Sunday, August 4, 2013
Pin It Monday Hop #20
Welcome to Pin It Monday Hop#20!
Oh August is here! And what a better way to start this month with hilarious quotes from some famous people.
Sometimes the road less travelled is less travelled for a reason. - Jerry Seinfeld
All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height. - Casey Stengel
You can't have everything... where would you put it? - Steven Wright (source)
Now to our party, new month means new Co-Hosts. I am so happy to present to you our lovely Co-Host team for the month of August.
Let us meet...
Barb of Second Chance to Dream
She is a life coach, mother of 3 and Grandma to 3 adorable kids. She blogs about her crafts, diy projects, home inspiration, tutorials, printables and a lot more.
Jenn of Endlessly Inspired
She is also a mother of 3 (all boys). A freelance writer and editor who also loves to craft, DIYing, decorating, baking and cooking. 
Tammy of The Happy Handicap
A mother to 2 beautiful women. She blogs about recipe reviews, decorating, life lessons, tips and a lot more.
Last but not the least, meet the host
Judy of Pursuit of Functional Home
She shares her crafts, diy projects, home space inspiration, recipes, blog tips and tricks and a lot more.
Please follow your Host and Co-hosts. If you are feeling extra super nice you can always follow all our social media sites. 4 Blog sites, 1 party. This simply means more exposure to your post.
New to this party? No idea what this is all about?
This is a party where DIYers, crafters, Bloggers, homemakers, photographers, food lovers, come together every week (Sunday 5pm-Thursday 12MN) to share their own creation, ideas, inspirational post, tips and tricks. People in the web will get to view your projects or post. It is a great venue for others to appreciate your work. So what are you waiting for? Share something and help us discover your world!
Don't worry if you do not have a Pinterest account, everybody is welcome here. If you don't have any blog, just send in your entry at do8urself{at}gmail{dot}com, we'll enter it for you.
We appreciate for taking the time to follow us at any social media above.
Each co-host will get to choose 3 favorite projects that will be included in the Top 10 Features next week. Stay tuned.
All projects linked will be pinned at Pin It Monday Hop Participants Board.
Breaking Rules Party-No rules#15 (No Rules Party still open).
Pinterest Hop
What are you up to lately?
See you at the Hop,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Thursday, August 1, 2013
5 Back-to-School Tips for Moms
Friends, it is August 1st! Almost "that" time of year again. You may be having visions of yellow buses dancing in your head? You're looking for cheap school supplies, clipping coupons for paper towels and in disbelief that your baby is in what grade. As you're getting your little one ready for school, here's 5 back-to-school tips from my subbing adventures in an elementary school last spring. Benefits of each back-to-school tip are below.
Tip #2. Start a Book Fair Fund. Like now! Encourage your child to save $.25-$1.00 per week. This instills responsibility and discipline. I hate to see kids who don't have money to spend at the book fair. By the time the fair rolls into town, the piggy bank could have up to $10+ to spend as your child wishes without putting a strain on the weekly budget. Your child feels good about themselves buying fun items with their own money and you'll shine with proud rays when you see what they bought!
Tip #3. Pack a Light Jacket. A jacket insures your child won't get too cold. A jacket from home gives a level of comfort beyond just keeping kids warm. There are multiple uses for a jacket; as a pillow, a seat cushion, a blanket, an umbrella, money holders, etc.. Children get creative with jackets!
Tip #4. Eat a Non-sugary Breakfast. I made a mistake with me and my daughters. I never ate breakfast and neither did they. BIG mistake! HUGE mistake! I am now convinced that breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. Chock it full of protein and minimize carbs. A good example is two pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs and a piece of toast with water or unsweet fruit juice. I watch kids cram in a sugary lunch and crash, while the protein and fruit eaters are still going strong at the end of the day.
Tip #5. Get your child to do a "chore for more". This approach gets you some much needed help around the house and your child something "more". If he/she does a chore and does it well, pay them a buck for their work. Encourage them to use that buck on ice cream day at school. I hate to see kids who want ice cream but don't have money to buy one. Some days I think those ice cream machines are evil. I can imagine them sticking out their tongues at the kids who can't have one. Ugly picture!
What back-to-school tips do you have to add to this list? Leave me a comment and help others too!
Counting down the days,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Benefits of "5 Back-to-School Tips for Moms"
Tip #1. Watch the Weather. A comfortable environment is necessary to learn. Be sure to dress your child in temperature appropriate clothing. Encourage your student to watch the weather and choose his/her own clothes for the next day. This task teaches correlation relating temperature to dressing. Remember: too hot or too cold = too distracted to learn.Tip #2. Start a Book Fair Fund. Like now! Encourage your child to save $.25-$1.00 per week. This instills responsibility and discipline. I hate to see kids who don't have money to spend at the book fair. By the time the fair rolls into town, the piggy bank could have up to $10+ to spend as your child wishes without putting a strain on the weekly budget. Your child feels good about themselves buying fun items with their own money and you'll shine with proud rays when you see what they bought!
Tip #3. Pack a Light Jacket. A jacket insures your child won't get too cold. A jacket from home gives a level of comfort beyond just keeping kids warm. There are multiple uses for a jacket; as a pillow, a seat cushion, a blanket, an umbrella, money holders, etc.. Children get creative with jackets!
Tip #4. Eat a Non-sugary Breakfast. I made a mistake with me and my daughters. I never ate breakfast and neither did they. BIG mistake! HUGE mistake! I am now convinced that breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. Chock it full of protein and minimize carbs. A good example is two pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs and a piece of toast with water or unsweet fruit juice. I watch kids cram in a sugary lunch and crash, while the protein and fruit eaters are still going strong at the end of the day.
Tip #5. Get your child to do a "chore for more". This approach gets you some much needed help around the house and your child something "more". If he/she does a chore and does it well, pay them a buck for their work. Encourage them to use that buck on ice cream day at school. I hate to see kids who want ice cream but don't have money to buy one. Some days I think those ice cream machines are evil. I can imagine them sticking out their tongues at the kids who can't have one. Ugly picture!
What back-to-school tips do you have to add to this list? Leave me a comment and help others too!
Counting down the days,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday's Word: BELIEF EXPLAINED
It's a standing joke in my family. I don't believe in dinosaurs! Why not since remains have been found? I've never interacted with a Dino to assist my belief. Why do we believe or not believe? Our belief or "trust" system works when it is exercised. As a baby, you inherently trust your parents to keep you safe until ... your belief system is broken. How does it break? Your parents make promises they don't keep. Let's say your Dad encourages you to jump in the pool "I'll catch you!" You trust and jump! You plunge to the bottom of the pool coming up strangled, gasping for air and scared to death. He's laughing! Will you trust him to jump again? Probably not! If he says he'll catch you, you'll be like "Ahhh, not so sure!" You will question and distrust his intentions. Can you recall situations like this with people (hopefully not your parents) where your belief was tested? Did your trust increase or decrease when you were let down? Keeping our word builds trust. Doing what we say we will causes folks to believe in us.
Why believe in Jesus? We can't see him. We hear about him just like the dinosaurs. We read evidence of his life in the Bible just like dinosaur bones are evidence of them. The difference in Deity and dinosaurs is the Holy Spirit. God speaks to us and we can feel him. He can move us. We know he is real. We all have that inherent trust/belief/measure of faith we were born with. We don't have to rely on a scientist digging up bones. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 13:5 goes on to say "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Words you can live by, trust and believe! Has Jesus ever let you down? Has he ever broken your trust? Go on, jump into his arms, you better believe... he'll catch you!
What's holding you back from trusting in Jesus? Do you trust him fully? Leave me a comment and let's talk.
Trusting Jesus,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
Monday, July 29, 2013
Upcycled Chandelier
from Old and Classy
to Modern & Sassy
This is my old and classy chandelier I bought in 1981 for my dining room. She's still hangin' round! Can we say "golden"? She's a bit naked here with her bulbs and candle covers removed. Do you know what candle covers are? I had to research it to get the name of those long white things that covers the bulb holders. I won't tell if you don't!
.JPG "chandlier")
Spring project turned into Summer and maybe Fall
Remodeling my kitchen & dining room into the 21st century!
Her step-by-step makeover...
I dressed her up with new bulbs and her usual white candle covers. She be hangin' around again so colorful, sassy and modern!
I saved time and money. Upcycling is cool and fun!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Are you this SPICY?
My life has gotten spicier over the years, has yours? I used to be a plain American kind of gal but now, I've got a little Latin, Italian and Asian spice in my life! I was getting so spicy I needed professional help. I was advised I must admit I have a spice problem and then and only then could I use their solution to resolve my problem.
I admit it! I have a spice problem. I kept hearing voices saying "Cumin on over here and I'll basil your head in!" Another voice said "Ginger, can't you keep those boys at Bay while I take care of this?" She replied "Yes Dill, but it's Chili out here. You get in a fight every Thyme we go out. Can't we Curry on back home now?" Something had to be done. Enter Spice Expand-a-Drawer. (My little drama sequence, stupid huh?)
I don't know about you but I thought my spices were organized until I wanted to use one. They fell over while sorting through them. Shot out of the cabinet at me or even worse, I would have to move every single last one of them to get to the one I wanted. NEVER FAILED! I ordered and installed an "expand-a-drawer". Problem solved. So simple and so easy!
STEP ONE: Sort your spices. Combine same spices into one bottle. You might want to discard some spices. I trashed the ones I had since like prehistoric times. Wipe the bottles if they need cleaning. Now you're ready to install the drawer.
STEP TWO: Start with a clean drawer. No need to line the drawer with paper.
STEP THREE: This is the drawer fully expanded. It fits an 18" deep drawer and will expand from 12" to 24". My drawer was a 19" x 16". Take your drawer measurements before ordering to make sure the organizer will fit your drawer. Collapse and set into your drawer like this. Note: I used a small block of wood inserted at the back of the drawer (out of sight) to avoid the drawer moving backward. This is not a concern if your drawer is 18" deep. Mine was slightly longer at 19".
I admit it! I have a spice problem. I kept hearing voices saying "Cumin on over here and I'll basil your head in!" Another voice said "Ginger, can't you keep those boys at Bay while I take care of this?" She replied "Yes Dill, but it's Chili out here. You get in a fight every Thyme we go out. Can't we Curry on back home now?" Something had to be done. Enter Spice Expand-a-Drawer. (My little drama sequence, stupid huh?)
I don't know about you but I thought my spices were organized until I wanted to use one. They fell over while sorting through them. Shot out of the cabinet at me or even worse, I would have to move every single last one of them to get to the one I wanted. NEVER FAILED! I ordered and installed an "expand-a-drawer". Problem solved. So simple and so easy!
STEP ONE: Sort your spices. Combine same spices into one bottle. You might want to discard some spices. I trashed the ones I had since like prehistoric times. Wipe the bottles if they need cleaning. Now you're ready to install the drawer.
STEP TWO: Start with a clean drawer. No need to line the drawer with paper.
STEP THREE: This is the drawer fully expanded. It fits an 18" deep drawer and will expand from 12" to 24". My drawer was a 19" x 16". Take your drawer measurements before ordering to make sure the organizer will fit your drawer. Collapse and set into your drawer like this. Note: I used a small block of wood inserted at the back of the drawer (out of sight) to avoid the drawer moving backward. This is not a concern if your drawer is 18" deep. Mine was slightly longer at 19".
STEP FOUR: Expand on the left or right side (your choice). Begin loading your spice bottles like this.
STEP FIVE: Step back and admire your newly organized spice drawer. The challenge is to keep it looking like this! :)
The best part is the expand-a-drawer is only $17.99!
Leave me a comment and let me know if you like this idea. Whatta ya think? Got any questions about the drawer?
"Fennel-ly" organized,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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