A More Effective Elf on the Shelf

When I first heard the story of the Elf on the Shelf my kids were already grown and gone.  I'm still hoping my grand kids will get an elf of their own soon.  Maybe my kids think their kids might be a bit freaked out about an elf keeping watch over them because none of them have acquired one yet.

I love seeing all the mischief these elves get into from the pictures that families are pinning about their own elves on Pinterest and I'll even admit I have my own board set up on Pinterest just for Elf on the Shelf pins.  The funniest picture I've seen so far showed up on my daughters Facebook wall Friday night.  Evidentally, someone needed a more effective Elf this year.  I'm not certain where this Elf on the Shelf came from or what model he is or even whose family he belongs to but I wanted to share it.  Maybe you'll think it's as hilarious as I do.  I believe it was originally posted on Facebook by Ami Clark Gibson so it maybe this is their elf.

Super Easy Cranberry Walnut Pie

Want to make an easy pie?  This Cranberry Walnut Pie doesn't have very many ingredients and comes out perfectly every time.  It's tart and sweet and it's one of my favorites.  Plus, you don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Just place the cranberries and walnuts in a pie shell....

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.... 

Mix together in a bowl the flour, one egg, the sugar and the melted butter..... 

Pour the mixture over the pie...... 

Spread it around toward the edges...... 

And bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 - 50 minutes.....  

Fresh Cranberry Relish

Thanksgiving is just about here and I was looking for a new recipe for Cranberry Relish Salad to try this year on Pinterest but I couldn't find any I liked so decided to post the one my mom always made.  I've made it every Thanksgiving since I've been cooking it so maybe I shouldn't try to look for a new recipe and just think of this one as a family tradition.

Fresh Cranberry Relish

1 package (3 oz.) raspberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 package (12 oz.) fresh cranberries, ground
1 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped walnut
1 cup orange rind (or use whole orange)
3 tablespoons sugar

In bowl dissolve jello with boiling water, add cold water.  Chill until it begins to thicken.  Grind cranberries, orange rind, chop apple.  Stir in sugar and chopped nuts.  Add to thickened jello.  Spoon into mold or pretty dish.  Chill until set.

Makes 1 quart        Serves 12

The Drought in Indiana

This drought is making me sad.  I should be canning tomatoes at this time of year.  Instead, I'm coaxing only a few vegetables out of the garden at a time.  Just about enough to put in a salad for lunch.  What are you doing to survive the heat and conserve water?  I've taken to plugging up the bathtub when I shower in the morning and then using the water in the evening to water some trees and grass outside and houseplants inside.  So far, they seem to be doing fine.  I haven't seen any damage from the soap or shampoo yet.  I also practice 'If's yellow, let it mellow.....If it's brown, flush it down.'  But then I try to only use the bathroom in my bedroom so people aren't grossed out if they stop by unexpectedly.

Prices for groceries are going to go up since the corn is in such bad shape.  We've already stocked up on chicken feed for our chickens, fully expecting the price per bag will go up soon.  We are down about 10 inches of rain in the Indianapolis area.  It's going to take a lot of rain before we can catch up.

Who Has Time for Blogging?

It's so easy to neglect this blog.  Not that I don't think about what to write about all the time, but time is really flying and it's not easy to find computer time.  Maybe a couple posts a month is what I need to concentrate on and set my goals there instead of attempting to blog as often as most people do.  I don't know how many of you have found Pinterest.com but it's my new favorite place to be.  It has boards where you can 'pin' your interests and share your things with other and you can follow boards or other people who have the same interests as you.  If you'd like an invite, send me your email address and I'll send you an invite you so you can join in.  Just when I think I've 'pinned' all my favorite things, someone posts something new and amusing for me to try and I've gotten so many awesome ideas.  We've had some glorious winter weather in Indiana this year.  It was in the 50's, then we even had some days where we experienced 70's and 80's which makes my mind wander toward gardening and planning what should be started indoors and when.  There are so many websites pinned on Pinterest for gardening that I'm like a kid in a candy store!  It's still too early to plant anything outside, because even this morning we had frost again.  That doesn't mean the garden can't be in the planning stages.  The soil has been tilled and each year I seem to add a few more square feet.  I think I'll try some corn this year!  I have enough room to plant a few rows which is needed for cross pollination.  Last year I added blooming flowers around the boarders of the garden and it helped tremendously with attracting bees.

After mowing the back lawn today, I decided to go through the drafts on here that hadn't been published yet and just get them out here!  No since having them sit unpublished for no one to see.  That's why you'll see lots of entries for today and I apologize for that if it bothers you.  Now that I'm all caught up again, I'm going to go catch up on Pinterest!  :)

Scanner Personalities

Have you ever heard of a scanner personality?  How about Renaissance Souls?  Or Polymaths, Jacks and Jills of all trades?  I think that's me!  I really think I'm a scanner personality.  EVERYTHING interests me.  I didn't know there was a name for that until recently, but when I heard about it, I thought, wow, finally a description that fits me!  I even found out there are other scanner personalities out there and there are actually resources for people like us who can't stay focused on just one thing.  One of the better books to start with is by Barbara Sher called Refuse to Choose!  Amazing!

Few And Far Between

I don't know how all you bloggers keep this up. I have very little free time to write my thoughts down, although I can think of a thousand things I'll like to write about. As soon as Spring rolled around and we started to thaw out around here, I was busy planting my organic seeds inside to get a good start on the garden. I've been fascinated with the sustainable lifestyle and have been recycling, reusing, composting, and trying to grow more of my own food. It's a gradual process, not something you can just wake up and say today you'll live off the land, or go totally green. I had to do some research first and figure out what I could recycle in my area, then sign up for curbside pickup. I had to learn what I could put in the compost bin and make sure it was balanced equally with brown and green product. A few years ago I never grew anything in a garden. My sister in Ohio came to visit and said just dig a hole and stick a darned tomato plant in the ground, will you please?!?!  She actually dug the hole, but I did purchase the tomato plants and stuck them in the hole she dug for me.  After a few weeks, I was amazed the darn things actually grew tomatoes! Not only that, but the following year the tomatoes I had left on ground after a freeze reseeded and I had more plants!! I'm telling you this so you know how far I've come; from being totally ignorant of growing food to working at where I am today by growing most of my groceries. I love it, but I must admit it IS time consuming....which is why I haven't had time to blog often.

Milestone Stickers

I might not have mentioned that my daughter, Stephanie, is expecting another girl in July.  I'm really going to buy these adorable 'Sticky Bellies' for her (and we grandma's) as reminders to take pictures of the new addition every month.  They are milestone stickers for your favorite belly!  Aren't they they sweetest little things?  Check out the website!
Sticky Bellies - Milestone Stickers for your favorite bellies!

Pinterest!! Why Didn't I Know About This Before?!?

I recently found out about Pinterest and I'm totally addicted.  I'm a visusal person anyway, as I think most of us are, so Pinterest really interested me right off the bat.  All the bookmarks on my computer I'm now able to 'pin' to a board on pinterest.  It's free and it if you haven't been on there yet, check it out.  Anything and everything is out there.  You have to have an invite, but if one of your friends is on there, just have them email you your invite and you're in!  If you don't know anyone, just drop me a note here and I would be glad to sent you an invite.  I found out some people on eBay are selling Pinterest invites from anywhere from $1.99 on up.  That's crazy!  It's FREE people.  Please don't pay someone to send you an invite.  I'll do it for free!!  If you want to follow me and my boards, here's my link:  http://pinterest.com/debbieatkins/
I have lots of interest....so hold on to your hats!

Getting Ready for the Super Bowl

February was an exciting month!  Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl and the entire city has been gearing up for this huge even for a long time.  In October I volunteered to help clean up one of our parks with the Super Bowl Host Committee.  We raked and bagged leaves, refreshed the playground mulch, from tree line we pulled out a ditched television, a car bumper, and a bunch of other trash and left the park looking beautiful!

January Finances

January is a great time to review your finances and make sure you're on the right track.  The most important thing to do is know what you owe, the balances, and the interest rate you're paying.  I'm not going to list a bunch of websites, because there are a ton of them out there, but Dave Ramsey is my hero.  Most people have heard of him by now but if not, you can find videos of him on Youtube and also view his website at www.daveramsey.com.  Sometimes, after you get all your debt listed it's quite a shock.  Don't give up.  First and foremost is to save $1,000.00 up as quickly as possible for emergencies and then everything else gets thrown toward your debt, paying off the smallest debt first with as much money on it as you can afford, and continue to make the minimum payments on your other bills.  When the first one is paid off, you take the payment money you now have from the paid off debt and apply it to the next largest one and so on.  I have a great spreadsheet for you to use but I can't get it to post here, so if you'd like a copy, let me know and I'll email it to you.  I have a great spreadsheet for you to use but I can't get it to post here, so if you'd like a copy, let me know and I'll email it to you.  It's a super simple one to use.  Then get motivated and get those debts paid off so your money can work for you instead of for someone else.

One thing I'm certain of is that I'm not a good blogger.  I haven't given up entirely though so here I am at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 before me.  The most exciting news to finish up the new year is that another grand baby is on the way!  Stephanie and Mike are expecting a baby brother or sister for Emilee in July.  We're hoping for a boy, for Mike's sake, but of course a healthy little baby is all that counts.

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone has a very prosperous 2012.

The Grandkids, October 3, 2011

We were able to get all the grandkids together in one place, which is rare.  It only took about 50 tries to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time.  The baby, Tinsley, was watching her cousin, Emilee, in this one but it's the best one we could get.  It wasn't until later that I noticed Jake had on a pair of boots and Bryce had on some dinosaur shoes.  I'll make them Colts fans yet!!

Free Home Energy Conservation Kits

I signed up online a few weeks ago to receive a free Home Energy Conservation Kit through our utility company. It showed up yesterday and it's not shabby for being free!! Four compact florescent light bulbs, two low-flow shower heads, three faucet aerators, a refrigerator thermometer and a hot water gauge. You should see if your local utility companies are offering this free kit in your area.

I'm in North Carolina with my mother-in-law and most of the family. She's in hospice with acute renal failure. It's exhausting, emotionally & physically, watching a loved one die. I don't know how parents of young children who are terminally I'll find the strength to go on every day. Mom has been on borrowed time for the last few years and has spend quit a bit of time in the hospital from falls and broken bones, her continual need for I.V. Meds, and weekly blood tests. Her pic line became infected a couple weeks ago so they took her to the Hanover hospital. She walked in, but they gave us back a comtose person. Another week at the rehab facility to regain her strength and after spending all her energy on her physical therapy she just didn't have any more energy for living. She refused to eat anything & since she was practically comatose, suggested she go back to the hospital. They took her to Cape Fear Hospital this time instead of Hanover. She's been there ever sense and there's just nothing more they can do but make her comfortable. Tomorrow, my daughter, grand-daughter & I ate going to try to fly back home if the airports are open in Indianapolis. Over night there has been an ice storm & snow storm in the mid-west so almost all flights have been cancelled. If we can't get out, at least we'll be here with family.

Being Alone

Friends and family ask how I can stand all the alone time while Frank is working in California.  For the most part I don't mind it.  I relish it and embrace it.  Maybe it's because after raising three kids who were about 16 months apart during a time when my husband worked the afternoon shift and I worked days, I never found much time for myself.  A lot of people are afraid to be alone and even more don't know how to be alone.   And then there are some like myself that require a great deal of alone time to regenerate.  I found this awesome poem on YouTube that pretty much explains how to be alone.

My Furry, Feathery, Kids

Just briefly, I wanted to put a couple pictures up of my pets.  I've never added a picture with a post and wanted to give it a try.   

This is Chewbacca Mud (his middle name stands for my ugly dog.)  He's 'special'.  A mixed up mess of a yorkshire terrier, a pug, a shih tzu, and a poodle.  I never have see any poodle in him.  He's so ugly he's cute and he's the sweetest little guy.  He was born with a congenital defect that affects the first and second vertebra of his spine called alanto axial subligation (wobbler.)  More on that later.  

This is Booboo Catface, Chewy's brother.  

This is Marley, the cockatiel.  He's fairly new to the family.  I think he's gorgeous and he whistles at me all the time!  

This is the newest member of the family.  His name is Shadow and I got him a couple days before Halloween from a friend who took in a stray female cat.  Low and behold, the stray was pregnant and Shadow is one of her kittens.  He was born in August of 2010.  Spay your pets please.  It's so sad to see so many kittens and puppies come into this world with no home to go to.  

A simple online search will usually find a low cost spay/neuter clinic in your area.

My Recycle Bin is Here!

It might seem silly to you but one of my New Year's Resolutions is to recycle more this year, so I was excited to see my brand new orange plastic recycling bin being dropped off at my house today!  I'm still going to take all my paper to the local grade school in the neighborhood because I know they can benefit from it.  A simple brown grocery bag just outside the kitchen in the my garage is perfect for paper.  I even tear off our address from envelopes and all mail and toss those into my little compost bin on top of the counter and put the rest of the junk mail in the paper sack.  It doesn't take long at all for the bag to be filled.  Now, with my new orange bin, I can recycle more than just paper without having to drive all over town to drop it off.  They'll pick it right up at the curb once a week.

My First Post on January 2, 2011

I opened this Blog Spot in 2007 so even though it says I've been blogging since then, I've only started today!  January 2, 2011

I'm in my 50's now, an 'empty nester' and unlike the horrors I've heard about how traumatic it can be when the kids all leave home, I embraced it!!  I was born and raised in Indiana and didn't move until I married my high school sweetheart. Since he was in the Marine Corps, we moved and lived in twenty-eight different homes from one end of the country to the other.  I'm a homebody, and I admit, somewhat of an introvert, which I don't think is so bad anymore.  While my husband gets regenerated by visiting with other people, I get recharged by experiencing quiet time; turning to my own self.  Spending too much time with others is exhausting for me.  My friends and family tend to think I have the answer to a lot of things and know it all, which I can assure you I absolutely do not. It may appear that way at times because I know, maybe, a little bit about a lot of subjects.  Sort of a Jack of all trades and master of none, I'm also a self proclaimed 'geeky nerd'.

I love children and have three, though now they are all in their 30's, and they are blessing me with grandchildren. I don't want to miss a minute of them growing up and they change so, so fast!!  I love family, animals, birds, wildlife, nature, gardening, photography, scrap booking, crafting, music, coffee, wine, books, quotes and making lists of things I like.  I'm always interested in health, nutrition, living green and recycling.  I may change my mind about those tomorrow and of course I will add more.  It doesn't take much at all to make me happy.  I keep way too much 'stuff' and it's extremely hard for me to part with a book I've purchased, but I do admire the 'less is more' lifestyle.  Maybe I can learn to live more like that with some practice.  Until then, come along for the ride while I decide who I want to be when I grow up.