Everyone who knows the game Jenga, loves it. I love how it can be played with all age groups. I am always looking for things for us to do together as a family with multi generations. This is one of those “things”. I came across the Jumbo Jenga sets online and decided it was time for us to make our own set. I love having summer games to play with friends and family and get some competition going!
To make this set you need (8) 2 by 4’s. I used cedar because we are keeping ours outside on the porch this summer and it holds up better. Additionally, it’s lighter to carry from place to place. Then cut seven of the 2 by 4’s in 10 1/2 inch long pieces for a total of 54 pieces. Make sure to round all the corners with a belt sander at a 45 degree angle. This is a monotonous job but worth it because you do not want the hard edges. Also, the more you use the pieces the smoother they get when playing the game. Next use the last 2 by 4 to make the box to carry it in, we used plywood for the bottom. Lastly, I would use a lint seed oil on the wood. It shows off the grains and protects the wood.
After all is done and it drys, set it up and get ready to play some JUMBO JENGA! In my case no one was available so I had to play with Winnie. Who do you think won???
It’s that time of year where we are in a mad rush to get all of our spring chores done and finished! I get a little panicked thinking about all of the work to be done, especially all I have left to do in planting my garden. Last year I wrote a blog post called Gardening 101 and I shared some basic tips for the first-time gardener. If you would like to refresh yourself on some of the tips when starting your garden please use the blue link above.
I am sharing a list of new tips and hacks to help you gain more knowledge of gardening. Some of the things I have learned through the years and others I have picked up from friends. There are so many to think about but I wanted to give you a few basics.
1.) It’s important to water your garden in the morning. First, it is easier because it is not so hot outside. Second, it allows the water to penetrate to the roots. If you water during the day your garden may burn from the sun. If you water your garden at night as opposed to the morning the water will sit overnight and this can often times produce mold. Mold can destroy your garden and all of your hard work! This is just a general rule of thumb but do your best to stick with it. I know sometimes it can be hard to get out before the day’s events, but if you commit yourself you will be very happy with your harvest!
2.) Companion planting can enhance growth and protect plants from pests. I hate going out to my garden and seeing tons of lettuce but there are holes from the bugs all over the leaves. Ugh!!! I don’t like to use any pesticides so this is very helpful! Some examples of common garden vegetation that works well with others are the following:
Beans grow best with broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, peas and strawberries.
Peppers flourish with cucumbers, onions, peas, squash and tomatoes.
Cucumbers thrive with beans, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, lettuce and peppers.
Thyme and Sage are good with most everything except Sage does not mix well with cucumbers.
Tomatoes can be planted near beans, cucumbers, lettuce, onion and peppers, but they should not be planted with broccoli, cauliflower or corn.
3.) I am sharing a printable for this next tip! What can you plant to keep the bugs away? I hate going out to my garden and seeing tons of lettuce but there are holes from the bugs all over the leaves. Ugh!!! I don’t like to use any pesticides so this is very helpful. There are several things that I like to plant around the garden that keep away pests and bugs. Rosemary is great and so is Mint. I put mint in pots because it will grow like crazy and take over your garden. To see the rest of the list sign up for my newsletter. For those that already subscribe you will receive the printable this weekend. It is really interesting how nature can take care of itself!
4.) Lastly and one of my favorites is using Epson Salt. It is a natural mineral that helps increase nutrient absorption to produce lush healthy plants. It can help fruit taste sweeter and will improve the flavor and yield for your potatoes and peppers too. You can sprinkle 1 Tbsp. at the base of the plant or add 1 Tbsp. to a gallon of water for quicker absorption. If you do this every two weeks you will reap the best results. I never would have thought that Epson salt would be such a powerhouse for the garden!
This weekend is a big weekend in the north to plant your gardens and get things started! I am hoping this helps you get started with your garden. Good luck and happy planting!
I have never made a Mimosa Bar before and they’re all the rage these days. When I hosted a ladies brunch I asked myself, “what is a brunch without a mimosa?” I wanted to make this brunch a little “extra”. It’s fun to try the different flavors and for some that don’t care for sparkling wine it can add so much to it with some of your favorite juices and garnishes. The nice part is you don’t need much sparkling wine in each glass so it’s manageable if you don’t wish to drink very much. Here is how I made my Mimosa Bar. I feel like I am beyond the amateur and moving towards intermediate mimosa mixologist! lol!
1.) Pick your glasses. I have some beautiful champagne glasses that were given to me by a friend. She had them engraved with an “H” which made them even more special. Some people prefer the stemless glasses and I love them too. I am fortunate that I have a little of each. For the klutz in us the stemless can be a great choice! They are elegant and functional and they are the ones I chose for this event. I got mine from Emily McCarthy and I love them! So pretty to use.
2.) Pick your juices. I used the traditional orange juice and paired it with strawberries. To mix it up, I also wanted to try mango, it was fairly easy to find in the International Food isle at the grocery store and I used mint to garnish this one. It was really yummy too! Then I found pomegranate juice in the refrigerated section and ready to serve fresh pomegranate seeds. This one was very good, not too tart and not too sweet. There are other choices you can offer such as grapefruit juice, lemonade or a mixed berry. I set up the juice bar with labeled glass carafes and then put the garnishes in front of each juice. It was self serve and my friends enjoyed trying the different flavors.
3.) Pick a sparkling wine. I have fallen in love with Chandon. My husband and I visited their winery on our honeymoon many years ago and I forgot how much I loved it! I recently joined their sparkling wine and still wine club. I used a couple of their bottles for the mimosa bar. Although I don’t know much about sparkling wine, I do know there are distinct taste differences between them. That is the one thing I find interesting about wine.
The thing that I like most about a Mimosa Bar is the variety and it add just a touch of “extra” in your next gathering. I would love to hear if you tried any of the different kinds or maybe there is something I haven’t tried and would love to share with my readers. Cheers!
I have always wanted to host a ladies brunch. Sometimes you just need an excuse to get together with your girlfriends and enjoy a few laughs and some good food. I enjoy having my friends over and making them feel spoiled. I partnered up with Emily McCarthy to go the extra mile and make it special. As my daughter would say, ” Mom, that is sooo extra!” Lol! In this case I will consider it a compliment. The following ideas can be used for a bridal shower or a birthday as well:
1.) Pick your theme or table setting. I picked “pretty in pink”! I felt like I needed a fresh jolt of femininity! For the table setting, I used these gold chargers (I’ve had for almost ten years)! I pulled out an older white table cloth, a necessity when doing any table setting especially if you want to be lighten up the scene. I used this lovely gold flatware, gold flatware is all the rage now and relatively inexpensive. Then I added some flowers for the table and a beautiful monogrammed napkin from Emily McCarthy. Last summer, I did a blog post about her store, they have great products and online help!
2.) You can’t host a brunch without mimosas so I decided to try my own mimosa bar. I recently became a member of Club Chandon Sparkling +Still Wine which gave me options to mix things up. There are so many fabulous ideas out there to try with sparkling wine. Later this week I will share how to make a mimosa bar. It is a ton of fun!
3.) Decide on your menu. I like to start with a salad, I made this easy salad out of spinach, cashews, goat cheese and strawberries with a strawberry dressing. Very easy and most women love this salad! The second course should be something savory. I absolutely love these frittata muffins. Each one can be made to ones taste buds. You can make vegetarian, dairy free or meat-lovers! They can be made up the night before and then just warm them up in a 150 degree oven. Lastly, the sweet course. My dear friend, Kim, volunteered to make a french toast casserole. It was over the top yummy! Other ideas for something sweet are homemade donut holes (super easy to make), a coffee cake or a buckle cake. There are so many options and your friends can pitch in and of course you have to share recipes!
4.) Provide a party favor for your guests. I chose the Louis Sherry chocolates I found on Emily McCarthy’s site. They come displayed in a beautiful keepsake tin. Very feminine and what woman doesn’t enjoy her chocolate? There are a variety of ideas out there. The Lavender Sugar Scrub that I posted recently is another way to bless your friends.
Keep in mind, hosting a ladies brunch is about having a good time with your closest friends and not to impress them but to bless them! It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can have a beautiful brunch without tons of expense!
My friend Aimee knows that I do my best to take care of my health. Knowing this, she recently reached out to me about a company that is very dear to her, Beautycounter. This skincare and makeup company stands for regulating questionable or harmful chemicals in makeup and skincare and are devoted to progress. Apparently in the European Union they have banned over 1,300 chemicals in their personal and skin care products. In the U.S. they have only banned 30! I couldn’t believe this! Our skin is our largest organ and when you start to really think about what is topically going all over your body, it makes you pause and think about the potential negative consequences.
Beautycounter is an advocate of healthier safer skin care. They put their money where their mouth is and are heading to Capitol Hill for a MarchForth campaign to make change from March 3-5, seeking to educate and change the regulations and what is allowed in skincare products. March 4th is also Beautycounter’s 5-year anniversary. I usually like to keep things light on my blog but I thought this information/knowledge was too important to pass up!
After Aimee told me about this company I knew I had to try their products! I tried a variety of their lotions, soaps and face washes first and loved them! I also like their face oils. They smell amazing, my skin feels fantastic and oils are all the rage! I then bought a mask for myself and then the charcoal wash and mask for my daughter. She has only used it for a few days and she can see a huge difference.
I feel good about using their products and encourage you to give them a try. I am offering a giveaway for some fabulous eyeshadows, valued at $122! If you take a look at this link, https://www.beautycounter.com/aimeecarmody1 AND you order something you will be put into a drawing to win! I encourage each and every one of you to try Beautycounter. Beautycounter will also be on The Today show March 1st to further discuss the movement and helping regulating the industry! I would love to hear from you your thoughts on this topic!
