picture courtesy of Birds and Blooms magazine
Monday, May 24, 2010
Make a hummingbird feeder
I plan to make one of these for my Dad's birthday, but I got the idea from this interesting blog called Tug at Nature. It has lots of neat nature/science stuff. All you need is a glass bottle, a wire hanger and some tools and you're all set to make a cheap hummingbird feeder .
picture courtesy of Birds and Blooms magazine
picture courtesy of Birds and Blooms magazine
Friday, May 21, 2010
Weird Friday
Maybe I'm not disciplined enough to post everyday like I thought. But I'm going to try.
This will be a combination of Healthy Happy Wednesday and Question Thursday.
In honor of HHW, I suggest you eat about every 4 hours, don't drink anything but water or tea, and eat at least 2 veggies or fruits and some protein. That's my goal for tomorrow.
And my question for you to think about is: what can you do today to connect with someone in a meaningful way (excluding texting, emailing, and facebooking)?
And here's a picture I thought was great. I'd like to be in that car right now, looking at the big Mitten!
This will be a combination of Healthy Happy Wednesday and Question Thursday.
In honor of HHW, I suggest you eat about every 4 hours, don't drink anything but water or tea, and eat at least 2 veggies or fruits and some protein. That's my goal for tomorrow.
And my question for you to think about is: what can you do today to connect with someone in a meaningful way (excluding texting, emailing, and facebooking)?
And here's a picture I thought was great. I'd like to be in that car right now, looking at the big Mitten!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thumbs Up Tuesday!
Today I cried about 4 different times, then broke down and got an ice cream cone at Braums and went for a drive around the lake. I feel better. Just thought you should know. Oh, and I am now qualified to teach 4-12th English! Yay! Someone give me a job please!
Today is Thumbs Up Tuesday, though I'm aware I skipped Make Something Monday. As soon as I make what I want to post about I'll do it.
Let's get the bad news over with first. Here are some things I have been DIS-liking, and no, this is not an exhaustive list. If something near and dear to your heart is on the list, let me know why you disagree! But I probably still won't like whatever it is! :)
DIS-like
celery
chick lit-unless it's historical fiction chick lit...then I may like it :)
snobs
Robot chicken
hating Obama's health care plan without knowing anything about it
Saved by the Bell-ugh, the clothes!
HD radio that comes from somewhere on the East Coast
the movie Airplane
playing the stock market instead of having a real job
Zooey Deschanel's speaking voice and singing voice-it sounds contrived...unnatural? I don't know, just not for me I guess.
500 Days of Summer
bedazzled purses, shoes, etc. (especially if worn by females over 12)
Maxim and their "how to cheat" cover story (but just Maxim in general)
Dinosaur Comics
twitter
Lady Gaga (though I do like her clothes)
labels on my clothes (including Chanel, Luis Vuitton, what-have-you)
Stephen King's books
Cosmo
jealousy
Ok, on to the FUN list! The LIKE list!
massages
carrots
Ryan Bingham
Cat Power
researching Obama's health care plan and coming up with a rational opinion
openness/friendliness
King of the Hill
Forever 21/Target/Dillards on sale
hedgehogs
forgiveness
Kate Miller-Heidke-recommended by Ben Folds as well as by me!
valuing hard work
whimsy
Calvin and Hobbes
Panera Bread (or copying their recipes at home)
Esquire-(as opposed to Maxim) and why shouldn't people occasionally read something targeted to the opposite gender? It grows your mind.
Family Matters
Deviant Art.com
Bust/Venus
public radio that comes from my local community
admiration
The Middle East "Blood"
And this concludes my thumbs down/thumbs up litany.
Oh and here is a gratuitous cute picture from deshow.net
Today is Thumbs Up Tuesday, though I'm aware I skipped Make Something Monday. As soon as I make what I want to post about I'll do it.
Let's get the bad news over with first. Here are some things I have been DIS-liking, and no, this is not an exhaustive list. If something near and dear to your heart is on the list, let me know why you disagree! But I probably still won't like whatever it is! :)
DIS-like
celery
chick lit-unless it's historical fiction chick lit...then I may like it :)
snobs
Robot chicken
hating Obama's health care plan without knowing anything about it
Saved by the Bell-ugh, the clothes!
HD radio that comes from somewhere on the East Coast
the movie Airplane
playing the stock market instead of having a real job
Zooey Deschanel's speaking voice and singing voice-it sounds contrived...unnatural? I don't know, just not for me I guess.
500 Days of Summer
bedazzled purses, shoes, etc. (especially if worn by females over 12)
Maxim and their "how to cheat" cover story (but just Maxim in general)
Dinosaur Comics
Lady Gaga (though I do like her clothes)
labels on my clothes (including Chanel, Luis Vuitton, what-have-you)
Stephen King's books
Cosmo
jealousy
Ok, on to the FUN list! The LIKE list!
massages
carrots
Ryan Bingham
Cat Power
researching Obama's health care plan and coming up with a rational opinion
openness/friendliness
King of the Hill
Forever 21/Target/Dillards on sale
hedgehogs
forgiveness
Kate Miller-Heidke-recommended by Ben Folds as well as by me!
valuing hard work
whimsy
Calvin and Hobbes
Panera Bread (or copying their recipes at home)
Esquire-(as opposed to Maxim) and why shouldn't people occasionally read something targeted to the opposite gender? It grows your mind.
Family Matters
Deviant Art.com
Bust/Venus
public radio that comes from my local community
admiration
The Middle East "Blood"
And this concludes my thumbs down/thumbs up litany.
Oh and here is a gratuitous cute picture from deshow.net
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Saturday night's alright
I've been in a slump :(. I'm sure most of you can relate! Little things that annoy, hurt, and exhaust me stack up and then tonight I wind up sitting at a friend's wedding feeling very isolated from people. So I left early. But I'm soothing my senses now with Grizzly Bear, Horsefeathers, Massive Attack, and Sarah Jaffe. Sarah is this singer I've heard a lot about lately...and I kind of dismissed her because she is younger than me, and sometimes nothing annoys me more than someone younger than me who is doing something I'd love to be doing myself. But I swallowed my jealousy and actually listened to her music and I like her voice, her music, and what lyrics I have paid attention to. Much success to you young lady. I have a green apple lollipop in my mouth and I am feeling mellower now and about four books are softly calling me to my comfy bed.
Pic is from http://weheartit.com/
Pic is from http://weheartit.com/
Free Friday!
I went to Goodwill today and I found this fun Yellowstone park plate for a dollar. If YOU want it, let me know and I'll send it off. I want Friday to be sometimes Free Friday, and sometimes Fun Times Friday.
Today I went to the animal shelter to play with kitties, had a hamburger at Kincaid's and browsed Goodwill so I really don't have anything to complain about. I also went to see the new Robin Hood movie with like 20 people I know, and that really made my day just being around them all. The movie was absolutely great the first half, but then I started noticing all the loose plot ends and silly flourishes that kept the movie from being a new favorite. Why can't movie directors and screenwriters just occasionally opt for a more subtle approach and modest scope? Make a movie about Robin Hood or make a movie about the Magna Carta, but don't combine both. And don't have so many plot lines twisting around that you can't give each of them the time they deserve. I don't like it when movies disappoint me. Russell Crowe is a great, believable Robin Hood though. I still think his best movie so far is LA Confidential, and his worst A Beautiful Mind, but not because I don't like him, I just thought the movie was a little too big for its britches. And now I'll stop trying to be Roger Ebert and go to bed.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cat Thursday
Ok, so here are a few questions for you to think long and hard about, and then share with me and the rest of the blogging world.
1. What were some of your childhood ambitions and have they changed? What do you wish you could do for a living now?
Mine were to be an actress, singer, and missionary. Later I decided I wanted to be a journalist and a writer, and now I want to be a teacher and writer on the side. And I still love to sing and act.
2. Who have you been told you look like?
I've been told I look like my mom, my dad and my aunt. I've also been told that I look like Christina Ricci and this French actress named Anna Karina. Which was flattering.
3. What are you allergic to?
Poison ivy! I have to get a cortisone shot if I get it.
4. If you were Miss America what would your platform be?
Not that I plan on being Miss America, but if I WAS, I would spread the word about the importance of mental health. In my experience it seems like the average person is pretty ignorant about good mental health, and the sad thing is that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, "An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people." That's alot of people in pain, plus their families and friends (who are sometimes not sure what to do to help). We have sex-ed classes; we should probably have health classes that focus on physical AND mental health and practical tips for kids and young adults, so they can start good habits early. Maybe that would reduce the number of crazy serial killers or at least help people struggling with depression/anxiety/bipolar disorder/etc. know that there are things they can do to take their lives back. This may seem like a downer post, but really I think it's so important that people realize there is help for everything! The problem is that many people keep things like that to themselves and suffer needlessly.
5. Have you ever been in a physical fight?
Only with my younger brother, but those ended when he got taller and stronger than me.
So those are my questions...looking forward to your responses!
And just because I want to post some fun pics, here are some things that cheered me up today: pictures of cats! I'm ridiculously easy to cheer up....I just google cute animals and before I know it I've wasted 2 hours perusing pics of terriers suckling kittens, and pigs and turtles nuzzling. I even found out that in Japan they have "cat cafes" (more like a cat harem) where you pay a few bucks to sit and play with kitties. Brilliant! I wish there was one around here. Anyway, here you go:
My cat Tubby
My parents' cat McKinnley...she doesn't look comfy
1. What were some of your childhood ambitions and have they changed? What do you wish you could do for a living now?
Mine were to be an actress, singer, and missionary. Later I decided I wanted to be a journalist and a writer, and now I want to be a teacher and writer on the side. And I still love to sing and act.
2. Who have you been told you look like?
I've been told I look like my mom, my dad and my aunt. I've also been told that I look like Christina Ricci and this French actress named Anna Karina. Which was flattering.
3. What are you allergic to?
Poison ivy! I have to get a cortisone shot if I get it.
4. If you were Miss America what would your platform be?
Not that I plan on being Miss America, but if I WAS, I would spread the word about the importance of mental health. In my experience it seems like the average person is pretty ignorant about good mental health, and the sad thing is that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, "An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people." That's alot of people in pain, plus their families and friends (who are sometimes not sure what to do to help). We have sex-ed classes; we should probably have health classes that focus on physical AND mental health and practical tips for kids and young adults, so they can start good habits early. Maybe that would reduce the number of crazy serial killers or at least help people struggling with depression/anxiety/bipolar disorder/etc. know that there are things they can do to take their lives back. This may seem like a downer post, but really I think it's so important that people realize there is help for everything! The problem is that many people keep things like that to themselves and suffer needlessly.
5. Have you ever been in a physical fight?
Only with my younger brother, but those ended when he got taller and stronger than me.
So those are my questions...looking forward to your responses!
And just because I want to post some fun pics, here are some things that cheered me up today: pictures of cats! I'm ridiculously easy to cheer up....I just google cute animals and before I know it I've wasted 2 hours perusing pics of terriers suckling kittens, and pigs and turtles nuzzling. I even found out that in Japan they have "cat cafes" (more like a cat harem) where you pay a few bucks to sit and play with kitties. Brilliant! I wish there was one around here. Anyway, here you go:
My cat Tubby
My parents' cat McKinnley...she doesn't look comfy
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Happy Healthy Wednesday
I have decided I want to impose some order on this blog because I feel like it is all over the place. (Which is like real life and thoughts, but we have to impose order on those too sometimes).
So, I've decided that if you read this blog, you can look forward to the following topics/themes each day:
"Make Something Monday" in which you, dear reader, and I will attempt to make something fun or useful, preferably with cheap stuff or things we already have.
"Thumbs Up Tuesday" (or thumbs down) in which I tell you all about art/music/movies/books/etc. that I have personally been enjoying lately (or hating). I would love for you to share comments on things YOU have been enjoying/disliking as well.
"Happy Healthy Wednesday" where I share some ideas and tips and recipes that I've found helpful as I try to be healthier.
"Question Thursday" in which I ask some questions and you answer them. :) It's a way of helping fellow bloggers get to know each other, and who doesn't like to answer questions about themselves? I think this name is kind of dumb, though. Social Hour Thursday? Tea Party Thursday? 20 Questions Thursday? Eh.
and finally, "Fun Times Friday" where I share some fun ideas for your weekend! And I would love to hear your ideas too!
And since today is technically Wednesday, let's get right to some ideas/thoughts about staying healthy in body and spirit.
This has actually been a big concern of mine because a) I've gained weight since college, and never in places I could use some extra fat, b) I've had periods of really low energy since college, and c) I deal with ups and downs from depression and anxiety. Those are my personal reasons for trying to get back in shape and stay as healthy as I can, and I'm sure each of you have your own important reasons. A healthy body and healthy mind go hand in hand of course, so you can't get away with neglecting one or the other! I think many of us know what to do, it's just a matter of getting into healthy habits and avoiding things that we know cause problems for us, like watching tv for four hours, eating fast food too often, or drinking diet coke like it's water. For example, sometimes I skip breakfast because I'm lazy, eat a a fast food lunch, scarf down a huge dinner and then sleep on a full stomach. My mom chided me for this and encouraged me to start eating breakfast. Her great idea was for me to make shakes, and for about 3 months now I have had shakes pretty consistently and they are so easy!
Breakfast Shake
1 banana
4-5 frozen strawberries
about 3/4 cup plain yogurt
a little orange juice or applesauce
I add some liquid fish oil because it's supposed to help stabilize mood and just be good for you in general. Mine tastes lemony.
Blend it up and enjoy! It's really quick and won't give you a sugar high (and slump) like many cereals. You can totally experiment with any variety of fruit . Oatmeal or something with protein, like cheese toast or a scrambled egg with salsa in a tortilla would be good too. Anyone else have a favorite breakfast idea?
As far as a healthy mind goes, I encourage you to write things down throughout the day when you find yourself feeling stressed or upset, or just have a brilliant idea! I take a notebook with me almost everywhere I go and I write down ideas I have, to-do lists, and things I'm worried/upset about. This makes me feel better because I don't worry that I'm going to forget something important, and I know that I can take time later to think through something that's been bothering me instead of worrying about it all through the day.
So, happy, healthy Wednesday to you!
So, I've decided that if you read this blog, you can look forward to the following topics/themes each day:
"Make Something Monday" in which you, dear reader, and I will attempt to make something fun or useful, preferably with cheap stuff or things we already have.
"Thumbs Up Tuesday" (or thumbs down) in which I tell you all about art/music/movies/books/etc. that I have personally been enjoying lately (or hating). I would love for you to share comments on things YOU have been enjoying/disliking as well.
"Happy Healthy Wednesday" where I share some ideas and tips and recipes that I've found helpful as I try to be healthier.
"Question Thursday" in which I ask some questions and you answer them. :) It's a way of helping fellow bloggers get to know each other, and who doesn't like to answer questions about themselves? I think this name is kind of dumb, though. Social Hour Thursday? Tea Party Thursday? 20 Questions Thursday? Eh.
and finally, "Fun Times Friday" where I share some fun ideas for your weekend! And I would love to hear your ideas too!
And since today is technically Wednesday, let's get right to some ideas/thoughts about staying healthy in body and spirit.
This has actually been a big concern of mine because a) I've gained weight since college, and never in places I could use some extra fat, b) I've had periods of really low energy since college, and c) I deal with ups and downs from depression and anxiety. Those are my personal reasons for trying to get back in shape and stay as healthy as I can, and I'm sure each of you have your own important reasons. A healthy body and healthy mind go hand in hand of course, so you can't get away with neglecting one or the other! I think many of us know what to do, it's just a matter of getting into healthy habits and avoiding things that we know cause problems for us, like watching tv for four hours, eating fast food too often, or drinking diet coke like it's water. For example, sometimes I skip breakfast because I'm lazy, eat a a fast food lunch, scarf down a huge dinner and then sleep on a full stomach. My mom chided me for this and encouraged me to start eating breakfast. Her great idea was for me to make shakes, and for about 3 months now I have had shakes pretty consistently and they are so easy!
Breakfast Shake
1 banana
4-5 frozen strawberries
about 3/4 cup plain yogurt
a little orange juice or applesauce
I add some liquid fish oil because it's supposed to help stabilize mood and just be good for you in general. Mine tastes lemony.
Blend it up and enjoy! It's really quick and won't give you a sugar high (and slump) like many cereals. You can totally experiment with any variety of fruit . Oatmeal or something with protein, like cheese toast or a scrambled egg with salsa in a tortilla would be good too. Anyone else have a favorite breakfast idea?
As far as a healthy mind goes, I encourage you to write things down throughout the day when you find yourself feeling stressed or upset, or just have a brilliant idea! I take a notebook with me almost everywhere I go and I write down ideas I have, to-do lists, and things I'm worried/upset about. This makes me feel better because I don't worry that I'm going to forget something important, and I know that I can take time later to think through something that's been bothering me instead of worrying about it all through the day.
So, happy, healthy Wednesday to you!
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