Will redemption be for him or will the streets overtake him, from the women, money, and power.
Last question, if someone comes across this article and reads it, what would you like to tell them about why you think they should try reading your book or books?
I can say I'm Derrick. I'm honest and direct and I cover every genre. Hollywood has destroyed the art of writing, try a book and let's become acquainted, you've never read a book like mine, I can promise you that. Once you open it you'll be on a ride you'll never want to get off, I can promise you that there's no other writing quite like mine. I take writing and the imagination to another level. There's no other writer that can thrill and connect with the reader like me.
Anything else you'd like to add that I didn't ask you, but you would like to share with our readers?
BLOG WRITER'S NOTE TO AUTHOR: I am so amazed at how many books you have published. You really do seem to enjoy letting your imagination run wild. You have quite the collection of story titles. I look forward to checking them out. Good Luck with your future writing project, and thank you for the interview.


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Clemson landed a commitment last month from LB Keith Maguire of Malvern, PA. His teammate, OL Jake Hornibrook, also is a major prospect and Clemson is zeroing in on him as well. Hornibrook visited Clemson unofficially last week and the Tigers are trending strongly with him at this point.
Clemson recruiter Brent Venables visited Malvern the end of April to check in on both players and he was the one who delivered the offer to Hornibrook whose brother is the starting quarterback at Wisconsin.
"It was cool. He stopped by and said that he liked what he saw," Hornibrook said. "He said I look good moving around and that he would pass it along to Coach Caldwell. Then they decided to offer, so it was a pretty exciting day. It was really exciting. I wasn't really expecting it so I was really excited when I got the news. I'm pretty pumped."
Clemson has additional help in recruiting Hornibrook. Maguire is in his hear and was pushing him to make the visit to see Clemson for himself.
"He just told me that I've got to go check it out," Hornibrook said prior to his visit. "He told me that once I go down there that I'll want to commit. He just said it's a great place and that I definitely have to go check it out. It's pretty impressive. I just like seeing and hearing about the school."
Some of the other schools which have been recruiting Hornibrook intensely are Duke, Northwestern, Stanford, North Carolina and Boston College. He does not have a favorites list but he'd like to make his decision in late May or early summer.
"I'm looking for a place that fits me. You can't tell unless you go down and visit the place, so it really just depends," he said. "You get that feeling when there and you'll know once you find that place."


text: Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v2nXoUISis In this 3D arcade platformer, you have a control over a jumping and rolling ball. Trying to get max score on each level is a challenge, you've got to avoid falling from edges. Dangerous traps and interesting tasks await you in 40 carefully designed levels. Built-in map editor allows you to create up to ten levels of your own, share with other players, play their levels and give ratings. Hardcore players are welcomed to try Time Mode. Controls: Q, CONTROL - rotate camera. Z,X,C,J,K,L,SPACE - jump. WASD, Arrows - movement. Tips: If you have problems playing game, try to turn particles off (button in the down-right corner). If diagonal jumps not working, try to jump using another key - Z, X, C, J, K or L.


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In fact, kids may not be getting enough pure juice in their diet, noted Carol E. O'Neil, Ph.D., of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and colleagues, at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting here.
"Even among the children who consumed the most juice, we found no association at all with the children being overweight or at risk for overweight," said co-author Theresa A. Nicklas, Dr.Ph., L.N.
One startling finding, said Dr. Nicklas: More than half of the children studied (57%) drank no juice at all.
In a study of dietary habits of more than 3,600 children, the investigators also found that children who drank juice took in less sodium, fats, and sugars than children who did not consume 100% juice.
Nor did drinking juice come at the expense of drinking milk, as some critics of childhood nutritional practices have warned might happen.
The investigators analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 - 2002. The data contained information on the types and amounts of foods and beverages consumed by children ages two to 11, using a multi-pass 24-hour recall method.
In the analysis presented here, the authors calculated least square means and conducted logistic regression analyses adjusting for gender, age, ethnicity, and energy intake.
They found that the 3,618 children studied consumed an average of about 1/2 cup (4.1 ounces) of juice a day, translating into a mean of 58 calories, or 3.3% of their total daily energy intake.
Children who drank 100% juices had significantly higher intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins C and B6, potassium, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and folate compared with kids who didn't drink juice. Juice drinkers also consumed more total servings of fruits and less sodium, fat, saturated fat, added fat, and added sugar.
Children who drank 12 ounces of juice or more a day (13% of those studied) were no more likely to be overweight than their peers who drank less juice. And those two- to three-year-olds who drank the most juice were three times less likely to be overweight compared with children who drank no juice at all.
The authors also found that there were no significant differences in the mean levels or amounts of juice consumption for any of the physiologic weight measures studied (body mass index, waist circumference, tricep skinfold, and percentile of weight-for-age and z-scores), and there was no overall difference in the likelihood of being overweight.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued in 2005 by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture noted that while whole fruit provides fiber, "the fruit juices most commonly consumed by older children and adults provide more vitamin C, folate, and potassium in portions usually consumed than do the commonly eaten fruits."
The guidelines recommended that at least one fruit serving in a daily diet come from 100% juice, noted Dr. Nicklas, a member of the guidelines advisory committee.
|Information about funding sources for the study and author conflicts of interest were not provided.
- Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD Emeritus Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Primary Source
Pediatric Academic Societies 2007 Annual MeetingSource Reference: O'Neil CE et al. "The Relationship among 100% Juice Consumption, Nutrient Intake, and Weight of Children 2-11 Years." Abstract


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COSTA MESA — When nursing home inspectors toured Port Bay Care Center last April, they saw elderly and ill residents lying helpless in fetid rooms, mismedicated, underfed, dehydrated and suffering a multitude of indignities. Later, poring over the home's medical records, they found devastating consequences of neglect.
In the previous three months, a resident had died of massive dehydration 45 minutes after being taken to a hospital emergency room. Another man found unconscious was hospitalized with acute dehydration, kidney failure, infection and pneumonia; he too died. A woman hospitalized with fever, pneumonia and a urinary tract infection also had died after the home failed to provide proper care.
By law, California regulators can declare a nursing home's conditions "an immediate jeopardy to residents." They can impose a $25,000 penalty for each death caused by a home's lack of care. They can go to court to have an outside manager appointed or have the home's license revoked. Medicare and Medi-Cal funds--amounting to as much as 70% of a home's income--can be cut off in 23 days.
But at Port Bay, inspectors did none of that.
Instead, they approved more Medicare beds, asked the administrator to prepare a plan of correction and gave the facility six months to improve conditions or lose funds.


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The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for stepping up of India's solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022.
The target will principally comprise of 40 GW Rooftop and 60 GW through large and medium scale grid connected solar power projects. With this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world, surpassing several developed countries.
The target will require an investment of around Rs 6,00,000 crore. In the first phase, the government will provide Rs 15,050 crore as capital subsidy which would be utilised to develop rooftop solar projects, viability gap funding (VGF) based projects, and decentralised generation through small solar projects. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) intends to achieve the target of 1,00,000 MW with targets under the three schemes of 19,200 MW.
In addition, solar power projects with investment of about Rs 90,000 crore would be developed using bundling mechanism with thermal power. "Further investment will come from large Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). State governments have also come out with State specific solar policies to promote solar capacity addition," an official statement said.
"The government may also approach bilateral and international donors as also the Green Climate Fund for achieving this target," the statement adds.
Solar power can contribute to the long-term energy security of India, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels that put a strain on foreign reserves and the ecology as well. The solar manufacturing sector will get a boost with this long-term trajectory of solar capacity addition. This will help in creation of technology hubs for manufacturing. The increased manufacturing capacity and installation are expected to pave way for direct and indirect employment opportunities in both the skilled and unskilled sector.
"The new solar target of 100 GW is expected to abate over 170 million tonnes of CO2 over its life cycle. This Solar Scale-up Plan has a target of 40 GW through decentralised solar power generation in the form of grid connected rooftop projects. While decentralised generation will stabilise the grid, it will minimise investment on power evacuation," the statement said.
Solar power capacity target raised 5 fold to 100 GW
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for stepping up of India's solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022.


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2018 Camp Card Program
You can sign up for a show and sell time slot here:
What are Camp Cards
- They are discount cards for the partners below
- They are good until the end of December 2018
- They sell for $5.00 each and each Scout receives $2.50 into their account
- The money can be used to pay for any Scouting activity like weekend camping trips and Summer Camp
Guidelines for selling
- We are selling Scouting NOT camp Cards
- Ask "Would you like to help send me to camp?" and not "Would you like to buy a discount card?"
- Scouts MUST be in "Class A" or "Class B" uniforms when selling
- Parents should accompany any Scout under the age of 18 when selling
- At Show and Sell events
- Only stand at the exit, never the entrance unless otherwise instructed by an employee
- Stand off to the side, never block the doors
- Conduct yourself in a manner that reflects well on the BSA
- All donations that you receive MUST be handed in with your sales (They will be added to your Scout account)
2018 Participating Partners
- Save $5 off a purchase of $50 or more at ACME or Landis
- $3 off up to four general admission tickets at The Franklin Institute
- $5 off any large pretzel party tray at Philly Pretzel Factory
- Save $10 off up to six regular admission tickets at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia
- 10% off at Applebee's Grill+Bar
- $10 off any Introduction to Climbing Package OR $5 off any Quick Climb Package at Philadelphia Rock Gyms
- Buy one pizza at regular price and get a second pizza of equal or lesser value for free at participating Papa John's
- $5 off regular child or adult admission at the Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion
- Enjoy 10% off a regular priced Philadelphia Soul ticket
Total value of more than $100!
Enter into one of our weekly drawings for every 25 Camp Cards an individual Scout sells. All entries from the weekly drawings will then be put into a Super Drawing at the end of the sale for even larger prizes!
To enter into a weekly drawing, sell at least 25 Camp Cards, complete a coupon on the Scout Sales Kit, and submit it to your unit coordinator with payment (unit keeps the 50% commission). Unit coordinators will turn the coupons and payments into the council either at the office or through District Camp Card Chairs or staff members.
Scouts can be entered for every 25 cards they sell, and can enter multiple times each week. Entries are due to the Cradle of Liberty Council office by Wednesdays at 5 p.m. to be considered for the Thursday drawings. Entries received after Wednesdays at 5 p.m. will be included in the next drawing.
For more information please please email Mark Stephens


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Profesión: English as a Foreign Language Teacher
Experiencia en educación: I am TEFL certified. I have worked as an ESL tutor at two universities (a total of two years) and am currently an EFL teacher in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Intereses: I love dance. I have a second job as a dance teacher when I am home in the U.S. I am also interested in music and learning about other cultures.
Educación: I went to Seton Hall University in New Jersey (United States) and studied Spanish and Anthropology.
Idiomas que hablas: inglés (Nativo), español (Capacidad para conversar)
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