Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Things I Love About Spring

 


There are lots of things to love about this crazy, changeable time of the year. Here are 10 of my favorites:

1. Wildflowers

Image by TexasEagle via Flickr

Here in Texas, the roadsides are covered with blankets of bluebonnets, Texas paintbrush, primroses and crimson clover. The palette changes as the season wears on and the bluebonnets yield to the black-eyed Susans, blanket flowers,  and goldenrod. I love them all...even dandelions!

2. Rain
From gentle spring showers to crashing thunderstorms, rain is one of my favorite things. Now, the humidity after the rain, that's another story.

3. Birds singing
I like to sit out on the porch early in the morning and listen and the world comes to life. There's a time when the birds begin to awaken that the morning is suddenly filled with song.

4. Open windows
I love it when it is finally warm enough to open the windows and let in the fresh air. The house needs airing out after being closed up all winter. There's a good reason for the saying "like a breath of fresh air".

5. Baby animals
Everywhere you look there are signs of new life. Every field is sporting calves or lambs or baby goats. The chirping of baby birds are evident. We have seen the local ducks laying eggs all over the place and are looking forward to seeing some downy ducklings soon, too.

6. Little girls in Easter dresses
Image by wesbolton via FlickrAt church last weekend, everyone was in their Easter finery, but the little girls who were dressed up were running and telling everyone to look at their pretty dresses. It was like little princesses everywhere.

7. Little boys in ties
My youngest son was so excited waiting for Easter to come because he just got his first necktie. He was absolutely adorable in it.

8. Easter pageants and programs
I was moved to tears by the one at my church. Sometimes we forget just how great the sacrifice was.

9. Sunshine
Just like in the Itsy, Bitsy Spider, the sun comes out and dries up all the rain.

10. Green
The new leaves on the trees are a vibrant, almost lime green. The new grass is peeking out. The basil on my windowsill is growing like crazy. Everywhere you look, something is green and growing.

Image via Wikipedia

What do you love most about Spring?

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Pioneer Woman Recipes I'm Aching to Try

I love to visit the Pioneer Woman's site. It's loaded with beautiful pictures and hilarious stories, but the things that attracts me the most is the recipe section. Step-by-step instructions paired with incredible photos makes the recipes come alive. I have so many of them on my list to make it's ridiculous. I hope her next book is The Pioneer Woman Diet, so I can learn her secret, because I would weigh 400 pounds if I ate all the stuff she talks about eating. Here are the next ten things I'd like to make off the website:

1. Baked Lemon Pasta

Oh, the lemon and the garlic and the sour cream. A nice salad, some crusty bread and maybe a little grilled chicken thrown on top. I can taste it in my head. Really!

2. Buttered Rosemary Rolls

I love rolls and these sound heavenly. I haven't even tried them yet and I'm already concocting different variations of the basic recipe.

3. Chicken Spaghetti

My grandmother made chicken spaghetti and I have been craving it. This recipe looks amazing. Cheesy. Creamy. Comfort food.

4.  Simple Perfect Enchiladas

 I love enchiladas of all kinds. I love green chile ones and sour cream chicken ones and spinach ones and ...well, you get the idea. I'm anxious to try these with their homemade sauce and black olives. Oh my.

5. French Breakfast Puffs

The last time I had French Breakfast Puffs, I was in home ec class freaking out because my teacher gave us this recipe and gave the other groups in my class regular muffins of different varieties. We were marked down because they were too buttery. Is that possible? Where is Paula Deen when you need her? Anyway, despite all that, I thought they were wonderful little buttery, sugary things. I need to make these soon.

6. Hyacinth's Everything Cookies

Why don't I have the kind of friends that show up and make heavenly stuff in my kitchen? Oh well. I'll just have to do it myself. Cookies with cranberries and apricots? Oh yeah.

7. The Marlboro Man Sandwich

The Marlboro Man loves it and I'm pretty sure thecooldad would too. Just sayin'.

8. My Most Favorite Burger Ever. For Now.

Juicy beef and blue cheese. Wow. The only thing I'm gonna' do differently is use a multi-grain bun. That will be perfect.

9. Onion Strings

I wonder if there could be any correlation between my intense craving for fried food and the fact that I've been on a low-fat diet. Hmm.

10. The Pioneer Woman's Favorite Sandwich

Multiple kinds of cheese and Hatch green chiles on seeded rye. I'm not sure about the Grey Poupon though, but I would try it. Worst case scenario, I substitute spicy brown mustard.

There you have it. Of course, I had to leave behind Sesame Noodles and Pioneer Woman's Favorite Salad and lots of other stuff. What I need is a Pioneer Woman buffet, so I can try a bite of this and a bite of that.

For some great top ten lists, be sure to visit Oh Amanda.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Beautiful Blogs (Eye Candy!)

A thing of beauty is a joy forever--John Keats 

I love to read and look at design blogs. While my own house is decorated with an eye toward kid-proof and easy care,  I find it refreshing to look at houses that are a delight to behold. Anything from way-out-of-my-price-range mansions to easy DIY will do. Here are ten of my favorites, in no particular order.

1. Porchlight Interiors

This Australian site has amazing photos of exotic locales. Be sure to catch the vacation spot in the Maldives (the blue water, the glass floor, sigh) along with lovely pictures of hotels, resorts and beautiful homes. It's also interesting to see what the styles are like on the other side of the world.

2. High Heeled Foot in the Door

The blog of an interior designer just starting out. It's fun to watch the development of her career and interesting to have someone treading that middle ground between the amateur decorator and the all-knowing professional. Sprinkled with DIY projects, before-and-afters, and insights on color and style.

3. French Kissed

According to the About page, "French Kissed is a design philosophy for people with big ideas and small budgets".  It's a wonderful place to train the eye to see the possibilities. Don't miss the photo tours in the sidebar. Gorgeousness all around!

4. Decor to Adore

A professional interior designer in Phoenix, AZ, Laura Ingalls Gunn, wants to share beauty with the world. Be sure and check out her ideas for lightening your decor for the summer months and her Oprah audition. I'm inspired by her creative space outfitted for only $15. Wow!

5. House of Turquoise

Part of the Decor by Color blogs. Explore all the different ways the different shades of turquoise can be used in your decor. Not a fan of turquoise? Scroll down and look at the right sidebar to find the blog featuring the color of your choice. How about purple or black and white?

6. The Jewel Box Home

This is probably the one that I have been reading the longest. It's all about making a smaller home beautiful. Genevieve lived in and decorated an 1800 square foot home with her husband and two sons for more than 15 years, so she knows whereof she speaks.

7. Cote de Texas

This is what happens when an interior designer living in Houston has French decor in her heart. Joni Webb also writes for The Skirted Roundtable, along with Megan of Beach Bungalow 8 and Linda of ::Surroundings. (Did you see how I just managed to sneak in those extra links?) In accordance with its Texas roots, Cote de Texas encourages thinking big. Good thing, because I'm now trying to figure out how to raise $24, 500,000. Just kidding... sort of.

8. The Inspired Room

Melissa is a design consultant, mom of 3 and a pastor's wife (wonder what she does in her free time?). The mission statement of this beautiful blog is "to inspire women to create an authentic home they LOVE and for their home to inspire their life." I love it!

9. Between Naps on the Porch

If you like inspiring pictures of things you could actually do, this is the place. Metamorphosis Monday and Tablescape Thursdays will keep you busy with so many ideas you won't know what to do. There aren't enough hours in the week for me to keep up with all the linked posts on those days, but it sure is fun to try! And then there's awesome content on the days in between. Maybe I could give up sleep.

10. 320 Sycamore

Named for the old Granville house in It's a Wonderful Life, Melissa's blog is about seeing the charm in your house and bringing it out. This SAHM has lots of great and easily accomplished ideas. Be sure to check out the "under $10, under 1 hour" projects and "little makeovers".

I had a really hard time limiting this to only 10 (and failed as you can see from #7. There are so many beautiful and inspiring blogs out there. To find many more, look at the blogs the above blogs follow and link to. Happy viewing!

For more terrific top 10 lists, visit Oh Amanda.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Cool Thoughts to Beat the Heat

The weatherman says it's going to be 98 degrees today with a heat index of 102. Temperatures like that can make even the normally heat-resistant thecoolmom start to melt. I need some chilly thoughts to counter the heat.  Here are some of the things I'm pondering to keep my cool.

1. Barton Springs

It's always cool in Barton Springs in Austin, TX. The water is a chilly 68 degrees year round. Way cool! I wish I was there.

2. Popsicles

Yeah. I know. Sugar, artificial colors and artificial flavors. But oh, so cold and refreshing. If you are too virtuous for popsicles, go get some fruit bars.

3. Snow cones

While they have all the same faults as the above item, they are a great way to cool you down from the inside out. Actually, I get the clear coconut ones so I eliminate the artificial coloring. There. I'm feeling more virtuous already.

4. Snow (without the cones)

Ok. You have the North and South poles, some really high mountains, and it is winter in the southern hemisphere. There's bound to be snow somewhere.

5. Estes Park. Colorado

We went to Estes Park several years ago when we were setting a new record for the number of 100 degree days here. When we left Texas, it was 105. When we got to Estes, the natives were all fanning themselves because it was a balmy 85. Someone flipped out when I told them of the 20 degree differential. By the way, the forecast says a high of 73 there tomorrow.

6. Lemonade

It's a classic for staying cool. That's because it works. To take it up another notch, add a sprig of mint.

7. Lemonade Pie

It's cold and lemony and creamy. Mmm. Click the picture for a recipe.

8. Sprinklers

You may feel like a child running through the sprinklers, but desperate times call for desperate measures. If it gets any hotter, we may all be sitting in a plastic kiddie pool in the shade

9. Watermelon

This must be eaten ice-cold. I like to send the kids outside with a wedge of watermelon so the drips are out there instead of my kitchen floor. For best results, eat watermelon and then run through the sprinklers.

10. Eat Spicy Foods

There's a good reason why the hottest foods on the planet are native to the tropical areas of the world. Hot, spicy foods make you sweat. Think back to science class. How does the body cool itself? That's right class. The body sweats and evaporation cools the body. So, if you eat foods that make you sweat more...

I hope you've enjoyed my list and are staying cool. What are some of your favorite ways to beat the heat?

For more fun top ten lists, visit Oh Amanda

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Favorite Read-Alouds

When you have 10 kids, you get lots of opportunity to read books to kids. These are some of our favorites from down through the years.

1. The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake by Nancy Willard

This is a charming story about a daughter trying to make her mother a birthday cake. It's a special cake from her mother's childhood, but has a secret ingredient no one knows. The illustrations are great.

2. Adventures in the Big Thicket by Ken Gire

Adventures in the Big Thicket is a fun story that takes place in the Big Thicket area of East Texas. I read this one making up voices for all the different animals, which of course have distinctive accents.

3. Alexander and the Magic Mouse by Martha Sanders

This is a favorite book from my childhood that I love sharing with my children. It's the story of The Old Lady, her Magical Mouse, a Brindle London Squatting Cat, a Yak, and Alexander, the smiling alligator who live together in the house on the hill




4. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema


This is the story of Kipat, a young boy charged with watching the herds. It's a time of drought, but Kipat figures out a way to change the weather. I've read this one so many times, I can recite most of it from memory. It has an easy sing-song rhythm to it that makes it a pleasure to read and to hear.




5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett


Long before the goofy movie of the same title, there was this book, the story of the town of Chewandswallow and their unusual weather that brings food instead of rain and snow.






6. A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno


We first encountered this one years ago when we were doing Five in a Row. We stopped using the curriculum, but the books stuck with us. A couple of my kids mentioned this one as a favorite. A little Japanese girls gets a shiny new pair of red clogs and soon gets herself into trouble. I think kids identify with Mako, the little girl, because delight in a new pair of shoes is pretty universal. I know I still get excited!




7. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman


Another FIAR book. This one tells the story of making an apple pie, which necessitates traveling all over the world to gather the ingredients. It's a neat way to show where things come from. Be sure to catch the sequel, How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA.







8. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak


Where the Wild Things Are is the classic story of Max, who gets sent to bed without supper and the adventures that ensue once he gets to his room. It's a Caldecott Medal winner, so you know the illustrations are wonderful.







9. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney


Miss Rumphius, an American Book Award winner, tells the story of Alice Rumphius as she goes from a little girl to an elderly lady. When she was young, her grandfather advised her that in order to live a good life, she had to "do something to make the world more beautiful." She spends her life trying to figure out how to do that until she hits upon a plan that transforms her surroundings.



10. In His Steps by Charles Sheldon


Okay, this one is a bit unusual in that it's not a kids' book, but we did this as a family read-aloud over the course of a couple of weeks several years ago. We thoroughly enjoyed the book and it fueled many great discussions. In fact, I'm thinking it's about time to repeat it with the younger crowd.

The book traces the story of a group of volunteers who pledged for a year to do nothing without first asking themselves "What Would Jesus Do?" and trying to follow that lead. If you ever wondered where "WWJD" originated, this is it.


That brings me to the end of my list. The hardest part was limiting it to only ten. We are a book-loving family and the list could have gone on for far too long. What books do you like to read to your kids or like having read to you when you were a kid?

For more great top ten lists, be sure to visit Oh Amanda.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Terrific Things About Summer

1. School's Out!
In the past we've done school pretty much year-round, but the last few years we had to stop because I have kids going to camp at different times and one or two interning for the summer. Now I have a two month break to plan and dream and purchase curriculum.

2. Lemonade
Not that nasty powdered stuff or even the artificially sweetened, artificially colored stuff in a bottle. I'm talking the real-deal, perfect combination of tart and sweet that quenches thirst like nothing else.

3. Popsicles
Be a kid again. Eat them fast to prevent drips. Cherry, lime, grape, orange, banana...What's your favorite?

4. Long Days
Hopefully, the longer period of sunshine is being used for fun, but even work is nicer when the sun is shining.

5. Eating outdoors
Summer is the time of picnics and cookouts. What is it about eating in the great outdoors? I don't know, but it's special enough that my kids will ask if they can take a peanut butter sandwich and go sit out on the porch to eat it. And almost nothing tops the smell of food cooking on a grill.

6. Fireworks on the 4th of July
Whether a huge commercial display or occasional flashes of light appearing over rooftops, I love fireworks. I never really cared for shooting them off myself though. The ultimate for me is fireworks combined with music displayed over water like in Austin and Boston.

7.Playing in the water
Beaches, lakes, pools, sprinklers...take your pick. Whether you're surfing, swimming, sailing, tubing, wading in a creek, or running through a sprinkler, a great way to escape the heat of summer is to get wet.

8. Summer nights
Fireflies and stargazing. "Nough said.

9. Ice cream
You can pick up a carton or cone just about anywhere and cool off in a hurry. Anyone else remember homemade ice cream on the porch with a little kid sitting on the freezer while everyone took turns cranking until only the strongest men could turn it? That's still the best.

10. Vacation
Whether you're going on vacation to some exotic locale or major sightseeing spot, or doing a staycation and exploring your local area, this is a time for fun and hopefully relaxation. The number one vacation mistake is scheduling so much in that you need a rest when you get back.

To see other fun top 10 lists, be sure to visit oh Amanda.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten More Ways to Feel Like A Child Again

I finished my list last week and started thinking of other things I should have added. My solution? Make another top ten list of course!

1. Make a whistle from a blade of grass
Do kids do this anymore? If not, find a kid and teach him or her how to do it.

2. Feed the ducks
Gather up that stale bread or popcorn or crackers and head to the nearest duck pond. You'll be amply rewarded with grateful quacking. Be sure to look for feathers on the ground while you're there.

3. Dig in the dirt
Come on. You know you want to. Okay, you can act like a grownup and plant something sensible in the hole you dig if you want to.

4. Go find a pretty rock
I like the sparkly ones myself. How about you?

5. Lay on your back and look at the stars
Remind yourself of the magnitude of the universe. A blanket to lay on is optional.

6. Find a rainbow
Go outside after the rain and look around to see if you can find one.

7. Dream about what you would do if you found the pot of gold at the end.
I know you would really pay off the bills, but it's your daydream. Go crazy!

8. Take a nap
Pretend to protest for a few minutes and then lay down and recharge your batteries.

9. Have cookies and milk
What else would you do right after your nap?

10. Make a daisy chain OR a leaf boat
Nature crafts at their finest. I was always better at making the boats for some reason.

Okay. I'm stopping there, even though I haven't even gotten to chasing butterflies or catching frogs or... well, never mind. I hope you are having a great week!

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Ways to Feel Like A Child Again

Something about the warm sunshine and fresh breezes of spring brings out the child in us all. Here are some ways to give into it!


1. Splash in a puddle
If you're still having warm spring rains, why not make the most of them? A suitable alternative would be wading in a creek. :)

2. Squish your toes in the mud
Once the rain is over, there will be mud everywhere. Kick off your shoes and have at it.

3. Eat an ice pop
Yeah, it's just sugar and water and some artificial flavor and color on a stick, but it's magical.

4. Squirt someone with a water gun
I'm not talking about one of those fancy drench-you-with-one-pump. I'm talking about one of those little cheapie plastic ones like you had when you where a kid.

5. Pick some wildflowers
Why wait for your kids to bring you a short-stemmed bouquet? Make one of your own.

6. Whistle a happy tune or a perfectly aimless one
As Lauren Bacall said in To Have and Have Not, "You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow." Give it a go!

7. Catch a ladybug and let it go again
They are fascinating to watch, but let them fly away again to do their job of eating your garden nasties.

8. Catch some fireflies
Popular with kids way before the members of Owl City were conceived, fireflies are lots of fun. Grab a canning jar and go after them. Tell your adult mind that you're getting an aerobic workout while chasing them. :)

9. Watch the squirrels play chase and jump from tree to tree
Try not to think about how the pesky things try to get into your attic, and enjoy their antics with fresh eyes.

10. Befriend a bird or two
Whether you stake out the hummingbird feeder, the bird bath or go looking for birds' nests in the trees, have a little fun with your feathered friends. Marvel at the colors and grace.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Ten Ways to Welcome Spring

The sun is shining. The wildflowers are blooming. It's Spring and this is how I like to celebrate:

1. Open the curtains and blinds
Let the sun shine in! The cold dreary days are hopefully behind us, so let's enjoy the sunshine before it gets too hot.

2. Open some windows
I love when it finally gets warm enough to open windows and let the fresh air in. It's time to let those fresh breezes blow through the house and freshen it.

3. Arrange some very short-stemmed flowers
I know the wildflowers are in bloom when I start receiving short-stemmed bouquets from my children. Forget vases. Bring on the juice glasses and baby food jars.

4. Blow on some dandelion fluff
Yeah, I know that it spreads the seeds, but there's no simpler way to recapture the simple joys of childhood, if only for a moment.

5. Plant some tomatoes
In order to enjoy the sheer perfection of perfectly ripened tomatoes straight from the garden all summer, the tomatoes must be planted now.

6. Plant some herbs
I will definitely want some basil and some dill for summer cooking. And some cilantro for salsa. And some mint for tea.

7. Plant some flowers
Some pots of brightly colored blooms are definitely needed to brighten up my porch.

8. Clean something
While I won't be doing an attic to foundation marathon cleaning, there will be some cleaning and scrubbing and knocking down of cobwebs.

9. Lighten my load
Just as I will be cleaning the refuse and unwanted things out of the flower beds, I plan to do the same inside the house. It's time to get rid of clothes that don't fit my body and possessions that don't fit my life.

10. Go play in the sunshine
There is work to be done, but I will be carving out some time to play outside with the kids. Bocce, anyone? I have to warn you, we play by house rules!

What are you doing to celebrate the changing of the season where you are?