Boyce Thompson State Park

While looking at pictures this morning, I had forgotten about this little spur-of-the-moment activity my husband and I did. About three years ago this week, we took our son up to his first year of college at Eastern Arizona College. My time flies! Anyway, on the way back down to the valley, my husband had this hair-brained idea to suddenly stop off at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park which is located near the historic copper mining town of Superior, roughly about 55 miles east of Phoenix. I wasn't happy about going there after helping move my son into his dorm(I was tired)and mainly 'cause it was really hot and humid out. Oh well, he won out. While we've never been there it actually was a nice experience to take our own personal tour without tour guides despite almost dying of thirst and killing over! The area was peaceful and quiet with beautiful plants, flowers and trees. So here's some pictures that we took while we were there.

Above is a picture of me on a bridge crossing a dry creek (how I wish there was water in it, I would have jumped in). Above on my main page there is a picture of some of the trees in the Arboretum. They were absolutely beautiful! To the right is a picture of my husband in the Cactus Garden. With a living collection of over 800 kinds of cacti, the Arboretum has become a center for the study of this family of desert plants. Most of the 800 species are displayed in the Cactus Garden. No, we didn't tour all of the 800 species thank goodness. Cacti are inseparably linked with the Sonoran Desert landscape; their many sizes and bizarre shapes may go far beyond our mental image of a typical cactus. There are skyscraper saguaros; paddle-shaped prickly pears; twisted, tree-like chollas; diminutive pincushions; globular barrels; and squat, branched hedgehogs. The Boyce Thompson hedgehog cactus was first identified at the Arboretum.

Now that I look back on these pictures, I'm glad that we did go to the Arboretum because in reality, we probably wouldn't have come here otherwise. If you want more information on this beautiful state park click here: arboretum.ag.arizona.edu

A Recipe For A Perfect Day

I was reading a section today out of a book titled "How To Help Your Missionary" by Raymond E. Beckham about having a perfect day. All of us experience days where everything was perfect, life went well, life was wonderful. Those days stand out in our minds. Here's a bakers dozen of basic ingredients that will guarantee a perfect day, every day, if they are applied. While my son is serving a church mission, these "ingredients" can be applied to everyone in our everyday lives, no matter what your religion or beliefs. That is why I tweaked this a little.

1. Today I will adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my challenges and adjust myself accordingly.


2. Today I will strengthen my mind. I will study or read as I have time for. I will learn something new and useful.


3. Today I will solve today's problems and will not tackle my whole life's problems at once or worry about those of yesterday. Good one!


4. Today I will be happy. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." I will make up my mind to be happy and will not let anything interfere with it.


5. Today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, and I will not abuse or neglect it.


6. Today I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn and not let him know about it; I will do at least two things I do not want to do but that I should do; and I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt.


7. Today I will be agreeable. I will look as nice as I can, dress as smartly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be flattering to others, criticize no one and find fault with no one.


8. Today I will have a plan and will follow it. I will set down realistic goals and priorities, and I will accomplish every one of them.


9. Today I will spend a few moments in meditation and will pray at least morning and night.


10. Today I will be unafraid. I will have courage as I go about my activities.


11. Today I will forget myself and will do things for others. I will enjoy the spirit of sacrifice and service.


12. Today I will have a positive mental attitude. I will not be discouraged. I will look for the good in everything and goodness rather than be a reflection of the moods of others.

Photo by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Freebies-Week of August 25th

They say some things in life are free. I found a website that proves just that. Everything from entertainment to financial planning to junk mail control. We all need that now don't we? It's called Kiplinger.com and they have 30 absolutely free goods and services that they found that don't cost a thing! Just click on the Fabulous Freebies 2008 slideshow to see what's free!

Plus on Labor Day, September 1st, anyone that comes into any Chick-Fil-A store wearing anything related to football will receive a three piece chicken strip for free. So grab your favorite football team's hat and head on over to Chick–Fil-A. To find out more details go to their website http://www.cheerforchicken.com/.

My Birthday Kitchen Guests

With today being my birthday(I've been counting backwards since 30), I decided that I wanted to do something special for ME. I turned on the television and Martha Stewart just happened to be making goat cheese with one of her guests. I wanted to make SOMETHING from the kitchen too, but not goat cheese. I decided I was going to make a cake, except in my kitchen MY guest was Betty Crocker with special guest appearance by Duncan Hines. Yup, that'll do the trick. And with that being said, I quickly went to work.

1. Make sure you have all the necessary ingredients that the recipe calls for. I did and I didn't have to run to the store. Yeah!



2. Plan enough time for the cake to bake before you frost it. Leave it on the counter to cool-down.



3. Tell others in the house that this cake is off limits, until I cut it of course.

There, now I've had my Martha-esque cooking moment without all the hassle of cooking a cake from scratch! Now that's what I call sweet!

A Summer Night's Dream

There's nothing like an Arizona summer storm to listen to just before going to bed. I usually listen to a soothing massage CD to put me to sleep but not tonite! I will just go to bed with the natural sounds of Mother Nature presenting her rumble of thunder and rain rocking me to sleep. Ahhh...

5 Frugal Ways to Save for a Work-At-Home Mom

If you are a work-at-home mom with a job (besides the most important one called MOM), you can learn how to become frugal with your money. Here are five frugal ways to save money while working at home:

1. Save on clothing. You never have to get dressed in clothes for someone else to see. Work in your PJ's if you want!



2. Save on gas. With the price of gasoline you can save big here.



3. Save on daycare or babysitter expenses. This can be a major expense to most people.



4. Save on eating out for lunch. You don't have to eat out everyday during your lunch break, thereby saving even more money. Just keep your fridge stocked.



5. Save time and money by cooking meals for your family ahead of time. FrugalMom.net can show you how. Although this will take one day to do, it is worth the time for one less stress during the week at about dinner time.

You can afford to stay at home with your children if you practice frugality. It will take some practice and discipline but it can become a way of life.

Southwestern Chicken Tostada Salad

Who would have thought that you can have a salad on a tostada shell? Well I found this recipe from Pillsbury and it looked really yummy and the good thing about it, it's a unique main meal salad ready in 10 minutes! It sounded too good to be true.

Ingredients:

1 package (9 oz) frozen cooked fajita-seasoned chicken strips

4 Old El Paso tostada shells (can use any other shells too)

4 C. shredded lettuce

1/4 C. quartered pitted ripe olives

1 medium tomato, cut into thin wedges

1/2 C. ranch dressing

2 tbs Old El Paso taco sauce (can use other if you like)

1/2 C. shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

Heat chicken and tostada shells as directed on packages. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently toss lettuce, olives and tomato. In a medium bowl, mix ranch dressing and taco sauce. pour dressing mixture over salad; toss gently to coat.

Place warm tostada shells on individual plates. Spoon salad evenly onto shells; top each with warm chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Freebies-Week of August 13th

I came across a blog that is actually a search engine that you can get free digital scrapbooking layouts and supplies for free. Yes I said FREE. This site has tons of scrapbooking layouts-all on this one site! It's called DigiFree.blogspot.com There are so many beautiful layouts and designs to choose from. One can't go wrong here. Just click on the layout of your choice and it will take you to the owner's blog. From there you will be able to download it. Go see for yourself.

Summer Olympic Recipes

We all know that on 8-8-08 the Olympic ceremonies will begin. In honor of the Summer Games' host county, China, why not host your own Olympic party with guests or just have your own Olympic family dinner. Why not make it fun for all? I've found a couple of recipes that will do just that. Below is a simple and easy main dish that can be served over rice.

Olympic Chicken

Ingredients:

1/4 C rice vinegar (unseasoned)
3 tbs. soy sause
2 tbs. honey
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
8 chicken thighs, skinned (or can use breasts)
10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Handful of chopped green onions, use also the dark green part for color

Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and ginger. Heat enough oil in a large skillet until it just covers the bottom. When it's hot and shimmering, saute the chicken thighs until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn. Pour in the vinegar mixture, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until done. While the chicken is cooking, turn them a couple of times in the marinade. Once they're done, remove the cover, add the green onions, and cook for another minute or so, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve with rice. Also good with steamed green beans drizzled with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Serves 4.

And I know that we need to include an American recipe here (the kids will love this one):

Olympic Rings Desssert

Ingredients:

1 roll of prepared cookie dough (any brand)
1 container vanilla frosting
1 large bag of M&M's (any variation)
10-20 black jelly beans

Separate the red, blue, green, and yellow M&M's and the black jelly beans into their own bowls. Set aside for later. Flatten the cookie dough, and mold the dough on a cookie sheet into the chape of the Olympic rings (3 circles on top, 2 circles on the bottom). Bake the cookie dough in the oven according to directions on the dough wrapper. If the shape of the rings has somehow metamorphasized in the baking process, while the cookie is still warm, trim the rings back to the desired proportion. Once the cookie rings are cooled off, frost them completely with the vanilla frosting. Be generous so that the M&M's and jelly beans have something to sink into. The colors of the rings are blue, black, and red across the top and yellow and green on the bottom. When it is finished, you will have a replic of the Olympic rings for your Olympic party. Enjoy!

My Color-Coordinated Hang Ups!

I finally went through my basket of clothes to be ironed, and believe me, it was a stack to be reckoned with. So after tackling the Mt. Everest of a pile, I hung my clothes by like colors. It is now a pastel-filled collection of summer wear. It's a beautiful thing! I also am going to go through my shoes. "Out with the old and in with the new" I say. And speaking of shoes, there is a new store on my website called Endless.com where you can buy beautiful shoes and handbags providing the best prices, selection, and an overall shopping experience. There is free overnight shipping, free return shipping, 100% price guarantee, and 365-day returns window. Endless is THE destination for shoe lovers. Can't go wrong with this site. Check it out below!