My Pinterest-Inspired Successes and Flops

I admit that I am a latecomer to Pinterest.  I heard people talking about it for years before I decided to check it out for myself, but once I did, I fell in love.  Suddenly I was able to glance at hundreds of images of food, decorations, furniture, clothes, hairstyles, and so much more without picking up a magazine at the store.  Ideas and inspirations were at my fingertips to look at any time of the day, and I could gather them in my own personal collection to go back to over and over again.  It was amazing!

It took me about a year before I started to look for fellow pinners and friends on Pinterest.  It took me even longer than that to actually try to recreate these inspirations at my own house.  Once I did, I discovered that some things are much harder to make than they look, even with the detailed instructions that some of the linked sites give.  Looking at Pinterest left me excited and inspired.  Actually doing some of the things on Pinterest often leaves me feeling frustrated and discouraged.

I ventured into even newer territory after I began blogging and pinning my own photos on Pinterest several months ago.  I am still learning the nuances of the many facets of this form of social media; it is both fun and challenging.  I thought I'd put myself out there and share with you some of my Pinterest-inspired activities, some of which worked great and others that kind of flopped.  You'll recognize some of the successes because I often blogged about them.  Others I didn't discuss until now.  Finally, some are just in that gray area of not turning out as nice as the pins but they weren't total disasters either.

Relative Successes:

Nutella Crunch Ice Cream Cake made for my daughter's pink zebra birthday party---not as pretty as the pin, but still delicious!  Pinterest recipe can be found at www.afamilyfeast.com/nutella-crunch-ice-cream-cake/.

Lego Slime made at our son's Lego birthday party---a blast to make and fun to play with.  I will say this stuff is very difficult to get out of clothes or rugs even though vinegar is supposed to remove it.  Recipe and tips at lemonlineadventures.com/simple-lego-slime/.

Lego napkin and plasticware holders that our sons made for a birthday party.  This and other Lego party ideas can be found at sillyhappysweet.blogspot.com/2013/04/lego-birthday-party-ideas.html.

Porches decorated for autumn.  There were many pictures I pinned, but one of my favorites is at www.shelterness.com/15-thanksgiving-front-porch-decorating-ideas/.

Using a chalkboard for seasonal porch displays.  I've had this old blackboard lying around the house from our days of homeschooling preschoolers.  This inspiration came from cottageintheoaks.com/2014/10/autumn-front-porch-ideas-2014/.

These Owl Healthy Snacks were actually made for an owl-themed party.  I used pumpkin spice cookie butter instead of peanut butter on the mini bagels, so they're not as healthy as they could be.  I pinned this idea from daisiesandpie.co.uk/easy-school-day-breakfast-ideas/.

There is one more success item I want to mention, but I didn't get a photograph of it.  It is a Melted Olaf treat (Greek yogurt) for a Frozen themed birthday.  I made about 20 of these for my six year-old daughter's class at school last May.  Some of the boys were disappointed that I didn't bring in cupcakes, but most of the children loved them.  The picture and recipe can be found here: www.getcreativejuice.com/2014/06/frozen-party-ideas-birthday.html.

Not Exactly Successes, But Not Total Disasters Either

Cute baby goat/farm pictures.  We do have a lot of cute farm pictures, especially of goat kids with my kiddos.  However, I saw this nice preppy picture on Pinterest of Sarah Vickers and Kiel James Patrick holding goat kids (www.bloglovin.com/blogs/classy-girls-wear-pearls-3394709/hope-goats-2809094327,) and I thought how wonderful it would be to get some shots like that on our farm.  That never happens!  Our goats nibble your hair, get cud on your jackets, and leave hoof prints all over your clothes.  You can forget about a beautiful, preppy picture.

Lego Fruit Tray that started out looking pretty good.  I still couldn't stack these fruits the way they were in the Pinterest photo.  Everything wanted to fall off and roll around.  Plus, the maraschino cherries started "bleeding" all over the tray, as did the strawberries.  We ate it quickly before it made more of a mess.  The display found at burntapple.com/2014/02/23/lego-movie-birthday-party-ideas/ looks much better.  Now that I see it again, I notice that they didn't use strawberries or cherries, so that's my mistake.  I tried to use up what we had in our refrigerator.

Hairstyles for Over 40.  Every time I get my hair cut now I take along my tablet with Pinterest pins to show the hairdresser.  This last time I was going for a Diane Keaton look, whom I love.  I actually kind of like how my hair turned out, but it definitely doesn't look like this photo of the actress: pophaircuts.com/hairstyles-for-women-over-40/2014-medium-hairstyles-for-women-over-40.

Complete Disasters

Fall Leaf Candle Holders.  You may recall my attempt at creating these with dried leaves, ModPodge, and Mason jars.  I still don't know what I did wrong, but this did not turn out at all.  After spending half an hour or longer trying to get these leaves to stick to the jars, we just had a big sticky mess all over the picnic table.  They were supposed to look like this: www.sparkandchemistry.com/blog/leaf-mason-jar-candle-holder.

One Room Interval Training.  Jumping into high-intensity exercise at the age of 40-something with an umbilical hernia was not a good idea.  The above photo was taken for a blogpost back in June when I was actually recovering from surgery.  Last spring I got the bright idea to follow this schedule that I found on Pinterest.  It involved jumping jacks, high knees, butt kickers, and squat jumps.  It also included some things I had never heard of during the ten years I taught aerobics a couple of decades ago.  Things like burpees, inchworms, star jumps, and mountain climbers.  I looked them up on Youtube to see how to do them, and then I got the bright idea to try them all out myself---with no warm-up.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, I already had a hernia.  The next morning my insides did not feel like they had before.  Things did not feel...quite right.  A few weeks later when I saw a surgeon about my gallstones, I discovered that I also had an umbilical hernia.  I am certain that my evening of trying this intense workout found on Pinterest did not help.  Definitely not anyone's fault but my own.  It was me still thinking I could act like a 25 year-old who hadn't given birth to six children and was still in fantastic shape.  If you are in good condition and want to give it a try, the workout can be found at backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/34643249382/high-intensity-interval-training-in-the-comfort-of.

I have no doubt there will be more Pinterest attempts of mine that will fall under this failed category.

Over the next two months, I have a few pins I would like to create.  

1. There are these cute Gourd Candles I want to put on our Thanksgiving table: rainbowdelicious.com/friendsgiving/.  (You have to scroll down through the food pictures to get to the candles.)   

2. This Cheese/Salami/Cracker Tray in the shape of a turkey looks too fun to resist trying: alsothatsit.blogspot.com/2013/11/cheese-tray-turkey-as-promised.html.

3. And I'm fairly certain these Pumpkin Spice Smoothies are in our future too: deliciouslysprinkled.com/pumpkin-spice-smoothie/.

To any of you readers whose link might have found its way here, Thank You for the inspiration---even if my result didn't turn out nearly as well as yours.

To all you fellow Pinterest lovers, may you have a week of Happy Pinning!

Blessings in Disguise

     Over the past two weeks, almost everyone in our seven person household has been sick with fevers, sore throats, headaches, and horrible sounding coughs.  Children have missed school, fall parties and birthday parties, trick-or-treating, various lessons, and a field trip.  I have had to bow out of volunteering responsibilities at the school and Mass attendance to stay home with little ones and to nurse my own annoying symptoms.  One of our sons is being treated for pneumonia, and one of our daughters is waiting for an upcoming doctor's appointment to rule out possible bronchitis.  We have come home from the pharmacy numerous times with bags full of cold and flu medicines, pain relievers and fever reducers, cough syrups, and every brand and flavor of throat lozenges.  We've also gone through our fair share of herbal teas, vitamin C-rich fruits and juices, and herbal immune-boosting supplements for myself.  For some, we've had to resort to antibiotics to fight this thing. Needless to say, I'm not getting much accomplished other than tending to the needs of my children.

     At this time of year, we all get busy as we gear up for the holidays with decorating, entertaining, shopping, and cooking/baking.  It can be very frustrating to have to put those things on hold due to illness that hits one family member after another.  But this is also the time of year to give thanks and to count our blessings.  The past few weeks have brought nights of interrupted sleep for us all with children coughing and running fevers and needing medicine around the clock.  Schedules are constantly being rearranged to accommodate trips to the doctor and to ensure that an adult is always at home with those who need care.  I am "on-call" at all times as I check temperatures, administer medicine, bring juice and tea, and read lots of stories.  These weeks have reminded me of the many years I had a house full of babies and toddlers who woke up throughout the night and relied on me to fulfill all their needs because they were too young to do so.  I spent so many hours with little ones in my lap as I cuddled, comforted, and read to them.  It was an exhausting time, but it was also a special time that we will never have again.

     So even though I am sorry that my children are not feeling well and have missed out on some fun activities the past couple of weeks, I am finding the blessings.  At a time of year that is usually busy, busy, busy we have been forced to adopt a much slower and simpler pace.  Instead of doing and going, we are at home just being.  I am once again cuddling, comforting, and reading to children.  I am taking care of others and myself.  We are resting and simply focusing on getting strong and well. For the most part, we are inside together as a family instead of going in many different directions throughout the day.   For these reasons, even if they're not the circumstances I would have chosen, I am thankful.

Happy All Hallows Eve!

There is a lot of excitement at our farmhouse today.  We try to remind the little ones that Halloween is really All Hallows Eve as we get ready to celebrate All Saints' Day tomorrow and remember All Souls' Day on Monday.  Our house is filled with a flurry of activities this morning and afternoon, and our children are eagerly anticipating trick-or-treating tonight.

Our daughter made the last of the pumpkin spice jack-o-lantern candy.  I know the last thing we need today is more candy, but when else am I going to use these molds?

We baked caramel apple cupcakes and decorated some of them with caramel frosting.  When we ran out, we used up some leftover maple spice frosting for the remainder.

The children and their dad carved jack-o-lanterns.  I photographed.

Although, they mostly designed and carved the pumpkins themselves.  Yes, that is a nail sticking out of the one.  There is also a Minecraft creeper etched into the back of another.

Pumpkin seeds are currently being cleaned and roasted in the oven.  Only my husband has the patience to separate all the goo from the seeds.

I've been reading our Halloween books to our six year-old daughter.  She decorated the pumpkin and named it Norbert.

Some of us are just hanging out.

Have a safe and happy Halloween/All Hallows Eve!

October Family Traditions

October is such a fun month.  Nights are cooler, but it still gets warm enough to enjoy the outdoors during the day.  All of nature turns the most brilliant warm, fall colors, and there seems to be a plethora of activities and events to participate in.  Just as we have our summer traditions on and around our farm, we also have our annual fall traditions, and most of them occur in the month of October.

We visit farms and orchards, sometimes as a family and sometimes on school field trips.  At this orchard, first graders got a tour and were able to fill a bag with their pick of apples to take home.

We usually get to go on at least one chilly hayride in October.  I grew up going on hayrides in the fall, bundling up and often sipping hot cocoa on the way.  Our children still love these and never seem to grow tired of them.

Sometimes our hayrides occur at a local corn maze.  This particular farm has a different theme each year, and this fall it was set up as The Hundred Acre Woods from Winnie the Pooh.  As we walked---or should I say, ran---through the maze, the children had to stop at various spots to find a clue that would lead them to the end and tell them whose birthday it was.

Sometimes the clue simply informed you that you hadn't solved the mystery and must continue on.

This farm also has games, play areas, face painting, food and hot cider, a dark maze, pedal carts, and a pumpkin patch.

It even had these creative little tractor pull rides that our teenage son and other adolescent friends squeezed themselves into.  My kids never seem to outgrow this place.

Our family loves all things pumpkin, so it is our tradition in October to try as many new pumpkin products as we can find.  I think there are more this year than I've ever seen.  Last week we found Kellogg's Pumpkin Spice Frosted Mini-Wheats, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookie Butter, and the adults enjoyed the Pennsylvania Brewing Company's Pumpkin Roll Ale.

We couldn't get through the month of October without my baking at least one batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  Now that my oven is repaired and working again, I have no excuse, so I'd better get to making some more this week before the month is over.

I don't know if other areas of the country have "turkey shoots," but here in the Allegheny Mountains they're kind of a big deal.  They don't actually shoot at turkeys, but they use shotguns to shoot at targets, and the top three participants win eggs (third place), potatoes (second place), or a big frozen turkey (the grand prize.)

My husband and our eldest two sons went down to the nearby Sportsman's Club to give this a try.  Last year was the first fall that we did this, but I think it is now a part of our fall traditions because...

...our 22 year-old son made the best shot and won us a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner!  I have to admit that during all the years I lived in suburbia I never heard of a turkey shoot.  There were foxhunts in the local public woods every year, but you needed the proper gear---namely, a horse---for that.  For the turkey shoots, you simply come with your shotgun, ammunition, and $20 to participate, and you might go home with free food.  Mostly, it gives the locals an excuse to hang out, shoot guns, and eat.

Although the younger children can't participate in the turkey shoot, everyone gathers on and around our king-size bed to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

I remember eagerly anticipating the airing of this movie, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and The Wizard of Oz when I was a girl.  Now that we own them on DVD and video, it's not quite as exciting, but we try to wait until October each year to watch them.  I still love to snuggle up with my kiddos to watch all the classic Peanuts Gang movies.

Our teenagers are starting their own October traditions as they are now attending costume parties and dances with their classmates and friends.

Naturally, carving jack-o-lanterns is one of our traditions this month.  We still need to carve our pumpkins this year.  The above photo is actually from last October when we were fighting off our loose goats who kept sticking their heads in our hollowed out pumpkins to eat the seeds and pulp.

Our October traditions will be completed on Halloween night when we go trick-or-treating.  We live so far out in the middle of nowhere that no one comes to our house to trick-or-treat.  We either have to go with friends who live in neighborhoods or walk through the streets of the nearest little town.  Personally, I wouldn't mind giving up this tradition since I'm not in favor of all the candy the children get and want to devour immediately, but they still love it too much.  I just do my best to ration the candy, which means it's still on top of the refrigerator where they can't reach it until Christmas or my husband and I pick out the best chocolate and eat it when they aren't looking.  Unfortunately, that latter option works against my attempts to keep my waistline from expanding.  

What annual October traditions do you and your family share?

Feelings of Gratitude

I have been given a week of numerous blessings, and I am bursting with feelings of immense joy and gratitude that I want to share.

Our 22 year old son came to visit from South Carolina this week, and he brought his little fluffy friend with him.

The middle part of the week brought warm days with temperatures around 70 degrees.

The children were out of school for several days due to parent/teacher conferences and an inservice, which meant we were able to spend these warm days together outdoors.  Reports from teachers were very positive, and our children have adapted to their new school quite well.

Amidst the autumn colors everywhere, there were these rare patches of bright green that stood out dramatically.

This little guy stood out noticeably too.

Many of these photos were taken by my teen daughter who was photographing and videotaping with her phone, sometimes unbeknownst to me.  Did I ever mention how grateful I am for yoga pants?

This is the view from the bridge on our lane which I get to see every day on my way to and from the mailbox, and I am eternally grateful for being fortunate enough to live here.

On Friday, the sky was the most vibrant shade of blue I have ever seen.

The golden yellow leaves were spectacular against the backdrop of that blue sky, and I am so grateful for the autumn colors we experience up here in the northeastern mountains.

I am grateful for sweet little boys and smelly beagles who are nearly impossible to walk on a leash.

On a "not-so-preppy" afternoon, our children shot arrows, bbs, and even threw a tomahawk at homemade targets in our backyard.  Our 10 year-old son even made his own bow that works remarkably well.  I am grateful for being able to live out in the country where our kids can be kids and not have to worry about neighbors or neighborhood ordinances.

We took our grown son and his fiancee to dinner at a quaint, locally-owned, country restaurant, and I am grateful for the time with them and for the fact that all of our children are now old enough to sit for several hours in a restaurant without a tote full of activities to keep them entertained.

Most of all, I have immense gratitude for being blessed with this large, loving, beautiful family with whom I get the privilege of sharing all these other blessings.

May you all have a lovely weekend full of people and places that fill your hearts with gratitude.

Oh for the Love of Pumpkin!

I can never get enough of pumpkin this time of year.  I'll be cooking and baking with it from now until Christmas.  I shared with you the recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins in a prior post, and it can be found HERE.  Below are a few of our other favorite pumpkin dishes.  Now I just need to get my broken oven repaired or replaced.  That is definitely messing up my autumn "To Do" list.

Pumpkin Pancakes

In a large bowl mix all of the following ingredients: 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup mashed pumpkin, 

1 3/4 cups of baking/biscuit mix, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 cup vegetable oil.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a hot greased griddle or cast iron skillet.  When bubbles appear on top, flip pancakes over.  Serve with maple syrup and butter.

Pumpkin Cobbler

Mix all of the following ingredients together: (1) 28 ounce can pumpkin, 1 large can evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Pour this into a 9x13 cake pan.  Spread 1 box of a yellow cake mix on top of all the ingredients.  Slice 2 cubes of butter on top of cake mix.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.  This is really a hit around the holidays.  It's a nice break from the traditional pumpkin pies, but you still get the festive pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

For the filling, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 6 ounces of softened cream cheese, and 1/4 cup softened butter.  Beat smooth and set aside.  Then for the cake, beat 3 eggs on high for at least 5 minutes.  Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.  Stir in 2/3 can pumpkin and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.  In a separate bowl, sift together 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Fold the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.  Generously grease a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with a rim.  Sprinkle well with flour.  Spread batter in pan; then sprinkle nuts evenly over top.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Turn the cake onto a terry dish towel that's been sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake up together.  Cool.  Unroll and spread with filling.  Roll up cake without towel.  Wrap in plastic wrap; chill.  Slice and serve.  *I know this sounds a bit time-consuming and complicated, but after making it once, you'll find it's not that bad.  Just wait till you and your family taste it.  This is probably our absolute favorite pumpkin dessert.