JUNE 2011
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June 2011 WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING THIS SUMMER?
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Wonder what your favorite bloggers will be doing with their summer?
MY 3 MONSTERS
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An
inspring
blogger
with
amazing crafts - a guest article by Tausha Hoyt.
RYAN SEACREST’S TOP 10 SUMMER SONGS
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No, it’s not really Ryan Seacrest. Yes, there really are top ten songs of summer.
SUMMER RECIPES
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Get ready for the best grilling summer of your life. These recipes are irresistible.
LET’S READ
ON THE COVER:
What Will You Be Doing This Summer - 5 TOP TEN Summer Songs - 35 My 3 Monsters - 30 Recipes - 42 Leelou’s Baby Shower - 1 Cover image courtesy of Rebecca Sims of
w w w. b u m b l e s a n d l i g h t . c o m
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You can’t read blogs all summer. So read these great books instead. p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f h t t p: / / b l o g. p e ekaboophotos.com
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NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: Ahhhhhhhh, summertime in the city. How glorious.
(Of course when we say “city”, we actually mean the outer suburbs of townville and “summertime” should be more along the lines of “psychotic mother nature that may or may not let the sun shine for longer than 4 hours at a time without some kind of nature-related freak out”.) This issue is dedicated to summer and what you all plan on doing for three months of sunny, kid-filled.....bliss. (We’re not even going to say what we really mean when we say “bliss”.) We know a lot of you spend your summer months away from your blogs, spending your time instead creating blogworthy memories, so make sure and check out our lists of fun summer-y activities, and see what some of our favorite bloggers are going to be doing while they ignore the internet.
MAGAZINE CREDITS: Editorial Director: Michelle Laird Executive Editor: Melissa Bastow Photographic Supreme Genius of all Time: Marissa Vargason Fashion Expert Extraordinaire: Abby Adams Singles Section Specialist: Barbara Managing Supreme Director of all Things Zebra Print: Michelle Laird Super Awesome Writer of Awesomeness: Annie Valentine Ultimate Quasi-Date Setup Artist: Barbara Master of the Universe: Melissa Bastow
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Great Giveaways A list of blogs you can visit to win some stuff this summer. Something from Barb - How Do You Date in the Summertime? Summer is the best time to date.
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Charity of the Month - Talents of Sisters Use talents to help underprivilaged women across the globe.
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Photography 101 - Putting it all Together A review of past lessons to perfect shooting in manual mode.
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Tips from a Real House Wife Summer can be hard on floors.
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Sew That - Fabric Map Use your fabric scraps to make this amazing map of the U.S.
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Annie Knows Best - Lessons in Etiquette Break those rude habits now, while you have control over the kids for the summer.
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Totally Legit Horoscopes What does fate have in mind for you?
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Blog Designs of the Month Some of our favorite blog designs. From the Archives of... - Denae Handy ...and so it begins.
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Visit our Sponsors Because they are so cuddly soft.
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by Melissa Bastow
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School is ending, the nights are short and the weather is getting toasty. (Ok, fine, the weather is horribly moody and slightly psychotic, but STILL, let’s pretend that it’s getting toasty.)
That’s right folks, it’s officially
s u m m e r v a c a t i o n.
So that brings me to the burning question: What will you be doing this summer? So far, my summer plans look a little like this:
Now that you know what I’ll be doing (sounds entirely thrilling, doesn’t it?) I imagine you want to know what some of our favorite bloggers have on their summer to-do lists.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/psycho-pics/3620443013/
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Fo r 1 0 0+ ideas of things to do this summ e r, v i s i t C a r o l i n e a t : P e o n i e s a n d P o p p y s e e d s . c o m
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S e e Kim’s summer in amazing photog r a p h i c a l d e t a i l o n h e r b l o g : w w w. k i m o r l a n d i n i . c o m
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www.readandwritestuff.com and buy her book “The List” (perfect for summer) here: http://deseretbook.com/List-Melanie-Jacobson/i/5060541
Re a d about Melanie’s moments on h e r b l o g :
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To s e e if anyone poops in the pool rea d Ke l l y ’ s b l o g : d i v e r s i f i e d b e e s o n . b l o g s p o t . c o m
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Read all about Lindsey ’s summer o n h e r b l o g : http://t h e r h o u s e . b l o g s p o t . c o m
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To see who’s sporting a Snuggy re a d K r i s t i n a ’ s b l o g : w w w . k r i s t i n a p b l o g s . c o m
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G e t a l l the juicy details of Michelle’s sum m e r h e r e: m y l i f e a s a r e a l h o u s e w i f e. b l ogspot.com
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Read more from Ponn and her daughters here: americanmuslimmom.com & kidbloggersclub.com
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How Do You Date
?
The existence of summer is the best thing that could happen to a single person. Of course, there’s the joy of warm sun, green grass, blue swimming pools and vacation days, but t h a t ’ s just the beginning. The easiest time to date, be it casually or seriously, is in the summer. The date ideas float into your lap like those little balls of cotton on the air. You can take a fun bike ride or go for a hike. A picnic during the day, or a campfire at night. There are cheap outdoor sports activities to attend and there will always be an outdoor pool party. Not to mention the holidays that bring about fireworks, BBQs and free outdoor concerts. Casual, outdoor dates are one of the best things to experience. And they so easily turn into something special and memorable when it turns to dusk. With about five minutes worth of planning and a five dollar bill, you can create one of the best dates you’ve ever had. Just be careful. Swimming on a date can be fun….but not if you or your date isn’t confident in a swimsuit. Enjoying the kids’ jungle gym at park is whimsical…but not if there are kids there at the time. Longboarding down the canyon is relaxing…but not if you’re date doesn’t have the skill to stay on the board. Fourth of July fireworks are exciting and fun…but not if your date gets burned by the explosions. If you only have to spend five minutes and five dollars to prepare a date, make sure you spend at least that much time ensuring that your date is going to enjoy the activity so you can, too. And take advantage of the late, but spectacular, sunsets that are always around in the summer. If you play your cards right, it’s the perfect chance for a first kiss.
Barbara is a native of Provo, Utah aka The Hurry-Up-And-Get-Married-BeforeYou’re-Branded-An-Old-Maid capitol of the world. She has over 8 years professional experience as a “young” single adult and has lived through all the exciting, horrendous, embarrassing, unusual, and cliché things a relationship has to offer. When she’s not busy being 100% single, she enjoys dealing with mentally unstable roommates, vainly avoiding chocolate, and sending her nieces and nephews back to their parents when they get tired and cranky. You
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can read Barbara’s blog at: b a r b a l o o t s u i t . b l o g s p o t . c o m
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Capricorn (12/22-1/19)- You will crave cheap french fries incessantly. And your waistline now hates you. Aquarius (1/20-2/18)- You will meet a tall, dark and handsomly mysterious stranger. He will sell you a vacuum cleaner. Pisces (2/19-3/20)- Due to the nature of meteorological karma, it will figuratively rain on your metaphorical parade. Aries (3/21-4/19)- You are a gorgeous, strong, confident woman. But not in that lousy skirt. Taurus (4/20-5/20)- Your childhood dreams will resurface and be fulfilled. Congratulations, you’re getting a pink unicorn/pony/pegasus. Gemini (5/21-6/21)- If you start each conversation with “The supreme ruler of the universe now speaks...”, people probably won’t want to talk to you. Cancer (6/22-7/22)- You should really live a little. Or live a lot. Or maybe just live in some sort of middle area where nothing actually changes. Leo (7/23-8/22)- Touch your feet. Touch your nose. Close one eye. Dork - I didn’t even say “Simon says”. Virgo (8/23-9/22)- When life hands you beans you can either plant them and hope for a magic beanstalk to sprout or you can eat them and fart back at life. Libra (9/23-10/22)- That lipstick looks excellent on you (just not on your teeth). Scorpio (10/23-11/21)- Everyone loves you, but they won’t be ready to tell you until you go around giving them all wet willies. Then they’ll pipe up and tell you how they really feel. It will be magical. Sagittarius (11/22-12/21)- Don’t press the button. The hatch exploded YEARS ago.
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sew THAT
It’s geography, it’s art, it’s MADE BY YOU! This fabric map makes an interesting piece for any wall and it uses all of those fabric scraps you’ve been saving forever. You can find this tutorial as well as other really great sewing ideas/tutorials on this superb blog:
s e e k a t e s e w . b l o g s p o t . c o m
First of all, pull out all your fabric scraps. You’re going to need 50 of them. Fabric of different textures, colors and styles will make your map more interesting. Print a map of the United States in poster size. Cut out the states - it works best to start with California, completing each state before you move on, working your way west to east.
For each state cut a fabric scrap so it’s just a bit bigger than you need. Also cut your heat and bond the same size. Iron on the heat and bond, let it cool, peel off the backing, and cut your state out. Then iron it onto a large piece of muslin in the correct spot, and move on to the next state. (Those northeastern states are little and tricky, but you can do it!)
Yo u ’ l l N e e d :
• fabric • sewing machine • paper/printer • 2-sided heat & bond • iron • scissors
Once all your pieces are ironed onto your muslin, top stitch around each state with a sewing machine. This may be time consuming, but worth it. Then you can mount your finished map however you wish - you can frame it, glue it to a piece of lightweight wood, whatever. And hang it on the wall for everyone to see and be jealous over.
This tutorial can be found exactly here: h t t p : / / s e e k a t e s e w . b l o g s p o t . c o m / 2 0 1 1 / 0 4 / s c r a p - m a p - t u t o r i a l . h t m l
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Annie Valentine
is a humor
columnist and blogger. She lives in a house with her husband, and four small children who call her “Mother”, “Mommy Dearest” and on special occasions “Your Royal Highness”. Catch up with her at
annievalentine.com, or you can send her an email at
regardingannie@gmail.com.
Photograph courtesy of Peekaboo Photos. See more of their amazing photography on their blog: http://blog.peekaboophotos.com
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by Annie Valentine
Burping, slurping, littering and swear words. Oh how many lovely little habits our children pick up from their peers during the school year. Summer time is a great excuse to offer your family a different kind of education; one that will hopefully offer them a smoother ride in the sea of public company. Whether or not you have children, or whether they’re young or old, here are a few tips on etiquette we can all stand to brush up on. 1. The telephono. There’s nothing worse than making a phone call, then having some kid answer and respond with an abrupt, “Who is this?” My dad owned his own business so we were always under the gun to be on our best behavior in case callers were clients. We should teach our kids that a gentle, “May I ask who’s calling?” or “May I please take a message?” will go much further in making people feel comfortable and respected. The telephone is a great place to practice etiquette toward others. 2. Offer up a thank you. There is nothing more refreshing than gratitude. Thank you notes might be archaic in some circles, but when it really comes down to it tangible gratitude will never be out of style. In a world where everything is done online or over the phone, it never hurts to put pen to paper and offer a genuine word of thanks, complete with saliva and a stamp. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll find we’re surrounded by people who could sincerely benefit from a little heartfelt gratitude. It’s taking etiquette to the next level. 3. Conversation 101. We have recently noticed that trying to converse with our eight-year-old is like talking to a cave man. Not everyone is naturally gifted in the art of rhetoric so there’s nothing like a little training. There are a number of tried and true methods to help build conversation confidence; my favorite is playing conversation ball. Whether your kids talk too much or too little, this old game is good for everyone. You need three or more people sitting in a circle. Start by asking someone a question then passing them the ball. They have to answer, then ask and throw the ball to someone else. It’s a bit bumpy at first, but once your family has the hang of it they will learn how and when to converse in polite company. 4. Public vs private. In conversation, it’s imperative that we all remember there are some things you just don’t talk about in public. Asking personal questions should be saved for intimate friend and family relationships. We all know children are honest and while it’s frequently entertaining, it isn’t always desirable. It’s important to give kids things they can talk about as well as things that should never be mentioned. “Wow mister, you sure have an ugly nose!” is never considered polite conversation. 5. The Complisult. Along these same lines, we should all remember the importance of avoiding the complisult—a comment that is both a compliment and an insult at the same time. We’re all prone to them, and it’s important to remember that saying something like, “Is that a new hairstyle? Golly, you look ten years younger!” can leave someone with mixed feelings—did they look terrible before, or do they look ridiculous now? Compliments and observations are an important part of conversation, but if they’re going to make someone feel bad through slight of hand, then keep it to yourself. There’s no nice way to say something that might hurt someone’s feelings so keep compliments genuine and honest, and keep the rest of it to yourself. Etiquette might start with learning to be polite to strangers, but as we learn and grow it goes much further than that. We should all remember the value of helping other people feel comfortable in our presence. The best way to get over our own insecurities is to help others feel okay with theirs.
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www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com
ayearwithmomanddad.com
www.confessionsofanover-workedmom.com Would you like to have your blog listed in next month’s Giveaway section? Email us at: melissa@thebarrelofblogs.com for details.
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a blog review by Tausha Hoyt
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I don’t know about you, but reading My 3 Monsters has inspired me to write about my mundane life. Amy has helped me see that there is beauty in my daily life; maybe, I just need to write it down to recognize it. So, we know that Amy rocks at making writing in our journals cool, she is also crazy good with decorating. She has quite the list of skills when it comes to interior decorating. She can paint murals like it’s nobody business. She completely redecorated her son’s room with nothing but paint.
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If I haven’t convinced you yet that you MUST visit My 3 Little Monsters she also sews, likes to make inexpensive crafts and she is beyond fabulously talented in the digital world. But my favorite thing about her blog, is that Amy is a real person. Not every day is all “candy and sunshine” as she so eloquently puts it. She keeps it real. She struggles with life, being a mom and all the other stuff that life throws at her. Her witty way of writing and somewhat sarcastic sense of humor will make you laugh out loud. That is why, My 3 Little Monsters, is one of the best “must read” blogs out there.
O u r g u e s t w r i t e r, Ta u s h a H o y t, c a n b e f o u n d a t : h t t p : / / s a s s y s t y l e r e d e s i g n . b l o g s p o t. c o m If you’re interested in guest writing for The Barrel of Blogs email us melissa@thebarrelofblogs.com
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C o o k i n g, laundr y, carpet shampooing, d i s h e s, w i n d o w s, s c r u b b i n g b e h i n d y o u r t o i lets with an old ratty toothbrush - - s o m e t i m e s i t a l l j u s t s e e m s l i ke TO O TO O MUCH.
We feel your pain, w e k n o w y o u r w o e s, w e s h a r e y o u r
h ou s e keeping frust rations. So take it easy f o r a m i n u t e a n d t a ke s o m e a d v i c e, o n u s. Here you have it:
TIPS FROM A REAL HOUSE WIFE by, Michelle from mylifeasarealhousewife.blogspot.com
Summer projects can be hard on floors. Grease, rust, blood - who knows what will land on your carpet next? Good thing you have a real housewife to ease your troubled dirty-floor-worrying mind. Most of these tips are about floors, with a few random tips thrown in for any extra summer cleaning you plan on throwing into the mix. Now you can go ahead and tell your husband to follow through on whatever it was he was doing with that huge wrench and the flame thrower. • Did your husband get grease stains on the carpet... again? Well, first you should yell at him. Then hand him the baking soda, cornstarch or talcum powder, tell him to sprinkle it on and leave it for 6 hours while he thinks about the horrible way he treated the carpet, and then vacuum it up. • Do you wonder how all those women on The Desperate Housewives keep their carpet clean with all the shootings on Wisteria Lane? Me too. They must own a lot of hydrogen peroxide because that’s how you get blood stains out of your carpet. • Can’t find the chimney sweepers from Mary Poppins? Never fear, just throw a handful of salt on the fire to keep it clean. • Now that it’s warm outside it is a great time to wash your windows. Dump a half bottle of vinegar into one bucket of wash water. When you are all done with the windows go throw the bucket on your annoying neighbor’s yard with dramatic housewife flourish. (Vinegar kills weeds and grass.) Fine, maybe that’s not a good idea, since Karma is sure to get you. • Did your pen break again and ink stains ruined your shirt? It’s never to late to try and save it. Rub alcohol on the stain and leave for a few minutes before washing. Or if you are smart you had a Tide To-go pen with you because those things are great. • I’m not quite sure why you would, but if you happen to have rust stains on your tile, use Kerosene to make it all better. • I think it’s time to clean that porcelain doll collection you started when you were 10 years old. Here’s the perfect way to do it: use lighter fluid. You can either set them on fire or the lighter fluid will remove most of the dark stubborn stains. 34
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This article was not really written by Ryan Seacrest....in case you didn’t already pick up on that. Also, we have no
idea if he likes any of these songs. However, this in no way makes Melissa any less than the Master of the Universe.
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Talents of Sisters is a space dedicated to bringing together the efforts of women for women. Across our privileged culture, women are returning to the creativity and productivity of our foremothers as we are learning to balance our time as mothers and wives and professionals with our abilities to use various skills in producing unique and quality items with our own two hands. Often we do this for our own sense of accomplishment or to decrease our dependence on store bought goods. Sometimes we use the homemaking trades of the past to reduce our waste and carbon footprint or to teach self reliance to our children. But many of us have found an additional outlet for our creative spirits by making items to sell. Sometimes practical, sometimes purely artistic, we all have talents worth sharing. But what if we could share the fruit of our labors with women half way across the world? What if our combined efforts could pay for a woman’s fistula surgery in Ethiopia, or buy the freedom of young girls working as sex slaves in Cambodia and India? What if we could pay for a year’s worth of education for a girl in rural China? Or a uniform for a girl in South Africa that would keep her in school for 18 months longer and help her to avoid early marriage and pregnancy? What if we could contribute to the small lending circles of women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan? Would you like to be a part of these efforts? Would you like to use your talents to increase the impact of your heart and hands by donating crafts and items to sell that will be used to fund these endeavors? If you are interested in joining us as we take on the challenge of the Half the Sky movement to directly empower impoverished and oppressed women and girls, please visit our website at:
talentsofsisters.org 38
PHOTOGRA Putting it all together.
Today we really need to focus on all parts of the camera to put together everything that we have learned including ISO, aperture, shutter speed and our light meter. All of these things are what helps us to use our cameras to shoot in manual mode. I will admit shooting in manual will take some practice to fully learn how to use your camera. I suggest picking up your camera daily to train your eye and your mind in shooting in manual mode. If you do this, it will soon become second nature, just like riding a bike.
Light meter.
Remember when we discussed the light meter or exposure meter found within your camera? Lets review. Your light meter, also referred to as exposure meter, is found by looking through your eye piece, you will see a meter inside there. Here are a few examples: Nikon Meter Canon Meter On this meter, you’ll want to keep the line(s) as close to the center as possible. However, it is okay if you are a little below or a little above the middle line. First, if you’ll remember, you will want to decide what the lighting is like. Here are a few questions to ask yourself: -Are you shooting inside? -Are you outside in natural light and its really sunny or are you in the shade? This is how you base our ISO setting. If you’re inside remember your ISO setting will tend to be higher roughly 800-1600 sometimes even beyond. If you’re outside and it’s really sunny your ISO will be roughly 100-400, and outside in the shade roughly 400-800. This will take some practice to master. So now that you have the ISO set do you remember what’s next? Lets review the situation again. Some questions to ask yourself: -Are you trying to create beautiful bokeh (blur) for the background for a portrait, or do you want to get a lot of detail for a landscape? -Do you want to capture something in motion and freeze its action? Answers based on those two questions will lead you to what to do next. For example, if you want to create a blurry background and have the subject stand out, you’ll want to set your aperture first. Apertures to create blur are best around 2.8. Not only does your aperture setting play a role in blur, but so does the distance between your subject and your background. The further your subject is from the background the more “natural” blur you will achieve, have no fear if your lens only goes to 3.5 just set it as low as it will go. 39
A P HwithYMarissa1 Varg 0ason1 Now you have your aperture and ISO set what’s next? You will want to look at your light meter and evaluate where it stands. Remember, each direction you move your light meter will change because the light changes. If your light meter is too high (towards the positive or higher number) you’ll have to bring it back down. To do that you will need to raise your shutter speed. Remember, each increment on your shutter speed halves the amount of light, so if you raise this, it allows less light in. Vice versa on the flip side. If your light meter is too low, you will want to lower your shutter speed to allow more light in. Just remember, you want to keep your shutter speed above 1/125. If you are trying to freeze motion, set your ISO first, then your shutter speed (remember above 500) and then you will use your aperture to bring your light meter back to the center. Remember, the smaller the aperture number, the more light you let in, the higher the number, the less light you let in. It would be good to have the previous three barrel issues available for review if needed.
Troubleshooting.
Q: I have my ISO at 1600 (as high as my camera allows) and my aperture as low as my camera allows and I
have my shutter speed at 125 and my pictures are still too dark. What do I do? A: Well, this is hard because most likely you are shooting inside in an area that is not well lit. If you can control it, turn on your lights, or go near a window. I understand that during those special candid moments we just cant set the scene up to capture this under perfect lighting. Bringing in more light (lights on, near a window etc) does help. Another problem may be that your lens only goes down to 3.5 or 5.6 on the aperture. This restricts the amount of light allowed in to the cameras sensor. I would highly recommend getting a lens that is a 50mm 1.8. They are very reasonably priced and you will see a vast improvement.
Q: I feel like I have all of my settings set right, the meter is in the middle, but my pictures aren’t crisp and have a slight blur to them. What am I doing wrong? A: This could be due to several reasons. Again double-check your shutter speed setting. Is it at 125? If so, move it up to 200 if possible. Is your aperture too low? Remember, the lower the number the less that is in focus.
In the next issue we are going to talk about lighting and printing. Please, if you ever have any questions, send them to me at marissavargasonphotography@gmail.com Marissa Vargaon is an award-winning photographer with a pure and simple photographic style.
A studio and on-location photographer, Marissa specializes
in modern custom portraiture for all ages, including maternity/birth, newborns/ babies/children, families and teens/high school seniors. Her company, Marissa Vargason Photography, is located in Syracuse, Utah, and serves the Salt Lake City and surrounding areas.
You can see more of her amazing work on her blog:
h t t p : / / m a r i s s a v a r g a s o n p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m / b l o g 40
The new book from fabulous blogger (and now published author) Melanie Jacobson . readandwritestuff.blogspot.com 41
by Michelle Laird
It’s finally summer time! What a great time of year for BBQ’s with friends and family. I love BBQ’s. I could have them every night, all summer long. There are so many great recipes that go great with grilling. We’ll share a few recipes with you from a handful of blogs we love. And these recipes are TASTY. My favorite is Cowboy Caviar - I don’t care who you are, you have to try it (if you haven’t already). Besides a good BBQ, If you are wanting a fun activity with the family, you can hit a campground and have tin foil dinners. Or bake them in your oven and pretend that you’re camping; it tastes the same either way. The carrots in tinfoil dinners are my absolute favorite! They aren’t mushy and they aren’t hard and crunchy - they’re perfect.
p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f w w w. f l i c k r. c o m / p h o t o s / y u m m y-porky/2839277284/
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p h oto courtesy of www.ec u r r y. c o m
Chocolate, Cream and Strawberries – is there anything that tastes better? This is a fancy looking dessert you can create quickly. It’s extremely versatile by using different kinds of berries or fruits or a combination of both. Just think of how impressed all your family and friends will be this summer when you whip it out at the next BBQ or reunion? And think about how happy your tastebuds will be when you eat it. YUM.
w w w. e c u r r y. c o m / b l o g / d e s s e r t s / s t r a w b e r r y - a n d - c r e a m
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p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f s u g a r r u s h b aking.blogspot.com
This is the greatest tasting and most versatile salsa ever! You can pair it with chips, baguettes, shrimp, fish, chicken, etc. I bet it would even taste good on an old sneaker. It is THAT good. Especially if you love avocados, which I happen to do. After tasting this you’ll never be able to settle for regular boring salsa ever again.
sugarrushbaking.blogspot.com/2011/01/cowboy-caviar.html
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p h oto courtesy of dishingi t g l u t e n f r e e. b l o g s p o t. c o m
These aren’t just for camping trips (although they work well there too). These are my favorite! The way the carrots cook in a tinfoil dinner are to die for. (Mine end up being mostly carrots when I make this.) You can add any type of vegtable in this and it’s still delish. Also you can put steak or chicken in this if you don’t like hamburger. If you use chicken I suggest partially cooking it in the skillet just to make sure it’s done all the way through by the end.
dishingitglutenfree.blogspot.com/2010/12/tin-foil-dinners.html
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p h o t o c o u r t esy of grillgrrrl.com
This isn’t your grandma’s traditional potato salad, it’s much much better. This salad doesn’t only taste great, but it’s a healthier salad than the traditional mayo version. This salad is filled with potatoes bursting with flavor from fresh herbs, peppers, onions and smoke from the grill. It’s basically the rockstar of all potato salads.
grillgrrrl.com/2011/05/grilled-red-pepper-potato-salad/
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p h oto courtesy of www.ka l y n s k i t c h e n. c o m
You need options when grilling this summer. A sage, rosemary and garlice dried herb rub makes this chicken recipe extra flavorful. Paired with the long marinating time, which keeps the chicken moist, this is sure to be a dinner hit. The early preparation it takes to marinate this recipe will be rewarded in serious deliciousness once your chicken is fresh from the grill.
www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/10/grilled-chicken-recipe-with-sage.html
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p h o t o c o u r t e s y o f t h i sweekfordinner.com
A berry good breakfast for summer. This is the best use for mushy berries I’ve ever seen. A mix between a syrup and a sauce, this is berry saucy syrup and your waffles will beg to be topped with it. The best part is you can make it with any type of berry. And if it’s one thing that screams SUMMER, it’s berries.
thisweekfordinner.com/2010/05/11/homemade-berry-saucy-syrup/
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So you know you can’t read blogs all the beach. Where they don’t have wifi. And a book? Or perhaps ten. Because these are
BEAUTY QUEENS
summer, right? I mean, you might go to then what will you read? May we suggest the ones we’ll be reading this summer.
by Libba Bray
Teenage beauty queens. On an island just like “Lost”. There will be mysteries and dangers. And absolutely no access to email.
GRAVE MINDER
by Melissa Marr
After the death of her grandmother, Rebekkah Barrow must return to her hometown and figure out why three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you” are so important for the dead.
TRUE...SORT OF
by Katherine Hannigan
The new guy in town is a real mysturiosity (an extremely curious mystery). For Delly and Brud (and the new guy, Ferris) riendships and truths will be discovered. And it’s all true ( . . . sort of).
JANE JONES: WORST. VAMPIRE. EVER.
by Caissie St. Onge
Jane Jones isn’t beautiful or rich and she doesn’t even “sparkle.” But she is a vampire. A vampire stuck in the world’s longest awkward phase. Her life pretty much sucks. Until a couple of guys come along. Oh, what’s a 90-something yearold teen vampire to do? 49
HOURGLASS
by Myra McEntire
Emerson has been plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, but she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. Meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
THE SUMMER OF FIRSTS & LASTS
by Terra Elan McVoy
Sisters Calla, Violet, and Daisy plan to have a memorable summer at Camp Callanwolde, the sleep away summer camp they’ve been attending for years. But memories can’t be made without boys, of course.
THE SWEETEST THING
by Christina Mandelski
Sheridan Wells life is perfect while she’s decorating a cake. But the other parts of her life need some work. She must find her mother, stop her dad from moving to New York and date a boy she can call her own.
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
by Julia Quinn
Honoria and Marcus will eat quite a bit of chocolate cake, survive a deadly fever AND the world’s worst musical performance and fall quite desperately in love.
QUEEN OF KINGS
by Maria Dahvana Headley
Once there was a queen of Egypt. Cleopatra. A queen who became through magic something else… There’s more than one path to immortality.
IF YOU WERE HERE
by Jen Lancaster
Amish-zombie-teen-romance author Mia and her husband Mac are going through the alternately frustrating, exciting, terrifying-but always funny-process of buying and renovating their first home. 50
esigns Blog D OF THE MONTH
These are just a few of our favorite blog designs from some of our favorite blog designers.
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Bloggers: Dealirious Mama • Blog Design by: www.theshabbyvanity.com
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w w w. a n d a h o m e c o m i n g q u e e n . c o m
Blogger: Daydream Believer • Blog Design by: www.aprilshowersblogdesign.com
s p l e n d i d r e a l l y. b l o g s p o t. c o m
Blogger: Brown Eyed Girl • Blog Design by: deliciousdesignstudio.com 52
. . f o s e iv h c r a e h t m o r f • w w w. t h e b a c k o r d e r e d l i f e . c o m
JUNE
1,
2009
...and so it begins
Summer vacation is fast approaching. Know how I can tell? NASDAQ reports my Valium stock tripled in the last week. Yesss! It will stay high until September. Then it will drop off for a while, only to spike again some time around December 15th. We’ve weathered another school year, and now it’s time for three months of family togetherness. Twelve long, hot weeks of bored fourth-graders, all night TV marathons, and teenagers sleeping until 11:58, when they’ll roll out of bed directly into their swimsuits to get a jump on that poolside nap. See why I invest in Valium? The real question on everyone’s minds, of course, is “If I start driving now, can I make it to Buenos Aires before anyone notices I’m missing?” The answer is, no, you can’t. Alarm bells go off in your kids’ heads when you sneak off to the bathroom, for heaven’s sake! What chance do you have of achieving the kind of perimeter breach necessary to make it to WalMart, let alone the Argentine border? No, mom, you’re going to have to accept the reality that it’s just you and your offspring from now until Labor Day, or that glorious day when they finally pull the paddy wagon up to your door and haul you off for good, whichever comes first. Because I’m extremely altruistic, I’ve developed this quiz to help you determine how prepared you are for the next ninety-one days, eleven hours and twenty-eight minutes. This exhaustively researched questionnaire comes from 22 years of experience with not actually wrapping my loving hands around the throats of four kids who, surrounded by ten thousand DVDs, nine hundred video games, three separate game systems, two computers, five televisions, a million books and magazines, a swimming pool complete with basketball hoop and volleyball net, six bicycles, a couple of skateboards, a dozen pairs of roller blades, and a scooter, can still muster the jaw-dropping audacity to whine that “there’s nothing to do in this stupid house”. Seriously, I belong in “Ripley’s”. Anyway, good luck with this. Hopefully I’ll remember to put the answers somewhere near the end, although if you’re even taking the test in the first place, it’s probably too late for you already. 1: During summer break, the average teenager requires how much sleep per night? a) Twenty-six hours. b) As much as necessary to avoid mowing the lawn the next morning. c) Ha! Trick question! Teenagers don’t sleep at night. They’re like vampires, locked away in their crypts ‘til sundown and then haunting your house, deflouring the pantry and sucking the refrigerator dry. 2: Immediately after Satan was tossed out of heaven, he did three things: Tempted Eve, opened an insurance company, and… a) Invented red popsicles, which have such astonishing staining power they are capable of destroying clothes you haven’t even purchased yet. b) Put into the mind of man the idea that precariously balancing a paper plate on your knees while eating a meal composed of a half-cooked cheeseburger, potato salad and gnats is a fabulous summer activity. c) Arranged for there to be NO holidays during the month of August, which is fine for Utahns on account of their basically taking off all of July like the camping and boating religious fanatics they are, but which pretty much has the rest of us clawing at our faces and screaming, “School doesn’t start for HOW many more weeks??”
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3: Let’s talk family vacations! A road trip with children is totally doable, provided you have which necessary supplies? a) A gallon of Nyquil and a large funnel. b) The entire “Dora the Explorer” DVD collection, a half-ton of assorted action figures and stuffed animals, every cracker, gummy treat, cereal bar and juice box Costco sells, books, crayons, neck pillows, diapers, wipes, plastic grocery bags in case of barfing, plastic grocery bags for storing the clothes when the barf misses the other plastic grocery bags, plastic grocery bags for putting over your own head when the rest of it just gets to be too much…. c) An airplane. 4: Everyone is feeling the economic pinch this year, so more and more families are choosing to vacation close to home. Of course, vacationing at home works best when… a) You live in Disneyland. b) Your next-door neighbors are Siegfried and Roy. c) You finally receive your 20% cut promised you by that poor Nigerian princess whose wicked stepmother conspired to have her father assassinated to gain control of his vast wealth and to finally stop having to kiss a fat, stinky political despot full on the mouth, only to banish said poor Nigerian princess to a refugee camp while holding on to the PNP’s passport and inheritance, but thankfully NOT her laptop (which miraculously includes camp-to-camp internet access) thereby enabling her to find YOU out of the billions of e-mail accounts out there and alert you to her plight, from which you gladly rescued her because apparently you have the critical thinking skills of dandruff. So now you’re set. 5: Another favorite vacation option is to travel to a popular destination and stay with friends or family, which allows you to both save money and shorten your Christmas card list. There’s nothing like dropping in on someone for a couple of weeks over the summer to guarantee your having fewer friends come September. I live in Las Vegas, and would be happy to host any of you as long as you bring which essentials? a) Your own towels. And food. Oh, and bed. Room. Bedroom. b) Tranquilizer darts for your four year-old, who otherwise keeps trying to ride my golden retriever and insists on piddling in my pool. c) A map to the strip and the words, “Please, we wouldn’t think of asking you to drive us to a place where, for your trouble, you can enjoy six hours of your kids pestering for eight-dollar-a-pound M&Ms while your shoes melt right into the sidewalk” tattooed on your forehead. d) Four tickets to “Mystere” and an offer to buy me a very large, very expensive steak. 6: Finally, summer will draw to a close, and it will be time to think about getting back to school. I advise limbering up a little before attempting any cheer kicks or hurkies. Of course, preparing your kids for that big First Day is one of the most important of all summer activities. What will you need most in order to make this run to the start of school a success? a) A crystal ball. This is very important for determining what shoe and clothing brands all the popular kids will be wearing, what kind of backpack they’ll be sporting, how they’ll be doing their hair, what gum they’ll be chewing, and the direction in which they’ll be rolling their eyes when they see your kid looking every bit as cute but somehow not as cool, thus allowing your child to start the year singing the traditional ‘tween anthem “I Hate My Life And It’s All Your Fault.” b) Reams of wide ruled paper, wire bound theme books, four dozen pencils and pencil sharpener, black ballpoint pens, yellow highlighters, and two hundred dollars’ worth of three-ring binders designed to look like laptop computers. c) A thesaurus when the words “Are you freaking KIDDING me??” are not adequate upon discovering that your kids really need college ruled paper, thread bound theme books, mechanical pencils, blue ballpoint pens, pink highlighters, and twelve pocket folders with butterfly fasteners. Cleverly designed three-ring binders are banned this year because a student in Urban Myth, North Dakota supposedly smuggled a fifth of tequila into his middle school inside a binder shaped, ironically, like a fifth of tequila. d) A fifth of tequila. So, how’d you do? Ready for summer break? Well, no matter. Between the popsicles and the prescription meds, we’ll all manage to survive, although I fear our houses will be totalled. This kind of time with our families doesn’t come along every year, you know, and we have to make the most of it.
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