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Showing posts from November, 2013

A fun site: List Challenges

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http://www.listchallenges.com/ For example: IMDB Top 250 Movies of All Time   This will be a lot of fun on the road.

Jo loves diamonds: the real deal

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How to Tell if Diamonds are Real

Better than sex cakes

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OMG!! Love that everything is ready made and fast. Ingredients: 1 Box of White Cake Mix 2 Fluffy White containers of Frosting 1/2 a cup of hot Fudge Sauce 3-4 Chopped up Snicker’s Bars 1 Cup Heavy Cream 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 2-9″ cake pans For more details please visit this link were you will find instructions : ohbiteit.com This image is meant to be a source of inspiration. No copyright infringement intended. I do not own images posted on this page. For more details please visit the source link mentioned below.

Gifts tags from old maps

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This is a great idea for a craft on the road and a great way to repurpose/recycle.  source

Pancake Snowman: a cute and easy recipe

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Two pancakes, chocolate morsels for eyes  and buttons, bacon for a scarf, and a  sliced orange gumdrop for the nose! Source

CRANKY OLD MAN

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When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old m an’s sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem. And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this ‘anonymous’ poem winging across the Internet. Cranky Old Man What do you see nurses? ……What do you see? What are you thinking .. . when you’re looking at me? A cranky old man, … …not very wise, Uncertain of habit .… … . .. with faraway eyes? Who dribbles his food .. . … . . and mak
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source

We all have chips and cracks in our families: Broken Homes and Dysfunction

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In spite of the fact that so many families have one parent in the household there is still a lot of stigma around being a single mom. According to the "Marital Status and Living Arrangements: March 1998 Update" by Terry A. Lugaila at the US Census Bureau: "As of March 1998 Current Population Survey, 19.8 million children under the age of 18 lived with one parent-this translates to 27.7 percent of all children under the age of 18." When I first was divorced I didn't hear the words "broken home" or dysfunctional all that much. They seem to have become catch-all phrases in the last 20 years when the rate of divorce became high. When I first heard Oprah Winfrey use the word broken home, I was appalled. She of all people should know better! When I read the term in an article by Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), who had been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional career

Hanukkah decor, DIY and tablescapes

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How cute is this? Napkins rolled and ties with dreidels.  I would love to have my nails done like this or buy stickers to apply. Beautiful  sweet display Easy to make. Add Hanukkah colored balls and decorations to a green wreath.  Cute Star of David Tablescape and party decor Graham crackers, etc. make a cute and festive addition. If you are the owner of any of these pictures, let me know so I can attribute them to you. 

Inspirational Christmas Decorated Interiors

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Freshomes brings us some beautiful holiday decor. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Arm Knit Chunky Scarves

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These take about 1/2 an hour and are so cute! You can use 2 skeins of Lion Brand Yarn. People like the Wool Ease Thick and Chunky. I used both skeins at one time by combining the ends and knitting with two strands. I think I only used about half of each skein so I have left-overs for another project which means that this scarf only cost me $7.00! Here is a You Tube video and a picture of the scarf. 

Motivation: A guide to help you live the best life you can

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Jordan Romero motivates obese children by climbing Mount Everest. Nick Mastrella had incredible motivation. You can too! Wheelchair tennis found inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame Go here for all 29 motivational tips © Jo Levy

Low calorie recipe: Buttery Brown Sugar Roasted Peaches.

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Buttery Brown Sugar Roasted Peaches – less than 100 calories for a dessert that tastes like soft candy. Buttery Roasted Caramel Peaches – eat these as is for a low calorie dessert! 4 to 6 fresh peaches, cut in half and pitted (4-6 depending on size of peaches) 1/3 cup butter (5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon) melted 1/3 cup brown or granulated sugar source

Sunday's Quotes and Pictures

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Find more pins like this here.

Dress up a tray table!

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Simple drawer pulls become fancy feet for a plain wooden tray and make it worthy of special occasions. Prime and paint tray. If knobs' screws aren't long enough to go through the bottom of your tray, replace them with longer ones. Martha Stewart

The Best Birthday idea

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This article was very, very popular on epinions. Jo wanted to share it with you. As life events happened over the years she thought back on other important events in our lives. This was certainly one of them. When my youngest daughter turned 13 she became a Bat Mitzvah. In the Jewish religion that is when a child becomes an adult. The custom in the United States is a party after the service. The extent of the party varies depending on how much money you want to spend; the type of child you have – some don’t like big parties, others do; and your personal beliefs. I wanted a fairly large party for my second and last child. We had 100 guests. For the party this is 10 tables. It is very, very common for children who have Bar or Bat (boy/girl) Mitzvah parties to have a theme. My older daughter chose not to have a theme and her party was much simpler. This was her theme and how I did it. I have not patented it. You are free to use it! My younger daughter had so many interests at the

Crockpot Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Here’s what you’ll need: Print Crockpot Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken Crockpot Cantonese Sweet and Sour Chicken Ingredients 2 lbs. of chicken (I used chicken tenders because they were on sale. I did not use the whole bag) small onion, sliced red pepper, sliced green pepper, sliced 20 oz can pineapple 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 clove garlic, crushed 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 2 Tbs. cornstarch 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1/2 tsp. salt Instructions Put the chicken, onion and peppers in the crockpot. I added my chicken frozen. Drain the can of pineapple. Set the pineapple chunks aside for later. Mix the juice with the rest of the ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for about 4-5 hours. A bit before serving add the pineapple chunks. Serve over rice. source

Jo's Tips on Traveling with Kids

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This was a very popular article on epinions written many years ago but still relevant. We started traveling with our children when they were 3, 5 and 8. These were some of the tricks I had up my sleeve. 1. They will certainly fill a backpack with their favorite toys, games, books, etc. I bought "surprises." They would consist of inexpensive items like play dough; silly putty; new coloring books or connect-the-dot type books; and a couple of the small travel games - travel checkers, travel trivia depending on the children’s ages. In the new world, you would have to adjust to the days of paper and pencils! 2. I would get rolls of nickels, dimes or quarters. The price increased as they got older. I don't believe in punishing bad behavior (unless it is harmful to someone else, property or the child himself); I believe in ignoring it and rewarding behavior that is appropriate. Based on that philosophy, the children would get, let's say a nickel when they were young

EASY Fudge Recipe

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They don't come much easier than this! I usually make it even easier and will for sure when we are on the road by using disposable pans. We recycle everything so a few "bad habits" we can live with. You will need: 2 cups milk chocolate chips 2 1/2 cups prepared chocolate frosting 1 cup chopped walnuts Line one 8x8 inch square pan with foil. Lightly butter the foil. In a small saucepan melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the frosting and the nuts stirring until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. Once firm cut in small squares. From All Recipes

Beautiful tablescapes to inspire you

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These are from the Food Network.

Holiday Newsletter: The Menu Planning Issue

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Great information at this link.

Crochet a STAR pattern for earrings

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These are so pretty. You can make these in just any color, or combine two colors for a different effect. I've even made some in glow-in-the-dark thread (you can find that usually in the embroidery thread rack) The pattern is relatively simple, but the thread and hook is small, so can be a little frustrating if you're not used to working with such small things. You can find this pattern at WolfDreamer's website.

Fitness Quest Tony Little's Gazelle Freestyle Elite: Jo's review

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Pros: Easy to use, very gentle, lightweight. Cons: Must be careful on it, no resistance at all. The Bottom Line: If you want a simple to use and very gently on your joints inexpensive piece this will do the trick. Just be careful, please. Tony Little has come out with some popular and simple pieces of equipment. I reviewed Tony Little’s Gazelle Freestyle Elite on epinions and a few months later the Edge Glide. (Let me know if you want me to post them here.) Tony Little’s products are made by Fitness Quest. There are about 15 different models of Gazelles. Various stores request various machines. The Xtreme is $130 on Amazon The Xtreme, its technology and how it works:: The closest machine I can compare the Xtreme to is a simple version of an elliptical machine in its movement. However an elliptical machine usually has levels that allow the pedals to raise and lower. Tony’s XTreme does not. On it I glide back and forth. Looking at the Xtreme it doesn’t look much different

Crochet a Christmas or anytime stocking for your furbaby

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How cute is this? Change the colors for various holidays. This doggie stocking is easy to crochet and is a great way to make friends with pets when you are a guest in their home. Project Number: LW2697 Designed By: Michele Wilcox Skill Level: Easy Category: Crochet Project Type: Seasonal Supplies: RED HEART® Super Saver®: 1 skein each 624 Tea Leaf A, 319 Cherry Red B, and 316 Soft White C. Crochet Hook: 5mm [US Size H-8]. Yarn needle. Size: Stocking measures 13½” long. Gauge/Tension: GAUGE: 10 sts = 3”; 12 rows = 3” in sc. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size hook/needles to obtain the gauge. Find the downloadable free pattern here.

Freekeh with Brussels Sprouts, Apple, Dried Cranberries, Honey & Pomegranate

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Freekeh with Brussels Sprouts, Apple, Dried Cranberries, Honey & Pomegranate  This is a great recipe. The article starts like this: When Freekehlicious approached me about a professional collaboration featuring this ancient grain, Freekeh,  I said yes without a shred of hesitation. What better way to celebrate this ancient grain with fall/winter seasonal ingredients on this momentous occasion, Thanksgivukkah ! This hybrid of Chanukah and Thanksgiving holiday comes around only once in a lifetime. This year the first day of Chanukah falls on Thursday, November 28, 2013, Thanksgiving. Next time these two holidays will collide will be in 77,798 years.

Holiday centerpieces & tablescapes

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You can find detailed instructions on how to make this by clicking this link.  Fall leaf mantle arrangements can be found here. Find out how to make a beautiful Christmas tablescape . For Hanukkah change the colors.